497K 1 sequoia-viptrsstd_spro.htm 497K sequoia-VIPTRSstd_spro

Summary prospectus

Delaware VIP​® Total Return Series — Standard Class

May 1, 2023

Before you invest, you may want to review the Series’ statutory prospectus (and any supplements thereto), which contains more information about the Series and its risks. You can find the Series’ statutory prospectus and other information about the Series, including its statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at delawarefunds.com/vip-literature. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800 523-1918. The Series’ statutory prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated May 1, 2023 (and any supplements thereto), are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.

What is the Series’ investment objective?

Delaware VIP Total Return Series seeks to provide sustainable current income with potential for capital appreciation with moderate investment risk.

What are the Series’ fees and expenses?

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Series. The fee table and example do not reflect any fees or sales charges imposed by variable insurance contracts. If they did, the expenses would be higher.

Annual series operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Class

Standard

Management fees

0.65%

Distribution and service (12b-1) fees

none

Other expenses

0.38%

Total annual series operating expenses

1.03%

Fee waivers and expense reimbursements

(0.20%)​1

Total annual series operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements

0.83%

 

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The Series’ investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or pay/reimburse expenses (excluding any 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest, short sale dividend and interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) in order to prevent total annual series operating expenses from exceeding 0.83% of the Series’ average daily net assets from May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Series.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Series with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Series for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and reflects the Manager’s expense waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Class

Standard

1 year

$85

3 years

$308

5 years

$549

10 years

$1,241


 

Summary prospectus

Portfolio turnover

The Series pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Series shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual series operating expenses or in the example, affect the Series’ performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Series’ portfolio turnover rate was 55% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Series’ principal investment strategies?

For the purposes of this section, a reference to the Manager may also include Macquarie Investment Management Austria Kapitalanlage AG (“MIMAK,” or the “Sub-advisor”), with respect to its role as sub-advisor of the Series.

The Series allocates its assets among stocks (US and foreign companies), bonds and money market instruments. The Series does not use a fixed formula for allocating investments between stocks and bonds. While the percentage of assets allocated to each asset class is flexible rather than fixed, the Series normally invests at least 50% of its net assets in stocks, stock equivalents, and convertible securities with the remainder in bonds, cash and money market instruments.

The percentage allocations within the above ranges may change due to, among other things, market fluctuations or reallocation decisions by the Sub-advisor. MIMAK’s dynamic asset-allocation framework will be used to determine the proportion of the Series’ assets that will be allocated to the various asset classes, based on the market assessment and portfolio risk contribution for such asset classes. The framework is intended to reduce riskier assets in times of market volatility and provide additional downside protection. Reallocations outside of the above ranges are expected to occur infrequently.

The Series may also invest in high yield, below investment grade corporate bonds (commonly known as high yield or “junk bonds”). High yield bonds include bonds that are rated below Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s) or below BBB- by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (S&P) as well as unrated bonds that are determined by the Manager to be of equivalent quality. The Manager will consider ratings assigned by ratings agencies in selecting high yield bonds but relies principally on its own research and investment analysis. In managing its portion of the Series, the Manager primarily focuses on investments it believes can generate attractive and consistent income. The Manager may sell a bond when it shows deteriorating fundamentals or it falls short of the Manager’s expectations. The Series may invest in credit-linked securities, provided that no more than 10% of the Series’ net assets are invested in credit-linked securities.

The Series may also invest in real estate related companies and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

In connection with its dynamic asset-allocation framework, MIMAK will also manage a tactical/completion sleeve and such sleeve will typically vary from 0% to 20% of the Series’ total assets and primarily hold derivatives and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The Series may use a wide range of derivatives instruments, typically including forward foreign currency contracts, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and credit default swaps. The Series will use derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes; as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities; and to manage the Series’ portfolio characteristics. For example, the Series may invest in: futures and options to manage duration and for defensive purposes, such as to protect gains or hedge against potential losses in the portfolio without actually selling a security, or to stay fully invested; forward foreign currency contracts to manage foreign currency exposure; and credit default swaps to hedge against a credit event, to gain exposure to certain securities or markets, or to enhance total return.

In addition, the Manager may seek investment advice and recommendations relating to fixed income securities from its affiliates: Macquarie Investment Management Europe Limited (MIMEL) and Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited (MIMGL). The Manager may also permit MIMGL to execute Series equity security trades on behalf of the Manager. The Manager may also permit MIMEL and MIMGL to exercise investment discretion for securities in certain markets where the Manager believes it will be beneficial to utilize MIMEL’s or MIMGL’s specialized market knowledge, and the Manager may also seek quantitative support from MIMGL. MIMGL is also responsible for managing real estate investment trust securities and other equity asset classes to which the portfolio managers may allocate assets from time to time.

The Series’ 80% policy is nonfundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval. Series shareholders would be given at least 60 days’ notice prior to any such change.

What are the principal risks of investing in the Series?

Investing in any mutual fund involves the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Over time, the value of your investment in the Series will increase and decrease according to changes in the value of the securities in the Series’ portfolio. An investment in the Series may not be appropriate for all investors. The Series’ principal risks include:

Market risk — The risk that all or a majority of the securities in a certain market — such as the stock or bond market — will decline in value because of factors such as adverse political or economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Credit risk — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer or an entity that insures a bond, may be unable to make interest payments and/or repay principal in a timely manner.

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Interest rate risk — The risk that the prices of bonds and other fixed income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, such as government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, and the supply and demand of bonds. Bonds and other fixed income securities with longer maturities or duration generally are more sensitive to interest rate changes. A series may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates when interest rates are low or inflation rates are high or rising.

High yield (junk bond) risk — The risk that high yield securities, commonly known as “junk bonds,” are subject to reduced creditworthiness of issuers, increased risk of default, and a more limited and less liquid secondary market. High yield securities may also be subject to greater price volatility and risk of loss of income and principal than are higher-rated securities. High yield bonds are sometimes issued by municipalities that have less financial strength and therefore have less ability to make projected debt payments on the bonds.

Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities risk — The risk that the principal on mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities may be prepaid at any time, which will reduce the yield and market value.

Company size risk — The risk that investments in small- and/or medium-sized companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies because of limited financial resources or dependence on narrow product lines.

Derivatives risk — Derivatives contracts, such as futures, forward foreign currency contracts, options, and swaps, may involve additional expenses (such as the payment of premiums) and are subject to significant loss if a security, index, reference rate, or other asset or market factor to which a derivatives contract is associated, moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio manager anticipated. When used for hedging, the change in value of the derivatives instrument may also not correlate specifically with the currency, rate, or other risk being hedged, in which case a series may not realize the intended benefits. Derivatives contracts are also subject to the risk that the counterparty may fail to perform its obligations under the contract due to, among other reasons, financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization).

Foreign risk — The risk that foreign securities (particularly in emerging markets) may be adversely affected by political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, inefficient markets and higher transaction costs, foreign economic conditions, the imposition of economic or trade sanctions, or inadequate or different regulatory and accounting standards.

Real estate industry risk — This risk includes, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds; overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties; increases in competition, property taxes, and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; costs resulting from the cleanup of, and liability to third parties resulting from, environmental problems; casualty for condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents; and changes in interest rates.

Exchange-traded fund risk — The risks of investing in an ETF typically reflect the risks of the instruments in which the ETF invests. Because ETFs are investment companies, a series will bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of an investment in an ETF. As a result, a series’ expenses may be higher and performance may be lower.

IBOR risk — The risk that changes related to the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or similar interbank offered rates (“IBORs,” such as the Euro Overnight Index Average (EONIA)) could have adverse impacts on financial instruments that reference LIBOR or a similar rate. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR or a similar rate is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments have such fallback provisions and the effectiveness of replacement rates is uncertain. The abandonment of LIBOR and similar rates could affect the value and liquidity of instruments that reference such rates, especially those that do not have fallback provisions. The use of alternative reference rate products may impact investment strategy performance.

Liquidity risk — The possibility that investments cannot be readily sold within seven calendar days at approximately the price at which a series has valued them.

Active management and selection risk — The risk that the securities selected by a series’ management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices, or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. The securities and sectors selected may vary from the securities and sectors included in the relevant index.

None of the entities noted in this document is an authorized deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia) and the obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 (Macquarie Bank). Macquarie Bank does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities. In addition, if this document relates to an investment (a) each investor is subject to investment risk including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested and (b) none of Macquarie Bank or any other Macquarie Group company guarantees any particular rate of return on or the performance of the investment, nor do they guarantee repayment of capital in respect of the investment.

How has Delaware VIP® Total Return Series performed?

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Series. The Series adopted the performance of the First Investors Life Series Total Return Fund (Predecessor Series) as the result of a reorganization of the Predecessor Series into the Series, which was consummated after the close of

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Summary prospectus

business on October 4, 2019 (Reorganization). The Series had not yet commenced operations prior to the Reorganization. The bar chart shows changes in performance from year to year and the table shows how average annual total returns for the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The past performance shown (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Series will perform in the future. The returns reflect any expense caps in effect during these periods. The returns would be lower without the expense caps.

The returns shown for periods ending on or prior to October 4, 2019 reflect the performance and expenses of the Predecessor Series. The Predecessor Series was reorganized into the Series after the close of business on October 4, 2019. The returns shown for periods after October 4, 2019 reflect the performance and expenses of the Series.

You may obtain the Series’ most recently available month-end performance by calling 800 523-1918 or by visiting our website at delawarefunds.com/vip-performance.

Performance reflects all Series expenses but does not include any fees or sales charges imposed by variable insurance contracts. If they had been included, the returns shown below would be lower. Investors should consult the variable contract prospectus for more information.

Calendar year-by-year total return (Standard Class)

During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, the Class’s highest quarterly return was 10.86% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, and its lowest quarterly return was -20.43% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2022

 

1 year

5 years

10 years

Total Return Series — Standard Class

-10.56%

2.89%

5.30%

S&P 500​® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

-18.11%

9.42%

12.56%

60% S&P 500 Index/40% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

-15.56%

6.20%

8.21%

Bloomberg US Aggregate Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

-13.01%

0.02%

1.06%

Who manages the Series?

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company, a series of Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (a Delaware statutory trust)

Portfolio manager

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Series

Aaron D. Young

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager

May 2022

Sub-advisors

MIMAK serves as sub-advisor for the Series. MIMAK works together with the Manager to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Series and to determine the Series' asset allocation.

Portfolio managers

Title with MIMAK

Start date on the Series

Stefan Löwenthal

Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer ‑ Global Multi-Asset Team

June 2020

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Portfolio managers

Title with MIMAK

Start date on the Series

Jürgen Wurzer

Senior Vice President, Deputy Head of Portfolio Management ‑ Global Multi-Asset Team

June 2020

Macquarie Investment Management Europe Limited (MIMEL)

Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited (MIMGL)

Purchase and redemption of Series shares

Shares are sold, directly or indirectly, to separate accounts of life insurance companies at net asset value (NAV). Please refer to the variable annuity or variable life insurance product contract prospectus for more information about the purchase and redemption of shares.

Tax information

The dividends and distributions paid from the Series to the insurance company separate accounts will consist of ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. Because shares of the Series must be purchased through separate accounts used to fund variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance contracts (variable contracts), such dividends and distributions will be exempt from current taxation by contract holders if left to accumulate within a separate account. You should refer to your variable contract prospectus for more information on these tax consequences.

Payments to broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Series through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as an insurance company), the Series and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Series shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Series over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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SMPR-VIP-856 4/23