GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
GOLDMAN SACHS CORESM U.S. EQUITY FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS CORESM SMALL CAP EQUITY FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS CAPITAL GROWTH FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS MID CAP VALUE FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS EQUITY INDEX FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS CORE FIXED INCOME FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS MONEY MARKET FUND
Service Shares
Supplement Dated October 28, 2005 to the Statement of Additional Information dated October 28, 2005
The Service Shares of the Goldman Sachs COREsm U.S. Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs COREsm Small Cap Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs Capital Growth Fund, Goldman Sachs Growth and Income Fund, Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value Fund, Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund, Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund, Goldman Sachs International Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs Government Income Fund, Goldman Sachs Core Fixed Income Fund, and Goldman Sachs Money Market Fund are newly created shares offered by the Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (“GSVIT”). It is expected that Service Shares of certain of these Funds will be issued initially in connection with the proposed acquisition of the assets and liabilities of the portfolios of the Allmerica Investment Trust (“AIT”).
In connection with the proposed acquisition, a shareholder meeting is scheduled to be held on December 9, 2005. At that meeting, the shareholders of each of the investment portfolios of AIT (an “AIT Fund”) will be asked to approve a proposed agreement and plan of reorganization whereby each AIT Fund listed below would be acquired by the corresponding investment portfolio of the Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (“GSVIT”) listed opposite its name:
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AIT Funds | | GSVIT Funds |
Select International Equity Fund | | International Equity Fund |
Core Equity Fund | | CORESM U.S. Equity Fund |
Select Growth Fund | | Capital Growth Fund |
Select Capital Appreciation Fund | | Growth Opportunities Fund |
Equity Index Fund | | Equity Index Fund |
Select Value Opportunity Fund | | Mid Cap Value Fund |
Government Bond Fund | | Government Income Fund |
Select Investment Grade Income Fund | | Core Fixed Income Fund |
Money Market Fund | | Money Market Fund |
The Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund, Equity Index Fund, Government Income Fund, Core Fixed Income Fund and Money Market Fund are newly organized Funds that have been created for purposes of acquiring the assets and liabilities of the AIT Select Capital Appreciation Fund, AIT Equity Index Fund, AIT Government Bond Fund, AIT Select Investment Grade Income Fund and AIT Money Market Fund (the “Predecessor AIT Funds”), respectively, and continuing their operations. If the reorganization is approved by AIT shareholders, for purposes of the reorganization, the Predecessor AIT Funds will be considered the accounting survivor, and accordingly, certain financial information relating to the Predecessor AIT Funds has been included in the attached statement of additional information and presented as if the reorganization has been consummated. However, as of the date of this statement of additional information, the reorganization has not yet been approved by shareholders and has not occurred.
PART B
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DATED OCTOBER 28, 2005
SERVICE SHARES
GOLDMAN SACHS CORESM U.S. EQUITY FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS CORESM SMALL CAP EQUITY FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS CAPITAL GROWTH FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS MID CAP VALUE FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS EQUITY INDEX FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS CORE FIXED INCOME FUND
GOLDMAN SACHS MONEY MARKET FUND
(PORTFOLIOS OF GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST)
Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust
71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 500
Chicago, Illinois 60606
This Statement of Additional Information (the “Additional Statement”) is not a Prospectus. This Additional Statement should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for Service Shares of the Goldman Sachs CORE U.S. Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs CORE Small Cap Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs Capital Growth Fund, Goldman Sachs Growth and Income Fund, Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value Fund, Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund, Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund, Goldman Sachs International Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs Government Income Fund, Goldman Sachs Core Fixed Income Fund and Goldman Sachs Money Market Fund (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) dated October 28, 2005 as it may be further amended and/or supplemented from time to time (the “Prospectus”) and which may be obtained without charge from Goldman, Sachs & Co. by calling the telephone number, or writing to one of the addresses, listed below.
The audited financial statements and related report of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for each of the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value and International Equity Funds, contained in each such Fund’s 2004 Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference in the section “Financial Statements.” The audited financial statements and related report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for the predecessor Allmerica Select Capital Appreciation Fund, predecessor Allmerica Equity Index Fund, predecessor Allmerica Government Bond Fund, predecessor Allmerica Investment Grade Income Fund and predecessor Allmerica Money Market Fund of Allmerica Investment Trust (the “Predecessor Allmerica Funds”), contained in each such Predecessor Allmerica Funds’ 2004 Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference in the section “Financial Statements.” No other parts of any Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The unaudited financial statements for each of the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value and International Equity Funds, contained in each such Fund’s 2005 Semi-Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference in the section “Financial Statements”.” The unaudited financial statements for the Predecessor Allmerica Select Capital Appreciation Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Equity Index Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Government Bond Fund, Predecessor
Allmerica Investment Grade Income Fund and Predecessor Allmerica Money Market Fund, contained in each such Predecessor Allmerica Funds’ 2005 Semi-Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference in the section “Financial Statements.” A copy of the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports may be obtained upon request and without charge by writing Goldman, Sachs & Co., P.O. Box 06050, Chicago, Illinois 60606 or by calling Goldman, Sachs & Co., at the telephone number on the back cover of the Funds’ Prospectus.
CORESM is a service mark of Goldman, Sachs & Co.
GSAM® is a registered service mark of Goldman, Sachs & Co.
The date of this Additional Statement is October 28, 2005.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION | | | B-1 | |
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES | | | B-2 | |
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS | | | B-66 | |
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS | | | B-69 | |
MANAGEMENT SERVICES | | | B-79 | |
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST | | | B-97 | |
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE | | | B-111 | |
NET ASSET VALUE | | | B-117 | |
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION | | | B-121 | |
SHARES OF THE TRUST | | | B-123 | |
TAXATION | | | B-127 | |
PROXY VOTING | | | B-131 | |
PAYMENTS TO INTERMEDIARIES | | | B-133 | |
OTHER INFORMATION | | | B-134 | |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | | | B-137 | |
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN | | | B-137 | |
APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS | | | 1-A | |
APPENDIX B ISS PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY | | | 1-B | |
APPENDIX C STATE STREET GLOBAL ADVISORS PROXY VOTING POLICY | | | 1-C | |
APPENDIX D BUSINESS PRINCIPLES OF GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. | | | 1-D | |
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GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P. | | GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. |
Investment Adviser to: | | Distributor |
Goldman Sachs CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | 85 Broad Street |
Goldman Sachs CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | New York, New York 10004 |
Goldman Sachs Capital Growth Fund | | |
Goldman Sachs Growth and Income Fund | | |
Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value Fund | | GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. |
Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund | | Transfer Agent |
Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund | | 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 500 |
Goldman Sachs Government Income Fund | | Chicago, IL 60606 |
Goldman Sachs Core Fixed Income Fund | | |
Goldman Sachs Money Market Fund | | |
32 Old Slip | | |
New York, New York 10005 | | |
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GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT | | SSgA Funds Management, Inc. |
INTERNATIONAL | | Investment Sub-Adviser to: |
Investment Adviser to: | | Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund |
Goldman Sachs International | | State Street Financial Center |
Equity Fund | | One Lincoln Street |
Christchurch Court | | Boston, Massachusetts 02111-2900 |
10-15 Newgate Street | | |
London, England EC1A7HD | | |
Toll free (in U.S.)...800-621-2550
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INTRODUCTION
Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end, management investment company. Service Shares of the Trust may be purchased and held by the separate accounts (“Separate Accounts”) of participating life insurance companies (“Participating Insurance Companies”) for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Service Shares of the Trust are not offered directly to the general public. The following series of the Trust are described in this Additional Statement: Goldman Sachs CORE U.S. Equity Fund (“CORE U.S. Equity Fund”), Goldman Sachs CORE Small Cap Equity Fund (“CORE Small Cap Equity Fund”), Goldman Sachs Capital Growth Fund (“Capital Growth Fund”), Goldman Sachs Growth and Income Fund (“Growth and Income Fund”), Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value Fund (“Mid Cap Value Fund”), Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund (“Growth Opportunities Fund”), Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund (“Equity Index Fund”), Goldman Sachs International Equity Fund (“International Equity Fund”), Goldman Sachs Government Income Fund (“Government Income Fund”), Goldman Sachs Core Fixed Income Fund (“Core Fixed Income Fund”) and Goldman Sachs Money Market Fund (“Money Market Fund”) (collectively referred to herein as the “Funds”).
The Growth Opportunities Fund, Equity Index Fund, Government Income Fund, Core Fixed Income Fund and Money Market Fund are newly organized funds that have been created to acquire the assets and liabilities of the Allmerica Select Capital Appreciation Fund, Allmerica Equity Index Fund, Allmerica Government Bond Fund, Allmerica Select Investment Grade Income Fund and Allmerica Money Market Fund of Allmerica Investment Trust (the “Predecessor Allmerica Funds”), respectively. These Predecessor Allmerica Funds, for purposes of the reorganization, are considered the accounting survivors and accordingly, certain financial history of the Predecessor Allmerica Funds is included in this statement of additional information.
Each Fund is a series of Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust, which was formed under the laws of the State of Delaware on September 16, 1997. The Trustees of the Trust have authority under the Declaration of Trust to create and classify shares of beneficial interests into separate series and to classify and reclassify any series or portfolio of shares into one or more classes without further action by shareholders. Pursuant thereto, the Trustees have created the Funds. Additional series and classes may be added in the future from time to time.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM”) (formerly Goldman Sachs Funds Management, L.P.), an affiliate of Goldman, Sachs & Co. (“Goldman Sachs”), serves as the investment adviser to the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value, Growth Opportunities, Equity Index, Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds. Goldman Sachs Asset Management International (“GSAMI”), an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, serves as the investment adviser to the International Equity Fund. SSgA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSgA”) serves as investment sub-adviser to the Equity Index Fund. GSAM and GSAMI are sometimes individually referred to as an “Investment Adviser” and collectively herein as the “Investment Advisers.” SSgA is referred to herein as the “Sub-Adviser.” In addition, Goldman Sachs serves as each Fund’s distributor and transfer agent. Each Fund’s custodian is State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”).
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The following information relates to and supplements the description of each Fund’s investment policies contained in the Prospectus. See the Prospectus for a more complete description of the Funds’ investment objectives and policies. Investing in the Funds entails certain risks and there is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its objective. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meaning as in the Prospectus.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Each Fund has a distinct investment objective and policies. There can be no assurance that a Fund’s objective will be achieved. Each Fund is a diversified open-end management company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”). The investment objective and policies of each Fund, and the associated risks of each Fund, are discussed in the Funds’ Prospectus, which should be read carefully before an investment is made. All investment objectives and investment policies not specifically designated as fundamental may be changed without shareholder approval. However, with respect to the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Mid Cap Value, International Equity, Equity Index, Government Income and Core Fixed Income Funds, to the extent required by Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations, shareholders will be provided with sixty days’ notice in the manner prescribed by the SEC before any change in a Fund’s policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of purchase) or total assets (not including securities lending collateral and any investment of that collateral) in the particular type of investment suggested by its name. Additional information about the Funds, their policies, and the investment instruments they may hold, is provided below.
Each of the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value, Growth Opportunities, Equity Index and International Equity Funds may be referred to in this Additional Statement individually as an “Equity Fund” and collectively as the “Equity Funds.” Each of the Government Income and Core Fixed Income Funds may be referred to in this Additional Statement individually as a “Fixed Income Fund” and together as the “Fixed Income Funds.”
Each Fund’s share price will fluctuate with market, economic and, to the extent applicable, foreign exchange conditions, so that an investment in any of the Funds may be worth more or less when redeemed than when purchased. None of the Funds should be relied upon as a complete investment program.
The following discussion supplements the information in the Funds’ Prospectus.
General Information Regarding The Equity Funds (Other Than The Equity Index Fund)
The Investment Adviser may purchase for the Equity Funds common stocks, preferred stocks, interests in real estate investment trusts, convertible debt obligations, convertible preferred stocks, equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and similar enterprises, warrants and stock purchase rights and synthetic and derivative instruments that have economic characteristics similar to equity securities (“equity investments”). The Investment Adviser utilizes first-hand fundamental research, including visiting company facilities to assess operations and
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to meet decision-makers, in choosing an Equity Fund’s securities. The Investment Adviser may also use macro analysis of numerous economic and valuation variables to anticipate changes in company earnings and the overall investment climate. The Investment Adviser is able to draw on the research and market expertise of the Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research Department and other affiliates of the Investment Adviser, as well as information provided by other securities dealers. Equity investments in an Equity Fund’s portfolio will generally be sold when the Investment Adviser believes that the market price fully reflects or exceeds the investments’ fundamental valuation or when other more attractive investments are identified.
Value Style Funds. The Growth and Income Fund and Mid Cap Value Fund are managed using a value oriented approach. The Investment Adviser evaluates securities using fundamental analysis and intends to purchase equity investments that are, in its view, underpriced relative to a combination of such companies’ long-term earnings prospects, growth rate, free cash flow and/or dividend-paying ability. Consideration will be given to the business quality of the issuer. Factors positively affecting the Investment Adviser’s view of that quality include the competitiveness and degree of regulation in the markets in which the company operates, the existence of a management team with a record of success, the position of the company in the markets in which it operates, the level of the company’s financial leverage and the sustainable return on capital invested in the business. The Funds may also purchase securities of companies that have experienced difficulties and that, in the opinion of the Investment Adviser, are available at attractive prices.
Growth Style Funds. The Capital Growth and Growth Opportunities Funds are managed using a growth equity oriented approach. Equity investments for these Funds are selected based on their prospects for above average growth. The Investment Adviser will select securities of growth companies trading, in the Investment Adviser’s opinion, at a reasonable price relative to other industries, competitors and historical price/earnings multiples. The Funds will generally invest in companies whose earnings are believed to be in a relatively strong growth trend, or, to a lesser extent, in companies in which significant further growth is not anticipated but whose market value per share is thought to be undervalued. In order to determine whether a security has favorable growth prospects, the Investment Adviser ordinarily looks for one or more of the following characteristics in relation to the security’s prevailing price: prospects for above average sales and earnings growth per share; high return on invested capital; free cash flow generation; sound balance sheet, financial and accounting policies, and overall financial strength; established brand name; long product life cycle; enduring competitive advantages; effective research, product development, and marketing; pricing power; strength of management; and general operating characteristics that will enable the company to compete successfully in its marketplace.
Quantitative Style Equity Funds. The CORE U.S. Equity and CORE Small Cap Equity Funds (the “CORE Equity Funds”) are managed using both quantitative and fundamental techniques. CORE is an acronym for “Computer-Optimized, Research-Enhanced,” which reflects the CORE Funds’ investment process. This investment process and the proprietary multifactor model used to implement it are discussed below.
Investment Process. The Investment Adviser begins with a broad universe of U.S. equity investments for the CORE Equity Funds. As described more fully below, the Investment
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Adviser uses a proprietary multifactor model (the “Multifactor Model”) to forecast the returns of different markets, currencies and individual securities.
In building a diversified portfolio for each CORE Equity Fund, the Investment Adviser utilizes optimization techniques to seek to construct the most efficient risk/return portfolio given each CORE Fund’s benchmark. Each portfolio is primarily composed of securities rated highest by the foregoing investment process or those that the Investment Adviser believes maximize the portfolio’s risk/return tradeoff characteristics and industry weightings similar to the relevant Fund’s benchmark.
Multifactor Model. The Multifactor Model is a rigorous computerized rating system for forecasting the returns of different equity markets, currencies and individual equity investments according to fundamental investment characteristics. The CORE Equity Funds use one Multifactor Model to forecast the returns of securities held in each Fund’s portfolio. The Multifactor Model incorporates common variables including measures of research value, momentum, profitability, earnings quality, and management impact. All of the factors used in the Multifactor Model have been shown to significantly impact the performance of the securities, currencies and markets they were designed to forecast.
The weightings assigned to the factors in the Multifactor Model used by the CORE Equity Funds are derived using a statistical formulation that considers each factor’s historical performance in different market environments. As such, the U.S. Multifactor Model is designed to evaluate each security using factors that are statistically related to returns over the long run. Because they include many disparate factors, the Investment Adviser believes that the Multifactor Model is broader in scope and provide a more thorough evaluation than traditional investment processes. Securities and markets ranked highest by the relevant Multifactor Model do not have one dominant investment characteristic; rather, they possess an attractive combination of investment characteristics. By using a variety of relevant factors to select securities, currencies or markets, the Investment Adviser believes that the Fund will be better balanced and have more consistent performance than an investment portfolio that uses only one or two factors to select such investments.
The Investment Adviser will monitor, and may occasionally suggest and make changes to, the method by which securities, currencies or markets are selected for or weighted in a Fund. Such changes (which may be the result of changes in the Multifactor Model or the method of applying the Multifactor Model) may include: (i) evolutionary changes to the structure of the Multifactor Model (e.g., the addition of new factors or a new means of weighting the factors); (ii) changes in trading procedures (e.g., trading frequency or the manner in which a Fund uses futures); or (iii) changes in the method by which securities, currencies or markets are weighted in a Fund. Any such changes will preserve a Fund’s basic investment philosophy of combining qualitative and quantitative methods of selecting securities using a disciplined investment process.
Other Information. Since normal settlement for equity investments is three trading days (for certain international markets settlement may be longer), the Equity Funds will need to hold cash balances to satisfy shareholder redemption requests. Such cash balances will normally range from 2% to 5% of a Fund’s net assets. The CORE U.S. Equity Fund may enter into futures transactions only with respect to the S&P 500™ Index and the CORE Small Cap Equity Fund may enter into futures transactions only with respect to a representative index in order to keep the Fund’s effective equity
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exposure close to 100%. For example, if cash balances are equal to 5% of the net assets, the Fund may enter into long futures contracts covering an amount equal to 5% of the Fund’s net assets. As cash balances fluctuate based on new contributions or withdrawals, a Fund may enter into additional contracts or close out existing positions.
Information About the Equity Index Fund
The Equity Index Fund will attempt to replicate the investment results of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (the “S&P 500”) while minimizing transactional costs and other expenses. Stocks in the S&P 500 are ranked in accordance with their statistical weighting from highest to lowest. The method used to select investments for the Equity Index Fund involves investing in common stocks in approximately the order of their weighting in the S&P 500, beginning with those having the highest weighting. The Fund uses the S&P 500 as the performance standard because it represents over 70 percent of the total market value of all publicly-traded common stocks in the U.S., is well-known to investors and, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, is representative of the performance of common stocks publicly-traded in the United States. Many, but not all, of the stocks in the S&P 500 are issued by companies that are among the 500 largest as measured by the aggregate market value of their outstanding stock (market price per share multiplied by number of shares outstanding). Inclusion of a stock in the S&P 500 does not imply that Standard & Poor’s, a division of McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), has endorsed it as an investment. With respect to investing in common stocks, there can be no assurance of capital appreciation and there is a substantial risk of market decline.
The Equity Index Fund’s ability to duplicate the performance of the S&P 500 will be influenced by the size and timing of cash flows into or out of the Fund, the liquidity of the securities included in the S&P 500, transaction and operating expenses and other factors. These factors, among others, may result in “tracking error,” which is a measure of the degree to which the Fund’s results differ from the results of the S&P 500.
Tracking error is measured by the difference between total return for the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested and total return for the Fund with dividends reinvested prior to deductions for fund or product expenses. Tracking error is monitored by the Sub-Adviser on a regular basis. All tracking error deviations are reviewed to determine the effectiveness of investment policies and techniques. If the tracking error deviation exceeds industry standards for the Fund’s asset size, the Sub-Adviser will bring the deviation to the attention of the Trustees.
While the Board of Trustees of the Trust has selected the S&P 500 as the index the Fund will attempt to replicate, the Trustees reserve the right to select another index at any time without seeking shareholder approval if they believe that the S&P 500 no longer represents a broad spectrum of common stocks that are publicly traded in the United States or if there are legal, economic or other factors limiting the use of any particular index. If the Trustees change the index which the Equity Index Fund attempts to replicate, the Equity Index Fund may incur significant transaction costs in switching from one index to another.
The Equity Index Fund will invest only in those stocks, and in such amounts, as the Investment Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser determines to be necessary or appropriate for the Equity Index Fund to
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approximate the S&P 500. As the size of the Equity Index Fund increases, the Equity Index Fund may purchase a larger number of stocks included in the S&P 500, and the percentage of its assets invested in most stocks included in the S&P 500 will approach the percentage that each such stock represents in the S&P 500. However, there is no minimum or maximum number of stocks included in the S&P 500 which the Equity Index Fund will hold. Under normal circumstances, it is expected that the Equity Index Fund will hold approximately 500 different companies included in the S&P 500 Index. The Equity Index Fund may compensate for the omission of a stock that is included in the S&P 500, or for purchasing stocks in other than the same proportions that they are represented in the S&P 500, by purchasing stocks which are believed to have characteristics which correspond to those of the omitted stocks.
The Equity Index Fund may invest in short-term debt securities to maintain liquidity or pending investment in stocks. Such investments will not be made for defensive purposes or in anticipation of a general decline in the market price of stocks in which the Equity Index Fund invests; investors in the Equity Index Fund bear the risk of general declines in the stock markets. The Equity Index Fund also may take advantage of tender offers, resulting in higher returns than are reflected in the performance of the S&P 500. In addition, the Equity Index Fund may hold warrants, preferred stocks and debt securities, whether or not convertible into common stock or with rights attached, if acquired as a result of in-kind dividend distributions, mergers, acquisitions or other corporate activity involving the common stocks held by the Equity Index Fund. Such investment transactions and securities holdings may result in positive or negative tracking error.
The Equity Index Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts on stock indexes for hedging purposes and in order to achieve a fully invested position while maintaining sufficient liquidity to meet possible net redemptions. The effectiveness of a strategy of investing in stock index futures contracts will depend upon the continued availability of futures contracts based on the S&P 500 or which tend to move together with stocks included in the S&P 500. The Equity Index Fund would not enter into futures contracts on stock indexes for speculative purposes.
The Equity Index Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in foreign securities (not including its investments in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”)). The Equity Index Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities which are illiquid.
Because of its policy of tracking the S&P 500, the Equity Index Fund is not managed according to traditional methods of active investment management, which involve the buying and selling of securities based upon investment analysis of economic, financial and market factors. Consequently, the projected adverse financial performance of a company normally would not result in the sale of the company’s stock and projected superior financial performance by a company normally would not lead to an increase in the holdings of the company. From time to time, the Sub-Adviser may make adjustments in the portfolio because of cash flows, mergers, changes in the composition of the S&P 500 and other similar reasons.
Standard & Poor’s is not in any way affiliated with the Equity Index Fund or the Trust. “Standard & Poor’s,” “Standard & Poor’s 500, “S&P 500” and “500” are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Corporation.
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Additional Information About the International Equity Fund
The International Equity Fund is managed using an active international approach, which utilizes a consistent process of stock selection undertaken by portfolio management teams located within each of the major investment regions, including Europe, Japan, Asia and the United States. In selecting securities, the Investment Adviser uses a bottom-up strategy based on first-hand fundamental research that is designed to give broad exposure to the available opportunities while seeking to add return primarily through stock selection. Equity investments for this Fund are evaluated based on three key factors—the business, the management and the valuation. The Investment Adviser ordinarily seeks securities that have, in the Investment Adviser’s opinion, superior earnings growth potential, sustainable franchise value with management attuned to creating shareholder value and relatively discounted valuations. In addition, the Investment Adviser uses a multi-factor risk model which seeks to assure that deviations from the benchmark are justifiable.
The International Equity Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, substantially all, and at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of purchase) in equity investments of companies that are organized outside the United States or whose securities are principally traded outside the United States.
The International Equity Fund’s Investment Adviser believes that outperformance is generated by a long-term focus on quality companies with quality managements that trade at attractive valuations.
Bottom-up, fundamental research is carried out by both the Investment Adviser’s four senior portfolio managers and its 80+ research analysts based in London, Singapore, Tokyo, New York and Tampa. These research analysts are organized into five global sector research teams — Consumer, Health Sciences, Financials, Industrials and Technology/Telecoms. The Investment Adviser’s global research platform also includes a ‘Specialist’ team that focuses on the small and mid-cap segments of each market. The rigorous investment criteria employed by the research analysts are designed to capture the quality of business, quality of management and valuation of the companies within the international equity universe.
Stock selection. The portfolio management team evaluates ideas with the global research analysts through formal conference calls, regular visits to the Investment Adviser’s regional offices and regular ad hoc communication. These forums allow the portfolio managers to cross-examine the research analysts, question their assumptions, ensure issues have been raised, and offer counter-perspectives to their investment recommendations. After questions arising from these discussions have been answered, primary stock selection is carried out by the International Equity portfolio managers, who assess each stock by balancing views of the global sector teams with their own before making a cross-border and cross-sector assessment of each company.
Portfolio construction is carried out by the Investment Adviser’s dedicated Portfolio Construction Team, which sizes each position based on the International Equity portfolio managers’ conviction in each stock and the position’s desired impact on portfolio risk. The portfolio managers work closely with the Portfolio Construction Team to position the research ideas in the International Equity Fund
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and cross-check positioning across all of the regional and sector flagship portfolios to ensure that investment themes are implemented consistently.
GSAMI’s currency team manages the foreign exchange risk embedded in foreign equities by means of a currency overlay program. The program may be utilized to protect the value of foreign investments in sustained periods of dollar appreciation and to add returns by seeking to take advantage of foreign exchange fluctuations.
The members of GSAMI’s International Equity team bring together years of experience in analyzing and investing in companies globally. Global research analysts have a local presence around the world that facilitates interaction with companies and enhances knowledge of local trends. Moreover, the ability of the portfolio managers to leverage the views of GSAMI’s Corporate Credit and Currency Teams result in a deeper understanding of companies and industries.
Information About the Government Income Fund
The Government Income Fund is designed for investors who seek a high level of current income, consistent with safety of principal and the high credit quality of U.S. Government Securities, without incurring the administrative and account burdens involved in direct investment.
The Government Income Fund’s overall returns are generally likely to move in the opposite direction from interest rates. Therefore, when interest rates decline, the Government Income Fund’s return is likely to increase. In exchange for accepting a higher degree of share price fluctuation, investors have the potential to achieve a higher return from the Government Income Fund than from shorter-term investments.
High Current Income. The Government Income Fund is designed to have a higher current yield than a money market fund, since it can invest in longer-term, higher yielding securities, and may utilize certain investment techniques not available to a money market fund. Similarly, the Government Income Fund’s yield is expected to exceed that offered by bank certificates of deposit and money market accounts. However, the Government Income Fund does not maintain a constant net asset value per share and is subject to greater fluctuation in the value of its shares than a money market fund. Unlike bank certificates of deposit and money market accounts, investments in shares of the Government Income Fund are not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. The Government Income Fund seeks to provide high current income without, however, sacrificing credit quality.
Liquidity. Because the Government Income Fund’s shares may be redeemed upon request of a shareholder on any business day at net asset value, the Government Income Fund offers greater liquidity than many competing investments such as certificates of deposit and direct investments in certain securities in which the Government Income Fund may invest.
A Sophisticated Investment Process. The Government Income Fund’s investment process starts with a review of trends for the overall economy as well as for different sectors of the U.S. government and Mortgage-Backed Securities markets. Goldman Sachs’ portfolio managers then analyze yield spreads, implied volatility and the shape of the yield curve. In planning the Government Income Fund’s portfolio investment strategies, the Investment Adviser is able to draw upon the economic and fixed-income
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research resources of Goldman Sachs. The Investment Adviser will use a sophisticated analytical process involving Goldman Sachs’ proprietary mortgage prepayment model and option-adjusted spread model to structure and maintain the Government Income Fund’s investment portfolio. In determining the Government Income Fund’s investment strategy and in making market timing decisions, the Investment Adviser will have access to information from Goldman Sachs’ economists, fixed-income analysts and mortgage specialists.
Convenience of a Fund Structure. The Government Income Fund eliminates many of the complications that direct ownership of U.S. Government Securities and Mortgage-Backed Securities entails. The Government Income Fund automatically reinvests all principal payments within the Fund and distributes only current income each month, thereby conserving principal and eliminating the investor’s need to segregate and reinvest the principal portion of each payment on his own.
Information About the Core Fixed Income Fund
The Core Fixed Income Fund is designed for investors seeking a total return consisting of capital appreciation and income that exceeds the total return of the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (the “Index”), without incurring the administrative and accounting burdens involved in direct investment. Such investors also prefer liquidity, experienced professional management and administration, a sophisticated investment process, and the convenience of a mutual fund structure. The Core Fixed Income Fund may be appropriate as part of a balanced investment strategy consisting of stocks, bonds and cash or as a complement to positions in other types of fixed-income investments.
The Index currently includes U.S. Government Securities and fixed-rate, publicly issued, U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-income securities rated at least Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or if a Moody’s rating is unavailable, the comparable S& P Ratings Group rating is used. The securities currently included in the Index have at least one year remaining to maturity; have an outstanding principal amount of at least $150 million; and are issued by the following types of issuers, with each category receiving a different weighting in the Index: U.S. Treasury; agencies, authorities or instrumentalities of the U.S. government; issuers of Mortgage-Backed Securities; utilities; industrial issuers; financial institutions; foreign issuers; and issuers of asset-backed securities. In pursuing its investment objective, the Fund uses the Index as its performance benchmark, but the Fund will not attempt to replicate the Index. The Fund may, therefore, invest in securities that are not included in the Index. The Index is a trademark of Lehman Brothers. Inclusion of a security in the Index does not imply an opinion by Lehman Brothers as to its attractiveness or appropriateness for investment. Although Lehman Brothers obtains factual information used in connection with the Index from sources which it considers reliable, Lehman Brothers claims no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of such information and has no liability to any person for any loss arising from results obtained from the use of the Index data.
The Core Fixed Income Fund’s overall returns are generally likely to move in the opposite direction from interest rates. Therefore, when interest rates decline, the Core Fixed Income Fund’s return is likely to increase. Conversely, when interest rates increase, the Core Fixed Income Fund’s return is likely to decline. However, the Investment Adviser believes that, given the flexibility of managers to invest in a diversified portfolio of securities, the Core Fixed Income Fund’s return is not likely to decline as quickly as that of other fixed-income funds with a comparable average portfolio duration. In exchange
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for accepting a higher degree of potential share price fluctuation, investors have the opportunity to achieve a higher return from the Core Fixed Income Fund than from shorter-term investments.
A number of investment strategies will be used to achieve the Core Fixed Income Fund’s investment objective, including market sector selection, determination of yield curve exposure, and issuer selection. In addition, the Investment Adviser will attempt to take advantage of pricing inefficiencies in the fixed-income markets. Market sector selection is the underweighting or overweighting of one or more of the five market sectors (i.e., U.S. Treasuries, U.S. government agencies, corporate securities, Mortgage-Backed Securities and asset-backed securities) in which the Fund primarily invests. The decision to overweight or underweight a given market sector is based on expectations of future yield spreads among different sectors. Yield curve exposure strategy consists of overweighting or underweighting different maturity sectors to take advantage of the shape of the yield curve. Issuer selection is the purchase and sale of corporate securities based on a corporation’s current and expected credit standing. To take advantage of price discrepancies between securities resulting from supply and demand imbalances or other technical factors, the Fund may simultaneously purchase and sell comparable, but not identical, securities. The Investment Adviser will usually have access to the research of, and proprietary technical models developed by, Goldman Sachs and will apply quantitative and qualitative analysis in determining the appropriate allocations among the categories of issuers and types of securities.
A Sophisticated Investment Process. The Core Fixed Income Fund will attempt to control its exposure to interest rate risk, including overall market exposure and the spread risk of particular sectors and securities, through active portfolio management techniques. The Core Fixed Income Fund’s investment process starts with a review of trends for the overall economy as well as for different sectors of the fixed-income securities markets. Goldman Sachs’ portfolio managers then analyze yield spreads, implied volatility and the shape of the yield curve. In planning the Core Fixed Income Fund’s portfolio investment strategies, the Investment Adviser is able to draw upon the economic and fixed-income research resources of Goldman Sachs. The Investment Adviser will use a sophisticated analytical process including Goldman Sachs’ proprietary mortgage prepayment model and option-adjusted spread model to assist in structuring and maintaining the Core Fixed Income Fund’s investment portfolio. In determining the Core Fixed Income Fund’s investment strategy and making market timing decisions, the Investment Adviser will have access to input from Goldman Sachs’ economists, fixed-income analysts and mortgage specialists.
Corporate Debt Obligations
The Money Market Fund may invest in corporate debt obligations to the extent described in the Prospectus and as permitted by Rule 2a-7 under the Act. Each other Fund may, under normal market conditions, invest in corporate debt obligations, including obligations of industrial, utility and financial issuers. Corporate debt obligations include bonds, notes, debentures and other obligations of corporations to pay interest and repay principal. The CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds may only invest in debt securities that are cash equivalents. Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.
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Fixed income securities rated BBB or Baa are considered medium-grade obligations with speculative characteristics, and adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances may weaken their issuers’ capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Medium to lower rated and comparable non-rated securities tend to offer higher yields than higher rated securities with the same maturities because the historical financial condition of the issuers of such securities may not have been as strong as that of other issuers. Since medium to lower rated securities generally involve greater risks of loss of income and principal than higher rated securities, investors should consider carefully the relative risks associated with investment in securities which carry medium to lower ratings and in comparable unrated securities. In addition to the risk of default, there are the related costs of recovery on defaulted issues. The Funds’ Investment Advisers will attempt to reduce these risks through portfolio diversification and by analysis of each issuer and its ability to make timely payments of income and principal, as well as broad economic trends and corporate developments. The Investment Adviser continually monitors the investments in a Fund’s portfolio and evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain corporate debt obligations whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed.
High Yield Securities
The Capital Growth, Growth and Income, MidCap Value, Growth Opportunities, and International Equity Funds may invest in bonds rated BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Ba or below by Moody’s (or comparable rated and unrated securities). These bonds are commonly referred to as “junk bonds” and are considered speculative. The ability of their issuers to make principal and interest payments may be questionable. In some cases, such bonds may be highly speculative, have poor prospects for reaching investment grade standing and be in default. As a result, investment in such bonds will entail greater risks than those associated with investment grade bonds (i.e., bonds rated AAA, AA, A or BBB by Standard and Poor’s or Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody’s). Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities, and the ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective may, to the extent of its investments in high yield securities, be more dependent upon such creditworthiness analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher quality securities. See Appendix A for a description of the corporate bond and preferred stock ratings by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”) and Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited (“DBRS”).
The amount of high yield, fixed-income securities proliferated in the 1980s and early 1990s as a result of increased merger and acquisition and leveraged buyout activity. Such securities are also issued by less-established corporations desiring to expand. Risks associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally are greater than is the case with higher rated securities because such issuers are often less creditworthy companies or are highly leveraged and generally less able than more established or less leveraged entities to make scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities are also issued by governmental issuers that may have difficulty in making all scheduled interest and principal payments.
The market values of high yield, fixed-income securities tends to reflect those individual corporate or municipal developments to a greater extent than do those of higher rated securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Issuers of such high yield securities are often highly leveraged, and may not be able to make use of more traditional methods of financing. Their ability to service debt obligations may be more adversely affected than issuers of higher rated securities by
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economic downturns, specific corporate or governmental developments or the issuers’ inability to meet specific projected business forecasts. These non-investment grade securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than higher-rated securities. Negative publicity about the junk bond market and investor perceptions regarding lower-rated securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may depress the prices for such securities.
An economic downturn could severely affect the ability of highly leveraged issuers of junk bond securities to service their debt obligations or to repay their obligations upon maturity. Factors having an adverse impact on the market value of junk bonds will have an adverse effect on a Fund’s net asset value to the extent it invests in such securities. In addition, a Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in payment of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings.
The secondary market for junk bonds, which is concentrated in relatively few market makers, may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities. This reduced liquidity may have an adverse effect on the ability of the Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value, Growth Opportunities and International Equity Funds to dispose of a particular security when necessary to meet their redemption requests or other liquidity needs. Under adverse market or economic conditions, the secondary market for junk bonds could contract further, independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. As a result, the Investment Advisers could find it difficult to sell these securities or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if such securities were widely traded. Prices realized upon the sale of such lower rated or unrated securities, under such circumstances, may be less than the prices used in calculating a Fund’s net asset value.
Since investors generally perceive that there are greater risks associated with the medium to lower rated securities of the type in which the Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value, Growth Opportunities and International Equity Funds may invest, the yields and prices of such securities may tend to fluctuate more than those for higher rated securities. In the lower quality segments of the fixed-income securities market, changes in perceptions of issuers’ creditworthiness tend to occur more frequently and in a more pronounced manner than do changes in higher quality segments of the fixed-income securities market, resulting in greater yield and price volatility.
Another factor which causes fluctuations in the prices of fixed-income securities is the supply and demand for similarly rated securities. In addition, the prices of fixed-income securities fluctuate in response to the general level of interest rates. Fluctuations in the prices of portfolio securities subsequent to their acquisition will not affect cash income from such securities but will be reflected in a Fund’s net asset value.
Medium to lower rated and comparable non-rated securities tend to offer higher yields than higher rated securities with the same maturities because the historical financial condition of the issuers of such securities may not have been as strong as that of other issuers. Since medium to lower rated securities generally involve greater risks of loss of income and principal than higher rated securities, investors should consider carefully the relative risks associated with investment in securities which carry medium to lower ratings and in comparable unrated securities. In addition to the risk of default, there are the related costs of recovery on defaulted issues. The Investment Adviser will attempt to reduce these risks through portfolio diversification and by analysis of each issuer and its ability to make timely payments of income and principal, as well as broad economic trends and corporate developments.
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The Investment Adviser employs its own credit research and analysis, which includes a study of existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debt and to pay dividends, the issuer’s sensitivity to economic conditions, its operating history and the current trend of earnings. The Investment Adviser continually monitors the investments in a Fund’s portfolio and evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain corporate debt obligations whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed.
Commercial Paper and Other Short-Term Corporate Obligations
The Money Market Fund may invest in commercial paper, including variable amount master demand notes and asset-backed commercial paper. The commercial paper purchased by the Money Market Fund consists of direct U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of domestic or foreign issuers.
The other Funds may invest in commercial paper and other short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations, non-U.S. corporations or other entities. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding companies, corporations and finance companies.
The Money Market Fund may invest in other short-term obligations, including short-term funding agreements payable in U.S. dollars and issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations, foreign corporations or other entities. A funding agreement is a contract between an issuer and a purchaser that obligates the issuer to pay a guaranteed rate of interest on a principal sum deposited by the purchaser. Funding agreements will also guarantee a stream of payments over time. A funding agreement has a fixed maturity date and may have either a fixed or variable interest rate that is based on an index and guaranteed for a set time period. Because there is generally no secondary market for these investments, funding agreements purchased by the Money Market Fund may be regarded as illiquid.
U.S. Government Securities
Each Fund may invest in U.S. Government Securities. Some U.S. Government Securities (such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds, which differ only in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance) are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Others, such as obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, are supported either by (i) the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, (ii) the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the issuer or (iii) only the credit of the issuer. The U.S. government is under no legal obligation, in general, to purchase the obligations of its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to the U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises in the future.
U.S. Government Securities include (to the extent consistent with the Act), securities for which the payment of principal and interest is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit issued by the U.S. government, or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. U.S. Government Securities may also include (to the extent consistent with the Act) participations in loans made to foreign governments or their agencies that are guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government
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or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. The secondary market for certain of these participations is extremely limited. In the absence of a suitable secondary market, such participations are regarded as illiquid.
Each Fund may also purchase U.S. Government Securities in private placements and may also invest in separately traded principal and interest components of securities guaranteed or issued by the U.S. Treasury that are traded independently under the separate trading of registered interest and principal of securities program (“STRIPS”). Each Fund (other than the Money Market Fund) may also invest in zero coupon U.S. Treasury Securities and in zero coupon securities issued by financial institutions which represent a proportionate interest in underlying U.S. Treasury Securities. A zero coupon security pays no interest to its holder during its life and its value consists of the difference between its face value at maturity and its cost. The market prices of zero coupon securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically.
Bank Obligations
Bank obligations in which each Fund may invest include certificates of deposit, unsecured bank promissory notes, bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other debt obligations. Bank obligations may be issued or guaranteed by U.S. banks or foreign banks. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return.
Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Fixed time deposits are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third party, although there is no market for such deposits. Bank notes and bankers’ acceptances rank junior to domestic deposit liabilities of the bank and pari passu with other senior, unsecured obligations of the bank. Bank notes are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other insurer. Deposit notes are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation only to the extent of $100,000 per depositor per bank.
The Money Market Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in bank obligations (whether foreign or domestic), including bank commercial paper. However, if adverse economic conditions prevail in the banking industry (such as substantial losses on loans, increases in non-performing assets and charge-offs and declines in total deposits) the Money Market Fund may, for defensive purposes, temporarily invest less than 25% of its total assets in bank obligations. As a result, the Money Market Fund may be especially affected by favorable and adverse developments in or related to the banking industry.
Banks are subject to extensive but different governmental regulations which may limit both the amount and types of loans which may be made and interest rates which may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of funds for
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the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operation of this industry.
Zero Coupon, Deferred Interest, Pay-in-Kind and Capital Appreciation Bonds
Each Fund (other than the Money Market Fund) may invest in zero coupon bonds. The Fixed Income Funds also may invest in deferred interest, pay-in-kind (“PIK”) and capital appreciation bonds. Zero coupon, deferred interest and capital appreciation bonds are debt securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value and which do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date. The original issue discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or cash payment date, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. These securities also may take the form of debt securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons, the coupons themselves or receipts or certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations or coupons. The market prices of zero coupon, deferred interest, capital appreciation bonds and PIK securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of interest bearing securities and are likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than interest bearing securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
PIK securities may be debt obligations or preferred shares that provide the issuer with the option of paying interest or dividends on such obligations in cash or in the form of additional securities rather than cash. Similar to zero coupon bonds and deferred interest bonds, PIK securities are designed to give an issuer flexibility in managing cash flow. PIK securities that are debt securities can be either senior or subordinated debt and generally trade flat (i.e., without accrued interest). The trading price of PIK debt securities generally reflects the market value of the underlying debt plus an amount representing accrued interest since the last interest payment.
Zero coupon, deferred interest, capital appreciation and PIK securities involve the additional risk that, unlike securities that periodically pay interest to maturity, a Fund will realize no cash until a specified future payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer of such securities defaults, a Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. In addition, even though such securities do not provide for the payment of current interest in cash, the Funds are nonetheless required to accrue income on such investments for each taxable year and generally are required to distribute such accrued amounts (net of deductible expenses, if any) to avoid being subject to tax. Because no cash is generally received at the time of the accrual, a Fund may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy federal tax distribution requirements applicable to the Fund. A portion of the discount with respect to stripped tax-exempt securities or their coupons may be taxable. See “Taxation.”
Variable Amount Master Demand Notes
The Money Market Fund may purchase variable amount master demand notes. These obligations permit the investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to direct arrangements between the Money Market Fund, as lender, and the borrower. Variable amount master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower and are not generally transferable, nor are they ordinarily rated. The Money Market Fund may invest in them only if the
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Investment Adviser believes that the notes are of comparable quality to the other obligations in which the Money Market Fund may invest.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities
The interest rates payable on certain fixed income securities in which a Fund may invest are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. A variable rate obligation has an interest rate which is adjusted at pre-designated periods in response to changes in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate is based. Variable and floating rate obligations are less effective than fixed rate instruments at locking in a particular yield. Nevertheless, such obligations may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons.
The Money Market Fund may purchase variable and floating rate demand instruments that are municipal obligations or other debt securities issued by corporations and other non-governmental issuers that possess a floating or variable interest rate adjustment formula. These instruments permit the Fund to demand payment of the principal balance plus unpaid accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice to the issuer or its agent. The demand feature may be backed by a bank letter of credit or guarantee, or the credit enhancement issued with respect to such instrument.
The terms of the variable or floating rate demand instruments that the Money Market Fund may purchase provide that interest rates are adjustable at intervals ranging from daily up to 397 calendar days, and the adjustments are based upon current market levels, the prime rate of a bank or other appropriate interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective instruments. Some of these instruments are payable on demand on a daily basis or on not more than seven days’ notice. Others, such as instruments with quarterly or semi-annual interest rate adjustments, may be put back to the issuer on designated days, usually on not more than thirty days’ notice. Still others are automatically called by the issuer unless the Money Market Fund instructs otherwise. The Trust, on behalf of the Money Market Fund, intends to exercise the demand only (i) upon a default under the terms of the debt security; (ii) as needed to provide liquidity to the Fund; (iii) to maintain the respective quality standards of the Fund’s investment portfolio; or (iv) to attain a more optimal portfolio structure. The Money Market Fund will determine the variable or floating rate demand instruments that it will purchase in accordance with procedures approved by the Trustees to minimize credit risks. To be eligible for purchase by the Money Market Fund, a variable or floating rate demand instrument which is unrated must have high quality characteristics similar to other obligations in which the Fund may invest. The Investment Adviser may determine that an unrated variable or floating rate demand instrument meets the Money Market Fund’s quality criteria by reason of being backed by a letter of credit, guarantee, or demand feature issued by an entity that meets the quality criteria for the Fund. Thus, either the credit of the issuer of the obligation or the provider of the credit support or both will meet the quality standards of the Money Market Fund.
As stated in the Prospectus, the Money Market Fund may consider the maturity of a long-term variable or floating rate demand instrument to be shorter than its ultimate stated maturity under specified conditions. The acquisition of variable or floating rate demand notes for the Money Market Fund must also meet the requirements of rules issued by the SEC applicable to the use of the amortized cost method of securities valuation. The Money Market Fund will also consider the liquidity of the
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market for variable and floating rate instruments, and in the event that such instruments are illiquid, the Fund’s investments in such instruments will be subject to the limitation on illiquid investments.
The Money Market Fund may invest in variable or floating rate participation interests in municipal obligations held by financial institutions (usually commercial banks). Such participation interests provide the Money Market Fund with a specific undivided interest (up to 100%) in the underlying obligation and the right to demand payment of its proportional interest in the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest from the financial institution upon a specific number of days’ notice. In addition, the participation interest may be backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee from the institution. The financial institution usually is entitled to a fee for servicing the obligation and providing the letter of credit.
The Fixed Income Funds may invest in “leveraged” inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”), including “leveraged inverse floaters.” The interest rate on inverse floaters resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse floater is indexed. An inverse floater may be considered to be leveraged to the extent that its interest rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index rate of interest. The higher the degree of leverage inherent in inverse floaters is associated with greater volatility in their market values. Accordingly, the duration of an inverse floater may exceed its stated final maturity. Certain inverse floaters may be deemed to be illiquid securities for purposes of each Fixed Income Fund’s limitation on illiquid investments.
Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates
The Money Market Fund may acquire U.S. Government Securities, municipal obligations or other debt instruments in the form of custodial receipts that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain U.S. Government Securities, municipal obligations or other debt instruments. Such securities are held in custody by a bank on behalf of the owners. These custodial receipts are known by various names, including “Treasury Receipts,” “Treasury Investors Growth Receipts” (“TIGRs”), and “Certificates of Accrual on Treasury Securities” (“CATS”). Although custodial receipts involving U.S. Government Securities are not considered U.S. Government Securities for certain securities law purposes, the securities underlying such receipts are issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities.
Each other Fund may invest in custodial receipts and trust certificates (which may be underwritten by securities dealers or banks), representing interests in securities held by a custodian or trustee. The securities so held may include U.S. Government Securities, municipal securities or other types of securities in which the Funds may invest. The custodial receipts or trust certificates are underwritten by securities dealers or banks and may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities, or, in some cases, the payment obligation of a third party that has entered into an interest rate swap or other arrangement with the custodian or trustee. For certain securities laws purposes, custodial receipts and trust certificates may not be considered obligations of the U.S. Government or other issuer of the securities held by the custodian or trustee. As a holder of custodial receipts and trust certificates, the Funds will bear their proportionate share of the fees and expenses charged to the custodial account or trust. The Funds may also invest in separately issued interests in custodial receipts and trust certificates.
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Although under the terms of a custodial receipt or trust certificate the Funds would be typically authorized to assert their rights directly against the issuer of the underlying obligation, the Funds could be required to assert through the custodian bank or trustee those rights as may exist against the underlying issuers. Thus, in the event an underlying issuer fails to pay principal and/or interest when due, the Funds may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that would have been involved if the Funds had purchased a direct obligation of the issuer. In addition, in the event that the trust or custodial account in which the underlying securities have been deposited is determined to be an association taxable as a corporation, instead of a non-taxable entity, the yield on the underlying securities would be reduced in recognition of any taxes paid.
Certain custodial receipts and trust certificates may be synthetic or derivative instruments that have interest rates that reset inversely to changing short-term rates and/or have embedded interest rate floors and caps that require the issuer to pay an adjusted interest rate if market rates fall below or rise above a specified rate. Because some of these instruments represent relatively recent innovations, and the trading market for these instruments is less developed than the markets for traditional types of instruments, it is uncertain how these instruments will perform under different economic and interest-rate scenarios. Also, because these instruments may be leveraged, their market values may be more volatile than other types of fixed income instruments and may present greater potential for capital gain or loss. The possibility of default by an issuer or the issuer’s credit provider may be greater for these derivative instruments than for other types of instruments. In some cases, it may be difficult to determine the fair value of a derivative instrument because of a lack of reliable objective information and an established secondary market for some instruments may not exist. In many cases, the Internal Revenue Service has not ruled on the tax treatment of the interest or payments received on the derivative instruments and, accordingly, purchases of such instruments are based on the opinion of counsel to the sponsors of the instruments.
Mortgage Loans and Mortgage-Backed Securities
Each Fund (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds) may invest in mortgage loans and mortgage pass-through securities and other securities representing an interest in or collateralized by mortgage loans (“Mortgage-Backed Securities”). Mortgage-Backed Securities (including collateralized mortgage obligations, REMICs and stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities described below) are subject to both call risk and extension risk. Because of these risks, these securities can have significantly greater price and yield volatility than with traditional fixed-income securities.
General Characteristics. Each mortgage pool underlying Mortgage-Backed Securities consists of mortgage loans evidenced by promissory notes secured by first mortgages or first deeds of trust or other similar security instruments creating a first lien on owner occupied and non-owner occupied one-unit to four-unit residential properties, multifamily (i.e., five or more) properties, agricultural properties, commercial properties and mixed use properties (the “Mortgaged Properties”). The Mortgaged Properties may consist of detached individual dwelling units, multifamily dwelling units, individual condominiums, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, individual units in planned unit developments and other attached dwelling units. The Mortgaged Properties may also include residential investment properties and second homes.
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The investment characteristics of adjustable and fixed rate Mortgage-Backed Securities differ from those of traditional fixed-income securities. The major differences include the payment of interest and principal on Mortgage-Backed Securities on a more frequent (usually monthly) schedule, and the possibility that principal may be prepaid at any time due to prepayments on the underlying mortgage loans or other assets. These differences can result in significantly greater price and yield volatility than is the case with traditional fixed-income securities. As a result, if a Fund purchases Mortgage-Backed Securities at a premium, a faster than expected prepayment rate will reduce both the market value and the yield to maturity from those which were anticipated. A prepayment rate that is slower than expected will have the opposite effect of increasing yield to maturity and market value. Conversely, if a Fund purchases Mortgage-Backed Securities at a discount, faster than expected prepayments will increase, while slower than expected prepayments will reduce yield to maturity and market values. To the extent that a Fund invests in Mortgage-Backed Securities, the Investment Adviser may seek to manage these potential risks by investing in a variety of Mortgage-Backed Securities and by using certain hedging techniques.
Prepayments on a pool of mortgage loans are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors (such as changes in mortgagors’ housing needs, job transfers, unemployment, mortgagors’ equity in the mortgage properties and servicing decisions). The timing and level of prepayments cannot be predicted. A predominant factor affecting the prepayment rate on a pool of mortgage loans is, however, the difference between the interest rates on outstanding mortgage loans and prevailing mortgage loan interest rates (giving consideration to the cost of any refinancing). Generally, prepayments on mortgage loans will increase during a period of falling mortgage interest rates and decrease during a period of rising mortgage interest rates. Accordingly, the amounts of prepayments available for reinvestment by a Fund are likely to be greater during a period of declining mortgage interest rates. If general interest rates decline, such prepayments are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates than the Fund was earning on the Mortgage-Backed Securities that were prepaid. Due to these factors, Mortgage-Backed Securities may be less effective than U.S. Treasury and other types of debt securities of similar maturity at maintaining yields during periods of declining interest rates. Because the Funds’ investments are interest-rate sensitive, each Fund’s performance will depend in part upon the ability of the Fund to anticipate and respond to fluctuations in market interest rates and to utilize appropriate strategies to maximize returns to the Fund, while attempting to minimize the associated risks to its investment capital. Prepayments may have a disproportionate effect on certain Mortgage-Backed Securities and other multiple class pass-through securities, which are discussed below.
The rate of interest on Mortgage-Backed Securities is normally lower than the interest rates paid on the mortgages included in the underlying pool due to the annual fees paid to the servicer of the mortgage pool for passing through monthly payments to certificate holders and to any guarantor, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), and due to any yield retained by the issuer. Actual yield to the holder may vary from the coupon rate, even if adjustable, if the Mortgage-Backed Securities are purchased or traded in the secondary market at a premium or discount. In addition, there is normally some delay between the time the issuer receives mortgage payments from the servicer and the time the issuer makes the payments on the Mortgage-Backed Securities and this delay reduces the effective yield to the holder of such securities.
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The issuers of certain mortgage-backed obligations may elect to have the pool of mortgage loans (or indirect interests in mortgage loans) underlying the securities treated as a real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”), which is subject to special federal income tax rules. A description of the types of Mortgage-Backed Securities in which the Funds may invest is provided below. The descriptions are general and summary in nature, and do not detail every possible variation of the types of securities that are permissible for the Funds.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans (“ARMs”). The Fixed Income Funds may invest in ARMs. ARMs generally provide for a fixed initial mortgage interest rate for a specified period of time. Thereafter, the interest rates (the “Mortgage Interest Rates”) may be subject to periodic adjustment based on changes in the applicable index rate (the “Index Rate”). The adjusted rate would be equal to the Index Rate plus a fixed percentage spread over the Index Rate established for each ARM at the time of its origination. ARMs allow a Fund to participate in increases in interest rates through periodic increases in the securities coupon rates. During periods of declining interest rates, coupon rates may readjust downward resulting in lower yields to a Fund.
Adjustable interest rates can cause payment increases that some mortgagors may find difficult to make. However, certain ARMs may provide that the Mortgage Interest Rate may not be adjusted to a rate above an applicable lifetime maximum rate or below an applicable lifetime minimum rate for such ARM. Certain ARMs may also be subject to limitations on the maximum amount by which the Mortgage Interest Rate may adjust for any single adjustment period (the “Maximum Adjustment”). Other ARMs (“Negatively Amortizing ARMs”) may provide instead or as well for limitations on changes in the monthly payment on such ARMs. Limitations on monthly payments can result in monthly payments which are greater or less than the amount necessary to amortize a Negatively Amortizing ARM by its maturity at the Mortgage Interest Rate in effect in any particular month. In the event that a monthly payment is not sufficient to pay the interest accruing on a Negatively Amortizing ARM, any such excess interest is added to the principal balance of the loan, causing negative amortization, and will be repaid through future monthly payments. It may take borrowers under Negatively Amortizing ARMs longer periods of time to build up equity and may increase the likelihood of default by such borrowers. In the event that a monthly payment exceeds the sum of the interest accrued at the applicable Mortgage Interest Rate and the principal payment which would have been necessary to amortize the outstanding principal balance over the remaining term of the loan, the excess (or “accelerated amortization”) further reduces the principal balance of the ARM. Negatively Amortizing ARMs do not provide for the extension of their original maturity to accommodate changes in their Mortgage Interest Rate. As a result, unless there is a periodic recalculation of the payment amount (which there generally is), the final payment may be substantially larger than the other payments. These limitations on periodic increases in interest rates and on changes in monthly payments protect borrowers from unlimited interest rate and payment increases, but may result in increased credit exposure and prepayment risks for lenders.
ARMs also have the risk of prepayments. The rate of principal prepayments with respect to ARMs has fluctuated in recent years. The value of Mortgage-Backed Securities that are structured as pass through mortgage securities that are collateralized by ARMs are less likely to rise during periods of declining interest rates to the same extent as fixed-rate securities. Accordingly, ARMs may be subject to a greater rate of principal repayments in a declining interest rate environment resulting in lower yields to a Fund. For example, if prevailing interest rates fall significantly, ARMs could be subject to higher prepayment rates (than if prevailing interest rates remain constant or increase) because the availability of
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low fixed-rate mortgages may encourage mortgagors to refinance their ARMs to “lock-in” a fixed-rate mortgage. On the other hand, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of ARMs will lag behind changes in the market rate. ARMs are also typically subject to maximum increases and decreases in the interest rate adjustment which can be made on any one adjustment date, in any one year, or during the life of the security. In the event of dramatic increases or decreases in prevailing market interest rates, the value of a Fund’s investment in ARMs may fluctuate more substantially since these limits may prevent the security from fully adjusting its interest rate to the prevailing market rates. As with fixed-rate mortgages, ARM prepayment rates vary in both stable and changing interest rate environments.
There are two main categories of indices which provide the basis for rate adjustments on ARMs: those based on U.S. Treasury securities and those derived from a calculated measure, such as a cost of funds index or a moving average of mortgage rates. Commonly utilized indices include the one-year, three-year and five-year constant maturity Treasury rates, the three-month Treasury bill rate, the 180-day Treasury bill rate, rates on longer-term Treasury securities, the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds, the National Median Cost of Funds, the one-month, three-month, six-month or one-year London Interbank Offered Rate, the prime rate of a specific bank or commercial paper rates. Some indices, such as the one-year constant maturity Treasury rate, closely mirror changes in market interest rate levels. Others, such as the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds index, tend to lag behind changes in market rate levels and tend to be somewhat less volatile. The degree of volatility in the market value of a Fund that holds ARMs and, therefore, in the net asset value of its shares, will be a function of the length of the interest rate reset periods and the degree of volatility in the applicable indices.
Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans. Generally, fixed-rate mortgage loans included in a mortgage pool (“Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans”) will bear simple interest at fixed annual rates and have original terms to maturity ranging from 5 to 40 years. Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans generally provide for monthly payments of principal and interest in substantially equal installments for the term of the mortgage note in sufficient amounts to fully amortize principal by maturity, although certain Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans provide for a large final “balloon” payment upon maturity.
Legal Considerations of Mortgage Loans. The following is a discussion of certain legal and regulatory aspects of the mortgage loans in which the Funds may invest. These regulations may impair the ability of a mortgage lender to enforce its rights under the mortgage documents. These regulations may adversely affect the Funds’ investments in Mortgage-Backed Securities (including those issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) by delaying the Funds’ receipt of payments derived from principal or interest on mortgage loans affected by such regulations.
1. | | Foreclosure. A foreclosure of a defaulted mortgage loan may be delayed due to compliance with statutory notice or service of process provisions, difficulties in locating necessary parties or legal challenges to the mortgagee’s right to foreclose. Depending upon market conditions, the ultimate proceeds of the sale of foreclosed property may not equal the amounts owed on the Mortgage-Backed Securities. |
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| | Furthermore, courts in some cases have imposed general equitable principles upon foreclosure generally designed to relieve the borrower from the legal effect of default and have required lenders to undertake affirmative and expensive actions to determine the causes for the default and the likelihood of loan reinstatement. |
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2. | | Rights of Redemption. In some states, after foreclosure of a mortgage loan, the borrower and foreclosed junior lienors are given a statutory period in which to redeem the property, which right may diminish the mortgagee’s ability to sell the property. |
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3. | | Legislative Limitations. In addition to anti-deficiency and related legislation, numerous other federal and state statutory provisions, including the federal bankruptcy laws and state laws affording relief to debtors, may interfere with or affect the ability of a secured mortgage lender to enforce its security interest. For example, a bankruptcy court may grant the debtor a reasonable time to cure a default on a mortgage loan, including a payment default. The court in certain instances may also reduce the monthly payments due under such mortgage loan, change the rate of interest, reduce the principal balance of the loan to the then-current appraised value of the related mortgaged property, alter the mortgage loan repayment schedule and grant priority of certain liens over the lien of the mortgage loan. If a court relieves a borrower’s obligation to repay amounts otherwise due on a mortgage loan, the mortgage loan servicer will not be required to advance such amounts, and any loss may be borne by the holders of securities backed by such loans. In addition, numerous federal and state consumer protection laws impose penalties for failure to comply with specific requirements in connection with origination and servicing of mortgage loans. |
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4. | | “Due-on-Sale” Provisions. Fixed-rate mortgage loans may contain a so-called “due-on-sale” clause permitting acceleration of the maturity of the mortgage loan if the borrower transfers the property. The Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 sets forth nine specific instances in which no mortgage lender covered by that Act may exercise a “due-on-sale” clause upon a transfer of property. The inability to enforce a “due-on-sale” clause or the lack of such a clause in mortgage loan documents may result in a mortgage loan being assumed by a purchaser of the property that bears an interest rate below the current market rate. |
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5. | | Usury Laws. Some states prohibit charging interest on mortgage loans in excess of statutory limits. If such limits are exceeded, substantial penalties may be incurred and, in some cases, enforceability of the obligation to pay principal and interest may be affected. |
Government Guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities. There are several types of government guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities currently available, including guaranteed mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple class securities, which include guaranteed Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit Certificates (“REMIC Certificates”), other collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. A Fund is permitted to invest in other types of Mortgage-Backed Securities that may be available in the future to the extent consistent with its investment policies and objective.
A Fund’s investments in Mortgage-Backed Securities may include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, such as Ginnie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”). Ginnie Mae securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which means that the U.S. Government guarantees that the interest and principal will be paid when due. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have the
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ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, and as a result, they are generally viewed by the market as high quality securities with low credit risks. From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating federal sponsorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that issue guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Trust cannot predict what legislation, if any, may be proposed in the future in Congress as regards such sponsorship or which proposals, if any, might be enacted. Such proposals, if enacted, might materially and adversely affect the availability of government guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities and a Fund’s liquidity and value.
There is risk that the U.S. Government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. A Fund may purchase U.S. Government Securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. Government Securities held by a Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including their legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future.
Ginnie Mae Certificates. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned corporate instrumentality of the United States. Ginnie Mae is authorized to guarantee the timely payment of the principal of and interest on certificates that are based on and backed by a pool of mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA Loans”), or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration (“VA Loans”), or by pools of other eligible mortgage loans. In order to meet its obligations under any guaranty, Ginnie Mae is authorized to borrow from the United States Treasury in an unlimited amount. The National Housing Act provides that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged to the timely payment of principal and interest by Ginnie Mae of amounts due on Ginnie Mae certificates.
Fannie Mae Certificates. Fannie Mae is a stockholder-owned corporation chartered under an act of the United States Congress. Generally, Fannie Mae Certificates are issued and guaranteed by Fannie Mae and represent an undivided interest in a pool of mortgage loans (a “Pool”) formed by Fannie Mae. Each Pool consists of residential mortgage loans (“Mortgage Loans”) either previously owned by Fannie Mae or purchased by it in connection with the formation of the Pool. The Mortgage Loans may be either conventional Mortgage Loans (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any U.S. Government agency) or Mortgage Loans that are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration (“VA”). However, the Mortgage Loans in Fannie Mae Pools are primarily conventional Mortgage Loans. The lenders originating and servicing the Mortgage Loans are subject to certain eligibility requirements established by Fannie Mae.
Fannie Mae has certain contractual responsibilities. With respect to each Pool, Fannie Mae is obligated to distribute scheduled installments of principal and interest after Fannie Mae’s servicing and guaranty fee, whether or not received, to Certificate holders. Fannie Mae also is obligated to distribute to holders of Certificates an amount equal to the full principal balance of any foreclosed Mortgage Loan, whether or not such principal balance is actually recovered. The obligations of Fannie Mae under its guaranty of the Fannie Mae Certificates are obligations solely of Fannie Mae.
Freddie Mac Certificates. Freddie Mac is a publicly held U.S. Government sponsored enterprise. The principal activity of Freddie Mac currently is the purchase of first lien, conventional, residential mortgage loans and participation interests in such mortgage loans and their resale in the
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form of mortgage securities, primarily Freddie Mac Certificates. A Freddie Mac Certificate represents a pro rata interest in a group of mortgage loans or participations in mortgage loans (a “Freddie Mac Certificate group”) purchased by Freddie Mac.
Freddie Mac guarantees to each registered holder of a Freddie Mac Certificate the timely payment of interest at the rate provided for by such Freddie Mac Certificate (whether or not received on the underlying loans). Freddie Mac also guarantees to each registered Certificate holder an ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans, without any offset or deduction, but does not, generally, guarantee the timely payment of scheduled principal. The obligations of Freddie Mac under its guaranty of Freddie Mac Certificates are obligations solely of Freddie Mac.
The mortgage loans underlying the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Certificates consist of adjustable rate or fixed-rate mortgage loans with original terms to maturity of up to forty years. Substantially all of these mortgage loans are secured by first liens on one-to-four-family residential properties or multi-family projects. Each mortgage loan must meet the applicable standards set forth in the law creating Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. A Freddie Mac Certificate group may include whole loans, participation interests in whole loans, undivided interests in whole loans and participations comprising another Freddie Mac Certificate group.
Conventional Mortgage Loans. The conventional mortgage loans underlying the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Certificates consist of adjustable rate or fixed rate mortgage loans normally with original terms to maturity of between five and thirty years. Substantially all of these mortgage loans are secured by first liens on one-to four-family residential properties or multi-family projects. Each mortgage loan must meet the applicable standards set forth in the law creating Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. A Freddie Mac Certificate group may include whole loans, participation interests in whole loans, undivided interests in whole loans and participations comprising another Freddie Mac Certificate group.
Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. Each Fund (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds) may invest in both government guaranteed and privately issued mortgage pass-through securities (“Mortgage Pass-Throughs”) that are fixed or adjustable rate Mortgage-Backed Securities which provide for monthly payments that are a “pass-through” of the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans, net of any fees or other amounts paid to any guarantor, administrator and/or servicer of the underlying mortgage loans. The seller or servicer of the underlying mortgage obligations will generally make representations and warranties to certificate holders as to certain characteristics of the mortgage loans and as to the accuracy of certain information furnished to the trustee in respect of each such mortgage loan. Upon a breach of any representation or warranty that materially and adversely affects the interests of the related certificate holders in a mortgage loan, the seller or servicer generally will be obligated either to cure the breach in all material respects, to repurchase the mortgage loan or, if the related agreement so provides, to substitute in its place a mortgage loan pursuant to the conditions set forth therein. Such a repurchase or substitution obligation may constitute the sole remedy available to the related certificate holders or the trustee for the material breach of any such representation or warranty by the seller or servicer.
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The following discussion describes only a few of the wide variety of structures of Mortgage Pass-Throughs that are available or may be issued.
Description of Certificates. Mortgage Pass-Throughs may be issued in one or more classes of senior certificates and one or more classes of subordinate certificates. Each such class may bear a different pass-through rate. Generally, each certificate will evidence the specified interest of the holder thereof in the payments of principal or interest or both in respect of the mortgage pool comprising part of the trust fund for such certificates.
Any class of certificates may also be divided into subclasses entitled to varying amounts of principal and interest. If a REMIC election has been made, certificates of such subclasses may be entitled to payments on the basis of a stated principal balance and stated interest rate, and payments among different subclasses may be made on a sequential, concurrent, pro rata or disproportionate basis, or any combination thereof. The stated interest rate on any such subclass of certificates may be a fixed rate or one which varies in direct or inverse relationship to an objective interest index.
Generally, each registered holder of a certificate will be entitled to receive its pro rata share of monthly distributions of all or a portion of principal of the underlying mortgage loans or of interest on the principal balances thereof, which accrues at the applicable mortgage pass-through rate, or both. The difference between the mortgage interest rate and the related mortgage pass-through rate (less the amount, if any, of retained yield) with respect to each mortgage loan will generally be paid to the servicer as a servicing fee. Since certain adjustable rate mortgage loans included in a mortgage pool may provide for deferred interest (i.e., negative amortization), the amount of interest actually paid by a mortgagor in any month may be less than the amount of interest accrued on the outstanding principal balance of the related mortgage loan during the relevant period at the applicable mortgage interest rate. In such event, the amount of interest that is treated as deferred interest will generally be added to the principal balance of the related mortgage loan and will be distributed pro rata to certificate-holders as principal of such mortgage loan when paid by the mortgagor in subsequent monthly payments or at maturity.
Ratings. The ratings assigned by a rating organization to Mortgage Pass-Throughs address the likelihood of the receipt of all distributions on the underlying mortgage loans by the related certificate-holders under the agreements pursuant to which such certificates are issued. A rating organization’s ratings normally take into consideration the credit quality of the related mortgage pool, including any credit support providers, structural and legal aspects associated with such certificates, and the extent to which the payment stream on such mortgage pool is adequate to make payments required by such certificates. A rating organization’s ratings on such certificates do not, however, constitute a statement regarding frequency of prepayments on the related mortgage loans. In addition, the rating assigned by a rating organization to a certificate may not address the remote possibility that, in the event of the insolvency of the issuer of certificates where a subordinated interest was retained, the issuance and sale of the senior certificates may be recharacterized as a financing and, as a result of such recharacterization, payments on such certificates may be affected.
Credit Enhancement. Mortgage pools credited by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher yield than government and government-related pools because of the absence of direct or indirect government or agency payment guarantees. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on
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underlying assets to make payments, Mortgage Pass-Throughs may contain elements of credit support. Credit support falls generally into two categories: (i) liquidity protection and (ii) protection against losses resulting from default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pools of mortgages, the provision of a reserve fund, or a combination thereof, to ensure, subject to certain limitations, that scheduled payments on the underlying pool are made in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from default ensures ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. Such credit support can be provided by among other things, payment guarantees, letters of credit, pool insurance, subordination, or any combination thereof.
Subordination; Shifting of Interest; Reserve Fund. In order to achieve ratings on one or more classes of Mortgage Pass-Throughs, one or more classes of certificates may be subordinate certificates which provide that the rights of the subordinate certificate-holders to receive any or a specified portion of distributions with respect to the underlying mortgage loans may be subordinated to the rights of the senior certificate-holders. If so structured, the subordination feature may be enhanced by distributing to the senior certificate-holders on certain distribution dates, as payment of principal, a specified percentage (which generally declines over time) of all principal payments received during the preceding prepayment period (“shifting interest credit enhancement”). This will have the effect of accelerating the amortization of the senior certificates while increasing the interest in the trust fund evidenced by the subordinate certificates. Increasing the interest of the subordinate certificates relative to that of the senior certificates is intended to preserve the availability of the subordination provided by the subordinate certificates. In addition, because the senior certificate-holders in a shifting interest credit enhancement structure are entitled to receive a percentage of principal prepayments which is greater than their proportionate interest in the trust fund, the rate of principal prepayments on the mortgage loans may have an even greater effect on the rate of principal payments and the amount of interest payments on, and the yield to maturity of, the senior certificates.
In addition to providing for a preferential right of the senior certificate-holders to receive current distributions from the mortgage pool, a reserve fund may be established relating to such certificates (the “Reserve Fund”). The Reserve Fund may be created with an initial cash deposit by the originator or servicer and augmented by the retention of distributions otherwise available to the subordinate certificate-holders or by excess servicing fees until the Reserve Fund reaches a specified amount.
The subordination feature, and any Reserve Fund, are intended to enhance the likelihood of timely receipt by senior certificate-holders of the full amount of scheduled monthly payments of principal and interest due them and will protect the senior certificate-holders against certain losses; however, in certain circumstances the Reserve Fund could be depleted and temporary shortfalls could result. In the event the Reserve Fund is depleted before the subordinated amount is reduced to zero, senior certificate-holders will nevertheless have a preferential right to receive current distributions from the mortgage pool to the extent of the then outstanding subordinated amount. Unless otherwise specified, until the subordinated amount is reduced to zero, on any distribution date any amount otherwise distributable to the subordinate certificates or, to the extent specified, in the Reserve Fund will generally be used to offset the amount of any losses realized with respect to the mortgage loans (“Realized Losses”). Realized Losses remaining after application of such amounts will generally be applied to reduce the ownership interest of the subordinate certificates in the mortgage pool. If the
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subordinated amount has been reduced to zero, Realized Losses generally will be allocated pro rata among all certificate-holders in proportion to their respective outstanding interests in the mortgage pool.
Alternative Credit Enhancement. As an alternative, or in addition to the credit enhancement afforded by subordination, credit enhancement for Mortgage Pass-Throughs may be provided by mortgage insurance, hazard insurance, by the deposit of cash, certificates of deposit, letters of credit, a limited guaranty or by such other methods as are acceptable to a rating agency. In certain circumstances, such as where credit enhancement is provided by guarantees or a letter of credit, the security is subject to credit risk because of its exposure to an external credit enhancement provider.
Voluntary Advances. Generally, in the event of delinquencies in payments on the mortgage loans underlying the Mortgage Pass-Throughs, the servicer agrees to make advances of cash for the benefit of certificate-holders, but generally will do so only to the extent that it determines such voluntary advances will be recoverable from future payments and collections on the mortgage loans or otherwise.
Optional Termination. Generally, the servicer may, at its option with respect to any certificates, repurchase all of the underlying mortgage loans remaining outstanding at such time if the aggregate outstanding principal balance of such mortgage loans is less than a specified percentage (generally 5-10%) of the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the mortgage loans as of the cut-off date specified with respect to such series.
Multiple Class Mortgage-Backed Securities and Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. A Fund may invest in multiple class securities including collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and REMIC Certificates. These securities may be issued by U.S. Government agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or by trusts formed by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. In general, CMOs are debt obligations of a legal entity that are collateralized by, and multiple class Mortgage-Backed Securities represent direct ownership interests in, a pool of mortgage loans or Mortgage-Backed Securities the payments on which are used to make payments on the CMOs or multiple class Mortgage-Backed Securities.
Fannie Mae REMIC Certificates are issued and guaranteed as to timely distribution of principal and interest by Fannie Mae. In addition, Fannie Mae will be obligated to distribute the principal balance of each class of REMIC Certificates in full, whether or not sufficient funds are otherwise available.
Freddie Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest on Freddie Mac REMIC Certificates and also guarantees the payment of principal as payments are required to be made on the underlying mortgage participation certificates (“PCs”). PCs represent undivided interests in specified level payment, residential mortgages or participations therein purchased by Freddie Mac and placed in a PC pool. With respect to principal payments on PCs, Freddie Mac generally guarantees ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans without offset or deduction but the receipt of
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the required payments may be delayed. Freddie Mac also guarantees timely payment of principal of certain PCs.
CMOs and guaranteed REMIC Certificates issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are types of multiple class Mortgage-Backed Securities. The REMIC Certificates represent beneficial ownership interests in a REMIC trust, generally consisting of mortgage loans or Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities (the “Mortgage Assets”). The obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac under their respective guaranty of the REMIC Certificates are obligations solely of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, respectively.
CMOs and REMIC Certificates are issued in multiple classes. Each class of CMOs or REMIC Certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Loans or the Mortgage Assets underlying the CMOs or REMIC Certificates may cause some or all of the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates to be retired substantially earlier than their final distribution dates. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates on a monthly basis.
The principal of and interest on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in various ways. In certain structures (known as “sequential pay” CMOs or REMIC Certificates), payments of principal, including any principal prepayments, on the Mortgage Assets generally are applied to the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made on any class of sequential pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full.
Additional structures of CMOs and REMIC Certificates include, among others, “parallel pay” CMOs and REMIC Certificates. Parallel pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates are those which are structured to apply principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets to two or more classes concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class.
A wide variety of REMIC Certificates may be issued in parallel pay or sequential pay structures. These securities include accrual certificates (also known as “Z-Bonds”), which only accrue interest at a specified rate until all other certificates having an earlier final distribution date have been retired and are converted thereafter to an interest-paying security, and planned amortization class (“PAC”) certificates, which are parallel pay REMIC Certificates that generally require that specified amounts of principal be applied on each payment date to one or more classes or REMIC Certificates (the “PAC Certificates”), even though all other principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets are then required to be applied to one or more other classes of the PAC Certificates. The scheduled principal payments for the PAC Certificates generally have the highest priority on each payment date after interest due has been paid to all classes entitled to receive interest currently. Shortfalls, if any, are added to the amount payable on the next payment date. The PAC Certificate payment schedule is taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class of PAC. In order to create PAC tranches, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most of
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the volatility in the underlying mortgage assets. These tranches tend to have market prices and yields that are much more volatile than other PAC classes.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (“SMBS”), which are derivative multiclass mortgage securities, issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or, to the extent consistent with a Fund’s investment policies, non-governmental originators. Certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid for purposes of each Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. The Investment Adviser may determine that SMBS which are U.S. Government Securities are liquid for purposes of each Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from Mortgage Assets are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other Mortgage-Backed Securities because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. A Fund’s investment in SMBS may require the Fund to sell certain of its portfolio securities to generate sufficient cash to satisfy certain income distribution requirements.
Privately Issued Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in privately issued Mortgage-Backed Securities. Privately issued Mortgage-Backed Securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (i.e., non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. The seller or servicer of the underlying mortgage obligations will generally make representations and warranties to certificate-holders as to certain characteristics of the mortgage loans and as to the accuracy of certain information furnished to the trustee in respect of each such mortgage loan. Upon a breach of any representation or warranty that materially and adversely affects the interests of the related certificate-holders in a mortgage loan, the seller or servicer generally will be obligated either to cure the breach in all material respects, to repurchase the mortgage loan or, if the related agreement so provides, to substitute in its place a mortgage loan pursuant to the conditions set forth therein. Such a repurchase or substitution obligation may constitute the sole remedy available to the related certificate-holders or the trustee for the material breach of any such representation or warranty by the seller or servicer.
Asset-Backed and Receivables-Backed Securities
Each Fund (except the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds) may invest in asset-backed and receivables-backed securities. Asset-backed and receivables-backed securities represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as mortgages, motor vehicle installment sale contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements, corporate receivables and other categories of receivables. Such asset pools are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose vehicles. Payments or distributions of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution or other credit enhancements may be present. The value of a Fund’s investments in asset-backed and receivables-backed securities may be adversely affected by prepayment of the underlying obligations. In addition, the risk of prepayment may cause the value of these investments to be more volatile than a Fund’s other investments.
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Through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations, various types of assets, including automobile loans, computer leases, trade receivables and credit card receivables, are being securitized in pass-through structures similar to mortgage pass-through structures. Consistent with their respective investment objectives and policies, the Funds may invest in these and other types of asset-backed securities that may be developed. This Additional Statement may be amended or supplemented as necessary to reflect the intention of one or more Funds to invest in asset-backed securities with characteristics that are materially different from the securities described in the preceding paragraph. However, a Fund will generally not invest in an asset-backed security if the income received with respect to its investment constitutes rental income or other income not treated as qualifying income under the 90% test described in “Taxation” below.
As set forth below, several types of asset-backed and receivables-backed securities are offered to investors, including for example, Certificates for Automobile Receivablessm (“CARSsm”) and interests in pools of credit card receivables. CARSsm represent undivided fractional interests in a trust (“CAR Trust”) whose assets consist of a pool of motor vehicle retail installment sales contracts and security interests in the vehicles securing the contracts. Payments of principal and interest on CARSsm are passed through monthly to certificate holders, and are guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trustee or originator of the CAR Trust. An investor’s return on CARSsm may be affected by early prepayment of principal on the underlying vehicle sales contracts. If the letter of credit is exhausted, the CAR Trust may be prevented from realizing the full amount due on a sales contract because of state law requirements and restrictions relating to foreclosure sales of vehicles and the obtaining of deficiency judgments following such sales or because of depreciation, damage or loss of a vehicle, the application of federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, or other factors. As a result, certificate holders may experience delays in payments or losses if the letter of credit is exhausted.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented by Mortgage-Backed Securities. Primarily, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in the related assets. Credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. There is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities.
Asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, the securities may contain elements of credit support which fall into two categories: (i) liquidity protection, and (ii) protection against losses resulting from ultimate default by an obligor or servicer. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, the provision of a reserve fund, or a combination thereof to ensure, subject to certain limitations that scheduled payments on the underlying pool are made in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from default ensures ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. This protection may be provided through guarantees, policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, through various means of structuring the transactions or through a combination of such approaches. The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information reflecting the level of credit risk associated with
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the underlying assets. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the value of or return on an investment in such a security.
The availability of asset-backed securities may be affected by legislative or regulatory developments. It is possible that such developments could require a Fund to dispose of any then existing holdings of such securities.
To the extent consistent with its investment objective and policies, each Fund may invest in new types of mortgage-related securities and in other asset-backed securities that may be developed in the future.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts
Each Fund (other than the Money Market Fund) may purchase and sell futures contracts and may also purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts. The CORE Small Cap Equity Fund may only enter into such transactions with respect to a representative index. The CORE U.S. Equity Fund may enter into futures transactions only with respect to the S&P 500 Index. The other Funds may purchase and sell futures contracts based on various securities, securities indices, foreign currencies and other financial instruments and indices (except that the Government Income Fund may not purchase and sell future contracts based on foreign currencies). Financial futures contracts used by the Fixed Income Funds include interest rate futures contracts including, among others, Eurodollar futures contracts. Eurodollar futures contracts are U.S. dollar-denominated futures contracts that are based on the implied forward London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) of a three-month deposit. Each Fund will engage in futures and related options transactions in order to seek to increase total return or to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities prices or, to the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, currency exchange rates, or to otherwise manage its term structure, sector selection and duration in accordance with its investment objective and policies. Each Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to such contracts and options. The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under that Act with respect to the Funds.
Futures contracts entered into by a Fund have historically been traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) or with respect to certain funds, on foreign exchanges. More recently, certain futures may also be traded either over-the-counter or on trading facilities such as derivatives transaction execution facilities, exempt boards of trade or electronic trading facilities that are licensed and/or regulated to varying degrees by the CFTC. Also, certain single stock futures and narrow based security index futures may be traded either over-the-counter or on trading facilities such as contract markets, derivatives transaction execution facilities and electronic trading facilities that are licensed and/or regulated to varying degrees by both the CFTC and the SEC, or on foreign exchanges.
Neither the CFTC, National Futures Association, SEC nor any domestic exchange regulates activities of any foreign exchange or boards of trade, including the execution, delivery and clearing of transactions, or has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of a foreign exchange or board of trade or any applicable foreign law. This is true even if the exchange is formally linked to a domestic
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market so that a position taken on the market may be liquidated by a transaction on another market. Moreover, such laws or regulations will vary depending on the foreign country in which the foreign futures or foreign options transaction occurs. For these reasons, a Fund’s investments in foreign futures or foreign options transactions may not be provided the same protections in respect of transactions on United States exchanges. In particular, persons who trade foreign futures or foreign options contracts may not be afforded certain of the protective measures provided by the Commodity Exchange Act, the CFTC’s regulations and the rules of the National Futures Association and any domestic exchange, including the right to use reparations proceedings before the CFTC and arbitration proceedings provided by the National Futures Association or any domestic futures exchange. Similarly, these persons may not have the protection of the U.S. securities laws.
Futures Contracts. A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement between two parties to buy and sell particular financial instruments for an agreed price during a designated month (or to deliver the final cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract).
When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, a Fund can seek through the sale of futures contracts to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities. When interest rates are falling or securities prices are rising, a Fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, can attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases. Similarly, each Fund (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Equity Index and Government Income Funds) can purchase and sell futures contracts on a specified currency in order to seek to increase total return or to protect against changes in currency exchange rates. For example, each Fund (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Equity Index and Government Income Funds) can purchase futures contracts on foreign currency to establish the price in U.S. dollars of a security quoted or denominated in such currency that such Fund has acquired or expects to acquire, or to seek to affect anticipated changes in the value of a currency in which such Fund’s portfolio securities, or securities that it intends to purchase, are quoted or denominated. As another example, certain Funds may enter into futures transactions to seek a closer correlation between a Fund’s overall currency exposures and the currency exposures of a Fund’s performance benchmark.
Positions taken in the futures market are not normally held to maturity, but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions which may result in a profit or a loss. While a Fund will usually liquidate futures contracts on securities or currency in this manner, a Fund may instead make or take delivery of the underlying securities or currency whenever it appears economically advantageous for the Fund to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures are traded guarantees that, if still open, the sale or purchase will be performed on the settlement date.
Hedging Strategies. Hedging, by use of futures contracts, seeks to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price, rate of return or currency exchange rate on portfolio securities or securities that a Fund owns or proposes to acquire. A Fund may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling futures contracts to seek to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates or a decline in market prices or (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Equity Index and Government Income Funds) foreign currency rates that would adversely affect the dollar value of such Fund’s portfolio securities. Such futures contracts
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may include contracts for the future delivery of securities held by a Fund or securities with characteristics similar to those of Fund’s portfolio securities. Similarly, each Fund (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Equity Index and Government Income Funds) may sell futures contracts on a currency in which its portfolio securities are quoted or denominated, or sell futures contracts on one currency to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the value of securities quoted or denominated in a different currency if there is an established historical pattern of correlation between the two currencies. If, in the opinion of the applicable Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser, there is a sufficient degree of correlation between price trends for a Fund’s portfolio securities and futures contracts based on other financial instruments, securities indices or other indices, a Fund may also enter into such futures contracts as part of its hedging strategy. Although under some circumstances prices of securities in a Fund’s portfolio may be more or less volatile than prices of such futures contracts, the Investment Advisers or Sub-Adviser will attempt to estimate the extent of this volatility difference based on historical patterns and compensate for any such differential by having a Fund enter into a greater or lesser number of futures contracts or by attempting to achieve only a partial hedge against price changes affecting a Fund’s portfolio securities. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities will be substantially offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position. On the other hand, any unanticipated appreciation in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities would be substantially offset by a decline in the value of the futures position.
On other occasions, a Fund may take a “long” position by purchasing such futures contracts. This may be done, for example, when a Fund anticipates the subsequent purchase of particular securities when it has the necessary cash, but expects the prices or currency exchange rates then available in the applicable market to be less favorable than prices or rates that are currently available.
Options on Futures Contracts. The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will give a Fund the right (but not the obligation), for a specified price, to sell or to purchase, respectively, the underlying futures contract at any time during the option period. As the purchaser of an option on a futures contract, a Fund obtains the benefit of the futures position if prices move in a favorable direction but limits its risk of loss in the event of an unfavorable price movement to the loss of the premium and transaction costs.
The writing of a call option on a futures contract generates a premium which may partially offset a decline in the value of a Fund’s assets. By writing a call option, a Fund becomes obligated, in exchange for the premium, to sell a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value higher than the exercise price. The writing of a put option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset an increase in the price of securities that a Fund intends to purchase. However, a Fund becomes obligated (upon the exercise of the option) to purchase a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value lower than the exercise price. Thus, the loss incurred by a Fund in writing options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received. A Fund will incur transaction costs in connection with the writing of options on futures.
The holder or writer of an option on a futures contract may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an offsetting option on the same financial instrument. There is no guarantee that such
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closing transactions can be effected. A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid market.
Other Considerations. A Fund will engage in transactions in futures contracts and related options transactions only to the extent such transactions are consistent with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for maintaining its qualification as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes.
Transactions in futures contracts and options on futures involve brokerage costs, require margin deposits and, in certain cases, require the Fund to segregate cash or liquid assets in an amount equal to the underlying value of such contracts and options.
While transactions in futures contracts and options on futures may reduce certain risks, such transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance for a Fund than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. When futures contracts and options are used for hedging purposes, perfect correlation between a Fund’s futures position and portfolio positions will be impossible to achieve. In the event of an imperfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and a Fund may be exposed to risk of loss.
Perfect correlation between a Fund’s futures positions and portfolio positions will be difficult to achieve, particularly where futures contracts based on individual equity or corporate fixed-income securities are currently not available. In addition, it is not possible for a Fund to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities quoted or denominated in foreign currencies because the value of such securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of independent factors unrelated to currency fluctuations. The profitability of a Fund’s trading in futures depends upon the ability of the Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser to analyze correctly the futures markets.
Options on Securities and Securities Indices
Writing Covered Options. Each Fund (other than the Money Market Fund) may write (sell) covered call and put options on any securities in which it may invest or on any securities index composed of securities in which it may invest. A Fund may purchase and write such options on securities that are listed on national domestic securities exchanges or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. A call option written by a Fund obligates such Fund to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised before the expiration date. All call options written by a Fund are covered, which means that such Fund will own the securities subject to the option as long as the option is outstanding or such Fund will use the other methods described below. A Fund’s purpose in writing covered call options is to realize greater income than would be realized on portfolio securities transactions alone. However, a Fund may forego the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the underlying security.
A put option written by a Fund would obligate such Fund to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. All put options written by a Fund would be covered, which means that such Fund will segregate cash
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or liquid assets with a value at least equal to the exercise price of the put option or will use the other methods described below. The purpose of writing such options is to generate additional income for the Fund. However, in return for the option premium, each Fund accepts the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the securities’ market value at the time of purchase.
In the case of a call option, the option is “covered” if a Fund owns the instrument underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that instrument without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, liquid assets in such amount are segregated) upon conversion or exchange of other instruments held by it. A call option is also covered if a Fund holds a call on the same instrument as the option written where the exercise price of the option held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the option written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the option written provided the Fund segregates liquid assets in the amount of the difference. A put option is also covered if a Fund holds a put on the same instrument as the option written where the exercise price of the option held is (i) equal to or higher than the exercise price of the option written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the option written provided the Fund segregates liquid assets in the amount of the difference. In the case of the Core Fixed Income Fund, segregated cash or liquid assets may be quoted or denominated in any currency.
A Fund may also write (sell) covered call and put options on any securities index comprised of securities in which it may invest. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.
A Fund may cover call options on a securities index by owning securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index, or by having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities without additional cash consideration (or for additional consideration which has been segregated by the Fund) upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio. A Fund may also cover call and put options on a securities index by segregating cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, with a value, when added to any margin or deposit, that is equal to the market value of the underlying securities in the case of a call option or the exercise price or by owning offsetting options as described above.
A Fund may terminate its obligations under an exchange-traded call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Obligations under over-the-counter options may be terminated only by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to such option. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions.”
Purchasing Options. Each Fund (other than the Money Market Fund) may purchase put and call options on any securities in which it may invest or options on any securities index comprised of securities in which it may invest. A Fund may also, to the extent that it invests in foreign securities, purchase put and call options on foreign currencies. A Fund may also enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options it had purchased.
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A Fund may purchase call options in anticipation of an increase, in the market value of securities of the type in which it may invest. The purchase of a call option would entitle a Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities at a specified price during the option period. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain on the purchase of a call option if, during the option period, the value of such securities exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise such a Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.
A Fund may purchase put options in anticipation of a decline in the market value of securities in its portfolio (“protective puts”) or in securities in which it may invest. The purchase of a put option would entitle a Fund, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified securities at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of a Fund’s securities. Put options may also be purchased by a Fund for the purpose of affirmatively benefiting from a decline in the price of securities which it does not own. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to more than cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise such a Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of protective put options would tend to be offset by countervailing changes in the value of the underlying portfolio securities.
A Fund would purchase put and call options on securities indices for the same purposes as it would purchase options on individual securities. For a description of options on securities indices, see “Writing Covered Options” above.
Yield Curve Options. The Fixed Income Funds may enter into options on the yield “spread” or differential between two securities. Such transactions are referred to as “yield curve” options. In contrast to other types of options, a yield curve option is based on the difference between the yields of designated securities, rather than the prices of the individual securities, and is settled through cash payments. Accordingly, a yield curve option is profitable to the holder if this differential widens (in the case of a call) or narrows (in the case of a put), regardless of whether the yields of the underlying securities increase or decrease.
A Fixed Income Fund may purchase or write yield curve options for the same purposes as other options on securities. For example, a Fixed Income Fund may purchase a call option on the yield spread between two securities if the Fund owns one of the securities and anticipates purchasing the other security and wants to hedge against an adverse change in the yield spread between the two securities. A Fixed Income Fund may also purchase or write yield curve options in an effort to increase current income if, in the judgment of the Investment Adviser, the Fund will be able to profit from movements in the spread between the yields of the underlying securities. The trading of yield curve options is subject to all of the risks associated with the trading of other types of options. In addition, however, such options present a risk of loss even if the yield of one of the underlying securities remains constant, or if the spread moves in a direction or to an extent which was not anticipated.
Yield curve options written by a Fixed Income Fund will be “covered.” A call (or put) option is covered if the Fund holds another call (or put) option on the spread between the same two securities and segregates cash or liquid assets sufficient to cover the Fund’s net liability under the two options.
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Therefore, a Fixed Income Fund’s liability for such a covered option is generally limited to the difference between the amount of the Fund’s liability under the option written by the Fund less the value of the option held by the Fund. Yield curve options may also be covered in such other manner as may be in accordance with the requirements of the counterparty with which the option is traded and applicable laws and regulations. Yield curve options are traded over-the-counter, and established trading markets for these options may not exist.
Risks Associated with Options Transactions. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular exchange—traded option or at any particular time. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to covered options it has written, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of segregated assets until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if a Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it will have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities.
Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
Each Fund (other than the Money Market Fund) may purchase and sell both options that are traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges and options traded over-the-counter with broker-dealers who make markets in these options. The ability to terminate over-the-counter options is more limited than with exchange-traded options and may involve the risk that broker-dealers participating in such transactions will not fulfill their obligations.
Transactions by each Fund in options on securities and indices will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities on which such options are traded governing the maximum number of options in each class which may be written or purchased by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or purchased on the same or different exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facility or are held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which a Fund may write or purchase may be affected by options written or purchased by other investment advisory clients of the Investment Advisers. An exchange, board of trade or other trading facility may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.
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The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of options to seek to increase total return involves the risk of loss if the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of fluctuations in securities prices or interest rates. The successful use of options for hedging purposes also depends in part on the ability of the Investment Adviser to manage future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of changes in securities prices or determination of the correlation between the securities indices on which options are written and purchased and the securities in a Fund’s investment portfolio, the Fund may incur losses that it would not otherwise incur. The writing of options could increase a Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and, therefore, associated brokerage commissions or spreads.
Warrants and Stock Purchase Rights
Each Equity Fund may invest in warrants or rights (in addition to those acquired in units or attached to other securities) which entitle the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time. An Equity Fund will invest in warrants and rights only if such equity securities are deemed appropriate by the Investment Adviser for investment by the Fund. The CORE Equity Funds have no present intention of acquiring warrants or rights. Warrants and rights have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Foreign Securities
Equity Funds. Each Equity Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers. The Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Growth Opportunities and Equity Index Funds may invest in the aggregate up to 10%, 25%, 10% and 15%, respectively, of their total assets (not including securities lending collateral and any investment of that collateral) in foreign securities. The Mid-Cap Value Fund may invest in the aggregate up to 25% of its net assets plus any borrowings (measured at the time of purchase) in securities of foreign issuers. The International Equity Fund will invest primarily in foreign securities under normal circumstances. The International Equity Fund is intended for long-term investors who can accept the risks associated with investing primarily in equity and equity-related securities of foreign issuers, including emerging country issuers, as well as the risks associated with investments quoted or denominated in foreign currencies. With respect to the CORE U.S. Equity and CORE Small Cap Equity Funds, equity securities of foreign issuers must be traded in the United States. Potential benefits of investments by an Equity Fund in foreign securities may include the opportunity to invest in foreign issuers that appear, in the opinion of the applicable Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser, to offer the potential for long-term growth of capital and income, the opportunity to invest in foreign countries with economic policies or business cycles different from those of the United States and the opportunity to reduce fluctuations in portfolio value by taking advantage of foreign stock markets that do not necessarily move in a manner parallel to U.S. markets.
Each Equity Fund may invest in foreign securities which take the form of sponsored and unsponsored ADRs and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and (except for the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds) may also invest in European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or other similar instruments representing securities of foreign issuers (together, “Depositary Receipts”).
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ADRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or a correspondent bank. ADRs are traded on domestic exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market and, generally, are in registered form. EDRs and GDRs are receipts evidencing an arrangement with a non-U.S. bank similar to that for ADRs and are designed for use in the non-U.S. securities markets. EDRs and GDRs are not necessarily quoted in the same currency as the underlying security.
To the extent an Equity Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted. However, by investing in Depositary Receipts, such as ADRs, that are quoted in U.S. dollars, a Fund may avoid currency risks during the settlement period for purchases and sales.
Each Equity Fund (except the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds) may invest in countries with emerging economies or securities markets. Political and economic structures in many of such countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Certain of such countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized or expropriated the assets of private companies. As a result, the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, may be heightened. See “Investing in Emerging Countries including Asia and Eastern Europe” below.
Core Fixed Income Fund. The Core Fixed Income Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers and in fixed-income securities quoted or denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars. Investment in foreign securities may offer potential benefits that are not available from investing exclusively in U.S. dollar-denominated domestic issues. Foreign countries may have economic policies or business cycles different from those of the U.S. and markets for foreign fixed-income securities do not necessarily move in a manner parallel to U.S. markets. Up to 10% of the Core Fixed Income Fund’s total assets may be invested in emerging countries. See “Investing in Emerging Countries including Asia and Eastern Europe” below.
Money Market Fund. The Money Market Fund may invest in certificates of deposit, commercial paper, unsecured bank promissory notes, bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other debt obligations issued or guaranteed by major foreign banks which have more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of purchase, U.S. branches of such foreign banks (Yankee obligations), foreign branches of such foreign banks and foreign branches of U.S. banks. Under current SEC rules relating to the use of the amortized cost method of portfolio securities valuation, the Money Market Fund is restricted to purchasing U.S. dollar-denominated securities, but is not otherwise precluded from purchasing securities of foreign issuers.
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The Money Market Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated obligations (limited to commercial paper and other notes) issued or guaranteed by a foreign government. The Money Market Fund may also invest in U.S. dollar-denominated obligations issued or guaranteed by any entity located or organized in a foreign country that maintains a short-term foreign currency rating in the highest short-term ratings category by the requisite number of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”). The Money Market Fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of any one foreign government.
Foreign Investment Risks. Investments in foreign securities and bank obligations may involve considerations different from investments in domestic securities due to limited publicly available information; non-uniform accounting standards; the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes; the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions affecting the payment of principal and interest; expropriation; or other adverse political or economic developments. In addition, it may be more difficult to obtain and enforce a judgment against a foreign issuer or a foreign branch of a domestic bank and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States.
Investing in foreign securities involves certain special risks, including those discussed in the Funds’ Prospectus and those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. dollar-denominated or quoted securities of U.S. issuers. Investments in foreign securities often involve currencies of foreign countries. Accordingly, a Fund that invests in foreign securities may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations and may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. To the extent that a Fund is fully invested in foreign securities while also maintaining currency positions, it may be exposed to greater combined risk. A Fund also may be subject to currency exposure independent of its securities positions.
Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or anticipated changes in interest rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or the failure to intervene or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. To the extent that a substantial portion of a Fund’s total assets, adjusted to reflect the Fund’s net position after giving effect to currency transactions, is denominated or quoted in the currencies of foreign countries, the Fund will be more susceptible to the risk of adverse economic and political developments within those countries. A Fund’s net currency positions may expose it to risks independent of its securities positions. In addition, if the payment declines in value against the U.S. dollar before such income is distributed as dividends to shareholders or converted to U.S. dollars, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to pay such dividends.
Since foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a U.S. company. Volume and liquidity in most foreign securities markets are less than in the United States and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S.
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companies. The securities of foreign issuers may be listed on foreign securities exchanges or be traded in foreign over-the-counter markets. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although each Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets and exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed and unlisted companies than in the United States and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States. For example, there may be no comparable provisions under certain foreign laws to insider trading and similar investor protection securities laws that apply with respect to securities transactions consummated in the United States. Mail service between the United States and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities.
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when some of a Fund’s assets are uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the movement of funds and other assets between different countries, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could adversely affect a Fund’s investments in those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.
Investing in Emerging Countries including Asia and Eastern Europe. The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities, and the market may be dominated by a few issues or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging country issuers than is available about issuers in the United States. The development of a market for debt securities of emerging market issuers is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. The markets for securities in certain emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not
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be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect a Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.
With respect to investments in certain emerging market countries, antiquated legal systems may have an adverse impact on the Funds. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders in U.S. corporations.
Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging countries may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.
Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. In addition, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of a Fund. A Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.
Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability and disruption than is the case in the United States, Japan and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra—constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private
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property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which the Funds may invest and adversely affect the value of the Funds’ assets. A Fund’s investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.
Certain Funds may seek investment opportunities within former “east bloc” countries in Eastern Europe. Most Eastern European countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many Eastern European countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in many Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of Eastern European countries’ attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. In addition, any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern European countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities.
The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports.
A Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates. See “Taxation.”
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures and in certain U.S. markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund remain uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases or sales due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.
Sovereign Debt Obligations. The International Equity and Core Fixed Income Funds may invest in sovereign debt obligations. The Money Market Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign governments. Investments in sovereign debt obligations involve special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. The issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental
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authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt, and the Fund’s net asset value, may be more volatile than prices of debt obligations of U.S. issuers. In the past, the governments of certain emerging countries have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debts.
A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multinational agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of the third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to timely service its debts.
Brady Bonds. Certain foreign debt obligations, customarily referred to as “Brady Bonds,” are created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to foreign entities for new obligations in connection with debt restructuring under a plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the “Brady Plan”). Brady Bonds may be fully or partially collateralized or uncollateralized and issued in various currencies (although most are U.S. dollar denominated). In the event of a default on collateralized Brady Bonds for which obligations are accelerated, the collateral for the payment of principal will not be distributed to investors, nor will such obligations be sold and the proceeds distributed. The collateral will be held by the collateral agent to the scheduled maturity of the defaulted Brady Bonds, which will continue to be outstanding, at which time the face amount of the collateral will equal the principal payments which would have then been due on the Brady Bonds in the normal course. In light of the residual risk of the Brady Bonds and, among other factors, the history of default with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady Bonds, investments in Brady Bonds may be speculative.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. The CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value, Growth Opportunities and Equity Index Funds may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes and to seek to protect against anticipated changes in future foreign currency exchange rates. The International Equity Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes, to seek to protect against anticipated changes in future foreign currency exchange rates and to seek to increase total return. The Core Fixed Income Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes and to seek to increase total return. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are generally charged at any stage for trades.
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At the maturity of a forward contract a Fund may either accept or make delivery of the currency specified in the contract or, at or prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are often, but not always, effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract.
A Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in several circumstances. First, when a Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated or quoted in a foreign currency, or when a Fund anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividend or interest payments on such a security which it holds, the Fund may desire to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of such dividend or interest payment, as the case may be. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Fund will attempt to protect itself against an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.
Additionally, when the Investment Adviser believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, it may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of such Fund’s portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such foreign currency. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. Using forward contracts to protect the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange, which a Fund can achieve at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of a Fund’s foreign assets.
Each Fund may engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value of securities quoted or denominated in a different currency. In addition, certain Funds may enter into foreign currency transactions to seek a closer correlation between a Fund’s overall currency exposures and the currency exposures of a Fund’s performance benchmark.
The International Equity Fund may also enter into forward contracts to seek to increase total return. Unless otherwise covered in accordance with applicable regulations, cash or liquid assets of a Fund will be segregated in an amount equal to the value of the Fund’s total assets committed to the consummation of forward foreign currency exchange contracts. If the value of the segregated assets declines, additional cash or liquid assets will be segregated so that the value of the assets will equal the amount of a Fund’s commitments with respect to such contracts. The Core Fixed Income Fund will not enter into a forward contract with a term of greater than one year.
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While a Fund may enter into forward contracts to reduce currency exchange rate risks, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while the Fund may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between a Fund’s portfolio holdings of securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by such Fund. Such imperfect correlation may cause a Fund to sustain losses which will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge or expose the Fund to risk of foreign exchange loss.
Markets for trading foreign forward currency contracts offer less protection against defaults than is available when trading in currency instruments on an exchange. Forward contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearinghouse, a default on the contract would deprive a Fund of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price. In addition, the institutions that deal in forward currency contracts are not required to continue to make markets in the currencies they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity. A Fund will not enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts, currency swaps or other privately negotiated currency instruments unless the credit quality of the unsecured senior debt or the claims-paying ability of the counterparty is considered to be investment grade by the Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser. To the extent that a substantial portion of a Fund’s total assets, adjusted to reflect the Fund’s net position after giving effect to currency transactions, is denominated or quoted in the currencies of foreign countries, the Fund will be more susceptible to the risk of adverse economic and political developments within those countries.
Writing and Purchasing Currency Call and Put Options. A Fund may, to the extent that it invests in foreign securities, write and purchase put and call options on foreign currencies for the purpose of protecting against declines in the U.S. dollar value of foreign portfolio securities and against increases in the U.S. dollar cost of foreign securities to be acquired. As with other kinds of option transactions, however, the writing of an option on foreign currency will constitute only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received. If and when a Fund seeks to close out an option, the Fund could be required to purchase or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on foreign currency may constitute an effective hedge against exchange rate fluctuations; however, in the event of exchange rate movements adverse to a Fund’s position, the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs. Options on foreign currencies may be traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or over-the-counter.
Options on currency may also be used for cross—hedging purposes, which involves writing or purchasing options on one currency to seek to hedge against changes in exchange rates for a different currency with a pattern of correlation, or to seek to increase total return when the Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser anticipates that the currency will appreciate or depreciate in value, but the securities quoted or denominated in that currency do not present attractive investment opportunities and are not included in the Fund’s portfolio.
A call option written by a Fund obligates a Fund to sell a specified currency to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised before the expiration date. A put option written by
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a Fund would obligate a Fund to purchase a specified currency from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised before the expiration date. The writing of currency options involves a risk that a Fund will, upon exercise of the option, be required to sell currency subject to a call at a price that is less than the currency’s market value or be required to purchase currency subject to a put at a price that exceeds the currency’s market value. Written put and call options on foreign currencies may be covered in a manner similar to written put and call options on securities and securities indices described under “Writing Covered Options” above.
A Fund may terminate its obligations under a call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions.” A Fund may enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options purchased by the Fund.
A Fund may purchase call options on foreign currency in anticipation of an increase in the U.S. dollar value of currency in which securities to be acquired by the Fund are quoted or denominated. The purchase of a call option would entitle the Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified currency at a specified price during the option period. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of such currency exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.
A Fund may purchase put options in anticipation of a decline in the U.S. dollar value of currency in which securities in its portfolio are quoted or denominated (“protective puts”). The purchase of a put option would entitle a Fund, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified currency at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is usually designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the dollar value of a Fund’s portfolio securities due to currency exchange rate fluctuations. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying currency decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to more than cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of protective put options would tend to be offset by countervailing changes in the value of underlying currency or portfolio securities.
In addition to using options for the hedging purposes described above, the Funds may use options on currency to seek to increase total return. For example, the Funds may write (sell) covered put and call options on any currency in order to realize greater income than would be realized on portfolio securities transactions alone. However, in writing covered call options for additional income, the Funds may forego the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market value of the underlying currency. Also, when writing put options, the Funds accept, in return for the option premium, the risk that they may be required to purchase the underlying currency at a price in excess of the currency’s market value at the time of purchase.
Special Risks Associated with Options on Currency. An exchange-traded options position may be closed out only on an options exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. Although a Fund will generally purchase or write only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time. For some options no secondary
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market on an exchange may exist. In such event, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options, with the result that a Fund would have to exercise its options in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of underlying instruments pursuant to the exercise of put options. If a Fund as a covered call option writer is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying currency (or security quoted or denominated in that currency) until the option expires or it delivers the underlying currency upon exercise.
There is no assurance that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not, at times, render certain of the facilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the institution by an exchange of special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of customers’ orders.
A Fund may purchase and write over-the-counter options to the extent consistent with its limitation on investments in illiquid securities. Trading in over-the-counter options is subject to the risk that the other party will be unable or unwilling to close out options purchased or written by a Fund.
The amount of the premiums, which a Fund may pay or receive, may be adversely affected as new or existing institutions, including other investment companies, engage in or increase their option purchasing and writing activities.
Convertible Securities
Each Fund (other than the Government Income and Money Market Funds) may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics, in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities, (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income characteristics and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.
The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value normally declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors may also have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying
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common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income security.
A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, which, in turn, could result in losses to the Fund.
Preferred Stock
Each Fund (other than the Fixed Income Funds and the Money Market Fund) may invest in preferred stock. Unlike debt securities, the obligations of an issuer of preferred stock, including dividend and other payment obligations, may not typically be accelerated by the holders of preferred stock on the occurrence of an event of default (such as a covenant default or filing of a bankruptcy petition) or other non-compliance by the issuer with the terms of the preferred stock. Often, however, on the occurrence of any such event of default or non-compliance by the issuer, preferred stockholders will be entitled to gain representation on the issuer’s board of directors or increase their existing board representation. In addition, preferred stockholders may be granted voting rights with respect to certain issues on the occurrence of any event of default.
Currency Swaps
The International Equity and Core Fixed Income Funds may enter into currency swaps for both hedging purposes and to seek to increase total return. Currency swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of their respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies.
A great deal of flexibility is possible in the way swap transactions are structured. Currency swaps usually involve the delivery of a gross payment stream in one designated currency in exchange for the gross payment stream in another designated currency. Therefore, the entire payment stream under a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. To the extent that a Fund’s potential exposure in a transaction involving a swap is covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets or otherwise, the Fund and the Investment Adviser believe that swaps do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.
The International Equity Fund will not enter into swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims paying ability of the other party thereto is considered to be investment grade by the Investment Adviser. The Core Fixed Income Fund will not enter into any currency swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is rated investment grade by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s, or, if unrated by such rating organization, determined to be of comparable quality by the Investment Adviser. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the
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agreements related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments which are traded in the interbank market. The Investment Adviser, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of the Funds’ transactions in swaps.
The use of currency swaps is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If an Investment Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of a Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if this investment technique were not used.
Equity Swaps
Each Equity Fund may enter into equity swap contracts to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in various circumstances, including circumstances where direct investment in the securities is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. Equity swaps may also be used for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. The counterparty to an equity swap contract will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. Equity swap contracts may be structured in different ways. For example, a counterparty may agree to pay a Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the equity swap contract would have increased in value had it been invested in particular stocks (or an index of stocks), plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. In these cases, the Fund may agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the equity swap contract plus the amount, if any, by which that notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on the equity swap contract should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount. In other cases, the counterparty and a Fund may each agree to pay the other the difference between the relative investment performances that would have been achieved if the notional amount of the equity swap contract had been invested in different stocks (or indices of stocks).
An Equity Fund will generally enter into equity swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of an equity swap contract or periodically during its term. Equity swaps normally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to equity swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an equity swap defaults, a Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that such Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. Inasmuch as these transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash or liquid assets to cover the Fund’s potential exposure, the Funds and their Investment Advisers believe that transactions do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to a Fund’s borrowing restrictions.
An Equity Fund will not enter into swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims paying ability of the other party thereto is considered to be investment grade by
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the Investment Adviser. An Equity Fund’s ability to enter into certain swap transactions may be limited by tax considerations.
Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, Credit Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars
Each Fixed Income Fund may enter into interest rate, mortgage, credit and total return swaps. Each Fixed Income Fund may also enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. Each Fixed Income Fund may also purchase and write (sell) options contracts on swaps, commonly referred to as swaptions. Each Fixed Income Fund may enter into swap transactions for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Mortgage swaps are similar to interest rate swaps in that they represent commitments to pay and receive interest. The notional principal amount, however, is tied to a reference pool or pools of mortgages. Credit swaps involve the receipt of floating or fixed rate payments in exchange for assuming potential credit losses of an underlying security. Credit swaps give one party to a transaction the right to dispose of or acquire an asset (or group of assets), or the right to receive from or make a payment to the other party, upon the occurrence of specified credit events. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate a party to pay or receive interest in exchange for payment by the other party of the total return generated by a security, a basket of securities, an index, or an index component. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates. Since interest rate, mortgage and credit swaps and interest rate caps, floors and collars are individually negotiated, each Fixed Income Fund expects to achieve an acceptable degree of correlation between its portfolio investments and its swap, cap, floor and collar positions.
A great deal of flexibility is possible in the way swap transactions are structured. However, generally a Fund will enter into interest rate, total return, credit, mortgage and index swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Interest rate, total return, credit, mortgage and index swaps do not normally involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to interest rate, total return, credit, mortgage and index swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an interest rate, total return, credit, mortgage or index swap defaults, a Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that such Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. To the extent that a Fund’s potential exposure in a transaction involving a swap or an interest rate floor, cap or collar is covered by the segregation of cash or liquid assets, the Fixed Income Funds and the Investment
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Adviser believe that the transactions do not constitute senior securities under the Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to a Fund’s borrowing restrictions.
The Fixed Income Funds will not enter into any interest rate, mortgage or credit swap transactions unless the unsecured commercial paper, senior debt or claims-paying ability of the other party is rated either A or A-1 or better by Standard & Poor’s or A or P-1 or better by Moody’s or their equivalent ratings. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments which are traded in the interbank market. The Investment Adviser, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of the Funds’ transactions in swaps, caps, floors and collars.
The use of interest rate, mortgage, credit and total return swaps, as well as interest rate caps, floors and collars, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, credit quality, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of a Fixed Income Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if this investment technique were not used.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
Each Equity Fund may invest in shares of REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in real estate or real estate related loans. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Like regulated investment companies such as the Equity Funds, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements under the Code. An Equity Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by REITs in which it invests in addition to the expenses paid by a Fund.
Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by such REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibilities of failing to qualify for the exemption from tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from the Act. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks.
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Lending of Portfolio Securities
Each Fund (except the Money Market Fund) may lend portfolio securities. Under present regulatory policies, such loans may be made to institutions, such as brokers or dealers (including Goldman Sachs), and are required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash, cash equivalents, letters of credit or U.S. Government Securities maintained on a current basis at an amount, marked to market daily, at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. Cash received as collateral for securities lending transactions may be invested in short-term investments. Investing the collateral subjects it to market depreciation or appreciation, and a Fund is responsible for any loss that may result from its investment of the borrowed collateral. A Fund will have the right to terminate a loan at any time and recall the loaned securities within the normal and customary settlement time for securities transactions. For the duration of the loan, a Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on the securities loaned and will also receive compensation from investment of the collateral. A Fund will not have the right to vote any securities having voting rights during the existence of the loan, but a Fund may call the loan in anticipation of an important vote to be taken by the holders of the securities or the giving or withholding of their consent on a material matter affecting the investment. As with other extensions of credit there are risks of delay in recovering, or even loss of rights in, the collateral and loaned securities should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, the loans will be made only to firms deemed to be of good standing, and when the consideration which can be earned currently from securities loans of this type is deemed to justify the attendant risk. In determining whether to lend securities to a particular borrower and during the period of the loan, the creditworthiness of the borrower will be considered and monitored. It is intended that the value of securities loaned by a Fund will not exceed one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the loan collateral). Loan collateral (including any investment of the collateral) is not subject to the percentage limitations stated elsewhere in this Additional Statement or the Prospectuses regarding investing in fixed-income securities and cash equivalents.
The Funds’ Board of Trustees has approved each Fund’s participation in a securities lending program and adopted policies and procedures relating thereto. Under the securities lending program, the Funds have retained an affiliate of the Investment Adviser to serve as the securities lending agent for the Funds. For these services, the lending agent may receive a fee from the Funds, including a fee based on the returns earned on the Funds’ investment of cash received as collateral for the loaned securities. The lending agent may, on behalf of the Funds, invest cash collateral received by the Funds for securities loans in, among other things, other registered or unregistered funds. These funds include private investing funds or money market funds that are managed by the Investment Adviser or its affiliates for the purpose of investing cash collateral generated from securities lending activities, and which pay the Investment Adviser or its affiliates for their services. The Funds’ Board of Trustees will periodically review securities loan transactions for which the Goldman Sachs affiliate has acted as lending agent for compliance with a Fund’s securities lending procedures. Goldman Sachs also has been approved as a borrower under the Funds’ securities lending program, subject to certain conditions.
When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments
Each Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis beyond the customary settlement time. These transactions involve a
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commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date. The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges. A Fund will generally purchase securities on a when-issued basis or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, a Fund may dispose of or negotiate a commitment after entering into it. A Fund may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions. For purposes of determining a Fund’s duration, the maturity of when-issued or forward commitment securities will be calculated from the commitment date. A Fund is generally required to segregate, until three days prior to the settlement date, cash and liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price unless the Fund’s obligations are otherwise covered. Securities purchased or sold on a when-issued or forward commitment basis involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date.
Investment in Unseasoned Companies
Each Equity Fund may invest in companies (including predecessors) which have operated less than three years. The securities of such companies may have limited liquidity, which can result in their being priced higher or lower than might otherwise be the case. In addition, investments in unseasoned companies are more speculative and entail greater risk than do investments in companies with an established operating record.
Other Investment Companies
Each Fund reserves the right to invest up to 10% of its total assets, calculated at the time of purchase, in the securities of other investment companies (including with respect to the Equity and Fixed Income Funds exchange-traded funds such as Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts™ (“SPDRs”) and iShares,sm as defined below but may neither invest more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company nor acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Pursuant to an exemptive order obtained from the SEC, the Funds may invest in money market funds for which an Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates serves as investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by investment companies in which it invests in addition to the management fees (and other expenses) paid by the Fund. However, to the extent that the Fund invests in a money market fund for which an Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates acts as investment adviser, the management fees payable by the Fund to an Investment Adviser will, to the extent required by the SEC, be reduced by an amount equal to the Fund’s proportionate share of the management fees paid by such money market fund to its investment adviser. Although the Funds do not expect to do so in the foreseeable future, each Fund is authorized to invest substantially all of its assets in a single open-end investment company or series thereof that has substantially the same investment objective, policies and fundamental restrictions as the Fund.
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Exchange-traded funds are shares of unaffiliated investment companies issuing shares which are traded like traditional equity securities on a national stock exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System. SPDRs are interests in a unit investment trust (“UIT”) that may be obtained from the UIT or purchased in the secondary market (SPDRs are listed on an exchange). The UIT was established to accumulate and hold a portfolio of common stocks that is intended to track the price performance and dividend yield of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (the “S&P 500”). SPDRs may be used for several reasons, including, but not limited to, facilitating the handling of cash flows or trading or reducing transaction costs. The price movement of SPDRs may not perfectly parallel the price activity of the S&P 500. The UIT will issue SPDRs in aggregations known as “Creation Units” in exchange for a “Portfolio Deposit” consisting of (i) a portfolio of securities substantially similar to the component securities (“Index Securities”) of the S&P 500, (ii) a cash payment equal to a pro rata portion of the dividends accrued on the UIT’s portfolio securities since the last dividend payment by the UIT, net of expenses and liabilities, and (iii) a cash payment or credit (“Balancing Amount”) designed to equalize the net asset value of the S&P 500 and the net asset value of a Portfolio Deposit.
SPDRs are not individually redeemable, except upon termination of the UIT. To redeem, an investor must accumulate enough SPDRs to reconstitute a Creation Unit. The liquidity of small holdings of SPDRs, therefore, will depend upon the existence of a secondary market. Upon redemption of a Creation Unit, an investor will receive Index Securities and cash identical to the Portfolio Deposit required of an investor wishing to purchase a Creation Unit that day.
The price of SPDRs is derived from and based upon the securities held by the UIT. Accordingly, the level of risk involved in the purchase or sale of a SPDR is similar to the risk involved in the purchase or sale of traditional common stock, with the exception that the pricing mechanism for SPDRs is based on a basket of stocks. Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying SPDRs purchased or sold by the Funds could result in losses on SPDRs.
Each Fund (other then the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Government Income and Money Market Funds) may also purchase shares of investment companies investing primarily in foreign securities, including “country funds.” Country funds have portfolios consisting primarily of securities of issuers located in specified foreign countries or regions. Each such Fund may, subject to the limitations stated above, invest in iSharessm and similar securities that invest in securities included in specified indices, including the MSCI indices for various countries and regions. iSharessm are listed on an exchange and were initially offered to the public in 1996. The market prices of iSharessm are expected to fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the asset values of their underlying indices and supply and demand of iSharessm on an exchange. However, iSharessm have a limited operating history and information is lacking regarding the actual performance and trading liquidity of iSharessm for extended periods or over complete market cycles. In addition, there is no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of iSharessm will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. In the event substantial market or other disruptions affecting iSharessm should occur in the future, the liquidity and value of a Fund’s shares could also be substantially and adversely affected. If such disruptions were to occur, a Fund could be required to reconsider the use of iSharessm as part of its investment strategy.
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Repurchase Agreements
Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with banks, brokers and securities dealers which furnish collateral at least equal in value or market price to the amount of their repurchase obligation. The International Equity and Core Fixed Income Funds may also enter into repurchase agreements involving certain foreign government securities A repurchase agreement is similar to a collateralized loan, but involves an arrangement under which the purchaser (i.e., a Fund) purchases securities subject to the seller’s agreement, at the time of sale, to repurchase the securities at a specified time and price. These securities may include securities that could not be held by a Fund without the seller’s repurchase commitment.
Custody of the securities will be maintained by the Funds’ custodian or subcustodian for the duration of the agreement. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to a Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is unrelated to the investment return, if any, on the securities subject to the repurchase agreement. The seller of a repurchase agreement will agree that the value of the purchased securities will at all times equal or exceed the repurchase price during the term of the repurchase agreement.
Repurchase agreements pose certain risks for the Funds that utilize them. Such risks are not unique to the Funds but are inherent in repurchase agreements. The Funds seek to minimize such risks by, among others, the means indicated below, but because of the inherent legal uncertainties involved in repurchase agreements, such risks cannot be eliminated.
For purposes of the Act, and generally, for tax purposes, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from a Fund to the seller of the securities. It is not clear whether for other purposes a court would consider the securities purchased by a Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller.
If, in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings concerning the seller of the securities, a court holds that a Fund does not have a perfected security interest in the securities, the Fund may be required to return the securities to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. To minimize this risk, the Funds utilize custodians and subcustodians that the Investment Adviser believes follow customary securities industry practice with respect to repurchase agreements, and the Investment Adviser analyzes the creditworthiness of the obligor, in this case the seller of the securities. But because of the legal uncertainties, this risk, like others associated with repurchase agreements, cannot be eliminated.
Also, in the event of commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the securities before repurchase of the securities under a repurchase agreement, a Fund may encounter delay and incur costs before being able to sell the securities. Such a delay may involve loss of interest or a decline in the value of the securities or other collateral, in which case a Fund may not recover the full amount it paid for the securities. Certain Funds may enter into repurchase agreements that involve securities that would be subject to a court “stay” in the event of the seller’s bankruptcy or insolvency. A “stay” will prevent a Fund from selling the securities it holds under a
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repurchase agreement until permitted by a court. In these situations a Fund will be subject to greater risk that the value of the securities will decline before they are sold, and that the Fund will experience a loss.
Apart from the risks associated with bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security, whether or not the seller is bankrupt or insolvent. However, if the market value of the securities subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the securities to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement equals or exceeds the repurchase price. It is possible that, with respect to certain repurchase agreements, a trustee for a bankrupt or insolvent seller could be able to demand the return of any additional securities that were previously delivered to the Fund for this purpose, and a Fund could incur a loss for this reason.
Each Fund may not invest in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days if, as a result thereof, more than 15% (10% with respect to the Money Market Fund) of the net assets of that Fund (taken at market value) would be invested in such investments and other securities which are not readily marketable . Certain repurchase agreements which mature in more than seven days can be liquidated before the nominal fixed term on seven days or less notice. Such repurchase agreements will be regarded as liquid instruments.
In addition, each Fund, together with other registered investment companies having management agreements with the Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates, may transfer uninvested cash balances into a single joint account, the daily aggregate balance of which will be invested in one or more repurchase agreements.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Core Fixed Income Fund and Government Fund may borrow money by entering into transactions called reverse repurchase agreements. Under these arrangements, a Fund will sell portfolio securities to dealers in U.S. Government Securities or members of the Federal Reserve System, with an agreement to repurchase the security on an agreed date, price and interest payment. In the case of the Core Fixed Income Fund, these revenue repurchase agreements may involve foreign government securities. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the possible risk that the value of portfolio securities a Fund relinquishes may decline below the price the Fund must pay when the transaction closes. Borrowings may magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested resulting in an increase in the speculative character of a Fund’s outstanding shares.
When a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it places in a separate custodial account either liquid assets or other high-grade debt securities that have a value equal to or greater than the repurchase price. The account is thereafter monitored to make sure that an appropriate value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings under the Act.
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Restricted and Illiquid Securities
Each Fund may purchase securities that are not registered or offered in an exempt non-public offering (“Restricted Securities”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), including securities eligible for resale to “qualified institutional buyers” pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. However, a Fund will not invest more than 15% (10% with respect to the Money Market Fund) of its net assets in illiquid investments, which include securities (both foreign and domestic) that are not readily marketable, certain SMBS, certain municipal leases and participation interests, certain over-the-counter options, repurchase agreements and time deposits with a notice or demand period of more than seven days, and certain Restricted Securities, unless it is determined, based upon a continuing review of the trading markets for the specific instrument, that such instrument is liquid. The Trustees have adopted guidelines under which the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser determine and monitor the liquidity of the Funds’ portfolio securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in a Fund to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these instruments.
The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities may reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction may make them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.
Trust Preferreds
The Fixed Income Funds may invest in trust preferred securities. A trust preferred or capital security is a long dated bond (for example 30 years) with preferred features. The preferred features are that payment of interest can be deferred for a specified period without initiating a default event. From a bondholder’s viewpoint, the securities are senior in claim to standard preferred but are junior to other bondholders. From the issuer’s viewpoint, the securities are attractive because their interest is deductible for tax purposes like other types of debt instruments.
Municipal Securities
General. The Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds may invest in fixed income securities issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities thereof (“Municipal Securities”), the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax (i.e., excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes but not necessarily exempt from the federal alternative minimum tax or from the income taxes of any state or local government). In addition, Municipal Securities include participation interests in such securities the interest on which is, in the opinion of bond counsel or counsel selected by the Investment Adviser, excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The Money Market Fund may invest in tax-exempt Municipal Securities when yields on such securities are attractive compared to other taxable investments. The Funds may revise their definition of Municipal Securities in the future to include other types of securities that currently exist, the interest on which is or will be, in the opinion of such counsel, excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes, provided that investing in such securities is consistent with each Fund’s investment
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objective and policies. The Fixed Income Funds and Money Market Fund may also invest in taxable Municipal Securities.
The yields and market values of Municipal Securities are determined primarily by the general level of interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuers of Municipal Securities and economic and political conditions affecting such issuers. The yields and market prices of Municipal Securities may be adversely affected by changes in tax rates and policies, which may have less effect on the market for taxable fixed-income securities. Moreover, certain types of Municipal Securities, such as housing revenue bonds, involve prepayment risks which could affect the yield on such securities. The credit rating assigned to municipal securities may reflect the existence of guarantees, letters of credit or other credit enhancement features available to the issuers or holders of such municipal securities.
Dividends paid by the Funds that are derived from interest paid on both tax-exempt and taxable Municipal Securities will be taxable to the Funds’ shareholders.
Municipal Securities are often issued to obtain funds for various public purposes including refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses, and obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities. Municipal Securities also include certain “private activity bonds” or industrial development bonds, which are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to provide financing aid to acquire sites or construct or equip facilities within a municipality for privately or publicly owned corporations.
Investments in Municipal Securities are subject to the risk that the issuer could default on its obligations. Such a default could result from the inadequacy of the sources or revenues from which interest and principal payments are to be made or the assets collateralizing such obligations. Revenue bonds, including private activity bonds, are backed only by specific assets or revenue sources and not by the full faith and credit of the governmental issuer.
The two principal classifications of Municipal Securities are “general obligations” and “revenue obligations.” General obligations are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its full faith and credit for the payment of principal and interest, although the characteristics and enforcement of general obligations may vary according to the law applicable to the particular issuer. Revenue obligations, which include, but are not limited to, private activity bonds, resource recovery bonds, certificates of participation and certain municipal notes, are not backed by the credit and taxing authority of the issuer, and are payable solely from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Nevertheless, the obligations of the issuer of a revenue obligation may be backed by a letter of credit, guarantee or insurance. General obligations and revenue obligations may be issued in a variety of forms, including commercial paper, fixed, variable and floating rate securities, tender option bonds, auction rate bonds, zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds and capital appreciation bonds.
In addition to general obligations and revenue obligations, there is a variety of hybrid and special types of Municipal Securities. There are also numerous differences in the security of Municipal Securities both within and between these two principal classifications.
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For the purpose of applying a Fund’s investment restrictions, the identification of the issuer of a Municipal Security which is not a general obligation is made by the Investment Adviser based on the characteristics of the Municipal Security, the most important of which is the source of funds for the payment of principal and interest on such securities.
An entire issue of Municipal Securities may be purchased by one or a small number of institutional investors, including one or more Funds. Thus, the issue may not be said to be publicly offered. Unlike some securities that are not publicly offered, a secondary market exists for many Municipal Securities that were not publicly offered initially and such securities may be readily marketable.
Municipal Securities purchased for the Funds may be subject to a Fund’s policy on holdings of illiquid securities. The Investment Adviser determines whether a Municipal Security liquid based on whether it may be sold in a reasonable time consistent with the customs of the municipal markets (usually seven days) at a price (or interest rate) which accurately reflects its value. The Investment Adviser believes that the quality standards applicable to the Funds’ investments enhance liquidity. In addition, stand-by commitments and demand obligations also enhance liquidity.
The credit rating assigned to Municipal Securities may reflect the existence of guarantees, letters of credit or other credit enhancement features available to the issuers or holders of such Municipal Securities.
The obligations of the issuer to pay the principal of and interest on a Municipal Security are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest or imposing other constraints upon the enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that, as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of the issuer to pay when due principal of or interest on a Municipal Security may be materially affected.
Municipal Leases, Certificates of Participation and Other Participation Interests. The Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds may invest in municipal leases, certificates of participation and other participation interests. A municipal lease is an obligation in the form of a lease or installment purchase which is issued by a state or local government to acquire equipment and facilities. Income from such obligations is generally exempt from state and local taxes in the state of issuance. Municipal leases frequently involve special risks not normally associated with general obligations or revenue bonds. Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which normally provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the governmental issuer) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of debt. The debt issuance limitations are deemed to be inapplicable because of the inclusion in many leases or contracts of “non-appropriation” clauses that relieve the governmental issuer of any obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for such purpose by the appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. In addition, such leases or contracts may be subject to the temporary abatement of payments in the event the issuer is prevented from maintaining occupancy of the leased premises or utilizing the leased equipment. Although the obligations may be secured by the leased equipment or facilities, the disposition of the property in the event of non-appropriation or foreclosure might prove
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difficult, time consuming and costly, and result in a delay in recovering or the failure to fully recover a Fund’s original investment. To the extent that a Fund invests in unrated municipal leases or participates in such leases, the credit quality rating and risk of cancellation of such unrated leases will be monitored on an ongoing basis.
Certificates of participation represent undivided interests in municipal leases, installment purchase agreements or other instruments. The certificates are typically issued by a trust or other entity which has received an assignment of the payments to be made by the state or political subdivision under such leases or installment purchase agreements.
Certain municipal lease obligations and certificates of participation may be deemed to be illiquid for the purpose of the Funds’ limitation on investments in illiquid securities. Other municipal lease obligations and certificates of participation acquired by a Fund may be determined by the Investment Adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Trustees of the Trust, to be liquid securities for the purpose of such limitation. In determining the liquidity of municipal lease obligations and certificates of participation, the Investment Adviser will consider a variety of factors, including: (i) the willingness of dealers to bid for the security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (iii) the frequency of trades or quotes for the obligation; and (iv) the nature of the marketplace trades. In addition, the Investment Adviser will consider factors unique to particular lease obligations and certificates of participation affecting the marketability thereof. These include the general creditworthiness of the issuer, the importance to the issuer of the property covered by the lease and the likelihood that the marketability of the obligation will be maintained throughout the time the obligation is held by a Fund.
The Funds may purchase participations in Municipal Securities held by a commercial bank or other financial institution. Such participations provide a Fund with the right to a pro rata undivided interest in the underlying Municipal Securities. In addition, such participations generally provide a Fund with the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days’ notice, of all or any part of such Fund’s participation interest in the underlying Municipal Securities, plus accrued interest.
Municipal Notes. Municipal Securities in the form of notes generally are used to provide for short-term capital needs, in anticipation of an issuer’s receipt of other revenues or financing, and typically have maturities of up to three years. Such instruments may include tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, construction loan notes and certain receipts for municipal obligations. Tax anticipation notes are issued to finance the working capital needs of governments. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various tax revenues, such as income, sales, property, use and business taxes, and are payable from these specific future taxes. Revenue anticipation notes are issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues available under federal revenue sharing programs. Bond anticipation notes are issued to provide interim financing until long-term bond financing can be arranged. In most cases, the long-term bonds then provide the funds needed for repayment of the notes. Tax and revenue anticipation notes combine the funding sources of both tax anticipation notes and revenue anticipation notes. Construction loan notes are sold to provide construction financing. These notes are secured by mortgage notes insured by the FHA; however, the proceeds from the insurance may be less than the economic equivalent of the payment of principal and interest on the mortgage note if there has been a default. The obligations of an issuer of municipal notes are generally secured by the anticipated revenues from taxes, grants or bond financing.
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An investment in such instruments, however, presents a risk that the anticipated revenues will not be received or that such revenues will be insufficient to satisfy the issuer’s payment obligations under the notes or that refinancing will be otherwise unavailable.
The Money Market Fund may acquire securities in the form of custodial receipts which evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain state and local governmental and authority obligations when, in the opinion of bond counsel, if any, interest payments with respect to such custodial receipts are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. Such obligations are held in custody by a bank on behalf of the holders of the receipts. These custodial receipts are known by various names, including “Municipal Receipts” (“MRs”) and “Municipal Certificates of Accrual on Tax-Exempt Securities” (“M-CATS”). There are a number of other types of notes issued for different purposes and secured differently from those described above.
Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper. Issues of commercial paper typically represent short-term, unsecured, negotiable promissory notes. These obligations are issued by state and local governments and their agencies to finance working capital needs of municipalities or to provide interim construction financing and are paid from general revenues of municipalities or are refinanced with long-term debt. In most cases, tax-exempt commercial paper is backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or other institutions.
Pre-Refunded Municipal Securities. The principal of and interest on pre-refunded Municipal Securities are no longer paid from the original revenue source for the securities. Instead, the source of such payments is typically an escrow fund consisting of U.S. Government Securities. The assets in the escrow fund are derived from the proceeds of refunding bonds issued by the same issuer as the pre-refunded Municipal Securities. Issuers of Municipal Securities use this advance refunding technique to obtain more favorable terms with respect to securities that are not yet subject to call or redemption by the issuer. For example, advance refunding enables an issuer to refinance debt at lower market interest rates, restructure debt to improve cash flow or eliminate restrictive covenants in the indenture or other governing instrument for the pre-refunded Municipal Securities. However, except for a change in the revenue source from which principal and interest payments are made, the pre-refunded Municipal Securities remain outstanding on their original terms until they mature or are redeemed by the issuer. Pre-refunded Municipal Securities are usually purchased at a price which represents a premium over their face value.
Private Activity Bonds. The Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds may each invest in certain types of Municipal Securities, generally referred to as industrial development bonds (and referred to under current tax law as private activity bonds), which are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide privately operated housing facilities, airport, mass transit or port facilities, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal or hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities and certain local facilities for water supply, gas or electricity. Other types of industrial development bonds, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute Municipal Securities, although the current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues.
Tender Option Bonds. A tender option bond is a Municipal Security (generally held pursuant to a custodial arrangement) having a relatively long maturity and bearing interest at a fixed rate substantially higher than prevailing short-term, tax-exempt rates. The bond is typically issued with the agreement of a
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third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or other financial institution, which grants the security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value thereof. As consideration for providing the option, the financial institution receives periodic fees equal to the difference between the bond’s fixed coupon rate and the rate, as determined by a remarketing or similar agent at or near the commencement of such period, that would cause the securities, coupled with the tender option, to trade at par on the date of such determination. Thus, after payment of this fee, the security holder effectively holds a demand obligation that bears interest at the prevailing short-term, tax-exempt rate. However, an institution will not be obligated to accept tendered bonds in the event of certain defaults or a significant downgrade in the credit rating assigned to the issuer of the bond. The liquidity of a tender option bond is a function of the credit quality of both the bond issuer and the financial institution providing liquidity. Tender option bonds are deemed to be liquid unless, in the opinion of the Investment Adviser, the credit quality of the bond issuer and the financial institution is deemed, in light of a Fund’s credit quality requirements, to be inadequate and the bond would not otherwise be readily marketable. The tender option will be taken into consideration in determining the maturity of tender option bonds and the average portfolio maturity of the Money Market Fund.
Serial Bonds, Put Bonds and Moral Obligation Bonds. Municipal bonds with a series of maturity dates are called serial bonds. The serial bonds which the Money Market Fund may purchase are limited to short-term serial bonds—those with original or remaining maturities of thirteen months or less. The Money Market Fund may purchase long-term bonds provided that they have a remaining maturity of thirteen months or less or, in the case of bonds called for redemption, the date on which the redemption payment must be made is within thirteen months. The Money Market Fund may also purchase long-term bonds (sometimes referred to as “Put Bonds”), which are subject to the Fund’s commitment to put the bond back to the issuer at par at a designated time within thirteen months and the issuer’s commitment to so purchase the bond at such price and time. The Money Market Fund also may invest in “moral obligation” bonds. Moral obligations bonds are supported by the moral commitment but not the legal obligation of a state or municipality. In particular, these instruments permit governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without meeting constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of debt. If, however, the governmental issuer does not periodically appropriate money to enable it to meet its payment obligations under these instruments, it cannot be legally compelled to do so. If a default occurs, it is likely that the Money Market Fund would be unable to obtain another acceptable source of payment.
Auction Rate Securities. The Government Income and Core Fixed Income Funds may invest in auction rate securities. Auction rate securities include auction rate Municipal Securities and auction rate preferred securities issued by closed-end investment companies that invest primarily in Municipal Securities (collectively, “auction rate securities”). Provided that the auction mechanism is successful, auction rate securities usually permit the holder to sell the securities in an auction at par value at specified intervals. The dividend is reset by “Dutch” auction in which bids are made by broker-dealers and other institutions for a certain amount of securities at a specified minimum yield. The dividend rate set by the auction is the lowest interest or dividend rate that covers all securities offered for sale. While this process is designed to permit auction rate securities to be traded at par value, there is some risk that an auction will fail due to insufficient demand for the securities. A Fund will take the time remaining until the next scheduled auction date into account for purpose of determining the securities’ duration.
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Dividends on auction rate preferred securities issued by a closed-end fund may be designated as exempt from federal income tax to the extent they are attributable to exempt income earned by the fund on the securities in its portfolio and distributed to holders of the preferred securities, provided that the preferred securities are treated as equity securities for federal income tax purposes and the closed-end fund complies with certain tests under the Code.
A Fund’s investments in auction rate securities of closed-end funds are subject to the limitations prescribed by the Act and certain state securities regulations. The Funds will indirectly bear their proportionate share of any management and other fees paid by such closed-end funds in addition to the advisory fees payable directly by the Funds.
Insurance and Letters of Credit. The Government Income and Core Fixed Income Funds may invest in “insured” tax-exempt Municipal Securities. Insured Municipal Securities are securities for which scheduled payments of interest and principal are guaranteed by a private (non-governmental) insurance company. The insurance only entitles a Fund to receive the face or par value of the securities held by the Fund. The insurance does not guarantee the market value of the Municipal Securities or the value of the shares of a Fund.
The Funds may utilize new issue or secondary market insurance. A new issue insurance policy is purchased by a bond issuer who wishes to increase the credit rating of a security. By paying a premium and meeting the insurer’s underwriting standards, the bond issuer is able to obtain a high credit rating (usually, Aaa from Moody’s or AAA from Standard & Poor’s) for the issued security. Such insurance is likely to increase the purchase price and resale value of the security. New issue insurance policies generally are non-cancelable and continue in force as long as the bonds are outstanding.
A secondary market insurance policy is purchased by an investor (such as a Fund) subsequent to a bond’s original issuance and generally insures a particular bond for the remainder of its term. The Funds may purchase bonds which have already been insured under a secondary market insurance policy by a prior investor, or the Funds may directly purchase such a policy from insurers for bonds which are currently uninsured.
An insured Municipal Security acquired by a Fund will typically be covered by only one of the above types of policies. All of the insurance policies used by a Fund will be obtained only from insurance companies rated, at the time of purchase, A by Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s, or if unrated, determined by the Investment Adviser to be of comparable quality.
The Money Market Fund may purchase municipal instruments that are backed by letters of credit issued by foreign banks that have a branch, agency or subsidiary in the United States. Such letters of credit, like other obligations of foreign banks, may involve credit risks in addition to those of domestic obligations, including risks relating to future political and economic developments, nationalization, foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls and difficulties in obtaining or enforcing a judgment against a foreign bank (including branches).
Call Risk and Reinvestment Risk. Municipal Securities may include “call” provisions which permit the issuers of such securities, at any time or after a specified period, to redeem the securities prior to their stated maturity. In the event that Municipal Securities held in a Fund’s portfolio are called prior to
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the maturity, the Fund will be required to reinvest the proceeds on such securities at an earlier date and may be able to do so only at lower yields, thereby reducing the Fund’s return on its portfolio securities.
Mortgage Dollar Rolls
The Fixed Income Funds may enter into mortgage “dollar rolls” in which a Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar (same type, coupon and maturity), but not identical securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, a Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, a Fund would benefit to the extent of any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) or fee income plus the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase. Unless such benefits exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain or loss due to mortgage prepayments that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the mortgage dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment performance of a Fund compared with what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage dollar rolls. All cash proceeds will be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the applicable Fund. Each Fixed Income Fund will hold and maintain in a segregated account until the settlement date cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, in an amount equal to its forward purchase price.
For financial reporting and tax purposes, the Fixed Income Funds treat mortgage dollar rolls as two separate transactions; one involving the purchase of a security and a separate transaction involving a sale. The Funds do not currently intend to enter into mortgage dollar rolls for financing and do not treat them as borrowings.
Mortgage dollar rolls involve certain risks including the following: if the broker-dealer to whom a Fixed Income Fund sells the security becomes insolvent, a Fund’s right to purchase or repurchase the mortgage-related securities subject to the mortgage dollar roll may be restricted. Also, the instrument which a Fund is required to repurchase may be worth less than an instrument which a Fund originally held. Successful use of mortgage dollar rolls will depend upon the Investment Adviser’s ability to manage a Fund’s interest rate and mortgage prepayments exposure. For these reasons, there is no assurance that mortgage dollar rolls can be successfully employed.
Short Sales
Each Equity Fund (other than the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity and Equity Index Funds) may engage in short sales against the box. In a short sale, the seller sells a borrowed security and has a corresponding obligation to the lender to return the identical security. The seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. While a short sale is made by selling a security the seller does not own, a short sale is “against the box” to the extent that the seller contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain, at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short. It may be entered into by a Fund, for example, to lock in a sales price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell immediately. If a Fund sells securities short against the box, it may protect itself from loss if the price of the securities declines in the future, but will lose the opportunity to profit on such securities if the price rises.
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If a Fund effects a short sale of securities at a time when it has an unrealized gain on the securities, it may be required to recognize that gain as if it had actually sold the securities (as a “constructive sale”) on the date it effects the short sale. However, such constructive sale treatment may not apply if a Fund closes out the short sale with securities other than the appreciated securities held at the time of the short sale and if certain other conditions are satisfied. Uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of effecting short sales may limit the extent to which the Fund may effect short sales.
Portfolio Turnover
Each Fund may engage in active short-term trading to benefit from price disparities among different issues of securities or among the markets for equity securities, or for other reasons. It is anticipated that the portfolio turnover may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may be affected by changes in the holdings of specific issuers, changes in country and currency weightings, cash requirements for redemption of shares and by requirements which enable the Funds to receive favorable tax treatment. The Funds are not restricted by policy with regard to portfolio turnover and will make changes in their investment portfolio from time to time as business and economic conditions as well as market prices may dictate.
The Predecessor Allmerica Select Investment Grade Income Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 was 113% and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 was 192%. The portfolio turnover ratio in 2004 reflected a return to a more normalized turnover ratio following a fund merger in 2003.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The investment restrictions set forth below have been adopted by the Trust as fundamental policies that cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority (as defined in the Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the affected Fund. The investment objective of each Fund and all other investment policies or practices of each Fund are considered by the Trust not to be fundamental and accordingly may be changed without shareholder approval. For purposes of the Act, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the lesser of the vote of (i) 67% or more of the shares of the Trust or a Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or a Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the shares of the Trust or a Fund. For purposes of the following limitations, any limitation which involves a maximum percentage shall not be considered violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition or encumbrance of securities or assets of, or borrowings by, a Fund. With respect to the Funds’ fundamental investment restriction no. 3, asset coverage of at least 300% (as defined in the Act), inclusive of any amounts borrowed, must be maintained at all times.
As a matter of fundamental policy, a Fund may not:
(1) Make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the 1940 Act. This restriction does not, however, apply to any Fund classified as a non-diversified company under the Act;
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(2) Invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities). (For the purposes of this restriction, state and municipal governments and their agencies, authorities and instrumentalities are not deemed to be industries; telephone companies are considered to be a separate industry from water, gas or electric utilities; personal credit finance companies and business credit finance companies are deemed to be separate industries; and wholly-owned finance companies are considered to be in the industry of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of their parents.) This restriction does not apply to investments in municipal securities which have been pre-refunded by the use of obligations of the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Money Market Fund will invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in bank obligations (whether foreign or domestic) except that if adverse economic conditions prevail in the banking industry, the Money Market Fund may, for defensive purposes, temporarily invest less than 25% of its total assets in bank obligations;
(3) Borrow money, except (a) the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value and International Equity Funds may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act) or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Growth Opportunities, Equity Index, Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds, to the extent permitted by applicable law, may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), other affiliated investment companies and other persons or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (c) each Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (d) each Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (e) each Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law and (f) each Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings. (Notwithstanding the foregoing fundamental policy that would allow the Money Market Fund to borrow through reverse repurchase agreements, as of the date of this Additional Statement, the Money Market Fund does not engage in reverse repurchase transactions as a matter of non-fundamental policy which may be changed or amended by action of the Board of Trustees without approval of shareholders);
(4) Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law, and (d) for the Growth Opportunities, Equity Index, Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds only, loans to affiliates of such Funds to the extent permitted by law;
(5) Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting;
(6)(a) For each Fund other than the Core Fixed Income Fund, purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although a Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by a Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;
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(6)(b) In the case of the Core Fixed Income Fund, hold or deal in real estate (including real estate limited partnerships) or oil, gas or mineral leases, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, may purchase mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;
(7) Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts; or
(8) Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.
For purposes of the 25% investment requirement for the Money Market Fund stated in Investment Limitation No. 2 above, the Fund considers “bank obligations” to include obligations either issued or guaranteed by banks (whether foreign or domestic).
Each Fund may, notwithstanding any other fundamental investment restriction or policy, invest some or all of its assets in a single open-end investment company or series thereof with substantially the same investment objective, restrictions and policies as the Fund.
In addition to the fundamental policies mentioned above, the Trustees have adopted the following non-fundamental policies which can be changed or amended by action of the Trustees without approval of shareholders.
A Fund may not:
| (a) | | Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management; |
|
| (b) | | Invest more than 15% (10% with respect to the Money Market Fund) of the Fund’s net assets in illiquid investments including illiquid repurchase agreements with a notice or demand period of more than seven days, securities which are not readily marketable and restricted securities not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act; |
|
| (c) | | Purchase additional securities if the Fund’s borrowings (excluding covered mortgage dollar rolls) exceed 5% of its net assets; or |
|
| (d) | | Make short sales of securities, except short sales against the box. |
The Money Market Fund must also comply, as a non-fundamental policy, with Rule 2a-7 under the Act. While a detailed and technical rule, Rule 2a-7 has three basic requirements: portfolio maturity, portfolio quality and portfolio diversification. Portfolio maturity. Rule 2a-7 requires that the maximum maturity (as determined in accordance with Rule 2a-7) of any security in the Money Market Fund’s portfolio may not exceed 13 months and the Fund’s average portfolio maturity may not exceed 90 days. Portfolio quality. The Money Market Fund may only invest in First Tier and Second Tier securities (as defined in the Rule). The Money Market Fund, as a matter of non-fundamental policy, only invests in First Tier securities. Portfolio diversification. The Money Market Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except U.S. Government Securities, repurchase agreements collateralized by such securities and certain securities subject to a guarantee or unconditional demand feature). The Money Market Fund may, however, invest up to 25% of its total
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assets in the First Tier Securities of a single issuer for a period of up to three business days after the purchase thereof. Subject to certain exceptions, immediately after the acquisition of any demand features or guarantees (i.e., generally, the right to sell the security at a price equal to its approximate amortized cost (for a demand feature) or principal amount (for a guarantee) plus accrued interest), with respect to 75% of the assets of the Money Market Fund, no more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in securities issued by or subject to demand features or guarantees issued by the same issuer. Securities which are rated in the highest short-term rating category by at least two NRSROs or, if only one NRSRO has assigned a rating, by that NRSRO, are “First Tier securities.” Securities rated in the top two short-term rating categories by at least two NRSROs or by the only NRSRO which has assigned a rating, but which are not First Tier securities, are “Second Tier securities.” Unrated securities may also be First Tier or Second Tier securities if they are of comparable quality as determined by the Investment Adviser. In accordance with certain rules, the rating of a demand feature or guarantee of a security may be deemed to be the rating of the underlying security. NRSROs include S&P, Moody’s, Fitch and Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited. See Appendix A for a description of their rating categories.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The business and affairs of the Funds are managed under the direction of the Board of Trustees subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and the Trust’s Declaration of Trust. The Trustees are responsible for deciding matters of general policy and reviewing the actions of the Trust’s service providers. The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise each Fund’s daily business operations.
Trustees of the Trust
Information pertaining to the Trustees of the Trust is set forth below. Trustees who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Trust as defined in the Act are referred to as “Independent Trustees.” Trustees who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Trust are referred to as “Interested Trustees.”
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| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Independent Trustees |
| | | | | | | | Number of | | |
| | | | Term of | | | | Portfolios in | | |
| | | | Office and | | | | Fund | | |
| | Position(s) | | Length of | | | | Complex | | |
Name, | | Held with | | Time | | Principal Occupation(s) | | Overseen by | | Other Directorships |
Address and Age1 | | the Trust | | Served2 | | During Past 5 Years | | Trustee3 | | Held by Trustee4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ashok N. Bakhru Age: 63 | | Chairman of the Board of Trustees | | Since 1997 | | President, ABN Associates (July 1994—March 1996 and November 1998—Present); Executive Vice President — Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Coty Inc. (manufacturer of fragrances and cosmetics) (April 1996—November 1998); Director of Arkwright Mutual Insurance Company (1984—1999); Trustee of International House of Philadelphia (program center and residential community for students and professional trainees from the United States and foreign countries) (1989-2004); Member of Cornell University Council (1992-2004); Trustee of the Walnut Street Theater (1992-2004); Trustee, Scholarship America (1998-Present); Trustee, Institute for Higher Education Policy (2003-Present); Director, Private Equity Investors —III and IV (November 1998-Present), and Equity-Limited Investors II (April 2002-Present); and Chairman, Lenders Service Inc. (provider of mortgage lending services) (2000-2003). | | | 70 | | | None |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Chairman of the Board of Trustees — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
John P. Coblentz, Jr. Age: 64 | | Trustee | | Since 2003 | | Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP (June 1975 — May 2003). | | | 70 | | | None |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Patrick T. Harker Age: 46 | | Trustee | | Since 2000 | | Dean and Reliance Professor of Operations and Information Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (February 2000-Present); Interim and Deputy Dean, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (July 1999-Present); and Professor and Chairman of Department of Operations and Information Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (July 1997—August 2000). | | | 70 | | | None |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Independent Trustees |
| | | | | | | | Number of | | |
| | | | Term of | | | | Portfolios in | | |
| | | | Office and | | | | Fund | | |
| | Position(s) | | Length of | | | | Complex | | |
Name, | | Held with | | Time | | Principal Occupation(s) | | Overseen by | | Other Directorships |
Address and Age1 | | the Trust | | Served2 | | During Past 5 Years | | Trustee3 | | Held by Trustee4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Mary P. McPherson Age: 70 | | Trustee | | Since 1997 | | Vice President, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (provider of grants for conservation, environmental and educational purposes) (October 1997-Present); Director, Smith College (1998-Present); Director, Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation (health educational programs) (1977-Present); Director, Philadelphia Contributionship (insurance) (1985-Present); Director Emeritus, Amherst College (1986—1998); Director, The Spencer Foundation (educational research) (1993-February 2003); member of PNC Advisory Board (banking) (1993-1998); Director, American School of Classical Studies in Athens (1997-Present); and Trustee, Emeriti Retirement Health Solutions (post-retirement medical insurance program for not-for-profit institutions) (since 2005). | | | 70 | | | None |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Wilma J. Smelcer Age: 56 | | Trustee | | Since 2001 | | Chairman, Bank of America, Illinois (banking) (1998-January 2001); and Governor, Board of Governors, Chicago Stock Exchange (national securities exchange) (April 2001-April 2004). | | | 70 | | | Lawson Products Inc. (distributor of industrial products). |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Richard P. Strubel Age: 66 | | Trustee | | Since 1997 | | Vice Chairman and Director, Unext, Inc. (provider of educational services via the internet) (2003-Present); President, COO and Director, Unext, Inc. (1999-2003); Director, Cantilever Technologies, Inc. (a private software company) (1999-Present); Trustee, The University of Chicago (1987-Present); and Managing Director, Tandem Partners, Inc. (management services firm) (1990—1999). | | | 70 | | | Gildan Activewear Inc. (an activewear clothing marketing and manufacturing company); Unext, Inc. (provider of educational services via the internet); Northern Mutual Fund Complex (53 Portfolios). |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interested Trustees |
| | | | | | | | Number of | | |
| | | | Term of | | | | Portfolios in | | |
| | | | Office and | | | | Fund | | |
| | Position(s) | | Length of | | | | Complex | | |
Name, | | Held with | | Time | | Principal Occupation(s) | | Overseen by | | Other Directorships |
Address and Age1 | | the Trust | | Served2 | | During Past 5 Years | | Trustee3 | | Held by Trustee4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
*Alan A. Shuch Age: 55 | | Trustee | | Since 1997 | | Advisory Director — GSAM (May 1999-Present); Consultant to GSAM (December 1994 — May 1999); and Limited Partner, Goldman Sachs (December 1994 — May 1999). | | | 70 | | | None |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
*Kaysie P. Uniacke Age: 44 | | Trustee | | Since 2001 | | Managing Director, GSAM (1997-Present). | | | 70 | | | None |
| | & | | | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | President | | Since 2002 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | President — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (2002-Present) (registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Assistant Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (1997 — 2002) ( registered investment companies). | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Gettysburg College. | | | | | | |
| | |
* | | These persons are considered to be “Interested Trustees” because they hold positions with Goldman Sachs and own securities issued by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Each Interested Trustee holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor. |
|
1 | | Each Trustee may be contacted by writing to the Trustee, c/o Goldman Sachs, One New York Plaza, 37th Floor, New York, New York, 10004, Attn: Howard B. Surloff. |
|
2 | | Each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until the earliest of: (a) the election of his or her successor; (b) the date the Trustee resigns or is removed by the Board of Trustees or shareholders, in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust; (c) the date the Trustee attains the age of 72 years (in accordance with the current resolutions of the Board of Trustees, which may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder vote); or (d) the termination of the Trust. |
|
3 | | The Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex consists of the Trust and Goldman Sachs Trust. As of the date of this Additional Statement, the Trust consisted of 11 portfolios, including the Funds described in this Additional Statement, and Goldman Sachs Trust consisted of 59 portfolios. |
|
4 | | This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., “public companies”) or other investment companies registered under the Act. |
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Officers of the Trust
Information pertaining to the officers of the Trust is set forth below.
| | | | | | |
Officers of the Trust |
| | Position(s) | | | | |
| | Held | | Term of Office | | |
Name, Age | | With the | | and Length of | | Principal Occupation(s) |
And Address | | Trust | | Time Served1 | | During Past 5 Years |
| | | | | | |
Kaysie P. Uniacke | | President | | Since 2002 | | Managing Director, GSAM (1997-Present). |
32 Old Slip | | & | | | | |
New York, NY 10005 Age: 44 | | Trustee | | Since 2001 | | Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | President — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | Assistant Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (1997—2002) (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trustee — Gettysburg College |
| | | | | | |
John M. Perlowski 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 40 | | Treasurer | | Since 1997 | | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (November 2003 — Present) and Vice President, Goldman Sachs (July 1995-November 2003). |
| | | | | | Treasurer — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
Philip V. Giuca, Jr. 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 43 | | Assistant Treasurer | | Since 1998 | | Vice President, Goldman Sachs (May 1992-Present).
Assistant Treasurer — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
Peter Fortner 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 47 | | Assistant Treasurer | | Since 2000 | | Vice President, Goldman Sachs (July 2000-Present); Associate, Prudential Insurance Company of America (November 1985—June 2000); and Assistant Treasurer, certain closed-end funds administered by Prudential (1999 and 2000). |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | Assistant Treasurer — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
Kenneth G. Curran 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 41 | | Assistant Treasurer | | Since 2001 | | Vice President, Goldman Sachs (November 1998-Present); and Senior Tax Manager, KPMG Peat Marwick (accountants) (August 1995—October 1998). |
| | | | | | Assistant Treasurer — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
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| | | | | | |
Officers of the Trust |
| | Position(s) | | | | |
| | Held | | Term of Office | | |
Name, Age | | With the | | and Length of | | Principal Occupation(s) |
And Address | | Trust | | Time Served1 | | During Past 5 Years |
| | | | | | |
James A. Fitzpatrick 71 South Wacker Drive Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60606 Age: 45 | | Vice President | | Since 1997 | | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (October 1999— Present); and Vice President of GSAM (April 1997—December 1999). |
| | | | | | Vice President — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
Jesse Cole 71 South Wacker Drive Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60606 Age: 42 | | Vice President | | Since 1998 | | Vice President, GSAM (June 1998-Present); and Vice President, AIM Management Group, Inc. (investment adviser) (April 1996—June 1998). |
| | | | | | Vice President — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
Kerry K. Daniels 71 South Wacker Drive Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60606 Age: 42 | | Vice President | | Since 2000 | | Manager, Financial Control — Shareholder Services, Goldman Sachs (1986-Present).
Vice President — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
James McNamara 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 42 | | Vice President | | Since 2001 | | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (December 1998-Present); Director of Institutional Fund Sales, GSAM (April 1998—December 2000); and Senior Vice President and Manager, Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation (January 1993 — April 1998).
Vice President—Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies).
Trustee — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies) (December 2002-May 2004).
|
| | | | | | |
Howard B. Surloff One New York Plaza 37 th Floor New York, NY 10004 Age: 40 | | Secretary | | Since 2001 | | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (November 2002—Present); Associate General Counsel, Goldman Sachs and General Counsel to the U.S. Funds Group (December 1997—Present).
Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies) (2001-Present) and Assistant Secretary prior thereto. |
| | | | | | |
Dave Fishman 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 40 | | Assistant Secretary | | Since 2001 | | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (December 2001—Present); and Vice President, Goldman Sachs (1997—December 2001).
Assistant Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
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| | | | | | |
Officers of the Trust |
| | Position(s) | | | | |
| | Held | | Term of Office | | |
Name, Age | | With the | | and Length of | | Principal Occupation(s) |
And Address | | Trust | | Time Served1 | | During Past 5 Years |
| | | | | | |
Danny Burke 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 42 | | Assistant Secretary | | Since 2001 | | Vice President, Goldman Sachs (1987—Present).
Assistant Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies).
|
| | | | | | |
Elizabeth D. Anderson 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 35 | | Assistant Secretary | | Since 1997 | | Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (December 2002 — Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (1997-December 2002) and Fund Manager, GSAM (April 1996—Present). |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | Assistant Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | | | | | |
Peter V. Bonanno 32 Old Slip New York, NY 10005 Age: 37 | | Assistant Secretary | | Since 2003 | | Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (2002—Present); Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (1999-2002). |
| | | | | | Assistant Secretary — Goldman Sachs Mutual Fund Complex (registered investment companies). |
| | |
1 | | Officers hold office at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Each officer holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor. |
Standing Board Committees
The Board of Trustees has established seven standing committees in connection with their governance of the Funds — Audit, Governance and Nominating, Compliance, Valuation, Dividend, Schedule E and Contract Review.
The Audit Committee oversees the audit process and provides assistance to the full Board of Trustees with respect to fund accounting, tax compliance and financial statement matters. In performing its responsibilities, the Audit Committee selects and recommends annually to the entire Board of Trustees an independent registered public accounting firm to audit the books and records of the Trust for the ensuing year, and reviews with the firm the scope and results of each audit. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee held three meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
The Governance and Nominating Committee has been established to: (i) assist the Board of Trustees in matters involving mutual fund governance and industry practices; (ii) select and nominate candidates for appointment or election to serve as Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or its investment adviser or distributor (as defined by the Act) and (iii) advise the Board of Trustees on ways to improve its effectiveness. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the
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Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee held four meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. As stated above, each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until the occurrence of certain events. In filling Board vacancies, the Governance and Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Nominee recommendations should be submitted to the Trust at its mailing address stated in the Funds’ Prospectuses and should be directed to the attention of Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust Governance and Nominating Committee.
The Compliance Committee has been established for the purpose of overseeing the compliance processes: (i) of the Funds; and (ii) insofar as they relate to, services provided to the Funds, of the Funds investment advisers, distributor, administrator (if any), and transfer agent, except that compliance processes relating to the accounting and financial reporting processes, and certain related matters, are overseen by the Audit Committee. In addition, the Compliance Committee provides assistance to the full Board of Trustees with respect to compliance matters. The Compliance Committee was formed on May 6, 2004 and met twice during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Compliance Committee.
The Valuation Committee is authorized to act for the Board of Trustees in connection with the valuation of portfolio securities held by the Funds in accordance with the Trust’s Valuation Procedures. Mr. Shuch and Ms. Uniacke serve on the Valuation Committee. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the Valuation Committee held twelve meetings.
The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare dividends and capital gain distributions consistent with each Fund’s Prospectuses. Currently, the sole member of the Trust’s Dividend Committee is Ms. Uniacke. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the Dividend Committee held one meeting with respect to the Funds.
The Schedule E Committee is authorized to address potential conflicts of interest regulated by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”). Currently, the sole member of the Trust’s Schedule E Committee is Mr. Bakhru. The Schedule E Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
The Contract Review Committee has been established for the purpose of overseeing the processes of the Board of Trustees for approving and monitoring the Funds’ investment management, distribution, transfer agency and other agreements with the Funds, Investment Advisers and their affiliates. The Contract Review Committee is responsible for overseeing the Board of Trustees processes for approving and reviewing the operation of the Funds’ distribution, service, shareholder administration and other plans, and any agreements related to the 1940 Act. The Contract Review Committee also provides appropriate assistance to the Board of Trustees in connection with the Board’s approval, oversight and review of the Funds’ other service providers including, without limitation, the Funds’ custodian/accounting agent, sub-transfer agents, professional (legal and accounting) firms and printing firms. The Contract Review Committee was formed on November 4, 2004 and held one meeting during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Contract Review Committee.
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Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares
The following table shows the dollar range of shares beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Funds and other portfolios of the Trust and Goldman Sachs Trust. Shares of the Funds are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies for the purpose of funding various annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies and are not available for direct investment by the Trustees.
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Aggregate Dollar Range of | |
| | | | | | Equity Securities in All | |
| | Dollar Range of | | | Portfolios in Fund Complex | |
Name of Trustee | | Equity Securities in the Funds1 | | | Overseen By Trustee2 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Ashok N. Bakhru | | None | | Over $100,000 |
John P. Coblentz, Jr. | | None | | Over $100,000 |
Patrick T. Harker | | None | | Over $100,000 |
Mary P. McPherson | | None | | Over $100,000 |
Alan A. Shuch | | None | | Over $100,000 |
Wilma J. Smelcer | | None | | Over $100,000 |
Richard P. Strubel | | None | | Over $100,000 |
Kaysie P. Uniacke | | None | | Over $100,000 |
| | |
1 | | Includes the value of shares beneficially owned by each Trustee in each Fund described in this Additional Statement as of December 31, 2004.
|
|
2 | | Includes the Trust and Goldman Sachs Trust. As of December 31, 2004, the Trust consisted of the 6 portfolios described in this Additional Statement, and Goldman Sachs Trust consisted of 57 portfolios. |
As of September 30, 2005, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of each Fund.
Board Compensation
The Trust pays each Independent Trustee an annual fee for his or her services as a Trustee of the Trust, plus an additional fee for each regular and special telephonic Board meeting, and Governance and Nominating Committee, Compliance Committee, Contract Review Committee and Audit Committee meeting attended by such Trustee. The Independent Trustees are also reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in connection with attending such meetings. The Trust may also pay the incidental costs of a Trustee to attend training or other types of conferences relating to the investment company industry.
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The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the compensation of each Trustee of the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Trustee Compensation | |
| | | | | | CORE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | CORE | | | Small | | | | | | | Growth | | | Mid | | | | |
| | U.S. | | | Cap | | | Capital | | | and | | | Cap | | | | |
| | Equity | | | Equity | | | Growth | | | Income | | | Value | | | International | |
Name of Trustee | | Fund | | | Fund | | | Fund | | | Fund | | | Fund | | | Equity Fund | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ashok N. Bakhru1 | | $ | 3,172 | | | $ | 3,172 | | | $ | 3,172 | | | $ | 3,172 | | | $ | 3,172 | | | $ | 3,172 | |
Gary D. Black2 | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
John P. Coblentz, Jr. | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | |
Patrick T. Harker | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | |
James McNamara2 | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Mary P. McPherson | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | |
Alan A. Shuch | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Wilma J. Smelcer | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | |
Richard P. Strubel | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | | | | 2,253 | |
Kaysie P. Uniacke | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Pension or | | | Total Compensation | |
| | | | | | Retirement | | | From Fund | |
| | Aggregate | | | Benefits Accrued as | | | Complex | |
| | Compensation | | | Part of the Trust's | | | (including the | |
Name of Trustee | | from the Funds | | | Expenses | | | Funds)3 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Ashok N. Bakhru1 | | $ | 19,032 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 198,500 | |
Gary D. Black2 | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
John P. Coblentz, Jr. | | | 13,518 | | | | — | | | | 141,000 | |
Patrick T. Harker | | | 13,518 | | | | — | | | | 141,000 | |
James McNamara2 | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Mary P. McPherson | | | 13,518 | | | | — | | | | 141,000 | |
Alan A. Shuch | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Wilma J. Smelcer | | | 13,518 | | | | — | | | | 141,000 | |
Richard P. Strubel | | | 13,518 | | | | — | | | | 141,000 | |
Kaysie P. Uniacke | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
| | |
1 | | Includes compensation as Board Chairman. |
|
2 | | Messrs. Black and McNamara resigned from the Boards of the Trust and Goldman Sachs Trust effective April 2004 and May 2004, respectively. |
|
3 | | The Fund Complex consists of the Trust and Goldman Sachs Trust. The Trust consisted of 6 portfolios and Goldman Sachs Trust consisted of 57 portfolios as of December 31, 2004. |
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Miscellaneous
The Trust, its Investment Advisers and principal underwriter have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the Act that permit personnel subject to their particular codes of ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser
As stated in the Funds’ Prospectus, GSAM (formerly, Goldman Sachs Funds Management, L.P.), 32 Old Slip, New York, New York 10005, serves as Investment Adviser to the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value, Growth Opportunities, Equity Index, Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds. GSAM is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. Prior to the end of April 2003, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, a business unit of the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs served as the Fund’s investment adviser. On or about April 26, 2003, GSAM assumed Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s investment advisory responsibilities for the Funds. GSAMI, Christchurch Court, 10-15 Newgate Street, London, England EC1A7HD, serves as Investment Adviser to the International Equity Fund. As a company with unlimited liability under the laws of England, GSAMI is regulated by the Investment Management Regulatory Organization Limited, a United Kingdom self regulatory organization, in the conduct of its investment advisory business. GSAMI is also an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111-2900, serves as Sub-Adviser to the Equity Index Fund. See “Service Providers” in the Funds’ Prospectus for a description of the applicable Investment Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s duties to the Funds.
Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is among the oldest and largest investment banking firms in the United States. Goldman Sachs is a leader in developing portfolio strategies and in many fields of investing and financing, participating in financial markets worldwide and serving individuals, institutions, corporations and governments. Goldman Sachs is also among the principal market sources for current and thorough information on companies, industrial sectors, markets, economies and currencies, and trades and makes markets in a wide range of equity and debt securities 24 hours a day. The firm is headquartered in New York and has offices throughout the United States and in Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Calgary, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, George Town, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Toronto, and Zurich. It has trading professionals throughout the United States, as well as in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. The active participation of Goldman Sachs in the world’s financial markets enhances its ability to identify attractive investments. Goldman Sachs has agreed to permit the Funds to use the name “Goldman Sachs” or a derivative thereof as part of each Fund’s name for as long as the Management Agreement is in effect.
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The Investment Advisers are able to draw on the substantial research and market expertise of Goldman Sachs, whose investment research effort is one of the largest in the industry. The Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research Department covers approximately 2,400 companies, over 50 economies and over 25 markets. The in-depth information and analyses generated by Goldman Sachs’ research analysts are available to the Investment Advisers.
For more than a decade, Goldman Sachs has been among the top-ranked firms in Institutional Investor’s annual “All-America Research Team” survey. In addition, many of Goldman Sachs’ economists, securities analysts, portfolio strategists and credit analysts have consistently been highly ranked in respected industry surveys conducted in the United States and abroad. Goldman Sachs is also among the leading investment firms using quantitative analytics to structure and evaluate portfolios.
In managing the Funds, the Investment Advisers have access to Goldman Sachs’ economics research. The Economics Research Department based in London, conducts economic, financial and currency markets research which analyzes economic trends and interest and exchange rate movements worldwide. The Economics Research Department tracks factors such as inflation and money supply figures, balance of trade figures, economic growth, commodity prices, monetary and fiscal policies, and political events that can influence interest rates and currency trends. The success of Goldman Sachs’ international research team has brought wide recognition to its members. The team has earned top rankings in various external surveys such as Extel, Institutional Investor and Reuters. These rankings acknowledge the achievements of the firm’s economists, strategists and equity analysts.
In allocating assets among foreign countries and currencies for the Funds which can invest in foreign securities, the Investment Advisers will have access to the Global Asset Allocation Model. The model is based on the observation that the prices of all financial assets, including foreign currencies, will adjust until investors globally are comfortable holding the pool of outstanding assets. Using the model, the Investment Advisers will estimate the total returns from each currency sector which are consistent with the average investor holding a portfolio equal to the market capitalization of the financial assets among those currency sectors. These estimated equilibrium returns are then combined with the expectations of Goldman Sachs’ research professionals to produce an optimal currency and asset allocation for the level of risk suitable for a Fund given its investment objectives and criteria.
With respect to the Government Income Fund and Core Fixed Income Fund, GSAM expects to utilize Goldman Sachs’ sophisticated option-adjusted analytics to help make strategic asset allocations within the markets for U.S. Government Securities, Mortgage-Backed Securities and other securities and to employ this technology periodically to re-evaluate the Funds’ investments as market conditions change. Goldman Sachs has also developed a prepayment model designed to estimate mortgage prepayments and cash flows under different interest rate scenarios. Because a Mortgage-Backed Security incorporates the borrower’s right to prepay the mortgage, GSAM uses a sophisticated option-adjusted spread (OAS) model to measure expected returns. A security’s OAS is a function of the level and shape of the yield curve, volatility and GSAM’s expectation of how a change in interest rates will affect prepayment levels. Since the OAS model assumes a relationship between prepayments and interest rates, GSAM considers it a better way to measure a security’s expected return and absolute and relative values than yield to maturity. In using OAS technology, GSAM will first evaluate the absolute level of a security’s OAS and consider its liquidity and its interest rate, volatility and prepayment sensitivity. GSAM will then analyze its value
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relative to alternative investments and to its own investments. GSAM will also measure a security’s interest rate risk by computing an option adjusted duration (OAD). GSAM believes a security’s OAD is a better measurement of its price sensitivity than cash flow duration, which systematically misstates portfolio duration. GSAM also evaluates returns for different mortgage market sectors and evaluates the credit risk of individual securities. This sophisticated technical analysis allows GSAM to develop portfolio and trading strategies using Mortgage-Backed Securities that are believed to be superior investments on a risk-adjusted basis and which provide the flexibility to meet the respective Fund’s duration targets and cash flow pattern requirements.
Because the OAS is adjusted for the differing characteristics of the underlying securities, the OAS of different Mortgage-Backed Securities can be compared directly as an indication of their relative value in the market. GSAM also expects to use OAS-based pricing methods to calculate projected security returns under different, discrete interest rate scenarios, and Goldman Sachs’ proprietary prepayment model to generate yield estimates under these scenarios. The OAS, scenario returns, expected returns, and yields of securities in the mortgage market can be combined and analyzed in an optimal risk-return matching framework.
GSAM will use OAS analytics to choose what they believe is an appropriate portfolio of investments for the Government Income Fund and Core Fixed Income Fund from a universe of eligible investments. In connection with initial portfolio selections, in addition to using OAS analytics as an aid to meeting each Fund’s particular composition and performance targets, GSAM will also take into account important market criteria like the available supply and relative liquidity of various mortgage securities in structuring the portfolio.
GSAM also expects to use OAS analytics to evaluate the mortgage market on an ongoing basis. Changes in the relative value of various Mortgage-Backed Securities could suggest tactical trading opportunities for the Government Income Fund and Core Fixed Income Fund. GSAM will have access to both current market analysis as well as historical information on the relative value relationships among different Mortgage-Backed Securities. Current market analysis and historical information is available in the Goldman Sachs database for most actively traded Mortgage-Backed Securities.
Goldman Sachs has agreed to provide GSAM, on a non-exclusive basis, use of its mortgage prepayment model, OAS model and any other proprietary services which it now has or may develop, to the extent such services are made available to other similar customers. Use of these services by the Investment Adviser with respect to a Fund does not preclude Goldman Sachs from providing these services to third parties or using such services as a basis for trading for its own account or the account of others.
The fixed-income research capabilities of Goldman Sachs available to GSAM include the Goldman Sachs Fixed Income Research Department and the Credit Department. The Fixed Income Research Department monitors developments in U.S. and foreign fixed-income markets, assesses the outlooks for various sectors of the markets and provides relative value comparisons, as well as analyzes trading opportunities within and across market sectors. The Fixed Income Research Department is at the forefront in developing and using computer-based tools for analyzing fixed-income securities and markets, developing new fixed-income products and structuring portfolio strategies for investment policy
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and tactical asset allocation decisions. The Credit Department tracks specific governments, regions and industries and from time to time may review the credit quality of a Fund’s investments.
The Management Agreement for the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value and International Equity Funds was initially approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Management Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in the Act) of any party thereto (the “non-interested Trustees”), on October 21, 1997. The Management Agreement with respect to these Funds was most recently approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Management Agreement or “interested persons” of any party thereto, on June 15, 2005. A discussion regarding the Board of Trustees’ basis for approving the Management Agreement is available in the Trust’s semi-annual reports dated June 30, 2005.
The Management Agreements were approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees, with respect to the Growth Opportunities, Equity Index, Government Income, Core Fixed Income and Money Market Funds on August 4, 2005. At that meeting the Board of Trustees reviewed the written and oral presentations provided by the Investment Adviser in connection with the Trustees’ consideration of the Management Agreements. The Trustees also reviewed, with the advice of legal counsel, their responsibilities under applicable law and met in executive session without representatives of the Investment Adviser present. Among other things, the Trustees reviewed the Management Agreements as they applied to the Funds, including information regarding the terms of the Management Agreements; the fees and expenses to be paid by the Funds; the spread between the Investment Adviser’s management fee for the Equity Index Fund and the Sub-Adviser’s sub-advisory fee for that Fund; the Investment Adviser’s proposal to reimburse certain expenses of the Funds that exceed a specified level; the Investment Adviser’s proposal to waive voluntarily a portion of its management fee with respect to the Equity Index Fund; other benefits to be derived by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Funds; and a comparison of the Funds’ fees and expenses with those paid by other similar mutual funds. The Trustees also considered the investment performance of other similar mutual funds managed by the Investment Adviser, which the Trustees believed to have been competitive.
In connection with their approval of the Management Agreements for the Funds, the Trustees gave weight to various factors, but did not identify any particular factor as controlling their decision. As part of their review, the Trustees considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Investment Adviser. In this regard, the Trustees considered both the investment advisory services and the other, non-advisory, services to be provided to the Funds by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates. These services include services as the Funds’ transfer agent, securities lending agent and distributor. The Trustees believed that the Investment Adviser was able to provide quality services to the Funds.
The Trustees also considered the contractual fee rates payable by the Funds (some of which included fee breakpoints) under the Management Agreements. In this regard, information on the fees payable by the Funds and the Funds’ total operating expense ratios were compared to similar information for mutual funds advised by other, unaffiliated investment management firms. The comparisons of the Funds’ fee rates and total operating expense ratios were prepared by a third-party
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consultant. These comparisons assisted the Trustees in evaluating the reasonableness of the management fees paid by the Funds.
The Trustees also considered the breakpoints in the contractual fee rates payable by the Growth Opportunities, Government Income and Core Fixed Income Funds under their Management Agreement. In approving these fee breakpoints, the Trustees considered the Investment Adviser’s potential economies of scale, and whether the Funds and their shareholders would participate in the benefits of these economies. In this regard, the Trustees considered the amount of assets in the Funds, and information comparing fee rates charged by the Investment Adviser with fee rates charged by other, unaffiliated investment managers to other mutual funds. The Trustees agreed that the fee breakpoints were a way to ensure that benefits of scalability would be passed along to shareholders at the specified asset levels. In addition, with respect to the Equity Index Fund, the Trustees considered the Investment Adviser’s proposed voluntary management fee waiver and the Fund’s future growth prospects and, with respect to the Money Market Fund, the Trustees considered the relatively lower asset level that was expected when the Fund commenced operations. With respect to all of the Funds, the Trustees considered information relating to the Investment Adviser’s past revenues and costs with respect to the Trust and its Funds.
The Trustees also considered the other benefits that would be received by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates from the Funds, including the fees received by them for transfer agency, securities lending, brokerage and distribution services, as well as the brokerage and research services that may be received by the Investment Adviser in connection with the placement of brokerage transactions for the Funds.
After consideration of these matters, the Trustees concluded that the management fees paid by the Funds were reasonable in light of the services to be provided by the Investment Adviser, and the Funds’ reasonably foreseeable asset levels, and that the Management Agreements should be approved.
The Management Agreements will remain in effect with respect to these Funds until June 30, 2006 and will continue in effect with respect to each Fund from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. Each Management Agreement will terminate automatically with respect to a Fund if assigned (as defined in the Act). Each Management Agreement is also terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Investment Adviser and by the Investment Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.
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Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Investment Advisers are entitled to receive the fees listed below, payable monthly of such Fund’s average daily net assets.
| | | | |
| | | | Actual Rate |
| | | | For the Fiscal |
| | | | Year Ended |
Fund | | Contractual Rate | | December 31, 2004 |
CORE U.S. Equity | | 0.65%* | | 0.65% |
CORE Small Cap Equity | | 0.75%* | | 0.75% |
Capital Growth | | 0.75%* | | 0.75% |
Growth and Income | | 0.75%* | | 0.75% |
Mid Cap Value | | 0.80%* | | 0.80% |
Growth Opportunities | | 1.00% on the first $2 billion | | N/A |
| | 0.90% over $2 billion | | |
Equity Index | | 0.30%** | | N/A |
International Equity | | 1.00%* | | 1.00% |
Government Income | | 0.54% on the first $1 billion | | N/A |
| | 0.49% on the next $1 billion | | |
| | 0.47% over $2 billion | | |
Core Fixed Income | | 0.40% on the first $1 billion | | N/A |
| | 0.36% on the next $1 billion | | |
| | 0.34% over $2 billion | | |
Money Market | | 0.35% | | N/A |
* Effective July 1, 2005, the Investment Adviser has implemented a voluntary fee reduction. The fee reduction will become effective on a contractual basis in 2006. The fee reduction imposed breakpoints on the management fees and reduced the management fees for the following Funds to annual rates equal to the following percentages of the average daily net assets of the Funds:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Over $1 billion | | |
Fund | | First $1 billion | | up to $2 billion | | Over $2 billion |
CORE U.S. Equity | | | 0.65 | % | | | 0.59 | % | | | 0.56 | % |
Capital Growth | | | 0.75 | % | | | 0.68 | % | | | 0.65 | % |
Growth and Income | | | 0.75 | % | | | 0.68 | % | | | 0.65 | % |
International Equity | | | 1.00 | % | | | 0.90 | % | | | 0.86 | % |
Fund | | | | | | First $2 billion | | Over $2 billion |
CORE Small Cap Equity | | | | | | | 0.75 | % | | | 0.68 | % |
Mid Cap Value | | | | | | | 0.80 | % | | | 0.72 | % |
Prior to April 29, 2005, the contractual rate for the CORE U.S. Equity Fund was 0.70% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. On April 29, 2005, the CORE U.S. Equity Fund entered into a fee reduction commitment with the Investment Adviser to permanently reduce the management fee for the Fund to an annual rate of 0.65% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
** If the Equity Index Fund’s average daily net assets exceed $400 million, 0.10% of the management fee will be waived. If the Fund’s average daily net assets are between $300 million and $400 million, 0.05%
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of the management fee will be waived. If the Fund’s average daily net assets are less than $300 million, 0% of the management fee will be waived.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002 the amount of fees incurred by each Fund then in existence pursuant to the Management Agreement were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2004 | | | 2003 | | | 2002 | |
| | With Fee | | | Without Fee | | | | | | | | | |
| | Limitations | | | Limitations | | | | | | | | | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 2,872,768 | | | $ | 3,003,641 | | | $ | 1,180,209 | | | $ | 1,075,955 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 1,353,485 | | | | 1,353,485 | | | | 428,325 | | | | 394,097 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 1,333,178 | | | | 1,333,178 | | | | 198,348 | | | | 129,442 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 1,803,238 | | | | 1,803,238 | | | | 336,295 | | | | 288,101 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 5,607,738 | | | | 5,607,738 | | | | 3,472,612 | | | | 2,636,097 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 1,019,839 | | | | 1,019,839 | | | | 172,679 | | | | 156,515 | |
As further explained in the “Introduction” section of this Additional Statement, the Predecessor Allmerica Funds were reorganized into certain portfolios of the Trust. Investment advisory services for the Predecessor Allmerica Funds were provided by Allmerica Financial Investment Management Services, Inc. (“AFIMS”) and several sub-advisers. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002, historical data presented below is that of the Predecessor Allmerica Funds. For the services provided and expenses assumed by AFIMS under the management agreement with respect to the Predecessor Allmerica Funds, AFIMS was paid advisory fees as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Predecessor Allmerica Fund | | 2004 | | | 2003 | | | 2002 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Select Capital Appreciation Fund1 | | $ | 2,670,846 | | | $ | 2,664,113 | | | $ | 3,280,835 | |
Equity Index Fund2 | | | 1,677,737 | | | | 1,498,250 | | | | 1,242,005 | |
Government Bond Fund3 | | | 774,665 | | | | 1,286,446 | | | | 844,055 | |
Select Investment Grade Income Fund4 | | | 1,944,823 | | | | 2,497,160 | | | | 2,550,744 | |
Money Market Fund5 | | | 1,003,441 | | | | 1,600,664 | | | | 1,895,176 | |
| | |
1 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Growth Opportunities Fund |
|
2 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Equity Index Fund |
|
3 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Government Income Fund |
|
4 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Core Fixed Income Fund |
|
5 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Money Market Fund |
AFIMS was responsible for paying fees to sub-advisers from the advisory fees it received from the Predecessor Allmerica Funds.
In addition to providing advisory services under its Management Agreement, each Investment Adviser also: (i) supervises all non-advisory operations of each Fund that it advises; (ii) provides personnel to perform such executive, administrative and clerical services as are reasonably necessary to provide effective administration of each Fund; (iii) arranges for at each Fund’s expense (a) the
B-85
preparation of all required tax returns, (b) the preparation and submission of reports to existing shareholders, (c) the periodic updating of prospectuses and statements of additional information and (d) the preparation of reports to be filed with the SEC and other regulatory authorities; (iv) maintains each Fund’s records; and (v) provides office space and all necessary office equipment and services.
The Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Investment Adviser and the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Equity Index Fund was approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees, on August 4, 2005. At that meeting the Board of Trustees reviewed the written and oral presentations provided by the Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser in connection with the Trustees’ consideration of the Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Trustees also reviewed, with the advice of legal counsel, their responsibilities under applicable law and met in executive session without representatives of the Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser present. Among other things, the Trustees reviewed the Sub-Advisory Agreement as it applied to the Equity Index Fund, including information regarding the terms of the Sub-Advisory Agreement; the fees to be paid to the Sub-Adviser; and a comparison of the Fund’s fees and expenses with those paid by other similar mutual funds. The Trustees also considered the investment performance of other similar clients managed by the Sub-Adviser. The Trustees believed that the Sub-Adviser had been able to track the investment returns of the S&P 500 Index for its other clients.
In connection with their approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Equity Index Fund, the Trustees gave weight to various factors, but did not identify any particular factor as controlling their decision. As part of their review, the Trustees considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Sub-Adviser. In this regard, the Trustees considered, among other things, the Sub-Adviser’s experience in index investing and its compliance policies and procedures and code of ethics. The Trustees believed that the Sub-Adviser was able to provide quality services to the Fund.
The Trustees also considered the contractual fee rates payable under the Sub-Advisory Agreement. In addition, information on the fees payable with respect to the Equity Index Fund and the Fund’s total operating expense ratio were compared to similar information for mutual funds advised by other, unaffiliated investment management firms. These comparisons assisted the Trustees in evaluating the reasonableness of the fees relating to the Fund.
The Trustees also considered the breakpoints in the contractual fee rates in the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Adviser’s potential economies of scale, and whether the Funds and their shareholders would participate in the benefits of these economies. In this regard, the Trustees considered the projected amount of assets in the Fund, and information comparing fee rates charged by the Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser with fee rates charged by other, unaffiliated investment managers to other mutual funds. The Trustees agreed that the fee breakpoints were a way to ensure that benefits of scalability would be passed along to shareholders at the specified asset levels.
In addition, the Trustees considered whether the Sub-Adviser would experience other benefits relating to its services for the Fund. In this regard, they considered the benefits that affiliates of the Sub-Adviser would receive for providing other services to the Funds, including services as the custodian and accounting agent.
After deliberation, the Trustees concluded that the fee payable to the Sub-Adviser by GSAM was reasonable in light of the services provided by the Sub-Adviser, and that the Sub-Advisory Agreement should be approved.
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The Sub-Advisory Agreement will remain in effect until June 30, 2006 and will continue in effect from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the Act). The Sub-Advisory Agreement is also terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or by the Investment Adviser or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser and by the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.
For the services provided and expenses assumed under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Investment Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a monthly management fee at the following annual rates of the average daily net assets of the Equity Index Fund:
0.03% on the first $50 million
0.02% on the next $200 million
0.01% on the next $750 million
0.08% over $1 billion
B-87
Portfolio Managers — Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
The following tables discloses other accounts within each type of category listed below for which the portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for day to day portfolio management.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by Account Type* | | | Number of Accounts and Total Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance Based* | |
| | Registered | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Registered | | | | | | | |
Name of | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | |
Portfolio Manager | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | |
| | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | |
| | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | |
| | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Quantitative Equity Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Melissa Brown | | | 37 | | | $9.6 bn | | | 5 | | | $2.5 bn | | | 94 | | | $16.7 bn | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $109.7 mm | | | 18 | | | $4.2 bn |
Gary Chropuvka | | | 38 | | | $9.7 bn | | | 5 | | | $2.5 bn | | | 241 | | | $17.8 bn | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $109.7 mm | | | 18 | | | $4.2 bn |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Quantitative Equity Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Melissa Brown | | | 37 | | | $9.6 bn | | | 5 | | | $2.5 bn | | | 94 | | | $16.7 bn | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $109.7 mm | | | 18 | | | $4.2 bn |
Gary Chropuvka | | | 38 | | | $9.7 bn | | | 5 | | | $2.5 bn | | | 241 | | | $17.8 bn | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $109.7 mm | | | 18 | | | $4.2 bn |
Capital Growth Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Growth Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Steven M. Barry | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Kenneth T. Berents | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Herbert E. Ehlers | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Gregory H. Ekizian | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Warren Fisher | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Mark Gordon | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Joe Hudepohl | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Prashant Khemka | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Scott Kolar | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Adria Markus | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Derek Pilecki | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Andrew F. Pyne | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by Account Type* | | | Number of Accounts and Total Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance Based* | |
| | Registered | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Registered | | | | | | | |
Name of | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | |
Portfolio Manager | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | |
| | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | |
| | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | |
| | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | |
Jeffrey Rabinowitz | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
David G. Shell | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Charles Silberstein | | | 29 | | | $9.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $1.9 bn |
Growth and Income Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Value Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Dolores Bamford | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
David L. Berdon | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Andrew Braun | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Scott Carroll | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Sally Pope Davis | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Sean Gallagher | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Lisa Parisi | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Edward Perkin | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Eileen Rominger | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.9 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Value Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Dolores Bamford | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
David L. Berdon | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Andrew Braun | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Scott Carroll | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Sally Pope Davis | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Sean Gallagher | | | 6 | | | $3.0 bn | | None | | None | | | 26 | | | $662 mm | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None |
Lisa Parisi | | | 6 | | | $3.0 bn | | None | | None | | | 26 | | | $663 mm | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None |
Edward Perkin | | | 19 | | | $9.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 311 | | | $4.7 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
Eileen Rominger | | | 13 | | | $6.2 bn | | None | | None | | | 285 | | | $4.1 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 1 | | | $113.6 mm |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by Account Type* | | | Number of Accounts and Total Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance Based* | |
| | Registered | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Registered | | | | | | | |
Name of | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | |
Portfolio Manager | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | |
| | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | |
| | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | |
| | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | |
Growth Opportunities Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Growth Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Steven M. Barry | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Kenneth T. Berents | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Herbert E. Ehlers | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Gregory H. Ekizian | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Warren Fisher | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Mark Gordon | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Joe Hudepohl | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Prashant Khemka | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Scott Kolar | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Adria Markus | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Derek Pilecki | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Andrew F. Pyne | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Jeffrey Rabinowitz | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
David G. Shell | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Charles Silberstein | | | 29 | | | $9.4 bn | | | 1 | | | $67 mm | | | 623 | | | $21.3 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 14 | | | $2.0 bn |
Equity Index Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
James May | | | 3 | | | $59.0 bn | | | 3 | | | $91.3 bn | | | 16 | | | $26.6 bn | | | 2 | | | $4.0 bn | | | 1 | | | $15 mm | | | 3 | | | $1.5 mm |
Michael J. Feehily | | | 2 | | | $7.9 bn | | | 4 | | | $15.0 bn | | | 11 | | | $10.0 bn | | | 2 | | | $4.0 bn | | | 1 | | | $15 mm | | | 3 | | | $1.5 mm |
International Equity Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
International Equity Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Mark Beveridge | | | 4 | | | $604.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $329.2 mm | | | 20 | | | $1.8 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None |
Nuno Fernandes | | | 4 | | | $604.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $329.2 mm | | | 20 | | | $1.8 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None |
William Howard | | | 4 | | | $604.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $329.2 mm | | | 20 | | | $1.8 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None |
Michael Stanes | | | 4 | | | $604.4 mm | | | 1 | | | $329.2 mm | | | 20 | | | $1.8 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None | | None |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by Account Type* | | | Number of Accounts and Total Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance Based* | |
| | Registered | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Registered | | | | | | | |
Name of | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | | | Investment | | | Other Pooled | | | Other | |
Portfolio Manager | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | | | Companies | | | Investment Vehicles | | | Accounts | |
| | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | | | | Number | | | | |
| | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | | | of | | | Assets | |
| | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | | | Accounts | | | Managed | |
Government Income Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Fixed Income Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
James Cielinski | | | 6 | | | $2.8 bn | | | 30 | | | $14.2 bn | | | 172 | | | $62 bn | | None | | None | | | 9 | | | $7.6 bn | | | 13 | | | $7.0 bn |
James B. Clark | | | 7 | | | $2.8 bn | | | 9 | | | $4.5 bn | | | 152 | | | $40 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 4 | | | $1.5 bn |
Peter D. Dion | | | 12 | | | $8.5 bn | | | 11 | | | $6.0 bn | | | 175 | | | $54 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Stig S. Hansen | | | 14 | | | $8.6 bn | | | 12 | | | $6.1 bn | | | 191 | | | $56 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Steven Kuhn | | | 11 | | | $8.0 bn | | | 10 | | | $4.8 bn | | | 172 | | | $53 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
James McCarthy | | | 7 | | | $5.8 bn | | | 3 | | | $1.6 bn | | | 39 | | | $15.8 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 8 | | | $3.8 bn |
Christopher Sullivan | | | 7 | | | $2.8 bn | | | 9 | | | $4.5 bn | | | 152 | | | $39.8 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 4 | | | $1.5 bn |
Thomas Teles | | | 11 | | | $8.0 bn | | | 10 | | | $4.8 bn | | | 175 | | | $54 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Mark Van Wyk | | | 14 | | | $8.6 bn | | | 12 | | | $6.0 bn | | | 191 | | | $56 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Core Fixed Income Fund | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Fixed Income Team | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
James Cielinski | | | 6 | | | $2.8 bn | | | 30 | | | $14.2 bn | | | 172 | | | $62 bn | | None | | None | | | 9 | | | $7.6 bn | | | 13 | | | $7.0 bn |
James B. Clark | | | 7 | | | $2.8 bn | | | 9 | | | $4.5 bn | | | 152 | | | $40 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 4 | | | $1.5 bn |
Peter D. Dion | | | 12 | | | $8.5 bn | | | 11 | | | $6.0 bn | | | 175 | | | $54 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Stig S. Hansen | | | 14 | | | $8.6 bn | | | 12 | | | $6.1 bn | | | 191 | | | $56 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Steven Kuhn | | | 11 | | | $8.0 bn | | | 10 | | | $4.8 bn | | | 172 | | | $53 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
James McCarthy | | | 7 | | | $5.8 bn | | | 3 | | | $1.6 bn | | | 39 | | | $15.8 bn | | None | | None | | None | | None | | | 8 | | | $3.8 bn |
Christopher Sullivan | | | 7 | | | $2.8 bn | | | 9 | | | $4.5 bn | | | 152 | | | $39.8 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 4 | | | $1.5 bn |
Thomas Teles | | | 11 | | | $8.0 bn | | | 10 | | | $4.8 bn | | | 175 | | | $54 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
Mark Van Wyk | | | 14 | | | $8.6 bn | | | 12 | | | $6.0 bn | | | 191 | | | $56 bn | | None | | None | | | 4 | | | $3.8 bn | | | 12 | | | $5.3 bn |
| | |
* | | The information is as of December 31, 2004. |
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Conflicts of Interest. The Investment Advisers’ portfolio managers are often responsible for managing one or more of the Funds as well as other accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as unregistered hedge funds. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle which may have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may also have a performance-based fee. The side-by-side management of these funds may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades.
The Investment Advisers have a fiduciary responsibility to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. They seek to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. To this end, the Investment Advisers have developed policies and procedures designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from side-by-side management. In addition, the Investment Advisers and the Funds have adopted policies limiting the circumstances under which cross-trades may be effected between a Fund and another client account. The Investment Advisers conduct periodic reviews of trades for consistency with these policies. For more information about conflicts of interests that may arise in connection with the portfolio manager’s management of the Funds’ investments and the investments of other accounts, see “Potential Conflicts of Interest — Potential Conflicts Relating to the Allocation of Investment Opportunities Among the Funds and Other Goldman Sachs Accounts and Potential Conflicts Relating to Goldman Sachs’ and the Investment Adviser’s Proprietary Activities and Activities on Behalf of Other Accounts.”
With respect to the Sub-Adviser, when a portfolio manager has responsibility for managing more than one account, potential conflicts of interest may arise. Those conflicts include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of allocation of resources or of investment opportunities. The Sub-Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential material conflicts. For instance, portfolio managers are normally responsible for all accounts within a certain investment discipline, and do not, absent special circumstances, differentiate among various accounts when allocating resources. In addition, the Sub-Adviser and its advisory affiliates use a system for allocating investment opportunities among portfolios that is designed to provide a fair and equitable allocation.
Portfolio Managers — Compensation
Value Team Base Salary and Performance Bonus. The Investment Adviser’s Value Team (“Value Team”) compensation package for its portfolio managers is comprised of a base salary and a performance bonus. The performance bonus is a function of each portfolio manager’s individual performance and his or her contribution to overall team performance. Portfolio managers are rewarded for their ability to outperform a benchmark while managing risk appropriately. Compensation is also influenced by the Value Team’s total revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees, and for certain accounts performance based fees. Anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms may also be considered, but are not a principal factor.
The performance bonus is significantly influenced by 3 year period of investment performance. The following criteria are considered:
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| • | | Individual performance (relative, absolute) |
|
| • | | Team Performance (relative, absolute) |
|
| • | | Consistent performance that aligns with clients’ objectives |
|
| • | | Achievement of top rankings (relative and competitive) |
The investment performance mentioned above is considered only on a pre-tax basis. As it relates to the Growth and Income Fund and Mid Cap Value Fund, the performance benchmark is the Russell 1000 Value Index and the Russell Mid Cap Value Index, respectively.
Quantitative Equity Team Base Salary and Performance Bonus. The Quantitative Equity Team’s (the “QE Team”) compensation packages for its portfolio managers are comprised of a base salary and performance bonus. The performance bonus is a function of each portfolio manager’s individual performance; his or her contribution to the overall performance of QE Team strategies; and annual revenues in the investment strategy which in part is derived from advisory fees and for certain accounts, performance based fees.
The performance bonus for portfolio managers is significantly influenced by the following criteria: (1) whether the Team’s pre-tax performance exceeded performance benchmarks over a one, three and five year period; (2) whether the portfolio manager managed portfolios within a defined range around a targeted tracking error and risk budget; (3) consistency of performance across accounts with similar profiles; and (4) communication with other portfolio managers within the research process. In addition the other factors that are also considered when the amount of performance bonus is determined: (1) whether the Team performed consistently with objectives and client commitments; (2) whether the Team achieved top tier rankings and ratings; and (3) whether the Team managed all similarly mandated accounts in a consistent manner. Benchmarks for measuring performance can either be broad based or narrow based indices which will vary based on client expectations.
The QE Team’s decision may also be influenced by the following: the performance of the Investment Adviser and anticipated compensation levels among competitive firms.
The benchmarks for these Funds are:
CORE U.S. Equity Fund: S&P 500 Index
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund: Russell 2000 Index
Growth Investment Team Base Salary and Performance Bonus. The Investment Adviser’s Growth team’s (the “Growth Team”) compensation packages for its portfolio managers are comprised of a base salary and performance bonus. The performance bonus is first and foremost tied to the Growth Team’s pre-tax performance for its clients and the Growth Team’s total revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees and for certain accounts, performance based fees. The Growth Team measures its performance on a market cycle basis which is typically measured over a three to seven year period, rather than being focused on short term gains in its strategies or short term contributions from a portfolio manager in any given year.
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The performance bonus for portfolio managers is significantly influenced by the following criteria: (1) whether the team performed consistently with objectives and client commitments; (2) whether the team’s performance exceeded performance benchmarks over a market cycle; (3) consistency of performance across accounts with similar profiles; and (4) communication with other portfolio managers within the research process. Benchmarks for measuring performance can either be broad based or narrow based indices which will vary based on client expectations. As they relate to the Capital Growth Fund and Growth Opportunities Fund, the performance benchmarks are the Russell 1000 Growth Index and Russell Midcap Growth Index, respectively.
The Growth Team also considers each portfolio manager’s individual performance, his or her contribution to the overall performance of the strategy long-term and his/her ability to work as a member of the Team. The Growth Team’s decision may also be influenced by the following: the performance of GSAM, the profitability of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms.
International Equity Team Base Salary and Performance Bonus. The Investment Adviser’s International Equity team’s (the “International Team”) compensation packages for portfolio managers are comprised of a base salary and performance bonus. The performance bonus is a function of: each portfolio manager’s individual performance; the International Team’s total revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees and for certain accounts, performance based fees; his or her contribution to the overall performance of the International Team; the performance of the Investment Adviser; the profitability of Goldman, Sachs & Co.; and anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms. Portfolio managers are rewarded for their ability to outperform a benchmark over a three to five year period while managing risk exposure.
The performance bonus for portfolio managers is significantly influenced by the following criteria: (1) overall portfolio performance (2) consistency of performance across accounts with similar profiles; (3) compliance with risk budgets; and (4) communication with other portfolio managers within the research process. In addition, the following factors involving the overall performance of the International Team are also considered when the amount of performance bonus is determined: (1) whether the Team’s performance exceeded performance benchmarks over three-year and five-year periods; (2) whether the Team performed consistently with objectives and client commitments; and (3) whether the Team managed all similarly mandated accounts in a consistent manner. As it relates to the International Equity Fund, the performance benchmark is the MSCI EAFE (unhedged) Index.
Fixed Income Team Base Salary and Performance Bonus. The Investment Adviser’s Fixed Income Team’s (the “Fixed Income Team”) compensation package for its portfolio managers is comprised of a base salary and performance bonus. The base salary is fixed. However, the performance bonus is a function of each portfolio manager’s individual performance; the Fixed Income Team’s total revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees and for certain accounts, performance based fees; his or her contribution to the overall performance of the Fixed Income team; the performance of GSAM; the profitability of Goldman, Sachs & Co.; and anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms. Portfolio managers are rewarded for their ability to outperform a benchmark while managing risk exposure.
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The performance bonus for portfolio managers is significantly influenced by the following criteria: (1) overall pre-tax portfolio performance; (2) consistency of performance across accounts with similar profiles; (3) compliance with risk budgets; and (4) communication with other portfolio managers within the research process. In addition, the following factors involving the overall performance of the investment style team are also considered when the amount of performance bonus is determined: (1) whether the teams’ performance exceeded performance benchmarks over one-year and three-year periods (for Fund specific benchmark’s please see below); (2) whether the team managed portfolios within a defined range around a targeted tracking error; (3) whether the team performed consistently with objectives and client commitments; (4) whether the team achieved top tier rankings and ratings (a consideration secondary to the above); and (5) whether the team managed all similarly mandated accounts in a consistent manner.
The benchmark for measuring performance of these Funds are:
Government Income Fund: Lehman Brothers Government/Mortgage Index
Core Fixed Income Fund: Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index
Other Compensation — All Teams. In addition to base salary and performance bonus, the Investment Advisers have a number of additional benefits/deferred compensation programs for all portfolio managers in place including (i) a 401k program that enables employees to direct a percentage of their pretax salary and bonus income into a tax-qualified retirement plan; (ii) a profit sharing program to which Goldman, Sachs & Co. makes a pretax contribution; and (iii) investment opportunity programs in which certain professionals are eligible to participate subject to certain net worth requirements. Portfolio managers may also receive grants of restricted stock units and/or stock options as part of their compensation.
Certain GSAM portfolio managers may also participate in the firm’s Partner Compensation Plan, which covers many of the firm’s senior executives. In general, under the Partner Compensation Plan, participants receive a base salary and a bonus (which may be paid in cash or in the form of an equity-based award) that is linked to Goldman Sachs’ overall financial performance.
Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Management Team — Equity Index Fund. The compensation of the Sub-Adviser’s investment professionals is based on a number of factors. The first factor considered is external market. Through an extensive compensation survey process, the Sub-Adviser seeks to understand what its competitors are paying people to perform similar roles. This data is then used to determine a competitive baseline in the areas of base pay, bonus and long term incentive (i.e., equity). The second factor taken into consideration is the size of the pool available for this compensation. The Sub-Adviser is part of State Street Corporation, and therefore works within its corporate environment in determining the overall level of its incentive compensation pool. Once determined, this pool is then allocated to the various locations and departments of the Sub-Adviser and State Street Global Advisors. The determination of the allocation amounts to these locations and departments is influenced by the competitive market data, as well as the overall performance of the group. The pool is then allocated to individual employees based on their individual performance. There is no fixed formula for determining these amounts, nor is anyone’s compensation directly tied to the investment performance or asset value of a product or strategy. The same process is followed in determining equity allocations.
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Portfolio Managers — Portfolio Manager’s Ownership of Securities in the Funds They Manage
Shares of the Funds are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies for the purpose of funding various annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies and are not available for direct investment by the portfolio managers.
| | |
| | Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially |
Name of Portfolio Manager | | Owned by Portfolio Manager* |
|
CORE U.S. Equity Fund* | | |
Melissa Brown | | CORE U.S. Equity Fund: None |
Gary Chropuvka | | CORE U.S. Equity Fund: None |
|
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund* | | |
Melissa Brown | | CORE Small Cap Equity Fund: None |
Gary Chropuvka | | CORE Small Cap Equity Fund: None |
|
Capital Growth Fund* | | |
Steven M. Barry | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Kenneth T. Berents | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Herbert E. Ehlers | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Gregory H. Ekizian | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Warren Fisher | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Mark Gordon | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Joe Hudepohl | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Prashant Khemka | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Scott Kolar | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Adria Markus | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Derek Pilecki | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Andrew F. Pyne | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Jeffrey Rabinowitz | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
David G. Shell | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
Chuck Silberstein | | Capital Growth Fund: None |
|
Growth and Income Fund* | | |
Dolores Bamford | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
David L. Berdon | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
Andrew Braun | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
Scott Carroll | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
Sally Pope Davis | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
J. Kelly Flynn | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
Sean Gallagher | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
Edward Perkin | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
Eileen Rominger | | Growth and Income Fund: None |
|
Mid Cap Value Fund* | | |
Dolores Bamford | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
David L. Berdon | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
Andrew Braun | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
Scott Carroll | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
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| | |
| | Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially |
Name of Portfolio Manager | | Owned by Portfolio Manager* |
|
Sally Pope Davis | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
Sean Gallagher | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
Lisa Parisi | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
Edward Perkin | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
Eileen Rominger | | Mid Cap Value Fund: None |
|
International Equity Fund* | | |
Mark Beveridge | | International Equity Fund: None |
Nuno Fernandes | | International Equity Fund: None |
William Howard | | International Equity Fund: None |
Michael Stanes | | International Equity Fund: None |
* | | This information is as of December 31, 2004. The Growth Opportunities, Equity Index, Government Income and Core Fixed Income Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Additional Statement. |
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Summary
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., including its affiliates and personnel (collectively for purposes of this “Potential Conflicts of Interest” section, “Goldman Sachs”), is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization, and a major participant in global financial markets. As a result, Goldman Sachs is engaged in many businesses and has interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equity and other markets in addition to those related to the Funds, including as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, investment adviser, financer, advisor, market maker, proprietary trader, prime broker, lender and agent. Such additional businesses and interests may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. The following is a brief summary description of certain of these potential conflicts of interest:
| • | | While the Investment Advisers will make decisions for the Funds in accordance with their obligations to manage the Funds appropriately, the fees, compensation and other benefits (including relating to business relationships of Goldman Sachs) to Goldman Sachs arising therefrom may be greater as a result of certain portfolio, investment, service provider or other decisions made by the Investment Advisers than they would have been had other decisions been made which also might have been appropriate for the Funds. |
|
| • | | Goldman Sachs, its sales personnel and other financial service providers may have conflicts associated with their promotion of the Funds or other dealings with the Funds that would create incentives for them to promote the Funds. |
|
| • | | While the allocation of investment opportunities among Goldman Sachs, the Funds and other funds and accounts managed by Goldman Sachs may raise potential conflicts because of financial or other interests of Goldman Sachs or its personnel, portfolio managers will not make allocation decisions based on such other factors. |
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| • | | The Investment Advisers will give advice to and make investment decisions for the Funds as they believe is in the fiduciary interests of the Funds. Advice given to the Funds or investment decisions made for the Funds may differ from, and may conflict with, advice given or investment decisions made for Goldman Sachs or other funds or accounts. Actions taken with respect to Goldman Sachs or other funds or accounts may adversely impact the Funds, and actions taken by the Funds may benefit Goldman Sachs or other funds or accounts. |
|
| • | | Goldman Sachs will be under no obligation to provide to the Funds, or effect transactions on behalf of the Funds in accordance with, any market or other information, analysis, technical models or research in its possession. |
|
| • | | To the extent permitted by the Act, the Funds may enter into transactions in which Goldman Sachs acts as principal, or in which Goldman Sachs acts on behalf of the Funds and the other parties to such transactions. Goldman Sachs will have potentially conflicting interests in connection with such transactions. |
|
| • | | Goldman Sachs may act as broker, dealer, agent, lender or otherwise for the Funds and will retain all commissions, fees and other compensation in connection therewith. |
|
| • | | Securities traded for the Funds may, but are not required to, be aggregated with trades for other funds or accounts managed by Goldman Sachs. When transactions are aggregated but it is not possible to receive the same price or execution on the entire volume of securities purchased or sold, the various prices may be averaged, and the Funds will be charged or credited with the average price. Thus, the effect of the aggregation may operate on some occasions to the disadvantage of the Funds. |
|
| • | | Products and services received by the Investment Advisers or their affiliates from brokers in connection with brokerage services provided to the Funds and other funds or accounts managed by Goldman Sachs may disproportionately benefit other of such funds and accounts based on the relative amounts of brokerage services provided to the Funds and such other funds and accounts. |
|
| • | | While the Investment Advisers will make proxy voting decisions as they believe appropriate and in accordance with the Investment Advisers’ policies designed to help avoid conflicts of interest, proxy voting decisions made by the Investment Advisers with respect to the Funds’ portfolio securities may favor the interests of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs. |
|
| • | | Regulatory restrictions (including relating to the aggregation of positions among different funds and accounts) and internal Goldman Sachs policies may restrict investment activities of the Funds. Information held by Goldman Sachs could have the effect of restricting investment activities of the Funds. |
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Prospective investors should carefully review the following section of this document which more fully describes these and other potential conflicts of interest presented by Goldman Sachs’ other businesses and interests.
As a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, each Investment Adviser is required to file a Form ADV with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Form ADV contains information about assets under management, types of fee arrangements, types of investments, potential conflicts of interest, and other relevant information regarding the Investment Adviser. A copy of Part 1 of an Investment Adviser’s Form ADV is available on the SEC’s website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).
Potential Conflicts Relating to Portfolio Decisions, the Sale of Fund Shares and the Allocation of Investment Opportunities.
Goldman Sachs’ Other Activities May Have an Impact on the Funds
The Investment Advisers make decisions for the Funds in accordance with their obligations as the Investment Advisers of the Funds. However, Goldman Sachs’ other activities may have a negative effect on the Funds. As a result of the various activities and interests of Goldman Sachs as described in the first paragraph under “Summary” above, it is likely that the Funds will have multiple business relationships with and will invest in, engage in transactions with, make voting decisions with respect to, or obtain services from entities for which Goldman Sachs performs or seeks to perform investment banking or other services. It is also likely that the Funds will undertake transactions in securities in which Goldman Sachs makes a market or otherwise has other direct or indirect interests. In addition, while the Investment Advisers will make decisions for the Funds in accordance with their obligations to manage the Funds appropriately, the fees, compensation and other benefits (including relating to business relationships of Goldman Sachs) to Goldman Sachs arising therefrom may be greater as a result of certain portfolio, investment, service provider or other decisions made by the Investment Advisers for the Funds than they would have been had other decisions been made which also might have been appropriate for the Funds.
Goldman Sachs’ Financial and Other Interests and Relationships May Incentivize Goldman Sachs to Promote the Sale of Fund Shares
Goldman Sachs, its sales personnel and other financial service providers, have interests in promoting sales of the Funds. With respect to Goldman Sachs and its personnel, the remuneration and profitability of activity relating to the Funds may be greater than the provision of other services and sales of other products that might be provided or offered. For example, Goldman Sachs may directly or indirectly receive a portion of the fees and commissions charged to the Funds. Such fees and commissions may be higher than for other products or services, and the remuneration and profitability to Goldman Sachs and such personnel resulting from transactions on behalf of the Funds may be greater than the remuneration and profitability resulting from other products.
Goldman Sachs may also have relationships with, and purchase, or distribute or sell, services or products from or to, distributors, consultants and others who recommend the Funds, or who engage in transactions with or for the Funds. For example, Goldman Sachs regularly participates in industry and
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consultant sponsored conferences and may purchase educational data related or other services from consultants or other third parties that it deems to be of value to its personnel and its business. The products and services purchased from consultants may include, but are not limited to, those that help Goldman Sachs understand the consultants’ points of view on the investment management process. Consultants and other third parties that provide consulting or other services to potential investors in the Funds may receive fees from Goldman Sachs or the Funds in connection with the distribution of shares in the Funds or other Goldman Sachs products. In addition, Goldman Sachs personnel, including employees of the Investment Advisers, may have board, advisory, brokerage or other relationships with issuers, distributors, consultants and others that may have investments in the Funds or that may recommend investments in the Funds or distribute the Funds. Goldman Sachs may, when it considers it appropriate, make charitable contributions to institutions, including those that have relationships with clients or personnel of clients. Goldman Sachs personnel may also make political contributions in accordance with law. As a result, those persons and institutions may have conflicts associated with their promotion of the Funds or other dealings with the Funds that would create incentives for them to promote the Funds or raise other conflicts.
Potential Conflicts Relating to the Allocation of Investment Opportunities Among the Funds and Other Goldman Sachs Accounts
Goldman Sachs has potential conflicts in connection with the allocation of investments or transaction decisions for the Funds, including in situations in which Goldman Sachs or its personnel (including personnel of the Investment Advisers) have interests. For example, the Funds may be competing for investment opportunities with current or future accounts or funds managed or advised by Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Advisers). These accounts or funds may provide greater fees or other compensation (such as performance based fees) to Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Advisers) or in which Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Advisers) or its personnel have an interest (collectively, the “Client/GS Accounts”).
Goldman Sachs may manage or advise Client/GS Accounts that have investment objectives that are similar to those of the Funds and/or may seek to make investments in securities or other instruments in which the Funds may invest. This will create potential conflicts and potential differences among the Funds and other Client/GS Accounts, particularly where there is limited availability or limited liquidity for those investments. The Investment Advisers have developed policies and procedures that provide that they will allocate investment opportunities and make purchase and sale decisions among the Funds and other Client/GS Accounts in a manner that they consider, in their sole discretion and consistent with their fiduciary obligation to each Client/GS Account, to be reasonable and equitable over time.
The Investment Advisers will make allocations for the Funds and other Client/GS Accounts with reference to numerous factors that may include, without limitation, relative sizes and expected future sizes of applicable accounts, investment objectives and guidelines, risk tolerance, availability of other investment opportunities, and available cash for investment. Although allocating orders among the Funds and other Client/GS Accounts may create potential conflicts of interest because of the interests of Goldman Sachs or its personnel or because Goldman Sachs may receive greater fees or compensation from one of the Client/GS Account’s allocated orders, the portfolio managers will not make allocation decisions based on such interests or greater fees or compensation.
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Allocation decisions among accounts may be more or less advantageous to any one account or group of accounts. The Investment Advisers may determine that an investment opportunity or particular purchases or sales are appropriate for one or more Client/GS Accounts or for themselves or an affiliate, but not for the Funds, or is appropriate for, or available to, the Funds but in different sizes, terms or timing than is appropriate for other Client/GS Accounts. Therefore, the amount, timing, structuring or terms of an investment by the Funds may differ from, and performance may be lower than, investments and performance of other Client/GS Accounts.
Other Potential Conflicts Relating to the Management of the Funds by the Investment Advisers
Potential Restrictions and Issues Relating to Information Held by Goldman Sachs
From time to time and subject to the Investment Advisers’ policies and procedures regarding informational barriers, the Investment Advisers may consult with personnel in other areas of Goldman Sachs, or with persons unaffiliated with Goldman Sachs, or may form investment policy committees comprised of such personnel. The performance by such persons of obligations related to their consultation with personnel of the Investment Advisers could conflict with their areas of primary responsibility within Goldman Sachs or elsewhere. In connection with their activities with the Investment Advisers, such persons may receive information regarding the Investment Advisers’ proposed investment activities of the Funds that is not generally available to the public. There will be no obligation on the part of such persons to make available for use by the Funds any information or strategies known to them or developed in connection with their own client, proprietary or other activities. In addition, Goldman Sachs will be under no obligation to make available any research or analysis prior to its public dissemination.
The Investment Advisers make decisions for the Funds based on their investment programs. The Investment Advisers from time to time may have access to certain fundamental analysis and proprietary technical models developed by Goldman Sachs and its personnel. Goldman Sachs will not be under any obligation, however, to effect transactions on behalf of the Funds in accordance with such analysis and models.
In addition, Goldman Sachs has no obligation to seek information or to make available to or share with the Funds any information, investment strategies, opportunities or ideas known to Goldman Sachs personnel or developed or used in connection with other clients or activities. Goldman Sachs and certain of its personnel, including the Investment Advisers’ personnel or other Goldman Sachs personnel advising or otherwise providing services to the Funds, may be in possession of information not available to all Goldman Sachs personnel, and such personnel may act on the basis of such information in ways that have adverse effects on the Funds.
From time to time, Goldman Sachs may come into possession of material, non-public information or other information that could limit the ability of the Funds to buy and sell investments. The investment flexibility of the Funds may be constrained as a consequence. The Investment Advisers generally are not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for the Funds.
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Potential Conflicts Relating to Goldman Sachs’ and the Investment Advisers’ Proprietary Activities and Activities On Behalf of Other Accounts
The results of the investment activities of the Funds may differ significantly from the results achieved by Goldman Sachs for its proprietary accounts and from the results achieved by Goldman Sachs for other Client/GS Accounts. The Investment Advisers will manage the Funds and the other Client/GS Accounts they manage in accordance with their respective investment objectives and guidelines. However, Goldman Sachs may give advice, and take action, with respect to any current or future Client/GS Accounts that may compete or conflict with the advice the Investment Advisers may give to the Funds, or may involve a different timing or nature of action than with respect to the Funds.
Transactions undertaken by Goldman Sachs or Client/GS Accounts may adversely impact the Funds. Goldman Sachs and one or more Client/GS Accounts may buy or sell positions while the Funds are undertaking the same or a differing, including potentially opposite, strategy, which could disadvantage the Funds. For example, a Fund may buy a security and Goldman Sachs or Client/GS Accounts may establish a short position in that same security. That subsequent short sale may result in impairment of the price of the security which the Fund holds. Conversely, a Fund may establish a short position in a security and Goldman Sachs or other Client/GS Accounts may buy that same security. The subsequent purchase may result in an increase of the price of the underlying position in the short sale exposure of the Fund and such increase in price would be to the Fund’s detriment.
In addition, transactions in investments by one or more Client/GS Accounts or Goldman Sachs may have the effect of diluting or otherwise disadvantaging the values, prices or investment strategies of a Fund, particularly, but not limited to, in small capitalization, emerging market or less liquid strategies. This may occur when portfolio decisions regarding a Fund are based on research or other information that is also used to support portfolio decisions for other Client/GS Accounts, which could impact the timing and manner in which the portfolio decisions for the Fund and other Client/GS Accounts are implemented. When Goldman Sachs or a Client/GS Account implements a portfolio decision or strategy ahead of, or contemporaneously with, similar portfolio decisions or strategies for a Fund, market impact, liquidity constraints, or other factors could result in the Fund receiving less favorable trading results and the costs of implementing such portfolio decisions or strategies could be increased or the Fund could otherwise be disadvantaged. Goldman Sachs may, in certain cases, elect to implement internal policies and procedures designed to limit such consequences to Client/GS Accounts, which may cause a Fund to be unable to engage in certain activities, including purchasing or disposing of securities, when it might otherwise be desirable for it to do so.
Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding a Fund may benefit other Client/GS Accounts. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by a Fund may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) Goldman Sachs or other Client/GS Accounts, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by a Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) Goldman Sachs or other Client/GS Accounts.
The directors, officers and employees of Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Advisers, may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts (including through funds managed by Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Advisers). As a result of differing trading and
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investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by directors, officers and employees that are the same, different from or made at different times than positions taken for the Funds. To reduce the possibility that the Funds will be materially adversely affected by the personal trading described above, each of the Funds and Goldman Sachs, as each Fund’s Investment Adviser and distributor, has established policies and procedures that restrict securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Each of the Funds and Goldman Sachs, as each Fund’s Investment Adviser and distributor has adopted a code of ethics (collectively, the “Codes of Ethics”) in compliance with Section 17(j) of the Act and monitoring procedures relating to certain personal securities transactions by personnel of the Investment Advisers which the Investment Advisers deem to involve potential conflicts involving such personnel, Client/GS Accounts managed by the Investment Advisers and the Funds. The Codes require that personnel of the Investment Advisers comply with all applicable federal securities laws and with the fiduciary duties and anti-fraud rules to which the Investment Advisers are subject. The Codes of Ethics can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-942-8090. The Codes of Ethics are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may also be obtained after paying a duplicating fee by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102, or by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
Clients of Goldman Sachs (including Client/GS Accounts) may have, as a result of receiving client reports or otherwise, access to information regarding the Investment Advisers’ transactions or views which may affect such clients’ transactions outside of accounts controlled by personnel of the Investment Advisers, and such transactions may negatively impact the Funds. The Funds may also be adversely affected by cash flows and market movements arising from purchase and sales transactions, as well as increases of capital in, and withdrawals of capital from, other Client/GS Accounts.
The Investment Advisers’ management of the Funds may benefit Goldman Sachs. For example, the Funds may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, invest directly or indirectly in the securities of companies in which Goldman Sachs has an equity, debt or other interest. In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Funds may engage in investment transactions which may result in other Client/GS Accounts being relieved of obligations or otherwise divesting of investments or cause the Funds to have to divest certain investments. The purchase, holding and sale of investments by the Funds may enhance the profitability of Goldman Sachs’ or other Client/GS Accounts’ own investments in and its activities with respect to such companies.
Goldman Sachs and its clients may pursue or enforce rights with respect to an issuer in which a Fund has invested, and those activities may have an adverse effect on the Fund. As a result, prices, availability, liquidity and terms of the Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted by the activities of Goldman Sachs or its clients, and transactions for the Fund may be impaired or effected at prices or terms that may be less favorable than would otherwise have been the case.
Goldman Sachs may create, write, sell or issue, or act as placement agent or distributor of, derivative instruments with respect to the Funds or with respect to which the underlying securities, currencies or instruments may be those in which the Funds invest, or which may be otherwise based on the performance of the Funds. The structure or other characteristics of the derivative instruments may
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have an adverse effect on the Funds. For example, the derivative instruments could represent leveraged investments in the Funds, and the leveraged characteristics of such investments could make it more likely, due to events of default or otherwise, that there would be significant redemptions of interests from the Funds more quickly than might otherwise be the case. Goldman Sachs, acting in commercial capacities in connection with such derivative instruments, may in fact cause such a redemption. This may have an adverse effect on the investment management, flexibility and diversification strategies of the Funds and on the amount of fees, expenses and other costs incurred directly or indirectly for the account of the Funds. Similarly, Goldman Sachs (including its personnel or Client/GS Accounts) may invest in the Funds, may hedge its derivative positions by buying or selling shares of the Funds, and reserves the right to redeem some or all of its investments at any time. These investments and redemptions may be made without notice to the shareholders.
Potential Conflicts in Connection with Investments in Goldman Sachs Money Market Funds
To the extent permitted by applicable law, a Fund may invest all or some of its short term cash investments in any money market fund advised or managed by Goldman Sachs. In connection with any such investments, a Fund, to the extent permitted by the Act, will pay its share of all expenses (other than advisory and administrative fees) of a money market fund in which it invests which may result in a Fund bearing some additional expenses.
Goldman Sachs May In-Source or Outsource
Subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Advisers, may from time to time and without notice to investors in-source or outsource certain processes or functions in connection with a variety of services that it provides to the Funds in its administrative or other capacities. Such in-sourcing or outsourcing may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.
Potential Conflicts That May Arise When Goldman Sachs Acts in a Capacity Other Than Investment Adviser to the Funds
To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Funds may enter into transactions and invest in futures, securities, options, or other instruments in which Goldman Sachs serves as the counterparty. A Fund may also enter into cross transactions in which Goldman Sachs acts on behalf of the Fund and for the other party to the transaction. Goldman Sachs may have a potentially conflicting division of responsibilities to both parties to a cross transaction. For example, Goldman Sachs may represent both a Fund and another Client/GS Account in connection with the purchase of a security by the Fund, and Goldman Sachs may receive compensation or other payments from either or both parties, which could influence the decision of Goldman Sachs to cause the Fund to purchase such security. A Fund will only consider engaging in a principal or cross transaction with Goldman Sachs or its affiliates on behalf of a Client/GS Account to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Goldman Sachs may act as broker, dealer, agent, lender or advisor or in other commercial capacities for the Funds. It is anticipated that the commissions, mark-ups, mark-downs, financial advisory fees, underwriting and placement fees, sales fees, financing and commitment fees, brokerage fees, other fees, compensation or profits, rates, terms and conditions charged by Goldman Sachs will be in its view commercially reasonable, although Goldman Sachs, including its sales personnel, will
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have an interest in obtaining fees and other amounts that are favorable to Goldman Sachs and such sales personnel.
Subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs (and its personnel and other distributors) will be entitled to retain fees and other amounts that it receives in connection with its service to the Funds as broker, dealer, agent, lender, advisor or in other commercial capacities and no accounting to the Funds or their shareholders will be required, and no fees or other compensation payable by the Funds or their shareholders will be reduced by reason of receipt by Goldman Sachs of any such fees or other amounts.
When Goldman Sachs acts as broker, dealer, agent, advisor or in other commercial capacities in relation to the Funds, Goldman Sachs may take commercial steps in its own interests, which may have an adverse effect on the Funds.
The Funds will be required to establish business relationships with their counterparties based on their own credit standing. Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Advisers, will not have any obligation to allow its credit to be used in connection with the Funds’ establishment of their business relationships, nor is it expected that the Funds’ counterparties will rely on the credit of Goldman Sachs in evaluating the Funds’ creditworthiness.
Potential Conflicts in Connection with Brokerage Transactions and Proxy Voting
Purchases and sales of securities for a Fund may be bunched or aggregated with orders for other Client/GS Accounts. The Investment Advisers and their affiliates, however, are not required to bunch or aggregate orders if portfolio management decisions for different accounts are made separately, or if they determine that bunching or aggregating is not required or is inconsistent with client direction.
Prevailing trading activity frequently may make impossible the receipt of the same price or execution on the entire volume of securities purchased or sold. When this occurs, the various prices may be averaged, and the Funds will be charged or credited with the average price. Thus, the effect of the aggregation may operate on some occasions to the disadvantage of the Funds. In addition, under certain circumstances, the Funds will not be charged the same commission or commission equivalent rates in connection with a bunched or aggregated order.
The Investment Advisers may select brokers (including, without limitation, affiliates of the Investment Advisers) that furnish the Investment Advisers, the Funds, other Client/GS Accounts or their affiliates or personnel, directly or through correspondent relationships, with research or other appropriate services which provide, in the Investment Advisers’ views, appropriate assistance to the Investment Advisers in the investment decision-making process (including with respect to futures, fixed-price offerings and over-the-counter transactions). Such research or other services may include, to the extent permitted by law, research reports on companies, industries and securities; economic and financial data; financial publications; proxy analysis; trade industry seminars; computer data bases; quotation equipment and services; and research-oriented computer hardware, software and other services and products. Research or other services obtained in this manner may be used in servicing any or all of the Funds and other Client/GS Accounts, including in connection with Client/GS
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Accounts other than those that pay commissions to the broker relating to the research or other service arrangements. Such products and services may disproportionately benefit other Client/GS Accounts relative to the Funds based on the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds and such other Client/GS Accounts. For example, research or other services that are paid for through one client’s commissions may not be used in managing that client’s account. In addition, other Client/GS Accounts may receive the benefit, including disproportionate benefits, of economies of scale or price discounts in connection with products and services that may be provided to the Funds and to such other Client/GS Accounts.
The Investment Advisers may endeavor to execute trades through brokers who, pursuant to such arrangements, provide research or other services in order to ensure the continued receipt of research or other services the Investment Advisers believes are useful in their investment decision-making processes.
The Investment Advisers may from time to time choose not to engage in the above described “soft dollar arrangements” to varying degrees.
The Investment Advisers have adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions that they make on behalf of advisory clients, including the Funds, and to help ensure that such decisions are made in accordance with the Investment Advisers’ fiduciary obligations to their clients. Nevertheless, notwithstanding such proxy voting policies and procedures, actual proxy voting decisions of the Investment Advisers may have the effect of favoring the interests of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs and/or its affiliates provided that the Investment Advisers believe such voting decisions to be in accordance with its fiduciary obligations. For a more detailed discussion of these policies and procedures, see the section of this Additional Statement entitled “Proxy Voting.”
Potential Regulatory Restrictions on Investment Adviser Activity
From time to time, the activities of a Fund may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to Goldman Sachs and/or its internal policies designed to comply with, limit the applicability of, or otherwise relate to such requirements. A client not advised by Goldman Sachs would not be subject to some of those considerations. There may be periods when the Investment Advisers may not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions, or may otherwise restrict or limit its advice in certain securities or instruments issued by or related to companies for which Goldman Sachs is performing investment banking, market making or other services or has proprietary positions. For example, when Goldman Sachs is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of, or advisory services for, a company, the Funds may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company. Similar situations could arise if Goldman Sachs personnel serve as directors of companies the securities of which the Funds wish to purchase or sell. However, if permitted by applicable law, the Funds may purchase securities or instruments that are issued by such companies or are the subject of an underwriting, distribution, or advisory assignment by Goldman Sachs, or in cases in which Goldman Sachs personnel are directors or officers of the issuer.
The investment activities of Goldman Sachs for its proprietary accounts and for other accounts may also limit the investment strategies and rights of the Funds. For example, in regulated industries,
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in certain emerging or international markets, in corporate and regulatory ownership definitions, and in certain futures and derivative transactions, there may be limits on the aggregate amount of investment by affiliated investors that may not be exceeded without the grant of a license or other regulatory or corporate consent or, if exceeded, may cause Goldman Sachs, the Funds or other Client/GS Accounts to suffer disadvantages or business restrictions. If certain aggregate ownership thresholds are reached or certain transactions undertaken, the ability of the Investment Advisers on behalf of clients (including the Funds) to purchase or dispose of investments, or exercise rights or undertake business transactions, may be restricted by regulation or otherwise impaired. As a result, the Investment Advisers on behalf of clients (including the Funds) may limit purchases, sell existing investments, or otherwise restrict or limit the exercise of rights (including voting rights) when the Investment Advisers, in their sole discretion, deem it appropriate in light of potential regulatory restrictions on ownership or other impairments resulting from reaching investment thresholds.
Distributor and Transfer Agent
Goldman Sachs, 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, serves as the exclusive distributor of shares of the Funds pursuant to a “best efforts” arrangement as provided by a distribution agreement with the Trust on behalf of each Fund. Shares of the Funds are offered and sold on a continuous basis by Goldman Sachs, acting as agent. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, each Fund is responsible for, among other things, the payment of all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of any registration statement and prospectus covering the issue and sale of shares, and the registration and qualification of shares for sale with the SEC and in the various states, including registering the Fund as a broker or dealer. Each Fund will also pay the fees and expenses of preparing, printing and mailing prospectuses annually to existing shareholders and any notice, proxy statement, report, prospectus or other communication to shareholders of the Fund, printing and mailing confirmations of purchases of shares, any issue taxes or any initial transfer taxes, a portion of toll-free telephone service for shareholders, wiring funds for share purchases and redemptions (unless paid by the shareholder who initiates the transaction), printing and postage of business reply envelopes and a portion of the computer terminals used by both the Fund and the Distributor.
The Distributor will pay for, among other things, printing and distributing prospectuses or reports prepared for its use in connection with the offering of the shares to variable annuity and variable insurance accounts and preparing, printing and mailing any other literature or advertising in connection with the offering of the shares to variable annuity and variable insurance accounts. The Distributor will pay all fees and expenses in connection with its qualification and registration as a broker or dealer under federal and state laws, a portion of the toll-free telephone service and of computer terminals, and of any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares issued by each Fund.
As agent, the Distributor currently offers shares of each Fund on a continuous basis to the separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies in all states in which such Fund may from time to time be registered or where permitted by applicable law. The underwriting agreements provide that the Distributor accepts orders for shares at net asset value without sales commission or load being charged. The Distributor has made no firm commitment to acquire shares of any Fund.
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Goldman Sachs, 71 South Wacker Drive, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60606, serves as the Trust’s transfer agent. Under its transfer agency agreement with the Trust, Goldman Sachs has undertaken with the Trust with respect to each Fund to: (i) record the issuance, transfer and redemption of shares, (ii) provide purchase and redemption confirmations and quarterly statements, as well as certain other statements, (iii) provide certain information to the Trust’s custodian and the relevant sub-custodian in connection with redemptions, (iv) provide dividend crediting and certain disbursing agent services, (v) maintain shareholder accounts, (vi) provide certain state Blue Sky and other information, (vii) provide shareholders and certain regulatory authorities with tax related information, (viii) respond to shareholder inquires, and (ix) render certain other miscellaneous services. The fees charged for transfer agency services are calculated daily and payable monthly at an annual rate of 0.04% of the average daily net assets of each Fund.
As compensation for the services rendered to the Trust by Goldman Sachs as transfer agent and the assumption by Goldman Sachs of the expenses related thereto, Goldman Sachs received fees net of waivers for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002 from the Funds then in existence as follows under the fee schedules then in effect:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2004 | | | 2003 | | | 2002 | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 171,637 | | | $ | 67,440 | | | $ | 27,114 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 72,186 | | | | 22,844 | | | | 14,345 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 71,103 | | | | 10,579 | | | | 10,412 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 96,173 | | | | 17,936 | | | | 12,919 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 280,387 | | | | 173,631 | | | | 54,648 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 40,794 | | | | 6,907 | | | | 9,891 | |
Goldman Sachs voluntarily waived $0, $0 and $9,600 of transfer agent fees with respect to each such Fund for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002, respectively.
Expenses
The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, is responsible for the payment of each Fund’s respective expenses. The expenses include, without limitation, the fees payable to the Investment Advisers, the fees and expenses of the Trust’s custodian and subcustodians, transfer agent fees and expenses, brokerage fees and commissions, filing fees for the registration or qualification of the Trust’s shares under federal or state securities laws, expenses of the organization of the Funds, fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with membership in investment company organizations including, but not limited to, the Investment Company Institute, taxes, interest, costs of liability insurance, fidelity bonds or indemnification, any costs, expenses or losses arising out of any liability of, or claim for damages or other relief asserted against, the Trust for violation of any law, legal, tax and auditing fees and expenses (including the cost of legal and certain accounting services rendered by employees of Goldman Sachs and its affiliates with respect to the Trust), expenses of preparing and setting in type Prospectuses, Additional Statements, proxy material, reports and notices and the printing and
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distributing of the same to the Trust’s shareholders and regulatory authorities, any fees and expenses assumed by a Fund pursuant to its distribution and service plan, compensation and expenses of its “non-interested” Trustees, the fees and expenses of pricing services and extraordinary expenses, if any, incurred by the Trust. Except for fees and expenses under the distribution and service plan applicable to Service Shares, all Fund expenses are borne on a non-class specific basis.
The imposition of the Investment Adviser’s fees, as well as other operating expenses, will have the effect of reducing the total return to investors. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive receipt of its fees and/or voluntarily assume certain expenses of a Fund, which would have the effect of lowering that Fund’s overall expense ratio and increasing total return to investors at the time such amounts are waived or assumed, as the case may be.
As of the date of this Additional Statement, the Investment Advisers voluntarily have agreed to reduce or limit certain “Other Expenses” (excluding management fees, distribution and service fees, transfer agency fees, taxes, interest, brokerage, and litigation, indemnification, shareholder meeting and other extraordinary expenses) for the following Funds to the extent such expenses exceed, on an annual basis, the following percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
| | Other Expense | |
| | Limit | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | | 0.44 | % |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 0.11 | % |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 0.11 | % |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 0.11 | % |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 0.05 | % |
Growth Opportunities Fund | | | 0.00 | % |
Equity Index Fund | | | 0.06 | % |
International Equity Fund | | | 0.16 | % |
Government Income Fund | | | 0.00 | % |
Core Fixed Income Fund | | | 0.00 | % |
Money Market Fund | | | 0.00 | % |
The expense limitation for the Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value Fund may be discontinued or modified by the Investment Adviser at its discretion at any time.
Fees and expenses borne by the Funds relating to legal counsel, registering shares of a Fund, holding meetings and communicating with shareholders may include an allocable portion of the cost of maintaining an internal legal and compliance department. Each Fund may also bear an allocable portion of the Investment Adviser’s costs of performing certain accounting services not being provided by a Fund’s Custodian.
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The Investment Advisers have contractually agreed to reimburse the following Funds as necessary to limit the total annual operating expenses to the following levels until June 2007:
| | | | |
Goldman Sachs CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | | 0.81 | % |
Goldman Sachs Capital Growth Fund | | | 1.00 | % |
Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 0.99 | % |
Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund | | | 1.14 | % |
Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund | | | 0.44 | % |
Goldman Sachs International Equity Fund | | | 1.22 | % |
Goldman Sachs Government Income Fund | | | 0.68 | % |
Goldman Sachs Core Fixed Income Fund | | | 0.54 | % |
Goldman Sachs Money Market Fund | | | 0.49 | % |
Reimbursement and Other Expense Reductions
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002, the amounts of certain “Other Expenses” of each Fund then in existence that were reduced or otherwise limited were as follows under the expense limitations that were then in effect:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fiscal year ended | | | Fiscal year ended | | | Fiscal year ended | |
| | December 31, 2004 | | | December 31, 2003 | | | December 31, 2002 | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 0 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 122,721 | | | | 124,823 | | | | 118,895 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 0 | | | | 108,712 | | | | 104,518 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 0 | | | | 78,645 | | | | 73,547 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 149,183 | | | | 212,824 | | | | 224,829 | |
These Funds have entered into certain expense offset arrangements with the custodian resulting in a reduction on each Fund’s expenses. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002 each Fund’s custody fees were reduced by the following approximate amounts under such arrangement:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2004 | | | 2003 | | | 2002 | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 945 | | | $ | 1,000 | | | $ | 1,000 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 126 | | | | 1,000 | | | | 1,000 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 565 | | | | 1,000 | | | | 1,000 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 2,334 | | | | 1,000 | | | | 1,000 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 2,745 | | | | 3,000 | | | | 1,000 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 349 | | | | 1,000 | | | | — | |
For the year ended December 31, 2004, GSAM voluntarily made a one-time reimbursement of approximately $59,500 to the Growth and Income Fund for certain brokerage commissions, including interest, paid by the Growth and Income Fund over the course of several years.
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AFIMS had in place voluntary expense limitations with respect to the Predecessor Allmerica Funds. The voluntary expense limitations and the operating expenses incurred by the Predecessor Allmerica Funds during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 are as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Percentage of Average | |
| | Daily Assets | |
| | Voluntary | | | | |
| | Expense | | | Operating | |
Predecessor Allmerica Fund | | Limitations | | | Expenses* | |
Select Capital Appreciation Fund1 | | | 1.35 | % | | | 1.14 | % |
Equity Index Fund2 | | | 0.60 | % | | | 0.50 | % |
Government Bond Fund3 | | | 1.00 | % | | | 0.71 | % |
Select Investment Grade Income Fund4 | | | 1.00 | % | | | 0.63 | % |
Money Market Fund5 | | | 0.60 | % | | | 0.53 | % |
| | |
* | | Including management fee waivers and reductions such as directed brokerage credits. |
|
1 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Growth Opportunities Fund |
|
2 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Equity Index Fund |
|
3 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Government Income Fund |
|
4 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Core Fixed Income Fund |
|
5 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Money Market Fund |
Custodian
State Street, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, is the custodian of the Trust’s portfolio securities and cash. State Street also maintains the Trust’s accounting records. State Street may appoint domestic and foreign sub-custodians and use depositories from time to time to hold certain securities and other instruments purchased by the Trust in foreign countries and to hold cash and currencies for the Trust.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP is the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. In addition to audit services, Ernst & Young LLP prepares the Funds’ federal and state tax returns, and provides assistance on certain non-audit matters.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
The Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser are responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are effected through brokers who charge a negotiated commission for their services. Increasingly, securities traded over-the-counter also involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions. Orders may be directed to any broker including, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs.
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In the over-the-counter market, most securities have historically traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of a security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s concession or discount. On occasion, certain money market instruments may be purchased directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid.
In placing orders for portfolio securities of a Fund, the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser are generally required to give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable execution and net price available. This means that an Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser will seek to execute each transaction at a price and commission, if any, which provides the most favorable total cost or proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Section 28(e)”), the Fund may pay a broker who provides brokerage and research services to the Fund an amount of disclosed commission in excess of the commission which another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction. Such practice is subject to a good faith determination by the Trustees that such commission is reasonable in light of the services provided and to such policies as the Trustees may adopt from time to time. While the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser generally seek reasonably competitive spreads or commissions, a Fund will not necessarily be paying the lowest spread or commission available. Within the framework of this policy, the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser will consider research and investment services provided by brokers or dealers who effect or are parties to portfolio transactions of a Fund, the Investment Advisers and their affiliates, the Sub-Adviser, or their other clients. Such research and investment services are those which brokerage houses customarily provide to institutional investors and include research reports on particular industries and companies; economic surveys and analyses; recommendations as to specific securities; research products including quotation equipment and computer related programs; advice concerning the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities and the availability of securities or the purchasers or sellers of securities; analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and performance of accounts; services relating to effecting securities transactions and functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement); and other lawful and appropriate assistance to the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser in the performance of their decision-making responsibilities.
Such services are used by the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser in connection with all of their investment activities, and some of such services obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for a Fund may be used in managing other investment accounts. Conversely, brokers furnishing such services may be selected for the execution of transactions of such other accounts, whose aggregate assets may be larger than those of a Fund’s, and the services furnished by such brokers may be used by the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser in providing management services for the Trust. On occasion, a broker-dealer might furnish an Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser with a service which has a mixed use (i.e., the service is used both for investment and brokerage activities and for other activities). Where this occurs, an Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser will reasonably allocate the cost of the service, so that the portion or specific component which assists in investment and brokerage activities is obtained using portfolio commissions from the Funds or other managed accounts, and the portion or specific component which provides other assistance (for example, administrative or non-research assistance) is paid for by an Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser from its own funds.
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On occasions when an Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interest of a Fund as well as its other customers (including any other fund or other investment company or advisory account for which such Investment Adviser acts as investment adviser or sub-investment adviser), the Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for such other customers in order to obtain the best net price and most favorable execution under the circumstances. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the applicable Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser in the manner it considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to such Fund and such other customers. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price and size of the position obtainable for a Fund.
Commission rates in the U.S. are established pursuant to negotiations with the broker based on the quality and quantity of execution services provided by the broker in the light of generally prevailing rates. The allocation of orders among brokers and the commission rates paid are reviewed periodically by the Trustees.
Beginning January 1, 2005, certain Funds may participate in a commission recapture program. Under the program, participating broker-dealers will rebate a percentage of commissions earned as Fund portfolio transactions to the particular Fund from which they were generated. The rebated commissions are expected to be treated as realized capital gains of the Funds.
Subject to the above considerations, the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser may use Goldman Sachs as a broker for a Fund. In order for Goldman Sachs to effect any portfolio transactions for each Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by Goldman Sachs must be reasonable. This standard would allow Goldman Sachs to receive no more than the remuneration which would be expected to be received by an unaffiliated broker in a commensurate arm’s-length transaction. Furthermore, the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested” Trustees, have adopted procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to Goldman Sachs are consistent with the foregoing standard. Brokerage transactions with Goldman Sachs are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be imposed upon Goldman Sachs by applicable law.
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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, each Fund then in existence paid brokerage commissions as follows. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may vary substantially from year to year because of differences in shareholder purchase and redemption activity, portfolio turnover rates and other factors.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Total | | Total | | | | | | Brokerage |
| | | | | | Brokerage | | Amount of | | Amount of | | Commissions |
| | Total | | Commissions | | Transactions | | Transactions | | Paid |
| | Brokerage | | Paid to | | on which | | Effected through | | to Brokers |
| | Commissions | | Affiliated | | Commissions | | Brokers Providing | | Providing |
| | Paid | | Persons | | Paid1 | | Research | | Research |
Fiscal Year Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
December 31, 2004: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 25,047 | | | $ | 0 (0 | %)2 | | $ | 72,532,583 (0 | %)3 | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 0 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 15,609 | | | | 4 (0 | %)2 | | | 30,054,733 (0 | %)3 | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 169,952 | | | | 255 (0 | %)2 | | | 162,253,266 (0 | %)3 | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 348,426 | | | | 24,521 (7 | %)2 | | | 283,660,817 (2 | %)3 | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 1,603,379 | | | | 50,514 (3 | %)2 | | | 1,154,644,991 (3 | %)3 | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 219,445 | | | | 2,574 (1 | %)2 | | | 131,465,973 (1 | %)3 | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
| | |
1 | | The figures in the table report brokerage commissions only from securities transactions. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, Goldman Sachs and affiliated broker/dealers earned $6,229, $1,226, $255, $24,521, $50,514 and $4,584 in brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions, including futures transactions, executed on behalf of the CORE U.S. Equity Fund, CORE Small Cap Equity Fund, Capital Growth Fund, Growth and Income Fund, Mid Cap Value Fund and International Equity Fund, respectively. |
|
2 | | Percentage of total commissions paid. |
|
3 | | Percentage of total amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions effected through Goldman Sachs and affiliated broker/dealers. |
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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, each Fund then in existence paid brokerage commissions as follows. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may vary substantially from year to year because of differences in shareholder purchase and redemption activity, portfolio turnover rates and other factors.
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Total | | | Total | |
| | | | | | Brokerage | | | Amount of | |
| | Total | | | Commissions | | | Transactions | |
| | Brokerage | | | Paid to | | | on which | |
| | Commissions | | | Affiliated | | | Commissions | |
| | Paid | | | Persons | | | Paid1 | |
Fiscal Year Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | |
December 31, 2003: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 3,269 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 902,065,994 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 95,453 | | | | 82,008 | | | | 807,843,875 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 19,893 | | | | 365 | | | | 273,599,477 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 83,857 | | | | 3,060 | | | | 477,165,878 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 1,030,048 | | | | 14,721 | | | | 4,495,296,787 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 32,822 | | | | 135 | | | | 175,204,112 | |
| | |
1 | | The figures in the table report brokerage commissions only from securities transactions. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, Goldman Sachs and affiliated broker/dealers earned $3,050, $87,506, $365, $3,060, $14,721 and $512 in brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions, including futures transactions, executed on behalf of the CORE U.S. Equity Fund, CORE Small Cap Equity Fund, Capital Growth Fund, Growth and Income Fund, Mid Cap Value Fund, and International Equity Fund, respectively. |
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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, each Fund then in existence paid brokerage commissions as follows. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may vary substantially from year to year because of differences in shareholder purchase and redemption activity, portfolio turnover rates and other factors.
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Total | | | Total | |
| | | | | | Brokerage | | | Amount of | |
| | Total | | | Commissions | | | Transactions | |
| | Brokerage | | | Paid to | | | on which | |
| | Commissions | | | Goldman | | | Commissions | |
| | Paid | | | Sachs1 | | | Paid | |
Fiscal Year Ended | | | | | | | | | | | | |
December 31, 2002: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
CORE U.S. Equity Fund | | $ | 9,476 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 127,309,849 | |
CORE Small Cap Equity Fund | | | 32,050 | | | | 0 | | | | 120,893,183 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 20,185 | | | | 96 | | | | 14,460,487 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | | 127,658 | | | | 3,518 | | | | 75,477,730 | |
Mid Cap Value Fund | | | 1,200,043 | | | | 26,390 | | | | 730,281,628 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 42,161 | | | | 112 | | | | 25,140,694 | |
| | |
1 | | The figures in the table report brokerage commissions only from securities transactions. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, Goldman Sachs earned $1,490, $350, $96, $3,518, $26,390, and $1,208 in brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions, including futures transactions, executed on behalf of the CORE U.S. Equity Fund, CORE Small Cap Equity Fund, Capital Growth Fund, Growth and Income Fund, Mid Cap Value Fund, and International Equity Fund, respectively. |
Brokerage commissions for the Predecessor Allmerica Funds for the last three fiscal years were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Predecessor Allmerica Fund | | 2004 | | | 2003 | | | 2002 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Select Capital Appreciation Fund1 | | $ | 316,027 | | | $ | 505,088 | | | $ | 590,937 | |
Equity Index Fund2 | | | 182,246 | | | | 479,355 | | | | 216,962 | |
| | |
1 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Growth Opportunities Fund. The differences in the amounts of brokerage commissions paid during the last three fiscal years for the Select Capital Appreciation Fund are due to repositioning and normal portfolio activity trading. |
|
2 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Equity Index Fund. |
The Allmerica Government Bond Fund, Allmerica Select Investment Grade Income Fund and Allmerica Money Market Fund (the Predecessor Allmerica Funds to the Government Income Fund, Core Fixed Income Fund and Money Market Fund, respectively), did not incur brokerage commissions in any of these years.
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The Allmerica Select Capital Appreciation Fund and Allmerica Equity Index Fund participated in a directed brokerage program whereby such Funds received credit for brokerage activity and applied those credits toward the payment of Fund expenses. These Funds entered into an agreement with certain brokers who rebated a portion of commissions as credits toward Fund expenses. The amounts earned during the last three fiscal years under these agreements were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Predecessor Allmerica Fund | | 2004 | | | 2003 | | | 2002 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Select Capital Appreciation Fund | | $ | 32,064 | | | $ | 58,743 | | | $ | 37,059 | |
Equity Index Fund | | | 79,462 | | | | 266,753 | | | | 87,005 | |
As of December 31, 2004, the Trust held the following amounts of securities of its regular broker-dealers, as defined in rule 10b-1 under the Act, or their parents ($ in thousands):
| | | | | | |
| | Broker/Dealer | | Amount |
| | | | | | |
CORE U.S. Equity | | Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. | | $ | 5,911 | |
| | JP Morgan Chase & Co. | | | 14,520 | |
| | Citigroup, Inc. | | | 3,528 | |
| | Bank of America Corp. | | | 16,929 | |
| | | | | | |
Capital Growth | | Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. | | $ | 1,389 | |
| | Morgan Stanley & Co. | | | 1,407 | |
| | Citigroup Global Markets | | | 1,066 | |
| | JP Morgan Chase & Co. | | | 1,857 | |
| | | | | | |
Growth & Income | | Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. | | $ | 3,116 | |
| | Bank of America Corp. | | | 10,998 | |
| | Citigroup Inc. | | | 12,849 | |
| | JP Morgan Chase & Co. | | | 8,432 | |
| | Bear Stearns & Co. | | | 3,704 | |
| | | | | | |
Mid Cap Value | | Bear Stearns & Co. | | $ | 9,612 | |
| | | | | | |
International Equity | | Deutsche Boerse AG | | $ | 2,673 | |
| | Credit Suisse First Boston | | | 2,216 | |
As of December 31, 2004, none of the Predecessor Allmerica Funds held securities of their regular broker-dealers.
NET ASSET VALUE
General. In accordance with procedures adopted by the Trustees of the Trust, the net asset value per share of each class of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net
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assets attributable to each class of that Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of that class. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. New York time) or such later time as the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The New York Stock Exchange is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas (observed).
The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. New York Time. The Trust reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a net asset value other than the Fund’s official closing net asset value that is subsequently adjusted, and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing net asset value. The Trust reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, each Fund may compute its net asset value as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.
The value of all assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollar values at current exchange rates of such currencies against U.S. dollars last quoted by any major bank. If such quotations are not available, the rate of exchange will be determined in good faith by or under procedures established by the Board of Trustees.
Generally, trading in securities on European, Asian and Far Eastern securities exchanges and on over—the—counter markets in these regions is substantially completed at various times prior to the close of business on each Business Day in New York (i.e., a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading). In addition, European, Asian or Far Eastern securities trading generally or in a particular country or countries may not take place on all Business Days in New York. Furthermore, trading takes place in various foreign markets on days which are not Business Days in New York and days on which the Funds’ net asset values are not calculated. Such calculation does not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of the majority of the portfolio securities used in such calculation. The Funds’ investments are valued based on market quotations which may be furnished by a pricing service or provided by securities dealers or, in the case of foreign equity securities, prices provided by an independent fair value service (if available) that are intended to reflect more accurately the value of those securities at the time the Funds’ NAV is calculated. Fair value prices are used because many foreign markets operate at times that do not coincide with those of the major U.S. markets. Events that could affect the values of foreign portfolio holdings may occur between the close of the foreign market and the time of determining the NAV, and would not otherwise be reflected in the NAV. If the independent fair value service does not provide a fair value for a particular security or if the value does not meet the established criteria for the Funds, the most recent closing price for such a security on its principal exchange will generally be its fair value on such date.
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The proceeds received by each Fund and each other series of the Trust from the issue or sale of its shares, and all net investment income, realized and unrealized gain and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, will be specifically allocated to such Fund or particular series and constitute the underlying assets of that Fund or series. The underlying assets of each Fund will be segregated on the books of account, and will be charged with the liabilities in respect of such Fund and with a share of the general liabilities of the Trust. Expenses of the Trust with respect to the Funds and the other series of the Trust are generally allocated in proportion to the net asset values of the respective Funds or series except where allocations of expenses can otherwise be fairly made.
The Trust has adopted a policy to handle certain NAV related errors occurring in the operation of the Funds, and under certain circumstances neither the Funds nor shareholders who purchase or sell shares during periods that errors accrue or occur may be recompensed in connection with the resolution of the error.
Equity Funds. Portfolio securities of an Equity Fund for which accurate market quotations are available are valued as follows: (i) securities listed on any U.S. or foreign stock exchange or on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) will be valued at the last sale price or the official closing price on the exchange or system in which they are principally traded on the valuation date. If there is no sale on the valuation day, securities traded will be valued at the closing bid price, or if a closing bid price is not available, at either the exchange or system defined close price on the exchange or system in which such securities are principally traded. If the relevant exchange or system has not closed by the above-mentioned time for determining a Fund’s net asset value, the securities will be valued at the last sale price or official closing price, or if not available at the bid price at the time the net asset value is determined; (ii) over-the-counter securities not quoted on NASDAQ will be valued at the last sale price on the valuation day or, if no sale occurs, at the last bid price at the time net asset value is determined; (iii) equity securities for which no prices are obtained under sections (i) or (ii) including those for which a pricing service supplies no exchange quotation or a quotation that is believed by the portfolio manager/trader to be inaccurate, will be valued at their fair value in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Trustees; (iv) fixed-income securities with a remaining maturity of 60 days or more for which accurate market quotations are readily available will normally be valued according to dealer-supplied bid quotations or bid quotations from a recognized pricing service (e.g., Interactive Data Corp., Merrill Lynch, J.J. Kenny, Muller Data Corp., Bloomberg, EJV, Reuters or Standard & Poor’s); (v) fixed-income securities for which accurate market quotations are not readily available are valued by the Investment Adviser based on valuation models that take into account spread and daily yield changes on government securities in the appropriate market (i.e., matrix pricing); (vi) debt securities with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued by the Investment Adviser at amortized cost, which the Trustees have determined to approximate fair value; and (vii) all other instruments, including those for which a pricing service supplies no exchange quotation or a quotation that is believed by the portfolio manager/trader to be inaccurate, will be valued in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
Fixed Income Funds. For the purpose of calculating the net asset value of the Fixed Income Funds, investments are valued under valuation procedures established by the Trustees. Portfolio securities for which accurate market quotations are readily available, other than money market instruments, are valued via electronic feeds to the custodian bank containing dealer-
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supplied bid quotations or bid quotations from a recognized pricing service. Securities for which a pricing service either does not supply a quotation or supplies a quotation that is believed by the Investment Adviser to be inaccurate will be valued based on bid-side broker quotations. Securities for which the custodian bank is unable to obtain an external price as provided above or with respect to which the Investment Adviser believes an external price does not reflect accurate market values, will be valued by the Investment Adviser in good faith based on valuation models that take into account spread and daily yield changes on government securities (i.e., matrix pricing). Other securities are valued as follows: (i) overnight repurchase agreements will be valued at cost; (ii) term repurchase agreements (i.e., those whose maturity exceeds seven days) and swaps, caps, collars and floors will be valued at the average of the bid quotations obtained daily from at least one dealer; (iii) debt securities with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, which the Trustees have determined to approximate fair value; (iv) spot and forward foreign currency exchange contracts will be valued using a pricing service such as Reuters (if quotations are unavailable from a pricing service or, if the quotations by the Investment Adviser are believed to be inaccurate, the contracts will be valued by calculating the mean between the last bid and asked quotations supplied by at least one independent dealer in such contracts); (v) exchange-traded options and futures contracts will be valued by the custodian bank at the last sale price on the exchange where such contracts and options are principally traded if accurate quotations are readily available; and (vi) over-the-counter options will be valued by a broker identified by the portfolio manager/trader. If accurate market quotations are not readily available, or if the Investment Adviser believes that such quotations or prices do not accurately reflect fair value, the fair value of the Funds’ investments may be determined based on yield equivalents, a pricing matrix or other sources, under valuation procedures established by the Trustees.
Money Market Fund. The Money Market Fund’s securities are valued using the amortized cost method of valuation in an effort to maintain a constant net asset value of $1.00 per share, which the Board of Trustees has determined to be in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders. This method involves valuing a security at cost on the date of acquisition and thereafter assuming a constant accretion of a discount or amortization of a premium to maturity, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the instrument. While this method provides certainty in valuation, it may result in periods during which value, as determined by amortized cost, is higher or lower than the price the Fund would receive if it sold the instrument. During such periods, the yield to an investor in the Fund may differ somewhat from that obtained in a similar investment company which uses available market quotations to value all of its portfolio securities. During periods of declining interest rates, the quoted yield on shares of the Fund may tend to be higher than a like computation made by a fund with identical investments utilizing a method of valuation based upon market prices and estimates of market prices for all of its portfolio instruments. Thus, if the use of amortized cost resulted in a lower aggregate portfolio value on a particular day, a prospective investor in the Fund would be able to obtain a somewhat higher yield if he or she purchased shares of the Fund on that day, than would result from investment in a fund utilizing solely market values, and existing investors in the Fund would receive less investment income. The converse would apply in a period of rising interest rates.
The Trustees have established procedures designed to stabilize, to the extent reasonably possible, the Money Market Fund’s price per share as computed for the purpose of sales and redemptions at $1.00. Such procedures include review of the Fund by the Trustees, at such
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intervals as they deem appropriate, to determine whether the Fund’s net asset value calculated by using available market quotations (or an appropriate substitute which reflects market conditions) deviates from $1.00 per share based on amortized cost, as well as review of methods used to calculate the deviation. If such deviation exceeds 1/2 of 1%, the Trustees will promptly consider what action, if any, will be initiated. In the event the Trustees determine that a deviation exists which may result in material dilution or other unfair results to investors or existing shareholders, they will take such corrective action as they regard to be necessary and appropriate, including the sale of portfolio instruments prior to maturity to realize capital gains or losses or to shorten average portfolio maturity; withholding part or all of dividends or payment of distributions from capital or capital gains; redeeming shares in kind; or establishing a net asset value per share by using available market quotations or equivalents. In addition, in order to stabilize the net asset value per share at $1.00, the Trustees have the authority (i) to reduce or increase the number of shares outstanding on a pro rata basis, and (ii) to offset each shareholder’s pro rata portion of the deviation between the net asset value per share and $1.00 from the shareholder’s accrued dividend account or from future dividends. The Fund may hold cash for the purpose of stabilizing its net asset value per share. Holdings of cash, on which no return is earned, would tend to lower the yield on the Fund’s shares.
In order to continue to use the amortized cost method of valuation for the Fund’s investments, the Fund must comply with Rule 2a-7 under the Act.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Each Fund may from time to time quote or otherwise use yield and total return information in advertisements, shareholder reports or sales literature. Average annual total return and yield are computed pursuant to formulas specified by the SEC.
Thirty-day yield is derived by dividing net investment income earned during the period by the product of the average daily number of shares outstanding and entitled to receive dividends during the period and the maximum public offering price per share on the last day of the such period. The results are compounded on a bond equivalent (semi-annual) basis and then annualized by assuming that yield is realized each month for twelve months and is reinvested every six months. Net investment income per share is equal to the dividends and interest earned during the period, reduced by accrued expenses for the period. The calculation of net investment income for these purposes may differ from the net investment income determined for accounting purposes.
With respect to the Money Market Fund, the yield quotation is based on a hypothetical account having a balance of exactly one share at the beginning of a seven-day period. The yield of the Fund refers to the income generated by an investment in the Fund over a seven-day period (which period will be stated in the advertisement). This income is then annualized; that is, the amount of income generated by the investment during that week is assumed to be generated each week over a 52 week period and is shown as a percentage of the investment. The yield quotation is computed as follows: the net change, exclusive of capital changes and income other than investment income (i.e., realized gains and losses from the sale of securities and unrealized appreciation and depreciation), in the value of a hypothetical pre-existing account having a balance of one share at the beginning of the base period is determined by dividing the net change
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in account value by the value of the account at the beginning of the base period. This base period return is then multiplied by 365/7 with the resulting yield figure carried to the nearest 100th of 1%. Such yield quotation shall take into account all fees that are charged to the Money Market Fund.
The Money Market Fund also may advertise a quotation of effective yield for a 7-calendar day period. Effective yield is computed by compounding the unannualized base period return determined as in the preceding paragraph by adding 1 to that return, raising the sum to the 365/7 power and subtracting one from the result, according to the following formula:
Effective Yield = [(base period return + 1)365/7] — 1
The effective yield will be slightly higher than the yield because of the compounding effect of reinvestment.
Distribution rate for a specified period is calculated by annualizing distributions of net investment income for such period and dividing this amount by the net asset value per share or maximum public offering price on the last day of the period.
Year-by-year total return and cumulative total return for a specified period are each derived by calculating the percentage rate required to make a $1,000 investment (made at the maximum public offering price with all distributions reinvested) at the beginning of such period equal to the actual total value of such investment at the end of such period.
Average annual total return (Before Taxes) for a specified period is derived by calculating the actual dollar amount of the investment return on a $1,000 investment made at the maximum public offering price applicable to the relevant class at the beginning of the period, and then calculating the annual compounded rate of return which would produce that amount, assuming a redemption at the end of the period. This calculation assumes a complete redemption of the investment. It also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period.
Each Fund’s performance will fluctuate, unlike bank deposits or other investments which pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future return. Actual performance will depend on such variables as portfolio quality, the type of portfolio instruments acquired, portfolio expenses and other factors. Performance is one basis investors may use to analyze a Fund as compared to other funds and other investment vehicles. However, the performance of other funds and other investment vehicles may not be comparable because of the foregoing variables, and differences in the methods used in valuing their portfolio instruments, computing net asset value and determining performance.
Occasionally, statistics may be used to specify Fund volatility or risk. Measures of volatility or risk are generally used to compare a Fund’s net asset value or performance relative to a market index. One measure of volatility is beta. Beta is the volatility of a Fund relative to the total market. A beta of more than 1.00 indicates volatility greater than the market, and a beta of less than 1.00 indicates volatility less than the market. Another measure of volatility or risk is standard deviation. Standard deviation is used to measure variability of net asset value or total
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return around an average, over a specified period of time. The premise is that greater volatility connotes greater risk undertaken in achieving performance.
A Fund’s performance data will be based on historical results and will not be intended to indicate future performance. A Fund’s total return yield and distribution rate will vary based on market conditions, portfolio expenses, portfolio investments and other factors. In addition to the Investment Adviser’s decisions regarding issuer/industry/country investment selection and allocation, other factors may affect Fund performance. These factors include, but are not limited to, Fund operating fees and expenses, portfolio turnover, and subscription and redemption cash flows affecting a Fund. The value of a Fund’s shares will fluctuate and an investor’s shares may be worth more or less than their original cost upon redemption. Performance may reflect expense limitations in effect. In their absence, performance would be reduced.
Performance quotations will be calculated separately for each class of shares in existence. Because each class of shares is subject to different expenses, the performance of each class of shares of a Fund will differ.
SHARES OF THE TRUST
Each Fund is a series of Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust, which was formed under the laws of the state of Delaware on September 16, 1997. The Trustees have authority under the Trust’s Declaration of Trust to create and classify shares of beneficial interests in separate series, without further action by shareholders. The Trustees also have authority to classify and reclassify any series or portfolio of shares into one or more classes. As of the date of this Additional Statement, the Trustees have classified shares in each Fund as a class of shares called Service Shares, and have also classified additional shares in the following Funds as a second class of shares called Institutional Shares: CORE U.S. Equity Fund, CORE Small Cap Equity Fund, Capital Growth Fund, Growth and Income Fund, Mid Cap Value Fund and International Equity Fund. Additional series and classes may be added in the future.
Each Institutional Shares and Service Share of a Fund represents a proportionate interest in the assets belonging to the applicable class of the Fund. All expenses of a Fund are borne at the same rate by each class of shares, except that fees and expenses under distribution and service plans are borne exclusively by Service Shares. The Trustees may determine in the future that it is appropriate to allocate other expenses differently among classes of shares and may do so to the extent consistent with the rules of the SEC and positions of the IRS. Each class of shares may have different minimum investment requirements and be entitled to different shareholder services. In addition, the fees and expenses under the distribution and service plan for Service Shares may be subject to voluntary fee waivers or reimbursements, as discussed in the Funds’ Prospectus.
It is possible that a participating insurance company or its affiliate may offer different classes of shares (i.e., Institutional Shares and Service Shares) to its customers and thus receive different compensation with respect to different classes of shares of each Fund. Dividends paid by each Fund, if any, with respect to each class of shares will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time on the same day and will be in the same amount, except for differences caused by the fact that the respective plan fees relating to a particular class will be borne exclusively by
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that class. Similarly, the net asset value per share may differ depending upon the class of shares purchased.
Certain aspects of the shares may be altered after advance notice to shareholders if it is deemed necessary in order to satisfy certain tax regulatory requirements.
When issued for the consideration described in the Prospectus, shares are fully paid and non-assessable. In the event of liquidation, shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of the applicable class of the relevant Fund available for distribution to such shareholders. All shares are freely transferable and have no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights.
Rule 18f-2 under the Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of the Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series affected by such matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a series shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless the interests of each series in the matter are substantially identical or the matter does not affect any interest of such series. However, Rule 18f-2 exempts the selection of independent public accountants, the approval of principal distribution contracts and the election of trustees from the separate voting requirements of Rule 18f-2.
The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders and does not intend to hold such meetings. In the event that a meeting of shareholders is held, each share of the Trust will be entitled, as determined by the Trustees without the vote or consent of the shareholders, either to one vote for each share or to one vote for each dollar of net asset value represented by such share on all matters presented to shareholders including the election of Trustees (this method of voting being referred to as “dollar based voting”). However, to the extent required by the Act or otherwise determined by the Trustees, series and classes of the Trust will vote separately from each other. Shareholders of the Trust do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of Trustees. Meetings of shareholders of the Trust, or any series or class thereof, may be called by the Trustees, certain officers or upon the written request of holders of 10% or more of the shares entitled to vote at such meetings. The Trustees will call a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees if, at any time, less than a majority of Trustees holding office at the time were elected by shareholders. The shareholders of the Trust will have voting rights only with respect to the limited number of matters specified in the Declaration of Trust and such other matters as the Trustees may determine or may be required by law.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification of Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust unless the recipient is adjudicated (i) to be liable by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office or (ii) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such person’s actions were in the best interest of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides that, if any shareholder or former shareholder of any series is held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder and not because of the shareholder’s acts or omissions or for some other reason, the shareholder or former shareholder (or the shareholder’s heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives or general successors) shall be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. The Trust, acting on behalf of any affected series, must, upon request by such shareholder, assume
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the defense of any claim made against such shareholder for any act or obligation of the series and satisfy any judgment thereon from the assets of the series.
The Declaration of Trust permits the termination of the Trust or of any series or class of the Trust (i) by a majority of the affected shareholders at a meeting of shareholders of the Trust, series or class; or (ii) by a majority of the Trustees without shareholder approval if the Trustees determine, in their sole discretion, that such action is in the best interest of the Trust, such series, such class or their respective shareholders. The Trustees may consider such factors as they, in their sole discretion, deem appropriate in making such determination, including (i) the inability of the Trust or any series or class to maintain its assets at an appropriate size; (ii) changes in laws or regulations governing the Trust, series, or class affecting assets of the type in which it invests; or (iii) economic developments or trends having a significant adverse impact on the business or operations of the Trust or series.
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the Trustees without shareholder approval to cause the Trust, or any series thereof, to merge or consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or other organization or sell or exchange all or substantially all of the property belonging to the Trust or any series thereof. In addition, the Trustees, without shareholder approval, may adopt a master-feeder structure by investing all or a portion of the assets of a series of the Trust in the securities of another open-end investment company with substantially the same investment objective, restrictions and policies.
The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to amend the Declaration of Trust without a shareholder vote. However, shareholders of the Trust have the right to vote on any amendment (i) that would adversely affect the voting rights of shareholders; (ii) that is required by law to be approved by shareholders; (iii) that would amend the provisions of the Declaration of Trust regarding amendments; or (iv) that the Trustees determine to submit to shareholders.
The Trustees may appoint separate Trustees with respect to one or more series or classes of the Trust’s shares (the “Series Trustees”). Series Trustees may, but are not required to, serve as Trustees of the Trust or any other series or class of the Trust. To the extent provided by the Trustees in the appointment of Series Trustees, the Series Trustees may have, to the exclusion of any other Trustees of the Trust, all the powers and authorities of Trustees under the Declaration of Trust with respect to such series or class, but may have no power or authority with respect to any other Series or Class.
As of September 30, 2005, the following entities owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Growth and Income Fund: Protective Variable Annuity Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S., Birmingham, AL 35223-2479 (60.19%); The Ohio National Life Insurance Company for the Benefit of its Separate Accounts, One Financial Way, Cincinnati, OH 45242-5851 (20.15%); GE Life & Annuity Assurance Co., 6610 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230-1702 (12.06%).
As of September 30, 2005, the following entities owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the CORE U.S. Equity Fund: IDS Life Insurance Co., Investment Accounting—Managed Assets, 1646 AXP Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474-0001 (67.45%); Protective Variable Annuity Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S.,
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Birmingham, AL 35223-2479 (18.55%); The Ohio National Life Insurance Company for the Benefit of its Separate Accounts, One Financial Way, Cincinnati, OH 45242-5851 (5.07%).
As of September 30, 2005, the following entities owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the CORE Small Cap Equity Fund: Protective Variable Annuity Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S., Birmingham, AL 35223-2479 (52.85%); IDS Life Insurance Co., Investment Accounting—Managed Assets, 1646 AXP Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474-0001 (28.54%).
As of September 30, 2005, the following entities owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Capital Growth Fund: Protective Variable Life Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S., Birmingham, AL 35223-2488 (59.15%); The Ohio National Life Insurance Company for the Benefit of its Separate Accounts, One Financial Way, Cincinnati, OH 45242-5851 (10.28%); Protective Variable Annuity Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S., Birmingham, AL 35223-2479 (5.70%).
As of September 30, 2005, the following entities owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Mid Cap Value Fund: IDS Life Insurance Co., Investment Accounting—Managed Assets, 1646 AXP Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474-0001 (63.40%); GE Life & Annuity Assurance Co., 6610 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230-1702 (16.29%).
As of September 30, 2005, the following entities owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the International Equity Fund: Protective Variable Annuity Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S., Birmingham, AL 35223-2479 (77.64%); Sun Life of Canada (U.S.), P.O. Box 9134, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481-9134 (8.00%); Protective Variable Life Separate Account, 2801 Highway 280 S., Birmingham, AL 35223-2488 (6.46%).
Shareholder and Trustee Liability
Under Delaware Law, the shareholders of the Funds are not generally subject to liability for the debts or obligations of the Trust. Similarly, Delaware law provides that a series of the Trust will not be liable for the debts or obligations of any other series of the Trust. However, no similar statutory or other authority limiting statutory trust shareholder liability exists in other states. As a result, to the extent that a Delaware statutory trust or a shareholder is subject to the jurisdiction of courts of such other states, the courts may not apply Delaware law and may thereby subject the Delaware statutory trust shareholders to liability. To guard against this risk, the Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of a series. Notice of such disclaimer will normally be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by a series of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification by the relevant Series for all loss suffered by a shareholder as a result of an obligation of the series. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a series shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the series and satisfy any judgment thereon. In view of the above, the risk of personal liability of shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust is remote.
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In addition to the requirements under Delaware law, the Declaration of Trust provides that shareholders of a series may bring a derivative action on behalf of the series only if the following conditions are met: (a) shareholders eligible to bring such derivative action under Delaware law who hold at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the series, or 10% of the outstanding shares of the class to which such action relates, shall join in the request for the Trustees to commence such action; and (b) the Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim. The Trustees will be entitled to retain counsel or other advisers in considering the merits of the request and may require an undertaking by the shareholders making such request to reimburse the Series for the expense of any such advisers in the event that the Trustees determine not to bring such action.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, but nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
TAXATION
Shares of the Funds are offered to separate accounts that fund variable annuity contracts and variable insurance policies issued by participating insurance companies. See the prospectus for such contracts for a discussion of the special taxation of insurance companies with respect to the Separate Accounts, the variable annuity contracts, variable insurance policies, and the holders thereof.
The following is a summary of the principal U.S. federal income, and certain state and local, tax considerations regarding the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares in each Fund of the Trust. This summary does not address special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as tax-exempt entities, insurance companies and financial institutions. Each prospective shareholder is urged to consult his or her own tax adviser with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in each Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this Additional Statement, which are subject to change.
General
The following is only a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting each Fund that are not described in the Prospectus. The discussions below and in the Prospectus are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning.
The holders of variable life insurance policies or annuity contracts should not be subject to tax with respect to distributions made on, or redemptions of, Fund shares, assuming that the variable life insurance policies and annuity contracts qualify under the Code, as life insurance or annuities, respectively, and that the shareholders are treated as owners of the Fund shares. Thus, this summary does not describe the tax consequences to a holder of a life insurance policy or annuity contract as a result of the ownership of such policies or contracts. Policy or contract holders must consult the prospectuses of their respective policies or contracts for information
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concerning the federal income tax consequences of owning such policies or contracts. This summary also does not describe the tax consequences applicable to the owners of the Fund shares because the Fund shares will be sold only to insurance companies. Thus, purchasers of Fund shares must consult their own tax advisers regarding the federal, state, and local tax consequences of owning Fund shares.
Each Fund is a separate taxable entity. Each of the Funds intends to qualify for each taxable year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1 of the Code.
There are certain tax requirements that all Funds must follow in order to avoid federal taxation. In its efforts to adhere to these requirements, the Funds may have to limit their investment activities in some types of instruments. Qualification as a regulated investment company under the Code requires, among other things, that (i) a Fund derive at least 90% of its gross income for its taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies or net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (the “90% gross income test”); and (ii) such Fund diversify its holdings so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of such Fund’s total (gross) assets is comprised of cash, cash items, U.S. Government Securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of such Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total (gross) assets is invested in the securities of (i) any one issuer (other than U.S. Government Securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (ii) two or more issuers controlled by the Fund and engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (iii) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. For purposes of the 90% gross income test, income that a Fund earns from equity interests in certain entities that are not treated as corporations (e.g., partnerships or trusts) for U.S. tax purposes will generally have the same character for such Fund as in the hands of such an entity; consequently, a Fund may be required to limit its equity investments in such entities that earn fee income, rental income, or other nonqualifying income. In addition, future Treasury regulations could provide that qualifying income under the 90% gross income test will not include gains from foreign currency transactions that are not directly related to a Fund’s principal business of investing in stock or securities or options and futures with respect to stock or securities. Using foreign currency positions or entering into foreign currency options, futures and forward or swap contracts for purposes other than hedging currency risk with respect to securities in a Fund’s portfolio or anticipated to be acquired may not qualify as “directly-related” under these tests.
If a Fund complies with such provisions, then in any taxable year in which such Fund distributes, in compliance with the Code’s timing and other requirements, at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income” (which includes dividends, taxable interest, taxable accrued original issue discount and market discount income, income from securities lending, any net short-term capital gain in excess of net long-term capital loss, certain net realized foreign exchange gains and any other taxable income other than “net capital gain,” as defined below, and is reduced by deductible expenses), and at least 90% of the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest
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income (if any) over certain disallowed deductions, such Fund (but not its shareholders) will be relieved of federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. However, if a Fund retains any investment company taxable income or “net capital gain” (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), it will be subject to a tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and decreased by the federal income tax paid by the Fund on that amount of net capital gain. Each Fund intends to distribute for each taxable year to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net capital gain and any net tax-exempt interest. Exchange control or other foreign laws, regulations or practices may restrict repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of securities sales by foreign investors such as the International Equity Fund and may therefore make it more difficult for such a Fund to satisfy the distribution requirements described above, as well as the excise tax distribution requirements described below. However, each Fund generally expects to be able to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy such requirements from new investors, the sale of securities or other sources. If for any taxable year a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, it will be taxed on all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain at corporate rate without any deduction for dividends paid, and its distributions to shareholders will be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of its current and accumulated earnings and profits.
As of December 31, 2004, the following Funds had capital loss carryforwards for U.S. federal tax purposes.
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Years of | |
| | Amount | | | Expiration | |
| | | | | | | | |
CORE US Equity Fund | | | 14,471,666 | | | | 2009 | |
| | | 27,610,289 | | | | 2010 | |
| | | 2,163,043 | | | | 2011 | |
Capital Growth Fund | | | 7,813,202 | | | | 2008 | |
| | | 13,983,325 | | | | 2009 | |
| | | 6,239,358 | | | | 2010 | |
| | | 1,064,803 | | | | 2011 | |
Growth and Income Fund | | $ | 20,932,445 | | | | 2009 | |
| | | 5,509,772 | | | | 2010 | |
International Equity Fund | | | 17,055,611 | | | | 2008 | |
| | | 27,159,909 | | | | 2009 | |
| | | 8,409,296 | | | | 2010 | |
| | | 609,034 | | | | 2011 | |
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As of May 31, 2005, the following Predecessor Allmerica Funds had capital loss carryforwards which are expected to be available for use by the Goldman Fund into which the Predecessor Allmerica Fund reorganized:
| | | | |
Predecessor Fund | | Amount | |
|
| | | | |
Predecessor Allmerica Select Growth Fund1 | | $ | 7,368,931 | |
Predecessor Allmerica Select Core Equity Fund2 | | $ | 32,155,026 | |
Predecessor Allmerica Select International Equity Fund3 | | $ | 4,194,101 | |
| | |
1. | | Reorganized into the Capital Growth Fund |
|
2. | | Reorganized into the CORE U.S. Equity Fund |
|
3. | | Reorganized into the International Equity Fund |
For federal income tax purposes, each Fund is permitted to carry forward a net capital loss in any year to offset its own capital gains, if any, during the eight years following the year of the loss.
Each Fund intends to comply with the diversification requirements imposed by Section 817(h) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. Under Code Section 817(h), a variable life insurance or annuity contract will not be treated as a life insurance policy or annuity contract, respectively, under the Code, unless the segregated asset account upon which such contract or policy is based is “adequately diversified.” A segregated asset account will be adequately diversified if it satisfies one of two alternative tests set forth in the Treasury Regulations. Specifically, the Treasury Regulations provide that, except as permitted by the “safe harbor” discussed below, as of the end of each calendar quarter (or within 30 days thereafter) no more than 55% of the segregated asset account’s total assets may be represented by any one investment, no more than 70% by any two investments, no more than 80% by any three investments and no more than 90% by any four investments. For this purpose, all securities of the same issuer are considered a single investment, and each U.S. Government agency and instrumentality is considered a separate issuer. As a safe harbor, a segregated asset account will be treated as being adequately diversified if the diversification requirements under Subchapter M are satisfied and no more than 55% of the value of the account’s total assets are cash and cash items, U.S. Government Securities and securities of other regulated investment companies. In addition, a segregated asset account with respect to a variable life insurance contract is treated as adequately diversified to the extent of its investment in securities issued by the United States Treasury.
For purposes of these diversification tests, a segregated asset account investing in shares of a regulated investment company generally will be entitled to “look through” the regulated investment company to its pro rata portion of the regulated investment company’s assets, provided that the shares of such regulated investment company are held only by insurance companies and certain fund managers (a “Closed Fund”). Each Fund intends to be a Closed Fund.
If the segregated asset account upon which a variable contract is based is not “adequately diversified” under the foregoing rules for each calendar quarter, then (a) the variable contract is not treated as a life insurance contract or annuity contract under the Code for all subsequent
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periods during which such account is not “adequately diversified” and (b) the holders of such contract must include as ordinary income the “income on the contract” for each taxable year. Further, the income on a life insurance contract for all prior taxable years is treated as received or accrued during the taxable year of the policyholder in which the contract ceases to meet the definition of a “life insurance contract” under the Code. The “income on the contract” is, generally, the excess of (i) the sum of the increase in the net surrender value of the contract during the taxable year and the cost of the life insurance protection provided under the contract during the year, over (ii) the premiums paid under the contract during the taxable year. In addition, if a Fund did not constitute a Closed Fund, the holders of the contracts and annuities which invest in the Fund through a segregated asset account might be treated as owners of Fund shares and might be subject to tax on distributions made by the Fund.
In order to avoid a 4% federal excise tax, each Fund may be required to distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year at least 98% of its taxable ordinary income for such year, at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over its capital losses (generally computed on the basis of the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year), and all taxable ordinary income and the excess of capital gains over capital losses for the previous year that were not distributed for such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. However, the excise tax does not apply to a Fund whose only shareholders during the year generally are segregated asset accounts and tax-exempt investors.
Certain of the Funds will be subject to foreign taxes on their income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) from foreign securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases.
Investments in lower-rated securities may present special tax issues for a Fund to the extent actual or anticipated defaults may be more likely with respect to such securities. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount, or market discount; when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities; how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income; and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by a Fund, in the event it invests in such securities, in order to seek to eliminate or minimize any adverse tax consequences.
State and Local
Each Fund may be subject to state or local taxes in jurisdictions in which such Fund may be deemed to be doing business. In addition, in those states or localities which have income tax laws, the treatment of such Fund and its shareholders under such laws may differ from their treatment under federal income tax laws, and investment in such Fund may have tax consequences for shareholders different from those of a direct investment in such Fund’s portfolio securities.
PROXY VOTING
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has delegated the voting of portfolio securities to the Investment Advisers and Sub-Adviser. The Investment Advisers have adopted policies and
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procedures (the “Policy”) for the voting of proxies on behalf of client accounts for which the Investment Advisers have voting discretion, including the Funds. Under the Policy, the Investment Advisers’ guiding principles in performing proxy voting are to make decisions that: (i) favor proposals that tend to maximize a company’s shareholder value; and (ii) are not influenced by conflicts of interest. These principles reflect the Investment Advisers’ belief that sound corporate governance will create a framework within which a company can be managed in the interests of its shareholders.
The principles and positions reflected in the Policy are designed to guide the Investment Advisers in voting proxies, and not necessarily in making investment decisions. Senior management of the Investment Advisers will periodically review the Policy to ensure that it continues to be consistent with the Investment Advisers’ guiding principles.
Public Equity Investments. To implement these guiding principles for investments in publicly-traded equities, the Investment Advisers follow proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”) developed by Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), except in certain circumstances, which are generally described below. The Guidelines embody the positions and factors the Investment Advisers generally consider important in casting proxy votes. They address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among others, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, and various shareholder proposals. Attached as Appendix B is a summary of the Guidelines.
ISS has been retained to review proxy proposals and make voting recommendations in accordance with the Guidelines. While it is the Investment Advisers’ policy generally to follow the Guidelines and recommendations from ISS, the Investment Advisers’ portfolio management teams (“Portfolio Management Teams”) retain the authority on any particular proxy vote to vote differently from the Guidelines or a related ISS recommendation, in keeping with their different investment philosophies and processes. Such decisions, however, remain subject to a review and approval process, including a determination that the decision is not influenced by any conflict of interest. In forming their views on particular matters, the Portfolio Management Teams are also permitted to consider applicable regional rules and practices, including codes of conduct and other guides, regarding proxy voting, in addition to the Guidelines and recommendations from ISS.
In addition to assisting the Investment Advisers in developing substantive proxy voting positions, ISS also updates and revises the Guidelines on a periodic basis, and the revisions are reviewed by the Investment Advisers to determine whether they are consistent with the Investment Advisers’ guiding principles. ISS also assists the Investment Advisers in the proxy voting process by providing operational, recordkeeping and reporting services.
The Investment Advisers are responsible for reviewing its relationship with ISS and for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the various services provided by ISS. The Investment Advisers may hire other service providers to replace or supplement ISS with respect to any of the services the Investment Advisers currently receives from ISS.
The Investment Advisers have implemented procedures that are intended to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions. These procedures include the
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Investment Advisers’ use of ISS as an independent third party, a review and approval process for individual decisions that do not follow ISS’s recommendations, and the establishment of information barriers between the Investment Advisers and other businesses within The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Fixed Income and Private Investments. Voting decisions with respect to fixed income securities and the securities of privately held issuers generally will be made by a Fund’s managers based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.
Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available on or through the Funds’ website at http://www.gs.com/funds and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PAYMENTS TO INTERMEDIARIES
The Investment Advisers, Distributor and/or their affiliates may make payments to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) from time to time to promote the sale, distribution and/or servicing of shares of the Funds. These payments (“Additional Payments”) are made out of the Investment Advisers,’ Distributor’s and/or their affiliates own assets, and are not an additional charge to the Funds or their shareholders. The Additional Payments are in addition to the fees paid by the Funds described in the Funds’ Prospectuses and this Additional Statement.
These Additional Payments are intended to compensate Intermediaries for, among other things: marketing shares of the Funds, which may consist of payments relating to Funds included on preferred or recommended fund lists or in certain sales programs from time to time sponsored by the Intermediaries; access to the Intermediaries’ registered representatives or salespersons, including at conferences and other meetings; assistance in training and education of personnel; “finders” or “referral fees” for directing investors to the Funds; marketing support fees for providing assistance in promoting the sale of Fund shares (which may include promotions in communications with the Intermediaries’ customers, registered representatives and salespersons); and/or other specified services intended to assist in the distribution and marketing of the Funds. In addition, the Investment Advisers, Distributor and/or their affiliates may make Additional Payments (including through sub-transfer agency and networking agreements) for subaccounting, administrative and/or shareholder processing services that are in addition to the transfer agent, shareholder administration, servicing and processing fees paid by the Funds. The Additional Payments made by the Investment Advisers, Distributor and their affiliates may be a fixed dollar amount; may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by an Intermediary; may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the Intermediary involved; or may be calculated on another basis. Furthermore, the Investment Advisers, Distributor and/or their affiliates may, to the extent permitted by applicable regulations, contribute to various non-cash and cash incentive arrangements to promote the sale of shares, as well as sponsor various educational programs, sales contests and/or promotions. The Investment Advisers, Distributor and their affiliates may also pay for the travel expenses, meals, lodging and entertainment of Intermediaries and their salespersons and guests in connection with educational, sales and promotional programs subject to applicable NASD regulations. The amount of these Additional Payments (excluding payments made through sub-
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transfer agency and networking agreements) is normally not expected to exceed 0.50% (annualized) of the amount sold or invested through the Intermediaries. The Additional Payments are negotiated based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, ability to attract and retain assets, target markets, customer relationships, quality of service and industry reputation.
For the calendar year ended December 31, 2004, the Investment Advisers, Distributor and their affiliates made Additional Payments out of their own assets to approximately 15 Intermediaries. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2004, the Investment Advisers, Distributor and their affiliates paid to Intermediaries approximately $6.7 million in Additional Payments (including payments made through sub-transfer agency and networking agreements) with respect to all of the funds of the Trust (including the Funds included in this Additional Statement).
The Additional Payments made by the Investment Advisers, Distributor and/or their affiliates may be different for different Intermediaries and may vary with respect to the type of fund sold by the Intermediary. In addition, the Additional Payment arrangements may include breakpoints in compensation which provide that the percentage rate of compensation varies as the dollar value of the amount sold or invested through an Intermediary increases. The presence of these Additional Payments, the varying fee structure and the basis on which an Intermediary compensates its registered representatives or salespersons may create an incentive for a particular Intermediary, registered representative or salesperson to highlight, feature or recommend Funds based, at least in part, on the level of compensation paid. Shareholders should contact their participating insurance company or other Intermediary for more information about the payments they receive and any potential conflicts of interest.
Please contact your Intermediary if you have a question about whether your Intermediary receives the Additional Payments described above. For additional questions, please contact Goldman Sachs Funds at 1-800-621-2550.
OTHER INFORMATION
Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
The Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Investment Advisers have adopted a policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio securities is in the best interest of Fund shareholders and to address the conflicts between the interests of Fund shareholders and its service providers. The policy provides that neither a Fund nor its Investment Advisers, Distributor or any agent, or any employee thereof (“Fund Representative”) will disclose a Fund’s portfolio holdings information to any person other than in accordance with the policy. For purposes of the policy, “portfolio holdings information” means the Fund’s actual portfolio holdings, as well as nonpublic information about its trading strategies or pending transactions. Under the policy, neither a Fund nor any Fund Representative may solicit or accept any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. A Fund Representative may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties if such information has been included in the Fund’s public filings with the SEC or is disclosed on the Funds’
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publicly accessible website. Information posted on the Fund’s website may be separately provided to any person commencing the day after it is first published on the Funds’ website.
Portfolio holdings information that is not filed with the SEC or posted on the publicly available website may be provided to third parties only if the third party recipients are required to keep all portfolio holdings information confidential and are prohibited from trading on the information they receive. Disclosure to such third parties must be approved in advance by the Investment Adviser’s legal or compliance department. Disclosure to providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other similar services for the Funds, as well as rating and ranking organizations, will generally be permitted; however, information may be disclosed to other third parties (including, without limitation, individuals, institutional investors, and intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund,) only upon approval by the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, who must first determine that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so and check with the Fund Transfer Agent to ascertain whether the third party has been identified as an excessive trader. In general, each recipient of non-public portfolio holdings information must sign a confidentiality and non-trading agreement, although this requirement will not apply when the recipient is otherwise subject to a duty of confidentiality. In accordance with the policy, the identity of those recipients who receive non-public portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis is as follows: the Investment Advisers and their affiliates, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, the Funds’ custodian, the Funds’ legal counsel- Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, the Funds’ financial printer- Bowne, the Funds’ proxy voting service- ISS and Elkins/McSherry LLC. These entities are obligated to keep such information confidential. Third party providers of custodial or accounting services to the Funds may release non-public portfolio holdings information of the Funds only with the permission of Fund Representatives. From time to time portfolio holdings information may be provided to broker-dealers solely in connection with a Fund seeking portfolio securities trading suggestions. In providing this information reasonable precautions, including limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, are taken to avoid any potential misuse of the disclosed information. All marketing materials prepared by the Trust’s principal underwriter is reviewed by Goldman Sachs’ Compliance department for consistency with the Trust’s portfolio holdings disclosure policy.
The Equity Funds currently intend to publish on the Trust’s website (http://www.gs.com/funds) complete portfolio holdings for each Equity Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter subject to a fifteen calendar day lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed. In addition, the Equity Funds intend to publish on their website month-end top ten holdings subject to a ten calendar day lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed. The Fixed Income Funds currently intend to publish complete portfolio holdings on their website as of the end of each fiscal quarter, subject to a thirty calendar day lag, and to post selected holdings information monthly on a ten calendar day lag. The Money Market Fund publishes its holdings as of the end of each month subject to a thirty calendar-day lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed. A Fund may publish on the website complete portfolio holdings information more frequently if it has a legitimate business purpose for doing so.
Under the policy, Fund Representatives will initially supply the Board of the Trustees with a list of third parties who receive portfolio holdings information pursuant to any ongoing arrangement. In addition, the Board is to receive information, on a quarterly basis, regarding any
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other disclosures of non-public portfolio holdings information that were permitted during the preceding quarter. In addition, the Board of Trustees is to approve at its meetings a list of Fund Representatives who are authorized to disclose portfolio holdings information under the policy. As of the date of this Additional Statement, only certain officers of the Trust as well as certain senior members of the compliance and legal groups of the Investment Adviser have been approved by the Board of Trustees to authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information.
Miscellaneous
Each Fund will redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund during any 90-day period for any one shareholder. Each Fund, however, reserves the right to pay redemptions exceeding $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the time of redemption by a distribution in kind of securities (instead of cash) from such Fund. The securities distributed in kind would be readily marketable and would be valued for this purpose using the same method employed in calculating the Fund’s net asset value per share. See “Net Asset Value.” If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in kind, the shareholder should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the redemption.
The right of a shareholder to redeem shares and the date of payment by each Fund may be suspended for more than seven days for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed, other than the customary weekends or holidays, or when trading on such Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC; or during any emergency, as determined by the SEC, as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for such Fund to dispose of securities owned by it or fairly to determine the value of its net assets; or for such other period as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of shareholders of such Fund. (The Trust may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions.)
As stated in the Funds’ Prospectuses, the Trust may authorize Intermediaries and other institutions that provide recordkeeping, reporting and processing services to their customers to accept on the Trust’s behalf purchase, redemption and exchange orders placed by or on behalf of their customers and, if approved by the Trust, to designate other intermediaries to accept such orders. These institutions may receive payments from the Trust or Goldman Sachs for their services. Certain Intermediaries or institutions may enter into sub-transfer agency agreements with the Trust or Goldman Sachs with respect to their services.
In the interest of economy and convenience, the Trust does not issue certificates representing the Funds’ shares. Instead, the Transfer Agent maintains a record of each shareholder’s ownership. Each shareholder receives confirmation of purchase and redemption orders from the Transfer Agent. Fund shares and any dividends and distributions paid by the Funds are reflected in account statements from the Transfer Agent.
The Funds’ Prospectuses and this Additional Statement do not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC under the 1933 Act with respect to the securities offered by the Prospectuses. Certain portions of the Registration Statement have been omitted from the Prospectuses and this Additional Statement pursuant to the rules and
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regulations of the SEC. The Registration Statement including the exhibits filed therewith may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C.
Statements contained in the Funds’ Prospectuses or in this Additional Statement as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of which the Prospectuses and this Additional Statement form a part, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and related report of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for each of the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value and International Equity Funds, contained in each such Fund’s 2004 Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference. The audited financial statements and related report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for the Predecessor Allmerica Select Capital Appreciation Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Equity Index Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Government Bond Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Investment Grade Income Fund and Predecessor Allmerica Money Market Fund, contained in each such Predecessor Allmerica Funds’ 2004 Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference. The financial statements in each Fund’s Annual Report have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. No other parts of any Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The unaudited financial statements for each of the CORE U.S. Equity, CORE Small Cap Equity, Capital Growth, Growth and Income, Mid Cap Value and International Equity Funds, contained in each such Fund’s 2005 Semi-Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference. The unaudited financial statements for the Predecessor Allmerica Select Capital Appreciation Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Equity Index Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Government Bond Fund, Predecessor Allmerica Investment Grade Income Fund and Predecessor Allmerica Money Market Fund, contained in each such Predecessor Allmerica Funds’ 2005 Semi-Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the Annual Reports may be obtained upon request and without charge by writing Goldman, Sachs & Co., P.O. Box 06050, Chicago, Illinois 60606 or by calling Goldman, Sachs & Co., at the telephone number on the back cover of the Funds’ Prospectuses.
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN
Distribution and Service Plan. As described in the Funds’ Prospectus for Service Shares, the Trust has adopted, on behalf of Service Shares of each Fund, a distribution and service plan (the “Plan”). See “Shareholder Guide — Distribution Services and Fees” in the Prospectus. The fees payable under the Plan are subject to Rule 12b-1 under the Act, and finance distribution and other services that are provided to investors in the Funds and enable the Funds to offer investors the choice of investing in Service Shares when investing in the Funds. In addition, fees payable under the Plan may be used to assist the Funds in reaching and maintaining asset levels that are efficient for the Funds’ operations and investments.
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The Plan for each Fund was approved on August 4, 2005 by a majority vote of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of approving the Plan.
The compensation for distribution services payable under the Plan to Goldman Sachs may not exceed 0.25% per annum of a Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Service Shares of such Fund. Under the Plan, the distributor at its discretion may use compensation for distribution services paid under the Plan for personal and account maintenance services and expenses so long as such total compensation under the Plan does not exceed the maximum cap on “service fees” imposed by the NASD.
The Plan is a compensation plan which provides for the payment of a specified fee without regard to the expenses actually incurred by Goldman Sachs. If such fee exceeds Goldman Sachs’ expenses, Goldman Sachs may realize a profit from these arrangements. The distribution fees received by Goldman Sachs under the Plan may be sold by Goldman Sachs as distributor to entities which provide financing for payments to participating insurance companies in respect of sales of Service Shares. To the extent such fees are not paid to such dealers, Goldman Sachs may retain such fees as compensation for its services and expenses of distributing the Funds’ Service Shares.
Under the Plan, Goldman Sachs, as distributor of each Fund’s Service Shares, will provide to the Trustees of the Trust for their review, and the Trustees of the Trust will review at least quarterly, a written report of the services provided and amounts expended by Goldman Sachs under the Plan and the purposes for which such services were performed and expenditures were made.
The Plan will remain in effect until June 30, 2006, and from year to year thereafter, provided that such continuance is approved annually by a majority vote of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of distribution compensation without approval of a majority of the outstanding Service Shares of the affected Fund, but may be amended without shareholder approval to increase materially the amount of non-distribution compensation. All material amendments of the Plan must also be approved by the Trustees of the Trust in the manner described above. The Plan may be terminated at any time as to any Fund without payment of any penalty by a vote of a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the Service Shares of the affected Fund. If the Plan was terminated by the Trustees of the Trust and no successor plan was adopted, the Fund would cease to make payments to Goldman Sachs under the Plan and Goldman Sachs would be unable to recover the amount of any of its unreimbursed expenditures. So long as the Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust. The Trustees of the Trust have determined that in their judgment there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Funds and their Service Shareholders.
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The following table shows activities for which payments were made and the dollar amounts paid by the Predecessor Allmerica Funds for activities under the Predecessor Allmerica Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
| | | | | | | | |
Predecessor Allmerica Fund | | Compensation | | | Other: | |
| | to Sales | | | Customer | |
| | Personnel | | | Service | |
Select Capital Appreciation Fund1 | | $ | 225,951 | | | $ | 209,213 | |
Equity Index Fund2 | | | 475,907 | | | | 440,654 | |
Government Bond Fund3 | | | 120,615 | | | | 111,681 | |
Select Investment Grade Income Fund4 | | | 363,945 | | | | 336,986 | |
Money Market Fund5 | | | 247,427 | | | | 229,099 | |
| | |
1 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Growth Opportunities Fund |
|
2 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Equity Index Fund |
|
3 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Government Income Fund |
|
4 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Core Fixed Income Fund |
|
5 | | Predecessor Allmerica Fund to the Money Market Fund |
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APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS
Short-Term Credit Ratings
A Standard & Poor’s short-term issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Standard & Poor’s for short-term issues:
“A-1” — Obligations are rated in the highest category and indicate that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
“A-2” — Obligations are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
“A-3” — Obligations exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
“B” — Obligations are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
“C” — Obligations are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and are dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
“D” — Obligations are in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks — Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor’s analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor’s capacity to repay Foreign Currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government’s own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign Currency issuer ratings are also
1-A
distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.
Moody’s short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or individual short-term debt instruments. These obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Moody’s for short-term obligations:
“P-1” — Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
“P-2” — Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
“P-3” — Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
“NP” — Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”) short-term ratings apply to time horizons of less than 12 months for most obligations, or up to three years for U.S. public finance securities, and thus place greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:
“F1” — Securities possess the highest credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments and may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
“F2” — Securities possess good credit quality. This designation indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
“F3” — Securities possess fair credit quality. This designation indicates that the capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.
“B” — Securities possess speculative credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
“C” — Securities possess high default risk. Default is a real possibility. This designation indicates a capacity for meeting financial commitments which is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
“D” — Securities are in actual or imminent payment default.
2-A
“NR” — This designation indicates that Fitch does not publicly rate the issuer or issue in question.
The following summarizes the ratings used by Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited (“DBRS”) for commercial paper and short-term debt:
“R-1 (high)” — Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality, and indicates an entity possessing an unquestioned ability to repay current liabilities as they fall due. Entities rated in this category normally maintain strong liquidity positions, conservative debt levels and profitability that is both stable and above average. Companies achieving an “R-1 (high)” rating are normally leaders in structurally sound industry segments with proven track records, sustainable positive future results and no substantial qualifying negative factors. Given the extremely tough definition which DBRS has established for the “R-1 (high)” category, few entities are strong enough to achieve this rating.
“R-1 (middle)” — Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality and, in most cases, ratings in this category differ from “R-1 (high)” credits by only a small degree. Given the extremely tough definition which DBRS has established for the “R-1 (high)” category, entities rated “R-1 (middle)” are also considered strong credits which typically exemplify above average strength in key areas of consideration for timely repayment of short-term liabilities.
“R-1 (low)” — Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of satisfactory credit quality. The overall strength and outlook for key liquidity, debt and profitability ratios are not normally as favorable as with higher rating categories, but these considerations are still respectable. Any qualifying negative factors which exist are considered manageable, and the entity is normally of sufficient size to have some influence in its industry.
“R-2 (high)” — Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The ability to repay obligations as they mature remains acceptable, although the overall strength and outlook for key liquidity, debt, and profitability ratios are not as strong as credits rated in the “R-1 (low)” category. Relative to the latter category, other shortcomings often include areas such as stability, financial flexibility, and the relative size and market position of the entity within its industry.
“R-2 (middle)” — Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. Relative to the “R-2 (high)” category, entities rated “R-2 (middle)” typically have some combination of higher volatility, weaker debt or liquidity positions, lower future cash flow capabilities, or hold a weaker industry position. Ratings in this category would also be more vulnerable to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
“R-2 (low)” — Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be of only just adequate credit quality, one step up from being speculative. While not yet defined as speculative, the “R-2 (low)” category signifies that although, repayment is still expected, the certainty of repayment could be impacted by a variety of possible adverse developments, many of which would be outside of the issuer’s control. Entities in this area often have limited access to capital markets and may also have limitations in securing alternative sources of liquidity, particularly during periods of weak economic conditions.
3-A
“R-3 (high),” “R-3 (middle),” “R-3 (low)” — Short-term debt rated “R-3” is speculative, and within the three subset grades, the capacity for timely payment ranges from mildly speculative to doubtful. “R-3” credits tend to have weak liquidity and debt ratios, and the future trend of these ratios is also unclear. Due to its speculative nature, companies with “R-3” ratings would normally have very limited access to alternative sources of liquidity. Earnings and cash flow would typically be very unstable, and the level of overall profitability of the entity is also likely to be low. The industry environment may be weak, and strong negative qualifying factors are also likely to be present.
“D” — Short-term debt rated “D” implies the issuer has either not met a scheduled payment or the issuer has made it clear that it will be missing such a payment in the near future. In some cases, DBRS may not assign a “D” rating under a bankruptcy announcement scenario, as allowances for grace periods may exist in the underlying legal documentation. Once assigned, the “D” rating will continue as long as the missed payment continues to be in arrears, and until such time as the rating is suspended, discontinued, or reinstated by DBRS.
Long-Term Credit Ratings
The following summarizes the ratings used by Standard & Poor’s for long-term issues:
“AAA” — An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
“AA” — An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
“A” — An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
“BBB” — An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC,” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
“BB” — An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
“B” — An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB,” but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse
4-A
business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
“CCC” — An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
“CC” — An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
“C” — A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “C” rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A “C” rating will also be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
“D” — An obligation rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payment will be made during such grace period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or minus (-) — The ratings from “AA” through “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
“N.R.” — This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks — Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor’s analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor’s capacity to repay Foreign Currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government’s own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign Currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.
The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:
“Aaa” — Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
“Aa” — Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
5-A
“A” — Obligations rated “A” are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
“Baa” — Obligations rated “Baa” are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
“Ba” — Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
“B” — Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
“Caa” — Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
“Ca” — Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
“C” — Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:
“AAA” — Securities considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk and are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
“AA” — Securities considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
“A” — Securities considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
“BBB” — Securities considered to be investment grade and of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings denote that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.
6-A
“BB” — Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
“B” — Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
“CCC,” “CC” and “C” — Securities have high default risk. Default is a real possibility, and capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A “CC” rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. “C” ratings signal imminent default.
“DDD,” “DD” and “D” — Securities are in default. The ratings of obligations in these categories are based on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a reorganization or liquidation of the obligor.
Entities rated in this category have defaulted on some or all of their obligations. Entities rated “DDD” have the highest prospect for resumption of performance or continued operation with or without a formal reorganization process. Entities rated “DD” and “D” are generally undergoing a formal reorganization or liquidation process; those rated “DD” are likely to satisfy a higher portion of their outstanding obligations, while entities rated “D” have a poor prospect of repaying all obligations.
Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” category or to categories below “CCC”.
“NR” indicates that Fitch does not publicly rate the issuer or issue in question.
The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:
“AAA” — Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality, with exceptionally strong protection for the timely repayment of principal and interest. Earnings are considered stable, the structure of the industry in which the entity operates is strong, and the outlook for future profitability is favorable. There are few qualifying factors present which would detract from the performance of the entity. The strength of liquidity and coverage ratios is unquestioned and the entity has established a creditable track record of superior performance. Given the extremely high standard which DBRS has set for this category, few entities are able to achieve a “AAA” rating.
“AA” — Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality, and protection of interest and principal is considered high. In many cases, it differs from long-term debt rated “AAA” only to a small degree. Given the extremely restrictive definition DBRS has for the “AAA” category, entities rated “AA” are also considered to be strong credits which typically exemplify above-average strength in key areas of consideration and are unlikely to be significantly affected by reasonably foreseeable events.
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“A” — Long-term debt rated “A” is of satisfactory credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is still substantial, but the degree of strength is less than with “AA” rated entities. While “A” is a respectable rating, entities in this category are considered to be more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and have greater cyclical tendencies than higher-rated securities.
“BBB” — Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is considered acceptable, but the entity is fairly susceptible to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions, or there may be other adverse conditions present which reduce the strength of the entity and its rated securities.
“BB” — Long-term debt rated “BB” is defined to be speculative and non investment-grade, where the degree of protection afforded interest and principal is uncertain, particularly during periods of economic recession. Entities in the “BB” range typically have limited access to capital markets and additional liquidity support. In many cases, deficiencies in critical mass, diversification and competitive strength are additional negative considerations.
“B” — Long-term debt rated “B” is highly speculative and there is a reasonably high level of uncertainty as to the ability of the entity to pay interest and principal on a continuing basis in the future, especially in periods of economic recession or industry adversity.
“CCC”, CC” and “C” —Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is very highly speculative and is in danger of default of interest and principal. The degree of adverse elements present is more severe than long-term debt rated “B.” Long-term debt rated below “B” often has characteristics which, if not remedied, may lead to default. In practice, there is little difference between these categories, with “CC” and “C” normally used for lower ranking debt of companies for which the senior debt is rated in the “CCC” to “B” range.
“D” — Long-term debt rated “D” implies the issuer has either not met a scheduled payment of interest or principal or that the issuer has made it clear that it will miss such a payment in the near future. In some cases, DBRS may not assign a “D” rating under a bankruptcy announcement scenario, as allowances for grace periods may exist in the underlying legal documentation. Once assigned, the “D” rating will continue as long as the missed payment continues to be in arrears, and until such time as the rating is suspended, discontinued or reinstated by DBRS.
(“high”, “low”) — Each rating category is denoted by the subcategories “high” and “low”. The absence of either a “high” or “low” designation indicates the rating is in the “middle” of the category. The “AAA” and “D” categories do not utilize “high”, “middle”, and “low” as differential grades.
Municipal Note Ratings
A Standard & Poor’s U.S. municipal note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes due in three years or less. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following summarizes the ratings used by Standard & Poor’s for municipal notes:
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“SP-1” — The issuers of these municipal notes exhibit a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service are given a plus (+) designation.
“SP-2” — The issuers of these municipal notes exhibit a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
“SP-3” — The issuers of these municipal notes exhibit speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Moody’s uses three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) and are divided into three levels — “MIG-1” through “MIG-3”. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated “SG”, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for these short-term obligations:
“MIG-1” — This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
“MIG-2” — This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
“MIG-3” — This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
“SG” — This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned; a long- or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or “VMIG” rating.
When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated “NR”, e.g., “Aaa/NR” or “NR/VMIG-1”.
VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.
“VMIG-1” — This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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“VMIG-2” — This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
“VMIG-3” — This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
“SG” — This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Fitch uses the same ratings for municipal securities as described above for other short-term credit ratings.
About Credit Ratings
A Standard & Poor’s issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a financial obligation inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, information or based on other circumstances.
Moody’s credit ratings must be construed solely as statements of opinion and not as statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, sell or hold any securities.
Fitch credit ratings are an opinion on the ability of an entity or a securities issue to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, or repayment of principal, on a timely basis. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of getting their money back in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch credit ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold any security. Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of any payments of any security. The ratings are based on information from issuers, other obligors, underwriters, their experts and other sources Fitch believes to be reliable. Fitch does not audit or verify the truth or accuracy of such information. Ratings may be changed or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or the unavailability of, information or for other reasons.
DBRS credit ratings are not buy, hold or sell recommendations, but rather the result of qualitative and quantitative analysis focusing solely on the credit quality of the issuer and its underlying obligations.
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APPENDIX B
ISS PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY
The following is a summary of certain of the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines, which form the substantive basis of the Investment Advisers’ Policy on Proxy Voting (“Policy”) with respect to public equity investments. Unlike the abbreviated nature of this summary, the actual ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines address additional voting matters and provide more discussion regarding the factors that may determine ISS’s position on a matter. The Investment Advisers may diverge from the ISS guidelines and a related ISS recommendation on any particular proxy vote or in connection with any individual investment decision.
1. Auditors
Vote FOR proposals to ratify auditors, unless any of the following apply:
• | | An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent, |
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• | | Fees for non-audit services are excessive, or |
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• | | There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion which is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position. |
2. Board of Directors
a. Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
Votes on director nominees should be made on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, examining, among other factors, the following factors: composition of the board and key board committees, attendance at board meetings, corporate governance provisions and takeover activity, long-term company performance relative to a market index, and whether the chairman is also serving as a CEO.
b. Classification/Declassification of the Board
Vote AGAINST proposals to classify the board.
Vote FOR proposals to repeal classified boards and to elect all directors annually.
c. Independent Chairman (Separate Chairman/CEO)
Generally vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring the position of chairman to be filled by an independent director unless there are compelling reasons to recommend against the proposal.
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d. Majority of Independent Directors/Establishment of Committees
Vote FOR shareholder proposals asking that a majority or more of directors be independent unless the board composition already meets the proposed threshold by ISS’s definition of independence.
Vote FOR shareholder proposals asking that board audit, compensation, and/or nominating committees be composed exclusively of independent directors if they currently do not meet that standard.
3. Shareholder Rights
a. Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent
Vote AGAINST proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholder ability to take action by written consent.
Vote FOR proposals to allow or make easier shareholder action by written consent.
b. Shareholder Ability to Call Special Meetings
Vote AGAINST proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholder ability to call special meetings.
Vote FOR proposals that remove restrictions on the right of shareholders to act independently of management.
c. Supermajority Vote Requirements
Vote AGAINST proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote.
Vote FOR proposals to lower supermajority vote requirements.
d. Cumulative Voting
Vote AGAINST proposals to eliminate cumulative voting.
Vote proposals to restore or permit cumulative voting on a CASE-BY-CASE basis relative to the company’s other governance provisions.
e. Confidential Voting
Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that corporations adopt confidential voting, use independent vote tabulators and use independent inspectors of election, as long as the proposal includes a provision for proxy contests as follows: In the case of a contested election, management should be permitted to request that the dissident group honor its confidential voting policy. If the dissidents agree, the policy remains in place. If the dissidents will not agree, the confidential voting policy is waived.
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Vote FOR management proposals to adopt confidential voting.
4. Proxy Contests
a. Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections
Votes in a contested election of directors must be evaluated on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering the factors that include, among others, the long-term financial performance, management’s track record, qualifications of director nominees (both slates), and an evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders.
b. Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses
Vote CASE-BY-CASE. Where ISS recommends in favor of the dissidents, ISS also recommends voting for reimbursing proxy solicitation expenses.
5. Poison Pills
Vote FOR shareholder proposals that ask a company to submit its poison pill to shareholder vote or redeem it.
6. Mergers and Acquisitions
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions based on such features, among others, as the fairness opinion, pricing, prospects of the combined company, and the negotiating process.
7. Reincorporation Proposals
Proposals to change a company’s state of incorporation should be evaluated on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, giving consideration to both financial and corporate governance concerns, including the reasons for reincorporating, a comparison of the governance provisions, and a comparison of the jurisdictional laws. Vote FOR reincorporation when the economic factors outweigh any neutral or negative governance changes.
8. Capital Structure
a. Common Stock Authorization
Votes on proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance are determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis using a model developed by ISS.
Vote AGAINST proposals at companies with dual-class capital structures to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of stock that has superior voting rights.
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Vote FOR proposals to approve increases beyond the allowable increase when a company’s shares are in danger of being de-listed or if a company’s ability to continue to operate as a going concern is uncertain.
b. Dual-class Stock
Vote AGAINST proposals to create a new class of common stock with superior voting rights.
Vote FOR proposals to create a new class of non-voting or sub-voting common stock if:
• | | It is intended for financing purposes with minimal or no dilution to current shareholders |
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• | | It is not designed to preserve the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder |
9. Executive and Director Compensation
Votes with respect to equity based compensation plans should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis. The ISS methodology for reviewing compensation plans primarily focuses on the transfer of shareholder wealth (the dollar cost of pay plans to shareholders instead of simply focusing on voting power dilution). Using the expanded compensation data disclosed under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules, ISS will value every award type. ISS will include in its analyses an estimated dollar cost for the proposed plan and all continuing plans. This cost, dilution to shareholders’ equity, will also be expressed as a percentage figure for the transfer of shareholder wealth, and will be considered along with dilution to voting power. Once ISS determines the estimated cost of the plan, ISS compares it to a company-specific dilution cap. Vote AGAINST equity plans that explicitly permit repricing of underwater stock options without shareholder approval.
a. Management Proposals Seeking Approval to Reprice Options
Votes on management proposals seeking approval to reprice options are evaluated on a CASE-BY-CASE basis giving consideration to the following:
• | | Historic trading patterns |
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• | | Rationale for the repricing |
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• | | Value-for-value exchange |
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• | | Option vesting |
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• | | Term of the option |
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• | | Exercise price |
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• | | Participation |
b. Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Votes on employee stock purchase plans should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.
Vote FOR employee stock purchase plans where all of the following apply:
• | | Purchase price is at least 85 percent of fair market value; |
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• | | Offering period is 27 months or less; and |
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• | | Potential voting power dilution is ten percent or less. |
Vote AGAINST employee stock purchase plans where any of the opposite conditions obtain.
c. Shareholder Proposals on Compensation
Generally, vote FOR shareholder proposals seeking additional disclosure of executive and director pay information and shareholder proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote. Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals seeking to set absolute levels on compensation or otherwise dictate the amount or form of compensation.
Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis for all other shareholder proposals regarding executive and director pay, taking into account company performance, pay level versus peers, pay level versus industry, and long-term corporate outlook.
10. Social and Environmental Issues
These issues cover a wide range of topics, including consumer and public safety, environment and energy, general corporate issues, labor standards and human rights, military business, and workplace diversity.
Generally, ISS votes CASE-BY-CASE on such proposals. However, there are certain specific topics where ISS generally votes FOR the proposal (e.g., proposals seeking a report on a company’s animal welfare standards) or AGAINST the proposal (e.g., reports on foreign military sales or offsets).
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APPENDIX C
STATE STREET GLOBAL ADVISORS PROXY VOTING POLICY
Introduction
State Street Global Advisors (“SSgA”) seeks to vote proxies in the best interests of its clients. In the ordinary course, this entails voting proxies in a way which SSgA believes will maximize the monetary value of each portfolio’s holdings. SSgA takes the view that this will benefit our direct clients (e.g. investment funds) and, indirectly, the ultimate owners and beneficiaries of those clients (e.g. fund shareholders).
Oversight of the proxy voting process is the responsibility of the SSgA Investment Committee. The SSgA Investment Committee reviews and approves amendments to the SSgA Proxy Voting Policy and delegates authority to vote in accordance with this policy to Proxy Voting Services. SSgA retains the final authority and responsibility for voting. In addition to voting proxies, SSgA:
| 1) | | provides the client with this written proxy policy, upon request; |
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| 2) | | matches proxies received with holdings as of record date; |
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| 3) | | reconciles holdings as of record date and rectifies any discrepancies; |
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| 4) | | generally applies its proxy voting policy consistently and keeps records of votes for each client; |
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| 5) | | documents the reason(s) for voting for all non-routine items; and |
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| 6) | | keeps records of such proxy voting available for inspection by the client or governmental agencies. |
Process
The SSgA Principal — Manager of Corporate Actions is responsible for monitoring corporate actions. As stated above, oversight of the proxy voting process is the responsibility of the SSgA Investment Committee, which retains oversight responsibility for all investment activities of all State Street Corporation investment firms.
In order to facilitate our proxy voting process, SSgA retains a firm with expertise in the proxy voting and corporate governance fields to assist in the due diligence process. The Manager of Corporate Actions is responsible, working with this firm, for ensuring that proxies are submitted in a timely manner.
All proxies received on behalf of SSgA clients are forwarded to our proxy voting firm. If (i) the request falls within one of the guidelines listed below, and (ii) there are no special circumstances relating to that company or proxy which come to our attention (as discussed below), the proxy is voted according to our guidelines.
However, from time to time, proxy votes will be solicited which (i) involve special circumstances and require additional research and discussion or (ii) are not directly addressed by our policies. These proxies are identified through a number of methods, including but not limited to notification from our
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third party proxy voting specialist, concerns of clients, review by internal proxy specialists, and questions from consultants.
In instances of special circumstances or issues not directly addressed by our policies, the Chairman of the Investment Committee is consulted for a determination of the proxy vote. The first determination is whether there is a material conflict of interest between the interests of our client and those of SSgA. If the Manager of Corporate Actions and the Chairman of the Investment Committee determine that there is a material conflict, the process detailed below under “Potential Conflicts” is followed. If there is no material conflict, we examine each of the issuer’s proposals in detail in seeking to determine what vote would be in the best interests of our clients. At this point, the Chairman of the Investment Committee makes a voting decision based on maximizing the monetary value of each portfolios’ holdings. However, the Chairman of the Investment Committee may determine that a proxy involves the consideration of particularly significant issues and present the proxy to the entire Investment Committee for a decision on voting the proxy.
SSgA also endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting proxies of non-U.S. issuers. SSgA votes in all markets where it is feasible to do so. Note that certain custodians utilized by our clients do not offer proxy voting in every foreign jurisdiction. In such a case, SSgA will be unable to vote such a proxy.
Voting
For most issues and in most circumstances, we abide by the following general guidelines. However, as discussed above, in certain circumstances, we may determine that it would be in the best interests of our clients to deviate from these guidelines.
Management Proposals
I. Generally, SSgA votes in support of shareholders on the following ballot items, which are fairly common shareholder-sponsored initiatives:
| • | | Elections of directors who do not appear to have been remiss in the performance of their oversight responsibilities and who do not simultaneously serve on an unreasonable (as determined by SSgA) (other than those affiliated with the issues) number of other boards |
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| • | | Approval of auditors |
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| • | | Directors’ and auditors’ compensation |
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| • | | Directors’ liability and indemnification |
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| • | | Discharge of board members and auditors |
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| • | | Financial statements and allocation of income |
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| • | | Authorization of share repurchase programs |
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| • | | General updating of or corrective amendments to charter |
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| • | | Change in Corporation Name |
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| • | | Elimination of cumulative voting |
II. Generally, SSgA votes in support of management on the following items, which have potentially substantial financial or best-interest impact:
| • | | Capitalization changes which eliminate other classes of stock and voting rights |
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| • | | Changes in capitalization authorization for stock splits, stock dividends, and other specified needs which are no more than 50% of the existing authorization for U.S. companies and no more than 100% of existing authorization for non-U.S. companies |
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| • | | Elimination of pre-emptive rights for share issuance of less than a given percentage (country specific — ranging from 5% to 20%) of the outstanding shares |
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| • | | Elimination of “poison pill” rights |
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| • | | Stock purchase plans with an exercise price of not less that 85% of fair market value |
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| • | | Stock option plans which are incentive based and not excessive |
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| • | | Other stock-based plans which are appropriately structured |
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| • | | Reductions in super-majority vote requirements |
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| • | | Adoption of anti-“greenmail” provisions |
III. Generally, SSgA votes against management on the following items, which have potentially substantial financial or best interest impact:
| • | | Capitalization changes that add “blank check” classes of stock or classes that dilute the voting interests of existing shareholders which are contrary to the best interest of existing shareholders |
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| • | | Anti-takeover and related provisions that serve to prevent the majority of shareholders from exercising their rights or effectively deter appropriate tender offers and other offers |
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| • | | Amendments to bylaws which would require super-majority shareholder votes to pass or repeal certain provisions |
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| • | | Elimination of Shareholders’ Right to Call Special Meetings |
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| • | | Establishment of classified boards of directors |
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| • | | Reincorporation in a state which has more stringent anti-takeover and related provisions |
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| • | | Shareholder rights plans that allow the board of directors to block appropriate offers to shareholders or which trigger provisions preventing legitimate offers from proceeding |
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| • | | Excessive compensation |
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| • | | Change-in-control provisions in non-salary compensation plans, employment contracts, and severance agreements which benefit management and would be costly to shareholders if triggered |
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| • | | Adjournment of Meeting to Solicit Additional Votes |
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| • | | “Other business as properly comes before the meeting” proposals which extend “blank check” powers to those acting as proxy |
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| • | | Proposals requesting re-election of insiders or affiliated directors who serve on audit, compensation, and nominating committees. |
IV. SSgA evaluates Mergers and Acquisitions on a case-by-case basis. Consistent with our proxy policy, we support management in seeking to achieve their objectives for shareholders. However, in all cases, SSgA uses its discretion in order to maximize shareholder value. SSgA generally votes as follows:
| • | | Against offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock, especially in some non-US markets |
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| • | | For offers that concur with index calculators’ treatment and our ability to meet our clients’ return objectives for passive funds |
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| • | | For proposals to restructure or liquidate closed end investment funds in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value |
Shareholder Proposals
Traditionally, shareholder proposals have been used to encourage management and other shareholders to address socio-political issues. SSgA believes that it is inappropriate to use client assets to attempt to affect such issues. Thus, we examine shareholder proposals primarily to determine their economic impact on shareholders.
| I. | | Generally SSgA votes in support of shareholders on the following ballot items, which are fairly common shareholder-sponsored initiatives: |
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| • | | Requirements that auditors attend the annual meeting of shareholders |
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| • | | The establishment of annual elections of the board of directors unless the board is composed by a majority of independent directors, the board’s key committees (auditing, nominating and |
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| | | compensation) are composed of independent directors, and there are no other material governance issues or performance issues |
| • | | Mandates requiring a majority of independent directors on the Board of Directors and the audit, nominating, and compensation committees |
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| • | | Mandates that amendments to bylaws or charters have shareholder approval |
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| • | | Mandates that shareholder-rights plans be put to a vote or repealed |
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| • | | Establishment of confidential voting |
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| • | | Expansions to reporting of financial or compensation-related information, within reason |
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| • | | Repeals of various anti-takeover related provisions |
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| • | | Reduction or elimination of super-majority vote requirements |
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| • | | Repeals or prohibitions of “greenmail” provisions |
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| • | | “Opting-out” of business combination provisions |
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| • | | Proposals requiring the disclosure of executive retirement benefits if the issuer does not have an independent compensation committee |
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| II. | | In light of recent events surrounding corporate auditors and taking into account corporate governance provisions released by the SEC, NYSE, and NASDAQ, SSgA generally votes in support of shareholders on the following ballot items, which are fairly common shareholder-sponsored initiatives: |
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| • | | Disclosure of Auditor and Consulting relationships when the same or related entities are conducting both activities |
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| • | | Establishment of selection committee responsible for the final approval of significant management consultant contract awards where existing firms are already acting in an auditing function |
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| • | | Mandates that Audit, Compensation and Nominating Committee members should all be independent directors |
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| • | | Mandates giving the Audit Committee the sole responsibility for the selection and dismissal of the auditing firm and any subsequent result of audits are reported to the audit committee |
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| III. | | SSgA votes against shareholders on the following initiatives, which are fairly common shareholder-sponsored initiatives: |
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| • | | Limits to tenure of directors |
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| • | | Requirements that candidates for directorships own large amounts of stock before being eligible to be elected |
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| • | | Restoration of cumulative voting in the election of directors |
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| • | | Requirements that the company provide costly, duplicative, or redundant reports; or reports of a non-business nature |
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| • | | Restrictions related to social, political, or special interest issues which affect the ability of the company to do business or be competitive and which have significant financial or best-interest impact |
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| • | | Proposals which require inappropriate endorsements or corporate actions |
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| • | | Requiring the company to expense stock options unless already mandated by FASB (or similar body) under regulations that supply a common valuation model |
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| • | | Proposal asking companies to adopt full tenure holding periods for their executives |
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| • | | Proposals requiring the disclosure of executive retirement benefits if the issuer has an independent compensation committee |
Shareholder Activism
We at SSgA agree entirely with the United States Department of Labor’s position that “where proxy voting decisions may have an effect on the economic value of the plan’s underlying investment, plan fiduciaries should make proxy voting decisions with a view to enhancing the value of the shares of stock” (IB 94-2). Our proxy voting policy and procedures are designed to ensure that our clients receive the best possible returns on their investments. We meet directly with corporation representatives and participate in conference calls and third-party inquiries in order to ensure our processes are as fully informed as possible.
Through our membership in the Council of Institutional Investors as well as our contact with corporate pension plans, public funds, and unions, we are also able to communicate extensively with other shareholders regarding events and issues relevant to individual corporations, general industry, and current shareholder concerns.
In addition, SSgA monitors “target” lists of underperforming companies prepared by various shareholder groups, including: California Public Employee Retirement System, The City of New York - Office of the Comptroller, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Council of Institutional Investors. Companies, so identified, receive an individual, systematic review by the Corporate Governance Subcommittee of SSgA’s Investment Committee.
As an active shareholder, SSgA’s role is to ensure that corporate policies serve the best interests of the corporation’s investor-owners. Though we do not seek involvement in the day-to-day operations of an organization, we recognize the need for conscientious oversight of and input into management decisions that may affect a company’s value. To that end, our monitoring of corporate management and
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industry events is substantially more detailed than that of the typical voter. We have demonstrated our willingness to vote against management-sponsored initiatives and to support shareholder proposals when appropriate. To date we have not filed proposals or initiated letter-writing or other campaigns, but have used our active participation in the corporate governance process—especially the proxy voting process—as the most effective means by which to communicate our and our clients’ legitimate shareholder concerns. Should an issue arise in conjunction with a specific corporation that cannot be satisfactorily resolved through these means, we shall consider other approaches.
Through the consistent, conscientious execution of our responsibilities as both fiduciary and shareholder, SSgA is able to promote the best interests of its fellow shareholders and its clients. The SSgA Proxy Voting Policy provides for this active, informed participation in the management of those corporations in which we hold shares.
Potential Conflicts
As discussed above under Process, from time to time, SSgA will review a proxy which presents a potential material conflict. For example, SSgA or its affiliates may provide services to a company whose management is soliciting proxies, or to another entity which is a proponent of a particular proxy proposal. Another example could arise when SSgA has business or other relationships with participants involved in proxy contests, such as a candidate for a corporate directorship.
As a fiduciary to its clients, SSgA takes these potential conflicts very seriously. While SSgA’s only goal in addressing any such potential conflict is to ensure that proxy votes are cast in the clients’ best interests and are not affected by SSgA’s potential conflict, there are a number of courses SSgA may take. The final decision about which course to follow shall be made by the Investment Committee.
When the matter falls clearly within one of the proposals enumerated above, casting a vote which simply follows SSgA’s pre-determined policy would eliminate SSgA’s discretion on the particular issue and hence avoid the conflict.
In other cases, where the matter presents a potential material conflict and is not clearly within one of the enumerated proposals, or is of such a nature that SSgA believes more active involvement is necessary, the Chairman of the Investment Committee shall present the proxy to the Investment Committee, who will follow one of two courses of action. First, SSgA may employ the services of a third party, wholly independent of SSgA, its affiliates and those parties involved in the proxy issue, to determine the appropriate vote.
Second, in certain situations the Investment Committee may determine that the employment of a third party is unfeasible, impractical or unnecessary. In such situations, the Investment Committee shall make a decision about the voting of the proxy. The basis for the voting decision, including the basis for the determination that the decision is in the best interests of SSgA’s clients, shall be formalized in writing as a part of the minutes to the Investment Committee. As stated above, which action is appropriate in any given scenario would be the decision of the Investment Committee in carrying out its duty to ensure that the proxies are voted in the clients’, and not SSgA’s, best interests.
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APPENDIX D
BUSINESS PRINCIPLES OF GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
Goldman Sachs is noted for its Business Principles, which guide all of the firm’s activities and serve as the basis for its distinguished reputation among investors worldwide.
Our client’s interests always come first. Our experience shows that if we serve our clients well, our own success will follow.
Our assets are our people, capital and reputation. If any of these is ever diminished, the last is the most difficult to restore. We are dedicated to complying fully with the letter and spirit of the laws, rules and ethical principles that govern us. Our continued success depends upon unswerving adherence to this standard.
We take great pride in the professional quality of our work. We have an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in everything we undertake. Though we may be involved in a wide variety and heavy volume of activity, we would, if it came to a choice, rather be best than biggest.
We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do. While recognizing that the old way may still be the best way, we constantly strive to find a better solution to a client’s problems. We pride ourselves on having pioneered many of the practices and techniques that have become standard in the industry.
We make an unusual effort to identify and recruit the very best person for every job. Although our activities are measured in billions of dollars, we select our people one by one. In a service business, we know that without the best people, we cannot be the best firm.
We offer our people the opportunity to move ahead more rapidly than is possible at most other places. We have yet to find limits to the responsibility that our best people are able to assume. Advancement depends solely on ability, performance and contribution to the Firm’s success, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other impermissible criterion or circumstance.
We stress teamwork in everything we do. While individual creativity is always encouraged, we have found that team effort often produces the best results. We have no room for those who put their personal interests ahead of the interests of the Firm and its clients.
The dedication of our people to the Firm and the intense effort they give their jobs are greater than one finds in most other organizations. We think that this is an important part of our success.
Our profits are a key to our success. They replenish our capital and attract and keep our best people. It is our practice to share our profits generously with all who helped create them. Profitability is crucial to our future.
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We consider our size an asset that we try hard to preserve. We want to be big enough to undertake the largest project that any of our clients could contemplate, yet small enough to maintain the loyalty, the intimacy and the esprit de corps that we all treasure and that contribute greatly to our success.
We constantly strive to anticipate the rapidly changing needs of our clients and to develop new services to meet those needs. We know that the world of finance will not stand still and that complacency can lead to extinction.
We regularly receive confidential information as part of our normal client relationships. To breach a confidence or to use confidential information improperly or carelessly would be unthinkable.
Our business is highly competitive, and we aggressively seek to expand our client relationships. However, we must always be fair to competitors and must never denigrate other firms.
Integrity and honesty are the heart of our business. We expect our people to maintain high ethical standards in everything they do, both in their work for the firm and in their personal lives.
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GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.’S HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE
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1869 | | Marcus Goldman opens Goldman Sachs for business |
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1890 | | Dow Jones Industrial Average first published |
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1896 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. joins New York Stock Exchange |
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1906 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. takes Sears Roebuck & Co. public (at 97 years, the firm’s longest-standing client relationship) |
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| | Dow Jones Industrial Average tops 100 |
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1925 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. finances Warner Brothers, producer of the first talking film |
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1956 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. co-manages Ford’s public offering, the largest to date |
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1970 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. opens London office |
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1972 | | Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 1000 |
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1986 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. takes Microsoft public |
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1988 | | Goldman Sachs Asset Management is formally established |
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1991 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. provides advisory services for the largest privatization in the region of the sale of Telefonos de Mexico |
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1995 | | Goldman Sachs Asset Management introduces Global Tactical Asset Allocation Program |
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| | Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 5000 |
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1996 | | Goldman, Sachs & Co. takes Deutsche Telekom public |
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| | Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 6000 |
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1997 | | Goldman Sachs Asset Management increases assets under management by 100% over 1996 |
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| | Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 7000 |
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1998 | | Goldman Sachs Asset Management reaches $195.5 billion in assets under management |
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| | Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 9000 |
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1999 | | Goldman Sachs becomes a public company |
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| | Goldman Sachs Asset Management launches the Goldman Sachs Internet Tollkeeper Fund; becomes the year’s second most successful new fund launch |
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2000 | | Goldman Sachs CORESM Tax-Managed Equity Fund launches |
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| | Goldman Sachs Asset Management has total assets under management of $298.5 billion |
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2001 | | Goldman Sachs Asset Management reaches $100 billion in money market assets |
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| | Goldman Sachs Asset Management has total assets under management of $306 billion |
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| | Goldman Sachs acquires Spear, Leeds and Kellogg |
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2002 | | Advises and services the wealth management needs of 45% of the Forbes 400* |
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2004 | | Goldman Sachs acquires The Ayco Company, L.P., one of the oldest and largest financial planning firms in the United States |
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| | Goldman Sachs combines its Australian operations with Australian securities firm JBWere, one of the most respected and oldest (having been founded in 1840) financial institutions in the region, to form Goldman Sachs JBWere |
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* | | Source: Forbes.com September 2002 |
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