WHEATON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 159 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a “Fund,” collectively, the “Funds”) advised by FTA.

The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations:

FTA is a federally registered investment advisor and serves as the Fund's investment advisor. FTA and its affiliate First Trust Portfolios L.P. ("FTP"), a FINRA registered broker-dealer, are privately-held companies that provide a variety of investment services. FTA has collective assets under management or supervision of approximately $245 billion as of October 31, 2024 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds and separate managed accounts. FTA is the supervisor of the First Trust unit investment trusts, while FTP is the sponsor. FTP is also a distributor of mutual fund shares and exchange-traded fund creation units. FTA and FTP are based in Wheaton, Illinois.

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund before investing. Prospectuses for the Funds contain this and other important information and are available free of charge by calling toll-free at 1-800-621-1675 or visiting https://www.ftportfolios.com. A prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Principal Risk Factors: You could lose money by investing in a fund. An investment in a fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed. There can be no assurance that a fund's objective(s) will be achieved. Investors buying or selling shares on the secondary market may incur customary brokerage commissions. Please refer to each fund's prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for additional details on a fund's risks. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

Past performance is no assurance of future results. Investment return and market value of an investment in a Fund will fluctuate. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

A Fund's shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in a Fund. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that a Fund's investment objectives will be achieved. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any portfolio of equity securities traded on exchanges. The risks of investing in each Fund are spelled out in its prospectus, shareholder report, and other regulatory filings.

ETF shares may only be redeemed directly from a fund by authorized participants in very large creation/redemption units. ETF shares may trade at a discount to net asset value and possibly face delisting.

All or a portion of a fund's otherwise tax exempt interest dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal and state alternative minimum tax.

Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may experience greater price volatility and be less liquid than larger, more established companies whereas large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate than the overall market.

A fund that effects all or a portion of its creations and redemptions for cash rather than in-kind may be less tax efficient.

Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions. As a means to fight inflation, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates; however, the Federal Reserve has recently lowered interest rates and may continue to do so. Recent and potential future bank failures and challenges in commercial real estate markets could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. The change in administration resulting from the 2024 United States national elections could result in significant impacts to the national and international political and financial landscape, which could affect, among other things, inflation and the securities markets generally. Ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Iran, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities have and could continue to have a significant impact on certain fund investments as well as fund performance and liquidity. A public health crisis, and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks in response, could cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects.

A fund normally distributes income it earns, so a fund may be required to reduce its distributions if it has insufficient income. Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital. There may be other circumstances when all or a portion of a Fund’s distribution is treated as a return of capital, for example, there are times when Fund securities are sold to cover a derivative position that generated all or a portion of the distribution that could lead to a return of capital.

A fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events could cause a fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss.

Trading FLEX Options involves risks different than, and possibly greater than, investing directly in securities. A Target Outcome fund may experience substantial downside for FLEX Option positions and certain FLEX Option positions may expire worthless. There can be no guarantee that a liquid secondary market will exist for the FLEX Options and the FLEX Options may be less liquid than exchange-traded options.

A fund's return may not match the return of its underlying index. A fund invests in securities included in the index regardless of investment merit and the securities held by a fund will generally not be bought or sold in response to market fluctuations.

In managing a fund's investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not have the desired result.

Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of a fund in general may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as general economic conditions, political events, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of a fund could decline in value or underperform other investments as a result. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious disease or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters or other events could have significant negative impact on a fund.

A fund classified as "non-diversified" may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, a fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly concentrated in certain issuers.

A fund and a fund's advisor may seek to reduce various operational risks through controls and procedures, but it is not possible to completely protect against such risks. A fund also relies on third parties for a range of services, including custody, and any delay or failure related to those services may affect a fund's ability to achieve its objectives.

A fund with significant exposure to a single asset class, country, region, industry, or sector may be more affected by an adverse economic or political development than a broadly diversified fund.

Certain funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be appropriate for all investors.

Commodity prices can have a significant volatility and exposure to commodities can cause the value of a fund's shares to decline or fluctuate in a rapid and unpredictable manner.

Certain securities are subject to call, credit, extension, income, inflation, interest rate, prepayment and zero coupon risks. These risks could result in a decline in a security's value and/or income, increased volatility as interest rates rise or fall and have an adverse impact on a fund's performance.

The use of listed and OTC derivatives, including futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts, can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives.

Securities of non-U.S. issuers are subject to additional risks, including currency fluctuations, political risks, withholding, the lack of adequate financial information, and exchange control restrictions impacting non-U.S. issuers. These risks may be heightened for securities of companies located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

A fund may invest in the shares of other funds, which involves additional expenses that would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying funds. In addition, a fund's investment performance and risks may be related to the investment performance and risks of the underlying funds.

Subsidiary investment risk applies to a fund that invests in certain securities through a wholly-owned subsidiary of the fund that is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands ("Subsidiary"). Changes in the laws of the U.S. and/or Cayman Islands could result in the inability of a fund to operate as intended. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Thus, a fund that is as an investor in the Subsidiary will not have all the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies.

Value Line® and Value Line® Dividend Index are trademarks or registered trademarks of Value Line, Inc. ("Value Line") and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, recommended, sold or promoted by Value Line and Value Line makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in products utilizing such strategy.

Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index℠, S&P United States REIT Index, Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index, S&P International Dividend Aristocrats Index, S&P 500® Sector-Neutral Dividend Aristocrats Index, Dow Jones Industrial Average® Equal Weight Index, Dow Jones International Internet Index, S&P 500® Sector-Neutral FCF Index, S&P 500® Economic Moat Index ("Indexes") are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates ("SPDJI") and have been licensed for use by First Trust. S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500 and The 500 are trademarks. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by First Trust. The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, or their respective affiliates and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the Indexes.

Morningstar® and Morningstar® Dividend Leaders Index℠ are registered trademarks and service marks of Morningstar, Inc. ("Morningstar") and have been licensed for use by First Trust on behalf of the Fund. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by Morningstar and Morningstar makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund.

IPOX® and IPOX® 100 U.S. Index, IPOX® International Index, IPOX® 100 Europe Index "IPOX Indexes" are registered international trademarks and service marks of IPOX® Schuster LLC ("IPOX") and have been licensed for use by First Trust. The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by IPOX, and IPOX makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such funds. IPOX® is an international trademark of IPOX Schuster LLC. Index of Initial Public Offerings (IPOX) and IPOX Derivatives Patent No. US 7,698,197.

Nasdaq®, Nasdaq-100®, Nasdaq-100 Index®, Clean Edge®, OMX®, Nasdaq OMX®, American Bankers Association®, ABA®, Nitrogen Wealth, Inc. ("Nitrogen Wealth"), and Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted™ Index, The Capital Strength™ Index, The Dividend Strength™ Index, Nasdaq® Clean Edge® Green Energy™ Index, Nasdaq-100 Ex-Tech Sector™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Multi Cap Growth™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Large Cap Value™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Large Cap Growth™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Small Cap Core™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Mid Cap Core™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Large Cap Core™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Multi Cap Value™ Index, ISE-Revere Natural Gas™ Index, ISE Clean Edge Water™ Index, ISE Clean Edge Global Wind Energy™ Index, Nasdaq OMX® ABA Community Bank™ Index, Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Developed Markets Ex-US™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Asia Pacific Ex-Japan™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Europe™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Brazil™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® China™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Japan™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Mid Cap Growth™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Mid Cap Value™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Emerging Markets™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Small Cap Growth™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Small Cap Value™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® United Kingdom™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Switzerland™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Germany™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Emerging Markets Small Cap™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Developed Markets Ex-US Small Cap™ Index, Nasdaq US Multi-Asset Diversified Income™ Index, Nasdaq Technology Dividend™ Index, Nasdaq Composite Index, Nasdaq US Rising Dividend Achievers™ Index, Dorsey Wright Momentum Plus Dividend Yield™ Index, Dorsey Wright Focus Five™ Index, Dorsey Wright International Focus Five™ Index, Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Eurozone™ Index, Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity™ Index, Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus Five™ Index, Nasdaq US Smart Oil & Gas™ Index, Nasdaq US Smart Food & Beverage™ Index, Nasdaq US Smart Banks™ Index, Nasdaq US Smart Transportation™ Index, Nasdaq US Smart Pharmaceuticals™ Index, Nasdaq US Smart Semiconductor™ Index, Nasdaq Riskalyze Emerging Markets™ Index, The SMID Capital Strength Index, The SMID Growth Strength Index, Nasdaq US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers™ Index, Nasdaq CTA Artificial Intelligence and Robotics™ Index, Nasdaq Dorsey Wright DALI 1™ Index, Dorsey Wright Momentum Plus Value™ Index, Dorsey Wright Momentum Plus Low Volatility™ Index, The International Developed Capital Strength™ Index, The Growth Strength™ Index ("the Nasdaq Indexes") are registered trademarks and service marks of Nasdaq, Inc. and Clean Edge, Inc., and American Bankers Association, and Nitrogen Wealth, respectively (together with its affiliates hereinafter referred to as the "Corporations") and are licensed for use by First Trust. AlphaDEX® is a registered trademark owned by First Trust that has been licensed to Nasdaq, Inc. for use in the name of certain Nasdaq Indexes. The funds have not been passed on by the Corporations as to their legality or suitability. The funds are not issued, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Corporations. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNDS.

"AlphaDEX®" is a registered trademark of First Trust Portfolios L.P. First Trust Portfolios L.P. has obtained a patent for the AlphaDEX® stock selection methodology from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Source ICE Data Indices, LLC ("ICE Data"), is used with permission. "NYSE®" and "NYSE® Arca®" are service/trade marks of ICE Data Indices, LLC or its affiliates. "StrataQuant®" is a service/trademark of ICE Data or its affiliates. Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indices. Russell®, Russell 1000® and Russell 3000® are all registered trademarks of Frank Russell Company. Russell 1000® and Russell 3000® are being utilized in the indices under license. These trademarks have been licensed, along with the NYSE® Arca® Biotechnology Index, StrataQuant® Technology Index, StrataQuant® Consumer Discretionary Index, StrataQuant® Materials Index, StrataQuant® Industrials Index, StrataQuant® Utilities Index, StrataQuant® Health Care Index, StrataQuant® Consumer Staples Index, StrataQuant® Energy Index, StrataQuant® Financials Index ("the Indexes") for use by First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. ("FTP") in connection with the First Trust NYSE® Arca® Biotechnology Index Fund (FBT), First Trust Technology AlphaDEX® Fund (FXL), First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX® Fund (FXD), First Trust Materials AlphaDEX® Fund (FXZ), First Trust Industrials/Producer Durables AlphaDEX® Fund (FXR), First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX® Fund (FXU), First Trust Health Care AlphaDEX® Fund (FXH), First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX® Fund (FXG), First Trust Energy AlphaDEX® Fund (FXN), First Trust Financials AlphaDEX® Fund (FXO) (the "Products"). Neither First Trust Advisors L.P., First Trust Exchange Traded Fund, FTP, First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX® Fund (the "Trusts") nor the Products, as applicable, is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by ICE Data, its affiliates or its Third Party Suppliers including without limitation Frank Russell Company ("ICE Data and its Suppliers"). ICE Data and its Suppliers make no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally, in the Products particularly, the Trusts or the ability of the Indexes to track general market performance. Past performance of the Indexes is not an indicator of or a guarantee of future results. See the prospectus for a full copy of the disclaimer.

"AlphaDEX®" is a registered trademark of First Trust Portfolios L.P. First Trust Portfolios L.P. has obtained a patent for the AlphaDEX® stock selection methodology from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The STOXX® Europe Select Dividend 30 Index ("STOXX Index") is the intellectual property (including registered trademarks) of STOXX Ltd., Zug, Switzerland ("STOXX"), Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, which is used under license. The Fund is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers and STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not give any warranty, and exclude any liability (whether in negligence or otherwise) with respect thereto generally or specifically in relation to any errors, omissions or interruptions in the STOXX Index or its data.

Alerian and Alerian Disruptive Technology Real Estate Index, Alerian US NextGen Infrastructure Index are service marks of VettaFi LLC and have been licensed for use by First Trust Advisors L.P. The funds are not issued, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by VettaFi LLC or its affiliates (collectively, "VettaFi"). VettaFi makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the purchasers or owners of the funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the funds particularly or the ability of the indexes to track general market performance. VettaFi's only relationship to the funds are the licensing of the service marks and the indexes, which is determined, composed and calculated by VettaFi without regard to First Trust Advisors L.P. or the funds. VettaFi is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the funds issued by First Trust Advisors L.P. VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing or trading of the funds.

Indxx and Indxx Global Natural Resources Income Index, Indxx Global Agriculture Index, Indxx 5G & NextG Thematic Index, Indxx Blockchain Index, Indxx Metaverse Index, Indxx US Aerospace & Defense Index ("Indxx Indexes") are trademarks of Indxx, Inc. ("Indxx") and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust. The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Indxx and Indxx makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such products. The Indxx Indexes are determined, composed and calculated by Indxx without regard to First Trust or the funds.

S-Network and S-Network Electric & Future Vehicle Ecosystem Index, S-Network Global E-Commerce Index™ are service marks of VettaFi LLC and have been licensed for use by First Trust Advisors L.P. The funds are not issued, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by VettaFi LLC (collectively, "VettaFi"). VettaFi makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the purchasers or owners of the funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the funds particularly or the ability of the indexes to track general market performance. VettaFi's only relationship to the funds are the licensing of the service marks and the indexes, which is determined, composed and calculated by VettaFi without regard to First Trust Advisors L.P. or the funds. VettaFi is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the funds issued by First Trust Advisors L.P. VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing or trading of the funds.

Richard Bernstein Advisors and Richard Bernstein Advisors American Industrial Renaissance® Index ("Index") are trademarks and trade names of Richard Bernstein Advisors ("RBA"). The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by RBA and RBA makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. RBA's only relationship to First Trust is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of RBA and of the Index, which is determined and composed by RBA without regard to First Trust or the Fund. RBA has no obligation to take the needs of First Trust or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining or composing the Index. RBA is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be listed or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. RBA has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

"Bloomberg®" and the indices licensed herein (the "Indices") are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L. P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited ("BISL"), the administrator of the Indices (collectively, "Bloomberg") and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. (the "Licensee"). Bloomberg is not affiliated with the Licensee, and Bloomberg does not approve, endorse, review, or recommend the financial products referenced herein (the "Financial Products"). Bloomberg does not guarantee the timeliness, accurateness, or completeness of any data or information relating to the Indices or the Financial Products.

Lunt Capital Management, Inc. ("Lunt") and the Lunt Capital Large Cap Factor Rotation Index, ("Lunt Index") are trademarks of Lunt and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust. The First Trust Lunt U.S. Factor Rotation ETF is based on the Lunt Index and is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Lunt, and Lunt makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such fund. Lunt has contracted with Nasdaq, Inc. to calculate and maintain the Lunt Index. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Nasdaq, Inc. or its affiliates (Nasdaq, with its affiliates, hereinafter referred to as the "Corporations"). The Corporations have not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to, the Fund. The Corporations make no representation or warranty, express or implied to the owners of the fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the fund particularly, or the ability of the Lunt Index to track general stock performance.

The Target Outcome registered trademarks are registered trademarks of Vest Financial LLC.

S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"), a division of S&P Global; Cboe® is a registered trademark of Cboe. The Index, S&P, and Cboe trademarks have been licensed for use by the Sub- Advisor, and in turn, sub-licensed by the Advisor, including for use by the fund. The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by Cboe and/or its affiliates (the "Cboe Group"), or S&P and/or its affiliates (together, the "S&P Group"). Neither the Cboe Group nor the S&P Group make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the fund and shall have no liability whatsoever in connection with the fund.

Nasdaq® and Nasdaq US Rising Dividend Achievers™ Index, Nasdaq Technology Dividend Index™, Nasdaq US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers™ Index ("the Nasdaq Indexes") are registered trademarks and service marks of Nasdaq, Inc. (together with its affiliates hereinafter referred to as the "Corporations") and are licensed for use by First Trust. The funds have not been passed on by the Corporations as to their legality or suitability. The funds are not issued, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Corporations. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNDS.

The "Dow Jones Industrial Average", "Dow Jones Internet Composite Index℠" (the "indexes") are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("SPDJI"), and has been licensed for use by First Trust Advisors L.P. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"); "Dow Jones®" and "DJIA" are trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the indexes.

Oak City Consulting, LLC ("Licensor") and the Emerging Markets Human Flourishing Index ("index") are trademarks of the Licensor and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. The First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF is based on the index and is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Licensor, and Licensor makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product.

First Trust Advisors L.P. (FTA) is the adviser to the First Trust fund(s). FTA is an affiliate of First Trust Portfolios L.P., the distributor of the fund(s).

First Trust Advisors L.P. is registered as a commodity pool operator and commodity trading advisor and is also a member of the National Futures Association.

The information presented is not intended to constitute an investment recommendation for, or advice to, any specific person. By providing this information, First Trust is not undertaking to give advice in any fiduciary capacity within the meaning of ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code or any other regulatory framework. Financial professionals are responsible for evaluating investment risks independently and for exercising independent judgment in determining whether investments are appropriate for their clients.