497K 1 d497k.htm AB VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC. - MONEY MARKET PORTFOLIO - CLASS A AB Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. - Money Market Portfolio - Class A
LOGO    SUMMARY PROSPECTUS    May 2, 2011

AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

Money Market Portfolio—Class A

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. The Portfolio’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated May 2, 2011, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. For free paper or electronic copies of the Portfolio’s Prospectus and other information about the Portfolio, go to http://www.alliancebernstein.com/links/variable, email a request to prorequest@alliancebernstein.com, call (800) 227-4618, or ask any insurance company that offers shares of the Portfolio.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Portfolio’s investment objective is maximum current income to the extent consistent with safety of principal and liquidity.

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE PORTFOLIO

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. The operating expenses information below is designed to assist Contractholders of variable products that invest in the Portfolio in understanding the fees and expenses that they may pay as an investor. Because the information does not reflect deductions at the separate account level or contract level for any charges that may be incurred under a contract, Contractholders that invest in the Portfolio should refer to the variable contract prospectus for a description of fees and expenses that apply to Contractholders. Inclusion of these charges would increase the fees and expenses provided below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

N/A

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

   
Management Fees      .45%   
Other Expenses      .43%   
        
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses      .88%   
        
   

Examples

The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses stay the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

After 1 Year    $ 90   
After 3 Years    $ 281   
After 5 Years    $ 488   
After 10 Years    $ 1,084   

PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES

The Portfolio is a “money market fund” that seeks to maintain a stable net asset value, or NAV, of $1.00 per share although there is no guarantee that the Portfolio will maintain a NAV of $1.00 per share. The Portfolio invests in a portfolio of high-quality, U.S. Dollar-denominated money market securities.

The Portfolio may invest in:

 

 

marketable obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, including obligations that are issued by private issuers that are guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities;

 

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certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances issued or guaranteed by, or time deposits maintained at, banks or savings and loan associations (including foreign branches of U.S. banks or U.S. or foreign branches of foreign banks) having total assets of more than $500 million;

 

 

high-quality commercial paper (or, if not rated, commercial paper determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality) issued by U.S. or foreign companies and participation interests in loans made to companies that issue such commercial paper;

 

 

adjustable rate obligations;

 

 

asset-backed securities;

 

 

restricted securities (i.e., securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale); and

 

 

repurchase agreements that are fully collateralized.

The Portfolio may also invest up to 25% of its net assets in money market instruments issued by foreign branches of foreign banks.

As a money market fund, the Portfolio must meet the requirements of Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7. The Rule imposes strict conditions on the investment quality, maturity, and diversification of the Portfolio’s investments. Among other things, Rule 2a-7 requires that the Portfolio’s investments have (i) a remaining maturity of no more than 397 days unless otherwise permitted by Rule 2a-7, (ii) a weighted average maturity that does not exceed 60 days, and (iii) a weighted average life that does not exceed 120 days. Rule 2a-7 imposes daily and weekly liquidity standards that require the Portfolio to hold investments of at least 10% and 30% of its total assets, respectively, in liquid assets as defined in Rule 2a-7. Rule 2a-7 also limits the Portfolio’s investments in illiquid securities to 5% of its total assets.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

Money Market Fund Risk: Money market funds are sometimes unable to maintain a NAV at $1.00 per share and, as it is generally referred to, “break the buck”. In that event, an investor in a money market fund would, upon redemption, receive less than $1.00 per share. The Portfolio’s shareholders should not rely on or expect an affiliate of the Portfolio to purchase distressed assets from the Portfolio, make capital infusions, enter into credit support agreements or take other actions to prevent the Portfolio from breaking the buck. In addition, you should be aware that significant redemptions by large investors in the Portfolio could have a material adverse effect on the Portfolio’s other shareholders. The Portfolio’s NAV could be affected by forced selling during periods of high redemption pressures and/or illiquid markets.

 

 

Interest Rate Risk: Changes in interest rates will affect the yield and value of the Portfolio’s investments in short-term securities. A decline in interest rates will affect the Portfolio’s yield as these securities mature or are sold and the Portfolio purchases new short-term securities with lower yields. Generally, an increase in interest rates causes the value of a debt instrument to decrease. The change in value for shorter-term securities is usually smaller than for securities with longer maturities. In addition, if interest rates remain low for an extended period of time, the Portfolio may have difficulties in maintaining a positive yield, paying expenses out of the Portfolio’s assets, or maintaining a stable $1.00 NAV.

 

 

Credit Risk: Credit risk is the possibility that a security’s credit rating will be downgraded or that the issuer of the security will default (fail to make scheduled interest and principal payments). Credit quality can change rapidly in certain market environments and the default of a single holding could have the potential to cause significant NAV deterioration.

 

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be less liquid due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors.

 

 

Liquidity Risk: Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell, which may prevent the Portfolio from selling out of these securities at an advantageous time or price.

 

 

Management Risk: The Portfolio is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment fund. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Portfolio, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results.

An investment in the Portfolio is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although the Portfolio seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible that you may lose money by investing in the Portfolio.

BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Portfolio by showing:

 

 

how the Portfolio’s performance changed from year to year over ten years; and

 

 

the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years.

 

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You may obtain updated performance information on the Portfolio’s website at www.AllianceBernstein.com (click on “Pricing & Performance”).

The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investor’s return would be lower. The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.

Bar Chart

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During the period shown in the bar chart, the Portfolio’s:

Best Quarter was up 1.32%, 1st quarter, 2001; and Worst Quarter was up 0.0024%, 3rd and 4th quarter, 2009.

Performance Table

Average Annual Total Returns

(For the periods ended December 31, 2010)

 

      1 Year        5 Years        10 Years  
Portfolio      0.01%           2.11%           1.88%   

You may obtain the most current seven-day yield information of the Portfolio by calling 800-221-5672 or your financial intermediary.

INVESTMENT ADVISER

AllianceBernstein L.P. is the investment adviser for the Portfolio.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF PORTFOLIO SHARES

The Portfolio offers its shares through the separate accounts of life insurance companies (“Insurers”). You may only purchase and sell shares through these separate accounts. See the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for information on the purchase and sale of the Portfolio’s shares.

TAX INFORMATION

The Portfolio may make income dividends or capital gains distribution. The income and capital gains distribution are expected to be made in shares of the Portfolio. See the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for federal income tax information.

PAYMENTS TO INSURERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

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

 

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