As a shareholder of the fund, you incur certain ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and service (12b-1) fees; and other expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund so you can compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period (April 1, 2005, through September 30, 2005).
The first line of each share class in the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled "Expenses paid during period" to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period. There are some account fees that are charged to certain types of accounts, such as Individual Retirement Accounts (generally, a $10 fee is charged to set up the account and an additional $10 fee is charged to the account annually) that would increase the amount of expenses paid on your account. In addition, retirement plan participants may be subject to certain fees charged by the plan sponsor. You can estimate the impact of these fees by adding the amount of the fees to the total estimated expenses you paid on your account during the period as calculated above. In addition, your ending account value would also be lower by the amount of these fees.
The second line of each share class in the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the actual expense ratio for the share class and an assumed rate of return of 5.00% per year before expenses, which is not the actual return of the share class. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5.00% hypothetical example with the 5.00% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. There are some account fees that are charged to certain types of accounts, such as Individual Retirement Accounts (generally, a $10 fee is charged to set up the account and an additional $10 fee is charged to the account annually) that would increase the amount of expenses paid on your account. In addition, retirement plan participants may be subject to certain fees charged by the plan sponsor. You can estimate the impact of these fees by adding the amount of the fees to the total estimated expenses you paid on your account during the period as calculated above. In addition, your ending account value would also be lower by the amount of these fees.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs. Therefore, the second line of each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds.
Approval of renewal of Investment Advisory and Service Agreement
The fund’s Board members have approved the renewal of the fund’s Investment Advisory and Service Agreement (the “agreement”) with Capital Research and Management Company (“CRMC”) for an additional one-year term through October 1, 2006. The renewal of the agreement was approved by the Board following the recommendation of the fund’s Contracts Committee (the “committee”), which is comprised of all of the fund’s independent Board members. The information, material facts and conclusions that formed the basis for the committee’s recommendation and the Board’s subsequent approval are described below.
1. Information received
Materials reviewed — During the course of each year, the independent Board members receive a wide variety of materials relating to the services provided by CRMC, including reports on the fund’s investment results, portfolio composition, portfolio trading practices, shareholder services, and other information relating to the nature, extent and quality of services provided by CRMC to the fund. In addition, the committee requests and reviews supplementary information that includes extensive materials regarding the fund’s investment results, advisory fee and expense comparisons (including comparisons to advisory fees charged by an affiliate of CRMC to institutional clients), financial and profitability information regarding CRMC, descriptions of various functions such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and information about the personnel providing investment management and administrative services to the fund.
Review process — The committee received assistance and advice regarding legal and industry standards from independent counsel to the independent Board members. The committee discussed the renewal of the agreement with CRMC representatives and in a private session with independent legal counsel at which no representatives of CRMC were present. In deciding to recommend the renewal of the agreement, the committee did not identify any single or particular piece of information that, in isolation, was the controlling factor. This summary describes the most important, but not all, of the factors considered by the Board and the committee.
2. Nature, extent and quality of services
CRMC, its personnel and its resources — The Board and the committee considered the depth and quality of CRMC’s investment management process, including its global research capabilities; the experience, capability and integrity of its senior management and other personnel; the low turnover rates of its key personnel; the overall financial strength and stability of its organization; and the ability of its organizational structure to address the recent growth in assets under management. The Board and the committee also considered that CRMC made available to its investment professionals a variety of resources and systems relating to investment management, compliance, trading, results and portfolio accounting. They considered CRMC’s commitment to investing in information technology supporting investment management and compliance. They further considered CRMC’s continuing need to attract and retain qualified personnel and to maintain and enhance its resources and systems.
Other services — The Board and the committee considered CRMC’s policies, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and its commitment to these programs; its efforts to keep the Board members informed; and its attention to matters that may involve conflicts of interest with the fund. The Board and the committee also considered the nature, extent, quality and cost of administrative, distribution and shareholder services provided by CRMC to the fund under the agreement and other agreements, including the information technology, legal, and fund accounting and treasury functions.
The Board and the committee concluded that the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by CRMC have benefited and will continue to benefit the fund and its shareholders.
3. Investment results
The Board and committee considered the investment results of the fund in light of its objective of providing shareholders with income on their cash reserves, exempt from federal income tax, while preserving capital and maintaining liquidity. They compared the fund’s total returns with the total returns of the Lipper Tax-Exempt Money Market Funds Index (the Lipper category that includes the fund) and the averages of the funds included in the Lipper Index each year.
The Board and the committee noted that for the seven months ended July 31, 2005, and the three-, five- and 10-year periods ended July 31, 2005, the fund’s investment results were at or near those of both the Lipper Index and the averages of the funds included in the Lipper Index. The Board also noted that the ranges of results of the funds included in the Lipper Index were narrow during the measurement periods. The Board and the committee ultimately concluded that CRMC’s record in managing the fund indicates that its continued management will benefit the fund and its shareholders.
4. Advisory fees and total expenses
The Board and the committee compared the advisory fees and total expenses of the fund (each as a percentage of average net assets) with the median fee and expense levels of all other funds in the Lipper Tax-Exempt Money Market Funds Index. The Board and the committee observed that the fund’s advisory fee was below the median of the other funds included in the Lipper Index for the entire 10-year period ended September 30, 2004, and that its total expenses had decreased over the 10-year period and were below the median for all such other funds for the five years ended September 30, 2004. The Board and the committee also noted the complexwide 5% voluntary advisory fee waiver that CRMC put into effect during 2004, and the additional 5% advisory fee waiver implemented effective April 1, 2005. The Board and the committee concluded that the relatively low level of the fees charged by CRMC will benefit the fund and its shareholders.
The Board and the committee also reviewed information regarding the advisory fees paid by institutional clients of an affiliate of CRMC with similar investment mandates. They concluded that, although the fees paid by those clients generally were lower than those paid by American Funds, the differences appropriately reflected CRMC’s significantly greater responsibilities with respect to American Funds and the more comprehensive regulatory regime applicable to mutual funds.
5. Adviser costs, level of profits and economies of scale
The Board and the committee reviewed information regarding CRMC’s costs of providing services to the American Funds, as well as the resulting level of profits to CRMC, noting that those results were comparable to the reported results of several large, publicly held investment management companies. The committee also received information during the past year regarding the structure and manner in which CRMC’s investment professionals were compensated and CRMC’s view of the relationship of such compensation to the attraction and retention of quality personnel. The Board and the committee considered CRMC’s willingness to invest in technology, infrastructure and staff to reinforce and offer new services and to accommodate changing regulatory requirements. They further considered that breakpoints in the fund’s advisory fee structure provide for reductions in the level of fees charged by CRMC to the fund as fund assets and gross income increase, reflecting economies of scale in the cost of operations that are shared with fund shareholders. The Board and the committee concluded that the fund’s cost structure was reasonable and that CRMC was sharing economies of scale with the fund and its shareholders, to their benefit.
6. Ancillary benefits
The Board and the committee considered a variety of other benefits received by CRMC and its affiliates as a result of CRMC’s relationship with the fund and the other American Funds, including fees for administrative services provided to certain share classes; fees paid to CRMC’s affiliated transfer agent; sales charges and distribution fees received and retained by the fund’s principal underwriter, an affiliate of CRMC; and possible ancillary benefits to CRMC’s institutional management affiliate. The Board and the committee reviewed CRMC’s portfolio trading practices, noting that, while CRMC receives the benefit of research provided by broker-dealers executing portfolio transactions on behalf of the fund, it does not obtain third-party research or other services in return for allocating brokerage to such broker-dealers.
7. Conclusions
Based on their review, including their consideration of each of the factors referred to above, the Board and the committee concluded that the agreement is fair and reasonable to the fund and its shareholders, that the fund’s shareholders received reasonable value in return for the advisory fees and other amounts paid to CRMC by the fund, and that the renewal of the agreement was in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.
Board of Trustees
“Non-interested” Trustees
| Year first | |
| elected | |
| a Trustee | |
Name and age | of the funds1 | Principal occupation(s) during past five years |
| | |
Ambassador | 1999 | Corporate director and author; former U.S |
Richard G. Capen, Jr., 71 | | Ambassador to Spain; former Vice Chairman, Knight-Ridder, Inc. (communications company); former Chairman and Publisher, The Miami Herald |
| | |
H. Frederick Christie, 72 | CMTA 1976 | Private investor; former President and CEO, |
| CTRS 1991 | The Mission Group (non-utility holding company, |
| CTEX 1989 | subsidiary of Southern California Edison Company |
| | |
Diane C. Creel, 57 | 1994 | Chairman of the Board and CEO, Ecovation, Inc. (organic waste management) |
| | |
Martin Fenton, 70 | CMTA 1989 | Chairman of the Board and CEO, Senior Resource |
Chairman of the Boards | CTRS 1991 | Group LLC (development and management of |
(Independent and | CTEX 1989 | senior living communities) |
Non-Executive) | | |
| | |
Leonard R. Fuller, 59 | CMTA 1994 | President and CEO, Fuller Consulting (financial |
| CTRS 1994 | management consulting firm) |
| CTEX 1995 | |
| | |
R. Clark Hooper, 59 | 2005 | President, Dumbarton Group LLC (consulting); former Executive Vice President — Policy and Oversight, NASD |
| | |
Richard G. Newman, 71 | 1991 | Chairman of the Board, AECOM Technology Corporation (engineering, consulting and professional technical services) |
| | |
Frank M. Sanchez, 62 | 1999 | Principal, The Sanchez Family Corporation dba McDonald’s Restaurants (McDonald’s licensee) |
| | |
“Non-interested” Trustees | | |
| | |
| Number of | |
| portfolios | |
| in fund | |
| complex2 | |
| overseen by | |
Name and age | Trustee | Other directorships3 held by Trustee |
| | |
Ambassador | 14 | Carnival Corporation |
Richard G. Capen, Jr., 71 | | |
| | |
H. Frederick Christie, 72 | 19 | Ducommun Incorporated; IHOP Corporation; Southwest Water Company |
| | |
Diane C. Creel, 57 | 12 | Allegheny Technologies; BF Goodrich; Foster Wheeler Ltd.; Teledyne Technologies |
| | |
Martin Fenton, 70 | 16 | None |
Chairman of the Boards | | |
(Independent and | | |
Non-Executive) | | |
| | |
Leonard R. Fuller, 59 | 14 | None |
| | |
R. Clark Hooper, 59 | 15 | None |
| | |
Richard G. Newman, 71 | 13 | Sempra Energy; Southwest Water Company |
| | |
Frank M. Sanchez, 62 | 12 | None |
| | |
“Interested” Trustees4 | | |
| | |
| Year first | |
| elected a | |
| Trustee or | Principal occupation(s) during past five years |
Name, age and | officer | and positions held with affiliated entities or the |
position with funds | of the funds1 | principal underwriter of the funds |
| | |
Paul G. Haaga, Jr., 56 | CMTA 1985 | Executive Vice President and Director, Capital |
Vice Chairman of the Boards | CTRS 1990 | Research and Management Company; Director, |
| CTEX 1992 | The Capital Group Companies, Inc.5 |
| | |
Abner D. Goldstine, 75 | CMTA 1976 | Senior Vice President and Director, Capital Research |
President | CTRS 1991 | and Management Company |
| CTEX 1989 | |
| | |
Don R. Conlan, 69 | CMTA 1996 | President (retired), The Capital Group Companies, |
| CTRS 1996 | Inc.5 |
| | |
“Interested” Trustees4 | | |
| | |
| Number of | |
| portfolios | |
| in fund | |
| complex2 | |
Name, age and | overseen by | |
position with funds | Trustee | Other directorships3 held by Trustee |
| | |
Paul G. Haaga, Jr., 56 | 16 | None |
Vice Chairman of the Boards | | |
| | |
Abner D. Goldstine, 75 | 12 | None |
President | | |
| | |
Don R. Conlan, 69 | 5 | None |
CMTA = The Cash Management Trust of America
CTRS = The U.S. Treasury Money Fund of America
CTEX = The Tax-Exempt Money Fund of America
The statement of additional information includes additional information about the funds’ Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling American Funds Service Company at 800/421-0180. The address for all Trustees and officers of the funds is 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention: Fund Secretary.
1 Trustees and officers of the funds serve until their resignation, removal or retirement.
2 Capital Research and Management Company manages the American Funds, consisting of 29 funds. Capital Research and Management Company also manages American Funds Insurance Series,® which serves as the underlying investment vehicle for certain variable insurance contracts, and Endowments, whose shareholders are limited to certain nonprofit organizations.
3 This includes all directorships (other than those in the American Funds) that are held by each Trustee as a director of a public company or a registered investment company.
4 “Interested persons” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, on the basis of their affiliation with the funds’ investment adviser, Capital Research and Management Company, or affiliated entities (including the funds’ principal underwriter).
5 Company affiliated with Capital Research and Management Company.
Other officers
| Year first | |
| elected an | Principal occupation(s) during past five years |
Name, age and | officer | and positions held with affiliated entities or the |
position with funds | of the funds1 | principal underwriter of the funds |
| | |
Teresa S. Cook, 53 | 1991 | Senior Vice President — Investment Management |
Senior Vice President | | Group, Capital Research and Management Company |
CMTA and CTRS only | | |
| | |
Neil L. Langberg, 52 | 1989 | Vice President — Investment Management Group, |
Senior Vice President | | Capital Research and Management Company |
CTEX only | | |
| | |
Kristine M. Nishiyama, 35 | 2003 | Vice President and Counsel — Fund Business |
Vice President | | Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company; Vice President and Counsel — Capital Bank and Trust Company2 |
| | |
Karen F. Hall, 40 | 1999 | Vice President — Investment Management Group, |
Assistant Vice President | | Capital Research and Management Company |
CMTA and CTRS only | | |
| | |
Julie F. Williams, 57 | CMTA 1982 | Vice President — Fund Business Management |
Secretary | CTRS 1991 | Group, Capital Research and Management Company |
| CTEX 1989 | |
| | |
Ari M. Vinocor, 31 | 2005 | Vice President — Fund Business Management |
Treasurer | | Group, Capital Research and Management Company |
| | |
Kimberly S. Verdick, 41 | 1994 | Assistant Vice President — Fund Business |
Assistant Secretary | | Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company |
| | |
Susi M. Silverman, 35 | 2000 | Vice President — Fund Business Management |
Assistant Treasurer | | Group, Capital Research and Management Company |
1 Trustees and officers of the funds serve until their resignation, removal or retirement.
2 Company affiliated with Capital Research and Management Company.
Offices of the funds and of the investment adviser
Capital Research and Management Company
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406
135 South State College Boulevard
Brea, CA 92821-5823
Transfer agent for shareholder accounts
American Funds Service Company
(Please write to the address nearest you.)
P.O. Box 25065
Santa Ana, CA 92799-5065
P.O. Box 659522
San Antonio, TX 78265-9522
P.O. Box 6007
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007
P.O. Box 2280
Norfolk, VA 23501-2280
Custodian of assets
JPMorgan Chase Bank
270 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-2070
Counsel
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
515 South Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2228
Independent registered public accounting firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
350 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2889
Principal underwriter
American Funds Distributors, Inc.
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1406
Most American Funds offer several share classes, each with its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the one that best meets your financial needs. The three American Funds money market funds each offer Class A shares at no sales charge.
The Cash Management Trust of America (CMTA) is the only American Funds money market fund that offers Class B, Class C, Class F and Class 529 shares. CMTA classes B, C and F shares may be acquired only by exchanging from other American Funds within the same share class (i.e., they may not be purchased directly) and do not offer check-writing privileges. American Funds classes B, C and F shares are subject to additional annual expenses and fees, including, in the case of classes B and C shares, higher 12b-1 fees and contingent deferred sales charges if Class B shares are redeemed within six years of purchase and Class C shares are redeemed within one year of purchase. Classes B, C and F shares are not available to certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. See the CMTA prospectus for further details.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the American Funds and CollegeAmerica. This and other important information is contained in the funds’ prospectus and the CollegeAmerica program description, which can be obtained from your financial adviser and should be read carefully before investing. You may also call American Funds Service Company (AFS) at 800/421-0180 or visit the American Funds website at americanfunds.com. If you reside in a state other than Virginia, there may be an in-state plan that provides tax and other benefits not available through CollegeAmerica. Talk to your tax adviser. CollegeAmerica is distributed by American Funds Distributors and sold through unaffiliated intermediaries.
“American Funds Proxy Voting Guidelines” — which describes how we vote proxies relating to portfolio securities — is available free of charge on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website at www.sec.gov, on the American Funds website or upon request by calling AFS. The funds file their proxy voting records with the SEC for the 12 months ended June 30 by August 31. The reports also are available on the SEC and American Funds websites.
The Cash Management Trust of America, The U.S. Treasury Money Fund of America and The Tax-Exempt Money Fund of America file a complete list of their portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. This filing is available free of charge on the SEC website. You may also review or, for a fee, copy this filing at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. (800/SEC-0330). Additionally, the list of portfolio holdings also is available by calling AFS.
This report is for the information of shareholders of The Cash Management Trust of America, The U.S. Treasury Money Fund of America and The Tax-Exempt Money Fund of America, but it may also be used as sales literature when preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus, which gives details about charges, expenses, investment objectives and operating policies of the funds. If used as sales material after December 31, 2005, this report must be accompanied by an American Funds statistical update for the most recently completed calendar quarter.
[logo - AMERICAN FUNDS®]
CollegeAmerica is sponsored by
Virginia College Savings PlanSM
What makes American Funds different?
For more than 70 years, we have followed a consistent philosophy that we firmly believe is in our investors’ best interests. The range of opportunities offered by our family of just 29 carefully conceived, broadly diversified funds has attracted over 30 million shareholder accounts.
Our unique combination of strengths includes these five factors:
• | A long-term, value-oriented approach |
| Rather than follow fads, we pursue a consistent strategy, focusing on each investment’s long-term potential. |
• | An unparalleled global research effort |
| American Funds draws on one of the industry’s most globally integrated research networks. |
• | The multiple portfolio counselor system |
| Every American Fund is divided among a number of portfolio counselors. Each takes responsibility for a portion independently, within each fund’s objectives; in most cases, research analysts manage a portion as well. Over time this method has contributed to a consistency of results and continuity of management. |
• | Experienced investment professionals |
| The recent market decline was not the first for most of the portfolio counselors who serve the American Funds. More than half of them were in the investment business before the sharp market decline of 1987. |
• | A commitment to low operating expenses |
| American Funds’ operating expenses are among the lowest in the mutual fund industry. Our portfolio turnover rates are low as well, keeping transaction costs and tax consequences contained. |
29 mutual funds, consistent philosophy, consistent results
• Growth funds
Emphasis on long-term growth through stocks
AMCAP Fund®
EuroPacific Growth Fund®
The Growth Fund of America®
The New Economy Fund®
New Perspective Fund®
New World FundSM
SMALLCAP World Fund®
• Growth-and-income funds
Emphasis on long-term growth and dividends through stocks
American Mutual Fund®
Capital World Growth and Income FundSM
Fundamental InvestorsSM
The Investment Company of America®
Washington Mutual Investors FundSM
• Equity-income funds
Emphasis on above-average income and growth through stocks and/or bonds
Capital Income Builder®
The Income Fund of America®
• Balanced fund
Emphasis on long-term growth and current income through stocks and bonds
American Balanced Fund®
• Bond funds
Emphasis on current income through bonds
American High-Income TrustSM
The Bond Fund of AmericaSM
Capital World Bond Fund®
Intermediate Bond Fund of America®
U.S. Government Securities FundSM
• Tax-exempt bond funds
Emphasis on tax-free current income through municipal bonds
American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund®
Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of AmericaSM
The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America®
State-specific tax-exempt funds
The Tax-Exempt Fund of California®
The Tax-Exempt Fund of Maryland®
The Tax-Exempt Fund of Virginia®
• Money market funds
> The Cash Management Trust of America®
> The Tax-Exempt Money Fund of AmericaSM
> The U.S. Treasury Money Fund of AmericaSM
The Capital Group Companies
American Funds
Capital Research and Management
Capital International
Capital Guardian
Capital Bank and Trust
Lit. No. MFGEAR-960-1105P
Litho in USA AGD/CG/8063-S4883
Printed on recycled paper