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VanEck Funds, et al. – ‘485APOS’ on 1/27/17

On:  Friday, 1/27/17, at 4:08pm ET   ·   Private-to-Public:  Document/Exhibit ¶  –  Release Delayed   ·   Accession #:  930413-17-234   ·   File #s:  2-97596, 811-04297

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  As Of                Filer                Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size              Issuer               Agent

 1/27/17  VanEck Funds                      485APOS¶               2:1.8M                                   Command Financial
          → VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund ⇒ Class A (NDRMX) — Class I (NDRUX) — Class T  — Class Y (NDRYX)

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 485APOS     Post-Effective Amendment                            HTML   1.04M 
 2: CORRESP   ¶ Comment-Response or Other Letter to the SEC         HTML     17K 

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 27, 2017

Securities Act File No. 002-97596
Investment Company Act File No. 811-04297

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 x
Pre-Effective Amendment No. ___ o
Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 x

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 x
Amendment No. 138 x

VANECK FUNDS
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

666 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10017
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

(212) 293-2000
Registrant’s Telephone Number

Jonathan R. Simon, Esq.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Van Eck Associates Corporation
666 Third Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10017
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:
Alison M. Fuller, Esq.
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP
1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite 500
Washington, D.C 20036

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:

As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

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

o immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
o on [ ]pursuant to paragraph (b)
x 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
o on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
o 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
o on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

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

     
VanEck Funds

VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund
Class A: NDRMX / Class I: NDRUX / Class Y: NDRYX

These securities have not been approved or disapproved either by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or by any State Securities Commission. Neither the SEC nor any State Commission has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus.

Any claim to the contrary is a criminal offense.

800.826.2333  vaneck.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND (CLASS A, I, Y)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund seeks capital appreciation.

FUND FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for Class A sales charge discounts if you and your family (includes spouse and children under age 21) invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000, in the aggregate, in Class A of the VanEck Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the “Shareholder Information–Sales Charges” section of this prospectus, in the “Availability of Discounts” and “Breakpoint Linkage Rules for Discounts” sections of the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) and, with respect to purchases of shares through specific intermediaries, in Appendix A to this prospectus, entitled “Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers.”

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Expense Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem all of your shares at the end of these periods or continue to hold them. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. To the extent the Adviser is waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses, the example assumes that such waiver and/or reimbursement will only be in place through the date noted above. Although your actual expenses may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

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VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND (CLASS A, I, Y) (continued)

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate that the Fund pays 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 annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the period from the Fund’s inception on May 11, 2016 until December 31, 2016, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was [  ]% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing, under normal conditions, primarily in (i) exchange traded products that are registered under the federal securities laws (“Exchange Traded Products”) and invest in domestic and foreign equity and debt securities, including exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”); and (ii) cash or cash equivalents. The securities held by the Exchange Traded Products include equity securities of companies of any market capitalization, debt securities of any credit quality, duration and maturity and emerging market securities. The Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s assets primarily in unaffiliated, passively-managed Exchange Traded Products.

The Adviser uses a customized version of a global tactical asset allocation model (the “VE NDR Model”) developed by Ned Davis Research, Inc. (“NDR”). The VE NDR Model uses customized parameters to guide asset allocation decisions. The VE NDR Model combines the signals generated by various NDR sub-models, which, in the aggregate, aim to enhance asset allocation by tilting portfolio weightings toward asset classes believed to be more attractive than others given perceived market trends, current opportunities and/or risks in the market. The sub-models use fundamental, macro-economic and technical indicators to generate allocation signals among (i) stocks, bonds and cash, (ii) geographical locations and (iii) market capitalization (e.g., company size) and investment style (e.g., value and growth). As used herein, the term “signals” refers to allocation percentages generated by the VE NDR Model.

Fundamental and macro-economic indicators used by the sub-models include, but are not limited to, investor sentiment, earnings, monetary policy, inflation and yield curves. Technical indicators used by the sub-models include, but are not limited to, trend, mean reversion, momentum and seasonality. The Adviser allocates the Fund’s assets to those Exchange Traded Products that it believes will have returns that, in the aggregate, closely correlate (before fees and expenses) to the return of the VE NDR Model. The VE NDR Model typically adjusts its signals on a monthly basis.

A significant portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or cash equivalents including, but not limited to, money market instruments, U.S. Treasury bills, interests in short-term investment funds or shares of money market or short-term bond funds. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s share price and return will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund involves the risk of losing money. Also, because the Fund invests directly in Exchange Traded Products, which, in turn, invest directly in or have exposure to equity and debt securities and other asset categories, the following principal risks are those of the Fund and Exchange Traded Products, as appropriate. As a result of the Fund’s direct investment in Exchange Traded Products, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks of the securities held by and other investments made by the Exchange Traded Products.

Debt Securities. Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest payments or repay principal when it becomes due. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt security resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates.

Exchange Traded Products. While the risks of owning shares of an Exchange Traded Product generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the Exchange Traded Product, lack of liquidity in the Exchange Traded Product can result in its value being more volatile than its underlying portfolio investments. An Exchange Traded Product can trade at prices higher or lower than the value of its underlying assets. In addition, an active trading market for shares of an Exchange Traded Product may not develop or be maintained and trading in the Exchange Traded Product may be halted by the exchange on which it trades.

Exchange Traded Products’ Underlying Investments. Through its investment in an Exchange Traded Product, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Exchange Traded Product’s underlying investments, including the possibility that the value of the securities or other assets held by the Exchange Traded Product could decrease. These risks include any combination of the risks described below, although the Fund’s exposure to a particular risk will be proportionate to the Fund’s overall allocation and an Exchange Traded Product’s asset allocation. Additionally, the Fund will bear additional

2

expenses based on its pro rata share of the Exchange Traded Product’s operating expenses. Consequently, an investment in the Fund entails more direct and indirect expenses than a direct investment in an Exchange Traded Product.

Below Investment Grade Securities. Below investment grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”) are more speculative than higher-rated securities. These securities have a much greater risk of default and may be more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity. These securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than higher-rated securities.

Commodities and Commodity-Linked Derivatives. Exposure to the commodities markets, such as precious metals, industrial metals, gas and other energy products and natural resources, may subject the Exchange Traded Product to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities markets may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors including changes in overall market movements, political and economic events and policies, war, acts of terrorism, natural disasters and changes in interest rates or inflation rates. Because the value of a commodity linked derivative instrument and structured note typically are based upon the price movements of physical commodities, the value of these securities will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodities or related index of investment.

Common Stock. Common stocks are subject to greater fluctuations in market value than certain other asset classes as a result of such factors as a company’s business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general economic conditions.

Concentration. An Exchange Traded Product that concentrates its investments in an industry or group of industries is more vulnerable to adverse market, economic, regulatory, political or other developments affecting such industry or group of industries than a fund that invests its assets more broadly.

Derivatives. The use of derivatives, such as swap agreements, options, warrants, futures contracts, currency forwards and structured notes, presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying currency, security, asset, index or reference rate. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing an Exchange Traded Product to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. Also, a liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Exchange Traded Product’s derivative positions at times when the Exchange Traded Product might wish to terminate or sell such positions and over the counter instruments may be illiquid and are subject to counterparty risk.

Emerging Markets. Investments in the securities of emerging markets typically present even greater exposure to the risks described under “Foreign Securities” and may be particularly sensitive to certain economic changes. Emerging market securities are exposed to a number of risks that may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade.

Foreign Currency. Investments in global markets or securities that are denominated in foreign currencies give rise to foreign currency exposure. The U.S. dollar value of these investments will vary depending on changes in exchange rates and the performance of the underlying assets.

Foreign Securities. Investments in securities of foreign issuers are subject to greater risks than U.S. domestic investments. These additional risks may include exchange rate fluctuations and exchange controls; less publicly available information; more volatile or less liquid securities markets; and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, or political, economic or social instability. Foreign companies also may be subject to significantly higher levels of taxation than U.S. companies, including potentially confiscatory levels of taxation, thereby reducing the earnings potential of such foreign companies.

Investment Style. Securities of a particular investment style, such as a growth style or value style, tend to perform differently and shift into and out of favor with investors depending on changes in market and economic conditions.

Large-Capitalization Companies. Securities of large-capitalization companies could fall out of favor with the market and underperform securities of small- or medium-capitalization companies. Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.

Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies. Securities of small- and medium-sized companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. The stocks of small and medium-sized companies may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall stock market.

Market. Market risk refers to the risk that the market prices of securities that the Fund or an Exchange Traded Product holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities. The Exchange Traded Products, including ETFs and ETNs, may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values.

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VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND (CLASS A, I, Y) (continued)

Model and Data Risk: The Adviser relies heavily on quantitative models and information and data supplied by NDR (“Models and Data”). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments and to provide risk management insights. When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks.

Operational. 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.

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities and thus may experience a high portfolio turnover rate. This may result in significant taxable capital gains as a result of the frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund will incur transaction costs in connection with buying and selling the securities, which may lower the Fund’s return.

Regulatory. Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of the Fund. For example, in 2012, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) adopted amendments to its rules that affect the ability of certain investment advisers to registered investment companies and other entities to rely on previously available exclusions or exemptions from registration under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (“CEA”) and regulations thereunder. Specifically, these amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2013, require an investment adviser of a registered investment company to register with the CFTC as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) if the investment company either markets itself as a vehicle for trading commodity interests or conducts more than a de minimis amount of speculative trading in commodity interests. The staff of the CFTC issued temporary no-action relief (the “No-Action Relief”) from CPO registration to operators of funds-of-funds that cannot reasonably know whether indirect exposure to commodity interests would prevent them from qualifying for an exemption from registration as a CPO. In reliance on the No-Action Relief, the Adviser has claimed a temporary exemption from registration as a CPO. To the extent the Fund and the Adviser are required to comply with applicable CFTC disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping regulations, compliance with such regulations could increase the Fund’s expenses, adversely affecting the Fund’s total return.

PERFORMANCE

The Fund commenced operations on May 11, 2016. Accordingly, the Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance.

The financial performance for the Fund’s first fiscal period is included in the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus. Updated performance information for the Fund is available on the VanEck website at vaneck.com.

4

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation

Portfolio Managers.
David Schassler and John Lau have been the portfolio manager and deputy portfolio manager of the Fund, respectively, since its inception in 2016.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

In general, shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed on any business day, primarily through financial representatives such as brokers or advisers, or directly by eligible investors through the Fund’s transfer agent. Purchase minimums for Classes A and Y shares are $1,000 for an initial purchase and $100 for a subsequent purchase, with no purchase minimums for any purchase through a retirement or pension plan account, for any “wrap fee” account and similar programs offered without a sales charge by certain financial institutions and third-party record keepers and/or administrators, and for any account using the Automatic Investment Plan, or for any other periodic purchase program. Purchase minimums for Class I shares are $1 million for an initial purchase and no minimum for a subsequent purchase; the initial minimum may be reduced or waived at the Adviser’s discretion.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. These distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax- advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (IRA).

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its affiliates 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 intermediary and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial professional or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

5

II. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, POLICIES, RISKS AND OTHER INFORMATION

This section states the Fund’s investment objective and describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective. This section also provides additional information about the principal risks associated with investing in the Fund.

1. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund seeks capital appreciation.

The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. To the extent practicable, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days’ prior written notice before changing its investment objective.

2. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

DEBT SECURITIES

EXCHANGE TRADED PRODUCTS

6

EXCHANGE TRADED PRODUCTS’ UNDERLYING INVESTMENTS

7

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, POLICIES, RISKS AND OTHER INFORMATION (continued)

8

MARKET

MODEL AND DATA RISK

OPERATIONAL

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

REGULATORY

9

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, POLICIES, RISKS AND OTHER INFORMATION (continued)

3. ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

INVESTING DEFENSIVELY

INVESTING IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES

SECURITIES LENDING

10

4. OTHER INFORMATION AND POLICIES

BENEFICIARIES OF CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS

VanEck Funds (the “Trust”) enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Fund’s investment adviser, administrator and distributor, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders of the Fund are not parties to, or intended (or “third-party”) beneficiaries of, any of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right to enforce such contractual arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy under such contractual arrangements against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.

This prospectus provides information concerning the Trust and the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. None of this prospectus, the SAI or any document filed as an exhibit to the Trust’s registration statement, is intended to, nor does it, give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

CYBER SECURITY

The Fund and its service providers are susceptible to cyber security risks that include, among other things, theft, unauthorized monitoring, release, misuse, loss, destruction or corruption of confidential and highly restricted data; denial of service attacks; unauthorized access to relevant systems; compromises to networks or devices that the Fund and its service providers use to service the Fund’s operations; and operational disruption or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Fund and its service providers. Cyber attacks against or security breakdowns of the Fund or its service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders, potentially resulting in, among other things, financial losses; the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business and the Fund to process transactions; the inability to calculate the Fund’s net asset value,; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs; and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund may incur additional costs for cyber security risk management and remediation purposes. In addition, cyber security risks may also impact issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value. There can be no assurance that the Fund or its service providers will not suffer losses relating to cyber attacks or other information security breaches in the future.

INFORMATION ABOUT NED DAVIS RESEARCH, INC.

NDR is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser. NDR specializes in quantitative research based on technical, fundamental and macro analysis. It is a privately held corporation headquartered in Venice, Florida and has approximately 125 employees. NDR was founded in 1980 as an institutional investment research provider and in 2011 was sold to Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, a London-based holding company that invests globally in media companies operating in the financial services industry. NDR is not an affiliate of the Adviser and none of NDR’s employees are also employees of the Adviser.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Generally, it is the Fund’s and the Adviser’s policy that no current or potential investor, including any Fund shareholder, shall be provided information about the Fund’s portfolio on a preferential basis in advance of the provision of that information to other investors. A complete description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Portfolio holdings information for the Fund is available to all investors on the VanEck website at vaneck.com. Information regarding the Fund’s weightings, updated as of each month-end, is also located on this website. Generally, this information is posted to the website within 10 business days of the end of the applicable month. This information generally remains available on the website until new information is posted. The Fund reserves the right to exclude any portion of these

11

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, POLICIES, RISKS AND OTHER INFORMATION (continued)

portfolio holdings from publication when deemed in the best interest of the Fund, and to discontinue the posting of portfolio holdings information at any time, without prior notice.

PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS

The percentage limitations relating to the composition of the Fund’s portfolio apply at the time the Fund acquires an investment. A subsequent increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change in the value of portfolio securities or the total or net assets of the Fund will not be considered a violation of the restriction.

12

III. SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

1. HOW TO BUY, SELL, EXCHANGE OR TRANSFER SHARES

The Fund offers Class A, Class I and Class Y shares. Information related to how to buy, sell, exchange and transfer shares is discussed below. See the “Minimum Purchase” section for information related to initial and subsequent minimum investment amounts. The minimum investment amounts vary by share class. The Fund also offers Class T shares, which are described in a separate prospectus.

Through a Financial Intermediary

Primarily, accounts are opened through a financial intermediary (broker, bank, adviser or agent). Please contact your financial intermediary for details.

Through the Transfer Agent, DST Systems, Inc. (DST)

You may buy (purchase), sell (redeem), exchange, or transfer ownership of Class A and Class I shares directly through DST by mail or telephone, as stated below. For Class Y shares, shareholders must open accounts and transact business through a financial intermediary.

The Fund’s mailing address at DST is:

VanEck Funds
P.O. Box 218407
Kansas City, MO 64121-8407

For overnight delivery:

VanEck Funds
210 W. 10th St., 8th Fl.
Kansas City, MO 64105-1802

Non-resident aliens cannot make a direct investment to establish a new account in the Fund, but may invest through their broker or agent and certain foreign financial institutions that have agreements with VanEck.

To telephone the Fund at DST, call VanEck Account Assistance at 800-544-4653.

Purchase by Mail

To make an initial purchase, complete the VanEck Account Application and mail it with your check made payable to VanEck Funds. Subsequent purchases can be made by check with the remittance stub of your account statement. You cannot make a purchase by telephone. We cannot accept third party checks, starter checks, money orders, travelers checks, cashier checks, checks drawn on a foreign bank, or checks not in U.S. dollars. There are separate applications for VanEck retirement accounts (see “Retirement Plans” for details). For further details, see the application or call Account Assistance.

Telephone Redemption—Proceeds by Check 800-345-8506

If your account has the optional Telephone Redemption Privilege, you can redeem up to $50,000 per day. The redemption check must be payable to the registered owner(s) at the address of record (which cannot have been changed within the past 30 days). You automatically get the Telephone Redemption Privilege (for eligible accounts) unless you specifically refuse it on your Account Application, on broker/agent settlement instructions, or by written notice to DST. All accounts are eligible for the privilege except those registered in street, nominee, or corporate name and custodial accounts held by a financial institution, including VanEck sponsored retirement plans.

Expedited Redemption—Proceeds by Wire 800-345-8506

If your account has the optional Expedited Redemption Privilege, you can redeem a minimum of $1,000 or more per day by telephone or written request with the proceeds wired to your designated bank account. The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum amount. This privilege must be established in advance by Application. For further details, see the Application or call Account Assistance.

Written Redemption

Your written redemption (sale) request must include:

13

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (continued)

A signature guarantee for each account holder will be required if:

Institutions eligible to provide signature guarantees include banks, brokerages, trust companies, and some credit unions.

Telephone Exchange 800-345-8506

If your account has the optional Telephone Exchange Privilege, you can exchange between Funds of the same Class without any additional sales charge. (Shares originally purchased into the VanEck Money Fund (the “Money Fund”), which paid no sales charge, may pay an initial sales charge the first time they are exchanged into another Class A fund.) All accounts are eligible except for omnibus accounts or those registered in street name and certain custodial retirement accounts held by a financial institution other than VanEck. For further details regarding exchanges, please see the application, “Limits and Restrictions” and “Unauthorized Telephone Requests” below, or call Account Assistance.

Written Exchange

Written requests for exchange must include:

For further details regarding exchanges, please see the applicable information in “Telephone Exchange.”

Certificates

Certificates are not issued for new or existing shares.

Transfer of Ownership

Requests must be in writing and provide the same information and legal documentation necessary to redeem and establish an account, including the social security or tax identification number of the new owner.

Redemption in Kind

The Fund reserves the right to satisfy redemption requests by making payment in securities (known as a redemption in kind). In such case, the Fund may pay all or part of the redemption in securities of equal value as permitted under the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder. The redeeming shareholder should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received and will bear any market risks associated with such securities until they are converted into cash. A redemption in kind is treated as a taxable transaction and a sale of the redeemed shares, generally resulting in capital gain or loss to the redeeming shareholder subject to certain loss limitation rules.

Redemptions Initiated by the Fund

The Fund reserves the right to redeem your shares in the Fund if the Fund’s Board of Trustees determines that the failure to so redeem may have materially adverse consequences to the shareholders of the Fund. For additional information, please see “Additional Purchase and Redemption Information - Redemptions Initiated by the Fund” in the SAI.

LIMITS AND RESTRICTIONS

Frequent Trading Policy

The Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to deter frequent trading in shares of the Fund, commonly referred to as “market timing,” because such activities may be disruptive to the management of the Fund’s portfolio and may increase the Fund’s expenses and negatively impact the Fund’s performance. As such, the Fund may reject a purchase or exchange transaction or restrict an account from investing in the Fund for any reason if the Adviser, in its sole discretion, believes that a shareholder is engaging in market timing activities that may be harmful to the Fund. The Fund discourages and does not accommodate frequent trading of shares by its shareholders.

The Fund invests portions of its assets in securities of foreign issuers, and consequently may be subject to an increased risk of frequent trading activities because frequent traders may attempt to take advantage of time zone differences

14

between the foreign markets in which the Fund’s portfolio securities trade and the time as of which the Fund’s net asset value is calculated (“time-zone arbitrage”). The Fund’s investments in other types of securities may also be susceptible to frequent trading strategies. These investments include securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid, which have the risk that the current market price for the securities may not accurately reflect current market values. The Fund has adopted fair valuation policies and procedures intended to reduce the Fund’s exposure to potential price arbitrage. However, there is no guarantee that the Fund’s net asset value will immediately reflect changes in market conditions.

The Fund uses a variety of techniques to monitor and detect abusive trading practices, such as monitoring purchases, redemptions and exchanges that meet certain criteria established by the Fund, and making inquiries with respect to such trades. If a transaction is rejected or an account restricted due to suspected market timing, the investor or his or her financial adviser will be notified.

With respect to trades that occur through omnibus accounts at intermediaries, such as broker-dealers and third party administrators, the Fund requires all such intermediaries to agree to cooperate in identifying and restricting market timers in accordance with the Fund’s policies and will periodically request customer trading activity in the omnibus accounts based on certain criteria established by the Fund. There is no assurance that the Fund will request such information with sufficient frequency to detect or deter excessive trading or that review of such information will be sufficient to detect or deter excessive trading in omnibus accounts effectively.

Although the Fund will use reasonable efforts to prevent market timing activities in the Fund’s shares, there can be no assurances that these efforts will be successful. As some investors may use various strategies to disguise their trading practices, the Fund’s ability to detect frequent trading activities by investors that hold shares through financial intermediaries may be limited by the ability and/or willingness of such intermediaries to monitor for these activities.

For further details, contact Account Assistance.

Unauthorized Telephone Requests

Like most financial organizations, VanEck, the Fund and DST may only be liable for losses resulting from unauthorized transactions if reasonable procedures designed to verify the caller’s identity and authority to act on the account are not followed.

If you do not want to authorize the Telephone Exchange or Redemption privilege on your eligible account, you must refuse it on the Account Application, broker/agent settlement instructions, or by written notice to DST. VanEck, the Fund, and DST reserve the right to reject a telephone redemption, exchange, or other request without prior notice either during or after the call. For further details, contact Account Assistance.

AUTOMATIC SERVICES

Automatic Investment Plan

You may authorize DST to periodically withdraw a specified dollar amount from your bank account and buy shares in your Fund account. For further details and to request an Application, contact Account Assistance.

Automatic Exchange Plan

You may authorize DST to periodically exchange a specified dollar amount for your account from one Fund to another Fund. For further details and to request an Application, contact Account Assistance.

Automatic Withdrawal Plan

You may authorize DST to periodically withdraw (redeem) a specified dollar amount from your Fund account and mail a check to you for the proceeds. Your Fund account must be valued at $10,000 or more at the current offering price to establish the Plan. For further details and to request an Application, contact Account Assistance.

MINIMUM PURCHASE

Each class can set its own transaction minimums and may vary with respect to expenses for distribution, administration and shareholder services.

For Class A and Class Y shares, an initial purchase of $1,000 and subsequent purchases of $100 or more are required for non-retirement accounts. There are no purchase minimums for any retirement or pension plan account, for any account using the Automatic Investment Plan, or for any other periodic purchase program. Minimums may be waived for initial and subsequent purchases through “wrap fee” and similar programs offered without a sales charge by certain financial institutions and third-party recordkeepers and/or administrators.

For Class I shares, an initial purchase by an eligible investor of $1 million is required. The minimum initial investment requirement may be waived or aggregated among investors, in the Adviser’s discretion, for investors in certain fee-based,

15

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (continued)

wrap or other no-load investment programs, and for an eligible Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan with plan assets of $3 million or more, sponsored by financial intermediaries that have entered into a Class I agreement with VanEck, as well as for other categories of investors. An “Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan” includes (a) an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies (a “Qualified Plan”) under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), including Code section 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans; (b) an ERISA-covered 403(b) plan; and (c) certain non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a Qualified Plan, such as 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements, but not including employer-sponsored IRAs. In addition, members of the Boards of Trustees of VanEck Funds and VanEck VIP Trust and each officer, director and employee of VanEck may purchase Class I shares without being subject to the $1 million minimum initial investment requirement. There are no minimum investment requirements for subsequent purchases to existing accounts. To be eligible to purchase Class I shares, you must also qualify as specified in “How to Choose a Class of Shares.”

ACCOUNT VALUE AND REDEMPTION

If the value of your account falls below $1,000 for Class A and Class Y shares and below $500,000 for Class I shares after the initial purchase, the Fund reserves the right to redeem your shares after 30 days notice to you. This does not apply to accounts exempt from purchase minimums as described above.

HOW THE FUND SHARES ARE PRICED

The Fund buys or sells its shares at its net asset value, or NAV, per share next determined after receipt of a purchase or redemption plus any applicable sales charge. The Fund calculates its NAV every day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

You may enter a buy or sell order when the NYSE is closed for weekends or holidays. If that happens, your price will be the NAV calculated as of the close of the next regular trading session of the NYSE. The Fund may invest in certain securities which are listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.

The Fund’s investments are generally valued based on market quotations which may be based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, broker dealers or by an independent pricing service. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, which approximates the fair value of the security. When market quotations are not readily available for a portfolio security, or, in the opinion of the Adviser, are deemed unreliable, the Fund will use the security’s “fair value” as determined in good faith in accordance with the Fund’s Fair Value Pricing Policies and Procedures, which have been approved by the Board. As a general principle, the current fair value of a security is the amount which the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. The Fund’s Pricing Committee, whose members are selected by the senior management of the Adviser and approved by the Board, is responsible for recommending fair value procedures to the Board and for administering the process used to arrive at fair value prices.

Factors that may cause the Fund’s Pricing Committee to conclude that a security should be fair valued include, but are not limited to: (1) market quotations are not readily available because a portfolio security is not traded in a public market, trading in the security has been suspended, or the principal market in which the security trades is closed, (2) trading in a portfolio security is limited or suspended and not resumed prior to the time at which the Fund calculates its NAV, (3) the market for the relevant security is thin, or the price for the security is “stale” because its price has not changed for five consecutive business days, (4) the Adviser determines that a market quotation is not reliable, for example, because price movements are highly volatile and cannot be verified by a reliable alternative pricing source, or (5) a significant event affecting the value of a portfolio security is determined to have occurred between the time of the market quotation provided for a portfolio security and the time at which the Fund calculates its NAV.

In determining the fair value of securities, the Pricing Committee will consider, among other factors, the fundamental analytical data relating to the security, the nature and duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the security, and the forces influencing the market in which the security is traded.

Foreign securities in which the Fund invests may be traded in markets that close before the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. Foreign securities are normally priced based upon the market quotation of such securities as of the close of their respective principal markets, as adjusted to reflect the Adviser’s determination of the impact of events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. markets occurring subsequent to the close of such markets but prior to the time at which the Fund calculates its NAV. In such cases, the Pricing Committee may apply a fair valuation formula to those foreign

16

securities based on the Committee’s determination of the effect of the U.S. significant event with respect to each local market.

Certain of the Fund’s portfolio securities are valued by an independent pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees. The independent pricing service may utilize an automated system incorporating a model based on multiple parameters, including a security’s local closing price (in the case of foreign securities), relevant general and sector indices, currency fluctuations, and trading in depositary receipts and futures, if applicable, and/or research evaluations by its staff, in determining what it believes is the fair valuation of the portfolio securities valued by such independent pricing service.

There can be no assurance that the Fund could purchase or sell a portfolio security at the price used to calculate the Fund’s NAV. Because of the inherent uncertainty in fair valuations, and the various factors considered in determining value pursuant to the Fund’s fair value procedures, there can be significant deviations between a fair value price at which a portfolio security is being carried and the price at which it is purchased or sold. Furthermore, changes in the fair valuation of portfolio securities may be less frequent, and of greater magnitude, than changes in the price of portfolio securities valued by an independent pricing service, or based on market quotations.

2. HOW TO CHOOSE A CLASS OF SHARES

The Fund offers four classes of shares with different sales charges and 12b-1 fee schedules, designed to provide you with different purchase options according to your investment needs. Class A shares are offered to the general public. Shares of the Money Fund are not available for exchange with Class I or Class Y shares. Class I shares are offered to eligible investors primarily through certain financial intermediaries that have entered into a Class I Agreement with VanEck. The Fund reserves the right to accept direct investments by eligible investors. Class Y shares are offered only to investors through “wrap fee” and similar programs offered without a sales charge by certain financial intermediaries and third-party recordkeepers and/or administrators that have entered into a Class Y agreement with VanEck.

The Fund also offers Class T shares, which are described in a separate prospectus. Financial intermediaries making Fund shares available to their clients determine which share class(es) to make available. Your financial intermediary may receive different compensation for selling one class of shares than for selling another class, which may depend on, among other things, the type of investor account and the policies, procedures and practices adopted by your financial intermediary. You should review these arrangements with your financial intermediary.

Financial intermediaries may offer their clients more than one class of shares of the Fund. Shareholders who own shares of one class of a Fund and who are eligible to invest in another class of the same Fund may be eligible to convert their shares from one class to the other. For additional information, please contact your financial intermediary or see “Class Conversions” in the SAI. Investors should consider carefully the Fund’s share class expenses and applicable sales charges and fees plus any separate transaction and other fees charged by such intermediaries in connection with investing in each available share class before selecting a share class. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary and the investor to choose the proper share class and notify DST or VanEck of that share class at the time of each purchase. More

17

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (continued)

information regarding share class eligibility is available in the “How to Buy, Sell, Exchange, or Transfer Shares” section of the prospectus and in “Purchase of Shares” in the SAI.

3. SALES CHARGES

Unless you are eligible for a waiver, the public offering price you pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund is the net asset value (NAV) of the shares plus an initial sales charge. A sales charge means that a portion of your initial investment goes toward the sales charge and is not invested. The initial sales charge varies depending upon the size of your purchase, as set forth below, and a percentage is paid to the financial intermediary who sells your Class A shares. No sales charge is imposed where Class A shares are issued to you pursuant to the automatic investment of income dividends or capital gains distribution. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure that the investor obtains the proper “breakpoint” discount. Class I and Class Y do not have an initial sales charge. Class A does charge a contingent deferred sales charge as set forth below.

Different intermediaries may impose different sales charges (including potential reductions in or waivers of sales charges) other than those listed below. Such intermediary-specific sales charge variations are described in Appendix A to this prospectus, entitled “Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers.” Appendix A is incorporated herein by reference (is legally a part of this prospectus). Such intermediary-specific sales charge discounts and waivers may not be available to purchasers whose accounts are not held at and traded by their intermediary.

In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge discounts or waivers.

CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE FOR CLASS A SHARES

Class A shares purchased at or above the $1 million breakpoint in accordance with the sales load schedule identified above (referred to as “commissionable” shares) that are redeemed within one year of purchase will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) in the amount of 1.00% of the lesser of the current value of the shares redeemed or the original purchase price of such shares. The CDSC will be paid to the Distributor as reimbursement for any Finder’s Fee previously paid by the Distributor to an eligible broker or agent at the time the commissionable shares were purchased and may be waived by the Distributor if the original purchase did not result in the payment of a Finder’s Fee. For purposes of calculating the CDSC, shares will be redeemed in the following order: (1) first shares that are not subject to the CDSC (e.g., dividend reinvestment shares and other non-commissionable shares) and (2) then other shares on a first in, first out basis. A CDSC will not be charged in connection with an exchange of Class A shares into Class A shares (including the Money Fund) of another VanEck Fund; however, the shares received upon an exchange will be subject to the CDSC if they are subsequently redeemed within one year of the date of the original purchase (subject to the same terms and conditions described above). For further details regarding eligibility for the $1 million breakpoint, please see Section 3. “Sales Charges—Reduced or Waived Sales Charges” below.

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REDUCED OR WAIVED SALES CHARGES

You may qualify for a reduced or waived sales charge as stated below, or under other appropriate circumstances. You (or your broker or agent) must notify DST or VanEck at the time of each purchase or redemption whenever a reduced or waived sales charge is applicable. The term “purchase” refers to a single purchase by an individual (including spouse and children under age 21), corporation, partnership, trustee, or other fiduciary for a single trust, estate, or fiduciary account. For further details, see the SAI. The value of shares owned by an individual in Class A and Class C of each of the VanEck Funds may be combined for a reduced sales charge in Class A shares only. (The Money Fund cannot be combined for a reduced sales charge in Class A shares.)

In order to obtain a reduced sales charge (i.e., breakpoint discount) or to meet an eligibility minimum, it will be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform your broker or agent (or DST or VanEck, as applicable), of the existence of other accounts in which there are holdings eligible to be aggregated to meet the sales load breakpoints or eligibility minimums and of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge discounts or waivers.

The Fund makes available information regarding applicable sales loads, breakpoint discounts, reduced or waived sales charges and eligibility minimums, on their website at vaneck.com, free of charge.

FOR CLASS A SHARES

Right of Accumulation

When you buy shares, the amount you purchase will be combined with the value, at current offering price, of any existing Fund shares you own. This total will determine the sales charge level for which you qualify.

Combined Purchases

The combined amounts of your multiple purchases in the Fund on a single day determines the sales charge level for which you qualify.

Letter of Intent

If you plan to make purchases in the Fund within a 13 month period that total an amount equal to a reduced sales charge level, you can establish a Letter of Intent (LOI) for that amount. Under the LOI, your initial and subsequent purchases during that period receive the sales charge level applicable to that total amount. For escrow provisions and details, see the Application and the SAI.

Persons Affiliated with VanEck

Trustees, officers, and full-time employees (and their families) of the Fund, Adviser or Distributor may buy without a sales charge. Also, employees (and their spouses and children under age 21) of a brokerage firm or bank that has a selling agreement with VanEck, and other affiliates and agents, may buy without a sales charge.

Load-waived Programs Through Financial Intermediaries

Financial intermediaries may offer shares without a sales charge if they: (i) are compensated by their clients on a fee-only basis, including but not limited to Investment Advisors, Financial Planners, and Bank Trust Departments; or (ii) have entered into an agreement with VanEck to offer Class A shares at net asset value through a no-load network or platform, or through a self-directed investment brokerage account program that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its clients.

Institutional Retirement Programs

Certain financial institutions and third-party recordkeepers and/or administrators who have agreements with VanEck to offer Class A shares at net asset value may buy shares without a sales charge for their accounts on behalf of investors in retirement plans and deferred compensation plans.

Reinstatement Privilege

You have the right, once a year, to reinvest (“buy back”) proceeds of a redemption from Class A shares of the Fund into the Fund or Class A shares of another fund of the VanEck Funds within 60 days without a sales charge (excluding the Money Fund).

If you invest into the same Fund within 30 days before or after you redeem your shares at a loss, the “wash sale” rules apply to disallow for tax purposes a loss realized upon redemption.

FOR CLASS I AND CLASS Y SHARES

No initial sales charge, or CDRC fee is imposed on Class I or Class Y shares. Class I and Class Y are no-load share classes.

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (continued)

4. HOUSEHOLDING OF REPORTS AND PROSPECTUSES

If more than one member of your household is a shareholder of any of the funds in the VanEck Funds, regulations allow us, subject to certain requirements, to deliver single copies of your shareholder reports, prospectuses and prospectus supplements to a shared address for multiple shareholders. For example, a husband and wife with separate accounts in the same fund who have the same shared address generally receive two separate envelopes containing the same report or prospectus. Under the system, known as “householding,” only one envelope containing one copy of the same report or prospectus will be mailed to the shared address for the household. You may benefit from this system in two ways, a reduction in mail you receive and a reduction in fund expenses due to lower fund printing and mailing costs. However, if you prefer to continue to receive separate shareholder reports and prospectuses for each shareholder living in your household now or at any time in the future, please call Account Assistance at 800-544-4653.

5. RETIREMENT PLANS

Fund shares may be invested in tax-advantaged retirement plans sponsored by VanEck or other financial organizations. Retirement plans sponsored by VanEck use UMB Bank n.a. as custodian and must receive investments directly by check or wire using the appropriate VanEck retirement plan application. Confirmed trades through a broker or agent cannot be accepted. To obtain applications and helpful information on VanEck retirement plans, contact your broker or agent or Account Assistance.

Retirement Plans Sponsored by VanEck:

Traditional IRA

Roth IRA

SEP IRA

6. FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

TAXATION OF DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS DISTRIBUTIONS YOU RECEIVE

For tax-reportable accounts, dividends and capital gains distributions are normally taxable even if they are reinvested. Other dividends and short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income. Long-term capital gains are taxed at long-term capital gain rates. Tax laws and regulations are subject to change.

TAXATION OF SHARES YOU SELL

For tax-reportable accounts, when you redeem your shares you may incur a capital gain or loss on the proceeds. The amount of gain or loss, if any, is the difference between the amount you paid for your shares (including reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions) and the amount you receive from your redemption. Be sure to keep your regular statements; they contain the information necessary to calculate the capital gain or loss. An exchange of shares from one Fund to another will be treated as a sale and purchase of Fund shares. It is therefore a taxable event.

COST BASIS REPORTING

As required by law, for shares purchased on and after January 1, 2012 in accounts eligible for IRS Tax Form 1099-B tax reporting by VanEck Funds for which tax basis information is available (“covered shares”), the VanEck Funds will provide cost basis information to you and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for shares using the IRS Tax Form 1099-B. Generally, cost basis is the dollar amount paid to purchase shares, including purchases of shares made by reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, adjusted for various items, such as sales charges and transaction fees, wash sales, and returns of capital.

The cost basis of your shares will be calculated using the Fund’s default cost basis method of Average Cost, and the Fund will deplete your oldest shares first, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different cost basis method. You may elect the cost basis method that best fits your specific tax situation using VanEck’s Cost Basis Election Form. It is important that any such election be received in writing from you by the VanEck Funds before you redeem any covered shares since the cost basis in effect at the time of redemption, as required by law, will be reported to you and the IRS. Particularly, any election or revocation of the Average Cost method must be received in writing by the VanEck Funds before you redeem covered shares. The VanEck Funds will process any of your future redemptions by depleting your oldest shares first (FIFO). If you elect a cost basis method other than Average Cost, the method you chose will not be utilized until shares held prior to January 1, 2012 are liquidated. Cost basis reporting for non-covered shares will be calculated and reported separately from covered shares. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional cost basis, holding period, or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal, state, and local income tax returns. For tax advice specific to your situation, please

20

contact your tax advisor and visit the IRS website at IRS.gov. The VanEck Funds cannot and do not provide any advice, including tax advice.

To obtain VanEck’s Cost Basis Election Form and to learn more about the cost basis elections offered by the VanEck Funds, please go to our website at vaneck.com or call VanEck Account Services at 800-544-4653.

NON-RESIDENT ALIENS

Dividends and short-term capital gains, if any, paid to non-resident aliens generally are subject to the maximum withholding tax (or lower tax treaty rates for certain countries). The IRS considers these dividends U.S. source income. Currently, the IRS does not require withholding tax on distributions of long-term capital gains or redemption proceeds if non-resident alien status is properly certified.

As part of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, (“FATCA”), the Fund is required to withhold a 30% federal tax on certain types of U.S. sourced income (e.g., dividends, interest, and other types of passive income), and after January 1, 2019 will be required to withhold a 30% federal tax on proceeds from the sale or other disposition of property producing U.S. sourced income and certain capital gain dividends to (i) foreign financial institutions (“FFI’s”), including non- U.S. investment funds, unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain nonfinancial foreign entities (“NFFE’s”), unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid possible withholding, FFI’s, other than FFI’s subject to special treatment under certain intergovernmental agreements, will need to enter into agreements with the IRS which state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, account numbers and balances, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of U.S. account holders and comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts as well as agree to withhold tax on certain types of withholdable payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to applicable foreign account holders who fail to provide the required information to the IRS, or similar account information and required documentation to a local revenue authority, should an applicable intergovernmental agreement be implemented. NFFE’s will need to provide certain information regarding each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership, unless certain exceptions apply, or agree to provide certain information to the IRS.

The Fund may be subject to the FATCA withholding obligation, and also will be required to perform due diligence reviews to classify foreign entity investors for FATCA purposes. Investors are required to agree to provide information necessary to allow the Fund to comply with the FATCA rules. If the Fund is required to withhold amounts from payments pursuant to FATCA, investors will receive distributions that are reduced by such withholding amounts.

7. DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS DISTRIBUTIONS

Dividends and capital gains distributions are generally declared and paid annually in December. See your tax adviser for details. Short term capital gains are treated like dividends and follow that schedule. Occasionally, a dividend and/or capital gain distribution may be made outside of the normal schedule.

Dividends and Capital Gains Distributions Reinvestment Plan

Dividends and/or distributions are automatically reinvested into your account without a sales charge, unless you elect a cash payment. You may elect cash payment either on your original Account Application, or by calling Account Assistance at 800-544-4653.

Divmove

You can have your cash dividends from a Class A Fund automatically invested in Class A shares of another VanEck Fund. Cash dividends are invested on the payable date, without a sales charge. For details and an Application, call Account Assistance.

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (continued)

8. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

22

INFORMATION ABOUT FUND MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT ADVISER

Van Eck Associates Corporation (the “Adviser”), 666 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017, is the Adviser to the Fund. The Adviser has been an investment adviser since 1955 and also acts as adviser or sub-adviser to other mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, other pooled investment vehicles and separate accounts.

Jan F. van Eck and members of his family own 100% of the voting stock of the Adviser. As of December 31, 2016 the Adviser’s assets under management were approximately $[  ] billion.

Fees paid to the Adviser: Pursuant to the advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly fee at the annual rate equal to 0.80% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. This includes the fee paid to the Adviser for accounting and administrative services.

The Adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or pay expenses for the Fund to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expense, trading expenses, dividends and interest payments on securities sold short, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.15% for Class A, 0.85% for Class I, and 0.90% for Class Y of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until May 1, 2018.

During such time, the expense limitation is expected to continue until the Board acts to discontinue all or a portion of such expense limitation. To minimize the duplication of fees, the Adviser has agreed to waive the management fee it charges to the Fund by any amount it collects as a management fee from an underlying investment company in which the Fund invests that is managed by the Adviser, as a result of the investment of the Fund’s assets in such investment company.

The Adviser also has agreed to waive fees and/or pay expenses for the Fund to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund’s Class Y shares from exceeding the operating expenses of the Fund’s Class A shares.

The Adviser may hire and terminate sub-advisers in accordance with the terms of an exemptive order obtained by the Fund and the Adviser from the SEC under which the Adviser is permitted, subject to supervision and approval of the Board of Trustees, to enter into and materially amend sub-advisory agreements without seeking shareholder approval. The Adviser will furnish shareholders of the Fund with information regarding a new sub-adviser within 90 days of the hiring of the new sub-adviser. Currently, the Adviser has not hired a sub-adviser to assist with the portfolio management of the Fund.

For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year end, the advisory fee paid to the Adviser was as follows:

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders for the period ended June 30, 2016.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND

Portfolio Managers.

The portfolio manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

David Schassler. Mr. Schassler is Portfolio Manager of the Fund. He has been with the Adviser since 2012 and has over 10 years’ experience in the financial markets. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Schassler served as Director and Portfolio Manager within the UBS Portfolio Strategy Group.

John Lau. Mr. Lau is Deputy Portfolio Manager of the Fund. He has been with the Adviser since 2007 and has over 9 years’ experience in the financial markets.

The SAI provides additional information about the above Portfolio Managers, their compensation, other accounts they manage, and their securities ownership in the Fund.

MANAGER OF MANAGERS STRUCTURE

The Adviser and the Trust may rely on an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the Adviser to enter into investment sub-advisory agreements with unaffiliated sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The Adviser, subject to the review and approval of the Board of Trustees, may select sub-advisers for the Fund and supervise, monitor and evaluate the performance of each sub-adviser. The Order also permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to replace sub-advisers and amend investment sub-advisory agreements, including fees, without shareholder

23

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (continued)

approval whenever the Adviser and the Board of Trustees believe such action will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Adviser thus would have the responsibility (subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees) to recommend the hiring and replacement of sub-advisers as well as the discretion to terminate any sub-adviser and reallocate the Fund’s assets for management among any other sub-adviser(s) and itself. This means that the Adviser would be able to reduce the sub-advisory fees and retain a larger portion of the management fee, or increase the sub-advisory fees and retain a smaller portion of the management fee. The Adviser would compensate each sub-adviser out of its management fee.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION (12b-1 PLAN)

The Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its shares. Of the amounts expended under the plan for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 for all VanEck Funds, approximately [  ]% was paid to Brokers and Agents who sold shares or serviced accounts of Fund shareholders. The remaining [  ]% was retained by the Distributor to pay expenses such as printing and mailing prospectuses and sales material. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on- going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Class I and Class Y shares do not have 12b-1 fees. For a complete description of the Plan of Distribution, please see “Plan of Distribution (12B-1 PLAN)” in the SAI.

THE TRUST

For more information on the VanEck Funds (the “Trust”), the Trustees and the Officers of the Trust, see “General Information,” “Description of the Trust” and “Trustees and Officers” in the SAI.

EXPENSES

The Fund bears all expenses of its operations other than those incurred by the Adviser or its affiliate under the Advisory Agreement with the Trust. For a more complete description of Fund expenses, please see the SAI.

THE DISTRIBUTOR

Van Eck Securities Corporation, 666 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (the “Distributor”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser, has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Trust for distributing shares of the Fund.

The Distributor generally sells and markets shares of the Fund through intermediaries, such as broker-dealers. The intermediaries may be compensated by the Fund for providing various services from sales charges, 12b-1 fees and/or shareholder services fees.

In addition, the Distributor or the Adviser may pay certain intermediaries, out of its own resources and not as an expense of the Fund, additional cash or non-cash compensation as an incentive to intermediaries to promote and sell shares of the Fund and other mutual funds distributed by the Distributor. These payments are commonly known as “revenue sharing”. The benefits that the Distributor or the Adviser may receive when each of them makes these payments include, among other things, placing the Fund on the intermediary’s sales system and/or preferred or recommended fund list, offering the Fund through the intermediary’s advisory or other specialized programs, and/or access (in some cases on a preferential basis over other competitors) to individual members of the intermediary’s sales force. Such payments may also be used to compensate intermediaries for a variety of administrative and shareholders services relating to investments by their customers in the Fund.

The fees paid by the Distributor or the Adviser to intermediaries may be calculated based on the gross sales price of shares sold by an intermediary, the net asset value of shares held by the customers of the intermediary, or otherwise. These fees may, but are not normally expected to, exceed in the aggregate 0.50% of the average net assets of the Fund attributable to a particular intermediary on an annual basis.

The Distributor or the Adviser may also provide intermediaries with additional cash and non-cash compensation, which may include financial assistance to intermediaries in connection with conferences, sales or training programs for their employees, seminars for the public and advertising campaigns, technical and systems support, attendance at sales meetings and reimbursement of ticket charges. In some instances, these incentives may be made available only to intermediaries whose representatives have sold or may sell a significant number of shares.

Intermediaries may receive different payments, based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, reputation in the industry, sales and asset retention rates, target markets, and customer relationships and quality of service. No one factor

24

is determinative of the type or amount of additional compensation to be provided. Financial intermediaries that sell the Fund’s shares may also act as a broker or dealer in connection with execution of transactions for the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund and the Adviser have adopted procedures to ensure that the sales of the Fund’s shares by an intermediary will not affect the selection of brokers for execution of portfolio transactions.

Not all intermediaries are paid the same to sell mutual funds. Differences in compensation to intermediaries may create a financial interest for an intermediary to sell shares of a particular mutual fund, or the mutual funds of a particular family of mutual funds. Before purchasing shares of the Fund, you should ask your intermediary or its representative about the compensation in connection with the purchase of such shares, including any revenue sharing payments it receives from the Distributor.

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IV. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The financial highlights tables that follow are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance since the commencement of the Fund’s operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements are included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.

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APPENDIX A

VANECK FUNDS
APPENDIX A: INTERMEDIARY SALES CHARGE DISCOUNTS AND WAIVERS

Dated [  , 2017]

VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND
CLASS A: NDRMX / CLASS I: NDRUX / CLASS Y: NDRYX

This Appendix A is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated [  , 2017] (the “Prospectus”) for VanEck Funds (the “Trust”), relating to VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund (the “Fund”), as it may be revised from time to time. A copy of the Prospectus for the Trust, relating to the Fund, may be obtained without charge by visiting the VanEck website at vaneck.com, by calling tollfree 800.826.1115 or by writing to the Trust or Van Eck Securities Corporation, the Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”). The information disclosed in this Appendix A is part of, and incorporated in, the Prospectus. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.

Specific intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In addition, please see the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Sales Charges” for more information on sales charges and waivers available for different classes. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge discounts or waivers.

Effective [April [  ], 2017], shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the Prospectus or the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.

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APPENDIX A (continued)

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For more detailed information, see the Statement of Additional Information (SAI), which is legally a part of and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

Once available, additional information about the investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. 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. As previously noted, however, this Fund expects to commence operations on or about the date of this Prospectus and thus, no such reports are currently available.

Transfer Agent:
DST Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 218407
Kansas City, Missouri 64121-8407

800.544.4653
vaneck.com

     
VanEck Funds

VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund
Class T: [  ]

These securities have not been approved or disapproved either by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or by any State Securities Commission. Neither the SEC nor any State Commission has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus.

Any claim to the contrary is a criminal offense.

800.826.2333  vaneck.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND (CLASS T)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund seeks capital appreciation.

FUND FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for Class T sales charge discounts if you invest at least $250,000 in Class T shares of the VanEck Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the “Shareholder Information–Sales Charges” section of this prospectus, in the “Availability of Discounts” section of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) and, with respect to purchase of shares through specific financial intermediaries, in Appendix A to this prospectus, entitled “Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers.”

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Expense Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem all of your shares at the end of these periods or continue to hold them. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. To the extent the Adviser is waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses, the example assumes that such waiver and/or reimbursement will only be in place through the date noted above. Although your actual expenses may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

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VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND (CLASS T) (continued)

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate that the Fund pays 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 annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the period from the Fund’s inception on May 11, 2016 until December 31, 2016, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was [  ]% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing, under normal conditions, primarily in (i) exchange traded products that are registered under the federal securities laws (“Exchange Traded Products”) and invest in domestic and foreign equity and debt securities, including exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”); and (ii) cash or cash equivalents. The securities held by the Exchange Traded Products include equity securities of companies of any market capitalization, debt securities of any credit quality, duration and maturity and emerging market securities. The Adviser expects to invest the Fund’s assets primarily in unaffiliated, passively-managed Exchange Traded Products.

The Adviser uses a customized version of a global tactical asset allocation model (the “VE NDR Model”) developed by Ned Davis Research, Inc. (“NDR”). The VE NDR Model uses customized parameters to guide asset allocation decisions. The VE NDR Model combines the signals generated by various NDR sub-models, which, in the aggregate, aim to enhance asset allocation by tilting portfolio weightings toward asset classes believed to be more attractive than others given perceived market trends, current opportunities and/or risks in the market. The sub-models use fundamental, macro-economic and technical indicators to generate allocation signals among (i) stocks, bonds and cash, (ii) geographical locations and (iii) market capitalization (e.g., company size) and investment style (e.g., value and growth). As used herein, the term “signals” refers to allocation percentages generated by the VE NDR Model.

Fundamental and macro-economic indicators used by the sub-models include, but are not limited to, investor sentiment, earnings, monetary policy, inflation and yield curves. Technical indicators used by the sub-models include, but are not limited to, trend, mean reversion, momentum and seasonality. The Adviser allocates the Fund’s assets to those Exchange Traded Products that it believes will have returns that, in the aggregate, closely correlate (before fees and expenses) to the return of the VE NDR Model. The VE NDR Model typically adjusts its signals on a monthly basis.

A significant portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or cash equivalents including, but not limited to, money market instruments, U.S. Treasury bills, interests in short-term investment funds or shares of money market or short-term bond funds. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s share price and return will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund involves the risk of losing money. Also, because the Fund invests directly in Exchange Traded Products, which, in turn, invest directly in or have exposure to equity and debt securities and other asset categories, the following principal risks are those of the Fund and Exchange Traded Products, as appropriate. As a result of the Fund’s direct investment in Exchange Traded Products, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks of the securities held by and other investments made by the Exchange Traded Products.

Debt Securities. Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest payments or repay principal when it becomes due. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt security resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates.

Exchange Traded Products. While the risks of owning shares of an Exchange Traded Product generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the Exchange Traded Product, lack of liquidity in the Exchange Traded Product can result in its value being more volatile than its underlying portfolio investments. An Exchange Traded Product can trade at prices higher or lower than the value of its underlying assets. In addition, an active trading market for shares of an Exchange Traded Product may not develop or be maintained and trading in the Exchange Traded Product may be halted by the exchange on which it trades.

Exchange Traded Products’ Underlying Investments. Through its investment in an Exchange Traded Product, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Exchange Traded Product’s underlying investments, including the possibility that the value of the securities or other assets held by the Exchange Traded Product could decrease. These risks include any combination of the risks described below, although the Fund’s exposure to a particular risk will be proportionate to the Fund’s overall allocation and an Exchange Traded Product’s asset allocation. Additionally, the Fund will bear additional

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expenses based on its pro rata share of the Exchange Traded Product’s operating expenses. Consequently, an investment in the Fund entails more direct and indirect expenses than a direct investment in an Exchange Traded Product.

Below Investment Grade Securities. Below investment grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”) are more speculative than higher-rated securities. These securities have a much greater risk of default and may be more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity. These securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than higher-rated securities.

Commodities and Commodity-Linked Derivatives. Exposure to the commodities markets, such as precious metals, industrial metals, gas and other energy products and natural resources, may subject the Exchange Traded Product to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities markets may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors including changes in overall market movements, political and economic events and policies, war, acts of terrorism, natural disasters and changes in interest rates or inflation rates. Because the value of a commodity linked derivative instrument and structured note typically are based upon the price movements of physical commodities, the value of these securities will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodities or related index of investment.

Common Stock. Common stocks are subject to greater fluctuations in market value than certain other asset classes as a result of such factors as a company’s business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general economic conditions.

Concentration. An Exchange Traded Product that concentrates its investments in an industry or group of industries is more vulnerable to adverse market, economic, regulatory, political or other developments affecting such industry or group of industries than a fund that invests its assets more broadly.

Derivatives. The use of derivatives, such as swap agreements, options, warrants, futures contracts, currency forwards and structured notes, presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying currency, security, asset, index or reference rate. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing an Exchange Traded Product to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. Also, a liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Exchange Traded Product’s derivative positions at times when the Exchange Traded Product might wish to terminate or sell such positions and over the counter instruments may be illiquid and are subject to counterparty risk.

Emerging Markets. Investments in the securities of emerging markets typically present even greater exposure to the risks described under “Foreign Securities” and may be particularly sensitive to certain economic changes. Emerging market securities are exposed to a number of risks that may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade.

Foreign Currency. Investments in global markets or securities that are denominated in foreign currencies give rise to foreign currency exposure. The U.S. dollar value of these investments will vary depending on changes in exchange rates and the performance of the underlying assets.

Foreign Securities. Investments in securities of foreign issuers are subject to greater risks than U.S. domestic investments. These additional risks may include exchange rate fluctuations and exchange controls; less publicly available information; more volatile or less liquid securities markets; and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, or political, economic or social instability. Foreign companies also may be subject to significantly higher levels of taxation than U.S. companies, including potentially confiscatory levels of taxation, thereby reducing the earnings potential of such foreign companies.

Investment Style. Securities of a particular investment style, such as a growth style or value style, tend to perform differently and shift into and out of favor with investors depending on changes in market and economic conditions.

Large-Capitalization Companies. Securities of large-capitalization companies could fall out of favor with the market and underperform securities of small- or medium-capitalization companies. Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.

Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies. Securities of small- and medium-sized companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. The stocks of small and medium-sized companies may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall stock market.

Market. Market risk refers to the risk that the market prices of securities that the Fund or an Exchange Traded Product holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities. The Exchange Traded Products, including ETFs and ETNs, may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values.

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VANECK NDR MANAGED ALLOCATION FUND (CLASS T) (continued)

Model and Data Risk: The Adviser relies heavily on quantitative models and information and data supplied by NDR (“Models and Data”). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments and to provide risk management insights. When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks.

Operational. The Fund is exposed to operation 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.

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities and thus may experience a high portfolio turnover rate. This may result in significant taxable capital gains as a result of the frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund will incur transaction costs in connection with buying and selling the securities, which may lower the Fund’s return.

Regulatory. Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of the Fund. For example, in 2012, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) adopted amendments to its rules that affect the ability of certain investment advisers to registered investment companies and other entities to rely on previously available exclusions or exemptions from registration under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (“CEA”) and regulations thereunder. Specifically, these amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2013, require an investment adviser of a registered investment company to register with the CFTC as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) if the investment company either markets itself as a vehicle for trading commodity interests or conducts more than a de minimis amount of speculative trading in commodity interests. The staff of the CFTC issued temporary no-action relief (the “No-Action Relief”) from CPO registration to operators of funds-of-funds that cannot reasonably know whether indirect exposure to commodity interests would prevent them from qualifying for an exemption from registration as a CPO. In reliance on the No-Action Relief, the Adviser has claimed a temporary exemption from registration as a CPO. To the extent the Fund and the Adviser are required to comply with applicable CFTC disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping regulations, compliance with such regulations could increase the Fund’s expenses, adversely affecting the Fund’s total return.

PERFORMANCE

The Fund commenced operations on May 11, 2016. Accordingly, the Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance.

The Fund’s Class T shares commenced operations on or about April [  ], 2017.

The financial performance for the Fund’s first fiscal period is included in the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus. Updated performance information for the Fund is available on the VanEck website at vaneck.com. Class T shares would have substantially similar returns as the Class A shares because the shares would be invested in the same portfolio of securities and the returns would differ only to the extent that the Classes do not have the same expenses. Additionally, large purchases and/or redemptions of shares of a class, relative to the amount of assets represented by the class, may cause the annual returns for each class to differ.

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PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation

Portfolio Managers.
David Schassler and John Lau have been the portfolio manager and deputy portfolio manager of the Fund, respectively, since its inception in 2016.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

Class T shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed on any business day through representatives of financial intermediary firms that have entered into a Class T agreement with VanEck and have made Class T shares available to their clients’ commission-based brokerage accounts. Class T shares have no initial or subsequent purchase minimum other than that which may be set by the financial intermediary firm holding the account. Share class availability depends upon your financial intermediary’s policies and procedures. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders. These distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax- advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (IRA).

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its affiliates 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 intermediary and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial professional or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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II. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, POLICIES, RISKS AND OTHER INFORMATION

This section states the Fund’s investment objective and describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective. This section also provides additional information about the principal risks associated with investing in the Fund.

1. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The VanEck NDR Managed Allocation Fund seeks capital appreciation.

The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. To the extent practicable, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days’ prior written notice before changing its investment objective.

2. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

DEBT SECURITIES

EXCHANGE TRADED PRODUCTS

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EXCHANGE TRADED PRODUCTS’ UNDERLYING INVESTMENTS