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Lincoln National (LNC) affiliates report controlling stakes and complex fees at Bain credit fund

Filing Impact
(High)
Filing Sentiment
(Neutral)
Form Type
SCHEDULE 13D

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Lincoln National Corporation, The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and Lincoln Financial Investments Corporation report significant beneficial ownership stakes in Lincoln Bain Capital Total Credit Fund.

LNC and LNL together report shared voting and dispositive power over 5,202,624.72 shares, representing 18.72% of the fund’s shares. LNL directly holds 5,199,507.55 Class I shares plus smaller amounts of Class A, Class D and Class IS shares, representing 18.71% of Class I and 100% of the other three share classes outstanding. LFI, as adviser to Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust series, may be deemed to beneficially own 17,390,174.33 Class I shares, or 62.57% of that class.

The filing details a 1.00% annual investment management fee on gross assets, a 15% incentive fee on pre‑incentive fee net investment income above a 1.50% quarterly NAV hurdle, class‑by‑class expense caps of 2.85%, 2.50%, 2.00% and 2.25%, and a temporary management fee waiver through July 31, 2026 that can reduce effective operating expenses materially below the stated caps.

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.

Insights

Large affiliated ownership and layered fee terms shape this fund’s risk‑return profile.

Lincoln National and affiliates report substantial control positions in the Lincoln Bain Capital Total Credit Fund. LNL holds 5,199,507.55 Class I shares plus full ownership of other share classes, while LFI‑advised portfolios hold 17,390,174.33 Class I shares, together representing a large portion of voting power.

The fund pays LFI a 1.00% annual management fee on gross assets and a 15% incentive fee on pre‑incentive fee net investment income over a 1.50% quarterly NAV hurdle. These fees are partly shared with Bain under a sub‑advisory agreement. An expense limitation agreement caps operating expenses by share class, and a temporary fee waiver from February 1, 2026 through July 31, 2026 reduces net costs, though waived fees may be recouped later if limits permit.

High affiliated ownership and management roles mean related parties have significant influence over strategy and governance. At the same time, the combination of incentive fees, expense caps, waivers and potential recoupment creates a complex, performance‑ and asset‑dependent cost structure whose net impact will emerge over future reporting periods.

LNC/LNL beneficial ownership 5,202,624.72 shares (18.72%) Shared voting and dispositive power reported in Schedule 13D
LFI Class I stake 17,390,174.33 shares (62.57%) Class I shares held by LVIP Trust series advised by LFI
Investment management fee 1.00% of gross assets Annual advisory fee, calculated monthly on fund gross assets
Incentive fee rate 15% above 1.50% quarterly hurdle Applied to pre‑incentive fee net investment income per share class
Operating expense caps 2.85%/2.50%/2.00%/2.25% Class A, D, I and IS annualized operating expense limits
Fee waiver period Feb 1, 2026–Jul 31, 2026 Temporary 100% management fee waiver under waiver agreement
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income financial
"of the Issuer's "Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income" for the immediately preceding quarter"
Investment Management Fee financial
"LFI is entitled to an investment management fee (the "Investment Management Fee") measured as of the end of each month"
Incentive Fee financial
"and a "catch-up" feature (the "Incentive Fee")"
Expense Limitation Agreement financial
"LFI and the Issuer have entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement under which LFI has agreed contractually"
An expense limitation agreement is a contract in which one party promises to cap or limit the costs that another will charge or seek reimbursement for, so total outlays stay below a set amount or within defined categories. For investors, it matters because such limits make a company’s future spending more predictable, reduce the chance of unexpected bills that can hurt profits, and clarify how risks and cash responsibilities are shared — like setting a household budget to avoid surprise expenses.
Management Fee Waiver Agreement financial
"Pursuant to a Management Fee Waiver Agreement, LFI has contractually agreed to waive the Management Fee"
Sub-Advisory Agreement financial
"Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement among the Issuer, LFI and BCSF Advisors, LP"





If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§ 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).




schemaVersion:


SCHEDULE 13D




Comment for Type of Reporting Person:
Items 8, 10, 11, and 13: The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, an Indiana corporation ("LNL"), directly owns the following shares of beneficial interests in the Issuer: 5,199,507.55 Class I shares of beneficial interests ("Class I Shares"), 1,037.65 Class A shares of beneficial interests ("Class A Shares"), 1,039.21 Class D shares of beneficial interests ("Class D Shares"), and 1,040.31 Class IS shares of beneficial interests ("Class IS Shares" and, together with the Class I Shares, Class A Shares and Class D Shares, the "Shares"). Based on information provided by the Issuer as of the date of this Schedule 13D filing, LNL owns 18.71% of the Class I Shares outstanding, 100% of the Class A Shares outstanding, 100% of the Class D Shares outstanding, and 100% of the Class IS Shares outstanding. LNL is a wholly owned subsidiary of its parent holding company, Lincoln National Corporation, an Indiana corporation ("LNC"), which may be deemed to be an indirect beneficial owner of the reported securities.


SCHEDULE 13D




Comment for Type of Reporting Person:
Items 8, 10, 11, and 13: LNL directly owns the following shares of beneficial interests in the Issuer: 5,199,507.55 Class I Shares, 1,037.65 Class A Shares, 1,039.21 Class D Shares and 1,040.31 Class IS Shares. Based on information provided by the Issuer as of the date of this Schedule 13D filing, LNL owns 18.71% of the Class I Shares outstanding, 100% of the Class A Shares outstanding, 100% of the Class D Shares outstanding, and 100% of the Class IS Shares outstanding. LNL is a wholly owned subsidiary of its parent holding company, LNC, which may be deemed to be an indirect beneficial owner of the reported securities.


SCHEDULE 13D




Comment for Type of Reporting Person:
Items 8, 10, and 11: These Class I Shares are owned directly by certain series of the Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust (the "Trust"), an investment company registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Lincoln Financial Investments Corporation ("LFI" and together with LNL and LNC, the "Reporting Persons"), a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, serves as the investment adviser to each such series of the Trust, and may be deemed to have beneficial ownership of the Class I Shares reported herein as being directly by each such series of the Trust. Item 13: Percent of class calculated based on 17,390,174.33 Class I Shares outstanding as of the date of this Schedule 13D filing.


SCHEDULE 13D


Lincoln National Corporation
Signature:/s/Gordon Huellmantel
Name/Title:Gordon Huellmantel
Date:04/20/2026
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
Signature:/s/Gordon Huellmantel
Name/Title:Gordon Huellmantel
Date:04/20/2026
Lincoln Financial Investments Corporation
Signature:/s/Gordon Huellmantel
Name/Title:Gordon Huellmantel
Date:04/20/2026

FAQ

What stake does LNC report in Lincoln Bain Capital Total Credit Fund (LNC)?

Lincoln National Corporation and its life subsidiary report beneficial ownership of 5,202,624.72 shares, or 18.72% of the fund’s shares. LNL directly holds most of this through Class I shares plus full ownership of Class A, Class D and Class IS share classes.

How much of the Class I shares of the fund does LFI oversee for LNC?

Lincoln Financial Investments Corporation may be deemed to beneficially own 17,390,174.33 Class I shares, representing 62.57% of that class. These shares are held by Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust series for which LFI acts as investment adviser under advisory agreements.

What management and incentive fees does Lincoln Bain Capital Total Credit Fund pay LFI?

The fund pays LFI a 1.00% annual investment management fee on gross assets and a 15% incentive fee on pre‑incentive fee net investment income. The incentive fee applies above a 1.50% quarterly NAV hurdle, equivalent to a 6.00% annualized preferred return before catch‑up and fee sharing.

What expense caps apply to each share class of the Lincoln Bain fund?

An expense limitation agreement caps annualized operating expenses at 2.85% for Class A, 2.50% for Class D, 2.00% for Class I and 2.25% for Class IS. These limits exclude items like interest, taxes, underlying fund fees, incentive fees and certain extraordinary expenses.

How does the temporary management fee waiver affect investors in the Lincoln Bain fund?

LFI contractually waives the 1.00% management fee from February 1, 2026 through July 31, 2026, after applying the expense cap. An example in the filing shows how this can lower effective operating expenses from 2.50% to 1.00%, though LFI may later recoup waived amounts within defined limits.

What role does Bain play in managing Lincoln Bain Capital Total Credit Fund (LNC)?

Under a sub‑advisory agreement, BCSF Advisors, LP (Bain) receives 50% of the investment management and incentive fees LFI earns from the fund. LFI pays this sub‑advisory fee from its own compensation, aligning Bain’s economics with the fund’s asset base and income performance.