FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund (QDEF) Exchange: NYSE ARCA

The Underlying Index is designed to reflect the performance of a selection of companies that, in aggregate, possess greater financial strength and stability characteristics relative to the Northern Trust 1250 Index (the “Parent Index”), a float-adjusted market-capitalization weighted index of U.S. domiciled large- and mid-capitalization companies. In addition, the Underlying Index is designed to select companies from the Parent Index that in the aggregate have the potential to generate income in excess of the income generated by securities in the Parent Index with a beta that is lower in relation to the Parent Index. Beta represents the market sensitivity, relative to a given market index and time period, and is one measure of volatility. To derive the Underlying Index, Northern Trust Investments, Inc. (“NTI” or the “Investment Adviser”), acting in its capacity as the index provider (the “Index Provider”), ranks all dividend-paying constituents of the Parent Index using a Northern Trust proprietary quality factor. This factor is a quantitative ranking based on: (a) management expertise (e.g. corporate finance activities); (b) profitability (e.g. reliability and sustainability of financial performance); and (c) cash flow (e.g., cash flow generation). The Index Provider then excludes the lowest quintile of constituents ranked according to this factor and uses an optimization process to select and weight eligible securities in order to (a) maximize the overall quality score relative to the Parent Index, (b) attain an aggregate dividend yield in excess of the Parent Index and (c) target an aggregate beta 0.5 to 1.0 times that of the Parent Index. The optimization also includes sector, industry group and single-security weight constraints so that these characteristics vary within acceptable bands relative to the Parent Index. In addition to tracking the performance of the Underlying Index, the Investment Adviser seeks to minimize portfolio turnover and tax inefficiencies. As of December 31, 2019, there were 161 issues in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is governed by transparent, objective rules for security selection, exclusion, rebalancing and adjustments for corporate actions. NTI uses a “passive” or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to “beat” its Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued. NTI uses a representative sampling strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Underlying Index. The Fund reserves the right to invest in substantially all of the securities in its Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions (i.e., replication) if NTI determines that it is in the best interest of the Fund. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) in the securities of the Underlying Index. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by NTI or its affiliates, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, as well as securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which NTI believes will help the Fund track its Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is created and sponsored by NTI, as the Index Provider. NTI also serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index. The Index is reconstituted quarterly. The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of the collateral received). Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated.