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Penn Series Limited Maturity Bond Fund
FUND SUMMARY:  LIMITED MATURITY BOND FUND
Investment Objective
The Limited Maturity Bond Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize total return consistent with preservation of capital.
Fund Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Additional fees and expenses will be applied at the variable contract level. Those fees and expenses are described in your variable contract prospectus. If the information below were to reflect the deduction of variable contract charges, fees and expenses would be higher.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Penn Series Limited Maturity Bond Fund
Limited Maturity Bond Fund
Investment Advisory Fees [1] 0.46%rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets
Distribution (12b-1) Fees none
Other Expenses 0.26%rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [1] 0.72%rr_ExpensesOverAssets
[1] The expense information in the table has been restated to reflect an increase in the Fund's Investment Advisory Fee approved by Fund shareholders on February 13, 2014 and effective May 1, 2014.
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns might be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Penn Series Limited Maturity Bond Fund Limited Maturity Bond Fund
74 230 401 894
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 may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in the 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 82% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategy
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in short- to intermediate-term investment grade debt securities of U.S. government and corporate issuers, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. Investment grade debt securities are those securities rated BBB- or higher by S&P, Baa3 or higher by Moody's, or the equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"), or if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. The remaining assets are generally invested in other securities, including high yield securities ( "junk bonds") rated below investment grade by a NRSRO, or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be below investment grade, preferred and convertible securities, closed-end funds, exchange traded funds, money market securities or equities. While most assets will typically be invested in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds, the Fund may also invest in debt securities of foreign issuers, securities that are economically tied to emerging markets, and securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Fund may invest in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts, swap agreements, mortgage dollar rolls or forward commitments in keeping with the Fund's objective.

The Adviser follows an actively managed, total-return oriented approach and seeks to invest in securities that are under-valued in the marketplace based on both a relative value analysis of individual securities combined with an analysis of macro-economic factors. The Adviser will purchase an individual security when doing so is also consistent with its macro-economic outlook, including its forecast of interest rates and its analysis of the yield curve (a measure of interest rates of securities with the same quality, but different maturities). The Adviser will seek to opportunistically purchase securities to take advantage of inefficiencies of prices in the securities markets, and will sell a security when it believes that the security has been fully priced. The Adviser seeks to reduce credit risk by diversifying among many issuers and different types of securities.

The average duration of this Fund normally varies within one year (plus or minus) of the duration of the Barclays U.S. Government/Credit 1- 3 Year Index, as calculated by the Adviser. The average duration of the Barclays U.S. Government/Credit 1- 3 Year Index, as of March 31, 2015, was 1.82 years. Duration measures the sensitivity of a debt security to changes in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity or duration of a fixed income security (or fixed income portfolio), the more sensitive it will be to interest rate changes.

The Adviser will look for inefficiencies in the market and sell when it feels a security is fully priced. As a result, portfolio turnover can be expected to be relatively high, which may result in increased transaction costs, such as commissions, and may lower fund performance.
Principal Risks of Investing
Call Risk.  The possibility that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates.

Convertible Securities Risk.  The possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments in convertible securities may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates, the credit of the issuer and the value of the underlying common stock. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, as the market price of the underlying common stock declines below the conversion price, the price of the convertible security tends to be increasingly influenced by the yield of the convertible security.

Corporate Debt Securities Risk.  The possibility that the issuer of a debt security held by the Fund is unable to meet its principal and interest payment obligations. The further possibility that corporate debt securities held by the Fund may experience increased price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.

Credit Risk.  The possibility that an issuer of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, held by the Fund defaults on its payment obligations.

Currency Risk.  The possibility that the value of the Fund’s assets may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates, currency exchange control regulations, and restrictions or prohibitions on the repatriation of foreign currencies.

Derivatives Risk.  The possibility that the Fund’s use of derivatives, such as futures, options and swap agreements, may 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 Sub-Adviser believes it would be appropriate to do so, difficult to value if the instrument becomes illiquid, or the other party to a derivative contract may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations.

Emerging Markets Risk.  The possibility that the stocks of companies located in emerging markets may be more volatile, and less liquid, than the stocks of companies located in the U.S. and developed foreign markets due to political, economic, or regulatory conditions within emerging market countries. In addition, emerging market countries may experience more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, higher levels of inflation and less efficient trading and settlement systems.

Fixed Income Market Risk.  The possibility that the market value of a fixed-income security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. Fixed income securities markets may, in response to governmental intervention, economic or market developments (including potentially a reduction in the number of broker-dealers willing to engage in market-making activity), or other factors, experience periods of increased, and sometimes unpredictable, volatility and reduced liquidity. During those periods, the Fund may experience increased levels of shareholder redemptions, and may have to sell securities at inopportune times, and at unfavorable prices. Fixed income securities also may be difficult to value during such periods. In recent periods, governmental financial regulators, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, have taken steps to maintain historically low interest rates by purchasing bonds. Steps by those regulators to curtail or “taper” such activities could result in the effects described above, and could have a material adverse effect on prices for fixed income securities and on the management of the Fund.

Foreign Investment Risk.  The possibility that the Fund’s investments in foreign securities may be adversely affected by political, social, and economic conditions affecting foreign issuers, greater volatility, reduced liquidity, or decreases in foreign currency values relative to the U.S. dollar.

High Yield Bond Risk.  The possibility that the Fund’s investment in debt securities rated below investment grade (commonly known as junk bonds) may adversely affect the Fund’s yield. Although these securities generally provide for higher yields than higher rated debt securities, the high degree of risk associated with these investments can result in substantial or total loss to the Fund. High yield securities are considered speculative and are subject to a greater risk of loss, greater sensitivity to interest rate changes, increased price volatility, valuation difficulties, and a potential lack of a liquid secondary or public market for the securities.

Inflation Linked Bond Risk.  The possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments in inflation linked bonds will decline in value in response to a rise in real interest rates resulting in losses to the Fund. Inflation linked bonds may experience greater losses than other debt securities with similar durations when real interest rates rise faster than nominal interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk.  The possibility that the prices of the Fund’s fixed income investments will decline due to rising interest rates.

Liquidity Risk.  The possibility that the market for certain of the Fund’s investments may become illiquid under adverse or volatile market or economic conditions, making those investments difficult to sell at an advantageous price. The market price of certain investments may fall dramatically if there is no liquid trading market for the investments. It also may be difficult for the Fund to purchase a desired investment at an advantageous price under such circumstances.

Management Risk.  The possibility that the investment decisions, techniques, analyses or models implemented by the Fund’s 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 relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar investment objectives.

Market Risk.  The possibility that the values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the Fund may decline, sometimes unpredictably, due to general market conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of such securities. Security 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.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk.  The possibility that the Fund’s investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities may decline in value and become less liquid when defaults on the underlying mortgages or assets occur and may exhibit additional volatility in periods of rising interest rates. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of these securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates than instruments with fixed payment schedules. When interest rates decline or are low, the prepayment of mortgages or assets underlying such securities may reduce the Fund’s returns.

Portfolio Turnover Risk.  The possibility that the Fund may frequently buy and sell portfolio securities, which may increase transaction costs to the Fund and cause the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.

U.S. Government Securities Risk.  The possibility that the U.S. government will not provide financial assistance in support of securities issued by certain of its agencies and instrumentalities and held by the Fund if it is not obligated to do because such securities are not issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. A default by a U.S. government agency or instrumentality could cause the Fund’s share price or yield to fall.

An investment in the Fund may be appropriate for investors who are seeking the highest current income consistent with liquidity and low risk to principal available through an investment in investment grade debt.
Performance Information
The bar chart and table below show the performance of the Fund both year-by-year and as an average over different periods of time. The bar chart and table demonstrate the variability of performance over time and provide an indication of the risks and volatility of an investment in the Fund by showing how the Fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted under your variable contract. If it did, returns would be lower.
Bar Chart
Best Quarter    Worst Quarter
2.57%    -0.80%
12/31/2008    12/31/2010
Average Annual Total Return (for Periods Ended December 31, 2014)
Average Annual Total Returns Penn Series Limited Maturity Bond Fund
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Limited Maturity Bond Fund
0.17% 1.32% 2.53%
Barclays U.S. Government/Credit 1-3 Years Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
0.77% 1.41% 2.85%