497 1 d211538d497.htm NUVEEN MULTISTATE TRUST II Nuveen Multistate Trust II
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Mutual Funds   

Prospectus

 

     October 31, 2016

 

 

      It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep.®

 

       

 

 

 

 

             Class / Ticker Symbol
    Fund Name       Class A   Class C   Class I    

 

 

Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

      NUCAX   NUCCX   NUCIX    

 

 

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.



Table of Contents

 

Section 1    Fund Summary       
Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund      2   
Section 2    How We Manage Your Money       
Who Manages the Fund      7   
More About Our Investment Strategies      8   
How We Select Investments      12   
What the Risks Are      12   
Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares       
What Share Classes We Offer      19   
How to Reduce Your Sales Charge      21   
How to Buy Shares      22   
Special Services      24   
How to Sell Shares      25   
Section 4    General Information       
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes      28   
Distribution and Service Payments      30   
Net Asset Value      32   
Frequent Trading      33   
Fund Service Providers      34   

 

NOT FDIC OR GOVERNMENT INSURED     MAY LOSE VALUE     NO BANK GUARANTEE


Section 1    Fund Summary

Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide you with as high a level of current interest income exempt from regular federal income tax and California state personal income tax, as is consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 19 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 21 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-56 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

      Class A      Class C      Class I  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)      3.00%         None         None   
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)
1
     None         1.00%         None   
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends      None         None         None   
Exchange Fee      None         None         None   
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)2      $15         $15         $15   
Annual Fund Operating Expenses                     
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)                     
      Class A      Class C      Class I  
Management Fees      0.55%         0.55%         0.55%   
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees      0.20%         1.00%         0.00%   
Other Expenses3      0.32%         0.32%         0.32%   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses      1.07%         1.87%         0.87%   
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements4      (0.27)%         (0.27)%         (0.27)%   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements      0.80%         1.60%         0.60%   
1 The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
2 Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).
3 Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
4 The Fund’s investment adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through June 30, 2018 so that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 0.60% of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and that the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond June 30, 2018. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

     Redemption              No Redemption          
      A      C      I              A      C      I          
1 Year    $ 379       $ 163       $ 61          $ 379       $ 163       $ 61      
3 Years    $ 586       $ 543       $ 232                $ 586       $ 543       $ 232            

 

2

Section 1    Fund Summary


Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund has not completed its first fiscal year, and therefore it does not have a portfolio turnover rate to report.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax and California state personal income tax. These municipal bonds include obligations issued by the State of California and its subdivisions, authorities, instrumentalities and corporations, as well as obligations issued by U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal and California personal income tax. The Fund may invest without limit in securities that generate income subject to the alternative minimum tax. The Fund will generally maintain the weighted average maturity of its portfolio securities at three to ten years under normal market conditions.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investment grade municipal bonds rated BBB/Baa or higher at the time of purchase by at least one independent rating agency, or, if unrated, judged by the Fund’s sub-adviser to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in below investment grade municipal bonds, commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds.

The Fund may invest in all types of municipal bonds, including general obligation bonds, revenue bonds and participation interests in municipal leases. The Fund may invest in zero coupon bonds, which are issued at substantial discounts from their value at maturity and pay no cash income to their holders until they mature.

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in municipal securities whose interest payments vary inversely with changes in short-term tax-exempt interest rates (“inverse floaters”). Inverse floaters are derivative securities that provide leveraged exposure to underlying municipal bonds. The Fund’s investments in inverse floaters are designed to increase the Fund’s income and returns through this leveraged exposure. These investments are speculative, however, and also create the possibility that income and returns will be diminished.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in short-term investments, such as short-term, high quality municipal bonds or tax-exempt money market funds.

The Fund may utilize futures contracts, swap contracts, options on futures contracts and options on swap contracts in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, and to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio.

The Fund’s sub-adviser uses a value-oriented strategy and looks for higher-yielding and undervalued municipal bonds that offer above-average total return. The sub-adviser may choose to sell municipal bonds with deteriorating credit or limited upside potential compared to other available bonds.

Principal Risks

The price and yield of this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk—The Fund has no limit as to the amount that can be invested in alternative minimum tax bonds. Therefore, all or a portion of the Fund’s otherwise exempt-interest dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. The Fund’s investments in inverse floaters will increase the Fund’s credit risk.

Credit Spread Risk—Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Fund’s debt securities. Credit

 

Section 1    Fund Summary

 

 

3


spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.

Cybersecurity Risk—Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality.

Derivatives Risk—The use of derivatives involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivative instruments can be used to acquire or to transfer the risk and returns of a security or other asset without buying or selling the security or asset. These instruments may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. An over-the-counter derivative transaction between the Fund and a counterparty that is not cleared through a central counterparty also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. The payment obligation for a cleared derivative transaction is guaranteed by a central counterparty, which exposes the Fund to the creditworthiness of the central counterparty.

High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. Also, if the Fund invests in inverse floaters, the Fund’s income may decrease if short-term interest rates rise.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Interest rate risk may be increased by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters because of the leveraged nature of these investments.

Inverse Floaters Risk—The use of inverse floaters by the Fund creates effective leverage. Due to the leveraged nature of these investments, they will typically be more volatile and involve greater risk than the fixed rate municipal bonds underlying the inverse floaters. An investment in certain inverse floaters will involve the risk that the Fund could lose more than its original principal investment. Distributions on inverse floaters bear an inverse relationship to short-term municipal bond interest rates. Thus, distributions paid to the Fund on its inverse floaters will be reduced or even eliminated as short-term municipal interest rates rise and will increase when short-term municipal interest rates fall. Inverse floaters generally will underperform the market for fixed rate municipal bonds in a rising interest rate environment.

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk—Inventories of municipal bonds held by brokers and dealers have decreased in recent years, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell bonds, and increase bond price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, recent federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of municipal bonds, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result, the Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a security, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to raise cash (such as to meet heavy shareholder redemptions), those sales could further reduce the bonds’ prices and hurt performance.

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk—Participation interests in municipal leases pose special risks because many leases and contracts contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for this purpose by the appropriate legislative body.

Municipal Securities Risk—The values of municipal securities held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. Because the Fund primarily purchases municipal bonds from California or U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, the Fund is more susceptible to adverse economic, political or regulatory changes affecting municipal bond issuers in those locations. Certain municipal bond issuers in Puerto Rico have recently experienced financial difficulties and rating agency downgrades.

 

 

4

Section 1    Fund Summary


Tax Risk—Income from municipal bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a bond issuer. Investments in certain derivatives utilized by the Fund may cause the Fund to have taxable investment income.

Valuation Risk—The debt securities in which the Fund invests typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Fund’s pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Fund’s net asset value.

Zero Coupon Bonds Risk—Zero coupon bonds do not pay interest on a current basis and may be highly volatile as interest rates rise or fall. In addition, while such bonds generate income for purposes of generally accepted accounting standards, they do not generate cash flow and thus could cause the Fund to be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to distribute cash, as required by tax laws.

Fund Performance

Fund performance is not included in this prospectus because the Fund has not been in existence for a full calendar year.

Management

Investment Adviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC

Sub-Adviser

Nuveen Asset Management, LLC

Portfolio Manager

 

Name

    

Title

  

Portfolio Manager of Fund Since

Scott R. Romans, PhD      Senior Vice President    October 2016

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund either through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the Fund. The Fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:

 

        Class A and Class C    Class I
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment      $3,000   

Available only through fee-based programs and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus.

 

$100,000 for all accounts except:

 

• $250 for clients of financial intermediaries and family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level).

 

• No minimum for certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus.

Minimum Additional Investment      $100    No minimum.

 

Section 1    Fund Summary

 

 

5


Tax Information

The Fund intends to make interest income distributions that are exempt from regular federal and California state personal income taxes. However, all or a portion of these distributions may be subject to the federal and state alternative minimum tax. In addition, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may be subject to regular federal and California state personal income taxes.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the Fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

6

Section 1    Fund Summary


Section 2    How We Manage Your Money

To help you better understand the Fund, this section includes a detailed discussion of the Fund’s investment and risk management strategies. For a more complete discussion of these matters, please see the statement of additional information, which is available by calling (800) 257-8787 or by visiting Nuveen’s website at www.nuveen.com.

 

LOGO

Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (“Nuveen Fund Advisors”), the Fund’s investment adviser, offers advisory and investment management services to a broad range of investment company clients. Nuveen Fund Advisors has overall responsibility for management of the Fund, oversees the management of the Fund’s portfolio, manages the Fund’s business affairs and provides certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services. Nuveen Fund Advisors is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Nuveen Fund Advisors is a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen Investments”). Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management (“TGAM”), the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”). TIAA is a life insurance company founded in 1918 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is the companion organization of College Retirement Equities Fund. As of September 30, 2016, TGAM managed approximately $891 billion in assets, of which approximately $134 billion was managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

Nuveen Fund Advisors has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management”), located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, to serve as sub-adviser to the Fund. Nuveen Asset Management manages the investment of the Fund’s assets on a discretionary basis, subject to the supervision of Nuveen Fund Advisors.

The portfolio manager for the Fund is Scott R. Romans.

 

   

Scott R. Romans, PhD, is Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Nuveen Asset Management. He began his career in the financial industry in 2000 when he joined an affiliate of Nuveen Asset Management as a senior research analyst and assumed his portfolio management role in 2003. He manages 14 Nuveen-sponsored investment companies, with a total of approximately $10.4 billion under management.

Additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund is provided in the statement of additional information.

Management Fees

The management fee schedule for the Fund consists of two components: a Fund-level fee, based only on the amount of assets within the Fund, and a complex-level fee, based on the aggregate amount of all eligible fund assets managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors.

 

 

Section 2    How We Manage Your Money

 

 

7


The annual Fund-level fee, payable monthly, is based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:

 

Average Daily Net Assets    Fund-Level Fee  
For the first $125 million      0.3500
For the next $125 million      0.3375
For the next $250 million      0.3250
For the next $500 million      0.3125
For the next $1 billion      0.3000
For the next $3 billion      0.2750
For net assets over $5 billion      0.2500

The complex-level fee begins at a maximum rate of 0.2000% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, based upon complex-level assets of $55 billion, with breakpoints for eligible assets above that level. Therefore, the maximum management fee rate for the Fund is the Fund-level fee plus 0.2000%. As of June 30, 2016, the effective complex-level fee would have been 0.1614% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Nuveen Fund Advisors has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities and extraordinary expenses) for the Fund do not exceed 0.60% through June 30, 2018 of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. This expense limitation may be terminated or modified prior to that date only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

Information regarding the Board of Trustees’ approval of the investment management agreements will be available in the Fund’s annual report for the fiscal period ended February 28, 2017.

 

LOGO

The Fund’s investment objective, which is described in the “Fund Summary” section, may be changed without shareholder approval. If the Fund’s investment objective changes, you will be notified at least 60 days in advance.

The Fund has adopted a fundamental investment policy whereby the Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax and California state personal income tax (the “Name Policy”). The Fund may consider both direct investments and indirect investments (e.g., investments in other investment companies, derivatives and synthetic instruments with economic characteristics similar to the direct investments that meet the Name Policy) when determining compliance with the Name Policy. For purposes of the Name Policy, the Fund will value eligible derivatives at fair value or market value instead of notional value. The Name Policy may not be changed without shareholder approval.

The Fund’s investment policies may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted in this prospectus or the statement of additional information.

The Fund’s principal investment strategies are discussed in the “Fund Summary” section. These are the strategies that the Fund’s investment

 

8

Section 2    How We Manage Your Money


adviser and sub-adviser believe are most likely to be important in trying to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. This section provides more information about these strategies, as well as information about some additional strategies that the Fund’s sub-adviser uses, or may use, to achieve the Fund’s objective. The strategies described below are principal investment strategies unless otherwise noted. You should be aware that the Fund may also use strategies and invest in securities that are not described in this prospectus, but that are described in the statement of additional information. For a copy of the statement of additional information, call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 or visit Nuveen’s website at www.nuveen.com.

Municipal Obligations

States, local governments and municipalities and other issuing authorities issue municipal bonds to raise money for various public purposes such as building public facilities, refinancing outstanding obligations and financing general operating expenses. These bonds include general obligation bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the issuer and may be repaid from any revenue source, and revenue bonds, which may be repaid only from the revenue of a specific facility or source.

The Fund may purchase municipal bonds that represent lease obligations. These carry special risks because the issuer of the bonds may not be obligated to appropriate money annually to make payments under the lease. In order to reduce this risk, the Fund will, in making purchase decisions, take into consideration the issuer’s incentive to continue making appropriations until maturity.

The municipal securities in which the Fund invests may include refunded bonds and zero coupon bonds. Refunded bonds may have originally been issued as general obligation or revenue bonds, but become “refunded” when they are secured by an escrow fund, usually consisting entirely of direct U.S. government obligations and/or U.S. government agency obligations. Zero coupon bonds are issued at substantial discounts from their value at maturity and pay no cash income to their holders until they mature. When held to maturity, their entire return comes from the difference between their purchase price and their maturity value.

The municipal securities in which the Fund invests may have variable, floating, or fixed interest rates.

In evaluating municipal bonds of different credit qualities or maturities, Nuveen Asset Management takes into account the size of yield spreads. Yield spread is the additional return the Fund may earn by taking on additional credit risk or interest rate risk. For example, yields on low quality bonds are higher than yields on high quality bonds because investors must be compensated for incurring the higher credit risk associated with low quality bonds. If yield spreads do not provide adequate compensation for the additional risk associated with low quality bonds, the Fund may buy bonds of relatively higher quality. Similarly, in evaluating bonds of different maturities, Nuveen Asset Management evaluates the comparative yield available on these bonds. If yield spreads on long-term bonds do not compensate the Fund adequately for the additional interest rate risk the Fund must assume, the Fund may buy bonds of relatively shorter maturity. In addition, municipal bonds in a particular industry may provide higher yields relative to their risk compared to bonds in other industries. If that occurs, the Fund may buy more bonds from issuers in that industry.

 

Section 2    How We Manage Your Money

 

 

9


If suitable municipal bonds from the state of California are not available at attractive prices and yields, the Fund may invest in municipal bonds of U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico and Guam), which are exempt from regular federal and California state personal income taxes. For diversification purposes or when after-tax yields merit, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in municipal securities that are not exempt from federal and state personal income tax. Income received from the Fund’s bonds may be subject to the federal and state alternative minimum tax.

Credit Quality. The Fund’s principal investment strategies require it, under normal market conditions, to invest at least 80% of its net assets in investment grade municipal bonds rated BBB/Baa or higher by a rating service such as Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s or in unrated bonds of comparable quality. Any reference in this prospectus to a specific rating encompasses all gradations of that rating. For example, if the prospectus says that the Fund may invest in securities rated as low as B, the Fund may invest in securities rated B-. Municipal bonds that are rated below investment grade (BB/Ba or lower) are commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk” bonds. High yield bonds typically offer higher yields than investment grade bonds with similar maturities but involve greater risks, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy, and increased market price volatility.

Inverse Floaters

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in inverse floaters issued in tender option bond (“TOB”) transactions. In a TOB transaction, one or more highly-rated municipal bonds are deposited into a special purpose trust that issues floating rate securities (“floaters”) to outside parties and inverse floaters to long-term investors like the Fund. The floaters pay interest at a rate that is reset periodically (generally weekly) to reflect current short-term tax-exempt interest rates. Holders of the floaters have the right to tender such securities back to the TOB trust for par plus accrued interest (the “put option”), typically on seven days’ notice. Holders of the floaters are paid from the proceeds of a successful remarketing of the floaters or by a liquidity provider in the event of a failed remarketing. The inverse floaters pay interest at a rate equal to (a) the interest accrued on the underlying bonds, minus (b) the sum of the interest payable on the floaters and fees payable in connection with the TOB. Thus, the interest payments on the inverse floaters will vary inversely with the short-term rates paid on the floaters. Holders of the inverse floaters typically have the right to simultaneously (a) cause the holders of the floaters to tender those floaters to the TOB trust at par plus accrued interest and (b) purchase the municipal bonds from the TOB trust.

Because holders of the floaters have the right to tender their securities to the TOB trust at par plus accrued interest, holders of the inverse floaters are exposed to all of the gains or losses on the underlying municipal bonds, despite the fact that their net cash investment is significantly less than the value of those bonds. This multiplies the positive or negative impact of the underlying bonds’ price movements on the value of the inverse floaters, thereby creating effective leverage. The effective leverage created by any TOB transaction depends on the value of the securities deposited in the TOB trust relative to the value of the floaters it issues. The higher the percentage of the TOB trust’s total value represented by the floaters, the greater the effective leverage. For example, if municipal bonds worth $100 are deposited in a TOB trust and the TOB trust issues floaters worth $75 and inverse floaters worth $25, the TOB trust will have a leverage ratio of 3:1 and

 

10

Section 2    How We Manage Your Money


the inverse floaters will exhibit price movements at a rate that is four times that of the underlying bonds deposited into the trust. If that same TOB trust were to issue only $50 of floaters, the leverage ratio would be 1:1 and the inverse floaters would exhibit price movements at a rate that is only two times that of the underlying bonds.

Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

As a non-principal investment strategy, under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other open-end or closed-end investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. In addition, the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies) that invest primarily in municipal securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly.

An ETF is an investment company that holds a portfolio of securities generally designed to track the performance of a securities index, including industry, sector, country and region indexes. ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.

As a shareholder in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicle’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in an investment company or other pooled investment vehicle. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs.

Short-Term Investments and Cash Equivalents

Under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in short-term investments, such as short-term, high quality municipal bonds or tax-exempt money market funds. The Fund may invest in short-term, high quality taxable securities or shares of taxable money market funds if suitable short-term municipal bonds or shares of tax-exempt money market funds are not available at reasonable prices and yields. If the Fund invests in taxable securities, it may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

As a non-principal investment strategy, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash equivalents and short-term investments as a temporary defensive measure in response to adverse market conditions or to keep cash on hand fully invested. During these periods, the weighted average maturity of the Fund’s investment portfolio may fall below the defined range described under “Fund Summary—Principal Investment Strategies” and the Fund may not achieve its objective. The Fund does not expect to invest substantial amounts in short-term investments as a defensive measure except under extraordinary circumstances.

For more information on eligible short-term investments, see the statement of additional information.

When-Issued, Delayed-Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions

As a non-principal investment strategy, the Fund may enter into contracts to purchase securities for a specified price at a future date later than the normal settlement date.

Municipal “forwards” pay higher interest rates after settlement than standard bonds to compensate the buyer for bearing market risk but deferring income

 

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during the settlement period, and can often be bought at attractive prices and yields. For instance, if the Fund knows that a portfolio bond will, or is likely to, be called or mature on a specific future date, the Fund may buy a forward settling on or about that date to replace the called or maturing bond and “lock in” a currently attractive interest rate.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s statement of additional information. A list of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available on the Fund’s website—www.nuveen.com/mf—by navigating to the Fund using the “Mutual Fund Finder” and clicking on the “Holdings & Detail” tab. By following these links, you can obtain a list of the Fund’s top ten holdings as of the end of the most recent month. A complete list of portfolio holdings information is generally made available on the Fund’s website approximately five business days following the end of each most recent month. This information will remain available on the website until the Fund files with the Securities and Exchange Commission its annual, semi-annual or quarterly holdings report for the fiscal period that includes the date(s) as of which the website information is current.

 

LOGO

Investment Philosophy

Nuveen Asset Management believes that the tax treatment of municipal securities and the structural characteristics in the municipal securities market create opportunities to enhance the after-tax total return and diversification of the investment portfolios of taxable investors. Nuveen Asset Management follows a disciplined, research-driven investment approach to find securities that combine exceptional relative value with above-average return potential.

Investment Process

Nuveen Asset Management believes that a value-oriented investment strategy that seeks to identify underrated and undervalued securities and sectors is positioned to capture the opportunities inherent in the municipal securities market and potentially outperform the general municipal securities market over time. The primary elements of Nuveen Asset Management’s investment process are:

 

   

Credit analysis and surveillance

 

   

Sector analysis

 

   

Limited industry concentration

 

   

Trading strategies

 

   

Sell discipline

 

   

Yield curve and structural analysis

LOGO

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in a mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing you should consider carefully the principal risks and certain other risks that you assume when you invest in the Fund. These risks are listed

 

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alphabetically below. Because of these risks, you should consider an investment in the Fund to be a long-term investment.

Principal Risks

Alternative minimum tax risk: The Fund has no limit as to the amount that can be invested in alternative minimum tax bonds. Therefore, all or a portion of the Fund’s otherwise exempt-interest dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Call risk: Debt securities are subject to call risk. Many bonds may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or “called,” before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its bonds if they can be refinanced by issuing new bonds which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer will call its high yielding bonds. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

Credit risk: Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security held by the Fund may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Debt securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. The credit rating of a debt security may be lowered if the issuer suffers adverse changes in its financial condition, which can lead to greater volatility in the price of the security and in shares of the Fund, and can also affect the bond’s liquidity and make it more difficult for the Fund to sell. When the Fund purchases unrated securities, it will depend on the sub-adviser’s analysis of credit risk without the assessment of an independent rating organization, such as Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s. Credit risk may be increased by the Fund’s investments in inverse floaters because of the leveraged nature of these investments.

Credit spread risk: Credit spread risk is the risk that credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between securities that is due to differences in their credit quality) may increase when the market believes that bonds generally have a greater risk of default. Increasing credit spreads may reduce the market values of the Fund’s securities. Credit spreads often increase more for lower rated and unrated securities than for investment grade securities. In addition, when credit spreads increase, reductions in market value will generally be greater for longer-maturity securities.

Cybersecurity risk: Intentional cybersecurity breaches include: unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (such as through “hacking” activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition, unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws).

A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems (“denial of services”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs. Such incidents could cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor or sub-advisor, a financial intermediary, or other service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs or financial loss. In

 

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addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which the Fund invests, and thereby cause the Fund’s investments to lose value.

Derivatives risk: The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and there is the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund will not correlate with the asset, index or rate underlying the derivative contract.

The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the contract. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. These risks are heightened when the management team uses derivatives to enhance the Fund’s return or as a substitute for a position or security, rather than solely to hedge (or offset) the risk of a position or security held by the Fund.

In addition, when the Fund engages in certain derivative transactions, it is effectively leveraging its investments, which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of the Fund’s derivatives strategies will depend on the sub-adviser’s ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions.

The Fund may also enter into over-the-counter (“OTC”) transactions in derivatives. Transactions in the OTC markets generally are conducted on a principal-to-principal basis. The terms and conditions of these instruments generally are not standardized and tend to be more specialized or complex, and the instruments may be harder to value. In general, there is less governmental regulation and supervision of transactions in the OTC markets than of transactions entered into on organized exchanges. In addition, certain derivative instruments and markets may not be liquid, which means the Fund may not be able to close out a derivatives transaction in a cost-efficient manner.

Short positions in derivatives may involve greater risks than long positions, as the risk of loss on short positions is theoretically unlimited (unlike a long position, in which the risk of loss may be limited to the notional amount of the instrument).

Swap agreements may involve fees, commissions or other costs that may reduce the Fund’s gains from a swap agreement or may cause the Fund to lose money.

Futures contracts are subject to the risk that an exchange may impose price fluctuation limits, which may make it difficult or impossible for the Fund to close out a position when desired.

High yield securities risk: Securities that are rated below-investment grade are commonly referred to as “high yield” securities or “junk” bonds. High yield securities usually offer higher yields than investment grade securities, but also involve more risk. High yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic conditions than investment grade securities, and they generally have more volatile prices and carry more risk to principal. In addition, liquidity risk is greater for high yield securities than for investment grade securities.

 

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Income risk: The Fund’s income from its debt securities could decline during periods of falling interest rates because the Fund generally may have to invest the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio debt securities (or portfolio securities that have been called, see “Call risk” above), in lower-yielding securities. In addition, the Fund’s income could decline when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. Also, if the Fund invests in inverse floaters, whose income payments vary inversely with changes in short-term market rates, the Fund’s income may decrease if short-term interest rates rise.

Interest rate risk: Debt securities held by the Fund will fluctuate in value with changes in interest rates. In general, debt securities will increase in value when interest rates fall and decrease in value when interest rates rise. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Longer-term debt securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. Rising interest rates also may lengthen the duration of debt securities with call features, since exercise of the call becomes less likely as interest rates rise, which in turn will make the securities more sensitive to changes in interest rates and result in even steeper price declines in the event of further interest rate increases. Interest rate risk may be increased by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters and forward commitments because of the leveraged nature of these investments.

Inverse floaters risk: The use of inverse floaters by the Fund creates effective leverage. Due to the leveraged nature of these investments, the value of an inverse floater will increase and decrease to a significantly greater extent than the values of the TOB trust’s underlying municipal bonds in response to changes in market interest rates or credit quality. An investment in inverse floaters typically will involve greater risk than an investment in a fixed rate municipal bond, including, in the case of recourse inverse floaters (discussed below), the risk that the Fund may lose more than its original principal investment.

Distributions on inverse floaters bear an inverse relationship to short-term municipal bond interest rates. Thus, distributions paid to the Fund on its inverse floaters will be reduced or even eliminated as short-term municipal interest rates rise and will increase when short-term municipal interest rates fall. The greater the amount of floaters sold by a TOB trust relative to the inverse floaters (i.e., the greater the effective leverage of the inverse floaters), the more volatile the distributions on the inverse floaters will be. Inverse floaters generally will underperform the market for fixed rate municipal bonds in a rising interest rate environment.

The Fund may invest in recourse inverse floaters. With such an investment, the Fund will be required to reimburse the liquidity provider of a TOB trust for any shortfall between the outstanding amount of any floaters and the value of the municipal bonds in the TOB trust in the event the floaters cannot be successfully remarketed, which could cause the Fund to lose money in excess of its investment.

A TOB trust may be terminated without the Fund’s consent upon the occurrence of certain events, such as the bankruptcy or default of the issuer of the securities in the trust. If that happens, the floaters will be redeemed at par (plus accrued interest) out of the proceeds from the sale of securities in the TOB trust, and the Fund will be entitled to the remaining proceeds, if any. Thus, if there is a decrease in the value of the securities held in the TOB

 

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trust, the Fund may lose some or all of the principal amount of its investment in the inverse floaters. As noted above, in the case of recourse inverse floaters, the Fund could lose money in excess of its investment.

TOB trusts have historically been established by third party sponsors (e.g., banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions). Rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Volcker Rule”) may preclude banking entities and their affiliates from sponsoring TOB trusts. In response to these restrictions, market participants have developed a new structure for TOB trusts designed to ensure that no banking entity is sponsoring the TOB trust for purposes of the Volcker Rule. To the extent that the Fund, rather than a third-party bank or financial institution, sponsors a TOB trust, certain responsibilities that previously belonged to the sponsor bank will be performed by, or on behalf of, the Fund. The Fund’s additional duties and responsibilities under the new TOB trust structure may give rise to certain additional risks including compliance, securities law and operational risks.

Municipal bond market liquidity risk: Inventories of municipal bonds held by brokers and dealers have decreased in recent years, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell bonds, and increase bond price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, recent federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of municipal bonds, which may further decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell bonds. As a result, the Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a security, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to raise cash (such as to meet heavy shareholder redemptions), those sales could further reduce the bonds’ prices and hurt Fund performance.

Municipal lease obligations risk: Participation interests in municipal leases are undivided interests in a lease, installment purchase contract, or conditional sale contract entered into by a state or local government unit to acquire equipment or facilities. Participation interests in municipal leases pose special risks because many leases and contracts contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for this purpose by the appropriate legislative body. Although these kinds of obligations are secured by the leased equipment or facilities, it might be difficult and time consuming to dispose of the equipment or facilities in the event of non-appropriation, and the Fund might not recover the full principal amount of the obligation.

Municipal securities risk: The values of municipal securities may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. Other factors that could affect municipal securities include a change in the local, state, or national economy, demographic factors, ecological or environmental concerns, statutory limitations on the issuer’s ability to increase taxes, and other developments generally affecting the revenue of issuers (for example, legislation or court decisions reducing state aid to local governments or mandating additional services). This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of the

 

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Section 2    How We Manage Your Money


below-investment grade quality portion of its portfolio in the bonds of similar projects (such as those relating to the education, health care, housing, transportation, or utilities industries), in industrial development bonds, or in particular types of municipal securities (such as general obligation bonds, municipal lease obligations, private activity bonds or moral obligation bonds) that are particularly exposed to specific types of adverse economic, business or political events.

To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of issuers located in the State of California or a U.S. territory, it will be disproportionally affected by political and economic conditions and developments in that state or territory. In addition, economic, political or regulatory changes in that state or territory could adversely affect municipal securities issuers in that state or territory and therefore the value of the Fund’s investment portfolio.

The Fund may invest in bonds of municipal issuers located in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Municipal issuers in Puerto Rico have recently experienced severe financial difficulties and multiple rating agency downgrades. On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (“PROMESA”) into law. PROMESA allows Puerto Rico to restructure its outstanding debt obligations and establishes an independent oversight board that is empowered to approve Puerto Rico’s fiscal plans and budgets. After the passage of PROMESA, Puerto Rico declared a moratorium on the Commonwealth’s obligation to make payments on any bonds or notes issued or guaranteed by Puerto Rico. Accordingly, Puerto Rico did not make its debt payment of $1.9 billion scheduled for July 1, 2016. Puerto Rico’s financial difficulties, together with the uncertainties surrounding the impact of PROMESA, could have a negative impact on the liquidity or value of Puerto Rican municipal securities, and consequently may affect the Fund’s investments and its performance.

Tax risk: Proposals have been made to restrict or eliminate the federal income tax exemption for interest on municipal securities, and similar proposals may be introduced in the future. Proposed “flat tax” and “value added tax” proposals would also have the effect of eliminating the tax preference for municipal securities. Some of the proposals would apply to interest on municipal securities issued before the date of enactment, which would adversely affect their value to a material degree. If such a proposal were enacted, the availability of municipal securities for investment by the Fund and the value of the Fund’s portfolio would be adversely affected.

Investments in taxable obligations, as well as certain derivatives utilized by the Fund, will cause the Fund to have taxable investment income. In addition, the Fund may recognize taxable ordinary income from market discount. The Fund may also realize capital gains on the sale of its securities. These capital gains will be taxable regardless of whether they are derived from the sale of tax-exempt bonds or taxable securities.

Valuation risk: The debt securities in which the Fund may invest typically are valued by a pricing service utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such instruments, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell a portfolio security at the price established by the pricing service, which could result in a loss to the Fund. Pricing services generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round

 

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lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Different pricing services may incorporate different assumptions and inputs into their valuation methodologies, potentially resulting in different values for the same securities. As a result, if the Fund were to change pricing services, or if the Fund’s pricing service were to change its valuation methodology, there could be a material impact, either positive or negative, on the Fund’s net asset value.

Zero coupon bonds risk: As interest on zero coupon bonds is not paid on a current basis, the values of the bonds are subject to greater fluctuations than are the value of bonds that distribute income regularly and may be more speculative than such bonds. Accordingly, the values of zero coupon bonds may be highly volatile as interest rates rise or fall. In addition, while zero coupon bonds generate income for purposes of generally accepted accounting standards, they do not generate cash flow and thus could cause the Fund to be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to distribute cash, as required by certain tax laws.

Non-Principal Risks

Large shareholder transactions risk: The Fund may experience adverse effects when shareholders make large purchases or redemptions of Fund shares. Large shareholder redemptions may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s net asset value and liquidity. If the Fund has difficulty selling portfolio securities in a timely manner to meet a large redemption request, the Fund may have to borrow money to do so. In such an instance, the Fund’s remaining shareholders would bear the costs of such borrowings, and such costs could reduce the Fund’s returns. In addition, until the Fund is able to sell securities to meet the redemption request, the Fund’s market exposure may be greater than it ordinarily would be, which would magnify the impact of any market movements on the Fund’s performance. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, reducing the Fund’s market exposure. Large shareholder redemption activity may also result in unexpected taxable distributions to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains and thereby accelerated the realization of taxable income. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio.

Other investment companies risk: When the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of Fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies. Furthermore, the Fund is exposed to the risks to which the other investment companies may be subject. For index-based ETFs, while such ETFs seek to achieve the same returns as a particular market index, the performance of an ETF may diverge from the performance of such index (commonly known as tracking error).

When-issued, delayed-delivery and forward commitment transactions risk: These transactions involve an element of risk because, although the Fund will not have made any cash outlay prior to the settlement date, the value of the security to be purchased may decline to a level below its purchase price before that settlement date.

 

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Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund offers multiple classes of shares, each with a different combination of sales charges, fees, eligibility requirements and other features. Your financial advisor can help you determine which class is best for you. For further details, please see the statement of additional information. Because the prospectus and the statement of additional information are available free of charge on Nuveen’s website at www.nuveen.com, we do not disclose the following share class information separately on the website.

 

LOGO

Class A Shares

You can purchase Class A shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived, as described in “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge.” Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.20% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, which compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. Nuveen Securities, LLC (the “Distributor”), a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments and the distributor of the Fund, retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class A sales charges for the Fund are as follows:

 

Amount of Purchase    Sales Charge as
% of Public
Offering Price
    Sales Charge as %
of Net Amount
Invested
    Maximum
Financial Intermediary
Commission as % of
Public Offering Price
 
Less than $50,000      3.00     3.09     2.50
$50,000 but less than $100,000      2.50        2.56        2.00   
$100,000 but less than $250,000      2.00        2.04        1.50   
$250,000 and over*                    1.00   
  * You can purchase $250,000 or more of Class A shares at net asset value without an up-front sales charge. The Distributor pays financial intermediaries of record at a rate of 1.00% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.75% of the next $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of the amount over $5 million, which includes an advance of the first year’s service fee. Unless you are eligible for a waiver, you may be assessed a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% if you redeem any of your shares within 18 months of purchase. See “How to Sell Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below for more information.

Class C Shares

You can purchase Class C shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The annual 0.25% service fee compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary for providing ongoing service to you. The annual 0.75% distribution fee compensates the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission. The Distributor compensates your financial advisor or other financial intermediary at the time of sale at a rate of 1.00% of the amount of Class C shares purchased, which includes an advance of the first year’s service and distribution fees. The Distributor retains the service and distribution fees on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. If you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase, you will normally pay a

 

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1.00% CDSC, which is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds. You do not pay a CDSC on any Class C shares you purchase by reinvesting dividends.

Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund.

Investors purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” below.

Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $250,000 will not be accepted. In addition, the Fund limits the cumulative amount of Class C shares that may be purchased by a single purchaser. Your financial intermediary may set lower maximum purchase limits for Class C shares. See the statement of additional information for more information.

Class I Shares

You can purchase Class I shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. As Class I shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees, they have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes.

Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.

Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.

Class I shares are also available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:

 

   

Certain bank or broker-affiliated trust departments.

 

   

Advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates.

 

   

Current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information).

 

   

Officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members.

 

   

Full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members.

 

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Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares


   

Certain financial intermediary personnel, and their immediate family members.

 

   

Certain other institutional investors described in the statement of additional information.

Please refer to the statement of additional information for more information about Class A, Class C and Class I shares, including more detailed program descriptions and eligibility requirements. Additional information is also available from your financial advisor, who can also help you prepare any necessary application forms.

 

 

LOGO

The Fund offers a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A shares. See “What Share Classes We Offer” (above) for a discussion of eligibility requirements for purchasing Class I shares.

Class A Sales Charge Reductions

 

   

Rights of Accumulation. In calculating the appropriate sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund, you may be able to add the amount of your purchase to the value, based on the current net asset value per share, of all of your prior purchases of any Nuveen Mutual Fund.

 

   

Letter of Intent. Subject to certain requirements, you may purchase Class A shares of the Fund at the sales charge rate applicable to the total amount of the purchases you intend to make over a 13-month period.

For purposes of calculating the appropriate sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent above, you may include purchases by (i) you, (ii) your spouse or domestic partner and children under the age of 21 years, and (iii) a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that is 100% owned by any of the persons in (i) or (ii). In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).

Class A Sales Charge Waivers

Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge as follows:

 

   

Purchases of $250,000 or more (although such purchases may be subject to a CDSC in certain circumstances, see “How to Sell Shares—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below).

 

   

Monies representing reinvestment of Nuveen Defined Portfolio (unit investment trusts offered through Nuveen Securities, LLC prior to March 1, 2002) and Nuveen Mutual Fund distributions.

 

   

Employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates. Purchases by current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates and such employees’ immediate family members (as defined in the statement of additional information).

 

   

Current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds.

 

   

Financial intermediary personnel. Purchases by any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director, or employee of any financial intermediary or any such person’s immediate family member.

 

Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares

 

 

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Certain trust departments. Purchases by bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity.

 

   

Additional categories of investors. Purchases made (i) by investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; (ii) by clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; and (iii) through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Fund’s shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers.

In order to obtain a sales charge reduction or waiver, it may be necessary at the time of purchase for you to inform the Fund or your financial advisor of the existence of other accounts in which there are holdings eligible to be aggregated for such purposes. You may need to provide the Fund or your financial advisor information or records, such as account statements, in order to verify your eligibility for a sales charge reduction or waiver. This may include account statements of family members and information regarding Nuveen Mutual Fund shares held in accounts with other financial advisors. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor at the time of each purchase if you are eligible for any of these programs. The Fund may modify or discontinue these programs at any time.

LOGO

Fund shares may be purchased on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for business. Generally, the NYSE is closed on weekends and national holidays. The share price you pay depends on when the Distributor receives your order and on the share class you are purchasing. Orders received before the close of trading on a business day (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) will receive that day’s closing share price; otherwise, you will receive the next business day’s price.

You may purchase Fund shares (1) through a financial advisor or (2) directly from the Fund.

Through a Financial Advisor

You may buy shares through your financial advisor, who can handle all the details for you, including opening a new account. Financial advisors can also help you review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. In addition, financial advisors generally can help you develop a customized financial plan, select investments and monitor and review your portfolio on an ongoing basis to help assure your investments continue to meet your needs as circumstances change. Financial advisors (including brokers or agents) are paid for providing ongoing investment advice and services, either from Fund sales charges and fees or by charging you a separate fee in lieu of a sales charge.

Financial advisors or other dealer firms may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to customers by each individual dealer. Processing or service fees

 

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Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares


typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in this prospectus and the statement of additional information. Your dealer will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged. Shares you purchase through your financial advisor or other intermediary will normally be held with that firm. For more information, please contact your financial advisor.

Directly from the Fund

Eligible investors may purchase shares directly from the Fund.

 

   

By wire. You can purchase shares by making a wire transfer from your bank. Before making an initial investment by wire, you must submit a new account form to the Fund. After receiving your form, a service representative will contact you with your account number and wiring instructions. Your order will be priced at the next closing share price based on the share class of the Fund, calculated after the Fund’s custodian receives your payment by wire. Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. New York time to be eligible for same day pricing. Neither the Fund nor the transfer agent is responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions. Before making any additional purchases by wire, you should call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. You cannot purchase shares by wire on days when federally chartered banks are closed.

 

   

By mail. You may open an account directly with the Fund and buy shares by completing an application and mailing it along with your check to: Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Applications may be obtained at www.nuveen.com or by calling (800) 257-8787. No third party checks will be accepted.

Purchase orders and redemption requests are not processed until received in proper form by the transfer agent of the Fund.

 

   

On-line. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may process certain account transactions on-line. You may purchase additional shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered direct accounts. You can also look up your account balance, history and dividend information, as well as order duplicate account statements and tax forms from the Fund’s website. To access your account, click the “Individual Investors” link on www.nuveen.com and then choose “Account Access” under the “Resources” tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. To purchase shares on-line, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See “Special Services—Fund Direct” below.

 

   

By telephone. Existing shareholders with direct accounts may also process account transactions via the Fund’s automated information line. Simply call (800) 257-8787, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. To purchase shares by telephone, you must have established Fund Direct privileges on your account prior to the requested transaction. See “Special Services—Fund Direct” below.

 

Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares

 

 

23


LOGO

To help make your investing with us easy and efficient, we offer you the following services at no extra cost. Your financial advisor can help you complete the forms for these services, or you can call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for copies of the necessary forms.

Systematic Investing

Once you have opened an account satisfying the applicable investment minimum, systematic investing allows you to make regular additional investments through automatic deductions from your bank account, directly from your paycheck or from exchanging shares from another mutual fund account. The minimum automatic deduction is $100 per month. There is no charge to participate in the Fund’s systematic investment plan. You can stop the deductions at any time by notifying the Fund in writing.

 

   

From your bank account. You can make systematic investments of $100 or more per month by authorizing the Fund to draw pre-authorized checks on your bank account.

 

   

From your paycheck. With your employer’s consent, you can make systematic investments each pay period (collectively meeting the monthly minimum of $100) by authorizing your employer to deduct monies from your paycheck.

 

   

Systematic exchanging. You can make systematic investments by authorizing the Distributor to exchange shares from one Nuveen Mutual Fund account into another identically registered Nuveen Mutual Fund account of the same share class.

The Fund may cancel your participation in its systematic investment plan if it is unable to deliver a current prospectus to you because of an incorrect or invalid mailing address.

Systematic Withdrawal

If the value of your Fund account is at least $10,000, you may request to have $50 or more withdrawn automatically from your account. You may elect to receive payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually, and may choose to receive a check, have the monies transferred directly into your bank account (see “Fund Direct” below), paid to a third party or sent payable to you at an address other than your address of record. You must complete the appropriate section of the account application or Account Update Form to participate in the Fund’s systematic withdrawal plan.

You should not establish systematic withdrawals if you intend to make concurrent purchases of Class A or Class C shares because you may unnecessarily pay a sales charge or CDSC on these purchases.

Exchanging Shares

You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same fund, subject to the payment of any applicable CDSC. Please consult the statement of additional information for details.

The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. In the

 

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Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares


event that the Fund rejects an exchange request, neither the redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. If you would like the redemption request to be processed even if the purchase order is rejected, you may submit a separate redemption request (see “How to Sell Shares” below). Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days’ notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.

Because an exchange between funds is treated for tax purposes as a purchase and sale, any gain may be subject to tax. An exchange between classes of shares of the same fund may not be considered a taxable event. You should consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of exchanging your shares.

Fund DirectSM

The Fund Direct Program allows you to link your Fund account to your bank account, transfer money electronically between these accounts and perform a variety of account transactions, including purchasing shares by telephone and investing through a systematic investment plan. You may also have dividends, distributions, redemption payments or systematic withdrawal plan payments sent directly to your bank account.

Reinstatement Privilege

If you redeem Fund shares, you may reinvest all or part of your redemption proceeds up to one year later without incurring any additional charges. You may only reinvest into the same share class you redeemed. If you paid a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. You may use this reinstatement privilege only once for any redemption.

 

 

LOGO

You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day, which is any day the NYSE is open for business. You will receive the share price next determined after the Fund has received your properly completed redemption request. Your redemption request must be received before the close of trading (normally, 4:00 p.m. New York time) for you to receive that day’s price. The Fund will normally mail your check the next business day after a redemption request is received, but in no event more than seven days after your request is received. If you are selling shares purchased recently with a check, your redemption proceeds will not be mailed until your check has cleared, which may take up to ten business days from your purchase date.

You may sell your shares (1) through a financial advisor or (2) directly to the Fund.

Through a Financial Advisor

You may sell your shares through your financial advisor, who can prepare the necessary documentation. Your financial advisor may charge for this service.

Directly to the Fund

 

   

By mail. You can sell your shares at any time by sending a written request to the Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530. Your request must include the following information:

 

   

The Fund’s name;

 

   

Your name and account number;

 

Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares

 

 

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An Important Note About Telephone Transactions

Although Nuveen Investor Services has certain safeguards and procedures to confirm the identity of callers, it will not be liable for losses resulting from following telephone instructions it reasonably believes to be genuine. Also, you should verify your trade confirmations immediately upon receipt.

 

 

   

The dollar or share amount you wish to redeem;

 

   

The signature of each owner exactly as it appears on the account;

 

   

The name of the person to whom you want your redemption proceeds paid (if other than to the shareholder of record);

 

   

The address where you want your redemption proceeds sent (if other than the address of record);

 

   

Any certificates you have for the shares; and

 

   

Any required signature guarantees.

After you have established your account, signatures on a written request must be guaranteed if:

 

   

You would like redemption proceeds payable or sent to any person, address or bank account other than that on record;

 

   

You have changed the address on the Fund’s records within the last 30 days;

 

   

Your redemption request is in excess of $50,000; or

 

   

You are requesting a change in ownership on your account.

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services such as changing bank information on an account, will require a signature guarantee or signature verification from a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program member or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund reserves the right to require a signature guarantee, or another acceptable form of signature verification, in other instances based on the circumstances of a particular situation.

A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects shareholders from unauthorized account transfers. Banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange may guarantee signatures. Call your financial intermediary to determine if it has this capability. A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor. Proceeds from a written redemption request will be sent to you by check unless another form of payment is requested.

 

   

On-line. You may redeem shares or exchange shares between existing, identically registered accounts on-line. To access your account, click the “Individual Investors” link on www.nuveen.com and then choose “Account Access” under the “Resources” tab. The system will walk you through the log-in process. On-line redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account.

 

   

By telephone. If your account is held with the Fund and not in your brokerage account, and you have authorized telephone redemption privileges, call (800) 257-8787 to redeem your shares, press 1 for mutual funds and the voice menu will walk you through the process. Telephone redemptions are not available for shares owned in certificate form and, with respect to redemptions where the proceeds are payable by check, may not exceed $50,000. Checks will only be issued to you as the

 

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Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares


 

shareholder of record and mailed to your address of record, normally the next business day after the redemption request is received. If you have established Fund Direct privileges, you may have redemption proceeds transferred electronically to your bank account. In this case, the redemption proceeds will be transferred to your bank on the next business day after the redemption request is received. You should contact your bank for further information concerning the timing of the credit of the redemption proceeds in your bank account.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

If you redeem Class A or Class C shares that are subject to a CDSC, you may be assessed a CDSC upon redemption. When you redeem Class A or Class C shares subject to a CDSC, the Fund will first redeem any shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then redeem the shares you have owned for the longest period of time, unless you ask the Fund to redeem your shares in a different order. No CDSC is imposed on shares you buy through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. The CDSC holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you redeem shares subject to a CDSC, the CDSC is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds, deducted from your redemption proceeds, and paid to the Distributor. The CDSC may be waived under certain special circumstances as described in the statement of additional information.

Accounts with Low Balances

The Fund reserves the right to liquidate or assess a low balance fee on any account held directly with the Fund that has a balance that has fallen below the account balance minimum of $1,000 for any reason, including market fluctuations.

If the Fund elects to exercise the right to assess a low balance fee, then annually the Fund will assess a $15 low balance account fee on certain accounts with balances under the account balance minimum that are accounts established pursuant to the UTMA or UGMA. At the same time, other accounts with balances under the account balance minimum will be liquidated, with proceeds being mailed to the address of record. Prior to the assessment of any low balance fee or liquidation of low balance accounts, affected shareholders will receive a communication notifying them of the pending action, thereby providing time for shareholders to bring their accounts up to the account balance minimum prior to any fee assessment or account liquidation. You will not be assessed a CDSC if your account is liquidated.

Redemptions In-Kind

The Fund generally pays redemption proceeds in cash. However, if the Fund determines that it would be detrimental to its remaining shareholders to make payment of a redemption order wholly in cash, the Fund may pay a portion of your redemption proceeds in securities or other Fund assets. Although it is unlikely that your shares would be redeemed in-kind, you would probably have to pay brokerage costs to sell the securities or other assets distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital gains from that sale. Until they are sold, any securities or other assets distributed to you as part of a redemption in-kind may be subject to market risk.

 

Section 3    How You Can Buy and Sell Shares

 

 

27


Section 4    General Information

To help you understand the tax implications of investing in the Fund, this section includes important details about how the Fund makes distributions to shareholders. We discuss some other Fund policies as well. Please consult the statement of additional information and your tax advisor for more information about taxes.

 

LOGO

The Fund declares dividends daily and pays such dividends monthly, usually on the first business day of the month. Your account will begin to accrue dividends on the business day after the day when the monies used to purchase your shares are collected by the transfer agent. The Fund seeks to pay monthly tax-exempt dividends at a level rate that reflects the past and projected net income of the Fund. To help maintain more stable monthly distributions, the distribution paid by the Fund for any particular monthly period may be more or less than the amount of net income actually earned by the Fund during such period, and any such under- (or over-) distribution of income is reflected in the Fund’s net asset value. This policy is designed to result in the distribution of substantially all of the Fund’s net income over time. The Fund declares and pays any taxable capital gains or other taxable distributions once a year at year end.

Payment and Reinvestment Options

The Fund automatically reinvests your dividends in additional Fund shares unless you request otherwise. You may request to have your dividends paid to you by check, sent via electronic funds transfer through Automated Clearing House network or reinvested in shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund. For further information, contact your financial advisor or call Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787. If you request that your distributions be paid by check but those distributions cannot be delivered because of an incorrect mailing address, or if a distribution check remains uncashed for six months, the undelivered or uncashed distributions and all future distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares at the current net asset value.

Taxes and Tax Reporting

Because the Fund invests primarily in municipal bonds from the state of California, the regular monthly dividends you, if you are a taxpayer in that state, receive will generally be exempt from regular federal and California state personal income taxes. All or a portion of these dividends, however, may be subject to the federal and state alternative minimum tax.

Generally the Fund does not seek to realize taxable income or capital gains. However, the Fund may realize and distribute taxable income or capital gains from time to time as a result of the Fund’s normal investment activities. The Fund’s distributions of these amounts are taxed as ordinary income or capital gains and are taxable whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Distributions from the Fund’s long-term capital gains are taxable as capital gains, while distributions from short-term capital gains and net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income.

 

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Section 4    General Information


The Fund’s taxable dividends are not expected to qualify for a dividends received deduction if you are a corporate shareholder or for the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income.

Early in each year, you will receive a statement detailing the amount and nature of all distributions that you were paid during the prior year. If you hold your investment at the firm where you purchased your Fund shares, you will receive the statement from that firm. If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, the Distributor will send you the statement. The tax status of your distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or elect to receive them in cash.

If you receive social security or railroad retirement benefits, you should consult your tax advisor about how an investment in the Fund may affect the taxation of your benefits.

Each sale or exchange of Fund shares may be a taxable event. When you exchange shares of one Nuveen Mutual Fund for shares of a different Nuveen Mutual Fund, the exchange is treated the same as a sale for tax purposes. A sale may result in capital gain or loss to you. The gain or loss generally will be treated as short-term if you held the shares for 12 months or less and long-term if you held the shares for more than 12 months at the time of disposition.

Please note that if you do not furnish the Fund with your correct Social Security number or employer identification number, you fail to provide certain certifications to the Fund, you fail to certify whether you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien, or the Internal Revenue Service notifies the Fund to withhold, federal law requires the Fund to withhold federal income tax from your distributions and redemption proceeds at the applicable withholding rate.

Buying or Selling Shares Close to a Record Date

Buying Fund shares shortly before the record date for a taxable income or capital gain distribution is commonly known as “buying the dividend.” The entire distribution may be taxable to you even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of your purchase price.

Cost Basis Method

You may elect a cost basis method to apply to all existing and future accounts you may establish. The cost basis method you select will determine the order in which shares are redeemed and how your cost basis information is calculated and subsequently reported to you and to the Internal Revenue Service. Please consult your tax advisor to determine which cost basis method best suits your specific situation. If you hold your account directly with the Fund, please contact Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787 for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account with a financial intermediary, please contact that financial intermediary for instructions on how to make your election. If you hold your account directly with the Fund and do not elect a cost basis method, your account will default to the average cost basis method. The average cost basis method generally calculates cost basis by determining the average price paid for Fund shares that may have been purchased at different times for different prices. Financial intermediaries choose their own default cost basis method.

 

Section 4    General Information

 

 

29


Taxable Equivalent Yields

The taxable equivalent yield is the current yield you would need to earn on a taxable investment in order to equal a stated federal tax-free yield on a municipal investment. To assist you in comparing municipal investments like the Fund with fully taxable alternative investments, the table below presents the taxable equivalent yields for a range of hypothetical federal tax-free yields and tax rates:

 

Taxable Equivalents of Tax-Free Yields      To Equal a Tax-Free Yield of:  
       2.00        3.00        4.00        5.00
Tax Bracket:      A Taxable Investment Would Need to Yield:  
25%        2.67        4.00        5.33        6.67
28%        2.78        4.17        5.56        6.94
33%        2.99        4.48        5.97        7.46
35%        3.08        4.62        6.15        7.69
39.6%        3.31        4.97        6.62        8.28
43.4%*        3.53        5.30        7.07        8.83
  * This is the maximum stated regular federal tax rate of 39.6% plus the 3.8% Medicare tax imposed on the net investment income of certain taxpayers. The Medicare tax could also apply to taxpayers in other tax brackets.

The yields and tax rates shown above are hypothetical and do not predict your actual returns or effective tax rate. For more detailed information, see the statement of additional information or consult your tax advisor.

State Taxes on Distributions

The Fund intends to comply with certain state tax requirements so that the dividends they pay that are attributable to interest on certain municipal securities will be excluded from the taxable income of individuals, trusts and estates. To meet these requirements, the Fund must meet certain requirements with respect to the Fund’s assets that are exempt from a state’s personal income tax. More information about tax considerations that may affect the Fund and its shareholders appears in the Fund’s statement of additional information.

 

LOGO

Distribution and Service Plan

The Distributor serves as the selling agent and distributor of the Fund’s shares. In this capacity, the Distributor manages the offering of the Fund’s shares and is responsible for all sales and promotional activities. In order to reimburse the Distributor for its costs in connection with these activities, including compensation paid to financial intermediaries, the Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Plan”). See “How You Can Buy and Sell Shares—What Share Classes We Offer” for a description of the distribution and service fees paid under the Plan.

Under the Plan, the Distributor receives a distribution fee for Class C shares primarily for providing compensation to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, in connection with the distribution of shares. The Distributor receives a service fee for Class A and Class C shares to compensate financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders. Fees paid under the Plan

 

30

Section 4    General Information


also compensate the Distributor for other expenses, including printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other than shareholders, and preparing, printing, and distributing advertising materials, sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of shares. Because fees paid under the Plan are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Long-term holders of Class C shares may pay more in distribution and service fees and CDSCs than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge permitted under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Conduct Rules.

Other Payments by the Fund

In addition to the distribution and service fees the Fund pays under the Plan and fees the Fund pays to its transfer agent, the Distributor or Nuveen Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Fund, may enter into non-Plan agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund will pay financial intermediaries for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency and shareholder services. These non-Plan payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a financial intermediary or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by a financial intermediary. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial and may vary significantly among intermediaries.

Other Payments by the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors

In addition to the sales commissions and payments from distribution and service fees made to financial intermediaries as previously described, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors may from time to time make additional payments, out of their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries that sell shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds in order to promote the sales and retention of Fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by financial intermediary and, with respect to a given firm, are typically calculated by reference to the amount of the firm’s recent gross sales of Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and/or total assets of Nuveen Mutual Funds held by the firm’s customers. The level of payments that the Distributor and/or Nuveen Fund Advisors is willing to provide to a particular financial intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, the firm’s total assets held in and recent net investments into Nuveen Mutual Funds, the firm’s level of participation in Nuveen Mutual Fund sales and marketing programs, the firm’s compensation program for its registered representatives who sell Nuveen Mutual Fund shares and provide services to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders, and the asset class of the Nuveen Mutual Funds for which these payments are provided. The statement of additional information contains additional information about these payments, including the names of the firms to which payments are made. The Distributor may also make payments to financial intermediaries in connection with sales meetings, due diligence meetings, prospecting seminars and other meetings at which the Distributor promotes its products and services.

In connection with the availability of Nuveen Mutual Funds within selected mutual fund no-transaction fee institutional platforms and fee-based wrap programs at certain financial intermediaries, the Distributor and Nuveen Fund Advisors also make payments out of their own assets to those firms as compensation for certain recordkeeping, shareholder communications and

 

Section 4    General Information

 

 

31


other account administration services provided to Nuveen Mutual Fund shareholders who own their Fund shares through these platforms or programs. These payments are in addition to the service fee and any applicable sub-transfer agency or similar fees paid to these firms with respect to these services by the Nuveen Mutual Funds out of Fund assets.

The amounts of payments to a financial intermediary could be significant, and may create an incentive for the intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Fund to you. The intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund within the intermediary’s organization by, for example, placing the Fund on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor and/or its affiliates preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Fund in various ways within the intermediary’s organization.

 

LOGO

The price you pay for your shares or the amount you receive upon redemption of your shares is based on the Fund’s net asset value per share, which is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. The Fund’s latest net asset value per share is available on the Fund’s website at www.nuveen.com. Net asset value is calculated for each class of the Fund by taking the value of the class’s total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share.

In determining net asset value, portfolio instruments generally are valued using prices provided by independent pricing services or obtained from other sources, such as broker-dealer quotations. Exchange-traded instruments generally are valued at the last reported sales price or official closing price on an exchange, if available. Independent pricing services typically value non-exchange-traded instruments utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions. For example, when available, pricing services may utilize inputs such as benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, spreads, and transactions for comparable instruments. In pricing certain instruments, the pricing services may consider information about an instrument’s issuer or market activity provided by the Fund’s investment adviser or sub-adviser. Pricing service valuations of non-exchange-traded instruments represent the service’s good faith opinion as to what the holder of an instrument would receive in an orderly transaction for an institutional round lot position under current market conditions. It is possible that these valuations could be materially different from the value that the Fund realizes upon the sale of an instrument.

If a price cannot be obtained from a pricing service or other pre-approved source, or if, in the judgment of Nuveen Fund Advisors, a price is unreliable, a portfolio instrument will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its appointee. Nuveen Fund Advisors may determine that a price is unreliable in various circumstances. For example, a price may be deemed unreliable if it has not changed for an identified period of time, or has changed from the previous day’s price by more than a threshold amount, and recent transactions and/or broker dealer price quotations differ materially from the price in question.

 

32

Section 4    General Information


The Board of Trustees has adopted valuation procedures for the Fund and has appointed the Nuveen Fund Advisors’ Valuation Committee with the day-to-day responsibility for fair value determinations. All fair value determinations made by the Valuation Committee are subject to review and ratification by the Board of Trustees. As a general principle, the fair value of a portfolio instrument is the amount that an owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the instrument’s current sale. A range of factors and analysis may be considered when determining fair value, including relevant market data, interest rates, credit considerations and/or issuer specific news. However, fair valuation involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

 

 

LOGO

The Fund is intended for long-term investment and should not be used for excessive trading. Excessive trading in the Fund’s shares can disrupt portfolio management, lead to higher operating costs, and cause other operating inefficiencies for the Fund. However, the Fund is also mindful that shareholders may have valid reasons for periodically purchasing and redeeming Fund shares.

Accordingly, the Fund has adopted a Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance the Fund’s need to prevent excessive trading in Fund shares while offering investors the flexibility in managing their financial affairs to make periodic purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.

The Fund’s Frequent Trading Policy generally limits an investor to two “round trip” trades in a 60-day period. A “round trip” is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a round trip may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.

The Fund primarily receives share purchase and redemption orders through third-party financial intermediaries, some of whom rely on the use of omnibus accounts. An omnibus account typically includes multiple investors and provides the Fund only with a net purchase or redemption amount on any given day where multiple purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares occur in the account. The identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated in omnibus accounts, and the size of their orders, will generally not be known by the Fund. Despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent frequent trading, the Fund may be unable to identify frequent trading because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to identify frequent traders. The Distributor has entered into agreements with financial intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Fund’s transfer agent. Under the terms of these agreements, the financial intermediaries undertake to cooperate with the Distributor in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent frequent trading in the Fund through such accounts. Pursuant to these agreements, financial intermediaries may disclose to the Fund an investor’s taxpayer identification number and a record of the investor’s transactions at the request of the Fund. Technical limitations in operational systems at such intermediaries or at the Distributor may also limit the Fund’s ability to detect and prevent

 

Section 4    General Information

 

 

33


frequent trading. In addition, the Fund may permit certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealer and retirement plan administrators, among others, to enforce their own internal policies and procedures concerning frequent trading. Such policies may differ from the Fund’s Frequent Trading Policy and may be approved for use in instances where the Fund reasonably believes that the intermediary’s policies and procedures effectively discourage inappropriate trading activity. Shareholders holding their accounts with such intermediaries may wish to contact the intermediary for information regarding its frequent trading policy. Although the Fund does not knowingly permit frequent trading, it cannot guarantee that it will be able to identify and restrict all frequent trading activity.

The Fund reserves the right in its sole discretion to waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if it determines that doing so would not harm the interests of Fund shareholders. In addition, certain categories of redemptions may be excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy, as described in more detail in the statement of additional information. These include, among others, redemptions pursuant to systematic withdrawal plans, redemptions in connection with the total disability or death of the investor, involuntary redemptions by operation of law, redemptions in payment of account or plan fees, and certain redemptions by retirement plans, including redemptions in connection with qualifying loans or hardship withdrawals, termination of plan participation, return of excess contributions, and required minimum distributions. The Fund may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.

The Fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if it determines, in its sole discretion, that a transaction or a series of transactions involves market timing or excessive trading that may be detrimental to Fund shareholders. The Fund also reserves the right to reject any purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. For example, the Fund may refuse purchase orders if the Fund would be unable to invest the proceeds from the purchase order in accordance with the Fund’s investment policies and/or objective, or if the Fund would be adversely affected by the size of the transaction, the frequency of trading in the account or various other factors. For more information about the Fund’s Frequent Trading Policy and its enforcement, see “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares—Frequent Trading Policy” in the statement of additional information.

 

 

LOGO

The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian also provides certain accounting services to the Fund. The Fund’s transfer, shareholder services and dividend paying agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, performs bookkeeping, data processing and administrative services for the maintenance of shareholder accounts.

 

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Section 4    General Information


Nuveen Mutual Funds

 

Nuveen offers a variety of mutual funds designed to help you reach your financial goals. The funds below are grouped by category.

 

 

Municipal-National

All-American Municipal Bond

High Yield Municipal Bond

Inflation Protected Municipal Bond

Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond

Limited Term Municipal Bond

Short Duration High Yield Municipal Bond

Short Term Municipal Bond

Strategic Municipal Opportunities

 

 

Municipal-State

Arizona Municipal Bond

California High Yield Municipal Bond

California Municipal Bond

Colorado Municipal Bond

Connecticut Municipal Bond

Georgia Municipal Bond

Kansas Municipal Bond

Kentucky Municipal Bond

Louisiana Municipal Bond

Maryland Municipal Bond

Massachusetts Municipal Bond

Michigan Municipal Bond

Minnesota Intermediate Municipal Bond

Minnesota Municipal Bond

Missouri Municipal Bond

Nebraska Municipal Bond

New Jersey Municipal Bond

New Mexico Municipal Bond

New York Municipal Bond

 

Municipal-State (continued)

North Carolina Municipal Bond

Ohio Municipal Bond

Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond

Pennsylvania Municipal Bond

Tennessee Municipal Bond

Virginia Municipal Bond

Wisconsin Municipal Bond

 

 

Taxable Fixed Income

Core Bond

Core Plus Bond

Global Total Return Bond

High Income Bond

Inflation Protected Securities

Intermediate Government Bond

NWQ Flexible Income

Preferred Securities

Short Term Bond

Strategic Income

Symphony Credit Opportunities

Symphony Floating Rate Income

Symphony High Yield Bond

 

 

Global/International

International Growth

NWQ Global All Cap

NWQ Global Equity Income

NWQ International Value

NWQ Japan

Santa Barbara Global Dividend Growth

Santa Barbara International Dividend Growth

 

Global/International (continued)

Symphony International Equity

Tradewinds Global All-Cap

 

 

Value

Dividend Value

Large Cap Value

Mid Cap Value

NWQ Large-Cap Value

NWQ Multi-Cap Value

NWQ Small-Cap Value

NWQ Small/Mid-Cap Value

Small Cap Value

Tradewinds Value Opportunities

 

 

Growth

Growth

Large Cap Growth

Large Cap Growth Opportunities

Mid Cap Growth Opportunities

Small Cap Growth Opportunities

Symphony Large-Cap Growth

Winslow Large-Cap Growth

 

 

Core

Concentrated Core

Core Dividend

Large Cap Core

Large Cap Core Plus

Large Cap Select

Santa Barbara Dividend Growth

Small Cap Select

 

Core (continued)

Symphony Low Volatility Equity

Symphony Mid-Cap Core

Symphony Small Cap Core

 

 

Real Assets

Global Infrastructure

Gresham Diversified Commodity Strategy

Real Asset Income

Real Estate Securities

 

 

Asset Allocation

Strategy Aggressive Growth Allocation

Strategy Balanced Allocation

Strategy Conservative Allocation

Strategy Growth Allocation

 

 

Index

Equity Index

Mid Cap Index

Small Cap Index

 

 

Alternative Strategies

Equity Long/Short

Equity Market Neutral

Gresham Long/Short Commodity Strategy

Symphony Dynamic Credit

Symphony Dynamic Equity

Tactical Market Opportunities

 

 

Several additional sources of information are available to you, including the codes of ethics adopted by the Fund, Nuveen Investments, Nuveen Fund Advisors and Nuveen Asset Management. The statement of additional information, incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains detailed information on the policies and operation of the Fund included in this prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The Fund’s most recent statement of additional information, annual and semi-annual reports and certain other information are available, free of charge, by calling Nuveen Investor Services at (800) 257-8787, on the Fund’s website at www.nuveen.com, or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll free number above with any inquiries.

You may also obtain this and other Fund information directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for room hours and operation. You may also request Fund information by sending an e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SEC may charge a copying fee for this information.

The Fund is a series of Nuveen Multistate Trust II, whose Investment Company Act file number is 811-07755.

Distributed by

Nuveen Securities, LLC

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

(800) 257-8787

www.nuveen.com

MPR-NCAIMB-1016P


October 31, 2016

Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker Symbols: Class A—NUCAX, Class C—NUCCX, Class I—NUCIX

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI relates to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus dated October 31, 2016 for Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Nuveen Multistate Trust II. A Prospectus may be obtained without charge from certain securities representatives, banks and other financial institutions that have entered into sales agreements with Nuveen Securities, LLC (the “Distributor”), or from the Fund, by written request to Nuveen California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530, or by calling (800) 257-8787.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page
General Information    S-3  
Investment Restrictions    S-3  
Investment Policies and Techniques    S-5  

Asset Coverage Requirements

   S-5  

Borrowing

   S-6  

Derivatives

   S-6  

Illiquid Securities

   S-13

Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

   S-13

Making of Loans to Issuers of Bonds Already in the Portfolio

   S-14

Mortgage-Backed Securities

   S-14

Municipal Bonds and Other Municipal Obligations

   S-14

Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities (Junk Bonds)

   S-16

Short-Term Investments

   S-18

Special Considerations Relating to Municipal Obligations of California and U.S. Territories

   S-20

Standby Commitments

   S-24

Structured Notes

   S-24

Variable, Floating, and Fixed Rate Debt Obligations

   S-24

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities

   S-24

Zero Coupon Bonds

   S-25
Management    S-26

Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

   S-36

Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications

   S-39

Board Compensation

   S-42

Share Ownership

   S-44

Sales Loads

   S-45
Service Providers    S-45

Investment Adviser

   S-45

Sub-Adviser

   S-46

Portfolio Manager

   S-47

Transfer Agent

   S-48

Custodian

   S-48

Distributor

   S-48

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   S-48
Codes of Ethics    S-48
Proxy Voting Policies    S-49


     Page
Portfolio Transactions    S-49
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings    S-50
Net Asset Value    S-52
Shares of Beneficial Interest    S-52
Tax Matters    S-52

Federal Income Tax Matters

   S-52

Fund Status

   S-52

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company

   S-53

Distributions

   S-53

Dividends Received Deduction

   S-54

If You Sell or Redeem Shares

   S-54

Taxation of Capital Gains and Losses

   S-54

Qualification to Pay Exempt-Interest Dividends

   S-54

In-Kind Distributions

   S-54

Exchanges

   S-54

Deductibility of Fund Expenses

   S-55

Non-U.S. Investors

   S-55

Capital Loss Carry-Forward

   S-55

State Tax Matters

   S-55
Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares    S-56

Class A Shares

   S-57

Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares

   S-57

Class C Shares

   S-59

Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

   S-59

Class I Shares

   S-60

Shareholder Programs

   S-61

Frequent Trading Policy

   S-62

Distribution and Service Plan

   S-64

General Matters

   S-65

Distribution Arrangements

   S-65

Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments

   S-66

Intermediaries Receiving Additional Payments

   S-68
Financial Statements    S-69
Appendix A—Ratings of Investments    A-1

 

S-2


GENERAL INFORMATION

The Fund is a diversified series of Nuveen Multistate Trust II, formerly the Nuveen Flagship Multistate Trust II, (the “Trust”), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on July 1, 1996. Each series of the Trust represents shares of beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objective and policies. Currently, seven series of the Trust are authorized and outstanding. The Fund’s investment adviser is Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (“Nuveen Fund Advisors” or the “Adviser”). The Fund’s sub-adviser is Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management” or the “Sub-Adviser”).

Certain matters under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which must be submitted to a vote of the holders of the outstanding voting securities of a series, shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of each series affected by such matter.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The investment objective and certain investment policies of the Fund are described in the Prospectus for the Fund. The Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting shares:

(1) Make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the 1940 Act.

(2) Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted thereunder.

(3) Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified from time to time by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

(4) Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with the purchase and sale of securities and other instruments held in its portfolio.

(5) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; but this restriction shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or interests therein or of issuers engaged in real estate activities.

(6) Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; but this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from investing in options on commodity indices, commodity futures contracts and options thereon, commodity-related swap agreements, other commodity-related derivative instruments, and investment companies that provide exposure to commodities.

(7) Make loans, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and exemptive orders granted thereunder.

(8) Invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry; provided, however, that such limitations shall not be applicable to municipal obligations issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

Except with respect to the limitation set forth in number (2) above, the foregoing restrictions and limitations will apply only at the time of purchase of securities, and the percentage limitations will not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of an acquisition of securities, unless otherwise indicated.

With respect to the limitation in number (1) above, the Fund is currently classified as a diversified fund under the 1940 Act. This means that the Fund may not purchase securities of an issuer (other than (i) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities,

 

S-3


(ii) repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. government securities, or (iii) securities issued by other investment companies) if, with respect to 75% of its total assets, (i) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer, or (ii) the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of total assets, the Fund can invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer.

For purposes of applying the limitations set forth in numbers (1) and (8) above, an issuer shall be deemed the sole issuer of a security when its assets and revenues are separate from other governmental entities and its securities are backed only by its assets and revenues. Similarly, in the case of a non-governmental user, such as an industrial corporation or a privately owned or operated hospital, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the non-governmental user, then such non-governmental user would be deemed to be the sole issuer. Where a security is also backed by the enforceable obligation of a superior or unrelated governmental entity or other entity (other than a bond insurer), it shall also be included in the computation of securities owned that are issued by such governmental or other entity.

For purposes of applying the limitations set forth in numbers (2) and (3) above, under the 1940 Act as currently in effect, the Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from any bank if immediately after such borrowing the value of the Fund’s total assets is at least 300% of the principal amount of all of the Fund’s borrowings (i.e., the principal amount of the borrowings may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets). In the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three calendar days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (2).

For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (7) above, there are no limitations with respect to unsecured loans made by the Fund to an unaffiliated party. However, if the Fund loans its portfolio securities, the obligation on the part of the Fund to return collateral upon termination of the loan could be deemed to involve the issuance of a senior security within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act. In order to avoid violation of Section 18(f), the Fund may not make a loan of portfolio securities if, as a result, more than one-third of its total asset value (at market value computed at the time of making a loan) would be on loan. No exemptive orders have been issued with respect to the limitation set forth in number (7).

For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in number (8) above, issuers of the following securities will not be considered to be members of any industry: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; except as set forth in the following sentence, tax-exempt securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; securities of foreign governments; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. To the extent that the income from a municipal bond is derived from a specific project, the securities will be deemed to be from the industry of that project. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, it will consider the industry concentration of the underlying investment companies when determining compliance with the limitation set forth in number (8) above. This limitation also does not place a limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country.

Where a security is guaranteed by a governmental entity or some other facility, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit, such a guarantee or letter of credit would be considered a separate security and would be treated as an issue of such government, other entity or bank.

The Fund has adopted a fundamental investment policy pursuant to Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Name Policy”) whereby the Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt from regular federal income tax and California state personal income tax. The Fund may consider both direct investments and indirect investments (e.g., investments in other investment companies, derivatives and synthetic instruments with economic characteristics similar to the direct investments that meet the Name Policy) when determining compliance with the Name Policy. For purposes of the Name Policy, the Fund will value eligible derivatives at fair value or market value instead of notional value.

 

S-4


The foregoing fundamental investment policies cannot be changed without approval by holders of a “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting shares.” As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s shares, whichever is less.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund is also subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees. The Fund may not:

(1) Invest more than 15% of its net assets in all forms of illiquid investments.

(2) Acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on subparagraph (F) or subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(3) Invest directly in futures, options on futures and swaps to the extent that the Adviser would be required to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) as a commodity pool operator. See “Investment Policies and Techniques—Derivatives—Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps.”

For purposes of number (1) above, the Fund will monitor portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis and, in the event more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund will reduce its holdings of illiquid investments in an orderly fashion in order to maintain adequate liquidity. The term “illiquid investments” will have the same meaning as given in guidance provided by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES

The following information supplements the discussion of the Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies, policies and techniques that appears in the Prospectus for the Fund. Additional information concerning principal investment strategies of the Fund, and other investment strategies that may be used by the Fund, is set forth below in alphabetical order. Additional information concerning the Fund’s investment restrictions is set forth above under “Investment Restrictions.”

If a percentage limitation on investments by the Fund stated in this SAI or its Prospectus is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in asset value will not be deemed to violate the limitation except in the case of the limitations on borrowing. The Fund, which is limited to investing in securities with specified ratings or of a certain credit quality, is not required to sell a security if its rating is reduced or its credit quality declines after purchase, but may consider doing so. Descriptions of the rating categories of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“Standard & Poor’s”), Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”) and Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) are contained in Appendix A.

References in this section to the Adviser also apply, to the extent applicable, to the Sub-Adviser of the Fund.

Asset Coverage Requirements

To the extent required by SEC guidelines, the Fund will only engage in transactions that expose it to an obligation to another party if it owns either (a) an offsetting position for the same type of financial asset or (b) cash or liquid securities, designated on the Fund’s books or held in a segregated account, with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered as provided in (a). Examples of transactions governed by these asset coverage requirements include, for example, options written by the Fund, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, swaps and when-issued and delayed delivery transactions. Assets used as offsetting positions, designated on the Fund’s books, or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the positions requiring cover are open unless replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of assets to be used as offsetting positions or to be designated or segregated in such a manner could impede portfolio management or the ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

S-5


In the case of futures contracts that are not contractually required to cash settle and to the extent the Fund writes a credit default swap, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to such contracts’ full notional value (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying a future, forward contract or credit default swap at the time of valuation) while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to cash settle, however, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily mark-to-market net obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the contracts, if any, rather than such contracts’ full notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled futures, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts.

Borrowing

The Fund, along with certain other funds managed by the Adviser (“Participating Funds”), is a party to a 364-day, approximately $2.5 billion credit agreement with a group of lenders (the “Credit Agreement”), which expires in July 2017, unless extended or renewed. The Fund may borrow under the Credit Agreement to meet shareholder redemptions and for other lawful purposes. Borrowing results in interest expense and being a Participating Fund results in other fees and expenses, which may increase the Fund’s net expenses and reduce the Fund’s return. Participating Funds have been allocated different portions of the committed amount of the Credit Facility based primarily on the expected likelihood and extent of the need to borrow under the Credit Agreement. Commitment and undrawn fees under the Credit Agreement are allocated among Participating Funds based upon portions of the aggregate commitment available to them and other factors deemed relevant by the Adviser and the Board of each Participating Fund, while fees on any amounts drawn by a Participating Fund under the Credit Agreement are borne by that Participating Fund.

Derivatives

Subject to the limitations set forth below under “Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps,” the Fund may use derivative instruments as described below. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. Derivatives generally take the form of contracts under which the parties agree to payments between them based upon the performance of a wide variety of underlying references, such as stocks, bonds, loans, commodities, interest rates, currency exchange rates, and various domestic and foreign indices.

The Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including as a substitute for investing directly in securities, as part of a hedging strategy (that is, for the purpose of reducing risk to the Fund), to manage the effective duration of the Fund’s portfolio, or for other purposes related to the management of the Fund. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. However, derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a large impact on the Fund’s performance.

While transactions in some derivatives may be effected on established exchanges, many other derivatives are privately negotiated and entered into in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market with a single counterparty. When exchange-traded derivatives are purchased and sold, a clearing agency associated with the exchange stands between each buyer and seller and effectively guarantees performance of each contract, either on a limited basis through a guaranty fund or to the full extent of the clearing agency’s balance sheet. Transactions in OTC derivatives not subject to a clearing requirement have no such protection. Each party to an uncleared OTC derivative bears the risk that its direct counterparty will default. In addition, OTC derivatives are generally less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives because they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction.

The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the CFTC, various state regulatory authorities and, with respect to exchange-traded derivatives, the several exchanges upon which they are traded. As discussed above under “Asset Coverage Requirements,”

 

S-6


in order to engage in certain transactions in derivatives, the Fund may be required to hold offsetting positions or to hold cash or liquid securities in a segregated account or designated on the Fund’s books. In addition, the Fund’s ability to use derivative instruments may be limited by tax considerations.

The particular derivative instruments the Fund can use are described below. The Fund’s portfolio manager may decide not to employ some or all of these instruments, and there is no assurance that any derivatives strategy used by the Fund will succeed. The Fund may employ new derivative instruments and strategies when they are developed, if those investment methods are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.

Options Transactions

The Fund may purchase put and call options on interest rates and bond indices.

Options on Interest Rates and Indices. The Fund may purchase put and call options on interest rates and on bond indices. An option on interest rates or on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing value of the underlying interest rate or index is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the exercise-settlement value of the interest rate option or the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple (the “multiplier”). The writer of the option is obligated, for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Settlements for interest rate and index options are always in cash.

Expiration or Exercise of Options. If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, underlying security or index, exercise price, and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires.

The Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option which is sold. Prior to exercise or expiration, an option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series. The Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, the Fund will realize a capital loss. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market price of the underlying security or index in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying security or index, and the time remaining until the expiration date.

Futures

The Fund may engage in futures transactions. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts that relate to (1) interest rates, (2) debt securities and (3) bond indices. The Fund may only enter into futures contracts which are standardized and traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange, board of trade or similar entity, or quoted on an automated quotation system.

A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security, index or interest rate (each a “financial instrument”) for a set price on a future date. Certain futures contracts, such as futures contracts relating to individual securities, call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument. However, these contracts generally are closed out before delivery by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale of a matching futures contract. Other futures contracts, such as futures contracts on interest rates and indices, do not call for making or taking delivery of the underlying financial instrument, but rather are agreements pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the financial

 

S-7


instrument at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the contract was originally written. These contracts also may be settled by entering into an offsetting futures contract.

Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with its futures broker (also known as a futures commission merchant (“FCM”)) an amount of cash or securities equal to a specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, FCMs may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held as margin is generally invested by the FCM in high-quality instruments permitted under CFTC regulations, with returns retained by the FCM and interest paid to the Fund on the cash at an agreed-upon rate. The Fund will also receive any interest paid from coupon-bearing securities, such as Treasury securities, held in margin accounts. Subsequent payments to and from the FCM, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying financial instrument fluctuates, making the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a gain or loss. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM’s other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund. Futures transactions also involve brokerage costs.

Most U.S. futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of futures contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.

Options on Futures

The Fund may also purchase or write put and call options on futures contracts and write straddles, which consist of a call and put option on the same futures contract. A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. Prior to exercise or expiration, a futures option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of a futures option of the same series.

The Fund may use options on futures contracts in connection with hedging strategies. The writing of a call option or the purchasing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of a written call option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund’s holdings of securities. If the futures price when the option is exercised is above the exercise price, however, the Fund will incur a loss, which may be offset, in whole or in part, by the increase in the value of the securities held by the Fund that were being hedged. Writing a put option or purchasing a call option on a futures contract serves as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of the securities the Fund intends to acquire.

When writing a call option, the Fund must either segregate liquid assets with a value equal to the fluctuating market value of the optioned futures contract, or the Fund must own an option to purchase the same futures contract having an exercise price that is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of

 

S-8


the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.

When writing a put option, the Fund must segregate liquid assets in an amount not less than the exercise price, or own a put option on the same futures contract where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated liquid assets.

When the Fund writes a straddle, sufficient assets will be segregated to meet the Fund’s immediate obligations. The Fund may segregate the same liquid assets for both the call and put options in a straddle where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is “in the money.”

As with investments in futures contracts, the Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it.

Swap Transactions

The Fund may enter into interest rate, total return and credit default swap agreements. The Fund may also enter into options on the foregoing types of swap agreements (“swap options”).

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for any purpose consistent with its investment objective and strategies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, to reduce risk arising from the ownership of a particular instrument, or to gain exposure to certain securities, reference rates, sectors or markets.

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for a specified period of time. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined asset, reference rate or index. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a notional amount, e.g., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a basket of securities representing a particular index. The notional amount of the swap agreement generally is only used as a basis upon which to calculate the obligations that the parties to the swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Fund’s current obligations under a net swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and the Fund will segregate assets determined to be liquid by the Sub-Adviser for any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty. See “Asset Coverage Requirements” above.

Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are “fixed-for-floating rate swaps,” “termed basis swaps” and “index amortizing swaps.” Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for-floating swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met. Like a traditional investment in a debt security, the Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely.

Total Return Swaps. In a total return swap, one party agrees to pay the other the “total return” of a defined underlying asset during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. A total return swap may be applied to any underlying asset but is most commonly used with equity indices, single stocks, bonds and defined baskets of loans and mortgages. The Fund might enter into a total return swap involving an underlying index or basket of securities to create exposure to a potentially widely-diversified range of securities in a single trade. An index total return swap can be used by the portfolio manager to assume risk, without the complications of buying the component securities from what may not always be the most liquid of markets.

 

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Credit Default Swaps. A credit default swap is a bilateral contract that enables an investor to buy or sell protection against a defined-issuer credit event. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements either as a buyer or a seller. The Fund may buy protection to attempt to mitigate the risk of default or credit quality deterioration in one or more of its individual holdings or in a segment of the fixed income securities market to which it has exposure, or to take a “short” position in individual bonds or market segments which it does not own. The Fund may sell protection in an attempt to gain exposure to the credit quality characteristics of particular bonds or market segments without investing directly in those bonds or market segments.

As the buyer of protection in a credit default swap, the Fund will pay a premium (by means of an upfront payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement) in return for the right to deliver a referenced bond or group of bonds to the protection seller and receive the full notional or par value (or other agreed upon value) upon a default (or similar event) by the issuer(s) of the underlying referenced obligation(s). If no default occurs, the protection seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligation to the Fund. Thus, the cost to the Fund would be the premium paid with respect to the agreement. If a credit event occurs, however, the Fund may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. The Fund bears the risk that the protection seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations.

If the Fund is a seller of protection in a credit default swap and no credit event occurs, the Fund would generally receive an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap. If a credit event occurs, however, generally the Fund would have to pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As the protection seller, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Thus, the Fund bears the same risk as it would by buying the reference obligations directly, plus the additional risks related to obtaining investment exposure through a derivative instrument discussed below under “Risks Associated with Swap Transactions.”

Swap Options. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel, or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms. A cash-settled option on a swap gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap as of the exercise date. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swap options. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund generally will incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swap option than when it purchases a swap option. When the Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swap option, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

Risks Associated with Swap Transactions. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Sub-Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, market spreads or other applicable factors the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not used. As the protection seller in a credit default swap, the Fund effectively adds economic leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to being subject to investment exposure on its total net assets, the Fund is subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The Fund may only close out a swap or other two-party contract with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. In addition, the price at which the Fund may close out such a two party contract may not correlate with the price change in the underlying reference asset. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that the Fund will succeed in enforcing its rights. It also is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap or other agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

 

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Caps, Collars and Floors

The Fund may enter into interest rate caps, floors and collars. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar involves selling a cap and purchasing a floor or vice versa to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Limitations on the Use of CFTC-Regulated Futures, Options on Futures and Swaps

The Fund will limit its direct investments in CFTC-regulated futures, options on futures and swaps (“CFTC Derivatives”) to the extent necessary for the Adviser to claim the exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund under CFTC Rule 4.5, as such rule may be amended from time to time. Under Rule 4.5 as currently in effect, the Fund will limit its trading activity in CFTC Derivatives (excluding activity for “bona fide hedging purposes,” as defined by the CFTC) such that it meets one of the following tests:

 

   

Aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish its positions in CFTC Derivatives do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions; or

 

   

Aggregate net notional value of its positions in CFTC Derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions.

With respect to the Fund, the Adviser has filed a notice of eligibility for 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 commodity pool operator thereunder.

The requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company may also limit the extent to which the Fund may invest in CFTC Derivatives. See “Tax Matters—Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company.”

Federal Income Tax Treatment of Futures Contracts and Options

The Fund’s transactions in futures contracts and options will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a regulated investment company and the distribution requirement for avoiding excise taxes.

Risks and Special Considerations Concerning Derivatives

The use of derivative instruments involves certain general risks and considerations as described below.

(1) Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Fund to losses. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the portfolio manager’s ability to predict movements in the relevant markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed.

(2) Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty

 

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risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for OTC derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For many OTC instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee and there is less regulation or supervision of transactions. In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to the Fund. The Fund will enter into derivatives transactions only with counterparties that its portfolio manager reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract.

(3) Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and the price movements in the investments being hedged.

(4) Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. The Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts, and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If the Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. These requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Fund’s ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. There is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.

(5) Legal Risk. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a party’s obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products.

(6) Systemic or “Interconnection” Risk. Systemic or interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.

(7) Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is the risk that the Fund may be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged due to leverage’s tendency to exaggerate the effect of any increase or

 

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decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements.

(8) Regulatory Risk. The Dodd-Frank Act Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) has initiated a dramatic revision of the U.S. financial regulatory framework and covers a broad range of topics, including (among many others) a reorganization of federal financial regulators; a process intended to improve financial systemic stability and the resolution of potentially insolvent financial firms; and new rules for derivatives trading. Instruments in which the Fund may invest, or the issuers of such instruments, may be affected by the new legislation and regulation in ways that are unforeseeable. Many of the implementing regulations have not yet been finalized. Accordingly, the ultimate impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, including on the derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest, is not yet certain.

Illiquid Securities

The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws) and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Adviser the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any portfolio security, although it has retained oversight over and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. The Adviser works with and to a large extent relies on the expertise and advice of the Sub-Adviser in making these liquidity determinations. Although no definitive liquidity criteria are used, the Board of Trustees has directed the Adviser to look to such factors as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market; the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; and the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer), (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments), and (iii) other permissible relevant facts.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate.

Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

The Fund may invest in other investment companies, such as open-end funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments. The Fund may also invest in pooled investment vehicles other than registered investment companies. The Fund will only invest in other pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in Fund-eligible investments.

If the Fund invests in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles, Fund shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, but also, indirectly, the similar expenses of the underlying investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Shareholders would also be exposed to the risks associated not only with the Fund, but also with the portfolio investments of the underlying investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. Shares of certain closed-end funds may at times be acquired at market prices representing premiums to their net asset values. Shares acquired at a premium to their net asset value may be more likely to subsequently decline in price, resulting in a loss to the Fund and its shareholders.

 

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Making of Loans to Issuers of Bonds Already in the Portfolio

The Fund may make a loan to (as opposed to investing in a bond issued by) an entity whose bonds the Fund already owns in its portfolio, in instances where Nuveen Asset Management believes that doing so will enhance the value of the Fund’s total investments (both bonds and loans) in obligations of that entity. Typically, such loans will be made to entities suffering severe economic distress, oftentimes in or near bankruptcy. Making a loan to such an entity may enable the entity to remain a “going concern” and enable the entity to both repay the loan as well as be better able to pay interest and principal on the pre-existing bonds, instead of forcing the Fund to liquidate the entity’s assets, which can reduce recovery value. It is generally much more time-consuming and expensive for a troubled entity to issue additional bonds, instead of borrowing, as a means of obtaining liquidity in times of severe financial need.

Mortgage-Backed Securities

The Fund may invest in fixed-income obligations backed by a pool of mortgages. Mortgage-backed securities are issued both by U.S. government agencies, including the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) and by private entities. The payment of interest and principal on securities issued by U.S. government agencies is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (in the case of GNMA securities) or the issuer (in the case of FNMA and FHLMC securities). However, the guarantees do not apply to the market prices and yields of these securities, which vary with changes in interest rates. Mortgage-backed securities issued by private entities are structured similarly to mortgage-backed securities issued by GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC. These securities and the underlying mortgages are not guaranteed by government agencies. However, these securities generally are structured with one or more types of credit enhancement by a third party. Mortgage-backed securities permit borrowers to prepay their underlying mortgages. Prepayments by borrowers on underlying obligations can alter the effective maturity of these instruments.

Municipal Bonds and Other Municipal Obligations

As described in the Prospectus, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in a portfolio of municipal bonds and other municipal obligations free from regular federal income tax and California state personal income tax, which generally will be municipal obligations issued within the State of California or U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico and Guam). In general, municipal obligations include debt obligations issued by states, cities and local authorities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Industrial development bonds and pollution control bonds that are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately-rated facilities are included within the term municipal obligations if the interest paid thereon is exempt from federal income tax.

Obligations of issuers of municipal obligations are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. In addition, the obligations of such issuers may become subject to the laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures or referenda extending the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon municipalities to levy taxes. There is also the possibility that, as a result of legislation or other conditions, the power or ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its municipal obligations may be materially affected.

Municipal Bonds

The two general classifications of municipal bonds are “general obligation” bonds and “revenue” bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the governmental issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest upon a default by the issuer of its principal and interest payment obligations. They are usually paid from general revenues of the issuing governmental entity. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are usually payable only out of a specific revenue source rather than from general revenues. Revenue bonds ordinarily are not backed by the faith, credit or general taxing power of the issuing governmental entity. The principal and interest on

 

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revenue bonds for private facilities are typically paid out of rents or other specified payments made to the issuing governmental entity by a private company which uses or operates the facilities. Examples of these types of obligations are industrial revenue bond and pollution control revenue bonds. Industrial revenue bonds are issued by governmental entities to provide financing aid to community facilities such as hospitals, hotels, business or residential complexes, convention halls and sport complexes. Pollution control revenue bonds are issued to finance air, water and solids pollution control systems for privately operated industrial or commercial facilities.

Revenue bonds for private facilities usually do not represent a pledge of the credit, general revenues or taxing powers of issuing governmental entity. Instead, the private company operating the facility is the sole source of payment of the obligation. Sometimes, the funds for payment of revenue bonds come solely from revenue generated by operation of the facility. Federal income tax laws place substantial limitations on industrial revenue bonds, and particularly certain specified private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986. In the future, legislation could be introduced in Congress which could further restrict or eliminate the income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations in which the Fund may invest.

Refunded Bonds

The Fund may invest in refunded bonds. Refunded bonds may have originally been issued as general obligation or revenue bonds, but become refunded when they are secured by an escrow fund, usually consisting entirely of direct U.S. government obligations and/or U.S. government agency obligations sufficient for paying the bondholders. There are two types of refunded bonds: pre-refunded bonds and escrowed-to-maturity (“ETM”) bonds. The escrow fund for a pre-refunded municipal bond may be structured so that the refunded bonds are to be called at the first possible date or a subsequent call date established in the original bond debenture. The call price usually includes a premium from 1% to 3% above par. This type of structure usually is used for those refundings that either reduce the issuer’s interest payment expenses or change the debt maturity schedule. In escrow funds for ETM refunded municipal bonds, the maturity schedules of the securities in the escrow funds match the regular debt-service requirements on the bonds as originally stated in the bond indentures.

Municipal Leases and Certificates of Participation

The Fund also may purchase municipal lease obligations, primarily through certificates of participation. Certificates of participation in municipal leases are undivided interests in a lease, installment purchase contract or conditional sale contract entered into by a state or local governmental unit to acquire equipment or facilities. Municipal leases frequently have special risks which generally are not associated with general obligation bonds or revenue bonds. Municipal leases and installment purchase or conditional sales contracts (which usually provide for title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer upon payment of all amounts due under the contract) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements for the issuance of municipal debt.

Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality’s taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is ordinarily backed by the municipality’s covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses, which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. In evaluating securities for purchase, the Fund will take into account the incentive of the issuer to appropriate under the lease, among other factors. Some lease obligations may be illiquid under certain circumstances. Although non-appropriation lease obligations are secured by the leased equipment or facilities, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult and time consuming. In addition, disposition upon non-appropriation or foreclosure might not result in recovery by the Fund of the full principal amount represented by an obligation.

In light of these concerns, the Fund has adopted and follows procedures for determining whether any municipal lease obligations purchased by the Fund are liquid and for monitoring the liquidity of municipal lease securities held in the Fund’s portfolio. These procedures require that a number of

 

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factors be used in evaluating the liquidity of a municipal lease security, including the frequency of trades and quotes for the security, the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers, the willingness of dealers to undertake to make a market in security, the nature of the marketplace in which the security trades, and other factors which the Adviser may deem relevant. As set forth in “Investment Restrictions” above, the Fund is subject to limitations on the percentage of illiquid securities it can hold.

Derivative Municipal Securities

The Fund may also acquire derivative municipal securities, which are custodial receipts of certificates underwritten by securities dealers or banks that evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain municipal securities. The underwriter of these certificates or receipts typically purchases municipal securities and deposits them in an irrevocable trust or custodial account with a custodian bank, which then issues receipts or certificates that evidence ownership of the periodic unmatured coupon payments and the final principal payment on the obligation.

The principal and interest payments on the municipal securities underlying custodial receipts may be allocated in a number of ways. For example, payments may be allocated such that certain custodial receipts may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped securities which pay only the principal or interest due on the underlying municipal securities. The Fund may invest in custodial receipts which have inverse floating interest rates and other inverse floating rate municipal obligations, as described below under “Inverse Floating Rate Municipal Securities.”

Variable Rate Demand Notes (“VRDNs”)

VRDNs are long-term municipal obligations that have variable or floating interest rates and provide the Fund with the right to tender the security for repurchase at its stated principal amount plus accrued interest. Such securities typically bear interest at a rate that is intended to cause the securities to trade at par. The interest rate may float or be adjusted at regular intervals (ranging from daily to annually), and is normally based on an applicable interest index or another published interest rate or interest rate index. Most VRDNs allow the Fund to demand the repurchase of the security on not more than seven days prior notice. Other notes only permit the Fund to tender the security at the time of each interest rate adjustment or at other fixed intervals. Variable interest rates generally reduce changes in the market value of municipal obligations from their original purchase prices. Accordingly, as interest rates decrease, the potential for capital appreciation is less for variable rate municipal obligations than for fixed income obligations.

Inverse Floating Rate Municipal Securities

The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate municipal securities or “inverse floaters,” whose rates vary inversely to interest rates on a specified short-term municipal bond index or on another instrument. Such securities involve special risks as compared to conventional fixed-rate bonds. Should short-term interest rates rise, the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters likely would adversely affect the Fund’s earnings and distributions to shareholders. Also, because changes in the interest rate on the other index or other instrument inversely affect the rate of interest received on an inverse floater, and because inverse floaters essentially represent a leveraged investment in a long-term bond, the value of an inverse floater is generally more volatile than that of a conventional fixed-rate bond having similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturity. Although volatile in value, inverse floaters typically offer the potential for yields substantially exceeding the yields available on conventional fixed-rate bonds with comparable credit quality, coupon, call provisions and maturity. The markets for inverse floating rate securities may be less developed and have less liquidity than the markets for conventional securities. The Fund will only invest in inverse floating rate securities whose underlying bonds are rated A or higher.

Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities (Junk Bonds)

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in non-investment grade debt securities. Non-investment grade debt securities are medium- to low-quality municipal obligations. Municipal obligations rated below investment grade (BB/Ba or lower) are commonly known as “high yield,” “high risk” or “junk” bonds. Junk bonds, while generally offering higher yields than investment grade

 

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securities with similar maturities, involve greater risks, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy. They are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The special risk considerations in connection with investments in these securities are discussed below. Refer to Appendix A of this Statement of Additional Information for a discussion of securities ratings.

(1) Effect of Interest Rates and Economic Changes. All interest-bearing securities typically experience appreciation when interest rates decline and depreciation when interest rates rise. In addition, the market values of junk bond securities tend to reflect individual issuer developments to a greater extent than do the market values of higher rated securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Junk bond securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher rated securities. As a result, they generally involve more credit risk than securities in the higher rated categories. During an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of junk bond securities may experience financial stress and may not have sufficient revenues to meet their payment obligations. The risk of loss due to default by an issuer of these securities is significantly greater than by an issuer of higher rated securities because such securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other creditors. Further, if the issuer of a junk bond security defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Periods of economic uncertainty and changes would also generally result in increased volatility in the market prices of these and thus in the Fund’s net asset value.

The value of a junk bond security will generally decrease in a rising interest rate market and, accordingly, so will the Fund’s net asset value. If the Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions in such a market, it may be forced to liquidate a portion of its portfolio securities without regard to their investment merits. Due to the limited liquidity of certain junk bond securities, the Fund may be forced to liquidate these securities at a substantial discount. Any such liquidation would reduce the Fund’s asset base over which expenses could be allocated and could result in a reduced rate of return for the Fund.

(2) Payment Expectations. Junk bond securities typically contain redemption, call, or prepayment provisions that permit the issuer of securities containing such provisions to redeem the securities at its discretion. During periods of falling interest rates, issuers of these securities are likely to redeem or prepay the securities and refinance them with debt securities with a lower interest rate. To the extent an issuer is able to refinance the securities, or otherwise redeem them, the Fund may have to replace the securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return for the Fund.

(3) Credit Ratings. Credit ratings are issued by credit rating agencies and are indicative of the rated securities’ safety of principal and interest payments. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of junk bond securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of such an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the condition of the issuer that affect the value of the security. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. Investments in junk bonds will depend more upon credit analysis by the Sub-Adviser than investments in investment grade debt securities. The Sub-Adviser employs its own credit research and analysis, which includes a study of the issuer’s existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debts and pay dividends, sensitivity to economic conditions, operating history, and current earnings trend. The Sub-Adviser continually monitors the Fund’s investments and carefully evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain junk bond securities whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed.

(4) Liquidity and Valuation. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain junk bond securities because there may be a thin trading market for such securities. Not all dealers maintain markets in all junk bond securities. As a result, there is no established retail secondary market for many of these securities. To the extent a secondary trading market does exist, it is generally not as liquid as the secondary market for higher rated securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the market price of the security. The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain

 

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accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing its securities. Market quotations are generally available on many junk bond issues only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices for actual sales. During periods of thin trading, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and liquidity of junk bond securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

Short-Term Investments

The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash equivalents and short-term investments as a temporary defensive measure in response to adverse market conditions or to keep cash on hand fully invested. In addition, under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in short-term investments, such as short-term, high quality municipal bonds or tax-exempt money market funds. The Fund may also invest in short-term, high quality taxable securities or shares of taxable money market funds. Because these investments may be taxable, and may result in a lower yield than would be available from investments with a lower quality or longer term, they may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

Tax-Exempt Short Term Investments

The federally tax-exempt short-term investments the Fund may invest in, include, but are not limited to, the following:

Bond Anticipation Notes (“BANs”) are usually general obligations of state and local governmental issuers, which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obligations or bonds. The ability of an issuer to meet its obligations on its BANs is primarily dependent on the issuer’s access to the long-term municipal bond market and the likelihood that the proceeds of such bond sales will be used to pay the principal and interest on the BANs.

Tax Anticipation Notes (“TANs”) are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be derived from specific future tax revenues. Tax anticipation notes are usually general obligations of the issuer. A weakness in an issuer’s capacity to raise taxes due to, among other things, a decline in its tax base or a rise in delinquencies, could adversely affect the issuer’s ability to meet its obligations on outstanding TANs.

Revenue Anticipation Notes (“RANs”) are issued by governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the notes. In general, they also constitute general obligations of the issuer. A decline in the receipt of projected revenues, such as anticipated revenues from another level of government, could adversely affect an issuer’s ability to meet its obligations on outstanding RANs. In addition, the possibility that the revenues would, when received, be used to meet other obligations could affect the ability of the issuer to pay the principal and interest on RANs.

Construction Loan Notes are issued to provide construction financing for specific projects. Frequently, these notes are redeemed with funds obtained from the Federal Housing Administration.

Bank Notes are notes issued by local government bodies and agencies as those described above to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings. The purposes for which the notes are issued are varied, but they are frequently issued to meet short-term working capital or capital-project needs. These notes may have risks similar to the risks associated with TANs and RANs.

Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper (Municipal Paper) represents very short-term unsecured, negotiable promissory notes, issued by states, municipalities and their agencies. Payment of principal and interest on issues of municipal paper may be made from various sources, to the extent the funds are available therefrom. Maturities of municipal paper generally will be shorter than the maturities of TANs, BANs or RANs. There is a limited secondary market for issues of municipal paper.

 

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Certain municipal obligations may carry variable or floating rates of interest whereby the rate of interest is not fixed, but varies with changes in specified market rates or indices, such as a bank prime rate or a tax-exempt money market index.

While these various types of notes as a group represent the major portion of the tax-exempt note market, other types of notes are occasionally available in the marketplace and the Fund may invest in such other types of notes to the extent permitted under its investment objective, policies and limitations. Such notes may be issued for different purposes and may be secured differently from those mentioned above.

Municipal Money Market Funds that pay interest income exempt from regular federal and, in some cases, state and local income taxes. The Fund will bear its proportionate share of the money market fund’s fees and expenses.

Taxable Short Term Investments

The Fund may also invest in the following taxable short-term investments that must be (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) debt securities rated within the highest grade by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch and mature within one year from the date of purchase or carry a variable or floating rate of interest or (iii) taxable money market funds. See Appendix A for more information about ratings by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch. Interest on each such instrument is taxable for federal income tax purposes and would reduce the amount of tax-free interest payable to shareholders.

Certificates of Deposit (CDs)—A certificate of deposit is a negotiable interest bearing instrument with a specific maturity. CDs are issued by banks in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market, prior to maturity. The Fund will only invest in U.S. dollar denominated CDs issued by U.S. banks with assets of $1 billion or more.

Commercial Paper—Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Maturities on these issues vary from a few days to nine months. Commercial paper may be purchased from U.S. corporations.

Taxable Money Market Funds—These funds pay interest income that is taxable on the federal and state levels. The Fund will bear its proportionate share of the money market fund’s fees and expenses.

U.S. Government Direct Obligations are issued by the United States Treasury and include bills, notes and bonds.

 

  Treasury bills are issued with maturities of up to one year. They are issued in bearer form, are sold on a discount basis and are payable at par value at maturity.

 

  Treasury notes are longer-term interest bearing obligations with original maturities of one to seven years.

 

  Treasury bonds are longer-term interest-bearing obligations with original maturities from five to thirty years.

U.S. Government Agencies Securities—Certain federal agencies have been established as instrumentalities of the U.S. government to supervise and finance certain types of activities. These agencies include, but are not limited to, the Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Land Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association, Government National Mortgage Association, Export-Import Bank of the United States, and Tennessee Valley Authority. Issues of these agencies, while not direct obligations of the U.S. government, are either backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or are guaranteed by the Treasury or supported by the issuing agencies’ right to borrow from the Treasury. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government itself will pay interest and principal on securities as to which it is not legally so obligated.

Other Corporate Obligations—The Fund may purchase notes, bonds and debentures issued by corporations if at the time of purchase there is less than one year remaining until maturity or if they carry a variable or floating rate of interest.

 

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Repurchase Agreements—A repurchase agreement is a contractual agreement whereby the seller of securities (U.S. government or municipal obligations) agrees to repurchase the same security at a specified price on a future date agreed upon by the parties. The agreed upon repurchase price determines the yield during the Fund’s holding period. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans collateralized by the underlying security that is the subject of the repurchase contract. The Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements with dealers, domestic banks or recognized financial institutions that in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser present minimal credit risk. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the issuer to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the delivery date; however, although the value of the underlying collateral at the time the transaction is entered into always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price, if the value of the collateral subsequently declines there is a risk of loss of both principal and interest. In the event of default, the collateral may be sold but the Fund might incur a loss if the value of the collateral declines, and might incur disposition costs or experience delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited. The Sub-Adviser will monitor the value of collateral at the time the transaction is entered into and at all times subsequent during the term of the repurchase agreement in an effort to determine that the value always equals or exceeds the agreed upon price. In the event the value of the collateral declined below the repurchase price, the Sub-Adviser will demand additional collateral from the issuer to increase the value of the collateral to at least that of the repurchase price.

Special Considerations Relating to Municipal Obligations of California and U.S. Territories

Except as described in the Prospectus, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal obligations that are exempt from both regular federal and California personal income taxes, a significant portion of which generally consists of municipal obligations issued in the State of California or by U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam). The Fund is therefore more susceptible to political, economic or regulatory factors adversely affecting issuers of municipal obligations in the State of California or issuers of municipal obligations in U.S. territories that are held by the Fund. Set forth below is a summary of information that bears upon the risk of investing in municipal obligations issued by public authorities in the State of California and issued by public authorities in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. This information was obtained from official statements of issuers located in the State of California, as well as from other publicly available official documents and statements. The Fund has not independently verified any of the information contained in such statements and documents. The information below is intended only as a general summary and is not intended as a discussion of any specific factor that may affect any particular obligation or issuer.

Factors Pertaining to California. The Fund concentrates its investments in California municipal bonds and, therefore, may be significantly impacted by political, economic, or regulatory developments that affect issuers in California and their ability to pay principal and interest on their obligations. California’s economy is the largest in the nation and ranks 8th in the world. The State’s economy is relatively diverse with key drivers being international trade, technology, tourism, finance, defense, and construction. Though diverse, California’s economy has historically displayed more volatility than the nation’s as a whole. After experiencing a deep recession due to the deterioration of the housing market, California’s economic recovery is gaining momentum led by real estate and technology. This has allowed the unemployment rate to fall to a 5.6% as of April 2016, down from a recent high of 10.3% in January 2013, but still above the national average of 5.1% for the same period. Historically, California’s tax revenues have been more volatile than most states due to its steep personal income tax structure, which results in a reliance on a small number of taxpayers for a large share of tax revenues. With the passage of Proposition 30, which temporarily increases state sales and income taxes along with an improvement in the economy, recent budgets have been structurally balanced and allowed for transfers into a more stringent rainy day fund (Proposition 2). However, Governor Brown’s May Revision to the fiscal year 2017 Budget Proposal has been marginally reduced due to poor April income tax receipts and more sluggish sales tax collections, but it remains structurally balanced and continues to make deposits to the Rainy Day Fund. Since the State finished its seventh year of economic expansion, two years longer than the average state’s recovery, the

 

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Governor continues to warn that the next economic downturn is inevitable and the State needs to be prepared by bolstering its reserves and paying down its debt in order to withstand the unavoidable future revenue loss.

According to Moody’s Investors Service, California has more debt outstanding than any other state, although on a per capita basis, the State ranks 9th as of 2015. In addition to its outstanding debt, California also has authorized but unissued debt totaling approximately $29.3 billion of general obligation bonds and $3.6 billion of lease revenue bonds as of January 1, 2016. California’s political landscape has often led to governmental difficulties, including the adoption of the state budget. Additionally, California’s voter initiative process has resulted in several initiatives that have restricted the taxing ability of the State and its political subdivisions, including Proposition 13. Other mandates have required the State and its political subdivisions to incur certain expenses, further restricting their financial flexibility. Furthermore, unanticipated initiatives that could impact the financial health of the State or its political subdivisions may be adopted in the future. The State and its political subdivisions may also face increasing financial pressure from costs relating to pensions and other post-employment benefits for government employees.

Factors Pertaining to Guam. The Fund may invest in Guam municipal bonds and, therefore, may be impacted by political, economic, or regulatory developments that affect issuers in Guam and their ability to pay principal and interest on their obligations. Guam is the westernmost territory of the United States, approximately 3,800 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, 1,550 miles south-southeast of Tokyo, Japan and 1,600 miles east of Manila, Philippines. Guam’s location exposes it to typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic activity. Guam’s economy is largely dependent upon tourism and the United States’ military presence. Annual visitors total more than 1.37 million compared to a local population of just over 170,000. Risk of future cut backs in the federal defense budget and/or military realignments could negatively affect Guam’s economy. Unemployment fell to 6.9% as of March 2015 (most recent data available), which is above the national average of 5.5% during the same period, but down from a thirteen year high of 13.3% in March 2013 and close to prerecession levels. The scheduled military buildup based upon a U.S. agreement with Japan to relocate a number of U.S. Marines and their dependents from Okinawa to Guam has been reduced and delayed, but is still

expected to be the primary driver of Guam’s growth over the mid to long term. Military relocation construction is expected to begin in 2017-2018 with relocation occurring after 2018. Tourist arrivals have grown given the favorable exchange rate for Asian visitors and the relative improvement in the overall global economy. After generating fiscal surpluses in fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2012 due to the use of deficit reduction bonds to fund projected shortfalls, Guam has run fiscal deficits over the last three years due in part to the increasing financial pressure from costs relating to two court related settlements which require Guam to pay unpaid income tax refunds and cost of living adjustments to retirees and retroactive salary obligations. From fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2015, Guam’s debt increased 56% to $1.2 billion increasing the debt burden from $4,778 per capita to $7,950 per capita which is high in comparison to the national median of $1,025.

On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) into law. This new legislation establishes an independent fiscal oversight board for Puerto Rico responsible for developing a fiscal plan and providing oversight of the government’s financial operations. The legislation also creates a legal path for debt restructuring through a court supervised process similar to bankruptcy, if consensual agreements with creditors cannot be reached through negotiated settlements. Although PROMESA is not currently applicable to Guam or any other territories, the law has materially changed how rating agencies and the market are assessing restructuring and default risk for Guam. Guam’s government does not presently have the ability to restructure debt or long-term obligations under PROMESA, however Guam could petition the U.S. Congress to expand the statute to include Guam and establish a fiscal oversight board specifically for the island. However, PROMESA will not be applicable unless Guam requests access to the law. Guam officials have disavowed any intention to pursue access to PROMESA, though it should be recognized future administrations and elected officials could hold a different view.

Factors Pertaining to Puerto Rico. The Fund may invest in Puerto Rico municipal bonds and, therefore, may be impacted by political, economic, or regulatory developments that affect issuers in Puerto Rico and their ability to pay principal and interest on their obligations. Puerto Rico, the fourth largest of the Caribbean islands, is located approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.

 

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Puerto Rico’s constitutional status is that of a territory of the United States, and, pursuant to the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution, the ultimate source of power over Puerto Rico is the U.S. Congress. Residents of Puerto Rico are citizens of the United States but do not vote in national elections.

Puerto Rico began warning investors in 2014 that the island’s debt burden may be unsustainable and the Commonwealth spent much of 2015 and 2016 negotiating with creditors and petitioning Congress for access to debt relief. Between 2000 and 2015 Puerto Rico’s public debt grew from $24.2 billion to over $73 billion, an increase of over 200%. When all public sector debt is included, the Commonwealth estimates total debt is over 100% of gross national product, well over the national median of 2.2%. The commonwealth’s enormous debt burden is largely attributed to a decade of subsidizing annual operating costs with proceeds from long term debt. Puerto Rico issues debt under many different securities, but many of the security pledges are ultimately dependent on the Commonwealth’s general fund, creating an interdependency between credits.

In mid-2014 Puerto Rico’s governor declared the Commonwealth’s debt unpayable and the government subsequently defaulted on multiple security pledges. The first payment default was in August 2015 when the Puerto Rico Public Finance Corporation failed to make a scheduled debt service payment. Puerto Rico enacted debt moratorium legislation in April 2016 and then defaulted on debt issued through the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank in May 2016.

On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) into law. This new legislation establishes an independent fiscal oversight board for Puerto Rico responsible for developing a multi-year fiscal plan and providing oversight of the government’s financial operations. The legislation encourages negotiated settlements, but also creates a legal path for debt restructuring through a court supervised process similar to bankruptcy, if consensual agreements with creditors cannot be reached. Debt restructuring pursuant to a comprehensive and orderly process, under the oversight and direction an independent board, is generally viewed more favorably than the chaotic sequence of events that could have unfolded absent the legislation. Pursuant to the law, creditor lawsuits are stayed through early 2017. Board members were appointed at the end of August 2016, but the board has not yet taken any significant actions.

Following the passage of PROMESA, Puerto Rico’s Governor officially declared the Commonwealth to be in a state of emergency and declared a moratorium on the obligation to make payments on any bonds or notes issued or guaranteed by Puerto Rico. On July 1st Puerto Rico defaulted for the first time on constitutionally guaranteed, General Obligation debt. Other debt service payments due July 1st were made using debt service reserve funds, enterprise revenues or funds provided by bondholders.

Puerto Rico’s economy, historically dominated by government and manufacturing employment, has been in recession since 2006 and is still struggling. The Puerto Rico Planning Board projects Gross National Product contracted 1.2% in fiscal year 2016 and will decline another 2% in fiscal year 2017. This would be the fifth consecutive year of decline since a slight economic uptick of 0.5% was recorded in 2012. As of July 2016, the island’s unemployment rate was 11.4%, well above the national average. Unemployment has improved marginally as the rate was over 15% for all of 2010 and 2011, but recent declines are partially attributed to a shrinking labor force, not job creation. Unemployment has not been below 10% in the last ten years. Total non-farm employment has been relatively flat over the last year, but remains over 12% below levels reached in 2008 according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. High unemployment and weak job growth have encouraged significant out-migration of Puerto Rican residents, particularly among working-age residents and young families. Between 2010 and 2015, Puerto Rico’s population dropped nearly 7%. Out-migration threatens to permanently erode Puerto Rico’s economic base, and ultimately its ability to support its current debt burden.

Puerto Rico’s continued economic weakening, escalating debt service obligations, and long-standing inability to deliver a balanced budget led to multiple downgrades on its debt over the past two years. In early 2014, Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s each downgraded the general obligation rating of Puerto Rico to below-investment grade levels. Since then the Commonwealth and

 

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its public corporations have been downgraded multiple times. Following the July 1st general obligation default both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch downgraded their ratings on General Obligation debt to D. Moody’s maintains a Caa3 rating on General Obligation debt and revised their rating outlook from Negative to Developing on July 1, 2016. The Developing Outlook reflected the passage of PROMESA and removal of legal uncertainties that may prevent further credit deterioration. Puerto Rico is not expected to regain an investment grade rating in the near to medium-term. Recovery outcomes for current bondholders will depend on negotiations with creditors and the fiscal plans developed by the newly appointed fiscal oversight board.

Factors Pertaining to U.S. Virgin Islands. The Fund may invest in U.S. Virgin Islands municipal bonds and, therefore, may be impacted by political, economic, or regulatory developments that affect issuers in the U.S. Virgin Islands and their ability to pay principal and interest on their obligations. The U.S. Virgin Islands are the easternmost territory of the United States, approximately 40 miles east of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. USVI is made up primarily of four main islands: Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island. There are also several dozen smaller islands and USVI’s location exposes it to hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic activity. The economy is largely dependent upon tourism with more than two million visitors annually, compared to a local population of just over 100,000. Manufacturing is a relatively smaller portion of the economy but is important to note as rum excise taxes, levied on rum distilled in USVI and paid upon export, secure a portion of USVI’s municipal bonds.

The Territory’s economy has struggled to rebound from an extended recession despite several years of tourism traffic growth. In 2012 the Territory’s largest employer, Hovensa oil refinery, closed and the effect on the local economy was devastating. The loss of Hovensa combined with large public sector job cuts have resulted in the lowest employment levels in a decade. Employment levels have somewhat stabilized since 2014, however, private and public payrolls remain significantly depleted, with total nonfarm employment still down over 11% from 2011, prior to the plant closure. Public sector jobs have historically accounted for an inordinately high 30% of island employment. Government payrolls have been recently trimmed, but still account for about 25% of employment. The government reports the island’s Gross Domestic Product contracted by approximately 30% and the island lost about 8,000 jobs between 2007 and 2015. As of July 2016 unemployment had improved to 9.6%, but is still projected to remain elevated for the next several years. Over the long term, economists expect USVI growth to lag the United States, held back by poor industrial diversity, low incomes, out-migration and high business costs. Going forward, economists expect economic growth to be fueled by tourism, which accounts for approximately 20% of VI employment.

During the recent period of economic contraction corporate income tax and personal income tax collections dropped, causing severe budgetary pressure. USVI continues to run fiscal deficits and operating shortfalls have been funded through the issuance of bonds, short-term notes and internal borrowing. The proposed fiscal 2017 budget again contemplates deficit financing to fill the projected budget gap, but the exact amount of borrowing has not yet been determined. USVI’s fixed costs will remain relatively high given elevated debt levels and the island’s poorly funded pension system.

On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) into law. This new legislation establishes an independent fiscal oversight board for Puerto Rico responsible for developing a fiscal plan and providing oversight of the government’s financial operations. The legislation also creates a legal path for debt restructuring through a court supervised process similar to bankruptcy, if consensual agreements with creditors cannot be reached through negotiated settlements. Although PROMESA is not currently applicable to the Virgin Islands or any other territories, the law has materially changed how rating agencies and the market are assessing restructuring and default risk for the Virgin Islands. The USVI government does not presently have the ability to restructure debt or long-term obligations under PROMESA, however the USVI government could petition the U.S. Congress to expand the statute to include USVI and establish a fiscal oversight board specifically for the island. However, PROMESA will not be applicable unless the USVI government requests access to the law. USVI officials have disavowed any intention to pursue access to PROMESA, though it should be recognized future administrations and elected officials could hold a different view.

 

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Standby Commitments

The Fund may obtain standby commitments when it purchases municipal obligations. A standby commitment gives the holder the right to sell the underlying security to the seller at an agreed-upon price on certain dates or within a specified period. The Fund will acquire standby commitments solely to facilitate portfolio liquidity and not with a view to exercising them at a time when the exercise price may exceed the current value of the underlying securities. If the exercise price of a standby commitment held by the Fund should exceed the current value of the underlying securities, the Fund may refrain from exercising the standby commitment in order to avoid causing the issuer of the standby commitment to sustain a loss and thereby jeopardizing the Fund’s business relationship with the issuer. The Fund will enter into standby commitments only with banks and securities dealers that, in the opinion of Nuveen Asset Management, present minimal credit risks. However, if a securities dealer or bank is unable to meet its obligation to repurchase the security when the Fund exercises a standby commitment, the Fund might be unable to recover all or a portion of any loss sustained from having to sell the security elsewhere. Standby commitments will be valued at zero in determining the Fund’s net asset value.

Structured Notes

The Fund may invest in structured notes, including “total rate of return swaps” with rates of return determined by reference to the total rate of return on one or more loans referenced in such notes. The rate of return on a structured note may be determined by applying a multiplier to the rate of total return on the referenced loan or loans. Application of a multiplier is comparable to the use of leverage which magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss because a relatively small decline in the value of a referenced note could result in a relatively large loss in the value of the structured note.

Variable, Floating, and Fixed Rate Debt Obligations

The debt obligations in which the Fund invests may have variable, floating, or fixed interest rates. Variable rate securities provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. Floating rate securities are generally offered at an initial interest rate which is at or above prevailing market rates. The interest rate paid on floating rate securities is then reset periodically (commonly every 90 days) to an increment over some predetermined interest rate index. Commonly utilized indices include the three-month Treasury bill rate, the 180-day Treasury bill rate, the one-month or three-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the prime rate of a bank, the commercial paper rates, or the longer-term rates on U.S. Treasury securities. Variable and floating rate securities are relatively long-term instruments that often carry demand features permitting the holder to demand payment of principal at any time or at specified intervals prior to maturity plus accrued interest. In order to most effectively use these securities, the Sub-Adviser must correctly assess probable movements in interest rates. If the Sub-Adviser incorrectly forecasts such movements, the Fund could be adversely affected by use of variable and floating rate securities.

Fixed rate securities pay a fixed rate of interest and tend to exhibit more price volatility during times of rising or falling interest rates than securities with variable or floating rates of interest. The value of fixed rate securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise and rise when interest rates fall. The value of variable or floating rate securities, on the other hand, fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed rate securities. This is because variable and floating rate securities behave like short-term instruments in that the rate of interest they pay is subject to periodic adjustments according to a specified formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Fixed rate securities with short-term characteristics are not subject to the same price volatility as fixed rate securities without such characteristics. Therefore, they behave more like variable or floating rate securities with respect to price volatility.

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities

The Fund may purchase and sell municipal obligations on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis. When-issued and delayed-delivery transactions arise when securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery beyond the regular settlement date. (When-issued transactions normally settle within 15-45 days.) On such transactions the payment obligation and the interest rate are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commitment. The commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued

 

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or delayed-delivery basis may involve an element of risk because the value of the securities is subject to market fluctuation, no interest accrues to the purchaser prior to settlement of the transaction, and at the time of delivery the market value may be less than cost. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a municipal obligation on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the amount due and the value of the security in determining its net asset value. Likewise, at the time the Fund makes the commitment to sell a municipal obligation on a delayed-delivery basis, it will record the transaction and include the proceeds to be received in determining its net asset value; accordingly, any fluctuations in the value of the municipal obligation sold pursuant to a delayed-delivery commitment are ignored in calculating net asset value so long as the commitment remains in effect. The Fund will maintain designated readily marketable assets at least equal in value to commitments to purchase when-issued or delayed-delivery securities, such assets to be designated or segregated by the custodian specifically for the settlement of such commitments, if necessary. The Fund will only make commitments to purchase municipal obligations on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but the Fund reserves the right to sell these securities before the settlement date if it is deemed advisable. If a when-issued security is sold before delivery any gain or loss would not be tax-exempt. The Fund commonly engages in when-issued transactions in order to purchase or sell newly-issued municipal obligations, and may engage in delayed-delivery transactions in order to manage its operations more effectively.

The Fund also may buy when-issued and delayed-delivery securities that settle more than 60 days after purchase. These transactions are called “forwards.” Municipal forwards pay higher interest after settlement than standard bonds, to compensate the buyer for bearing market risk and deferring income during the settlement period, and can often be bought at attractive prices and yields. If the Fund knows that a portfolio bond will, or is likely to, be called or mature on a specific future date, the Fund may buy forwards settling on or about that date to replace the called or maturing bond and “lock in” a currently attractive interest rate.

Zero Coupon Bonds

The Fund may invest in zero coupon bonds. Zero coupon bonds make no periodic interest payments, but are sold at a deep discount from their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity, market interest rates, and the issuer’s perceived credit quality. The discount, in the absence of financial difficulties of the issuer, typically decreases as the final maturity date approaches. If the issuer defaults, the Fund may not receive any return on its investment. Because interest on these securities is not paid on a current basis, the values of securities of this type are subject to greater fluctuations than are the value of securities that distribute income regularly and may be more speculative than such securities. Accordingly, the values of these securities may be highly volatile as interest rates rise or fall. In addition, while such securities generate income for purposes of generally accepted accounting standards, they do not generate cash flow and thus could cause the Fund to be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to distribute cash, as required by the Code.

 

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MANAGEMENT

The management of the Trust, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund by the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The number of trustees of the Trust is twelve, two of whom are “interested persons” (as the term “interested person” is defined in the 1940 Act) and ten of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as “independent trustees”). None of the independent trustees has ever been a trustee, director or employee of, or consultant to, the Adviser or its affiliates. The names, business addresses and years of birth of the trustees and officers of the Fund, their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each oversees and other directorships they hold are set forth below. The trustees of the Trust are directors or trustees, as the case may be, of 104 Nuveen-sponsored open-end mutual funds (the “Nuveen Mutual Funds”), 75 Nuveen-sponsored closed-end funds and one Nuveen-sponsored exchange-traded fund (collectively with the Nuveen Mutual Funds, the “Nuveen Funds”).

 

Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Independent Trustees:

   

Jack B. Evans

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1948

 

Trustee

  Term—Indefinite* Length of Service—
Since 2003
  President, The Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation (since 1996); Director, The Gazette Company; Life Trustee of Coe College and the Iowa College Foundation; formerly, Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; formerly, President and Chief Operating Officer, SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm; formerly, Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System.   180   Director and Chairman, United Fire Group, a publicly held company; formerly, Director, Alliant Energy.

 

S-26


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

William C. Hunter

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1948

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite* Length of Service—

Since 2004

  Dean Emeritus, formerly, Dean (2006-2012), Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa; Director (since 2005) and past President (2010-2014), Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society; Director of Wellmark, Inc. (since 2009); formerly, Director (1997-2007), Credit Research Center at Georgetown University; formerly, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance, School of Business at the University of Connecticut (2003-2006); previously, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1995-2003).   180   Director (since 2004) of Xerox Corporation.

David J. Kundert

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1942

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service—

Since 2005

  Formerly, Director, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013); retired (since 2004) as Chairman, JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, President and CEO, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and President, One Group Mutual Funds; prior thereto, Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group; Regent Emeritus, Member of Investment Committee, Luther College; Member of the Wisconsin Bar Association; Member of Board of Directors and Chair of Investment Committee, Greater Milwaukee Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible; Member of the Board of Trustees, Milwaukee Repertory Theater.   180   None

 

S-27


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Albin F. Moschner

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1952

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service—

Since 2016

  Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm (since 2012); previously, held positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., including Consultant (2011-2012), Chief Operating Officer (2008-2011) and Chief Marketing Officer (2004-2008); formerly, President, Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. (2000-2003); formerly, President, One Point Services at One Point Communications (1999-2000); formerly, Vice Chairman of the Board, Diba, Incorporated (1996-1997); formerly, various executive positions with Zenith Electronics Corporation (1991-1996).   180   Director, USA Technologies, Inc., a provider of solutions and services to facilitate electronic payment transactions (since 2012); formerly, Director, Wintrust Financial Corporation (1996-2016).

 

S-28


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

John K. Nelson

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1962

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service—

Since 2013

  Member of Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing and communications strategies for clients; Director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies (since 2009) and The President’s Council, Fordham University (since 2010); formerly, senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014); former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Marian University (2010-2014 as trustee, 2011-2014 as Chairman); formerly, Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division (2007-2008); prior senior positions held at ABN AMRO include Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Global Markets—the Americas (2006-2007), CEO of Wholesale Banking—North America and Global Head of Foreign Exchange and Futures Markets (2001-2006), and Regional Commercial Treasurer and Senior Vice President Trading—North America (1996-2001); formerly, Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City.   180   None

 

S-29


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

William J. Schneider

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1944

 

Chairman of the Board and Trustee

  Term—Indefinite* Length of Service—
Since 1996
  Chairman of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company; Board Member of Med-America Health System and of WDPR Public Radio station; formerly, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Group; formerly, Director, Dayton Development Coalition; formerly, Board Member, Business Advisory Council, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank and University of Dayton Business School Advisory Council.   180   None

Judith M. Stockdale

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1947

 

Trustee

  Term—Indefinite* Length of Service—
Since 1997
  Board Member of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since 2013); Board Member of the Land Trust Alliance (since 2013); formerly, Executive Director (1994-2012), Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; prior thereto, Executive Director, Great Lakes Protection Fund (1990-1994).   180   None

Carole E. Stone

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1947

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service—
Since 2007

  Director, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (since 2006); Director, C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated (since 2009); formerly, Commissioner, New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform (2005-2010).   180   Director, CBOE Holdings, Inc. (since 2010).

 

S-30


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Terence J. Toth

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1959

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service—
Since 2008

  Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008); Director, Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010) and Quality Control Corporation (since 2012); formerly, Director, LogicMark LLC (2012-2016); formerly, Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. (2008-2013); formerly, CEO and President, Northern Trust Global Investments (2004-2007); Executive Vice President, Quantitative Management & Securities Lending (2000-2004); prior thereto, various positions with Northern Trust Company (since 1994); Member, Chicago Fellowship Board (since 2005), Catalyst Schools of Chicago Board (since 2008) and Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and Chair of its investment committee; formerly, Member, Northern Trust Mutual Funds Board (2005-2007), Northern Trust Global Investments Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Japan Board (2004-2007), Northern Trust Securities Inc. Board (2003-2007) and Northern Trust Hong Kong Board (1997-2004).   180   None

Margaret L. Wolff

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1955

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service— Since 2016

  Formerly, of Counsel (2005-2014), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Mergers & Acquisitions Group); Member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital (since 2005); Member (since 2004) and Chair (since 2015) of the Board of Trustees of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults); formerly, Member (2005-2015) and Vice Chair (2011-2015) of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Holyoke College.   180   Member of the Board of Directors (since 2013) of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each, a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.).

 

S-31


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

 

Position(s) Held
with Trust

 

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee
 

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past
Five Years

Interested Trustees:

William Adams IV**

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606
1955

 

Trustee

  Term—Indefinite* Length of Service—
Since 2014
  Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products (2010-2016) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC (since 2011); President (since 2011), formerly, Managing Director (2010-2011), of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Board Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gilda’s Club Chicago.   180   None

Margo L. Cook**

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1964

 

Trustee

 

Term—Indefinite*

Length of Service—
Since 2016

  Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President (since March 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016), formerly, Executive Vice President (2011-2015) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015), formerly, Executive Vice President (2013-2015), of Nuveen Securities, LLC; formerly, Managing Director—Investment Services of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC (2011-2016); Chartered Financial Analyst.   180   None

 

*   Each trustee serves an indefinite term until his or her successor is elected.
**   Mr. Adams and Ms. Cook are “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their positions with Nuveen Investments, Inc. (“Nuveen Investments”) and certain of its subsidiaries.

 

S-32


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer

Officers of the Trust:

     

Greg A. Bottjer

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1971

  

Chief Administrative Officer

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since October 2016

   Managing Director (since 2011), formerly, Senior Vice President (2007-2010) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Chartered Financial Analyst.    104

Lorna C. Ferguson*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1945

  

Vice President

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 1998

   Managing Director of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.    181

Stephen D. Foy*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1954

  

Vice President and Controller

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 1997

   Managing Director (since 2014), formerly, Senior Vice President (2013-2014) and Vice President (2005-2013) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Chief Financial Officer (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Managing Director (since 2016) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Certified Public Accountant.    181

Nathaniel T. Jones*

333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
1979

  

Vice President and Treasurer

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2016

   Senior Vice President (since 2016), formerly, Vice President (2011-2016) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Chartered Financial Analyst.    181

Walter M. Kelly*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1970

  

Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2004

   Senior Vice President (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.    181

Tina M. Lazar*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1961

  

Vice President

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2000

   Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc. and Nuveen Securities, LLC.    181

 

S-33


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer

Kevin J. McCarthy*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1966

  

Vice President and Assistant Secretary

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2007

   Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Executive Vice President (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director and Assistant Secretary (since 2008) of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary (2007-2016) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director, Assistant Secretary (2011-2016) and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC; Executive Vice President and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Managing Director (2008-2016) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC; Vice President (since 2007) and Secretary (since March 2016), formerly, Assistant Secretary, of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC, Symphony Asset Management LLC, Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC, Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010) and Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC (since 2016); Vice President (since 2010) and Secretary (since March 2016) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC.    181

Kathleen L. Prudhomme*

901 Marquette Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55402

1953

  

Vice President and Secretary

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2011

   Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC.    181

 

S-34


Name, Business Address

and Year of Birth

  

Position(s) Held
with Trust

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
with Trust

  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Officer
Christopher M. Rohrbacher*
333 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
1971
  

Vice President and Assistant Secretary

   Term—Until August 2017
Length of Service—
Since 2008
   Senior Vice President (since 2011), formerly, Vice President (2008-2011) and Assistant General Counsel (since 2008) of Nuveen Investments Holdings, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since October 2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2010) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC.    181

Joel T. Slager*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1978

  

Vice President and Assistant Secretary

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2013

   Fund Tax Director for Nuveen Funds (since 2013); previously, Vice President of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., Assistant Treasurer of the Morgan Stanley Funds (2010-2013).    181

Jeffery M. Wilson

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1956

  

Vice President

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—Since 2011

   Senior Vice President of Nuveen Investment Holdings, Inc.; formerly, Senior Vice President of Nuveen Securities, LLC (2011-2016).    104

Gifford R. Zimmerman*

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

1956

  

Vice President and Assistant Secretary

  

Term—Until August 2017

Length of Service—
Since 2006

   Managing Director (since 2002) and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Securities, LLC; Managing Director (since 2002), Assistant Secretary (since 1997) and Co-General Counsel (since 2011) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC; Managing Director, Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (since 2011); Managing Director (since 2004) and Assistant Secretary (since 1994) of Nuveen Investments, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Nuveen Investments Advisers, LLC (since 2002); Managing Director and Assistant Secretary of Symphony Asset Management LLC (since 2003); Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Santa Barbara Asset Management, LLC (since 2006) and Winslow Capital Management, LLC (since 2010); Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since 2013), formerly, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (2006-2013) of Nuveen Commodities Asset Management, LLC; Chartered Financial Analyst.    181

 

*   Each officer also serves as an officer of the Diversified Real Asset Income Fund, a closed-end management investment company advised by the Adviser but not overseen by the Board.

 

S-35


Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees (as the case may be, each is referred to hereafter as the “Board” or “Board of Trustees” and the directors or trustees of the Nuveen Funds, as applicable, are each referred to herein as “trustees”) oversees the operations and management of the Nuveen Funds, including the duties performed for the Nuveen Funds by the Adviser. The Board has adopted a unitary board structure. A unitary board consists of one group of directors who serve on the board of every fund in the Nuveen Fund complex. In adopting a unitary board structure, the trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board, the overall composition of which will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, independence and experience to oversee the Nuveen Funds’ business. With this overall framework in mind, when the Board, through its Nominating and Governance Committee discussed below, seeks nominees for the Board, the trustees consider, not only the candidate’s particular background, skills and experience, among other things, but also whether such background, skills and experience enhance the Board’s diversity and at the same time complement the Board given its current composition and the mix of skills and experiences of the incumbent trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes that the Board generally benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy on diversity or any particular definition of diversity.

The Board believes the unitary board structure enhances good and effective governance, particularly given the nature of the structure of the investment company complex. Funds in the same complex generally are served by the same service providers and personnel and are governed by the same regulatory scheme which raises common issues that must be addressed by the directors across the fund complex (such as compliance, valuation, liquidity, brokerage, trade allocation or risk management). The Board believes it is more efficient to have a single board review and oversee common policies and procedures which increases the Board’s knowledge and expertise with respect to the many aspects of fund operations that are complex-wide in nature. The unitary structure also enhances the Board’s influence and oversight over the investment adviser and other service providers.

In an effort to enhance the independence of the Board, the Board also has a Chairman that is an independent trustee. The Board recognizes that a chairman can perform an important role in setting the agenda for the Board, establishing the boardroom culture, establishing a point person on behalf of the Board for fund management, and reinforcing the Board’s focus on the long-term interests of shareholders. The Board recognizes that a chairman may be able to better perform these functions without any conflicts of interests arising from a position with fund management. Accordingly, the trustees have elected William J. Schneider to serve as the independent Chairman of the Board. Specific responsibilities of the Chairman include: (i) presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the shareholders; (ii) seeing that all orders and resolutions of the trustees are carried into effect; and (iii) maintaining records of and, whenever necessary, certifying all proceedings of the trustees and the shareholders.

Although the Board has direct responsibility over various matters (such as advisory contracts, underwriting contracts and fund performance), the Board also exercises certain of its oversight responsibilities through several committees that it has established and which report back to the full Board. The Board believes that a committee structure is an effective means to permit trustees to focus on particular operations or issues affecting the Nuveen Funds, including risk oversight. More specifically, with respect to risk oversight, the Board has delegated matters relating to valuation and compliance to certain committees (as summarized below) as well as certain aspects of investment risk. In addition, the Board believes that the periodic rotation of trustees among the different committees allows the trustees to gain additional and different perspectives of a Nuveen Fund’s operations. The Board has established six standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Audit Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee. The Board may also from time to time create ad hoc committees to focus on particular issues as the need arises. The membership and functions of the standing committees are summarized below.

 

S-36


The Executive Committee, which meets between regular meetings of the Board, is authorized to exercise all of the powers of the Board. The members of the Executive Committee are William Adams IV, William J. Schneider, Chair, and Terence J. Toth. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, the Executive Committee did not meet.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the accounting and reporting policies, processes and practices of the Nuveen Funds, and the audits of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the quality and integrity of the financial statements of the Nuveen Funds; the Nuveen Funds’ compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Nuveen Funds’ financial statements; the independent auditors’ qualifications, performance and independence; and the pricing procedures of the Nuveen Funds and the Adviser’s internal valuation group. It is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to select, evaluate and replace any independent auditors (subject only to Board and, if applicable, shareholder ratification) and to determine their compensation. The Audit Committee is also responsible for, among other things, overseeing the valuation of securities comprising the Nuveen Funds’ portfolios. Subject to the Board’s general supervision of such actions, the Audit Committee addresses any valuation issues, oversees the Nuveen Funds’ pricing procedures and actions taken by the Adviser’s internal valuation group which provides regular reports to the committee, reviews any issues relating to the valuation of the Nuveen Funds’ securities brought to its attention and considers the risks to the Nuveen Funds in assessing the possible resolutions to these matters. The Audit Committee may also consider any financial risk exposures for the Nuveen Funds in conjunction with performing its functions.

To fulfill its oversight duties, the Audit Committee receives annual and semi-annual reports and has regular meetings with the external auditors for the Nuveen Funds and the Adviser’s internal audit group. The Audit Committee also may review in a general manner the processes the Board or other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management as well as compliance with legal and regulatory matters relating to the Nuveen Funds’ financial statements. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. Members of the Audit Committee shall be independent (as set forth in the charter) and free of any relationship that, in the opinion of the trustees, would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as an Audit Committee member. The members of the Audit Committee are Jack B. Evans, Chair, David J. Kundert, John K. Nelson, Carole E. Stone and Terence J. Toth, each of whom is an independent trustee of the Nuveen Funds. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, the Audit Committee met four times.

The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking, identifying and recommending to the Board qualified candidates for election or appointment to the Board. In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee oversees matters of corporate governance, including the evaluation of Board performance and processes, the assignment and rotation of committee members, and the establishment of corporate governance guidelines and procedures, to the extent necessary or desirable, and matters related thereto. Although the unitary and committee structure has been developed over the years and the Nominating and Governance Committee believes the structure has provided efficient and effective governance, the committee recognizes that as demands on the Board evolve over time (such as through an increase in the number of funds overseen or an increase in the complexity of the issues raised), the committee must continue to evaluate the Board and committee structures and their processes and modify the foregoing as may be necessary or appropriate to continue to provide effective governance. Accordingly, the Nominating and Governance Committee has a separate meeting each year to, among other things, review the Board and committee structures, their performance and functions, and recommend any modifications thereto or alternative structures or processes that would enhance the Board’s governance of the Nuveen Funds.

In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee, among other things, makes recommendations concerning the continuing education of trustees; monitors performance of legal counsel and other service providers; establishes and monitors a process by which security holders are able to communicate in writing with members of the Board; and periodically reviews and makes recommendations about any appropriate changes to trustee compensation. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee receives suggestions from various sources,

 

S-37


including shareholders, as to suitable candidates. Suggestions should be sent in writing to Lorna Ferguson, Manager of Fund Board Relations, Nuveen Investments, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. The Nominating and Governance Committee sets appropriate standards and requirements for nominations for new trustees and reserves the right to interview any and all candidates and to make the final selection of any new trustees. In considering a candidate’s qualifications, each candidate must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability (including the time requirements for due diligence site visits to sub-advisers and service providers) and, if qualifying as an independent trustee candidate, independence from the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. These skill and experience requirements may vary depending on the current composition of the Board, since the goal is to ensure an appropriate range of skills, diversity and experience, in the aggregate. Accordingly, the particular factors considered and weight given to these factors will depend on the composition of the Board and the skills and backgrounds of the incumbent trustees at the time of consideration of the nominees. All candidates, however, must meet high expectations of personal integrity, independence, governance experience and professional competence. All candidates must be willing to be critical within the Board and with management and yet maintain a collegial and collaborative manner toward other Board members. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. This committee is composed of the independent trustees of the Nuveen Funds. Accordingly, the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Jack B. Evans, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, William J. Schneider, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale, Carole E. Stone, Terence J. Toth and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, the Nominating and Governance Committee met six times.

The Dividend Committee is authorized to declare distributions on the Nuveen Funds’ shares, including, but not limited to, regular and special dividends, capital gains and ordinary income distributions. The members of the Dividend Committee are William C. Hunter, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and Terence J. Toth. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, the Dividend Committee met four times.

The Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee (the “Compliance Committee”) is responsible for the oversight of compliance issues, risk management and other regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds that are not otherwise the jurisdiction of the other committees. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Nuveen Funds’ compliance and risk matters. As part of its duties, the Compliance Committee reviews the policies and procedures relating to compliance matters and recommends modifications thereto as necessary or appropriate to the full Board; develops new policies and procedures as new regulatory matters affecting the Nuveen Funds arise from time to time; evaluates or considers any comments or reports from examinations from regulatory authorities and responses thereto; and performs any special reviews, investigations or other oversight responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or regulatory matters as requested by the Board.

In addition, the Compliance Committee is responsible for risk oversight, including, but not limited to, the oversight of risks related to investments and operations. Such risks include, among other things, exposures to particular issuers, market sectors, or types of securities; risks related to product structure elements, such as leverage; and techniques that may be used to address those risks, such as hedging and swaps. In assessing issues brought to the committee’s attention or in reviewing a particular policy, procedure, investment technique or strategy, the Compliance Committee evaluates the risks to the Nuveen Funds in adopting a particular approach compared to the anticipated benefits to the Nuveen Funds and their shareholders. In fulfilling its obligations, the Compliance Committee meets on a quarterly basis, and at least once a year in person. The Compliance Committee receives written and oral reports from the Nuveen Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and meets privately with the CCO at each of its quarterly meetings. The CCO also provides an annual report to the full Board regarding the operations of the Nuveen Funds’ and other service providers’ compliance programs as well as any recommendations for modifications thereto. The Compliance Committee also receives reports from the Adviser’s investment services group regarding various investment risks. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board also participates in discussions with management regarding certain matters relating to investment risk, such as the use of leverage and hedging. The investment services group therefore also reports to the full Board at its quarterly meetings regarding,

 

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among other things, fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. Accordingly, the Board directly and/or in conjunction with the Compliance Committee oversees matters relating to investment risks. Matters not addressed at the committee level are addressed directly by the full Board. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Compliance Committee are William C. Hunter, Albin F. Moschner, John K. Nelson, Chair, Judith M. Stockdale and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, the Compliance Committee met six times.

The Open-End Funds Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight and monitoring of the Nuveen Funds that are registered as open-end management investment companies (“Open-End Funds”). The committee may review and evaluate matters related to the formation and the initial presentation to the Board of any new Open-End Fund and may review and evaluate any matters relating to any existing Open-End Fund. The committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board. The members of the Open-End Funds Committee are Margo L. Cook, William C. Hunter, David J. Kundert, William J. Schneider, Judith M. Stockdale, Chair, and Margaret L. Wolff. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, the Open-End Funds Committee met four times.

Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications

In determining that a particular trustee was qualified to serve on the Board, the Board has considered each trustee’s background, skills, experience and other attributes in light of the composition of the Board with no particular factor controlling. The Board believes that trustees need to have the ability to critically review, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, and to interact effectively with Fund management, service providers and counsel, in order to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, and the Board believes each trustee satisfies this standard. An effective trustee may achieve this ability through his or her educational background; business, professional training or practice; public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board member or executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. Accordingly, set forth below is a summary of the experiences, qualifications, attributes, and skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this document, that each trustee should continue to serve in that capacity. References to the experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills of trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any trustee as having any special expertise or experience and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.

William Adams IV

Mr. Adams has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which he had been Senior Executive Vice President, Global Structured Products of Nuveen Investments since November 2010. Mr. Adams is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TIAA Global Asset Management (“TGAM”), as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investment’s Management and Operating Committees. Mr. Adams has also served as Co-President of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC since January 2011. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, U.S. Structured Products from December 1999 until November 2010 and served as Managing Director of Structured Investments from September 1997 to December 1999 and Vice President and Manager, Corporate Marketing from August 1994 to September 1997. He is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Mr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and his Masters of Business Administration (“MBA”) from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. He is an Associate Fellow of Yale’s Timothy Dwight College and is currently on the Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of Gilda’s Club Chicago.

Margo L. Cook

Ms. Cook has been Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Nuveen Investments since March 2016, prior to which she had been Senior Executive Vice President of Nuveen Investments since July 2015. Ms. Cook is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of TGAM, as well as co-chair of Nuveen Investment’s Management and Operating Committees. She is Co-President (since October 2016), formerly, Senior Executive Vice President (2015-2016) of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and

 

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Co-Chief Executive Officer (since 2015) of Nuveen Securities, LLC. Since joining in 2008, she has held various leadership roles at Nuveen Investments, including as Head of Investment Services, responsible for investment-related efforts across the firm. Ms. Cook also serves on the Board of Nuveen Global Fund Investors. Before joining Nuveen Investments, she was the Global Head of Bear Stearns Asset Management’s institutional business. Prior to that, she spent over 20 years within BNY Mellon’s asset management business; including as Chief Investment Officer for Institutional Asset Management and Head of Institutional Fixed Income. Ms. Cook earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Rhode Island, her Executive MBA from Columbia University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She serves as Vice Chair of The University of Rhode Island Foundation Board of Trustees and Chair of the All Stars Project of Chicago Board.

Jack B. Evans

President of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, a private philanthropic corporation, since 1996, Mr. Evans was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of the SCI Financial Group, Inc., a regional financial services firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Formerly, he was a member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a Director of Alliant Energy and Member and President Pro Tem of the Board of Regents for the State of Iowa University System. Mr. Evans is Chairman of the Board of United Fire Group, sits on the Board of The Gazette Company and is a Life Trustee of Coe College. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coe College and an MBA from the University of Iowa.

William C. Hunter

Mr. Hunter became Dean Emeritus of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on June 30, 2012. He was appointed Dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa on July 1, 2006. He had been Dean and Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of Connecticut School of Business since June 2003. From 1995 to 2003, he was the Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. While there he served as the Bank’s Chief Economist and was an Associate Economist on the Federal Reserve System’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). In addition to serving as a Vice President in charge of financial markets and basic research at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, he held faculty positions at Emory University, Atlanta University, the University of Georgia and Northwestern University. A past Director of the Credit Research Center at Georgetown University, SS&C Technologies, Inc. (2005) and past President of the Financial Management Association International, he has consulted with numerous foreign central banks and official agencies in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America and South America. From 1990 to 1995, he was a U.S. Treasury Advisor to Central and Eastern Europe. He has been a Director of the Xerox Corporation since 2004 and Wellmark, Inc. since 2009. He currently is a Director and past President of Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc., The International Business Honor Society.

David J. Kundert

Mr. Kundert retired in 2004 as Chairman of JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management, and as President and CEO of Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, and as President of One Group Mutual Funds. Prior to the merger between Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase and Co., he was Executive Vice President, Bank One Corporation and, since 1995, the Chairman and CEO, Banc One Investment Management Group. From 1988 to 1992, he was President and CEO of Bank One Wisconsin Trust Company. Mr. Kundert recently retired as a Director of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2006-2013). He started his career as an attorney for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Kundert has served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and he is currently a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association. He is on the Board of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and chairs its Investment Committee. He is a Regent Emeritus and a Member of the Investment Committee of Luther College. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors (Milwaukee), College Possible and on the Board of Trustees of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater (since 2016). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College, and his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University.

 

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Albin F. Moschner

Mr. Moschner is a consultant in the wireless industry and, in July 2012, founded Northcroft Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm that provides operational, management and governance solutions. Prior to founding Northcroft Partners, LLC, Mr. Moschner held various positions at Leap Wireless International, Inc., a provider of wireless services, where he was as a consultant from February 2011 to July 2012, Chief Operating Officer from July 2008 to February 2011, and Chief Marketing Officer from August 2004 to June 2008. Before he joined Leap Wireless International, Inc., Mr. Moschner was President of the Verizon Card Services division of Verizon Communications, Inc. from 2000 to 2003, and President of One Point Services at One Point Communications from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Moschner also served at Zenith Electronics Corporation as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995 to 1996, and as Director, President and Chief Operating Officer from 1994 to 1995. Since 2012, Mr. Moschner has been a member of the Board of Directors of USA Technologies, Inc. and, from 1996 until 2016, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation. In addition, he currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Kellogg School of Management (since 1995) and the Archdiocese of Chicago Financial Council (since May 2012). Mr. Moschner received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York in 1974 and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University in 1979.

John K. Nelson

Mr. Nelson is on the Board of Directors of Core12 LLC (since 2008), a private firm which develops branding, marketing, and communications strategies for clients. Mr. Nelson formerly was a senior external advisor to the financial services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2014). He has served in several senior executive positions with ABN AMRO Holdings N.V. and its affiliated entities and predecessors, including LaSalle Bank Corporation from 1996 to 2008. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Nelson was Chief Executive Officer of ABN AMRO N.V. North America, and Global Head of its Financial Markets Division. He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, and during his tenure with ABN AMRO, served as the bank’s representative on various committees of the Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, and the Bank of England. At Fordham University, he currently serves as a director of The Curran Center for Catholic American Studies, and The President’s Council. He is also a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and was formerly a member of The Hyde Park Angels and a Trustee at St. Edmund Preparatory School in New York City. He formerly served as the Chairman of The Board of Trustees of Marian University (2011-2014). Mr. Nelson graduated and received his MBA from Fordham University.

William J. Schneider

Mr. Schneider, the Nuveen Funds’ Independent Chairman, is currently Chairman, formerly Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer (retired, 2004) of Miller-Valentine Partners, a real estate investment company. He is an owner in several other Miller-Valentine Group entities. He is currently a member of the boards of WDPR Public radio station and of Med-America Health System. He was formerly a Director and Past Chair of the Dayton Development Coalition. He was formerly a member of the Community Advisory Board of the National City Bank in Dayton as well as a former member of the Business Advisory Council of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Schneider was also a member of the Business Advisory Council for the University of Dayton College of Business. He also served as Chair of the Miami Valley Hospital and as Chair of the Finance Committee of its parent holding company. Mr. Schneider was an independent Trustee of the Flagship Funds, a group of municipal open-end funds. Mr. Schneider has a Bachelor of Science in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Dayton.

Judith M. Stockdale

Ms. Stockdale retired in 2012 as Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a private foundation working in land conservation and artistic vitality in the Chicago region and the Low country of South Carolina. She is currently a board member of the Land Trust Alliance (since June 2013) and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (since November 2013). Her previous positions include Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Executive Director of Openlands, and Senior Staff Associate at the Chicago Community Trust. She has

 

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served on the Advisory Council of the National Zoological Park, the Governor’s Science Advisory Council (Illinois) and the Nancy Ryerson Ranney Leadership Grants Program. She has served on the Boards of Brushwood Center and the Donors Forum. Ms. Stockdale, a native of the United Kingdom, has a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Durham (UK) and a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale University.

Carole E. Stone

Ms. Stone is currently on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Holdings, Inc. and C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated. Ms. Stone retired from the New York State Division of the Budget in 2004, having served as its Director for nearly five years and as Deputy Director from 1995 through 1999. She has also served as the Chair of the New York Racing Association Oversight Board, as a Commissioner on the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform and as a member of the Boards of Directors of several New York State public authorities. Ms. Stone has a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College in Business Administration.

Terence J. Toth

Mr. Toth is a Managing Partner, Promus Capital (since 2008). From 2008 to 2013, he was a Director, Legal & General Investment Management America, Inc. From 2004 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of Northern Trust Global Investments, and Executive Vice President of Quantitative Management & Securities Lending from 2000 to 2004. He also formerly served on the Board of the Northern Trust Mutual Funds. He joined Northern Trust in 1994 after serving as Managing Director and Head of Global Securities Lending at Bankers Trust (1986 to 1994) and Head of Government Trading and Cash Collateral Investment at Northern Trust from 1982 to 1986. He currently serves on the Boards of Chicago Fellowship (since 2005), Fulcrum IT Service LLC (since 2010), Quality Control Corporation (since 2012) and Catalyst Schools of Chicago (since 2008). He is on the Mather Foundation Board (since 2012) and is Chair of its investment committee and previously served as a Director of LogicMark LLC (2012-2016). Mr. Toth graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, and received his MBA from New York University. In 2005, he graduated from the CEO Perspectives Program at Northwestern University.

Margaret L. Wolff

Ms. Wolff retired from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2014 after more than 30 years of providing client service in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. During her legal career, Ms. Wolff devoted significant time to advising boards and senior management on U.S. and international corporate, securities, regulatory and strategic matters, including governance, shareholder, fiduciary, operational and management issues. Since 2013, she has been a Board member of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (each of which is a part of Travelers Canada, the Canadian operation of The Travelers Companies, Inc.). Ms. Wolff has been a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2005 and, since 2004, she has served as a trustee of The John A. Hartford Foundation (a philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults) where she currently is the Chair. From 2005 to 2015, she was a trustee of Mt. Holyoke College and served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2011 to 2015. Ms. Wolff received her Bachelor of Arts from Mt. Holyoke College and her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Board Compensation

The following table shows, for each independent trustee, (1) the estimated aggregate compensation to be paid by the Fund for the fiscal period ended February 28, 2017, and (2) the total compensation paid to each trustee by the Nuveen Funds during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016.

 

Name of Trustee

   Estimated
Aggregate
Compensation
From Fund1
     Total Compensation
From Nuveen Funds

Paid to Trustee2
 
Jack B. Evans    $ 52       $ 333,580   
William C. Hunter      43         324,750   
David J. Kundert      51         285,559   
Albin F. Moschner3      39           

 

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Name of Trustee

   Estimated
Aggregate
Compensation
From Fund1
     Total Compensation
From Nuveen Funds

Paid to Trustee2
 
John K. Nelson    $ 54       $ 321,750   
William J. Schneider      58         322,625   
Judith M. Stockdale      43         297,114   
Carole E. Stone      52         314,472   
Terence J. Toth      51         327,903   
Margaret L. Wolff4      45           

 

1   

The estimated compensation to be paid to the independent trustees for the fiscal period ended February 28, 2017, for services to the Fund. Pursuant to the Board’s deferred compensation plan, a portion of the independent trustees’ compensation may be treated as though an equivalent dollar amount has been invested in shares of one or more eligible Nuveen Funds.

 

2   

Based on the compensation paid (including any amounts deferred) to the trustees for the one-year period ended February 29, 2016, for services to the Nuveen Funds.

 

3   

Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016.

 

4   

Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016.

Prior to January 1, 2016, independent trustees received a $160,000 annual retainer plus (a) a fee of $5,250 per day for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance was not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acted as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required; provided that no fees were received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings were held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board received $75,000, the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee received $12,500 each and the chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee received $5,000 as additional retainers. Independent trustees also received a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provided services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting was held. When ad hoc committees were organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee at the time of formation determined compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees were $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance was required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance was not required. The annual

 

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retainer, fees and expenses were allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management might have, in its discretion, established a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.

Effective January 1, 2016, independent trustees receive a $170,000 annual retainer plus they receive (a) a fee of $5,500 per day for attendance in person or by telephone at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board; (b) a fee of $3,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at special, non-regularly scheduled Board meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (c) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Audit Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (d) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; (e) a fee of $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Dividend Committee meetings; (f) a fee of $500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at all other committee meetings ($1,000 for shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is required and $250 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such committee meetings (excluding shareholder meetings) where in-person attendance is not required, and $100 per meeting when the Executive Committee acts as pricing committee for IPOs, plus, in each case, expenses incurred in attending such meetings, provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held; and (g) a fee of $2,500 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at Open-End Funds Committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $2,000 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required; provided that no fees are received for meetings held on days on which regularly scheduled Board meetings are held. In addition to the payments described above, the Chairman of the Board receives $80,000, and the chairpersons of the Audit Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Compliance, Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Open-End Funds Committee receive $12,500 each as additional retainers. Independent trustees also receive a fee of $3,000 per day for site visits to entities that provide services to the Nuveen Funds on days on which no Board meeting is held. When ad hoc committees are organized, the Nominating and Governance Committee will at the time of formation determine compensation to be paid to the members of such committee; however, in general, such fees will be $1,000 per meeting for attendance in person or by telephone at ad hoc committee meetings where in-person attendance is required and $500 per meeting for attendance by telephone or in person at such meetings where in-person attendance is not required. The annual retainer, fees and expenses are allocated among the Nuveen Funds on the basis of relative net assets, although management may, in its discretion, establish a minimum amount to be allocated to each fund.

The Trust does not have a retirement or pension plan. The Trust has a deferred compensation plan (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”) that permits any independent trustee to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her compensation as an independent trustee. The deferred compensation of a participating trustee is credited to a book reserve account of the Trust when the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the trustee. The value of the trustee’s deferral account at any time is equal to the value that the account would have had if contributions to the account had been invested and reinvested in shares of one or more of the eligible Nuveen Funds. At the time for commencing distributions from a trustee’s deferral account, the independent trustee may elect to receive distributions in a lump sum or over a period of five years. The Trust will not be liable for any other fund’s obligations to make distributions under the Deferred Compensation Plan.

The Fund has no employees. The officers of the Trust and the trustees of the Trust who are not independent trustees serve without any compensation from the Fund.

Share Ownership

The information in the table below discloses the dollar ranges of (i) each trustee’s beneficial ownership in the Fund, and (ii) each trustee’s aggregate beneficial ownership in all funds within the

 

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Nuveen Funds complex, including in each case the value of fund shares elected by the trustee in the trustees’ deferred compensation plan, based on the value of fund shares as of December 31, 2015:

 

Name of Trustee

       
    
    
    

Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
in the Fund
   Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity
Securities in All
Registered
Investment
Companies
Overseen by
Trustee in
Family
of Investment
Companies

William Adams IV

   $0    Over $100,000

Margo L. Cook1

   $0    Over $100,000

Jack B. Evans

   $0    Over $100,000

William C. Hunter

   $0    Over $100,000

David J. Kundert

   $0    Over $100,000

Albin F. Moschner2

   $0    $0

John K. Nelson

   $0    Over $100,000

William J. Schneider

   $0    Over $100,000

Judith M. Stockdale

   $0    Over $100,000

Carole E. Stone

   $0    Over $100,000

Terence J. Toth

   $0    Over $100,000

Margaret L. Wolff3

   $0    $0

 

1   

Ms. Cook was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016.

 

2   

Mr. Moschner was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective July 1, 2016.

 

3   

Ms. Wolff was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Nuveen Funds effective February 15, 2016.

As of October 19, 2016, the officers and trustees of the Trust, in the aggregate, owned no shares of the Fund.

As of October 19, 2016, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned, beneficially, or of record, any securities in (i) an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or (ii) a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund.

Sales Loads

Trustees of the Trust and certain other Fund affiliates may purchase the Fund’s Class I shares. See the Fund’s Prospectus for details.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Investment Adviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the investment adviser of the Fund, with responsibility for the overall management of the Fund. The Adviser is also responsible for managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing day-to-day administrative services to the Fund. The Adviser has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, to serve as sub-adviser to manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. For additional information regarding the management services performed by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, see “Who Manages the Fund” in the Prospectus.

The Adviser is an affiliate of the Distributor, which is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Distributor is the principal underwriter for the Nuveen Mutual Funds, and has served as co-managing underwriter for the shares of the Nuveen Closed-End Funds. The Adviser and the Distributor are subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments.

Nuveen Investments is an operating division of TIAA Global Asset Management, the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”).

 

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For the management services and facilities furnished by the Adviser, the Fund has agreed to pay an annual management fee at a rate set forth in the Prospectus under “Who Manages the Fund.”

The Fund’s management fee is divided into two components—a complex-level fee based on the aggregate amount of all eligible Nuveen Fund assets and a specific fund-level fee based only on the amount of assets within the Fund. This pricing structure enables Fund shareholders to benefit from growth in the assets within the Fund as well as from growth in the amount of complex-wide assets managed by the Adviser. Under no circumstances will this pricing structure result in the Fund paying management fees at a rate higher than would otherwise have been applicable had the complex-wide management fee structure not been implemented.

The Fund has agreed to pay an annual fund-level management fee, payable monthly, based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund as set forth in the Prospectus.

The Fund’s complex-level fee is payable monthly and is additive to the fund-level fee. The overall complex-level fee rate is based on the schedule below. The Fund pays the overall complex-level fee rate. The current overall complex-level fee schedule is as follows:

 

Complex-Level Asset
Breakpoint Level*

   Effective Rate at
Breakpoint Level
 

$55 billion

     0.2000

$56 billion

     0.1996

$57 billion

     0.1989

$60 billion

     0.1961

$63 billion

     0.1931

$66 billion

     0.1900

$71 billion

     0.1851

$76 billion

     0.1806

$80 billion

     0.1773

$91 billion

     0.1691

$125 billion

     0.1599

$200 billion

     0.1505

$250 billion

     0.1469

$300 billion

     0.1445

 

*   The complex-level fee is calculated based upon the aggregate daily “eligible assets” of all Nuveen Funds. Except as described below, eligible assets include the net assets of all Nuveen-branded closed-end and open-end registered investment companies organized in the United States. Eligible assets do not include assets attributable to investments in other Nuveen Funds or assets in excess of a determined amount (originally $2 billion) added to the Nuveen Fund complex in connection with Nuveen Fund Advisors’ assumption of the management of the former First American Funds effective January 1, 2011. Eligible assets include closed-end fund assets managed by the Adviser that are attributable to financial leverage. For these purposes, financial leverage includes the closed-end funds’ use of preferred stock and borrowings and certain investments in the residual interest certificates (also called inverse floating rate securities) in tender option bond (TOB) trusts, including the portion of assets held by a TOB trust that has been effectively financed by the trust’s issuance of floating rate securities, subject to an agreement by the Adviser as to certain funds to limit the amount of such assets for determining eligible assets in certain circumstances. As of June 30, 2016, the Fund’s effective complex-level fee rate would have been 0.1614%.

In addition to the Adviser’s management fee, the Fund also pays a portion of the Trust’s general administrative expenses allocated in proportion to the net assets of the Fund. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors.

Sub-Adviser

The Adviser has selected its affiliate, Nuveen Asset Management, to serve as sub-adviser to manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. The Adviser pays Nuveen Asset Management a portfolio management fee out of the advisory fee paid to the Adviser for its services to the Fund.

 

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Portfolio Manager

Scott R. Romans, CFA, has primary responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the investment strategies of the Fund.

Compensation

Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of base pay, an annual cash bonus and long-term incentive payments.

Base pay. Base pay is determined based upon an analysis of the portfolio manager’s general performance, experience, and market levels of base pay for such position.

Annual cash bonus. The Fund’s portfolio manager is eligible for an annual cash bonus based on investment performance, qualitative evaluation and financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management.

A portion of the portfolio manager’s annual cash bonus is based on the Fund’s pre-tax investment performance, generally measured over the past one- and three- or five-year periods unless the portfolio manager’s tenure is shorter. Investment performance for the Fund generally is determined by evaluating the Fund’s performance relative to its benchmark(s) and/or Lipper industry peer group.

A portion of the cash bonus is based on a qualitative evaluation made by the portfolio manager’s supervisor taking into consideration a number of factors, including the portfolio manager’s team collaboration, expense management, support of personnel responsible for asset growth, and his or her compliance with Nuveen Asset Management’s policies and procedures.

The final factor influencing the portfolio manager’s cash bonus is the financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management based on its operating earnings.

Long-term incentive compensation. Certain key employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, including certain portfolio managers, participate in a Long-Term Performance Plan designed to provide compensation opportunities that links a portion of each participant’s compensation to Nuveen Investments’ financial and operational performance. In addition, certain key employees of Nuveen Asset Management, including certain portfolio managers, have received profits interests in Nuveen Asset Management which entitle their holders to participate in the firm’s growth over time.

There are generally no differences between the methods used to determine compensation with respect to the Fund and the Other Accounts shown in the table below.

Other Accounts Managed

In addition to the Fund, as of September 30, 2016, the portfolio manager was also primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the following accounts:

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Type of Account Managed

  Number of
Accounts
    Assets     Number of
Accounts with
Performance-
Based Fees
    Assets of
Accounts with
Performance-
Based Fees
 

Scott R. Romans

  Registered Investment Companies     14      $ 10.4 billion        0        0   
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles     0        0        0        0   
  Other Accounts     2        2.2 million        0        0   

Conflicts of Interest

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented a number of potential conflicts, including, among others, those discussed below.

The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most accounts managed by a portfolio manager in a particular investment strategy are managed using the same investment models.

 

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If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, Nuveen Asset Management has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts.

With respect to many of its clients’ accounts, Nuveen Asset Management determines which broker to use to execute transaction orders, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, Nuveen Asset Management may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, Nuveen Asset Management may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for the Fund and other accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other accounts.

Some clients are subject to different regulations. As a consequence of this difference in regulatory requirements, some clients may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions or to engage in these transactions to the same extent as the other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where Nuveen Asset Management has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.

Nuveen Asset Management has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

Beneficial Ownership of Securities

As of October 19, 2016, the portfolio manager does not beneficially own any shares of the Fund.

Transfer Agent

The Fund’s transfer, shareholder services, and dividend paying agent is Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. (“BFDS”), P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530.

Custodian

The custodian of the assets of the Fund is State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. The custodian performs custodial, fund accounting and portfolio accounting services.

Distributor

Nuveen Securities, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the distributor for the Fund’s shares pursuant to a “best efforts” arrangement as provided by a Distribution Agreement dated February 1, 1997 (the “Distribution Agreement”). Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Fund appointed the Distributor to be its agent for the distribution of the Fund’s shares on a continuous offering basis.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

KPMG LLP, 200 East Randolph Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601, independent registered public accounting firm, has been selected as auditors for the Trust.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Fund, the Adviser, Nuveen Asset Management and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and with respect to the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Acts of 1940, as amended, addressing personal securities transactions and other conduct by investment personnel and access persons who may have access to information about the Fund’s securities transactions. The codes are intended to address potential

 

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conflicts of interest that can arise in connection with personal trading activities of such persons. Persons subject to the codes are generally permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including investing in securities eligible for investment by the Fund, subject to certain prohibitions, which may include prohibitions on investing in certain types of securities, pre-clearance requirements, blackout periods, annual and quarterly reporting of personal securities holdings and limitations on personal trading of initial public offerings. Violations of the codes are subject to review by the Board of Trustees and could result in severe penalties.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

The Fund invests its assets primarily in municipal bonds and cash management securities. On rare occasions the Fund may acquire, directly or through a special purpose vehicle, equity securities of a municipal bond issuer whose bonds the Fund already owns when such bonds have deteriorated or are expected shortly to deteriorate significantly in credit quality. The purpose of acquiring equity securities generally will be to acquire control of the municipal bond issuer and to seek to prevent the credit deterioration or facilitate the liquidation or other workout of the distressed issuer’s credit problem. In the course of exercising control of a distressed municipal issuer, Nuveen Asset Management may pursue the Fund’s interests in a variety of ways, which may entail negotiating and executing consents, agreements and other arrangements, and otherwise influencing the management of the issuer. Nuveen Asset Management does not consider such activities proxy voting for purposes of Rule 206(4)-6 under the 1940 Act, but nevertheless provides reports to the Fund’s Board of Trustees on its control activities on a quarterly basis.

In the rare event that a municipal issuer were to issue a proxy or that the Fund were to receive a proxy issued by a cash management security, Nuveen Asset Management would either engage an independent third party to determine how the proxy should be voted or vote the proxy with the consent, or based on the instructions, of the Fund’s Board of Trustees or its representative. A member of Nuveen Asset Management’s legal department would oversee the administration of the voting, and ensure that records were maintained in accordance with Rule 206(4)-6, reports were filed with the SEC on Form N-PX, and the results provided to the Fund’s Board of Trustees and made available to shareholders as required by applicable rules.

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent period ended June 30 will be available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787 or by accessing the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Nuveen Asset Management is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund, the negotiation of the prices to be paid or received for principal trades, and the allocation of its transactions among various dealer firms. Portfolio securities will normally be purchased directly from an underwriter in a new issue offering or in the over-the-counter secondary market from the principal dealers in such securities, unless it appears that a better price or execution may be obtained elsewhere.

On behalf of the Fund, the Sub-Adviser may seek to buy from or sell securities to another fund or account advised by the Sub-Adviser or an affiliate. The Sub-Adviser may effect purchases and sales between its clients or clients of its affiliates, including the Fund (referred to herein as “cross trades”), if it believes that such transactions are appropriate based on each party’s investment objectives and guidelines, subject to applicable law and regulation. Cross trades may give rise to potential conflicts of interest for the Sub-Adviser. On any occasion when the Fund participates in a cross trade, the Fund will comply with procedures adopted pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act and applicable SEC guidance.

The Fund expects that substantially all portfolio transactions will be effected on a principal (as opposed to an agency) basis and, accordingly, do not expect to pay significant amounts of brokerage commissions. Brokerage will not be allocated based on the sale of the Fund’s shares. Purchases from underwriters will include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and

 

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purchases from dealers will include the spread between the bid and asked price. It is the policy of Nuveen Asset Management to seek the best execution under the circumstances of each trade. Nuveen Asset Management evaluates price as the primary consideration, with the financial condition, reputation and responsiveness of the dealer considered secondarily in determining best execution. Given the best execution obtainable, it may be Nuveen Asset Management’s practice to select dealers that, in addition, furnish research information (primarily credit analyses of issuers and general economic reports) and statistical and other services to Nuveen Asset Management. It is not possible to place a dollar value on information and statistical and other services received from dealers. Since it is only supplementary to Nuveen Asset Management’s own research efforts, the receipt of research information is not expected to reduce significantly Nuveen Asset Management’s expenses. For certain secondary market transactions where the execution capability of two brokers is judged to be of substantially similar quality, Nuveen Asset Management may randomly select one of them. While Nuveen Asset Management will be primarily responsible for the placement of the portfolio transactions of the Fund, the policies and practices of Nuveen Asset Management in this regard must be consistent with the foregoing and will, at all times, be subject to review by the Board of Trustees.

Nuveen Asset Management may manage other investment companies and investment accounts for other clients that have investment objectives similar to the Fund. Subject to applicable laws and regulations, Nuveen Asset Management seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by the Fund and another advisory account. In making such allocations the main factors to be considered will be the respective investment objectives, the relative size of the portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment or need to raise cash, and the size of investment commitments generally held. While this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities (or, in the case of dispositions, the demand for securities) available to the Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the Board of Trustees that the benefits available from the Nuveen Asset Management organization will outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted a portfolio holdings disclosure policy which governs the dissemination of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. In accordance with this policy, the Fund may provide portfolio holdings information to third parties no earlier than the time a report is filed with the SEC that is required to contain such information or one day after the information is posted on the Fund’s publicly accessible website, www.nuveen.com. The portfolio holdings information is posted monthly approximately five business days after the end of the month as of which the information is current. Additionally, the Fund publishes on the website a list of its top ten holdings as of the end of each month, approximately two to five business days after the end of the month for which the information is current. This information will remain available on the website at least until the Fund files with the SEC its Form N-CSR or Form N-Q for the period that includes the date as of which the website information is current.

Additionally, the Fund may disclose portfolio holdings information that has not been included in a filing with the SEC or posted on the Fund’s website (i.e., non-public portfolio holdings information) only if there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so and if the recipient is required, either by explicit agreement or by virtue of the recipient’s duties to the Fund as an agent or service provider, to maintain the confidentiality of the information and to not use the information in an improper manner (e.g., personal trading). In this connection, the Fund may disclose on an ongoing basis non-public portfolio holdings information in the normal course of its investment and administrative operations to various service providers, including the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, independent registered public accounting firm, custodian, financial printer, proxy voting service(s), and to the legal counsel for the Fund’s independent trustees. Also, the Adviser may transmit to service providers non-public portfolio holdings information to enable the Adviser to perform portfolio attribution analysis using third-party systems and software programs. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may also provide certain portfolio holdings information to broker-dealers from time to time in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities. In providing this information, reasonable precautions are taken in an effort to avoid potential misuse of the disclosed

 

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information, including limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, when appropriate. The Fund, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser do not receive compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of portfolio holdings.

Non-public portfolio holdings information may be provided to other persons if approved by the Fund’s Chief Administrative Officer or Secretary upon a determination that there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so, the disclosure is consistent with the interests of the Fund, and the recipient is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information and not misuse it, which includes a prohibition on trading on such non-public information.

Compliance officers of the Fund and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically monitor overall compliance with the policy to ascertain whether portfolio holdings information is disclosed in a manner that is consistent with the Fund’s policy. Reports are made to the Fund’s Board of Trustees on an annual basis.

There is no assurance that the Fund’s policies on portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of portfolio holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of such information.

The following parties currently receive non-public portfolio holdings information regarding one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds on an ongoing basis pursuant to the various arrangements described above:

ADP Investor Communications Services

Advent

Albridge Analytics

Barclays Capital, Inc.

Barra

Bloomberg

Broadridge Systems

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

Cardinal Print

Chapman and Cutler LLP

Eagle Investment Systems, LLC

Electra Information Systems

FactSet Research Systems

Financial Graphic Services

Glass, Lewis & Co.

ISS

Interactive Data Pricing and Reference

Investortools

KPMG LLP

Lipper Inc.

Markit

Merrill Corp

Moody’s

Morningstar, Inc.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

PricingDirect Inc.

R.R. Donnelley

Rimes Technologies Corporation

SS&C

Standard & Poor’s

State Street Bank and Trust Co.

Strategic Insight

ThomsonReuters LLC

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

U.S. Bank N.A.

Wolters Kluwer

 

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NET ASSET VALUE

The Fund’s net asset value is determined as set forth in the Prospectus under “General Information—Net Asset Value.”

SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

The Board of Trustees of the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series, which may be divided into classes of shares. Currently, there are seven series authorized and outstanding, each of which may be generally divided into different classes of shares designated as Class A shares, Class C shares, Class C2 shares and Class I shares. Each class of shares represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments of the Fund. Each class of shares has equal rights as to voting, redemption, dividends and liquidation, except that each bears different class expenses, including different distribution and service fees, and each has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights. The Board of Trustees of the Trust has the right to establish additional series and classes of shares in the future, to change those series or classes and to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof.

The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Fund have the right to call a special meeting to remove trustees or for any other purpose.

Under Massachusetts law applicable to Massachusetts business trusts, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations. However, the Declaration of Trust of the Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the trustees. The Trust’s Declaration of Trust further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or the Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust believes the likelihood of the occurrence of these circumstances is remote.

As of the date of this SAI, no one owned any shares of the Fund.

TAX MATTERS

Federal Income Tax Matters

This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and this summary does not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, this summary generally does not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, Fund’s counsel was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be deposited in the Fund. Consequently, this summary may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law. As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax professional.

Fund Status

The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes. If the Fund fails for any taxable year to

 

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qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes, the Fund itself will generally be subject to federal income taxation (which will reduce the amount of Fund income available for distribution) and your tax consequences will be different from those described in this section (for example, all distributions to you will generally be taxed as ordinary income, even if those distributions are derived from tax-exempt interest or capital gains realized by the Fund).

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company

As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for the year (the “Distribution Requirement”) and satisfies certain other requirements of the Code that are generally described below. The Fund also intends to make such distributions as are necessary to avoid the otherwise applicable 4% non-deductible excise tax on certain undistributed earnings.

In addition to satisfying the Distribution Requirement, the Fund must, among other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or disposition of stock, securities or non-U.S. currencies and other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (2) net income derived from an interest in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as such term is defined in the Code). The Fund must also satisfy an asset diversification test in order to qualify as a regulated investment company. Under this test, at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (1) 50% or more of the value of the Fund’s assets must be represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), United States government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (2) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities of (a) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies), or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (b) in the securities of one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as such term is defined in the Code). There are certain exceptions for failure to qualify if the failure is for reasonable cause or is de minimis and certain corrective action is taken and certain tax payments are made by the Fund.

Distributions

After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the Fund’s distributions into four categories, exempt-interest dividends, ordinary income distributions, capital gain dividends and returns of capital. Exempt-interest dividends generally are excluded from your gross income for federal income tax purposes. Some or all of the exempt-interest dividends, however, may be taken into account in determining your alternative minimum tax and may have other tax consequences (e.g., they may affect the amount of your social security benefits that are taxed). Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be immediately taxable to you unless the distribution exceeds your basis in your shares. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year. Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8 percent “Medicare tax.” This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals. Interest that

 

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is excluded from gross income and exempt-interest dividends from the Fund are generally not included in your net investment income for purposes of this tax.

Dividends Received Deduction

A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies.

If You Sell or Redeem Shares

If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares. Further, if you hold your shares for six months or less, any loss incurred by you related to the disposition of such a share will be disallowed to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends you received, except as otherwise described in the next section.

Taxation of Capital Gains and Losses

If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gains is generally 20% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket, 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% tax brackets and 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. Capital gains may also be subject to the “Medicare tax” described above.

Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. If you hold a share for six months or less, any loss incurred by you related to the disposition of such share will be disallowed to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends you received, except in the case of a regular dividend paid by the Fund if the Fund declares exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of its net tax-exempt interest and distributes such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. To the extent, if any, it is not disallowed, it will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.

Qualification to Pay Exempt-Interest Dividends

A regulated investment company may report an applicable portion of a dividend (other than a capital gain dividend) as an “exempt-interest dividend,” if at least half of the regulated investment company’s assets at the close of each quarter of the taxable year consist of tax-exempt state and local bonds. The shareholder treats an exempt-interest dividend as an item of tax-exempt interest as described above.

The Fund intends to qualify under the percentage of assets test, as described above. If the Fund qualifies under this test, some or all of a dividend paid by the Fund may be reported as an exempt-interest dividend.

In-Kind Distributions

Under certain circumstances, as described in the Prospectus, you may receive an in-kind distribution of Fund securities when you redeem shares or when the Fund terminates. This distribution will be treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes and you will generally recognize gain or loss, generally based on the value at that time of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service could, however, assert that a loss may not be currently deducted.

Exchanges

If you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another Nuveen Mutual Fund, the exchange would generally be considered a sale for federal income tax purposes.

 

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Deductibility of Fund Expenses

Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of the Fund expenses as income. In these cases you may be able to take a deduction for these expenses. However, certain miscellaneous itemized deductions, such as investment expenses, may be deducted by individuals only to the extent that all of these deductions exceed 2% of the individual’s adjusted gross income. Some individuals may also be subject to further limitations on the amount of their itemized deductions, depending on their income. Further, because the Fund pays exempt-interest dividends, which are treated as exempt interest for federal income tax purposes, you will not be able to deduct some of your interest expense for debt that you incur or continue to purchase or carry your shares.

Non-U.S. Investors

If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and, other than exempt-interest dividends, will be subject to U.S. income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met.

Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain foreign investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. In addition, distributions in respect of shares may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% in the case of distributions to (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entity’s U.S. owners. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2018.

Capital Loss Carry-Forward

When the Fund has a capital loss carry-forward, it does not make capital gain distributions until the loss has been offset or expired.

State Tax Matters

The treatment of certain dividends from the Fund under California state taxes is discussed below. It should be noted that this treatment may change if the Fund ever fails to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes or if the exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund are not excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The discussion also assumes that the Fund will meet certain reporting and filing requirements under the applicable California laws and regulations. This discussion is based on California state law as enacted and construed on the date of this SAI and in certain cases is based on administrative guidance from the California Franchise Tax Board. These laws and interpretations can, of course, change at any time. Only certain specific taxes are discussed below and Fund shares and Fund distributions may be subject to other state and local taxes. In addition, the discussions below are generally limited to Fund distributions attributable to certain tax-exempt interest. Generally, other distributions from the Fund are subject to all California state income taxes. Additionally, you may be subject to California state income tax to the extent you sell or exchange Fund shares and realize a capital gain on the transaction.

Ownership of shares in the Fund could result in other state and local income tax consequences to certain taxpayers.

 

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Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors with respect to all state and local tax issues related to the ownership of shares in the Fund and the receipt of distributions from the Fund.

California Tax Status

The assets of the Fund will include interest bearing obligations issued by or on behalf of the State of California or a local government in California (the “California Bonds”) or by the government of Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands (the “Possession Bonds,” and, collectively with the California Bonds, the “Bonds”). The discussion in this section is based on the assumption that: (i) the Bonds were validly issued by the State of California or a local government in California, or by the government of Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands, as the case may be, (ii) the interest on the Bonds is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, and (iii) with respect to the Possession Bonds, the Possession Bonds and the interest thereon are exempt from all state and local taxation. This disclosure does not address the taxation of persons other than full-time residents of the State of California.

If you are an individual, you may exclude from taxable income for purposes of the California state personal income tax that is imposed under Part 10 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code of California (the “California Personal Income Tax”) dividends received from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends for California Personal Income Tax purposes in written statements furnished to you. The portion of the Fund’s dividends reported as California exempt-interest dividends may not exceed the amount of interest the Fund receives during its taxable year on obligations the interest on which, if held by an individual, is exempt from taxation by the State of California, reduced by certain non-deductible expenses. The Fund may designate California exempt-interest dividends only if the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company under the Code, and, if at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50 percent of the value of the total assets consists of obligations the interest on which when held by an individual, is exempt from taxation by the State of California.

Distributions from the Fund, other than those properly reported by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends for California Personal Income Tax purposes, will generally be subject to the California Personal Income Tax. Please note that all distributions from the Fund, including California exempt-interest dividends, received by taxpayers subject to the California Corporation Tax Law may be subject to the California franchise tax and the California income tax. You generally will be subject to tax for purposes of the California Personal Income Tax, and the California franchise and income taxes imposed on taxpayers subject to the California Corporation Tax Law on gain recognized on the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund. Interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of the Fund, if the Fund distributes California exempt-interest dividends during a year, is generally not deductible for purposes of the California Personal Income Tax.

Neither the sponsor nor its counsel have independently examined the Bonds or the opinions of bond counsel rendered in connection with the issuance of the Bonds. Ownership of shares in the Fund may result in other California tax consequences to certain taxpayers, and prospective investors should consult their tax advisors.

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES

As described in the Prospectus, the Fund provides you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs and preferences. The Fund is generally not a suitable investment for individuals investing through retirement plans.

Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments. Each class of shares is identical in all respects except that each class bears its own class expenses, including distribution and administration expenses, and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. As a result of the differences in the expenses borne by each class of shares, net income per share, dividends per share and net asset value per share will vary among the Fund’s classes of shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights.

 

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Shareholders of each class will share expenses proportionately for services that are received equally by all shareholders. A particular class of shares will bear only those expenses that are directly attributable to that class, where the type or amount of services received by a class varies from one class to another. For example, class-specific expenses generally will include distribution and service fees for those classes that pay such fees.

The expenses to be borne by specific classes of shares may include (i) transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class of shares, (ii) printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, prospectuses and proxy statements to current shareholders of a specific class of shares, (iii) SEC and state securities registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, (iv) the expense of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class of shares, (v) litigation or other legal expenses relating to a specific class of shares, (vi) trustees’ fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares, (vii) accounting expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (viii) any additional incremental expenses subsequently identified and determined to be properly allocated to one or more classes of shares.

Class A Shares

Class A shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus. Shareholders may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.20%. See “Distribution and Service Plan.” Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class A shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase based on the initial net asset value for Class A shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class A shares.

 

Net asset value per share

   $ 10.00   

Per share sales charge—3.00% of public offering price (3.10% of net asset value per share)

     .31   
  

 

 

 

Per share offering price to the public

   $ 10.31   
  

 

 

 

The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class A shares that are sold. The Distributor retains the full applicable sales charge from which it pays the uniform reallowances shown in the Prospectus to financial intermediaries.

Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares

Rights of Accumulation. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund if the amount of your purchase, when added to the value that day of all of your shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, falls within the amounts stated in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in “How You Can Buy and Sell Shares” in the Prospectus. You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Fund’s transfer agent of any cumulative discount whenever you plan to purchase Class A shares of the Fund that you wish to qualify for a reduced sales charge.

Letter of Intent. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund if you plan to purchase Class A shares of Nuveen Mutual Funds over the next 13 months and the total amount of your purchases would, if purchased at one time, qualify you for one of the reduced sales charges shown in the Class A Sales Charges and Commissions table in “How You Can Buy and Sell Shares” in the Prospectus. In order to take advantage of this option, you must complete the applicable section of the Application Form or sign and deliver to your financial advisor or other financial intermediary or to the Fund’s transfer agent a written Letter of Intent in a form acceptable to the Distributor. A Letter of Intent states that you intend, but are not obligated, to purchase over the next 13 months a stated total amount of Class A shares that would qualify you for a reduced sales charge shown above. You may count shares of all Nuveen Mutual Funds that you already own and any Class C and Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund that you purchase over the next 13 months towards completion of your investment program, but you will receive a reduced sales charge only on new Class A shares you purchase with a sales charge over the 13 months. You cannot count towards

 

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completion of your investment program Class A shares that you purchase without a sales charge through investment of distributions from a Nuveen Mutual Fund or a Nuveen Defined Portfolio, or otherwise.

By establishing a Letter of Intent, you agree that your first purchase of Class A shares of the Fund following execution of the Letter of Intent will be at least 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases. You further agree that shares representing 5% of the total amount of your intended purchases will be held in escrow pending completion of these purchases. All dividends and capital gain distributions on Class A shares held in escrow will be credited to your account. If total purchases, less redemptions, prior to the expiration of the 13 month period equal or exceed the amount specified in your Letter of Intent, the Class A shares held in escrow will be transferred to your account. If the total purchases, less redemptions, are less than the amount specified, you must pay the Distributor an amount equal to the difference between the amounts paid for these purchases and the amounts which would have been paid if the higher sales charge had been applied. If you do not pay the additional amount within 20 days after written request by the Distributor or your financial advisor, the Distributor will redeem an appropriate number of your escrowed Class A shares to meet the required payment. By establishing a Letter of Intent, you irrevocably appoint the Distributor as attorney to give instructions to redeem any or all of your escrowed shares, with full power of substitution in the premises.

You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Fund’s transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Fund shares that you wish to be covered under the Letter of Intent option.

For purposes of determining whether you qualify for a reduced sales charge as described under Rights of Accumulation and Letter of Intent, you may include together with your own purchases those made by your spouse or domestic partner and your children under the age of 21 years, whether these purchases are made through a taxable or non-taxable account. You may also include purchases made by a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship which is 100% owned, either alone or in combination, by any of the foregoing. In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer).

Reinvestment of Nuveen Defined Portfolio Distributions. You may purchase Class A shares without an up-front sales charge by reinvestment of distributions from any of the various Defined Portfolios sponsored by the Distributor. There is no initial or subsequent minimum investment requirement for such reinvestment purchases. The Distributor is no longer sponsoring new Defined Portfolios.

Also, investors will be able to buy Class A shares at net asset value by using the termination/maturity proceeds from Nuveen Defined Portfolios. You must provide the Distributor appropriate documentation that the Defined Portfolio termination/ maturity occurred not more than 90 days prior to reinvestment.

Elimination of Sales Charge on Class A Shares. Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge by the following categories of investors:

 

   

investors purchasing $250,000 or more;

 

   

current and former trustees/directors of the Nuveen Funds;

 

   

current and retired employees and directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates or their immediate family members (immediate family members are defined as their spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a sibling’s spouse and a spouse’s siblings);

 

   

any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, or their immediate family members;

 

   

bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity;

 

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investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program;

 

   

clients of investment advisers, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services; and

 

   

investors purchasing through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer the Fund’s shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts and that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers.

You or your financial advisor must notify the Distributor or the Fund’s transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund that you wish to be covered under these special sales charge waivers.

Class A shares of the Fund may be issued at net asset value without a sales charge in connection with the acquisition by the Fund of another investment company. All purchases under the special sales charge waivers will be subject to minimum purchase requirements as established by the Fund.

The reduced sales charge programs may be modified or discontinued by the Fund at any time. For more information about the purchase of Class A shares or the reduced sales charge program, or to obtain the required application forms, call Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800)  257-8787.

Class C Shares

You may purchase Class C shares at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee of 0.75% to compensate the Distributor for paying your financial advisor or other financial intermediary an ongoing sales commission. Class C shares are also subject to an annual service fee of 0.25% to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing financial advice and other account services. The Distributor compensates financial intermediaries for sales of Class C shares at the time of the sale at a rate of 1.00% of the amount of Class C shares purchased, which represents an advance of the first year’s distribution fee of 0.75% plus an advance on the first year’s annual service fee of 0.25%. See “Distribution and Service Plan.”

Investors may purchase Class C shares only for Fund accounts held with a financial advisor or other financial intermediary, and not directly with the Fund.

Class C share purchase orders equaling or exceeding $250,000 will not be accepted. In addition, Class C share purchase orders for a single purchaser that, when added to the value that day of all of such purchaser’s shares of any class of any Nuveen Mutual Fund, cause the purchaser’s cumulative total of shares in Nuveen Mutual Funds to equal or exceed $1,000,000 will not be accepted. Your financial intermediary may set a lower maximum for Class C shares. Shareholders purchasing Class C shares should consider whether they would qualify for a reduced or eliminated sales charge on Class A shares that would make purchasing Class A shares a better choice. Class A share sales charges can be reduced or eliminated based on the size of the purchase, or pursuant to a letter of intent or rights of accumulation. See “Reduction or Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares” above.

Redemption of Class C shares within 12 months of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% of the lower of the purchase price or redemption proceeds. Because Class C shares do not convert to Class A shares and continue to pay an annual distribution fee indefinitely, Class C shares should normally not be purchased by an investor who expects to hold shares for significantly longer than eight years.

Reduction or Elimination of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Class A shares are normally redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC. However, in the case of Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $250,000, a CDSC is imposed on any redemption within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% (except in cases where a shareholder is eligible for a waiver).

In determining whether a CDSC is payable, the Fund will first redeem shares not subject to any charge and then will redeem shares held for the longest period, unless the shareholder specifies

 

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another order. No CDSC is charged on shares purchased as a result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or capital gains paid. In addition, no CDSC will be charged on exchanges of shares into another Nuveen Mutual Fund. The holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lower of the then current market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed. Accordingly, no sales charge is imposed on increases of net asset value above the initial purchase price. The Distributor receives the amount of any CDSC shareholders pay.

The CDSC may be waived or reduced under the following circumstances: (i) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (ii) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (iii) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an account’s net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (iv) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (v) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Fund’s right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the Board of Trustees has determined may have material adverse consequences to the shareholders of the Fund; (vi) in whole or in part for redemptions of shares by shareholders with accounts in excess of specified breakpoints that correspond to the breakpoints under which the up-front sales charge on Class A shares is reduced pursuant to Rule 22d-1 under the Act; (vii) redemptions of shares purchased under circumstances or by a category of investors for which Class A shares could be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge; (viii) redemptions of Class C shares in cases where the Distributor did not advance the first year’s service and distribution fees when such shares were purchased; and (ix) redemptions of Class A shares where the Distributor did not pay a sales commission when such shares were purchased. If the Fund waives or reduces the CDSC, such waiver or reduction would be uniformly applied to all Fund shares in the particular category. In waiving or reducing a CDSC, the Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act.

Class I Shares

Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or related services. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments and foundations. The minimum initial investment for such clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of financial intermediaries anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.

Class I shares are also available for purchase by family offices and their clients. A family office is a company that provides certain financial and other services to a high net worth family or families. The minimum initial investment for family offices and their clients is $100,000, but this minimum will be lowered to $250 for clients of family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000. The Distributor may also lower the minimum to $250 for clients of family offices anticipated to reach this Class I share holdings level.

Class I shares also are available for purchase, with no minimum initial investment, by the following categories of investors:

 

   

bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity;

 

   

advisory accounts of Nuveen Fund Advisors and its affiliates, including other Nuveen Mutual Funds whose investment policies permit investments in other investment companies;

 

   

any registered investment company that is not affiliated with the Nuveen Funds and which invests in securities of other investment companies;

 

   

any plan organized under section 529 under the Code (i.e., a 529 plan);

 

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current and former trustees/directors of any Nuveen Fund, and their immediate family members (“immediate family members” are defined as spouses or domestic partners, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, siblings, a sibling’s spouse and a spouse’s siblings);

 

   

officers, directors and former directors of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members;

 

   

full-time and retired employees of Nuveen Investments and its affiliates, and their immediate family members, including any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other business organization that is wholly owned by one or more of such persons; and

 

   

any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or employee of any financial intermediary, and their immediate family members.

Any shares purchased by investors falling within any of the last four categories listed above must be acquired for investment purposes and on the condition that they will not be transferred or resold except through redemption by the Fund.

Holders of Class I shares may purchase additional Class I shares using dividends and capital gain distributions on their shares. In addition, shareholders of Nuveen Defined Portfolios may reinvest their distributions in Class I shares, if, before September 6, 1994 (or before June 13, 1995 in the case of Nuveen Intermediate Duration Municipal Bond Fund), such shareholders had elected to reinvest distributions in Nuveen Mutual Fund shares.

If you are eligible to purchase either Class I shares or Class A shares without a sales charge at net asset value, you should be aware of the differences between these two classes of shares. Class A shares are subject to an annual service fee to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing account services. Class I shares are not subject to a distribution or service fee and, consequently, holders of Class I shares may not receive the same types or levels of services from financial intermediaries. In choosing between Class A shares and Class I shares, you should weigh the benefits of the services to be provided by financial intermediaries against the annual service fee imposed upon the Class A shares.

Shareholder Programs

Exchange Privilege

You may exchange Fund shares into an identically registered account for the same class of another Nuveen Mutual Fund available in your state. Your exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same Fund. An exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund may not be considered a taxable event; please consult your own tax advisor for further information.

If you hold your shares directly with the Fund, you may exchange your shares by either sending a written request to the Fund, c/o Nuveen Investor Services, P.O. Box 8530, Boston, Massachusetts 02266-8530 or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll free at (800) 257-8787.

If you exchange shares between different Nuveen Mutual Funds and your shares are subject to a CDSC, no CDSC will be charged at the time of the exchange. However, if you subsequently redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the redemption may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you purchased your original shares and the CDSC schedule of the fund from which you exchanged your shares. If you exchange between classes of shares of the same Fund and your original shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will be assessed at the time of the exchange.

For federal income tax purposes, an exchange between different Nuveen Mutual Funds constitutes a sale and purchase of shares and may result in capital gain or loss. Before making any exchange, you should obtain the Prospectus for the Nuveen Mutual Fund you are purchasing and read it carefully. If the registration of the account for the Fund you are purchasing is not exactly the same as that of the fund account from which the exchange is made, written instructions from all holders of the account from which the exchange is being made must be received, with signatures

 

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guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion Signature Guarantee Program or in such other manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. You may also exchange shares by telephone if you authorize telephone exchanges by checking the applicable box on the Application Form or by calling Nuveen Investor Services toll-free at (800) 257-8787 to obtain an authorization form. The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days’ notice of any material revision to or termination of the exchange privilege.

The exchange privilege is not intended to permit the Fund to be used as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, raise expenses and otherwise have an adverse effect on all shareholders. In order to limit excessive exchange activity and in other circumstances where Fund management believes doing so would be in the best interest of the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, or limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. Shareholders would be notified of any such action to the extent required by law. See “Frequent Trading Policy” below.

Reinstatement Privilege

If you redeemed Class A, Class C or Class I shares of a Nuveen Mutual Fund, you have up to one year to reinvest all or part of the full amount of the redemption in the same class of shares of any Nuveen Mutual Fund at net asset value. This reinstatement privilege can be exercised only once for any redemption, and reinvestment will be made at the net asset value next calculated after reinstatement of the appropriate class of Fund shares. If you reinstate shares that were subject to a CDSC, any shares purchased pursuant to the reinstatement privilege will not be subject to a CDSC. The federal income tax consequences of any capital gain realized on a redemption will not be affected by reinstatement, but a capital loss may be disallowed in whole or in part depending on the timing, the amount of the reinvestment and the fund from which the redemption occurred.

Suspension of Right of Redemption

The Fund may suspend the right of redemption of Fund shares or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund normally utilizes is restricted or an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that trading of the Fund’s investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for any other periods that the SEC by order may permit for protection of Fund shareholders.

Redemption In-Kind

The Fund has reserved the right to redeem in-kind (that is, to pay redemption requests in cash and portfolio securities, or wholly in portfolio securities). Pursuant to a notice of election under Rule 18f-1, the Fund voluntarily has committed to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder, limited as to each shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of the 90-day period.

Frequent Trading Policy

The Fund’s Frequent Trading Policy is as follows:

Nuveen Mutual Funds are intended as long-term investments and not as short-term trading vehicles. At the same time, the Fund recognizes the need of investors to periodically make purchases and redemptions of Fund shares when rebalancing their portfolios and as their financial needs or circumstances change. Nuveen Mutual Funds have adopted the following Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance these needs against the potential for higher operating costs, portfolio management disruption and other inefficiencies that can be caused by excessive trading of Fund shares.

1. Definition of Round Trip

A Round Trip trade is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a Round Trip trade may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.

 

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2. Round Trip Trade Limitations

Nuveen Mutual Funds limit the frequency of Round Trip trades that may be placed in the Fund. Subject to certain exceptions noted below, the Fund limits an investor to two Round Trips per trailing 60-day period.

3. Enforcement

Trades placed in violation of the foregoing policies are subject to rejection or cancellation by Nuveen Mutual Funds. Nuveen Mutual Funds may also bar an investor (and/or the investor’s financial advisor) who has violated these policies from opening new accounts with the Fund and may restrict the investor’s existing account(s) to redemptions only. Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to (a) interpret the terms and application of these policies, (b) waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if Nuveen Mutual Funds determine that doing so does not harm the interests of Fund shareholders, and (c) exclude certain classes of redemptions from the application of the trading restrictions set forth above.

Nuveen Mutual Funds reserve the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if they determine, in their sole discretion, that a proposed transaction or series of transactions involve market timing or excessive trading that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.

The ability of Nuveen Mutual Funds to implement the Frequent Trading Policy for omnibus accounts at certain financial intermediaries may be dependent on receiving from those intermediaries sufficient shareholder information to permit monitoring of trade activity and enforcement of the Fund’s Frequent Trading Policy. In addition, the Fund may rely on a financial intermediary’s policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if the Fund believes that the policy is reasonably designed to prevent market timing that is detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Fund’s Policy. The Fund cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the Fund’s policy or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.

Exclusions from the Frequent Trading Policy

As stated above, certain redemptions are eligible for exclusion from the Frequent Trading Policy, including: (i) redemptions or exchanges by shareholders investing through the fee-based platforms of certain financial intermediaries (where the intermediary charges an asset-based or comprehensive “wrap” fee for its services) that are effected by the financial intermediaries in connection with systematic portfolio rebalancing; (ii) when there is a verified trade error correction, which occurs when a dealer firm sends a trade to correct an earlier trade made in error and then the firm sends an explanation to the Nuveen Mutual Funds confirming that the trade is actually an error correction; (iii) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (iv) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (v) redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an account’s net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (vi) redemptions of shares that were purchased through a systematic investment program; (vii) involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law; (viii) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (ix) redemptions or exchanges by any “fund of funds” advised by the Adviser; and (x) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Fund’s right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the board has determined may have material adverse consequences to the shareholders of the Fund.

In addition, the following redemptions of shares by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan are excluded from the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59 1/2; (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments; or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in

 

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connection with termination of employment, plan termination, transfer to another employer’s plan or IRA or changes in a plan’s recordkeeper; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. Also, the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account are excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholder’s life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1/2; and (ii) redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1/2 from an IRA account.

Distribution and Service Plan

The Fund has adopted a plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12b-1 provides in substance that a mutual fund may not engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares, except pursuant to a plan adopted under the Rule. The Plan authorizes the Fund to pay the Distributor distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees on the Fund’s Class A and Class C shares as described below. The distribution fees under the Plan are used for the primary purpose of compensating participating intermediaries for their sales of the Fund. The shareholder servicing fees are used primarily for the purpose of providing compensation for the ongoing servicing and/or maintenance of shareholder accounts. Pursuant to the Plan, Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee and Class A and Class C shares are subject to the annual service fees (distribution and service fees collectively referred to herein as “12b-1 fees”). The 12b-1 fees are based on the average daily net assets of the class of shares of the Fund and are as follows:

 

     Annual Distribution Fee     Annual Service Fee     Total 12b-1 Fee  
Class A             0.20     0.20
Class C      0.75     0.25     1.00

Class I shares are not subject to either distribution or service fees.

The distribution fee applicable to Class C shares under the Fund’s Plan compensates the Distributor for expenses incurred in connection with the distribution of Class C shares. These expenses include payments to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, who are brokers of record with respect to the Class C shares, as well as, without limitation, expenses of printing and distributing Prospectuses to persons other than shareholders of the Fund, expenses of preparing, printing and distributing advertising and sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of Class C shares, certain other expenses associated with the distribution of Class C shares, and any other distribution-related expenses that may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Trustees.

The service fee applicable to Class A and Class C shares under the Fund’s Plan is used to compensate financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders.

The Plan is a “compensation-type” plan under which the Distributor is entitled to receive the distribution and shareholder servicing fees regardless of whether its actual distribution and shareholder servicing expenses are more or less than the amount of the fees. It is therefore possible that the Distributor may realize a profit in a particular year as a result of these payments. The Plan recognizes that the Distributor and the Adviser, in their discretion, may from time to time use their own assets to pay for certain additional costs of distributing Class A and Class C shares. Any such arrangements to pay such additional costs may be commenced or discontinued by the Distributor or the Adviser at any time.

Under the Fund’s Plan, the Fund will report quarterly to the Board of Trustees for its review of all amounts expended per class of shares under the Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to any class of shares, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the independent trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class. The Plan may be renewed from year to year if approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees and a vote of the independent trustees who have no

 

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direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan may be continued only if the trustees who vote to approve such continuance conclude, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under applicable law, that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the cost which a class of shares may bear under the Plan without the approval of the shareholders of the affected class, and any other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the independent trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. During the continuance of the Plan, the selection and nomination of the independent trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the independent trustees then in office. With the exception of the Distributor and its affiliates, no “interested person” of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and no trustee of the Fund has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any related agreement.

If the Fund closes to new investors, it may continue to make payments under the Plan. Such payments would be made for the various services provided to existing shareholders by the participating intermediaries receiving such payments.

General Matters

The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee accepts the order. Customer orders received by such broker (or their designee) will be priced at the Fund’s net asset value next computed after they are accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee). Orders accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee) before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will receive that day’s share price; orders accepted after the close of trading will receive the next business day’s share price.

If you choose to invest in the Fund, an account will be opened and maintained for you by BFDS, the Fund’s shareholder services agent. Shares will be registered in the name of the investor or the investor’s financial advisor. A change in registration or transfer of shares held in the name of a financial advisor may only be made by an order in good standing form from the financial advisor acting on the investor’s behalf. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order and to waive or increase minimum investment requirements.

The Fund does not issue share certificates.

Distribution Arrangements

The Distributor sells shares to or through brokers, dealers, banks or other qualified financial intermediaries (collectively referred to as “Dealers”), or others, in a manner consistent with the then effective registration statement of the Trust. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, at its own expense, finances certain activities incident to the sale and distribution of the Fund’s shares, including printing and distributing of prospectuses and statements of additional information to other than existing shareholders, the printing and distributing of sales literature, advertising and payment of compensation and giving of concessions to Dealers.

The Distributor receives for its services the excess, if any, of the sales price of the Fund’s shares less the net asset value of those shares, and reallows a majority or all of such amounts to the Dealers who sold the shares. The Distributor also receives distribution fees pursuant to a distribution plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 and described herein under “Distribution and Service Plan.” The Distributor also receives any CDSCs imposed on redemptions of shares. The Distributor may also act as a Dealer.

To help financial advisors and investors better understand and more efficiently use the Fund to reach their investment goals, the Distributor may advertise and create specific investment programs and systems. For example, this may include information on how to use the Fund to accumulate assets for future education needs or periodic payments such as insurance premiums. The Distributor may

 

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produce software, electronic information sites or additional sales literature to promote the advantages of using the Fund to meet these and other specific investor needs. In addition, wholesale representatives of the Distributor may visit financial advisors on a regular basis to educate them about the Fund and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law. Nuveen wholesalers may receive additional compensation if they meet certain targets for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds.

Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries and Other Payments

As described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this SAI, intermediaries that sell shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or provide services to their shareholders, such as brokers, dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, retirement plan administrators and other intermediaries (individually, an “Intermediary,” and collectively, “Intermediaries”), may receive sales charge payments and, out of Fund assets, may be paid Rule 12b-1 distribution and service payments and sub-transfer agency payments. The Distributor and the Adviser may make additional payments out of their own assets to selected Intermediaries. These payments are made for the purposes of promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder processing services.

The amounts of these payments could be significant and may create an incentive for an Intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the Nuveen Mutual Funds to its customers. The Intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund within the Intermediary’s organization by, for example, placing the Fund on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Fund in various ways within the Intermediary’s organization.

These payments are made pursuant to negotiated agreements with Intermediaries. The payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount the Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales. Furthermore, these payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Fund’s Prospectus and described above because they are not paid by the Fund.

The categories of payments described below are not mutually exclusive, and a single Intermediary may receive payments under all categories.

Distribution-Related Payments

The Distributor or the Adviser may from time to time make payments (sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing” payments) to selected Intermediaries as compensation for services such as providing the Fund with “shelf space” or a higher profile for the Intermediary’s personnel or their customers, placing the Fund on the Intermediary’s preferred or recommended fund list, granting access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the Intermediary, providing assistance in training and educating the Intermediary’s personnel on the Fund, and furnishing marketing support and other services.

The Adviser and/or the Distributor compensate Intermediaries differently depending upon, among other factors, the number or value of Nuveen Mutual Funds shares that the Intermediary sells or may sell, the value of the assets invested in the Nuveen Mutual Funds by the Intermediary’s customers, redemption rates, ability to attract and retain assets, reputation in the industry and the level and/or type of marketing assistance and educational activities provided by the Intermediary. Such payments are generally asset-based but also may include the payment of a lump sum.

Servicing Payments

The Adviser and/or the Distributor may make payments to selected Intermediaries that are registered as holders or dealers of record for accounts invested in one or more of the Nuveen Mutual Funds or that make Nuveen Mutual Fund shares available through employee benefit plans or fee-based advisory programs to compensate them for the variety of services they provide.

 

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Services for which an Intermediary receives servicing payments typically include recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, but may also include services rendered in connection with fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services. An Intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform such services.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC (“TIAA-CREF IIS”), an affiliate of the Adviser, is one intermediary that receives servicing payments. The shareholder services agreement between TIAA-CREF IIS and the Distributor provides that in exchange for such services, TIAA-CREF IIS will receive payments of 0.25% of the average net assets of Fund shares on the TIAA-CREF IIS retirement platform on an annual basis. The Distributor has agreed to pay the portion of the fee that represents 0.05% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to TIAA-CREF IIS and the Fund will pay the remainder.

Servicing payments typically apply to employee benefit plans, such as retirement plans, or fee-based advisory programs but may apply to retail sales and assets in certain situations. The payments are based on such factors as the type and nature of services or support furnished by the Intermediary and are generally asset-based.

Distribution-Related and Servicing Payment Guidelines

In the case of any one Intermediary, distribution-related and servicing payments made by the Adviser and/or the Distributor are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed, in the aggregate, 0.35% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to that Intermediary on an annual basis. In connection with the sale of a business by U.S. Bank N.A. to Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company (“Great-West”), the Adviser and/or the Distributor has a services agreement with GWFS Equities, Inc., an affiliate of Great-West, which provides for payments of up to 0.60% of the average net assets of Fund shares attributable to GWFS Equities, Inc. on an annual basis (which amount also includes payments by the Fund for sub-transfer agency services).

Other Payments

From time to time, the Adviser and/or the Distributor, at their expense, may provide other compensation to Intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Fund, which may be in addition to distribution-related and servicing payments described above. For example, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may: (i) compensate Intermediaries for National Securities Clearing Corporation networking system services (e.g., shareholder communication, account statements, trade confirmations, and tax reporting) on an asset-based or per account basis; (ii) compensate Intermediaries for providing Fund shareholder trading information; (iii) make one-time or periodic payments to reimburse selected Intermediaries for items such as ticket charges (i.e., fees that an Intermediary charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) of up to $25 per purchase or exchange order, operational charges (e.g., fees that an Intermediary charges for establishing the Fund on its trading system), and literature printing and/or distribution costs; (iv) at the direction of a retirement plan’s sponsor, reimburse or pay direct expenses of an employee benefit plan that would otherwise be payable by the plan; and (v) provide payments to broker-dealers to help defray their technology or infrastructure costs.

When not provided for in a distribution-related or servicing payment agreement, the Adviser and/or the Distributor may pay Intermediaries for enabling the Adviser and/or the Distributor to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other Intermediary employees, client and investor events and other Intermediary-sponsored events, and for travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, asset retention and due diligence trips. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. The Adviser and/or the Distributor make payments for such events as it deems appropriate, subject to its internal guidelines and applicable law.

The Adviser and/or the Distributor occasionally sponsor due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which the registered representatives receive updates on various Nuveen Mutual Funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Although invitations to these meetings are not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares, those who have shown

 

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an interest in Nuveen Mutual Funds are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firm’s policies and procedures, all or a portion of registered representatives’ expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by the Adviser and/or the Distributor.

Representatives of the Distributor or its affiliates may receive additional compensation from the Adviser and/or the Distributor if certain targets are met for sales of one or more Nuveen Mutual Funds. Such compensation may vary by Fund and by affiliate.

Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Investors can ask their Intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Adviser and/or the Distributor and the services it provides for those payments.

Investors may wish to take Intermediary payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares.

Intermediaries Receiving Additional Payments

The following is a list of Intermediaries eligible to receive one or more of the types of payments discussed above as of October 14, 2016:

ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.

AXA Advisors, LLC

American United Life Insurance Company

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

Ascensus (formerly BISYS Retirement Services, Inc.)

BB&T

BMO Harris Bank N.A.

Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc.

Benefit Trust Company

Cetera

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Chase Investment Services

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Commonwealth Equity Services, LLP, DBA Commonwealth Financial Network

Davenport & Co., LLC

Digital Retirement Solutions, Inc.

Dyatech, LLC

Edward Jones

ExpertPlan, Inc.

Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC/National Financial Services LLC

Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. (FIIOC)/Fidelity Advisors Retirement

Financial Data Services, Inc.

First Clearing

Genesis Employee Benefits, Inc. DBA America’s VEBA Solution

Goldman Sachs

Great West Life and Annuity Insurance Co.

GWFS Equities, Inc.

Hartford Life Insurance Company

Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc.

Hewitt Associates LLC

ICMA Retirement Corporation

ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company/ING Institutional Plan Services LLC/ING Financial Advisors, LLC (formerly CitiStreet LLC/CitiStreet Advisors LLC)

J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.

J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, LLC

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

 

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John Hancock Trust Company

LPL Financial Services

Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC/AMG Service Corp.

Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.

Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company, N.A.

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

Mercer HR Outsourcing LLC

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.

Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation

Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

MSCS Financial Services Division of Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC

NFP Advisor Services, LLC

National Financial Services, LLC

Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.

Newport Retirement Services, Inc.

Northwestern Mutual

NYLife Distributors LLC

Oppenheimer & Co.

Pershing LLC

Principal Life Insurance Company

Prudential Insurance Company of America (The)

Prudential Investment Management Services, LLC/Prudential Investments LLC

Raymond James & Associates/Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

Reliance Trust Company

Retirement Plan Company, LLC (The)

Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.

SI Financial Advisors

Southwest Securities, Inc.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.

T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc./T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.

TD Ameritrade, Inc.

TD Ameritrade Trust Company (formerly Fiserv Trust Company/International Clearing Trust Company)

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

U.S. Bank N.A.

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Unified Trust Company, N.A.

VALIC Retirement Services Company (formerly AIG Retirement Services Company)

Vanguard Group, Inc.

Wedbush Morgan Securities

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust

Wilmington Trust Company

Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company (formerly AST Capital Trust Company)

Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of Intermediaries identified above that have occurred since October 14, 2016 are not reflected in the list.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The audited financial statements for the Fund’s first fiscal period ending February 28, 2017 will appear in the Fund’s Annual Report, which will be available without charge by calling (800) 257-8787.

 

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APPENDIX A

RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS

S&P Global Ratings—A brief description of the applicable S&P Global Ratings’ (“S&P”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by S&P) follows:

Issue Credit Ratings

A S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about 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 opinion reflects S&P’s view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days—including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P’s analysis of the following considerations:

1. Likelihood of payment—the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on a financial obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;

2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise S&P imputes;

3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)

 

AAA    An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P. 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.

 

A-1


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 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. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C    An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.
D    An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

Plus (+) or Minus (–): The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

 

NR    This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings

A S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P’s analysis will review the following considerations:

 

  

•  Amortization schedule–the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

  

•  Source of payment–the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

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Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

SP-1    Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2    Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3    Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.—A brief description of the applicable Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) rating symbols and their meanings (as published by Moody’s) follows:

Long-Term Obligation Ratings

 

Aaa    Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa    Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A    Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa    Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba    Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative 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 speculative 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 and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to 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.

Medium-Term Note Program Ratings

Moody’s assigns provisional ratings to medium-term note (MTN) programs and definitive ratings to the individual debt securities issued from them (referred to as drawdowns or notes).

MTN program ratings are intended to reflect the ratings likely to be assigned to drawdowns issued from the program with the specified priority of claim (e.g. senior or subordinated). To capture the contingent nature of a program rating, Moody’s assigns provisional ratings to MTN programs. A provisional rating is denoted by a (P) in front of the rating.

The rating assigned to a drawdown from a rated MTN or bank/deposit note program is definitive in nature, and may differ from the program rating if the drawdown is exposed to additional credit risks besides the issuer’s default, such as links to the defaults of other issuers, or has other structural features that warrant a different rating. In some circumstances, no rating may be assigned to a drawdown.

Moody’s encourages market participants to contact Moody’s Ratings Desks or visit www.moodys.com directly if they have questions regarding ratings for specific notes issued under a medium-term note program. Unrated notes issued under an MTN program may be assigned an NR (not rated) symbol.

 

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U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings

Short-Term Obligation Ratings

The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3—while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.

 

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.

Demand Obligation Ratings

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 risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale.

 

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.
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 Ratings—A brief description of the applicable Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) ratings symbols and meanings (as published by Fitch) follows:

Structured, Project & Public Finance Obligations–Long-Term Rating Scales

Ratings of structured finance, project finance and public finance obligations on the long-term scale, including the financial obligations of sovereigns, consider the obligations’ relative vulnerability to default. These ratings are typically assigned to an individual security or tranche in a transaction and not to an issuer.

 

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AAA    Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA    Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A    High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB    Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB    Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.
B    Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC    Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.
CC    Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.
C    Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default appears imminent or inevitable.
D    Default. Indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
  

•  failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;

  

•  the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or

  

•  the distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.

Notes: In the case of structured and project finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability.

The suffix “sf” denotes an issue that is a structured finance transaction. For an explanation of how Fitch determines structured finance ratings, please see our criteria available at www.Fitchratings.com.

In the case of public finance, the ratings do not address the loss given default of the rated liability, focusing instead on the vulnerability to default of the rated liability.

The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ Long-Term Rating category, or categories below ‘B’.

 

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Limitations of the Structured, Project and Public Finance Obligation Rating Scale

Specific limitations relevant to the structured, project and public finance obligation rating scale include:

 

  

•  The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of default likelihood over any given time period.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on the possible loss severity on an obligation should an obligation default.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on any quality related to a transaction’s profile other than the agency’s opinion on the relative vulnerability to default of each rated tranche or security.

Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Issuers or Obligations in Corporate, Public and Structured Finance

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

 

F1    Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2    Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3    Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B    Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C    High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD    Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D    Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

Limitations of the Short-Term Ratings Scale

Specific limitations relevant to the Short-Term Ratings scale include:

 

  

•  The ratings do not predict a specific percentage of default likelihood over any given time period.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on the market value of any issuer’s securities or stock, or the likelihood that this value may change.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on the liquidity of the issuer’s securities or stock.

  

•  The ratings do not opine on the possible loss severity on an obligation should an obligation default.

 

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•  The ratings do not opine on any quality related to an issuer or transaction’s profile other than the agency’s opinion on the relative vulnerability to default of the rated issuer or obligation.

Ratings assigned by Fitch Ratings articulate an opinion on discrete and specific areas of risk. The above list is not exhaustive, and is provided for the reader’s convenience.

 

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