497K 1 d867693d497k.htm COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST Columbia Funds Series Trust
Summary Prospectus
September 1, 2014
(As amended March 2, 2015)
Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund
(formerly known as Columbia Virginia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)
    
Class   Ticker Symbol
Class A Shares   NVAFX
Class B Shares   NVANX
Class C Shares   NVRCX
Class R4 Shares   CAIVX
Class Z Shares   NVABX
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional information and other information about the Fund online at https://www.columbiamanagement.com/web/columbia/forms-literature/fund-literature. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800.345.6611 or by sending an email to serviceinquiries@columbiamanagement.com. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund’s prospectus, dated September 1, 2014, and current Statement of Additional Information.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Investment Objective
Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks current income exempt from U.S. federal income tax and Virginia individual income tax, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and members of your immediate family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain classes of shares of eligible funds distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary, and can be found in the Choosing a Share Class section beginning on page 19 of the Fund’s prospectus and in Appendix S to the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) under Sales Charge Waivers beginning on page S-1.
    
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
  Class A Class B Class C Classes R4
and Z
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a % of offering price) 3.00% None None None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions (as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or current net asset value) 0.75% (a) 3.00% (b) 1.00% (c) None
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class A Class B Class C Class R4 Class Z
Management fees 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% 1.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Other expenses(d) 0.32% 0.32% 0.32% 0.32% 0.32%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.97% 1.72% 1.72% 0.72% 0.72%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(e) (0.16%) (0.16%) (0.16%) (0.16%) (0.16%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.81% 1.56% 1.56% 0.56% 0.56%
(a) For purchases made on or after February 19, 2015, this charge is imposed on certain investments of $500,000 or more redeemed within 12 months after purchase, with certain limited exceptions. For purchases made prior to February 19, 2015, this charge is imposed on certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million redeemed within 18 months after purchase, as follows: 1.00% if redeemed within 12 months after purchase, and 0.50% if redeemed more than 12, but less than 18, months after purchase, with certain limited exceptions.
(b) This charge decreases over time.
(c) This charge applies to redemptions within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions.
(d) Other expenses for Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R4 and Class Z shares have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(e) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) until August 31, 2015, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.81% for Class A, 1.56% for Class B, 1.56% for Class C, 0.56% for Class R4 and 0.56% for Class Z.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
■ you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
■ your investment has a 5% return each year, and
■ the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
1 Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund

Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A (whether or not shares are redeemed) $380 $584 $805 $1,440
Class B (assuming redemption of all shares at the end of the period) $459 $726 $918 $1,818
Class B (assuming no redemption of shares) $159 $526 $918 $1,818
Class C (assuming redemption of all shares at the end of the period) $259 $526 $918 $2,017
Class C (assuming no redemption of shares) $159 $526 $918 $2,017
Class R4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $ 57 $214 $385 $ 879
Class Z (whether or not shares are redeemed) $ 57 $214 $385 $ 879
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 2% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
As a matter of non-fundamental policy (which may be changed without shareholder approval), under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities that pay interest exempt from U.S. federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)) and Virginia individual income tax. These securities are issued by or on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by funds that invest in such securities. Qualified issuers include issuers located in U.S. territories Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. In addition, as a matter of non-fundamental policy, the Fund will not invest in securities that pay interest subject to the federal AMT. The non-fundamental policies discussed above may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given at least 60 days’ advance written notice of such change.
The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”).
While the Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives. The Fund may fail to achieve its investment objective and you may lose money.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund will vary and generally depends on the amount of interest income and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest income and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of fixed-income securities in the Fund’s portfolio may or will decline or the issuer will fail to pay interest or repay principal when due. The value of fixed-income securities may decline because the issuer of the security may or will default or otherwise become unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain fixed-income securities to indicate their credit risk. Lower quality or unrated securities held by the Fund may present increased credit
Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund 2

risk as compared to higher-rated securities. Non-investment grade loans or fixed-income securities (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) have greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or securities and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated securities, or if the ratings of securities held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
High-Yield Securities Risk. Securities rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated securities of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade securities. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated securities. High-yield securities are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will usually affect the value of the Fund's shares. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with a lack of marketability of investments which may make it difficult to sell the investment at a desirable time or price. Changing regulatory and market conditions may adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund's investments. The Fund may have to lower the selling price of its investment, sell other investments, or forego another, more appealing investment opportunity. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing these investments as compared to valuing more liquid investments. Price volatility is generally higher for illiquid investments. Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss to the Fund.
Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. Under certain market conditions, debt securities may have greater price volatility than equity securities. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods.
Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility, and include obligations of the governments of the U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to the extent such obligations are exempt from state and federal income taxes. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer's taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government's power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities generally pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will agree with this opinion or that U.S. federal income tax law will not change.
Certain of the municipalities or territories in which the Fund may invest have recently experienced significant financial difficulties. A credit rating downgrade relating to, default by, or insolvency or bankruptcy of, one or several municipal security issuers of a state, territory, commonwealth or possession in which the Fund invests could affect the market values and marketability of many or all municipal obligations of such state, territory, commonwealth or possession.
Because the Fund invests substantially in municipal securities issued by the state identified in the Fund’s name and political sub-divisions of that state, the Fund will be particularly affected by adverse tax, legislative, regulatory, demographic or political changes as well as changes impacting the state's financial, economic or other condition and prospects. In addition, because of the relatively small number of issuers of tax-exempt securities in the state, the Fund may invest a higher percentage of assets in a single issuer and, therefore, be more exposed to the risk of loss than a fund that invests more broadly. The value of municipal and other securities owned by the Fund also may be adversely affected by future changes in federal or state income tax laws.
3 Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund

Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, and the portfolio manager may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. As interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio manager may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk is the risk that the Fund will not be able to reinvest income or principal at the same return it is currently earning.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class A share performance (without sales charges) has varied for each full calendar year shown. If the sales charges were reflected, returns shown would be lower. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns (after applicable sales charges shown in the Shareholder Fees table in this prospectus) for the periods shown with benchmark performance . The maximum applicable sales charge was reduced from 3.25% to 3.00% on Class A share purchases made on or after February 19, 2015.  The Fund's returns (after applicable sales charges) for Class A shares for all periods below have been adjusted to reflect the current maximum applicable sales charge of 3.00%.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class Z shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses and sales charges (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The after-tax returns shown in the Average Annual Total Returns table below are calculated using the highest historical individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
The after-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares and will vary for other share classes. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares are higher than before-tax returns for certain periods shown because they reflect the tax benefit of capital losses realized on the redemption of Fund shares.
Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund 4

The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiamanagement.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year* 		Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2009 5.42%
Worst

 4th Quarter 2010 -3.23%
* Year to Date return as of June 30, 2014: 4.04%
Average Annual Total Returns After Applicable Sales Charges (for periods ended December 31, 2013)
  Share Class
Inception Date 		1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class A 12/05/1989      
returns before taxes   -5.26% 3.64% 2.87%
returns after taxes on distributions   -5.40% 3.60% 2.84%
returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares   -1.71% 3.53% 2.95%
Class B returns before taxes 06/07/1993 -5.87% 3.48% 2.42%
Class C returns before taxes 06/17/1992 -3.98% 3.50% 2.41%
Class R4 returns before taxes 03/19/2013 -2.17% 4.51% 3.43%
Class Z returns before taxes 09/20/1989 -2.15% 4.51% 3.43%
Barclays 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   -1.24% 5.15% 4.26%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian M. McGreevy   Senior Portfolio Manager   Manager   2011
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day by contacting the Fund in the ways described below:
    
Online   Regular Mail   Express Mail   By Telephone
columbiamanagement.com   Columbia Funds,
c/o Columbia Management
Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081 		  Columbia Funds,
c/o Columbia Management
Investment Services Corp.
30 Dan Road, Suite 8081
Canton, MA 02021-2809 		  800.422.3737
You may purchase shares and receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. If you maintain your account with a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, you must contact that financial intermediary to buy, sell or exchange shares of the Fund through your account with the intermediary.
The minimum initial investment amounts for the share classes offered by the Fund are shown below:
5 Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund

Minimum Initial Investment
    
Class Category of eligible account For accounts other than
systematic investment
plan accounts 		For systematic investment
plan accounts
Classes A, B* & C All accounts other than IRAs $2,000 $100
IRAs $1,000 $100
Class R4 All eligible accounts None N/A
Class Z All eligible accounts $0, $1,000 or $2,000
depending upon the category
of eligible investor 		$100
  
* Class B shares are generally closed to new and existing shareholders.
There is no minimum additional investment for any share class.
Tax Information
Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. 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-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, you may be taxed upon withdrawals from that account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies — including Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager), Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) — may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Columbia AMT-Free Virginia Intermediate Muni Bond Fund 6

225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611 columbiamanagement.com
© 2015 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. SUM239_04_D02_(02/15)