485APOS 1 wfwrapper.htm MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABILITY FUND - PEA 668/669

AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 17, 2019
1933 Act No. 333-74295
1940 Act No. 811-09253

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

FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [X]
Pre-Effective Amendment No. [ ]
Post-Effective Amendment No. 668 [X]
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [X]
Pre-Effective Amendment No. [ ]
Post-Effective Amendment No. 669 [X]

WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

525 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94105
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(800) 222-8222
(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

Catherine F. Kennedy
Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC
525 Market Street, 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

With a copy to:

Marco E. Adelfio, Esq.
Goodwin Procter LLP
901 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

 

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

 

on [ ] 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)

X

on March 2, 2020 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

1


 

Explanatory Note: This Post-Effective Amendment No. 668 to the Registration Statement of Wells Fargo Funds Trust (the “Trust”) is being filed primarily to add one new series to the Trust - Wells Fargo Municipal Sustainability Fund, and to make certain other non-material changes to the Registration Statement.


WELLS FARGO FUNDS TRUST

PART A
WELLS FARGO MUNICIPAL FIXED INCOME FUNDS
PROSPECTUSES

Prospectus
[ ], 2020

.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds


 

 

Fund

Class A

Class C

Wells Fargo Municipal Sustainability Fund

 

 

 

.


Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.

As with all mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a crime.

Fund shares are NOT deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., its affiliates or any other depository institution. Fund shares are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency and may lose value.


 

Table of Contents


Fund Summary

Municipal Sustainability Fund Summary....................................................................................................

2

Details About the Fund

Municipal Sustainability Fund..................................................................................................................

6

Description of Principal Investment Risks...................................................................................................

8

Portfolio Holdings Information.................................................................................................................

10

Pricing Fund Shares................................................................................................................................

10

Management of the Fund

The Manager.........................................................................................................................................

11

The Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Manager....................................................................................................

12

Multi-Manager Arrangement...................................................................................................................

12

Account Information

Share Class Eligibility..............................................................................................................................

13

Share Class Features...............................................................................................................................

13

Reductions and Waivers of Sales Charges...................................................................................................

14

Compensation to Financial Professionals and Intermediaries........................................................................

16

Buying and Selling Fund Shares...............................................................................................................

17

Exchanging Fund Shares.........................................................................................................................

19

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares.................................................................................

20

Account Policies....................................................................................................................................

21

Distributions.........................................................................................................................................

22

Other Information

Taxes...................................................................................................................................................

24

Financial Highlights...............................................................................................................................

25

Appendix A

Appendix A - Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers for Certain Intermediaries.................................................

26


 

Municipal Sustainability Fund Summary

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax.

Fees and Expenses

These tables are intended to help you understand the various costs and expenses you will pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the aggregate in specified classes of certain Wells Fargo Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Share Class Features” and “Reductions and Waivers of Sales Charges” on pages 13 and 14 of the Prospectus and “Additional Purchase and Redemption Information” on page 73 of the Statement of Additional Information. Investors who purchase through certain intermediaries may be subject to different sales charge discounts than those outlined shares in these sections. Please see Appendix A on page 26 for further information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

 

 

Class A

Class C

Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

4.50%

None

Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of offering price)

None1

1.00%

1. Investments of $1 million or more are not subject to a front-end sales charge but generally will be subject to a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within 18 months from the date of purchase.

[table(s) to come]

Example of Expenses

The example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the Fund with the costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes a $10,000 initial investment, 5% annual total return, and that fees and expenses remain the same as in the tables above. To the extent that the Manager is waiving fees or reimbursing expenses, the example assumes that such waiver or reimbursement will only be in place through the date noted above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

[table(s) to come]

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Since the Fund commenced operations on or around the date of this Prospectus, no history of the portfolio turnover rate is available.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  2 


 

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, we invest:

 

at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal alternative minimum tax (AMT);

 

up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT;

 

up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal securities; and

 

up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters.
 

We invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the securities may be below investment grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of the Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20 years.

We may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse floaters pay interest at rates that generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve leverage. We intend to limit leverage created by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the Fund’s total assets.

We evaluate each security in which the Fund invests using both a traditional municipal bond credit analysis and a consideration of the security’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) impacts. Using our ESG impact framework, securities that we determine to have a positive ESG impact are generally deemed eligible for purchase. In making this determination, we consider the following, where available: an issuer’s history of positive ESG practices, a security’s use-of-proceeds information, an issuer’s impact on underserved populations (such as low socio-economic communities), and a third-party issuer/security ESG rating. A security’s positive ESG impact can be determined under any of the four factors described above. Our ESG impact framework is conducted on an industry sector basis and includes the use of key ESG indicators that vary by sector. In assessing a security’s use of proceeds and an issuer’s history of positive ESG practices, we consider factors such as energy efficiency, pollution control, and environmentally sustainable management. In assessing a security’s use of proceeds and an issuer’s impact on underserved populations, we consider factors such as access to essential services and affordable housing.

We use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main elements of total return: duration management, yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security selection. Our top-down analysis involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others, the pace of economic growth, employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up analysis, which involves intensive research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative value of individual issues, is used to uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several factors, including, among others, improving financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic conditions, specific demographic trends, the degree of a security’s positive ESG impact and consideration of ESG risks. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could be replaced with a security that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold due to changes in credit characteristics, outlook, change in our evaluation of ESG impact or ESG risk, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow needs.

Principal Investment Risks

An investment in the Fund may lose money, is not a deposit of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. or its affiliates, is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, and is primarily subject to the risks (in alphabetical order) briefly summarized below.

Credit Risk. The issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when they become due, which could cause the value of an investment to decline and a Fund to lose money.

Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, can lead to losses, including those magnified by leverage, particularly when derivatives are used to enhance return rather than mitigate risk. Certain derivative instruments may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it would be appropriate to do so, or the other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations.

ESG/Sustainable Investment Style Risk. A Fund that uses ESG or sustainability criteria to select investments may forgo opportunities in individual securities and/or sectors of securities for non-investment reasons, which could cause the Fund to underperform funds that do not use ESG or sustainability criteria. ESG-focused investments and strategies

3  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

may, at times, be subject to a higher degree of volatility than non-ESG-focused investments and strategies. ESG information and data may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the ESG factors relevant to a particular investment. Our assessment of an investment’s ESG impact may change over time, which may cause the Fund to hold a security that does not meet our ESG criteria or sell a security when it might otherwise be disadvantageous to do so. Views on ESG, sustainability and positive social and environmental outcomes may differ by fund, adviser and investor. Certain bonds in which the Fund invests may be dependent on government incentives and subsidies, and lack of political support for the financing of projects with a positive environmental or social impact could negatively impact the performance of the Fund. There is no guarantee that our efforts to select investments based on ESG practices will be successful.

Futures Contracts Risk. A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject to the risk of loss caused by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes, and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures contracts.

High Yield Securities Risk. High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) have a much greater risk of default or of not returning principal and their values tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar maturities.

Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates rise, the value of debt securities tends to fall. When interest rates decline, interest that a Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also decline, but the value of those securities may increase.

Inverse Floater Risk. The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more than its principal investment. An inverse floater produces less income and may decline in value when market rates and the rate payable on the floater rises. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar maturity.

Management Risk. Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a Fund’s manager or sub-adviser in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce expected returns, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

Market Risk. The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by a Fund may decline due to general market conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of such securities. Securities markets are volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, regulatory, political, or economic developments. Different sectors of the market and different security types may react differently to such developments.

Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing authority of a local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets, or by the credit of, or liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Various types of municipal securities are often related in such a way that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could affect other municipal securities held by a Fund.

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a new fund, with a limited or no operating history and a small asset base. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain a viable size. Due to the Fund’s small asset base, certain of the Fund’s expenses and its portfolio transaction costs may be higher than those of a fund with a larger asset base. To the extent that the Fund does not grow to or maintain a viable size, it may be liquidated, and the expenses, timing and tax consequences of such liquidation may not be favorable to some shareholders.

Regulatory Risk. Pursuant to section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and certain rules promulgated thereunder (collectively known as the “Volcker Rule”), if the Manager and/or its affiliates own 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund after the permitted seeding period following the Fund’s inception, the Fund will be subject to restrictions on trading that will adversely impact the Fund’s ability to execute its investment strategy. Should this occur, the Fund may decide to liquidate, or the Manager and/or its affiliates may be required to reduce their ownership interests in the Fund, either of which may result in gains or losses, increased transaction costs and adverse tax consequences. As of the launch date of the Fund, the Manager and/or its affiliates will hold approximately 100% of the Fund’s shares in the form of a seed capital investment intended to enable the Fund to commence investment operations and/or achieve sufficient scale. This percentage may change over time.

Performance

Because the Fund does not have annual returns for at least one calendar year, there is no performance to report.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  4 


 

Fund Management

Manager

Sub-Adviser

Portfolio Manager, Title/Managed Since

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC

Wells Capital Management Incorporated

Wendy Casetta, Portfolio Manager / 2020
Terry J. Goode, Portfolio Manager / 2020
Robert J. Miller, Portfolio Manager / 2020

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund online or by mail, phone or wire on any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. You also may buy and sell shares through a financial professional.

Minimum Investments

To Buy or Sell Shares

Minimum Initial Investment
Regular Accounts: $1,000
IRAs, IRA Rollovers, Roth IRAs: $250
UGMA/UTMA Accounts: $50
Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans: No Minimum

Minimum Additional Investment
Regular Accounts, IRAs, IRA Rollovers, Roth IRAs: $100
UGMA/UTMA Accounts: $50
Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans: No Minimum

Mail: Wells Fargo Funds
P.O. Box 219967
Kansas City, MO 64121-9967
Online: wfam.com
Phone or Wire: 1-800-222-8222

Contact your financial professional.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions normally consist of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes, but may be subject to federal AMT. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax advantaged investment plan may be subject to federal income tax. You should consult your tax adviser about your specific situation.

Payments to Intermediaries

If you purchase a Fund through an intermediary, the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the intermediary and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Consult your financial professional or visit your intermediary’s website for more information.

5  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Details About the Fund


Municipal Sustainability Fund

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax.

The Fund’s Board of Trustees can change this investment objective without a shareholder vote.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, we invest:

 

at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets in municipal securities whose interest is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal alternative minimum tax (AMT);

 

up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT;

 

up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets in below investment-grade municipal securities; and

 

up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters.
 

We invest principally in municipal securities of states, territories and possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the securities may be below investment grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of the Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be between 3 and 20 years.

We may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in inverse floaters to seek enhanced returns. Inverse floaters are derivative debt instruments created by depositing a municipal security in a trust. Inverse floaters pay interest at rates that generally vary inversely with specified short-term interest rates and involve leverage. We intend to limit leverage created by the Fund’s investment in inverse floaters to an amount equal to 10% of the Fund’s total assets.

We evaluate each security in which the Fund invests using both a traditional municipal bond credit analysis and a consideration of the security’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) impacts. Using our ESG impact framework, securities that we determine to have a positive ESG impact are generally deemed eligible for purchase. In making this determination, we consider the following, where available: an issuer’s history of positive ESG practices, a security’s use-of-proceeds information, an issuer’s impact on underserved populations (such as low socio-economic communities), and a third-party issuer/security ESG rating. A security’s positive ESG impact can be determined under any of the four factors described above. Our ESG impact framework is conducted on an industry sector basis and includes the use of key ESG indicators that vary by sector. In assessing a security’s use of proceeds and an issuer’s history of positive ESG practices, we consider factors such as energy efficiency, pollution control, and environmentally sustainable management. In assessing a security’s use of proceeds and an issuer’s impact on underserved populations, we consider factors such as access to essential services and affordable housing.

We use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main elements of total return: duration management, yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security selection. Our top-down analysis involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others, the pace of economic growth, employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up analysis, which involves intensive research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative value of individual issues, is used to uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several factors, including, among others, improving financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic conditions, specific demographic trends, the degree of a security’s positive ESG impact and consideration of ESG risks. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could be replaced with a security that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold due to changes in credit characteristics, outlook, change in our evaluation of ESG impact or ESG risk, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow needs.

We may actively trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction costs that may affect the Fund’s performance. In addition, active trading of portfolio securities may lead to higher taxes if your shares are held in a taxable account.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  6 


 

The Fund may temporarily hold a greater portion of assets in uninvested cash for purposes of maintaining liquidity or for short-term defensive purposes when we believe it is in the best interest of shareholders to do so. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its objective.

Principal Investment Risks

The Fund is primarily subject to the risks mentioned below (in alphabetical order).

Credit Risk

Derivatives Risk

ESG/Sustainable Investment Style Risk

Futures Contracts Risk

High Yield Securities Risk

Interest Rate Risk

Inverse Floater Risk

Management Risk

Market Risk

Municipal Securities Risk

New Fund Risk

Regulatory Risk

These and other risks could cause you to lose money in your investment in the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value, yield and total return. These risks are described in the “Description of Principal Investment Risks” section.

7  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Description of Principal Investment Risks

Understanding the risks involved in mutual fund investing will help you make an informed decision that takes into account your risk tolerance and preferences. The risks that are most likely to have a material effect on a particular Fund as a whole are called “principal risks.” The principal risks for the Fund have been previously identified and are described below. Additional information about the principal risks is included in the Statement of Additional Information.

Credit Risk. The issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when they become due. In these instances, the value of an investment could decline and the Fund could lose money. Credit risk increases as an issuer’s credit quality declines.

Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the derivatives’ underlying assets, indexes or rates and the derivatives themselves, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. These risks are heightened when derivatives are used to enhance a Fund’s return or as a substitute for a position or security, rather than solely to hedge (or mitigate) the risk of a position or security held by the Fund. The success of a derivative strategy will be affected by the portfolio manager’s ability to assess and predict market or economic developments and their impact on the derivatives’ underlying assets, indexes or reference rates, as well as the derivatives themselves. Certain derivative instruments may become illiquid and, as a result, may be difficult to sell when the portfolio manager believes it would be appropriate to do so. Certain derivatives create leverage, which can magnify the impact of a decline in the value of their underlying assets, indexes or reference rates, and increase the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value. Certain derivatives (e.g., over-the-counter swaps) are also subject to the risk that the counterparty to the derivative contract will be unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations, which may cause a Fund to lose money, suffer delays or incur costs arising from holding or selling an underlying asset. Changes in laws or regulations may make the use of derivatives more costly, may limit the availability of derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the use, value or performance of derivatives.

ESG/Sustainable Investment Style Risk. A Fund that uses ESG or sustainability criteria to select investments may forgo opportunities in individual securities and/or sectors of securities for non-investment reasons, which could cause the Fund to underperform funds that do not use ESG or sustainability criteria. ESG-focused investments and strategies may, at times, be subject to a higher degree of volatility than non-ESG-focused investments and strategies. ESG information and data may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the ESG factors relevant to a particular investment. Our assessment of an investment’s ESG impact may change over time, which may cause the Fund to hold a security that does not meet our ESG criteria or sell a security when it might otherwise be disadvantageous to do so. Views on ESG, sustainability and positive social and environmental outcomes may differ by fund, adviser and investor. Certain bonds in which the Fund invests may be dependent on government incentives and subsidies, and lack of political support for the financing of projects with a positive environmental or social impact could negatively impact the performance of the Fund. There is no guarantee that our efforts to select investments based on ESG practices will be successful.

Futures Contracts Risk. A Fund that uses futures contracts, which are a type of derivative, is subject to the risk of loss caused by unanticipated market movements. In addition, there may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes, and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain futures contracts.

High Yield Securities Risk. High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) have a much greater risk of default (or in the case of bonds currently in default, of not returning principal) and their values tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar maturities. Additionally, these securities tend to be less liquid and more difficult to value than higher-rated securities.

Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates rise, the value of debt securities tends to fall. The longer the terms of the debt securities held by a Fund, the more the Fund is subject to this risk. If interest rates decline, interest that the Fund is able to earn on its investments in debt securities may also decline, which could cause the Fund to reduce the dividends it pays to shareholders, but the value of those securities may increase. Some debt securities give the issuers the option to call, redeem or prepay the securities before their maturity dates. If an issuer calls, redeems or prepays a debt security during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in a security offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the debt securities market,

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  8 


 

reduced liquidity for certain Fund investments and an increase in Fund redemptions. Interest rate changes and their impact on the Fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable.

Inverse Floater Risk. The holder of an inverse floater, which is a type of derivative, could lose more than its principal investment. An inverse floater produces less income (and may produce no income) and may decline in value when market rates and the rate payable on the floater rises, and produces more income and may increase in value when market rates and the rate payable on the floater falls. An inverse floater typically involves leverage, which may magnify a Fund’s losses, and exhibits greater price and income volatility than an unleveraged bond with a similar maturity. The tender of a floater, the failure of a remarketing agent to sell a floater or certain other events may require the dissolution of the trust or the liquidation of the underlying municipal security. In that event, the Fund, as a holder of an inverse floater, and thus a residual interest in the underlying municipal security, may lose some or all of its investment.

Management Risk. Investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by a Fund’s manager or sub-adviser in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective may not produce the returns expected, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

Market Risk. The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by a Fund may decline due to general market conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of such securities. Securities markets are volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, regulatory, political, or economic developments. Different sectors of the market and different security types may react differently to such developments.

Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed or enhanced by the taxing authority of a local government, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets, or by the credit of, or liquidity enhancement provided by, a private issuer. Municipal securities may be difficult to obtain because of limited supply, which may increase the cost to a Fund of purchasing such securities and effectively reduce the Fund’s yield. Typically, less information is available about a municipal issuer than is available about other types of issuers. Various types of municipal securities are often related in such a way that political, economic or business developments affecting one obligation could affect other municipal securities held by the Fund. The value and liquidity of municipal securities backed by the revenue from a particular project or other source may decline if the project or other source fails to generate expected revenue. Although the Fund may strive to invest in municipal securities and other securities that pay interest that is exempt from certain taxes (such as federal taxes, federal alternative minimum tax and/or state taxes as applicable), some income earned by Fund investments may be subject to such taxes. Certain issuers of municipal securities may have the ability to call or redeem a security prior to its maturity date, which could impair Fund performance.

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a new fund, with a limited or no operating history and a small asset base. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain a viable size. Due to the Fund’s small asset base, certain of the Fund’s expenses and its portfolio transaction costs may be higher than those of a fund with a larger asset base. To the extent that the Fund does not grow to or maintain a viable size, it may be liquidated, and the expenses, timing and tax consequences of such liquidation may not be favorable to some shareholders.

Regulatory Risk. Pursuant to section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and certain rules promulgated thereunder (collectively known as the “Volcker Rule”), if the Manager and/or its affiliates own 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund after the permitted seeding period following the Fund’s inception, the Fund will be subject to restrictions on trading that will adversely impact the Fund’s ability to execute its investment strategy. Should this occur, the Fund may decide to liquidate, or the Manager and/or its affiliates may be required to reduce their ownership interests in the Fund, either of which may result in gains or losses, increased transaction costs and adverse tax consequences. As of the launch date of the Fund, the Manager and/or its affiliates will hold approximately 100% of the Fund’s shares in the form of a seed capital investment intended to enable the Fund to commence investment operations and/or achieve sufficient scale. This percentage may change over time.

9  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Portfolio Holdings Information

A description of the Wells Fargo Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of the Wells Fargo Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.

Pricing Fund Shares

The Fund’s NAV is the value of a single share. The NAV is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, although the Fund may deviate from this calculation time under unusual or unexpected circumstances. The NAV is calculated separately for each class of shares of a multiple-class Fund. The most recent NAV for each class of a Fund is available at wfam.com. To calculate the NAV of the Fund’s shares, the Fund’s assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding. The price at which a purchase or redemption request is processed is based on the next NAV calculated after the request is received in good order. Generally, NAV is not calculated, and purchase and redemption requests are not processed, on days that the NYSE is closed for trading; however, under unusual or unexpected circumstances, the Fund may elect to remain open even on days that the NYSE is closed or closes early. To the extent that the Fund’s assets are traded in various markets on days when the Fund is closed, the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected on days when you are unable to buy or sell Fund shares. Conversely, trading in some of the Fund’s assets may not occur on days when the Fund is open.

With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in other mutual funds, the value of the Fund’s shares is based on the NAV of the shares of the other mutual funds in which the Fund invests. The valuation methods used by mutual funds in pricing their shares, including the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing, are included in the prospectuses of such funds. To the extent the Fund invests a portion of its assets in non-registered investment vehicles, the Fund’s interests in the non-registered vehicles are fair valued at NAV.

With respect to the Fund’s assets invested directly in securities, the Fund’s investments are generally valued at current market prices. Equity securities, options and futures are generally valued at the official closing price or, if none, the last reported sales price on the primary exchange or market on which they are listed (closing price). Equity securities that are not traded primarily on an exchange are generally valued at the quoted bid price obtained from a broker-dealer.

Debt securities are valued at the evaluated bid price provided by an independent pricing service or, if a reliable price is not available, the quoted bid price from an independent broker-dealer.

We are required to depart from these general valuation methods and use fair value pricing methods to determine the values of certain investments if we believe that the closing price or the quoted bid price of a security, including a security that trades primarily on a foreign exchange, does not accurately reflect its current market value as of the time the Fund calculates its NAV. The closing price or the quoted bid price of a security may not reflect its current market value if, among other things, a significant event occurs after the closing price or quoted bid price are made available, but before the time as of which the Fund calculates its NAV, that materially affects the value of the security. We use various criteria, including a systemic evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in deciding whether a foreign security’s market price is still reliable and, if not, what fair market value to assign to the security. In addition, we use fair value pricing to determine the value of investments in securities and other assets, including illiquid securities, for which current market quotations or evaluated prices from a pricing service or broker-dealer are not readily available.

The fair value of the Fund’s securities and other assets is determined in good faith pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. In light of the judgment involved in making fair value decisions, there can be no assurance that a fair value assigned to a particular security is accurate or that it reflects the price that the Fund could obtain for such security if it were to sell the security at the time as of which fair value pricing is determined. Such fair value pricing may result in NAVs that are higher or lower than NAVs based on the closing price or quoted bid price. See the Statement of Additional Information for additional details regarding the determination of NAVs.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  10 


 

Management of the Fund


The Manager

Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC (“Funds Management”), headquartered at 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, provides advisory and Fund-level administrative services to the Fund pursuant to an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”). Funds Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company, a publicly traded diversified financial services company that provides banking, insurance, investment, mortgage and consumer financial services. Funds Management is a registered investment adviser that provides advisory services for registered mutual funds, closed-end funds and other funds and accounts. Funds Management is a part of Wells Fargo Asset Management, the trade name used by the asset management businesses of Wells Fargo & Company.

Funds Management is responsible for implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund. Funds Management’s investment professionals review and analyze the Fund’s performance, including relative to peer funds, and monitor the Fund’s compliance with its investment objectives and strategies. Funds Management is responsible for reporting to the Board on investment performance and other matters affecting the Fund. When appropriate, Funds Management recommends to the Board enhancements to Fund features, including changes to Fund investment objectives, strategies and policies. Funds Management also communicates with shareholders and intermediaries about Fund performance and features.

Funds Management is also responsible for providing Fund-level administrative services to the Fund, which include, among others, providing such services in connection with the Fund’s operations; developing and implementing procedures for monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements and compliance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions; and providing any other Fund-level administrative services reasonably necessary for the operation of the Fund, other than those services that are provided by the Fund’s transfer and dividend disbursing agent, custodian and fund accountant.

To assist Funds Management in implementing the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund, Funds Management may contract with one or more sub-advisers to provide day-to-day portfolio management services to the Fund. Funds Management employs a team of investment professionals who identify and recommend the initial hiring of any sub-adviser and oversee and monitor the activities of any sub-adviser on an ongoing basis. Funds Management retains overall responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Management Agreement and any applicable sub-advisory agreements for the Fund will be available in the Fund’s annual report for the period ended June 30.

Because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet paid its management fee to Funds Management. As compensation for its services under the Management Agreement, Funds Management is entitled to receive a monthly fee at the annual rates indicated below based on the Fund’s average daily net assets:

[table(s) to come]

11  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

The Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Manager

The following sub-adviser and portfolio manager provide day-to-day portfolio management services to the Fund. These services include making purchases and sales of securities and other investment assets for the Fund, selecting broker-dealers, negotiating brokerage commission rates and maintaining portfolio transaction records. The sub-adviser is compensated for its services by Funds Management from the fees Funds Management receives for its services as investment manager to the Fund. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

Wells Capital Management Incorporated (“Wells Capital Management”) is a registered investment adviser located at 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Wells Capital Management, an affiliate of Funds Management and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company, is a multi-boutique asset management firm committed to delivering superior investment services to institutional clients, including mutual funds. Wells Capital Management is a part of Wells Fargo Asset Management, the trade name used by the asset management businesses of Wells Fargo & Company.

Wendy Casetta
Municipal Sustainability Fund

Ms. Casetta joined Wells Capital Management or one of its predecessor firms in 1998, where she currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager with the Tax-Exempt Fixed-Income team.

Terry J. Goode
Municipal Sustainability Fund

Mr. Goode joined Wells Capital Management in 2002, where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager and was formerly Leader of the Tax-Exempt Research team.

Robert J. Miller
Municipal Sustainability Fund

Mr. Miller joined Wells Capital Management in 2008, where he currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager with the Tax-Exempt Fixed-Income team.

Multi-Manager Arrangement

The Fund and Funds Management have obtained an exemptive order from the SEC that permits Funds Management, subject to Board approval, to select certain sub-advisers and enter into or amend sub-advisory agreements with them, without obtaining shareholder approval. The SEC order extends to sub-advisers that are not otherwise affiliated with Funds Management or the Fund, as well as sub-advisers that are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Funds Management or of a company that wholly owns Funds Management. In addition, the SEC staff, pursuant to no-action relief, has extended multi-manager relief to any affiliated sub-adviser, such as affiliated sub-advisers that are not wholly-owned subsidiaries of Funds Management or of a company that wholly owns Funds Management, provided certain conditions are satisfied (all such sub-advisers covered by the order or relief, “Multi-Manager Sub-Advisers”).

As such, Funds Management, with Board approval, may hire or replace Multi-Manager Sub-Advisers for each Fund that is eligible to rely on the order or relief. Funds Management, subject to Board oversight, has the responsibility to oversee Multi-Manager Sub-Advisers and to recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. If a new sub-adviser is hired for a Fund pursuant to the order or relief, the Fund is required to notify shareholders within 90 days. The Fund is not required to disclose the individual fees that Funds Management pays to a Multi-Manager Sub-Adviser.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  12 


 

Account Information


Share Class Eligibility

Please see the section entitled “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares” in the Fund Summary for a schedule of minimum investment amounts. Purchases made through a customer account at an intermediary may be subject to different minimum investment amounts. Please contact your financial professional for additional information.

We allow reduced minimum initial and subsequent investment amounts if you sign up for an automatic investment plan. For additional information regarding available automatic plans, please see the section entitled “Account Policies” below.

Your Fund may offer other classes of shares in addition to those offered through this Prospectus. You may be eligible to invest in one or more of these other classes of shares. Each share class bears varying expenses and may differ in other features. Consult your financial professional for more information regarding a Fund’s available share classes.

The information in this Prospectus is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any non-U.S. jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to any law or regulation, or which would subject Fund shares to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country.

Share Class Features

The table below summarizes the key features of the share classes offered through this Prospectus. You should review the ”Reductions and Waivers of Sales Charges” section of the Prospectus before choosing which share class to buy. You also should review your Fund’s table of Annual Fund Operating Expenses, as other fees and expenses may vary by class.

 

Class A

Class C

Front-End Sales Charge

4.50%

None

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC)

None (except that, if you redeem Class A shares purchased at or above $1,000,000 within 18 months from the date of purchase, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00%)

1.00% if shares are sold within one year from the date of purchase

Ongoing Distribution (12b-1) Fees

None

0.75%

Shareholder Servicing Fee

0.25%

0.25%

Purchase Maximum

None

Not to equal or exceed $1,000,000

Annual Expenses

Lower ongoing expenses than Class C

Higher ongoing expenses than Class A because of 12b-1 fees

Conversion Feature

None

Yes. Converts to Class A shares after 10 years

Information regarding sales charges, breakpoint levels, reductions and waivers is also available free of charge on our website at wfam.com. You may wish to discuss your choice of share class with your financial professional.

Class A Shares Sales Charges

If you choose to buy Class A shares, you will pay the public offering price which is the net asset value (NAV) plus the applicable sales charge. Since sales charges are reduced for Class A share purchases above certain dollar amounts, known as “breakpoint levels,” the public offering price is lower for these purchases. The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the public offering price of the shares purchased (based on the applicable sales charge in the table below) and the NAV of those shares. As described below, existing holdings may count towards meeting the breakpoint level applicable to an additional purchase. Because of rounding in the calculation of the public offering price, the actual sales charge you pay may be more or less than that calculated using the percentages shown below.

13  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Class A Sales Charge Schedule

Amount of Purchase

Front-end Sales
Charge As %
of Public
Offering Price

Front-end Sales
Charge As %
of Net Amount
Invested

Commission Paid to
Intermediary
As % of
Public
Offering Price

Less than $50,000

4.50%

4.71%

4.00%

$50,000 but less than $100,000

4.00%

4.17%

3.50%

$100,000 but less than $250,000

3.50%

3.63%

3.00%

$250,000 but less than $500,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.25%

$500,000 but less than $1,000,000

2.00%

2.04%

1.75%

$1,000,000 and over

0.00%1

0.00%

1.00%2

1. If you redeem Class A shares purchased at or above the $1,000,000 breakpoint level within eighteen months from the date of purchase, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00% of the NAV of the shares on the date of original purchase. Certain exceptions apply (see “CDSC Waivers”).
2. The commission paid to an Intermediary on purchases above the $1,000,000 breakpoint level includes an advance of the first year’s shareholder servicing fee.

Class C Shares Sales Charges

If you choose Class C shares, you buy them at NAV and the Fund’s distributor pays sales commissions of up to 1.00% of the purchase price to the intermediary. These commissions include an advance of the first year’s distribution and shareholder servicing fee. If you redeem your shares within one year from the date of purchase, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00%. The CDSC percentage you pay is applied to the NAV of the shares on the date of original purchase. To determine whether the CDSC applies to a redemption, the Fund will first redeem shares acquired by reinvestment of any distributions and then will redeem shares in the order in which they were purchased (such that shares held the longest are redeemed first). You will not be assessed a CDSC on Class C shares you redeem that were purchased with reinvested distributions. Class C share exchanges will not trigger a CDSC and the new shares received in the exchange will continue to age according to the original shares’ CDSC schedule and will be charged the CDSC applicable to the original shares upon redemption.

Class C Shares Conversion Feature

Effective February 5, 2019, Class C shares will convert automatically into Class A shares ten years after the initial date of purchase or, if you acquired your Class C shares through an exchange or conversion from another share class, ten years after the date you acquired your Class C shares. When Class C shares that you acquired through a purchase or exchange convert, any other Class C shares that you purchased with reinvested distributions also will convert into Class A shares on a pro rata basis. A shorter holding period may also apply depending on your intermediary - please see Appendix A for further information.

Reductions and Waivers of Sales Charges

You should consider whether you are eligible for any of the reductions or waivers of sales charges discussed below when you are deciding which share class to buy. The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through an intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred (back-end) sales load (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial professional at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts. Please see Appendix A for information on intermediaries that currently have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales charge reductions and waivers.

In addition, consult the section entitled “Additional Purchase and Redemption Information” in the Statement of Additional Information for further details regarding reductions and waivers of sales charges, which we may change

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  14 


 

from time to time.

We also reserve the right to enter into agreements that reduce or eliminate sales charges for groups or classes of shareholders. If you own Fund shares as part of another account, such as an IRA or a sweep account, you should read the terms and conditions that apply for that account, which may supercede the terms described here. Contact your financial professional for further information.

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

You may be eligible for a reduction in the front-end sales charge applicable to purchases of Class A shares under the following circumstances:

 

You pay a lower sales charge if you are investing an amount over a breakpoint level. See “Class A Shares Sales Charges” above.

 

By signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) prior to purchase, you pay a lower sales charge now in exchange for promising to invest an amount over a specified breakpoint level within the next 13 months in one or more Wells Fargo Funds. Purchases made prior to signing the LOI as well as reinvested dividends and capital gains do not count as purchases made during this period. We will hold in escrow shares equal to approximately 5% of the amount you say you intend to buy. If you do not invest the amount specified in the LOI before the expiration date, we will redeem enough escrowed shares to pay the difference between the reduced sales charge you paid and the sales charge you should have paid. Otherwise, we will release the escrowed shares to you when you have invested the agreed upon amount.

 

Rights of Accumulation (ROA) allow you to aggregate Class A and Class C shares of any Wells Fargo Fund already owned (excluding Wells Fargo money market fund shares, unless you notify us that you previously paid a sales charge on those assets) in order to reach breakpoint levels and to qualify for sales charge reductions on subsequent purchases of Class A shares. The purchase amount used in determining the sales charge on your purchase will be calculated by multiplying the maximum public offering price by the number of Class A and Class C shares of any Wells Fargo Fund already owned and adding the dollar amount of your current purchase. The following table provides information about the types of accounts that can and cannot be aggregated to qualify for sales charge reductions:
 

Can this type of account be aggregated?

Yes

No

Individual accounts

 

Joint accounts

 

UGMA/UTMA accounts

 

Trust accounts over which the shareholder has individual or shared authority

 

Solely owned business accounts

 

Traditional and Roth IRAs

 

SEP IRAs

 

SIMPLE IRAs

 

Group Retirement Plans

 

529 Plan accounts1

 

1. These accounts may be aggregated at the plan level for purposes of establishing eligibility for sales charge reductions. When plan assets in a Fund’s Class A and Class C shares (excluding Wells Fargo money market fund shares) reach a breakpoint level, all plan participants benefit from the reduced sales charge. Participant accounts will not be aggregated with personal accounts.

Based on the above chart, if you believe that you own shares in one or more accounts that can be aggregated with your current purchase to reach a sales charge breakpoint level, you must, at the time of your purchase specifically identify those shares to your financial professional or the Fund’s transfer agent. Only balances currently held entirely either in accounts with the Funds or, if held in an account through an intermediary, at the same firm through which you are making your current purchase, will be eligible to be aggregated with your current purchase for determining your Class A sales charge. For an account to qualify for a sales charge reduction, it must be registered in the name of, or held for, the shareholder, his or her spouse or domestic partner, as recognized by applicable state law, or his or her children under the age of 21. Class A shares purchased at NAV will not be aggregated with other shares for purposes of receiving a sales charge reduction.

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

If you fall into any of the following categories, you can buy Class A shares without a front-end sales charge:

 

You pay no sales charges on Fund shares you buy with reinvested distributions.

 

You pay no sales charges on Fund shares you purchase with the proceeds of a redemption of Class A shares of the
 

15  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

 

same Fund within 90 days of the date of redemption. The purchase must be made back into the same account. Subject to the Fund’s policy regarding frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares, you may not be able to exercise this provision for the first 30 days after your redemption. Systematic transactions through the automatic investment plan, the automatic exchange plan and the systematic withdrawal plan are excluded from these provisions.

 

Current and retired employees, directors/trustees and officers of:

 

  Wells Fargo Funds (including any predecessor funds);

 

  Wells Fargo & Company and its affiliates; and

 

  family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren and siblings (including step and in-law)) of any of the foregoing.

 

Current employees of:

 

  the Fund’s transfer agent;

 

  broker-dealers who act as selling agents;

 

  family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren and siblings (including step and in-law)) of any of the foregoing; and

 

  a Fund’s sub-adviser(s), but only for the Fund(s) for which such sub-adviser provides investment advisory services.

 

Qualified registered investment advisers who buy through an intermediary who has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor that allows for load-waived Class A purchases.

 

Insurance company separate accounts.

 

Funds of Funds, subject to review and approval by Funds Management.

 

Group employer-sponsored retirement and deferred compensation plans and group employer-sponsored employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans. Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, Keogh plans, individual 401(k) plans, individual 403(b) plans as well as shares held in commission-based broker-dealer accounts do not qualify under this waiver.

 

Investors who purchase shares that are to be included in certain “wrap accounts,” including such specified investors who trade through an omnibus account maintained with a Fund by an intermediary.

 

Investors who purchase shares through a self-directed brokerage account program offered by an intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor. Intermediaries offering such programs may or may not charge transaction fees.

 

Investors opening IRA accounts with assets directly transferred from a qualified retirement plan using Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement Trust or another Wells Fargo affiliate for recordkeeping services. For such IRAs to qualify, a Wells Fargo-affiliated entity must hold the account directly on the books of the Fund’s transfer agent, and the services of another intermediary may not be utilized with respect to the IRA.
 

CDSC Waivers

 

You will not be assessed a CDSC on Fund shares you redeem that were purchased with reinvested distributions.

 

We waive the CDSC for all redemptions made because of scheduled (Internal Revenue Code Section 72(t)(2) withdrawal schedule) or mandatory distributions (withdrawals generally made after age 70½ according to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines) from traditional IRAs and certain other retirement plans. (See your retirement plan information for details or contact your retirement plan administrator.)

 

We waive the CDSC for redemptions made in the event of the last surviving shareholder’s death or for a disability suffered after purchasing shares. (“Disabled” is defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 72(m)(7).)

 

We waive the CDSC for redemptions made at the direction of Funds Management in order to, for example, complete a merger or effect a Fund liquidation.

 

We waive the CDSC for Class C shares redeemed by employer-sponsored retirement plans where the dealer of record waived its commission at the time of purchase.
 

Compensation to Financial Professionals and Intermediaries

Distribution Plan

The Fund has adopted a distribution plan (12b-1 Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), for the classes indicated below. The 12b-1 Plan authorizes the Fund to make payments for services and activities that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares and to reimburse expenses incurred in connection with such services and activities. The 12b-1 Plan provides that, to the extent any shareholder servicing payments are deemed to be payments for the financing of any activity primarily intended to result in the sale

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  16 


 

of Fund shares, such payments are deemed to have been approved under the 12b-1 Plan. The fees paid under the 12b-1 Plan are as follows:

Fund

 

Class C

Municipal Sustainability Fund

 

0.75%

These fees are paid out of the relevant Class’s assets on an ongoing basis. Over time, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than other types of sales charges.

Shareholder Servicing Plan

The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan (“Servicing Plan”). The Servicing Plan authorizes the Fund to enter into agreements with the Fund’s distributor, manager, or any of their affiliates to provide or engage other entities to provide certain shareholder services, including establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, processing and verifying purchase, redemption and exchange transactions, and providing such other shareholder liaison or related services as may reasonably be requested. The fees paid under the Servicing Plan are as follows:

Fund

Class A

Class C

Municipal Sustainability Fund

0.25%

0.25%

Additional Payments to Financial Professionals and Intermediaries

In addition to dealer reallowances and payments made by certain classes of the Fund for distribution and shareholder servicing, the Fund’s manager, the distributor or their affiliates make additional payments (“Additional Payments”) to certain financial professionals and intermediaries for selling shares and providing shareholder services, which include broker-dealers and 401(k) service providers and record keepers. These Additional Payments, which may be significant, are paid by the Fund’s manager, the distributor or their affiliates, out of their revenues, which generally come directly or indirectly from Fund fees.

In return for these Additional Payments, the Fund’s manager and distributor expect the Fund to receive certain marketing or servicing considerations that are not generally available to mutual funds whose sponsors do not make such payments. Such considerations are expected to include, without limitation, placement of the Fund on a list of mutual funds offered as investment options to the intermediary’s clients (sometimes referred to as “Shelf Space”); access to the intermediary’s financial professionals; and/or the ability to assist in training and educating the intermediary’s financial professionals.

The Additional Payments may create potential conflicts of interest between an investor and a financial professional or intermediary who is recommending or making available a particular mutual fund over other mutual funds. Before investing, you should consult with your financial professional and review carefully any disclosure by the intermediary as to what compensation the intermediary receives from mutual fund sponsors, as well as how your financial professional is compensated.

The Additional Payments are typically paid in fixed dollar amounts, based on the number of customer accounts maintained by an intermediary, or based on a percentage of sales and/or assets under management, or a combination of the above. The Additional Payments are either up-front or ongoing or both and differ among intermediaries. In a given year, Additional Payments to an intermediary that is compensated based on its customers’ assets typically range between 0.02% and 0.25% of assets invested in a Fund by the intermediary’s customers. Additional Payments to an intermediary that is compensated based on a percentage of sales typically range between 0.10% and 0.25% of the gross sales of a Fund attributable to the financial intermediary.

More information on the FINRA member firms that have received the Additional Payments described in this section is available in the Statement of Additional Information, which is on file with the SEC and is also available on the Wells Fargo Funds website at wfam.com.

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

For more information regarding buying and selling Fund shares, please visit wfam.com. You may buy (purchase) and sell (redeem) Fund shares as follows:

17  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

 

Opening an Account

Adding to an Account or Selling Fund Shares

Through Your Financial Professional

Contact your financial professional.

Transactions will be subject to the terms of your account with your intermediary.

Contact your financial professional.

Transactions will be subject to the terms of your account with your intermediary.

Through Your Retirement Plan

Contact your retirement plan administrator.

Transactions will be subject to the terms of your retirement plan account.

Contact your retirement plan administrator.

Transactions will be subject to the terms of your retirement plan account.

Online

New accounts cannot be opened online. Contact your financial professional or retirement plan administrator, or refer to the section on opening an account by mail.

Visit wfam.com.

Online transactions are limited to a maximum of $100,000. You may be eligible for an exception to this maximum. Please call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222 for more information.

By Telephone

Call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222.

Available only if you have another Wells Fargo Fund account with your bank information on file.

Call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222.

Redemption requests may not be made by phone if the address on your account was changed in the last 15 days. In this event, you must request your redemption by mail. For joint accounts, telephone requests generally require only one of the account owners to call unless you have instructed us otherwise.

By Mail

Complete an account application and submit it according to the instructions on the application.

Account applications are available online at wfam.com or by calling Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222.

Send the items required under “Requests in Good Order” below to:

Regular Mail
Wells Fargo Funds
P.O. Box 219967
Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Overnight Only
Wells Fargo Funds
430 W 7th Street STE 219967
Kansas City, MO 64105-1407

Requests in “Good Order”. All purchase and redemption requests must be received in “good order.” This means that a request generally must include:

 

The Fund name(s), share class(es) and account number(s);

 

The amount (in dollars or shares) and type (purchase or redemption) of the request;

 

If by mail, the signature of each registered owner as it appears in the account application;

 

For purchase requests, payment of the full amount of the purchase request (see “Payment” below);

 

For redemption requests, a Medallion Guarantee if required (see “Medallion Guarantee” below); and

 

Any supporting legal documentation that may be required.
 

Purchase and redemption requests in good order will be processed at the next NAV calculated after the Fund’s transfer agent or an authorized intermediary1 receives your request. If your request is not received in good order, additional documentation may be required to process your transaction. We reserve the right to waive any of the above requirements.

1. The Fund’s shares may be purchased through an intermediary that has entered into a dealer agreement with the Fund’s distributor. The Fund has approved the acceptance of a purchase or redemption request effective as of the time of its receipt by such an authorized intermediary or its designee, as long as the request is received by one of those entities prior to the Fund’s closing time. These intermediaries may charge transaction fees. We reserve the right to adjust the closing time in certain circumstances.

Medallion Guarantee. A Medallion Guarantee is only required for a mailed redemption request under the following circumstances: (1) if the address on your account was changed within the last 15 days; (2) if the amount of the redemption request exceeds $100,000 and is to be paid to a bank account that is not currently on file with Wells Fargo Funds or if all of the owners of your Wells Fargo Fund account are not included in the registration of the bank account provided; or (3) if the redemption request proceeds are to be paid to a third party. You can get a Medallion Guarantee at a financial institution such as a bank or brokerage house. We do not accept notarized signatures.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  18 


 

Payment. Payment for Fund shares may be made as follows:

By Wire

Purchases into a new or existing account may be funded by using the following wire instructions:

State Street Bank & Trust
Boston, MA
Bank Routing Number: ABA 011000028
Wire Purchase Account: 9905-437-1
Attention: Wells Fargo Funds
(Name of Fund, Account Number and any applicable share class)
Account Name: Provide your name as registered on the Fund account or as included in your account application.

By Check

Make checks payable to Wells Fargo Funds.

By Exchange

Identify an identically registered Wells Fargo Fund account from which you wish to exchange (see “Exchanging Fund Shares” below for restrictions on exchanges).

By Electronic Funds Transfer (“EFT”)

Additional purchases for existing accounts may be funded by EFT using your linked bank account.

All payments must be in U.S. dollars, and all checks and EFTs must be drawn on U.S. banks. You will be charged a $25.00 fee for every check or EFT that is returned to us as unpaid.

Form of Redemption Proceeds. You may request that your redemption proceeds be sent to you by check, by EFT into a linked bank account, or by wire to a linked bank account. Please call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222 regarding the requirements for linking bank accounts or for wiring funds. Under normal circumstances, we expect to meet redemption requests either by using uninvested cash or cash equivalents or by using the proceeds from the sale of portfolio securities, at the discretion of the portfolio manager(s). The Wells Fargo Funds may also borrow through a bank line of credit for the purpose of meeting redemption requests, although we do not expect to draw funds from this source on a regular basis. In lieu of making cash payments, we reserve the right to determine in our sole discretion, including under stressed market conditions, whether to satisfy one or more redemption requests by making payments in securities. In such cases, we may meet all or part of a redemption request by making payment in securities equal in value to the amount of the redemption payable to you as permitted under the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder, in which case the redeeming shareholder should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of any securities received.

Timing of Redemption Proceeds. We normally will send out redemption proceeds within one business day after we accept your request to redeem. We reserve the right to delay payment for up to seven days. If you wish to redeem shares purchased by check, by EFT or through the Automatic Investment Plan within seven days of purchase, you may be asked to resubmit your redemption request if your payment has not yet cleared. Payment of redemption proceeds may be delayed for longer than seven days under extraordinary circumstances or as permitted by the SEC in order to protect remaining shareholders. Such extraordinary circumstances are discussed further in the Statement of Additional Information.

Retirement Plans and Other Products. If you purchased shares through a packaged investment product or retirement plan, read the directions for redeeming shares provided by the product or plan. There may be special requirements that supersede or are in addition to the requirements in this Prospectus.

Exchanging Fund Shares

Exchanges between two funds involve two transactions: (1) the redemption of shares of one fund; and (2) the purchase of shares of another. In general, the same rules and procedures described under “Buying and Selling Fund Shares” apply to exchanges. There are, however, additional policies and considerations you should keep in mind while making or considering an exchange:

 

In general, exchanges may be made between like share classes of any fund in the Wells Fargo Funds complex offered to the general public for investment (i.e., a fund not closed to new accounts), with the following exceptions: (1) Class A shares of non-money market funds may also be exchanged for Service Class shares of any retail or government money market fund; (2) Service Class shares may be exchanged for Class A shares of any non-money market fund; and (3) no exchanges are allowed into institutional money market funds.
 

19  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

 

If you make an exchange between Class A shares of a money market fund and Class A shares of a non-money market fund, you will buy the shares at the public offering price of the new fund, unless you are otherwise eligible to buy shares at NAV.

 

Same-fund exchanges between share classes are permitted subject to the following conditions: (1) the shareholder must meet the eligibility guidelines of the class being purchased in the exchange; (2) exchanges out of Class A and Class C shares would not be allowed if shares are subject to a CDSC; and (3) for non-money market funds, in order to exchange into Class A shares, the shareholder must be able to qualify to purchase Class A shares at NAV based on current Prospectus guidelines.

 

An exchange request will be processed on the same business day, provided that both funds are open at the time the request is received. If one or both funds are closed, the exchange will be processed on the following business day.

 

You should carefully read the Prospectus for the Fund into which you wish to exchange.

 

Every exchange involves redeeming fund shares, which may produce a capital gain or loss for tax purposes.

 

If you are making an initial investment into a fund through an exchange, you must exchange at least the minimum initial investment amount for the new fund, unless your balance has fallen below that amount due to investment performance.

 

If you are making an additional investment into a fund that you already own through an exchange, you must exchange at least the minimum subsequent investment amount for the fund you are exchanging into.

 

Class C share exchanges will not trigger a CDSC. The new shares received in the exchange will continue to age according to the original shares’ CDSC schedule and will be charged the CDSC applicable to the original shares upon redemption.
 

Generally, we will notify you at least 60 days in advance of any changes in the above exchange policies.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

Wells Fargo Funds reserves the right to reject any purchase or exchange order for any reason. Purchases or exchanges that a Fund determines could harm the Fund may be rejected.

Excessive trading by Fund shareholders can negatively impact a Fund and its long-term shareholders in several ways, including disrupting Fund investment strategies, increasing transaction costs, decreasing tax efficiency, and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Excessive trading in Fund shares can negatively impact a Fund’s long-term performance by requiring it to maintain more assets in cash or to liquidate portfolio holdings at a disadvantageous time. Certain Funds may be more susceptible than others to these negative effects. For example, Funds that have a greater percentage of their investments in non-U.S. securities may be more susceptible than other Funds to arbitrage opportunities resulting from pricing variations due to time zone differences across international financial markets. Similarly, Funds that have a greater percentage of their investments in small company securities may be more susceptible than other Funds to arbitrage opportunities due to the less liquid nature of small company securities. Both types of Funds also may incur higher transaction costs in liquidating portfolio holdings to meet excessive redemption levels. Fair value pricing may reduce these arbitrage opportunities, thereby reducing some of the negative effects of excessive trading.

Wells Fargo Funds, other than the Adjustable Rate Government Fund, Conservative Income Fund, Ultra Short-Term Income Fund and Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Fund (“Ultra-Short Funds”) and the money market funds, (the “Covered Funds”). The Covered Funds are not designed to serve as vehicles for frequent trading. The Covered Funds actively discourage and take steps to prevent the portfolio disruption and negative effects on long-term shareholders that can result from excessive trading activity by Covered Fund shareholders. The Board has approved the Covered Funds’ policies and procedures, which provide, among other things, that Funds Management may deem trading activity to be excessive if it determines that such trading activity would likely be disruptive to a Covered Fund by increasing expenses or lowering returns. In this regard, the Covered Funds take steps to avoid accommodating frequent purchases and redemptions of shares by Covered Fund shareholders. Funds Management monitors available shareholder trading information across all Covered Funds on a daily basis. If a shareholder redeems $5,000 or more (including redemptions that are part of an exchange transaction) from a Covered Fund, that shareholder is “blocked” from purchasing shares of that Covered Fund (including purchases that are part of an exchange transaction) for 30 calendar days after the redemption. This policy does not apply to:

 

Money market funds;

 

Ultra-Short Funds;

 

Dividend reinvestments;
 

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  20 


 

 

Systematic investments or exchanges where the financial intermediary maintaining the shareholder account identifies the transaction as a systematic redemption or purchase at the time of the transaction;

 

Rebalancing transactions within certain asset allocation or “wrap” programs where the financial intermediary maintaining a shareholder account is able to identify the transaction as part of an asset allocation program approved by Funds Management;

 

Transactions initiated by a “fund of funds” or Section 529 Plan into an underlying fund investment;

 

Permitted exchanges between share classes of the same Fund;

 

Certain transactions involving participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans, including: participant withdrawals due to mandatory distributions, rollovers and hardships, withdrawals of shares acquired by participants through payroll deductions, and shares acquired or sold by a participant in connection with plan loans; and

 

Purchases below $5,000 (including purchases that are part of an exchange transaction).
 

The money market funds and the Ultra-Short Funds. Because the money market funds and Ultra-Short Funds are often used for short-term investments, they are designed to accommodate more frequent purchases and redemptions than the Covered Funds. As a result, the money market funds and Ultra-Short Funds do not anticipate that frequent purchases and redemptions, under normal circumstances, will have significant adverse consequences to the money market funds or Ultra-Short Funds or their shareholders. Although the money market funds and Ultra-Short Funds do not prohibit frequent trading, Funds Management will seek to prevent an investor from utilizing the money market funds and Ultra-Short Funds to facilitate frequent purchases and redemptions of shares in the Covered Funds in contravention of the policies and procedures adopted by the Covered Funds.

All Wells Fargo Funds. In addition, Funds Management reserves the right to accept purchases, redemptions and exchanges made in excess of applicable trading restrictions in designated accounts held by Funds Management or its affiliate that are used at all times exclusively for addressing operational matters related to shareholder accounts, such as testing of account functions, and are maintained at low balances that do not exceed specified dollar amount limitations.

In the event that an asset allocation or “wrap” program is unable to implement the policy outlined above, Funds Management may grant a program-level exception to this policy. A financial intermediary relying on the exception is required to provide Funds Management with specific information regarding its program and ongoing information about its program upon request.

A financial intermediary through whom you may purchase shares of the Fund may independently attempt to identify excessive trading and take steps to deter such activity. As a result, a financial intermediary may on its own limit or permit trading activity of its customers who invest in Fund shares using standards different from the standards used by Funds Management and discussed in this Prospectus. Funds Management may permit a financial intermediary to enforce its own internal policies and procedures concerning frequent trading rather than the policies set forth above in instances where Funds Management reasonably believes that the intermediary’s policies and procedures effectively discourage disruptive trading activity. If you purchase Fund shares through a financial intermediary, you should contact the intermediary for more information about whether and how restrictions or limitations on trading activity will be applied to your account.

Account Policies

Automatic Plans. These plans help you conveniently purchase and/or redeem shares each month. Once you select a plan, tell us the day of the month you would like the transaction to occur. If you do not specify a date, we will process the transaction on or about the 25th day of the month. It generally takes about ten business days to establish a plan once we have received your instructions and it generally takes about five business days to change or cancel participation in a plan. We may automatically cancel your plan if the linked bank account you specified is closed, or for other reasons. Call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222 for more information.

 

Automatic Investment Plan — With this plan, you can regularly purchase shares of a Wells Fargo Fund with money automatically transferred from a linked bank account.

 

Automatic Exchange Plan — With this plan, you can regularly exchange shares of a Wells Fargo Fund you own for shares of another Wells Fargo Fund. See the section ”Exchanging Fund Shares” of this Prospectus for the policies that apply to exchanges. In addition, each transaction in an Automatic Exchange Plan must be for a minimum of $100. This feature may not be available for certain types of accounts.

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan — With this plan, you can regularly redeem shares and receive the proceeds by check or by transfer to a linked bank account. To participate in this plan, you:

 

  must have a Fund account valued at $10,000 or more;
 

21  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

 

  must request a minimum redemption of $100;

 

  must have your distributions reinvested; and

 

  may not simultaneously participate in the Automatic Investment Plan, except for investments in a Money Market Fund or an Ultra Short-Term Bond Fund (Ultra Short-Term Income Fund or Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Fund).

 

Payroll Direct Deposit Plan — With this plan, you may regularly transfer all or a portion of your paycheck, social security check, military allotment, or annuity payment for investment into the Fund of your choice.
 

Householding. To help keep Fund expenses low, a single copy of a Prospectus or shareholder report may be sent to shareholders of the same household. If your household currently receives a single copy of a Prospectus or shareholder report and you would prefer to receive multiple copies, please call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222 or contact your financial professional.

Retirement Accounts. We offer a variety of retirement account types for individuals and small businesses. There may be special distribution requirements for a retirement account, such as required distributions or mandatory Federal income tax withholdings. For more information about the retirement accounts listed below, including any distribution requirements, call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222. For retirement accounts held directly with a Fund, certain fees may apply, including an annual account maintenance fee.

The retirement accounts available for individuals and small businesses are:

 

Individual Retirement Accounts, including Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.

 

Small business retirement accounts, including Simple IRAs and SEP IRAs.
 

Small Account Redemptions. We reserve the right to redeem accounts that have values that fall below a Fund’s minimum initial investment amount due to shareholder redemptions (as opposed to market movement). Before doing so, we will give you approximately 60 days to bring your account value above the Fund’s minimum initial investment amount. Please call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222 or contact your financial professional for further details.

Transaction Authorizations. We may accept telephone, electronic, and clearing agency transaction instructions from anyone who represents that he or she is a shareholder and provides reasonable confirmation of his or her identity. Neither we nor Wells Fargo Funds will be liable for any losses incurred if we follow such instructions we reasonably believe to be genuine. For transactions through our website, we may assign personal identification numbers (PINs) and you will need to create a login ID and password for account access. To safeguard your account, please keep these credentials confidential. Contact us immediately if you believe there is a discrepancy on your confirmation statement or if you believe someone has obtained unauthorized access to your online access credentials.

Identity Verification. We are required by law to obtain from you certain personal information that will be used to verify your identity. If you do not provide the information, we will not be able to open your account. In the rare event that we are unable to verify your identity as required by law, we reserve the right to redeem your account at the current NAV of the Fund’s shares. You will be responsible for any losses, taxes, expenses, fees, or other results of such a redemption.

Right to Freeze Accounts, Suspend Account Services or Reject or Terminate an Investment. We reserve the right, to the extent permitted by law and/or regulations, to freeze any account or suspend account services when we have received reasonable notice (written or otherwise) of a dispute between registered or beneficial account owners or when we believe a fraudulent transaction may occur or has occurred. Additionally, we reserve the right to reject any purchase or exchange request and to terminate a shareholder’s investment, including closing the shareholder’s account.

Distributions

The Fund generally declares distributions of any net investment income daily, and pays such distributions monthly. The Fund generally makes distributions of any realized net capital gains annually. Please note, distributions have the effect of reducing the NAV per share by the amount distributed.

We offer the following distribution options. To change your current option for payment of distributions, please call Investor Services at 1-800-222-8222.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  22 


 

 

Automatic Reinvestment Option—Allows you to use distributions to buy new shares of the same class of the Fund that generated the distributions. The new shares are purchased at NAV generally on the day the distribution is paid. This option is automatically assigned to your account unless you specify another option.

 

Check Payment Option—Allows you to receive distributions via checks mailed to your address of record or to another name and address which you have specified in written instructions. A Medallion Guarantee may also be required. If checks remain uncashed for six months or are undeliverable by the Post Office, we will reinvest the distributions at the earliest date possible, and future distributions will be automatically reinvested.

 

Bank Account Payment Option—Allows you to receive distributions directly in a checking or savings account through EFT. The bank account must be linked to your Wells Fargo Fund account. Any distribution returned to us due to an invalid banking instruction will be sent to your address of record by check at the earliest date possible, and future distributions will be automatically reinvested.

 

Directed Distribution Purchase Option—Allows you to buy shares of a different Wells Fargo Fund of the same share class. The new shares are purchased at NAV generally on the day the distribution is paid. In order to use this option, you need to identify the Fund and account the distributions are coming from, and the Fund and account to which the distributions are being directed. You must meet any required minimum investment amounts in both Funds prior to using this option.
 

You are eligible to earn distributions beginning on the business day after the Fund’s transfer agent or an authorized intermediary receives your purchase request in good order.

23  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Other Information


Taxes

The following discussion regarding federal income taxes is based on laws that were in effect as of the date of this Prospectus and summarizes only some of the important federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and you as a shareholder. It does not apply to foreign or tax-exempt shareholders or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) Plan or IRA. This discussion is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. You should consult your tax adviser about your specific tax situation. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for additional federal income tax information.

The Fund elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (“RIC”). A RIC is not subject to tax at the corporate level on income and gains from investments that are distributed in a timely manner to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC would result in corporate level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you as a shareholder.

We will pass on to a Fund’s shareholders substantially all of the Fund’s net investment income and realized net capital gains, if any. It is intended that distributions from the Fund’s net interest income from municipal obligations generally will not be subject to federal income tax, although a portion of such distributions could be subject to federal AMT. For the state-specific Funds, it is intended that distributions attributable to tax-exempt securities of a state and its subdivisions will also not be subject to that particular state’s individual income taxes if the Fund primarily invests in such securities. Distributions from a Fund’s ordinary income and net short-term capital gain, if any, generally will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions from a Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain.

Corporate shareholders should not expect to deduct a portion of their distributions when determining their taxable income.

Individual taxpayers are subject to a maximum tax rate of 39.6% on ordinary income and a maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends of 20%. For U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and capital gains. Corporations are subject to tax on all income and gains at a maximum tax rate of 35%.

To the extent a distribution from a Fund is taxable, such distribution generally will be taxable to you when paid, whether you take distributions in cash or automatically reinvest them in additional Fund shares. Following the end of each year, we will notify you of the federal income tax status of your distributions for the year.

If you buy shares of a Fund shortly before it makes a taxable distribution, your distribution will, in effect, be a taxable return of part of your investment. Similarly, if you buy shares of a Fund when it holds appreciated securities, you will receive a taxable return of part of your investment if and when the Fund sells the appreciated securities and distributes the gain. The Funds have built up, or have the potential to build up, high levels of unrealized appreciation.

Your redemptions (including redemptions in-kind) and exchanges of Fund shares ordinarily will result in a taxable capital gain or loss, depending on the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to receive in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid) for them. Such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your redeemed or exchanged Fund shares for more than one year at the time of redemption or exchange. In certain circumstances, losses realized on the redemption or exchange of Fund shares may be disallowed.

When you receive a distribution from a Fund or redeem shares, you may be subject to backup withholding.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  24 


 

Financial Highlights

Since the Fund commenced operations on or around the date of this Prospectus, financial highlights are not available for the Fund.

25  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Appendix


Appendix A - Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers for Certain Intermediaries

Merrill Lynch

Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch

Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan.

Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan.

Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program.

Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform.

Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (if applicable).

Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).

Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date.

Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members, as defined by Merrill Lynch, which may differ from the definition of family member in the Fund prospectus.

Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus.

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Subject to the Fund’s policy regarding frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares, you may not be able to repurchase shares for the first 30 days after your redemption.

CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch

Death or disability of the shareholder

Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus

Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account

Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½

Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch

Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to A and C shares only)

Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent

Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable).

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  26 


 

Ameriprise Financial

Effective June 1, 2018, shareholders holding Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial platform or account are eligible for the following:

Automatic Exchange of Class C Shares Available at Ameriprise Financial

Class C shares will automatically exchange to Class A shares in the month of the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date.

Effective June 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial platform or account are eligible only for the following Class A load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers), which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Ameriprise Financial

Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.

Shares purchased through an Ameriprise Financial investment advisory program (if an Advisory or similar share class for such investment advisory program is not available).

Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Ameriprise Financial’s platform (if an Advisory or similar share class for such investment advisory program is not available).

Shares purchased through reinvestment of distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the same fund family).

Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to such shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply to exchanges following such shorter period. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares for load-waived shares, that waiver will also apply to such exchanges.

Employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members.

Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor’s spouse, advisor’s lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor’s lineal descendant (son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant.

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e. Rights of Reinstatement). Subject to the Fund’s policy regarding frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares, you may not be able to repurchase shares for the first 30 days after your redemption.

Morgan Stanley

Effective on or about July 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account are eligible only for the following Class A load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers), which may differ from and be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Morgan Stanley

Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans

Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules

Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund

Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account

Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are exchanged to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class exchange program.

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge. This waiver is subject to the Funds’ policy regarding frequent purchases and redemption of Fund shares, as discussed under “Account Information—Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares”

27  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”)

Effective on or about March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or SAI.

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A shares Available at Raymond James

Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.

Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.

Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.

Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).

A shareholder in the fund’s Class C shares will have their shares automatically exchanged at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the exchange is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.

CDSC Waivers on Class A and C Shares Available at Raymond James

Death or disability of the shareholder.

Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in this Prospectus.

Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in this Prospectus.

Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.

Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

Front-end Load Discounts Available at Raymond James: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation, and/or Letters of Intent

Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus.

Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  28 


 

Notes



























29  |  Municipal Fixed Income Funds 


 

Notes


























Municipal Fixed Income Funds  |  30 


 

.

.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

More information on a Fund is available free upon request,
including the following documents:

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)
Supplements the disclosures made by this Prospectus.
The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is
incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and
therefore is legally part of this Prospectus.

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports
Provide financial and other important information,
including a discussion of the market conditions
and investment strategies that significantly affected
Fund performance over the reporting period.

To obtain copies of the above documents or for more
information about Wells Fargo Funds, contact us:

By telephone:
Individual Investors: 1-800-222-8222
Retail Investment Professionals: 1-888-877-9275
Institutional Investment Professionals: 1-800-260-5969

By mail:
Wells Fargo Funds
P.O. Box 219967
Kansas City, MO 64121-9967

Online:
wfam.com

From the SEC:
Visit the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington,
DC (phone 1-202-551-8090 for operational
information for the SEC’s Public Reference Room) or
the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

To obtain information for a fee, write or email:
SEC’s Public Reference Section
100 “F” Street, NE
Washington, DC 20549-0102
publicinfo@sec.gov

The Wells Fargo Funds are distributed by
Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC, a member of FINRA,
and an affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

. .

© 2020 Wells Fargo & Company. All rights reserved.

[EMPTY]
ICA Reg. No. 811-09253

Prospectus
[ ], 2020

.

Municipal Fixed Income Funds


 

 

Fund

Class R6

Wells Fargo Municipal Sustainability Fund

 

 

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Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by new regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Wells Fargo Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports issued after this date will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website address to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically at any time by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-800-222-8222 or by enrolling at wellsfargo.com/advantagedelivery.

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports; if you invest directly with the Fund, you can call 1-800-222-8222. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Wells Fargo Funds held in your account with your financial intermediary or, if you are a direct investor, to all Wells Fargo Funds that you hold.

As with all mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a crime.

Fund shares are NOT deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., its affiliates or any other depository institution. Fund shares are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency and may lose value.


 

Table of Contents


Fund Summary

Municipal Sustainability Fund Summary....................................................................................................

2

Details About the Fund

Municipal Sustainability Fund..................................................................................................................

6

Description of Principal Investment Risks...................................................................................................

8

Portfolio Holdings Information.................................................................................................................

10

Pricing Fund Shares................................................................................................................................

10

Management of the Fund

The Manager.........................................................................................................................................

11

The Sub-Adviser and Portfolio Manager....................................................................................................

12

Multi-Manager Arrangement.......................................................................