485BPOS 1 gvt485b.htm

 

SEC. File Nos. 002-98199

811-04318

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

 

Registration Statement

Under

the Securities Act of 1933

Post-Effective Amendment No. 60

 

and

 

Registration Statement

Under

the Investment Company Act of 1940

Amendment No. 59

 

 

THE AMERICAN FUNDS INCOME SERIES

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

333 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071-1406

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:

(213) 486-9200

 

 

Steven I. Koszalka, Secretary

The American Funds Income Series

333 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071-1406

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

Michael Glazer

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

300 South Grand Avenue, 22nd Floor

Los Angeles, California 90071-3132

(Counsel for the Registrant)

 

 

Approximate date of proposed public offering:

It is proposed that this filing become effective on November 1, 2017, pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

 

 
 

 

   
 

U.S. Government
Securities Fund®

Prospectus

November 1, 2017

 
                     
Class A C T F-1 F-2 F-3 529-A 529-C 529-E 529-T
  AMUSX UGSCX TUSGX UGSFX GVTFX USGFX CGTAX CGTCX CGTEX TSUGX
Class 529-F-1 R-1 R-2 R-2E R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6  
  CGTFX RGVAX RGVBX RGEVX RGVCX RGVEX RGVJX RGVFX RGVGX  

 

Table of contents

   
Investment objective 1
Fees and expenses of the fund 1
Principal investment strategies 2
Principal risks 3
Investment results 5
Management 7
Purchase and sale of fund shares 7
Tax information 7
Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries 7
Investment objective, strategies and risks 8
Management and organization 13
Shareholder information 15
Purchase, exchange and sale of shares 15
How to sell shares 20
Distributions and taxes 23
Choosing a share class 24
Sales charges 25
Sales charge reductions and waivers 28
Rollovers from retirement plans to IRAs 35
Plans of distribution 36
Other compensation to dealers 37
Fund expenses 38
Financial highlights 40
Appendix 45

 

 
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved of these securities. Further, it has not determined that this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


 
 

 

Investment objective The fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income consistent with prudent investment risk and preservation of capital.

Fees and expenses of the fund This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. In addition to the fees and expenses described below, you may also be required to pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Class F-2 or F-3 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 $100,000 in American Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the “Sales charge reductions and waivers” sections on page 28 of the prospectus and on page 64 of the fund’s statement of additional information, and in the sales charge waiver appendix to this prospectus.

             
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share class: A and
529-A
C and
529-C
529-E T and
529-T
All F and 529-F share classes All R
share
classes
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 3.75% none none 2.50% none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of the amount redeemed) 1.001 1.00% none none none none
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends none none none none none none
Redemption or exchange fees none none none none none none
               
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Share class: A C T F-1 F-2 F-3 529-A
Management fees 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.272 1.00 0.25 0.25  none  none 0.232
Other expenses 0.18 0.22 0.213 0.21 0.19 0.073 0.27
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.65 1.42 0.66 0.66 0.39 0.27 0.70
               
Share class: 529-C 529-E 529-T 529-F-1 R-1 R-2 R-2E
Management fees 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.98 0.49 0.25  none 1.00 0.74 0.60
Other expenses 0.28 0.23 0.283 0.27 0.21 0.46 0.29
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.46 0.92 0.73 0.47 1.41 1.40 1.09
               
Share class: R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6    
Management fees 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%    
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.50 0.25  none  none  none    
Other expenses 0.25 0.17 0.34 0.12 0.06    
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.95 0.62 0.54 0.32 0.26    
Expense reimbursement  —  — 0.112,4  —  —    
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursement 0.95 0.62 0.43 0.32 0.26    

1 A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% applies on certain redemptions made within 18 months following purchases of $1 million or more made without an initial sales charge. Contingent deferred sales charge is calculated based on the lesser of the offering price and market value of shares being sold.

2 Restated to reflect current fees.

3 Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

4 The investment adviser is currently reimbursing a portion of the other expenses. This reimbursement will be in effect through at least November 1, 2018. The adviser may elect at its discretion to extend, modify or terminate the reimbursement at that time.

1     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

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. The example reflects the expense reimbursement described above through the expiration date of such reimbursement and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. You may be required to pay brokerage commissions on your purchases and sales of Class F-2 or F-3 shares of the fund, which are not reflected in the example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

                           
Share class: A C T F-1 F-2 F-3 529-A 529-C 529-E 529-T 529-F-1 R-1 R-2
1 year $ 439 $ 245 $ 316 $ 67 $ 40 $ 28 $ 444 $ 249 $ 94 $ 323 $ 48 $ 144 $ 143
3 years 575 449 456 211 125 87 590 462 293 478 151 446 443
5 years 724 776 609 368 219 152 750 797 509 646 263 771 766
10 years 1,155 1,702 1,052 822 493 343 1,213 1,746 1,131 1,134 591 1,691 1,680
                     
Share class: R-2E R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6 For the share classes listed to the right, you would pay the following if you did not redeem your shares: Share class: C 529-C
1 year $ 111 $ 97 $ 63 $ 44 $ 33 $ 27 1 year $ 145 $ 149
3 years 347 303 199 162 103 84 3 years 449 462
5 years 601 525 346 291 180 146 5 years 776 797
10 years 1,329 1,166 774 667 406 331 10 years 1,702 1,746

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 investment results. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 577% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies Normally at least 80% of the fund’s assets will be invested in securities that are guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bonds and other debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars, which may be represented by other investment instruments, including derivatives. The fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The fund invests in debt securities with a wide range of maturities.

The fund may invest in inflation linked bonds issued by U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and corporations. Inflation linked bonds are structured to protect against inflation by linking the bond’s principal and interest payments to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers, so that principal and interest adjust to reflect changes in the index.

The fund may invest in certain derivative instruments, such as futures contracts and swaps. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which is based on the value of an underlying financial asset (such as a stock, bond or currency), a reference rate or a market index. The fund may invest in a derivative only if, in the opinion of the investment adviser, the expected risks and rewards of the proposed investment are consistent with

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     2


 
 

 

the investment objective and strategies of the fund as disclosed in this prospectus and in the fund’s statement of additional information.

The investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing the fund’s assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of the fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers who decide how their respective segments will be invested.

The fund relies on the professional judgment of its investment adviser to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively priced securities that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. The investment adviser believes that an important way to accomplish this is by analyzing various factors, which may include the credit strength of the issuer, prices of similar securities issued by comparable issuers, anticipated changes in interest rates, general market conditions and other factors pertinent to the particular security being evaluated. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.

Principal risks This section describes the principal risks associated with the fund’s principal investment strategies. You may lose money by investing in the fund. The likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter period of time.

Market conditions — The prices of, and the income generated by, the securities held by the fund may decline – sometimes rapidly or unpredictably – due to various factors, including events or conditions affecting the general economy or particular industries; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental or governmental agency responses to economic conditions; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.

Issuer risks — The prices of, and the income generated by, securities held by the fund may decline in response to various factors directly related to the issuers of such securities, including reduced demand for an issuer’s goods or services, poor management performance and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives.

Investing in debt instruments — The prices of, and the income generated by, bonds and other debt securities held by the fund may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these securities.

Rising interest rates will generally cause the prices of bonds and other debt securities to fall. Falling interest rates may cause an issuer to redeem, call or refinance a debt security before its stated maturity, which may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt securities generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities.

Bonds and other debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default. Credit risk is gauged, in part, by the credit ratings of the debt securities in which the fund invests. However, ratings are only the opinions of the rating agencies issuing them and are not guarantees as to credit quality or an evaluation of market risk. The fund’s

3     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

investment adviser relies on its own credit analysts to research issuers and issues in seeking to mitigate various credit and default risks.

Investing in securities backed by the U.S. government — Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Securities issued by government-sponsored entities and federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government.

Investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities — Mortgage-related securities, such as mortgage-backed securities, and other asset-backed securities, include debt obligations that represent interests in pools of mortgages or other income-bearing assets, such as consumer loans or receivables. Such securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than the risks associated with investing in other types of debt securities. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to changes in the payment patterns of borrowers of the underlying debt. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to refinance or prepay their debt before its stated maturity. This may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities, effectively reducing the fund’s income. Conversely, if interest rates rise and borrowers repay their debt more slowly than expected, the time in which the mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are paid off could be extended, reducing the fund’s cash available for reinvestment in higher yielding securities.

Investing in future delivery contracts — The fund may enter into contracts, such as to-be-announced contracts and mortgage dollar rolls, that involve the fund selling mortgage-related securities and simultaneously contracting to repurchase similar securities for delivery at a future date at a predetermined price. This can increase the fund’s market exposure, and the market price of the securities that the fund contracts to repurchase could drop below their purchase price. While the fund can preserve and generate capital through the use of such contracts by, for example, realizing the difference between the sale price and the future purchase price, the income generated by the fund may be reduced by engaging in such transactions. In addition, these transactions may increase the turnover rate of the fund.

Investing in inflation linked bonds — The values of inflation linked bonds generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates — i.e., rates of interest after factoring in inflation. A rise in real interest rates may cause the prices of inflation linked securities to fall, while a decline in real interest rates may cause the prices to increase. Inflation linked bonds may experience greater losses than other debt securities with similar durations when real interest rates rise faster than nominal interest rates. There can be no assurance that the value of an inflation linked security will be directly correlated to changes in interest rates; for example, if interest rates rise for reasons other than inflation, the increase may not be reflected in the security’s inflation measure.

Investing in inflation linked bonds may also reduce the fund’s distributable income during periods of extreme deflation. If prices for goods and services decline throughout the economy, the principal and income on inflation linked securities may decline and result in losses to the fund.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     4


 
 

 

Investing in derivatives — The use of derivatives involves a variety of risks, which may be different from, or greater than, the risks associated with investing in traditional cash securities, such as stocks and bonds. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and a derivative instrument may expose the fund to losses in excess of its initial investment. Derivatives may be difficult for the fund to buy or sell at an opportune time or price and may be difficult to terminate or otherwise offset. The fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the fund, and investing in derivatives may reduce the fund’s returns and increase the fund’s price volatility. The fund’s counterparty to a derivative transaction (including, if applicable, the fund’s clearing broker, the derivatives exchange or the clearinghouse) may be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations in respect of the transaction. A description of the derivative instruments in which the fund may invest and the various risks associated with those derivatives is included in the fund’s statement of additional information under “Description of certain securities, investment techniques and risks.”

Management — The investment adviser to the fund actively manages the fund’s investments. Consequently, the fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses employed by the investment adviser in this process may not produce the desired results. This could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.

It is important to note that neither your investment in the fund nor the fund’s yield is guaranteed by the U.S. government.

Your investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, entity or person. You should consider how this fund fits into your overall investment program.

Investment results The following bar chart shows how the fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results and other applicable measures of market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The Lipper General U.S. Government Funds Average includes the fund and other funds that disclose investment objectives and/or strategies reasonably comparable to those of the fund. The Consumer Price Index provides a comparison of the fund’s results to inflation. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. Updated information on the fund’s investment results can be obtained by visiting americanfunds.com.

5     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

           
Average annual total returns For the periods ended December 31, 2016 (with maximum sales charge):
Share class Inception date 1 year 5 years 10 years Lifetime
A  — Before taxes 10/17/1985 –3.03% 0.41% 3.16% 5.55%
— After taxes on distributions   –3.91 –0.39 2.05 N/A
— After taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares –1.61 0.05 2.10 N/A
           
Share classes (before taxes) Inception date 1 year 5 years 10 years Lifetime
C 3/15/2001 –1.02% 0.39% 2.75% 3.18%
F-1 3/15/2001 0.74 1.18 3.56 3.69
F-2 8/7/2008 1.00 1.43 N/A 3.54
529-A 2/20/2002 –3.09 0.33 3.08 3.26
529-C 2/19/2002 –1.11 0.32 2.68 2.69
529-E 3/7/2002 0.45 0.86 3.21 3.31
529-F-1 10/11/2002 0.91 1.32 3.71 3.41
R-1 6/13/2002 –0.02 0.41 2.74 2.74
R-2 5/31/2002 0.00 0.41 2.77 2.79
R-2E 8/29/2014 0.36 N/A N/A 1.09
R-3 6/6/2002 0.45 0.86 3.21 3.22
R-4 5/28/2002 0.77 1.19 3.55 3.59
R-5E 11/20/2015 0.96 N/A N/A 0.82
R-5 5/15/2002 1.06 1.49 3.86 3.94
R-6 5/1/2009 1.11 1.54 N/A 3.06
         
Indexes 1 year 5 years 10 years Lifetime
(from Class A inception)
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage-Backed Securities Index (reflects no deductions for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) 1.31% 1.57% 4.04% 6.55%
Lipper General U.S. Government Funds Average (reflects no deductions for sales charges, account fees or U.S. federal income taxes) 2.07 1.36 1.81 2.59
Consumer Price Index 0.64 0.95 3.35 5.55
Class A annualized 30-day yield at August 31, 2017: 1.28%
(For current yield information, please call American FundsLine® at (800) 325-3590.)

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     6


 
 

 

After-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during each year of the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation and likely will differ from the results shown above. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-favored arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, individual retirement account (IRA) or 529 college savings plan.

Management

Investment adviser Capital Research and Management CompanySM
Portfolio managers The individuals primarily responsible for the portfolio management of the fund are:

     
Portfolio manager/
Fund title (if applicable)
Portfolio manager
experience in this fund
Primary title
with investment adviser
Fergus N. MacDonald President 8 years Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors
David J. Betanzos Senior Vice President 3 years Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors
Ritchie Tuazon Vice President 3 years Vice President – Capital Fixed Income Investors
 

Purchase and sale of fund shares The minimum amount to establish an account for all share classes is $250 and the minimum to add to an account is $50. For a payroll deduction retirement plan account, payroll deduction savings plan account or employer-sponsored 529 account, the minimum is $25 to establish or add to an account.

If you are a retail investor, you may sell (redeem) shares on any business day through your dealer or financial advisor or by writing to American Funds Service Company® at P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6007; telephoning American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225; faxing American Funds Service Company at (888) 421-4351; or accessing our website at americanfunds.com. Please contact your plan administrator or recordkeeper to sell (redeem) shares from your retirement plan.

Tax information Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the fund are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-favored.

Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and the fund’s distributor or its affiliates 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 individual financial advisor to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

7     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Investment objective, strategies and risks The fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of current income consistent with prudent investment risk and preservation of capital.

Normally at least 80% of the fund’s assets will be invested in securities that are guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bonds and other debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars, which may be represented by other investment instruments, including derivatives. The fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The fund invests in debt securities with a wide range of maturities.

The fund may invest in inflation linked bonds issued by U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and corporations. Inflation linked bonds are structured to protect against inflation by linking the bond’s principal and interest payments to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers, so that principal and interest adjust to reflect changes in the index.

The fund may invest in certain derivative instruments. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which is based on the value of an underlying financial asset (such as a stock, bond or currency), a reference rate or a market index. The fund may invest in a derivative only if, in the opinion of the investment adviser, the expected risks and rewards of the proposed investment are consistent with the investment objective and strategies of the fund as disclosed in this prospectus and in the fund’s statement of additional information.

Among other derivative instrument types, the fund may invest in futures contracts and interest rate swaps in order to seek to manage the fund’s sensitivity to interest rates. A futures contract is a standardized exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying asset, rate or index at an agreed-upon price at a stipulated future date. An interest rate swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange or swap payments based on changes in one or more interest rates, one of which is typically fixed and the other of which is typically a floating rate based on a designated short-term interest rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate, prime rate or other benchmark.

The fund may also hold cash or money market instruments, including commercial paper and short-term securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. The percentage of the fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on various factors, including market conditions and purchases and redemptions of fund shares. The investment adviser may determine that it is appropriate to invest a substantial portion of the fund’s assets in such instruments in response to certain circumstances, such as periods of market turmoil. In addition, for temporary defensive purposes, the fund may invest without limitation in such instruments. A larger percentage of such holdings could moderate the fund’s investment results in a period of rising market prices. Consistent with the fund’s preservation of capital objective, a larger percentage of such holdings could reduce the magnitude of the fund’s loss in a period of falling market prices and provide liquidity to make additional investments or to meet redemptions.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     8


 
 

 

The following are principal risks associated with the fund’s investment strategies.

Market conditions — The prices of, and the income generated by, the securities held by the fund may decline – sometimes rapidly or unpredictably – due to various factors, including events or conditions affecting the general economy or particular industries; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental or governmental agency responses to economic conditions; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.

Issuer risks — The prices of, and the income generated by, securities held by the fund may decline in response to various factors directly related to the issuers of such securities, including reduced demand for an issuer’s goods or services, poor management performance and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives.

Investing in debt instruments — The prices of, and the income generated by, bonds and other debt securities held by the fund may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these securities.

Rising interest rates will generally cause the prices of bonds and other debt securities to fall. Falling interest rates may cause an issuer to redeem, call or refinance a debt security before its stated maturity, which may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt securities generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities.

Bonds and other debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default. Credit risk is gauged, in part, by the credit ratings of the debt securities in which the fund invests. However, ratings are only the opinions of the rating agencies issuing them and are not guarantees as to credit quality or an evaluation of market risk. The fund’s investment adviser relies on its own credit analysts to research issuers and issues in seeking to mitigate various credit and default risks.

Investing in securities backed by the U.S. government — Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Securities issued by government-sponsored entities and federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government.

Investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities — Mortgage-related securities, such as mortgage-backed securities, and other asset-backed securities, include debt obligations that represent interests in pools of mortgages or other income-bearing assets, such as consumer loans or receivables. Such securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than the risks associated with investing in other types of debt securities. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to changes in the payment patterns of borrowers of the underlying debt. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to refinance or prepay their debt before its stated maturity. This may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding

9     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

securities, effectively reducing the fund’s income. Conversely, if interest rates rise and borrowers repay their debt more slowly than expected, the time in which the mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are paid off could be extended, reducing the fund’s cash available for reinvestment in higher yielding securities.

Investing in future delivery contracts — The fund may enter into contracts, such as to-be-announced contracts and mortgage dollar rolls, that involve the fund selling mortgage-related securities and simultaneously contracting to repurchase similar securities for delivery at a future date at a predetermined price. This can increase the fund’s market exposure, and the market price of the securities that the fund contracts to repurchase could drop below their purchase price. While the fund can preserve and generate capital through the use of such contracts by, for example, realizing the difference between the sale price and the future purchase price, the income generated by the fund may be reduced by engaging in such transactions. In addition, these transactions may increase the turnover rate of the fund.

Investing in inflation linked bonds — The values of inflation linked bonds generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates — i.e., rates of interest after factoring in inflation. A rise in real interest rates may cause the prices of inflation linked securities to fall, while a decline in real interest rates may cause the prices to increase. Inflation linked bonds may experience greater losses than other debt securities with similar durations when real interest rates rise faster than nominal interest rates. There can be no assurance that the value of an inflation linked security will be directly correlated to changes in interest rates; for example, if interest rates rise for reasons other than inflation, the increase may not be reflected in the security’s inflation measure.

Investing in inflation linked bonds may also reduce the fund’s distributable income during periods of extreme deflation. If prices for goods and services decline throughout the economy, the principal and income on inflation linked securities may decline and result in losses to the fund.

Investing in derivatives — The use of derivatives involves a variety of risks, which may be different from, or greater than, the risks associated with investing in traditional cash securities, such as stocks and bonds. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and a derivative instrument may expose the fund to losses in excess of its initial investment. Derivatives may be difficult for the fund to buy or sell at an opportune time or price and may be difficult to terminate or otherwise offset. The fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the fund, and investing in derivatives may reduce the fund’s returns and increase the fund’s price volatility. The fund’s counterparty to a derivative transaction (including, if applicable, the fund’s clearing broker, the derivatives exchange or the clearinghouse) may be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations in respect of the transaction. A description of the derivative instruments in which the fund may invest and the various risks associated with those derivatives is included in the fund’s statement of additional information under “Description of certain securities, investment techniques and risks.”

Management — The investment adviser to the fund actively manages the fund’s investments. Consequently, the fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses employed by the investment adviser in this process may not produce the desired results.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     10


 
 

 

This could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.

It is important to note that neither your investment in the fund nor the fund’s yield is guaranteed by the U.S. government.

The following are certain additional risks associated with the fund’s investment strategies.

Interest rate risk — The values and liquidity of the securities held by the fund may be affected by changing interest rates. For example, the values of these securities may decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. Longer maturity debt securities generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities. The fund may invest in variable and floating rate securities. Although the values of such securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than those of other debt securities, the value of variable and floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly, or as much, as general interest rates. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. During periods of extremely low short-term interest rates, the fund may not be able to maintain a positive yield and, given the current historically low interest rate environment, risks associated with rising rates are currently heightened.

Investing in futures contracts — In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in derivative instruments, futures contracts are subject to the creditworthiness of the clearing organizations, exchanges and futures commission merchants with which the fund transacts. Additionally, although futures require only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit of initial margin, the amount of a potential loss on a futures contract could greatly exceed the initial amount invested. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions futures may be deemed to be illiquid. For example, the fund may be temporarily prohibited from closing out its position in a futures contract if intraday price change limits or limits on trading volume imposed by the applicable futures exchange are triggered. If the fund is unable to close out a position on a futures contract, the fund would remain subject to the risk of adverse price movements until the fund is able to close out the futures position. The ability of the fund to successfully utilize futures contracts may depend in part upon the ability of the fund’s investment adviser to accurately forecast interest rates and other economic factors and to assess and predict the impact of such economic factors on the futures in which the fund invests. If the investment adviser incorrectly forecasts economic developments or incorrectly predicts the impact of such developments on the futures in which it invests, the fund could be exposed to the risk of loss.

Investing in swaps — Swaps, including interest rate swaps and credit default swap indices, or CDX, are subject to many of the risks generally associated with investing in derivative instruments. Additionally, although swaps require no or only a small initial investment in the form of a deposit of initial margin, the amount of a potential loss on a swap contract could greatly exceed the initial amount invested. The use of swaps involves the risk that the investment adviser will not accurately predict anticipated changes in interest rates or other economic factors, which may result in losses to the fund. To the extent the fund enters into a bilaterally negotiated swap transaction, there is a possibility that the counterparty will fail to perform in accordance with the terms of the swap agreement. If a

11     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

counterparty defaults on its obligations under a swap agreement, the fund may lose any amount it expected to receive from the counterparty, potentially including amounts in excess of the fund’s initial investment. Certain swap transactions are subject to mandatory central clearing or may be eligible for voluntary central clearing. Although clearing interposes a central clearinghouse as the ultimate counterparty to each participant’s swap, central clearing will not eliminate (but may decrease) counterparty risk relative to uncleared bilateral swaps. Some swaps, such as CDX, may be dependent on both the individual credit of the fund’s counterparty and on the credit of one or more issuers of any underlying assets. If the fund does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of its counterparty and, where applicable, of issuers of any underlying reference assets, the fund’s investment in a swap may result in losses to the fund.

Exposure to country, region, industry or sector — Subject to the fund’s investment limitations, the fund may have significant exposure to a particular country, region, industry or sector. Such exposure may cause the fund to be more impacted by risks relating to the country, region, industry or sector than a fund without such levels of exposure. For example, if the fund has significant exposure in a particular country, then social, economic, regulatory or other issues that negatively affect that country may have a greater impact on the fund than on a fund that is more geographically diversified.

Liquidity risk — Certain fund holdings may be deemed to be less liquid or illiquid because they cannot be readily sold without significantly impacting the value of the holdings. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market for a holding, legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or the reduced number and capacity of market participants to make a market in such holding. Market prices for less liquid or illiquid holdings may be volatile, and reduced liquidity may have an adverse impact on the market price of such holdings. Additionally, the sale of less liquid or illiquid holdings may involve substantial delays (including delays in settlement) and additional costs and the fund may be unable to sell such holdings when necessary to meet its liquidity needs.

Portfolio turnover — The fund may engage in frequent and active trading of its portfolio securities. Higher portfolio turnover may involve correspondingly greater transaction costs in the form of dealer spreads, brokerage commissions and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of portfolio securities may also result in the realization of net capital gains, which are taxable when distributed to shareholders, unless the shareholder is exempt from taxation or his or her account is tax-favored. These costs and tax effects may adversely affect the fund’s returns to shareholders.

In addition to the principal investment strategies described above, the fund has other investment practices that are described in the statement of additional information, which includes a description of other risks related to the fund’s principal investment strategies and other investment practices. The fund’s investment results will depend on the ability of the fund’s investment adviser to navigate the risks discussed above as well as those described in the statement of additional information.

Fund comparative indexes The investment results table in this prospectus shows how the fund’s average annual total returns compare with various broad measures of market results. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage-Backed Securities Index is a market-value-weighted index that covers fixed-rate, publicly placed, dollar-denominated obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. government agencies, quasi-federal

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     12


 
 

 

corporations, corporate or foreign debt guaranteed by the U.S. government, and the mortgage-backed pass-through securities of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Government National Mortgage Association. This index is unmanaged and its results include reinvested distributions but do not reflect the effect of sales charges, commissions, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes. The Lipper General U.S. Government Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in U.S. government and agency issues. The results of the underlying funds in the average include the reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions, as well as brokerage commissions paid by the fund for portfolio transactions and other fund expenses, but do not reflect the effect of sales charges, account fees or U.S. federal income taxes. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. Widely used as a measure of inflation, the CPI is computed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fund results All fund results in this prospectus reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions, if any. Unless otherwise noted, fund results reflect any fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements in effect during the periods presented.

Management and organization

Investment adviser Capital Research and Management Company, an experienced investment management organization founded in 1931, serves as the investment adviser to the fund and other funds, including the American Funds. Capital Research and Management Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Capital Group Companies, Inc. and is located at 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071. Capital Research and Management Company manages the investment portfolio and business affairs of the fund. The total management fee paid by the fund to its investment adviser for the most recent fiscal year, as a percentage of average net assets, appears in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table under “Fees and expenses of the fund.” The management fee is based on the daily net assets of the fund and the fund’s monthly gross investment income. Please see the statement of additional information for further details. A discussion regarding the basis for approval of the fund’s Investment Advisory and Service Agreement by the fund’s board of trustees is contained in the fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Capital Research and Management Company manages equity assets through three equity investment divisions and fixed-income assets through its fixed-income investment division, Capital Fixed Income Investors. The three equity investment divisions — Capital World Investors, Capital Research Global Investors and Capital International Investors — make investment decisions independently of one another.

The equity investment divisions may, in the future, be incorporated as wholly owned subsidiaries of Capital Research and Management Company. In that event, Capital Research and Management Company would continue to be the investment adviser, and day-to-day investment management of equity assets would continue to be carried out through one or more of these subsidiaries. Although not currently contemplated, Capital Research and Management Company could incorporate its fixed-income investment division in the future and engage it to provide day-to-day investment management of fixed-income assets. Capital Research and Management Company and each of the funds it advises have received an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that allows Capital Research and Management Company to use, upon

13     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

approval of the fund’s board, its management subsidiaries and affiliates to provide day-to-day investment management services to the fund, including making changes to the management subsidiaries and affiliates providing such services. The fund’s shareholders have approved this arrangement; however, there is no assurance that Capital Research and Management Company will incorporate its investment divisions or exercise any authority granted to it under the exemptive order.

Portfolio holdings Portfolio holdings information for the fund is available on the American Funds website at americanfunds.com. A description of the fund’s policies and procedures regarding disclosure of information about its portfolio holdings is available in the statement of additional information.

The Capital SystemSM Capital Research and Management Company uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing mutual fund assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of a fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers who decide how their respective segments will be invested. In addition, Capital Research and Management Company’s investment analysts may make investment decisions with respect to a portion of a fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are subject to a fund’s objective(s), policies and restrictions and the oversight of the appropriate investment-related committees of Capital Research and Management Company and its investment divisions.

Certain senior members of Capital Fixed Income Investors, the investment adviser’s fixed-income investment division, serve on the Portfolio Strategy Group. The group utilizes a research-driven process with input from the investment adviser’s analysts, portfolio managers and economists to define investment themes on a range of macroeconomic factors, including duration, yield curve and sector allocation. The investment decisions made by the fund’s portfolio managers are informed by the investment themes discussed by the group.

The table below shows the investment experience and role in management of the fund for each of the fund’s primary portfolio managers.

       
Portfolio manager Investment
experience
Experience
in this fund
Role in
management
of the fund
Fergus N. MacDonald Investment professional for
25 years in total;
14 years with Capital Research and Management Company or affiliate
8 years Serves as a fixed-income portfolio manager
David J. Betanzos Investment professional for 17 years in total;
16 years with Capital Research and Management Company or affiliate
3 years Serves as a fixed-income portfolio manager
Ritchie Tuazon Investment professional for 17 years in total;
7 years with Capital Research and Management Company or affiliate
3 years Serves as a fixed-income portfolio manager
 

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     14


 
 

 

Information regarding the portfolio managers’ compensation, their ownership of securities in the fund and other accounts they manage is in the statement of additional information.

Certain privileges and/or services described on the following pages of this prospectus and in the statement of additional information may not be available to you, depending on your investment dealer or retirement plan recordkeeper. Please see your financial advisor, investment dealer or retirement plan recordkeeper for more information.

Shareholder information

Shareholder services American Funds Service Company, the fund’s transfer agent, offers a wide range of services that you can use to alter your investment program should your needs or circumstances change. These services may be terminated or modified at any time upon 60 days’ written notice.

A more detailed description of policies and services is included in the fund’s statement of additional information and the owner’s guide sent to new American Funds shareholders entitled Welcome. Class 529 shareholders should also refer to the applicable program description for information on policies and services relating specifically to their account(s). These documents are available by writing to or calling American Funds Service Company.

Unless otherwise noted, references to Class A, C, T or F-1 shares on the following pages also refer to the corresponding Class 529-A, 529-C, 529-T or 529-F-1 shares. Unless otherwise noted, references to Class F shares refer to Class F-1, F-2 and F-3 shares and references to Class R shares refer to Class R-1, R-2, R-2E, R-3, R-4, R-5E, R-5 and R-6 shares.

Purchase, exchange and sale of shares The fund’s transfer agent, on behalf of the fund and American Funds Distributors,® the fund’s distributor, is required by law to obtain certain personal information from you or any other person(s) acting on your behalf in order to verify your or such person’s identity. If you do not provide the information, the transfer agent may not be able to open your account. If the transfer agent is unable to verify your identity or that of any other person(s) authorized to act on your behalf, or believes it has identified potentially criminal activity, the fund and American Funds Distributors reserve the right to close your account or take such other action they deem reasonable or required by law.

15     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

When purchasing shares, you should designate the fund or funds in which you wish to invest. Subject to the exception below, if no fund is designated, your money will be held uninvested (without liability to the transfer agent for loss of income or appreciation pending receipt of proper instructions) until investment instructions are received, but for no more than three business days. Your investment will be made at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge, in the case of Class A or Class T shares) next determined after investment instructions are received and accepted by the transfer agent. If investment instructions are not received, your money will be invested in Class A shares (or, if you are investing through a financial intermediary who offers only Class T shares, in Class T shares) of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market FundSM on the third business day after receipt of your investment.

If the amount of your cash investment is $10,000 or less, no fund is designated, and you made a cash investment (excluding exchanges) within the last 16 months, your money will be invested in the same proportion and in the same fund or funds and in the same class of shares in which your last cash investment was made.

Different procedures may apply to certain employer-sponsored arrangements, including, but not limited to, SEPs and SIMPLE IRAs.

Valuing shares The net asset value of each share class of the fund is the value of a single share of that class. The fund calculates the net asset value each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading as of approximately 4 p.m. New York time, the normal close of regular trading. If, for example, the New York Stock Exchange closes at 1 p.m. New York time, the fund’s net asset value would still be determined as of 4 p.m. New York time. In this example, portfolio securities traded on the New York Stock Exchange would be valued at their closing prices unless the investment adviser determines that a “fair value” adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events.

Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations, and debt securities are valued primarily on the basis of prices from third-party pricing services. Futures contracts are valued primarily on the basis of settlement prices. The fund has adopted procedures for making fair value determinations if market quotations or prices from third-party pricing services, as applicable, are not readily available or are not considered reliable. For example, if events occur between the close of markets outside the United States and the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange that, in the opinion of the investment adviser, materially affect the value of any of the fund’s equity securities that trade principally in those international markets, those securities will be valued in accordance with fair value procedures. Similarly, fair value procedures may be employed if an issuer defaults on its debt securities and there is no market for its securities. Use of these procedures is intended to result in more appropriate net asset values and, where applicable, to reduce potential arbitrage opportunities otherwise available to short-term investors.

Your shares will be purchased at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge, in the case of Class A or Class T shares) or sold at the net asset value next determined after American Funds Service Company receives your request, provided that your request contains all information and legal documentation necessary to process the transaction. A contingent deferred sales charge may apply at the time you sell certain Class A and C shares.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     16


 
 

 

Purchase of Class A, C and T shares You may generally open an account and purchase Class A, C and T shares by contacting any financial advisor (who may impose transaction charges in addition to those described in this prospectus) authorized to sell the fund’s shares. You may purchase additional shares in various ways, including through your financial advisor and by mail, telephone, the Internet and bank wire.

Automatic conversion of Class C shares Class C shares automatically convert to Class F-1 shares in the month of the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date; however, Class 529-C shares will not convert to Class 529-F-1 shares. The Internal Revenue Service currently takes the position that such automatic conversions are not taxable. Should its position change, the automatic conversion feature may be suspended. If this were to happen, you would have the option of converting your Class C shares to Class F-1 shares at the anniversary date described above. This exchange would be based on the relative net asset values of the two classes in question, without the imposition of a sales charge or fee, but you might face certain tax consequences as a result.

Purchase of Class F shares You may generally open an account and purchase Class F shares only through fee-based programs of investment dealers that have special agreements with the fund’s distributor, through financial intermediaries that have been approved by, and that have special agreements with, the fund’s distributor to offer Class F shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may charge a transaction fee, through certain registered investment advisors and through other intermediaries approved by the fund’s distributor. These intermediaries typically charge ongoing fees for services they provide. Intermediary fees are not paid by the fund and normally range from .75% to 1.50% of assets annually, depending on the services offered.

Class F-2 and F-3 shares may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the fund’s distributor to offer such shares solely when acting as an agent for the investor. An investor transacting in Class F-2 or F-3 shares in these programs may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of the fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.

In addition, Class F-3 shares are available to institutional investors, which include, but are not limited to, charitable organizations, governmental institutions and corporations. For accounts held with the fund’s transfer agent the minimum investment amount is $1,000,000.

Purchase of Class 529 shares Class 529 shares may be purchased only through an account established with a 529 college savings plan managed by the American Funds organization. You may open this type of account and purchase Class 529 shares by contacting any financial advisor (who may impose transaction charges in addition to those described in this prospectus) authorized to sell such an account. You may purchase additional shares in various ways, including through your financial advisor and by mail, telephone, the Internet and bank wire.

Class 529-E shares may be purchased only by employees participating through an eligible employer plan.

Accounts holding Class 529 shares are subject to a $10 account setup fee and an annual $10 account maintenance fee. These fees are waived until further notice.

17     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Investors residing in any state may purchase Class 529 shares through an account established with a 529 college savings plan managed by the American Funds organization. Class 529-A, 529-C, 529-T and 529-F-1 shares are structured similarly to the corresponding Class A, C, T and F-1 shares. For example, the same initial sales charges apply to Class 529-A shares as to Class A shares.

Purchase of Class R shares Class R shares are generally available only to retirement plans established under Internal Revenue Code Sections 401(a), 403(b) or 457, and to nonqualified deferred compensation plans and certain voluntary employee benefit association and post-retirement benefit plans. Class R shares also are generally available only to retirement plans for which plan level or omnibus accounts are held on the books of the fund. Class R-5E, R-5 and R-6 shares are generally available only to fee-based programs or through retirement plan intermediaries. In addition, Class R-5 and R-6 shares are available for investment by other registered investment companies approved by the fund’s investment adviser or distributor. Except as otherwise provided in this prospectus, Class R shares are not available to retail nonretirement accounts; traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs); Coverdell Education Savings Accounts; SEPs, SARSEPs and SIMPLE IRAs held in brokerage accounts; and 529 college savings plans. Class R-6 shares are available to employer-sponsored SEPs, SARSEPs and SIMPLE IRAs held in fee-based programs that are serviced through retirement plan recordkeepers.

Purchases by employer-sponsored retirement plans Eligible retirement plans generally may open an account and purchase Class A or R shares by contacting any investment dealer (who may impose transaction charges in addition to those described in this prospectus) authorized to sell these classes of the fund’s shares. Some or all R share classes may not be available through certain investment dealers. Additional shares may be purchased through a plan’s administrator or recordkeeper.

Class A shares are generally not available for retirement plans using the PlanPremier® or Recordkeeper Direct® recordkeeping programs. These programs are proprietary recordkeeping solutions for small retirement plans.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans that are eligible to purchase Class R shares may instead purchase Class A shares and pay the applicable Class A sales charge, provided that their recordkeepers can properly apply a sales charge on plan investments. These plans are not eligible to make initial purchases of $1 million or more in Class A shares and thereby invest in Class A shares without a sales charge, nor are they eligible to establish a statement of intention that qualifies them to purchase Class A shares without a sales charge. More information about statements of intention can be found under “Sales charge reductions and waivers” in this prospectus. Plans investing in Class A shares with a sales charge may purchase additional Class A shares in accordance with the sales charge table in this prospectus.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans that invested in Class A shares of any of the American Funds without any sales charge before April 1, 2004, and that continue to meet the eligibility requirements in effect as of that date for purchasing Class A shares at net asset value, may continue to purchase Class A shares of the American Funds without any initial or contingent deferred sales charge.

A 403(b) plan may not invest in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds unless it was invested in Class A or C shares before January 1, 2009.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     18


 
 

 

Purchase minimums and maximums Purchase minimums described in this prospectus may be waived in certain cases. In addition, the fund reserves the right to redeem the shares of any shareholder for their then current net asset value per share if the shareholder’s aggregate investment in the fund falls below the fund’s minimum initial investment amount. See the statement of additional information for details.

For accounts established with an automatic investment plan, the initial purchase minimum of $250 may be waived if the purchases (including purchases through exchanges from another fund) made under the plan are sufficient to reach $250 within five months of account establishment.

The effective purchase maximums for Class 529-A, 529-C, 529-E, 529-T and 529-F-1 shares will reflect the maximum applicable contribution limits under state law. See the applicable program description for more information.

The purchase maximum for Class C shares is $500,000 per transaction. In addition, if you have significant American Funds holdings, you may not be eligible to invest in Class C or 529-C shares. Specifically, you may not purchase Class C or 529-C shares if you are eligible to purchase Class A or 529-A shares at the $1 million or more sales charge discount rate (that is, at net asset value). See “Sales charge reductions and waivers” in this prospectus and the statement of additional information for more details regarding sales charge discounts.

Exchange Except for Class T shares or as otherwise described in this prospectus, you may exchange your shares for shares of the same class of other American Funds without a sales charge. Class A, C, T or F-1 shares of any American Fund (other than American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund, as described below) may be exchanged for the corresponding 529 share class without a sales charge. Exchanges from Class A, C, T or F-1 shares to the corresponding 529 share class, particularly in the case of Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act custodial accounts, may result in significant legal and tax consequences, as described in the applicable program description. Please consult your financial advisor before making such an exchange.

Except as indicated above, Class T shares are not eligible for exchange privileges. Accordingly, an exchange of your Class T shares for Class T shares of any other American Fund will normally be subject to any applicable sales charges.

Exchanges of shares from American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund initially purchased without a sales charge to shares of another American Fund will be subject to the appropriate sales charge applicable to the other fund, unless the American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund shares were acquired by an exchange from a fund having a sales charge or by reinvestment or cross-reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions. For purposes of computing the contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares, the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the first day of the month in which shares were purchased and will not be affected by any permitted exchange.

Exchanges have the same tax consequences as ordinary sales and purchases. For example, to the extent you exchange shares held in a taxable account that are worth more now than what you paid for them, the gain will be subject to taxation.

See “Transactions by telephone, fax or the Internet” in the section “How to sell shares” of this prospectus for information regarding electronic exchanges.

19     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Please see the statement of additional information for details and limitations on moving investments in certain share classes to different share classes and on moving investments held in certain accounts to different accounts.

How to sell shares

You may sell (redeem) shares in any of the following ways:

Employer-sponsored retirement plans

Shares held in eligible retirement plans may be sold through the plan’s administrator or recordkeeper.

Through your dealer or financial advisor (certain charges may apply)

· Shares held for you in your dealer’s name must be sold through the dealer.

· Generally, Class F shares must be sold through intermediaries such as dealers or financial advisors.

Writing to American Funds Service Company

· Requests must be signed by the registered shareholder(s).

· A signature guarantee is required if the redemption is:

— more than $125,000;

— made payable to someone other than the registered shareholder(s); or

— sent to an address other than the address of record or to an address of record that has been changed within the previous 10 days.

· American Funds Service Company reserves the right to require signature guarantee(s) on any redemption.

· Additional documentation may be required for redemptions of shares held in corporate, partnership or fiduciary accounts.

Telephoning or faxing American Funds Service Company or using the Internet

· Redemptions by telephone, fax or the Internet (including American FundsLine and americanfunds.com) are limited to $125,000 per American Funds shareholder each day.

· Checks must be made payable to the registered shareholder.

· Checks must be mailed to an address of record that has been used with the account for at least 10 days.

The fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds one business day following receipt and acceptance of a redemption order. However, payment may take longer than one business day and may take up to seven days as generally permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). Under the 1940 Act, the fund may be permitted to pay redemption proceeds beyond seven days under certain limited circumstances. In addition, if you recently purchased shares and subsequently request a redemption of those shares, the fund will pay redemption proceeds once a sufficient period of time has passed to reasonably ensure that checks or drafts, including certified or cashier’s checks, for the shares purchased have cleared (normally 10 business days from the purchase date).

Under normal conditions, the fund typically expects to meet shareholder redemptions by monitoring the fund’s portfolio and redemption activities and by regularly holding a reserve of highly liquid assets, such as cash or cash equivalents. The fund may use

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     20


 
 

 

additional methods to meet shareholder redemptions, if they become necessary. These methods may include, but are not limited to, the sale of portfolio assets, the use of overdraft protection afforded by the fund’s custodian bank, borrowing from a line of credit or from other funds advised by the investment adviser or its affiliates, and making payment with fund securities or other fund assets rather than in cash (as further discussed in the following paragraph).

Although payment of redemptions normally will be in cash, the fund’s declaration of trust permits payment of the redemption price wholly or partly with portfolio securities or other fund assets under conditions and circumstances determined by the fund’s board of trustees. On the same redemption date, some shareholders may be paid in whole or in part in securities (which may differ among those shareholders), while other shareholders may be paid entirely in cash. The disposal of the securities received in-kind may be subject to brokerage costs and, until sold, such securities remain at market risk and liquidity risk, including the risk that such securities are or become difficult to sell. If the fund pays your redemption with illiquid or less liquid securities, you will bear the risk of not being able to sell such securities.

Transactions by telephone, fax or the Internet Generally, you are automatically eligible to redeem or exchange shares by telephone, fax or the Internet, unless you notify us in writing that you do not want any or all of these services. You may reinstate these services at any time.

Unless you decide not to have telephone, fax or Internet services on your account(s), you agree to hold the fund, American Funds Service Company, any of its affiliates or mutual funds managed by such affiliates, and each of their respective directors, trustees, officers, employees and agents harmless from any losses, expenses, costs or liabilities (including attorney fees) that may be incurred in connection with the exercise of these privileges, provided that American Funds Service Company employs reasonable procedures to confirm that the instructions received from any person with appropriate account information are genuine. If reasonable procedures are not employed, American Funds Service Company and/or the fund may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions.

Frequent trading of fund shares The fund and American Funds Distributors reserve the right to reject any purchase order for any reason. The fund is not designed to serve as a vehicle for frequent trading. Frequent trading of fund shares may lead to increased costs to the fund and less efficient management of the fund’s portfolio, potentially resulting in dilution of the value of the shares held by long-term shareholders. Accordingly, purchases, including those that are part of exchange activity, that the fund or American Funds Distributors has determined could involve actual or potential harm to the fund may be rejected.

The fund, through its transfer agent, American Funds Service Company, maintains surveillance procedures that are designed to detect frequent trading in fund shares. Under these procedures, various analytics are used to evaluate factors that may be indicative of frequent trading. For example, transactions in fund shares that exceed certain monetary thresholds may be scrutinized. American Funds Service Company also may review transactions that occur close in time to other transactions in the same account or in multiple accounts under common ownership or influence. Trading activity that is identified through these procedures or as a result of any other information

21     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

available to the fund will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might constitute frequent trading. These procedures may be modified from time to time as appropriate to improve the detection of frequent trading, to facilitate monitoring for frequent trading in particular retirement plans or other accounts and to comply with applicable laws.

In addition to the fund’s broad ability to restrict potentially harmful trading as described above, the fund’s board of trustees has adopted a “purchase blocking policy” under which any shareholder redeeming shares having a value of $5,000 or more from a fund will be precluded from investing in that fund for 30 calendar days after the redemption transaction. This policy also applies to redemptions and purchases that are part of exchange transactions. Under the fund’s purchase blocking policy, certain purchases will not be prevented and certain redemptions will not trigger a purchase block, such as:

· purchases and redemptions of shares having a value of less than $5,000;

· transactions in Class 529 shares;

· purchases and redemptions by investment companies managed or sponsored by the fund’s investment adviser or its affiliates, including reallocations and transactions allowing the investment company to meet its redemptions and purchases;

· retirement plan contributions, loans and distributions (including hardship withdrawals) identified as such on the retirement plan recordkeeper’s system;

· purchases and redemptions in community foundation accounts;

· purchase transactions involving in-kind transfers of shares of the fund, rollovers, Roth IRA conversions and IRA recharacterizations, if the entity maintaining the shareholder account is able to identify the transaction as one of these types of transactions; and

· systematic redemptions and purchases, if the entity maintaining the shareholder account is able to identify the transaction as a systematic redemption or purchase.

Generally, purchases and redemptions will not be considered “systematic” unless the transaction is prescheduled for a specific date.

The fund reserves the right to waive the purchase blocking policy with respect to specific shareholder accounts if American Funds Service Company determines that its surveillance procedures are adequate to detect frequent trading in fund shares in such accounts.

American Funds Service Company will work with certain intermediaries (such as investment dealers holding shareholder accounts in street name, retirement plan recordkeepers, insurance company separate accounts and bank trust companies) to apply their own procedures, provided that American Funds Service Company believes the intermediary’s procedures are reasonably designed to enforce the frequent trading policies of the fund. You should refer to disclosures provided by the intermediaries with which you have an account to determine the specific trading restrictions that apply to you.

If American Funds Service Company identifies any activity that may constitute frequent trading, it reserves the right to contact the intermediary and request that the intermediary either provide information regarding an account owner’s transactions or restrict the account owner’s trading. If American Funds Service Company is not satisfied that the intermediary has taken appropriate action, American Funds Service Company may terminate the intermediary’s ability to transact in fund shares.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     22


 
 

 

There is no guarantee that all instances of frequent trading in fund shares will be prevented.

Notwithstanding the fund’s surveillance procedures and purchase blocking policy described above, all transactions in fund shares remain subject to the right of the fund, American Funds Distributors and American Funds Service Company to restrict potentially abusive trading generally, including the types of transactions described above that will not be prevented or trigger a block under the purchase blocking policy. See the statement of additional information for more information about how American Funds Service Company may address other potentially abusive trading activity in the American Funds.

Distributions and taxes

Dividends and distributions The fund declares daily dividends from net investment income and distributes the accrued dividends, which may fluctuate, to you each month. Generally, dividends begin accruing on the day payment for shares is received by the fund or American Funds Service Company.

Capital gains, if any, are usually distributed in December. When a capital gain is distributed, the net asset value per share is reduced by the amount of the payment.

You may elect to reinvest dividends and/or capital gain distributions to purchase additional shares of this fund or other American Funds, or you may elect to receive them in cash. Dividends and capital gain distributions for 529 share classes and retirement plan shareholders will be reinvested automatically.

Taxes on dividends and distributions For federal tax purposes, dividends and distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income. The fund’s distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gains. Any dividends or capital gain distributions you receive from the fund will normally be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions or receive them in cash.

Dividends and capital gain distributions that are automatically reinvested in a tax-favored retirement or education savings account do not result in federal or state income tax at the time of reinvestment.

Taxes on transactions Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the cost of your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell them.

Exchanges within a tax-favored retirement plan account will not result in a capital gain or loss for federal or state income tax purposes. With limited exceptions, distributions from a retirement plan account are taxable as ordinary income.

Shareholder fees Fees borne directly by the fund normally have the effect of reducing a shareholder’s taxable income on distributions. By contrast, fees paid directly to advisors by a fund shareholder for ongoing advice are deductible for income tax purposes only to the extent that they (combined with certain other qualifying expenses) exceed 2% of such shareholder’s adjusted gross income.

23     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Please see your tax advisor for more information. Holders of Class 529 shares should refer to the applicable program description for more information regarding the tax consequences of selling Class 529 shares.

Choosing a share class The fund offers different classes of shares through this prospectus. The services or share classes available to you may vary depending upon how you wish to purchase shares of the fund.

Each share class represents an investment in the same portfolio of securities, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the class that best fits your situation. For example, while Class F-1 shares are subject to 12b-1 fees and subtransfer agency fees payable to third-party service providers, Class F-2 shares are subject only to subtransfer agency fees payable to third-party service providers (and not 12b-1 fees) and Class F-3 shares are not subject to any such additional fees. The different fee structures allow the investor to choose how to pay for advisory platform expenses. Class R shares offer different levels of 12b-1 and recordkeeping fees so that a plan can choose the class that best meets the cost associated with obtaining investment related services and participant level recordkeeping for the plan. When you purchase shares of the fund for an individual-type account, you should choose a share class. If none is chosen, your investment will be made in Class A shares or, in the case of a 529 plan investment, Class 529-A shares (or, if you are investing through a financial intermediary who offers only Class T and 529-T shares, your investment will be made in Class T or Class 529-T shares, as applicable).

Factors you should consider when choosing a class of shares include:

· how long you expect to own the shares;

· how much you intend to invest;

· total expenses associated with owning shares of each class;

· whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of sales charges (for example, Class A or 529-A or Class T or 529-T shares may be a less expensive option over time, particularly if you qualify for a sales charge reduction or waiver);

· whether you want or need the flexibility to effect exchanges among the American Funds without the imposition of a sales charge (for example, while Class A shares offer such exchange privileges, Class T shares do not);

· whether you plan to take any distributions in the near future (for example, the contingent deferred sales charge will not be waived if you sell your Class 529-C shares to cover higher education expenses); and

· availability of share classes:

— Class C shares are not available to retirement plans that do not currently invest in such shares and that are eligible to invest in Class R shares, including retirement plans established under Internal Revenue Code Sections 401(a) (including 401(k) plans), 403(b) or 457;

— Class F and 529-F-1 shares are available (i) to fee-based programs of investment dealers that have special agreements with the fund’s distributor, (ii) to financial intermediaries that have been approved by, and that have special agreements with, the fund’s distributor to offer Class F and 529-F-1 shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may charge a transaction fee, (iii) to certain

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     24


 
 

 

registered investment advisors and (iv) to other intermediaries approved by the fund’s distributor;

— Class F-3 shares are also available to institutional investors, which include, but are not limited to, charitable organizations, governmental institutions and corporations. For accounts held with the fund’s transfer agent the minimum investment amount is $1,000,000; and

— Class R shares are available (i) to retirement plans established under Internal Revenue Code Sections 401(a) (including 401(k) plans), 403(b) or 457, (ii) to nonqualified deferred compensation plans and certain voluntary employee benefit association and post-retirement benefit plans, (iii) to certain institutional investors (including, but not limited to, certain charitable organizations), (iv) to certain registered investment companies approved by the fund’s investment adviser or distributor and (v) to other institutional-type accounts.

Each investor’s financial considerations are different. You should speak with your financial advisor to help you decide which share class is best for you.

Sales charges

Class A shares The initial sales charge you pay each time you buy Class A shares differs depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced or eliminated for larger purchases as indicated below. The “offering price,” the price you pay to buy shares, includes any applicable sales charge, which will be deducted directly from your investment. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to an initial sales charge.

       
  Sales charge as a percentage of:  
Investment Offering price Net amount
invested
Dealer commission
as a percentage
of offering price
Less than $100,000 3.75% 3.90% 3.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.50 3.63 2.75
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50 2.56 2.00
$500,000 but less than $750,000 2.00 2.04 1.60
$750,000 but less than $1 million 1.50 1.52 1.20
$1 million or more and certain other investments described below none none see below

The sales charge, expressed as a percentage of the offering price or the net amount invested, may be higher or lower than the percentages described in the table above due to rounding. This is because the dollar amount of the sales charge is determined by subtracting the net asset value of the shares purchased from the offering price, which is calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria. The impact of rounding will vary with the size of the investment and the net asset value of the shares. Similarly, any contingent deferred sales charge paid by you on investments in Class A shares may be higher or lower than the 1% charge described below due to rounding.

Except as provided below, investments in Class A shares of $1 million or more will be subject to a 1% contingent deferred sales charge if the shares are sold within 18 months of purchase. The contingent deferred sales charge is based on the original purchase cost or the current market value of the shares being sold, whichever is less.

25     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Class A shares purchased before August 14, 2017 are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge period of 12 months.

Class A share purchases not subject to sales charges The following investments are not subject to any initial or contingent deferred sales charge if American Funds Service Company is properly notified of the nature of the investment:

· investments made by accounts that are part of qualified fee-based programs that purchased Class A shares before the discontinuation of the relevant investment dealer’s load-waived Class A share program with the American Funds and that continue to be held through fee-based programs; and

· rollover investments from retirement plans to IRAs that are described in the “Rollovers from retirement plans to IRAs” section of this prospectus.

The distributor may pay dealers a commission of up to 1% on investments made in Class A shares with no initial sales charge. The fund may reimburse the distributor for these payments through its plans of distribution (see “Plans of distribution” in this prospectus).

A transfer from the Virginia Prepaid Education ProgramSM or the Virginia Education Savings TrustSM to a CollegeAmerica account will be made with no sales charge. No commission will be paid to the dealer on such a transfer. Investment dealers will be compensated solely with an annual service fee that begins to accrue immediately.

If requested, Class A shares of the American Funds will be sold at net asset value to:

(1) currently registered representatives and assistants directly employed by such representatives, retired registered representatives with respect to accounts established while active, or full-time employees (collectively, “Eligible Persons”) (and their (a) spouses or equivalents if recognized under local law, (b) parents and children, including parents and children in step and adoptive relationships, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, and (c) parents-in-law, if the Eligible Persons or the spouses, children or parents of the Eligible Persons are listed in the account registration with the parents-in-law) of dealers who have sales agreements with American Funds Distributors (or who clear transactions through such dealers), plans for the dealers, and plans that include as participants only the Eligible Persons, their spouses, parents and/or children;

(2) the supervised persons of currently registered investment advisory firms (“RIAs”) and assistants directly employed by such RIAs, retired supervised persons of RIAs with respect to accounts established while a supervised person (collectively, “Eligible Persons”) (and their (a) spouses or equivalents if recognized under local law, (b) parents and children, including parents and children in step and adoptive relationships, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law and (c) parents-in-law, if the Eligible Persons or the spouses, children or parents of the Eligible Persons are listed in the account registration with the parents-in-law) of RIA firms that are authorized to sell shares of the funds, plans for the RIA firms, and plans that include as participants only the Eligible Persons, their spouses, parents and/or children;

(3) insurance company separate accounts;

(4) accounts managed by subsidiaries of The Capital Group Companies, Inc.;

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     26


 
 

 

(5) an individual or entity with a substantial business relationship with The Capital Group Companies, Inc. or its affiliates, or an individual or entity related or relating to such individual or entity;

(6) wholesalers and full-time employees directly supporting wholesalers involved in the distribution of insurance company separate accounts whose underlying investments are managed by any affiliate of The Capital Group Companies, Inc.;

(7) full-time employees of banks that have sales agreements with American Funds Distributors who are solely dedicated to directly supporting the sale of mutual funds; and

(8) current or former clients of Capital Group Private Client Services and their family members who purchase their shares through Capital Group Private Client Services or American Funds Service Company.

Shares are offered at net asset value to these persons and organizations due to anticipated economies in sales effort and expense. Once an account is established under this net asset value privilege, additional investments can be made at net asset value for the life of the account. Depending on the financial intermediary holding your account, these privileges may be unavailable. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information.

Certain other investors may qualify to purchase shares without a sales charge, such as employees of The Capital Group Companies, Inc. and its affiliates. Please see the statement of additional information for further details.

Class C shares Class C shares are sold without any initial sales charge. American Funds Distributors pays 1% of the amount invested to dealers who sell Class C shares. A contingent deferred sales charge of 1% applies if Class C shares are sold within one year of purchase. The contingent deferred sales charge is eliminated one year after purchase.

Any contingent deferred sales charge paid by you on sales of Class C shares, expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount, may be higher or lower than the percentages described above due to rounding.

Class T shares The initial sales charge you pay each time you buy Class T shares differs depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced for larger purchases as indicated below. The “offering price,” the price you pay to buy shares, includes any applicable sales charge, which will be deducted directly from your investment. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to an initial sales charge.

     
  Sales charge as a
percentage of:
Investment Offering price Net amount
invested
Less than $250,000 2.50% 2.56%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.00 2.04
$500,000 but less than $1 million 1.50 1.52
$1 million or more 1.00 1.01

27     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

The sales charge, expressed as a percentage of the offering price or the net amount invested, may be higher or lower than the percentages described in the table above due to rounding. This is because the dollar amount of the sales charge is determined by subtracting the net asset value of the shares purchased from the offering price, which is calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria. The impact of rounding will vary with the size of the investment and the net asset value of the shares.

Class 529-E and Class F shares Class 529-E and Class F shares (including Class 529-F-1 shares) are sold without any initial or contingent deferred sales charge.

Class R shares Class R shares are sold without any initial or contingent deferred sales charge. The distributor will pay dealers annually asset-based compensation of up to 1.00% for sales of Class R-1 shares, up to .75% for Class R-2 shares, up to .60% for Class R-2E shares, up to .50% for Class R-3 shares and up to .25% for Class R-4 shares. No dealer compensation is paid from fund assets on sales of Class R-5E, R-5 or R-6 shares. The fund may reimburse the distributor for these payments through its plans of distribution.

See “Plans of distribution” in this prospectus for ongoing compensation paid to your dealer or financial advisor for all share classes.

Contingent deferred sales charges Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. In addition, the contingent deferred sales charge may be waived in certain circumstances. See “Contingent deferred sales charge waivers” in the “Sales charge reductions and waivers” section of this prospectus. For purposes of determining the contingent deferred sales charge, if you sell only some of your shares, shares that are not subject to any contingent deferred sales charge will be sold first, followed by shares that you have owned the longest.

Sales charge reductions and waivers To receive a reduction in your Class A initial sales charge, you must let your financial advisor or American Funds Service Company know at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your advisor or American Funds Service Company know that you are eligible for a reduction, you may not receive the sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled. In order to determine your eligibility to receive a sales charge discount, it may be necessary for you to provide your advisor or American Funds Service Company with information and records (including account statements) of all relevant accounts invested in the American Funds. You may need to invest directly through American Funds Service Company in order to receive the sales charge waivers described in this prospectus. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information. Certain financial intermediaries that distribute shares of the American Funds may impose different sales charge waivers than those described in this prospectus. Such variations in sales charge waivers are described in an appendix to this prospectus titled “Sales charge waivers.” Note that such sales charge waivers and discounts offered through a particular intermediary, as set forth in the appendix to this prospectus, are implemented and administered solely by that intermediary. Please contact the applicable intermediary to ensure that you understand the steps you must take in order to qualify for any available waivers or discounts.

In addition to the information in this prospectus, you may obtain more information about share classes, sales charges and sales charge reductions and waivers through a

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     28


 
 

 

link on the home page of the American Funds website at americanfunds.com, from the statement of additional information or from your financial advisor.

Reducing your Class A initial sales charge Consistent with the policies described in this prospectus, you and your “immediate family” (your spouse — or equivalent, if recognized under local law — and your children under the age of 21) may combine all of your American Funds investments to reduce Class A sales charges. In addition, two or more retirement plans of an employer or an employer’s affiliates may combine all of their American Funds investments to reduce Class A sales charges. However, for this purpose, investments representing direct purchases of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund are excluded. Following are different ways that you may qualify for a reduced Class A sales charge:

Aggregating accounts To receive a reduced Class A sales charge, investments made by you and your immediate family (see above) may be aggregated if made for your own account(s) and/or certain other accounts, such as:

· individual-type employee benefit plans, such as an IRA, single-participant Keogh-type plan, or a participant account of a 403(b) plan that is treated as an individual-type plan for sales charge purposes (see “Purchases by certain 403(b) plans” under “Rollovers from retirement plans to IRAs” below);

· SEP plans and SIMPLE IRA plans established after November 15, 2004, by an employer adopting any plan document other than a prototype plan produced by American Funds Distributors;

· business accounts solely controlled by you or your immediate family (for example, you own the entire business);

· trust accounts established by you or your immediate family (for trusts with only one primary beneficiary, upon the trustor’s death the trust account may be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts; for trusts with multiple primary beneficiaries, upon the trustor’s death the trustees of the trust may instruct American Funds Service Company to establish separate trust accounts for each primary beneficiary; each primary beneficiary’s separate trust account may then be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts);

· endowments or foundations established and controlled by you or your immediate family; or

· 529 accounts, which will be aggregated at the account owner level (Class 529-E accounts may only be aggregated with an eligible employer plan).

Individual purchases by a trustee(s) or other fiduciary(ies) may also be aggregated if the investments are:

· for a single trust estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans other than the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

· made for two or more employee benefit plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act, excluding the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

· for a diversified common trust fund or other diversified pooled account not specifically formed for the purpose of accumulating fund shares;

· for nonprofit, charitable or educational organizations, or any endowments or foundations established and controlled by such organizations, or any employer-

29     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

sponsored retirement plans established for the benefit of the employees of such organizations, their endowments, or their foundations;

· for participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that is treated as an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes (see “Purchases by certain 403(b) plans” under “Rollovers from retirement plans to IRAs” below), or made for participant accounts of two or more such plans, in each case of a single employer or affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act; or

· for a SEP or SIMPLE IRA plan established after November 15, 2004, by an employer adopting a prototype plan produced by American Funds Distributors.

Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of an investment dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with those made for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.

Joint accounts may be aggregated with other accounts belonging to the primary owner and/or his or her immediate family. The primary owner of a joint account is the individual responsible for taxes on the account.

Investments made through employer-sponsored retirement plan accounts will not be aggregated with individual-type accounts.

Concurrent purchases You may reduce your Class A sales charge by combining simultaneous purchases (including, upon your request, purchases for gifts) of all classes of shares in the American Funds. Shares of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund purchased through an exchange, reinvestment or cross-reinvestment from a fund having a sales charge also qualify. However, direct purchases of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund are excluded. If you currently have individual holdings in American Legacy variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies that were established on or before March 31, 2007, you may continue to combine purchases made under such contracts and policies to reduce your Class A sales charge.

Rights of accumulation Subject to the limitations described in the aggregation policy, you may take into account your accumulated holdings in all share classes of the American Funds to determine your sales charge on investments in accounts eligible to be aggregated. Direct purchases of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund are excluded. Subject to your investment dealer’s or recordkeeper’s capabilities, your accumulated holdings will be calculated as the higher of (a) the current value of your existing holdings (the “market value”) as of the day prior to your American Funds investment or (b) the amount you invested (including reinvested dividends and capital gains, but excluding capital appreciation) less any withdrawals (the “cost value”). Depending on the entity on whose books your account is held, the value of your holdings in that account may not be eligible for calculation at cost value. For example, accounts held in nominee or street name may not be eligible for calculation at cost value and instead may be calculated at market value for purposes of rights of accumulation.

The value of all of your holdings in accounts established in calendar year 2005 or earlier will be assigned an initial cost value equal to the market value of those holdings as of the last business day of 2005. Thereafter, the cost value of such accounts will

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     30


 
 

 

increase or decrease according to actual investments or withdrawals. You must contact your financial advisor or American Funds Service Company if you have additional information that is relevant to the calculation of the value of your holdings.

When determining your American Funds Class A sales charge, if your investment is not in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may also continue to take into account the market value (as of the day prior to your American Funds investment) of your individual holdings in various American Legacy variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies that were established on or before March 31, 2007. An employer-sponsored retirement plan may also continue to take into account the market value of its investments in American Legacy Retirement Investment Plans that were established on or before March 31, 2007.

You may not purchase Class C or 529-C shares if such combined holdings cause you to be eligible to purchase Class A or 529-A shares at the $1 million or more sales charge discount rate (i.e., at net asset value).

If you make a gift of American Funds Class A shares, upon your request, you may purchase the shares at the sales charge discount allowed under rights of accumulation of all of your American Funds and applicable American Legacy accounts.

You should retain any records necessary to substantiate the historical amounts you have invested.

Statement of intention You may reduce your Class A sales charge by establishing a statement of intention. A statement of intention is a nonbinding commitment that allows you to combine all purchases of all share classes of the American Funds (excluding American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund) that you intend to make over a 13-month period to determine the applicable sales charge; however, purchases made under a right of reinvestment, appreciation of your holdings, and reinvested dividends and capital gains do not count as purchases made during the statement period. Your accumulated holdings (as described and calculated under “Rights of accumulation” above) eligible to be aggregated as of the day immediately before the start of the statement period may be credited toward satisfying the statement. A portion of your account may be held in escrow to cover additional Class A sales charges that may be due if your total purchases over the statement period do not qualify you for the applicable sales charge reduction. Employer-sponsored retirement plans are restricted from establishing statements of intention. See the discussion regarding employer-sponsored retirement plans under “Purchase, exchange and sale of shares” in this prospectus for more information.

The statement of intention period starts on the date on which your first purchase made toward satisfying the statement of intention is processed. Your accumulated holdings (as described above under “Rights of accumulation”) eligible to be aggregated as of the day immediately before the start of the statement of intention period may be credited toward satisfying the statement of intention.

You may revise the commitment you have made in your statement of intention upward at any time during the statement of intention period. If your prior commitment has not been met by the time of the revision, the statement of intention period during which purchases must be made will remain unchanged. Purchases made from the date of the revision will receive the reduced sales charge, if any, resulting from the revised

31     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

statement of intention. If your prior commitment has been met by the time of the revision, your original statement of intention will be considered met and a new statement of intention will be established.

The statement of intention will be considered completed if the shareholder dies within the 13-month statement of intention period. Commissions to dealers will not be adjusted or paid on the difference between the statement of intention amount and the amount actually invested before the shareholder’s death.

When a shareholder elects to use a statement of intention, shares equal to 5% of the dollar amount specified in the statement of intention may be held in escrow in the shareholder’s account out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases, if necessary) by American Funds Service Company. All dividends and any capital gain distributions on shares held in escrow will be credited to the shareholder’s account in shares (or paid in cash, if requested). If the intended investment is not completed within the specified statement of intention period the investments made during the statement period will be adjusted to reflect the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge which would have been paid if the total of such purchases had been made at a single time. Any dealers assigned to the shareholder’s account at the time a purchase was made during the statement period will receive a corresponding commission adjustment if appropriate.

In addition, if you currently have individual holdings in American Legacy variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies that were established on or before March 31, 2007, you may continue to apply purchases under such contracts and policies to a statement of intention.

Shareholders purchasing shares at a reduced sales charge under a statement of intention indicate their acceptance of these terms and those in the prospectus with their first purchase.

Reducing your Class T initial sales charge Consistent with the policies described in this prospectus, the initial sales charge you pay each time you buy Class T shares may differ depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced for larger purchases. Additionally, Class T shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to an initial sales charge. Sales charges on Class T shares are applied on a transaction-by-transaction basis, and, accordingly, Class T shares are not eligible for any other sales charge waivers or reductions, including through the aggregation of Class T shares concurrently purchased by other related accounts or in other American Funds. The sales charge applicable to Class T shares may not be reduced by establishing a statement of intention, and rights of accumulation are not available for Class T shares.

Right of reinvestment If you notify American Funds Service Company prior to the time of reinvestment, you may reinvest proceeds from a redemption, dividend payment or capital gain distribution without a sales charge in the same fund or other American Funds, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 90 days after the date of the redemption, dividend payment or distribution and is made into the same account from which you redeemed the shares or received the dividend payment or distribution. If the account has been closed, you may reinvest without a sales charge if the new receiving account has the same registration as the closed account and the reinvestment is made within 90 days after the date of redemption, dividend payment or distribution.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     32


 
 

 

Proceeds from a redemption and all dividend payments and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the same share class from which the original redemption, dividend payment or distribution was made. Any contingent deferred sales charge on Class A or C shares will be credited to your account. Redemption proceeds of Class A shares representing direct purchases in American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund that are reinvested in other American Funds will be subject to a sales charge.

Proceeds will be reinvested at the next calculated net asset value after your request is received by American Funds Service Company, provided that your request contains all information and legal documentation necessary to process the transaction. For purposes of this “right of reinvestment policy,” automatic transactions (including, for example, automatic purchases, withdrawals and payroll deductions) and ongoing retirement plan contributions are not eligible for investment without a sales charge. You may not reinvest proceeds in the American Funds as described in this paragraph if such proceeds are subject to a purchase block as described under “Frequent trading of fund shares” in this prospectus. This paragraph does not apply to certain rollover investments as described under “Rollovers from retirement plans to IRAs” in this prospectus. Depending on the financial intermediary holding your account, your reinvestment privileges may be unavailable or differ from those described in this prospectus. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information.

Contingent deferred sales charge waivers The contingent deferred sales charge on Class A and C shares will be waived in the following cases:

· permitted exchanges of shares, except if shares acquired by exchange are then redeemed within the period during which a contingent deferred sales charge would apply to the initial shares purchased;

· tax-free returns of excess contributions to IRAs;

· redemptions due to death or postpurchase disability of the shareholder (this generally excludes accounts registered in the names of trusts and other entities);

· in the case of joint tenant accounts, if one joint tenant dies, a surviving joint tenant, at the time he or she notifies American Funds Service Company of the other joint tenant’s death and removes the decedent’s name from the account, may redeem shares from the account without incurring a contingent deferred sales charge; however, redemptions made after American Funds Service Company is notified of the death of a joint tenant will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge;

· for 529 share classes only, redemptions due to a beneficiary’s death, postpurchase disability or receipt of a scholarship (to the extent of the scholarship award);

· redemptions due to the complete termination of a trust upon the death of the trustor/grantor or beneficiary, but only if such termination is specifically provided for in the trust document; and

· the following types of transactions, if they do not exceed 12% of the value of an account annually:

— required minimum distributions taken from retirement accounts upon the shareholder’s attainment of age 70½ (required minimum distributions that continue to be taken by the beneficiary(ies) after the account owner is deceased also qualify for a waiver); and

— redemptions through an automatic withdrawal plan (“AWP”) (see “Automatic withdrawals” under “Shareholder account services and privileges” in the

33     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

statement of additional information). For each AWP payment, assets that are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, such as shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gain distributions, will be redeemed first and will count toward the 12% limit. If there is an insufficient amount of assets not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge to cover a particular AWP payment, shares subject to the lowest contingent deferred sales charge will be redeemed next until the 12% limit is reached. Any dividends and/or capital gain distributions taken in cash by a shareholder who receives payments through an AWP will also count toward the 12% limit. In the case of an AWP, the 12% limit is calculated at the time an automatic redemption is first made, and is recalculated at the time each additional automatic redemption is made. Shareholders who establish an AWP should be aware that the amount of a payment not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge may vary over time depending on fluctuations in the value of their accounts. This privilege may be revised or terminated at any time.

For purposes of this paragraph, “account” means your investment in the applicable class of shares of the particular fund from which you are making the redemption.

If requested, the contingent deferred sales charge on Class A shares of the American Funds will be waived for bulk conversions to another share class in cases where the fund’s transfer agent determines the benefit to the fund of collecting the contingent deferred sales charge would be outweighed by the cost of applying it.

Contingent deferred sales charge waivers are allowed only in the cases listed here and in the statement of additional information. For example, contingent deferred sales charge waivers will not be allowed on redemptions of Class 529-C shares due to termination of CollegeAmerica; a determination by the Internal Revenue Service that CollegeAmerica does not qualify as a qualified tuition program under the Code; proposal or enactment of law that eliminates or limits the tax-favored status of CollegeAmerica; or elimination of the fund by Virginia529 as an option for additional investment within CollegeAmerica.

To have your Class A or C contingent deferred sales charge waived, you must inform your advisor or American Funds Service Company at the time you redeem shares that you qualify for such a waiver.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     34


 
 

 

Rollovers from retirement plans to IRAs Assets from retirement plans may be invested in Class A, C or F shares through an IRA rollover, subject to the other provisions of this prospectus. Class C shares are not available if the assets are being rolled over from investments held in the American Funds Recordkeeper Direct and PlanPremier retirement plan recordkeeping programs.

Rollovers to IRAs from retirement plans that are rolled into Class A shares will be subject to applicable sales charges. The following rollovers to Class A shares will be made without a sales charge:

· rollovers to Capital Bank and Trust CompanySM IRAs if the assets were invested in American Funds at the time of distribution;

· rollovers to IRAs from 403(b) plans with Capital Bank and Trust Company as custodian; and

· rollovers to Capital Bank and Trust Company IRAs from investments held in the American Funds Recordkeeper Direct and PlanPremier retirement plan recordkeeping programs.

IRA rollover assets that roll over without a sales charge as described above will not be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, and investment dealers will be compensated solely with an annual service fee that begins to accrue immediately. All other rollovers invested in Class A shares, as well as future contributions to the IRA, will be subject to sales charges and to the terms and conditions generally applicable to Class A share investments as described in this prospectus and in the statement of additional information.

Other sales charge waivers Waivers of all or a portion of the contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares will be granted for transactions requested by financial intermediaries as a result of (i) pending or anticipated regulatory matters that require investor accounts to be moved to a different share class or (ii) conversions of IRAs from brokerage to advisory accounts in cases where new investments in brokerage IRA accounts have been restricted by the intermediary.

Purchases by SEP plans and SIMPLE IRA plans Participant accounts in a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan or a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers IRA (SIMPLE IRA) will be aggregated at the plan level for Class A sales charge purposes if an employer adopts a prototype plan produced by American Funds Distributors or (a) the employer or plan sponsor submits all contributions for all participating employees in a single contribution transmittal or the contributions are identified as related to the same plan; (b) each transmittal is accompanied by checks or wire transfers and generally must be submitted through the transfer agent’s automated contribution system if held on the fund’s books; and (c) if the fund is expected to carry separate accounts in the name of each plan participant and (i) the employer or plan sponsor notifies the funds’ transfer agent or the intermediary holding the account that the separate accounts of all plan participants should be linked and (ii) all new participant accounts are established by submitting the appropriate documentation on behalf of each new participant. Participant accounts in a SEP or SIMPLE plan that are eligible to aggregate their assets at the plan level may not also aggregate the assets with their individual accounts.

Purchases by certain 403(b) plans A 403(b) plan may not invest in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds unless such plan was invested in Class A or C shares before January 1, 2009.

35     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that invested in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds and were treated as an individual-type plan for sales charge purposes before January 1, 2009, may continue to be treated as accounts of an individual-type plan for sales charge purposes. Participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that invested in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds and were treated as an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes before January 1, 2009, may continue to be treated as accounts of an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes. Participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that was established on or after January 1, 2009, are treated as accounts of an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes.

Moving between accounts American Funds investments by certain account types may be moved to other account types without incurring additional Class A sales charges. These transactions include:

· redemption proceeds from a non-retirement account (for example, a joint tenant account) used to purchase fund shares in an IRA or other individual-type retirement account;

· required minimum distributions from an IRA or other individual-type retirement account used to purchase fund shares in a non-retirement account; and

· death distributions paid to a beneficiary’s account that are used by the beneficiary to purchase fund shares in a different account.

These privileges are generally available only if your account is held directly with the fund’s transfer agent or if the financial intermediary holding your account has the systems, policies and procedures to support providing the privileges on its systems. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information.

Plans of distribution The fund has plans of distribution, or “12b-1 plans,” for certain share classes under which it may finance activities intended primarily to sell shares, provided that the categories of expenses are approved in advance by the fund’s board of trustees. The plans provide for payments, based on annualized percentages of average daily net assets, of:

   
Up to: Share class(es)
0.30% Class A shares
0.50% Class T, 529-A, 529-T, F-1, 529-F-1 and R-4 shares
0.75% Class 529-E and R-3 shares
0.85% Class R-2E shares
1.00% Class C, 529-C, R-1 and R-2 shares

For all share classes indicated above, up to .25% may be used to pay service fees to qualified dealers for providing certain shareholder services. The amount remaining for each share class, if any, may be used for distribution expenses.

The 12b-1 fees paid by each applicable share class of the fund, as a percentage of average net assets for the most recent fiscal year, are indicated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table on page 1 of this prospectus. Since these fees are paid out of the fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time they may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges or service fees and reduce the return on your investment. The higher fees for Class C shares may cost you more over time than paying the initial sales charge for Class A or T shares.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     36


 
 

 

Other compensation to dealers American Funds Distributors, at its expense, provides additional compensation to investment dealers. These payments may be made, at the discretion of American Funds Distributors, to the top 100 dealers (or their affiliates) that have sold shares of the American Funds. A number of factors will be considered in determining payments, including the qualifying dealer’s sales, assets and positive cash flows, and the quality of the dealer’s relationship with American Funds Distributors. The payment will be determined using a formula applied consistently to dealers based on the relevant facts and circumstances. The level of payments made to a qualifying firm in any given year will vary and (excluding payments for meetings as described below) will represent the sum of (a) up to .10% of the previous year’s American Funds sales by that dealer and (b) up to .02% of American Funds assets attributable to that dealer, with an adjustment made for the dealer’s positive cash flows and the quality of the dealer’s relationship with American Funds Distributors. For calendar year 2016, aggregate payments made by American Funds Distributors to dealers were less than .02% of the average assets of the American Funds. Aggregate payments made by American Funds Distributors to dealers may also change from year to year. American Funds Distributors makes these payments to help defray the costs incurred by qualifying dealers in connection with efforts to educate financial advisors about the American Funds so that they can make recommendations and provide services that are suitable and meet shareholder needs. These payments may also be made to help defray the costs associated with the dealer firms’ provision of account related services and activities. American Funds Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine the advisability of continuing these payments.

Firms receiving additional compensation payments must sign a letter acknowledging the purpose of the payment and American Funds Distributors’ goal that the payment will help facilitate education of the firm’s financial advisors about the American Funds to help the advisors make suitable recommendations and better serve their clients who invest in the funds. The letters generally require the firms to (1) have significant assets invested in the American Funds, (2) perform the due diligence necessary to classify the American Funds as “approved” or “preferred” (or an equivalent) on their platform, (3) not provide financial advisors, branch managers or associated persons with any financial incentives to promote the sales of one approved fund group over another approved group, (4) provide opportunities for their clients to obtain individualized advice, (5) provide American Funds Distributors broad access to their financial advisors and product platforms and develop a business plan to achieve such access, and (6) work with the fund’s transfer agent to promote operational efficiencies and to facilitate necessary communication between the American Funds and the firm’s clients who own shares of the American Funds.

American Funds Distributors may also pay expenses associated with meetings and other training and educational opportunities conducted by selling dealers, advisory platform providers and other intermediaries to facilitate educating financial advisors and shareholders about the American Funds. For example, some of these expenses may include, but not be limited to, meeting sponsor fees, meeting location fees, and fees to obtain lists of financial advisors to better tailor training and education opportunities.

If investment advisers, distributors or other affiliates of mutual funds pay additional compensation or other incentives to investment dealers in differing amounts, dealer firms and their advisors may have financial incentives for recommending a particular

37     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

mutual fund over other mutual funds or investments. You should consult with your financial advisor and review carefully any disclosure by your financial advisor’s firm as to compensation received.

Fund expenses Note that, unless otherwise stated, references to Class A, C, T and F-1 shares in this “Fund expenses” section do not include the corresponding Class 529 shares.

In periods of market volatility, assets of the fund may decline significantly, causing total annual fund operating expenses (as a percentage of the value of your investment) to become higher than the numbers shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table on page 1 of this prospectus.

For all share classes, “Other expenses” items in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in this prospectus include fees for administrative services provided by the fund’s investment adviser and its affiliates. Administrative services include, but are not limited to, coordinating, monitoring, assisting and overseeing third parties that provide services to fund shareholders. The fund’s investment adviser receives an administrative services fee at the annual rate of .01% of the average daily net assets of the fund attributable to Class A shares and .05% of the average daily net assets of the fund attributable to Class C, T, F, R and 529 shares for its provision of administrative services.

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     38


 
 

 

The “Other expenses” items in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table also include custodial, legal and transfer agent (and, if applicable, subtransfer agent/recordkeeping) payments and various other expenses applicable to all share classes.

Subtransfer agency and recordkeeping fees Subtransfer agent/recordkeeping payments may be made to third parties (including affiliates of the fund’s investment adviser) that provide subtransfer agent, recordkeeping and/or shareholder services with respect to certain shareholder accounts in lieu of the transfer agent providing such services. The amount paid for subtransfer agent/recordkeeping services varies depending on the share class and services provided, and typically ranges from $3 to $19 per account. Although Class F-3 shares are not subject to any subtransfer agency or recordkeeping fees, Class F-1 and F-2 shares are subject to subtransfer agency fees of up to .12% of fund assets. For Class 529 shares, an expense of up to a maximum of .10% paid to a state or states for oversight and administrative services is included as an “Other expenses” item.

For employer-sponsored retirement plans, the amount paid for subtransfer agent/ recordkeeping services varies depending on the share class selected. The table below shows the maximum payments to entities providing these services to retirement plans.

   
  Payments
Class A 0.05% of assets or
$12 per participant position*
Class R-1 0.10% of assets
Class R-2 0.35% of assets
Class R-2E 0.20% of assets
Class R-3 0.15% of assets
Class R-4 0.10% of assets
Class R-5E 0.15% of assets
Class R-5 0.05% of assets
Class R-6 none

* Payment amount depends on the date services commenced.

39     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

Financial highlights The Financial Highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s results for the past five fiscal years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a particular class. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions). Where indicated, figures in the table reflect the impact, if any, of certain reimbursements from Capital Research and Management Company. For more information about these reimbursements, see the fund’s statement of additional information and annual report. The information in the Financial Highlights table has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose current report, along with the fund’s financial statements, is included in the statement of additional information, which is available upon request.

                           
    Income (loss) from investment operations1 Dividends and distributions            
  Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
Net
investment
income (loss)
Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and unrealized)
Total from
investment
operations
Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
Distributions
(from capital gains)
Total dividends
and distributions
Net asset
value, end
of period
Total
return2,3
Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
before reim-
bursements
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
after reim-
bursements3
Ratio of
net income
(loss) to
average
net assets3
Class A:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 $14.10 $ .15 $(.04) $ .11 $(.15) $(.17) $(.32) $13.89 .86% $2,778 .63% .63% 1.08%
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .14 .26 .40 (.18) (.21) (.39) 14.10 2.88 3,029 .63 .63 .97
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .10 .15 .25 (.15)  — (.15) 14.09 1.82 2,655 .65 .65 .72
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .16 .42 .58 (.15) (.12) (.27) 13.99 4.32 2,654 .64 .64 1.13
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .05 (.53) (.48) (.12) (.35) (.47) 13.68 (3.37) 3,141 .61 .61 .36
Class C:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.07 .04 (.03) .01 (.05) (.17) (.22) 13.86 .11 257 1.42 1.42 .29
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.07 .03 .25 .28 (.07) (.21) (.28) 14.07 2.06 305 1.42 1.42 .20
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.98 (.01) .15 .14 (.05)  — (.05) 14.07 1.09 260 1.42 1.42 (.05)
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.67 .05 .43 .48 (.05) (.12) (.17) 13.98 3.46 272 1.43 1.43 .34
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 (.06) (.53) (.59) (.02) (.35) (.37) 13.67 (4.13) 362 1.40 1.40 (.45)
Class T:                          
Period from 4/7/2017 to 8/31/20174,5 13.71 .08 .18 .26 (.08)  — (.08) 13.89 1.906,7  —8 .166,7 .166,7 .596,7
(The Financial Highlights table continues on the following page.)
 
U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     40

 


 
 

 

                           
    Income (loss) from investment operations1 Dividends and distributions            
  Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
Net
investment
income (loss)
Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and unrealized)
Total from
investment
operations
Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
Distributions
(from capital gains)
Total dividends
and distributions
Net asset
value, end
of period
Total
return2,3
Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
before reim-
bursements
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
after reim-
bursements3
Ratio of
net income
(loss) to
average
net assets3
Class F-1:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 $14.10 $ .15 $(.04) $ .11 $(.15) $(.17) $(.32) $13.89 .84% $211 .66% .66% 1.05%
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .14 .26 .40 (.18) (.21) (.39) 14.10 2.88 246 .65 .65 1.01
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .11 .15 .26 (.16)  — (.16) 14.09 1.85 146 .62 .62 .74
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .16 .42 .58 (.15) (.12) (.27) 13.99 4.33 164 .64 .64 1.14
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .05 (.53) (.48) (.12) (.35) (.47) 13.68 (3.38) 171 .62 .62 .35
Class F-2:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .18 (.03) .15 (.19) (.17) (.36) 13.89 1.11 257 .39 .39 1.33
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .18 .25 .43 (.21) (.21) (.42) 14.10 3.15 266 .38 .38 1.30
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .14 .15 .29 (.19)  — (.19) 14.09 2.09 117 .38 .38 1.01
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .19 .43 .62 (.19) (.12) (.31) 13.99 4.59 71 .39 .39 1.39
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .08 (.53) (.45) (.15) (.35) (.50) 13.68 (3.15) 61 .38 .38 .59
Class F-3:                          
Period from 1/27/2017 to 8/31/20174,9 13.66 .13 .23 .36 (.13)  — (.13) 13.89 2.666 114 .2810 .2810 1.6410
Class 529-A:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .14 (.04) .10 (.14) (.17) (.31) 13.89 .81 135 .69 .69 1.03
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .13 .26 .39 (.17) (.21) (.38) 14.10 2.81 142 .71 .71 .89
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .09 .15 .24 (.14)  — (.14) 14.09 1.75 131 .72 .72 .65
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .14 .43 .57 (.14) (.12) (.26) 13.99 4.23 138 .73 .73 1.04
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .04 (.53) (.49) (.11) (.35) (.46) 13.68 (3.46) 163 .69 .69 .27
Class 529-C:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.06 .04 (.04)  —11 (.05) (.17) (.22) 13.84 .02 49 1.46 1.46 .25
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.06 .02 .26 .28 (.07) (.21) (.28) 14.06 2.02 55 1.47 1.47 .13
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.97 (.01) .15 .14 (.05)  — (.05) 14.06 .98 54 1.47 1.47 (.11)
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.66 .04 .43 .47 (.04) (.12) (.16) 13.97 3.48 61 1.49 1.49 .28
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 (.08) (.53) (.61) (.01) (.35) (.36) 13.66 (4.23) 77 1.47 1.47 (.51)
 
41     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus

 


 
 

 

                           
    Income (loss) from investment operations1 Dividends and distributions            
  Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
Net
investment
income (loss)
Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and unrealized)
Total from
investment
operations
Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
Distributions
(from capital gains)
Total dividends
and distributions
Net asset
value, end
of period
Total
return2,3
Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
before reim-
bursements
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
after reim-
bursements3
Ratio of
net income
(loss) to
average
net assets3
Class 529-E:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 $14.10 $ .11 $(.04) $.07 $(.11) $(.17) $(.28) $13.89 .58% $ 9 .92% .92% .79%
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .09 .26 .35 (.13) (.21) (.34) 14.10 2.57 9 .94 .94 .67
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .06 .15 .21 (.11)  — (.11) 14.09 1.52 9 .95 .95 .42
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .09 .45 .54 (.11) (.12) (.23) 13.99 3.99 8 .97 .97 .81
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63  —11 (.53) (.53) (.07) (.35) (.42) 13.68 (3.69) 10 .94 .94 .03
Class 529-T:                          
Period from 4/7/2017 to 8/31/20174,5 13.71 .08 .18 .26 (.08)  — (.08) 13.89 1.876,7  —8 .196,7 .196,7 .566,7
Class 529-F-1:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .17 (.03) .14 (.18) (.17) (.35) 13.89 1.03 13 .47 .47 1.25
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .16 .26 .42 (.20) (.21) (.41) 14.10 3.04 13 .49 .49 1.13
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .13 .15 .28 (.18)  — (.18) 14.09 1.98 11 .49 .49 .89
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .21 .39 .60 (.17) (.12) (.29) 13.99 4.46 10 .51 .51 1.28
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .07 (.53) (.46) (.14) (.35) (.49) 13.68 (3.24) 11 .47 .47 .49
Class R-1:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.08 .04 (.04)  —11 (.05) (.17) (.22) 13.86 .06 9 1.41 1.41 .29
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.07 .03 .27 .30 (.08) (.21) (.29) 14.08 2.15 11 1.39 1.39 .20
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.98  —11 .15 .15 (.06)  — (.06) 14.07 1.04 12 1.39 1.39 (.03)
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.67 .05 .43 .48 (.05) (.12) (.17) 13.98 3.55 14 1.40 1.40 .37
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 (.06) (.53) (.59) (.02) (.35) (.37) 13.67 (4.12) 16 1.38 1.38 (.41)
Class R-2:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.07 .04 (.03) .01 (.05) (.17) (.22) 13.86 .15 116 1.40 1.40 .31
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.07 .03 .26 .29 (.08) (.21) (.29) 14.07 2.10 133 1.37 1.37 .22
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.98  —11 .15 .15 (.06)  — (.06) 14.07 1.05 134 1.38 1.38 (.02)
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.67 .05 .43 .48 (.05) (.12) (.17) 13.98 3.54 147 1.43 1.43 .34
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 (.06) (.53) (.59) (.02) (.35) (.37) 13.67 (4.09) 174 1.35 1.35 (.39)
(The Financial Highlights table continues on the following page.)
 
U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     42

 


 
 

 

                           
    Income (loss) from investment operations1 Dividends and distributions            
  Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
Net
investment
income (loss)
Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and unrealized)
Total from
investment
operations
Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
Distributions
(from capital gains)
Total dividends
and distributions
Net asset
value, end
of period
Total
return2,3
Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
before reim-
bursements
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
after reim-
bursements3
Ratio of
net income
(loss) to
average
net assets3
Class R-2E:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 $14.10 $.08 $(.03) $.05 $(.09) $(.17) $(.26) $13.89 .42% $ 3 1.10% 1.10% .61%
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .11 .25 .36 (.14) (.21) (.35) 14.10 2.63 2 1.07 1.07 .76
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .12 .15 .27 (.17)  — (.17) 14.09 1.957  —8 .517 .517 .867
Period from 8/29/2014 to 8/31/201412 13.99  —  —  —  —  —  — 13.99  —  —8  —  —  —
Class R-3:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .11 (.04) .07 (.11) (.17) (.28) 13.89 .55 145 .95 .95 .76
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .09 .26 .35 (.13) (.21) (.34) 14.10 2.57 155 .95 .95 .66
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .06 .15 .21 (.11)  — (.11) 14.09 1.53 140 .94 .94 .43
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .11 .43 .54 (.11) (.12) (.23) 13.99 3.99 142 .97 .97 .80
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63  —11 (.53) (.53) (.07) (.35) (.42) 13.68 (3.69) 168 .94 .94 .02
Class R-4:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .15 (.04) .11 (.15) (.17) (.32) 13.89 .88 253 .62 .62 1.09
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .15 .25 .40 (.18) (.21) (.39) 14.10 2.90 275 .62 .62 1.09
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .11 .15 .26 (.16)  — (.16) 14.09 1.86 124 .61 .61 .76
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .16 .42 .58 (.15) (.12) (.27) 13.99 4.33 120 .63 .63 1.14
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .05 (.53) (.48) (.12) (.35) (.47) 13.68 (3.38) 134 .61 .61 .34
Class R-5E:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .19 (.04) .15 (.19) (.17) (.36) 13.89 1.14  —8 .53 .36 1.36
Period from 11/20/2015 to 8/31/201613 14.08 .13 .25 .38 (.15) (.21) (.36) 14.10 2.746  —8 .4910 .4910 1.2110
Class R-5:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 14.10 .19 (.03) .16 (.20) (.17) (.37) 13.89 1.18 63 .33 .33 1.40
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .17 .27 .44 (.22) (.21) (.43) 14.10 3.20 60 .32 .32 1.21
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .15 .15 .30 (.20)  — (.20) 14.09 2.15 113 .32 .32 1.06
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .20 .42 .62 (.19) (.12) (.31) 13.99 4.65 101 .33 .33 1.44
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .09 (.53) (.44) (.16) (.35) (.51) 13.68 (3.08) 133 .31 .31 .65
 
43     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus

 


 
 

 

                           
    Income (loss) from investment operations1 Dividends and distributions            
  Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
Net
investment
income (loss)
Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and unrealized)
Total from
investment
operations
Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
Distributions
(from capital gains)
Total dividends
and distributions
Net asset
value, end
of period
Total
return2,3
Net assets,
end of
period
(in millions)
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
before reim-
bursements
Ratio of
expenses
to average
net assets
after reim-
bursements3
Ratio of
net income
(loss) to
average
net assets3
Class R-6:                          
Year ended 8/31/2017 $14.10 $.20 $(.04) $ .16 $(.20) $(.17) $(.37) $13.89 1.23% $5,726 .27% .27% 1.48%
Year ended 8/31/2016 14.09 .19 .26 .45 (.23) (.21) (.44) 14.10 3.26 3,857 .27 .27 1.35
Year ended 8/31/2015 13.99 .16 .15 .31 (.21)  — (.21) 14.09 2.20 3,014 .27 .27 1.12
Year ended 8/31/2014 13.68 .21 .42 .63 (.20) (.12) (.32) 13.99 4.70 2,357 .28 .28 1.51
Year ended 8/31/2013 14.63 .10 (.53) (.43) (.17) (.35) (.52) 13.68 (3.03) 1,596 .26 .26 .72
             
  Year ended August 31
Portfolio turnover rate for all share classes 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
Excluding mortgage dollar roll transactions 187% 296% 263% Not available
Including mortgage dollar roll transactions 577% 693% 771% 423% 488%

1 Based on average shares outstanding.

2 Total returns exclude any applicable sales charges, including contingent deferred sales charges.

3 This column reflects the impact, if any, of certain reimbursements from Capital Research and Management Company. During some of the periods shown, Capital Research and Management Company paid a portion of the fund’s transfer agent fees for certain retirement plan share classes.

4 Based on operations for the period shown and, accordingly, is not representative of a full year.

5 Class T and 529-T shares began investment operations on April 7, 2017.

6 Not annualized.

7 All or a significant portion of assets in this class consisted of seed capital invested by Capital Research and Management Company and/or its affiliates. Fees for distribution services are not charged or accrued on these seed capital assets. If such fees were paid by the fund on seed capital assets, fund expenses would have been higher and net income and total return would have been lower.

8 Amount less than $1 million.

9 Class F-3 shares began investment operations on January 27, 2017.

10 Annualized.

11 Amount less than $.01.

12 Class R-2E shares began investment operations on August 29, 2014.

13 Class R-5E shares began investment operations on November 20, 2015.

 
U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     44

 


 
 

 

 

Appendix

Sales charge waivers

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the fund or through a financial 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 intermediary 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.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account 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 fund’s prospectus or 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. Except as provided below, Class A shares are not currently available to new plans described in this waiver. Plans that invested in Class A shares of any of the funds without any sales charge before April 1, 2004, and that continue to meet the eligibility requirements in effect as of that date for purchasing Class A shares at net asset value, may continue to purchase Class A shares of the American Funds without any initial or contingent deferred sales charge.

· Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan. Class A shares are not currently available to the plans described in this waiver

· Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program. Class A shares are not currently available in the programs described in this waiver

· Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform. Class A shares are not currently available in the accounts described in this waiver

· 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. 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 apply to such exchanges

45     U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus


 
 

 

 

· Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members

· 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)

CDSC Waivers on Classes 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 as described in the fund’s prospectus

· 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 Class A and C shares only)

Front-end load discounts available at Merrill Lynch: breakpoints, rights of accumulation and 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 Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation 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, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable)

U.S. Government Securities Fund / Prospectus     46


 
 

 

       
       
  For shareholder services American Funds Service Company
(800) 421-4225
 
  For retirement plan services Call your employer or plan administrator  
  For 529 plans American Funds Service Company
(800) 421-4225, ext. 529
 
  For 24-hour information American FundsLine
(800) 325-3590
americanfunds.com
For Class R share information, visit
AmericanFundsRetirement.com
 
  Telephone calls you have with American Funds may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance, verification and recordkeeping purposes. By speaking to American Funds on the telephone, you consent to such monitoring and recording.  

Multiple translations This prospectus may be translated into other languages. If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity as to the meaning of any word or phrase in a translation, the English text will prevail. Liability is not limited as a result of any material misstatement or omission introduced in the translation.

Annual/Semi-annual report to shareholders The shareholder reports contain additional information about the fund, including financial statements, investment results, portfolio holdings, a discussion of market conditions and the fund’s investment strategies, and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report (in the annual report).

Program description The CollegeAmerica® 529 program description contains additional information about the policies and services related to 529 plan accounts.

Statement of additional information (SAI) and codes of ethics The current SAI, as amended from time to time, contains more detailed information about the fund, including the fund’s financial statements, and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the current SAI, for legal purposes, is part of this prospectus. The codes of ethics describe the personal investing policies adopted by the fund, the fund’s investment adviser and its affiliated companies.

The codes of ethics and current SAI are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These and other related materials about the fund are available for review or to be copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., (202) 551-8090, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at sec.gov or, after payment of a duplicating fee, via email request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The codes of ethics, current SAI and shareholder reports are also available, free of charge, on our website, americanfunds.com.

E-delivery and household mailings Each year you are automatically sent an updated summary prospectus and annual and semi-annual reports for the fund. You may also occasionally receive proxy statements for the fund. In order to reduce the volume of mail you receive, when possible, only one copy of these documents will be sent to shareholders who are part of the same family and share the same household address. You may elect to receive these documents electronically in lieu of paper form by enrolling in e-delivery on our website, americanfunds.com.

If you would like to opt out of household-based mailings or receive a complimentary copy of the current SAI, codes of ethics, annual/semi-annual report to shareholders or applicable program description, please call American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225 or write to the secretary of the fund at 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071-1406.

Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) Shareholders may obtain information about SIPC® on its website at sipc.org or by calling (202) 371-8300.

   
 
 
MFGEPRX-022-1117P
Litho in USA CGD/ALD/8010
Investment Company File No. 811-04318
 


 

 
 

 

 

THE FUND MAKES AVAILABLE A SPANISH TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE PROSPECTUS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC OFFERING AND SALE OF ITS SHARES. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROSPECTUS ABOVE IS A FAIR AND ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF THE SPANISH EQUIVALENT.

 

/s/ STEVEN I. KOSZALKA
  STEVEN I. KOSZALKA
  SECRETARY

 

 
 

 

 

The American Funds Income Series®

(U.S. Government Securities Fund)

Part B
Statement of Additional Information

November 1, 2017

This document is not a prospectus but should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus of U.S. Government Securities Fund (the “fund”) dated November 1, 2017. You may obtain a prospectus from your financial advisor, by calling American Funds Service Company® at (800) 421-4225 or by writing to the fund at the following address:

The American Funds Income Series
(U.S. Government Securities Fund)
Attention: Secretary

333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, California 90071

Certain privileges and/or services described below may not be available to all shareholders (including shareholders who purchase shares at net asset value through eligible retirement plans) depending on the shareholder’s investment dealer or retirement plan recordkeeper. Please see your financial advisor, investment dealer, plan recordkeeper or employer for more information.

           
Class A AMUSX Class 529-A CGTAX Class R-1 RGVAX
Class C UGSCX Class 529-C CGTCX Class R-2 RGVBX
Class T TUSGX Class 529-E CGTEX Class R-2E RGEVX
Class F-1 UGSFX Class 529-T TSUGX Class R-3 RGVCX
Class F-2 GVTFX Class 529-F-1 CGTFX Class R-4 RGVEX
Class F-3 USGFX     Class R-5E RGVJX
        Class R-5 RGVFX
        Class R-6 RGVGX

 

Table of Contents

Item  Page no.
Certain investment limitations and guidelines 2
Description of certain securities, investment techniques and risks 3
Fund policies 15
Management of the fund 17
Execution of portfolio transactions 45
Disclosure of portfolio holdings 48
Price of shares 50
Taxes and distributions 53
Purchase and exchange of shares 56
Sales charges 61
Sales charge reductions and waivers 64
Selling shares 69
Shareholder account services and privileges 70
General information 73
Appendix 82

Investment portfolio
Financial statements

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 1


 
 

 

 

Certain investment limitations and guidelines

The following limitations and guidelines are considered at the time of purchase, under normal circumstances, and are based on a percentage of the fund’s net assets unless otherwise noted. This summary is not intended to reflect all of the fund’s investment limitations.

· The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in securities guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bonds and other debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars. For purposes of this investment guideline, investments may be represented by derivative instruments, such as futures contracts and swap agreements.

· The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in (a) securities not guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities that are rated AAA or Aaa by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund’s investment adviser or unrated securities determined to be of equivalent quality by the fund’s investment adviser and (b) cash or money market instruments not guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. The fund currently intends to look to the ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Fitch Ratings. If rating agencies differ, securities will be considered to have received the highest of these ratings, consistent with the fund's investment policies.

* * * * * *

The fund may experience difficulty liquidating certain portfolio securities during significant market declines or periods of heavy redemptions.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 2


 
 

 

 

Description of certain securities, investment techniques and risks

The descriptions below are intended to supplement the material in the prospectus under “Investment objective, strategies and risks.”

Obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government — U.S. government obligations include the following types of securities:

U.S. Treasury securities — U.S. Treasury securities include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds. For these securities, the payment of principal and interest is unconditionally guaranteed by the U.S. government, and thus they are of high credit quality. Such securities are subject to variations in market value due to fluctuations in interest rates and in government policies, but, if held to maturity, are expected to be paid in full (either at maturity or thereafter).

Federal agency securities — The securities of certain U.S. government agencies and government-sponsored entities are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Such agencies and entities include, but are not limited to, the Federal Financing Bank (“FFB”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Veterans Administration (“VA”), the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), the Export-Import Bank (“Exim Bank”), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (“OPIC”), the Commodity Credit Corporation (“CCC”) and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).

Other federal agency obligations — Additional federal agency securities are neither direct obligations of, nor guaranteed by, the U.S. government. These obligations include securities issued by certain U.S. government agencies and government-sponsored entities. However, they generally involve some form of federal sponsorship: some operate under a congressional charter; some are backed by collateral consisting of “full faith and credit” obligations as described above; some are supported by the issuer’s right to borrow from the Treasury; and others are supported only by the credit of the issuing government agency or entity. These agencies and entities include, but are not limited to: the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Federal Farm Credit Bank System.

In 2008, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were placed into conservatorship by their new regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”). Simultaneously, the U.S. Treasury made a commitment of indefinite duration to maintain the positive net worth of both firms. As conservator, the FHFA has the authority to repudiate any contract either firm has entered into prior to the FHFA’s appointment as conservator (or receiver should either firm go into default) if the FHFA, in its sole discretion determines that performance of the contract is burdensome and repudiation would promote the orderly administration of Fannie Mae’s or Freddie Mac’s affairs. While the FHFA has indicated that it does not intend to repudiate the guaranty obligations of either entity, doing so could adversely affect holders of their mortgage-backed securities. For example, if a contract were repudiated, the liability for any direct compensatory damages would accrue to the entity’s conservatorship estate and could only be satisfied to the extent the estate had available assets. As a result, if interest payments on Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities held by the fund were reduced because underlying borrowers failed to make payments or such payments were not advanced by a loan servicer, the fund’s only recourse might be against the conservatorship estate, which might not have sufficient assets to offset any shortfalls.

The FHFA, in its capacity as conservator, has the power to transfer or sell any asset or liability of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The FHFA has indicated it has no current intention to do this; however, should it

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 3


 
 

 

do so a holder of a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage-backed security would have to rely on another party for satisfaction of the guaranty obligations and would be exposed to the credit risk of that party.

Certain rights provided to holders of mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac under their operative documents may not be enforceable against the FHFA, or enforcement may be delayed during the course of the conservatorship or any future receivership. For example, the operative documents may provide that upon the occurrence of an event of default by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, holders of a requisite percentage of the mortgage-backed security may replace the entity as trustee. However, under the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, holders may not enforce this right if the event of default arises solely because a conservator or receiver has been appointed.

Debt instruments — Debt securities, also known as “fixed-income securities,” are used by issuers to borrow money. Bonds, notes, debentures, asset-backed securities (including those backed by mortgages), and loan participations and assignments are common types of debt securities. Generally, issuers pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are purchased at a discount from their face values and their values accrete over time to face value at maturity. Some debt securities bear interest at rates that are not fixed, but that vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The market prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality and maturity. In general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. These fluctuations will generally be greater for longer-term debt securities than for shorter-term debt securities. Prices of these securities can also be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices.

Certain additional risk factors relating to debt securities are discussed below:

Sensitivity to interest rate and economic changes — Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. In addition, during an economic downturn or a period of rising interest rates, issuers that are highly leveraged may experience increased financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to meet projected business goals, to obtain additional financing and to service their principal and interest payment obligations. Periods of economic change and uncertainty also can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities and derivative instruments. For example, during the financial crisis of 2007-2009, the Federal Reserve implemented a number of economic policies that impacted, and may continue to impact, interest rates and the market. These policies, as well as potential actions by governmental entities both in and outside of the U.S., may expose fixed-income markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain investments, which could cause the value of the fund’s portfolio to decline.

Payment expectations — Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate market, the fund may have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the fund may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.

Liquidity and valuation — There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular debt securities, which may affect adversely the fund’s ability to value accurately or dispose of

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 4


 
 

 

such debt securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of debt securities.

Credit ratings for debt securities provided by rating agencies reflect an evaluation of the safety of principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency’s view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect actual outcomes. There can be a lag between the time of developments relating to an issuer and the time a rating is assigned and updated. The investment adviser considers these ratings of securities as one of many criteria in making its investment decisions.

Bond rating agencies may assign modifiers (such as +/–) to ratings categories to signify the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Investment policies that are based on ratings categories should be read to include any security within that category, without giving consideration to the modifier except where otherwise provided. See the Appendix to this statement of additional information for more information about credit ratings.

Pass-through securities — The fund may invest in various debt obligations backed by pools of mortgages. Principal and interest payments made on the underlying asset pools backing these obligations are typically passed through to investors, net of any fees paid to any insurer or any guarantor of the securities. Pass-through securities may have either fixed or adjustable coupons. These securities include:

Mortgage-backed securities — These securities may be issued by U.S. government agencies and government-sponsored entities, such as Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The payment of interest and principal on mortgage-backed obligations issued by U.S. government agencies may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (in the case of Ginnie Mae), or may be guaranteed by the issuer (in the case of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). However, these guarantees do not apply to the market prices and yields of these securities, which vary with changes in interest rates.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) — CMOs are also backed by a pool of mortgages or mortgage loans, which are divided into two or more separate bond issues. CMOs issued by U.S. government agencies are backed by agency mortgages. Payments of principal and interest are passed through to each bond issue at varying schedules resulting in bonds with different coupons, effective maturities and sensitivities to interest rates. Some CMOs may be structured in a way that when interest rates change, the impact of changing prepayment rates on the effective maturities of certain issues of these securities is magnified. CMOs may be less liquid or may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage or asset-backed securities.

Commercial mortgage-backed securities — These securities are backed by mortgages on commercial property, such as hotels, office buildings, retail stores, hospitals and other commercial buildings. These securities may have a lower prepayment uncertainty than other mortgage-related securities because commercial mortgage loans generally prohibit or impose penalties on prepayments of principal. In addition, commercial mortgage-related securities often are structured with some form of credit enhancement to protect against potential losses on the underlying mortgage loans. Many of the risks of investing in commercial mortgage-backed securities reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans, including the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make rental payments and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. Commercial mortgage-backed securities may be less liquid or exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage or asset-backed securities and may be more difficult to value.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 5


 
 

 

Asset-backed securities — These securities are backed by other assets such as credit card, automobile or consumer loan receivables, retail installment loans or participations in pools of leases. Credit support for these securities may be based on the underlying assets and/or provided through credit enhancements by a third party. The values of these securities are sensitive to changes in the credit quality of the underlying collateral, the credit strength of the credit enhancement, changes in interest rates and at times the financial condition of the issuer. Obligors of the underlying assets also may make prepayments that can change effective maturities of the asset-backed securities. These securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than other securities.

Inflation linked bonds — The fund may invest in inflation linked bonds issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities and corporations.

The principal amount of an inflation linked bond is adjusted in response to changes in the level of an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (“CPURNSA”). If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value or coupon of these securities will be adjusted downward. Consequently, the interest payable on these securities will be reduced. Also, if the principal value of these securities is adjusted according to the rate of inflation, the adjusted principal value repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal. In the case of U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”), currently the only inflation linked security that is issued by the U.S Treasury, the principal amounts are adjusted daily based upon changes in the rate of inflation (as currently represented by the non-seasonally adjusted CPURNSA, calculated with a three-month lag). TIPS may pay interest semi-annually, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal amount that has been adjusted for inflation. The current market value of TIPS is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. However, the U.S. government guarantees that, at maturity, principal will be repaid at the higher of the original face value of the security (in the event of deflation) or the inflation adjusted value.

Other non-U.S. sovereign governments also issue inflation linked securities that are tied to their own local consumer price indexes and that offer similar deflationary protection. In certain of these non-U.S. jurisdictions, the repayment of the original bond principal upon the maturity of an inflation linked bond is not guaranteed, allowing for the amount of the bond repaid at maturity to be less than par. Corporations also periodically issue inflation linked securities tied to CPURNSA or similar inflationary indexes. While TIPS and non-U.S. sovereign inflation linked securities are currently the largest part of the inflation linked market, the fund may invest in corporate inflation linked securities.

The value of inflation linked securities is expected to change in response to the changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates, in turn, are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates would decline, leading to an increase in value of the inflation linked securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates were to increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation linked securities. There can be no assurance, however, that the value of inflation linked securities will be directly correlated to the changes in interest rates. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation, investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security’s inflation measure.

The interest rate for inflation linked bonds is fixed at issuance as a percentage of this adjustable principal. Accordingly, the actual interest income may both rise and fall as the principal amount of the bonds adjusts in response to movements of the consumer price index. For example, typically interest income would rise during a period of inflation and fall during a period of deflation.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 6


 
 

 

The market for inflation linked securities may be less developed or liquid, and more volatile, than certain other securities markets. There is a limited number of inflation linked securities currently available for the fund to purchase, making the market less liquid and more volatile than the U.S. Treasury and agency markets.

Forward commitment, when issued and delayed delivery transactions — The fund may enter into commitments to purchase or sell securities at a future date. When the fund agrees to purchase such securities, it assumes the risk of any decline in value of the security from the date of the agreement. If the other party to such a transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the fund could miss a favorable price or yield opportunity, or could experience a loss.

The fund may enter into roll transactions, such as a mortgage dollar roll where the fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon, and maturity) securities on a specified future date, at a pre-determined price. During the period between the sale and repurchase (the “roll period”), the fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the mortgage-backed securities. The fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”), if any, as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The fund could suffer a loss if the contracting party fails to perform the future transaction and the fund is therefore unable to buy back the mortgage-backed securities it initially sold. The fund also takes the risk that the mortgage-backed securities that it repurchases at a later date will have less favorable market characteristics than the securities originally sold (e.g., greater prepayment risk). These transactions are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, which may increase the fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

With to be announced (TBA) transactions, the particular securities (i.e., specified mortgage pools) to be delivered or received are not identified at the trade date, but are “to be announced” at a later settlement date. However, securities to be delivered must meet specified criteria, including face value, coupon rate and maturity, and be within industry-accepted “good delivery” standards.

The fund will not use these transactions for the purpose of leveraging and will segregate liquid assets that will be marked to market daily in an amount sufficient to meet its payment obligations in these transactions. Although these transactions will not be entered into for leveraging purposes, to the extent the fund’s aggregate commitments in connection with these transactions exceed its segregated assets, the fund temporarily could be in a leveraged position (because it may have an amount greater than its net assets subject to market risk). Should market values of the fund’s portfolio securities decline while the fund is in a leveraged position, greater depreciation of its net assets would likely occur than if it were not in such a position. The fund will not borrow money to settle these transactions and, therefore, will liquidate other portfolio securities in advance of settlement if necessary to generate additional cash to meet its obligations. After a transaction is entered into, the fund may still dispose of or renegotiate the transaction. Additionally, prior to receiving delivery of securities as part of a transaction, the fund may sell such securities.

Repurchase agreements — The fund may enter into repurchase agreements, or “repos”, under which the fund buys a security and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller to repurchase the security at a specified time and price. Because the security purchased constitutes collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repo may be considered a loan by the fund that is collateralized by the security purchased. Repos permit the fund to maintain liquidity and earn income over periods of time as short as overnight.

The seller must maintain with a custodian collateral equal to at least the repurchase price, including accrued interest. In tri-party repos, a third party custodian, called a clearing bank, facilitates repo clearing and settlement, including by providing collateral management services. The Bank of New

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 7


 
 

 

York Mellon is currently the only clearing bank in the U.S. tri-party repo market. That being the case, there is a risk that these services could not be easily replaced if The Bank of New York Mellon were to exit the business or had to suspend services. However, as an alternative to tri-party repos, the fund could enter into bilateral repos, where the parties themselves are responsible for settling transactions.

The fund will only enter into repos involving securities of the type in which it could otherwise invest. If the seller under the repo defaults, the fund may incur a loss if the value of the collateral securing the repo has declined and may incur disposition costs and delays in connection with liquidating the collateral. If bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller, realization of the collateral by the fund may be delayed or limited.

Derivatives — In pursuing its investment objective, the fund may invest in derivative instruments. A derivative is a financial instrument, the value of which depends on, or is otherwise derived from, another underlying variable. Most often, the variable underlying a derivative is the price of a traded asset, such as a traditional cash security (e.g., a stock or bond), a currency or a commodity; however, the value of a derivative can be dependent on almost any variable, from the level of an index or a specified rate to the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of a credit event with respect to a specified reference asset. The fund may take positions in futures contracts and interest rate swaps, each of which is a derivative instrument described in greater detail below.

Derivative instruments may be distinguished by the manner in which they trade: some are standardized instruments that trade on an organized exchange while others are individually negotiated and traded in the over-the-counter (OTC) market. Derivatives also range broadly in complexity, from simple derivatives to more complex instruments. As a general matter, however, all derivatives — regardless of the manner in which they trade or their relative complexities — entail certain risks, some of which are different from, and potentially greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional cash securities.

As is the case with traditional cash securities, derivative instruments are generally subject to counterparty credit risk; however, in some cases, derivatives may pose counterparty risks greater than those posed by cash securities. The use of derivatives involves the risk that a loss may be sustained by the fund as a result of the failure of the fund’s counterparty to make required payments or otherwise to comply with its contractual obligations. For some derivatives, though, the value of — and, in effect, the return on — the instrument may be dependent on both the individual credit of the fund’s counterparty and on the credit of one or more issuers of any underlying assets. If the fund does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of its counterparty and, where applicable, of issuers of any underlying reference assets, the fund’s investment in a derivative instrument may result in losses. Further, if a fund’s counterparty were to default on its obligations, the fund’s contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the fund’s rights as a creditor and delay or impede the fund’s ability to receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive.

The value of some derivative instruments in which the fund invests may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates, currency exchange rates or other market conditions. Like the fund’s other investments, the ability of the fund to successfully utilize such derivative instruments may depend in part upon the ability of the fund’s investment adviser to accurately forecast interest rates and other economic factors. The success of the fund’s derivative investment strategy will also depend on the investment adviser’s ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the derivative instruments in which the fund invests, in some cases without having had the benefit of observing the performance of a derivative under all possible market conditions. If the investment adviser incorrectly forecasts such factors and has taken positions in derivative instruments contrary to prevailing market trends, or if the investment adviser incorrectly predicts the impact of developments on a derivative instrument, the fund could be exposed to the risk of loss.

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Certain derivatives may also be subject to liquidity and valuation risks. The potential lack of a liquid secondary market for a derivative (and, particularly, for an OTC derivative) may cause difficulty in valuing or selling the instrument. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, as is often the case with many privately-negotiated OTC derivatives, the fund may not be able to initiate a transaction or to liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price. Particularly when there is no liquid secondary market for the fund’s derivative positions, the fund may encounter difficulty in valuing such illiquid positions. The value of a derivative instrument does not always correlate perfectly with its underlying asset, rate or index, and many derivatives, and OTC derivatives in particular, are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the fund.

Because certain derivative instruments may obligate the fund to make one or more potential future payments, which could significantly exceed the value of the fund’s initial investments in such instruments, derivative instruments may also have a leveraging effect on the fund’s portfolio. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, irrespective of the size of the fund’s investment in the instrument. When a fund leverages its portfolio, investments in that fund will tend to be more volatile, resulting in larger gains or losses in response to market changes. In accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, the fund will generally segregate or earmark liquid assets, or enter into offsetting financial positions, to cover its obligations under derivative instruments, effectively limiting the risk of leveraging the fund’s portfolio. Because the fund is legally required to maintain asset coverage or offsetting positions in connection with leveraging derivative instruments, the fund’s investments in such derivatives may also require the fund to buy or sell portfolio securities at disadvantageous times or prices in order to comply with applicable requirements.

Futures — The fund may enter into futures contracts to seek to manage the fund’s interest rate sensitivity by increasing or decreasing the duration of the fund or a portion of the fund’s portfolio. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a security or other financial instrument (the “reference asset”) for a set price on a future date. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts, and, when a futures contract is bought or sold, the fund will incur brokerage fees and will be required to maintain margin deposits.

Unlike when the fund purchases or sells a security, such as a stock or bond, no price is paid or received by the fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. When the fund enters into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with its futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant (FCM), a specified amount of liquid assets in a segregated account in the name of the FCM at the applicable derivatives clearinghouse or exchange. This amount, known as initial margin, is set by the futures exchange on which the contract is traded and may be significantly modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract, which is returned to the fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Additionally, on a daily basis, the fund pays or receives cash, or variation margin, equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by the fund but is instead a settlement between the fund and the FCM of the amount one party would owe the other if the futures contract expired. In computing daily net asset value, the fund will mark-to-market its open futures positions. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of an FCM that holds margin on behalf of the fund, the fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM’s other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the fund. An event of bankruptcy or insolvency at a clearinghouse or exchange holding initial margin could also result in losses for the fund.

When the fund invests in futures contracts and deposits margin with an FCM, the fund becomes subject to so-called “fellow customer” risk – that is, the risk that one or more customers of the FCM will default on their obligations and that the resulting losses will be so

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 9


 
 

 

great that the FCM will default on its obligations and margin posted by one customer, such as the fund, will be used to cover a loss caused by a different defaulting customer. Applicable rules generally prohibit the use of one customer’s funds to meet the obligations of another customer and limit the ability of an FCM to use margin posed by non-defaulting customers to satisfy losses caused by defaulting customers. As a general matter, an FCM is required to use its own funds to meet a defaulting customer’s obligations. While a customer’s loss would likely need to be substantial before non-defaulting customers would be exposed to loss on account of fellow customer risk, applicable rules nevertheless permit the commingling of margin and do not limit the mutualization of customer losses from investment losses, custodial failures, fraud or other causes. If the loss is so great that, notwithstanding the application of an FCM’s own funds, there is a shortfall in the amount of customer funds required to be held in segregation, the FCM could default and be placed into bankruptcy. Under these circumstances, bankruptcy law provides that non-defaulting customers will share pro rata in any shortfall. A shortfall in customer segregated funds may also make the transfer of the accounts of non-defaulting customers to another FCM more difficult.

Although certain futures contracts, by their terms, require actual future delivery of and payment for the reference asset, in practice, most futures contracts are usually closed out before the delivery date by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts. Closing out an open futures contract purchase or sale is effected by entering into an offsetting futures contract sale or purchase, respectively, for the same aggregate amount of the identical reference asset and the same delivery date with the same FCM. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price (in each case taking into account transaction costs, including brokerage fees), the fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the fund realizes a loss. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price (in each case taking into account transaction costs, including brokerage fees), the fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the fund realizes a loss.

The fund is generally required to segregate liquid assets equivalent to the fund’s outstanding obligations under each futures contract. With respect to long positions in futures contracts that are not legally required to cash settle, the fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the contract price the fund will be required to pay on settlement less the amount of margin deposited with an FCM. For short positions in futures contracts that are not legally required to cash settle, the fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount that, when added to the amounts deposited with an FCM as margin, equals the market value of the reference asset underlying the futures contract. With respect to futures contracts that are required to cash settle, however, the fund is permitted to segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount that, when added to the amounts deposited with an FCM as margin, equals the fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation under the contract (i.e., the daily market value of the contract itself), if any; in other words, the fund may set aside its daily net liability, if any, rather than the notional value of the futures contract. By segregating or earmarking assets equal only to its net obligation under cash-settled futures, the fund may be able to utilize these contracts to a greater extent than if the fund were required to segregate or earmark assets equal to the full contract price or current market value of the futures contract. Such segregation of assets is intended to ensure that the fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to futures contracts and to limit any potential leveraging of the fund’s portfolio. However, segregation of liquid assets will not limit the fund’s exposure to loss. To maintain a sufficient amount of segregated assets, the fund may also have to sell less liquid portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices, and the earmarking of liquid assets will have the effect of limiting the fund’s ability to otherwise invest those assets in other securities or instruments.

The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying reference asset. Purchasing futures contracts will, therefore, tend to increase the

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 10


 
 

 

fund’s exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the reference asset, much as if the fund had purchased the reference asset directly. When the fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the reference asset. Accordingly, selling futures contracts will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if the reference asset had been sold.

There is no assurance that a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Futures exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts and may halt trading if a contract’s price moves upward or downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days, when the price fluctuation limit is reached and a trading halt is imposed, it may be impossible to enter into new positions or close out existing positions. If the market for a futures contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or other market conditions, the fund may be prevented from promptly liquidating unfavorable futures positions and the fund could be required to continue to hold a position until delivery or expiration regardless of changes in its value, potentially subjecting the fund to substantial losses. Additionally, the fund may not be able to take other actions or enter into other transactions to limit or reduce its exposure to the position. Under such circumstances, the fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is cleared. As a result, the fund’s access to other assets held to cover its futures positions could also be impaired.

Although futures exchanges generally operate similarly in the United States and abroad, foreign futures exchanges may follow trading, settlement and margin procedures that are different than those followed by futures exchanges in the United States. Futures contracts traded outside the United States may not involve a clearing mechanism or related guarantees and may involve greater risk of loss than U.S.-traded contracts, including potentially greater risk of losses due to insolvency of a futures broker, exchange member, or other party that may owe initial or variation margin to the fund. Margin requirements on foreign futures exchanges may be different than those of futures exchanges in the United States, and, because initial and variation margin payments may be measured in foreign currency, a futures contract traded outside the United States may also involve the risk of foreign currency fluctuations.

Interest rate swaps — The fund may enter into interest rate swaps to seek to manage the interest rate sensitivity of the fund by increasing or decreasing the duration of the fund or a portion of the fund’s portfolio. An interest rate swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange or swap payments based on changes in an interest rate or rates. Typically, one interest rate is fixed and the other is based on a designated short-term interest rate such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), prime rate or other benchmark. Interest rate swaps generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other principal amounts. Rather, cash payments are exchanged by the parties based on the application of the designated interest rates to a notional amount, which is the predetermined dollar principal of the trade upon which payment obligations are computed. Accordingly, the fund’s current obligation or right under the swap agreement is generally equal to the net amount to be paid or received under the swap agreement based on the relative value of the position held by each party. The fund will generally segregate assets with a daily value at least equal to the excess, if any, of the fund’s accrued obligations under the swap agreement over the accrued amount the fund is entitled to receive under the agreement, less the value of any posted margin or collateral on deposit with respect to the position.

The use of interest rate swaps involves certain risks, including losses if interest rate changes are not correctly anticipated by the fund’s investment adviser. To the extent the fund enters into bilaterally negotiated swap transactions, the fund will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain credit standards; however, if the counterparty’s creditworthiness deteriorates rapidly and the counterparty defaults on its obligations under the swap agreement or declares bankruptcy, the fund may lose any amount it expected to

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 11


 
 

 

receive from the counterparty. Certain interest rate swap transactions are currently subject to mandatory central clearing or may be eligible for voluntary central clearing. Because clearing interposes a central clearinghouse as the ultimate counterparty to each participant’s swap, central clearing is intended to decrease (but not eliminate) counterparty risk relative to uncleared bilateral swaps. Additionally, the term of an interest rate swap can be days, months or years and, as a result, certain swaps may be less liquid than others.

Restricted or illiquid securities — The fund may purchase securities subject to restrictions on resale. Restricted securities may only be sold pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. Difficulty in selling such securities may result in a loss to the fund or cause it to incur additional administrative costs.

Some fund holdings (including some restricted securities) may be deemed illiquid if they cannot be sold in the ordinary course of business at approximately the price at which the fund values them. The determination of whether a holding is considered liquid or illiquid is made by the fund’s adviser under procedures adopted by the fund’s board. The fund’s adviser makes this determination based on factors it deems relevant, such as the frequency and volume of trading, the commitment of dealers to make markets and the availability of qualified investors, all of which can change from time to time. The fund may incur significant additional costs in disposing of illiquid securities. If the fund holds more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets due to appreciation of illiquid securities, the depreciation of liquid securities or changes in market conditions, the fund will seek over time to increase its investments in liquid securities to the extent practicable.

Cash and cash equivalents — The fund may hold cash or invest in cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include, but are not limited to: (a) commercial paper (for example, short-term notes with maturities typically up to 12 months in length issued by corporations, governmental bodies or bank/corporation sponsored conduits (asset-backed commercial paper)); (b) short-term bank obligations (for example, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances (time drafts on a commercial bank where the bank accepts an irrevocable obligation to pay at maturity)) or bank notes; (c) savings association and savings bank obligations (for example, bank notes and certificates of deposit issued by savings banks or savings associations); (d) securities of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities that mature, or that may be redeemed, in one year or less; and (e) corporate bonds and notes that mature, or that may be redeemed, in one year or less.

Variable and floating rate obligations — The interest rates payable on certain securities in which the fund may invest may not be fixed but may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates or credit ratings. Variable and floating rate obligations bear coupon rates that are adjusted at designated intervals, based on the then current market rates of interest or credit ratings. The rate adjustment features tend to limit the extent to which the market value of the obligations will fluctuate.

Adjustment of maturities — The investment adviser seeks to anticipate movements in interest rates and may adjust the maturity distribution of the portfolio accordingly, keeping in mind the fund’s objectives.

Cybersecurity risks — With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the fund has become potentially more susceptible to operational and information security risks through breaches in cybersecurity. In general, a breach in cybersecurity can result from either a deliberate attack or an unintentional event. Cybersecurity breaches may involve, among other things, infection by computer viruses or other malicious software code or unauthorized access to the fund’s digital information systems, networks or devices through “hacking” or other means, in each case for

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 12


 
 

 

the purpose of misappropriating assets or sensitive information (including, for example, personal shareholder information), corrupting data or causing operational disruption or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the fund. Cybersecurity risks also include the risk of losses of service resulting from external attacks that do not require unauthorized access to the fund’s systems, networks or devices. For example, denial-of-service attacks on the investment adviser’s or an affiliate’s website could effectively render the fund’s network services unavailable to fund shareholders and other intended end-users. Any such cybersecurity breaches or losses of service may cause the fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity, which, in turn, could cause the fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. While the fund and its investment adviser have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent or reduce the impact of cybersecurity attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems due in part to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics, and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for.

In addition, cybersecurity failures by or breaches of the fund’s third-party service providers (including, but not limited to, the fund’s investment adviser, transfer agent, custodian, administrators and other financial intermediaries) may disrupt the business operations of the service providers and of the fund, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of fund shareholders to transact business with the fund and of the fund to process transactions, the inability of the fund to calculate its net asset value, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, rules and regulations, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs and/or additional compliance costs associated with implementation of any corrective measures. The fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of any such cybersecurity breaches, and there can be no assurance that the fund will not suffer losses relating to cybersecurity attacks or other informational security breaches affecting the fund’s third-party service providers in the future, particularly as the fund cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by such service providers.

Cybersecurity risks may also impact issuers of securities in which the fund invests, which may cause the fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value.

Interfund borrowing and lending — Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates. The fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the costs of bank loans. The fund will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. The fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.

* * * * * *

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 13


 
 

 

 

Portfolio turnover — Portfolio changes will be made without regard to the length of time particular investments may have been held. Short-term trading profits are not the fund’s objective, and changes in its investments are generally accomplished gradually, though short-term transactions may occasionally be made. Higher portfolio turnover may involve correspondingly greater transaction costs in the form of dealer spreads or brokerage commissions. It may also result in the realization of net capital gains, which are taxable when distributed to shareholders, unless the shareholder is exempt from taxation or his or her account is tax-favored.

Fixed-income securities are generally traded on a net basis and usually neither brokerage commissions nor transfer taxes are involved. Transaction costs are usually reflected in the spread between the bid and asked price. Certain investments, such as to be announced contracts and mortgage dollar rolls may increase a fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

The fund’s portfolio turnover rates for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017 and 2016 were 577% and 693%, respectively. The decrease in turnover was due to decreased trading activity during the period. The fund’s portfolio turnover rate excluding mortgage dollar roll transactions for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 was 187%. See "Forward commitment, when issued and delayed delivery transactions" above for more information on mortgage dollar rolls. The portfolio turnover rate would equal 100% if each security in a fund’s portfolio were replaced once per year. See “Financial highlights” in the prospectus for the fund’s annual portfolio turnover rate for each of the last five fiscal years.

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Fund policies

All percentage limitations in the following fund policies are considered at the time securities are purchased and are based on the fund’s net assets unless otherwise indicated. None of the following policies involving a maximum percentage of assets will be considered violated unless the excess occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition by the fund. In managing the fund, the fund’s investment adviser may apply more restrictive policies than those listed below.

Fundamental policies — The fund has adopted the following policies, which may not be changed without approval by holders of a majority of its outstanding shares. Such majority is currently defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present in person or by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities.

1. Except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, or other successor law governing the regulation of registered investment companies, or interpretations or modifications thereof by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), SEC staff or other authority of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority of competent jurisdiction, the fund may not:

a. Borrow money;

b. Issue senior securities;

c. Underwrite the securities of other issuers;

d. Purchase or sell real estate or commodities;

e. Make loans; or

f. Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result of such purchase, the fund’s investments would be concentrated in any particular industry.

2. The fund may not invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

Nonfundamental policies — The following policy may be changed without shareholder approval:

The fund may not acquire securities of open-end investment companies or unit investment trusts registered under the 1940 Act in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 15


 
 

 

 

Additional information about the fund’s policies — The information below is not part of the fund’s fundamental or nonfundamental policies. This information is intended to provide a summary of what is currently required or permitted by the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, or by the interpretive guidance thereof by the SEC or SEC staff, for particular fundamental policies of the fund. Information is also provided regarding the fund’s current intention with respect to certain investment practices permitted by the 1940 Act.

For purposes of fundamental policy 1a, the fund may borrow money in amounts of up to 33-1/3% of its total assets from banks for any purpose. Additionally, the fund may borrow up to 5% of its total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes (a loan is presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed). The percentage limitations in this policy are considered at the time of borrowing and thereafter.

For purposes of fundamental policies 1a and 1e, the fund may borrow money from, or loan money to, other funds managed by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law and an exemptive order issued by the SEC.

For purposes of fundamental policy 1b, a senior security does not include any promissory note or evidence of indebtedness if such loan is for temporary purposes only and in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the total assets of the fund at the time the loan is made (a loan is presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed). Further, to the extent the fund covers its commitments under certain types of agreements and transactions, including derivatives, mortgage-dollar-roll transactions, sale-buybacks, when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward commitment transactions, and other similar trading practices, by segregating or earmarking liquid assets equal in value to the amount of the fund’s commitment, such agreement or transaction will not be considered a senior security by the fund.

For purposes of fundamental policy 1c, the policy will not apply to the fund to the extent the fund may be deemed an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in connection with the purchase and sale of fund portfolio securities in the ordinary course of pursuing its investment objectives and strategies.

For purposes of fundamental policy 1e, the fund may not lend more than 33-1/3% of its total assets, provided that this limitation shall not apply to the fund’s purchase of debt obligations.

For purposes of fundamental policy 1f, the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of issuers in a particular industry. This policy does not apply to investments in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or government sponsored enterprises or repurchase agreements with respect thereto.

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Management of the fund

Board of trustees and officers

Independent trustees1

The fund’s nominating and governance committee and board select independent trustees with a view toward constituting a board that, as a body, possesses the qualifications, skills, attributes and experience to appropriately oversee the actions of the fund’s service providers, decide upon matters of general policy and represent the long-term interests of fund shareholders. In doing so, they consider the qualifications, skills, attributes and experience of the current board members, with a view toward maintaining a board that is diverse in viewpoint, experience, education and skills.

The fund seeks independent trustees who have high ethical standards and the highest levels of integrity and commitment, who have inquiring and independent minds, mature judgment, good communication skills, and other complementary personal qualifications and skills that enable them to function effectively in the context of the fund’s board and committee structure and who have the ability and willingness to dedicate sufficient time to effectively fulfill their duties and responsibilities.

Each independent trustee has a significant record of accomplishments in governance, business, not-for-profit organizations, government service, academia, law, accounting or other professions. Although no single list could identify all experience upon which the fund’s independent trustees draw in connection with their service, the following table summarizes key experience for each independent trustee. These references to the qualifications, attributes and skills of the trustees are pursuant to the disclosure requirements of the SEC, and shall not be deemed to impose any greater responsibility or liability on any trustee or the board as a whole. Notwithstanding the accomplishments listed below, none of the independent trustees is considered an “expert” within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to information in the fund’s registration statement.

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Name, year of birth
and position with fund (year first elected as a trustee2)
Principal
occupation(s)
during the
past five years
Number of
portfolios
in fund
complex
overseen
by trustee
Other
directorships3
held by trustee
during the
past five years
Other relevant experience
William H. Baribault, 1945
Trustee (2010)
CEO and President, Richard Nixon Foundation; Chairman of the Board and CEO, Oakwood Enterprises (private investment and consulting) 80 General Finance Corporation

·  Service as chief executive officer for multiple companies

·  Corporate board experience

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for charitable, educational and nonprofit organizations

James G. Ellis, 1947
Trustee (2006)
Dean and Professor of Marketing, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California 80

Mercury General Corporation

Former director of Quiksilver, Inc. (until 2014)

·  Service as chief executive officer for multiple companies

·  Corporate board experience

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for charitable, municipal and nonprofit organizations

·  MBA

Leonard R. Fuller, 1946
Trustee (1994)
Private investor; former President and CEO, Fuller Consulting (financial management consulting) 80 None

·  Former partner, public accounting firm

·  Financial management consulting

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for municipal, educational and nonprofit organizations

·  MBA

Mary Davis Holt, 1950
Trustee (2015-2016; 2017)
Principal, Mary Davis Holt Enterprises, LLC (leadership development consulting); former Partner, Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, LLC (leadership consulting); former COO, Time Life Inc. (1993–2003) 77 None

·  Service as chief operations officer, global media company

·  Senior corporate management experience

·  Corporate board experience

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for educational, business and nonprofit organizations

·  MBA

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 18


 
 

 

         
Name, year of birth
and position with fund (year first elected as a trustee2)
Principal
occupation(s)
during the
past five years
Number of
portfolios
in fund
complex
overseen
by trustee
Other
directorships3
held by trustee
during the
past five years
Other relevant experience
R. Clark Hooper, 1946
Chairman of the Board (Independent and Non-Executive) (2005)
Private investor 80 Former director of JPMorgan Value Opportunities Fund, Inc. (until 2014); The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (until 2016)

·  Senior regulatory and management experience, National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA)

·  Service on trustee boards for charitable, educational and nonprofit organizations

Merit E. Janow, 1958
Trustee (2010)
Dean and Professor, Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs 79

MasterCard Incorporated; Trimble Inc.

Former director of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (until 2016)

·  Service with Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. Department of Justice

·  Corporate board experience

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for charitable, educational and nonprofit organizations

·  Experience as corporate lawyer

·  JD

Laurel B. Mitchell, PhD, 1955
Trustee (2010)
Distinguished Professor of Accounting, University of Redlands; former Director, Accounting Program, University of Redlands 76 None

·  Professor at multiple universities

·  Service in the Office of Chief Accountant and Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

·  Experience in corporate management and public accounting

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for charitable, educational and nonprofit organizations

·  PhD, accounting

·  Formerly licensed as CPA

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 19


 
 

 

         
Name, year of birth
and position with fund (year first elected as a trustee2)
Principal
occupation(s)
during the
past five years
Number of
portfolios
in fund
complex
overseen
by trustee
Other
directorships3
held by trustee
during the
past five years
Other relevant experience
Frank M. Sanchez, 1943
Trustee (1999)
Principal, The Sanchez Family Corporation dba McDonald’s Restaurants (McDonald’s licensee) 76 None

·  Senior academic leadership position

·  Corporate board experience

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for charitable and nonprofit organizations

·  PhD, education administration and finance

Margaret Spellings, 1957
Trustee (2010)
President, The University of North Carolina; former President, George W. Bush Foundation; former President and CEO, Margaret Spellings & Company (public policy and strategic consulting); former President, U.S. Chamber Foundation and Senior Advisor to the President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce 81

ClubCorp Holdings, Inc.

Former director of Apollo Education Group, Inc. (until 2013)

·  Former U.S. Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education

·  Former Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, The White House

·  Former senior advisor to the Governor of Texas

·  Service on advisory and trustee boards for charitable and nonprofit organizations

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 20


 
 

 

 

Interested trustee(s)4,5

Interested trustees have similar qualifications, skills and attributes as the independent trustees. Interested trustees are senior executive officers and/or directors of Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates. Such management roles with the fund’s service providers also permit the interested trustees to make a significant contribution to the fund’s board.

       
Name, year of birth
and position with fund
(year first elected
as a trustee/officer2)
Principal occupation(s)
during the
past five years
and positions
held with affiliated
entities or the
Principal Underwriter
of the fund
Number of
portfolios
in fund
complex
overseen
by trustee
Other
directorships3
held by trustee
during the
past five years
John H. Smet, 1956
Vice Chairman of the Board (1993)
Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors, Capital Research and Management Company; Director, Capital Research and Management Company 22 None
Michael C. Gitlin, 1970
Trustee (2015)
Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors, Capital Research and Management Company; Director, The Capital Group Companies, Inc.*; served as Head of Fixed Income at a large investment management firm prior to joining Capital Research and Management Company in 2015 18 None

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 21


 
 

 

Other officers5

   
Name, year of birth
and position with fund
(year first elected
as an officer2)
Principal occupation(s) during the past five years
and positions held with affiliated entities
or the Principal Underwriter of the fund
Fergus N. MacDonald, 1969
President (2011)
Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
David J. Betanzos, 1974
Senior Vice President (2015)
Partner – Capital Fixed Income Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
Kristine M. Nishiyama, 1970
Senior Vice President (2003)
Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel – Fund Business Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company; Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Capital Bank and Trust Company*
Ritchie Tuazon, 1978
Vice President (2015)
Vice President – Capital Fixed Income Investors, Capital Research and Management Company
Steven I. Koszalka, 1964
Secretary (2010)
Vice President – Fund Business Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company
Brian C. Janssen, 1972
Treasurer (2015)
Vice President – Investment Operations, Capital Research and Management Company
Jane Y. Chung, 1974
Assistant Secretary (2014)
Associate – Fund Business Management Group, Capital Research and Management Company
Dori Laskin, 1951
Assistant Treasurer (2010)
Vice President – Investment Operations, Capital Research and Management Company
Gregory F. Niland, 1971
Assistant Treasurer (2015)
Vice President - Investment Operations, Capital Research and Management Company

* Company affiliated with Capital Research and Management Company.

1 The term independent trustee refers to a trustee who is not an “interested person” of the fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act.

Trustees and officers of the fund serve until their resignation, removal or retirement.

3 This includes all directorships/trusteeships (other than those in the American Funds or other funds managed by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates) that are held by each trustee as a director/trustee of a public company or a registered investment company. Unless otherwise noted, all directorships/trusteeships are current.

4 The term interested trustee refers to a trustee who is an “interested person” of the fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act, on the basis of his or her affiliation with the fund’s investment adviser, Capital Research and Management Company, or affiliated entities (including the fund’s principal underwriter).

5 All of the trustees and/or officers listed are officers and/or directors/trustees of one or more of the other funds for which Capital Research and Management Company serves as investment adviser.

The address for all trustees and officers of the fund is 333 South Hope Street, 55th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90071, Attention: Secretary.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 22


 
 

 

 

Fund shares owned by trustees as of December 31, 2016:

         
Name Dollar range1
of fund
shares owned
Aggregate
dollar range1
of shares
owned in
all funds
in the
American Funds
family overseen
by trustee
Dollar
range1,2 of
independent
trustees
deferred compensation3 allocated
to fund
Aggregate
dollar
range1,2 of
independent
trustees
deferred
compensation3 allocated to
all funds
within
American Funds
family overseen
by trustee
Independent trustees
William H. Baribault None Over $100,000 N/A $50,001 – $100,000
James G. Ellis None Over $100,000 N/A N/A
Leonard R. Fuller None $10,001 – $50,000 N/A Over $100,000
Mary Davis Holt4 N/A Over $100,000 N/A N/A
R. Clark Hooper None Over $100,000 N/A Over $100,000
Merit E. Janow None Over $100,000 N/A N/A
Laurel B. Mitchell $1 – $10,000 Over $100,000 N/A $50,001 – $100,000
Frank M. Sanchez None $1 – $10,000 N/A N/A
Margaret Spellings None Over $100,000 N/A Over $100,000
     
Name Dollar range1
of fund
shares owned
Aggregate
dollar range1
of shares
owned in
all funds
in the
American Funds
family overseen
by trustee
Interested trustees
John H. Smet Over $100,000 Over $100,000
Michael C. Gitlin Over $100,000 Over $100,000

1 Ownership disclosure is made using the following ranges: None; $1 – $10,000; $10,001 – $50,000; $50,001 – $100,000; and Over $100,000. The amounts listed for interested trustees include shares owned through The Capital Group Companies, Inc. retirement plan and 401(k) plan.

2 N/A indicates that the listed individual, as of December 31, 2016, was not a trustee of a particular fund, did not allocate deferred compensation to the fund or did not participate in the deferred compensation plan.

3 Eligible trustees may defer their compensation under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan. Amounts deferred by the trustee accumulate at an earnings rate determined by the total return of one or more American Funds as designated by the trustee.

4  Ms. Holt was elected to the board effective June 8, 2017.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 23


 
 

 

 

Trustee compensation — No compensation is paid by the fund to any officer or trustee who is a director, officer or employee of the investment adviser or its affiliates. Except for the independent trustees listed in the “Board of trustees and officers — Independent trustees” table under the “Management of the fund” section in this statement of additional information, all other officers and trustees of the fund are directors, officers or employees of the investment adviser or its affiliates. The boards of funds advised by the investment adviser typically meet either individually or jointly with the boards of one or more other such funds with substantially overlapping board membership (in each case referred to as a “board cluster”). The fund typically pays each independent trustee an annual fee, which ranges from $2,290 to $4,548, based primarily on the total number of board clusters on which that independent trustee serves.

In addition, the fund generally pays independent trustees attendance and other fees for meetings of the board and its committees. Board and committee chairs receive additional fees for their services.

Independent trustees also receive attendance fees for certain special joint meetings and information sessions with directors and trustees of other groupings of funds advised by the investment adviser. The fund and the other funds served by each independent trustee each pay an equal portion of these attendance fees.

No pension or retirement benefits are accrued as part of fund expenses. Independent trustees may elect, on a voluntary basis, to defer all or a portion of their fees through a deferred compensation plan in effect for the fund. The fund also reimburses certain expenses of the independent trustees.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 24


 
 

 

 

Trustee compensation earned during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017:

     
Name Aggregate compensation
(including voluntarily
deferred compensation1)
from the fund
Total compensation (including
voluntarily deferred
compensation1)
from all funds managed by
Capital Research and
Management
Company or its affiliates
William H. Baribault $5,928 $389,099
James G. Ellis 5,898 392,438
Leonard R. Fuller2 5,707 385,600
Mary Davis Holt3 254 174,959
R. Clark Hooper 6,880 493,687
Merit E. Janow 5,593 407,599
Laurel B. Mitchell2 7,696 300,662
Frank M. Sanchez 6,936 272,162
Margaret Spellings2 4,853 428,212

Amounts may be deferred by eligible trustees under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan adopted by the fund in 1993. Deferred amounts accumulate at an earnings rate determined by the total return of one or more American Funds as designated by the trustees. Compensation shown in this table for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 does not include earnings on amounts deferred in previous fiscal years. See footnote 2 to this table for more information.

2  Since the deferred compensation plan’s adoption, the total amount of deferred compensation accrued by the fund (plus earnings thereon) through the end of the 2017 fiscal year for participating trustees is as follows: Leonard R. Fuller ($91,831), Laurel B. Mitchell ($4,443) and Margaret Spellings ($7,872).Amounts deferred and accumulated earnings thereon are not funded and are general unsecured liabilities of the fund until paid to the trustees.

3  Ms. Holt was elected to the board effective June 8, 2017.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 25


 
 

 

 

Fund organization and the board of trustees — The fund, an open-end, diversified management investment company, was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on May 8, 1985, and reorganized as a Delaware statutory trust on November 1, 2010. All fund operations are supervised by the fund’s board of trustees which meets periodically and performs duties required by applicable state and federal laws.

Delaware law charges trustees with the duty of managing the business affairs of the trust. Trustees are considered to be fiduciaries of the trust and owe duties of care and loyalty to the trust and its shareholders.

Independent board members are paid certain fees for services rendered to the fund as described above. They may elect to defer all or a portion of these fees through a deferred compensation plan in effect for the fund.

The fund has several different classes of shares. Shares of each class represent an interest in the same investment portfolio. Each class has pro rata rights as to voting, redemption, dividends and liquidation, except that each class bears different distribution expenses and may bear different transfer agent fees and other expenses properly attributable to the particular class as approved by the board of trustees and set forth in the fund’s rule 18f-3 Plan. Each class’ shareholders have exclusive voting rights with respect to the respective class’ rule 12b-1 plans adopted in connection with the distribution of shares and on other matters in which the interests of one class are different from interests in another class. Shares of all classes of the fund vote together on matters that affect all classes in substantially the same manner. Each class votes as a class on matters that affect that class alone. Note that 529 college savings plan account owners invested in Class 529 shares are not shareholders of the fund and, accordingly, do not have the rights of a shareholder, such as the right to vote proxies relating to fund shares. As the legal owner of the fund’s Class 529 shares, Virginia College Savings PlanSM (Virginia529SM) will vote any proxies relating to the fund’s Class 529 shares. In addition, the trustees have the authority to establish new series and classes of shares, and to split or combine outstanding shares into a greater or lesser number, without shareholder approval.

The fund does not hold annual meetings of shareholders. However, significant matters that require shareholder approval, such as certain elections of board members or a change in a fundamental investment policy, will be presented to shareholders at a meeting called for such purpose. Shareholders have one vote per share owned.

The fund’s declaration of trust and by-laws, as well as separate indemnification agreements with independent trustees, provide in effect that, subject to certain conditions, the fund will indemnify its officers and trustees against liabilities or expenses actually and reasonably incurred by them relating to their service to the fund. However, trustees are not protected from liability by reason of their willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their office.

Removal of trustees by shareholders — At any meeting of shareholders, duly called and at which a quorum is present, shareholders may, by the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast, remove any trustee from office and may elect a successor or successors to fill any resulting vacancies for the unexpired terms of removed trustees. In addition, the trustees of the fund will promptly call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the removal of any trustees when requested in writing to do so by the record holders of at least 10% of the outstanding shares.

Leadership structure — The board’s chair is currently an independent trustee who is not an “interested person” of the fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The board has determined that an independent chair facilitates oversight and enhances the effectiveness of the board. The independent chair’s duties include, without limitation, generally presiding at meetings of the board, approving

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 26


 
 

 

board meeting schedules and agendas, leading meetings of the independent trustees in executive session, facilitating communication with committee chairs, and serving as the principal independent trustee contact for fund management and counsel to the independent trustees and the fund.

Risk oversight — Day-to-day management of the fund, including risk management, is the responsibility of the fund’s contractual service providers, including the fund’s investment adviser, principal underwriter/distributor and transfer agent. Each of these entities is responsible for specific portions of the fund’s operations, including the processes and associated risks relating to the fund’s investments, integrity of cash movements, financial reporting, operations and compliance. The board of trustees oversees the service providers’ discharge of their responsibilities, including the processes they use to manage relevant risks. In that regard, the board receives reports regarding the operations of the fund’s service providers, including risks. For example, the board receives reports from investment professionals regarding risks related to the fund’s investments and trading. The board also receives compliance reports from the fund’s and the investment adviser’s chief compliance officers addressing certain areas of risk.

Committees of the fund’s board, which are comprised of independent board members, none of whom is an “interested person” of the fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act, as well as joint committees of independent board members of funds managed by Capital Research and Management Company, also explore risk management procedures in particular areas and then report back to the full board. For example, the fund’s audit committee oversees the processes and certain attendant risks relating to financial reporting, valuation of fund assets, and related controls. Similarly, a joint review and advisory committee oversees certain risk controls relating to the fund’s transfer agency services.

Not all risks that may affect the fund can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their effect. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the fund’s objectives. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the ability of the fund’s service providers to eliminate or mitigate risks is subject to limitations.

Committees of the board of trustees — The fund has an audit committee comprised of Leonard R. Fuller, Mary Davis Holt, Laurel B. Mitchell and Frank M. Sanchez. The committee provides oversight regarding the fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, its internal controls and the internal controls of the fund’s principal service providers. The committee acts as a liaison between the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and the full board of trustees. The audit committee held five meetings during the 2017 fiscal year.

The fund has a contracts committee comprised of all of its independent board members. The committee’s principal function is to request, review and consider the information deemed necessary to evaluate the terms of certain agreements between the fund and its investment adviser or the investment adviser’s affiliates, such as the Investment Advisory and Service Agreement, Principal Underwriting Agreement, Administrative Services Agreement and Plans of Distribution adopted pursuant to rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, that the fund may enter into, renew or continue, and to make its recommendations to the full board of trustees on these matters. The contracts committee held one meeting during the 2017 fiscal year.

The fund has a nominating and governance committee comprised of William H. Baribault, James G. Ellis, R. Clark Hooper, Merit E. Janow, and Margaret Spellings. The committee periodically reviews such issues as the board’s composition, responsibilities, committees, compensation and other relevant issues, and recommends any appropriate changes to the full board of trustees. The committee also evaluates, selects and nominates independent trustee candidates to the full board of trustees. While the committee normally is able to identify from its own and other resources an ample number of qualified candidates, it will consider shareholder suggestions of persons to be considered as nominees to fill future vacancies on the board. Such suggestions must be sent in writing to the

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 27


 
 

 

nominating and governance committee of the fund, addressed to the fund’s secretary, and must be accompanied by complete biographical and occupational data on the prospective nominee, along with a written consent of the prospective nominee for consideration of his or her name by the committee. The nominating and governance committee held two meetings during the 2017 fiscal year.

The independent board members of the fund have oversight responsibility for the fund and certain other funds managed by the investment adviser. As part of their oversight responsibility for these funds, each independent board member sits on one of three fund review committees comprised solely of independent board members. The three committees are divided by portfolio type. Each committee functions independently and is not a decision making body. The purpose of the committees is to assist the board of each fund in the oversight of the investment management services provided by the investment adviser. In addition to regularly monitoring and reviewing investment results, investment activities and strategies used to manage the fund’s assets, the committees also receive reports from the investment adviser’s Principal Investment Officers for the funds, portfolio managers and other investment personnel concerning efforts to achieve the fund’s investment objectives. Each committee reports to the full board of the fund.

Proxy voting procedures and principles — The fund’s investment adviser, in consultation with the fund’s board, has adopted Proxy Voting Procedures and Principles (the “Principles”) with respect to voting proxies of securities held by the fund, other American Funds and American Funds Insurance Series. The complete text of these principles is available on the American Funds website at americanfunds.com. Proxies are voted by a committee of the appropriate equity investment division of the investment adviser under authority delegated by the funds’ boards. Therefore, if more than one fund invests in the same company, they may vote differently on the same proposal.

The Principles, which have been in effect in substantially their current form for many years, provide an important framework for analysis and decision-making by all funds. However, they are not exhaustive and do not address all potential issues. The Principles provide a certain amount of flexibility so that all relevant facts and circumstances can be considered in connection with every vote. As a result, each proxy received is voted on a case-by-case basis considering the specific circumstances of each proposal. The voting process reflects the funds’ understanding of the company’s business, its management and its relationship with shareholders over time.

The investment adviser seeks to vote all U.S. proxies; however, in certain circumstances it may be impracticable or impossible to do so. Proxies for companies outside the U.S. also are voted, provided there is sufficient time and information available. After a proxy statement is received, the investment adviser prepares a summary of the proposals contained in the proxy statement. A notation of any potential conflicts of interest also is included in the summary (see below for a description of Capital Research and Management Company’s special review procedures).

For proxies of securities managed by a particular investment division of the investment adviser, the initial voting recommendation is made by one or more of the division’s investment analysts familiar with the company and industry. A second recommendation is made by a proxy coordinator (an investment analyst or other individual with experience in corporate governance and proxy voting matters) within the appropriate investment division, based on knowledge of these Principles and familiarity with proxy-related issues. The proxy summary and voting recommendations are made available to the appropriate proxy voting committee for a final voting decision.

In addition to its proprietary proxy voting, governance and executive compensation research, Capital Research and Management Company may utilize research provided by Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass-Lewis & Co. or other third-party advisory firms on a case-by-case basis. It does not, as a policy, follow the voting recommendations provided by these firms. It periodically assesses the

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 28


 
 

 

information provided by the advisory firms and reports to the Joint Proxy Committee of the American Funds (“JPC”), as appropriate.

The JPC is composed of independent board members from each American Funds board. The JPC’s role is to facilitate appropriate oversight of the proxy voting process and provide valuable input on corporate governance and related matters. Members of the JPC also may be called upon to resolve voting conflicts involving funds co-managed by the investment adviser’s equity investment divisions and vote proxies when necessary as a result of regulatory requirements (see below for more information).

From time to time the investment adviser may vote proxies issued by, or on proposals sponsored or publicly supported by (a) a client with substantial assets managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates, (b) an entity with a significant business relationship with the American Funds organization, or (c) a company with a director of an American Fund on its board (each referred to as an “Interested Party”). Other persons or entities may also be deemed an Interested Party if facts or circumstances appear to give rise to a potential conflict. The investment adviser analyzes these proxies and proposals on their merits and does not consider these relationships when casting its vote.

The investment adviser has developed procedures to identify and address instances where a vote could appear to be influenced by such a relationship. Under the procedures, prior to a final vote being cast by the investment adviser, the relevant proxy committees’ voting results for proxies issued by Interested Parties are reviewed by a Special Review Committee (“SRC”) of the investment division voting the proxy if the vote was in favor of the Interested Party.

If a potential conflict is identified according to the procedure above, the SRC will be provided with a summary of any relevant communications with the Interested Party, the rationale for the voting decision, information on the organization’s relationship with the party and any other pertinent information. The SRC will evaluate the information and determine whether the decision was in the best interest of fund shareholders. It will then accept or override the voting decision or determine alternative action. The SRC includes senior investment professionals and legal and compliance professionals.

In cases where a fund is co-managed and a portfolio company is held by more than one of the investment adviser’s equity investment divisions, voting ties are resolved by one of the following methods. First, for those funds that have delegated tie-breaking authority to the investment adviser, the outcome will be determined by the equity investment division or divisions with the larger position in the portfolio company as of the record date for the shareholder meeting. For the remaining funds, members of the JPC representing those funds will determine the outcome based on a review of the same information provided to the relevant investment analysts, proxy coordinators and proxy committee members.

Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 of each year will be available on or about September 1 of each year (a) without charge, upon request by calling American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225, (b) on the American Funds website and (c) on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

The following summary sets forth the general positions of the American Funds, American Funds Insurance Series and the investment adviser on various proposals. A copy of the full Principles is available upon request, free of charge, by calling American Funds Service Company or visiting the American Funds website.

Director matters — The election of a company’s slate of nominees for director generally is supported. Votes may be withheld for some or all of the nominees if this is determined to be in

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 29


 
 

 

the best interest of shareholders or if, in the opinion of the investment adviser, such nominee has not fulfilled his or her fiduciary duty. Separation of the chairman and CEO positions also may be supported.

Governance provisions — Typically, proposals to declassify a board (elect all directors annually) are supported based on the belief that this increases the directors’ sense of accountability to shareholders. Proposals for cumulative voting generally are supported in order to promote management and board accountability and an opportunity for leadership change. Proposals designed to make director elections more meaningful, either by requiring a majority vote or by requiring any director receiving more withhold votes than affirmative votes to tender his or her resignation, generally are supported.

Shareholder rights — Proposals to repeal an existing poison pill generally are supported. (There may be certain circumstances, however, when a proxy voting committee of a fund or an investment division of the investment adviser believes that a company needs to maintain anti-takeover protection.) Proposals to eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent or to take away a shareholder’s right to call a special meeting typically are not supported.

Compensation and benefit plans — Option plans are complicated, and many factors are considered in evaluating a plan. Each plan is evaluated based on protecting shareholder interests and a knowledge of the company and its management. Considerations include the pricing (or repricing) of options awarded under the plan and the impact of dilution on existing shareholders from past and future equity awards. Compensation packages should be structured to attract, motivate and retain existing employees and qualified directors; however, they should not be excessive.

Routine matters — The ratification of auditors, procedural matters relating to the annual meeting and changes to company name are examples of items considered routine. Such items generally are voted in favor of management’s recommendations unless circumstances indicate otherwise.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 30


 
 

 

 

Principal fund shareholders — The following table identifies those investors who own of record, or are known by the fund to own beneficially, 5% or more of any class of its shares as of the opening of business on October 1, 2017. Unless otherwise indicated, the ownership percentages below represent ownership of record rather than beneficial ownership.

       
Name and address Ownership Ownership percentage
Edward D. Jones & Co.
Omnibus Account
Saint Louis, MO
Record

Class A

Class C

Class F-3

Class 529-A

23.72%

5.99

48.32

8.37

Pershing, LLC

Custody Account

Jersey City, NJ

Record

Class A

Class C

Class F-1

Class F-2

7.06

8.95

5.65

16.14

Raymond James

Omnibus Account

St. Petersburg, FL

Record

Class C

Class 529-C

10.80

6.12

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Custody Account

San Francisco, CA

Record

Class F-1

Class F-2

Class F-3

55.98

5.98

5.49

National Financial Services, LLC

Omnibus Account

Jersey City, NJ

Record

Class F-1

Class F-2

Class F-3

7.66

14.42

11.77

Stifel Nicolaus & Co., Inc.

Omnibus Account

Saint Louis, MO

Record Class F-2 31.08

Merrill Lynch

Omnibus Account

Jacksonville, FL

Record

Class F-2

Class R-5

6.53

23.09

UBS WM USA

Custody Account

Weehawken, NJ

Record Class F-2 5.70

Capital Group Private Client Services Account #1

Irvine, CA

Record Class F-3 23.20

Capital Group Private Client Services Account #2

Irvine, CA

Record Class F-3 5.80

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

Omnibus Account

Jersey City, NJ

Record Class 529-C 7.26

VCSP/CollegeAmerica

Individual Investor

Los Angeles, CA

Record

Beneficial

Class 529-E 15.93

ABC Rail Products Corporation

Medical Plan

Phoenix, AZ

Record

Beneficial

Class R-1 12.14

Simply Structural, Inc.

401K Plan

Denver, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-1 5.29

Kadar Orthodontics

Retirement Plan

Haddonfield, NJ

Record

Beneficial

Class R-1 5.06

Travel Store, Inc.

401K Plan

Englewood, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 12.77

Mashl Studs & Drywall, Inc.

401K Plan

Greenwood Village, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 7.75

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 31


 
 

 

       
Name and address Ownership Ownership percentage

Evans Manufacturing, Inc.

401K Plan

Greenwood Village, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 6.48

Louis Auto Glass, Inc.

401K Plan

Englewood, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 5.67

Syracuse Time & Alarm Co., Inc.

Retirement Plan

Greenwood Village, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 5.31

Guiding Hands School, Inc.

401K Plan

Englewood, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 5.15

Underwood Engineering, Inc.

401K Plan

Greenwood Village, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-2E 5.05

John Hancock Life Insurance Co. USA

Omnibus Account

Boston, MA

Record Class R-4 32.66

Trader Joe’s Company

Retirement Plan

Englewood, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-4 6.97

Ergon

401K Plan

Englewood, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-5 13.38

Great-West Trust Co, LLC

Retirement Plan

Greenwood Village, CO

Record

Beneficial

Class R-5 6.93

Capital Research and Management Company

Corporate Account

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-5E 66.37

401K Plan

Greenwood Village, CO

Beneficial Class R-5E 33.63

American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-6 17.24

American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-6 13.71

American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-6 11.56

American Funds Income Portfolio

Irvine, CA

Record Class R-6 11.27

American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-6 10.27

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 32


 
 

 

       
Name and address Ownership Ownership percentage

American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-6 7.85

American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund

Los Angeles, CA

Record Class R-6 5.22

Because Class T and Class 529-T shares are not currently offered to the public, Capital Research and Management Company, the fund’s investment adviser, owns 100% of the fund‘s outstanding Class T and Class 529-T shares.

As of October 1, 2017, the officers and trustees of the fund, as a group, owned beneficially or of record less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the fund.

Unless otherwise noted, references in this statement of additional information to Class F shares, Class R shares or Class 529 shares refer to all F share classes, all R share classes or all 529 share classes, respectively.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 33


 
 

 

 

Investment adviser — Capital Research and Management Company, the fund’s investment adviser, founded in 1931, maintains research facilities in the United States and abroad (Beijing, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.). These facilities are staffed with experienced investment professionals. The investment adviser is located at 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Capital Group Companies, Inc., a holding company for several investment management subsidiaries. Capital Research and Management Company manages equity assets through three equity investment divisions and fixed-income assets through its fixed-income investment division, Capital Fixed Income Investors. The three equity investment divisions — Capital World Investors, Capital Research Global Investors and Capital International Investors — make investment decisions independently of one another. Portfolio managers in Capital International Investors rely on a research team that also provides investment services to institutional clients and other accounts advised by affiliates of Capital Research and Management Company. The investment adviser, which is deemed under the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”) to be the operator of the fund, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the CEA with respect to the fund and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA with respect to the fund.

The investment adviser has adopted policies and procedures that address issues that may arise as a result of an investment professional’s management of the fund and other funds and accounts. Potential issues could involve allocation of investment opportunities and trades among funds and accounts, use of information regarding the timing of fund trades, investment professional compensation and voting relating to portfolio securities. The investment adviser believes that its policies and procedures are reasonably designed to address these issues.

Compensation of investment professionals — As described in the prospectus, the investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing fund assets. In addition, Capital Research and Management Company’s investment analysts may make investment decisions with respect to a portion of a fund’s portfolio within their research coverage.

Portfolio managers and investment analysts are paid competitive salaries by Capital Research and Management Company. In addition, they may receive bonuses based on their individual portfolio results. Investment professionals also may participate in profit-sharing plans. The relative mix of compensation represented by bonuses, salary and profit-sharing plans will vary depending on the individual’s portfolio results, contributions to the organization and other factors.

To encourage a long-term focus, bonuses based on investment results are calculated by comparing pretax total investment returns to relevant benchmarks over the most recent one-, three-, five- and eight-year periods, with increasing weight placed on each succeeding measurement period. For portfolio managers, benchmarks may include measures of the marketplaces in which the fund invests and measures of the results of comparable mutual funds. For investment analysts, benchmarks may include relevant market measures and appropriate industry or sector indexes reflecting their areas of expertise. Capital Research and Management Company makes periodic subjective assessments of analysts’ contributions to the investment process and this is an element of their overall compensation. The investment results of each of the fund’s portfolio managers may be measured against one or more benchmarks, depending on his or her investment focus, such as: a custom average consisting of one share class per fund of general U.S. government funds that disclose investment objectives and strategies comparable to those of the fund and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage-Backed Securities Index. From time to time, Capital Research and Management Company may adjust or customize these benchmarks to better reflect the universe of comparably managed funds of competitive investment management firms.

Portfolio manager fund holdings and other managed accounts — As described below, portfolio managers may personally own shares of the fund. In addition, portfolio managers may manage

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 34


 
 

 

portions of other mutual funds or accounts advised by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates.

The following table reflects information as of August 31, 2017:

           
Portfolio
manager
Dollar range
of fund
shares
owned1
Number
of other
registered
investment
companies (RICs)
for which
portfolio
manager
is a manager
(assets of RICs
in billions)2
Number
of other
pooled
investment
vehicles (PIVs)
for which
portfolio
manager
is a manager
(assets of PIVs
in billions)2
Number
of other
accounts
for which
portfolio
manager
is a manager
(assets of
other accounts
in billions)2,3
Fergus N. MacDonald Over $1,000,000 6 $164.0 None None
David J. Betanzos $100,001 – $500,000 5 $43.1 None None
Ritchie Tuazon $100,001 – $500,000 4 $12.6 None None

Ownership disclosure is made using the following ranges: None; $1 – $10,000; $10,001 – $50,000; $50,001 – $100,000; $100,001 – $500,000; $500,001 – $1,000,000; and Over $1,000,000. The amounts listed include shares owned through The Capital Group Companies, Inc. retirement plan and 401(k) plan.

Indicates other RIC(s), PIV(s) or other accounts managed by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates for which the portfolio manager also has significant day to day management responsibilities. Assets noted are the total net assets of the RIC(s), PIV(s) or other accounts and are not the total assets managed by the individual, which is a substantially lower amount. No RIC, PIV or other account has an advisory fee that is based on the performance of the RIC, PIV or other account, unless otherwise noted.

Personal brokerage accounts of portfolio managers and their families are not reflected.

The fund’s investment adviser has adopted policies and procedures to mitigate material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with a portfolio manager’s management of the fund, on the one hand, and investments in the other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts, on the other hand, such as material conflicts relating to the allocation of investment opportunities that may be suitable for both the fund and such other accounts.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 35


 
 

 

 

Investment Advisory and Service Agreement — The Investment Advisory and Service Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the fund and the investment adviser will continue in effect until April 30, 2018, unless sooner terminated, and may be renewed from year to year thereafter, provided that any such renewal has been specifically approved at least annually by (a) the board of trustees, or by the vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the fund, and (b) the vote of a majority of trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Agreement provides that the investment adviser has no liability to the fund for its acts or omissions in the performance of its obligations to the fund not involving willful misconduct, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations under the Agreement. The Agreement also provides that either party has the right to terminate it, without penalty, upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party, and that the Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). In addition, the Agreement provides that the investment adviser may delegate all, or a portion of, its investment management responsibilities to one or more subsidiary advisers approved by the fund’s board, pursuant to an agreement between the investment adviser and such subsidiary. Any such subsidiary adviser will be paid solely by the investment adviser out of its fees.

In addition to providing investment advisory services, the investment adviser furnishes the services and pays the compensation and travel expenses of persons to perform the fund’s executive, administrative, clerical and bookkeeping functions, and provides suitable office space, necessary small office equipment and utilities, general purpose accounting forms, supplies and postage used at the fund’s offices. The fund pays all expenses not assumed by the investment adviser, including, but not limited to: custodian, stock transfer and dividend disbursing fees and expenses; shareholder recordkeeping and administrative expenses; costs of the designing, printing and mailing of reports, prospectuses, proxy statements and notices to its shareholders; taxes; expenses of the issuance and redemption of fund shares (including stock certificates, registration and qualification fees and expenses); expenses pursuant to the fund’s plans of distribution (described below); legal and auditing expenses; compensation, fees and expenses paid to independent trustees; association dues; costs of stationery and forms prepared exclusively for the fund; and costs of assembling and storing shareholder account data.

The investment adviser is currently reimbursing a portion of the expenses of Class R-5E shares of the fund. This reimbursement will be in effect through at least November 1, 2018. The adviser may elect at its discretion to extend, modify or terminate the reimbursement at that time. For each of the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017 and 2016, the total expenses reimbursed by the investment adviser were less than $1,000.

The management fee is based upon the daily net assets of the fund and monthly gross investment income. Gross investment income is determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and does not include gains or losses from sales of capital assets.

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The management fee is based on the following annualized rates and daily net asset levels:

     
Rate Net asset level
In excess of Up to
0.30% $ 0 $ 60,000,000
0.21 60,000,000 1,000,000,000
0.18 1,000,000,000 3,000,000,000
0.15 3,000,000,000 10,000,000,000
0.14 10,000,000,000  

The Agreement also provides for fees based on monthly gross investment income at the following annualized rates:

     
Rate Monthly gross investment income
In excess of Up to
3.00% $ 0 $3,333,333
2.25 3,333,333 8,333,333
2.00 8,333,333  

For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the investment adviser earned from the fund management fees of $18,768,000, $15,693,000 and $13,436,000, respectively.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 37


 
 

 

 

Administrative services — The investment adviser and its affiliates provide certain administrative services for shareholders of the fund’s Class A, C, T, F, R and 529 shares. Services include, but are not limited to, coordinating, monitoring, assisting and overseeing third parties that provide services to fund shareholders.

These services are provided pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement (the “Administrative Agreement”) between the fund and the investment adviser relating to the fund’s Class A, C, T, F, R and 529 shares. The Administrative Agreement will continue in effect until April 30, 2018, unless sooner renewed or terminated, and may be renewed from year to year thereafter, provided that any such renewal has been specifically approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of the members of the fund’s board who are not parties to the Administrative Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The fund may terminate the Administrative Agreement at any time by vote of a majority of independent board members. The investment adviser has the right to terminate the Administrative Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice to the fund. The Administrative Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Under the Administrative Agreement, the investment adviser receives an administrative services fee at the annual rate of .01% of the average daily net assets of the fund attributable to Class A shares and .05% of the average daily net assets of the fund attributable to Class C, T, F, R and 529 shares for administrative services. Administrative services fees are paid monthly and accrued daily.

During the 2017 fiscal year, administrative services fees were:

   
  Administrative services fee
Class A $ 285,000
Class C 140,000
Class T —*
Class F-1 114,000
Class F-2 137,000
Class F-3 18,000
Class 529-A 69,000
Class 529-C 26,000
Class 529-E 4,000
Class 529-T —*
Class 529-F-1 7,000
Class R-1 5,000
Class R-2 63,000
Class R-2E 1,000
Class R-3 76,000
Class R-4 128,000
Class R-5E —*
Class R-5 30,000
Class R-6 2,350,000

* Amount less than $1,000.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 38


 
 

 

 

Principal Underwriter and plans of distribution — American Funds Distributors, Inc. (the “Principal Underwriter”) is the principal underwriter of the fund’s shares. The Principal Underwriter is located at 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071; 6455 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618; 3500 Wiseman Boulevard, San Antonio, TX 78251; and 12811 North Meridian Street, Carmel, IN 46032.

The Principal Underwriter receives revenues relating to sales of the fund’s shares, as follows:

· For Class A and 529-A shares, the Principal Underwriter receives commission revenue consisting of the balance of the Class A and 529-A sales charge remaining after the allowances by the Principal Underwriter to investment dealers.

· For Class C and 529-C shares, the Principal Underwriter receives any contingent deferred sales charges that apply during the first year after purchase.

In addition, the fund reimburses the Principal Underwriter for advancing immediate service fees to qualified dealers and advisors upon the sale of Class C and 529-C shares. The fund also reimburses the Principal Underwriter for service fees (and, in the case of Class 529-E shares, commissions) paid on a quarterly basis to intermediaries, such as qualified dealers or financial advisors, in connection with investments in Class T, F-1, 529-E, 529-T, 529-F-1, R-1, R-2, R-2E, R-3 and R-4 shares.

Commissions, revenue or service fees retained by the Principal Underwriter after allowances or compensation to dealers were:

       
  Fiscal year Commissions,
revenue
or fees retained
Allowance or
compensation
to dealers
Class A 2017 $ 997,000 $3,852,000
  2016 1,368,000 5,253,000
  2015 916,000 3,474,000
Class C 2017 240,000 364,000
  2016 811,000
  2015 409,000
Class 529-A 2017 37,000 135,000
  2016 45,000 151,000
  2015 35,000 129,000
Class 529-C 2017 1,000 3,000
  2016 49,000
  2015 139 37,000

Plans of distribution — The fund has adopted plans of distribution (the “Plans”) pursuant to rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plans permit the fund to expend amounts to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of fund shares, provided the fund’s board of trustees has approved the category of expenses for which payment is being made.

Each Plan is specific to a particular share class of the fund. As the fund has not adopted a Plan for Class F-2, F-3, R-5E, R-5 or R-6, no 12b-1 fees are paid from Class F-2, F-3, R-5E, R-5 or R-6 share assets and the following disclosure is not applicable to these share classes.

Payments under the Plans may be made for service-related and/or distribution-related expenses. Service-related expenses include paying service fees to qualified dealers. Distribution-related expenses include commissions paid to qualified dealers. The amounts actually paid under the Plans for the past fiscal year, expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the applicable share class, are disclosed in the prospectus under “Fees and expenses of the fund.” Further

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 39


 
 

 

information regarding the amounts available under each Plan is in the “Plans of Distribution” section of the prospectus.

Following is a brief description of the Plans:

Class A and 529-A — For Class A and 529-A shares, up to .25% of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such shares is reimbursed to the Principal Underwriter for paying service-related expenses, and the balance available under the applicable Plan may be paid to the Principal Underwriter for distribution-related expenses. The fund may annually expend up to .30% for Class A shares and up to .50% for Class 529-A shares under the applicable Plan; however, for Class 529-A shares, the board of trustees has approved payments to the Principal Underwriter of up to .30% of the fund’s average daily net assets, in the aggregate, for paying service- and distribution-related expenses.

Distribution-related expenses for Class A and 529-A shares include dealer commissions and wholesaler compensation paid on sales of shares of $1 million or more purchased without a sales charge. Commissions on these “no load” purchases (which are described in further detail under the “Sales Charges” section of this statement of additional information) in excess of the Class A and 529-A Plan limitations and not reimbursed to the Principal Underwriter during the most recent fiscal quarter are recoverable for 15 months, provided that the reimbursement of such commissions does not cause the fund to exceed the annual expense limit. After 15 months, these commissions are not recoverable.

Class T and 529-T — For Class T and 529-T shares, the fund may annually expend up to .50% under the applicable Plan; however, the fund’s board of trustees has approved payments to the Principal Underwriter of up to .25% of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T and 529-T shares for paying service-related expenses.

Other share classes — The Plans for each of the other share classes that have adopted Plans provide for payments to the Principal Underwriter for paying service-related and distribution-related expenses of up to the following amounts of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such shares:

       
Share class Service
related
payments1
Distribution
related
payments1
Total
allowable
under
the Plans2
Class C 0.25% 0.75% 1.00%
Class F-1 0.25 0.50
Class 529-C 0.25 0.75 1.00
Class 529-E 0.25 0.25 0.75
Class 529-F-1 0.25 0.50
Class R-1 0.25 0.75 1.00
Class R-2 0.25 0.50 1.00
Class R-2E 0.25 0.35 0.85
Class R-3 0.25 0.25 0.75
Class R-4 0.25 0.50

Amounts in these columns represent the amounts approved by the board of trustees under the applicable Plan.

The fund may annually expend the amounts set forth in this column under the current Plans with the approval of the board of trustees.

Payment of service fees — For purchases of less than $1 million, payment of service fees to investment dealers generally begins accruing immediately after establishment of an account in Class A, C, 529-A or 529-C shares. For purchases of $1 million or more, payment of service fees to investment dealers

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 40


 
 

 

generally begins accruing 12 months after establishment of an account in Class A or 529-A shares. Service fees are not paid on certain investments made at net asset value including accounts established by registered representatives and their family members as described in the “Sales charges” section of the prospectus.

During the 2017 fiscal year, 12b-1 expenses accrued and paid, and if applicable, unpaid, were:

     
  12b-1 expenses 12b-1 unpaid liability
outstanding
Class A $7,081,000 $921,000
Class C 2,783,000 421,000
Class T
Class F-1 568,000 63,000
Class 529-A 303,000 52,000
Class 529-C 509,000 107,000
Class 529-E 45,000 10,000
Class 529-T
Class 529-F-1
Class R-1 100,000 21,000
Class R-2 930,000 171,000
Class R-2E 16,000 5,000
Class R-3 755,000 154,000
Class R-4 639,000 145,000

Approval of the Plans — As required by rule 12b-1 and the 1940 Act, the Plans (together with the Principal Underwriting Agreement) have been approved by the full board of trustees and separately by a majority of the independent trustees of the fund who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans or the Principal Underwriting Agreement. In addition, the selection and nomination of independent trustees of the fund are committed to the discretion of the independent trustees during the existence of the Plans.

Potential benefits of the Plans to the fund and its shareholders include enabling shareholders to obtain advice and other services from a financial advisor at a reasonable cost, the likelihood that the Plans will stimulate sales of the fund benefiting the investment process through growth or stability of assets and the ability of shareholders to choose among various alternatives in paying for sales and service. The Plans may not be amended to materially increase the amount spent for distribution without shareholder approval. Plan expenses are reviewed quarterly by the board of trustees and the Plans must be renewed annually by the board of trustees.

A portion of the fund’s 12b-1 expense is paid to financial advisors to compensate them for providing ongoing services. If you have questions regarding your investment in the fund or need assistance with your account, please contact your financial advisor. If you need a financial advisor, please call American Funds Distributors at (800) 421-4120 for assistance.

Fee to Virginia529 — With respect to Class 529 shares, as compensation for its oversight and administration, Virginia529 receives a quarterly fee accrued daily and calculated at the annual rate of .10% on the first $20 billion of the net assets invested in Class 529 shares of the American Funds, .05% on net assets between $20 billion and $100 billion and .03% on net assets over $100 billion. The fee for any given calendar quarter is accrued and calculated on the basis of average net assets of Class 529 shares of the American Funds for the last month of the prior calendar quarter.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 41


 
 

 

 

Other compensation to dealers — As of July 2017, the top dealers (or their affiliates) that American Funds Distributors anticipates will receive additional compensation (as described in the prospectus) include:

Advisor Group

AIG Capital Services Inc

FSC Securities Corporation

Royal Alliance Associates, Inc.

SagePoint Financial, Inc.

Woodbury Financial Services, Inc.

American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc.

American Portfolios Advisors, Inc

American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc.

AXA Advisors, LLC

Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.

Cambridge

Cambridge Advisors LLC

Cambridge Advisors, Inc.

Cambridge Appleton Trust

Cambridge Associates, LLC (USA)

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

Cambridge Southern Financial Advisors

Cambridge Wealth Management

Cetera Financial Group

Cetera Advisor Networks LLC

Cetera Advisors LLC

Cetera Financial Specialists LLC

Cetera Investment Advisers LLC

Cetera Investment Services LLC

CIMAS, LLC

First Allied Securities Inc

Girard Securities, Inc.

Investors Capital Corp.

J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C.

Summit Brokerage Services, Inc.

VSR Financial Services, Inc.

Commonwealth

Commonwealth Advisory Group, LTD

Commonwealth Bank and Trust Company

Commonwealth Financial Advisors, LLC

Commonwealth Financial Network

D.A. Davidson & Co.

Edward Jones

Fidelity Investments

Hefren-Tillotson, Inc.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 42


 
 

 

HTK / Janney Montgomery Group

Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

J.J.B. Hilliard Lyons

Hilliard Lyons Trust Company LLC

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

John Hancock

Signator Investors, Inc.

J.P. Morgan Chase Banc One

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Kestra Securities

Kestra Advisory Services LLC

Kestra Investment Services LLC

Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC

NFP Advisor Services LLC

NFP Corporate Services (mn), Inc.

NFP Retirement

NFP Retirement Inc.

Ladenburg Thalmann Group

Investacorp, Inc.

KMS Financial Services, Inc.

Ladenburg, Thalmann Asset Management Inc.

Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co., Inc.

Securities America, Inc.

Securities Service Network Inc.

Triad Advisors, Inc.

Lincoln Network

Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation

Lincoln Financial Distributors, Inc.

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation

LPL Financial LLC

Mass Mutual / MML

MassMutual Trust Company FSB

MML Distributors LLC

MML Investors Services, LLC

MSI Financial Srvices Inc.

The Massmutual Trust Company FSB

Merrill Lynch Banc of America

Bank of America

Bank of America, NA

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

NMIS

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co

NPH / Jackson National

Invest Financial Corporation

Investment Centers of America, Inc.

National Planning Corporation

SII Investments, Inc.

Park Avenue Securities LLC

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 43


 
 

 

PFS

PFS Investments Inc.

Puplava Securities, Inc.

PNC Network

PNC Bank, National Association

PNC Investments LLC

Raymond James Group

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

Raymond James (USA) LTD.

Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.

Raymond James Financial Services Inc.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

Robert W. Baird & Co, Incorporated

Securian / H. Beck / CRI

CRI Securities, LLC

H. Beck, Inc.

Securian Financial Services, Inc.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Co

Sterne Agee Investment Advisor Services, Inc.

Stifel Trust Company, N.A.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated

UBS

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

UBS Securities, LLC

Voya Financial

ING Financial Advisers, LLC

Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.

Voya Financial Partners LLC

Wells Fargo Network

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC

Wells Fargo Advisors Latin American Channel

Wells Fargo Advisors LLC (WBS)

Wells Fargo Advisors Private Client Group

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 44


 
 

 

 

Execution of portfolio transactions

The investment adviser places orders with broker-dealers for the fund’s portfolio transactions. Purchases and sales of equity securities on a securities exchange or an over-the-counter market are effected through broker-dealers who receive commissions for their services. Generally, commissions relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than commissions relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges and may not be subject to negotiation. Equity securities may also be purchased from underwriters at prices that include underwriting fees. Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally made with an issuer or a primary market maker acting as principal with no stated brokerage commission. The price paid to an underwriter for fixed-income securities includes underwriting fees. Prices for fixed-income securities in secondary trades usually include undisclosed compensation to the market maker reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices for the securities.

In selecting broker-dealers, the investment adviser strives to obtain “best execution” (the most favorable total price reasonably attainable under the circumstances) for the fund’s portfolio transactions, taking into account a variety of factors. These factors include the size and type of transaction, the nature and character of the markets for the security to be purchased or sold, the cost, quality, likely speed and reliability of execution and settlement, the broker-dealer’s or execution venue’s ability to offer liquidity and anonymity and the potential for minimizing market impact. The investment adviser considers these factors, which involve qualitative judgments, when selecting broker-dealers and execution venues for fund portfolio transactions. The investment adviser views best execution as a process that should be evaluated over time as part of an overall relationship with particular broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser and its affiliates negotiate commission rates with broker-dealers based on what they believe is necessary to obtain best execution. They seek, on an ongoing basis, to determine what the reasonable levels of commission rates are in the marketplace in respect of both execution and research — taking various considerations into account, including the extent to which a broker-dealer has put its own capital at risk, historical commission rates, commission rates that other institutional investors are paying, and the provision of brokerage and research products and services. The fund does not consider the investment adviser as having an obligation to obtain the lowest commission rate available for a portfolio transaction to the exclusion of price, service and qualitative considerations. Brokerage commissions are only a small part of total execution costs and other factors, such as market impact and speed of execution, contribute significantly to overall transaction costs.

The investment adviser may execute portfolio transactions with broker-dealers who provide certain brokerage and/or investment research services to it, either directly or through a commission sharing arrangement, but only when in the investment adviser’s judgment the broker-dealer is capable of providing best execution for that transaction. The receipt of these services permits the investment adviser to supplement its own research and analysis and makes available the views of, and information from, individuals and the research staffs of other firms. Such views and information may be provided in the form of written reports, telephone contacts and meetings with securities analysts. These services may include, among other things, reports and other communications with respect to individual companies, industries, countries and regions, economic, political and legal developments, as well as scheduling meetings with corporate executives and seminars and conferences related to relevant subject matters. The investment adviser considers these services to be supplemental to its own internal research efforts and therefore the receipt of investment research from broker-dealers does not tend to reduce the expenses involved in the investment adviser’s research efforts. If broker-dealers were to discontinue providing such services, it is unlikely the investment adviser would attempt to replicate them on its own, in part because they would then no longer provide an independent, supplemental viewpoint. Nonetheless, if it were to attempt to do so, the investment adviser would incur substantial additional costs. Research services that the investment adviser receives from broker-dealers may be used by the investment adviser in servicing the fund and other funds and accounts that it advises; however, not all such services will necessarily benefit the fund.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 45


 
 

 

The investment adviser may pay commissions in excess of what other broker-dealers might have charged for certain portfolio transactions in recognition of brokerage and/or investment research services. In this regard, the investment adviser has adopted a brokerage allocation procedure consistent with the requirements of Section 28(e) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Section 28(e) permits the investment adviser and its affiliates to cause an account to pay a higher commission to a broker-dealer to compensate the broker-dealer or another service provider for certain brokerage and/or investment research services provided to the investment adviser and its affiliates, if the investment adviser and each affiliate makes a good faith determination that such commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided by such broker-dealer to the investment adviser and its affiliates in terms of that particular transaction or the investment adviser’s overall responsibility to the fund and other accounts that it advises. Certain brokerage and/or investment research services may not necessarily benefit all accounts paying commissions to each such broker-dealer; therefore, the investment adviser and its affiliates assess the reasonableness of commissions in light of the total brokerage and investment research services provided to the investment adviser and its affiliates. Further, investment research services may be used by all investment associates of the investment adviser and its affiliates, regardless of whether they advise accounts with trading activity that generates eligible commissions.

In accordance with their internal brokerage allocation procedure, the investment adviser and its affiliates periodically assess the brokerage and investment research services provided by each broker-dealer and each other service provider from which they receive such services. As part of its ongoing relationships, the investment adviser and its affiliates routinely meet with firms to discuss the level and quality of the brokerage and research services provided, as well as the value and cost of such services. In valuing the brokerage and investment research services the investment adviser and its affiliates receive from broker-dealers and other research providers in connection with its good faith determination of reasonableness, the investment adviser and its affiliates take various factors into consideration, including the quantity, quality and usefulness of the services to the investment adviser and its affiliates. Based on this information and applying their judgment, the investment adviser and its affiliates set an annual research budget.

Research analysts and portfolio managers periodically participate in a research poll to determine the usefulness and value of the research provided by individual broker-dealers and research providers. Based on the results of this research poll, the investment adviser and its affiliates may, through commission sharing arrangements with certain broker-dealers, direct a portion of commissions paid to a broker-dealer to be used to compensate the broker-dealer for proprietary research or to be paid to a third-party research provider for research it has provided.

When executing portfolio transactions in the same equity security for the funds and accounts, or portions of funds and accounts, over which the investment adviser, through its equity investment divisions, has investment discretion, each investment division within the adviser and its affiliates normally aggregates its respective purchases or sales and executes them as part of the same transaction or series of transactions. When executing portfolio transactions in the same fixed-income security for the fund and the other funds or accounts over which it or one of its affiliated companies has investment discretion, the investment adviser normally aggregates such purchases or sales and executes them as part of the same transaction or series of transactions. The objective of aggregating purchases and sales of a security is to allocate executions in an equitable manner among the funds and other accounts that have concurrently authorized a transaction in such security.

The investment adviser currently owns an interest in IEX Group and Luminex Trading and Analytics. The investment adviser may place orders on these or other exchanges or alternative trading systems in which it, or one of its affiliates, has an ownership interest, provided such ownership interest is less than five percent of the total ownership interests in the entity. The investment adviser is subject to the same best execution obligations when trading on any such exchange or alternative trading system.

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Purchase and sale transactions may be effected directly among and between certain funds or accounts advised by the investment adviser or its affiliates, including the fund. The investment adviser maintains cross-trade policies and procedures and places a cross-trade only when such a trade is in the best interest of all participating clients and is not prohibited by the participating funds’ or accounts’ investment management agreement or applicable law.

The investment adviser may place orders for the fund’s portfolio transactions with broker-dealers who have sold shares of the funds managed by the investment adviser or its affiliated companies; however, it does not consider whether a broker-dealer has sold shares of the funds managed by the investment adviser or its affiliated companies when placing any such orders for the fund’s portfolio transactions.

Purchases and sales of futures contracts for the fund will be effected through executing brokers and FCMs that specialize in the types of futures contracts that the fund expects to hold. The investment adviser will use reasonable efforts to choose executing brokers and FCMs capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable price and execution available. The full range and quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations. The investment adviser will monitor the executing brokers and FCMs used for purchases and sales of futures contracts for their ability to execute trades based on many factors, such as the sizes of the orders, the difficulty of executions, the operational facilities of the firm involved and other factors.

Forward currency contracts are traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The cost to the fund of engaging in such contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because such contracts are entered into on a principal basis, their prices usually include undisclosed compensation to the market maker reflecting the spread between the bid and ask prices for the contracts. The fund may incur additional fees in connection with the purchase or sale of certain contracts.

No brokerage commissions were paid by the fund on portfolio transactions for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

The fund is required to disclose information regarding investments in the securities of its “regular” broker-dealers (or parent companies of its regular broker-dealers) that derive more than 15% of their revenue from broker-dealer, underwriter or investment adviser activities. A regular broker-dealer is (a) one of the 10 broker-dealers that received from the fund the largest amount of brokerage commissions by participating, directly or indirectly, in the fund’s portfolio transactions during the fund’s most recently completed fiscal year; (b) one of the 10 broker-dealers that engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of portfolio transactions of the fund during the fund’s most recently completed fiscal year; or (c) one of the 10 broker-dealers that sold the largest amount of securities of the fund during the fund’s most recently completed fiscal year.

At the end of the fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, the fund did not have investments in securities of any of its regular broker-dealers.

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Disclosure of portfolio holdings

The fund’s investment adviser, on behalf of the fund, has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of information about fund portfolio securities. These policies and procedures have been reviewed by the fund’s board of trustees, and compliance will be periodically assessed by the board in connection with reporting from the fund’s Chief Compliance Officer.

Under these policies and procedures, the fund’s complete list of portfolio holdings available for public disclosure, dated as of the end of each calendar quarter, is permitted to be posted on the American Funds website no earlier than the 10th day after such calendar quarter. In practice, the publicly disclosed portfolio is typically posted on the American Funds website within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter. The publicly disclosed portfolio may exclude certain securities when deemed to be in the best interest of the fund as permitted by applicable regulations. In addition, the fund’s list of top 10 equity portfolio holdings measured by percentage of net assets, dated as of the end of each calendar month, is permitted to be posted on the American Funds website no earlier than the 10th day after such month. Such portfolio holdings information may be disclosed to any person pursuant to an ongoing arrangement to disclose portfolio holdings information to such person no earlier than one day after the day on which the information is posted on the American Funds website.

The fund’s custodian, outside counsel, auditor, financial printers, proxy voting service providers, pricing information vendors, consultants or agents operating under a contract with the investment adviser or its affiliates, co-litigants (such as in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding related to a fund holding) and certain other third parties described below, each of which requires portfolio holdings information for legitimate business and fund oversight purposes, may receive fund portfolio holdings information earlier. See the “General information” section in this statement of additional information for further information about the fund’s custodian, outside counsel and auditor.

The fund’s portfolio holdings, dated as of the end of each calendar month, are made available to up to 20 key broker-dealer relationships with research departments to help them evaluate the fund for eligibility on approved lists or in model portfolios. These firms include certain of those listed under the “Other compensation to dealers” section of this statement of additional information and certain broker-dealer firms that offer trading platforms for registered investment advisers. Monthly holdings may be provided to these intermediaries no earlier than the 10th day after the end of the calendar month. In practice, monthly holdings are provided within 30 days after the end of the calendar month. Holdings may also be disclosed more frequently to certain statistical and data collection agencies including Morningstar, Lipper, Inc., Value Line, Vickers Stock Research, Bloomberg and Thomson Financial Research.

Affiliated persons of the fund, including officers of the fund and employees of the investment adviser and its affiliates, who receive portfolio holdings information are subject to restrictions and limitations on the use and handling of such information pursuant to applicable codes of ethics, including requirements not to trade in securities based on confidential and proprietary investment information, to maintain the confidentiality of such information, and to pre-clear securities trades and report securities transactions activity, as applicable. For more information on these restrictions and limitations, please see the “Code of ethics” section in this statement of additional information and the Code of Ethics. Third-party service providers of the fund and other entities, as described in this statement of additional information, receiving such information are subject to confidentiality obligations. When portfolio holdings information is disclosed other than through the American Funds website to persons not affiliated with the fund, such persons will be bound by agreements (including confidentiality agreements) or fiduciary or other obligations that restrict and limit their use of the information to legitimate business uses only. None of the fund, its investment adviser or any of their affiliates receives compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities.

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Subject to board policies, the authority to disclose a fund’s portfolio holdings, and to establish policies with respect to such disclosure, resides with the appropriate investment-related committees of the fund’s investment adviser. In exercising their authority, the committees determine whether disclosure of information about the fund’s portfolio securities is appropriate and in the best interest of fund shareholders. The investment adviser has implemented policies and procedures to address conflicts of interest that may arise from the disclosure of fund holdings. For example, the investment adviser’s code of ethics specifically requires, among other things, the safeguarding of information about fund holdings and contains prohibitions designed to prevent the personal use of confidential, proprietary investment information in a way that would conflict with fund transactions. In addition, the investment adviser believes that its current policy of not selling portfolio holdings information and not disclosing such information to unaffiliated third parties until such holdings have been made public on the American Funds website (other than to certain fund service providers and other third parties for legitimate business and fund oversight purposes) helps reduce potential conflicts of interest between fund shareholders and the investment adviser and its affiliates.

The fund’s investment adviser and its affiliates provide investment advice to clients other than the fund that have investment objectives that may be substantially similar to those of the fund. These clients also may have portfolios consisting of holdings substantially similar to those of the fund and generally have access to current portfolio holdings information for their accounts. These clients do not owe the fund’s investment adviser or the fund a duty of confidentiality with respect to disclosure of their portfolio holdings.

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Price of shares

Shares are purchased at the offering price or sold at the net asset value price next determined after the purchase or sell order is received by the fund or the Transfer Agent provided that your request contains all information and legal documentation necessary to process the transaction. The Transfer Agent may accept written orders for the sale of fund shares on a future date. These orders are subject to the Transfer Agent’s policies, which generally allow shareholders to provide a written request to sell shares at the net asset value on a specified date no more than five business days after receipt of the order by the Transfer Agent. Any request to sell shares on a future date will be rejected if the request is not in writing, if the requested transaction date is more than five business days after the Transfer Agent receives the request or if the request does not contain all information and legal documentation necessary to process the transaction.

The offering or net asset value price is effective for orders received prior to the time of determination of the net asset value and, in the case of orders placed with dealers or their authorized designees, accepted by the Principal Underwriter, the Transfer Agent, a dealer or any of their designees. In the case of orders sent directly to the fund or the Transfer Agent, an investment dealer should be indicated. The dealer is responsible for promptly transmitting purchase and sell orders to the Principal Underwriter.

Orders received by the investment dealer or authorized designee, the Transfer Agent or the fund after the time of the determination of the net asset value will be entered at the next calculated offering price. Note that investment dealers or other intermediaries may have their own rules about share transactions and may have earlier cut-off times than those of the fund. For more information about how to purchase through your intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Prices that appear in the newspaper do not always indicate prices at which you will be purchasing and redeeming shares of the fund, since such prices generally reflect the previous day’s closing price, while purchases and redemptions are made at the next calculated price. The price you pay for shares, the offering price, is based on the net asset value per share, which is calculated once daily as of approximately 4 p.m. New York time, which is the normal close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. If, for example, the New York Stock Exchange closes at 1 p.m. New York time, the fund’s share price would still be determined as of 4 p.m. New York time. In such example, portfolio securities traded on the New York Stock Exchange would be valued at their closing prices unless the investment adviser determines that a fair value adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events. The New York Stock Exchange is currently closed on weekends and on the following holidays: New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents’ Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving; and Christmas Day. Each share class of the fund has a separately calculated net asset value (and share price).

All portfolio securities of funds managed by Capital Research and Management Company (other than American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund) are valued, and the net asset values per share for each share class are determined, as indicated below. The fund follows standard industry practice by typically reflecting changes in its holdings of portfolio securities on the first business day following a portfolio trade.

Equity securities, including depositary receipts, are generally valued at the official closing price of, or the last reported sale price on, the exchange or market on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any sales, at the last available bid price. Prices for each security are taken from the principal exchange or market on which the security trades.

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Fixed-income securities, including short-term securities, are generally valued at prices obtained from one or more pricing vendors. The pricing vendors base prices on, among other things, benchmark yields, transactions, bids, offers, quotations from dealers and trading systems, new issues, underlying equity of the issuer, interest rate volatilities, spreads and other relationships observed in the markets among comparable securities and proprietary pricing models such as yield measures calculated using factors such as cash flows, prepayment information, default rates, delinquency and loss assumptions, financial or collateral characteristics or performance, credit enhancements, liquidation value calculations, specific deal information and other reference data. The fund’s investment adviser performs certain checks on vendor prices prior to calculation of the fund’s net asset value. When the investment adviser deems it appropriate to do so (such as when vendor prices are unavailable or not deemed to be representative), fixed-income securities will be valued in good faith at the mean quoted bid and ask prices that are reasonably and timely available (or bid prices, if ask prices are not available) or at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality and type.

Securities with both fixed-income and equity characteristics (e.g., convertible bonds, preferred stocks, units comprised of more than one type of security, etc.), or equity securities traded principally among fixed-income dealers, are generally valued in the manner described above for either equity or fixed-income securities, depending on which method is deemed most appropriate by the investment adviser.

Forward currency contracts are valued at the mean of representative quoted bid and ask prices, generally based on prices supplied by one or more pricing vendors.

Futures contracts are generally valued at the official settlement price of, or the last reported sale price on, the principal exchange or market on which such instruments are traded, as of the close of business on the day the contracts are being valued or, lacking any sales, at the last available bid price.

Swaps, including both interest rate swaps and positions in credit default swap indices, are valued using market quotations or valuations provided by one or more pricing vendors.

Assets or liabilities initially expressed in terms of currencies other than U.S. dollars are translated prior to the next determination of the net asset value of the fund’s shares into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates.

Securities and other assets for which representative market quotations are not readily available or are considered unreliable by the investment adviser are valued at fair value as determined in good faith under fair value guidelines adopted by authority of the fund’s board. Subject to board oversight, the fund’s board has appointed the fund’s investment adviser to make fair valuation determinations, which are directed by a valuation committee established by the fund’s investment adviser. The board receives regular reports describing fair-valued securities and the valuation methods used.

The valuation committee has adopted guidelines and procedures (consistent with SEC rules and guidance) to consider certain relevant principles and factors when making fair value determinations. As a general principle, securities lacking readily available market quotations, or that have quotations that are considered unreliable by the investment adviser, are valued in good faith by the valuation committee based upon what the fund might reasonably expect to receive upon their current sale. Fair valuations and valuations of investments that are not actively trading involve judgment and may differ materially from valuations that would have been used had greater market activity occurred. The valuation committee considers relevant indications of value that are reasonably and timely available to it in determining the fair value to be assigned to a particular security, such as the type and cost of the security, contractual or legal restrictions on resale of the security, relevant financial or business developments of the issuer, actively traded similar or related securities, conversion or exchange rights on the security, related corporate actions, significant events occurring after the close of trading in the

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security and changes in overall market conditions. The valuation committee employs additional fair value procedures to address issues related to equity securities that trade principally in markets outside the United States. Such securities may trade in markets that open and close at different times, reflecting time zone differences. If significant events occur after the close of a market (and before the fund’s net asset values are next determined) which affect the value of equity securities held in the fund’s portfolio, appropriate adjustments from closing market prices may be made to reflect these events. Events of this type could include, for example, earthquakes and other natural disasters or significant price changes in other markets (e.g., U.S. stock markets).

Each class of shares represents interests in the same portfolio of investments and is identical in all respects to each other class, except for differences relating to distribution, service and other charges and expenses, certain voting rights, differences relating to eligible investors, the designation of each class of shares, conversion features and exchange privileges. Expenses attributable to the fund, but not to a particular class of shares, are borne by each class pro rata based on relative aggregate net assets of the classes. Expenses directly attributable to a class of shares are borne by that class of shares. Liabilities attributable to particular share classes, such as liabilities for repurchase of fund shares, are deducted from total assets attributable to such share classes.

Net assets so obtained for each share class are then divided by the total number of shares outstanding of that share class, and the result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share for that class.

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Taxes and distributions

Disclaimer: Some of the following information may not apply to certain shareholders, including those holding fund shares in a tax-favored account, such as a retirement plan or education savings account. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of federal, state and local tax law in light of their particular situation.

Taxation as a regulated investment company — The fund intends to qualify each year as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), so that it will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income taxes, the fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and realized net capital gains on a fiscal year basis, and intends to comply with other tests applicable to regulated investment companies under Subchapter M.

The Code includes savings provisions allowing the fund to cure inadvertent failures of certain qualification tests required under Subchapter M. However, should the fund fail to qualify under Subchapter M, the fund would be subject to federal, and possibly state, corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains.

Amounts not distributed by the fund on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement may be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax. Unless an applicable exception applies, to avoid the tax, the fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of (a) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (b) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses for the twelve month period ending on October 31, and (c) all ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during such years.

Dividends paid by the fund from ordinary income or from an excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income dividends.

The fund may declare a capital gain distribution consisting of the excess of net realized long-term capital gains over net realized short-term capital losses. Net capital gains for a fiscal year are computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the fund. For fund fiscal years beginning on or after December 22, 2010, capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and retain their character as either short-term or long-term. Under prior law, net capital losses could be carried forward for eight tax years and were treated as short-term capital losses. The fund is required to use capital losses arising in fiscal years beginning on or after December 22, 2010 before using capital losses arising in fiscal years prior to December 22, 2010.

The fund may retain a portion of net capital gain for reinvestment and may elect to treat such capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders of the fund. Shareholders may receive a credit for the tax that the fund paid on such undistributed net capital gain and would increase the basis in their shares of the fund by the difference between the amount of includible gains and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.

Distributions of net capital gain that the fund properly designates as a capital gain distribution generally will be taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares of the fund have been held by a shareholder. Any loss realized upon the redemption of shares held at the time of redemption for six months or less from the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions (including any undistributed amounts treated as distributed capital gains, as described above) during such six-month period.

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Capital gain distributions by the fund result in a reduction in the net asset value of the fund’s shares. Investors should consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a capital gain distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time includes the amount of the forthcoming distribution. Those purchasing just prior to a distribution will subsequently receive a partial return of their investment capital upon payment of the distribution, which will be taxable to them.

Redemptions and exchanges of fund shares — Redemptions of shares, including exchanges for shares of other American Funds, may result in federal, state and local tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder.

Any loss realized on a redemption or exchange of shares of the fund will be disallowed to the extent substantially identical shares are reacquired within the 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of. Any loss disallowed under this rule will be added to the shareholder’s tax basis in the new shares purchased.

If a shareholder exchanges or otherwise disposes of shares of the fund within 90 days of having acquired such shares, and if, as a result of having acquired those shares, the shareholder subsequently pays a reduced or no sales charge for shares of the fund, or of a different fund acquired before January 31st of the year following the year the shareholder exchanged or otherwise disposed of the original fund shares, the sales charge previously incurred in acquiring the fund’s shares will not be taken into account (to the extent such previous sales charges do not exceed the reduction in sales charges) for the purposes of determining the amount of gain or loss on the exchange, but will be treated as having been incurred in the acquisition of such other fund(s).

Tax consequences of investing in non-U.S. securities — Dividend and interest income received by the fund from sources outside the United States may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such foreign jurisdictions. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States, however, may reduce or eliminate these foreign taxes. Some foreign countries impose taxes on capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.

If more than 50% of the value of the total assets of the fund at the close of the taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the fund may elect to pass through to shareholders the foreign taxes paid by the fund. If such an election is made, shareholders may claim a credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns for, and will be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them, their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the fund to foreign countries. The application of the foreign tax credit depends upon the particular circumstances of each shareholder.

Foreign currency gains and losses, including the portion of gain or loss on the sale of debt securities attributable to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, are generally taxable as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses may increase or decrease the amount of dividends payable by the fund to shareholders. A fund may elect to treat gain and loss on certain foreign currency contracts as capital gain and loss instead of ordinary income or loss.

If the fund invests in stock of certain passive foreign investment companies (PFICs), the fund intends to mark-to-market these securities and recognize any gains at the end of its fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any previously recognized gains. Both gains and losses will be treated as ordinary income or loss, and the fund is required to distribute any resulting income. If the fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC security and thus does not make a timely mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to adverse tax consequences.

Tax consequences of investing in derivatives — The fund may enter into transactions involving derivatives, such as futures, swaps and forward contracts. Special tax rules may apply to these types of transactions that could defer losses to the fund, accelerate the fund’s income, alter the holding period

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of certain securities or change the classification of capital gains. These tax rules may therefore impact the amount, timing and character of fund distributions.

Other tax considerations — After the end of each calendar year, individual shareholders holding fund shares in taxable accounts will receive a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions. Shareholders of the fund also may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the fund.

For fund shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, the fund is required to report cost basis information for redemptions, including exchanges, to both shareholders and the IRS.

Shareholders may obtain more information about cost basis online at americanfunds.com/costbasis.

Under the backup withholding provisions of the Code, the fund generally will be required to withhold federal income tax on all payments made to a shareholder if the shareholder either does not furnish the fund with the shareholder’s correct taxpayer identification number or fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding also applies if the IRS notifies the shareholder or the fund that the taxpayer identification number provided by the shareholder is incorrect or that the shareholder has previously failed to properly report interest or dividend income.

The foregoing discussion of U.S. federal income tax law relates solely to the application of that law to U.S. persons (i.e., U.S. citizens and legal residents and U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates). Each shareholder who is not a U.S. person should consider the U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership of shares of the fund, including the possibility that such a shareholder may be subject to U.S. withholding taxes.

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Unless otherwise noted, all references in the following pages to Class A, C, T or F-1 shares also refer to the corresponding Class 529-A, 529-C, 529-T or 529-F-1 shares. Class 529 shareholders should also refer to the applicable program description for information on policies and services specifically relating to these accounts. Shareholders holding shares through an eligible retirement plan should contact their plan’s administrator or recordkeeper for information regarding purchases, sales and exchanges.

Purchase and exchange of shares

Purchases by individuals — As described in the prospectus, you may generally open an account and purchase fund shares by contacting a financial advisor or investment dealer authorized to sell the fund’s shares. You may make investments by any of the following means:

Contacting your financial advisor — Deliver or mail a check to your financial advisor.

By mail — For initial investments, you may mail a check, made payable to the fund, directly to the address indicated on the account application. Please indicate an investment dealer on the account application. You may make additional investments by filling out the “Account Additions” form at the bottom of a recent transaction confirmation and mailing the form, along with a check made payable to the fund, using the envelope provided with your confirmation.

The amount of time it takes for us to receive regular U.S. postal mail may vary and there is no assurance that we will receive such mail on the day you expect. Mailing addresses for regular U.S. postal mail can be found in the prospectus. To send investments or correspondence to us via overnight mail or courier service, use either of the following addresses:

American Funds

12711 North Meridian Street

Carmel, IN 46032-9181

American Funds

5300 Robin Hood Road

Norfolk, VA 23513-2407

By telephone — Using the American FundsLine. Please see the “Shareholder account services and privileges” section of this statement of additional information for more information regarding this service.

By Internet — Using americanfunds.com. Please see the “Shareholder account services and privileges” section of this statement of additional information for more information regarding this service.

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By wire — If you are making a wire transfer, instruct your bank to wire funds to:

Wells Fargo Bank

ABA Routing No. 121000248

Account No. 4600-076178

Your bank should include the following information when wiring funds:

For credit to the account of:

American Funds Service Company

(fund’s name)

For further credit to:

(shareholder’s fund account number)

(shareholder’s name)

You may contact American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225 if you have questions about making wire transfers.

Other purchase information — Class 529 shares may be purchased only through CollegeAmerica by investors establishing qualified higher education savings accounts. Class 529-E shares may be purchased only by investors participating in CollegeAmerica through an eligible employer plan. The American Funds state tax-exempt funds are qualified for sale only in certain jurisdictions, and tax-exempt funds in general should not serve as retirement plan investments. In addition, the fund and the Principal Underwriter reserve the right to reject any purchase order.

Class R-5 and R-6 shares may be made available to certain charitable foundations organized and maintained by The Capital Group Companies, Inc. or its affiliates. Class R-6 shares are also available to corporate investment accounts established by The Capital Group Companies, Inc. and its affiliates.

Class R-5 and R-6 shares may also be made available to Virginia529 for use in the Virginia Education Savings Trust and the Virginia Prepaid Education Program and other registered investment companies approved by the fund’s investment adviser or distributor. Class R-6 shares are also available to other post employment benefits plans.

Purchase minimums and maximums — All investments are subject to the purchase minimums and maximums described in the prospectus. As noted in the prospectus, purchase minimums may be waived or reduced in certain cases.

In the case of American Funds non-tax-exempt funds, the initial purchase minimum of $25 may be waived for the following account types:

· Payroll deduction retirement plan accounts (such as, but not limited to, 403(b), 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, SARSEP and deferred compensation plan accounts); and

· Employer-sponsored CollegeAmerica accounts.

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The following account types may be established without meeting the initial purchase minimum:

· Retirement accounts that are funded with employer contributions; and

· Accounts that are funded with monies set by court decree.

The following account types may be established without meeting the initial purchase minimum, but shareholders wishing to invest in two or more funds must meet the normal initial purchase minimum of each fund:

· Accounts that are funded with (a) transfers of assets, (b) rollovers from retirement plans, (c) rollovers from 529 college savings plans or (d) required minimum distribution automatic exchanges; and

· American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund accounts registered in the name of clients of Capital Group Private Client Services.

Certain accounts held on the fund’s books, known as omnibus accounts, contain multiple underlying accounts that are invested in shares of the fund. These underlying accounts are maintained by entities such as financial intermediaries and are subject to the applicable initial purchase minimums as described in the prospectus and this statement of additional information. However, in the case where the entity maintaining these accounts aggregates the accounts’ purchase orders for fund shares, such accounts are not required to meet the fund’s minimum amount for subsequent purchases.

Exchanges — With the exception of Class T shares, for which rights of exchange are not generally available, you may only exchange shares without a sales charge into other American Funds within the same share class; however, Class A, C, T or F-1 shares may also generally be exchanged without a sales charge for the corresponding 529 share class.

Notwithstanding the above, exchanges from Class A shares of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund may be made to Class C shares of other American Funds for dollar cost averaging purposes. However, exchanges are not permitted from Class A shares of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund to Class C shares of (1) American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund, (2) Intermediate Bond Fund of America, (3) Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America, (4) Short-Term Bond Fund of America or (5) American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund.

Exchange purchases are subject to the minimum investment requirements of the fund purchased and no sales charge generally applies. However, exchanges of shares from American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund are subject to applicable sales charges, unless the American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund shares were acquired by an exchange from a fund having a sales charge, or by reinvestment or cross-reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions.

Exchanges of Class F shares generally may only be made through fee-based programs of investment firms that have special agreements with the fund’s distributor and certain registered investment advisors.

You may exchange shares of other classes by contacting the Transfer Agent, by contacting your investment dealer or financial advisor, by using American FundsLine or americanfunds.com, or by telephoning (800) 421-4225 toll-free, or faxing (see “American Funds Service Company service areas” in the prospectus for the appropriate fax numbers) the Transfer Agent. For more information, see “Shareholder account services and privileges” in this statement of additional information. These transactions have the same tax consequences as ordinary sales and purchases.

Shares held in employer-sponsored retirement plans may be exchanged into other American Funds by contacting your plan administrator or recordkeeper. Exchange redemptions and purchases are

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 58


 
 

 

processed simultaneously at the share prices next determined after the exchange order is received (see “Price of shares” in this statement of additional information).

Conversion — Currently, Class C shares of the fund automatically convert to Class F-1 shares in the month of the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date. The board of trustees of the fund reserves the right at any time, without shareholder approval, to amend the conversion feature of the Class C shares, including without limitation, providing for conversion into a different share class or for no conversion. In making its decision, the board of trustees will consider, among other things, the effect of any such amendment on shareholders.

Frequent trading of fund shares — As noted in the prospectus, certain redemptions may trigger a purchase block lasting 30 calendar days under the fund’s “purchase blocking policy.” Under this policy, systematic redemptions will not trigger a purchase block and systematic purchases will not be prevented if the entity maintaining the shareholder account is able to identify the transaction as a systematic redemption or purchase. For purposes of this policy, systematic redemptions include, for example, regular periodic automatic redemptions and statement of intention escrow share redemptions. Systematic purchases include, for example, regular periodic automatic purchases and automatic reinvestments of dividends and capital gain distributions. Generally, purchases and redemptions will not be considered “systematic” unless the transaction is prescheduled for a specific date.

Other potentially abusive activity — In addition to implementing purchase blocks, American Funds Service Company will monitor for other types of activity that could potentially be harmful to the American Funds — for example, short-term trading activity in multiple funds. When identified, American Funds Service Company will request that the shareholder discontinue the activity. If the activity continues, American Funds Service Company will freeze the shareholder account to prevent all activity other than redemptions of fund shares.

Moving between share classes

If you wish to “move” your investment between share classes (within the same fund or between different funds), we generally will process your request as an exchange of the shares you currently hold for shares in the new class or fund. Below is more information about how sales charges are handled for various scenarios.

Exchanging Class C shares for Class A or Class T shares — If you exchange Class C shares for Class A or Class T shares, you are still responsible for paying any Class C contingent deferred sales charges and applicable Class A or Class T sales charges.

Exchanging Class C shares for Class F shares — If you are part of a qualified fee-based program or approved self-directed platform and you wish to exchange your Class C shares for Class F shares to be held in the program, you are still responsible for paying any applicable Class C contingent deferred sales charges.

Exchanging Class F shares for Class A shares — You can exchange Class F shares held in a qualified fee-based program for Class A shares without paying an initial Class A sales charge if you are leaving or have left the fee-based program. You can exchange Class F shares received in a conversion from Class C shares for Class A shares at any time without paying an initial Class A sales charge if you notify American Funds Service Company of the conversion when you make your request. If you have already redeemed your Class F shares, the foregoing requirements apply and you must purchase Class A shares within 90 days after redeeming your Class F shares to receive the Class A shares without paying an initial Class A sales charge.

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Exchanging Class A or Class T shares for Class F shares — If you are part of a qualified fee-based program or approved self-directed platform and you wish to exchange your Class A or Class T shares for Class F shares to be held in the program, any Class A or Class T sales charges (including contingent deferred sales charges) that you paid or are payable will not be credited back to your account.

Exchanging Class A shares for Class R shares — Provided it is eligible to invest in Class R shares, a retirement plan currently invested in Class A shares may exchange its shares for Class R shares. Any Class A sales charges that the retirement plan previously paid will not be credited back to the plan’s account.

Moving between Class F shares — If you are part of a qualified fee-based program that offers Class F shares, you may exchange your Class F shares for any other Class F shares to be held in the program. For example, if you hold Class F-2 shares, you may exchange your shares for Class F-1 or Class F-3 shares to be held in the program.

Moving between other share classes — If you desire to move your investment between share classes and the particular scenario is not described in this statement of additional information, please contact American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225 for more information.

Non-reportable transactions — Automatic conversions described in the prospectus will be non-reportable for tax purposes. In addition, an exchange of shares from one share class of a fund to another share class of the same fund will be treated as a non-reportable exchange for tax purposes, provided that the exchange request is received in writing by American Funds Service Company and processed as a single transaction. However, a movement between a 529 share class and a non-529 share class of the same fund will be reportable.

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Sales charges

Class A purchases

Purchases by certain 403(b) plans

A 403(b) plan may not invest in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds unless such plan was invested in Class A or C shares before January 1, 2009.

Participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that invested in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds and were treated as an individual-type plan for sales charge purposes before January 1, 2009, may continue to be treated as accounts of an individual-type plan for sales charge purposes. Participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that invested in Class A or C shares of any of the American Funds and were treated as an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes before January 1, 2009, may continue to be treated as accounts of an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes. Participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that was established on or after January 1, 2009, are treated as accounts of an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes.

Purchases by SEP plans and SIMPLE IRA plans

Participant accounts in a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan or a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers IRA (SIMPLE IRA) will be aggregated at the plan level for Class A sales charge purposes if an employer adopts a prototype plan produced by American Funds Distributors, Inc. or (a) the employer or plan sponsor submits all contributions for all participating employees in a single contribution transmittal or the contributions are identified as related to the same plan; (b) each transmittal is accompanied by checks or wire transfers and generally must be submitted through the transfer agent’s automated contribution system if held on the fund’s books; and (c) if the fund is expected to carry separate accounts in the name of each plan participant and (i) the employer or plan sponsor notifies the funds’ transfer agent or the intermediary holding the account that the separate accounts of all plan participants should be linked and (ii) all new participant accounts are established by submitting the appropriate documentation on behalf of each new participant. Participant accounts in a SEP or SIMPLE plan that are eligible to aggregate their assets at the plan level may not also aggregate the assets with their individual accounts.

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Other purchases

If requested, Class A shares of the American Funds will be sold at net asset value to:

     
  (1) current or retired directors, trustees, officers and advisory board members of, and certain lawyers who provide services to, the funds managed by Capital Research and Management Company, current or retired employees and partners of The Capital Group Companies, Inc. and its affiliated companies, certain family members of the above persons, and trusts or plans primarily for such persons;
  (2) companies exchanging securities with the fund through a merger, acquisition or exchange offer; and
  (3) The Capital Group Companies, Inc. and its affiliated companies.

Shares are offered at net asset value to these persons and organizations due to anticipated economies in sales effort and expense. Once an account is established under this net asset value privilege, additional investments can be made at net asset value for the life of the account. Depending on the financial intermediary holding your account, these privileges may be unavailable. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information.

Transfers to CollegeAmerica — A transfer from the Virginia Prepaid Education ProgramSM or the Virginia Education Savings TrustSM to a CollegeAmerica account will be made with no sales charge. No commission will be paid to the dealer on such a transfer. Investment dealers will be compensated solely with an annual service fee that begins to accrue immediately.

Moving between accounts — American Funds investments by certain account types may be moved to other account types without incurring additional Class A sales charges. These transactions include:

· redemption proceeds from a non-retirement account (for example, a joint tenant account) used to purchase fund shares in an IRA or other individual-type retirement account;

· required minimum distributions from an IRA or other individual-type retirement account used to purchase fund shares in a non-retirement account; and

· death distributions paid to a beneficiary’s account that are used by the beneficiary to purchase fund shares in a different account.

These privileges are generally available only if your account is held directly with the fund’s transfer agent or if the financial intermediary holding your account has the systems, policies and procedures to support providing the privileges on its systems. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information.

Loan repayments — Repayments on loans taken from a retirement plan are not subject to sales charges if American Funds Service Company is notified of the repayment.

Dealer commissions and compensation — Commissions (up to 1.00%) are paid to dealers who initiate and are responsible for certain Class A share purchases not subject to initial sales charges. These purchases consist of a) purchases of $1 million or more, and b) purchases by employer-sponsored defined contribution-type retirement plans investing $1 million or more or with 100 or more eligible employees. Commissions on such investments (other than IRA rollover assets that roll over at no sales charge under the fund’s IRA rollover policy as described in the prospectus) are paid to dealers at the following rates: 1.00% on amounts of less than $10 million, .50% on amounts of at least $10 million but

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less than $25 million and .25% on amounts of at least $25 million. Commissions are based on cumulative investments over the life of the account with no adjustment for redemptions, transfers, or market declines. For example, if a shareholder has accumulated investments in excess of $10 million (but less than $25 million) and subsequently redeems all or a portion of the account(s), purchases following the redemption will generate a dealer commission of .50%.

A dealer concession of up to 1% may be paid by the fund under its Class A plan of distribution to reimburse the Principal Underwriter in connection with dealer and wholesaler compensation paid by it with respect to investments made with no initial sales charge.

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Sales charge reductions and waivers

Reducing your Class A sales charge — As described in the prospectus, there are various ways to reduce your sales charge when purchasing Class A shares. Additional information about Class A sales charge reductions is provided below.

Statement of intention — By establishing a statement of intention (the "Statement"), you enter into a nonbinding commitment to purchase shares of the American Funds (excluding American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund) over a 13-month period and receive the same sales charge (expressed as a percentage of your purchases) as if all shares had been purchased at once, unless the Statement is upgraded as described below.

The Statement period starts on the date on which your first purchase made toward satisfying the Statement is processed. Your accumulated holdings (as described in the paragraph below titled “Rights of accumulation”) eligible to be aggregated as of the day immediately before the start of the Statement period may be credited toward satisfying the Statement.

You may revise the commitment you have made in your Statement upward at any time during the Statement period. If your prior commitment has not been met by the time of the revision, the Statement period during which purchases must be made will remain unchanged. Purchases made from the date of the revision will receive the reduced sales charge, if any, resulting from the revised Statement. If your prior commitment has been met by the time of the revision, your original Statement will be considered met and a new Statement will be established.

The Statement will be considered completed if the shareholder dies within the 13-month Statement period. Commissions to dealers will not be adjusted or paid on the difference between the Statement amount and the amount actually invested before the shareholder’s death.

When a shareholder elects to use a Statement, shares equal to 5% of the dollar amount specified in the Statement may be held in escrow in the shareholder’s account out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases, if necessary) by the Transfer Agent. All dividends and any capital gain distributions on shares held in escrow will be credited to the shareholder’s account in shares (or paid in cash, if requested). If the intended investment is not completed within the specified Statement period the investments made during the statement period will be adjusted to reflect the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge which would have been paid if the total of such purchases had been made at a single time. Any dealers assigned to the shareholder’s account at the time a purchase was made during the Statement period will receive a corresponding commission adjustment if appropriate.

In addition, if you currently have individual holdings in American Legacy variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies that were established on or before March 31, 2007, you may continue to apply purchases under such contracts and policies to a Statement.

Shareholders purchasing shares at a reduced sales charge under a Statement indicate their acceptance of these terms and those in the prospectus with their first purchase.

Aggregation — Qualifying investments for aggregation include those made by you and your “immediate family” as defined in the prospectus, if all parties are purchasing shares for their own accounts and/or:

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· individual-type employee benefit plans, such as an IRA, single-participant Keogh-type plan, or a participant account of a 403(b) plan that is treated as an individual-type plan for sales charge purposes (see “Purchases by certain 403(b) plans” under “Sales charges” in this statement of additional information);

· SEP plans and SIMPLE IRA plans established after November 15, 2004, by an employer adopting any plan document other than a prototype plan produced by American Funds Distributors, Inc.;

· business accounts solely controlled by you or your immediate family (for example, you own the entire business);

· trust accounts established by you or your immediate family (for trusts with only one primary beneficiary, upon the trustor’s death the trust account may be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts; for trusts with multiple primary beneficiaries, upon the trustor’s death the trustees of the trust may instruct American Funds Service Company to establish separate trust accounts for each primary beneficiary; each primary beneficiary’s separate trust account may then be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts);

· endowments or foundations established and controlled by you or your immediate family; or

· 529 accounts, which will be aggregated at the account owner level (Class 529-E accounts may only be aggregated with an eligible employer plan).

Individual purchases by a trustee(s) or other fiduciary(ies) may also be aggregated if the investments are:

· for a single trust estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans other than the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

· made for two or more employee benefit plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act, excluding the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

· for a diversified common trust fund or other diversified pooled account not specifically formed for the purpose of accumulating fund shares;

· for nonprofit, charitable or educational organizations, or any endowments or foundations established and controlled by such organizations, or any employer-sponsored retirement plans established for the benefit of the employees of such organizations, their endowments, or their foundations;

· for participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that is treated as an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes (see “Purchases by certain 403(b) plans” under “Sales charges” in this statement of additional information), or made for participant accounts of two or more such plans, in each case of a single employer or affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act; or

· for a SEP or SIMPLE IRA plan established after November 15, 2004, by an employer adopting a prototype plan produced by American Funds Distributors, Inc.

Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of an investment dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with those made for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.

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Joint accounts may be aggregated with other accounts belonging to the primary owner and/or his or her immediate family. The primary owner of a joint account is the individual responsible for taxes on the account.

Concurrent purchases — As described in the prospectus, you may reduce your Class A sales charge by combining purchases of all classes of shares in the American Funds. Shares of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund purchased through an exchange, reinvestment or cross-reinvestment from a fund having a sales charge also qualify. However, direct purchases of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund are excluded. If you currently have individual holdings in American Legacy variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies that were established on or before March 31, 2007, you may continue to combine purchases made under such contracts and policies to reduce your Class A sales charge.

Rights of accumulation — Subject to the limitations described in the aggregation policy, you may take into account your accumulated holdings in all share classes of the American Funds to determine your sales charge on investments in accounts eligible to be aggregated. Direct purchases of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund are excluded. Subject to your investment dealer’s or recordkeeper’s capabilities, your accumulated holdings will be calculated as the higher of (a) the current value of your existing holdings (the “market value”) as of the day prior to your American Funds investment or (b) the amount you invested (including reinvested dividends and capital gains, but excluding capital appreciation) less any withdrawals (the “cost value”). Depending on the entity on whose books your account is held, the value of your holdings in that account may not be eligible for calculation at cost value. For example, accounts held in nominee or street name may not be eligible for calculation at cost value and instead may be calculated at market value for purposes of rights of accumulation.

The value of all of your holdings in accounts established in calendar year 2005 or earlier will be assigned an initial cost value equal to the market value of those holdings as of the last business day of 2005. Thereafter, the cost value of such accounts will increase or decrease according to actual investments or withdrawals. You must contact your financial advisor or American Funds Service Company if you have additional information that is relevant to the calculation of the value of your holdings.

When determining your American Funds Class A sales charge, if your investment is not in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may also continue to take into account the market value (as of the day prior to your American Funds investment) of your individual holdings in various American Legacy variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies that were established on or before March 31, 2007. An employer-sponsored retirement plan may also continue to take into account the market value of its investments in American Legacy Retirement Investment Plans that were established on or before March 31, 2007.

You may not purchase Class C or 529-C shares if such combined holdings cause you to be eligible to purchase Class A or 529-A shares at the $1 million or more sales charge discount rate (i.e. at net asset value).

If you make a gift of American Funds Class A shares, upon your request, you may purchase the shares at the sales charge discount allowed under rights of accumulation of all of your American Funds and applicable American Legacy accounts.

Reducing your Class T sales charge — As described in the prospectus, the initial sales charge you pay each time you buy Class T shares may differ depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced for larger purchases. Additionally, Class T shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends

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or capital gain distributions are not subject to an initial sales charge. Sales charges on Class T shares are applied on a transaction-by-transaction basis, and, accordingly, Class T shares are not eligible for any other sales charge waivers or reductions, including through the aggregation of Class T shares concurrently purchased by other related accounts or in other American Funds. The sales charge applicable to Class T shares may not be reduced by establishing a statement of intention, and rights of accumulation are not available for Class T shares.

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CDSC waivers for Class A and C shares — As noted in the prospectus, a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) will be waived for redemptions due to death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder (this generally excludes accounts registered in the names of trusts and other entities). In the case of joint tenant accounts, if one joint tenant dies, a surviving joint tenant, at the time he or she notifies the Transfer Agent of the other joint tenant’s death and removes the decedent’s name from the account, may redeem shares from the account without incurring a CDSC. Redemptions made after the Transfer Agent is notified of the death of a joint tenant will be subject to a CDSC.

In addition, a CDSC will be waived for the following types of transactions, if they do not exceed 12% of the value of an “account” (defined below) annually (the “12% limit”):

· Required minimum distributions taken from retirement accounts upon the shareholder’s attainment of age 70½ (required minimum distributions that continue to be taken by the beneficiary(ies) after the account owner is deceased also qualify for a waiver).

· Redemptions through an automatic withdrawal plan (“AWP”) (see “Automatic withdrawals” under “Shareholder account services and privileges” in this statement of additional information). For each AWP payment, assets that are not subject to a CDSC, such as shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gain distributions, will be redeemed first and will count toward the 12% limit. If there is an insufficient amount of assets not subject to a CDSC to cover a particular AWP payment, shares subject to the lowest CDSC will be redeemed next until the 12% limit is reached. Any dividends and/or capital gain distributions taken in cash by a shareholder who receives payments through an AWP will also count toward the 12% limit. In the case of an AWP, the 12% limit is calculated at the time an automatic redemption is first made, and is recalculated at the time each additional automatic redemption is made. Shareholders who establish an AWP should be aware that the amount of a payment not subject to a CDSC may vary over time depending on fluctuations in the value of their accounts. This privilege may be revised or terminated at any time.

For purposes of this paragraph, “account” means your investment in the applicable class of shares of the particular fund from which you are making the redemption.

If requested, the CDSC on Class A shares of the American Funds will be waived for bulk conversions to another share class in cases where the fund’s transfer agent determines the benefit to the fund of collecting the CDSC would be outweighed by the cost of applying it.

CDSC waivers are allowed only in the cases listed here and in the prospectus. For example, CDSC waivers will not be allowed on redemptions of Class 529-C shares due to termination of CollegeAmerica; a determination by the Internal Revenue Service that CollegeAmerica does not qualify as a qualified tuition program under the Code; proposal or enactment of law that eliminates or limits the tax-favored status of CollegeAmerica; or elimination of the fund by Virginia529 as an option for additional investment within CollegeAmerica.

Other sales charge waivers — Waivers of all or a portion of the contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares will be granted for transactions requested by financial intermediaries as a result of (i) pending or anticipated regulatory matters that require investor accounts to be moved to a different share class or (ii) conversions of IRAs from brokerage to advisory accounts in cases where new investments in brokerage IRA accounts have been restricted by the intermediary.

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Selling shares

The methods for selling (redeeming) shares are described more fully in the prospectus. If you wish to sell your shares by contacting American Funds Service Company directly, any such request must be signed by the registered shareholders. To contact American Funds Service Company via overnight mail or courier service, see “Purchase and exchange of shares.”

A signature guarantee may be required for certain redemptions. In such an event, your signature may be guaranteed by a domestic stock exchange or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, bank, savings association or credit union that is an eligible guarantor institution. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to require a signature guarantee on any redemptions.

Additional documentation may be required for sales of shares held in corporate, partnership or fiduciary accounts. You must include with your written request any shares you wish to sell that are in certificate form.

If you sell Class A or C shares and request a specific dollar amount to be sold, we will sell sufficient shares so that the sale proceeds, after deducting any applicable CDSC, equals the dollar amount requested.

If you hold multiple American Funds and a CDSC applies to the shares you are redeeming, the CDSC will be calculated based on the applicable class of shares of the particular fund from which you are making the redemption.

Redemption proceeds will not be mailed until sufficient time has passed to provide reasonable assurance that checks or drafts (including certified or cashier’s checks) for shares purchased have cleared (normally 10 business days from the purchase date). Except for delays relating to clearance of checks for share purchases or in extraordinary circumstances (and as permissible under the 1940 Act), the fund typically expects to pay redemption proceeds one business day following receipt and acceptance of a redemption order. Interest will not accrue or be paid on amounts that represent uncashed distribution or redemption checks.

You may request that redemption proceeds of $1,000 or more from American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund be wired to your bank by writing American Funds Service Company. A signature guarantee is required on all requests to wire funds.

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Shareholder account services and privileges

The following services and privileges are generally available to all shareholders. However, certain services and privileges described in the prospectus and this statement of additional information may not be available for Class 529 shareholders or if your account is held with an investment dealer or through an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Automatic investment plan — An automatic investment plan enables you to make monthly or quarterly investments in the American Funds through automatic debits from your bank account. To set up a plan, you must fill out an account application and specify the amount that you would like to invest and the date on which you would like your investments to occur. The plan will begin within 30 days after your account application is received. Your bank account will be debited on the day or a few days before your investment is made, depending on the bank’s capabilities. The Transfer Agent will then invest your money into the fund you specified on or around the date you specified. If the date you specified falls on a weekend or holiday, your money will be invested on the following business day. However, if the following business day falls in the next month, your money will be invested on the business day immediately preceding the weekend or holiday. If your bank account cannot be debited due to insufficient funds, a stop-payment or the closing of the account, the plan may be terminated and the related investment reversed. You may change the amount of the investment or discontinue the plan at any time by contacting the Transfer Agent.

Automatic reinvestment — Dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional shares of the same class and fund at net asset value unless you indicate otherwise on the account application. You also may elect to have dividends and/or capital gain distributions paid in cash by informing the fund, the Transfer Agent or your investment dealer. Dividends and capital gain distributions paid to retirement plan shareholders or shareholders of the 529 share classes will be automatically reinvested.

If you have elected to receive dividends and/or capital gain distributions in cash, and the postal or other delivery service is unable to deliver checks to your address of record, or you do not respond to mailings from American Funds Service Company with regard to uncashed distribution checks, your distribution option may be automatically converted to having all dividends and other distributions reinvested in additional shares.

Cross-reinvestment of dividends and distributions — For all share classes, except Class T shares and the 529 classes of shares, you may cross-reinvest dividends and capital gains (distributions) into other American Funds in the same share class at net asset value, subject to the following conditions:

(1) the aggregate value of your account(s) in the fund(s) paying distributions equals or exceeds $5,000 (this is waived if the value of the account in the fund receiving the distributions equals or exceeds that fund’s minimum initial investment requirement);

(2) if the value of the account of the fund receiving distributions is below the minimum initial investment requirement, distributions must be automatically reinvested; and

(3) if you discontinue the cross-reinvestment of distributions, the value of the account of the fund receiving distributions must equal or exceed the minimum initial investment requirement. If you do not meet this requirement within 90 days of notification, the fund has the right to automatically redeem the account.

Depending on the financial intermediary holding your account, your reinvestment privileges may be unavailable or differ from those described in this statement of additional information. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information.

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Automatic exchanges — For all share classes other than Class T shares, you may automatically exchange shares of the same class in amounts of $50 or more among any of the American Funds on any day (or preceding business day if the day falls on a nonbusiness day) of each month you designate.

Automatic withdrawals — Depending on the type of account, for all share classes except R shares, you may automatically withdraw shares from any of the American Funds. You can make automatic withdrawals of $50 or more. You can designate the day of each period for withdrawals and request that checks be sent to you or someone else. Withdrawals may also be electronically deposited to your bank account. The Transfer Agent will withdraw your money from the fund you specify on or around the date you specify. If the date you specified falls on a weekend or holiday, the redemption will take place on the previous business day. However, if the previous business day falls in the preceding month, the redemption will take place on the following business day after the weekend or holiday. You should consult with your advisor or intermediary to determine if your account is eligible for automatic withdrawals.

Withdrawal payments are not to be considered as dividends, yield or income. Generally, automatic investments may not be made into a shareholder account from which there are automatic withdrawals. Withdrawals of amounts exceeding reinvested dividends and distributions and increases in share value would reduce the aggregate value of the shareholder’s account. The Transfer Agent arranges for the redemption by the fund of sufficient shares, deposited by the shareholder with the Transfer Agent, to provide the withdrawal payment specified.

Redemption proceeds from an automatic withdrawal plan are not eligible for reinvestment without a sales charge.

Account statements — Your account is opened in accordance with your registration instructions. Transactions in the account, such as additional investments, will be reflected on regular confirmation statements from the Transfer Agent. Dividend and capital gain reinvestments, purchases through automatic investment plans and certain retirement plans, as well as automatic exchanges and withdrawals, will be confirmed at least quarterly.

American FundsLine and americanfunds.com — You may check your share balance, the price of your shares or your most recent account transaction; redeem shares (up to $125,000 per American Funds shareholder each day) from nonretirement plan accounts; or exchange shares around the clock with American FundsLine or using americanfunds.com. To use American FundsLine, call (800) 325-3590 from a TouchTone™ telephone. Redemptions and exchanges through American FundsLine and americanfunds.com are subject to the conditions noted above and in “Telephone and Internet purchases, redemptions and exchanges” below. You will need your fund number (see the list of the American Funds under the “General information — fund numbers” section in this statement of additional information), personal identification number (generally the last four digits of your Social Security number or other tax identification number associated with your account) and account number.

Generally, all shareholders are automatically eligible to use these services. However, if you are not currently authorized to do so, you may complete an American FundsLink Authorization Form. Once you establish this privilege, you, your financial advisor or any person with your account information may use these services.

Telephone and Internet purchases, redemptions and exchanges — By using the telephone (including American FundsLine) or the Internet (including americanfunds.com), or fax purchase, redemption and/or exchange options, you agree to hold the fund, the Transfer Agent, any of its affiliates or mutual funds managed by such affiliates, and each of their respective directors, trustees, officers, employees and agents harmless from any losses, expenses, costs or liabilities (including attorney fees) that may be incurred in connection with the exercise of these privileges. Generally, all shareholders are

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automatically eligible to use these services. However, you may elect to opt out of these services by writing the Transfer Agent (you may also reinstate them at any time by writing the Transfer Agent). If the Transfer Agent does not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that the instructions received from any person with appropriate account information are genuine, it and/or the fund may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. In the event that shareholders are unable to reach the fund by telephone because of technical difficulties, market conditions or a natural disaster, redemption and exchange requests may be made in writing only.

Checkwriting — You may establish check writing privileges for Class A shares (but not Class 529-A shares) of American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund upon meeting the fund’s initial purchase minimum of $1,000. This can be done by using an account application. If you request check writing privileges, you will be provided with checks that you may use to draw against your account. These checks may be made payable to anyone you designate and must be signed by the authorized number of registered shareholders exactly as indicated on your account application.

Redemption of shares — The fund’s declaration of trust permits the fund to direct the Transfer Agent to redeem the shares of any shareholder for their then current net asset value per share if at such time the shareholder of record owns shares having an aggregate net asset value of less than the minimum initial investment amount required of new shareholders as set forth in the fund’s current registration statement under the 1940 Act, and subject to such further terms and conditions as the board of trustees of the fund may from time to time adopt.

While payment of redemptions normally will be in cash, the fund’s declaration of trust permits payment of the redemption price wholly or partly with portfolio securities or other fund assets under conditions and circumstances determined by the fund’s board of trustees. For example, redemptions could be made in this manner if the board determined that making payments wholly in cash over a particular period would be unfair and/or harmful to other fund shareholders.

Share certificates — Shares are credited to your account. The fund does not issue share certificates.

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General information

Custodian of assets — Securities and cash owned by the fund, including proceeds from the sale of shares of the fund and of securities in the fund’s portfolio, are held by JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A., 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-2070, as custodian. If the fund holds securities of issuers outside the U.S., the custodian may hold these securities pursuant to subcustodial arrangements in banks outside the U.S. or branches of U.S. banks outside the U.S.

Transfer agent services — American Funds Service Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the investment adviser, maintains the records of shareholder accounts, processes purchases and redemptions of the fund’s shares, acts as dividend and capital gain distribution disbursing agent, and performs other related shareholder service functions. The principal office of American Funds Service Company is located at 6455 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618. Transfer agent fees are paid according to a fee schedule, based principally on the number of accounts serviced, contained in a Shareholder Services Agreement between the fund and American Funds Service Company.

In the case of certain shareholder accounts, third parties who may be unaffiliated with the investment adviser provide transfer agency and shareholder services in place of American Funds Service Company. These services are rendered under agreements with American Funds Service Company or its affiliates and the third parties receive compensation according to such agreements. Compensation for transfer agency and shareholder services, whether paid to American Funds Service Company or such third parties, is ultimately paid from fund assets and is reflected in the expenses of the fund as disclosed in the prospectus.

During the 2017 fiscal year, transfer agent fees, gross of any payments made by American Funds Service Company to third parties, were:

   
  Transfer agent fee
Class A $4,474,000
Class C 431,000
Class T —*
Class F-1 323,000
Class F-2 333,000
Class F-3 2,000
Class 529-A 184,000
Class 529-C 74,000
Class 529-E 9,000
Class 529-T —*
Class 529-F-1 18,000
Class R-1 14,000
Class R-2 493,000
Class R-2E 6,000
Class R-3 289,000
Class R-4 267,000
Class R-5E —*
Class R-5 34,000
Class R-6 7,000

* Amount less than $1,000.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 73


 
 

 

 

Independent registered public accounting firm — Deloitte & Touche LLP, 695 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, serves as the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, providing audit services and review of certain documents to be filed with the SEC. Deloitte Tax LLP prepares tax returns for the fund. The financial statements included in this statement of additional information from the annual report have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein. Such financial statements have been so included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. The selection of the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm is reviewed and determined annually by the board of trustees.

Independent legal counsel — Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 300 South Grand Avenue, 22nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, serves as independent legal counsel (“counsel”) for the fund and for independent trustees in their capacities as such. A determination with respect to the independence of the fund’s counsel will be made at least annually by the independent trustees of the fund, as prescribed by applicable 1940 Act rules.

Prospectuses, reports to shareholders and proxy statements — The fund’s fiscal year ends on August 31. Shareholders are provided updated summary prospectuses annually and at least semi-annually with reports showing the fund’s investment portfolio or summary investment portfolio, financial statements and other information. Shareholders may request a copy of the fund’s current prospectus at no cost by calling (800) 421-4225 or by sending an email request to prospectus@americanfunds.com. Shareholders may also access the fund’s current summary prospectus, prospectus, statement of additional information and shareholder reports at americanfunds.com/prospectus. The fund’s annual financial statements are audited by the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP. In addition, shareholders may also receive proxy statements for the fund. In an effort to reduce the volume of mail shareholders receive from the fund when a household owns more than one account, the Transfer Agent has taken steps to eliminate duplicate mailings of summary prospectuses, shareholder reports and proxy statements. To receive additional copies of a summary prospectus, report or proxy statement, shareholders should contact the Transfer Agent.

Shareholders may also elect to receive updated summary prospectuses, annual reports and semi-annual reports electronically by signing up for electronic delivery on our website, americanfunds.com. Upon electing the electronic delivery of updated summary prospectuses and other reports, a shareholder will no longer automatically receive such documents in paper form by mail. A shareholder who elects electronic delivery is able to cancel this service at any time and return to receiving updated summary prospectuses and other reports in paper form by mail.

Summary prospectuses, prospectuses, annual reports and semi-annual reports that are mailed to shareholders by the American Funds organization are printed with ink containing soy and/or vegetable oil on paper containing recycled fibers.

Codes of ethics — The fund and Capital Research and Management Company and its affiliated companies, including the fund’s Principal Underwriter, have adopted codes of ethics that allow for personal investments, including securities in which the fund may invest from time to time. These codes include a ban on acquisitions of securities pursuant to an initial public offering; restrictions on acquisitions of private placement securities; preclearance and reporting requirements; review of duplicate confirmation statements; annual recertification of compliance with codes of ethics; blackout periods on personal investing for certain investment personnel; ban on short-term trading profits for investment personnel; limitations on service as a director of publicly traded companies; disclosure of personal securities transactions; and policies regarding political contributions.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 74


 
 

 

 

Determination of net asset value, redemption price and maximum offering price per share for Class A shares — August 31, 2017

   
Net asset value and redemption price per share
(Net assets divided by shares outstanding)  
$13.89
Maximum offering price per share
(100/96.25 of net asset value per share, which takes into account the fund’s current maximum sales charge)  
$14.43

Other information — The fund reserves the right to modify the privileges described in this statement of additional information at any time.

The fund’s financial statements, including the investment portfolio and the report of the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm contained in the annual report, are included in this statement of additional information.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 75


 
 

 

 

Fund numbers — Here are the fund numbers for use with our automated telephone line, American FundsLine®, or when making share transactions:

             
  Fund numbers
Fund Class A Class C Class T Class F-1 Class F-2 Class F-3
Stock and stock/fixed-income funds            
AMCAP Fund®  002 302 43002 402 602 702
American Balanced Fund®  011 311 43011 411 611 711
American Funds Developing World Growth and Income FundSM  30100 33100 43100 34100 36100 37100
American Funds Global Balanced FundSM  037 337 43037 437 637 737
American Mutual Fund®  003 303 43003 403 603 703
Capital Income Builder®  012 312 43012 412 612 712
Capital World Growth and Income Fund®  033 333 43033 433 633 733
EuroPacific Growth Fund®  016 316 43016 416 616 716
Fundamental Investors®  010 310 43010 410 610 710
The Growth Fund of America®  005 305 43005 405 605 705
The Income Fund of America®  006 306 43006 406 606 706
International Growth and Income FundSM  034 334 43034 434 634 734
The Investment Company of America®  004 304 43004 404 604 704
The New Economy Fund®  014 314 43014 414 614 714
New Perspective Fund®  007 307 43007 407 607 707
New World Fund®  036 336 43036 436 636 736
SMALLCAP World Fund®  035 335 43035 435 635 735
Washington Mutual Investors FundSM  001 301 43001 401 601 701
Fixed-income funds            
American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund®  30114 33114 43114 34114 36114 37114
American Funds Corporate Bond Fund®  032 332 43032 432 632 732
American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund®  060 360 43060 460 660 760
American Funds Mortgage Fund®  042 342 43042 442 642 742
American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt
Bond Fund® 
039 N/A 43039 439 639 739
American Funds Strategic Bond FundSM  30112 33112 43112 34112 36112 37112
American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of
New York® 
041 341 43041 441 641 741
American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund® 040 340 43040 440 640 740
American High-Income Trust®  021 321 43021 421 621 721
The Bond Fund of America®  008 308 43008 408 608 708
Capital World Bond Fund®  031 331 43031 431 631 731
Intermediate Bond Fund of America®  023 323 43023 423 623 723
Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund
of America® 
043 343 43043 443 643 743
Short-Term Bond Fund of America®  048 348 43048 448 648 748
The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America®  019 319 43019 419 619 719
The Tax-Exempt Fund of California®  020 320 43020 420 620 720
U.S. Government Securities Fund®  022 322 43022 422 622 722
Money market fund            
American Funds U.S. Government
Money Market FundSM 
059 359 43059 459 659 759

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 76


 
 

 

           
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
529-A
Class
529-C
Class
529-E
Class
529-T
Class
529-F-1
Stock and stock/fixed-income funds          
AMCAP Fund  1002 1302 1502 46002 1402
American Balanced Fund  1011 1311 1511 46011 1411
American Funds Developing World Growth and Income Fund  10100 13100 15100 46100 14100
American Funds Global Balanced Fund  1037 1337 1537 46037 1437
American Mutual Fund  1003 1303 1503 46003 1403
Capital Income Builder  1012 1312 1512 46012 1412
Capital World Growth and Income Fund  1033 1333 1533 46033 1433
EuroPacific Growth Fund  1016 1316 1516 46016 1416
Fundamental Investors  1010 1310 1510 46010 1410
The Growth Fund of America  1005 1305 1505 46005 1405
The Income Fund of America  1006 1306 1506 46006 1406
International Growth and Income Fund  1034 1334 1534 46034 1434
The Investment Company of America  1004 1304 1504 46004 1404
The New Economy Fund  1014 1314 1514 46014 1414
New Perspective Fund  1007 1307 1507 46007 1407
New World Fund  1036 1336 1536 46036 1436
SMALLCAP World Fund  1035 1335 1535 46035 1435
Washington Mutual Investors Fund  1001 1301 1501 46001 1401
Fixed-income funds          
American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund   10114 13114 15114 46114 14114
American Funds Corporate Bond Fund   1032 1332 1532 46032 1432
American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund  1060 1360 1560 46060 1460
American Funds Mortgage Fund  1042 1342 1542 46042 1442
American Funds Strategic Bond Fund  10112 13112 15112 46112 14112
American High-Income Trust  1021 1321 1521 46021 1421
The Bond Fund of America  1008 1308 1508 46008 1408
Capital World Bond Fund  1031 1331 1531 46031 1431
Intermediate Bond Fund of America  1023 1323 1523 46023 1423
Short-Term Bond Fund of America  1048 1348 1548 46048 1448
U.S. Government Securities Fund  1022 1322 1522 46022 1422
Money market fund          
American Funds U.S. Government
Money Market Fund 
1059 1359 1559 46059 1459

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 77


 
 

 

                 
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
R-1
Class
R-2
Class
R-2E
Class
R-3
Class
R-4
Class
R-5E
Class
R-5
Class
R-6
Stock and stock/fixed-income funds                
AMCAP Fund  2102 2202 4102 2302 2402 2702 2502 2602
American Balanced Fund  2111 2211 4111 2311 2411 2711 2511 2611
American Funds Developing World Growth and Income Fund  21100 22100 41100 23100 24100 27100 25100 26100
American Funds Global Balanced Fund  2137 2237 4137 2337 2437 2737 2537 2637
American Mutual Fund  2103 2203 4103 2303 2403 2703 2503 2603
Capital Income Builder  2112 2212 4112 2312 2412 2712 2512 2612
Capital World Growth and Income Fund 2133 2233 4133 2333 2433 2733 2533 2633
EuroPacific Growth Fund  2116 2216 4116 2316 2416 2716 2516 2616
Fundamental Investors  2110 2210 4110 2310 2410 2710 2510 2610
The Growth Fund of America  2105 2205 4105 2305 2405 2705 2505 2605
The Income Fund of America  2106 2206 4106 2306 2406 2706 2506 2606
International Growth and Income Fund  2134 2234 41034 2334 2434 27034 2534 2634
The Investment Company of America 2104 2204 4104 2304 2404 2704 2504 2604
The New Economy Fund  2114 2214 4114 2314 2414 2714 2514 2614
New Perspective Fund  2107 2207 4107 2307 2407 2707 2507 2607
New World Fund  2136 2236 4136 2336 2436 2736 2536 2636
SMALLCAP World Fund  2135 2235 4135 2335 2435 2735 2535 2635
Washington Mutual Investors Fund  2101 2201 4101 2301 2401 2701 2501 2601
Fixed-income funds                
American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund  21114 22114 41114 23114 24114 27114 25114 26114
American Funds Corporate Bond Fund  2132 2232 4132 2332 2432 2732 2532 2632
American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund  2160 2260 4160 2360 2460 2760 2560 2660
American Funds Mortgage Fund  2142 2242 4142 2342 2442 2742 2542 2642
American Funds Strategic Bond Fund  21112 22112 41112 23112 24112 27112 25112 26112
American High-Income Trust  2121 2221 4121 2321 2421 2721 2521 2621
The Bond Fund of America  2108 2208 4108 2308 2408 2708 2508 2608
Capital World Bond Fund  2131 2231 4131 2331 2431 2731 2531 2631
Intermediate Bond Fund of America 2123 2223 4123 2323 2423 2723 2523 2623
Short-Term Bond Fund of America  2148 2248 4148 2348 2448 2748 2548 2648
U.S. Government Securities Fund  2122 2222 4122 2322 2422 2722 2522 2622
Money market fund                
American Funds U.S. Government
Money Market Fund 
2159 2259 4159 2359 2459 2759 2559 2659

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 78


 
 

 

             
  Fund numbers
Fund Class A Class C Class T Class F-1 Class F-2 Class F-3
American Funds Target Date Retirement Series®            
American Funds 2060 Target Date Retirement Fund® 083 383 43083 483 683 783
American Funds 2055 Target Date Retirement Fund® 082 382 43082 482 682 782
American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement Fund® 069 369 43069 469 669 769
American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement Fund® 068 368 43068 468 668 768
American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement Fund® 067 367 43067 467 667 767
American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement Fund® 066 366 43066 466 36066 766
American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund® 065 365 43065 465 665 765
American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement Fund® 064 364 43064 464 664 764
American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement Fund® 063 363 43063 463 663 763
American Funds 2015 Target Date Retirement Fund® 062 362 43062 462 662 762
American Funds 2010 Target Date Retirement Fund® 061 361 43061 461 661 761
                 
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
R-1
Class
R-2
Class
R-2E
Class
R-3
Class
R-4
Class
R-5E
Class
R-5
Class
R-6
American Funds Target Date Retirement Series®                
American Funds 2060
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2183 2283 4183 2383 2483 2783 2583 2683
American Funds 2055
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2182 2282 4182 2382 2482 2782 2582 2682
American Funds 2050
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2169 2269 4169 2369 2469 2769 2569 2669
American Funds 2045
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2168 2268 4168 2368 2468 2768 2568 2668
American Funds 2040
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2167 2267 4167 2367 2467 2767 2567 2667
American Funds 2035
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2166 2266 4166 2366 2466 2766 2566 2666
American Funds 2030
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2165 2265 4165 2365 2465 2765 2565 2665
American Funds 2025
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2164 2264 4164 2364 2464 2764 2564 2664
American Funds 2020
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2163 2263 4163 2363 2463 2763 2563 2663
American Funds 2015
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2162 2262 4162 2362 2462 2762 2562 2662
American Funds 2010
Target Date Retirement Fund®
2161 2261 4161 2361 2461 2761 2561 2661

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 79


 
 

 

           
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
529-A
Class
529-C
Class
529-E
Class
529-T
Class
529-F-1
American Funds College Target Date Series®          
American Funds College 2033 Fund®  10103 13103 15103 46103 14103
American Funds College 2030 Fund®  1094 1394 1594 46094 1494
American Funds College 2027 Fund®  1093 1393 1593 46093 1493
American Funds College 2024 Fund®  1092 1392 1592 46092 1492
American Funds College 2021 Fund®  1091 1391 1591 46091 1491
American Funds College 2018 Fund®  1090 1390 1590 46090 1490
American Funds College Enrollment Fund®  1088 1388 1588 46088 1488
             
  Fund numbers
Fund Class A Class C Class T Class F-1 Class F-2 Class F-3
American Funds Portfolio SeriesSM            
American Funds Global Growth PortfolioSM  055 355 43055 455 655 755
American Funds Growth PortfolioSM  053 353 43053 453 653 753
American Funds Growth and Income PortfolioSM  051 351 43051 451 651 751
American Funds Balanced PortfolioSM  050 350 43050 450 650 750
American Funds Income PortfolioSM  047 347 43047 447 647 747
American Funds Tax-Advantaged Income PortfolioSM 046 346 43046 446 646 746
American Funds Preservation PortfolioSM  045 345 43045 445 645 745
American Funds Tax-Exempt Preservation PortfolioSM 044 344 43044 444 644 744
           
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
529-A
Class
529-C
Class
529-E
Class
529-T
Class
529-F-1
American Funds Global Growth Portfolio  1055 1355 1555 46055 1455
American Funds Growth Portfolio  1053 1353 1553 46053 1453
American Funds Growth and Income Portfolio  1051 1351 1551 46051 1451
American Funds Balanced Portfolio  1050 1350 1550 46050 1450
American Funds Income Portfolio  1047 1347 1547 46047 1447
American Funds Tax-Advantaged Income Portfolio  N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
American Funds Preservation Portfolio  1045 1345 1545 46045 1445
American Funds Tax-Exempt Preservation Portfolio  N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
                 
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
R-1
Class
R-2
Class
R-2E
Class
R-3
Class
R-4
Class
R-5E
Class
R-5
Class
R-6
American Funds Global Growth Portfolio  2155 2255 4155 2355 2455 2755 2555 2655
American Funds Growth Portfolio  2153 2253 4153 2353 2453 2753 2553 2653
American Funds Growth and Income Portfolio  2151 2251 4151 2351 2451 2751 2551 2651
American Funds Balanced Portfolio  2150 2250 4150 2350 2450 2750 2550 2650
American Funds Income Portfolio  2147 2247 4147 2347 2447 2747 2547 2647
American Funds Tax-Advantaged Income Portfolio N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
American Funds Preservation Portfolio  2145 2245 4145 2345 2445 2745 2545 2645
American Funds Tax-Exempt Preservation Portfolio N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 80


 
 

 

             
  Fund numbers
Fund Class A Class C Class T Class F-1 Class F-2 Class F-3
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio SeriesSM            
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio – ConservativeSM  30109 33109 43109 34109 36109 37109
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio – ModerateSM  30110 33110 43110 34110 36110 37110
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio – EnhancedSM  30111 33111 43111 34111 36111 37111
                 
  Fund numbers
Fund Class
R-1
Class
R-2
Class
R-2E
Class
R-3
Class
R-4
Class
R-5E
Class
R-5
Class
R-6
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio – Conservative  21109 22109 41109 23109 24109 27109 25109 26109
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio – Moderate  21110 22110 41110 23110 24110 27110 25110 26110
American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio – Enhanced  21111 22111 41111 23111 24111 27111 25111 26111

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 81


 
 

 

 

Appendix

The following descriptions of debt security ratings are based on information provided by Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Fitch Ratings, Inc.

Description of bond ratings

Moody’s
Long-term rating scale

Aaa
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

Aa
Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A
Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa
Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba
Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B
Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa
Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative and of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca
Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C
Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies and securities firms.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 82


 
 

 

 

Standard & Poor’s
Long-term issue credit ratings

AAA
An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA
An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A
An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

BBB
An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BB, B, CCC, CC, and C

Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB
An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B
An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC
An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC
An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The CC rating is used when a default has not occurred, but Standard & Poor’s expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 83


 
 

 

C
An obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.

D
An obligation rated D is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to D if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

Plus (+) or minus (–)

The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

NR

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

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 84


 
 

 

 

Fitch Ratings, Inc.
Long-term credit ratings

AAA
Highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA
Very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A
High credit quality. A ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB
Good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

BB
Speculative. BB ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.

B
Highly speculative. B ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

CCC
Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.

CC
Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.

C
Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a C category rating for an issuer include:

· The issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following nonpayment of a material financial obligation;

· The issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

· Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of RD or D to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 85


 
 

 

RD
Restricted default. RD ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:

· The selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

· The uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;

· The extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or

· Execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D
Default. D ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, nonpayment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.

Imminent default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

Note: The modifiers “+” or “–” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA long-term rating category, or to categories below B.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 86


 
 

 

 

Description of commercial paper ratings

Moody’s

Global short-term rating scale

P-1

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

NP

Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

Standard & Poor’s

Commercial paper ratings (highest three ratings)

A-1

A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

A-2

A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3

A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 87


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund®

Investment portfolio

August 31, 2017

 

 

 

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments 95.04%
U.S. Treasury bonds & notes 62.04%
U.S. Treasury 54.08%
Principal amount
(000)
Value
(000)
U.S. Treasury 0.875% 2017 $150,000 $149,949
U.S. Treasury 0.75% 2019 11,000 10,885
U.S. Treasury 1.25% 2019 99,000 98,874
U.S. Treasury 1.375% 2019 105,000 105,109
U.S. Treasury 1.625% 2019 83,100 83,606
U.S. Treasury 1.25% 2020 90,500 90,263
U.S. Treasury 1.25% 2020 15,600 15,554
U.S. Treasury 1.375% 2020 36,000 35,989
U.S. Treasury 1.375% 2020 27,000 27,001
U.S. Treasury 1.375% 2020 26,548 26,466
U.S. Treasury 1.625% 2020 7,500 7,543
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2020 70,250 70,810
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2020 56,150 56,632
U.S. Treasury 2.00% 2020 46,850 47,608
U.S. Treasury 3.625% 2020 25,000 26,367
U.S. Treasury 8.75% 2020 5,255 6,364
U.S. Treasury 1.125% 20211 434,870 426,886
U.S. Treasury 1.125% 2021 20,500 20,104
U.S. Treasury 1.125% 2021 19,926 19,578
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2021 227,621 228,661
U.S. Treasury 2.00% 2021 145,000 147,107
U.S. Treasury 2.00% 2021 76,550 77,714
U.S. Treasury 2.125% 20211 287,750 293,528
U.S. Treasury 2.25% 2021 270,706 277,411
U.S. Treasury 3.625% 2021 8,300 8,889
U.S. Treasury 8.00% 2021 3,400 4,282
U.S. Treasury 1.625% 2022 680 676
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022 398,500 399,544
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022 350,000 350,711
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022 132,600 133,014
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022 47,000 47,143
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022 25,000 25,093
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022 445,580 449,198
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022 300,000 302,577
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022 129,030 130,204
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022 97,000 97,735
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022 89,000 89,817
U.S. Treasury 2.00% 2022 41,280 41,780
U.S. Treasury 2.125% 2022 119,900 122,055
U.S. Treasury 1.50% 2023 57,820 56,941
U.S. Treasury 1.625% 2023 58,280 57,672
U.S. Treasury 2.125% 2023 243,373 247,204
U.S. Treasury 2.50% 2023 40,720 42,245
U.S. Treasury 2.75% 2023 147,900 155,688
U.S. Treasury 2.75% 2024 87,700 92,260
U.S. Treasury 6.25% 2030 5,250 7,592

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 1 of 8

 


 

 

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments
U.S. Treasury bonds & notes (continued)
U.S. Treasury (continued)
Principal amount
(000)
Value
(000)
U.S. Treasury 2.875% 2045 $78,125 $80,477
U.S. Treasury 3.00% 2045 45,875 48,395
U.S. Treasury 2.875% 2046 2,008 2,066
U.S. Treasury 3.00% 2047 130,800 138,083
U.S. Treasury 3.00% 2047 1,365 1,440
    5,482,790
U.S. Treasury inflation-protected securities 7.96%    
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.125% 20202 42,906 43,145
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.25% 20252 53,839 53,732
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.375% 20252 253,786 256,133
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 2.375% 20252 109,416 126,166
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.125% 20262 52,627 51,748
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 2.125% 20412 3,076 3,939
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.75% 20422 186,876 183,050
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 1.00% 20462 33,908 34,940
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.875% 20472 53,781 53,880
    806,733
Total U.S. Treasury bonds & notes   6,289,523
Mortgage-backed obligations 30.79%
Federal agency mortgage-backed obligations 30.79%
   
Fannie Mae 2.986% 20173 575 575
Fannie Mae 10.50% 20183 42 43
Fannie Mae 5.50% 20233 554 591
Fannie Mae 6.00% 20243 390 439
Fannie Mae 10.478% 20253 58 60
Fannie Mae 6.00% 20263 21 23
Fannie Mae 6.50% 20273 691 774
Fannie Mae 6.50% 20273 315 350
Fannie Mae 5.00% 20283 320 350
Fannie Mae 8.00% 20313 438 502
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20323,4 28,000 28,912
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20363 30,085 30,901
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20363 16,925 17,389
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20363 23,644 25,243
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20363 15,045 16,060
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20363 11,702 12,493
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20363 4,950 5,285
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20363 1,395 1,490
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20363 37 40
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20373 10,733 11,009
Fannie Mae 6.50% 20373 214 238
Fannie Mae 6.50% 20373 201 225
Fannie Mae 6.50% 20373 42 47
Fannie Mae 7.00% 20373 273 311
Fannie Mae 7.00% 20373 104 114
Fannie Mae 7.00% 20373 12 13
Fannie Mae 7.50% 20373 50 55
Fannie Mae 6.00% 20383 87 89
Fannie Mae 7.00% 20383 389 436
Fannie Mae 5.00% 20413 1,779 1,978
Fannie Mae 5.00% 20413 1,219 1,356

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 2 of 8

 


 

 

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments
Mortgage-backed obligations (continued)
Federal agency mortgage-backed obligations (continued)
Principal amount
(000)
Value
(000)
Fannie Mae 5.00% 20413 $930 $1,037
Fannie Mae 5.00% 20413 669 746
Fannie Mae 3.50% 20453 17,558 18,285
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20463 152,424 154,273
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20463 24,307 24,601
Fannie Mae 3.50% 20463 6,764 7,046
Fannie Mae 3.50% 20463 442 461
Fannie Mae 3.50% 20473,4 38,000 39,374
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473 269,207 284,565
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473,4 125,000 132,065
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473 103,533 109,439
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473,4 66,860 70,535
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473 17,595 18,599
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473 16,053 17,000
Fannie Mae 4.50% 20473,4 80,000 86,056
Fannie Mae 4.50% 20473,4 18,200 19,559
Fannie Mae 3.50% 20563 70,823 73,244
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20563 118,622 126,274
Fannie Mae, Series 2014-M6, Class FA, multifamily (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.29%) 1.514% 20173,5 71 71
Fannie Mae, Series 2012-M2, Class A2, multifamily 2.717% 20223 4,325 4,452
Fannie Mae, Series 2012-M3, Class 1A2, multifamily 3.044% 20223 3,500 3,647
Fannie Mae, Series 2014-M1, Class A2, multifamily 3.343% 20233,5 3,600 3,793
Fannie Mae, Series 2014-M3, Class A2, multifamily 3.501% 20243,5 6,525 7,000
Fannie Mae, Series 2001-4, Class NA, 9.458% 20253,5 18 20
Fannie Mae, Series 2001-25, Class ZA, 6.50% 20313 279 305
Fannie Mae, Series 2001-20, Class E, 9.589% 20313,5 4 5
Fannie Mae, Series 2006-83, Class AO, principal only, 0% 20363 1,012 905
Fannie Mae, Series 2006-56, Class OG, principal only, 0% 20363 630 551
Fannie Mae, Series 2006-65, Class PF, (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.28%) 1.514% 20363,5 835 831
Fannie Mae, Series 1999-T2, Class A1, 7.50% 20393,5 260 291
Freddie Mac 10.00% 20253 46 47
Freddie Mac 3.00% 20353 15,842 16,300
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20363 235 251
Freddie Mac 5.00% 20413 4,088 4,528
Freddie Mac 3.50% 20453 5,790 6,034
Freddie Mac 3.50% 20463 170,100 177,218
Freddie Mac 3.50% 20463 6,319 6,574
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473,4 223,079 235,392
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473,4 175,000 184,939
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473 109,840 116,158
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473 74,759 79,059
Freddie Mac 4.50% 20473 6,865 7,379
Freddie Mac 4.50% 20473,4 1,000 1,075
Freddie Mac Pool #1H1354 2.955% 20363,5 448 473
Freddie Mac Pool #760014 2.972% 20453,5 6,567 6,784
Freddie Mac, Series KGRP, Class A, multifamily (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.38%) 1.604% 20203,5 2,119 2,122
Freddie Mac, Series K013, Class A1, multifamily 2.902% 20203 1,054 1,074
Freddie Mac, Series K010, Class A1, multifamily 3.32% 20203 414 420
Freddie Mac, Series 2289, Class NA, 10.239% 20203,5 8 9
Freddie Mac, Series K031, Class A1, multifamily 2.778% 20223 1,875 1,921
Freddie Mac, Series 2289, Class NB, 9.00% 20223,5 9 9
Freddie Mac, Series 1567, Class A, (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.40%) 1.627% 20233,5 8 8
Freddie Mac, Series KS01, Class A2, multifamily 2.522% 20233 3,185 3,245
Freddie Mac, Series K029, Class A2, multifamily 3.32% 20233 1,200 1,273

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 3 of 8

 


 

 

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments
Mortgage-backed obligations (continued)
Federal agency mortgage-backed obligations (continued)
Principal amount
(000)
Value
(000)
Freddie Mac, Series 2626, Class NG, 3.50% 20233 $6 $6
Freddie Mac, Series 3156, Class PO, principal only, 0% 20363 1,216 1,070
Freddie Mac, Series 3146, Class PO, principal only, 0% 20363 565 492
Freddie Mac, Series 3213, Class OG, principal only, 0% 20363 482 446
Freddie Mac, Series 3156, Class PF, (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.25%) 1.477% 20363,5 1,444 1,442
Freddie Mac Seasoned Credit Risk Transfer Trust, Series 2017-2, Class HA, 2.00% 20563 43,335 43,817
Freddie Mac Seasoned Credit Risk Transfer Trust, Series 2017-1, Class HA, 2.00% 20563 39,477 40,213
Freddie Mac Seasoned Credit Risk Transfer Trust, Series 2017-2, Class MA, 3.00% 20563 39,585 40,555
Government National Mortgage Assn. 10.00% 20193 27 28
Government National Mortgage Assn. 10.00% 20213 27 29
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20293 440 499
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20323 726 824
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20373 279 319
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.50% 20383 346 385
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.50% 20383 57 61
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.00% 20383 450 522
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20383 272 304
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20383 255 271
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20383 188 215
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20383 136 154
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20393 500 530
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20393 60 63
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.00% 20393 1,122 1,230
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.00% 20393 2,560 2,911
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20393 685 777
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20403 1,029 1,104
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.00% 20403 153 167
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.00% 20403 123 134
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.50% 20403 4,064 4,550
Government National Mortgage Assn. 3.50% 20413 848 875
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20413 335 344
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20413 12,827 13,706
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.00% 20413 7,044 7,569
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.00% 20413 93 97
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.50% 20413 433 458
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.50% 20413 402 426
Government National Mortgage Assn. 5.50% 20413 75 80
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.00% 20413 82 90
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.50% 20413 1,499 1,648
Government National Mortgage Assn. 3.50% 20423 543 567
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20423 3,285 3,434
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20423 2,080 2,175
Government National Mortgage Assn. 3.50% 20433 4,444 4,639
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20433 577 615
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20443 21 22
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453 57,669 61,478
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453 11,033 11,762
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453 9,032 9,629
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453 594 633
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453 415 442
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453 125 134
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20463 9,628 9,974
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473 172,247 182,469
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473 94,654 100,339

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 4 of 8

 


 

 

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments
Mortgage-backed obligations (continued)
Federal agency mortgage-backed obligations (continued)
Principal amount
(000)
Value
(000)
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473 $80,000 $84,679
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473 54,916 58,120
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473 24,953 26,431
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20473 47,707 50,906
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20473,4 20,000 21,286
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20473 17,917 19,114
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20473 12,963 13,841
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20473,4 12,700 13,500
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.21% 20583 14 14
Government National Mortgage Assn. 6.216% 20583 664 716
Government National Mortgage Assn., Series 2003-46, 5.00% 20333 1,249 1,329
Government National Mortgage Assn., Series 2003, 6.172% 20583 187 187
Government National Mortgage Assn., Series 2010-H13, Class JA, 5.46% 20593 471 472
Government National Mortgage Assn., Series 2010-H23, Class PT, 5.417% 20603,5 26,006 26,945
Government National Mortgage Assn., Series 2011-H02, Class BI, interest only, 0.442% 20613,5 33,976 367
Government National Mortgage Assn., Series 2012-H23, Class FI, interest only, 0.767% 20623,5 23,456 312
National Credit Union Administration, Series 2010-R2, Class 1A, (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.37%)
1.601% 20173,5
304 305
National Credit Union Administration, Series 2011-R3, Class 1A, (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.40%)
1.629% 20203,5
714 714
National Credit Union Administration, Series 2011-R1, Class 1A, (1-month USD-LIBOR + 0.45%)
1.681% 20203,5
477 478
Vendee Mortgage Trust, Series 2011-2, Class V, 3.75% 20283 11,299 11,498
Vendee Mortgage Trust, Series 2008-1, Class GD, 5.25% 20323 9,633 10,222
Vendee Mortgage Trust, Series 2011-2, Class DA, 3.75% 20333 6,371 6,527
Vendee Mortgage Trust, Series 2010-1, Class DA, 4.25% 20353 2,564 2,634
Total mortgage-backed obligations   3,122,033
Federal agency bonds & notes 2.21%    
Export-Import Bank of the United States-Guaranteed, Ethiopian Leasing 2012 LLC 2.646% 20263 1,506 1,539
Export-Import Bank of the United States-Guaranteed, VCK Lease SA 2.591% 20263 1,557 1,594
Fannie Mae 1.25% 2021 31,600 31,166
Fannie Mae 7.125% 2030 3,000 4,457
Federal Home Loan Bank 3.375% 2023 14,160 15,340
Federal Home Loan Bank 5.50% 2036 700 961
Private Export Funding Corp. 1.45% 2019 5,250 5,242
Private Export Funding Corp. 2.25% 2020 10,000 10,169
Private Export Funding Corp. 3.55% 2024 11,150 12,132
Small Business Administration, Series 2001-20K, 5.34% 20213 171 178
Small Business Administration, Series 2001-20J, 5.76% 20213 58 60
Small Business Administration, Series 2001-20F, 6.44% 20213 230 241
Small Business Administration, Series 2003-20B, 4.84% 20233 738 776
Tennessee Valley Authority 4.65% 2035 3,930 4,825
Tennessee Valley Authority 5.88% 2036 2,750 3,844
Tennessee Valley Authority, Series A, 3.875% 2021 8,500 9,150
Tennessee Valley Authority, Series 2008, Class A, 4.875% 2048 3,300 4,336
TVA Southaven 3.846% 20333 2,497 2,570
United States Agency for International Development, Jordan (Kingdom of) 1.945% 2019 31,500 31,817
United States Agency for International Development, Jordan (Kingdom of) 2.503% 2020 8,200 8,441
United States Agency for International Development, Jordan (Kingdom of) 2.578% 2022 6,000 6,217
United States Agency for International Development, Jordan (Kingdom of) 3.00% 2025 2,500 2,645
United States Agency for International Development, State of Iraq, 2.149% 2022 13,330 13,476
United States Agency for International Development, State of Israel, Class 1-A, 5.50% 2023 5,000 5,935
United States Agency for International Development, Tunisia (Kingdom of) 1.416% 2021 7,000 6,912

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 5 of 8

 


 

 

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments
Federal agency bonds & notes (continued)
Principal amount
(000)
Value
(000)
United States Agency for International Development, Ukraine, 1.844% 2019 $2,890 $2,914
United States Agency for International Development, Ukraine, 1.847% 2020 20,000 20,175
United States Agency for International Development, Ukraine, 1.471% 2021 11,770 11,638
United States Government-Guaranteed Certificates of Participation, Overseas Private Investment Corp,
3.49% 20293
1,602 1,696
United States Government-Guaranteed Certificates of Participation, Overseas Private Investment Corp,
3.82% 20323
1,757 1,883
United States Government-Guaranteed Certificates of Participation, Overseas Private Investment Corp,
3.938% 20323
1,386 1,508
    223,837
Total bonds, notes & other debt instruments (cost: $9,543,766,000)   9,635,393
Short-term securities 12.73%    
Executive Jet Inc. 1.05% due 9/1/20176 24,000 23,999
Federal Farm Credit Banks 1.05% due 12/15/2017 11,000 10,966
Federal Home Loan Bank 1.03%–1.12% due 10/2/2017–2/28/2018 263,300 262,611
Freddie Mac 0.99%–1.02% due 10/25/2017–11/28/2017 700,000 698,545
General Electric Co. 1.08% due 9/1/2017 75,100 75,098
U.S. Treasury Bills 0.97%–1.08% due 11/2/2017–1/4/2018 220,000 219,420
Total short-term securities (cost: $1,290,577,000)   1,290,639
Total investment securities 107.77% (cost: $10,834,343,000)   10,926,032
Other assets less liabilities (7.77)%   (788,008)
Net assets 100.00%   $10,138,024

Futures contracts


 

Contracts Type Number of
contracts
Expiration Notional
amount7
(000)
Value at
8/31/20178
(000)
Unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation)
at 8/31/2017
(000)
30 Day Federal Funds Futures Long 3,803 October 2017 $1,584,583 $1,566,407 $708
10 Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures Long 7,838 December 2017 783,800 995,304 350
20 Year U.S. Treasury Bond Futures Long 635 December 2017 63,500 99,119 566
10 Year Ultra U.S. Treasury Note Futures Short 338 December 2017 (33,800) (46,148) 6
30 Year Ultra U.S. Treasury Bond Futures Short 375 December 2017 (37,500) (63,398) (260)
5 Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures Long 39,752 January 2018 3,975,200 4,710,612 7,290
2 Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures Short 546 January 2018 (109,200) (118,107) (35)
90 Day Euro Dollar Futures Short 3,100 December 2018 (775,000) (762,445) (2,989)
            $5,636

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 6 of 8

 


 

 

Swap contracts


Interest rate swaps

 

Receive Pay Expiration
date
Notional
(000)
Value at
8/31/2017
(000)
Upfront
payments/
receipts
(000)
Unrealized
(depreciation)
appreciation
at 8/31/2017
(000)
U.S. EFFR 1.17865% 11/1/2017 $8,666,500 $(260) $— $(260)
U.S. EFFR 1.1745% 11/1/2017 17,333,500 (347) (347)
U.S. EFFR 1.2165% 11/1/2017 13,200,000 (924) (924)
U.S. EFFR 1.26% 1/31/2018 4,470,000 (223) (223)
U.S. EFFR 1.2715% 1/31/2018 4,230,000 (254) (254)
U.S. EFFR 1.269% 1/31/2018 5,640,000 (338) (338)
U.S. EFFR 1.2465% 1/31/2018 12,280,000 (368) (368)
1.654% 3-month USD-LIBOR 3/20/2019 853,000 2,141 2,141
1.329% U.S. EFFR 3/27/2019 58,000 37 37
1.34875% U.S. EFFR 4/5/2019 362,500 341 341
1.32625% U.S. EFFR 4/5/2019 207,900 120 120
1.337% U.S. EFFR 6/8/2019 380,000 236 236
1.367% U.S. EFFR 6/12/2019 190,000 218 218
1.37% U.S. EFFR 6/14/2019 190,000 228 228
1.362% U.S. EFFR 6/21/2019 190,000 198 198
1.351% U.S. EFFR 6/28/2019 190,000 158 158
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.5445% 6/28/2019 190,000 (89) (89)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.59851% 8/7/2019 205,000 (271) (271)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.597% 8/7/2019 275,000 (355) (355)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.217% 9/22/2021 250,000 4,703 4,703
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.225% 9/22/2021 250,000 4,625 4,625
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.196% 9/27/2021 90,000 1,777 1,777
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.9665% 2/2/2022 146,000 (1,518) (1,518)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.01215% 2/2/2022 350,000 (4,322) (4,322)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.977% 2/7/2022 178,000 (1,929) (1,929)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.2175% 3/17/2022 316,000 (6,784) (6,784)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.869% 4/19/2022 215,000 (1,284) (1,284)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.948% 7/28/2022 360,000 (3,280) (3,280)
2.80% 3-month USD-LIBOR 9/2/2022 560,000 8,495 8,495
2.75% 3-month USD-LIBOR 9/2/2022 560,000 7,969 7,969
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.495% 11/10/2023 115,000 2,404 2,404
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.74125% 11/22/2023 79,000 (4,168) (4,168)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.7343% 11/22/2023 100,000 (5,234) (5,234)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.0955% 2/10/2024 43,300 (606) (606)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.0815% 2/10/2024 86,700 (1,139) (1,139)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.3875% 3/17/2024 290,300 (9,307) (9,307)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.683% 8/4/2024 63,000 (3,243) (3,243)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.469% 6/9/2025 23,000 (871) (871)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.7545% 2/5/2026 45,000 833 833
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.27% 12/5/2026 146,000 (2,978) (2,978)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.24% 12/5/2026 179,000 (3,190) (3,190)
2.579% 3-month USD-LIBOR 3/14/2027 159,000 7,486 7,486
2.333% 3-month USD-LIBOR 3/29/2027 130,000 3,291 3,291
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.97125% 9/2/2030 124,000 (6,341) (6,341)
3-month USD-LIBOR 3.005% 9/2/2030 124,000 (6,706) (6,706)
3-month USD-LIBOR 3.34% 6/27/2044 80,000 (16,176) (16,176)
3-month USD-LIBOR 3.206% 7/31/2044 27,000 (4,722) (4,722)
3-month USD-LIBOR 3.238% 8/8/2044 28,000 (5,077) (5,077)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.7045% 1/2/2045 38,500 (2,697) (2,697)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.525% 10/20/2045 32,000 (1,033) (1,033)

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 7 of 8

 


 

 

 

Receive Pay Expiration
date
Notional
(000)
Value at
8/31/2017
(000)
Upfront
payments/
receipts
(000)
Unrealized
(depreciation)
appreciation
at 8/31/2017
(000)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.516% 10/20/2045 $48,000 $(1,456) $— $(1,456)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.5315% 10/26/2045 20,000 (674) (674)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.58245% 11/5/2045 13,000 (581) (581)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.57067% 11/9/2045 55,000 (2,317) (2,317)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.6485% 11/16/2045 54,375 (3,209) (3,209)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.52822% 11/23/2045 17,800 (586) (586)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.59125% 12/16/2045 22,500 (1,051) (1,051)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.4095% 1/14/2046 25,000 (179) (179)
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.991% 6/13/2046 30,000 2,547 2,547
3-month USD-LIBOR 1.768% 8/17/2046 57,000 7,675 7,675
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.3985% 6/9/2047 66,500 (293) (293)
2.634% 3-month USD-LIBOR 7/11/2047 59,000 3,395 3,395
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.5015% 8/17/2047 15,300 (423) (423)
3-month USD-LIBOR 2.5095% 8/17/2047 14,700 (433) (433)
          $— $(48,359)

    

 

1 A portion of this security was pledged as collateral. The total value of pledged collateral was $198,887,000, which represented 1.96% of the net assets of the fund.
2 Index-linked bond whose principal amount moves with a government price index.
3 Principal payments may be made periodically. Therefore, the effective maturity date may be earlier than the stated maturity date.
4 Purchased on a TBA basis.
5 Coupon rate may change periodically.
6 Acquired in a transaction exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. May be resold in the U.S. in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. The total value of all such securities was $23,999,000, which represented .24% of the net assets of the fund.
7 Notional amount is calculated based on the number of contracts and notional contract size.
8 Value is calculated based on the notional amount and current market price.

    

 

Key to abbreviations and symbol
EFFR = Federal Funds Effective Rate
LIBOR = London Interbank Offered Rate
TBA = To-be-announced
USD/$ = U.S. dollars

Additional financial disclosures are included in the fund’s current shareholder report and should be read in conjunction with this report.

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained from your financial professional and should be read carefully before investing. You may also call American Funds Service Company (AFS) at (800) 421-4225 or visit the American Funds website at americanfunds.com. Fund shares offered through American Funds Distributors, Inc.

 

 

MFGEFPX-022-1017O-S60704 U.S. Government Securities Fund — Page 8 of 8

 

 

 

Summary investment portfolio August 31, 2017

 

Portfolio by type of security Percent of net assets

 

 

 

Mortgage-backed obligations summary Percent of net assets
30-year pass-throughs:          
Fannie Mae   12.93%     
Ginnie Mae   7.07      
Freddie Mac   8.24    28.24%
15-year pass-throughs        .29 
Other        2.26 
Total        30.79%

 

Portfolio quality summary* Percent of net assets
U.S. Treasury and agency   64.25%
AAA/Aaa   29.56 
AA/Aa   1.23 
Short-term securities & other assets less liabilities   4.96 

 

Long-term obligations of the U.S. government and federal agencies are currently rated AAA by at least one rating agency. These obligations are currently rated AA+ by Standard & Poor’s.

 

* Bond ratings, which typically range from AAA/Aaa (highest) to D (lowest), are assigned by credit rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and/or Fitch as an indication of an issuer’s creditworthiness. In assigning a credit rating to a security, the fund looks specifically to the ratings assigned to the issuer of the security by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and/or Fitch. If agency ratings differ, the security will be considered to have received the highest of those ratings, consistent with the fund’s investment policies. The ratings are not covered by the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
These securities are guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

Bonds, notes & other debt instruments 95.04%  Principal amount
(000)
   Value
(000)
 
U.S. Treasury bonds & notes 62.04%        
U.S. Treasury 54.08%          
U.S. Treasury 0.875% 2017  $150,000   $149,949 
U.S. Treasury 1.25% 2019   99,000    98,874 
U.S. Treasury 1.375% 2019   105,000    105,109 
U.S. Treasury 1.625% 2019   83,100    83,606 
U.S. Treasury 1.25% 2020   90,500    90,263 
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2020   70,250    70,810 
U.S. Treasury 1.125% 20211   434,870    426,886 
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2021   227,621    228,661 
U.S. Treasury 2.00% 2021   145,000    147,107 
U.S. Treasury 2.00% 2021   76,550    77,714 
U.S. Treasury 2.125% 20211   287,750    293,528 
U.S. Treasury 2.25% 2021   270,706    277,411 
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022   398,500    399,544 
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022   350,000    350,711 
U.S. Treasury 1.75% 2022   132,600    133,014 
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022   445,580    449,198 
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022   300,000    302,577 
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022   129,030    130,204 
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022   97,000    97,735 
U.S. Treasury 1.875% 2022   89,000    89,817 
U.S. Treasury 2.125% 2022   119,900    122,055 
U.S. Treasury 2.125% 2023   243,373    247,204 
U.S. Treasury 2.75% 2023   147,900    155,688 
U.S. Treasury 2.75% 2024   87,700    92,260 
U.S. Treasury 2.875% 2045   78,125    80,477 
U.S. Treasury 3.00% 2047   130,800    138,083 
U.S. Treasury 0.75%–8.75% 2019–2047   634,307    644,305 
         5,482,790 

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 5
 
Bonds, notes & other debt instruments (continued)  Principal amount
(000)
   Value
(000)
 
U.S. Treasury bonds & notes (continued)        
U.S. Treasury inflation-protected securities 7.96%          
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.375% 20252  $253,786   $256,133 
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 2.375% 20252   109,416    126,166 
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Security 0.75% 20422   186,876    183,050 
U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities 0.13%–2.12% 2020–20472   240,137    241,384 
         806,733 
Total U.S. Treasury bonds & notes        6,289,523 
           
Mortgage-backed obligations 30.79%          
Federal agency mortgage-backed obligations 30.79%          
Fannie Mae 3.00% 20463   152,424    154,273 
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473   269,207    284,565 
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473,4   125,000    132,065 
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473   103,533    109,439 
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20473,4   66,860    70,535 
Fannie Mae 4.50% 20473,4   80,000    86,056 
Fannie Mae 3.50% 20563   70,823    73,244 
Fannie Mae 4.00% 20563   118,622    126,274 
Fannie Mae 0%–10.50% 2017–20473,4,5   311,867    325,970 
Freddie Mac 3.50% 20463   170,100    177,218 
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473,4   223,079    235,392 
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473,4   175,000    184,939 
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473   109,840    116,158 
Freddie Mac 4.00% 20473   74,759    79,059 
Freddie Mac 0%–10.24% 2020–20473,4,5   60,785    62,982 
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.50% 20453   57,669    61,478 
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473   172,247    182,469 
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473   94,654    100,339 
Government National Mortgage Assn. 4.00% 20473   80,000    84,679 
Government National Mortgage Assn. 0.44%–10.00% 2019–20623,4,5   356,093    317,936 
Other securities        156,963 
           
Total mortgage-backed obligations        3,122,033 
           
Federal agency bonds & notes 2.21%          
Fannie Mae 1.25%–7.12% 2021–2030   34,600    35,623 
Federal Home Loan Bank 3.38%–5.50% 2023–2036   14,860    16,301 
United States Agency for International Development, Jordan (Kingdom of) 1.95%–3.00% 2019–2025   48,200    49,120 
United States Agency for International Development, State of Iraq, 2.149% 2022   13,330    13,476 
United States Agency for International Development, State of Israel, Class 1-A, 5.50% 2023   5,000    5,935 
United States Agency for International Development, Tunisia (Kingdom of) 1.416% 2021   7,000    6,912 
United States Agency for International Development, Ukraine 1.47%–1.85% 2019–2021   34,660    34,727 
Other securities        61,743 
         223,837 
Total bonds, notes & other debt instruments (cost: $9,543,766,000)        9,635,393 
           
Short-term securities 12.73%          
Federal Home Loan Bank 1.03%–1.12% due 10/2/2017–2/28/2018   263,300    262,611 
Freddie Mac 0.99%–1.02% due 10/25/2017–11/28/2017   700,000    698,545 
General Electric Co. 1.08% due 9/1/2017   75,100    75,098 
U.S. Treasury Bills 0.97%–1.08% due 11/2/2017–1/4/2018   220,000    219,420 
Other securities        34,965 
           
Total short-term securities (cost: $1,290,577,000)        1,290,639 
Total investment securities 107.77% (cost: $10,834,343,000)        10,926,032 
Other assets less liabilities (7.77%)        (788,008)
           
Net assets 100.00%       $10,138,024 

 

This summary investment portfolio is designed to streamline the report and help investors better focus on the fund’s principal holdings. See the inside back cover for details on how to obtain a complete schedule of portfolio holdings.

 

6 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

“Other securities” includes all issues that are not disclosed separately in the summary investment portfolio. “Other securities” also includes a security (with a value of $23,999,000, which represented .24% of the net assets of the fund) which was acquired in transactions exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 and may be resold in the U.S. in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

 

Futures contracts

 

Contracts  Type  Number of
contracts
  Expiration  Notional
amount6
(000)
   Value at
8/31/20177
(000)
   Unrealized
appreciation
(depreciation)
at 8/31/2017
(000)
 
30 Day Federal Funds Futures  Long  3,803  October 2017  $1,584,583   $1,566,407   $708 
10 Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures  Long  7,838  December 2017   783,800    995,304    350 
20 Year U.S. Treasury Bond Futures  Long  635  December 2017   63,500    99,119    566 
10 Year Ultra U.S. Treasury Note Futures  Short  338  December 2017   (33,800)   (46,148)   6 
30 Year Ultra U.S. Treasury Bond Futures  Short  375  December 2017   (37,500)   (63,398)   (260)
5 Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures  Long  39,752  January 2018   3,975,200    4,710,612    7,290 
2 Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures  Short  546  January 2018   (109,200)   (118,107)   (35)
90 Day Euro Dollar Futures  Short  3,100  December 2018   (775,000)   (762,445)   (2,989)
                      $5,636 

 

Swap contracts

 

Interest rate swaps

 

Receive  Pay  Expiration
date
  Notional
(000)
   Value at
8/31/2017
(000)
   Upfront
payments/
receipts
(000)
   Unrealized
(depreciation)
appreciation
at 8/31/2017
(000)
 
U.S. EFFR  1.17865%  11/1/2017  $8,666,500   $(260)  $   $(260)
U.S. EFFR  1.1745%  11/1/2017   17,333,500    (347)       (347)
U.S. EFFR  1.2165%  11/1/2017   13,200,000    (924)       (924)
U.S. EFFR  1.26%  1/31/2018   4,470,000    (223)       (223)
U.S. EFFR  1.2715%  1/31/2018   4,230,000    (254)       (254)
U.S. EFFR  1.269%  1/31/2018   5,640,000    (338)       (338)
U.S. EFFR  1.2465%  1/31/2018   12,280,000    (368)       (368)
1.654%  3-month USD-LIBOR  3/20/2019   853,000    2,141        2,141 
1.329%  U.S. EFFR  3/27/2019   58,000    37        37 
1.34875%  U.S. EFFR  4/5/2019   362,500    341        341 
1.32625%  U.S. EFFR  4/5/2019   207,900    120        120 
1.337%  U.S. EFFR  6/8/2019   380,000    236        236 
1.367%  U.S. EFFR  6/12/2019   190,000    218        218 
1.37%  U.S. EFFR  6/14/2019   190,000    228        228 
1.362%  U.S. EFFR  6/21/2019   190,000    198        198 
1.351%  U.S. EFFR  6/28/2019   190,000    158        158 
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.5445%  6/28/2019   190,000    (89)       (89)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.59851%  8/7/2019   205,000    (271)       (271)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.597%  8/7/2019   275,000    (355)       (355)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.217%  9/22/2021   250,000    4,703        4,703 
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.225%  9/22/2021   250,000    4,625        4,625 
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.196%  9/27/2021   90,000    1,777        1,777 
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.9665%  2/2/2022   146,000    (1,518)       (1,518)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.01215%  2/2/2022   350,000    (4,322)       (4,322)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.977%  2/7/2022   178,000    (1,929)       (1,929)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.2175%  3/17/2022   316,000    (6,784)       (6,784)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.869%  4/19/2022   215,000    (1,284)       (1,284)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.948%  7/28/2022   360,000    (3,280)       (3,280)
2.80%  3-month USD-LIBOR  9/2/2022   560,000    8,495        8,495 
2.75%  3-month USD-LIBOR  9/2/2022   560,000    7,969        7,969 
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.495%  11/10/2023   115,000    2,404        2,404 
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.74125%  11/22/2023   79,000    (4,168)       (4,168)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.7343%  11/22/2023   100,000    (5,234)       (5,234)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.0955%  2/10/2024   43,300    (606)       (606)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.0815%  2/10/2024   86,700    (1,139)       (1,139)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.3875%  3/17/2024   290,300    (9,307)       (9,307)

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 7
 

Swap contracts (continued)

 

Receive  Pay  Expiration
date
  Notional
(000)
   Value at
8/31/2017
(000)
   Upfront
payments/
receipts
(000)
   Unrealized
(depreciation)
appreciation
at 8/31/2017
(000)
 
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.683%  8/4/2024  $63,000   $(3,243)  $   $(3,243)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.469%  6/9/2025   23,000    (871)       (871)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.7545%  2/5/2026   45,000    833        833 
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.27%  12/5/2026   146,000    (2,978)       (2,978)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.24%  12/5/2026   179,000    (3,190)       (3,190)
2.579%  3-month USD-LIBOR  3/14/2027   159,000    7,486        7,486 
2.333%  3-month USD-LIBOR  3/29/2027   130,000    3,291        3,291 
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.97125%  9/2/2030   124,000    (6,341)       (6,341)
3-month USD-LIBOR  3.005%  9/2/2030   124,000    (6,706)       (6,706)
3-month USD-LIBOR  3.34%  6/27/2044   80,000    (16,176)       (16,176)
3-month USD-LIBOR  3.206%  7/31/2044   27,000    (4,722)       (4,722)
3-month USD-LIBOR  3.238%  8/8/2044   28,000    (5,077)       (5,077)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.7045%  1/2/2045   38,500    (2,697)       (2,697)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.525%  10/20/2045   32,000    (1,033)       (1,033)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.516%  10/20/2045   48,000    (1,456)       (1,456)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.5315%  10/26/2045   20,000    (674)       (674)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.58245%  11/5/2045   13,000    (581)       (581)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.57067%  11/9/2045   55,000    (2,317)       (2,317)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.6485%  11/16/2045   54,375    (3,209)       (3,209)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.52822%  11/23/2045   17,800    (586)       (586)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.59125%  12/16/2045   22,500    (1,051)       (1,051)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.4095%  1/14/2046   25,000    (179)       (179)
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.991%  6/13/2046   30,000    2,547        2,547 
3-month USD-LIBOR  1.768%  8/17/2046   57,000    7,675        7,675 
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.3985%  6/9/2047   66,500    (293)       (293)
2.634%  3-month USD-LIBOR  7/11/2047   59,000    3,395        3,395 
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.5015%  8/17/2047   15,300    (423)       (423)
3-month USD-LIBOR  2.5095%  8/17/2047   14,700    (433)       (433)
                   $   $(48,359)

 

The following footnotes apply to either the individual securities noted or one or more of the securities aggregated and listed as a single line item.

 

1 A portion of this security was pledged as collateral. The total value of pledged collateral was $198,887,000, which represented 1.96% of the net assets of the fund.
2 Index-linked bond whose principal amount moves with a government price index.
3 Principal payments may be made periodically. Therefore, the effective maturity date may be earlier than the stated maturity date.
4 Purchased on a TBA basis.
5 Coupon rate may change periodically.
6 Notional amount is calculated based on the number of contracts and notional contract size.
7 Value is calculated based on the notional amount and current market price.

 

Key to abbreviations and symbol

EFFR = Federal Funds Effective Rate

LIBOR = London Interbank Offered Rate

TBA = To-be-announced

USD/$ = U.S. dollars

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

8 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

Financial statements

 

Statement of assets and liabilities
at August 31, 2017
(dollars in thousands)

 

Assets:          
Investment securities in unaffiliated issuers, at value (cost: $10,834,343)       $10,926,032 
Cash        1,101 
Receivables for:          
Sales of investments  $1,084,921      
Sales of fund’s shares   14,943      
Variation margin on futures contracts   4,529      
Variation margin on swap contracts   1,615      
Interest   31,841      
Other   9    1,137,858 
         12,064,991 
Liabilities:          
Payables for:          
Purchases of investments   1,912,825      
Repurchases of fund’s shares   4,700      
Dividends on fund’s shares   159      
Investment advisory services   1,757      
Services provided by related parties   2,406      
Trustees’ deferred compensation   266      
Variation margin on futures contracts   446      
Variation margin on swap contracts   4,380      
Other   28    1,926,967 
Net assets at August 31, 2017       $10,138,024 
           
Net assets consist of:          
Capital paid in on shares of beneficial interest       $10,164,061 
Undistributed net investment income        2,327 
Accumulated net realized loss        (77,329)
Net unrealized appreciation        48,965 
Net assets at August 31, 2017       $10,138,024 

 

(dollars and shares in thousands, except per-share amounts)
 
Shares of beneficial interest issued and outstanding (no stated par value) —
unlimited shares authorized (729,902 total shares outstanding)

 

   Net assets   Shares
outstanding
   Net asset value
per share
 
Class A  $2,777,621    199,954   $13.89 
Class C   257,213    18,560    13.86 
Class T   10    1    13.89 
Class F-1   210,881    15,181    13.89 
Class F-2   256,808    18,487    13.89 
Class F-3   113,764    8,189    13.89 
Class 529-A   134,732    9,699    13.89 
Class 529-C   49,061    3,544    13.84 
Class 529-E   8,819    635    13.89 
Class 529-T   10    1    13.89 
Class 529-F-1   13,239    953    13.89 
Class R-1   8,898    642    13.86 
Class R-2   115,898    8,363    13.86 
Class R-2E   3,390    244    13.89 
Class R-3   145,239    10,457    13.89 
Class R-4   253,376    18,239    13.89 
Class R-5E   10    1    13.89 
Class R-5   63,313    4,557    13.89 
Class R-6   5,725,742    412,195    13.89 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 9
 
Statement of operations
for the year ended August 31, 2017
(dollars in thousands)

 

Investment income:          
Income:          
Interest       $159,181 
Fees and expenses*:          
Investment advisory services  $18,768      
Distribution services   13,767      
Transfer agent services   6,966      
Administrative services   3,453      
Reports to shareholders   310      
Registration statement and prospectus   631      
Trustees’ compensation   84      
Auditing and legal   140      
Custodian   21      
Other   260      
Total fees and expenses before reimbursement   44,400      
Less transfer agent services reimbursement        
Total fees and expenses after reimbursement        44,400 
Net investment income        114,781 
           
Net realized loss and unrealized appreciation:          
Net realized (loss) gain on:          
Investments in unaffiliated issuers   (20,629)     
Futures contracts   (68,371)     
Swap contracts   51,393    (37,607)
Net unrealized (depreciation) appreciation on:          
Investments in unaffiliated issuers   (120,001)     
Futures contracts   8,583      
Swap contracts   145,625    34,207 
Net realized loss and unrealized appreciation        (3,400)
           
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations       $111,381 

 

* Additional information related to class-specific fees and expenses is included in the Notes to Financial Statements.
Amount less than one thousand.

 

Statements of changes in net assets  
  (dollars in thousands)

 

   Year ended August 31 
   2017   2016 
Operations:          
Net investment income  $114,781   $83,297 
Net realized (loss) gain   (37,607)   152,129 
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)   34,207    (20,539)
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations   111,381    214,887 
           
Dividends and distributions paid or accrued to shareholders:          
Dividends from net investment income   (116,240)   (104,676)
Distributions from net realized gain on investments   (110,310)   (108,881)
Total dividends and distributions paid or accrued to shareholders   (226,550)   (213,557)
           
Net capital share transactions   1,683,604    1,622,261 
           
Total increase in net assets   1,568,435    1,623,591 
           
Net assets:          
Beginning of year   8,569,589    6,945,998 
End of year (including undistributed net investment income:
$2,327 and $10,801, respectively)
  $10,138,024   $8,569,589 

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

10 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

Notes to financial statements

 

1. Organization

 

The American Funds Income Series (the “trust”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end, diversified management investment company and has initially issued one series of shares, U.S. Government Securities Fund (the “fund”). The fund seeks to provide a high level of current income consistent with prudent investment risk and preservation of capital.

 

The fund has 19 share classes consisting of six retail share classes (Classes A, C, T, F-1, F-2 and F-3), five 529 college savings plan share classes (Classes 529-A, 529-C, 529-E, 529-T and 529-F-1) and eight retirement plan share classes (Classes R-1, R-2, R-2E, R-3, R-4, R-5E, R-5 and R-6). The 529 college savings plan share classes can be used to save for college education. The retirement plan share classes are generally offered only through eligible employer-sponsored retirement plans. The fund’s share classes are described further in the following table:

 

Share class  Initial sales charge  Contingent deferred sales
charge upon redemption
  Conversion feature  
Classes A and 529-A  Up to 3.75%  None (except 1% for certain redemptions within one year of purchase without an initial sales charge*)  None  
Class C  None  1% for redemptions within one year of purchase  Class C converts to Class F-1 after 10 years  
Class 529-C  None  1% for redemptions within one year of purchase  None  
Class 529-E  None  None  None  
Classes T and 529-T  Up to 2.50%  None  None  
Classes F-1, F-2, F-3 and 529-F-1  None  None  None  
Classes R-1, R-2, R-2E, R-3, R-4, R-5E, R-5 and R-6  None  None  None  
* 18 months for shares purchased on or after August 14, 2017.
Class T and 529-T shares are not available for purchase.

 

Holders of all share classes have equal pro rata rights to the assets, dividends and liquidation proceeds of the fund. Each share class has identical voting rights, except for the exclusive right to vote on matters affecting only its class. Share classes have different fees and expenses (“class-specific fees and expenses”), primarily due to different arrangements for distribution, transfer agent and administrative services. Differences in class-specific fees and expenses will result in differences in net investment income and, therefore, the payment of different per-share dividends by each share class.

 

2. Significant accounting policies

 

The fund is an investment company that applies the accounting and reporting guidance issued in Topic 946 by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board. The fund’s financial statements have been prepared to comply with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). These principles require the fund’s investment adviser to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events, if any, have been evaluated through the date of issuance in the preparation of the financial statements. The fund follows the significant accounting policies described in this section, as well as the valuation policies described in the next section on valuation.

 

Security transactions and related investment income — Security transactions are recorded by the fund as of the date the trades are executed with brokers. Realized gains and losses from security transactions are determined based on the specific identified cost of the securities. In the event a security is purchased with a delayed payment date, the fund will segregate liquid assets sufficient to meet its payment obligations. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. Market discounts, premiums and original issue discounts on fixed-income securities are amortized daily over the expected life of the security.

 

Class allocations — Income, fees and expenses (other than class-specific fees and expenses) are allocated daily among the various share classes based on the relative value of their settled shares. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated daily among the various share classes based on their relative net assets. Class-specific fees and expenses, such as distribution, transfer agent and administrative services, are charged directly to the respective share class.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 11
 

Dividends and distributions to shareholders — Dividends to shareholders are declared daily after the determination of the fund’s net investment income and are paid to shareholders monthly. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

3. Valuation

 

Capital Research and Management Company (“CRMC”), the fund’s investment adviser, values the fund’s investments at fair value as defined by U.S. GAAP. The net asset value of each share class of the fund is generally determined as of approximately 4:00 p.m. New York time each day the New York Stock Exchange is open.

 

Methods and inputs — The fund’s investment adviser uses the following methods and inputs to establish the fair value of the fund’s assets and liabilities. Use of particular methods and inputs may vary over time based on availability and relevance as market and economic conditions evolve.

 

Fixed-income securities, including short-term securities, are generally valued at prices obtained from one or more pricing vendors. Vendors value such securities based on one or more of the inputs described in the following table. The table provides examples of inputs that are commonly relevant for valuing particular classes of fixed-income securities in which the fund is authorized to invest. However, these classifications are not exclusive, and any of the inputs may be used to value any other class of fixed-income security.

 

Fixed-income class Examples of standard inputs
All Benchmark yields, transactions, bids, offers, quotations from dealers and trading systems, new issues, spreads and other relationships observed in the markets among comparable securities; and proprietary pricing models such as yield measures calculated using factors such as cash flows, financial or collateral performance and other reference data (collectively referred to as “standard inputs”)
Bonds & notes of governments & government agencies Standard inputs and interest rate volatilities
Mortgage-backed; asset-backed obligations Standard inputs and cash flows, prepayment information, default rates, delinquency and loss assumptions, collateral characteristics, credit enhancements and specific deal information

 

When the fund’s investment adviser deems it appropriate to do so (such as when vendor prices are unavailable or deemed to be not representative), fixed-income securities will be valued in good faith at the mean quoted bid and ask prices that are reasonably and timely available (or bid prices, if ask prices are not available) or at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality and type.

 

Exchange-traded futures are generally valued at the official settlement price of, or the last reported sale price on, the exchange or market on which such instruments are traded, as of the close of business on the day the futures are being valued or, lacking any sales, at the last available bid price. Prices for each future are taken from the exchange or market on which the security trades. Interest rate swaps are generally valued by pricing vendors based on market inputs that include the index and term of index, reset frequency, payer/receiver, currency and pay frequency.

 

Securities and other assets for which representative market quotations are not readily available or are considered unreliable by the fund’s investment adviser are fair valued as determined in good faith under fair valuation guidelines adopted by authority of the fund’s board of trustees as further described. The investment adviser follows fair valuation guidelines, consistent with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and guidance, to consider relevant principles and factors when making fair value determinations. The investment adviser considers relevant indications of value that are reasonably and timely available to it in determining the fair value to be assigned to a particular security, such as the type and cost of the security; contractual or legal restrictions on resale of the security; relevant financial or business developments of the issuer; actively traded similar or related securities; conversion or exchange rights on the security; related corporate actions; significant events occurring after the close of trading in the security; and changes in overall market conditions. In addition, the closing prices of equity securities that trade in markets outside U.S. time zones may be adjusted to reflect significant events that occur after the close of local trading but before the net asset value of each share class of the fund is determined. Fair valuations and valuations of investments that are not actively trading involve judgment and may differ materially from valuations that would have been used had greater market activity occurred.

 

Processes and structure — The fund’s board of trustees has delegated authority to the fund’s investment adviser to make fair value determinations, subject to board oversight. The investment adviser has established a Joint Fair Valuation Committee (the “Fair Valuation Committee”) to administer, implement and oversee the fair valuation process, and to make fair value decisions. The Fair Valuation Committee regularly reviews its own fair value decisions, as well as decisions made under its standing instructions to the investment

 

12 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

adviser’s valuation teams. The Fair Valuation Committee reviews changes in fair value measurements from period to period and may, as deemed appropriate, update the fair valuation guidelines to better reflect the results of back testing and address new or evolving issues. The Fair Valuation Committee reports any changes to the fair valuation guidelines to the board of trustees with supplemental information to support the changes. The fund’s board and audit committee also regularly review reports that describe fair value determinations and methods.

 

The fund’s investment adviser has also established a Fixed-Income Pricing Review Group to administer and oversee the fixed-income valuation process, including the use of fixed-income pricing vendors. This group regularly reviews pricing vendor information and market data. Pricing decisions, processes and controls over security valuation are also subject to additional internal reviews, including an annual control self-evaluation program facilitated by the investment adviser’s compliance group.

 

Classifications — The fund’s investment adviser classifies the fund’s assets and liabilities into three levels based on the inputs used to value the assets or liabilities. Level 1 values are based on quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. Level 2 values are based on significant observable market inputs, such as quoted prices for similar securities and quoted prices in inactive markets. Certain securities trading outside the U.S. may transfer between Level 1 and Level 2 due to valuation adjustments resulting from significant market movements following the close of local trading. Level 3 values are based on significant unobservable inputs that reflect the investment adviser’s determination of assumptions that market participants might reasonably use in valuing the securities. The valuation levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with the underlying investment. For example, U.S. government securities are reflected as Level 2 because the inputs used to determine fair value may not always be quoted prices in an active market. The following tables present the fund’s valuation levels as of August 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

 

   Investment securities 
   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets:                    
Bonds, notes & other debt instruments:                    
U.S. Treasury bonds & notes  $   $6,289,523   $   $6,289,523 
Mortgage-backed obligations       3,122,033        3,122,033 
Federal agency bonds & notes       223,837        223,837 
Short-term securities       1,290,639        1,290,639 
Total  $   $10,926,032   $   $10,926,032 

 

   Other investments* 
   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets:                    
Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts  $8,920   $   $   $8,920 
Unrealized appreciation on interest rate swaps       58,877        58,877 
Liabilities:                    
Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts   (3,284)           (3,284)
Unrealized depreciation on interest rate swaps       (107,236)       (107,236)
Total  $5,636   $(48,359)  $   $(42,723)

 

*Futures contracts and interest rate swaps are not included in the investment portfolio.

 

4. Risk factors

 

Investing in the fund may involve certain risks including, but not limited to, those described below.

 

Market conditions — The prices of, and the income generated by, the securities held by the fund may decline — sometimes rapidly or unpredictably — due to various factors, including events or conditions affecting the general economy or particular industries; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; governmental or governmental agency responses to economic conditions; and currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.

 

Issuer risks — The prices of, and the income generated by, securities held by the fund may decline in response to various factors directly related to the issuers of such securities, including reduced demand for an issuer’s goods or services, poor management performance and strategic initiatives such as mergers, acquisitions or dispositions and the market response to any such initiatives.

 

Investing in debt instruments — The prices of, and the income generated by, bonds and other debt securities held by the fund may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these securities.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 13
 

Rising interest rates will generally cause the prices of bonds and other debt securities to fall. Falling interest rates may cause an issuer to redeem, call or refinance a debt security before its stated maturity, which may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt securities generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities.

 

Bonds and other debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default. Credit risk is gauged, in part, by the credit ratings of the debt securities in which the fund invests. However, ratings are only the opinions of the rating agencies issuing them and are not guarantees as to credit quality or an evaluation of market risk. The fund’s investment adviser relies on its own credit analysts to research issuers and issues in seeking to mitigate various credit and default risks.

 

Investing in securities backed by the U.S. government — Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Securities issued by government-sponsored entities and federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. government.

 

Investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities — Mortgage-related securities, such as mortgage-backed securities, and other asset-backed securities, include debt obligations that represent interests in pools of mortgages or other income-bearing assets, such as consumer loans or receivables. Such securities often involve risks that are different from or more acute than the risks associated with investing in other types of debt securities. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to changes in the payment patterns of borrowers of the underlying debt. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to refinance or prepay their debt before its stated maturity. This may result in the fund having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities, effectively reducing the fund’s income. Conversely, if interest rates rise and borrowers repay their debt more slowly than expected, the time in which the mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are paid off could be extended, reducing the fund’s cash available for reinvestment in higher yielding securities.

 

Investing in future delivery contracts — The fund may enter into contracts, such as to-be-announced contracts and mortgage dollar rolls, that involve the fund selling mortgage-related securities and simultaneously contracting to repurchase similar securities for delivery at a future date at a predetermined price. This can increase the fund’s market exposure, and the market price of the securities that the fund contracts to repurchase could drop below their purchase price. While the fund can preserve and generate capital through the use of such contracts by, for example, realizing the difference between the sale price and the future purchase price, the income generated by the fund may be reduced by engaging in such transactions. In addition, these transactions may increase the turnover rate of the fund.

 

Investing in inflation linked bonds — The values of inflation linked bonds generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates — i.e., rates of interest after factoring in inflation. A rise in real interest rates may cause the prices of inflation linked securities to fall, while a decline in real interest rates may cause the prices to increase. Inflation linked bonds may experience greater losses than other debt securities with similar durations when real interest rates rise faster than nominal interest rates. There can be no assurance that the value of an inflation linked security will be directly correlated to changes in interest rates; for example, if interest rates rise for reasons other than inflation, the increase may not be reflected in the security’s inflation measure.

 

Investing in inflation linked bonds may also reduce the fund’s distributable income during periods of extreme deflation. If prices for goods and services decline throughout the economy, the principal and income on inflation linked securities may decline and result in losses to the fund.

 

Investing in derivatives — The use of derivatives involves a variety of risks, which may be different from, or greater than, the risks associated with investing in traditional cash securities, such as stocks and bonds. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and a derivative instrument may expose the fund to losses in excess of its initial investment. Derivatives may be difficult for the fund to buy or sell at an opportune time or price and may be difficult to terminate or otherwise offset. The fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the fund, and investing in derivatives may reduce the fund’s returns and increase the fund’s price volatility. The fund’s counterparty to a derivative transaction (including, if applicable, the fund’s clearing broker, the derivatives exchange or the clearinghouse) may be unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations in respect of the transaction.

 

Management — The investment adviser to the fund actively manages the fund’s investments. Consequently, the fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses employed by the investment adviser in this process may not produce the desired results. This could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.

 

14 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

5. Certain investment techniques

 

Index-linked bonds — The fund has invested in index-linked bonds, which are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted to a government price index. Over the life of an index-linked bond, interest is paid on the adjusted principal value. Increases or decreases in the principal value of index-linked bonds are recorded as interest income in the fund’s statement of operations.

 

Mortgage dollar rolls — The fund has entered into mortgage dollar roll transactions in which the fund sells a mortgage-backed security to a counterparty and simultaneously enters into an agreement with the same counterparty to buy back a similar security on a specific future date at a predetermined price. Mortgage dollar rolls are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, which may increase the fund’s portfolio turnover rate.

 

Futures contracts — The fund has entered into futures contracts, which provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument for a specified price, date, time and place designated at the time the contract is made. Futures contracts are used to strategically manage portfolio volatility and downside equity risk.

 

Upon entering into futures contracts, and to maintain the fund’s open positions in futures contracts, the fund is required to deposit with a futures broker, or FCM, in a segregated account in the name of the FCM an amount of cash, U.S. government securities, suitable money market instruments, or other liquid securities, known as initial margin. The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded to serve as collateral, and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract. When initial margin is deposited with brokers, a receivable is recorded in the fund’s statement of assets and liabilities.

 

On a daily basis, the fund pays or receives variation margin based on the increase or decrease in the value of the futures contracts and records variation margin on futures contracts in the statement of assets and liabilities. In addition, the fund segregates liquid assets equivalent to the fund’s outstanding obligations under the contract in excess of the initial margin and variation margin, if any. Futures contracts may involve a risk of loss in excess of the variation margin shown on the fund’s statement of assets and liabilities. The fund records realized gains or losses at the time the futures contract is closed or expires. Net realized gains or losses and net unrealized appreciation or depreciation from futures contracts are recorded in the fund’s statement of operations. The average month-end notional amount of futures contracts while held was $7,373,903,000.

 

Interest rate swaps — The fund has entered into interest rate swap contracts, which are agreements to exchange one stream of future interest payments for another based on a specified notional amount. Typically, interest rate swaps exchange a fixed interest rate for a payment that floats relative to a benchmark or vice versa. The fund’s investment adviser uses interest rate swaps to seek to manage the interest rate sensitivity of the fund by increasing or decreasing the duration of the fund or a portion of the fund’s portfolio. Risks may arise as a result of the fund’s investment adviser incorrectly anticipating changes in interest rates, increased volatility, reduced liquidity and the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their agreements.

 

Upon entering into an interest rate swap contract, the fund is required to deposit cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid securities, which is known as “initial margin.” Generally, the initial margin required for a particular interest rate swap is set and held as collateral by the clearinghouse on which the contract is cleared. The amount of initial margin required may be significantly modified from time to time by the clearinghouse during the term of the contract.

 

On a daily basis, the fund’s investment adviser records daily interest accruals related to the exchange of future payments as a receivable and payable in the fund’s statement of assets and liabilities. The fund also pays or receives a “variation margin” based on the increase or decrease in the value of the interest rate swaps, including accrued interest, and records variation margin on interest rate swaps in the statement of assets and liabilities. The fund records realized gains and losses on both the net accrued interest and any gain or loss recognized at the time the interest rate swap is closed or expires. Net realized gains or losses, as well as any net unrealized appreciation or depreciation, from interest rate swaps are recorded in the fund’s statement of operations. The average month-end notional amount of interest rate swaps while held was $28,865,575,000.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 15
 

The following tables present the financial statement impacts resulting from the fund’s use of futures contracts and interest rate swaps as of, or for the year ended, August 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

 

      Assets   Liabilities
Contract  Risk type  Location on statement of
assets and liabilities
  Value   Location on statement of
assets and liabilities
  Value
Futures contracts  Interest  Net unrealized appreciation*  $8,920   Net unrealized depreciation*  $3,284
Interest rate swaps  Interest  Net unrealized appreciation*   58,877   Net unrealized depreciation*   107,236
         $67,797      $110,520

 

      Net realized (loss) gain   Net unrealized appreciation
Contract  Risk type  Location on statement of
operations
  Value   Location on statement of
operations
  Value
Futures contracts  Interest  Net realized loss on futures contracts  $(68,371)  Net unrealized appreciation on futures contracts  $8,583
Interest rate swaps  Interest  Net realized gain on interest rate swaps   51,393   Net unrealized appreciation on interest rate swaps   145,625
         $(16,978)     $154,208

 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation on futures contracts and interest rate swaps as reported in the applicable tables following the fund’s investment portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities.

 

Collateral — The fund participates in a collateral program due to its use of futures contracts, interest rate swaps and future delivery contracts. For futures contracts and interest rate swaps, the program calls for the fund to pledge highly liquid assets, such as cash or U.S. Treasury bills, as collateral for initial and variation margin by contract. For future delivery contracts, the program calls for the fund to either receive or pledge highly liquid assets, such as cash or U.S. Treasury bills, as collateral based on the net gain or loss on unsettled contracts by certain counterparties. The purpose of the collateral is to cover potential losses that could occur in the event that either party cannot meet its contractual obligations.

 

6. Taxation and distributions

 

Federal income taxation — The fund complies with the requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to mutual funds and intends to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income and net capital gains each year. The fund is not subject to income taxes to the extent such distributions are made. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.

 

As of and during the period ended August 31, 2017, the fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the statement of operations. During the period, the fund did not incur any interest or penalties.

 

The fund is not subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities for tax years before 2013 and by state tax authorities for tax years before 2012.

 

Distributions — Distributions paid to shareholders are based on net investment income and net realized gains determined on a tax basis, which may differ from net investment income and net realized gains for financial reporting purposes. These differences are due primarily to different treatment for items such as short-term capital gains and losses; capital losses related to sales of certain securities within 30 days of purchase; deferred expenses; cost of investments sold; paydowns on fixed-income securities; net capital losses and income on certain investments. The fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may differ from the year in which the net investment income and net realized gains are recorded by the fund for financial reporting purposes.

 

During the year ended August 31, 2017, the fund reclassified $7,012,000 from undistributed net investment income to accumulated net realized loss and $3,000 from undistributed net investment income to capital paid in on shares of beneficial interest to align financial reporting with tax reporting.

 

16U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

As of August 31, 2017, the tax basis components of distributable earnings, unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and cost of investments were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

Undistributed ordinary income  $1,857 
Capital loss carryforward*   (60,380)
Gross unrealized appreciation on investments   165,575 
Gross unrealized depreciation on investments   (129,634)
Net unrealized appreciation on investments   35,941 
Cost of investments   10,847,368 

 

* The capital loss carryforward will be used to offset any capital gains realized by the fund in future years. The fund will not make distributions from capital gains while a capital loss carryforward remains.

 

The tax character of distributions paid or accrued to shareholders was as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

   Year ended August 31, 2017   Year ended August 31, 2016 
Share class  Ordinary
income
   Long-term
capital gains
   Total
dividends and
distributions
paid or
accrued
   Ordinary
income
   Long-term
capital gains
   Total
dividends and
distributions
paid or
accrued
 
Class A  $52,284   $14,932   $67,216   $55,472   $20,693   $76,165 
Class B1   48    28    76    238    153    391 
Class C   3,093    1,503    4,596    3,395    2,006    5,401 
Class T2   3       3               
Class F-1   4,123    1,196    5,319    3,785    1,233    5,018 
Class F-2   5,825    1,523    7,348    4,100    1,186    5,286 
Class F-34   555        555                
Class 529-A   2,447    718    3,165    2,578    1,011    3,589 
Class 529-B1   5    3    8    17    12    29 
Class 529-C   553    272    825    663    416    1,079 
Class 529-E   142    48    190    150    66    216 
Class 529-T2   3       3               
Class 529-F-1   274    73    347    254    89    343 
Class R-1   113    54    167    137    82    219 
Class R-2   1,419    663    2,082    1,724    1,022    2,746 
Class R-2E   33    11    44    10    3    13 
Class R-3   2,308    790    3,098    2,459    1,106    3,565 
Class R-4   4,732    1,337    6,069    3,154    976    4,130 
Class R-5E5   3       3   3   3   3
Class R-5   1,275    303    1,578    2,716    965    3,681 
Class R-6   101,523    22,344    123,867    76,987    24,699    101,686 
Total  $180,752   $45,798   $226,550   $157,839   $55,718   $213,557 

 

1 Class B and 529-B shares were fully liquidated on May 5, 2017.
2 Class T and 529-T shares began investment operations on April 7, 2017.
3 Amount less than one thousand.
4 Class F-3 shares began investment operations on January 27, 2017.
5 Class R-5E shares began investment operations on November 20, 2015.

 

7. Fees and transactions with related parties

 

CRMC, the fund’s investment adviser, is the parent company of American Funds Distributors,® Inc. (“AFD”), the principal underwriter of the fund’s shares, and American Funds Service Company® (“AFS”), the fund’s transfer agent. CRMC, AFD and AFS are considered related parties to the fund.

 

Investment advisory services — The fund has an investment advisory and service agreement with CRMC that provides for monthly fees accrued daily. These fees are based on a series of decreasing annual rates beginning with 0.300% on the first $60 million of daily net assets and decreasing to 0.140% on such assets in excess of $10 billion. The agreement also provides for monthly fees, accrued daily, based on a series of decreasing rates beginning with 3.00% on the first $3,333,333 of the fund’s monthly gross income and decreasing to 2.00% on such income in excess of $8,333,333. For the year ended August 31, 2017, the investment advisory services fee was $18,768,000, which was equivalent to an annualized rate of 0.204% of average daily net assets.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 17
 

Class-specific fees and expenses — Expenses that are specific to individual share classes are accrued directly to the respective share class. The principal class-specific fees and expenses are further described below:

 

Distribution services — The fund has plans of distribution for all share classes, except Class F-2, F-3, R-5E, R-5 and R-6 shares. Under the plans, the board of trustees approves certain categories of expenses that are used to finance activities primarily intended to sell fund shares and service existing accounts. The plans provide for payments, based on an annualized percentage of average daily net assets, ranging from 0.30% to 1.00% as noted in this section. In some cases, the board of trustees has limited the amounts that may be paid to less than the maximum allowed by the plans. All share classes with a plan may use up to 0.25% of average daily net assets to pay service fees, or to compensate AFD for paying service fees, to firms that have entered into agreements with AFD to provide certain shareholder services. The remaining amounts available to be paid under each plan are paid to dealers to compensate them for their sales activities.

 

Share class  Currently approved limits  Plan limits  
Class A   0.30%   0.30%  
Class 529-A   0.30    0.50   
Classes C, 529-C and R-1   1.00    1.00   
Class R-2   0.75    1.00   
Class R-2E   0.60    0.85   
Classes 529-E and R-3   0.50    0.75   
Classes T, F-1, 529-T, 529-F-1 and R-4   0.25    0.50   

 

For Class A and 529-A shares, distribution-related expenses include the reimbursement of dealer and wholesaler commissions paid by AFD for certain shares sold without a sales charge. These share classes reimburse AFD for amounts billed within the prior 15 months but only to the extent that the overall annual expense limits are not exceeded. As of August 31, 2017, there were no unreimbursed expenses subject to reimbursement for Class A or 529-A shares.

 

Transfer agent services — The fund has a shareholder services agreement with AFS under which the fund compensates AFS for providing transfer agent services to each of the fund’s share classes. These services include recordkeeping, shareholder communications and transaction processing. In addition, the fund reimburses AFS for amounts paid to third parties for performing transfer agent services on behalf of fund shareholders.

 

Administrative services — The fund has an administrative services agreement with CRMC under which the fund compensates CRMC for providing administrative services to Class A, C, T, F, 529 and R shares. These services include, but are not limited to, coordinating, monitoring, assisting and overseeing third parties that provide services to fund shareholders. Under the agreement, Class A shares pay an annual fee of 0.01% and Class C, T, F, 529 and R shares pay an annual fee of 0.05% of their respective average daily net assets.

 

529 plan services — Each 529 share class is subject to service fees to compensate the Virginia College Savings Plan (“Virginia529”) for its oversight and administration of the 529 college savings plan. The quarterly fee is based on a series of decreasing annual rates beginning with 0.10% on the first $20 billion of the net assets invested in the Class 529 shares of the American Funds and decreasing to 0.03% on such assets in excess of $100 billion. The fee for any given calendar quarter is accrued and calculated on the basis of the average net assets of Class 529 shares of the American Funds for the last month of the prior calendar quarter. The fee is included in other expenses in the fund’s statement of operations. Virginia529 is not considered a related party to the fund.

 

18 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

For the year ended August 31, 2017, class-specific expenses under the agreements were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

Share class  Distribution
services
  Transfer agent
services
  Administrative
services
  529 plan
services
 
Class A    $7,081      $4,474      $285    Not applicable  
Class B1    35      7      Not applicable    Not applicable  
Class C    2,783      431      140    Not applicable  
Class T2         3    3  Not applicable  
Class F-1    568      323      114    Not applicable  
Class F-2    Not applicable      333      137    Not applicable  
Class F-34    Not applicable      2      18    Not applicable  
Class 529-A    303      184      69    $95  
Class 529-B1    3      1      3  3
Class 529-C    509      74      26    36  
Class 529-E    45      9      4    6  
Class 529-T2         3    3  3
Class 529-F-1         18      7    9  
Class R-1    100      14      5    Not applicable  
Class R-2    930      493      63    Not applicable  
Class R-2E    16      6      1    Not applicable  
Class R-3    755      289      76    Not applicable  
Class R-4    639      267      128    Not applicable  
Class R-5E    Not applicable      3    3  Not applicable  
Class R-5    Not applicable      34      30    Not applicable  
Class R-6    Not applicable      7      2,350    Not applicable  
Total class-specific expenses    $13,767      $6,966      $3,453    $146  

 

1 Class B and 529-B shares were fully liquidated on May 5, 2017.
2 Class T and 529-T shares began investment operations on April 7, 2017.
3 Amount less than one thousand.
4 Class F-3 shares began investment operations on January 27, 2017.

 

Trustees’ deferred compensation — Trustees who are unaffiliated with CRMC may elect to defer the cash payment of part or all of their compensation. These deferred amounts, which remain as liabilities of the fund, are treated as if invested in shares of the fund or other American Funds. These amounts represent general, unsecured liabilities of the fund and vary according to the total returns of the selected funds. Trustees’ compensation of $84,000 in the fund’s statement of operations reflects $56,000 in current fees (either paid in cash or deferred) and a net increase of $28,000 in the value of the deferred amounts.

 

Affiliated officers and trustees — Officers and certain trustees of the fund are or may be considered to be affiliated with CRMC, AFD and AFS. No affiliated officers or trustees received any compensation directly from the fund.

 

Security transactions with related funds — The fund may purchase from, or sell securities to, other funds managed by CRMC (or funds managed by certain affiliates of CRMC) under procedures adopted by the fund’s board of trustees. The funds involved in such transactions are considered related by virtue of having a common investment adviser (or affiliated investment advisers), common trustees and/or common officers. When such transactions occur, each transaction is executed at the current market price of the security and no brokerage commissions or fees are paid in accordance with Rule 17a-7 of the 1940 Act.

 

Interfund lending — Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the fund, along with other CRMC-managed funds (or funds managed by certain affiliates of CRMC), may participate in an interfund lending program. The program provides an alternate credit facility that permits the funds to lend or borrow cash for temporary purposes directly to or from one another, subject to the conditions of the exemptive order. The fund did not lend or borrow cash through the interfund lending program at any time during the year ended August 31, 2017.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 19
 

8. Capital share transactions

 

Capital share transactions in the fund were as follows (dollars and shares in thousands):

 

   Sales1   Reinvestments of
dividends and distributions
   Repurchases1   Net (decrease)
increase
 
Share class  Amount   Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Shares 
                                 
Year ended August 31, 2017                                    
Class A  $640,098    46,176   $65,905    4,807   $(909,723)   (65,872)  $(203,720)   (14,889)
Class B2   75    5    73    6    (11,386)   (825)   (11,238)   (814)
Class C   51,632    3,728    4,525    332    (98,638)   (7,164)   (42,481)   (3,104)
Class T3   10    1                    10    1 
Class F-1   57,477    4,152    5,274    384    (93,898)   (6,796)   (31,147)   (2,260)
Class F-2   252,635    18,216    7,052    514    (264,176)   (19,122)   (4,489)   (392)
Class F-34   124,335    9,028    504    36    (12,097)   (875)   112,742    8,189 
Class 529-A   29,498    2,126    3,155    230    (37,319)   (2,702)   (4,666)   (346)
Class 529-B2   49    4    6    5   (1,026)   (74)   (971)   (70)
Class 529-C   9,629    698    824    60    (15,751)   (1,144)   (5,298)   (386)
Class 529-E   1,535    111    190    14    (2,247)   (163)   (522)   (38)
Class 529-T3   10    1    5   5           10    1 
Class 529-F-1   4,826    348    346    25    (4,548)   (329)   624    44 
Class R-1   1,766    128    166    12    (3,630)   (264)   (1,698)   (124)
Class R-2   42,380    3,071    2,073    152    (59,268)   (4,305)   (14,815)   (1,082)
Class R-2E   5,449    389    44    4    (3,814)   (271)   1,679    122 
Class R-3   68,806    4,978    3,079    225    (79,317)   (5,752)   (7,432)   (549)
Class R-4   81,501    5,885    6,062    443    (104,725)   (7,585)   (17,162)   (1,257)
Class R-5E                                
Class R-5   23,783    1,722    1,571    115    (20,979)   (1,521)   4,375    316 
Class R-6   1,905,252    138,255    123,859    9,023    (119,308)   (8,626)   1,909,803    138,652 
Total net increase
(decrease)
  $3,300,746    239,022   $224,708    16,382   $(1,841,850)   (133,390)  $1,683,604    122,014 
                                         
Year ended August 31, 2016                                   
Class A  $918,581    65,122   $74,517    5,327   $(622,270)   (44,069)  $370,828    26,380 
Class B   1,099    78    380    28    (13,648)   (968)   (12,169)   (862)
Class C   127,307    9,045    5,303    381    (88,166)   (6,253)   44,444    3,173 
Class F-1   199,814    14,171    4,939    353    (105,386)   (7,459)   99,367    7,065 
Class F-2   221,891    15,704    5,051    361    (77,881)   (5,513)   149,061    10,552 
Class 529-A   36,706    2,600    3,581    256    (30,050)   (2,128)   10,237    728 
Class 529-B   199    14    29    2    (1,114)   (79)   (886)   (63)
Class 529-C   14,772    1,050    1,078    77    (14,844)   (1,054)   1,006    73 
Class 529-E   2,794    198    215    15    (2,037)   (144)   972    69 
Class 529-F-1   4,798    340    342    24    (3,162)   (224)   1,978    140 
Class R-1   2,874    204    217    16    (4,110)   (292)   (1,019)   (72)
Class R-2   49,108    3,489    2,730    196    (53,259)   (3,776)   (1,421)   (91)
Class R-2E   3,214    228    14    1    (1,519)   (108)   1,709    121 
Class R-3   66,926    4,740    3,548    254    (55,424)   (3,927)   15,050    1,067 
Class R-4   195,834    13,827    4,112    293    (48,141)   (3,407)   151,805    10,713 
Class R-5E6   10    1                    10    1 
Class R-5   79,329    5,627    3,592    257    (137,272)   (9,678)   (54,351)   (3,794)
Class R-6   1,110,660    78,589    101,692    7,263    (366,712)   (26,229)   845,640    59,623 
Total net increase
(decrease)
  $3,035,916    215,027   $211,340    15,104   $(1,624,995)   (115,308)  $1,622,261    114,823 

 

1 Includes exchanges between share classes of the fund.
2 Class B and 529-B shares were fully liquidated on May 5, 2017.
3 Class T and 529-T shares began investment operations on April 7, 2017.
4 Class F-3 shares began investment operations on January 27, 2017.
5 Amount less than one thousand.
6 Class R-5E shares began investment operations on November 20, 2015.

 

20 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

9. Investment transactions

 

The fund made purchases and sales of investment securities, excluding short-term securities and U.S. government obligations, if any, of $37,742,520,000 and $36,941,365,000, respectively, during the year ended August 31, 2017.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 21
 

Financial highlights

 

      Income (loss) from
investment operations1
   Dividends and distributions                        
   Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
  Net
investment
income
(loss)
   Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)
   Total from
investment
operations
   Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
   Distributions
(from capital
gains)
   Total
dividends
and
distributions
   Net asset
value,
end
of period
  Total
return2,3
   Net assets,
end of period
(in millions)
   Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets before
reimbursements
   Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets after
reimbursements3
   Ratio of
net income
(loss)
to average
net assets3
 
Class A:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017  $14.10  $.15   $(.04)  $.11   $(.15)  $(.17)  $(.32)  $13.89   .86%  $2,778    .63%   .63%   1.08%
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .14    .26    .40    (.18)   (.21)   (.39)   14.10   2.88    3,029    .63    .63    .97 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .10    .15    .25    (.15)       (.15)   14.09   1.82    2,655    .65    .65    .72 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .16    .42    .58    (.15)   (.12)   (.27)   13.99   4.32    2,654    .64    .64    1.13 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .05    (.53)   (.48)   (.12)   (.35)   (.47)   13.68   (3.37)   3,141    .61    .61    .36 
Class C:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.07   .04    (.03)   .01    (.05)   (.17)   (.22)   13.86   .11    257    1.42    1.42    .29 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.07   .03    .25    .28    (.07)   (.21)   (.28)   14.07   2.06    305    1.42    1.42    .20 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.98   (.01)   .15    .14    (.05)       (.05)   14.07   1.09    260    1.42    1.42    (.05)
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.67   .05    .43    .48    (.05)   (.12)   (.17)   13.98   3.46    272    1.43    1.43    .34 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   (.06)   (.53)   (.59)   (.02)   (.35)   (.37)   13.67   (4.13)   362    1.40    1.40    (.45)
Class T:                                                               
Period from 4/7/2017 to 8/31/20174,5   13.71   .08    .18    .26    (.08)       (.08)   13.89   1.906,7   8   .166,7   .166,7   .596,7
Class F-1:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .15    (.04)   .11    (.15)   (.17)   (.32)   13.89   .84    211    .66    .66    1.05 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .14    .26    .40    (.18)   (.21)   (.39)   14.10   2.88    246    .65    .65    1.01 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .11    .15    .26    (.16)       (.16)   14.09   1.85    146    .62    .62    .74 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .16    .42    .58    (.15)   (.12)   (.27)   13.99   4.33    164    .64    .64    1.14 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .05    (.53)   (.48)   (.12)   (.35)   (.47)   13.68   (3.38)   171    .62    .62    .35 
Class F-2:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .18    (.03)   .15    (.19)   (.17)   (.36)   13.89   1.11    257    .39    .39    1.33 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .18    .25    .43    (.21)   (.21)   (.42)   14.10   3.15    266    .38    .38    1.30 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .14    .15    .29    (.19)       (.19)   14.09   2.09    117    .38    .38    1.01 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .19    .43    .62    (.19)   (.12)   (.31)   13.99   4.59    71    .39    .39    1.39 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .08    (.53)   (.45)   (.15)   (.35)   (.50)   13.68   (3.15)   61    .38    .38    .59 
Class F-3:                                                               
Period from 1/27/2017 to 8/31/20174,9   13.66   .13    .23    .36    (.13)       (.13)   13.89   2.666   114    .2810   .2810   1.6410
Class 529-A:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .14    (.04)   .10    (.14)   (.17)   (.31)   13.89   .81    135    .69    .69    1.03 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .13    .26    .39    (.17)   (.21)   (.38)   14.10   2.81    142    .71    .71    .89 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .09    .15    .24    (.14)       (.14)   14.09   1.75    131    .72    .72    .65 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .14    .43    .57    (.14)   (.12)   (.26)   13.99   4.23    138    .73    .73    1.04 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .04    (.53)   (.49)   (.11)   (.35)   (.46)   13.68   (3.46)   163    .69    .69    .27 

 

22 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 
      Income (loss) from
investment operations1
   Dividends and distributions                        
   Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
  Net
investment
income
(loss)
   Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)
   Total from
investment
operations
   Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
   Distributions
(from capital
gains)
   Total
dividends
and
distributions
   Net asset
value,
end
of period
  Total
return2,3
   Net assets,
end of period
(in millions)
   Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets before
reimbursements
   Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets after
reimbursements3
   Ratio of
net income
(loss)
to average
net assets3
 
Class 529-C:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017  $14.06  $.04   $(.04)  $11  $(.05)  $(.17)  $(.22)  $13.84   .02%  $49    1.46%   1.46%   .25%
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.06   .02    .26    .28    (.07)   (.21)   (.28)   14.06   2.02    55    1.47    1.47    .13 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.97   (.01)   .15    .14    (.05)       (.05)   14.06   .98    54    1.47    1.47    (.11)
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.66   .04    .43    .47    (.04)   (.12)   (.16)   13.97   3.48    61    1.49    1.49    .28 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   (.08)   (.53)   (.61)   (.01)   (.35)   (.36)   13.66   (4.23)   77    1.47    1.47    (.51)
Class 529-E:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .11    (.04)   .07    (.11)   (.17)   (.28)   13.89   .58    9    .92    .92    .79 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .09    .26    .35    (.13)   (.21)   (.34)   14.10   2.57    9    .94    .94    .67 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .06    .15    .21    (.11)       (.11)   14.09   1.52    9    .95    .95    .42 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .09    .45    .54    (.11)   (.12)   (.23)   13.99   3.99    8    .97    .97    .81 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   11   (.53)   (.53)   (.07)   (.35)   (.42)   13.68   (3.69)   10    .94    .94    .03 
Class 529-T:                                                               
Period from 4/7/2017 to 8/31/20174,5   13.71   .08    .18    .26    (.08)       (.08)   13.89   1.876,7   8   .196,7   .196,7   .566,7
Class 529-F-1:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .17    (.03)   .14    (.18)   (.17)   (.35)   13.89   1.03    13    .47    .47    1.25 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .16    .26    .42    (.20)   (.21)   (.41)   14.10   3.04    13    .49    .49    1.13 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .13    .15    .28    (.18)       (.18)   14.09   1.98    11    .49    .49    .89 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .21    .39    .60    (.17)   (.12)   (.29)   13.99   4.46    10    .51    .51    1.28 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .07    (.53)   (.46)   (.14)   (.35)   (.49)   13.68   (3.24)   11    .47    .47    .49 
Class R-1:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.08   .04    (.04)   11   (.05)   (.17)   (.22)   13.86   .06    9    1.41    1.41    .29 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.07   .03    .27    .30    (.08)   (.21)   (.29)   14.08   2.15    11    1.39    1.39    .20 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.98   11   .15    .15    (.06)       (.06)   14.07   1.04    12    1.39    1.39    (.03)
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.67   .05    .43    .48    (.05)   (.12)   (.17)   13.98   3.55    14    1.40    1.40    .37 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   (.06)   (.53)   (.59)   (.02)   (.35)   (.37)   13.67   (4.12)   16    1.38    1.38    (.41)
Class R-2:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.07   .04    (.03)   .01    (.05)   (.17)   (.22)   13.86   .15    116    1.40    1.40    .31 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.07   .03    .26    .29    (.08)   (.21)   (.29)   14.07   2.10    133    1.37    1.37    .22 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.98   11   .15    .15    (.06)       (.06)   14.07   1.05    134    1.38    1.38    (.02)
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.67   .05    .43    .48    (.05)   (.12)   (.17)   13.98   3.54    147    1.43    1.43    .34 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   (.06)   (.53)   (.59)   (.02)   (.35)   (.37)   13.67   (4.09)   174    1.35    1.35    (.39)
Class R-2E:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .08    (.03)   .05    (.09)   (.17)   (.26)   13.89   .42    3    1.10    1.10    .61 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .11    .25    .36    (.14)   (.21)   (.35)   14.10   2.63    2    1.07    1.07    .76 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .12    .15    .27    (.17)       (.17)   14.09   1.957   8   .517   .517   .867
Period from 8/29/2014 to 8/31/20144,12   13.99                           13.99       8            

 

See page 24 for footnotes.

 

U.S. Government Securities Fund 23
 

Financial highlights (continued)

 

      Income (loss) from
investment operations1
   Dividends and distributions                        
   Net asset
value,
beginning
of period
  Net
investment
income
(loss)
   Net (losses)
gains on
securities
(both
realized and
unrealized)
   Total from
investment
operations
   Dividends
(from net
investment
income)
   Distributions
(from capital
gains)
   Total
dividends
and
distributions
   Net asset
value,
end
of period
  Total
return2,3
   Net assets,
end of period
(in millions)
   Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets before
reimbursements
   Ratio of
expenses to
average net
assets after
reimbursements3
   Ratio of
net income
(loss)
to average
net assets3
 
Class R-3:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017  $14.10  $.11   $(.04)  $.07   $(.11)  $(.17)  $(.28)  $13.89   .55%  $145    .95%   .95%   .76%
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .09    .26    .35    (.13)   (.21)   (.34)   14.10   2.57    155    .95    .95    .66 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .06    .15    .21    (.11)       (.11)   14.09   1.53    140    .94    .94    .43 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .11    .43    .54    (.11)   (.12)   (.23)   13.99   3.99    142    .97    .97    .80 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   11   (.53)   (.53)   (.07)   (.35)   (.42)   13.68   (3.69)   168    .94    .94    .02 
Class R-4:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .15    (.04)   .11    (.15)   (.17)   (.32)   13.89   .88    253    .62    .62    1.09 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .15    .25    .40    (.18)   (.21)   (.39)   14.10   2.90    275    .62    .62    1.09 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .11    .15    .26    (.16)       (.16)   14.09   1.86    124    .61    .61    .76 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .16    .42    .58    (.15)   (.12)   (.27)   13.99   4.33    120    .63    .63    1.14 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .05    (.53)   (.48)   (.12)   (.35)   (.47)   13.68   (3.38)   134    .61    .61    .34 
Class R-5E:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .19    (.04)   .15    (.19)   (.17)   (.36)   13.89   1.14    8   .53    .36    1.36 
Period from 11/20/2015 to 8/31/20164,13   14.08   .13    .25    .38    (.15)   (.21)   (.36)   14.10   2.746   8   .4910   .4910   1.2110
Class R-5:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .19    (.03)   .16    (.20)   (.17)   (.37)   13.89   1.18    63    .33    .33    1.40 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .17    .27    .44    (.22)   (.21)   (.43)   14.10   3.20    60    .32    .32    1.21 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .15    .15    .30    (.20)       (.20)   14.09   2.15    113    .32    .32    1.06 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .20    .42    .62    (.19)   (.12)   (.31)   13.99   4.65    101    .33    .33    1.44 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .09    (.53)   (.44)   (.16)   (.35)   (.51)   13.68   (3.08)   133    .31    .31    .65 
Class R-6:                                                               
Year ended 8/31/2017   14.10   .20    (.04)   .16    (.20)   (.17)   (.37)   13.89   1.23    5,726    .27    .27    1.48 
Year ended 8/31/2016   14.09   .19    .26    .45    (.23)   (.21)   (.44)   14.10   3.26    3,857    .27    .27    1.35 
Year ended 8/31/2015   13.99   .16    .15    .31    (.21)       (.21)   14.09   2.20    3,014    .27    .27    1.12 
Year ended 8/31/2014   13.68   .21    .42    .63    (.20)   (.12)   (.32)   13.99   4.70    2,357    .28    .28    1.51 
Year ended 8/31/2013   14.63   .10    (.53)   (.43)   (.17)   (.35)   (.52)   13.68   (3.03)   1,596    .26    .26    .72 

 

   Year ended August 31
Portfolio turnover rate for all share classes14  2017  2016  2015  2014  2013
                
Excluding mortgage dollar roll transactions   187%   296%   263%   Not available
Including mortgage dollar roll transactions   577%   693%   771%   423%   488%

 

1 Based on average shares outstanding.
2 Total returns exclude any applicable sales charges, including contingent deferred sales charges.
3 This column reflects the impact, if any, of certain reimbursements from CRMC. During some of the periods shown, CRMC paid a portion of the fund’s transfer agent fees for certain retirement plan share classes.
4 Based on operations for the period shown and, accordingly, is not representative of a full year.
5 Class T and 529-T shares began investment operations on April 7, 2017.
6 Not annualized.
7 All or a significant portion of assets in this class consisted of seed capital invested by CRMC and/or its affiliates. Fees for distribution services are not charged or accrued on these seed capital assets. If such fees were paid by the fund on seed capital assets, fund expenses would have been higher and net income and total return would have been lower.
8 Amount less than $1 million.
9 Class F-3 shares began investment operations on January 27, 2017.
10 Annualized.
11 Amount less than $.01.
12 Class R-2E shares began investment operations on August 29, 2014.
13 Class R-5E shares began investment operations on November 20, 2015.
14 Refer to Note 5 for more information on mortgage dollar rolls.

 

See Notes to Financial Statements

 

24 U.S. Government Securities Fund
 

 

 

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of

The American Funds Income Series - U.S. Government Securities Fund:

 

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of The American Funds Income Series - U.S. Government Securities Fund (the “Fund”), including the investment portfolio and the summary investment portfolio, as of August 31, 2017, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the periods presented. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of August 31, 2017 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, such financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The American Funds Income Series - U.S. Government Securities Fund as of August 31, 2017, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the periods presented, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

 

Costa Mesa, California

October 17, 2017

 

 

 
 

 

 

The American Funds Income Series

(U.S. Government Securities Fund)

 

Part C

Other Information

 

 

Item 28.Exhibits for Registration Statement (1940 Act No. 811-04318 and 1933 Act No. 002-98199)

 

(a-1)Articles of Incorporation – Certificate of Trust dated 8/20/09 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10); Certificate of Establishment and Designation of Class R-2E Shares – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 48 filed 8/28/14); Certificate of Establishment and Designation of Class R-5E Shares dated 9/2/15 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 52 filed 10/29/15); Certificate of Establishment and Designation of Class F-3 Shares dated 9/14/16 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 56 filed 12/29/16); and Certificate of Establishment and Designation of Class T Shares and Class 529-T Shares dated 12/5/16 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 58 filed 4/6/17)

 

(a-2)Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated 9/13/17

 

(b)By-laws – By-laws – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10)

 

(c)Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders – Form of Share Certificate – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 25 filed 3/8/01)

 

(d)Investment Advisory Contracts – Amended Investment Advisory and Service Agreement dated 11/1/10 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10)

 

(e)Underwriting Contracts – Amended and Restated Principal Underwriting Agreement effective 4/7/17; Form of Selling Group Agreement; Form of Bank/Trust Company Selling Group Agreement; Form of Class F Share Participation Agreement; and Form of Bank/Trust Company Participation Agreement for Class F Shares

 

(f)Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts – Deferred Compensation Plan effective 1/1/14 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 54 filed 10/31/16

 

(g)Custodian Agreements – Form of Global Custody Agreement dated 12/21/06 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 35 filed 10/31/07); and Form of Amendment to Global Custody Agreement effective 7/1/15 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 52 filed 10/29/15)

 

(h-1)Other Material Contracts – Form of Indemnification Agreement – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10); and Form of Agreement and Plan of Reorganization dated 8/24/09 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10)

 

(h-2)Amended and Restated Shareholder Services Agreement effective 4/7/17; and Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement effective 4/7/17

 

 
 
(i)Legal Opinion – Legal Opinion – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10; P/E Amendment No. 48 filed 8/28/14; P/E Amendment No. 52 filed 10/29/15; P/E Amendment No. 56 filed 12/29/16; and P/E Amendment No. 58 filed 4/6/17)

 

 

(j)Other Opinions – Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

(k)       Omitted Financial Statements - None

 

(l)Initial capital agreements - previously filed (see P/E Amendment No.19 filed 10/29/97)

 

(m-1)Rule 12b-1 Plan – Forms of Plans of Distribution for Class A, B, C, F-1, 529-A, 529-B, 529-C, 529-E, 529-F-1, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 shares dated 11/1/10 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 41 filed 10/29/10); and Form of Plan of Distribution for Class R-2E shares dated 8/29/14 – previously filed (see P/E Amendment No. 48 filed 8/28/14)

 

(m-2)Plans of Distribution for Class T Shares and Class 529-T Shares dated 4/7/17

 

(n)Rule 18f-3 Plan – Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan effective 4/7/17

 

(o)       Reserved

 

(p)Code of Ethics – Code of Ethics for The Capital Group Companies dated May 2017; and Code of Ethics for Registrant

 

 

Item 29.Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

 

None

 

 

Item 30.Indemnification

 

The Registrant is a joint-insured under Investment Advisor/Mutual Fund Errors and Omissions Policies, which insure its officers and trustees against certain liabilities. However, in no event will Registrant maintain insurance to indemnify any such person for any act for which Registrant itself is not permitted to indemnify the individual.

 

Article 8 of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust as well as the indemnification agreements that the Registrant has entered into with each of its trustees who is not an “interested person” of the Registrant (as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), provide in effect that the Registrant will indemnify its officers and trustees against any liability or expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with his or her service to the Registrant, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain conditions. In accordance with Section 17(h) and 17(i) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and their respective terms, these provisions do not protect any person against any liability to the Registrant or its shareholders to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the

 
 

foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Registrant will comply with the indemnification requirements contained in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Release Nos. 7221 (June 9, 1972) and 11330 (September 4, 1980).

 

 

Item 31.Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

None

 

 

Item 32.Principal Underwriters

 

(a)        American Funds Distributors, Inc. is the Principal Underwriter of shares of: AMCAP Fund, American Balanced Fund, American Funds College Target Date Series, American Funds Corporate Bond Fund, American Funds Developing World Growth and Income Fund, American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund, American Funds Fundamental Investors, American Funds Global Balanced Fund, The American Funds Income Series, American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund, American Funds Mortgage Fund, American Funds Portfolio Series, American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series, American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund, American Funds Strategic Bond Fund, American Funds Target Date Retirement Series, American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York, The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II, American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund, American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund, American High-Income Trust, American Mutual Fund, The Bond Fund of America, Capital Group Emerging Markets Total Opportunities Fund, Capital Income Builder, Capital Group Private Client Services Funds, Capital World Bond Fund, Capital World Growth and Income Fund, Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Inc., EuroPacific Growth Fund, The Growth Fund of America, The Income Fund of America, Intermediate Bond Fund of America, International Growth and Income Fund, The Investment Company of America, Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America, The New Economy Fund, New Perspective Fund, New World Fund, Inc., Short-Term Bond Fund of America, SMALLCAP World Fund, Inc., The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America and Washington Mutual Investors Fund

 

(b)

 

 

(1)

Name and Principal

Business Address

 

(2)

Positions and Offices

with Underwriter

(3)

Positions and Offices

with Registrant

LAO

C. Thomas Akin II

 

Regional Vice President None
 
 

 

IRV

Laurie M. Allen

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Ashley T. Amato

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Christopher S. Anast

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

William C. Anderson

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Dion T. Angelopoulos

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Curtis A. Baker

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

T. Patrick Bardsley

 

Vice President None
SNO

Mark C. Barile

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Shakeel A. Barkat

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Brett A. Beach

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Bethann Beiermeister

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Clyde O. Bell

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Jeb M. Bent

 

Vice President None
LAO

Jerry R. Berg

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Michel L. Bergesen

 

Vice President None
LAO

Joseph W. Best, Jr.

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Roger J. Bianco, Jr.

 

Vice President None
LAO

Ryan M. Bickle

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

John A. Blanchard

 

Senior Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Marek Blaskovic

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jeffrey E. Blum

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Gerard M. Bockstie, Jr.

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Jill M. Boudreau

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Andre W. Bouvier

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Michael A. Bowman

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

David H. Bradin

 

Vice President None
LAO

William P. Brady

 

Senior Vice President None
IRV

Jason E. Brady

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

William G. Bridge

 

Regional Vice President None
IND

Robert W. Brinkman

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Kevin G. Broulette

 

Vice President None
LAO

C. Alan Brown

 

Vice President None
LAO

E. Chapman Brown, Jr.

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Toni L. Brown

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
IND

Jennifer A. Bruce

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Gary D. Bryce

 

Vice President None
IRV

Eileen K. Buckner

 

Assistant Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Ronan J. Burke

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Steven Calabria

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Thomas E. Callahan

 

Vice President None
LAO

Anthony J. Camilleri

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Kelly V. Campbell

 

Vice President None
LAO

Anthon S. Cannon III

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Jason S. Carlough

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Damian F. Carroll

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

James D. Carter

 

Vice President None
LAO

Stephen L. Caruthers

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
SFO

James G. Carville

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
LAO

Philip L. Casciano

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Brian C. Casey

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Christopher M. Cefalo

 

Regional Vice President

 

None
LAO

Kent W. Chan

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
LAO

Becky C. Chao

 

Vice President None
LAO

David D. Charlton

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Thomas M. Charon

 

Senior Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Daniel A. Chodosch

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Wellington Choi

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Paul A. Cieslik

 

Senior Vice President None
IND

G. Michael Cisternino

 

Vice President None
LAO

Andrew R. Claeson

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jamie A. Claypool

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Kevin G. Clifford

 

 

 

 

Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Hannah L. Coan

 

Vice President None
LAO

Ruth M. Collier

 

Senior Vice President None
IND

Timothy J. Colvin

 

Regional Vice President None
SNO

Brandon J Cone

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Christopher M. Conwell

 

Vice President None
LAO

C. Jeffrey Cook

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Joseph G. Cronin

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

D. Erick Crowdus

 

Vice President None
LAO

Brian M. Daniels

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Hanh M. Dao

 

Vice President None
LAO

William F. Daugherty

 

Senior Vice President None
SNO

Bradley C. Davis

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Scott T. Davis

 

Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Shane L. Davis

 

Vice President None
LAO

Peter J. Deavan

 

Vice President None
LAO

Guy E. Decker

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Daniel Delianedis

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Mark A. Dence

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Stephen Deschenes

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Mario P. DiVito

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Joanne H. Dodd

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Kevin F. Dolan

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Thomas L. Donham

 

Vice President None
LAO

John H. Donovan IV

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

John J. Doyle

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Ryan T. Doyle

 

Vice President None
LAO

Erin M. Dubester

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Craig Duglin

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Alan J. Dumas

 

Regional Vice President None
SNO

Bryan K. Dunham

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

John E. Dwyer IV

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
IND

Karyn B. Dzurisin

 

Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Kevin C. Easley

 

Vice President None
LAO

Damian Eckstein

 

Vice President None
LAO

Matthew J. Eisenhardt

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Timothy L. Ellis

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

John A. Erickson

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

John M. Fabiano

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

E. Luke Farrell

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Bryan R. Favilla

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Mark A. Ferraro

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

James M. Ferrauilo

 

Vice President None
LAO

William F. Flannery

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Kevin H. Folks

 

Vice President None
LAO

David R. Ford

 

Vice President None
LAO

Steven M. Fox

 

Vice President None
LAO

Vanda S. Freesman

 

Vice President None
LAO

Daniel Frick

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Samantha T. Gammell

 

Assistant Vice President None
SNO

Arturo V. Garcia, Jr.

 

Vice President None
LAO

J. Gregory Garrett

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Brian K. Geiger

 

Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Jacob M. Gerber

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

J. Christopher Gies

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Pamela A. Gillett

 

Regional Vice President

 

None
LAO

William F. Gilmartin

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Kathleen D. Golden

 

Regional Vice President None
SNO

Craig B. Gray

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Robert E. Greeley, Jr.

 

Vice President None
LAO

Jameson R. Greenstone

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jeffrey J. Greiner

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Eric M. Grey

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Karen M. Griffin

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

E. Renee Grimm

 

Regional Vice President

 

None
SNO

Virginia Guevara

 

Assistant Vice President None
IRV

Steven Guida

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Sam S. Gumma

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jan S. Gunderson

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Ralph E. Haberli

 

Senior Vice President; Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
LAO

Paul B. Hammond

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Philip E. Haning

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Dale K. Hanks

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
 
 

 

LAO

David R. Hanna

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Brandon S. Hansen

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Derek S. Hansen

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Julie O. Hansen

 

Vice President None
LAO

John R. Harley

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Calvin L. Harrelson III

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Robert J. Hartig, Jr.

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Craig W. Hartigan

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Alan M. Heaton

 

Vice President None
LAO

Clifford W. “Webb” Heidinger

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Brock A. Hillman

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
LAO

Jennifer M. Hoang

 

Vice President None
LAO

Heidi B. Horwitz-Marcus

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

David R. Hreha

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Frederic J. Huber

 

 

 

Senior Vice President; Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
LAO

David K. Hummelberg

 

 

 

Director, Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Controller None
LAO

James A. Humpherson Mollett

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jeffrey K. Hunkins

 

Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Marc G. Ialeggio

 

Senior Vice President None
IND

David K. Jacocks

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

W. Chris Jenkins

 

Vice President None
LAO

Daniel J. Jess II

 

Regional Vice President None
IND

Jameel S. Jiwani

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Sarah C. Johnson

 

Vice President None
LAO

Brendan M. Jonland

 

Vice President None
LAO

David G. Jordt

 

Regional Vice President

 

None
LAO

Stephen T. Joyce

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Thomas J. Joyce

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Maria Karahalis

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division  
LAO

John P. Keating

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

David B. Keib

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Brian G. Kelly

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Christopher J. Kennedy

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jason A. Kerr

 

Vice President None
LAO

Ryan C. Kidwell

 

Vice President None
LAO

Layla S. Kim

 

Vice President None
IRV

Michael C. Kim

 

Vice President None
LAO

Charles A. King

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
 
 

 

LAO

Mark Kistler

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Stephen J. Knutson

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

James M. Kreider

 

Vice President None
IRV

Theresa A. Kristiansen

 

Vice President None
SNO

David D. Kuncho

 

Vice President None
LAO

Richard M. Lang

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Christopher F. Lanzafame

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Andrew P. Laskowski

 

Regional Vice President None
SNO

Sandra A. Lass

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Andrew Le Blanc

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Matthew N. Leeper

 

Vice President None
LAO

Clay M. Leveritt

 

Vice President None
LAO

Louis K. Linquata

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Heather M. Lord

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

James M. Maher

 

Vice President None
LAO

Brendan T. Mahoney

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Nathan G. Mains

 

Vice President None
LAO

Brooke M. Marrujo

 

Vice President None
LAO

Stephen B. May

 

Vice President None
LAO

Joseph A. McCreesh, III

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Ross M. McDonald

 

Vice President None
LAO

Timothy W. McHale

 

Secretary None
 
 

 

LAO

Max J. McQuiston

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Scott M. Meade

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Simon Mendelson

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

David A. Merrill

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Conrad F. Metzger

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jennifer M. Miller

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

William T. Mills

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Sean C. Minor

 

Vice President None
LAO

Louis W. Minora

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

James R. Mitchell III

 

Vice President None
LAO

Charles L. Mitsakos

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Robert P. Moffett III

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Ryan D. Moore

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

David H. Morrison

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Andrew J. Moscardini

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
NYO

Timothy J. Murphy

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Christina M. Neal

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Jon C. Nicolazzo

 

Vice President None
LAO

Earnest M. Niemi

 

Vice President None
LAO

William E. Noe

 

Senior Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Jeanell A. Novak

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Matthew P. O’Connor

 

 

 

 

Director and President; Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
IND

Jody L. O’Dell

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Jonathan H. O’Flynn

 

Vice President None
LAO

Peter A. Olsen

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Jeffrey A. Olson

 

Vice President None
LAO

Thomas A. O’Neil

 

Vice President None
IRV

Paula A. Orologas

 

Vice President None
LAO

Gregory H. Ortman

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Shawn M. O’Sullivan

 

Vice President None
IND

Lance T. Owens

 

Vice President None
LAO

Kristina E. Page

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Rodney Dean Parker II

 

Vice President None
LAO

Lynn M. Patrick

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Timothy C. Patterson

 

Vice President None
LAO

W. Burke Patterson, Jr.

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Gary A. Peace

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Robert J. Peche

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

David K. Petzke

 

Senior Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Harry A. Phinney

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division

 

None
LAO

Adam W. Phillips

 

Vice President None
LAO

Joseph M. Piccolo

 

Vice President None
LAO

Keith A. Piken

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

John Pinto

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Carl S. Platou

 

Senior Vice President None
SNO

Andrew H. Plummer

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

David T. Polak

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Charles R. Porcher

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Leah K. Porter

 

Vice President None
SNO

Robert B. Potter III

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Abbas Qasim

 

Vice President None
LAO

Steven J. Quagrello

 

Senior Vice President None
IND

Kelly S. Quick

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Michael R. Quinn

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

James R. Raker

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Sunder R. Ramkumar

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Rachel M. Ramos

 

Assistant Vice President None
SNO

John P. Raney

 

Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

James P. Rayburn

 

Vice President None
LAO

Rene M. Reincke

 

Vice President None
LAO

Michael D. Reynaert

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Christopher J. Richardson

 

Regional Vice President None
SNO

Stephanie A. Robichaud

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Jeffrey J. Robinson

 

Vice President None
LAO

Matthew M. Robinson

 

Vice President None
LAO

Rochelle C. Rodriguez

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Thomas W. Rose

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
SNO

Tracy M. Roth

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Rome D. Rottura

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Shane A. Russell

 

Vice President None
LAO

William M. Ryan

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Dean B. Rydquist

 

 

Director, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
IND

Brenda S. Rynski

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Richard A. Sabec, Jr.

 

Senior Vice President None
SNO

Richard R. Salinas

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Paul V. Santoro

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Keith A. Saunders

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Joe D. Scarpitti

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Michael A. Schweitzer

 

Senior Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Mark A. Seaman

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

James J. Sewell III

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Arthur M. Sgroi

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Brad W. Short

 

Vice President None
LAO

Nathan W. Simmons

 

Vice President None
LAO

Connie F. Sjursen

 

Vice President None
LAO

Melissa A. Sloane

 

Regional Vice President None
SNO

Stacy D. Smolka

 

Vice President None
LAO

J. Eric Snively

 

Vice President None
LAO

Jason M. Snow

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Kristen J. Spazafumo

 

Vice President None
LAO

Margaret V. Steinbach

 

Vice President None
LAO

Michael P. Stern

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Andrew J. Strandquist

 

Regional Vice President

 

None
IRV

Todd O. Stucke

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Peter D. Thatch

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

John B. Thomas

 

Vice President None
LAO

Cynthia M. Thompson

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
IND

Scott E. Thompson

 

Assistant Vice President None
HRO

Stephen B. Thompson

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Mark R. Threlfall

 

Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Ryan D. Tiernan

 

Vice President None
LAO

Emily R. Tillman

 

Vice President None
LAO

Russell W. Tipper

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Luke N. Trammell

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Jordan A. Trevino

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Shaun C. Tucker

 

Senior Vice President None
IND

Ryan C. Tyson

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

David E. Unanue

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Idoya Urrutia

 

Vice President None
LAO

Scott W. Ursin-Smith

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Patrick D. Vance

 

Vice President None
LAO

Srinkanth Vemuri

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Spilios Venetsanopoulos

 

Vice President None
LAO

J. David Viale

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Robert D. Vigneaux III

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Jayakumar Vijayanathan

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Julie A. Vogel

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Todd R. Wagner

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Jon N. Wainman

 

Vice President None
LAO

Sherrie S. Walling

 

Vice President None
LAO

Brian M. Walsh

 

Senior Vice President None
 
 

 

LAO

Susan O. Walton

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
SNO

Chris L. Wammack

 

Vice President None
LAO

Matthew W. Ward

 

Regional Vice President None
LAO

Thomas E. Warren

 

Senior Vice President None
IND

Kristen M. Weaver

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

George J. Wenzel

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Jason M. Weybrecht

 

 

 

Senior Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
LAO

Adam B. Whitehead

 

Vice President None
LAO

N. Dexter Williams

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Dawn M. Wilson

 

Assistant Vice President None
LAO

Steven Wilson

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Steven C. Wilson

 

Vice President None
LAO

Kurt A. Wuestenberg

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Jonathan A. Young

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Jason P. Young

 

Senior Vice President None
LAO

Raul Zarco, Jr.

 

 

 

Vice President, Capital Group Institutional Investment Services Division None
IND

Ellen M. Zawacki

 

Vice President None

 

 
 

__________

DCO Business Address, 3000 K Street N.W., Suite 230, Washington, DC 20007-5140
GVO-1 Business Address, 3 Place des Bergues, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
HRO Business Address, 5300 Robin Hood Road, Norfolk, VA 23513
IND Business Address, 12811 North Meridian Street, Carmel, IN 46032
IRV Business Address, 6455 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618
LAO Business Address, 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA  90071
LAO-W Business Address, 11100 Santa Monica Blvd., 15th Floor, Los Angeles, CA  90025
NYO Business Address, 630 Fifth Avenue, 36th Floor, New York, NY 10111
SFO Business Address, One Market, Steuart Tower, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94105
SNO Business Address, 3500 Wiseman Boulevard, San Antonio, TX  78251

 

(c)       None

 

 

Item 33.Location of Accounts and Records

 

Accounts, books and other records required by Rules 31a-1 and 31a-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are maintained and kept in the offices of the Registrant’s investment adviser, Capital Research and Management Company, 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071; 6455 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, California 92618; and/or 5300 Robin Hood Road, Norfolk, Virginia 23513.

 

Registrant’s records covering shareholder accounts are maintained and kept by its transfer agent, American Funds Service Company, 6455 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, California 92618, 12811 North Meridian Street, Carmel, Indiana 46032, 3500 Wiseman Boulevard, San Antonio, Texas 78251 and 5300 Robin Hood Road, Norfolk, Virginia 23513.

 

Registrant’s records covering portfolio transactions are maintained and kept by its custodian, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017-2070.

 

 

Item 34.Management Services

 

None

 

 

Item 35.Undertakings

 

n/a

 

 

 
 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Los Angeles, and State of California, on the 30th day of October, 2017.

 

THE AMERICAN FUNDS INCOME SERIES

(U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND)

 

By: /s/ Fergus N. MacDonald

(Fergus N. MacDonald, President)

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below on October 30, 2017, by the following persons in the capacities indicated.

 

  Signature Title
(1) Principal Executive Officer:
  /s/ Fergus N. MacDonald President
  (Fergus N. MacDonald)
 
(2) Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer:
  /s/ Brian C. Janssen Treasurer
  (Brian C. Janssen)
 
(3) Trustees:
  William H. Baribault* Trustee
  James G. Ellis* Trustee
  Leonard R. Fuller* Trustee
  Michael C. Gitlin* Trustee
  Mary Davis Holt* Trustee
  R. Clark Hooper* Chairman of the Board (Independent and Non-Executive)
  Merit E. Janow* Trustee
  Laurel B. Mitchell* Trustee
  Frank M. Sanchez* Trustee
  John H. Smet* Vice Chairman of the Board
  Margaret Spellings* Trustee
  *By: /s/ Steven I. Koszalka  
  (Steven I. Koszalka, pursuant to a power of attorney filed herewith)  
       

 

Counsel represents that this amendment does not contain disclosures that would make the amendment ineligible for effectiveness under the provisions of Rule 485(b).

 

/s/ Rachel V. Nass

(Rachel V. Nass, Counsel)

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, William H. Baribault, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Balanced Fund (File No. 002-10758, File No. 811-00066)
-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Developing World Growth and Income Fund (File No. 333-190913, File No. 811-22881)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-The Income Fund of America (File No. 002-33371, File No. 811-01880)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-International Growth and Income Fund (File No. 333-152323, File No. 811-22215)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Hong Le

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ William H. Baribault

William H. Baribault, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, James G. Ellis, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-AMCAP Fund (File No. 002-26516, File No. 811-01435)
-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-American Funds Global Balanced Fund (File No. 333-170605, File No. 811-22496)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-American Mutual Fund (File No. 002-10607, File No. 811-00572)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-The Investment Company of America (File No. 002-10811, File No. 811-00116)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian D. Bullard

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Hong Le

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ James G. Ellis

James G. Ellis, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Leonard R. Fuller, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-AMCAP Fund (File No. 002-26516, File No. 811-01435)
-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-American Funds Global Balanced Fund (File No. 333-170605, File No. 811-22496)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-American Mutual Fund (File No. 002-10607, File No. 811-00572)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-The Investment Company of America (File No. 002-10811, File No. 811-00116)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian D. Bullard

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Hong Le

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Leonard R. Fuller

Leonard R. Fuller, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Michael C. Gitlin, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Michael C. Gitlin

Michael C. Gitlin, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Mary Davis Holt, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)
-Washington Mutual Investors Fund (File No. 002-11051, File No. 811-00604

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

 

 

 

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Alexandria, VA, this 17th day of June, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Mary Davis Holt

Mary Davis Holt, Board member

 

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, R. Clark Hooper, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital Income Builder (File No. 033-12967, File No. 811-05085)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Capital World Growth and Income Fund (File No. 033-54444, File No. 811-07338)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-The New Economy Fund (File No. 002-83848, File No. 811-03735)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)
-Washington Mutual Investors Fund (File No. 002-11051, File No. 811-00604)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ R. Clark Hooper

R. Clark Hooper, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Merit E. Janow, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital Income Builder (File No. 033-12967, File No. 811-05085)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Capital World Growth and Income Fund (File No. 033-54444, File No. 811-07338)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-The New Economy Fund (File No. 002-83848, File No. 811-03735)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Merit E. Janow

Merit E. Janow, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Laurel B. Mitchell, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Laurel B. Mitchell

Laurel B. Mitchell, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Frank M. Sanchez, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Frank M. Sanchez

Frank M. Sanchez, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, John H. Smet, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ John H. Smet

John H. Smet, Board member

 
 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

I, Margaret Spellings, the undersigned Board member of the following registered investment companies (collectively, the “Funds”):

 

-American Balanced Fund (File No. 002-10758, File No. 811-00066)
-American Funds College Target Date Series (File No. 333-180729, File No. 811-22692)
-American Funds Corporate Bond Fund (File No. 333-183929, File No. 811-22744)
-American Funds Developing World Growth and Income Fund (File No. 333-190913, File No. 811-22881)
-American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund (File No. 333-208636; File No. 811-23122)
-The American Funds Income Series – U.S. Government Securities Fund (File No. 002-98199, File No. 811-04318)
-American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund (File No. 333-183931, File No. 811-22746)
-American Funds Insurance Series (File No. 002-86838, File No. 811-03857)
-American Funds Insurance Series
-American Funds Mortgage Fund (File No. 333-168595, File No. 811-22449)
-American Funds Portfolio Series (File No. 333-178936, File No. 811-22656)
-American Funds Retirement Income Portfolio Series (File No. 333-203797, File No. 811-23053)
-American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (File No. 033-26431, File No. 811-05750)
-American Funds Strategic Bond Fund (File No. 333-207474, File No. 811-23101)
-American Funds Target Date Retirement Series (File No. 333-138648, File No. 811-21981)
-American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York (File No. 333-168594, File No. 811-22448)
-The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series II – The Tax-Exempt Fund of California (File No. 033-06180, File No. 811-04694)
-American Funds U.S. Government Money Market Fund (File No. 333-157162, File No. 811-22277)
-American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund (File No. 033-80630, File No. 811-08576)
-American High-Income Trust (File No. 033-17917, File No. 811-05364)
-The Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-50700, File No. 811-02444)
-Capital World Bond Fund (File No. 033-12447, File No. 811-05104)
-The Income Fund of America (File No. 002-33371, File No. 811-01880)
-Intermediate Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-19514, File No. 811-05446)
-International Growth and Income Fund (File No. 333-152323, File No. 811-22215)
-Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 033-66214, File No. 811-07888)
-Short-Term Bond Fund of America (File No. 333-135770, File No. 811-21928)
-The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America (File No. 002-49291, File No. 811-02421)
-Washington Mutual Investors Fund (File No. 002-11051, File No. 811-00604)

 

hereby revoke all previous powers of attorney I have signed and otherwise act in my name and behalf in matters involving the Funds and do hereby constitute and appoint

 

Jennifer L. Butler

Steven I. Koszalka

Michael W. Stockton

Jane Y. Chung

Susan K. Countess

Julie E. Lawton

Laurie D. Neat

Viviane T. Russo

Raymond F. Sullivan, Jr.

Brian C. Janssen

Dori Laskin

Hong Le

Gregory F. Niland

 

each of them singularly, my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution, and with full power to each of them, to sign for me and in my name in the appropriate capacities, all Registration Statements of the Funds on Form N-1A, any and all subsequent Amendments, or Post-Effective Amendments to said Registration Statement on Form N-1A or any successor thereto, and any supplements or other instruments in connection therewith, and generally to do all such things in my name and behalf in connection therewith as said attorneys-in-fact deem necessary or appropriate, to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended, and all related requirements of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. I hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys-in-fact or their substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

EXECUTED at Los Angeles, CA, this 6th day of March, 2017.

(City, State)

 

 

/s/ Margaret Spellings

Margaret Spellings, Board member