07/30/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/30/2021 11:15

Filing by Investment Company (SEC Filing - 497K)

NORTHERN FUNDS High Yield Fixed Income Fund

Summary Prospectus | July 31, 2021		Shares Class: NHFIX

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's complete Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's complete Prospectus, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at northerntrust.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-595-9111 or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. If you purchase shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary (such as a bank or a broker-dealer), the complete Prospectus and other information are also available from your financial intermediary. The Fund's complete Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated July 31, 2021, as supplemented, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, at the website, phone number or e-mail address noted above.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund seeks a high level of current income. In doing so, the Fund also may consider the potential for capital appreciation.

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a financial intermediary for transactions in Shares Class shares, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)			None
Redemption Fee (within 30 days of purchase) (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)			2.00%
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
		Shares Class
Management Fees			0.77%
Other Expenses			0.06%
Transfer Agent Fees			0.04%
Other Operating Expenses			0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses			0.83%
Expense Reimbursement(1)			(0.05	)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement(1)			0.78%

(1)

Northern Trust Investments, Inc. has contractually agreed to reimburse a portion of the operating expenses of the Fund (other than certain excepted expenses, i.e., Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, the compensation paid to each Independent Trustee of the Trust, expenses of third party consultants engaged by the Board of Trustees, membership dues paid to the Investment Company Institute and Mutual Fund Directors Forum, expenses in connection with the negotiation and renewal of the revolving credit facility, extraordinary expenses and interest) to the extent the 'Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses' exceed 0.78%. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before July 31, 2022 without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

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 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 that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same (taking into account the expense reimbursement for one year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

		1 Year			3 Years			5 Years			10 Years
Shares Class			$80				$260				$456				$1,021

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 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 portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 54.82% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in lower quality bonds and other fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as 'junk bonds'). These may include:

∎

Obligations of U.S. and foreign corporations and banks;

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Obligations of U.S. state and local governments, and foreign governments;

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Obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, including obligations that are issued by private issuers that are guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. or foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities;

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Senior and subordinated bonds and debentures;

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Zero coupon, pay-in-kind and capital appreciation bonds;

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Convertible securities, preferred stock, structured securities and loan participations;

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Inflation-indexed securities;

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Warrants, rights and other equity securities that are acquired in connection with the Fund's investments in debt or convertible securities; and

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Repurchase agreements relating to the above instruments.

Lower quality or below-investment grade securities are rated BB, Ba or lower by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization ('NRSRO'), or unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund's investment adviser. Credit ratings are determined at the time of purchase.

There is no minimum rating for a security purchased or held by the Fund, and the Fund may purchase securities that are in default.

In buying and selling securities for the Fund, the Fund's investment adviser uses a relative value approach. This approach involves an analysis of general economic and market conditions. It also involves the use of models that analyze and compare expected returns and assumed risks. Under the relative value approach, the Fund's investment adviser will emphasize particular securities and types of securities (such as asset-backed, mortgage-backed and corporate securities) that the team believes will provide a favorable return in light of the risks. The Fund's investment adviser also may consider obligations with a more favorable or improving credit or industry outlook that provide the potential for capital appreciation.

The Fund does not have any portfolio maturity limitation, and may invest its assets from time to time in instruments with short, medium or long maturities.

The Fund's investment adviser may engage in active trading, and will not consider portfolio turnover a limiting factor in making decisions for the Fund.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks, including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value ('NAV'), yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Each risk noted below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. The significance of each risk factor below may change over time and you should review each risk factor carefully.

MARKET RISK is the risk that the value of the Fund's investments may increase or decrease in response to expected, real or perceived economic, political or financial events in the U.S. or global markets. The frequency and magnitude of such changes in value cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund may experience increased volatility, illiquidity, or other potentially adverse effects in response to changing market conditions, inflation, changes in interest rates, lack of liquidity in the bond or equity markets, volatility in the equity markets, market disruptions caused by local or regional events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness (including epidemics and pandemics) or other public health issues, recessions or other events or adverse investor sentiment or other political, regulatory, economic and social developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets.

HIGH-YIELD RISK is the risk that the Fund's below-investment grade fixed-income securities, sometimes known as 'junk bonds,' will be subject to greater credit risk, price volatility and risk of loss than investment grade securities, which can adversely impact the Fund's return and NAV. High yield securities are considered highly speculative and are subject to the increased risk of an issuer's inability to make principal and interest payments.

CREDIT (OR DEFAULT) RISK is the risk that the inability or unwillingness of an issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, or a counterparty to a repurchase or other transaction, to meet its principal or interest payments or other financial obligations will adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments and its returns. The credit quality of a debt security or of the issuer of a debt security held by the Fund could deteriorate rapidly, which may impair the Fund's liquidity or cause a deterioration in the Fund's NAV. The Fund could also be delayed or hindered in its enforcement of rights against an issuer, guarantor or counterparty.

FOREIGN SECURITIES RISK is the risk that investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to less liquid markets and adverse economic, political, diplomatic, financial, and regulatory factors. Foreign governments may impose limitations on foreigners' ownership of interests in local issuers, restrictions on the ability to repatriate assets, and may also impose taxes. Any of these events could cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline. Foreign banks, agents and securities depositories that hold the Fund's foreign assets may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over, or independent evaluation, of their operations. Additional costs associated with investments in foreign securities may include higher custodial fees than those applicable to domestic custodial arrangements and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions. Unless the Fund has hedged its foreign currency exposure, foreign securities risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Currency hedging strategies, if used, are not always successful. For instance, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, if used by the Fund, could reduce performance if there are unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates.

INTEREST RATE RISK is the risk that during periods of rising interest rates, the Fund's yield (and the market value of its securities) will tend to be lower than prevailing market rates; in periods of falling interest rates, the Fund's yield (and the market value of its securities) will tend to be higher. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes. Risks associated with rising interest rates are heightened given that interest rates in the U.S. are currently at historically low levels. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on the markets and the Fund's investments, may result in heightened market volatility, may impact the liquidity of fixed-income securities and of the Fund, and may detract from Fund performance. A low or negative interest rate environment could cause the Fund's earnings to fall below the Fund's expense ratio, resulting in a low or negative yield and a decline in the Fund's share price. A general rise in interest rates may

cause investors to move out of fixed income securities on a large scale, which could adversely affect the price and liquidity of fixed income securities and could also result in increased redemptions for the Fund.

MANAGEMENT RISK is the risk that a strategy used by the Fund's investment adviser may fail to produce the intended results or that imperfections, errors or limitations in the tools and data used by the investment adviser may cause unintended results.

SOVEREIGN DEBT RISK is the risk that the Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governmental entities (known as sovereign debt securities). These investments are subject to the risk of payment delays or defaults, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, large debt positions relative to the country's economy or failure to implement economic reforms. There is no legal or bankruptcy process for collecting sovereign debt.

ZERO COUPON OR PAY-IN-KIND SECURITIES RISK The value, interest rates, and liquidity of non-cash paying instruments, such as zero coupon and pay-in-kind securities, are subject to greater fluctuation than other types of securities. The higher yields and interest rates on pay-in-kind securities reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and that such investments may represent a higher credit risk than loans that periodically pay interest.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES RISK The market values of convertible securities are affected by market interest rates, the risk of actual issuer default on interest or principal payments and the value of the underlying common stock into which the convertible security may be converted. Additionally, a convertible security is subject to the same types of market and issuer risks as apply to the underlying common stock. Certain convertible securities are subject to involuntary conversions and may undergo principal write-downs upon the occurrence of triggering events, and, as a result, are subject to an increased risk of loss. Convertible securities may be rated below investment grade.

DEFAULTED SECURITIES RISK Defaulted securities pose a greater risk that principal will not be repaid than non-defaulted securities. Defaulted securities and any securities received in an exchange for such securities may be subject to restrictions on resale.

PREFERRED SECURITIES RISK Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. Preferred securities also may be subordinated to bonds or other debt instruments, subjecting them to a greater risk of non-payment, may be less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks, and generally offer no voting rights with respect to the issuer.

LOAN PARTICIPATIONS RISK A loan participation agreement involves the purchase of a share of a loan made by a bank to a company in return for a corresponding share of a borrower's principal and interest payments. The principal risk associated with acquiring loan participation interests is the credit risk associated with the underlying corporate borrower. There is also a risk that there may not be a readily available market for loan participation interests and, in some cases, this could result in the Fund disposing of such securities at a substantial discount from face value or holding such securities until maturity.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS RISK Repurchase agreements involve the risk that the counterparty may default on its obligation to repurchase the underlying instruments collateralizing the repurchase agreement, which may cause the Fund to lose money. This risk is magnified to the extent that a repurchase agreement is secured by securities other than cash or U.S. Government securities.

DEBT EXTENSION RISK is the risk that when interest rates rise an issuer will exercise its right to pay principal on certain debt securities held by the Fund later than expected. This will cause the value of the security, and the Fund's NAV, to decrease, and the Fund may lose opportunities to invest in higher yielding securities.

INFLATION-INDEXED SECURITIES RISK is the risk that interest payments on inflation-indexed securities can be unpredictable and will vary as the principal and/or interest is periodically adjusted based on the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the interest payable on these securities will be reduced.

LIQUIDITY RISK is the risk that the Fund will not be able to pay redemption proceeds in a timely manner because of unusual market conditions, an unusually high volume of redemption requests, legal restrictions impairing its ability to sell particular securities or close out derivative positions at an advantageous market price or other reasons. Certain portfolio securities may be less liquid than others, which may make them difficult or impossible to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like and the Fund may have to lower the price, sell other securities instead or forgo an investment opportunity. In addition, less liquid securities may be more difficult to value and markets may become less liquid when there are fewer interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. For these same reasons, less liquid securities that the Fund may want to invest in may be difficult or impossible to purchase. Federal banking regulations may also cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of certain securities, which may further decrease the Fund's ability to buy or sell such securities. All of these risks may increase during periods of market turmoil and could have a negative effect on the Fund's performance.

PREPAYMENT (OR CALL) RISK is the risk that an issuer could exercise its right to pay principal on callable debt securities held by the Fund earlier than expected. Issuers may be more likely to prepay when interest rates fall, when credit spreads change, or when an issuer's credit quality improves. If this happens, the Fund will not benefit from the rise in the market price of the securities that normally accompanies a decline in interest rates, and will be forced to reinvest prepayment proceeds in lower yielding securities, which may reduce the Fund's returns. The Fund may also lose any premium it paid to purchase the securities.

STRUCTURED SECURITIES RISK is the risk structured securities may be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to price accurately than less complex securities due to their derivative nature. As a result, investments in structured securities may adversely affect the Fund's NAV. In some cases, it is possible that the Fund may suffer a total loss on its investment in a structured security. In addition, the performance and payment of principal and interest of a structured security is tied to that of a reference obligation. Accordingly, risks of structured securities also include those risks associated with the underlying reference

obligation including, but not limited to, market risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, default risk and foreign currency risk.

U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES RISK is the risk that the U.S. government will not provide financial support to its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law. Certain U.S. government securities purchased by the Fund are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and, therefore, may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government securities may greatly exceed their current resources, including any legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that the issuers of such securities will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.

MUNICIPAL INVESTMENTS RISKS The risk of a municipal security generally depends on the financial and credit status of the issuer. Constitutional amendments, legislative enactments, executive orders, administrative regulations, voter initiatives, and the issuer's regional economic conditions may affect the municipal security's value, interest payments, repayment of principal and the Fund's ability to sell the security. While income earned on municipal securities is generally not subject to federal tax, the failure of a municipal security issuer to comply with applicable tax requirements may make income paid thereon taxable, resulting in a decline in the security's value. In addition, there could be changes in applicable tax laws or tax treatments that reduce or eliminate the current federal income tax exemption on municipal securities or otherwise adversely affect the current federal or state tax status of municipal securities. The secondary market for municipal obligations also tends to be less well-developed and less liquid than many other securities markets, which may limit the Fund's ability to sell its municipal obligations at attractive prices. Further, inventories of municipal securities held by brokers and dealers have decreased in recent years, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities, which has resulted in increased municipal security price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress.

VALUATION RISK is the risk that the sale price the Fund could receive for a portfolio security may differ from the Fund's valuation of the security, particularly for securities that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. Fair valuation of the Fund's investments involves subjective judgment. In addition, the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.

As with any mutual fund, it is possible to lose money on an investment in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, any other government agency, or The Northern Trust Company, its affiliates, subsidiaries or any other bank.

FUND PERFORMANCE

The bar chart and table that follow provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing (A) changes in the performance of the Fund from year to year, and (B) how the average annual total returns of the Fund compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.

The Fund's past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Updated performance information for the Fund is available and may be obtained on the Fund's website at northerntrust.com/funds or by calling 800-595-9111.

CALENDAR YEAR TOTAL RETURN*

* Year to date total return for the six months ended June 30, 2021 is 4.15%. For the periods shown in the bar chart above, the highest quarterly return was 12.09% in the second quarter of 2020, and the lowest quarterly return was (16.22)% in the first quarter of 2020.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

(For the periods ended December 31, 2020)

		Inception Date			1-Year			5-Year			10-Year			Since Inception
Shares Class			12/31/98
Returns before taxes				6.02	%			7.18	%			6.06	%			5.95	%
Returns after taxes on distributions				3.53	%			4.50	%			3.29	%			2.97	%
Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares				3.42	%			4.29	%			3.44	%			3.21	%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)				7.05	%			8.57	%			6.79	%			6.98	%

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

In calculating the federal income taxes due on redemptions, capital gains taxes resulting from redemptions are subtracted from the redemption proceeds and the tax benefits from capital losses resulting from the redemptions are added to the redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the addition of the tax benefits from capital losses resulting from redemptions may cause the Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares to be greater than the Returns after taxes on distributions.

MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND PORTFOLIO MANAGERS.Northern Trust Investments, Inc. ('NTI'), an indirect subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation, serves as the investment adviser of the High Yield Fixed Income Fund. Eric R. Williams, Vice President of NTI and Benjamin J. McCubbin, CFA, of NTI, have been managers of the Fund since October 2016 and September 2020, respectively. The Northern Trust Company, an affiliate of NTI, serves as transfer agent, custodian and sub-administrator to the Fund.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

You may purchase Shares Class shares of the Fund by opening an account directly with Northern Funds (the 'Trust') with a minimum initial investment of $2,500 in the Fund ($500 for an IRA; $250 under the Automatic Investment Plan; and $500 for employees of Northern Trust and its affiliates). The minimum subsequent investment is $50 (except for reinvestments of distributions for which there is no minimum). The Fund reserves the right to waive these minimums. You may also purchase Shares Class shares of the Fund through an account at Northern Trust (or an affiliate) or an authorized intermediary.

If you purchase, sell (redeem) or exchange Shares Class shares through an authorized intermediary, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the intermediary. In addition, an authorized intermediary may impose different investment minimums than those set forth above. The Fund is not responsible for any investment minimums imposed by authorized intermediaries or for notifying shareholders of any changes to them.

On any business day, you may sell (redeem) or exchange shares through your account by contacting your Northern Trust account representative or authorized intermediary. If you purchase shares directly from the Trust, you may sell (redeem) or exchange your shares in one of the following ways:

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By Mail - Send a written request to: Northern Funds, P.O. Box 75986, Chicago, Illinois 60675-5986.

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By Telephone - Authorize the telephone privilege on your New Account Application. Call 800-595-9111 to use the telephone privilege.

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By Wire - Authorize wire redemptions on your New Account Application and have proceeds sent by federal wire transfer to a previously designated bank account (the minimum redemption amount by this method is $250). You will be charged $15 for each wire redemption unless the designated bank account is maintained at Northern Trust or an affiliated bank. Call 800-595-9111 for instructions.

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By Systematic Withdrawal - If you own shares of the Fund with a minimum value of $10,000, you may elect to have a fixed sum redeemed at regular intervals and distributed in cash or reinvested in one or more other funds of the Trust. Call 800-595-9111 for an application form and additional information. The minimum amount is $250 per withdrawal.

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By Exchange - Complete the Exchange Privilege section of your New Account Application to exchange shares of one fund in the Trust for shares of another fund in the Trust. Shares being exchanged must have a value of at least $1,000 ($2,500 if a new account is being established by the exchange, $500 if the new account is an IRA). Call 800-595-9111 for more information.

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By Internet - You may initiate transactions between Northern Trust banking and Fund accounts by using Northern Trust Private Passport. For details and to sign up for this service, go to northerntrust.com/funds or contact your Relationship Manager.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund's distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or a combination of the two, unless you are investing through a tax-exempt or tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from tax-advantaged accounts.

PAYMENTS TO BROKERS-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 its related companies 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 salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

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