485BPOS 1 combined.txt Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 28, 2003 1933 Act Registration File No. 333-17391 1940 Act File No. 811-07959 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 FORM N-1A REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 |X| Pre-Effective Amendment No. ---- |_| Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 |X| ---- and REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 |X| Amendment No. 126 |X| ---- (Check appropriate box or boxes.) ADVISORS SERIES TRUST --------------------- (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) (Registrant's Telephone Numbers, Including Area Code) (414) 765-5344 Eric M. Banhazl Advisors Series Trust 2020 E. Financial Way, Suite 100 Glendora, CA 91741 (Name and Address of Agent for Service) Copies to: Julie Allecta, Esq. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP 55 Second Street, 24th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 As soon as practical after the effective date of this Registration Statement Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering It is proposed that this filing will become effective immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) ----- X on July 29, 2003 pursuant to paragraph (b) ----- 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) ----- on pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) ------ -------------------------------- 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) ----- on pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485. ------ -------------------- If appropriate, check the following box [ ] this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. THE TEBERG FUND Prospectus July 29, 2003 Managed by: First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. This prospectus explains what you should know about this mutual fund before you invest. Please read it carefully. The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. TABLE OF CONTENTS Fund Overview: Risk/Return Summary.............................................1 What is the Fund's Investment Objective?....................................1 What are the Fund's Primary Investment Strategies?..........................1 What are the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund?......................1 Who May Want to Invest in the Fund?.........................................2 What is the Fund's Performance?.............................................2 What are the Fees and Expenses Associated with Investing in the Fund?.......2 More about the Fund's Objective, Strategies and Risks..........................4 Investment Objective........................................................4 Investment Strategies.......................................................4 Temporary Investments.......................................................6 Principal Risks of Investment...............................................6 Management of the Fund.........................................................8 Investment Advisor..........................................................8 Portfolio Manager...........................................................9 Shareholder Information........................................................9 Valuation of Fund Shares....................................................9 Buying Shares..............................................................10 Selling (Redeeming) Shares.................................................11 Distribution of Fund Shares...................................................14 Distributor................................................................14 Distribution Plan..........................................................14 Fund Distributions and Taxes..................................................14 Dividends and Distributions................................................14 Taxation...................................................................15 Financial Highlights..........................................................17 PRIVACY NOTICE................................................................19 Fund Overview: Risk/Return Summary What is the Fund's Investment Objective? The investment objective of The Teberg Fund (the "Fund") is to maximize total return (capital appreciation plus income). What are the Fund's Primary Investment Strategies? To achieve the Fund's investment objective, First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. (the "Advisor") invests the Fund's assets primarily in shares of any number of other no-load and load-waived mutual funds, sometimes referred to in this Prospectus as "Underlying Funds." Some of the Underlying Funds pursue their own investment objectives by investing in particular types of securities (e.g., equity or debt), emphasizing a particular investment style (e.g., value or growth), or concentrating in certain industries or sectors. Some of the Underlying Funds invest in the stocks of large, medium and small capitalization domestic or international companies while others invest in fixed-income securities of varying credit qualities, including government and corporate bonds, as well as high yield securities or "junk bonds." Over time, the Fund's asset mix is likely to consist of a combination of equity, fixed income, or money market funds; however, the Fund reserves the right to invest all of its assets in any of those asset classes depending upon market conditions. Additionally, the Fund may commit up to 80% of its assets to high yield funds. The Advisor is responsible for constructing and maintaining the allocation of the Fund's assets in a timely combination of Underlying Funds that maximizes the Fund's total return. In selecting Underlying Funds, the Advisor uses a "top-down" approach, which begins with a formulation of a general macroeconomic outlook. Then, various sectors, asset classes, and fund categories are analyzed and selected for investment by the Advisor. Finally, after an analysis of the historical returns of a large number of mutual funds representing certain sectors, asset classes, or fund categories believed to be attractive by the Advisor, the Advisor selects individual funds that exhibit the potential for superior growth based on historical long-term pricing. The Advisor reviews and re-balances the combination of Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests from time to time to maintain the Advisor's current analysis of the appropriate mix of funds. The Advisor believes that the best investment returns can be attained by continually allocating assets into potentially top performing funds, with the intention to hold a majority of these funds for long-term gain. What are the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund? As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money on your investment in the Fund. The following risks could affect the value of your investment: o Management Risk. The risk that investment strategies employed by the Advisor in selecting the Underlying Funds and those used by the Underlying Funds in selecting investments -- including the ability of the investment advisory organizations that manage the Underlying Funds to assess economic conditions and investment opportunities may not result in an increase in the value of your investment or in overall performance equal to other investments. o Market Risk. The value of the Fund's shares will go up and down based on the performance of the mutual funds of which the Fund owns shares and other factors affecting the securities markets generally. o Interest Rate and Credit Risk. These risks apply to the extent the Underlying Funds hold fixed-income securities. Interest rates may go up resulting in a decrease in the value of the securities held by the Underlying Funds. Longer maturities generally involve greater risk than shorter maturities. Issuers of fixed-income securities might be unable to make principal and interest payments when due. o High Yield Risk. The value of fixed-income securities that are rated below investment grade are subject to additional risk factors such as increased possibility of default, illiquidity of the security, and changes in value based on public perception of the issuer. Additionally, these instruments are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditor's claims. o Small and Medium Capitalization Risk. Securities of smaller companies in which the Underlying Funds may invest involve greater risk than investing in larger companies because they can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies. o Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that there is no restriction on how much the Fund may invest in the securities of an issuer under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Further, Underlying Funds that are non-diversified may invest a larger percentage of their assets in individual companies than a mutual fund that is diversified. This may result in the Fund's share price being more volatile than if it did not invest in non-diversified Underlying Funds. o Concentration Risk. To the extent Underlying Funds concentrate their investments in a particular industry or sector, such Underlying Fund's shares may be more volatile and fluctuate more than shares of a fund investing in a broader range of securities. Who May Want to Invest in the Fund? This Fund may be appropriate for investors who are: o seeking capital appreciation and income consistent with the assumption of an average level of market risk; o willing to leave their money invested in the Fund for at least five years; o able to tolerate a risk that they may experience share price fluctuations or lose money on their investment; o able to tolerate the risks associated with investments in high yield bonds; o not seeking absolute stability of principal; or o not pursuing short-term goals. What is the Fund's Performance? The Fund has no calendar year history at this time because the Fund has not been in operation for a full calendar year. The Fund commenced operations on April 1, 2002. What are the Fees and Expenses Associated with Investing in the Fund? As an investor, you pay certain fees and expenses if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. These fees and expenses are described in the tables below and are further explained in the example that follows. Fee Table(1) SHAREHOLDER FEES(2) (expenses paid directly from your investment) NONE -------------------------------------------- ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses deducted from Fund assets) Management Fees 1.50% Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees(3) 0.25% Other Expenses 1.43% ----- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 3.18% Less Expense Reimbursement(4) -0.68% ------ Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.50% ===== -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Because the Fund is a "fund of funds," you will indirectly bear your proportionate share of any fees and expenses charged by the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. Actual Underlying Fund expenses are expected to vary with changes in the allocation of the Fund's assets among various Underlying Funds. These expenses are not included in the table above or the example below. (2) The shares of the Fund are 100% no load, so you pay no sales charges (loads) to buy or sell shares of the Fund. The Fund's transfer agent, however, charges a $15 wire redemption fee. (3) As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has implemented a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 previously adopted by the Board of Trustees. Please note that the table above restates the expense information as if the current fees had been in effect during the previous fiscal year. (4) The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb Fund expenses, until such contractual arrangement is terminated by the Board of Trustees, to ensure that the Fund's net annual fund operating expenses (excluding interest and tax expenses) will not exceed 2.50%. Without the fee waiver, the Total Fund Operating Expenses would have been 3.18%. The Advisor reserves the right to be reimbursed for any waiver of its fees or expenses paid on behalf of the Fund if the Fund's expenses are less than the limit agreed to by the Fund. The Board of Trustees may terminate this expenses reimbursement arrangement at any time. Example This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The figures below are based on net annual operating expenses. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, under the assumptions, your costs would be: ------------------ ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years ------ ------- ------- -------- ------------------ ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- $253 $779 $1,331 $2,836 ------------------ ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More about the Fund's Objective, Strategies and Risks Investment Objective The investment objective of the Fund is to maximize total return; that is, over the long term the Fund will attempt to achieve a balance between capital appreciation and income generation. This objective and the investment strategies described below are non-fundamental, which means that they may be changed by action of the Advisors Series Trust (the "Trust") Board of Trustees (herein referred to as the "Board" or "Trustees") without shareholder approval. Investment Strategies The Fund pursues its objective by investing primarily in shares of any number of Underlying Funds. The Underlying Funds purchased by the Fund likely will have certain investment policies and use certain investment practices that may be different from those of the Fund. These other policies and practices may subject the Underlying Funds' (and, by extension, the Fund's) assets to varying or greater degrees of risk. The Advisor selects primarily equity mutual funds that the Advisor believes offer above-average prospects for capital growth and attractive high yield bond and money market funds (the Fund reserves the right to invest all of its assets in equity, fixed income or money market funds depending upon market conditions). In selecting the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests, the Advisor applies a "top-down" analysis to the market to ensure that each fund qualifies as a suitable investment. The funds are first divided into a number of distinct asset classes (e.g., large cap, small/mid cap, international, high-yield income, and high-quality income) and distinct sectors (e.g., financial, technology and health care). The categories selected by the Advisor will reflect the Advisor's beliefs about those categories that provide the greatest potential for diversification and financial reward over the long run. Funds are then chosen on the basis of whether the Advisor believes they exhibit the potential for superior growth based on factors including, but not limited to, their exposure to risk, historical performance, downside records, and competitive position. In selecting the Underlying Funds, the Advisor seeks to construct a portfolio of Underlying Funds that invest across the range of the total market, including stocks of companies with large, medium and small average capitalizations, and at various times emphasizes either value or growth styles of investing or a combination. The Advisor also seeks to include Underlying Funds that invest in fixed-income securities with varying maturities (e.g., long-term, intermediate or short-term) and credit qualities (e.g., investment grade or lower than investment grade); provided, however, that up to 80% of the Fund's assets may be invested in high yield funds. The term "investment grade" refers to the credit quality of fixed-income securities as established by a recognized rating agency, such as S&P, Moody's, or Fitch. Securities that are rated lower than investment grade, or high yield securities, generally provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. High yield bond issuers include small or relatively new companies lacking the history or capital to merit investment grade status, former blue chip companies downgraded because of financial problems, companies electing to borrow heavily to finance or avoid takeover or buyout, and firms with heavy debt loads. In addition, although not its primary investment focus, the Fund also may purchase shares of international and global Underlying Funds that invest in securities of companies located outside of the U.S. when they meet the Advisor's selective criteria. Such investments, however, will not comprise more than 5% of the Fund's portfolio. The Advisor believes that investing in other mutual funds provides the Fund with opportunities to achieve greater diversification of portfolio securities and investment techniques than the Fund could achieve by investing directly in individual portfolio securities. However, the Advisor believes that the best investment returns can be attained by moving assets into funds that currently exhibit the potential for superior growth within a given asset class or fund category. Continually monitoring and re-balancing the Fund's investments (if necessary) may help ensure that returns are maximized while maintaining diversification to avoid dependence on one area of the market. The Advisor also regularly evaluates the macroeconomics of the categories for shifts that may necessitate a re-evaluation of the entire allocation process. Such trading, however, may result in realization of capital gains that would not otherwise be realized and may also lead to higher transaction costs, which could negatively affect the Fund's performance. The Advisor does not anticipate that the Fund will regularly achieve portfolio turnover rates in excess of 100%; however, there are no restrictions on the portfolio turnover rate of the Fund. A comparatively high portfolio turnover rate may affect the Fund's performance because it results in higher brokerage commissions, and higher portfolio turnover rates may result in taxable capital gain distributions to the Fund's shareholders. Additionally, there is no limit on, and the Advisor cannot control, the portfolio turnover rates of the Underlying Funds. Please remember that the Fund is independent from any of the Underlying Funds in which it invests and has little voice in or control over the investment practices, policies or decisions of those Underlying Funds. If the Fund disagrees with those practices, policies or decisions, it may have no choice other than to liquidate its investment in that Underlying Fund, which may entail losses. An Underlying Fund may limit the Fund's ability to sell its shares of the Underlying Fund at certain times. In these cases, such investments will be considered illiquid and subject to the Fund's overall limit on illiquid securities. For example, no Underlying Fund is required to redeem any of its shares owned by the Fund in an amount exceeding 1% of the Underlying Fund's shares during any period of less than 30 days. As a result, to the extent that the Fund owns more than 1% of an Underlying Fund's shares, the Fund may not be able to liquidate those shares promptly in the event of adverse market conditions or other considerations. As a means to pursue its investment objective, the Fund intends to remain fully invested in shares of Underlying Funds at all times. The Fund may, however, to a limited extent pursue an investment strategy of investing its assets directly in securities in lieu of indirect investments through other mutual funds. The Fund's direct investments would remain consistent with its asset allocation strategy and would typically be close or identical to those securities held by one or more of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund currently invests. The Fund will invest, whenever possible, in Underlying Funds that do not impose up-front sales loads, deferred sales loads, or 12b-1 distribution fees of more than 0.25%. If the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund that charges a sales load, it will use available sales load waivers and quantity discounts to minimize or eliminate the sales load. If the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund that pays 12b-1 distribution fees, the Advisor will purchase the Underlying Fund through an affiliated broker which may retain some or all of the 12b-1 distribution fee. Mr. Curtis A. Teberg, who is the President of the Advisor, may receive a portion of the 12b-1 distribution fee as a registered representative of the affiliated broker. Mr. Teberg may retain such amounts or credit such amounts to the Fund. The Advisor may voluntarily reduce its advisory fee in an amount equal to any amount retained by Mr. Teberg. Temporary Investments In order to protect the Fund's assets or maintain liquidity during adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Advisor may from time to time invest any amount in cash or similar short-term, investment grade securities such as U.S. Government securities, repurchase agreements, commercial paper or certificates of deposit as a temporary defensive position. Although it is anticipated that the Fund will be fully invested in securities consistent with the Fund's investment objective during such adverse conditions, when the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, it may not achieve its investment objective. Additionally, for cash management purposes, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its total assets directly in cash or similar investments, but only after the Advisor has committed available assets to desirable investment opportunities. Principal Risks of Investment Mutual funds pool shareholders' money and, using professional investment managers, invest the shareholders' money in securities. Although the Fund principally invests in a number of Underlying Funds, this investment strategy does not eliminate investment risk. Owning securities, including mutual funds, has risks that may cause you to lose money on your investment. As all investment securities are subject to inherent market risks and fluctuations in value due to earnings, economic and political conditions and other factors, the Fund cannot give any assurance that its investment objective will be achieved. The following list sets forth more information about the principal risks of the Fund noted earlier in this Prospectus, along with information on additional types of risks that apply to the Fund. These risks could adversely affect the net asset value and total return of the Fund, and therefore of your investment. o Management Risk. The main risk of the Fund is the emphasis placed on the Advisor's judgment in assembling the combination of investments in the Underlying Funds. The Advisor's primary role is to make decisions based on investment research and analysis about the appropriate allocation among and within fund classes and types at any given time. Although the Fund may have a wide range of equity and fixed-income allocations, the types of equity or fixed-income funds used and in what proportion involve highly subjective judgments, and the Fund is designed to reflect those judgments. As a consequence, the principal risks of the Fund involve the risks that those judgments may not anticipate actual market movements or the impact of economic conditions generally. In fact, no matter how well the Advisor evaluates market conditions, you could lose money on your investment in the Fund just as you could with other investments. o Stock Market Risk. The Fund invests in mutual funds that invest in equity securities. Equity mutual funds are subject to stock market risks and significant fluctuations in value. Stock market prices of securities may be adversely affected by many factors, such as an issuer's having experienced losses or by the lack of earnings or by the issuer's failure to meet the market's expectations with respect to new products or services, or even by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer. If the stock market declines in value, the Fund is likely to decline in value in proportion to its investments in equity funds. Furthermore, an Underlying Fund's focus on certain types of stocks (such as small or large capitalization) and style of investing (such as value or growth) subjects it to the risk that its performance may be lower than that of other types of equity funds that focus on other types of stocks or that have a broader investment style (such as general market). o Bond Market Risk. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that are invested in a broad range of bonds or fixed-income securities. To the extent that an Underlying Fund is so invested, the return on and value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, when interest rates rise, the fixed-income security's market value declines (interest-rate risk). Conversely, the longer a fixed-income security's maturity, the lower its yield and the greater the risk of volatility (maturity risk). A fixed-income security's value can also be affected by changes in the security's credit quality rating or its issuer's financial condition (credit quality risk). This means that the underlying company may experience unanticipated financial problems causing it to be unable to meet its payment obligations. Other factors may affect the market price and yield of fixed-income securities, including investor demand, changes in the financial condition of issuers of securities, government fiscal policy and domestic or worldwide economic conditions. o High Yield Securities Risk. Fixed-income securities receiving the lowest investment grade rating may have speculative characteristics, and, compared to higher-grade securities, may have a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments in economic conditions or other circumstances. High yield, high risk, and lower-rated securities are subject to additional risk factors, such as increased possibility of default, decreased liquidity, and fluctuations in value due to public perception of the issuer of such securities. These bonds are almost always uncollateralized and subordinate to other debt that an issuer may have outstanding. In addition, both individual high yield securities and the entire high yield bond market can experience sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in economic forecasts, stock market activity, large sustained sales by major investors, or, a higher profile default. o Government Obligations Risk. The Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so by law. o Small and Medium Capitalization Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in the equity securities of companies with small and medium size capitalization, the Fund is subject to certain risks. Companies with small and medium size capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility and risk of loss of the Fund's assets. o Liquidity Risk. The securities of many of the companies with small and medium size capitalization may have less "float" (the number of shares that normally trade) and less interest in the market and therefore are subject to liquidity risk. In addition, high yield fixed income securities generally have more limited trading opportunities than higher credit quality securities, which makes it more difficult to buy or sell a security at a favorable price or time, and therefore also subject to liquidity risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and price that the Underlying Fund would like to sell. If that happens, an Underlying Fund invested in such securities may have to lower the price, sell other securities instead, or forego an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on such Underlying Fund's (and, by extension, the Fund's) performance. o Non-diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that there is no restriction on how much the Fund may invest in the securities of an issuer under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Further, the Fund may invest in Underlying Funds classified as "non-diversified" under federal securities laws, which means that one-half of such Underlying Fund's assets may be invested in two or more securities, while the other half is spread out among various investments not exceeding 5% of such fund's total assets. As a result, an Underlying Fund's shares (and, by extension, the Fund's shares) may be more susceptible to adverse changes in the value of the shares of a particular security than would be the shares of a diversified mutual fund. o Concentration Risk. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that in turn concentrate their investments within one industry or sector or among a broad range of industries or sectors. To the extent that an Underlying Fund focuses on one or more sectors or industries, it may be subject to the risks affecting that sector or industry more than would a more broadly diversified fund. For example, to the extent that an Underlying Fund concentrates in the technology sector, it will be subject to the risks of that sector, including competitive pressures of technology companies from new market entrances and technological obsolescence, as well as increased research and development costs and potential for greater governmental regulation. Furthermore, each industry or sector possesses particular risks that may not affect other industries or sectors. The Advisor's judgment about which sectors or industries offer the greatest potential for long-term financial reward will change over time. Therefore, the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests may be concentrated in any of a number of different sectors or industries. Management of the Fund Investment Advisor The Advisor, First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc., subject to the general supervision of the Board, is the investment advisor to the Fund and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's objectives and policies. This includes making investment decisions, as well as buying and selling securities. The Advisor is an SEC-registered investment advisor and is located at 5161 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, Minnesota, 55811. The Advisor provides investment management services for individuals and institutional clients. The Advisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund in accordance with its investment objective and strategies. Furthermore, the Advisor is ultimately responsible for the investment performance of the Fund because it allocates the Fund's assets among the various mutual funds in which it invests and monitors the Fund for any necessary re-balancing or reallocation. For its services, the Advisor is entitled to an annual advisory fee of 1.50% of the Fund's average daily net assets. In addition, the Advisor has entered into an Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement in which it has agreed to keep the Fund's expenses to a certain minimum (as described in the Fee Table on page 3 of this Prospectus). Under the Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement, the Advisor may recapture waived or reimbursed expenses for a five-year period under specified conditions. The Fund must pay its current ordinary operating expenses before the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or expenses. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003, the Advisor received advisory fees of 1.07% of the Fund's average daily net assets, net of waiver. Portfolio Manager Curtis A. Teberg is the portfolio manager of the Fund and is responsible for its overall day-to-day management. Mr. Teberg has been in the investment management business for approximately 26 years. He is the co-founder of the Advisor and has been its President since its inception in 1988. From August 1988 to February 2002, Mr. Teberg was a registered representative with Walnut Street Securities, Inc., a securities brokerage firm in St. Louis, Missouri. Since February 2002, he has been a registered representative with Askar Corp., a securities brokerage firm in Bloomington, Minnesota. Mr. Teberg holds series 7, 24, and 63 licenses. Shareholder Information Valuation of Fund Shares Shares of the Fund are sold at net asset value per share (NAV), which is determined by the Fund as of the close of regular trading (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for unrestricted business. The Fund's NAV, however, may be calculated earlier if trading on the NYSE is restricted or as permitted by the SEC. Additionally, while the Fund does not expect to determine the NAV of its shares on any day when the NYSE is not open for trading (even if there is sufficient trading in its portfolio securities on such days to materially affect the NAV per share), the NAV of the Fund's shares may be determined on days the NYSE is closed for business if the Board decides it is necessary. Purchase and redemption requests are priced at the next NAV calculated after receipt of such requests. The NAV is determined by dividing the value of the Fund's securities (consisting primarily of shares of other mutual funds), cash and other assets, minus all expenses and liabilities, by the number of shares outstanding (assets - liabilities / number of shares = NAV). The NAV takes into account the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration and shareholder servicing fees, which are accrued daily. The assets of the Fund consist primarily, if not exclusively, of shares of Underlying Funds valued at their respective NAVs. There may be situations when the Fund is unable to receive an NAV from an Underlying Fund. In such case, shares of an Underlying Fund will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Board. Most Underlying Fund securities are valued primarily on the basis of current market quotations or on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized costs. If market quotations or information furnished by a pricing service is not readily available or does not accurately reflect fair value for a security held by an Underlying Fund, or if the value of a security held by an Underlying Fund has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the applicable exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security may be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures approved by the Underlying Funds' Board of Trustees. The NAV of the Fund will fluctuate with the value of the securities held by the Underlying Funds in which it principally invests. Buying Shares To Open To Add to Minimum Investments Your Account Your Account To open an account, you ------------------ ------------ ------------ must invest at least the Regular Accounts $25,000 $1,000 minimum amount. Retirement Accounts $25,000 $100 Shares of the Fund may be purchased by check or by wire transfer of funds through a bank or through one or more brokers authorized by the Fund to receive purchase orders. The minimum initial investment for all accounts, both regular and retirement (IRAs, UGMA/UTMA accounts, SEP-IRAs, pension and profit sharing plans, etc.), is $25,000. Initial investments may be made in any amount in excess of this amount. To add to existing accounts, the Fund requires a minimum investment of $1,000 for regular accounts and $100 for retirement accounts. The minimum investment requirements may be waived from time to time by the Fund. Short-term or excessive trading into and out of the Fund may harm performance by disrupting management strategies and by increasing expenses. Accordingly, the Fund may reject your purchase order if in the Advisor's opinion, you have a pattern of short-term or excessive trading, your trading has been or may be disruptive to the Fund, or rejection otherwise would be in the Fund's best interest. Shares of the Fund are not registered for sale outside of the United States. Timing of Requests Your share price will be the next NAV calculated after the Transfer Agent receives your request in good order. All requests received in good order before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) will be processed on that same day. Requests received after 4:00 p.m. will receive the next business day's NAV. When making a purchase request, make sure your request is in good order. "Good order" means your purchase request includes: o The name of the Fund o The dollar amount of shares to be purchased o Purchase application or investment stub o Check payable to "The Teberg Fund" Methods of Buying Through an You can purchase shares of the Fund through any authorized broker-dealer organization or mutual fund marketplace that broker-dealer has been authorized by the Fund. These broker-dealers are or mutual fund further authorized to designate other intermediaries to marketplace receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. A purchase order is deemed received by the Fund when an authorized broker-dealer or mutual fund marketplace, or, if applicable, a broker-dealer's or mutual fund marketplace's authorized designee, receives the request in good order. Please keep in mind that your broker-dealer may charge additional fees for its services. By mail To open an account, complete an account application form and send it together with your check for the amount you wish to invest in the Fund to the address below. To make additional investments once you have opened your account, write your account number on the check and send it together with the most recent confirmation statement received from the transfer agent. No third party checks will be accepted. If your check is returned for any reason, your purchase will be canceled and a $25 fee will be assessed against your account by the Fund's transfer agent. Regular Mail Overnight Delivery The Teberg Fund The Teberg Fund c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC P.O. Box 701 615 E. Michigan Street, Third Floor Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 Milwaukee, WI 53202 NOTE: The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents. By telephone To make additional investments by telephone, you must check the appropriate box on your account application form and complete the special options form authorizing telephone purchases. If you have given authorization for telephone transactions and your account has been open for at least 15 days, call the transfer agent toll free at 1-866-209-1964 and you will be allowed to move money from your bank account to your Fund account upon request. Only bank accounts held at U.S. institutions that are Automated Clearing House (ACH) members may be used for telephone transactions. For security reasons, requests by telephone will be recorded. By wire To open an account or to make additional investments by wire, call 1-866-209-1964 to obtain a shareholder account number and instructions. You should then instruct your bank to wire transfer the intended amount in federal funds to: U.S. Bank, National Association 425 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 ABA #: 042000013 Credit: U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC Account #: 112-952-137 Further Credit: The Teberg Fund (your name or the title on the account) (your account #) In compliance with the USA Patriot Act of 2001, please note that the Fund's transfer agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Fund's Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the application, you should provide your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Please contact the Fund's transfer agent at 1-866-209-1964 if you need additional assistance when completing your application. Selling (Redeeming) Shares Methods of Selling Through a If you purchased your shares through a broker-dealer, mutual broker-dealer fund marketplace or other financial organization, your organization redemption order may be placed through the same or mutual organization. The organization is responsible for sending fund your redemption order to the Fund on a timely basis. Please marketplace keep in mind that your broker-dealer or mutual fund marketplace may charge additional fees for its services. By mail Send your written redemption request to the Fund's transfer agent at the address below. Your request should be in good order and contain the Fund's name, the name(s) on the account, your account number and the dollar amount or the number of shares to be redeemed. Be sure to have all shareholders sign the letter. Additional documents are required for certain types of shareholders, such as corporations, partnerships, executors, trustees, administrators, or guardians (i.e., corporate resolutions, or trust documents indicating proper authorization). Regular Mail Overnight Delivery The Teberg Fund The Teberg Fund c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC Services, LLC P.O. Box 701 615 E. Michigan Street, Third Floor Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 The Fund's transfer agent may require a signature guarantee for certain redemption requests such as redemption requests made payable to a name that is different than on the account statement or an address not on record with the Fund. A signature guarantee assures that your signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account redemptions. You may obtain signature guarantees from most trust companies, commercial banks or other eligible guarantor institutions. A notary public cannot guarantee signatures. By telephone If you are authorized to perform telephone transactions (either through your account application form or by subsequent arrangement in writing with the Fund) you may redeem shares in any amount, but not less than $500, by instructing the Fund by phone at 1-866-209-1964. Unless noted on the initial application, a signature guarantee is required of all shareholders in order to qualify for or to change telephone redemption privileges. Note: Neither the Fund nor its service providers will be liable for any loss or expense in acting upon instructions that are reasonably believed to be genuine. To confirm that all telephone instructions are genuine, the Fund will use reasonable procedures, such as requesting that you correctly state: o the Fund account number o the name in which your account is registered o the social security or tax identification number under which the account is registered o the address of the account holder, as stated in the account application form By wire To redeem shares by wire, call the Fund at 1-866-209-1964 and specify the amount of money you wish to be wired. Your bank may charge a fee to receive wired funds. The Fund's transfer agent charges a $15 outgoing wire fee. Payment of Redemption Proceeds to You You may redeem the Fund's shares at a price equal to the NAV next determined after the Fund's transfer agent receives your redemption request in good order. Your redemption request cannot be processed on days the NYSE is closed. All requests received in good order by the Fund before the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) will usually be wired to the bank you indicate or mailed on the following day to the address of record. In all cases proceeds will be wired or a check mailed within seven calendar days after the Fund receives your redemption request. When making a redemption request, make sure your request is in good order. "Good order" means your letter of instruction includes: o The name of the Fund o The dollar amount of shares to be redeemed o Signatures of all registered shareholders exactly as the shares are registered o The account number If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, the Fund will honor the redemption request, but will not mail or wire the proceeds until your purchase check has cleared (usually within 12 days). General Transaction Policies Some of the following policies are mentioned above. In general, the Fund reserves the right to: o Vary or waive any minimum investment requirement. o Refuse, change, discontinue, or temporarily suspend account services, including purchase, exchange, or telephone redemption privileges, for any reason. o Reject any purchase or exchange request for any reason. Generally, the Fund does this if the purchase or exchange is disruptive to the efficient management of the Fund (due to the timing of the investment or an investor's history of excessive trading). o Redeem all shares in your account if your balance falls below the Fund's minimum. If, within 60 days of the Fund's written request, you have not increased your account balance, you may be required to redeem your shares. The Fund will not require you to redeem shares if the value of your account drops below the investment minimum due to fluctuations of NAV. o Delay paying redemption proceeds for up to seven days after receiving a request, if an earlier payment could adversely affect the Fund. o Reject any purchase or redemption request that does not contain all required documentation. If you elect telephone privileges on the account application or in a letter to the Fund, you may be responsible for any fraudulent telephone orders as long as the Fund has taken reasonable precautions to verify your identity. In addition, once you place a telephone transaction request, it cannot be canceled or modified. During periods of significant economic or market change, telephone transactions may be difficult to complete. If you are unable to contact the Fund by telephone, you may also mail the requests to the Fund at the address listed under "Buying Shares." Your broker-dealer or other financial organization may establish policies that differ from those of the Fund. For example, the organization may charge transaction fees, set higher minimum investments, or impose certain limitations on buying or selling shares in addition to those identified in this Prospectus. Contact your broker-dealer or other financial organization for details. Distribution of Fund Shares Distributor Quasar Distributors, LLC (the "Distributor"), 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202, serves as distributor and principal underwriter for the shares of the Fund. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis. Distribution Plan As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has implemented a Distribution Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 to provide certain distribution activities for the Fund and its shareholders. The Distribution Plan, which was approved by the Board on December 3, 2001 allows the Fund to pay fees for the sale and distribution of its shares. The Fund may pay up to 0.25% per year of its average daily net assets for such distribution activities. As these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Fund Distributions and Taxes Dividends and Distributions The Fund will make distributions of dividends and capital gains, if any, at least annually, typically in January. The Fund may make another distribution of any additional undistributed capital gains earned during the 12-month period ended October 31. All distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares unless you choose one of the following options: (1) receive dividends in cash, while reinvesting capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares; or (2) receive all distributions in cash. If you wish to change your distribution option, write to the Transfer Agent in advance of the payment date of the distribution. Taxation The Fund intends to make distributions of dividends and capital gains. Dividends are taxable to you as ordinary income. The rate you pay on capital gain distributions will depend on how long a Fund held the securities that generated the gains, not on how long you owned your Fund shares. You will be taxed in the same manner whether you receive your dividends and capital gain distributions in cash or reinvest them in additional Fund shares. By law, the Funds must withhold a percentage of your taxable distributions and redemption proceeds if you do not provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number and certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, or if the IRS instructs a Fund to do so. If you sell or exchange your Fund shares, it is considered a taxable event for you. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price of the shares you sell or exchange, you may have a gain or a loss on the transaction. You are responsible for any tax liabilities generated by your transaction. Financial Highlights -------------------- The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance during its prior fiscal year. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's for the year ended March 31, 2003. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's report and the Fund's financial statements are included in the Fund's annual report, which is available upon request. Tait, Weller & Baker has been retained as independent accountants for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004. For a capital share outstanding throughout the year --------------------------------------------------- Year Ended March 31, 2003* --------------- Net asset value, beginning of year $10.00 ------ Income from investment operations: Net investment income 0.13 Net realized and unrealized loss on investments (0.32) ------ Total from investment operations (0.19) ------ Less distributions: From net investment income (0.08) ------ Total distributions (0.08) ------ Net asset value, end of year $9.73 ===== Total return (1.90%) Ratios/supplemental data: Net assets, end of period (thousands) $17,943 Ratio expenses to average net assets: Before expense reimbursement 2.93% After expense reimbursement 2.50% Ratio of net investment income to average net assets: After expense reimbursement 1.95% Portfolio turnover rate 84.10% * The Fund commenced operations on April 1, 2002 INVESTMENT ADVISOR First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. Duluth, Minnesota INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS Tait, Weller & Baker Philadelphia, Pennsylvania LEGAL COUNSEL Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP San Francisco, California DISTRIBUTOR Quasar Distributors, LLC Milwaukee, Wisconsin CUSTODIAN U.S. Bank, National Association Cincinnati, Ohio ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSFER AGENT, AND FUND ACCOUNTANT U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC Milwaukee, Wisconsin PRIVACY NOTICE The Fund collects non-public information about you from the following sources: o Information we receive about you on applications or other forms; o Information you give us orally; and o Information about your transactions with us or others. We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our customers or former customers without the customer's authorization, except as required by law or in response to inquiries from governmental authorities. We restrict access to your personal and account information to those employees who need to know that information to provide products and services to you. We also may disclose that information to unaffiliated third parties (such as to brokers or custodians) only as permitted by law and only as needed for us to provide agreed services to you. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to guard your non-public personal information. In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, including, but not limited to, a broker-dealer, bank, or trust company, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your non-public personal information would be shared by those entities with unaffiliated third parties. Where to Find More Information You can find more information about the Fund in the following documents: Statement of Additional Information (SAI) The SAI provides more details about the Fund's policies and management. The Fund's SAI dated July 29, 2003 is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Annual and Semi-Annual Reports The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports provide the most recent financial reports and portfolio investments. The annual report contains a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during the last fiscal year. You can obtain a free copy of these documents or request other information about the Fund by calling the Fund at 1-866-209-1964, or by writing to: The Teberg Fund c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC P.O. Box 701 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 You may write to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Public Reference Room at the regular mailing address or the e-mail address below and ask them to mail you information about the Fund, including the SAI. They will charge you a fee for this duplicating service. You can also visit the SEC Public Reference Room and copy documents while you are there. For more information about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at the telephone number below. Public Reference Section Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. 20549-0102 publicinfo@sec.gov 1-202-942-8090 Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. 1940 Act File No. 811-07959 Statement of Additional Information Dated July 29, 2003 THE TEBERG FUND A Series of ADVISORS SERIES TRUST This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") provides general information about The Teberg Fund (the "Fund"), a series of Advisors Series Trust (the "Trust"). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's current Prospectus dated July 29, 2003, as supplemented and amended from time to time, which is incorporated hereto by reference. First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. (the "Advisor") is the investment advisor to the Fund. ' The Fund's financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003, are incorporated herein by reference to the Fund's Annual Report dated March 31, 2003. A copy of the Annual Report may be obtained without charge by calling or writing the Fund as shown below. The Teberg Fund c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC P.O. Box 701 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 (866) 209-1964 --------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS --------------------------------- THE TRUST......................................................................3 OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS OF THE FUND........................3 TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS......................................................12 FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS.........................................12 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND........................................................13 BOARD OF TRUSTEES..........................................................13 CONTROL PERSONS, PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP..........16 INVESTMENT ADVISOR.........................................................17 DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES...................................................19 DISTRIBUTOR................................................................19 DISTRIBUTION PLAN..........................................................19 SERVICE PROVIDERS.............................................................20 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE..........................................21 CODE OF ETHICS................................................................22 PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES.............................................22 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE..............................................23 TAX MATTERS...................................................................24 ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM.................................................26 PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES..........................................26 GENERAL INFORMATION...........................................................27 CALCULATION OF PERFORMANCE DATA...............................................28 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS..........................................................30 APPENDIX......................................................................31 The Trust The Trust is an open-end, non-diversified management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on October 3, 1996. The Trust currently consists of numerous series of shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share. This SAI relates only to the Fund. The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as a management investment company. Such a registration does not involve supervision of the management or policies of the Fund. The Fund's prospectus and this SAI omit certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of such information may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee. Objectives, Strategies and Associated Risks of the Fund The Fund's investment objective is to maximize total return. This means that the Fund will seek both capital appreciation as well as income generation. The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing in shares of other open-end investment companies. It is anticipated that the Fund will invest in different proportions of various equity, fixed-income, and money market funds. However, the Fund reserves the right to invest all of its assets in any of those asset classes depending upon market conditions and may commit up to 80% of its assets to high yield "junk bond" funds. The following discussion of Fund investments and policies supplements the description of the Fund's investment objectives and strategies set forth in the Fund's Prospectus. Except for the fundamental investment limitations listed below (see "Fundamental Investment Limitations" on page 12 of this SAI), the Fund's investment objective, strategies and policies are not fundamental and may be changed by sole action of the Trust's Board of Trustees (hereinafter referred to as the "Board" or "Trustees"), without shareholder approval. Whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security, either directly or via the underlying mutual funds in which the Fund invests, or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Fund's acquisition or sale of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether an investment complies with the Fund's investment policies and limitations. In addition, if a bankruptcy or other extraordinary event occurs concerning a particular investment by the Fund, the Fund may receive stock, real estate, or other investments that the Fund would not, or could not, buy. If this happens, the Fund intends to sell such investments as soon as practicable while trying to maximize the return to its shareholders. Investment Company Securities The Fund currently intends to limit its investments in securities issued by other investment companies so that not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund, or its affiliated persons, as a whole. This prohibition may prevent the Fund from allocating its investment in the manner the Advisor considers optimal. The Fund's strategy of indirect investment through other investment companies is non-fundamental and may therefore be changed, without shareholder approval, to a strategy of direct investment as a means to achieve their investment objectives. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund bears, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company's expenses, including advisory fees, and such fees and other expenses will be borne indirectly by the Fund's shareholders. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. Equity Securities The Fund may invest in equity securities through its investment in the shares of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. To a limited extent, the Fund may invest directly in equity securities consistent with the Fund's investment objective and strategies. An equity security, or stock, represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; its value is based on the success of the company's business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets, and general market conditions. Common stocks and preferred stocks are examples of equity securities. Equity securities, such as common stocks, represent shares of ownership of a corporation. Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and liquidation of assets. Some preferred stocks may be convertible into common stock. Convertible securities are securities (such as debt securities or preferred stock) that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. Please see "Debt Securities" below. To the extent the Fund invests in the equity securities of small or medium-size companies, directly or through its investments in other mutual funds, it will be exposed to the risks of smaller sized companies. Small and medium-size companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. Furthermore, those companies often have limited product lines, or services, markets, or financial resources, or are dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these stocks are not well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership, and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by a fund. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund's portfolio. Debt Securities The Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests may invest in debt securities, including debt securities convertible into common stock. To a limited extent, the Fund may invest directly in debt securities consistent with the Fund's investment objective and strategies. As set forth in the Fund's prospectus, debt purchased by the Fund may consist of obligations of any rating. Debt securities in the lowest investment grade categories have speculative characteristics, with changes in the economy or other circumstances more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the bonds to make principal and interest payments than would occur with bonds rated in higher categories. The Fund, via its Underlying Funds, may invest up to 80% of its assets in high yield debt securities or "junk bonds" that are considered high risk. Junk bonds are typically rated below "Baa" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or "BBB" by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P") or below investment grade by other recognized rating agencies. The Fund may also invest in Underlying Funds that invest in unrated securities of comparable quality under certain circumstances. Such bonds are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss of income and principal than higher rated bonds for a variety of reasons, including: o Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Change. The economy and interest rates affect high yield securities differently than other securities. For example, the prices of high yield bonds have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest obligations, to meet projected business goals, and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a bond defaults, an Underlying Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility or market prices of high yield bonds and the Underlying Fund's asset values. o Payment Expectations. High yield bonds present certain risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield bonds may contain redemption and call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, an Underlying Fund would have to replace the security with lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield bond's value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Underlying Fund's assets. If an Underlying Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions, it may be forced to sell its high yield bonds without regard to their investment merits, thereby decreasing the asset base upon which the fund's expenses can be spread and possibly reducing the fund's rate of return. o Liquidity and Valuation. To the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield bonds, and this may impact a fund's ability to accurately value high yield bonds and may hinder a fund's ability to dispose of the bonds. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield bonds, especially in a thinly traded market. o Credit Ratings. Credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield bonds. Also, because credit rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, Underlying Funds must monitor the issuers of high yield bonds in their portfolios to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the bonds' liquidity so the fund can meet redemption requests. Securities referred to as high-yield securities are deemed speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal over a long period of time. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in high-yield securities structured as zero coupon or "pay-in-kind" securities. An Underlying Fund will report the interest on these securities as income even though it receives no cash interest until the security's maturity or payment date. The payment of principal and interest on most debt securities purchased by a fund will depend upon the ability of the issuers to meet their obligations. An issuer's obligations under its debt securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by federal or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on, and principal of, its debt securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions. The ratings of Standard & Poor's, Moody's and other nationally recognized rating agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of debt securities. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and debt securities with the same maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields while debt securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same yield. For a more detailed description of ratings, please see the Appendix. U.S. Government Obligations The Fund may invest in mutual funds invested in various types of U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Treasury obligations differ mainly in the length of their maturity. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. Government obligations also include securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) where it is not obligated to do so. In addition, U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. Government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms. Non-Diversification of Investments The Fund is non-diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). This means that under the 1940 Act, there is no restriction as to how much the Fund may invest in the securities of any one issuer, either directly or via the Underlying Funds in which they invest. However, to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code ("Code"), the Fund intends to comply, as of the end of each taxable quarter, with certain diversification requirements imposed by the Code. Pursuant to these requirements, at the end of each taxable quarter, the Fund, among other things, will not have investments in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) of more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets. In addition, the Fund, with respect to 50% of its total assets, will not have investments in the securities of any issuer (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) equal to 5% of the Fund's total assets, and will not purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies). As a non-diversified investment company, the Fund may be subject to greater risks than a diversified company because of the larger impact of fluctuation in the values of securities of fewer issues. Borrowings The Fund may borrow funds to meet redemptions, to increase its portfolio holdings of securities, or for other emergency purposes. Such borrowings may be on a secured or unsecured basis at fixed or variable rates of interest. The 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage of not less than 300% with respect to all borrowings. This allows the Fund to borrow for such purposes an amount (when taken together with any borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes as described below) equal to as much as 50% of the value of its net assets (not including such borrowings). If such asset coverage should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to dispose of some of its portfolio holdings within three days in order to reduce the Fund's debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to dispose of assets at that time. Conversely, if the income from the assets retained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of borrowing, the net income of the Fund will be less than if borrowing were not used, and, therefore, the amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends will be reduced. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate. Borrowing by the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net income, but at the same time, creates special risk considerations. For example, leveraging may exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund's portfolio. To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay, the Fund's net income will be greater than if borrowing were not used. Restricted and Illiquid Securities The Fund may, indirectly via the Underlying Funds, invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities that are illiquid at the time of purchase, which means that there may be legal or contractual restrictions on their disposition, or that there are no readily available market quotations for such a security. Illiquid securities present the risks that a fund may have difficulty valuing these holdings and/or may be unable to sell these holdings at the time or price desired. There are generally no restrictions on a fund's ability to invest in restricted securities (that is, securities that are not registered pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933), except to the extent such securities may be considered illiquid. Securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 will be considered liquid if determined to be so under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The 1940 Act provides that an Underlying Fund whose shares are purchased by the Fund is obliged to redeem shares held by the Fund only in an amount up to 1% of the Underlying Fund's outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days. Thus, shares of an Underlying Fund held by the Fund in excess of 1% of the Underlying Fund's securities are considered not readily marketable securities, that together with other such securities, may not exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets. However, because the Fund has elected to reserve the right to pay redemption requests by a distribution of securities from the Fund's portfolio, in lieu of cash, these holdings may be treated as liquid. In some cases, an Underlying Fund may make payment of a redemption by the Fund by distributing securities from its portfolio instead of cash. Thus it is possible that the Fund could hold securities distributed by an Underlying Fund until such time as the Advisor determines that it is appropriate to dispose of such securities. Disposing of such securities could cause the Fund to incur additional costs. Foreign Equities The Fund may invest in foreign securities via the Underlying Funds in which its invests. Investments in foreign securities involve special risks that differ from those associated with investments in domestic securities. The risks associated with investments in foreign securities relate to political and economic developments abroad, as well as those that result from the differences between the regulation of domestic securities and issuers and foreign securities and issuers. These risks may include, but are not limited to, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, withholding taxes on interest, limitations on the use or transfer of fund assets, political or social instability and adverse diplomatic developments. In addition, there are restrictions on foreign investments in other jurisdictions and there tends to be difficulty in obtaining judgments from abroad and effecting repatriation of capital invested abroad. Delays could occur in settlement of foreign transactions, which could adversely affect shareholder equity. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the domestic economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, the rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Furthermore, investing in foreign securities can carry higher returns and risks than those associated with domestic investments. Foreign securities may be denominated in foreign currencies. Therefore, the value in U.S. dollars of a fund's net assets and income may be affected by changes in exchange rates and regulations. The internal politics of certain foreign countries may not be as stable as that of the United States. Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation, or economic recessions or slow downs of those partners, could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries. A change in the value of any foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of securities held by an Underlying Fund, denominated in that currency. Furthermore, the interest and dividends payable on certain foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing the net amount of income to be paid to a fund and that may ultimately be available for distribution. Other differences between investing in foreign companies and the U.S. include: o information is less publicly available; o there is a lack of uniform financial accounting standards applicable to foreign companies; o market quotations are less readily available; o there are differences in government regulation and supervision of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, listed companies and banks; o there is generally a lower foreign securities market volume; o it is likely that foreign securities may be less liquid or more volatile; o there are generally higher foreign brokerage commissions; o there may be difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations or obtaining court judgments abroad because of differences in the legal systems; and o the mail service between countries may be unreliable. Emerging Market Countries The Fund may also invest in emerging market countries or developing countries via the Underlying Funds in which it invests. Developing countries may impose restrictions on a fund's ability to repatriate investment income or capital. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of investment income or capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operations of the Fund. For example, funds may be withdrawn from the People's Republic of China only in U.S. or Hong Kong dollars and only at an exchange rate established by the government once each week. Furthermore, some of the currencies in emerging markets have experienced de-valuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and major adjustments have been made periodically in certain of such currencies. Certain developing countries face serious exchange constraints. Governments of some developing countries exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In some countries, the government owns or controls many companies, including the largest in the country. As such, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in developing countries in these regions, which could affect private sector companies, a portfolio and the value of its securities. Furthermore, certain developing countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. Trading in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by such governments or their agencies and instrumentalities involve a high degree of risk. Derivatives The Fund may be invested in derivative securities through the underlying mutual funds in which it invests. The Underlying Funds may invest in a wide range of derivatives, including call and put options, futures, and forward contracts, for hedging purposes as well as direct investment. There are risks involved in the use of options and futures, including the risk that the prices of the hedging vehicles may not correlate perfectly with the securities held by the Underlying Funds. This may cause the futures or options to react differently from the Underlying Funds' securities to market changes. In addition, the investment advisers to the Underlying Funds could be incorrect in their expectations for the direction or extent of market movements. In these events, Underlying Funds could lose money on the options of futures contracts. It is also not certain that a secondary market for positions in options or futures contracts will exist at all times in which event the Underlying Fund will not be able to liquidate its positions without potentially incurring significant transactions costs. An Underlying Fund may enter into forward currency contracts in anticipation of changes in currency exchange rates. A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. For example, an Underlying Fund might purchase a particular currency or enter into a forward currency contract to preserve the U.S. dollar price of securities it intends to or has contracted to purchase. Alternatively, it might sell a particular currency on either a spot or forward basis to hedge against an anticipated decline in the dollar value of securities it intends to or has contracted to sell. Although this strategy could minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, it could also limit any potential gain from an increase in the value of the currency. When-Issued Purchases, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments Certain Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests may purchase or sell particular securities with payment and delivery taking place at a later date. The price or yield obtained in a transaction may be less favorable than the price or yield available in the market when the securities delivery takes place. When any fund agrees to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or enter into a forward commitment to purchase securities, its custodian will set aside cash or liquid high grade debt securities equal to the amount of the commitment in a segregated account. Normally, the custodian will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a purchase commitment, and in such a case a fund may be required subsequently to place additional assets in the segregated account in order to ensure that the value of the account remains equal to the amount of the fund's commitments. It may be expected that the market value of a fund's net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash. When-issued and forward commitment transactions involve the risk that the price or yield obtained in a transaction (and therefore the value of a security) may be less favorable than the price or yield (and therefore the value of a security) available in the market when the securities delivery takes place. In addition, when a fund engages in when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in a fund incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price considered advantageous. The market value of the securities underlying a when-issued purchase or a forward commitment to purchase securities, and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value, are taken into account when determining the net asset value of a fund starting on the day that fund agrees to purchase the securities. A fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. When a fund makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in such fund's assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities are not reflected in the fund's net asset value as long as the commitment remains in effect. Warrants Many Underlying Funds have the ability to purchase warrants and similar rights, which are privileges issued by corporations enabling the owners to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at the specified price during a specified period of time. Warrants basically are options to purchase equity securities at a specific price valid for a specific period of time. They do not represent ownership of the securities, but only the right to buy them. They have no voting rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the company issuing them. Warrants differ from call options in that warrants are issued by the issuer of the security that may be purchased on their exercise, whereas call options may be written or issued by anyone. The prices of warrants do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities. The purchase of warrants involves the risk that a fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the warrant's expiration. Also, the purchase of warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security's market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security. Sector/Industry Concentration The Fund may, from time to time, have greater than 25% of its assets in one market sector or industry via the underlying mutual funds in which it invests. To the extent that the Fund concentrates in one or more sectors or industries, it may be subject to the risks affecting that sector or industry more than would a more broadly diversified fund. The Fund may concentrate its investments in any sector or industry via the Underlying Funds in which its invests. To the extent that an Underlying Fund focuses on one or more sectors or industries, it may be subject to the risks affecting that sector or industry more than would a more broadly diversified fund. The Advisor's judgment about which sectors or industries offer the greatest potential for long-term financial reward will change over time. Short-Term Investments The Fund and Underlying Funds may invest in any of the following securities and instruments: o Money Market Mutual Funds. The Fund and Underlying Funds may invest in money market mutual funds in connection with their management of daily cash positions or as a temporary defensive measure. Generally, money market funds seek to earn a high rate of income consistent with the preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity. They primarily invest in high quality money market obligations, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities, bank obligations and high-grade corporate instruments. These investments generally mature within 397 days from the date of purchase. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency. o Certificates of Deposit, Bankers' Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund and Underlying Funds may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are "accepted" by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances acquired by the Fund will be dollar-denominated obligations of domestic banks, savings and loan associations or financial institutions which, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. Government. In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment objective and policies stated above and in its prospectus, the Fund and Underlying Funds may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. o Commercial Paper and Short-Term Notes. The Fund and Underlying Funds may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year. The Fund's investments in commercial paper and short-term notes, if any, will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase "A-2" or higher by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, "Prime-1" or "Prime-2" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in the Appendix. o Repurchase Agreements. Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests, as well as the Fund directly, may have a portion of their net assets in cash or cash equivalents for a variety of reasons, including waiting for a suitable investment opportunity or taking a defensive position. To earn income on this portion of its net assets, a fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Under a repurchase agreement, a fund agrees to buy securities guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government or its agencies from a qualified bank or broker-dealer and then to sell the securities back to the bank or broker-dealer after a short period of time (generally, less than seven days) at a higher price. The bank or broker-dealer must transfer to a fund's custodian securities with an initial market value of at least 100% of the dollar amount invested by a fund in each repurchase agreement. To the extent that the Fund is invested in these securities directly, the Advisor will monitor the value of such securities daily to determine that the value equals or exceeds the repurchase price. Repurchase agreements may involve risks in the event of default or insolvency of the bank or broker-dealer, including possible delays or restrictions upon a fund's ability to sell the underlying securities. The Fund's direct investments in repurchase agreements will be only with parties who meet certain creditworthiness standards, i.e. banks or broker-dealers that the Advisor has determined present no serious risk of becoming involved in bankruptcy proceedings within the time frame contemplated by the repurchase transaction. The Underlying Funds may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, a fund agrees to sell a security in its portfolio and then to repurchase the security at an agreed-upon price, date, and interest payment. A fund will maintain cash or high-grade liquid debt securities with a value equal to the value of the fund's obligation under the agreement, including accrued interest, in a segregated account with the fund's custodian bank. The securities subject to the reverse repurchase agreement will be marked-to-market daily. The use of repurchase agreements by a fund involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, a fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the bankruptcy code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for the loan by a fund not within the control of the fund, and therefore the realization by the fund on the collateral may be automatically stayed. Finally, it is possible that a fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement. Temporary Investments When the Advisor believes market or economic conditions are unfavorable for investors, the Advisor may invest up to 100% of the Fund's net assets in a temporary defensive manner or hold a substantial portion of its net assets in cash, cash equivalents, or other short-term investments. Unfavorable market or economic conditions may include excessive volatility or a prolonged general decline in the securities markets, the Underlying Fund investments in which the Fund normally invests, or the U.S. economy. Temporary defensive investments generally may include U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit, high-grade commercial paper, repurchase agreements, money market fund shares, and other money market equivalents. The Advisor also may invest in these types of securities or hold cash while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. Fundamental Investment Limitations Unlike the Fund's investment objective and strategies, the following restrictions may only be changed if the change is approved by holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities. As used in this SAI, "a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities" means (i) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding voting shares or (ii) 67% or more of the Fund's voting shares present at a shareholder meeting if more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding voting shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy, whichever is less. The Fund may not: 1. Purchase or otherwise acquire interests in real estate, real estate mortgage loans or interests therein, except that the Fund may purchase (either directly or via the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests) securities issued by issuers, including real estate investment trusts, which invest in real estate or interests therein. 2. Make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets would be loaned to other parties, except that the Fund may (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) lend its securities (iv) loan money to other funds within the Trust in accordance with the terms of any applicable rule or regulation or exemptive order pursuant to the 1940 Act. 3. Act as an underwriter except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter when disposing of securities it owns or when selling its own shares. 4. Issue senior securities to the Fund's presently authorized shares of beneficial interest, except that this restriction shall not be deemed to prohibit the Fund from (i) making any permitted borrowings, loans, mortgages, or pledges, (ii) entering into options, futures contracts, forward contracts, repurchase transactions or reverse repurchase transactions, or (iii) making short sales of securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof. 5. Borrow money in an amount exceeding 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets, provided that the Fund may borrow money from other funds within the Trust in accordance with the terms of any applicable rule or regulation or exemptive order pursuant to the1940 Act. 6. Concentrate its investments in any one industry or sector if, as a result, more than 80% of the Fund's assets will be invested in such industry or sector. This restriction, however, does not limit the Fund from investing in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. 7. Invest in other investment companies except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended. Management of the Fund Board of Trustees The overall management of the business and affairs of the Trust is vested with its Board. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and persons or companies furnishing services to it, including the agreements with the Advisor, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. The day to day operations of the Trust are delegated to its officers, subject to the Fund's investment objectives, strategies, and policies and to general supervision by the Board. The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their birth dates and positions with the Trust, term of office with the Trust and length of time served, their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years and other directorships held are listed in the table below. Unless noted otherwise, each person has held the position listed for a minimum of five years.
---------------------- ------------ -------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Position Term of Office and Name, Address with Length of Time Principal Occupation During and Age The Trust Served Past Five Years Other Directorships Held ---------------------- ------------ -------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Independent Trustees of the Trust ---------------------- --------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Walter E. Auch* Trustee Indefinite term Management Consultant Director, Nicholas-Applegate (born 1921) since February 1997. Funds, Citigroup Funds, Pimco 2020 E. Financial Way Advisors LLP and Senele Group. Glendora, CA 91741 ---------------------- ------------ -------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Donald E. O'Connor* Trustee Indefinite term Financial Consultant; Independent Director, The (born 1936) since February 1997. formerly Executive Vice Forward Funds. 2020 E. Financial Way President and Chief Operating Glendora, CA 91741 Officer of ICI Mutual Insurance Company (until January 1997). ---------------------- --------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ George T. Wofford III* Trustee Indefinite term Senior Vice President, None. (born 1939) since February 1997. Information Services, Federal 2020 E. Financial Way Home Loan Bank of San Glendora, CA 91741 Francisco. ---------------------- ------------ -------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ James Clayburn Trustee Indefinite term Dean Emeritus, John E. Director, The Payden & Rygel LaForce* since May 2002. Anderson Graduate School of Investment Group, The (born 1927) Management, University of Metzler/Payden Investment 2020 E. Financial Way California, Los Angeles. Group, PIC Investment Trust, Glendora, CA 91741 PIC Small Cap Portfolio, PIC Balanced Portfolio, PIC Growth Portfolio, PIC Mid Cap Portfolio, BlackRock Funds, Jacobs Engineering, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Cancervax. ---------------------- ----------- --------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ George J. Rebhan* Trustee Indefinite term Retired; formerly President, Trustee, E*TRADE Funds. (born 1934) since May 2002. Hotchkis and Wiley Funds 2020 E. Financial Way (mutual funds) from 1985 to Glendora, CA 91741 1993. ---------------------- --------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Interested Trustee of the Trust --------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Eric M. Banhazl** Trustee Indefinite term Senior Vice President, U.S. None. (born 1957) since February 1997. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 2020 E. Financial Way since July 2001; Treasurer, Glendora, CA 91741 Investec Funds; formerly, Executive Vice President, Investment Company Administration, LLC; ("ICA")(mutual fund administrator and the Fund's former administrator). --------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Officers of the Trust --------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Eric M. Banhazl President Indefinite term See Above. See Above. (see above) (Interested since February 1997. Trustee - see above.) --------------------- ------------ --------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Douglas G. Hess Treasurer Indefinite term Vice President, Compliance None. (born 1967) since June 2003. and Administration, U.S. 615 East Michigan St. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC Milwaukee, WI 53202 since March 1997. --------------------- ------------ --------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Chad E. Fickett Secretary Indefinite term Assistant Vice President, None. (born 1973) since March 2002. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, 615 East Michigan St. LLC since July 2000. Milwaukee, WI 53202 --------------------- ------------ --------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------------ *Denotes those Trustees of the Trust who are not "interested persons" of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act ("Independent Trustees"). **Denotes Trustee who is an "interested person" of the Trust under the 1940 Act. Mr. Banhazl is an interested person of the Trust by virtue of his position as President of the Trust. He is also an officer of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the administrator for the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC is an affiliate of Quasar Distributors, LLC, the Fund's distributor.
Compensation Each Independent Trustee receives $18,000 per year in fees, plus $500 for each special meeting attended and is reimbursed for expenses. This amount is allocated among each of the numerous current portfolios of the Trust. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No other entity affiliated with the Trust pays any compensation to the Trustees.
Name of Person/Position Aggregate Pension or Retirement Estimated Annual Total Compensation Compensation From Benefits Accrued as Benefits Upon from Trust(2) Paid to the Trust(1) Part of Fund Expenses Retirement Trustees --------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------- ----------------- --------------------- Walter E. Auch, Trustee $20,000 None None $20,000 --------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------- ----------------- --------------------- Donald E. O'Connor, Trustee $20,000 None None $20,000 --------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------- ----------------- --------------------- George T. Wofford III, $19,500 None None $19,500 Trustee --------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------- ----------------- --------------------- James Clayburn LaForce, $19,500 None None $19,500 Trustee --------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------- ----------------- --------------------- George J. Rebhan, Trustee $20,000 None None $20,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003. (2) There are currently numerous different portfolios comprising the Trust. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003, trustees fees and expenses in the amount of $5,960 were allocated to the Fund.
The Trust has two standing committees: The Audit Committee and the Valuation Committee. The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees. It does not include any interested Trustees. The Audit Committee typically meets once per year with respect to the various series of the Trust. The function of the Audit Committee, with respect to each series of the Trust, is to review the scope and results of the audit and any matters bearing on the audit or the Fund's financial statements and to ensure the integrity of the Fund's pricing and financial reporting. The Audit Committee met once during the Fund's last fiscal year with respect to the Fund. The Board has delegated day-to-day valuation issues to a Valuation Committee that is comprised of at least one representative from the Administrator's staff who is knowledgeable about the Fund and at least one Trustee. The function of the Valuation Committee is to value securities held by any series of the Trust for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available. Such securities are valued at their respective fair values as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee and the actions of the Valuation Committee are subsequently reviewed and ratified by the Board of Trustees. The Valuation Committee meets as needed. The Valuation Committee did not meet during the Fund's last fiscal year with respect to the Fund. Control Persons, Principal Shareholders, and Management Ownership A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. As of June 30, 2003, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust as a group did not own more than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2002, neither the Independent Trustees nor members of their immediately family, own securities beneficially or of record in the Advisor, the Distributor or an affiliate of the Advisor or Distributor. Accordingly, neither the Independent Trustees nor members of their immediate family, have direct or indirect interest, the value of which exceeds $60,000, in the Advisor, the Distributor or any of their affiliates. In addition, during the most recently completed calendar year, neither the Independent Trustees nor members of their immediate families have conducted any transactions (or series of transactions) in which the amount involved exceeds $60,000 and to which the Advisor, the Distributor or any affiliate thereof was a party. As of June 30, 2003, the following shareholder was considered to be either a control person or principal shareholder of the Fund: Control Persons of The Teberg Fund ----------------------------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Name and Address % Ownership Type of Ownership ----------------------------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Curtis A. Teberg* 9.94% Record & Beneficial 5161 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811 Duluth Steel Fabricators Profit Sharing Trust FBO: Mark W. Youngren 6.82% Record 5161 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811 Richard L. Dobbs 5161 Miller Trunk Highway 6.11% Record & Beneficial Duluth, MN 55811 ----------------------------------------------- ----------- -------------------- *Mr. Teberg is the record owner of 6.84% of the Fund's outstanding shares. In addition, Mr. Teberg beneficially owns 3.09% of the Fund's outstanding shares through various accounts including the Teberg Corporation and First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. Investment Advisor First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. (the "Advisor"), is a Minnesota corporation that serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Curtis A. Teberg is the President and sole shareholder of the Advisor. The Advisor is an SEC-registered investment advisor. The Advisor provides investment management services for individuals and institutional clients including pension and profit sharing plans. On December 3, 2001, the Board, on behalf of the Fund, approved an initial two-year investment advisory agreement (the "Agreement") with the Advisor. After the initial two years, the Agreement may continue on a year-to-year basis provided that specific approval is voted at least annually by the Board or by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. In either event, it must also be approved by a majority of the Trustees who are neither parties to the Agreement nor "interested persons" as defined in the 1940 Act at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Advisor's investment decisions are made subject to the direction and supervision of the Board. Ultimate decisions as to the investment policy are made by the Trust's officers and the Trustees. In granting approval of the Agreement, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, took into consideration, among other things: (a) the nature and quality of the services provided by the Advisor to the Fund; (b) the appropriateness of the fees paid by the Fund to the Advisor; (c) the level of Fund expenses; (d) the reasonableness of the potential profitability of the Advisory Agreement to the Advisor; and (e) the nature of the Fund's investments. After reviewing various information, the Board, including the Independent Trustees, concluded that the terms of the Advisory Agreement were fair and reasonable based on various factors, including that the Advisor has sufficient qualified personnel and adequate internal controls to manage the assets of the Fund and is capable to offer its services to the Fund, the fees paid by the Fund to the Advisor are reasonable and consistent with advisory and other fees paid by other investment companies of similar objectives and the Advisor's brokerage practices were reasonable efficient. Under the Agreement, the Advisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund in accordance with its investment objectives and strategies. Furthermore, the Advisor is ultimately responsible for the investment performance of the Fund because it allocates the Fund's assets among the various mutual funds in which it invests and monitors the Fund for any necessary re-balancing or re-allocation. For its services, the Advisor is entitled to an annual advisory fee of 1.50% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The Advisor pays out of this fee all the expenses of the Fund except brokerage commissions, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the independent Trustees of the Trust and extraordinary expenses. In addition to the services provided by the Advisor pursuant to the Agreement, the Advisor may, from time to time, provide the Fund with office space for managing their affairs, with the services of required personnel, and with certain clerical services and facilities. These services are provided without reimbursement by the Fund for any costs incurred. The Advisor has also entered into an Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement in which it has agreed to keep the Fund's expenses to a certain minimum (as described in the Fee Table for the Fund). Under the Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement, the Advisor may recapture waived or reimbursed expenses for a five-year period under specified conditions. During the last fiscal year, the Advisor agreed to limit total Fund operating expenses to 1.50% of average net assets annually. The Advisor's fees are set forth in the table below. --------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Advisory Fees For the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2003 --------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Fees Accrued $163,772 Fees Waived $47,034 ------- Net Advisory Fee Paid $116,738 ======== --------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Portfolio Turnover Rate The Fund is actively managed and has no restrictions upon portfolio turnover. The Fund's rate of portfolio turnover may be greater than that of many other mutual funds. A 100% annual portfolio turnover would be achieved if each security in the Fund's portfolio (other than securities with less than one year remaining to maturity) were replaced once during the year. Buying and selling securities, including shares of Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests, generally involves some expense to the Fund, such as commissions paid to brokers and other transaction costs. Trading also may result in realization of capital gains that would not otherwise be realized, and shareholders are taxed on such gains when distributed from the Fund, whether reinvested or otherwise. Generally, speaking the higher the Fund's annual portfolio turnover, the greater its brokerage costs and the greater likelihood that it will realize taxable capital gains. Increased brokerage costs may adversely affect the Fund's performance. Also, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or you purchase shares through a tax-deferred account, the distribution of capital gains may affect your after-tax return. Additionally, there is no limit on, and the Advisor cannot control, the portfolio turnover rates of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003, the Fund had a portfolio turnover rate was as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiscal Year Ended Portfolio turnover rate for: March 31, 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Teberg Fund 84.10% ------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Distribution of Fund Shares Distributor Quasar Distributors, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, is the principal underwriter (the "Distributor") and the general distributor of the shares of the Fund pursuant to a Distribution Agreement, as amended from time to time, between the Distributor and the Trust (the "Distribution Agreement"). The Distribution Agreement was approved by the Board in the manner required by the 1940 Act. Distribution Plan As noted in the Prospectus, the Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the 1940 Act (the "Plan"). The Plan provides that the Fund will compensate the Advisor as Distribution Coordinator and the Fund may pay up to an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of shares to the Underwriter or other qualified recipient under the Plan. The Plan was not implemented during the Fund's prior fiscal year. The Board determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan authorizes the use of Fund assets to pay the Distributor, banks, broker/dealers and other institutions that provide distribution assistance and/or shareholder services such as: o printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other than Fund shareholders, o printing and distributing advertising and sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with selling shares of the Fund, and o furnishing personnel and communications equipment to service shareholder accounts and prospective shareholder inquiries. The Plan requires the Fund to prepare and furnish to the Trustees for their review, at least quarterly, written reports complying with the requirements of the Rule and setting out the amounts expended under the Plan and the purposes for which those expenditures were made. The Plan provides that so long as it is in effect the selection and nomination of Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the Trustees then in office who are not interested persons of the Trust. The Plan will continue in effect only so long as its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority vote of both all the Trustees and those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan for the Fund may be terminated at any time by a majority vote of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Plan or in any agreement related to the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Plan may not be amended so as to materially increase the amount of the distribution fees for the Fund unless the amendment is approved by a vote of at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. In addition, no material amendment may be made unless approved by the Trustees in the manner described above for Trustee approval of the Plan. None of the Trustees or officers of the Fund have any direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan. Service Providers Pursuant to an Administration Agreement (the "Administration Agreement"), U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, (the "Administrator"), acts as administrator for the Fund. The Administrator provides certain administrative services to the Fund, including, among other responsibilities, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and the monitoring of performance and billing of, the Fund's independent contractors and agents; preparation for signature by an officer of the Trust of all documents required to be filed for compliance by the Trust and the Fund with applicable laws and regulations excluding those of the securities laws of various states; arranging for the computation of performance data, including net asset value and yield; responding to shareholder inquiries; and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Fund, and providing, at its own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to carry out its duties. In this capacity, the Administrator does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. For the period indicated below, the Fund paid the following fees to its Administrator, which was also the Administrator: ------------------------------------------ -------------------- Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2003 Fees Paid to: ------------------------------------------ -------------------- U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC $30,309 ------------------------------------------ -------------------- U.S. Bank, National Association, located at 425 Walnut St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, acts as Custodian of the securities and other assets of the Fund. The Administrator also acts as the Fund's transfer and shareholder service agent. The Custodian and Transfer Agent do not participate in decisions relating to the purchase and sale of securities by the Fund. The Administrator, Custodian and the Fund's Distributor are affiliated entities under the common control of U.S. Bancorp. Tait, Weller & Baker, 1818 Market Street, Suite 2400, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, has been retained as the independent public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004, whose services include auditing the Fund's financial statements and the performance of related tax services. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, 55 Second Street, 24th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105, is counsel to the Fund. Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage In connection with its duties to arrange for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, the Advisor will select such broker-dealers who will, in the Advisor's judgment, implement the Fund's policy to achieve best execution at the best available price. Consistent with the rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Advisor will allocate transactions to such broker-dealers only when it reasonably believes that the commissions and transaction quality is comparable to that available from other qualified broker-dealers, subject to seeking the best available price and execution available and such other policies as the Board may determine. When allocating transactions to broker-dealers, the Advisor is authorized to consider, in determining whether a particular broker-dealer will provide best execution, the broker-dealer's reliability, integrity, financial condition and risk in positioning the securities involved, as well as the difficulty of the transaction in question, and thus need not pay the lowest spread or commission available if the manager determines in good faith that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer, viewed either in terms of the particular transaction or the Advisor's overall responsibilities as to the accounts as to which it exercises investment discretion. If, on the foregoing basis, the transaction in question could be allocated to two or more broker-dealers, the Advisor is authorized in making such allocation, to consider, (a) whether a broker-dealer has provided research services, as further discussed below; and (b) whether a broker-dealer has sold Fund shares or the shares of any other investment company or companies having the Advisor as its adviser or having the same administrator or principal underwriter as the Fund. Such research may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include quotations on portfolio securities and information on particular issuers and industries, as well as on market, economic or institutional activities, and may also include comparison of the performance of the Fund to the performance of various indices and investments for which reliable performance data is available and similar information prepared by recognized mutual fund statistical services. The Fund recognizes that no dollar value can be placed on such research services or on execution services, that such research services may or may not be useful to the Fund or other accounts of the Advisor, and that such research received by such other accounts may or may not be useful to the Fund. The Fund did not pay any broker-dealer commissions for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2003. The Advisor will cause the Fund to deal directly with the selling or purchasing principal or market maker without incurring brokerage commissions unless the Advisor determines that a better price or execution may be obtained by paying such commissions. Purchases from underwriters include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and principal transactions placed through broker-dealers include a spread between the bid and asked prices. Additionally, the Advisor may direct transactions to a broker-dealer with which it has a financial affiliation, including Askar Corporation. Mr. Curtis Teberg, who is the President and sole shareholder of the Advisor, is a registered representative of Askar Corporation. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not purchase portfolio securities from any underwriting syndicate of which the Distributor, as principal, is a member except under certain limited circumstances set forth in Rule 10f-3 thereunder. These conditions relate, among other things, to the reasonableness of the broker-dealer spread, the amount of securities that may be purchased from any one issuer, and the amount of the Fund's assets that may be invested in a particular issue. The rule also requires that any purchase made subject to its provisions be reviewed at least quarterly by the Board, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust as defined by the 1940 Act. The Board will review quarterly the Advisor's performance of its responsibilities in connection with the placement of portfolio transactions on behalf of the Fund. Such review is conducted for the purpose of determining if the markups and commissions, if any, paid by the Fund are reasonable in relation to the benefits received by the Fund taking into account the competitive practices in the industry. Code of Ethics The Trust, the Advisor and the Distributor have each adopted Codes of Ethics (the "Codes") that govern the conduct of employees of the Trust, the Advisor and the Distributor who may have access to information about the Fund's securities transactions. The Codes recognize that such persons owe a fiduciary duty to the Fund's shareholders and must place the interests of shareholders ahead of their own interests. Among other things, the Codes requires, under certain circumstances, pre-clearance of certain personal securities transactions; certain blackout periods for personal trading of securities which may be considered for purchase or sale by the Fund or other Advisory clients; 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 Trustees and could result in severe penalties. Purchase and Redemption of Shares Detailed information on the purchase and redemption of shares is included in the Fund's prospectus. Shares of the Fund are sold without a sales charge at the next price calculated after receipt of an order for purchase. In order to purchase shares of the Fund, you must invest the initial minimum investment, which ordinarily must be at least $25,000. However, the Trust reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive the minimum initial investment amount for certain investors, or to waive or reduce the minimum initial investment for 401(k)'s or other tax-deferred retirement plans. You may purchase shares on any day that the NYSE is open for business by placing orders with the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase requests, particularly those that would not be in the best interests of the Fund or their shareholders and could adversely affect the Fund or its operations. This includes those from any individual or group who, in the Fund's view, is likely to engage in or has a history of excessive trading (usually defined as more than four transactions out of the Fund within a calendar year). Furthermore, the Trust may suspend the right to redeem its shares or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than three business days (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE is restricted; (ii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets; or (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. Redemption In Kind The Fund does not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. The Trust, however, has filed a notice of election under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act that allows the Fund to redeem in-kind redemption requests of a certain amount. Specifically, if the amount you are redeeming is over the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net asset value, the Fund has the right to redeem your shares by giving you the amount that exceeds $250,000 or 1% of the Fund's net asset value in securities instead of cash. Determination of Net Asset Value Shares of the Fund are sold at net asset value per share (NAV), which is determined by the Fund as of the close of regular trading (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for unrestricted business. The Fund's NAV, however, may be calculated earlier if trading on the NYSE is restricted or as permitted by the SEC. Additionally, while the Fund does not expect to determine the NAV of its shares on any day when the NYSE is not open for trading (even if there is sufficient trading in its portfolio securities on such days to materially affect the NAV per share), the NAV of the Fund's shares may be determined on days the NYSE is closed for business if the Board decides it is necessary. Purchase and redemption requests are priced at the next NAV calculated after receipt of such requests. The NAV is determined by dividing the value of the Fund's securities (consisting primarily of shares of other mutual funds), cash and other assets, minus all expenses and liabilities, by the number of shares outstanding (assets - liabilities / number of shares = NAV). The NAV takes into account the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration and shareholder servicing fees, which are accrued daily. An example of how the Fund calculated its net asset value per share as of March 31, 2003 is as follows: Net Assets ---------------------------------------- = Net Asset Value Per Share Shares Outstanding $17,943,188 ---------------------------------------- = $9.73 1,843,446 The assets of the Fund consist primarily, if not exclusively, of shares of Underlying Funds valued at their respective NAVs. There may be situations when the Fund is unable to receive an NAV from an Underlying Fund. In such case, shares of an Underlying Fund will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Board. Most Underlying Fund securities are valued primarily on the basis of current market quotations or on the basis of information furnished by a pricing service. Certain short-term securities are valued on the basis of amortized costs. If market quotations or information furnished by a pricing service is not readily available or does not accurately reflect fair value for a security held by an Underlying Fund, or if the value of a security held by an Underlying Fund has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the applicable exchange or market on which the security is principally traded, that security may be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures approved by the Underlying Funds' Board of Trustees. Generally, the Fund's investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of a market value, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Advisor and the Trust's Valuation Committee pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board. Tax Matters The following is a summary of certain tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussions here are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning. You should consult your personal tax adviser to determine the consequences of state and local taxes, and for a more detailed assessment of federal tax consequences for your particular circumstances. Distributions of Net Investment Income The Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on their investments. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distributions by the Fund from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income, whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares. Distributions of Capital Gain The Fund may derive capital gain or loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its interests in the Underlying Funds. Distributions of net short-term capital gain will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions from net long-term capital gain will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund. Distributions of the Underlying Fund's net short-term capital gain will be ordinary income to the Fund, and, in turn to you, upon its distribution by the Fund. Distributions of an Underlying Fund's net long-term capital gain to the Fund will be long-term capital gain to the Fund, and, in turn, to you upon its distribution by the Fund, regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund. Any net capital gain realized by the Fund generally will be distributed at least annually, and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, to reduce or eliminate excise or income taxes on the Fund. Information on the Tax Character of Distributions The Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income and capital gain dividends at the time they are paid, and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. If you have not held Fund shares for a full year, the Fund may designate and distribute to you, as ordinary income or capital gain, a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of such income earned during the period of your investment in the Fund. Election to be Taxed as a Regulated Investment Company The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and intends to so qualify during the current fiscal year. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gain it distributes to you. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as regulated investment companies if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. In such case, the Fund will be subject to federal, and possibly state, corporate taxes on its taxable income and gain, and distributions to you will be taxed as ordinary dividend income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. Excise Tax Distribution Requirements To avoid federal excise taxes, the Code requires the Fund to distribute to you by December 31 of each year, at a minimum, the following amounts: 98% of its taxable ordinary income earned during the calendar year; 98% of its realized capital gain and net investment income earned during the twelve-month period ending October 31; and 100% of any undistributed amounts from the prior year. The Fund intends to declare and pay these distributions in December (or to pay them in January, in which case you must treat them as if received in December) but can give no assurances that its distributions will be sufficient to eliminate all taxes. Redemption of Fund Shares Redemptions (including redemptions "in-kind") and exchanges of Fund shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you redeem your Fund shares, or exchange your Fund shares for shares of a different Fund, the IRS will require that you report any gain or loss on your redemption or exchange. If you hold your shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you hold your shares. Any loss incurred on the redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those shares. All or a portion of any loss that you realize upon the redemption of your Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your share redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new shares you buy. U.S. Government Securities Some states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on certain U.S. government securities, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. Investments in bankers' acceptances, commercial paper and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities generally do not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations. Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations If you are a corporate shareholder, you should note that it is expected that a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund will qualify for the dividends-received deduction. You may be allowed to deduct these qualified dividends, thereby reducing the tax that you would otherwise be required to pay on these dividends. The dividends-received deduction will be available only with respect to dividends designated by the Fund as eligible for such treatment. All dividends (including the deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation. Investment in Complex Securities The Fund may invest in complex securities that may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect whether gain or loss recognized by the Fund is treated as ordinary or capital, or as interest or dividend income. These rules could also accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund (possibly causing the Fund to sell securities to raise the cash for necessary distributions) and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize a loss, and, in limited cases, subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain foreign securities. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Fund. Anti-Money Laundering Program The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the "Program") as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 ("USA PATRIOT Act"). In order to ensure compliance with this law, the Trust's Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program. Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Fund's distributor and transfer agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, checking shareholder names against designated government lists, including Office of Foreign Asset Control ("OFAC"), and a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Fund will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures The Board has adopted a Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies") on behalf of the Trust which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies to the Advisor, subject to the Board's continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Advisor vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Policies also require the Advisor to present to the Board, at least annually, the Advisor's Proxy Policies and a record of each proxy voted by the Advisor on behalf of a Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Advisor as involving a conflict of interest. The Advisor has adopted a Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Advisor's Proxy Policies") which underscores the Advisor's concern that all proxies voting decisions be made in the best interest's of the Fund and that the Advisor will act in a prudent and diligent manner intended to enhance the economic value of the assets of the Fund. A general statement of voting policy and specific voting positions has been established by the Advisor. This policy is intended to serve as a guideline and to further the economic value of each mutual fund held by the Fund. There will be regular review of this policy. Each proxy will be considered individually, taking into account the relevant circumstances at the time of each vote. Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Advisor's interests and the Fund's interests, the Advisor will resolve the conflict by disclosing the conflict to the Board and obtaining the Board's consent to vote or direct the matter to an independent third party, selected by the Board for a vote determination. In 2004, the Trust will be required to annually file new Form N-PX, which lists the Fund's complete proxy voting record for the 12 months period ending June 30th. Once filed, the Fund's proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free (866) 209-1964 and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. General Information The Trust is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on October 3, 1996. The Trust currently consists of numerous series of shares of beneficial interest, par value of $0.01 per share. The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest and to divide or combine the shares into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in the Fund. Each share represents an interest in the Fund proportionately equal to the interest of each other share. Upon the Fund's liquidation, all shareholders would share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders. The Declaration of Trust does not require the issuance of stock certificates. If stock certificates are issued, they must be returned by the registered owners prior to the transfer or redemption of shares represented by such certificates. The Board has created numerous series of shares, and may create additional series in the future, each of which has separate assets and liabilities. Income and operating expenses not specifically attributable to a particular Fund are allocated fairly among the Funds by the Trustees, generally on the basis of the relative net assets of each Fund. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that as to any investment company which has two or more series outstanding and as to any matter required to be submitted to shareholder vote, such matter is not deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the Rule) of the voting securities of each series affected by the matter. Such separate voting requirements do not apply to the election of Trustees or the ratification of the selection of accountants. The Rule contains special provisions for cases in which an advisory contract is approved by one or more, but not all, series. A change in investment policy may go into effect as to one or more series whose holders so approve the change even though the required vote is not obtained as to the holders of other affected series. With respect to the Fund, the Trust may offer more than one class of shares. The Trust has reserved the right to create and issue additional series or classes. Each share of a series or class represents an equal proportionate interest in that series or class with each other share of that series or class. Currently, the Fund has only one class of shares. The shares of each series or class participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series or class. Expenses of the Trust which are not attributable to a specific series or class are allocated amount all the series in a manner believed by management of the Trust to be fair and equitable. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. Shares when issued are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. Shares of each series or class generally vote together, except when required under federal securities laws to vote separately on matters that only affect a particular class, such as the approval of distribution plans for a particular class. The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders but will hold special meetings of shareholders of a series or class when, in the judgment of the Trustees, it is necessary or desirable to submit matters for a shareholder vote. Shareholders have, under certain circumstances, the right to communicate with other shareholders in connection with requesting a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of removing one or more Trustees. Shareholders also have, in certain circumstances, the right to remove one or more Trustees without a meeting. No material amendment may be made to the Trust's Declaration of Trust without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each portfolio affected by the amendment. The Trust's Declaration of Trust provides that, at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or of any series or class, a Shareholder Servicing Agent may vote any shares as to which such Shareholder Servicing Agent is the agent of record and which are not represented in person or by proxy at the meeting, proportionately in accordance with the votes cast by holders of all shares of that portfolio otherwise represented at the meeting in person or by proxy as to which such Shareholder Servicing Agent is the agent of record. Any shares so voted by a Shareholder Servicing Agent will be deemed represented at the meeting for purposes of quorum requirements. Any series or class may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the shares of that series or by the Trustees by written notice to the shareholders of that series. Unless each series is so terminated, the Trust will continue indefinitely. The Trust's Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents covering possible tort and other liabilities. Calculation of Performance Data The Fund's performance may from time to time be compared to that of other mutual funds tracked by mutual fund rating services, broad groups of comparable mutual funds or unmanaged indices, which may assume investment of dividends but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and management costs. In reports and other communications to shareholders or in advertising and sales literature, the Fund may also show the historical performance of other investment vehicles or groups of other mutual funds, and may compare tax equivalent yields to taxable yields. Any given "performance" or performance comparison should not be considered as representative of any performance in the future. In addition, there may be differences between the Fund and the various indexes and reporting services which may be quoted by the Fund. Performance data of the Fund quoted in advertising and other promotional materials represents past performance and is not intended to predict or guarantee future results. The return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate, and an investor's redemption proceeds may be more or less than the original investment amount. In advertising and promotional materials the Fund may compare its performance with data published by Lipper, Inc. ("Lipper"), Morningstar, Inc. or CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. ("CDA"). The Fund also may refer in such materials to mutual fund performance rankings and other data, such as comparative asset, expense and fee levels, published by Lipper or CDA. Advertising and promotional materials also may refer to discussions of the Fund and comparative mutual fund data and ratings reported in independent periodicals including, but not limited to, The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, Forbes, Business Week, Financial World and Barron's. Average Annual Total Return Average annual total return quotations used in the Fund's advertising and promotional materials are calculated according to the following formula: n P(1 + T) = ERV where "P" equals a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000; "T" equals average annual total return; "n" equals the number of years; and "ERV" equals the ending redeemable value at the end of the period of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the period. Under the foregoing formula, the time periods used in advertising will be based on rolling calendar quarters, updated to the last day of the most recent quarter prior to submission of the advertising for publication. Average annual total return, or "T" in the above formula, is computed by finding the average annual compounded rates of return over the period that would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value. Average annual total return assumes the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. The average annual total return computed at the public offering price (net asset value) for the Fund for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 was as follows: Since Inception (April 1, 2002) -1.90% Please note that certain fees and expenses of the Fund have been waived or reimbursed from inception through March 31, 2003. Accordingly, return figures are higher than they would have been had such fees and expenses not been waived or reimbursed. Average Annual Total Return (After Taxes on Distributions) The Fund's quotations of average annual total return (after taxes on distributions) are calculated according to the following formula: n P(1 + T) = ATVD where "P" equals a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000; "T" equals average annual total return; "n" equals the number of years; and "ATVD" equals the ending redeemable value at the end of the period of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the period after taxes on distributions, not after taxes on redemption. Dividends and other distributions are assumed to be reinvested in shares at the prices in effect on the reinvestment dates. ATVD will be adjusted to reflect the effect of any absorption of Fund expenses by the Advisor. The average annual total return (after taxes on distributions) computed at the public offering price (net asset value) for the Fund for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 was as follows: Since Inception (April 1, 2002) -2.21% Please note that certain fees and expenses of the Fund have been waived or reimbursed from inception through March 31, 2003. Accordingly, return figures are higher than they would have been had such fees and expenses not been waived or reimbursed. Average Annual Total Return (After Taxes on Distributions and Redemptions) The Fund's quotations of average annual total return (after taxes on distributions and redemption) are calculated according to the following formula: n P(1 + T) = ATVDR where "P" equals a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000; "T" equals average annual total return; "n" equals the number of years; and "ATVDR" equals the ending redeemable value at the end of the period of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the period after taxes on distributions and redemption. Dividends and other distributions are assumed to be reinvested in shares at the prices in effect on the reinvestment dates. ATVDR will be adjusted to reflect the effect of any absorption of Fund expenses by the Advisor. The average annual total return (after taxes on distributions and redemptions) computed at the public offering price (net asset value) for the Fund for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 was as follows: Since Inception (April 1, 2002) -1.17% Please note that certain fees and expenses of the Fund have been waived or reimbursed from inception through March 31, 2003. Accordingly, return figures are higher than they would have been had such fees and expenses not been waived or reimbursed. Financial Statements The annual report for the Fund for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 is a separate document supplied with this SAI and the financial statements, accompanying notes and report of independent accountants appearing therein are incorporated by reference in this SAI. Appendix Commercial Paper Ratings Standard & Poor's A Standard & Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from `A' for the highest-quality obligations to `D' for the lowest. These categories are as follows: A-1 - This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation. A-2 - Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated `A-1'. A-3 - Issues carrying this designation have an adequate capacity for timely payment. They are, however, more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations. B - Issues rated `B' are regarded as having only speculative capacity for timely payment. C - This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a doubtful capacity for payment. D - Debt rated `D' is in payment default. The `D' rating category is used when interest payments of principal payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes such payments will be made during such grace period. Moody's Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions on the ability of issuers to repay punctually senior debt obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted. Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers: Prime-1 - Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics: leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return on funds employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity. Prime-2 - Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained. Prime-3 - Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained. Not Prime - Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. Fitch Fitch's short-term debt credit ratings are applied to the spectrum of corporate, structured, and public finance. They cover sovereign (including supranational and subnational), financial, bank, insurance, and other corporate entities and the securities they issue, as well as municipal and other public finance entities, and securities backed by receivables or other financial assets, and counterparties. When applied to an entity, these short-term ratings assess its general creditworthiness on a senior basis. When applied to specific issues and programs, these ratings take into account the relative preferential position of the holder of the security and reflect the terms, conditions, and covenants attaching to that security. Short-term debt credit ratings assess the capacity to meet foreign currency or local currency commitments. Both "foreign currency" and "local currency" ratings are internationally comparable assessments. The local currency rating measures the probability of payment within the relevant sovereign state's currency and jurisdiction and therefore, unlike the foreign currency rating, does not take account of the possibility of foreign exchange controls limiting transfer into foreign currency. A short-term rating has a time horizon of less than 12 months for most obligations, or up to three years for US public finance securities, and thus places greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner. Fitch employs the following designations: F1 Highest credit quality. Indicates the Best capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. F2 Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. F3 Fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade. B Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. C High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. D Default. Denotes actual or imminent payment default. Notes: "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to Short-term ratings other than `F1'. `NR' indicates that Fitch does not rate the issuer or issue in question. `Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced. Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period. Thomson Bank Watch Thomson Bank Watch assigns Short-Term Debt Ratings to specific debt instruments with original maturities of one year or less. These ratings incorporate basically the same factors used for the BankWatch Issuer Ratings. There is one major difference, however: the Short-Term Debt Ratings put a greater emphasis on the likelihood of government support. Thomson Bank Watch ratings represent an assessment of the likelihood of an untimely payment of principal and interest. Important factors that may influence this assessment are the overall financial health of the particular company, and the probability that the government will come to the aid of a troubled institution in order to avoid a default or failure. The probability of government intervention stems from four primary factors: o Government guarantees o Government or quasi-government ownership or control o The degree of concentration in the banking system o Government precedent As with the Issuer Ratings, the Short-Term Debt Ratings incorporate both qualitative and quantitative factors. The ratings are not meant to be "pass/fail' but rather to provide a relative indication of creditworthiness. Therefore, obligations rated TBW-3 are still considered investment-grade. These Short-Term Debt Ratings can also be restricted to local currency instruments. In such cases, the ratings will be preceded by the designation LC for Local Currency. Short-Term Debt Ratings are based on the following scale and the definitions are: TBW-1 LC-1 The highest category; indicates a very high likelihood that principal and interest will be paid on a timely basis. TBW-2 LC-2 The second-highest category; while the degree of safety regarding timely repayment of principal and interest is strong, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues rated TBW-1. TBW-3 LC-3 The lowest investment-grade category; indicates that while the obligation is more susceptible to adverse developments (both internal and external) than those with higher ratings, the capacity to service principal and interest in a timely fashion is considered adequate. TBW-4 LC-4 The lowest rating category; this rating is regarded as non-investment grade and therefore speculative. Credit Ratings Standard & Poor's Standard & Poor's issue credit ratings based in varying degrees, on the following considerations: 1. Likelihood of payment - capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; 2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and 3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. The issue ratings definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. AAA - An obligation rated "AAA" has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. AA - An obligation rated "AA" differs from the highest rated obligations only in 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. BB, B, CCC, CC, and C - 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. C - The "C" rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. D - An obligation rated "D" is in payment default. The "D" rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The "D" rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. Plus (+) or minus (-) The ratings from "AA" through "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. "c" - The `c' subscript is used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer's bonds are deemed taxable. "p" - The letter `p' indicates that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk. * - Continuance of the ratings is contingent upon Standard & Poor's receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. "r"- The `r' highlights derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that Standard & Poor's believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns as a result of noncredit risks. Examples of such obligations are securities with principal or interest return indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest-only and principal-only mortgage securities. The absence of an `r' symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return. N.R. - Not Rated - Debt obligations of issuers outside the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues. The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account currency exchange and related uncertainties. Moody's Moody's uses the following categories for long-term obligations: Aaa - Bonds that are rated "Aaa" to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Aa - Bonds that are rated "Aa" are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the "Aaa" group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in "Aaa" securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risk appear somewhat larger than the "Aaa" securities. A - Bonds that are rated "A" possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future. Baa - Bonds that are rated "Baa" considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e. they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well. Ba - Bonds that are rated "Ba" are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate, and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class. B - Bonds that are rated "B" generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small. Caa - Bonds that are rated "Caa" are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest. Ca - Bonds that are rated "Ca" represent obligations that are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings. C - Bonds that are rated "C" are the lowest rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing. Fitch Fitch's long-term debt credit ratings are applied to the spectrum of corporate, structured, and public finance. They cover sovereign (including supranational and subnational), financial, bank, insurance, and other corporate entities and the securities they issue, as well as municipal and other public finance entities, and securities backed by receivables or other financial assets, and counterparties. When applied to an entity, these long-term ratings assess its general creditworthiness on a senior basis. When applied to specific issues and programs, these ratings take into account the relative preferential position of the holder of the security and reflect the terms, conditions, and covenants attaching to that security. Long-term debt credit ratings assess the capacity to meet foreign currency or local currency commitments. Both "foreign currency" and "local currency" ratings are internationally comparable assessments. The local currency rating measures the probability of payment within the relevant sovereign state's currency and jurisdiction and therefore, unlike the foreign currency rating, does not take account of the possibility of foreign exchange controls limiting transfer into foreign currency. Investment Grade AAA Highest credit quality. `AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. AA Very high credit quality. `AA' ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. A High credit quality. `A' ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. BBB Good credit quality. `BBB' ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category. Speculative Grade BB Speculative. `BB' ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade. B Highly speculative. `B' ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. CCC, CC, C High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A `CC' rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. `C' ratings signal imminent default. DDD, DD, D Default. The ratings of obligations in this category are based on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a reorganization or liquidation of the obligor. While expected recovery values are highly speculative and cannot be estimated with any precision, the following serve as general guidelines. `DDD' obligations have the highest potential for recovery, around 90%-100% of outstanding amounts and accrued interest. `DD' indicates potential recoveries in the range of 50%-90%, and `D' the lowest recovery potential, i.e. below 50%. Entities rated in this category have defaulted on some or all of their obligations. Entities rated `DDD' have the highest prospect for resumption of performance or continued operation with or without a formal reorganization process. Entities rated `DD' and `D' are generally undergoing a formal reorganization or liquidation process; those rated `DD' are likely to satisfy a higher portion of their outstanding obligations, while entities rated `D' have a poor prospect for repaying all obligations. Notes: "+" 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 to categories below `CCC'. `NR' indicates that Fitch does not rate the issuer or issue in question. `Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced. Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period. Thomson Financial Bank Watch Long-Term Debt Ratings assigned by Thomson Financial Bank Watch also weigh heavily government ownership and support. The quality of both the company's management and franchise are of even greater importance in the Long-Term Debt Rating decisions. Long-Term Debt Ratings look out over a cycle and are not adjusted frequently for what we believe are short-term performance aberrations. Long-Term Debt Ratings can be restricted to local currency debt - ratings will be identified by the designation LC. In addition, Long-Term Debt Ratings may include a plus (+) or minus (-) to indicate where within the category the issue is placed. BankWatch Long-Term Debt Ratings are based on the following scale: Investment Grade AAA LC-AAA Indicates that the ability to repay principal and interest on a timely basis is extremely high. AA LC-AA Indicates a very strong ability to repay principal and interest on a timely basis, with limited incremental risk compared to issues rated in the highest category. A LC-A Indicates that the ability to repay principal and interest is strong. Issues rated "A" could be more vulnerable to adverse developments (both internal and external) than obligations with higher ratings. BBB LC-BBB The lowest investment-grade category; indicates an acceptable capacity to repay principal and interest. "BBB" issues are more vulnerable to adverse developments (both internal and external) than obligations with higher ratings. Non-Investment Grade - may be speculative in the likelihood of timely repayment of principal and interest BB LC-BB While not investment grade, the "BB" rating suggests that the likelihood of default is considerably less than for lower-rated issues. However, there are significant uncertainties that could affect the ability to adequately service debt obligations. B LC-B Issues rated B show a higher degree of uncertainty and therefore greater likelihood of default than higher-rated issues. Adverse developments could negatively affect the payment of interest and principal on a timely basis. CCC LC-CCC Issues rated CCC clearly have a high likelihood of default, with little capacity to address further adverse changes in financial circumstances. CC LC-CC "CC" is applied to issues that are subordinate to other obligations rated "CCC" and are afforded less protection in the event of bankruptcy or reorganization. D LC-D Default. Municipal Note Ratings Standard & Poor's A Standard and Poor's note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment: o Amortization schedule- the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and o 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. 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 are 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. In municipal debt issuance, there are three rating categories for short-term obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Moody's Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels -- MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned. The first element represents Moody's evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody's evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the demand feature, using the MIG rating scale. The short-term rating assigned to the demand feature of VRDOs is designated as VMIG. When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1. MIG ratings expire at note maturity. By contrast, VMIG rating expirations will be a function of each issue's specific structural or credit features. MIG 1/VMIG 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. PART C (The Teberg Fund) OTHER INFORMATION Item 23. Exhibits. (a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated October 3, 1996 was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on December 6, 1996 and is incorporated herein by reference. (b) Amended and Restated Bylaws dated June 27, 2002 was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on January 28, 2003 and is incorporated herein by reference. (c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders is incorporated by reference to Registrant's Declaration of Trust and Bylaws. (d) Investment Advisory Agreement is filed herewith. (e) Form of Distribution Agreement was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on February 12, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. (f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts is not applicable. (g) Form of Custody Agreement was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on March 26, 2003 and is incorporated herein by reference. (h) Other Material Contracts (i) Form of Fund Administration Servicing Agreement was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on February 12, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. (ii) Form of Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on February 12, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. (iii)Form of Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on February 12, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. (iv) Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement is filed herewith. (v) Power of Attorney was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on June 30, 2003 and is incorporated herein by reference. (i) Opinion of Counsel is not applicable. (j) Consent of Independent Public Accountants is filed herewith. (k) Omitted Financial Statements is not applicable. (l) Agreement Relating to Initial Capital is not applicable. (m) Rule 12b-1 Plan was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on March 11, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. (n) Rule 18f-3 Plan was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on February 12, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. (o) Reserved. (p) Code of Ethics. (i) Code of Ethics for Registrant was previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) with the SEC on April 19, 2000 and is incorporated herein by reference. (ii) Code of Ethics of the Adviser was previously filed with the Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-17391) on October 24, 2002 and is incorporated herein by reference. Item 24. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant. No person is directly or indirectly controlled by or under common control with the Registrant. Item 25. Indemnification. Reference is made to Article VII of the Registrant's Declaration of Trust, Article VI of Registrant's Bylaws and Paragraph 6 of the Distribution Agreement. Pursuant to Rule 484 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant furnishes the following undertaking: "Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue." Item 26. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Advisor. With respect to the Advisor, the response to this Item will be incorporated by reference to the Advisor's Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), dated June 23, 2003. The Advisor's Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Item 27. Principal Underwriter. (a) Quasar Distributors, LLC, the Registrant's principal underwriter, acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies: ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Advisors Series Trust The Hennessy Mutual Funds, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- AHA Investment Funds Jacob Internet Fund ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Alpha Analytics Investment Trust The Jensen Portfolio, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Alpine Equity Trust Kenwood Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Alpine Series Trust Kit Cole Investment Trust ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Alternative Investment Advisors Light Revolution Fund, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Blue & White Fund The Lindner Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Brandes Investment Trust LKCM Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Brandywine Advisors Fund, Inc. Matrix Asset Advisor Value Fund, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Brazos Mutual Funds Monetta Fund, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Buffalo Funds Monetta Trust ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- CCM Advisors Funds MP63 Fund ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- CCMA Select Investment Trust MUTUALS.com ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Country Mutual Funds Trust NorCap Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Cullen Funds Trust Optimum Q Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Dow Jones Islamic Index Permanent Portfolio ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Everest Funds PIC Investment Trust Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- First American Funds, Inc. Professionally Managed Portfolios ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- First American Insurance Portfolios, Inc. Prudent Bear Mutual Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- First American Investment Funds, Inc. Purisima Funds Trust ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- First American Strategy Funds, Inc. Rainier Funds ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- FFTW Funds, Inc. SEIX Funds, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Fort Pitt Capital Funds TIFF Investment Program, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Gintel Fund Thompson Plumb Funds, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Glenmede Fund, Inc. TT International U.S.A. Master Trust ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Guinness Atkinson Funds Wexford Trust ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Harding, Loevner Funds, Inc. Zodiac Trust ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- The Hennessy Funds, Inc. ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- (b) To the best of Registrant's knowledge, the directors and executive officers of Quasar Distributors, LLC are as follows: Name and Principal Position and Offices with Positions and Offices Business Address Quasar Distributors, LLC with Registrant ------------------- -------------------------- --------------------- James R. Schoenike President, Board Member None ------------------- -------------------------- --------------------- Donna J. Berth Treasurer None ------------------- -------------------------- --------------------- Joe Redwine Board Member None ------------------- -------------------------- --------------------- Bob Kern Board Member None ------------------- -------------------------- --------------------- Eric W. Falkeis Board Member None ------------------- -------------------------- --------------------- The address of each of the foregoing is 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202. (c) Not applicable. Item 28. Location of Accounts and Records. The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained at the following locations: ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Records Relating to: Are located at: ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Registrant's Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor Milwaukee, WI 53202 ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Registrant's Custodian U.S. Bank, National Association 425 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Registrant's Investment Advisor First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. 5161 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811 ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Item 29. Management Services Not Discussed in Parts A and B. Not Applicable. Item 30. Undertakings. Not Applicable. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirement for effectiveness of this registration statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this registration statement on Form N-1A of Advisors Series Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, on the 28th day of July, 2003. ADVISORS SERIES TRUST By: Eric M. Banhazl* ------------------------------- Eric M. Banhazl President Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement on Form N-1A of Advisors Series Trust has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on July 28, 2003. Signature Title Eric M. Banhazl* President and Trustee ---------------- Eric M. Banhazl Walter E. Auch* Trustee --------------- Walter E. Auch Donald E. O'Connor* Trustee ------------------- Donald E. O'Connor George T. Wofford III* Trustee ---------------------- George T. Wofford III George J. Rebhan* Trustee ----------------- George J. Rebhan James Clayburn LaForce* Trustee ----------------------- James Clayburn LaForce Douglas G. Hess* Treasurer and Principal Financial ---------------- and Accounting Officer Douglas G. Hess * /s/ Douglas G. Hess --------------- Douglas G. Hess Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to Power of Attorney. EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Exhibit No. Investment Advisory Agreement EX.99.d. Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement EX.99.h.iv. Consent of Independent Accountants EX.99.j.