Form N-CSR - Certified Shareholder Report

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-21727

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400
Wheaton, IL 60187
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

W. Scott Jardine, Esq.
First Trust Portfolios L.P.
120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400
Wheaton, IL 60187
(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 630-765-8000

Date of fiscal year end: October 31

Date of reporting period: October 31, 2024

Form N-CSR is to be used by management investment companies to file reports with the Commission not later than 10 days after the transmission to stockholders of any report that is required to be transmitted to stockholders under Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30e-1). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-CSR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.

 

A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-CSR, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-CSR unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, NW, Washington, DC 20549. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507.

 

 

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

(a)

Following is a copy of the annual report transmitted to shareholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Act.

 

First Trust

Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

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Annual Report

For the Year Ended

October 31, 2024

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Annual Report

October 31, 2024 

At a Glance	1
Portfolio Commentary	3
Portfolio of Investments	6
Statement of Assets and Liabilities	14
Statement of Operations	15
Statements of Changes in Net Assets	16
Financial Highlights	17
Notes to Financial Statements	18
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	26
Additional Information	27
Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks	31
Board of Trustees and Officers	38
Privacy Policy	40

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the goals, beliefs, plans or current expectations of First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”) and its representatives, taking into account the information currently available to them. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to current or historical fact. For example, forward-looking statements include the use of words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “would” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “Fund”) to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. When evaluating the information included in this report, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the judgment of the Advisor and its representatives only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events and circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

Performance and Risk Disclosure

There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that the market values of securities owned by the Fund will decline and that the value of the Fund’s shares may therefore be less than what you paid for them. Accordingly, you can lose money by investing in the Fund. See “Principal Risks” in the Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks section of this report for a discussion of certain other risks of investing in the Fund.

Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. For the most recent month-end performance figures, please visit www.ftportfolios.com or speak with your financial advisor. Investment returns, net asset value and common share price will fluctuate and Fund shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

The Advisor may also periodically provide additional information on Fund performance on the Fund’s web page at www.ftportfolios.com.

How to Read This Report

This report contains information that may help you evaluate your investment in the Fund. It includes details about the Fund and presents data and analysis that provide insight into the Fund’s performance and investment approach.

By reading the portfolio commentary by the portfolio management team of the Fund, you may obtain an understanding of how the market environment affected the Fund’s performance. The statistical information that follows may help you understand the Fund’s performance compared to that of a relevant market benchmark.

It is important to keep in mind that the opinions expressed by personnel of the Advisor are just that: informed opinions. They should not be considered to be promises or advice. The opinions, like the statistics, cover the period through the date on the cover of this report. The material risks of investing in the Fund are spelled out in the prospectus, the statement of additional information, this report and other Fund regulatory filings.

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

“AT A GLANCE”

As of October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

 

Fund Statistics
Symbol on New York Stock Exchange	FMY
Common Share Price	$12.11
Common Share Net Asset Value (“NAV”)	$12.67
Premium (Discount) to NAV	(4.42 )%
Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares	$53,363,934
Current Distribution per Common Share(1)	$0.0750
Current Annualized Distribution per Common Share	$0.9000
Current Distribution Rate on Common Share Price(2)	7.43 %
Current Distribution Rate on NAV(2)	7.10 %

Common Share Price & NAV (weekly closing price)

  

 

Performance
		Average Annual Total Returns
	1 Year Ended 10/31/24	5 Years Ended 10/31/24	10 Years Ended 10/31/24	Inception (5/25/05) to 10/31/24
Fund Performance(3)
NAV	17.10 %	2.73 %	3.01 %	4.84 %
Market Value	20.57 %	3.11 %	3.77 %	4.35 %
Index Performance
Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) Index	11.44 %	-0.60 %	1.02 %	2.83 %

 

Portfolio Characteristics
Weighted Average Effective Long Duration	6.0  Years
Weighted Average Effective Short Duration	0.2  Years

 

Fund Allocation	% of Net Assets
Mortgage-Backed Securities	57.0%
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities	31.4
Asset-Backed Securities	9.8
Money Market Funds	2.0
Call Options Written	(0.0)*
Put Options Written	(0.1)
Net Other Assets and Liabilities(4)	(0.1)
Total	100.0%
* Amount is less than 0.1%

 

 

(1)

Most recent distribution paid through October 31, 2024. Subject to change in the future.

(2)

Distribution rates are calculated by annualizing the most recent distribution paid through the report date and then dividing by Common Share Price or NAV, as applicable, as of October 31, 2024. Subject to change in the future.

(3)

Total return is based on the combination of reinvested dividend, capital gain, and return of capital distributions, if any, at prices obtained by the Dividend Reinvestment Plan and changes in NAV per share for NAV returns and changes in Common Share Price for market value returns. Total returns do not reflect sales load and are not annualized for periods of less than one year. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

(4)

Includes variation margin on futures contracts.

Page 1

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

“AT A GLANCE” (Continued)

As of October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Credit Quality(5)	% of Total Investments
AAA	16.3%
AA+	0.2
AA	0.1
AA-	2.0
A+	1.8
A	0.0*
A-	3.0
BBB+	1.4
BBB	2.6
BBB-	7.0
BB+	1.6
BB	5.2
BB-	5.3
B	1.3
B-	1.3
CCC	0.0*
CCC-	0.0*
CC	0.6
NR	21.3
Agency	27.0
Cash and Cash Equivalents	2.0
Total	100.0%
* Amount is less than 0.1%

 

(5)

The ratings are by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs), including S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Fitch Ratings, DBRS, Inc., Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc. or a comparably rated NRSRO. For situations in which a security is rated by more than one NRSRO and the ratings are not equivalent, the highest rating is used. A credit rating is an assessment provided by a NRSRO, of the creditworthiness of an issuer with respect to debt obligations. Ratings are measured on a scale that generally ranges from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). Investment grade is defined as those issuers that have a long-term credit rating of BBB- or higher. “NR” indicates no rating. The credit ratings shown relate to the creditworthiness of the issuers of the underlying securities in the fund, and not to the fund or its shares. U.S. Agency and U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities appear under “Agency.” Credit ratings are subject to change.

Page 2

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Portfolio Commentary

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Annual Report

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Advisor

First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”) serves as the investment advisor to the First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “Fund” or “FMY”) and offers customized portfolio management using its structured, quantitative approach to security selection.

Portfolio Management Team

Jeremiah Charles – Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, First Trust Government & Securitized Products Group

James Snyder – Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, First Trust Government & Securitized Products Group

Owen Aronson –  Vice President and Portfolio Manager, First Trust Government & Securitized Products Group

Commentary

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund

The Fund’s primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. As a secondary objective the Fund seeks to preserve capital. The Fund pursues its objectives by investing primarily in mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) representing part ownership in a pool of either residential or commercial mortgage loans that, in the opinion of the Fund’s investment advisor, offer an attractive combination of credit quality, yield and maturity. There can be no assurance the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may not be appropriate for all investors.

Market Recap

Volatility remains high, and as we have stated time and time again, investors must be able to adjust to this “new” world in fixed income relative to the post-Great Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 era. Look no further than the market gyrations of the last twelve months. Coming off the back of some of the widest spreads in history on Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities, in December 2023, Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) Chairman Jerome Powell delivered the words the market had been so desperate for - a policy pivot. Much to no one’s surprise, this prompted a fairly violent reaction in the bond market as investors clamored to buy duration and prepare for what they thought would be an aggressive easing campaign. Unfortunately for many, this proved to be somewhat short-lived as both measures of inflation remained stickier than hoped, and the labor market continued to show outright strength and several of these cuts were priced out of market expectations. As the summer months turned over, it appeared the Fed was beginning to shift its focus from inflationary concerns to concerns with the overall health of the labor market. The market responded with a very aggressive, steepening rally, upon which the Fed ultimately delivered with a very large 50 basis point (“bps”) cut at their September 2024 meeting. And once again, post this oversized cut, solid economic numbers rolled in forcing the market to walk back some of its forward Fed interest rate cut pricing. This only became exacerbated as the U.S. Presidential election neared, and the odds of a Donald Trump win increased, and with it, bond market pricing of tariffs, increased deficits and renewed inflationary pressures, which put further pressure on yields. Yes, volatility does indeed remain high. Investors must be nimble, be opportunistic, and be willing to look through single data points keeping in mind that pandemic-era money supply increases still slosh around the system. Undoing this will take resolve, and time. The impact from the interest rate hiking cycle has a lag, and it’s not quite clear yet as to how effective the cycle has been. Coupling this with the incoming Trump Administration, we expect and believe investors should expect volatility to remain elevated. Understanding duration, convexity and volatility embedded in a bond portfolio will be critical for successful outcomes as we navigate these post-pandemic times.

Page 3

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Portfolio Commentary (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Annual Report

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Performance Analysis 

		Average Annual Total Returns
	1 Year Ended 10/31/24	5 Years Ended 10/31/24	10 Years Ended 10/31/24	Inception (5/25/05) to 10/31/24
Fund Performance(1)
NAV	17.10 %	2.73 %	3.01 %	4.84 %
Market Value	20.57 %	3.11 %	3.77 %	4.35 %
Index Performance
Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) Index	11.44 %	-0.60 %	1.02 %	2.83 %

 

 

Performance figures assume reinvestment of all distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption or sale of Fund shares. An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike the Fund, the index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by the Fund. These expenses negatively impact the performance of the Fund. The Fund’s past performance does not predict future performance. Performance in securitized product investment strategies can be impacted from the benefits of purchasing odd lot positions. The impact of these investments can be particularly meaningful when funds have limited assets under management and may not be a sustainable source of performance as a fund grows in size.

For the 12-month period ended October 31, 2024, the Fund returned 17.10% on a net asset value (“NAV”) basis.

For the same period, the Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) Index (the “Benchmark”) returned 11.44%. On a NAV basis, the Fund outperformed the Benchmark by 566 bps, net of fees.

As a reminder, historically, the Fund has been structured with a lower and more stable duration profile, which in a broader bond market rally, would likely cause it to underperform its intermediate duration Benchmark. However, while bond market yields maintain levels not experienced in over a decade, the Fund has continued to run a longer duration than is typical, predominantly by using Treasury futures. On the asset side, the Fund has reduced its opportunistic allocation to Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (“CMBS”) as it took advantage of the significant tightening in select CMBS holdings and locked in spread tightening gains. On the other side of that, the Fund increased its overall Non-Agency Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (“RMBS”) allocation and added attractively priced Agency Collateralized Mortgage Obligation Floaters. Sizeable allocations to both CMBS and RMBS have each benefitted the Fund as spreads have tightened over the course of the year. It’s also important to note that while the Fund has reduced its overall CMBS allocation, it continues to hold a sizeable position in the sector. We believe this allocation has allowed the Fund to take advantage of opportunities in the market and allowed the Fund to more easily achieve its primary objective of a high level of current

 

(1)

Total return is based on the combination of reinvested dividend, capital gain, and return of capital distributions, if any, at prices obtained by the Dividend Reinvestment Plan and changes in NAV per share for NAV returns and changes in Common Share Price for market value returns. Total returns do not reflect sales load and are not annualized for periods of less than one year. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Page 4

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Portfolio Commentary (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Annual Report

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

income. Additionally, the Fund’s usage of Treasury derivatives to manage duration, curve exposures and volatility was beneficial to the strategy over the 12-month period ended October 31, 2024.

The Fund has a practice of seeking to maintain a relatively stable monthly distribution, which may be changed at any time. The practice has no impact on the Fund’s investment strategy and may reduce the Fund’s NAV. However, the Advisor believes the practice helps maintain the Fund’s competitiveness and may benefit the Fund’s market price and premium/discount to the Fund’s NAV. The monthly distribution rate began the period at $0.0700 per share and ended at $0.0750 per share. At the $0.0750 per share monthly distribution rate, the annualized distribution rate at October 31, 2024 was 7.10% at NAV and 7.43% at market price. For the 12-month period ended October 31, 2024, 92.10% of the distributions were characterized as ordinary income and 7.90% of the distributions were characterized as return of capital.  The final determination of the source and tax status of all 2024 distributions will be made after the end of 2024 and will be provided on Form 1099-DIV. Not to be construed as tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for further information regarding tax matters.

Market and Fund Outlook

The third quarter of 2024 was a very strong period for U.S. fixed income as the long-awaited bull yield curve steepener finally arrived. The Fed pivoted aggressively towards its employment mandate and reduced the funding rate by a larger than usual 50 bps. Over the 12-month period ended October 31, 2024, year-over-year Consumer Price Index has trended down from 3.7% to 2.5% but remains above the Fed’s targeted policy range. However, much like the Fed’s pivot back in December 2023, we have continued to think that absent more serious economic weakness, on the back of these large market rallies, forward curves likely price in too many future Fed interest rate cuts. We have maintained the premise that the bond markets overestimate (dare we say actively lobby for) excessive monetary policy actions, not justified by the general economic environment. This distorted market view of realistic policy actions and their corresponding outcomes frequently leads to excessive yield and spread volatility. Sure enough, as the odds of a Donald Trump victory increased, the broader bond market viciously sold off throughout October 2024 as talks of tariffs, deficits and inflation all came back into focus for investors. Generally speaking, our view is the water is safe for fixed income investors given the Fed is now in a more accommodative mode. We do contend the bond market investors will likely be disappointed concerning Fed interest rate cuts so long as the economy remains solid, and it has shown little signs of meaningful weakening lately. That being said, the economy is not invincible and monetary policy works with lags, so we do believe that better days lie ahead for fixed income when the economy slows although it might be a longer wait than many realize. One last point, investors should stay strategic as we believe the bear bond market is largely over and therefore all bond retreats should be viewed as opportunities to extend duration, and while we wait it out, maintain a focus on generating income to lock in these higher yielding markets.

We remain committed to finding value across the various credit sectors of the mortgage and securitized market, but also along the term spectrum of the U.S. yield curve. We continue to maintain a longer duration profile as duration risks feel more balanced. We remain opportunistic buyers of intermediate and longer bonds and will extend duration if longer end yields once again move toward and through 5.0 % yield levels. To us, these real yield levels offer significant compensation for current levels of inflation and equally important, a slow-down in the U.S. economy. We remain committed to actively managing the convexity component in the portfolio and will look to continue to manage the Fund to a more stable duration target than the Benchmark; meaning we do not want to extend in duration as rates rise, and conversely, and at this point in the cycle, most importantly, we do not want to shorten or lose duration into a rally. From an asset allocation perspective, at what we believe are ongoing attractive valuations, we plan to maintain meaningful allocations to select CMBS, RMBS and Asset-Backed Securities credit opportunities, while also adding select Agency MBS opportunities. In our view, this approach provides higher current yield, income, total return, and spread protection for shareholders. As an ongoing reminder, the Fund has been, and will continue to be, invested in the interest-only sectors of the mortgage bond market in an attempt to increase the income and economic earnings of the portfolio. We believe this strategy can be very effective with proper security selection, particularly when combined with appropriate yield curve management. We plan to continue to maintain a tradeable portfolio as that is critical to being able to act should opportunities arise.

Page 5

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments

October 31, 2024

 

Principal Value	Description	Stated Coupon	Stated Maturity	Value
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES – 57.0%
	Collateralized Mortgage Obligations – 28.1%
	Banc of America Mortgage Trust
$27,343	Series 2002-L, Class 1A1 (a)	3.20 %	12/25/32	$21,329
	Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust
53,225	Series 2005-6, Class A1, US Treasury Yield Curve Rate T Note Constant Maturity 1 Year + 2.10% (b)	6.00 %	09/25/35	52,774
7,270	Series 2009-10, Class 1A1 (a) (c)	6.57 %	09/25/33	7,247
	Connecticut Avenue Securities Trust
1,000,000	Series 2024-R02, Class 1B2, 30 Day Average SOFR + 3.70% (b) (c)	8.56 %	02/25/44	1,021,437
	Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass-Through Trust
156,106	Series 2006-HYB5, Class 3A1A (a)	5.54 %	09/20/36	137,405
	Credit Suisse Mortgage Trust
814,359	Series 2017-FHA1, Class A1 (c)	3.25 %	04/25/47	728,014
	GSR Mortgage Loan Trust
1,780	Series 2003-10, Class 1A12 (a)	6.66 %	10/25/33	1,696
76,701	Series 2005-AR1, Class 4A1 (a)	3.66 %	01/25/35	66,729
	JP Morgan Mortgage Trust
20,587	Series 2006-A2, Class 5A3 (a)	7.04 %	11/25/33	19,981
192,812	Series 2015-IVR2, Class A5 (a) (c)	6.92 %	01/25/45	192,967
	LHOME Mortgage Trust
1,000,000	Series 2023-RTL2, Class M, steps up to 11.00% on 1/25/2026 (c) (d)	9.00 %	06/25/28	983,140
1,000,000	Series 2024-RTL1, Class M, steps up to 13.45% on 8/25/2026 (c) (d)	11.95 %	01/25/29	1,023,771
800,000	Series 2024-RTL2, Class M, steps up to 13.08% on 10/25/2026 (c) (d)	11.58 %	03/25/29	816,940
	MASTR Alternative Loan Trust
3,544,967	Series 2006-2, Class 2A3, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 0.35% (b)	5.20 %	03/25/36	342,020
	NYMT Loan Trust
1,000,000	Series 2024-BPL1, Class A2, steps up to 10.12% on 7/25/2026 (c) (d)	8.62 %	02/25/29	1,007,356
	Onslow Bay Mortgage Loan Trust
560,927	Series 2021-NQM4, Class A1 (c)	1.96 %	10/25/61	469,596
	PRET Trust
500,000	Series 2024-RPL1, Class M2 (a) (c)	4.05 %	10/25/63	374,185
	Pretium Mortgage Credit Partners I LLC
1,010,587	Series 2021-NPL2, Class A2, steps up to 7.84% on 6/27/2025 (c) (d)	3.84 %	06/27/60	939,991
	PRKCM Trust
1,000,000	Series 2021-AFC1, Class B2 (c)	3.95 %	08/25/56	695,111
	PRPM LLC
269,282	Series 2020-6, Class A2, steps up to 8.70% on 11/25/2024 (c) (d)	7.70 %	11/25/25	268,098
	PRPM Trust
725,000	Series 2024-NQM1, Class M1 (a) (c)	6.71 %	12/25/68	729,302
	Residential Accredit Loans, Inc.
64,660	Series 2006-QO1, Class 2A1, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 0.54% (b)	5.39 %	02/25/46	34,003
611,579	Series 2006-QS6, Class 1AV, IO (a)	0.77 %	06/25/36	12,447
	Residential Asset Securitization Trust
17,819	Series 2004-A3, Class A7	5.25 %	06/25/34	17,135
	Roc Mortgage Trust
1,000,000	Series 2021-RTL1, Class M (c)	6.68 %	08/25/26	955,102
	Starwood Mortgage Residential Trust
801,754	Series 2022-3, Class A1 (c)	4.16 %	03/25/67	771,898

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 6

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

Principal Value	Description	Stated Coupon	Stated Maturity	Value
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (Continued)
	Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (Continued)
	Structured Asset Securities Corp. Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates
$3,049	Series 2001-SB1, Class A2	3.38 %	08/25/31	$3,038
	Towd Point Mortgage Trust
481,515	Series 2019-HY2, Class A1, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 1.00% (b) (c)	5.85 %	05/25/58	493,659
	VCAT LLC
1,009,641	Series 2021-NPL5, Class A2, steps up to 7.84% on 8/25/2025 (c) (d)	3.84 %	08/25/51	959,776
1,006,623	Series 2021-NPL6, Class A2, steps up to 7.97% on 9/25/2025 (c) (d)	3.97 %	09/25/51	959,620
	Verus Securitization Trust
533,000	Series 2021-5, Class B2 (c)	3.94 %	09/25/66	380,766
425,000	Series 2021-R2, Class B2 (c)	4.26 %	02/25/64	323,035
	Washington Mutual Alternative Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates
9,476	Series 2007-5, Class A11, (1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA) x -6 + 39.48% (e)	10.37 %	06/25/37	10,072
	WinWater Mortgage Loan Trust
202,249	Series 2015-3, Class B1 (a) (c)	3.84 %	03/20/45	186,756
				15,006,396
	Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities – 28.9%
	BAMLL Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust
1,000,000	Series 2013-WBRK, Class A (a) (c)	3.53 %	03/10/37	976,233
	BANK
21,094,865	Series 2017-BN7, Class XA, IO (a)	0.68 %	09/15/60	328,097
8,908,987	Series 2019-BN23, Class XA, IO (a)	0.68 %	12/15/52	256,733
5,322,867	Series 2020-BNK26, Class XA, IO (a)	1.20 %	03/15/63	258,333
	BBCMS Mortgage Trust
1,000,000	Series 2018-TALL, Class A, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 0.87% (b) (c)	5.72 %	03/15/37	941,825
	Benchmark Mortgage Trust
20,588,209	Series 2018-B5, Class XA, IO (a)	0.45 %	07/15/51	284,393
	BX Commercial Mortgage Trust
1,000,000	Series 2019-IMC, Class F, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 2.90% (b) (c)	7.75 %	04/15/34	972,711
	CCRE Commercial Mortgage Securities L.P.
7,732,100	CFCRE Mortgage Trust Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2017-C8, Class XA, IO (a)	1.47 %	06/15/50	213,684
	CD Commercial Mortgage Trust
8,518,815	Series 2018-CD7, Class XA, IO (a)	0.64 %	08/15/51	178,671
	Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust
3,281,881	Series 2015-GC29, Class XA, IO (a)	1.03 %	04/10/48	2,953
8,400,308	Series 2016-GC37, Class XA, IO (a)	1.64 %	04/10/49	118,679
5,681,346	Series 2016-P4, Class XA, IO (a)	1.89 %	07/10/49	122,453
	COMM Mortgage Trust
3,829,000	Series 2015-CCRE26, Class XD, IO (a) (c)	1.21 %	10/10/48	34,169
13,599,429	Series 2015-LC21, Class XA, IO (a)	0.61 %	07/10/48	16,266
	Credit Suisse Mortgage Trust
1,000,000	Series 2022-CNTR, Class A, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + 3.94%, 4.09% Floor (b) (f)	8.75 %	01/09/25	857,479
	CSAIL Commercial Mortgage Trust
250,000	Series 2015-C3, Class B (a)	4.11 %	08/15/48	225,530
5,835,899	Series 2020-C19, Class XA, IO (a)	1.09 %	03/15/53	261,060

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 7

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

Principal Value	Description	Stated Coupon	Stated Maturity	Value
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (Continued)
	Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (Continued)
	FIVE Mortgage Trust
$25,808,956	Series 2023-V1, Class XA, IO (a)	0.68 %	02/10/56	$489,802
	Great Wolf Trust
1,000,000	Series 2024-WOLF, Class E, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + 3.64% (b) (c)	8.44 %	03/15/39	1,010,590
	GS Mortgage Securities Corp Trust
1,000,000	Series 2018-3PCK, Class C, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 3.50% (b) (c)	8.42 %	09/15/31	979,213
	GS Mortgage Securities Trust
823,474	Series 2012-GCJ9, Class D (a) (c)	4.60 %	11/10/45	752,872
	Houston Galleria Mall Trust
1,000,000	Series 2015-HGLR, Class D (c)	3.98 %	03/05/37	976,737
	JP Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust
19,852,817	Series 2016-JP4, Class XA, IO (a)	0.57 %	12/15/49	170,438
969,086	Series 2018-PHH, Class A, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 1.21%, 2.71% Floor (b) (c)	6.06 %	06/15/35	844,241
	Life Mortgage Trust
394,981	Series 2021-BMR, Class G, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 2.95% (b) (c)	7.87 %	03/15/38	381,787
	LSTAR Commercial Mortgage Trust
23,110,434	Series 2017-5, Class X, IO (a) (c)	0.83 %	03/10/50	323,223
	Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust
413,637	Series 2016-C31, Class XA, IO (a)	1.26 %	11/15/49	7,140
	Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust
2,180,000	Series 2016-UBS9, Class XD, IO (a) (c)	1.59 %	03/15/49	38,810
1,320,000	Series 2019-L2, Class C (a)	4.97 %	03/15/52	1,090,662
	NYO Commercial Mortgage Trust
530,000	Series 2021-1290, Class C, 1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA + 1.99% (b) (c)	6.91 %	11/15/38	500,534
	Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust
1,034,000	Series 2016-NXS6, Class C (a)	4.39 %	11/15/49	956,733
	WFLD Mortgage Trust
927,844	Series 2014-MONT, Class A (a) (c)	3.75 %	08/10/31	837,062
				15,409,113
	Total Mortgage-Backed Securities			30,415,509
	(Cost $32,094,688)
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES – 31.4%
	Collateralized Mortgage Obligations – 18.7%
	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
96,221	Series 2439, Class XI, IO, if (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 7.74% is less than 7.50%, then 6.50%, otherwise 0.00% (e)	6.50 %	03/15/32	11,816
476,638	Series 2975, Class SJ, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.65% (e)	1.53 %	05/15/35	39,174
12,218	Series 3451, Class SB, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.03% (e)	0.91 %	05/15/38	934
179,957	Series 3471, Class SD, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.08% (e)	0.96 %	12/15/36	15,745
5,892	Series 4021, Class IP, IO	3.00 %	03/15/27	133
105,578	Series 4057, Class YI, IO	3.00 %	06/15/27	2,622
197,471	Series 4082, Class PI, IO	3.00 %	06/15/27	4,833
185,649	Series 4206, Class IA, IO	3.00 %	03/15/33	11,982
966,830	Series 4959, Class JF, 30 Day Average SOFR + CSA + 0.45% (b)	5.42 %	03/25/50	943,001

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 8

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

Principal Value	Description	Stated Coupon	Stated Maturity	Value
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (Continued)
	Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (Continued)
	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (Continued)
$1,025,926	Series 4990, Class AF, 30 Day Average SOFR + CSA + 0.40% (b)	5.37 %	07/25/50	$997,175
947,993	Series 5004, Class FG, 30 Day Average SOFR + CSA + 0.40% (b)	5.37 %	08/25/50	918,065
1,979,071	Series 5179, Class GZ	2.00 %	01/25/52	1,097,987
1,178,202	Series 5350, Class PO, PO	(g)	11/25/53	975,670
	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. STACR REMIC Trust
1,000,000	Series 2020-DNA1, Class B2, 30 Day Average SOFR + CSA + 5.25% (b) (c)	10.22 %	01/25/50	1,105,147
1,000,000	Series 2020-HQA2, Class B2, 30 Day Average SOFR + CSA + 7.60% (b) (c)	12.57 %	03/25/50	1,200,232
	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Structured Pass-Through Certificates
43,604	Series T-56, Class APO, PO	(g)	05/25/43	34,572
	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., STRIPS
7,193	Series 177, Class IO, IO	7.00 %	07/01/26	265
	Federal National Mortgage Association
4,062	Series 1996-46, Class ZA	7.50 %	11/25/26	4,072
11,821	Series 2002-80, Class IO, IO	6.00 %	09/25/32	544
37,369	Series 2003-15, Class MS, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 8.00% (e)	3.03 %	03/25/33	4,036
42,183	Series 2003-44, Class IU, IO	7.00 %	06/25/33	5,540
40,190	Series 2005-6, Class SE, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.70% (e)	1.73 %	02/25/35	3,345
24,110	Series 2007-100, Class SM, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.45% (e)	1.48 %	10/25/37	2,194
128,459	Series 2007-37, Class SB, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.75% (e)	1.78 %	05/25/37	14,738
294,177	Series 2008-17, Class BE	5.50 %	10/25/37	289,660
548,460	Series 2010-103, Class ID, IO	5.00 %	09/25/40	82,517
31,098	Series 2010-99, Class SG, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -5 + 25.00%, 0.00% Floor (e)	0.00 %	09/25/40	32,311
124,017	Series 2011-81, Class PI, IO	3.50 %	08/25/26	1,571
81,951	Series 2012-112, Class BI, IO	3.00 %	09/25/31	594
1,174,230	Series 2012-125, Class MI, IO	3.50 %	11/25/42	160,275
16,897	Series 2013-132, Class SW, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -2.67 + 10.67%, 0.00% Floor (e)	0.00 %	01/25/44	12,532
1,292,611	Series 2013-32, Class IG, IO	3.50 %	04/25/33	103,233
1,156,250	Series 2015-20, Class ES, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.15% (e)	1.18 %	04/25/45	134,295
17,029	Series 2015-76, Class BI, IO	4.00 %	10/25/39	68
168,142	Series 2016-74, Class LI, IO	3.50 %	09/25/46	41,036
2,107,590	Series 2017-109, Class SJ, IO, (30 Day Average SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.20% (e)	1.23 %	01/25/48	270,680
276,352	Series 2020-47, Class FA, 30 Day Average SOFR + CSA + 0.40% (b)	5.37 %	07/25/50	270,774
	Federal National Mortgage Association, STRIPS
10,662	Series 305, Class 12, IO (h)	6.50 %	12/25/29	733
24,640	Series 355, Class 18, IO	7.50 %	11/25/33	2,921
393,012	Series 406, Class 6, IO (h)	4.00 %	01/25/41	62,621
	Government National Mortgage Association
90,614	Series 2005-33, Class AY	5.50 %	04/16/35	91,128
115,431	Series 2007-68, Class PI, IO, (1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.65% (e)	1.78 %	11/20/37	3,418

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 9

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

Principal Value	Description	Stated Coupon	Stated Maturity	Value
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (Continued)
	Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (Continued)
	Government National Mortgage Association (Continued)
$100,000	Series 2008-2, Class HB	5.50 %	01/16/38	$100,289
97,711	Series 2008-73, Class SK, IO, (1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.74% (e)	1.87 %	08/20/38	5,138
177,718	Series 2013-104, Class YS, IO, (1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.15% (e)	1.25 %	07/16/43	13,989
3,242,621	Series 2015-158, Class KS, IO, (1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.25% (e)	1.38 %	11/20/45	428,167
77,436	Series 2016-139, Class MZ	1.50 %	07/20/45	59,742
166,503	Series 2017-4, Class CZ	3.00 %	01/20/47	131,286
138,508	Series 2017-H18, Class DZ (h)	4.63 %	09/20/67	129,325
8,911,069	Series 2020-13, Class BT, IO, (1 Mo. CME Term SOFR + CSA) x -1 + 6.20%, Capped at 0.50% (e)	0.50 %	11/20/45	183,009
				10,005,134
	Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities – 11.0%
	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Multifamily Structured Pass-Through Certificates
30,000,000	Series K043, Class X3, IO (a)	1.63 %	02/25/43	40,518
14,500,000	Series K071, Class X3, IO (a)	2.01 %	11/25/45	799,659
4,000,000	Series K110, Class X3, IO (a)	3.40 %	06/25/48	598,478
4,326,216	Series K118, Class X3, IO (a)	2.69 %	10/25/48	543,505
1,900,000	Series K122, Class X3, IO (a)	2.63 %	01/25/49	238,921
3,343,856	Series K128, Class X3, IO (a)	2.78 %	04/25/31	465,935
1,831,144	Series K739, Class X3, IO (a)	2.80 %	11/25/48	124,629
2,454,000	Series K755, Class X3, IO (a)	5.64 %	02/25/31	683,918
1,663,400	Series K757, Class X3, IO (a)	5.74 %	08/25/31	489,427
4,571,896	Series KG06, Class X3, IO (a)	2.74 %	10/25/31	645,607
	Federal National Mortgage Association, ACES
15,150,000	Series 2019-M29, Class X4, IO (a)	0.70 %	03/25/29	341,991
	Freddie Mac Multiclass Certificates
5,680,261	Series 2021-P011, Class X1, IO (a)	1.77 %	09/25/45	642,120
	Government National Mortgage Association
5,024,014	Series 2024-32, Class IO, IO (a)	0.71 %	06/16/63	250,335
				5,865,043
	Pass-through Security – 1.7%
	Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
1,000,000	Pool TBA	3.50 %	12/01/54	894,142
	Total U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities			16,764,319
	(Cost $19,397,157)
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES – 9.8%
	ACHV ABS Trust
750,000	Series 2024-2PL, Class D (c)	6.40 %	10/27/31	749,230
	Adams Outdoor Advertising LP
1,000,000	Series 2023-1, Class B (c)	8.81 %	07/15/53	1,035,779
	CoreVest American Finance Trust
391,244	Series 2020-2, Class A (c)	3.38 %	05/15/52	386,749
254,964	Series 2021-1, Class A (c)	1.57 %	04/15/53	242,715
8,014,625	Series 2021-3, Class XA, IO (a) (c)	2.39 %	10/15/54	291,333
	Exeter Automobile Receivables Trust
750,000	Series 2024-1A, Class E (c)	7.89 %	08/15/31	764,256
	Gracie Point International Funding LLC
692,000	Series 2024-1A, Class D, 90 Day Average SOFR + 7.15% (b) (c)	12.52 %	03/01/28	693,539

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 10

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

Principal Value	Description	Stated Coupon	Stated Maturity	Value
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (Continued)
	Mid-State Capital Corp. Trust
$77,049	Series 2005-1, Class A	5.75 %	01/15/40	$76,834
	PAGAYA AI Debt Trust
1,000,000	Series 2024-3, Class D (c)	9.00 %	10/15/31	1,001,021
	Total Asset-Backed Securities			5,241,456
	(Cost $5,148,359)

 

Shares	Description	Value
MONEY MARKET FUNDS – 2.0%
1,072,380	Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds - Treasury Portfolio - Institutional Class - 4.71% (i)	1,072,380
	(Cost $1,072,380)

 

	Total Investments – 100.2%			53,493,664
	(Cost $57,712,584)

 

Number of Contracts	Description	Notional Amount	Exercise Price	Expiration Date	Value
WRITTEN OPTIONS – (0.1)%
	Call Options Written – (0.0)%
(5 )	U.S. Treasury Long Bond Futures Call	$(589,844 )	$134.00	02/21/25	(1,406 )
	(Premiums received $4,831)
	Put Options Written – (0.1)%
(10 )	U.S. 5-Year Treasury Futures Put	(1,072,344 )	107.75	02/21/25	(13,125 )
	(Premiums received $5,052)
(10 )	U.S. Treasury Long Bond Futures Put	(1,179,688 )	121.00	11/22/24	(38,282 )
	(Premiums received $10,129)
(10 )	U.S. Treasury Long Bond Futures Put	(1,179,688 )	116.00	02/21/25	(25,781 )
	(Premiums received $9,037)
	Total Put Options Written				(77,188 )
	(Premiums received $24,218)
	Total Written Options				(78,594 )
	(Premiums received $29,049)

 

	Net Other Assets and Liabilities – (0.1)%	(51,136 )
	Net Assets – 100.0%	$53,363,934

Futures Contracts at October 31, 2024 (See Note 2D - Futures Contracts in the Notes to Financial Statements): 

Futures Contracts	Position	Number of Contracts	Expiration Date	Notional Value	Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)/ Value
10-Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures	Long	77	Dec 2024	$8,506,094	$(285,735)
Ultra 10-Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures	Long	50	Dec 2024	5,687,500	(169,635)
US Treasury 2 Year Note Futures	Long	41	Dec 2024	8,443,758	(59,500)
US Treasury 5 Year Note Futures	Long	2	Dec 2024	214,469	(5,672)
US Treasury Bond Futures	Long	20	Dec 2024	2,359,375	(132,524)
US Ultra Treasury Bond Futures	Short	3	Dec 2024	(376,875 )	(5,813)
				$24,834,321	$(658,879)

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 11

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

(a)	Collateral Strip Rate security. Coupon is based on the weighted net interest rate of the investment’s underlying collateral. The interest rate resets periodically.
(b)	Floating or variable rate security.
(c)	This security, sold within the terms of a private placement memorandum, is exempt from registration upon resale under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. Pursuant to procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, this security has been determined to be liquid by First Trust Advisors L.P., (the “Advisor”). Although market instability can result in periods of increased overall market illiquidity, liquidity for each security is determined based on security specific factors and assumptions, which require subjective judgment. At October 31, 2024, securities noted as such amounted to $31,327,775 or 58.7% of net assets.
(d)	Step-up security. A security where the coupon increases or steps up at a predetermined date. Interest rate shown reflects the rate in effect at October 31, 2024.
(e)	Inverse floating rate security.
(f)	This security, sold within the terms of a private placement memorandum, is exempt from registration upon resale under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, and may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers (see Note 2C - Restricted Securities in the Notes to Financial Statements).
(g)	Zero coupon security.
(h)	Weighted Average Coupon security. Coupon is based on the blended interest rate of the underlying holdings, which may have different coupons. The coupon may change in any period.
(i)	Rate shown reflects yield as of October 31, 2024.

 

Abbreviations throughout the Portfolio of Investments:
ACES	– Alternative Credit Enhancement Securities
CME	– Chicago Mercantile Exchange
CSA	– Credit Spread Adjustment
IO	– Interest-Only Security - Principal amount shown represents par value on which interest payments are based.
PO	– Principal-Only Security
REMIC	– Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit
SOFR	– Secured Overnight Financing Rate
STACR	– Structured Agency Credit Risk
STRIPS	– Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities
TBA	– To-Be-Announced Security

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 12

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Portfolio of Investments (Continued)

October 31, 2024

---

Valuation Inputs

A summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2024 is as follows (see Note 2A - Portfolio Valuation in the Notes to Financial Statements): 

ASSETS TABLE
	Total Value at 10/31/2024	Level 1 Quoted Prices	Level 2 Significant Observable Inputs	Level 3 Significant Unobservable Inputs
Mortgage-Backed Securities	$30,415,509	$—	$30,415,509	$—
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities	16,764,319	—	16,764,319	—
Asset-Backed Securities	5,241,456	—	5,241,456	—
Money Market Funds	1,072,380	1,072,380	—	—
Total Investments	$53,493,664	$1,072,380	$52,421,284	$—
LIABILITIES TABLE
	Total Value at 10/31/2024	Level 1 Quoted Prices	Level 2 Significant Observable Inputs	Level 3 Significant Unobservable Inputs
Futures Contracts*	$(658,879 )	$(658,879 )	$—	$—
Written Options	(78,594 )	(78,594 )	—	—
Total	$(737,473 )	$(737,473 )	$—	$—

 

*	Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation on futures contracts as reported in the Futures Contracts table. Only the current day’s variation margin is presented on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 13

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

October 31, 2024

 

ASSETS:
Investments, at value	$ 53,493,664
Restricted Cash	549,564
Interest receivable	454,596
Prepaid expenses	6,079
Total Assets	54,503,903
LIABILITIES:
Options contracts written, at value	78,594
Payables:
Investment securities purchased	892,436
Audit and tax fees	71,327
Investment advisory fees	38,823
Variation margin	32,087
Administrative fees	8,385
Shareholder reporting fees	8,014
Trustees’ fees and expenses	4,286
Legal fees	3,572
Transfer agent fees	1,674
Financial reporting fees	771
Total Liabilities	1,139,969
NET ASSETS	$53,363,934
NET ASSETS consist of:
Paid-in capital	$ 63,385,337
Par value	42,131
Accumulated distributable earnings (loss)	(10,063,534 )
NET ASSETS	$53,363,934
NET ASSET VALUE, per Common Share (par value $0.01 per Common Share)	$12.67
Number of Common Shares outstanding (unlimited number of Common Shares has been authorized)	4,213,115
Investments, at cost	$57,712,584
Premiums received on options contracts written	$29,049

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 14

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Statement of Operations

For the Year Ended October 31, 2024

 

INVESTMENT INCOME:
Interest		$ 4,656,322
Other		21,003
Total investment income		4,677,325
EXPENSES:
Investment advisory fees		451,428
Audit and tax fees		82,457
Trustees’ fees and expenses		47,596
Administrative fees		43,996
Shareholder reporting fees		33,399
Legal fees		25,904
Listing expense		24,469
Transfer agent fees		19,505
Financial reporting fees		9,250
Custodian fees		1,685
Other		15,270
Total expenses		754,959
NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS)		3,922,366
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS):
Net realized gain (loss) on:
Investments		44,415
Purchased options contracts		(5,525 )
Written options contracts		29,733
Futures contracts		1,196,188
Net realized gain (loss)		1,264,811
Net increase from payment by the advisor		908
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Investments		3,343,183
Written options contracts		(53,737 )
Futures contracts		(456,895 )
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)		2,832,551
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)		4,098,270
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS		$ 8,020,636

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 15

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

	Year Ended 10/31/2024	Year Ended 10/31/2023
OPERATIONS:
Net investment income (loss)	$ 3,922,366	$ 3,184,605
Net realized gain (loss)	1,264,811	(1,998,206 )
Net increase from payment by the advisor	908	—
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)	2,832,551	147,764
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations	8,020,636	1,334,163
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM:
Investment operations	(3,734,822 )	(2,864,918 )
Return of capital	(320,301 )	—
Total distributions to shareholders	(4,055,123 )	(2,864,918 )
Total increase (decrease) in net assets	3,965,513	(1,530,755 )
NET ASSETS:
Beginning of period	49,398,421	50,929,176
End of period	$ 53,363,934	$ 49,398,421
COMMON SHARES:
Common Shares at end of period	4,213,115	4,213,115

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 16

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First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

Financial Highlights

For a Common Share outstanding throughout each period

 

	Year Ended October 31,
	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
Net asset value, beginning of period	$ 11.72	$ 12.09	$ 13.92	$ 14.45	$ 14.91
Income from investment operations:
Net investment income (loss)	0.93  (a)	0.76  (a)	0.50	0.44	0.44
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)	0.98  (b)	(0.45 )	(1.67 )	(0.25 )	(0.18 )
Total from investment operations	1.91	0.31	(1.17 )	0.19	0.26
Distributions paid to shareholders from:
Net investment income	(0.88 )	(0.68 )	(0.43 )	(0.35 )	(0.63 )
Return of capital	(0.08 )	—	(0.23 )	(0.37 )	(0.09 )
Total distributions paid to Common Shareholders	(0.96 )	(0.68 )	(0.66 )	(0.72 )	(0.72 )
Net asset value, end of period	$12.67	$11.72	$12.09	$13.92	$14.45
Market value, end of period	$12.11	$10.88	$11.01	$13.70	$13.40
Total return based on net asset value (c)	17.10 %	2.88 %	(8.38 )%	1.51 %	2.12 %
Total return based on market value (c)	20.57 %	4.88 %	(15.22 )%	7.74 %	0.93 %
Ratios to average net assets/supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (in 000’s)	$ 53,364	$ 49,398	$ 50,929	$ 58,647	$ 60,878
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets	1.42 %	1.36 %	1.33 %	1.31 %	1.33 %
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets	7.39 %	6.18 %	3.86 %	3.11 %	3.03 %
Portfolio turnover rate	100 %	143 %	44 %	67 %	28 %

 

(a)	Based on average shares outstanding.
(b)	The Fund received a payment from the advisor in the amount of $908, which represents less than $0.01 per share. Since the advisor reimbursed the Fund, there was no effect on the Fund’s total return.
(c)	Total return is based on the combination of reinvested dividend, capital gain and return of capital distributions, if any, at prices obtained by the Dividend Reinvestment Plan, and changes in net asset value per share for net asset value returns and changes in Common Share Price for market value returns. Total returns do not reflect sales load and are not annualized for periods of less than one year. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

See Notes to Financial Statements

Page 17

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Notes to Financial Statements

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

1. Organization

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “Fund”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on February 22, 2005, and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund trades under the ticker symbol “FMY” on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”).

The Fund’s primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. As a secondary objective, the Fund seeks to preserve capital. The Fund pursues its objectives by investing primarily in mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) representing part ownership in a pool of either residential or commercial mortgage loans that, in the opinion of First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”), offer an attractive combination of credit quality, yield and maturity. There can be no assurance the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may not be appropriate for all investors.

2. Significant Accounting Policies

The Fund is considered an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, “Financial Services-Investment Companies.” The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of the financial statements. The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

A. Portfolio Valuation

The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Common Shares of the Fund is determined daily as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. If the NYSE closes early on a valuation day, the NAV is determined as of that time. Domestic debt securities and foreign securities are priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. The Fund’s NAV per Common Share is calculated by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses, dividends declared but unpaid and any borrowings of the Fund), by the total number of Common Shares outstanding.

The Fund’s investments are valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value. Market value prices represent readily available market quotations such as last sale or official closing prices from a national or foreign exchange (i.e., a regulated market) and are primarily obtained from third-party pricing services. Fair value prices represent any prices not considered market value prices and are either obtained from a third-party pricing service or are determined by the Advisor’s Pricing Committee in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, and in accordance with provisions of the 1940 Act and rules thereunder. Investments valued by the Advisor’s Pricing Committee, if any, are footnoted as such in the footnotes to the Portfolio of Investments. The Fund’s investments are valued as follows:

U.S. government securities, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and other debt securities are fair valued on the basis of valuations provided by a third-party pricing service approved by the Advisor’s Pricing Committee, which may use the following valuation inputs when available:

 1)

benchmark yields;

 2)

reported trades;

 3)

broker/dealer quotes;

 4)

issuer spreads;

 5)

benchmark securities;

 6)

bids and offers; and

 7)

reference data including market research publications.

Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but a Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.

Exchange-traded futures contracts are valued at the end of the day settlement price.

Shares of open-end funds are valued based on NAV per share.

Exchange-traded options contracts are valued at the closing price in the market where such contracts are principally traded. If no closing price is available, exchange-traded options contracts are fair valued at the mean of their most recent bid and ask price, if

Page 18

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

both are available. Over-the-counter options contracts are valued as follows, depending on the market in which the investment trades: (1) the mean of the most recent bid and ask price, if available; or (2) a price based on the equivalent exchange-traded option.

Fixed income and other debt securities having a remaining maturity of sixty days or less when purchased are fair valued at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts (amortized cost), provided the Advisor’s Pricing Committee has determined that the use of amortized cost is an appropriate reflection of fair value given market and issuer-specific conditions existing at the time of the determination. Factors that may be considered in determining the appropriateness of the use of amortized cost include, but are not limited to, the following:

 1)

the credit conditions in the relevant market and changes thereto;

 2)

the liquidity conditions in the relevant market and changes thereto;

 3)

the interest rate conditions in the relevant market and changes thereto (such as significant changes in interest rates);

 4)

issuer-specific conditions (such as significant credit deterioration); and

 5)

any other market-based data the Advisor’s Pricing Committee considers relevant. In this regard, the Advisor’s Pricing Committee may use last-obtained market-based data to assist it when valuing portfolio securities using amortized cost.

Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Advisor’s Pricing Committee at fair value. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) for which a third-party pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market or fair value price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the third-party pricing service, does not reflect the security’s fair value. As a general principle, the current fair value of a security would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. When fair value prices are used, generally they will differ from market quotations or official closing prices on the applicable exchanges. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities, including, but not limited to, the following:

 1)

the fundamental business data relating to the issuer;

 2)

available market prices for the fixed-income security;

 3)

an evaluation of the forces which influence the market in which these securities are purchased and sold;

 4)

the type, size and cost of the security;

 5)

the financial statements of the issuer;

 6)

the credit quality and cash flow of the issuer, based on the Advisor’s or external analysis;

 7)

the information as to any transactions in or offers for the security;

 8)

the price and extent of public trading in similar securities (or equity securities) of the borrower/issuer, or comparable companies;

 9)

the coupon payments;

10)

the quality, value and salability of collateral, if any, securing the security;

11)

the business prospects of the issuer, including any ability to obtain money or resources from a parent or affiliate and an assessment of the issuer’s management;

12)

the prospects for the issuer’s industry, and multiples (of earnings and/or cash flows) being paid for similar businesses in that industry; and

13)

other relevant factors.

The Fund is subject to fair value accounting standards that define fair value, establish the framework for measuring fair value and provide a three-level hierarchy for fair valuation based upon the inputs to the valuation as of the measurement date. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

•

Level 1 – Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical investments. An active market is a market in which transactions for the investment occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

•

Level 2 – Level 2 inputs are observable inputs, either directly or indirectly, and include the following:

 o

Quoted prices for similar investments in active markets.

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

 o

Quoted prices for identical or similar investments in markets that are non-active. A non-active market is a market where there are few transactions for the investment, the prices are not current, or price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers, or in which little information is released publicly.

 o

Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the investment (for example, interest rates and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks, and default rates).

 o

Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

•

Level 3 – Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs. Unobservable inputs may reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the investment.

The inputs or methodologies used for valuing investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those investments. A summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2024, is included with the Fund’s Portfolio of Investments.

B. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the identified cost basis. Interest income is recorded daily on the accrual basis. Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts are recorded using the effective interest method.

The Fund invests in interest-only securities. For these securities, if there is a change in the estimated cash flows, based on an evaluation of current information, then the estimated yield is adjusted. Additionally, if the evaluation of current information indicates a permanent impairment of the security, the cost basis of the security is written down and a loss is recognized. Debt obligations may be placed on non-accrual status and the related interest income may be reduced by ceasing current accruals and writing off interest receivables when the collection of all or a portion of interest has become doubtful based on consistently applied procedures. A debt obligation is removed from non-accrual status when the issuer resumes interest payments or when collectability of interest is reasonably assured.

Securities purchased or sold on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward purchase commitment basis may have extended settlement periods. The value of the security so purchased is subject to market fluctuations during this period. The Fund maintains liquid assets with a current value at least equal to the amount of its when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward purchase commitments until payment is made. At October 31, 2024, the Fund held no when-issued, forward purchase agreements or delayed-delivery securities.

C. Restricted Securities

As of October 31, 2024, the Fund held restricted securities as shown in the following table that the Advisor deemed illiquid pursuant to procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees: 

Security	Acquisition Date	Principal Value	Current Price	Carrying Cost	Value	% of Net Assets
Credit Suisse Mortgage Trust, 8.75%, 01/09/25	03/10/22	$1,000,000	$85.75	$1,000,000	$857,479	1.61 %

D. Futures Contracts

The Fund may purchase or sell (i.e., is long or short) exchange-listed futures contracts to hedge against changes in interest rates (interest rate risk). Futures contracts are agreements between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and at a specified date. Depending on the terms of the contract, futures contracts are settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. Open futures contracts can also be closed out prior to settlement by entering into an offsetting transaction in a matching futures contract. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain margin deposits on the futures contract. When the contract is closed or expires, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed or expired. This gain or loss is included in “Net realized gain (loss) on futures contracts” on the Statement of Operations.

Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund must deposit funds, called margin, with its custodian in the name of the clearing broker equal to a specified percentage of the current value of the contract. Open futures contracts are marked to market daily with the change in value recognized as a component of “Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts” on the Statement of Operations. Pursuant to the contract, the Fund agrees to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily

Page 20

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

fluctuation in value of the contract. Such receipts or payments are known as variation margin and are included in “Variation margin” payable or receivable on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

If market conditions change unexpectedly, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contract and may realize a loss. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of imperfect correlation in movements in the price of the futures contracts, interest rates and the underlying instruments.

Restricted cash segregated as collateral for futures contracts in the amount of $549,564 is shown as “Restricted Cash” on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

E. Options Contracts

The Fund may invest in exchange-listed options on U.S. Treasury securities, exchange-listed options on U.S. Treasury futures contracts, exchange-listed U.S. Treasury futures contracts, exchange-listed options on secured overnight financing rate futures contracts and options on interest-rate swap agreements. The Fund uses derivative instruments primarily to hedge interest rate risk and actively manage interest rate exposure. The primary risk exposure is interest rate risk.

The Fund may purchase (buy) or write (sell) put and call options on futures contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position. A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. Prior to exercise or expiration, a futures option contract may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of a futures option of the same series. When the Fund writes (sells) an option, an amount equal to the premium received by the Fund is included in “Options written, at value” on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. When the Fund purchases (buys) an option, the premium paid represents the cost of the option, which is included in “Premiums paid on options purchased” on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Options are marked-to-market daily and their value is affected by changes in the value of the underlying security, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the securities markets and the underlying securities, and the remaining time to the option’s expiration. The value of options may also be adversely affected if the market for the options becomes less liquid or the trading volume diminishes.

The Fund uses options on futures contracts in connection with hedging strategies. Generally, these strategies are applied under the same market and market sector conditions in which the Fund uses put and call options on securities. The purchase of put options on futures contracts is analogous to the purchase of puts on securities so as to hedge the Fund’s securities holdings against the risk of declining market prices. The writing of a call option or the purchasing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the price at expiration of a written call option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund’s holdings of securities. If the price when the option is exercised is above the exercise price, however, the Fund may incur a loss (depending on the original sale price of the option), which may be offset, in whole or in part, by the increase in the value of the securities held by the Fund that were being hedged. Writing a put option or purchasing a call option on a futures contract serves as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of the securities the Fund intends to acquire. Realized gains and losses on written options are included in “Net realized gain (loss) on written options contracts” on the Statement of Operations. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in “Net realized gain (loss) on purchased options contracts” on the Statement of Operations.

The Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option and other futures positions held by the Fund. The Fund will pledge in a segregated account at the Fund’s custodian, liquid assets, such as cash, U.S. government securities or other high-grade liquid debt obligations equal in value to the amount due on the underlying obligation. Such segregated assets will be marked-to-market daily, and additional assets will be pledged in the segregated account whenever the total value of the pledged assets falls below the amount due on the underlying obligation.

The risks associated with the use of options on future contracts include the risk that the Fund may close out its position as a writer of an option only if a liquid secondary market exists for such options, which cannot be assured. The Fund’s successful use of options on futures contracts depends on the Advisor’s ability to correctly forecast the movement in prices on futures contracts and the underlying instruments, which may prove to be incorrect. In addition, there may be imperfect correlation between the instruments being hedged and the futures contract subject to option.

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024 there was no restricted cash held for options on futures contracts.

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

F. Inverse Floating-Rate Securities

An inverse floating-rate security is one where the coupon is inversely indexed to a short-term floating interest rate multiplied by a specific factor. As the floating rate rises, the coupon is reduced. Conversely, as the floating rate declines, the coupon is increased. The price of these securities may be more volatile than the price of a comparable fixed-rate security. These instruments are typically used to enhance the yield of the portfolio and have the effect of creating leverage. These securities, if any, are identified on the Portfolio of Investments.

G. Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities are created by segregating the cash flows from underlying mortgage loans or mortgage securities to create two or more new securities, each with a specified percentage of the underlying security’s principal or interest payments. Mortgage securities may be partially stripped so that each investor class receives some interest and some principal. When securities are completely stripped, however, all of the interest is distributed to holders of one type of security known as an interest-only security (“IO Security”) and all of the principal is distributed to holders of another type of security known as a principal-only security. These securities, if any, are identified on the Portfolio of Investments.

H. Interest-Only Securities

An IO Security is the interest-only portion of a mortgage-backed security that receives some or all of the interest portion of the underlying mortgage-backed security and little or no principal. A reference principal value called a notional value is used to calculate the amount of interest due to the IO Security. IO Securities are sold at a deep discount to their notional principal amount. Generally speaking, when interest rates are falling and prepayment rates are increasing, the value of an IO Security will fall. Conversely, when interest rates are rising and prepayment rates are decreasing, generally the value of an IO Security will rise. These securities, if any, are identified on the Portfolio of Investments.

I. Principal-Only Securities

A principal-only security (“PO Security”) is the principal-only portion of a mortgage-backed security that does not receive any interest, is priced at a deep discount to its redemption value and ultimately receives the redemption value. Generally speaking, when interest rates are falling and prepayment rates are increasing, the value of a PO Security will rise. Conversely, when interest rates are rising and prepayment rates are decreasing, generally the value of a PO Security will fall. These securities, if any, are identified on the Portfolio of Investments.

J. Mortgage Dollar Rolls and TBA Transactions

The Fund may invest, without limitation, in mortgage dollar rolls. The Fund intends to enter into mortgage dollar rolls only with high quality securities dealers and banks, as determined by the Fund’s investment advisor. In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund will sell (or buy) mortgage-backed securities for delivery on a specified date and simultaneously contract to repurchase (or sell) substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a future date. Mortgage dollar rolls are recorded as separate purchases and sales in the Fund. The Fund may also invest in to-be-announced transactions (“TBA Transactions”). A TBA Transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities. TBA Transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted guidelines which establish commonly observed terms and conditions for execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and the seller agree on general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount and price.

K. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders

The Fund will distribute to holders of its Common Shares monthly dividends of all or a portion of its net income after the payment of interest and dividends in connection with leverage, if any. Distributions of any net long-term capital gains earned by the Fund are distributed at least annually. Distributions will automatically be reinvested into additional Common Shares pursuant to the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan unless cash distributions are elected by the shareholder.

Distributions from net investment income and realized capital gains are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These permanent differences are primarily due to the varying treatment of income and gain/loss on portfolio securities held by the Fund and have no impact on net assets or NAV per share. Temporary differences, which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense and gain/loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes, will reverse at some point in the future. Permanent differences incurred during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, resulting in book and tax accounting differences, have been reclassified at year end to reflect a decrease in accumulated net investment income (loss) of $276,293 and an increase in accumulated net realized gain (loss) of $276,293 and a decrease to paid in capital of $0. Accumulated distributable earnings (loss) consists of accumulated net investment income (loss), accumulated net realized gain (loss) on investments, and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments. Net assets were not affected by this reclassification.

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

The tax character of distributions paid by the Fund during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, was as follows:  

Distributions paid from:	2024	2023
Ordinary income	$3,734,822	$2,864,918
Capital gains	—	—
Return of capital	320,301	—

As of October 31, 2024, the components of distributable earnings and net assets on a tax basis were as follows: 

Undistributed ordinary income	$—
Undistributed capital gains	—
Total undistributed earnings	—
Accumulated capital and other losses	(2,639,340 )
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)	(7,424,194 )
Total accumulated earnings (losses)	(10,063,534 )
Other	—
Paid-in capital	63,427,468
Total net assets	$53,363,934

L. Income Taxes

The Fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by complying with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which includes distributing substantially all of its net investment income and net realized gains to shareholders. Accordingly, no provision has been made for federal and state income taxes. However, due to the timing and amount of distributions, the Fund may be subject to an excise tax of 4% of the amount by which approximately 98% of the Fund’s taxable income exceeds the distributions from such taxable income for the calendar year.

The Fund intends to utilize provisions of the federal income tax laws which allow it to carry a realized capital loss forward indefinitely following the year of the loss and offset such loss against any future realized capital gains. The Fund is subject to certain limitations under U.S. tax rules on the use of capital loss carryforwards and net unrealized built-in losses. These limitations apply when there has been a 50% change in ownership. At October 31, 2024, the Fund had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available for federal income tax purposes of $2,639,340.

At the taxable year ended October 31, 2024, the Fund utilized $1,031,380 of its capital loss carryforward.

Certain losses realized during the current fiscal year may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first day of the following fiscal year for federal income tax purposes. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, the Fund did not incur any net late year ordinary losses.

The Fund is subject to accounting standards that establish a minimum threshold for recognizing, and a system for measuring, the benefits of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Taxable years ended 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 remain open to federal and state audit. As of October 31, 2024, management has evaluated the application of these standards to the Fund and has determined that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial statements for uncertain tax positions.

As of October 31, 2024, the aggregate cost, gross unrealized appreciation, gross unrealized depreciation, and net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for federal income tax purposes were as follows: 

Tax Cost	Gross Unrealized Appreciation	Gross Unrealized (Depreciation)	Net Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)
$60,180,385	$765,490	$(8,189,684)	$(7,424,194)

M. Expenses

The Fund will pay all expenses directly related to its operations.

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

3. Investment Advisory Fee, Affiliated Transactions and Other Fee Arrangements

First Trust, the investment advisor to the Fund, is a limited partnership with one limited partner, Grace Partners of DuPage L.P., and one general partner, The Charger Corporation. The Charger Corporation is an Illinois corporation controlled by James A. Bowen, Chief Executive Officer of First Trust. First Trust is responsible for the selection and ongoing monitoring of the Fund’s investment portfolio, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain administrative services necessary for the management of the Fund. For these investment management services, First Trust is entitled to a monthly fee calculated at an annual rate of 0.85% of the Fund’s Managed Assets (the average daily total asset value of the Fund minus the sum of the Fund’s liabilities other than the principal amount of borrowings or reverse repurchase agreements, if any). First Trust also provides fund reporting services to the Fund for a flat annual fee in the amount of $9,250.

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, FMY received a payment from the Advisor in the amount of $908 in connection with a trade error.

Computershare, Inc. (“Computershare”) serves as the Fund’s transfer agent in accordance with certain fee arrangements. As transfer agent, Computershare is responsible for maintaining shareholder records for the Fund.

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”) serves as the Fund’s administrator, fund accountant, and custodian in accordance with certain fee arrangements. As administrator and fund accountant, BNY is responsible for providing certain administrative and accounting services to the Fund, including maintaining the Fund’s books of account, records of the Fund’s securities transactions, and certain other books and records. As custodian, BNY is responsible for custody of the Fund’s assets. BNY is a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, a financial holding company.

Each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of First Trust, any sub-advisor or any of their affiliates (“Independent Trustees”) is paid a fixed annual retainer that is allocated equally among each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex. Each Independent Trustee is also paid an annual per fund fee that varies based on whether the fund is a closed-end or other actively managed fund, a target outcome fund or an index fund.

Additionally, the Chairs of the Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Valuation Committee, the Vice Chair of the Audit Committee, the Lead Independent Trustee and the Vice Lead Independent Trustee are paid annual fees to serve in such capacities, with such compensation allocated pro rata among each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex based on net assets. Independent Trustees are reimbursed for travel and out-of-pocket expenses in connection with all meetings. The Committee Chairs, the Audit Committee Vice Chair, the Lead Independent Trustee and the Vice Lead Independent Trustee rotate periodically in serving in such capacities. The officers and “Interested” Trustee receive no compensation from the Fund for acting in such capacities.

4. Purchases and Sales of Securities

The cost of purchases of U.S. Government securities and non-U.S. Government securities, excluding short-term investments, for the year ended October 31, 2024, were $31,182,738 and $21,644,357, respectively. The proceeds from sales and paydowns of U.S. Government securities and non-U.S. Government securities, excluding short-term investments, for the year ended October 31, 2024, were $42,224,695 and $16,656,000, respectively.

5. Derivative Transactions

The following table presents the type of derivatives held by the Fund at October 31, 2024, the primary underlying risk exposure and the location of these instruments as presented on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.  

		Asset Derivatives		Liability Derivatives
Derivative Instrument	Risk Exposure	Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location	Value	Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location	Value
Futures contracts	Interest Rate Risk	Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts*	$ —	Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts*	$ 658,879
Options contracts	Interest Rate Risk	Options contracts purchased, at value	—	Options contracts written, at value	78,594

*Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation on futures contracts as reported in the Fund’s Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day’s variation margin is presented on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

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Notes to Financial Statements (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024

The following table presents the amount of net realized gain (loss) and change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) recognized for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, on derivative instruments, as well as the primary underlying risk exposure associated with each instrument.  

Statement of Operations Location
Interest Rate Risk Exposure
Net realized gain (loss) on:
Purchased options contracts	$(5,525 )
Written options contracts	29,733
Futures contracts	1,196,188
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Written options contracts	(53,737 )
Futures contracts	(456,895 )

The average notional value of futures contracts outstanding during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, which is indicative of the volume of this derivative type was $20,399,666.

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, the premiums for purchased options opened were $123,858, and the premiums for purchased options closed, exercised and expired were $123,858.

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, the premiums for written options opened were $135,195, and the premiums for written options closed, exercised and expired were $113,150.

The Fund does not have the right to offset financial assets and liabilities related to futures and options on futures contracts on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

6. Indemnification

The Fund has a variety of indemnification obligations under contracts with its service providers. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Fund has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these contracts and expects the risk of loss to be remote.

7. Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Fund through the date the financial statements were issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring recognition or disclosure in the financial statements that have not already been disclosed.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and the Board of Trustees of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund:

Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of October 31, 2024, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of October 31, 2024, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2024, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche, LLP

Chicago, Illinois

December 23, 2024

We have served as the auditor of one or more First Trust investment companies since 2001.

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Additional Information

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

If your Common Shares are registered directly with the Fund or if you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that participates in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”), unless you elect, by written notice to the Fund, to receive cash distributions, all dividends, including any capital gain distributions, on your Common Shares will be automatically reinvested by Computershare Trust Company N.A. (the “Plan Agent”), in additional Common Shares under the Plan. If you elect to receive cash distributions, you will receive all distributions in cash paid by check mailed directly to you by the Plan Agent, as the dividend paying agent.

If you decide to participate in the Plan, the number of Common Shares you will receive will be determined as follows:

(1)

If Common Shares are trading at or above net asset value (“NAV”) at the time of valuation, the Fund will issue new shares at a price equal to the greater of (i) NAV per Common Share on that date or (ii) 95% of the market price on that date.

(2)

If Common Shares are trading below NAV at the time of valuation, the Plan Agent will receive the dividend or distribution in cash and will purchase Common Shares in the open market, on the NYSE or elsewhere, for the participants’ accounts. It is possible that the market price for the Common Shares may increase before the Plan Agent has completed its purchases. Therefore, the average purchase price per share paid by the Plan Agent may exceed the market price at the time of valuation, resulting in the purchase of fewer shares than if the dividend or distribution had been paid in Common Shares issued by the Fund. The Plan Agent will use all dividends and distributions received in cash to purchase Common Shares in the open market within 30 days of the valuation date except where temporary curtailment or suspension of purchases is necessary to comply with federal securities laws. Interest will not be paid on any uninvested cash payments.

You may elect to opt-out of or withdraw from the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Plan Agent, or by telephone at [phone], in accordance with such reasonable requirements as the Plan Agent and the Fund may agree upon. If you withdraw or the Plan is terminated, you will receive a certificate for each whole share in your account under the Plan, and you will receive a cash payment for any fraction of a share in your account. If you wish, the Plan Agent will sell your shares and send you the proceeds, minus brokerage commissions.

The Plan Agent maintains all Common Shareholders’ accounts in the Plan and gives written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information you may need for tax records. Common Shares in your account will be held by the Plan Agent in non-certificated form. The Plan Agent will forward to each participant any proxy solicitation material and will vote any shares so held only in accordance with proxies returned to the Fund. Any proxy you receive will include all Common Shares you have received under the Plan.

There is no brokerage charge for reinvestment of your dividends or distributions in Common Shares. However, all participants will pay a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred by the Plan Agent when it makes open market purchases.

Automatically reinvesting dividends and distributions does not mean that you do not have to pay income taxes due upon receiving dividends and distributions. Capital gains and income are realized although cash is not received by you. Consult your financial advisor for more information.

If you hold your Common Shares with a brokerage firm that does not participate in the Plan, you will not be able to participate in the Plan and any dividend reinvestment may be effected on different terms than those described above.

The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan if in the judgment of the Board of Trustees the change is warranted. There is no direct service charge to participants in the Plan; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the Plan to include a service charge payable by the participants. Additional information about the Plan may be obtained by writing Computershare, Inc., P.O. Box 43006, Providence, RI 02940-3006.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies and information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio investments during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling [phone] or emailing [e-mail]; (2) on the Fund’s website at www.ftportfolios.com; and (3) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at www.sec.gov.

Portfolio Holdings

The Fund files portfolio holdings information for each month in a fiscal quarter within 60 days after the end of the relevant fiscal quarter on Form N-PORT. Portfolio holdings information for the third month of each fiscal quarter will be publicly available on the

Page 27

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Additional Information (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s complete schedule of portfolio holdings for the second and fourth quarters of each fiscal year is included in the semi-annual and annual reports to shareholders, respectively, and is filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR. The semi-annual and annual report for the Fund is available to investors within 60 days after the period to which it relates. The Fund’s Forms N-PORT and Forms N-CSR are available on the SEC’s website listed above.

Federal Tax Information

Distributions paid to foreign shareholders during the Fund’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2024, that were properly designated by the Fund as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends,” may not be subject to federal income tax provided that the income was earned by such foreign shareholders.

Of the ordinary income (including short-term capital gain) distributions made by the Fund during the period ended October 31, 2024, none qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders or as qualified dividend income.

NYSE Certification Information

In accordance with Section 303A-12 of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Listed Company Manual, the Fund’s President has certified to the NYSE that, as of May 3, 2024, he was not aware of any violation by the Fund of NYSE corporate governance listing standards. In addition, the Fund’s reports to the SEC on Form N-CSR contain certifications by the Fund’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer that relate to the Fund’s public disclosure in such reports and are required by Rule 30a-2 under the 1940 Act.

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Shareholders

The Fund held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) on April 30, 2024. At the Annual Meeting, Thomas R. Kadlec and Richard E. Erickson were elected by the Common Shareholders of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund as Class II Trustees for a three-year term expiring at the Fund’s annual meeting of shareholders in 2027. The number of votes cast in favor of Mr. Kadlec was 3,525,821 and the number of votes withheld was 43,364.  The number of votes cast in favor of Mr. Erickson was 3,515,340 and the number of votes withheld was 53,845. Denise M. Keefe, Robert F. Keith, James A. Bowen, Niel B. Nielson, and Bronwyn Wright are the other current and continuing Trustees.

Investment Management Agreement

Board Considerations Regarding Approval of Continuation of Investment Management Agreement

The Board of Trustees of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “Fund”), including the Independent Trustees, unanimously approved the continuation of the Investment Management Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Fund and First Trust Advisors L.P. (the “Advisor”).  The Board approved the continuation of the Agreement for a one-year period ending June 30, 2025 at a meeting held on June 2–3, 2024.  The Board determined that the continuation of the Agreement is in the best interests of the Fund in light of the nature, extent and quality of the services provided and such other matters as the Board considered to be relevant in the exercise of its business judgment.

To reach this determination, the Board considered its duties under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as well as under the general principles of state law, in reviewing and approving advisory contracts; the requirements of the 1940 Act in such matters; the fiduciary duty of investment advisors with respect to advisory agreements and compensation; the standards used by courts in determining whether investment company boards have fulfilled their duties; and the factors to be considered by the Board in voting on such agreements.  At meetings held on April 16, 2024, April 25, 2024 and June 2–3, 2024, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, reviewed materials provided by the Advisor responding to requests for information from counsel to the Independent Trustees, submitted on behalf of the Independent Trustees, that, among other things, outlined: the services provided by the Advisor to the Fund (including the relevant personnel responsible for these services and their experience); the advisory fee rate payable by the Fund as compared to fees charged to a peer group of funds (the “Expense Group”) and a broad peer universe of funds (the “Expense Universe”), each assembled by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent source, and as compared to fees charged to other clients of the Advisor; the expense ratio of the Fund as compared to expense ratios of the funds in the Fund’s Expense Group and Expense Universe; performance information for the Fund, including comparisons of the Fund’s performance to that of one or more relevant benchmark indexes and to that of a performance group of funds and a broad performance universe of funds (the “Performance Universe”), each assembled by Broadridge; the nature of expenses incurred in providing services to the Fund and the potential for the Advisor to realize economies of scale, if any; profitability and other financial data for the Advisor; any indirect benefits to the Advisor; and information on the Advisor’s compliance program.  The Board reviewed initial materials with the Advisor at the meeting held on April 25, 2024, prior to which the Independent Trustees and their counsel met separately to discuss the information provided by the Advisor.  Following the April 25, 2024 meeting, counsel to the Independent

Page 28

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Additional Information (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Trustees, on behalf of the Independent Trustees, requested certain clarifications and supplements to the materials provided, and the information provided in response to those requests was considered at an executive session of the Independent Trustees and their counsel held prior to the June 2–3, 2024 meeting, as well as at the June meeting.  The Board applied its business judgment to determine whether the arrangement between the Fund and the Advisor continues to be a reasonable business arrangement from the Fund’s perspective.  The Board determined that, given the totality of the information provided with respect to the Agreement, the Board had received sufficient information to renew the Agreement.  The Board considered that shareholders chose to invest or remain invested in the Fund knowing that the Advisor manages the Fund.

In reviewing the Agreement, the Board considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Advisor under the Agreement.  The Board considered that the Advisor is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Fund and reviewed all of the services provided by the Advisor to the Fund, as well as the background and experience of the persons responsible for such services.  The Board noted that the Advisor’s Securitized Products Group is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investments.  The Board considered the background and experience of the members of the Securitized Products Group and noted the Board’s prior meetings with members of the Group.  The Board considered the Advisor’s statement that it applies the same oversight model internally with its Securitized Products Group as it uses for overseeing external sub-advisors, including portfolio risk monitoring and performance review.  In reviewing the services provided, the Board noted the compliance program that had been developed by the Advisor and considered that it includes a robust program for monitoring the Advisor’s and the Fund’s compliance with the 1940 Act, as well as the Fund’s compliance with its investment objectives, policies and restrictions.  The Board also considered a report from the Advisor with respect to its risk management functions related to the operation of the Fund.  Finally, as part of the Board’s consideration of the Advisor’s services, the Advisor, in its written materials and at the April 25, 2024 meeting, described to the Board the scope of its ongoing investment in additional personnel and infrastructure to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to the Fund and the other funds in the First Trust Fund Complex.  In light of the information presented and the considerations made, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Advisor under the Agreement have been and are expected to remain satisfactory and that the Advisor has managed the Fund consistent with its investment objectives, policies and restrictions.

The Board considered the advisory fee rate payable under the Agreement for the services provided.  The Board received and reviewed information showing the fee rates and expense ratios of the peer funds in the Expense Group, as well as advisory and unitary fee rates charged by the Advisor to other fund and non-fund clients, as applicable.  With respect to the Expense Group, the Board discussed with Broadridge its methodology for assembling peer groups and discussed with the Advisor limitations in creating a relevant peer group for the Fund, including that (i) certain peer fund assets are larger than those of the Fund, in which case the comparison causes the fixed expenses of the Fund to be larger on a percentage basis; and (ii) the Fund is unique in its composition, which makes assembling peers with similar strategies and asset mix difficult.  The Board took these limitations into account in considering the peer data.  Based on the information provided, the Board noted that the contractual advisory fee rate payable by the Fund, based on average net assets, was above the median contractual advisory fee of the peer funds in the Expense Group.  With respect to fees charged to other clients, the Board considered differences between the Fund and other clients that limited their comparability.  In considering the advisory fee rate overall, the Board also considered the Advisor’s statement that it seeks to meet investor needs through innovative and value-added investment solutions and the Advisor’s demonstrated long-term commitment to the Fund and the other funds in the First Trust Fund Complex.

The Board considered performance information for the Fund.  The Board noted the process it has established for monitoring the Fund’s performance and portfolio risk on an ongoing basis, which includes quarterly performance reporting from the Advisor for the Fund.  The Board determined that this process continues to be effective for reviewing the Fund’s performance.  The Board received and reviewed information comparing the Fund’s performance for periods ended December 31, 2023 to the performance of the funds in the Performance Universe and to that of a benchmark index.  In reviewing the Fund’s performance as compared to the performance of the Performance Universe, the Board took into account the limitations described above with respect to creating a relevant peer group for the Fund.  Based on the information provided on net asset value performance, the Board noted that the Fund outperformed the Performance Universe median for the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2023, underperformed the Performance Universe median for the five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2023 and outperformed the benchmark index for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2023.  The Board also received information on the Fund’s annual distribution rate as of December 31, 2023 and the Fund’s average trading discount for various periods and comparable information for a peer group.

On the basis of all the information provided on the fees, expenses and performance of the Fund and the ongoing oversight by the Board, the Board concluded that the advisory fee continues to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Advisor to the Fund under the Agreement.

Page 29

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Additional Information (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

The Board considered information and discussed with the Advisor whether there were any economies of scale in connection with providing advisory services to the Fund at current asset levels and whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale.  The Board noted the Advisor’s statement that it believes that its expenses relating to providing advisory services to the Fund will increase during the next twelve months as the Advisor continues to build infrastructure and add new staff.  The Board concluded that due to the Fund’s closed-end structure, the potential for realization of economies of scale as Fund assets grow was not a material factor to be considered.  The Board considered the revenues and allocated costs (including the allocation methodology) of the Advisor in serving as investment advisor to the Fund for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and the estimated profitability level for the Fund calculated by the Advisor based on such data, as well as complex-wide and product-line profitability data, for the same period.  The Board noted the inherent limitations in the profitability analysis and concluded that, based on the information provided, the Advisor’s profitability level for the Fund was not unreasonable.  In addition, the Board considered indirect benefits described by the Advisor that may be realized from its relationship with the Fund, including the Advisor’s compensation for fund reporting services pursuant to a separate Fund Reporting Services Agreement.  The Board also noted that the Advisor does not utilize soft dollars in connection with the Fund.  The Board concluded that the character and amount of potential indirect benefits to the Advisor were not unreasonable.

Based on all of the information considered and the conclusions reached, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, unanimously determined that the terms of the Agreement continue to be fair and reasonable and that the continuation of the Agreement is in the best interests of the Fund.  No single factor was determinative in the Board’s analysis.

Page 30

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Changes Occurring During the Prior Fiscal Year

The following information is a summary of certain changes during the most recent fiscal year ended October 31, 2024. This information may not reflect all of the changes that have occurred since you purchased shares of the Fund.

During the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, there were no material changes to the Fund’s investment objectives or policies that have not been approved by shareholders or in the principal risk factors associated with an investment in the Fund.

Investment Objectives

The Fund’s primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. As a secondary objective the Fund seeks to preserve capital.

Principal Investment Policies

In the pursuit of its investment objectives, under normal market conditions:

•

The Fund invests at least 80% of its managed assets in mortgage-backed securities. Such MBS may include those with fixed, floating or variable interest rates, those with interest rates that change based on multiples of changes in a specified index of interest rates and those with interest rates that change inversely to changes in interest rates, as well as those that do not bear interest. The Fund may also invest in MBS through TBA Transactions. The Fund does not invest in corporate bonds other than those primarily secured by interests in real estate.  

•

The Fund may invest up to 35% of its managed assets in securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below investment grade (including securities that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Advisor).

•

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in U.S. government securities, or cash or other short-term instruments, and may invest up to 10% of its managed assets in real-estate related assets collateralized by pools of assets, such as home equity loans and lines of credit, and asset-backed securities, including non-mortgage asset-backed securities.

•

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its managed assets in securities that, at the time of investment, are illiquid.

Percentage limitations described herein are as of the time of investment by the Fund and may be exceeded on a going-forward basis as a result of market value fluctuations of the Fund’s portfolio.

To the extent the Fund enters into derivatives transactions, it will do so pursuant to Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 18f-4 requires the Fund to implement certain policies and procedures designed to manage its derivatives risks, dependent upon the Fund’s level of exposure to derivative instruments.

The Fund may engage in the use of leverage by issuing preferred shares of beneficial interest, entering into reverse repurchase agreements, and/or issuing notes or other evidences of indebtedness including bank borrowings or commercial paper. 

In addition, the Fund may, but is not required to, use various strategic transactions to: (1) seek to reduce interest rate risks arising from any use of leverage; (2) facilitate portfolio management; and (3) mitigate risks, including interest rate risk and credit risks. The Fund generally seeks to use these instruments and transactions as portfolio management or hedging techniques to protect against possible adverse changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for the Fund’s portfolio, protect the value of the Fund’s portfolio, facilitate the sale of certain securities for investment purposes, manage the effective interest rate exposure of the Fund or establish positions in the derivative markets as a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities.

Fundamental Policies

The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not:

1.  With respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase any securities if, as a result (i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would then be invested in securities of any single issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer; provided, that government securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), securities issued by other investment companies and cash items (including receivables) shall not be counted for purposes of this limitation;

2.  Purchase any security if, as a result of the purchase, 25% or more of the Fund’s total assets (taken at current value) would be invested in the securities of borrowers and other issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided, that this limitation shall not apply with respect to issuers of mortgage-backed securities or obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities;

3.  Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder and interpretations thereof or pursuant to a Securities and Exchange Commission exemptive order;

Page 31

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

4.  Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, other than: (i) Preferred Shares which immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 200%; (ii) indebtedness which immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 300%; (iii) the borrowings permitted by investment restriction 3 set forth above; or (iv) pursuant to a Securities and Exchange Commission exemptive order;

5.  Make loans of funds or other assets, other than by entering into repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities and through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations;

6.  Act as underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities;

7.  Purchase or sell real estate, but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, including real estate investment trusts, and securities secured by real estate or interests therein and the Fund may hold and sell real estate or mortgages on real estate acquired through default, liquidation, or other distributions of an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities; and

8.  Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts or derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

For the purpose of applying the limitation set forth in subparagraph 2 above, an issuer shall be deemed the sole issuer of a security when its assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its securities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a non-governmental issuer, such as an industrial corporation or a privately owned or operated hospital, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental issuer, then such non-governmental issuer would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obligation of a superior or unrelated governmental or other entity (other than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securities owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity. Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank. When a municipal bond is insured by bond insurance, it shall not be considered a security that is issued or guaranteed by the insurer; instead, the issuer of such municipal bond will be determined in accordance with the principles set forth above.

Except as noted above, the foregoing fundamental investment policies, together with the investment objectives of the Fund, cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, which includes common shares of beneficial interest and preferred shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”), if any, voting together as a single class, and of the holders of the outstanding Preferred Shares voting as a single class. Under the 1940 Act a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote of: (A) 67% or more of the Fund’s shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s shares are present or represented by proxy; or (B) more than 50% of the Fund’s shares, whichever is less.

 

Principal Risks

The Fund is a closed-end management investment company designed primarily as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program and, due to the uncertainty inherent in all investments, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The following discussion summarizes the principal risks associated with investing in the Fund, which includes the risk that you could lose some or all of your investment in the Fund.  The Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, in accordance therewith, files reports, proxy statements and other information that is available for review.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations Risk. Collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities and are a type of mortgage-backed security.  CMOs are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (tranches) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments.  CMO tranches are often specially structured in a manner that provides a variety of investment characteristics, such as yield, effective maturity and interest rate sensitivity. A risk of CMOs is the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows that results from the rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages serving as collateral and from the structure of the particular CMO transaction (that is, the priority of the individual tranches). An increase or decrease in prepayment rates (resulting from a decrease or increase in mortgage interest rates) may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates and will affect the yield and price of CMOs. Certain classes of CMOs are structured in a manner that makes them extremely sensitive to changes in prepayment rates. In addition, if the collateral securing CMOs or any third-party guarantees are insufficient to make payments, the Fund could sustain a loss.

 

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Credit Agency Risk. Credit ratings are determined by credit rating agencies and are only the opinions of such entities. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risk or the liquidity of securities. Any shortcomings or inefficiencies in credit rating agencies’ processes for determining credit ratings may adversely affect the credit ratings of securities held by the Fund or such credit rating agency’s ability to evaluate creditworthiness and, as a result, may adversely affect those securities’ perceived or actual credit risk.

 

Credit and Below-Investment Grade Securities Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or other obligated party of a debt security in the Fund’s portfolio will fail to pay, or it is perceived that it will fail to pay, dividends or interest and/or repay principal, when due. Below-investment grade instruments, including instruments that are not rated but judged to be of comparable quality, are commonly referred to as high-yield securities or “junk” bonds and are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay dividends or interest and repay principal and are more susceptible to default or decline in market value than investment grade securities due to adverse economic and business developments. High-yield securities are often unsecured and subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. The market values for high-yield securities tend to be very volatile, and these securities are generally less liquid than investment grade securities. For these reasons, an investment in the Fund is subject to the following specific risks: (i) increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to a deteriorating economic environment; (ii) greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality; (iii) adverse company specific events more likely to render the issuer unable to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments; (iv) negative perception of the high-yield market which may depress the price and liquidity of high-yield securities; (v) volatility; and (vi) liquidity.

 

Current Market Conditions Risk. 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, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and expect to continue to do so, and the Federal Reserve has announced that it intends to reverse previously implemented quantitative easing. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Recent and potential future bank failures 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. Additionally, challenges in commercial real estate markets, including rising interest rates, declining valuations and increasing vacancies, could have a broader impact on financial markets. The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, have and may continue to have an adverse impact the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. The change in administration resulting from the 2024 United States national elections could result in significant impacts to international trade relations, tax and immigration policies, and other aspects of the national and international political and financial landscape, which could affect, among other things, inflation and the securities markets generally. Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, 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. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. A future public health crisis and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. As the COVID-19 global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. Additionally, cyber security breaches of both government and non-government entities could have negative impacts on infrastructure and the ability of such entities, including the Fund, to operate properly. These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund is susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding, but may also result

Page 33

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-advisor, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. The Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third party service providers. Substantial costs may be incurred by the Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future.

 

Extension Risk. Extension risk is the risk that, when interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these debt securities to fall. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of debt securities, making their market value more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term debt securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term debt securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.

 

Fixed-Income Securities Risk. An investment in fixed-income securities is subject to certain risks, including:

•

Issuer Risk. The value of fixed-income securities may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services. In addition, an issuer of fixed-income securities may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal.

•

Prepayment Risk. Prepayment risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will repay principal prior to the scheduled maturity date. During periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a security may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest the proceeds from such prepayment in lower yielding securities, which may result in a decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to common shareholders.

•

Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities or loans at market interest rates that are below the Fund portfolio’s current earnings rate.

 

Futures Contracts Risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are: (i) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments or indices underlying the futures contracts and the price of the futures contracts; (ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (iii) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (iv) the investment adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (v) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations.

Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities that are restricted and/or illiquid. Restricted securities are securities that cannot be offered for public resale unless registered under the applicable securities laws or that have a contractual restriction that prohibits or limits their resale. Restricted securities may be illiquid as they generally are not listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. Investments in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these securities. Illiquid and restricted securities may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid and restricted securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of such securities. Illiquid and restricted securities are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets.

 

Inflation Risk. The Fund invests in securities that are subject to inflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline. This risk is more prevalent with respect to debt securities. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy, and the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to Fund investors.

 

Interest Rate and Duration Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. For fixed income securities, when market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. Investments in fixed rate securities with long-term maturities may experience significant price declines if long-term interest rates increase. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of slower than expected prepayments. This may lock in a below-market yield, increase the security’s duration and further reduce the value of the security. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The duration of a security will be expected to change over time with changes in market factors and time to maturity.

Page 34

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

The interest rates payable on floating rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. As short-term interest rates decline, interest payable on floating rate securities typically decreases. Alternatively, during periods of rising interest rates, interest payable on floating rate securities typically increases. Changes in interest rates on floating rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in interest rates. The value of floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general.

Many financial instruments use or may use a floating rate based upon the LIBOR. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased making LIBOR available as a reference rate over a phase-out period that began December 31, 2022. There is no assurance that any alternative reference rate, including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity. The unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any potential effects of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or on certain instruments in which the Fund invests can be difficult to ascertain, and they may vary depending on a variety of factors, and they could result in losses to the Fund.

In general, income on inverse floating rate securities will decrease when interest rates increase and increase when interest rates decrease. Inverse floating rate securities generally will underperform the market for fixed rate securities in a rising interest rate environment. An inverse floating rate security’s price may be more volatile than that of a fixed rate security.

In the case of stripped mortgage-backed securities, in general, when interest rates are falling and prepayment rates are increasing, the value of a principal only security (“PO Security”) will rise and the value of an interest only security (“IO Security”) will fall. Conversely, when interest rates are rising and prepayment rates are decreasing, in general, the value of a PO Security will fall and the value of an IO Security will rise. Yields on IOs and POs are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets.

 

Leverage Risk. The use of leverage by the Fund can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains from the securities and investments purchased with leverage proceeds do not cover the cost of leverage, the return to the common shares will be less than if leverage had not been used. Leverage involves risks and special considerations for common shareholders including: the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of the common shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage; the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings will reduce the return to the common shareholders or will result in fluctuations in the dividends paid on the common shares; in a declining market, the use of leverage is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value of the common shares than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the common shares; and when the Fund uses certain types of leverage, the investment advisory fee payable to the Advisor will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage.

 

Management Risk and Reliance on Key Personnel. The implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy depends upon the continued contributions of certain key employees of the Advisor, some of whom have unique talents and experience and would be difficult to replace. The loss or interruption of the services of a key member of the portfolio management team could have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

Market Discount from Net Asset Value. Shares of closed-end investment companies such as the Fund frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. The Fund cannot predict whether its common shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.

 

Market Risk. Investments held by the Fund, as well as shares of the Fund itself, are subject to market fluctuations caused by real or perceived economic conditions, political events, regulatory factors or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments as a result of the risk of loss associated with these market fluctuations. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, market manipulation, government defaults, government shutdowns, regulatory actions, political changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares, the liquidity of an investment, and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value, the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen and the returns on investment may fluctuate.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, representing direct or indirect interests in pools of underlying residential or commercial mortgage loans that are secured by real property.  These securities provide investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as the mortgages in the underlying mortgage pools are paid. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security and the structure of its issuer. For example, if a mortgage underlying a particular mortgage-backed security defaults, the value of that security may decrease. Moreover, a

Page 35

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

downturn in the markets for residential or commercial real estate or a general economic downturn could negatively affect both the price and liquidity of privately issued mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the borrowers under the mortgage loans underlying a Fund’s mortgage-backed securities might pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, which could happen when interest rates fall or for other reasons, which could cause the value of the Fund’s mortgage-backed securities to fall. Moreover, if the underlying mortgage loans are paid off sooner than expected, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in other securities that have lower yields. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, resulting in slower prepayments of the securities. This would, in effect, convert a short or medium-duration mortgage-backed security into a longer-duration security, increasing its sensitivity to interest rate changes and likely causing its price to decline. Mortgage-backed securities issued by a private issuer, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, generally entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity.

A portion of the Fund’s managed assets may be invested in subordinated classes of mortgage-backed securities. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater degree of non-payment risk than are senior classes of the same issuer or agency.  In addition, under certain market conditions, the market for subordinated classes of mortgage-backed securities may not be as liquid as the market for other fixed income securities.

Given its focus in mortgage-backed securities, the Fund may be more susceptible to adverse economic, political and regulatory events that affect the value of real estate.

 

Non-Agency Securities Risk. Investments in asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities offered by non-governmental issuers, such as commercial banks, savings and loans, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers are subject to additional risks. There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in loan pools created by non-government issuers. Securities issued by private issuers are subject to the credit risks of such issuers. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the loan pool may adversely affect the value of a non-agency security and could result in losses to the Fund. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of pools that include subprime loans. Non-agency securities are typically traded “over-the-counter” rather than on a securities exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held by the Fund may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying loans.

 

Operational Risk. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk. First Trust and the portfolio managers have interests which may conflict with the interests of the Fund. In particular, First Trust currently manages and may in the future manage and/or advise other investment funds or accounts with the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund. In addition, while the Fund is using leverage, the amount of the fees paid to First Trust for investment advisory and management services are higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated based on managed assets. Therefore, First Trust has a financial incentive to leverage the Fund.

 

TBA Transactions Risk. The Fund may purchase securities via TBA (To Be Announced) Transactions. In such a transaction, the purchase price of the securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchasing securities in a TBA Transaction may give rise to investment leverage and may increase the Fund’s volatility. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a TBA Transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction.

 

Valuation Risk. The valuation of securitized assets may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial markets, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. The Fund may hold investments in sizes smaller than institutionally-sized round lot positions (sometimes referred to as odd lots). However, third-party pricing services generally provide evaluations on the basis of institutionally-sized round lots. If the Fund sells certain of its investments in an odd lot transaction, the sale price may be less than the value at which such

Page 36

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Investment Objectives, Policies and Risks (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

securities have been held by the Fund. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund.

 

 

NOT FDIC INSURED

NOT BANK GUARANTEED

MAY LOSE VALUE

Page 37

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Board of Trustees and Officers

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

The following tables identify the Trustees and Officers of the Fund. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all persons is 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, IL 60187.

  

Name, Year of Birth and Position with the Fund	Term of Office and Year First Elected or Appointed(1)	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in the First Trust Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Trusteeships or Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
Richard E. Erickson, Trustee (1951)	• Three Year Term   • Since Fund Inception	Retired; Physician, Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group (2021 to September 2023); Physician and Officer, Wheaton Orthopedics (1990 to 2021)	298	None
Thomas R. Kadlec, Trustee (1957)	• Three Year Term   • Since Fund Inception	Retired; President, ADM Investor Services, Inc. (Futures Commission Merchant) (2010 to July 2022)	298	Director, National Futures Association; Formerly, Director of ADM Investor Services, Inc., ADM Investor Services International, ADMIS Hong Kong Ltd., ADMIS Singapore, Ltd., and Futures Industry Association
Denise M. Keefe, Trustee (1964)	• Three Year Term   • Since 2021	Senior Vice President, Advocate Health, Continuing Health Division (Integrated Healthcare System) (2023 to present); Executive Vice President, Advocate Aurora Health (Integrated Healthcare System) (2018 to 2023)	298	Director and Board Chair of Advocate Home Health Services, Advocate Home Care Products and Advocate Hospice; Director and Board Chair of Aurora At Home (since 2018); Director of Advocate Physician Partners Accountable Care Organization; Director of RML Long Term Acute Care Hospitals; Director of Senior Helpers (2021 to 2024); and Director of MobileHelp (2022 to 2024)
Robert F. Keith, Trustee (1956)	• Three Year Term   • Since June 2006	President, Hibs Enterprises (Financial and Management Consulting)	298	Formerly, Director of Trust Company of Illinois
Niel B. Nielson, Trustee (1954)	• Three Year Term   • Since Fund Inception	Senior Advisor (2018 to Present), Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (2015 to 2018), Pelita Harapan Educational Foundation (Educational Products and Services)	298	None

 

(1)

Currently, James A. Bowen, Niel B. Nielson and Bronwyn Wright, as Class III Trustees, are serving as trustees until the Fund’s 2025 annual meeting of shareholders. Denise M. Keefe and Robert F. Keith, as Class I Trustees, are serving as trustees until the Fund’s 2026 annual meeting of shareholders. Richard E. Erickson and Thomas R. Kadlec, as Class II Trustees, are serving as trustees until the Fund’s 2027 annual meeting of shareholders.

Page 38

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Board of Trustees and Officers (Continued)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Name, Year of Birth and Position with the Fund	Term of Office and Year First Elected or Appointed(1)	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in the First Trust Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Trusteeships or Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
Bronwyn Wright, Trustee (1971)	• Three Year Term   • Since 2023	Independent Director to a number of Irish collective investment funds (2009 to Present); Various roles at international affiliates of Citibank (1994 to 2009), including Managing Director, Citibank Europe plc and Head of Securities and Fund Services, Citi Ireland (2007 to 2009)	272	None
INTERESTED TRUSTEE
James A. Bowen(2), Trustee and Chairman of the Board (1955)	• Three Year Term   • Since Fund Inception	Chief Executive Officer, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Chairman of the Board of Directors, BondWave LLC (Software Development Company) and Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor)	298	None

 

Name and Year of Birth	Position and Offices with Fund	Term of Office and Length of Service	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years
OFFICERS(3)
James M. Dykas (1966)	President and Chief Executive Officer	• Indefinite Term   • Since 2016	Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Chief Financial Officer, BondWave LLC (Software Development Company) and Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor)
Derek D. Maltbie (1972)	Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer	• Indefinite Term   • Since 2023	Senior Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P., July 2021 to Present. Previously, Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P., 2014 to 2021.
W. Scott Jardine (1960)	Secretary and Chief Legal Officer	• Indefinite Term   • Since Fund Inception	General Counsel, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Secretary and General Counsel, BondWave LLC; Secretary, Stonebridge Advisors LLC
Daniel J. Lindquist (1970)	Vice President	• Indefinite Term   • Since Fund Inception	Managing Director, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.
Kristi A. Maher (1966)	Chief Compliance Officer and Assistant Secretary	• Indefinite Term   • Chief Compliance Officer Since January 2011   • Assistant Secretary Since Fund Inception	Deputy General Counsel, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.

 

(2)

Mr. Bowen is deemed an “interested person” of the Fund due to his position as CEO of First Trust Advisors L.P., investment advisor of the Fund.

(3)

The term “officer” means the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, controller or any other officer who performs a policy making function.

Page 39

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Privacy Policy

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (FMY)

October 31, 2024 (Unaudited)

Privacy Policy

First Trust values our relationship with you and considers your privacy an important priority in maintaining that relationship. We are committed to protecting the security and confidentiality of your personal information.

Sources of Information

We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources:

•

Information we receive from you and your broker-dealer, investment professional or financial representative through interviews, applications, agreements or other forms;

•

Information about your transactions with us, our affiliates or others;

•

Information we receive from your inquiries by mail, e-mail or telephone; and

•

Information we collect on our website through the use of “cookies.” For example, we may identify the pages on our website that your browser requests or visits.

Information Collected

The type of data we collect may include your name, address, social security number, age, financial status, assets, income, tax information, retirement and estate plan information, transaction history, account balance, payment history, investment objectives, marital status, family relationships and other personal information.

Disclosure of Information

We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our customers or former customers to anyone, except as permitted by law. In addition to using this information to verify your identity (as required under law), the permitted uses may also include the disclosure of such information to unaffiliated companies for the following reasons:

•

In order to provide you with products and services and to effect transactions that you request or authorize, we may disclose your personal information as described above to unaffiliated financial service providers and other companies that perform administrative or other services on our behalf, such as transfer agents, custodians and trustees, or that assist us in the distribution of investor materials such as trustees, banks, financial representatives, proxy services, solicitors and printers.

•

We may release information we have about you if you direct us to do so, if we are compelled by law to do so, or in other legally limited circumstances (for example to protect your account from fraud).

In addition, in order to alert you to our other financial products and services, we may share your personal information within First Trust.

Use of Website Analytics

We currently use third party analytics tools, Google Analytics, to gather information for purposes of improving First Trust’s website and marketing our products and services to you. These tools employ cookies, which are small pieces of text stored in a file by your web browser and sent to websites that you visit, to collect information, track website usage and viewing trends such as the number of hits, pages visited, videos and PDFs viewed and the length of user sessions in order to evaluate website performance and enhance navigation of the website. We may also collect other anonymous information, which is generally limited to technical and web navigation information such as the IP address of your device, internet browser type and operating system for purposes of analyzing the data to make First Trust’s website better and more useful to our users. The information collected does not include any personal identifiable information such as your name, address, phone number or email address unless you provide that information through the website for us to contact you in order to answer your questions or respond to your requests. To find out how to opt-out of these services click on: Google Analytics.

Confidentiality and Security

With regard to our internal security procedures, First Trust restricts access to your nonpublic personal information to those First Trust employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your nonpublic personal information.

Policy Updates and Inquiries

As required by federal law, we will notify you of our privacy policy annually. We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time, however, if we do change it, we will tell you promptly. For questions about our policy, or for additional copies of this notice, please go to www.ftportfolios.com, or contact us at 1-800-621-1675 (First Trust Portfolios) or 1-800-222-6822 (First Trust Advisors).

March 2024

Page 40

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INVESTMENT ADVISOR

First Trust Advisors L.P.

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400

Wheaton, IL 60187

ADMINISTRATOR,
FUND ACCOUNTANT,
AND CUSTODIAN

The Bank of New York Mellon

240 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10286

TRANSFER AGENT

Computershare, Inc.

P.O. Box 43006

Providence, RI 02940

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Deloitte & Touche LLP

111 South Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

LEGAL COUNSEL

Chapman and Cutler LLP

320 South Canal Street

Chicago, IL 60606

---

 

---

(b)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

(a)

The First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (“Registrant”), as of the end of the period covered by this report, has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party.

(c)

There have been no amendments, during the period covered by this report, to a provision of the code of ethics that applies to the Registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party, and that relates to any element of the code of ethics description.

(d)

The Registrant, during the period covered by this report, has not granted any waivers, including an implicit waiver, from a provision of the code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party, that relates to one or more of the items set forth in paragraph (b) of this item’s instructions.

(e)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

(f)

A copy of the code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller is filed as an exhibit pursuant to Item 13(a)(1).

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

As of the end of the period covered by the report, the Registrant’s Board of Trustees has determined that Thomas R. Kadlec and Robert F. Keith are qualified to serve as audit committee financial experts serving on its audit committee and that each of them is “independent,” as defined by Item 3 of Form N-CSR.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

(a)

Audit Fees (Registrant) -- The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the Registrant’s annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements were $47,000 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $47,000 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

(b)

Audit-Related Fees (Registrant) -- The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the Registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

Audit-Related Fees (Investment Advisor) -- The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the Registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

Audit-Related Fees (Distributor) -- The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the Registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

(c)

Tax Fees (Registrant) -- The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax return review and debt instrument tax analysis and reporting were $33,120 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $30,240 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

Tax Fees (Investment Advisor) -- The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning to the Registrant’s advisor and distributor were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

Tax Fees (Distributor) -- The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning to the Registrant’s distributor were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

These fees were for tax consultation and/or tax return preparation.

(d)

All Other Fees (Registrant) -- The aggregate fees billed for products and services provided by the principal accountant to the Registrant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

All Other Fees (Investment Advisor) -- The aggregate fees billed for products and services provided by the principal accountant to the Registrant’s investment advisor, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

All Other Fees (Distributor) -- The aggregate fees billed for products and services provided by the principal accountant to the Registrant’s distributor, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item were $0 for the fiscal year ended 2023 and $0 for the fiscal year ended 2024.

(e)(1) Disclose the audit committee’s pre-approval policies and procedures described in paragraph (c) (7) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

Pursuant to its charter and its Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy, the Audit Committee (the “Committee”) is responsible for the pre-approval of all audit services and permitted non-audit services (including the fees and terms thereof) to be performed for the Registrant by its independent auditors. The Chairman of the Committee is authorized to give such pre-approvals on behalf of the Committee up to $25,000 and report any such pre-approval to the full Committee.

The Committee is also responsible for the pre-approval of the independent auditor’s engagements for non-audit services with the Registrant’s advisor (not including a sub-advisor whose role is primarily portfolio management and is sub-contracted or overseen by another investment advisor) and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment advisor that provides ongoing services to the Registrant, if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant, subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. If the independent auditor has provided non-audit services to the Registrant’s advisor (other than any sub-advisor whose role is primarily portfolio management and is sub-contracted with or overseen by another investment advisor) and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment advisor that provides ongoing services to the Registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to its policies, the Committee will consider whether the provision of such non-audit services is compatible with the auditor’s independence.

(e)(2) The percentage of services described in each of paragraphs (b) through (d) for the Registrant and the Registrant’s investment advisor and distributor of this Item that were approved by the audit committee pursuant to the pre-approval exceptions included in paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) or paragraph(C)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X are as follows:

Registrant:	Advisor and Distributor:
(b) 0%	(b) 0%
(c) 0%	(c) 0%
(d) 0%	(d) 0%

(f)

The percentage of hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement to audit the Registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees was less than fifty percent.

(g)

The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the Registrant’s accountant for services rendered to the Registrant, and rendered to the Registrant’s investment advisor (not including any sub-advisor whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment advisor), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the advisor that provides ongoing services to the Registrant for the fiscal year ended 2023 were $33,120 for the Registrant, $44,000 for the Registrant’s investment advisor and $0 for the Registrant’s distributor; and for the fiscal year ended 2024 were $30,240 for the Registrant, $28,080 for the Registrant’s investment advisor and $0 for the Registrant’s distributor.

(h)

The Registrant’s audit committee of its Board of Trustees has determined that the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Registrant’s investment advisor (not including any sub-advisor whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment advisor), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisor that provides ongoing services to the Registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

(i) Not applicable to the Registrant.

(j) Not applicable to the Registrant.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

(a)

The Registrant has a separately designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 consisting of all the independent directors of the Registrant. The audit committee of the Registrant is comprised of: Richard E. Erickson, Thomas R. Kadlec, Denise M. Keefe, Robert F. Keith, Niel B. Nielson and Bronwyn Wright.

(b)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

Item 6. Investments.

(a)

The Schedule of Investments in securities of unaffiliated issuers as of the close of the reporting period is included in the Registrant’s Annual Report, which is included as Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

(b)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Financial Highlights for Open-End Management Investment Companies.

(a) Not applicable to the Registrant.

(b) Not applicable to the Registrant.

Item 8. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants for Open-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

Item 9. Proxy Disclosures for Open-End Management Investment Companies.

 

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

Item 10. Remuneration Paid to Directors, Officers, and Others of Open-End Management Investment Companies

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

Item 11. Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Investment Advisory Contract.

This statement is included in the Registrant’s Annual Report filed under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

Item 12. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

The Proxy Voting Policies are attached herewith.

Item 13. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

(a)(1) Identification of Portfolio Manager(s) or Management Team Members and Description of Role of Portfolio Manager(s) or Management Team Members

Information provided as of October 31, 2024

Jeremiah Charles, James Snyder, and Owen Aronson are the Fund’s portfolio managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment portfolio.

Jeremiah Charles

Senior Vice President

Jeremiah Charles is a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for First Trust. Prior to joining First Trust in 2013, Mr. Charles worked as a Vice President of Mortgage Product Sales for CRT Capital where he advised pension funds, hedge funds, and institutional money managers. Before joining CRT in 2011, Mr. Charles spent 6 years with Deerfield Capital Management LLC as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for the Mortgage Trading team. Mr. Charles began his professional career as an Analyst at Piper Jaffray. Mr. Charles holds a B.S. in Finance from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, and a M.S. in Real Estate Finance with Honors from the Charles H. Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.

 

James Snyder

Senior Vice President

James Snyder is a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for First Trust. Prior to joining First Trust in 2013, Mr. Snyder worked as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Fort Sheridan Advisors where he managed mortgage portfolios for institutional clients. Mr. Snyder has led several mortgage trading and portfolio groups at Deerfield Capital, Spyglass Capital & Trading and American Express Financial Advisors. Mr. Snyder managed AXP Federal Income Fund, and developed mortgage trading strategies for Spyglass Capital and Deerfield’s Mortgage REIT and Opportunity Fund. Mr. Snyder holds a B.S. and M.A. in Economics from DePaul University and an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

 

Owen Aronson

Vice President

Owen Aronson is a Vice President and Portfolio Manager for First Trust. Prior to joining First Trust in 2020, Mr. Aronson worked as Vice President at Neuberger Berman in the Global Securitized Products team where he was involved in the research, trading, and management of securitized risk across a range of fixed income and real estate debt portfolios. Mr. Aronson began his career as an Analyst at Lehman Brothers Asset Management in 2007. Mr. Aronson holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago.

 

(a)(2) Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Manager(s) or Management Team Member and Potential Conflicts of Interest

Information provided as of October 31, 2024

Name of Portfolio Manager or Team Member	Type of Accounts	Total # of Accounts Managed	Total Assets	# of Accounts Managed for which Advisory Fee is Based on Performance	Total Assets for which Advisory Fee is Based on Performance
1.  Jeremiah Charles	Registered Investment Companies:	7	$11,471,398,251	0	$0
2. Jim Snyder	Registered Investment Companies:	7	$11,471,398,251	0	$0
3. Owen Aronson	Registered Investment Companies:	5	$4,689,422,388	0	$0

Potential Conflicts of Interests

Potential conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager of the Registrant has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to one or more other funds or other accounts. The First Trust Government & Securitized Products Group adheres to its trade allocation policy utilizing a pro-rata methodology to address this conflict.

First Trust and its affiliate, First Trust Portfolios L.P. (“FTP”), have in place a joint Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policies and Procedures that are designed to (a) prevent First Trust personnel from trading securities based upon material inside information in the possession of such personnel and (b) ensure that First Trust personnel avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest or abuse of their positions of trust and responsibility that could occur through such activities as front running securities trades for the Registrant. Personnel are required to have duplicate confirmations and account statements delivered to First Trust and FTP compliance personnel who then compare such trades to trading activity to detect any potential conflict situations.

(a)(3) Compensation Structure of Portfolio Manager(s) or Management Team Members

Information provided as of October 31, 2024

The compensation structure for internal portfolio managers is based upon a fixed salary as well as a discretionary bonus determined by the management of FTA. Salaries are determined by management and are based upon an individual’s position and overall value to the firm. Bonuses are also determined by management and are generally based upon an individual’s or team’s overall contribution to the success of the firm, assets under management and the profitability of the firm. Certain internal portfolio managers have an indirect ownership stake in the firm and will therefore receive their allocable share of ownership related distributions.

(a)(4) Disclosure of Securities Ownership as of October 31, 2024

 

Name of Portfolio Manager or Team Member	Dollar ($) Range of Fund Shares Beneficially Owned
Jeremiah Charles	None
James Snyder Owen Aronson	None None

 

(b)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

Item 14. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

No reportable purchases for the period covered by this report.

Item 15. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which the shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s board of directors, where those changes were implemented after the Registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-K (17 CFR 229.407) (as required by Item 22(b)(15) of Schedule 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-101)), or this Item.

Item 16. Controls and Procedures.

(a)

The Registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) are effective, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(b)) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)).

 

(b)

There were no changes in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 17. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

(a)

The Registrant did not engage in any securities lending activity during its most recent fiscal year.

 

(b)

The Registrant did not engage in any securities lending activity and no services were provided by the securities lending agent to the Registrant during its most recent fiscal year.

Item 18. Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.

(a)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

(b)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

Item 19. Exhibits.

(a)(1)

Code of ethics, or any amendment thereto, that is the subject of disclosure required by Item 2 is attached hereto.

 

(a)(2)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

(a)(3)

The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2022 are attached hereto.

 

(a)(4)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

(a)(5)

Not applicable to the Registrant.

 

(b)

Certifications pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto.

 

(c)

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies as required by Item 12 is attached hereto.

 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

(registrant)

First Trust Mortgage Income Fund

By (Signature and Title)*		/s/ James M. Dykas
		James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)

Date:

January 8, 2025

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By (Signature and Title)*		/s/ James M. Dykas
		James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)

Date:

January 8, 2025

By (Signature and Title)*		/s/ Derek D. Maltbie
		Derek D. Maltbie, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer (principal financial officer)

Date:

January 8, 2025

^* Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature.

 

 

 

 

SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICER
CODE OF CONDUCT

I. Introduction

This code of conduct is being adopted by the investment companies advised by First Trust Advisors L.P., from time to time, (the "FUNDS"). The reputation and integrity of the Funds are valuable assets that are vital to the Funds' success. Each officer of the Funds, and officers and employees of the investment adviser to the Funds who work on Fund matters, including each of the Funds' senior financial officers ("SFOS"), is responsible for conducting each Fund's business in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of integrity. SFOs include the Principal Executive Officer (who is the President), the Controller (who is the principal accounting officer), and the Treasurer (who is the principal financial officer), and any person who performs a similar function.

The Funds, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios have adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "RULE 17J-1 CODE"). These Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent certain conflicts of interest that may arise when officers, employees, or directors of the Funds and the foregoing entities know about present or future Fund transactions and/or have the power to influence those transactions, and engage in transactions with respect to those same securities in their personal account(s) or otherwise take advantage of their position and knowledge with respect to those securities. In an effort to prevent these conflicts and in accordance with Rule 17j-1, the Funds adopted their Rule 17j-1 Code to prohibit transactions and conduct that create conflicts of interest, and to establish compliance procedures.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was designed to address corporate malfeasance and to help assure investors that the companies in which they invest are accurately and completely disclosing financial information. Under Section 406 of the Act, all public companies (including the Funds) must either have a code of ethics for their SFOs, or disclose why they do not. The Act was intended to prevent future situations (such as occurred in well-reported situations involving such companies as Enron and WorldCom) where a company creates an environment in which employees are afraid to express their opinions or to question unethical and potentially illegal business practices.

The Funds have chosen to adopt a senior financial officer Code of Conduct to encourage their SFOs, and other Fund officers and employees of First Trust Advisors or First Trust Portfolios to act ethically and to question potentially unethical or illegal practices, and to strive to ensure that the Funds' financial disclosures are complete, accurate, and understandable.

 

 

II. Purposes of This Code of Conduct

The purposes of this Code are:

A. To promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

B. To promote full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Funds file with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications the Funds make;

C. To promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;

D. To encourage the prompt internal reporting to an appropriate person of violations of the Code; and

E. To establish accountability for adherence to the Code.

III. Questions About This Code

The Funds' Boards of Trustees have designated W. Scott Jardine or other appropriate officer designated by the President of the respective Funds to be the Compliance Coordinator for the implementation and administration of the Code.

IV. Handling of Financial Information

The Funds have adopted guidelines under which its SFOs perform their duties. However, the Funds expect that all officers or employees of the adviser or distributor who participate in the preparation of any part of any Fund's financial statements follow these guidelines with respect to each Fund:

A. Act with honesty and integrity and avoid violations of this Code, including actual or apparent conflicts of interest with the Fund in personal and professional relationships.

B. Disclose to the Fund's Compliance Coordinator any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to any violations of the Code, including actual or apparent conflicts of interest with the Fund. You should disclose these transactions or relationships whether you are involved or have only observed the transaction or relationship. If it is not possible to disclose the matter to the Compliance Coordinator, it should be disclosed to the Fund's Principal Financial Officer or Principal Executive Officer.

 

 

C. Provide information to the Fund's other officers and appropriate employees of service providers (adviser, administrator, outside auditor, outside counsel, custodian, etc.) that is accurate, complete, objective, relevant, timely, and understandable.

D. Endeavor to ensure full, fair, timely, accurate, and understandable disclosure in the Fund's periodic reports.

E. Comply with the federal securities laws and other applicable laws and rules, such as the Internal Revenue Code.

F. Act in good faith, responsibly, and with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing your independent judgment to be subordinated.

G. Respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of your work except when you have Fund approval to disclose it or where disclosure is otherwise legally mandated. You may not use confidential information acquired in the course of your work for personal advantage.

H. Share and maintain skills important and relevant to the Fund's needs.

I. Proactively promote ethical behavior among peers in your work environment.

J. Responsibly use and control all assets and resources employed or entrusted to you.

K. Record or participate in the recording of entries in the Fund's books and records that are accurate to the best of your knowledge.

V. Waivers of This Code

SFOs and other parties subject to this Code may request a waiver of a provision of this Code (or certain provisions of the Fund's Rule 17j-1 Code) by submitting their request in writing to the Compliance Coordinator for appropriate review. An executive officer of the Fund or the Audit Committee will decide whether to grant a waiver. All waivers of this Code must be disclosed to the Fund's shareholders to the extent required by SEC rules. A good faith interpretation of the provisions of this Code, however, shall not constitute a waiver.

VI. Annual Certification

Each SFO will be asked to certify on an annual basis that he/she is in full compliance with the Code and any related policy statements.

 

 

VII. Reporting Suspected Violations

A. SFOs or other officers of the Funds or employees of the First Trust group who work on Fund matters who observe, learn of, or, in good faith, suspect a violation of the Code MUST immediately report the violation to the Compliance Coordinator, another member of the Funds' or First Trust's senior management, or to the Audit Committee of the Fund Board. An example of a possible Code violation is the preparation and filing of financial disclosure that omits material facts, or that is accurate but is written in a way that obscures its meaning.

B. Because service providers such as an administrator, outside accounting firm, and custodian provide much of the work relating to the Funds' financial statements, you should be alert for actions by service providers that may be illegal, or that could be viewed as dishonest or unethical conduct. You should report these actions to the Compliance Coordinator even if you know, or think, that the service provider has its own code of ethics for its SFOs or employees.

C. SFOs or other officers or employees who report violations or suspected violations in good faith will not be subject to retaliation of any kind. Reported violations will be investigated and addressed promptly and will be treated confidentially to the extent possible.

VIII. Violations of The Code

A. Dishonest, unethical or illegal conduct will constitute a violation of this Code, regardless of whether this Code specifically refers to that particular conduct. A violation of this Code may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. A variety of laws apply to the Funds and their operations, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, state laws relating to duties owed by Fund directors and officers, and criminal laws. The federal securities laws generally prohibit the Funds from making material misstatements in its prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC, or from omitting to state a material fact. These material misstatements and omissions include financial statements that are misleading or omit materials facts.

B. Examples of criminal violations of the law include stealing, embezzling, misapplying corporate or bank funds, making a payment for an expressed purpose on a Fund's behalf to an individual who intends to use it for a different purpose; or making payments, whether corporate or personal, of cash or other items of value that are intended to influence the judgment or actions of political candidates, government officials or businesses in connection with any of the Funds' activities. The Funds must and will report all suspected criminal violations to the appropriate authorities for possible prosecution, and will investigate, address and report, as appropriate, non-criminal violations.

 

Amended: June 1, 2009

 

 

 

Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

I, James M. Dykas, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund;

 

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

 

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

 

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date:		January 8, 2025		/s/ James M. Dykas
				James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)

Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

I, Derek D. Maltbie, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund;

 

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

 

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

 

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date:		January 8, 2025		/s/ Derek D. Maltbie
				Derek D. Maltbie, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer (principal financial officer)

 

 

 

 

 

Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act and Section 906
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

I, James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “registrant”), certify that:

 

1.

The Form N-CSR of the registrant (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

2.

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the registrant.

 

Date:		January 8, 2025		/s/ James M. Dykas
				James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)

 

I, Derek D. Maltbie, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer of First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (the “registrant”), certify that:

 

1.

The Form N-CSR of the registrant (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

2.

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the registrant.

 

Date:		January 8, 2025		/s/ Derek D. Maltbie
				Derek D. Maltbie, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer (principal financial officer)

 

 

 

 

 

FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

First Trust Advisors L.P. (“FTA” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to open- and closed-end investment companies, and other collective investments (“Funds”), as well as separately managed accounts (collectively,“Clients”). As part of these services, the Adviser has, in most cases, agreed to or been delegated proxy voting responsibility on such Clients’ behalf (“Proxy Clients”). FTA is required to adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure proxy voting on behalf of Proxy Clients is conducted in a manner that is in their best interests and addresses how conflicts of interest between FTA’s interests and Proxy Clients’ interests are managed. FTA has adopted the following policies and procedures to comply with this requirement (the “Policy”).

1. It is the Adviser’s policy to seek and to ensure that proxies are voted consistently and in the best economic interests of the Proxy Client. The FTA Investment Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Policy.

2. The Adviser engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) to provide proxy research, recommendations, and voting services. ISS provides a password protected website which is accessible to authorized FTA personnel to download upcoming proxy meeting data, including research reports of companies held in Proxy Client portfolios. The website can be used to view proposed proxy votes and to enter votes for upcoming meetings for Proxy Client portfolio securities.

3. FTA will generally follow the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) to vote proxies for Proxy Clients’ accounts, so long as such Guidelines are considered to be in the best interests of the Proxy Client, and there are no noted or perceived conflicts of interest. FTA’s use of the Guidelines is not intended to constrain FTA’s consideration of any proxy proposal, and there are times when FTA deviates from the Guidelines, including but not limited to: (i) when required by Rule 12d1-4 agreements between Fund Proxy Clients and certain acquired funds, if applicable and (ii) to withhold votes or vote against directors solely based on quota criteria.   When FTA deviates from the Guidelines, FTA will consider such proxy voting decisions in light of merit-based considerations which it believes may impact shareholder value. The Guidelines are posted on the “News and Literature” page on the website (ftportfolios.com) for each Fund for which FTA votes proxies.

4. FTA will also vote against shareholder proposals that are not related to a company’s core business and/or do not appear to be an appropriate use of a company’s resources to maximize shareholder value.

5. FTA may vote against the Guidelines in other circumstances as it has final authority and fiduciary responsibility for proxy voting.

6. In certain circumstances, where FTA has determined that it is consistent with Proxy Clients’ best interests, FTA will not vote a proxy on behalf of one or more Proxy Clients. Such circumstances include:

(a) Limited Value. Proxies will not be required to be voted on securities in a Proxy Client’s account if the value of the Proxy Client’s economic interest in the securities is indeterminable or insignificant (less than $1,000). Proxies will also not be required to be voted for any securities that are no longer held in Proxy Client’s account(s).

(b) Securities Lending Program. When Fund portfolio securities are out on loan, they are transferred into the borrower’s name and are voted by the borrower, in its discretion. In most cases, FTA will not recall securities on loan in order to vote a proxy. However, where FTA determines that a proxy vote, or other shareholder action, is materially important to the Fund Proxy Client’s account, FTA will make a good faith effort to recall the security for purposes of voting, understanding that in certain cases, the attempt to recall the security may not be effective in time to meet voting deadlines. In certain instances, in FTA’s discretion, disclosure regarding FTA’s process for determining whether or not to recall Fund portfolio securities on loan for proxy voting purposes may be provided as part of the Funds’ annual Form N-PX filing.

(c) Unjustifiable Costs. In certain circumstances, based on cost-benefit analysis, FTA may choose not to vote when the cost of voting on behalf of a Proxy Client would exceed any anticipated benefits of the proxy proposal to such Proxy Client (e.g. foreign securities).

(d) International Markets Share Blocking. Share blocking is the “freezing” of shares for trading purposes at the custodian/sub-custodian bank level in order to vote proxies. While shares are frozen, they may not be traded. Therefore, the potential exists for a pending trade to fail if trade settlement falls on a date during the blocking period. In international markets where share blocking applies, FTA typically will not, but reserves the right to, vote proxies due to the liquidity constraints associated with share blocking.

7. On a regular basis, FTA Research reviews ISS recommendations on matters determined to have a potential impact of shareholder value to decide whether to vote as the Guidelines recommend and advises the FTA Investment Committee of its determination.

8. FTA may determine voting in accordance with the Guidelines is not in the best interests of a Proxy Client. If there is a decision to vote against the Guidelines, the FTA Investment Committee will document the reason and instruct ISS to change the vote to reflect this decision.

9. Whenever a conflict of interest arises between ISS and a target company subject to a proxy vote, the Adviser will consider the recommendation of the company and what the Adviser believes to be in the best interests of the Proxy Client and will vote the proxy without using the Guidelines. If FTA has knowledge of a material conflict of interest between itself and a Proxy Client, the Adviser shall vote the applicable proxy in accordance with the Guidelines to avoid such conflict of interest. If there is a conflict of interest between a Fund Proxy Client and FTA or other Fund service providers, FTA will vote the proxy based on the Guidelines to avoid such conflict of interest.

10. If a Proxy Client requests the Adviser to follow specific voting guidelines or additional guidelines, the Adviser shall review the request and follow such guidelines, unless the Adviser determines that it is unable to do so. In such case, the Adviser shall inform the Proxy Client that it is not able to honor the Proxy Client’s request.

11. FTA periodically reviews proxy votes to ensure compliance with this Policy.

12. This Policy, the Guidelines and votes cast for Proxy Clients are available upon request and such Proxy Client requests must be forwarded to FTA Compliance for review and response. This Policy is also provided with each advisory contract and described and provided with the Form ADV, Part 2A.

Shareholders of Fund Proxy Clients can review the Policy and a Fund’s voted proxies (if any) during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 on the First Trust website at www.ftportfolios.com or by accessing EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

13. FTA provides reasonable ongoing oversight of ISS. FTA, or ISS on behalf of FTA, maintains the following records relating to proxy voting:

(a) a copy of this Policy;

(b) a copy of each proxy form for which it is responsible to vote;

(c) a copy of each proxy solicitation, including proxy statements and related materials with regard to each proxy issue it votes;

(d) documents relating to the identification and resolution of conflicts of interest, if any;

(e) any documents created by FTA or ISS that were material to a proxy voting decision or that memorialized the basis for that decision; and

(f) a copy of each written request from any Proxy Client for information on how FTA voted proxies on the Proxy Client’s behalf, and a copy of any written response by FTA to any written or oral request for information by a Proxy Client on how FTA voted proxies for that Proxy Client’s account.

These records are either maintained at FTA’s office or are electronically available to FTA through access to the ISS Proxy Exchange portal.

 

Adopted:	September 15, 2003
Amended:	December 10, 2007
Amended:	September 21, 2009
Amended:	September 12, 2016
Amended:	March 9, 2020
Amended:	June 7, 2021
Amended:	January 19, 2022
Amended:	May 13, 2022
Amended:	September 22, 2022
Amended:	July 3, 2023
Amended:	November 21, 2023
Amended:	January 10, 2024

N-2	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2024 $ / shares shares
Prospectus [Line Items]
Document Period End Date	Oct. 31, 2024
Cover [Abstract]
Entity Central Index Key	0001319183
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Inv Company Type	N-2
Document Type	N-CSR
Entity Registrant Name	First Trust Mortgage Income Fund
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Investment Objectives and Practices [Text Block]	Investment Objectives The Fund’s primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. As a secondary objective the Fund seeks to preserve capital. Principal Investment Policies In the pursuit of its investment objectives, under normal market conditions: • The Fund invests at least 80% of its managed assets in mortgage-backed securities. Such MBS may include those with fixed, floating or variable interest rates, those with interest rates that change based on multiples of changes in a specified index of interest rates and those with interest rates that change inversely to changes in interest rates, as well as those that do not bear interest. The Fund may also invest in MBS through TBA Transactions. The Fund does not invest in corporate bonds other than those primarily secured by interests in real estate.   • The Fund may invest up to 35% of its managed assets in securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below investment grade (including securities that are unrated but judged to be of comparable quality by the Advisor). • The Fund may invest up to 20% of its managed assets in U.S. government securities, or cash or other short-term instruments, and may invest up to 10% of its managed assets in real-estate related assets collateralized by pools of assets, such as home equity loans and lines of credit, and asset-backed securities, including non-mortgage asset-backed securities. • The Fund may invest up to 10% of its managed assets in securities that, at the time of investment, are illiquid. Percentage limitations described herein are as of the time of investment by the Fund and may be exceeded on a going-forward basis as a result of market value fluctuations of the Fund’s portfolio. To the extent the Fund enters into derivatives transactions, it will do so pursuant to Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 18f-4 requires the Fund to implement certain policies and procedures designed to manage its derivatives risks, dependent upon the Fund’s level of exposure to derivative instruments. The Fund may engage in the use of leverage by issuing preferred shares of beneficial interest, entering into reverse repurchase agreements, and/or issuing notes or other evidences of indebtedness including bank borrowings or commercial paper.  In addition, the Fund may, but is not required to, use various strategic transactions to: (1) seek to reduce interest rate risks arising from any use of leverage; (2) facilitate portfolio management; and (3) mitigate risks, including interest rate risk and credit risks. The Fund generally seeks to use these instruments and transactions as portfolio management or hedging techniques to protect against possible adverse changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for the Fund’s portfolio, protect the value of the Fund’s portfolio, facilitate the sale of certain securities for investment purposes, manage the effective interest rate exposure of the Fund or establish positions in the derivative markets as a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities. Fundamental Policies The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not: 1.  With respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase any securities if, as a result (i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would then be invested in securities of any single issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer; provided, that government securities (as defined in the 1940 Act), securities issued by other investment companies and cash items (including receivables) shall not be counted for purposes of this limitation; 2.  Purchase any security if, as a result of the purchase, 25% or more of the Fund’s total assets (taken at current value) would be invested in the securities of borrowers and other issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided, that this limitation shall not apply with respect to issuers of mortgage-backed securities or obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities; 3.  Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder and interpretations thereof or pursuant to a Securities and Exchange Commission exemptive order; 4.  Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, other than: (i) Preferred Shares which immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 200%; (ii) indebtedness which immediately after issuance will have asset coverage of at least 300%; (iii) the borrowings permitted by investment restriction 3 set forth above; or (iv) pursuant to a Securities and Exchange Commission exemptive order; 5.  Make loans of funds or other assets, other than by entering into repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities and through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations; 6.  Act as underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities; 7.  Purchase or sell real estate, but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, including real estate investment trusts, and securities secured by real estate or interests therein and the Fund may hold and sell real estate or mortgages on real estate acquired through default, liquidation, or other distributions of an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities; and 8.  Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts or derivative instruments or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). For the purpose of applying the limitation set forth in subparagraph 2 above, an issuer shall be deemed the sole issuer of a security when its assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its securities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a non-governmental issuer, such as an industrial corporation or a privately owned or operated hospital, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental issuer, then such non-governmental issuer would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obligation of a superior or unrelated governmental or other entity (other than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securities owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity. Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank. When a municipal bond is insured by bond insurance, it shall not be considered a security that is issued or guaranteed by the insurer; instead, the issuer of such municipal bond will be determined in accordance with the principles set forth above. Except as noted above, the foregoing fundamental investment policies, together with the investment objectives of the Fund, cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, which includes common shares of beneficial interest and preferred shares of beneficial interest (“Preferred Shares”), if any, voting together as a single class, and of the holders of the outstanding Preferred Shares voting as a single class. Under the 1940 Act a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote of: (A) 67% or more of the Fund’s shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s shares are present or represented by proxy; or (B) more than 50% of the Fund’s shares, whichever is less.
Risk Factors [Table Text Block]	Principal Risks The Fund is a closed-end management investment company designed primarily as a long-term investment and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program and, due to the uncertainty inherent in all investments, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The following discussion summarizes the principal risks associated with investing in the Fund, which includes the risk that you could lose some or all of your investment in the Fund.  The Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, in accordance therewith, files reports, proxy statements and other information that is available for review. Collateralized Mortgage Obligations Risk. Collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities and are a type of mortgage-backed security.  CMOs are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (tranches) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments.  CMO tranches are often specially structured in a manner that provides a variety of investment characteristics, such as yield, effective maturity and interest rate sensitivity. A risk of CMOs is the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows that results from the rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages serving as collateral and from the structure of the particular CMO transaction (that is, the priority of the individual tranches). An increase or decrease in prepayment rates (resulting from a decrease or increase in mortgage interest rates) may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates and will affect the yield and price of CMOs. Certain classes of CMOs are structured in a manner that makes them extremely sensitive to changes in prepayment rates. In addition, if the collateral securing CMOs or any third-party guarantees are insufficient to make payments, the Fund could sustain a loss.   Credit Agency Risk. Credit ratings are determined by credit rating agencies and are only the opinions of such entities. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risk or the liquidity of securities. Any shortcomings or inefficiencies in credit rating agencies’ processes for determining credit ratings may adversely affect the credit ratings of securities held by the Fund or such credit rating agency’s ability to evaluate creditworthiness and, as a result, may adversely affect those securities’ perceived or actual credit risk.   Credit and Below-Investment Grade Securities Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or other obligated party of a debt security in the Fund’s portfolio will fail to pay, or it is perceived that it will fail to pay, dividends or interest and/or repay principal, when due. Below-investment grade instruments, including instruments that are not rated but judged to be of comparable quality, are commonly referred to as high-yield securities or “junk” bonds and are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay dividends or interest and repay principal and are more susceptible to default or decline in market value than investment grade securities due to adverse economic and business developments. High-yield securities are often unsecured and subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. The market values for high-yield securities tend to be very volatile, and these securities are generally less liquid than investment grade securities. For these reasons, an investment in the Fund is subject to the following specific risks: (i) increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to a deteriorating economic environment; (ii) greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality; (iii) adverse company specific events more likely to render the issuer unable to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments; (iv) negative perception of the high-yield market which may depress the price and liquidity of high-yield securities; (v) volatility; and (vi) liquidity.   Current Market Conditions Risk. 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, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and expect to continue to do so, and the Federal Reserve has announced that it intends to reverse previously implemented quantitative easing. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Recent and potential future bank failures 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. Additionally, challenges in commercial real estate markets, including rising interest rates, declining valuations and increasing vacancies, could have a broader impact on financial markets. The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, have and may continue to have an adverse impact the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. The change in administration resulting from the 2024 United States national elections could result in significant impacts to international trade relations, tax and immigration policies, and other aspects of the national and international political and financial landscape, which could affect, among other things, inflation and the securities markets generally. Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, 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. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. A future public health crisis and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. As the COVID-19 global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. Additionally, cyber security breaches of both government and non-government entities could have negative impacts on infrastructure and the ability of such entities, including the Fund, to operate properly. These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.   Cyber Security Risk. The Fund is susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding, but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-advisor, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. The Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third party service providers. Substantial costs may be incurred by the Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future.   Extension Risk. Extension risk is the risk that, when interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these debt securities to fall. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of debt securities, making their market value more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term debt securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term debt securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.   Fixed-Income Securities Risk. An investment in fixed-income securities is subject to certain risks, including: • Issuer Risk. The value of fixed-income securities may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services. In addition, an issuer of fixed-income securities may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. • Prepayment Risk. Prepayment risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will repay principal prior to the scheduled maturity date. During periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a security may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest the proceeds from such prepayment in lower yielding securities, which may result in a decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to common shareholders. • Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities or loans at market interest rates that are below the Fund portfolio’s current earnings rate.   Futures Contracts Risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are: (i) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments or indices underlying the futures contracts and the price of the futures contracts; (ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (iii) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (iv) the investment adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (v) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations. Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities that are restricted and/or illiquid. Restricted securities are securities that cannot be offered for public resale unless registered under the applicable securities laws or that have a contractual restriction that prohibits or limits their resale. Restricted securities may be illiquid as they generally are not listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. Investments in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these securities. Illiquid and restricted securities may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid and restricted securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of such securities. Illiquid and restricted securities are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets.   Inflation Risk. The Fund invests in securities that are subject to inflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline. This risk is more prevalent with respect to debt securities. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy, and the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to Fund investors.   Interest Rate and Duration Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. For fixed income securities, when market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. Investments in fixed rate securities with long-term maturities may experience significant price declines if long-term interest rates increase. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of slower than expected prepayments. This may lock in a below-market yield, increase the security’s duration and further reduce the value of the security. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The duration of a security will be expected to change over time with changes in market factors and time to maturity. The interest rates payable on floating rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. As short-term interest rates decline, interest payable on floating rate securities typically decreases. Alternatively, during periods of rising interest rates, interest payable on floating rate securities typically increases. Changes in interest rates on floating rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in interest rates. The value of floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Many financial instruments use or may use a floating rate based upon the LIBOR. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased making LIBOR available as a reference rate over a phase-out period that began December 31, 2022. There is no assurance that any alternative reference rate, including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity. The unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any potential effects of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or on certain instruments in which the Fund invests can be difficult to ascertain, and they may vary depending on a variety of factors, and they could result in losses to the Fund. In general, income on inverse floating rate securities will decrease when interest rates increase and increase when interest rates decrease. Inverse floating rate securities generally will underperform the market for fixed rate securities in a rising interest rate environment. An inverse floating rate security’s price may be more volatile than that of a fixed rate security. In the case of stripped mortgage-backed securities, in general, when interest rates are falling and prepayment rates are increasing, the value of a principal only security (“PO Security”) will rise and the value of an interest only security (“IO Security”) will fall. Conversely, when interest rates are rising and prepayment rates are decreasing, in general, the value of a PO Security will fall and the value of an IO Security will rise. Yields on IOs and POs are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets.   Leverage Risk. The use of leverage by the Fund can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains from the securities and investments purchased with leverage proceeds do not cover the cost of leverage, the return to the common shares will be less than if leverage had not been used. Leverage involves risks and special considerations for common shareholders including: the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of the common shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage; the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings will reduce the return to the common shareholders or will result in fluctuations in the dividends paid on the common shares; in a declining market, the use of leverage is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value of the common shares than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the common shares; and when the Fund uses certain types of leverage, the investment advisory fee payable to the Advisor will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage.   Management Risk and Reliance on Key Personnel. The implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy depends upon the continued contributions of certain key employees of the Advisor, some of whom have unique talents and experience and would be difficult to replace. The loss or interruption of the services of a key member of the portfolio management team could have a negative impact on the Fund.   Market Discount from Net Asset Value. Shares of closed-end investment companies such as the Fund frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. The Fund cannot predict whether its common shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.   Market Risk. Investments held by the Fund, as well as shares of the Fund itself, are subject to market fluctuations caused by real or perceived economic conditions, political events, regulatory factors or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments as a result of the risk of loss associated with these market fluctuations. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, market manipulation, government defaults, government shutdowns, regulatory actions, political changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares, the liquidity of an investment, and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value, the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen and the returns on investment may fluctuate.   Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, representing direct or indirect interests in pools of underlying residential or commercial mortgage loans that are secured by real property.  These securities provide investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as the mortgages in the underlying mortgage pools are paid. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security and the structure of its issuer. For example, if a mortgage underlying a particular mortgage-backed security defaults, the value of that security may decrease. Moreover, a downturn in the markets for residential or commercial real estate or a general economic downturn could negatively affect both the price and liquidity of privately issued mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the borrowers under the mortgage loans underlying a Fund’s mortgage-backed securities might pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, which could happen when interest rates fall or for other reasons, which could cause the value of the Fund’s mortgage-backed securities to fall. Moreover, if the underlying mortgage loans are paid off sooner than expected, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in other securities that have lower yields. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, resulting in slower prepayments of the securities. This would, in effect, convert a short or medium-duration mortgage-backed security into a longer-duration security, increasing its sensitivity to interest rate changes and likely causing its price to decline. Mortgage-backed securities issued by a private issuer, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, generally entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity. A portion of the Fund’s managed assets may be invested in subordinated classes of mortgage-backed securities. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater degree of non-payment risk than are senior classes of the same issuer or agency.  In addition, under certain market conditions, the market for subordinated classes of mortgage-backed securities may not be as liquid as the market for other fixed income securities. Given its focus in mortgage-backed securities, the Fund may be more susceptible to adverse economic, political and regulatory events that affect the value of real estate.   Non-Agency Securities Risk. Investments in asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities offered by non-governmental issuers, such as commercial banks, savings and loans, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers are subject to additional risks. There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in loan pools created by non-government issuers. Securities issued by private issuers are subject to the credit risks of such issuers. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the loan pool may adversely affect the value of a non-agency security and could result in losses to the Fund. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of pools that include subprime loans. Non-agency securities are typically traded “over-the-counter” rather than on a securities exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held by the Fund may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying loans.   Operational Risk. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.   Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk. First Trust and the portfolio managers have interests which may conflict with the interests of the Fund. In particular, First Trust currently manages and may in the future manage and/or advise other investment funds or accounts with the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund. In addition, while the Fund is using leverage, the amount of the fees paid to First Trust for investment advisory and management services are higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated based on managed assets. Therefore, First Trust has a financial incentive to leverage the Fund.   TBA Transactions Risk. The Fund may purchase securities via TBA (To Be Announced) Transactions. In such a transaction, the purchase price of the securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchasing securities in a TBA Transaction may give rise to investment leverage and may increase the Fund’s volatility. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a TBA Transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction.   Valuation Risk. The valuation of securitized assets may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial markets, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. The Fund may hold investments in sizes smaller than institutionally-sized round lot positions (sometimes referred to as odd lots). However, third-party pricing services generally provide evaluations on the basis of institutionally-sized round lots. If the Fund sells certain of its investments in an odd lot transaction, the sale price may be less than the value at which such securities have been held by the Fund. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund.
Share Price	$ 12.11
NAV Per Share	$ 12.67
Latest Premium (Discount) to NAV [Percent]	(4.42%)
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]
Outstanding Security, Title [Text Block]	Common Shares outstanding (unlimited number of Common Shares has been authorized)
Outstanding Security, Held [Shares] | shares	4,213,115
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Collateralized Mortgage Obligations Risk. Collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities and are a type of mortgage-backed security.  CMOs are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (tranches) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments.  CMO tranches are often specially structured in a manner that provides a variety of investment characteristics, such as yield, effective maturity and interest rate sensitivity. A risk of CMOs is the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows that results from the rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages serving as collateral and from the structure of the particular CMO transaction (that is, the priority of the individual tranches). An increase or decrease in prepayment rates (resulting from a decrease or increase in mortgage interest rates) may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates and will affect the yield and price of CMOs. Certain classes of CMOs are structured in a manner that makes them extremely sensitive to changes in prepayment rates. In addition, if the collateral securing CMOs or any third-party guarantees are insufficient to make payments, the Fund could sustain a loss.
Credit Agency Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Credit Agency Risk. Credit ratings are determined by credit rating agencies and are only the opinions of such entities. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risk or the liquidity of securities. Any shortcomings or inefficiencies in credit rating agencies’ processes for determining credit ratings may adversely affect the credit ratings of securities held by the Fund or such credit rating agency’s ability to evaluate creditworthiness and, as a result, may adversely affect those securities’ perceived or actual credit risk.
Credit And Below Investment Grade Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Credit and Below-Investment Grade Securities Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or other obligated party of a debt security in the Fund’s portfolio will fail to pay, or it is perceived that it will fail to pay, dividends or interest and/or repay principal, when due. Below-investment grade instruments, including instruments that are not rated but judged to be of comparable quality, are commonly referred to as high-yield securities or “junk” bonds and are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay dividends or interest and repay principal and are more susceptible to default or decline in market value than investment grade securities due to adverse economic and business developments. High-yield securities are often unsecured and subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. The market values for high-yield securities tend to be very volatile, and these securities are generally less liquid than investment grade securities. For these reasons, an investment in the Fund is subject to the following specific risks: (i) increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to a deteriorating economic environment; (ii) greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality; (iii) adverse company specific events more likely to render the issuer unable to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments; (iv) negative perception of the high-yield market which may depress the price and liquidity of high-yield securities; (v) volatility; and (vi) liquidity.
Current Market Conditions Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Current Market Conditions Risk. 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, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and expect to continue to do so, and the Federal Reserve has announced that it intends to reverse previously implemented quantitative easing. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Recent and potential future bank failures 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. Additionally, challenges in commercial real estate markets, including rising interest rates, declining valuations and increasing vacancies, could have a broader impact on financial markets. The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, have and may continue to have an adverse impact the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. The change in administration resulting from the 2024 United States national elections could result in significant impacts to international trade relations, tax and immigration policies, and other aspects of the national and international political and financial landscape, which could affect, among other things, inflation and the securities markets generally. Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, 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. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. A future public health crisis and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. As the COVID-19 global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. Additionally, cyber security breaches of both government and non-government entities could have negative impacts on infrastructure and the ability of such entities, including the Fund, to operate properly. These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.
Cyber Security Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Cyber Security Risk. The Fund is susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding, but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-advisor, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. The Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third party service providers. Substantial costs may be incurred by the Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future.
Extension Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Extension Risk. Extension risk is the risk that, when interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these debt securities to fall. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of debt securities, making their market value more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term debt securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term debt securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
Fixed Income Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Fixed-Income Securities Risk. An investment in fixed-income securities is subject to certain risks, including: • Issuer Risk. The value of fixed-income securities may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and services. In addition, an issuer of fixed-income securities may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. • Prepayment Risk. Prepayment risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will repay principal prior to the scheduled maturity date. During periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a security may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest the proceeds from such prepayment in lower yielding securities, which may result in a decline in the Fund’s income and distributions to common shareholders. • Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities or loans at market interest rates that are below the Fund portfolio’s current earnings rate.
Futures Contracts Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Futures Contracts Risk. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are: (i) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments or indices underlying the futures contracts and the price of the futures contracts; (ii) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (iii) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (iv) the investment adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (v) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations.
Illiquid And Restricted Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities that are restricted and/or illiquid. Restricted securities are securities that cannot be offered for public resale unless registered under the applicable securities laws or that have a contractual restriction that prohibits or limits their resale. Restricted securities may be illiquid as they generally are not listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. Investments in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these securities. Illiquid and restricted securities may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid and restricted securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund pays for or recovers upon the sale of such securities. Illiquid and restricted securities are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets.
Inflation Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Inflation Risk. The Fund invests in securities that are subject to inflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline. This risk is more prevalent with respect to debt securities. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy, and the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to Fund investors.
Interest Rate And Duration Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Interest Rate and Duration Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decline in value because of changes in market interest rates. For fixed income securities, when market interest rates rise, the market value of such securities generally will fall. Investments in fixed rate securities with long-term maturities may experience significant price declines if long-term interest rates increase. During periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of slower than expected prepayments. This may lock in a below-market yield, increase the security’s duration and further reduce the value of the security. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The duration of a security will be expected to change over time with changes in market factors and time to maturity. The interest rates payable on floating rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. As short-term interest rates decline, interest payable on floating rate securities typically decreases. Alternatively, during periods of rising interest rates, interest payable on floating rate securities typically increases. Changes in interest rates on floating rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in interest rates. The value of floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Many financial instruments use or may use a floating rate based upon the LIBOR. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased making LIBOR available as a reference rate over a phase-out period that began December 31, 2022. There is no assurance that any alternative reference rate, including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity. The unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any potential effects of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or on certain instruments in which the Fund invests can be difficult to ascertain, and they may vary depending on a variety of factors, and they could result in losses to the Fund. In general, income on inverse floating rate securities will decrease when interest rates increase and increase when interest rates decrease. Inverse floating rate securities generally will underperform the market for fixed rate securities in a rising interest rate environment. An inverse floating rate security’s price may be more volatile than that of a fixed rate security. In the case of stripped mortgage-backed securities, in general, when interest rates are falling and prepayment rates are increasing, the value of a principal only security (“PO Security”) will rise and the value of an interest only security (“IO Security”) will fall. Conversely, when interest rates are rising and prepayment rates are decreasing, in general, the value of a PO Security will fall and the value of an IO Security will rise. Yields on IOs and POs are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets.
Leverage Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Leverage Risk. The use of leverage by the Fund can magnify the effect of any losses. If the income and gains from the securities and investments purchased with leverage proceeds do not cover the cost of leverage, the return to the common shares will be less than if leverage had not been used. Leverage involves risks and special considerations for common shareholders including: the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of the common shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage; the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings will reduce the return to the common shareholders or will result in fluctuations in the dividends paid on the common shares; in a declining market, the use of leverage is likely to cause a greater decline in the net asset value of the common shares than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the common shares; and when the Fund uses certain types of leverage, the investment advisory fee payable to the Advisor will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage.
Management Risk And Reliance On Key Personnel [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Management Risk and Reliance on Key Personnel. The implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy depends upon the continued contributions of certain key employees of the Advisor, some of whom have unique talents and experience and would be difficult to replace. The loss or interruption of the services of a key member of the portfolio management team could have a negative impact on the Fund.
Market Discount From Net Asset Value [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Market Discount from Net Asset Value. Shares of closed-end investment companies such as the Fund frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. The Fund cannot predict whether its common shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.
Market Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Market Risk. Investments held by the Fund, as well as shares of the Fund itself, are subject to market fluctuations caused by real or perceived economic conditions, political events, regulatory factors or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments as a result of the risk of loss associated with these market fluctuations. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, market manipulation, government defaults, government shutdowns, regulatory actions, political changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares, the liquidity of an investment, and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value, the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen and the returns on investment may fluctuate.
Mortgage Backed Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, representing direct or indirect interests in pools of underlying residential or commercial mortgage loans that are secured by real property.  These securities provide investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as the mortgages in the underlying mortgage pools are paid. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security and the structure of its issuer. For example, if a mortgage underlying a particular mortgage-backed security defaults, the value of that security may decrease. Moreover, a downturn in the markets for residential or commercial real estate or a general economic downturn could negatively affect both the price and liquidity of privately issued mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the borrowers under the mortgage loans underlying a Fund’s mortgage-backed securities might pay off their mortgage loans sooner than expected, which could happen when interest rates fall or for other reasons, which could cause the value of the Fund’s mortgage-backed securities to fall. Moreover, if the underlying mortgage loans are paid off sooner than expected, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in other securities that have lower yields. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, resulting in slower prepayments of the securities. This would, in effect, convert a short or medium-duration mortgage-backed security into a longer-duration security, increasing its sensitivity to interest rate changes and likely causing its price to decline. Mortgage-backed securities issued by a private issuer, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, generally entail greater risk than obligations directly or indirectly guaranteed by the U.S. government or a government-sponsored entity. A portion of the Fund’s managed assets may be invested in subordinated classes of mortgage-backed securities. Such subordinated classes are subject to a greater degree of non-payment risk than are senior classes of the same issuer or agency.  In addition, under certain market conditions, the market for subordinated classes of mortgage-backed securities may not be as liquid as the market for other fixed income securities. Given its focus in mortgage-backed securities, the Fund may be more susceptible to adverse economic, political and regulatory events that affect the value of real estate.
Non Agency Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Non-Agency Securities Risk. Investments in asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities offered by non-governmental issuers, such as commercial banks, savings and loans, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers are subject to additional risks. There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in loan pools created by non-government issuers. Securities issued by private issuers are subject to the credit risks of such issuers. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the loan pool may adversely affect the value of a non-agency security and could result in losses to the Fund. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of pools that include subprime loans. Non-agency securities are typically traded “over-the-counter” rather than on a securities exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held by the Fund may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying loans.
Operational Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Operational Risk. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.
Potential Conflicts Of Interest Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk. First Trust and the portfolio managers have interests which may conflict with the interests of the Fund. In particular, First Trust currently manages and may in the future manage and/or advise other investment funds or accounts with the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund. In addition, while the Fund is using leverage, the amount of the fees paid to First Trust for investment advisory and management services are higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated based on managed assets. Therefore, First Trust has a financial incentive to leverage the Fund.
T B A Transactions Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	TBA Transactions Risk. The Fund may purchase securities via TBA (To Be Announced) Transactions. In such a transaction, the purchase price of the securities is typically fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price. Purchasing securities in a TBA Transaction may give rise to investment leverage and may increase the Fund’s volatility. Default by, or bankruptcy of, a counterparty to a TBA Transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of an adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools specified in such transaction.
Valuation Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]	Valuation Risk. The valuation of securitized assets may carry more risk than that of common stock. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial markets, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. The Fund may hold investments in sizes smaller than institutionally-sized round lot positions (sometimes referred to as odd lots). However, third-party pricing services generally provide evaluations on the basis of institutionally-sized round lots. If the Fund sells certain of its investments in an odd lot transaction, the sale price may be less than the value at which such securities have been held by the Fund. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund.

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