BlackRock Funds

497 1 d497.htm BLACKROCK FUNDS BlackRock Funds


FIXED INCOME		LIQUIDITY		EQUITIES		ALTERNATIVES		BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS

BlackRock Funds

Equity Portfolios

Service Shares

Prospectus

November 3, 2004

BlackRock Funds^SMis a mutual fund family with 47 investment portfolios, 5 of which are described in this prospectus.

NOT FDIC INSURED

MAY LOSE VALUE

NO BANK GUARANTEE

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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Table of

Contents



*How to find the information you need*		1

THE BLACKROCK EQUITY PORTFOLIOS

*Small/Mid-Cap Growth*		2

*Aurora*		7

*Legacy*		13

*Health Sciences*		17

*Global Resources*		23

*About Your Investment* *How to Buy/Sell Shares*		30

*Dividends/Distributions/Taxes*		39

How to Find the

Information You Need

About BlackRock Funds

This is the BlackRock Equity Portfolios Prospectus. It has been written to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to invest in BlackRock Funds (the Company).

This Prospectus contains information on 5 of the BlackRock Equity funds. The Prospectus is organized so that each fund has its own short section. Simply turn to the section for any particular fund to read about important fund facts. Also included are sections that tell you about buying and selling shares, certain fees and expenses, shareholder features of the funds and your rights as a shareholder. These sections apply to all the funds.

BlackRock

Small/Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Equity Security: A security, such as stock, representing ownership of a company. Bonds, in comparison, are referred to as fixed income or debt securities because they represent indebtedness to the bondholders, not ownership (although convertible bonds are fixed income securities that are convertible to equity according to their terms).

Fundamentals: “Fundamental” information about a company (such as its income statement, balance sheet, earnings and sales history, products and management).

Growth Companies: All stocks are generally divided into the categories of “growth” or “value,” although there are times when a growth fund and value fund may own the same stock. Growth stocks are companies whose earnings growth potential appears to the manager to be greater than the market in general and whose revenue growth is expected to continue for an extended period. These stocks typically pay relatively low dividends and sell at relatively high valuations. Value stocks are companies that appear to the manager to be undervalued by the market as measured by certain financial formulas.

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a Mutual Fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this Fund is small- and mid-cap growth, referring to the type of securities the managers will choose for this fund.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of total assets in small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies.

The fund views small- and mid-capitalization companies as those that are less mature and appear to have the potential for rapid growth. Although a universal definition of small- and mid-capitalization companies does not exist, the fund generally defines these companies as those whose market capitalizations are similar to the market capitalizations of companies in the Russell 2500^® Growth Index (between approximately $60 million and $7 billion as of September 30, 2004) or a similar index. In the future, the fund may define small- or mid-capitalization companies using a different index or classification system. The fund may continue to hold or buy additional shares of a company that no longer is of comparable size if the fund management team continues to believe that those shares are an attractive investment. The fund’s stock investments may include common and preferred stocks, securities convertible into common and preferred stock and warrants.

The fund uses research to identify potential investments, examining such features as a company’s financial condition, business prospects, competitive position and business strategy. The fund looks for companies that have good current or prospective earnings and strong management teams.

The fund reserves the right to invest up to 20% of total assets in other securities. These may include other types of stocks, such as value or dividend stocks. They may also include bonds rated investment-grade at the time of purchase and their unrated equivalents, as well as U.S. government securities. From time to time the fund may invest without limit in shares of companies through initial public offerings (IPOs).

The fund generally will sell a stock when, in the management team’s opinion, the stock reaches its price target, there is a deterioration in the company’s fundamentals, a change in macroeconomic outlook, technical deterioration, valuation issues, a need to rebalance the portfolio or a better opportunity elsewhere.

It is possible that in extreme market conditions the fund temporarily may invest some or all of its assets in high quality

money market securities. Such a temporary defensive strategy would be inconsistent with the fund’s primary investment strategies. The reason for acquiring money market securities would be to avoid market losses. However, if market conditions improve, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment goal.

As part of its normal operations, the fund may hold high quality money market securities pending investments or when it expects to need cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The fund will not deviate from its normal strategies if it holds these securities pending investments.

The management team may, when consistent with the fund’s investment goal, buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price on or before a specific date. A future is an agreement to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price on a specific date. The primary purpose of using derivatives is to attempt to reduce risk to the fund as a whole (hedge) but they may also be used to maintain liquidity and commit cash pending investment. The management team also may, but under normal market conditions generally does not intend to, use derivatives for speculation to increase returns.

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Should the Company’s Board of Trustees determine that the investment goal of the fund should be changed, shareholders will be given at least 30 days notice before any such change is made. However, such change can be effected without shareholder approval.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

The fund may invest in companies that have relatively small market capitalizations. These organizations will normally have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources and will be dependent upon a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. The securities of smaller capitalized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter markets and may have

fewer market makers and wider price spreads. This may result in greater price movements and less ability to sell the fund’s investment than if the fund held the securities of larger, more established companies.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

IPOs and companies that have recently gone public have the potential to produce substantial gains for the fund. However, there is no assurance that the fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performances. The investment performance of the fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the fund is able to do so. In addition, as the fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the fund’s performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the initial public offering.

The fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the overall securities markets. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. In addition, some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the fund to losses. The fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the fund’s derivatives positions to lose value.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Higher than normal portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of fund securities may result in the recognition of capital gain or loss. Given the frequency of sales, such gain or loss will likely be short-term capital gain or loss. Unlike long-term capital gain, short-term capital gain of individuals is taxable at the same rates as ordinary income. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect fund performance.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

Expenses and Fees

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

The tables below describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Service Shares of the fund. The “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table may not reflect expenses of the fund after November 3, 2005.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


Redemption/Exchange Fee*	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

*	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


Advisory fees		0.75%
Other expenses¹		0.99%
Service fees	0.25%
Other	0.74%
Total annual fund operating expenses		1.74%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements		0.39%
Net expenses*		1.35%

BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.35% of average daily net assets until November 3, 2005. The fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly,“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5%

total return each year with no changes in operating expenses and redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual cost may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
Service Shares	$	137	$	510

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Eileen Leary, CFA, Senior Vice President of State Street Research & Management, and Neil Wagner, Managing Director of BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock). Ms. Leary joined State Street Research & Management in 1989, and has been an investment professional since 1993 and portfolio manager of the State Street Research & Management Mid-Cap Growth Fund since 2002. Prior to joining BlackRock in April 2002, Mr. Wagner managed $5 billion in small and mid-cap growth portfolios at Massachusetts Financial Services Investment Management, including the New Discovery Fund and the Institutional Emerging Equities Fund. Prior to joining Massachusetts Financial Services in 1998, he was a senior research analyst for small-cap growth portfolios at DFS Advisors LLC.

BlackRock

Aurora Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Equity Security: A security, such as stock, representing ownership of a company. Bonds, in comparison, are referred to as fixed income or debt securities because they represent indebtedness to the bondholder, not ownership (although convertible bonds are fixed income securities that are convertible to equity according to their terms).

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a mutual fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this fund is small and mid-cap value, referring to the type of securities the managers will choose for this fund.

Value Companies: All stocks are generally divided into the categories of “growth” or “value,” although there are times when a growth fund and value fund may own the same stock. Value stocks are companies that appear to the manager to be undervalued by the market as measured by certain financial formulas. Growth stocks are companies whose earnings growth potential appears to the manager to be greater than the market in general and whose growth in revenue is expected to continue for an extended period.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide high total return, consisting principally of capital appreciation.

Primary Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in small- and mid-capitalization common and preferred stocks and securities convertible into common and preferred stocks.

In choosing among small- and mid-capitalization stocks, the fund takes a value approach, searching for those companies that appear to be trading below their true worth. The fund uses research to identify potential investments, examining such features as a company’s financial condition, business prospects, competitive position and business strategy. The fund looks for companies that appear likely to come back in favor with investors, for reasons that may range from good prospective earnings and strong management teams to the introduction of new products and services.

The fund considers issuers of small- and mid-capitalization value stocks to be companies that are comparable in size to the companies in the Russell 2500 Value Index (between approximately $80 million and $5 billion as of September 30, 2004) or a similar index. In the future, the fund may define small- or mid-capitalization companies using a different index or classification system. The fund may continue to hold or buy additional shares of a company that no longer is of comparable size if the fund management team continues to believe that those shares are an attractive investment.

The fund reserves the right to invest up to 20% of total assets in other securities. These may include other types of stocks, such as large-capitalization stocks, growth stocks, and bonds. The fund may invest up to 5% of total assets in bonds that are below Standard & Poor’s BBB or Moody’s Baa rating categories, or their unrated equivalents (junk bonds). From time to time the fund may invest without limit in shares of companies through initial public offerings (IPOs).

The fund generally will sell a stock when the fund management team believes the stock has reached its price target, it is fully valued or when, in their opinion, conditions change such that the risk of continuing to hold the stock is unacceptable when compared to its growth potential.

It is possible that in extreme market conditions the fund temporarily may invest some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities. Such a temporary defensive strategy would be inconsistent with the fund’s primary investment strategies. The reason for acquiring money market securities would be to avoid market losses. However, if market conditions improve, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment goal.

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

While the fund manager chooses stocks he believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the investments will increase in value or that they won’t decline.

larger capitalized companies. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. The securities of smaller capitalized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter markets and may have fewer market makers and wider price spreads. This may result in greater price movements and less ability to sell the fund’s investment than if the fund held the securities of larger, more established companies.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

The value of any bonds held by the fund is likely to decline when interest rates rise; this risk is greater for bonds with longer maturities. It is also possible that a bond issuer could default on principal or interest payments, causing a loss for the fund. The fund may invest in non-investment grade or “high yield” securities commonly known to investors as “junk bonds.” Non-investment grade securities carry greater risks than investment grade securities, which have higher credit ratings, including a high risk of default. The yields of non-investment grade securities will move up and down over time.

debt. High yield securities are considered speculative, meaning there is a significant risk that companies issuing these securities may not be able to repay principal and pay interest or dividends on time. In addition, other creditors of a high yield issuer may have the right to be paid before the high yield bondholder. During an economic downturn, a period of rising interest rates or a recession, issuers of high yield securities who have a lot of debt may experience financial problems. They may not have enough cash to make their principal and interest payments. An economic downturn could also hurt the market for lower-rated securities and the fund. Also, the market for high yield securities is not as liquid as the market for higher rated securities. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell high yield securities, especially on short notice. The market could also be hurt by legal or tax changes.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Expenses and Fees

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


Redemption/Exchange Fee*	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

*	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


Advisory fees	0.80	%
Other expenses_¹	0.65	%
Service fees	0.25%
Other	0.40%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.45	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements	0.01	%
Net expenses*	1.44	%

BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.44% of average daily net assets until November 3, 2005. The fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly, “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses and redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual cost may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
Service Shares	$	147	$	458

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Wayne J. Archambo, CFA, Managing Director at BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock) since January 2002. Before joining BlackRock in 2002, Mr. Archambo was a founding partner of Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. and manager of small- and mid-cap value equity products from the firm’s inception in 1995.

BlackRock

Legacy Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a mutual fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this fund is growth, referring to the type of securities the manager will choose for this fund.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 65% of total assets in common and preferred stock and securities convertible into common and preferred stock of mid- and large-size companies.

The fund seeks to invest in fundamentally sound companies with strong management, superior earnings growth prospects and attractive relative valuations. The disciplined investment process uses bottom-up stock selection as the primary driver of returns. The fund emphasizes large companies that exhibit stable growth and accelerated earnings.

While the fund generally expects to invest across a broad range of industries, it may favor companies in those industries that appear to offer higher potential for long-term growth.

Although the fund does not expect to do so as a matter of course, it is permitted to invest up to 35% of total assets in other securities (for example, bonds and small-size company stocks).

The fund generally will sell a stock when, in the management team’s opinion, the stock reaches its price target, there is a deterioration in the company’s future growth prospects, an inability to sustain earnings momentum, less attractive valuation, a significant price change or more compelling investment opportunities elsewhere.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

The fund’s investment approach, with its emphasis on keeping portfolio turnover low, means that the fund could continue to hold various stocks through adverse markets rather than selling them. This could cause the fund to have deeper losses during down markets than a fund that has invested in similar stocks but does not seek reduced turnover. To the extent that the fund does sell securities during times of volatility, either for investment management reasons or to meet shareholder redemption requests, portfolio turnover and capital gains distributions are likely to increase as a result. For this reason, shareholders who actively trade or exchange fund shares could adversely affect the management of the fund and are discouraged from investing in it.

While the fund’s buy-and-hold approach is designed to allow it to capture long-term gains, prices of some stocks may not return to previous highs. To the extent that the fund continues to hold these stocks, it may miss opportunities to realize gains and its long-term performance may be reduced.

securities analysts. The securities of smaller capitalized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter markets and may have fewer market makers and wider price spreads. This may result in greater price movements and reduced ability to sell the fund’s investment than if the fund held the securities of larger, more established companies.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Expenses and Fees

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


Redemption/Exchange Fee*	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

*	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


Advisory fees	0.65	%
Other expenses_¹	0.66	%
Service fees	0.25%
Other	0.41%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.31	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements	0.0	%
Net expenses*	1.31	%

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly, “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

Example:


	1 Year		3 Years
Service Shares	$	133	$	415

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Edward Dowd and Jeffrey Lindsey, CFA. Mr. Lindsey and Mr. Dowd are co-portfolio managers of the State Street Research Exchange Fund. They have been responsible for the day-to-day management of the State Street Research Exchange Fund since December 2002. A managing director at State Street Research & Management, Mr. Lindsey joined the firm in 2002. In 2003, Mr. Lindsey was promoted to Chief Investment Officer—Growth, and is now responsible for overseeing all of the firm’s growth and core products. During the past five years, he has also served as a managing director, Director of Concentrated Growth Products and senior vice president at Putnam Investments. A vice president at State Street Research & Management, Mr. Dowd joined the firm in 2002. During the past five years he has also served as a vice president and Technology Sector Leader for Independence Investment LLC and as an equity research associate at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

BlackRock

Health Sciences Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Fundamentals: “Fundamental” information about a company (such as its income statement, balance sheet, earnings and sales history, products and management).

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a mutual fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this fund is health sciences, referring to the type of securities the managers will choose for this fund.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of total assets in securities of companies in health sciences and related industries. These companies include health care providers as well as businesses involved in the development, production, and distribution or delivery of medical and pharmaceutical products and services. Companies engaged in biotechnology and medical research and development are also included, plus companies that may design, manufacture or distribute medical, dental and optical equipment and supplies, including diagnostic equipment. The companies may also provide diagnostic services or operate health facilities and hospitals, or provide related administrative, management and financial support. The fund will consider a company to be in a health sciences or related industry if 50% or more of its revenues are derived from, or 50% or more of its assets are related to, activities described above. The fund will invest more than 25% of its assets in health sciences or related industries, and may invest in companies located in non-U.S. countries.

In selecting investments, the fund looks for companies and industries that appear to have the potential for above-average growth over the long term. The fund expects to invest in health sciences companies comparable in size to those in the health sector of the Russell 3000^® Index or in similar companies, including non-U.S. companies. The fund does not limit its investments to companies of any particular size. The fund’s investments may include common and preferred stock, securities convertible into common and preferred stock, warrants and depository receipts.

The fund reserves the right to invest up to 20% of total assets in other securities. These may include stocks of companies not associated with health sciences. They may also include debt securities and smaller capitalization companies.

From time to time the fund may invest without limit in shares of companies through initial public offerings (IPOs).

As part of its normal operation, the fund may hold high quality money market securities pending investments or when it expects to need cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The fund will not deviate from its normal strategies if it holds these securities pending investments.

The management team may, when consistent with the fund’s investment goal, buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities and may buy options on a currency or a basket of currencies (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price on or before a specific date. A future is an agreement to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price on a specific date. The primary purpose of using derivatives is to attempt to reduce risk to the fund as a whole (hedge) but they may also be used to maintain liquidity and commit cash pending investment. The management team also may, but under normal market conditions generally does not intend to, use derivatives for speculation to increase returns. The fund may also buy and sell currencies and use forward foreign currency exchange contracts (obligations to buy or sell a currency at a set rate in the future) to hedge against movements in the value of non-U.S. currencies or to enhance returns.

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

The fund’s strategy of concentrating in health sciences and related companies means that its performance will be closely tied to the performance of a particular market segment. Because the fund is

concentrated in these companies, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. A downturn in these companies would have a larger impact on the fund than on a mutual fund that does not concentrate in such companies. At times, the performance of these companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole.

Investments in health sciences companies are subject to a number of risks, including the adverse impact of legislative actions and government regulations. These actions and regulations can affect the approval process for patents, medical devices and drugs, the funding of research and medical care programs, and the operation and licensing of facilities and personnel. The goods and services of health sciences companies are subject to risks of rapid technological change and obsolescence, product liability litigation, and intense price and other competitive pressures.

Non-dollar and non-U.S. securities involve risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. These risks include but are not limited to: currency risks (the risk that the value of dividends or interest paid by non-U.S. securities, or the value of the securities themselves, may fall if currency exchange rates change), the risk that a security’s value will be hurt by changes in non-U.S. political or social conditions, including changes in policies restricting investment, the possibility of heavy taxation, nationalization or expropriation of assets and more difficulty obtaining information on non-U.S. securities or companies. In addition, a portfolio of non-U.S. securities may be harder to sell and may be subject to wider price movements than comparable investments in U.S. companies. There is also less government regulation of non-U.S. securities markets.

In addition, political and economic structures in emerging markets countries may be undergoing rapid change and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability of more

developed countries. As a result, some of the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets and the existence of smaller, more volatile and less regulated markets, may be increased. The value of many investments in emerging market countries has declined significantly in the past and may do so again in the future, as a result of economic and political turmoil in many of these countries.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the fund’s derivatives positions to lose value.

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts do not eliminate movements in the value of non-U.S. currencies and securities but rather allow the fund to establish a fixed rate of exchange for a future point in time. This strategy can have the effect of reducing returns and minimizing opportunities for gain.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

The fund is a non-diversified portfolio under the Investment Company Act, which means that fund performance is more dependent on the performance of a smaller number of securities and issuers than in a diversified portfolio. The change in value of any one security may affect the overall value of the fund more than it would a diversified fund’s.

Expenses and Fees

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


Redemption/Exchange Fee*	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

*	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


Advisory fees	0.75	%
Other expenses_¹	1.14	%
Service fees	0.25%
Other	0.89%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.89	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements	0.34	%
Net expenses*	1.55	%

BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.55% of average daily net assets until November 3, 2005. The fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly, “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

Example:


	1 Year		3 Years
Service Shares	$	158	$	561

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Thomas Callan and Erin Xie, PhD. Mr. Callan, Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock) is a member of the global small-cap equity team. He is lead manager for all global small-cap portfolios and is a member of the Equity Investment Strategy Group. Ms. Xie has assisted with the management of the State Street Research Health Sciences Fund since 2001 and became a portfolio manager in July 2003. Ms. Xie, a senior vice president at State Street Research & Management, joined the firm in 2001 as an equity analyst covering the health care sector. During the past five years she has also served as a associate in pharmaceutical equity research with Sanford Bernstein & Company.

BlackRock

Global Resources Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Fundamentals: “Fundamental” information about a company (such as its income statement, balance sheet, earnings and sales history, products and management).

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a mutual fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this fund is global resources, referring to the type of securities the managers will choose for this fund.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

Under normal conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities of global energy and natural resources companies and companies in associated businesses, as well as utilities (such as gas, water, cable, electrical and telecommunications utilities). These typically include companies involved in the exploration, production, refining, marketing or distribution of energy or natural resources, such as gas, oil, metal and minerals, as well as related transportation companies and equipment manufacturers. The fund will consider a company to be an energy or natural resources company if 50% or more of its revenues are derived from, or 50% or more of its assets are related to, activities described above. The fund will invest more than 25% of its assets in energy or natural resources industries. The fund may invest without limit in companies located anywhere in the world and will generally invest in at least three countries and in companies tied economically to a number of countries. It expects to invest primarily in developed markets, but may also invest in emerging markets.

In selecting investments, the fund looks for companies and industries that appear to have the potential for above-average long-term performance based on projections of supply and demand of a resource and the state of the market. These may include companies that are expected to show above-average growth over the long term as well as those that appear to be trading below their true worth. While the fund tends to emphasize smaller companies, from time to time it may emphasize companies of other sizes. The fund’s investments may include common and preferred stock, securities convertible into common and preferred stock, warrants and depositary receipts.

The fund reserves the right to invest up to 20% of total assets in other U.S. and foreign investments. These may include stocks of companies not associated with energy or natural resources. These may also include debt securities, although the fund may not invest more than 10% of total assets in junk bonds (bonds that are below Standard & Poor’s BBB or Moody’s Baa rating categories, or their unrated equivalents).

The fund generally will sell a stock when, in the management team’s opinion, the stock reaches its price target, there is a

deterioration in the company’s fundamentals, a change in macroeconomic outlook, technical deterioration, valuation issues, a need to rebalance the portfolio or a better opportunity elsewhere.

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

The fund’s strategy of concentrating in energy and natural resources companies means that its performance will be closely tied to the performance of a particular market segment. Because the fund is concentrated in these companies, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. A downturn in these companies would have a larger impact on the fund than on a mutual fund that does not concentrate in such companies. At times, the performance of these companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole.

Stocks of energy and natural resources companies are especially affected by variations in the commodities markets (that may be due to market events, regulatory developments or other factors that the fund cannot control) and these companies may lack the resources and the broad business lines to weather hard times. Energy companies can be significantly affected by the supply of and demand for specific products and services, the supply of and demand for oil and gas, the price of oil and gas, exploration and production spending, government regulation, world events and economic conditions. Natural resources companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and government regulations.

restricted or illiquid securities may entail registration expense and other transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in unrestricted or liquid securities. Where registration is required for restricted or illiquid securities, a considerable time period may elapse between the time the fund decides to sell the security and the time it is actually permitted to sell the security under an effective registration statement. If during such period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the fund might obtain less favorable pricing terms than when it decided to sell the security.

In addition, political and economic structures in emerging markets countries may be undergoing rapid change and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability of more developed countries. As a result, some of the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets and the existence of smaller, more volatile and less regulated markets, may be increased. The value of many investments in emerging market countries has declined significantly in the past and may do so again in the future, as a result of economic and political turmoil in many of these countries.

In addition, many U.S. companies in which the fund may invest generate significant revenues and earnings from abroad. As a result, these companies and the prices of their securities may be affected by weaknesses in global and regional economies and the relative value of foreign currencies to the U.S. dollar. These factors, taken as a whole, could adversely affect the price of fund shares.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk. Ratings and market values may change from time to time, positively or negatively, to reflect new developments regarding the issuer. Companies that issue high yield securities are often young and growing and have a lot of debt. High yield securities are considered speculative, meaning there is a significant risk that companies issuing these securities may not be able to repay principal and pay interest or dividends on time. In addition, other creditors of a high yield issuer may have the right to be paid before the high yield bondholder. During an economic downturn, a period of rising interest rates or a recession, issuers of high yield securities who have a lot of debt may experience financial problems. They may not have enough cash to make their principal and interest payments. An economic downturn could also hurt the market for lower-rated securities and the fund. Also, the market for high yield securities is not as liquid as the market for higher rated securities. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell high yield securities, especially on short notice. The market could also be hurt by legal or tax changes.

The expenses of the fund can be expected to be higher than those of other funds investing primarily in domestic securities because the costs attributable to investing abroad are usually higher.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

Expenses and Fees

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


Redemption/Exchange Fee*	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

*	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


Advisory fees	0.75	%
Other expenses_¹	0.83	%
Service fees	0.25%
Other	0.58%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.58	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements	0.24	%
Net expenses*	1.34	%

BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.34% of average daily net assets until November 3, 2005. The fund may have to repay some of these waivers and reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly, “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

Example:


	1 Year		3 Years
Service Shares	$	136	$	475

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Daniel J. Rice III, Senior Vice President at State Street Research & Management, and Denis J. Walsh III, CFA, Managing Director at State Street Research & Management. Mr. Rice has been a portfolio manager of the State Street Research Global Resources Fund since its inception in March 1990. A senior vice president of State Street Research & Management, he joined the firm in 1984 as an equity securities analyst. Mr. Walsh has been an energy analyst for the State Street Global Resources fund since joining State Street Research & Management in 1999; he is a managing director and has worked as an investment professional in equity research since 1979.

About Your Investment

Buying Shares

Service Shares are offered without a sales charge to financial institutions (such as banks and brokerage firms) acting on behalf of their customers, certain persons who were shareholders of the Compass Capital Group of Funds at the time of its combination with The PNC^® Fund in 1996 and investors that participate in the Capital Directions^SM asset allocation program. Service Shares will normally be held by institutions or in the name of nominees of institutions on behalf of their customers. Service Shares are normally purchased through a customer’s account at an institution through procedures established by the institution. In these cases, confirmation of share purchases and redemptions will be sent to the institutions. A customer’s ownership of shares will be recorded by the institution and reflected in the account statements provided by the institutions to their customers. Investors wishing to purchase Service Shares should contact their institutions.

Purchase orders may be placed by calling (800) 441-7450.

What Price Per Share Will You Pay?

The price of mutual fund shares generally changes every day the New York Stock Exchange is open (a business day). A mutual fund is a pool of investors’ money that is used to purchase a portfolio of securities, which in turn is owned in common by the investors. Investors put money into a mutual fund by buying shares. If a mutual fund has a portfolio worth $50 million and has 5 million shares outstanding, the net asset value (NAV) per share is $10.

Purchase orders received by the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (currently 4 p.m. (Eastern time)) on each day the NYSE is open will be priced based on the NAV calculated at the close of trading on that day. NAV is calculated separately for each class of shares of each fund at

4 p.m. (Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open.

Shares will not be priced on days the NYSE is closed. Purchase orders received after the close of trading will be priced based on the next calculation of NAV. Non-U.S. securities and certain other securities held by a fund may trade on days when the NYSE is closed. In these cases, net asset value of shares may change when fund shares cannot be bought or sold.

Since the NAV changes daily, the price you pay for your shares depends on the time that your order is received.

Each fund’s assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations. Certain short-term debt securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. When a determination is made that market quotations are not readily available, including when a particular security does not trade regularly or has had its trading halted or there has been a significant subsequent event, each fund values the affected securities at fair value as determined by BlackRock under the direction of the Company’s Board of Trustees. For example, in valuing a security that trades principally on a foreign market, a fund uses the most recent closing market price from the market on which the security principally trades, unless because of a significant event subsequent to the market close such closing market price, in BlackRock’s judgment, does not represent the current market value of the security. Because significant events could affect the value of a foreign security between the close of the foreign market where the security is principally traded and the time the fund calculates its NAV, such closing price may not be reflective of current market conditions. Therefore, a fund may adjust the closing market price of a foreign security as a result of a significant subsequent event to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the security as of the time the fund calculates its NAV. Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of a security. A security’s valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value.

Paying for Shares

Payment for Service Shares must normally be made in Federal funds or other funds immediately available by 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following receipt of the order. Payment may also, at the discretion of the Company, be made in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the respective fund. The Company does not accept third party checks as payment for shares.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions, including the Company, to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When opening an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow the Company to identify you. The Company may also ask to see other identifying documents such as a driver’s license (for individuals) or Articles of Incorporation or other formation documents (for institutions).

The Company may use a third party to obtain and verify this information. The Company may not be able to establish an account if you do not provide the necessary information.

How Much is the Minimum Investment?

The minimum investment for the initial purchase of Service Shares is $5,000; however, institutions may set a higher minimum for their customers. There is no minimum requirement for later investments.

The Company may reject any purchase order, modify or waive the minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements and suspend and resume the sale of any share class of any fund at any time.

Distribution and Service Plan

The Company has adopted a plan (the Plan) that allows the Company to pay distribution fees for the sale of its shares under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act and shareholder servicing fees for certain services provided to its shareholders. The Company does not make distribution payments under the Plan with respect to Service Shares.

Under the Plan, the Company pays shareholder servicing fees to brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals (including BlackRock, PNC Bank and its affiliates) (Service Organizations) whereby the Service Organizations provide support services to their customers who own Service Shares in return for these fees. The Company may pay a shareholder servicing fee of up to .25% per year of the average daily net asset value of Service Shares of a fund. All Service Shares pay this shareholder servicing fee.

In return for the shareholder servicing fee, Service Organizations may provide one or more of the following services to their customers who own Service Shares:

(1)

Responding to customer questions on the services performed by the Service Organization and investments in Service Shares;

(2)

Assisting customers in choosing and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; and

(3)

Providing other similar shareholder liaison services.

The shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to the Plan are fees payable for the administration and servicing of shareholder accounts and not costs which are primarily intended to result in the sale of a fund’s shares.

Because the fees paid by the Company under the Plan are paid out of Company assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

The Plan permits BlackRock, the Distributor and their affiliates to make payments relating to distribution and sales support activities out of their past profits or other sources available to them (and not as an additional charge to the funds). BlackRock, the Distributor and their affiliates may pay affiliated and unaffiliated Service Organizations compensation for the sale and distribution of shares of the funds or for services to the funds and shareholders. These payments (Additional Payments) would be in addition to the payments by the funds described in this Prospectus and may be a fixed dollar amount, may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by the Service Organization, or may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the Service Organization. Additional Payments generally are made available to all qualified Service Organizations when they are in effect, subject to applicable NASD regulations. The aggregate amount of Additional Payments may be substantial. For more information on Additional Payments, see the SAI.

For more information on the Plan, including a complete list of services provided thereunder, see the SAI.

Selling Shares

Customers of institutions may redeem Service Shares in accordance with the procedures applicable to their accounts with the institutions. These procedures will vary according to the type of account and the institution involved and customers should consult their account managers in this regard. Institutions are responsible for transmitting redemption orders to PFPC and crediting their customers’ accounts with redemption proceeds on a timely basis.

Institutions may place redemption orders by telephoning (800) 441-7450. Shares are redeemed at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of the redemption order minus any

applicable redemption/exchange fee. See “Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees” below. The Company, the administrators and the distributor will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. The Company and its service providers will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for acting upon telephone instructions that are reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with such procedures.

Payment for redeemed shares for which a redemption order is received before 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on a business day is normally made in Federal funds wired to the redeeming institution on the next business day, provided that the funds’ custodian is also open for business. Payment for redemption orders received after 4 p.m. (Eastern time) or on a day when the funds’ custodian is closed is normally wired in Federal funds on the next business day following redemption on which the funds’ custodian is open for business. The Company reserves the right to wire redemption proceeds within seven days after receiving a redemption order if, in the judgement of the Company, an earlier payment could adversely affect a fund. No charge for wiring redemption payments is imposed by the Company, although institutions may charge their customer accounts for redemption services. Information relating to such redemption services and charges, if any, should be obtained by customers from their institutions.

During periods of substantial economic market change telephone redemptions may be difficult to complete. Redemption requests may also be mailed to BlackRock Funds at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Mail Stop WR-R100-04-07, Wilmington, DE 19809.

The Company is not responsible for the efficiency of the Federal wire system or the shareholder’s firm or bank. The fund does not currently charge for wire transfers. The shareholder is responsible for any charges imposed by the shareholder’s bank. To change the name of the single, designated bank account to receive wire redemption proceeds, it is necessary to send a written request to BlackRock Funds at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Mail Stop WR-R100-04-07, Wilmington, DE 19809.

The Company may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so.

Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees

The interests of long-term shareholders and the Company’s ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when shares are repeatedly bought, sold or exchanged in response to short-term market fluctuations—also known as “market timing.” The funds are not designed for market timing organizations or other entities using programmed or frequent purchases and sales exchanges. Excessive purchase and sale activity may interfere with portfolio management, increase expenses and may have an adverse effect on all shareholders. If the Company believes, in its sole discretion, that your short-term trading is excessive or that you are engaging in market-timing activity, it reserves the right to reject any specific purchase or exchange order. If the Company rejects your purchase or exchange order, you will not be able to execute that transaction, and the Company will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. In addition, any redemptions or exchanges that you make (as a result of the activity described above or otherwise) will be subject to any and all redemption/exchange fees, as described below. For transactions placed directly with the Company, the Company may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same financial intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Company. Certain accounts, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Company with a net purchase or redemption request on any given day where purchases and redemptions of shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers and redeemers whose orders are aggregated are not known by the Company. While the Company monitors for market timing activity, the Company may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the funds. Identification of market timers may also be limited by operational systems and technical limitations.

Each of the Equity Portfolios will automatically assess and retain a fee of 2% of the current NAV, after excluding the effect of any contingent deferred sales charges, of shares being redeemed within 90 days of acquisition (other than those acquired through reinvestment of dividends or other distributions). Each of the High Yield Bond and International Bond Portfolios will automatically assess and retain a fee of 2% of the current NAV,

after excluding the effect of any contingent deferred sales charges, of shares being redeemed within 30 days of acquisition (other than those acquired through reinvestment of dividends or other distributions).

The redemption/exchange fee is for the benefit of the remaining shareholders of a fund and is intended to encourage long-term investment, to compensate for transaction and other expenses caused by early redemptions, and to facilitate portfolio management. The “first-in, first-out” method is used to determine the holding period. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The redemption/exchange fee will not be assessed on redemptions or exchanges by (i) accounts managed by PNC Advisors, (ii) certain 401(k) plans, bank or trust company accounts, asset allocation programs or wrap programs approved by the Company, (iii) accounts of certain financial institutions or intermediaries that are unable for administrative reasons to apply the redemption/exchange fee to underlying shareholders, (iv) accounts in the event of shareholder death or disability and (v) certain other accounts in the absolute discretion of the Company when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship. In addition, former State Street Research fund shareholders will not be charged a redemption/exchange fee in connection with a redemption or exchange of fund shares received in connection with a reorganization of a State Street Research fund with one of the funds. The Company reserves the right to modify or eliminate these waivers at any time.

The Company's Rights

The Company may:

Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act,

Postpone date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or as described in the third paragraph in the section “Selling Shares” above,

Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level, as described below, and

Redeem shares for property other than cash if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable in accordance with its rights under the Investment Company Act.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Adviser: The adviser of a mutual fund is responsible for the overall investment management of the fund. The adviser for BlackRock Funds is BlackRock Advisors, Inc.

Accounts with Low Balances

The Company may redeem a shareholder’s account in any fund at any time if the net asset value of the account in such fund falls below $5,000 as the result of a redemption. The shareholder will be notified in writing that the value of the account is less than the required amount and the shareholder will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed. If a customer has agreed with an institution to maintain a minimum balance in his or her account, and the balance in the account falls below the minimum, the customer may be obligated to redeem all or part of his or her shares in the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the minimum balance required.

Statements

Every shareholder automatically receives regular account statements. In addition, for tax purposes, shareholders also receive a yearly statement describing the characteristics of any dividends or other distributions received.

Management

BlackRock Funds’ adviser is BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock). BlackRock was organized in 1994 to perform advisory services for investment companies and is located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809. BlackRock is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., one of the largest publicly traded investment management firms in the United States with $323.5 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2004. BlackRock, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the United States.

For its investment advisory services, BlackRock is entitled to fees computed daily on a fund-by-fund basis and payable monthly.

The total annual advisory fees that can be paid to BlackRock (as a percentage of average daily net assets) are as follows:

Total Annual Advisory Fee for the Small/Mid-Cap Growth, Health Sciences and Global Resources Portfolios

(Before Waivers)


AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS		INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
First $1 billion		.750%
$1 billion-$2 billion		.700%
$2 billion-$3 billion		.675%
more than $3 billion		.650%

Total Annual Advisory Fee for the Legacy Portfolio

(Before Waivers)


AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS		INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
First $1 billion		.650%
$1 billion-$2 billion		.600%
$2 billion-$3 billion		.575%
more than $3 billion		.550%

Total Annual Advisory Fee for the Aurora Portfolio

(Before Waivers)


AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS		INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
First $1 billion		.850%
$1 billion-$2 billion		.800%
$2 billion-$3 billion		.750%
more than $3 billion		.700%

Information about the portfolio manager for each of the funds is presented in the appropriate fund section.

As discussed above, BlackRock has agreed contractually to cap net expenses (excluding interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses, if any) of each share class of each fund at the levels shown in each fund’s expense table.

To achieve this cap, BlackRock and the Company have entered into an expense limitation agreement. The agreement sets a limit on certain of the operating expenses of each class of shares

through November 3, 2005 and require BlackRock to waive or reimburse fees or expenses if these operating expenses exceed that limit.

If within two years following a waiver or reimbursement the operating expenses of a share class that previously received a waiver or reimbursement from BlackRock are less than the expense limit for that share class, the share class is required to repay BlackRock up to the amount of fees waived or expenses reimbursed under the agreement if: (1) the fund of which the share class is a part has more than $50 million in assets, (2) BlackRock or an affiliate serves as the fund’s investment adviser or administrator and (3) the Board of Trustees of the Company has approved in advance the payments to BlackRock at the previous quarterly meeting of the Board.

Dividends and Distributions

BlackRock Funds makes two kinds of distributions to shareholders: net investment income and net realized capital gains.

Distributions of net investment income derived by a fund are paid within 10 days after the end of each quarter. The Company’s Board of Trustees may change the timing of such dividend payments.

Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by a fund at least annually at a date determined by the Company’s Board of Trustees.

Your distributions will be reinvested at net asset value in new shares of the same class of the fund unless you instruct PFPC Inc. in writing to pay them in cash. There are no sales charges on these reinvestments.

Taxation of Distributions

income” received by the fund. “Qualified dividend income” generally consists of dividends received from U.S. corporations (other than dividends from tax exempt organizations and certain dividends from real estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies) and certain foreign corporations.

Your annual tax statement from the Company will present in detail the tax status of your distributions for each year.

If more than half of the total asset value of a fund is invested in non-U.S. stock or securities, the fund may elect to “pass through” to its shareholders the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by it. In such case, you would be required to include your proportionate share of such taxes in your income and may be entitled to deduct or credit such taxes when computing your taxable income.

Distributions paid by a fund with respect to certain qualifying dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations may be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction.

Because every investor has an individual tax situation, and also because the tax laws are subject to periodic changes, you should always consult your tax professional about federal, state and local tax consequences of owning shares of the Company.

Important Notice Regarding Delivery of Shareholder Documents

The funds deliver only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, shareholder reports and proxy statements to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is known as “householding” and is intended to eliminate duplicate mailings and reduce expenses. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact BlackRock Funds at (800) 441-7450.

Electronic Access to Shareholder Documents

Electronic copies of most financial reports and prospectuses are now available on the BlackRock website. Shareholders can receive e-mail notifications that the Company’s annual and semi-annual reports and prospectuses have been posted on the Company’s website on the Internet if they enroll in the Company’s electronic access program.

To enroll:

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts With Investment Advisers, Banks or Brokerages:

1) Have your enrollment number ready. If you do not have one, please contact your financial adviser.

2) Log on to www.investordelivery.com.

3) Enter your assigned enrollment number plus the four-digit personal identification number (PIN) of your choice. The PIN should be the same for all accounts using the same e-mail address, and will be required if you decide to change your delivery preference. Note: If you have additional BlackRock Fund shares in more than one account, you may receive additional copies of this notice with a separate enrollment number for each account. In that case, provide the information that applies to each enrollment number. If you have any questions, please contact your financial adviser.

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts Directly With the Fund:

1) Log on to http://funds.blackrock.com.

2) Click on Electronic Delivery icon on either side of your screen.

3) Complete the on-line form by entering your social security number, e-mail address and by selecting your electronic delivery preference.

For more information:

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the BlackRock Funds is available free, upon request, including:

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

These reports contain additional information about each of the funds’ investments. The annual report describes the funds’ performance, lists portfolio holdings, and discusses recent market conditions, economic trends and fund investment strategies that significantly affected the funds’ performance for the last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

A Statement of Additional Information, dated November 3, 2004, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SAI, which includes additional information about the BlackRock Funds, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Company’s annual and semi-annual reports, by calling (800) 441-7450. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.

Shareholder Account Service Representatives

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Eastern time), Monday-Friday. Call: (800) 441-7450.

Purchases and Redemptions

Call your registered representative or (800) 441-7450.

World Wide Web

Access general fund information and specific fund

performance. Request mutual fund prospectuses and literature. Forward mutual fund inquiries. www.blackrock.com

Written Correspondence

BlackRock Funds

100 Bellevue Parkway

Mail Stop WR-R100-04-07

Wilmington, DE 19809

Internal Wholesalers/Broker Dealer Support

Available to support investment professionals

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern time), Monday-Friday.

Call: (888) 825-2257

Portfolio Characteristics and Holdings

For additional information, as well as more current information about portfolio holdings and characteristics, BlackRock fund shareholders and prospective investors may call (888) 825-2257.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

You may also view and copy public information about the BlackRock Funds, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC Web site (http://www.sec.gov) or the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information about the operation of the public reference room can be obtained by calling the SEC directly at (202) 942-8090. Copies of this information can be obtained, for a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05742

LOGO


FIXED INCOME		LIQUIDITY		EQUITIES		ALTERNATIVES		BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS

BlackRock Funds

Equity Portfolios

Investor and Institutional Shares

Prospectus

November 3, 2004

BlackRock Funds^SMis a mutual fund family with 47 investment portfolios, 5 of which are described in this prospectus. BlackRock Funds are sold principally through licensed investment professionals.

NOT FDIC INSURED

MAY LOSE VALUE

NO BANK GUARANTEE

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

LOGO

Table of

Contents


*How to find the information you need*
*How to find the information you need*		1

THE BLACKROCK EQUITY PORTFOLIOS

*Small/Mid-Cap Growth*		2

*Aurora*		8

*Legacy*		15

*Health Sciences*		21

*Global Resources*		28

*About Your Investment* *How to Buy/Sell Shares*		36

*Dividends/Distributions/Taxes*		54

*Services for Shareholders*		56

How to Find the

Information You Need

About BlackRock Funds

If you have questions after reading the Prospectus, ask your registered representative for assistance. Your investment professional has been trained to help you decide which investments are right for you.

BlackRock

Small/Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Fundamentals: “Fundamental” information about a company (such as its income statement, balance sheet, earnings and sales history, products and management).

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a mutual fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this fund is small- and mid-cap growth, referring to the type of securities the managers will choose for this fund.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of total assets in small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies.

It is possible that in extreme market conditions the fund temporarily may invest some or all of its assets in high quality

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

Expenses and Fees

The tables below explain your pricing options and describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Investor A, B, C and Institutional Shares of the fund. The “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table may not reflect expenses of the fund after February 1, 2007.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases*	5.75	%	0.0	%	0.0	%	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	0.0	%	4.5	%**	1.0	%***	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Redemption/Exchange Fee****	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Distribution Fees: Fees paid to the fund’s distributor, BlackRock and service organizations for distribution of fund shares and related sales support services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Advisory fees	.75	%	.75	%	.75	%	.75	%
Distribution (12b-1) fees	.10	%	.75	%	.75	%	.00	%
Other expenses¹	.99	%	.99	%	.99	%	.74	%
Service fees	.25%		.25%		.25%		.00%
Other	.74%		.74%		.74%		.74%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.84	%	2.49	%	2.49	%	1.49	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements²	.49	%	.39	%	.39	%	.39	%
Net expenses²	1.35	%	2.10	%	2.10	%	1.10	%

Reduced front-end sales charges may be available (See the section “Can the Sales Charge be Reduced or Eliminated?” for more information regarding the reduction of front-end sales charges). A CDSC of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares that are purchased with no initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

**	The CDSC is 4.5% if shares are redeemed in less than one year. The CDSC for Investor B Shares decreases for redemptions made in subsequent years. After six years there is no CDSC on B Shares. (See the section “Purchase of Investor B Shares” for complete schedule of CDSCs.)

***	There is no CDSC on C Shares after one year.

****	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly,“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses, redemption at the end of each time period and, with respect to B and C Shares only, no redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
A Shares*	$	705	$	1,028
B Shares**
Redemption	$	663	$	1,049
B Shares
No Redemption	$	213	$	699
C Shares**
Redemption	$	313	$	699
C Shares
No Redemption	$	213	$	699
Institutional Shares	$	112	$	392

*	Reflects imposition of sales charge.

**	Reflects deduction of contingent deferred sales charge.

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Shareholder transaction fees are paid out of your investment and annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

This prospectus offers shareholders different ways to invest with separate pricing options. You need to understand your choices so that you can choose the pricing option that is most suitable for you. As shown above, with one option (Investor A Shares) you pay a one-time front-end transaction fee each time you buy shares. Investor B and Investor C Shares have no front-end charges but have higher on-going fees, which are paid over the life of the investment, and have a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) that you may pay when you redeem your shares. Institutional Shares have no front-end or deferred sales charges and have lower ongoing fees than Investor Shares, but have a higher investment minimum. Which option schedule should you choose? It depends on your individual circumstances. You should know that the lowest sales charge won’t necessarily be the least expensive option over time. For example, if you intend to hold your shares long term it may cost less to buy A Shares than B or C Shares.

Fund Management

BlackRock

Aurora Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Equity Security: A security, such as stock, representing ownership of a company. Bonds, in comparison, are referred to as fixed income or debt securities because they represent indebtedness to the bondholder, not ownership (although convertible bonds are fixed income securities that are convertible to equity according to their terms).

Investment Style: Refers to the guiding principles of a mutual fund’s investment choices. The investment style of this fund is small- and mid-cap value, referring to the type of securities the managers will choose for this fund.

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide high total return, consisting principally of capital appreciation.

Primary Investment Strategies

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

While the fund manager chooses stocks he believes to be undervalued, there is no guarantee that the investments will increase in value or that they won’t decline.

information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. The securities of smaller capitalized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter markets and may have fewer market makers and wider price spreads. This may result in greater price movements and less ability to sell the fund’s investment than if the fund held the securities of larger, more established companies.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

may not be able to repay principal and pay interest or dividends on time. In addition, other creditors of a high yield issuer may have the right to be paid before the high yield bondholder. During an economic downturn, a period of rising interest rates or a recession, issuers of high yield securities who have a lot of debt may experience financial problems. They may not have enough cash to make their principal and interest payments. An economic downturn could also hurt the market for lower-rated securities and the fund. Also, the market for high yield securities is not as liquid as the market for higher rated securities. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell high yield securities, especially on short notice. The market could also be hurt by legal or tax changes.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Distribution Fees: Fees paid to the fund’s distributor, BlackRock and service organizations for distribution of fund shares and related sales support services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Expenses and Fees

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases*	5.75	%	0.0	%	0.0	%	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	0.0	%	4.5	%**	1.0	%***	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Redemption/Exchange Fee****	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Advisory fees	.80	%	.80	%	.80	%	.80	%
Distribution (12b-1) fees	.10	%	.75	%	.75	%	.00	%
Other expenses¹	.64	%	.65	%	.65	%	.40	%
Service fees	.25%		.25%		.25%		.00%
Other	.39%		.40%		.40%		.40%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.54	%	2.20	%	2.20	%	1.20	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements²	.10	%	.01	%	.01	%	.01	%
Net expenses²	1.44	%	2.19	%	2.19	%	1.19	%

**	The CDSC is 4.5% if shares are redeemed in less than one year. The CDSC for Investor B Shares decreases for redemptions made in subsequent years. After six years there is no CDSC on B Shares. (See the section “Purchase of Investor B Shares” for complete schedule of CDSCs.)

***	There is no CDSC on C Shares after one year.

****	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly,“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

BlackRockhas contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.44% (for Investor A Shares), 2.19% (for Investor B and C Shares) and 1.19% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets until February 1, 2007. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses, redemption at the end of each time period and, with respect to B and C Shares only, no redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year	3 Years
A Shares*	$713	$1,015
B Shares**
Redemption	$672	$1,036
B Shares
No Redemption	$222	$686
C Shares**
Redemption	$322	$686
C Shares
No Redemption	$222	$686
Institutional Shares	$121	$379

*	Reflects imposition of sales charge.

**	Reflects deduction of CDSC.

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Shareholder transaction fees are paid out of your investment and annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Fund Management

BlackRock

Legacy Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

While the fund generally expects to invest across a broad range of industries, it may favor companies in those industries that appear to offer higher potential for long-term growth.

Although the fund does not expect to do so as a matter of course, it is permitted to invest up to 35% of total assets in other securities (for example, bonds and small-size company stocks).

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Distribution Fees: Fees paid to the fund’s distributor, BlackRock and service organizations for distribution of fund shares and related sales support services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Expenses and Fees

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases*	5.75	%	0.0	%	0.0	%	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	0.0	%	4.5	%**	1.0	%***	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Redemption/Exchange Fee****	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Advisory fees	.65	%	.65	%	.65	%	.65	%
Distribution (12b-1) fees	.10	%	.75	%	.75	%	.00	%
Other expenses¹	.66	%	.66	%	.66	%	.41	%
Service fees	.25%		.25%		.25%		.00%
Other	.41%		.41%		.41%		.41%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.41	%	2.06	%	2.06	%	1.06	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements²	.06	%	.00	%	.00	%	.00	%
Net expenses²	1.35	%	2.06	%	2.06	%	1.06	%

Reduced front-end sales charges may be available (See the section “Can the Sales Charge be Reduced or Eliminated?” for more information regarding the reduction of front-end sales charges). A CDSC of 0.75% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares that are purchased with no initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.

**	The CDSC is 4.5% if shares are redeemed in less than one year. The CDSC for Investor B Shares decreases for redemptions made in subsequent years. After six years there is no CDSC on B Shares. (See the section “Purchase of Investor B Shares” for complete schedule of CDSCs.)

***	There is no CDSC on C Shares after one year.

****	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly,“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

BlackRockhas contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.35% (for Investor A Shares), 2.10% (for Investor B and C Shares) and 1.10% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets until February 1, 2007. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements. Including voluntary waivers, net expenses for Investor A Shares are estimated to be 1.31%. BlackRock may terminate these voluntary waivers at any time.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses, redemption at the end of each time period and, with respect to B and C Shares only, no redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
A Shares*	$	705	$	984
B Shares**
Redemption	$	659	$	996
B Shares
No Redemption	$	209	$	646
C Shares**
Redemption	$	309	$	646
C Shares
No Redemption	$	209	$	646
Institutional Shares	$	108	$	337

*	Reflects imposition of sales charge.

**	Reflects deduction of CDSC.

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Shareholder transaction fees are paid out of your investment and annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Edward Dowd and Jeffrey Lindsey, CFA. Mr. Lindsey and Mr. Dowd are co-portfolio managers of the State Street Research Exchange Fund. They have been responsible for the day-to-day management of the State Street Research Exchange Fund since December 2002. A managing director at State Street Research & Management, Mr. Lindsey joined the firm in 2002. In 2003, Mr. Lindsey was promoted to Chief Investment Officer—Growth, and is now responsible for overseeing all of the firm’s growth and core products. During the past five years, he has also served as a managing director, Director of Concentrated Growth Products and senior vice president at Putnam Investments. A vice president at State Street Research & Management, Mr. Dowd joined the firm in 2002. During the past five years he has also served as a vice president and Technology Sector Leader for Independence Investment LLC and as equity research associate at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

BlackRock

Health Sciences Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Fundamentals: “Fundamental” information about a company (such as its income statement, balance sheet, earnings and sales history, products and management).

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

From time to time the fund may invest without limit in shares of companies through initial public offerings (IPOs).

It is possible that in extreme market conditions the fund temporarily may invest some or all of its assets in high quality

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

The fund’s strategy of concentrating in health sciences and related companies means that its performance will be closely tied to the performance of a particular market segment. Because the fund is concentrated in these companies, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of

the economy. A downturn in these companies would have a larger impact on the fund than on a mutual fund that does not concentrate in such companies. At times, the performance of these companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole.

regulated markets, may be increased. The value of many investments in emerging market countries has declined significantly in the past and may do so again in the future, as a result of economic and political turmoil in many of these countries.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

factors, which could cause the fund’s derivatives positions to lose value.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

Expenses and Fees

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases*	5.75	%	0.0	%	0.0	%	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	0.0	%	4.5	%**	1.0	%***	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Redemption/Exchange Fee****	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Distribution Fees: Fees paid to the fund’s distributor, BlackRock and service organizations for distribution of fund shares and related sales support services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide for personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Advisory fees	.75	%	.75	%	.75	%	.75	%
Distribution (12b-1) fees	.10	%	.75	%	.75	%	.00	%
Other expenses¹	1.14	%	1.14	%	1.14	%	.89	%
Service fees	.25%		.25%		.25%		.00%
Other	.89%		.89%		.89%		.89%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.99	%	2.64	%	2.64	%	1.64	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements²	.44	%	.39	%	.39	%	.39	%
Net expenses²	1.55	%	2.25	%	2.25	%	1.25	%

**	The CDSC is 4.5% if shares are redeemed in less than one year. The CDSC for Investor B Shares decreases for redemptions made in subsequent years. After six years there is no CDSC on B Shares. (See the section “Purchase of Investor B Shares” for complete schedule of CDSCs.)

***	There is no CDSC on C Shares after one year.

****	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly,“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

BlackRockhas contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.55% (for Investor A Shares), 2.25% (for Investor B and C Shares) and 1.25% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets until February 1, 2007. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses, redemption at the end of each time period and, with respect to B and C Shares only, no redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
A Shares*	$	724	$	1,081
B Shares**
Redemption	$	678	$	1,094
B Shares
No Redemption	$	228	$	744
C Shares**
Redemption	$	328	$	744
C Shares
No Redemption	$	228	$	744
Institutional Shares	$	127	$	438

*	Reflects imposition of sales charge.

**	Reflects deduction of CDSC.

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Shareholder transaction fees are paid out of your investment and annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Fund Management

It is expected that upon the commencement of investment operations, the fund will be lead managed by Thomas Callan and Erin Xie, PhD. Mr. Callan, Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock) is a member of the global small-cap equity team. He is lead manager for all global small-cap portfolios and is a member the Equity Investment Strategy Group. Ms. Xie has assisted with the management of the State Street Research Health Sciences Fund since 2001 and became a portfolio manager in July 2003. Ms. Xie, a senior vice president at State Street Research & Management, joined the firm in 2001 as an equity analyst covering the healthcare sector. During the past five years she has also served as an associate in pharmaceutical equity research with Sanford Bernstein & Company.

BlackRock

Global Resources Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Fundamentals: “Fundamental” information about a company (such as its income statement, balance sheet, earnings and sales history, products and management).

Investment Goal

The fund seeks to provide long-term growth of capital.

Primary Investment Strategies

The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

and sectors of the economy. A downturn in these companies would have a larger impact on the fund than on a mutual fund that does not concentrate in such companies. At times, the performance of these companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole.

Any securities that are thinly traded or whose resale is restricted can be difficult to sell at the desired time and price. Some of these securities are new and complex, and trade only among institutions; the markets for these securities are still developing, and may not function as efficiently as established markets. Owning a large percentage of restricted or illiquid securities could hamper the fund’s ability to raise cash to meet redemptions. Also, because there may not be an established market price for these securities, the fund may have to estimate their value, which means that their valuation (and, to a much smaller extent, the valuation of the fund) may have a subjective element. Transactions in restricted or illiquid securities may entail registration expense and other transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in unrestricted or liquid securities. Where registration is required for restricted or illiquid securities, a considerable time period may elapse between the time the fund decides to sell the security and

the time it is actually permitted to sell the security under an effective registration statement. If during such period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the fund might obtain less favorable pricing terms than when it decided to sell the security.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

fund may invest in non-investment grade or “high yield” securities commonly known to investors as “junk bonds.” Non-investment grade securities carry greater risks than investment grade securities, which have higher credit ratings, including a high risk of default. The yields of non-investment grade securities will move up and down over time.

The expenses of the fund can be expected to be higher than those of other funds investing primarily in domestic securities because the costs attributable to investing abroad are usually higher.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

Expenses and Fees

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases*	5.75	%	0.0	%	0.0	%	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	0.0	%	4.5	%**	1.0	%***	0.0	%
(as percentage of offering price)
Redemption/Exchange Fee****	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%	2.0	%
(as a percentage of amount redeemed)

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Distribution Fees: Fees paid to the fund’s distributor, BlackRock and service organizations for distribution of fund shares and related sales support services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

Service Fees: Fees that are paid to service organizations that provide for personal services to shareholders.

Service Organizations: Brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals that provide support services to their customers who own shares of the Company.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


	A Shares		B Shares		C Shares		Institutional Shares
Advisory fees	.75	%	.75	%	.75	%	.75	%
Distribution (12b-1) fees	.10	%	.75	%	.75	%	.00	%
Other expenses¹	.83	%	.83	%	.83	%	.58	%
Service fees	.25%		.25%		.25%		.00%
Other	.58%		.58%		.58%		.58%
Total annual fund operating expenses	1.68	%	2.33	%	2.33	%	1.33	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements²	.34	%	.29	%	.29	%	.29	%
Net expenses²	1.34	%	2.04	%	2.04	%	1.04	%

**	The CDSC is 4.5% if shares are redeemed in less than one year. The CDSC for Investor B Shares decreases for redemptions made in subsequent years. After six years there is no CDSC on B Shares. (See the section “Purchase of Investor B Shares” for complete schedule of CDSCs.)

***	There is no CDSC on C Shares after one year.

****	Fee applies only to shares that are redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of purchase.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly,“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current year.

BlackRockhas contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 1.34% (for Investor A Shares), 2.04% (for Investor B and C Shares) and 1.04% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets until February 1, 2007. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses, redemption at the end of each time period and, with respect to B and C Shares only, no redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
A Shares*	$	704	$	1,010
B Shares**
Redemption	$	657	$	1,020
B Shares
No Redemption	$	207	$	670
C Shares**
Redemption	$	307	$	670
C Shares
No Redemption	$	207	$	670
Institutional Shares	$	106	$	363

*	Reflects imposition of sales charge.

**	Reflects deduction of CDSC.

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Shareholder transaction fees are paid out of your investment and annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

Fund Management

About Your Investment

Buying Investor Shares from a Registered Investment Professional

BlackRock Funds believes that investors can benefit from the advice and ongoing assistance of a registered investment professional. Accordingly, when you buy or sell BlackRock Funds Investor Shares, you may pay a sales charge, which is used to compensate your investment professional for services provided to you. A person who gets compensated for selling shares may receive a different amount for each class.

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Shareholder fees are paid directly from your investment and annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets and are reflected in the fund’s net asset value.

Your registered representative can help you to buy shares by telephone. Before you place your order make sure that you have read the Prospectus and have a discussion with your registered representative about the details of your investment.

Buying Institutional Shares

Institutional Shares are offered without a sales charge to:

Institutional investors and individuals with a minimum investment of $2 million

Trust departments of PNC Bank and its affiliates on behalf of clients for whom the bank:

acts in a fiduciary capacity (excluding participant-directed employee benefit plans)

otherwise has investment discretion or

acts as custodian for at least $2 million in assets

Registered investment advisers with a minimum investment of $250,000

Purchase orders may be placed by calling (800) 441-7450.

What Price Per Share Will You Pay?

When you buy Investor Shares PFPC Inc. (PFPC), the Company’s transfer agent, will probably receive your order from your registered representative, who takes your order. However, you can also fill out a purchase application and mail it to the transfer agent with your check. Please call (800) 441-7762 for a purchase application. Purchase orders received by the transfer agent before the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (currently 4 p.m. (Eastern time)) on each day the NYSE is open will be priced based on the NAV calculated at the close of trading on that day plus any applicable sales charge. NAV is calculated separately for each class of shares of each fund at 4 p.m. (Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open. Shares will not be priced on days the NYSE is closed. Purchase orders received after the close of trading will be priced based on the next calculation of NAV. The non-U.S. securities and certain other securities held by a fund may trade on days when the NYSE is closed. In these cases, net asset value of shares may change when fund shares cannot be bought or sold.

Since the NAV changes daily, the price you pay for your shares depends on the time that your order is received by the Company’s transfer agent, whose job it is to keep track of shareholder records.

what it believes to be the fair value of the security as of the time the fund calculates its NAV. Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of a security. A security’s valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value.

When you place a purchase order for Investor Shares you need to specify whether you want Investor A, B or C Shares. If you do not specify a class, you will receive Investor A Shares.

Certain financial institutions may buy and sell Institutional Shares on behalf of their customers. The institutions may charge a fee for this service and may impose additional conditions on owning fund shares. Holders of Institutional Shares should contact their institutions for more information.

When Must You Pay?

Payment for an order for Investor Shares must be made in Federal funds or other immediately available funds by the time specified by your registered representative or other financial intermediary, but in no event later than 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on the third business day following PFPC’s receipt of the order. If payment is not received by this time, the order will be canceled and you and your registered representative or other financial intermediary will be responsible for any loss to a fund. For shares purchased directly from the transfer agent, a check payable to BlackRock Funds and bearing the name of the fund you are purchasing must accompany a completed purchase application. The Company does not accept third-party checks. You may also wire Federal funds to the transfer agent to purchase shares, but you must call BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc. at (800) 441-7762 before doing so to confirm the wiring instructions.

Payment for Institutional Shares must normally be made in Federal funds or other funds immediately available by 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following receipt of the order. Payment may also, at the discretion of the Company, be made in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the respective fund. The Company does not accept third party checks as payment for shares.

birth and other information that will allow the Company to identify you. The Company may also ask to see other identifying documents such as a driver’s license (for individuals) or Articles of Incorporation or other formation documents (for institutions). The Company may use a third party to obtain and verify this information. The Company may not be able to establish an account if you do not provide the necessary information.

How Much is the Minimum Investment?

The minimum investment for the initial purchase of Investor Shares is $500. There is a $50 minimum for all later investments. The Company permits a lower initial investment if you are an employee of the Company or one of its service providers or if you participate in the Automatic Investment Plan in which you make regular, periodic investments through a savings or checking account. Your investment professional can advise you on how to begin an Automatic Investment Plan. The Company won’t accept a purchase order of $1 million or more for Investor B or Investor C Shares. Your registered representative may set a lower maximum for Investor B Share purchases.

The minimum investment for the initial purchase of Institutional Shares is:

$2 million for institutions and individuals

$250,000 for registered investment advisers

There is no minimum requirement for later investments.

The Company may permit a lower initial investment for certain investors if their purchase, combined with purchases by other investors received together by the Company, meets the minimum investment requirement. The Company may reject any purchase order, modify or waive the minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements and suspend and resume the sale of any share class of any fund at any time.

Which Pricing Option Should You Choose?

BlackRock Funds offers different pricing options to investors in the form of different share classes. Your registered representative can help you decide which option works best for you. Through this Prospectus, you can choose from Investor A, B, C or Institutional Shares.

A Shares (Front-End Load)

One time sales charge paid at time of purchase

Lower ongoing distribution fees

Free exchange with other A Shares in BlackRock Funds family

Advantage: Makes sense for investors who are eligible to have the sales charge reduced or eliminated or who have a long-term investment horizon because ongoing distribution fees are less than for other Investor Share classes.

Disadvantage: You pay a sales charge up-front, and therefore you start off owning fewer shares.

B Shares (Back-End Load)

No front-end sales charge when you buy shares

You pay a sales charge when you redeem shares. It is called a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) and it declines over 6 years to zero from a high of 4.5%.

Higher ongoing distribution fees than A Shares

Free exchange with other B Shares in BlackRock Funds family

Automatically convert to A Shares eight years from purchase

Advantage: No up-front sales charge so you start off owning more shares.

Disadvantage: You pay higher ongoing distribution fees than on A Shares each year you own shares, which means that you can expect lower total performance per share.

C Shares (Level Load)

No front-end sales charge when you buy shares

Contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 1.00% if shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchase

Higher ongoing distribution fees than A Shares

Free exchange with other C Shares in BlackRock Funds family

Advantage: No up-front sales charge so you start off owning more shares. These shares may make sense for investors who have a shorter investment horizon relative to A or B Shares.

Disadvantage: You pay higher ongoing distribution fees than on A shares each year you own shares, which means that you can expect lower total performance per share. Shares do not convert to A Shares, so you will continue paying the higher ongoing distribution fees as long as you hold the C Shares. Over the long term, this can add up to higher total fees than either A Shares or B Shares.

Institutional Shares (No load)

No front-end sales charge or CDSC

No distribution fee and lower expenses than Investor Shares

No exchange privilege

Higher investment minimum than Investor Shares

Investor B Shares received through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions convert to A Shares proportionately with the conversion of B Shares that were not received through reinvestment.

How Much is the Sales Charge?

The tables below show the schedules of sales charges that you may pay if you buy and sell Investor A, B, and C Shares of a fund.

Purchase of Investor A Shares

The following table shows the front-end sales charges that you may pay if you buy Investor A Shares. The offering price for Investor A Shares includes any front-end sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced front-end sales charge. Purchases of Investor A Shares at certain fixed dollar levels, known as “breakpoints,” cause a reduction in the front-end sales charge. Once you achieve a breakpoint, you pay that sales charge on your entire purchase amount (and not just the portion above the breakpoint). Additionally, the front-end sales charge can be reduced or eliminated through one or a combination of the following: the right of accumulation, a Letter of Intent, the reinstatement privilege, quantity discounts or a waiver of the sales charge (described below).

The following schedule of front-end sales charges and quantity discounts applies to the all Portfolios.


AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION AT OFFERING PRICE	SALES CHARGE AS % OF OFFERING PRICE*	SALES CHARGE AS % OF NET ASSET VALUE*
Less than $50,000	5.75%	6.10%
$50,000 but less than $100,000	4.50%	4.71%
$100,000 but less than $250,000	3.50%	3.63%
$250,000 but less than $500,000	2.50%	2.56%
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000	2.00%	2.04%
$1 million or more	0.00%	0.00%

There is no initial sales charge on purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Investor A Shares; however, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00% for the Small/Mid-Cap Growth, Aurora, Health Sciences and Global Resources Portfolios and 0.75% for the Legacy Portfolio, of the offering price or the net asset value of the shares on the redemption date (whichever is less) for shares redeemed within 18 months after purchase.

The Company’s distributor retains .75% of the sales charge on all purchases of Investor A Shares. When an investor purchases Investor A Shares directly from the Company (and not through a broker), the distributor retains the entire front-end sales charge.

Purchase of Investor B Shares

Investor B Shares are subject to a CDSC at the rates shown in the chart below if they are redeemed within six years of purchase. The CDSC is based on the offering price or the net asset value of the B Shares on the redemption date (whichever is less) and is calculated without regard to any redemption/exchange fee. The amount of any CDSC an investor must pay depends on the number of years that elapse between the date of purchase and the date of redemption. The CDSC may be waived under certain circumstances, as described below.


NUMBER OF YEARS ELAPSED SINCE PURCHASE		CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE (AS % OF DOLLAR AMOUNT SUBJECT TO THE CHARGE)
Up to one year		4.50%
More than one but less than two years		4.00%
More than two but less than three years		3.50%
More than three but less than four years		3.00%
More than four but less than five years		2.00%
More than five but less than six years		1.00%
More than six years		0.00%

Purchase of Investor C Shares

Investor C Shares are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% if they are redeemed within 12 months after purchase. The 1.00% is based on the offering price or the net asset value of the C Shares on the redemption date (whichever is less) and is calculated without regard to any redemption/exchange fee. The CDSC may be waived under certain circumstances, as described below. There is no CDSC on C Shares redeemed after 12 months.

When an investor redeems Investor B Shares or Investor C Shares, the redemption order is processed so that the lowest CDSC is charged. Investor B Shares and Investor C Shares that are not subject to the CDSC are redeemed first. After that, the Company redeems the Shares that have been held the longest.

Can the Sales Charge be Reduced or Eliminated?

There are several ways in which the sales charge can be reduced or eliminated. Purchases of Investor A Shares at certain fixed dollar levels, known as “breakpoints,” cause a reduction in the front-end sales charge (as described above in the “Purchase of Investor A Shares” section). Additionally, the front-end sales charge can be reduced or eliminated through one or a combination of the following: the right of accumulation, a Letter of Intent, the reinstatement privilege, quantity discounts or a waiver of the sales charge (described below). The CDSC on Investor B Shares can be reduced depending on how long you own the shares (a schedule of these reductions is listed above in the “Purchase of Investor B Shares” section). The CDSC on Investor B and C Shares also may be eliminated through waivers (described below). For more information, see the SAI or contact your investment professional.

Right of Accumulation (Investor A Shares)

Investors have a “right of accumulation” under which the current value of an investor’s existing Investor A Shares in all BlackRock funds that are subject to a front-end sales charge may be combined with the amount of the current purchase in determining whether an investor qualifies for a breakpoint and a reduced front-end sales charge. In order to use this right, the investor must alert PFPC to the existence of previously purchased shares.

Letter of Intent (Investor A Shares)

An investor may qualify for a reduced front-end sales charge immediately by signing a “Letter of Intent” stating the investor’s intention to buy a specified amount of Investor A Shares in one or more funds subject to a front-end sales charge within the next 13 months that would, if bought all at once, qualify the investor for a reduced sales charge. The Letter of Intent may be signed anytime within 90 days after the first investment to be covered by the letter. The initial investment must meet the minimum initial purchase requirement. The investor must tell PFPC that later purchases are subject to the Letter of Intent. During the term of the Letter of Intent, PFPC will hold Investor A Shares representing up to 5% of the indicated amount in an escrow account for payment of a higher sales load if the full amount indicated in the Letter of Intent is not purchased. Any redemptions made during the term of the Letter of Intent will be subtracted from the amount of the total purchase indicated in the letter. If the full amount indicated is not purchased within the 13-month period, and the investor does not pay the higher sales load within 20 days, PFPC will redeem enough of the Investor A Shares held in escrow to pay the difference.

Reinstatement Privilege (Investor A, Investor B and Investor C Shares)

Upon redemption of Investor Shares, a shareholder has a right, to be exercised once a year and within 60 days of the redemption, to reinvest the redemption proceeds (after paying any applicable CDSC or redemption/exchange fee) in Investor A Shares of the SAME fund without paying a front-end sales charge. Shares will be purchased at the net asset value (NAV) calculated at the close of trading on the day the request is received. To exercise this privilege, PFPC must be notified, in writing, by the shareowner of record or the registered representative of record. Investors should consult a tax adviser concerning the tax consequences of exercising this reinstatement privilege.

Quantity Discounts (Investor A Shares)

In addition to quantity discounts for individuals which we discussed above, there are ways for you to qualify for breakpoints and therefore reduce the front-end sales charge by combining your order with the orders of (a) your spouse and any of your children under the age of 21, (b) a trustee or fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account or (c) members of any organized group you belong to that has been in existence for more than six months, if it is not organized for the purpose of

investing in mutual funds, and if the purchase is made through a central administrator, or through a single dealer, or by other means which result in economy of sales effort or expense. All orders must be placed at one time and certain restrictions apply. Investors must tell PFPC or their broker, at the time of purchase, that they are aggregating their purchases. For more information, please contact BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc. at (800) 441-7762 or see the SAI.

Waiving the Sales Charge (Investor A Shares)

The following investors may buy Investor A Shares without paying a front-end sales charge: (a) authorized qualified employee benefit plans; (b) persons investing through an authorized payroll deduction plan; (c) persons investing through an authorized investment plan for organizations which operate under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (d) registered investment advisers, trust companies and bank trust departments exercising discretionary investment authority with respect to amounts to be invested in a fund; (e) persons participating in a “wrap account” or similar program under which they pay advisory fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution; and (f) persons participating in an account or program under which they pay fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution for providing transaction processing and other administrative services, but not investment advisory services. Investors who qualify for any of these exemptions from the sales charge must purchase Investor A Shares. Additionally, some people associated with the Company and its service providers may buy Investor A Shares without paying a sales charge. The front-end sales charge is not applied on Investor A shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions. For more information on the waivers, please contact BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc. at (800) 441-7762 or see the SAI.

Waiving the Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (Investor B and Investor C Shares)

The CDSC on Investor B and Investor C Shares is not charged in connection with: (a) redemptions of Investor B and Investor C Shares purchased through authorized qualified employee benefit plans; (b) exchanges described in “Exchange Privilege” below; (c) redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions due to the shareholder reaching age 70¹/2 from IRA and 403(b)(7) accounts; (d) redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the

Company, BlackRock or its affiliates; (e) redemptions in connection with a shareholder’s death (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent) or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) subsequent to the purchase of Investor B or Investor C Shares; (f) involuntary redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares in accounts with low balances; (g) certain redemptions made pursuant to the Systematic Withdrawal Plan (described below); and (h) redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Company. In addition, no CDSC is charged on Investor B or Investor C Shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions. For more information on these waivers, please contact BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc. at (800) 441-7762 or see the SAI.

Distribution and Service Plan

Under the Plan, Investor Shares pay a fee (distribution fees) to BlackRock Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and/or affiliates of PNC Bank (including BlackRock) for distribution and sales support services. The distribution fees may be used to pay the Distributor for distribution services and to pay the Distributor and PNC Bank affiliates (including BlackRock) for sales support services provided in connection with the sale of Investor Shares. The distribution fees may also be used to pay brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals (including BlackRock, PNC Bank and its affiliates) (Service Organizations) for sales support services and related expenses. All Investor A Shares pay a maximum distribution fee of .10% per year of the average daily net asset value of each fund attributable to Investor A Shares. All Investor B and C Shares pay a maximum of .75% per year. Institutional Shares do not pay a distribution fee.

Under the Plan, the Company also pays shareholder servicing fees to Service Organizations whereby the Service Organizations provide support services to their customers who own Investor Shares in return for these fees. The Company may pay a shareholder servicing fee of up to .25% per year of the average daily net asset value of Investor Shares of a fund. All Investor Shares pay this shareholder servicing fee.

In return for the shareholder servicing fee, Service Organizations (including BlackRock) may provide one or more of the following services to their customers who own Investor Shares:

(1)

Responding to customer questions on the services performed by the Service Organization and investments in Investor Shares;

(2)

Assisting customers in choosing and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; and

(3)

Providing other similar shareholder liaison services.

Institutional Shares do not pay a shareholder servicing fee.

For more information on the Plan, including a complete list of services provided thereunder, see the SAI.

Selling Shares

You can redeem Investor Shares at any time (although certain verification may be required for redemptions in excess of $25,000 or in certain other cases). The Company will redeem your Investor Shares at the next net asset value (NAV) calculated after your order is received by the fund’s transfer agent minus any applicable CDSC and/or redemption/exchange fee. Each of the CDSC and redemption/exchange fee is assessed without regard to the other. See “Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees” below.

Investor Shares may be redeemed by sending a written redemption request to BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc., P.O. Box 9819, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8019.

You can also make redemption requests with respect to Investor Shares through your registered investment professional, who may charge for this service. Shareholders should indicate whether they are redeeming Investor A, Investor B or Investor C Shares. If a shareholder owns more than one class of a fund and does not indicate which class he or she is redeeming, the fund will redeem shares so as to minimize the CDSC charged.

Unless another option is requested, payment for redeemed Investor Shares is normally made by check mailed within seven days after PFPC receives the redemption request. If the shares to be redeemed have been recently purchased by check, PFPC may delay the payment of redemption proceeds until the earlier of 10 days after the purchase date or until the check has cleared.

Holders of Institutional Shares may place redemption orders by telephoning (800) 441-7450. Shares are redeemed at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of the redemption order, minus any applicable redemption/exchange fee. See “Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees” below. The Company, the administrators and the distributor will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. The Company and its service providers will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for acting upon telephone instructions that are reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with such procedures.

Payment for redeemed Institutional Shares for which a redemption order is received before 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on a business day is normally made in Federal funds wired to the redeeming shareholder on the next business day, provided that the funds’

custodian is also open for business. Payment for redemption orders received after 4 p.m. (Eastern time) or on a day when the funds’ custodian is closed is normally wired in Federal funds on the next business day following redemption on which the funds’ custodian is open for business. The Company reserves the right to wire redemption proceeds within seven days after receiving a redemption order if, in the judgment of the Company, an earlier payment could adversely affect a fund. No charge for wiring redemption payments is imposed by the Company.

During periods of substantial economic market change telephone redemptions may be difficult to complete. Redemption requests with respect to Institutional Shares may also be mailed to BlackRock Funds at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Mail Stop WR-R100-04-07, Wilmington, DE 19809.

The Company may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so.

Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees

execute that transaction, and the Company will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. In addition, any redemptions or exchanges that you make (as a result of the activity described above or otherwise) will be subject to any and all redemption/exchange fees, as described below. For transactions placed directly with the Company, the Company may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same financial intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Company. Certain accounts, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Company with a net purchase or redemption request on any given day where purchases and redemptions of shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers and redeemers whose orders are aggregated are not known by the Company. While the Company monitors for market timing activity, the Company may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the funds. Identification of market timers may also be limited by operational systems and technical limitations.

Each of the equity funds will automatically assess and retain a fee of 2% of the current NAV, after excluding the effect of any contingent deferred sales charges, of shares being redeemed or exchanged within 90 days of acquisition (other than those acquired through reinvestment of dividends or other distributions). Each of the High Yield Bond and International Bond Portfolios will automatically assess and retain a fee of 2% of the current NAV, after excluding the effect of any contingent deferred sales charges, of shares being redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of acquisition (other than those acquired through reinvestment of dividends or other distributions). A new 90-day period, or 30-day period, as the case may be, begins with each acquisition of shares through a purchase or exchange. For example, a series of transactions in which shares of Portfolio A are exchanged for shares of Portfolio B 20 days after the purchase of the Portfolio A shares, followed in 20 days by an exchange of the Portfolio B shares for shares of Portfolio C, will be subject to two redemption fees (one on each exchange).

The redemption/exchange fee is for the benefit of the remaining shareholders of a fund and is intended to encourage long-term

investment, to compensate for transaction and other expenses caused by early redemptions and exchanges, and to facilitate portfolio management. The “first-in, first-out” method is used to determine the holding period. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The redemption/exchange fee will not be assessed on redemptions or exchanges by (i) accounts managed by PNC Advisors, (ii) certain 401(k) plans, bank or trust company accounts, asset allocation programs or wrap programs approved by the Company, (iii) accounts of certain financial institutions or intermediaries that are unable for administrative reasons to apply the redemption/exchange fee to underlying shareholders, (iv) accounts in the event of shareholder death or disability and (v) certain other accounts in the absolute discretion of the Company when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship. In addition, former State Street fund shareholders will not be charged a redemption/exchange fee in connection with a redemption or exchange of fund shares received in connection with a reorganization of a State Street Research fund with one of the funds. The Company reserves the right to modify or eliminate these waivers at any time.

Expedited Redemptions of Investor Shares

If a holder of Investor Shares has given authorization for expedited redemption, shares can be redeemed by telephone and the proceeds sent by check to the shareholder or by Federal wire transfer to a single previously designated bank account. You are responsible for any charges imposed by your bank for this service. Once authorization is on file, PFPC will honor requests by telephone at (800) 441-7762. The Company is not responsible for the efficiency of the Federal wire system or the shareholder’s firm or bank. The Company may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so and may use reasonable procedures to make sure telephone instructions are genuine. The Company and its service providers will not be liable for any loss that results from acting upon telephone instructions that they reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with those procedures. The Company may alter the terms of or terminate this expedited redemption privilege at any time. Any redemption request of $25,000 or more must be in writing.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Adviser: The adviser of a mutual fund is responsible for the overall investment management of the fund. The adviser for BlackRock Funds is BlackRock Advisors, Inc.

The Company's Rights

The Company may:

Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act,

Postpone date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or as described in the fourth paragraph in the section “Selling Shares” above,

Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level, as described below, and

Redeem shares for property other than cash if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable in accordance with its rights under the Investment Company Act.

Accounts with Low Balances

The Company may redeem a shareholder’s account in any fund at any time if the net asset value of the account in such fund falls below the required minimum initial investment as the result of a redemption or an exchange request. The shareholder will be notified in writing that the value of the account is less than the required amount and the shareholder will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

Management

BlackRock Funds’ adviser is BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock). BlackRock was organized in 1994 to perform advisory services for investment companies and is located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809. BlackRock is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., one of the largest publicly traded investment management firms in the United States with $323.5 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2004. BlackRock, Inc. is a majority-owned indirect subsidiary of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the United States.

For its investment advisory services, BlackRock is entitled to fees computed daily on a fund-by-fund basis and payable monthly.

The total annual advisory fees that can be paid to BlackRock (as a percentage of average daily net assets) are as follows:

Total Annual Advisory Fee for the Small/Mid-Cap Growth, Health Sciences and Global Resources Portfolios

(Before Waivers)


AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS	INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
First $1 billion	.750	%
$1 billion-$2 billion	.700	%
$2 billion-$3 billion	.675	%
more than $3 billion	.650	%

Total Annual Advisory Fee for the Legacy Portfolio

(Before Waivers)


AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS	INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
First $1 billion	.650	%
$1 billion-$2 billion	.600	%
$2 billion-$3 billion	.575	%
more than $3 billion	.550	%

Total Annual Advisory Fee for the Aurora Portfolio

(Before Waivers)


AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS	INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
First $1 billion	.850	%
$1 billion-$2 billion	.800	%
$2 billion-$3 billion	.750	%
more than $3 billion	.700	%

Information about the portfolio manager for each of the funds is presented in the appropriate fund section.

To achieve this cap, BlackRock and the Company have entered into an expense limitation agreement. The agreement sets a limit on certain of the operating expenses of each class of shares through February 1, 2007 and requires BlackRock to waive or reimburse fees or expenses if these operating expenses exceed that limit.

Dividends and Distributions

BlackRock Funds makes two kinds of distributions to share- holders: net investment income and net realized capital gains.

Distributions of net investment income derived by a fund are paid within 10 days after the end of each quarter. The Company’s Board of Trustees may change the timing of such dividend payments.

Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by a fund at least annually at a date determined by the Company’s Board of Trustees.

Your distributions will be reinvested at net asset value in new shares of the same class of the fund unless you instruct PFPC in writing to pay them in cash. There are no sales charges on these reinvestments.

Taxation of Distributions

Distributions paid out of a fund’s “net capital gain” will be taxed to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long a shareholder has owned shares. Distributions of net investment income, other than exempt interest dividends, and net short-term capital gains will generally be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. However, individual shareholders who satisfy certain holding period requirements and other requirements are taxed on such dividends at long-term capital gain rates to the extent the dividends are attributable to “qualified dividend income” received by the fund. “Qualified dividend income” generally consists of dividends received from U.S. corporations (other than dividends from tax exempt organizations and certain dividends from real estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies) and certain foreign corporations.

Your annual tax statement from the Company will present in detail the tax status of your distributions for each year.

Distributions paid by a fund with respect to certain qualifying dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations may be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction.

Use of the exchange privilege for Investor Shares will be treated as a taxable event because it will be deemed a redemption and subsequent purchase of the shares involved. Therefore, use of the exchange privilege may be subject to federal, state and local income tax.

Services for Shareholders

BlackRock Funds offers shareholders many special features which can enable investors to have greater investment flexibility as well as more access to information about the Company.

Additional information about these features is available by calling BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc. at (800) 441-7762.

Exchange Privilege for Investor Shares

BlackRock Funds offers 47 different funds, enough to meet virtually any investment need. Once you are a holder of Investor Shares, you have the right to exchange Investor A, B or C Shares from one fund to Investor A, B or C Shares of another to meet your changing financial needs.

You can exchange $500 (or any other applicable minimum) or more from one fund into another. Investor A, Investor B and Investor C Shares of each fund may be exchanged for shares of the same class of other funds which offer that class of shares, based on their respective net asset values. (You can exchange less than $500 if you already have an account in the fund into which you are exchanging.) Because different funds have different sales charges, the exchange of Investor A Shares may be subject to the difference between the sales charge already paid and the higher sales charge (if any) payable on the shares acquired as a result of the exchange. For Federal income tax purposes a share exchange is a taxable event and a capital gain or loss may be realized. Please consult your tax or other financial adviser before making an exchange request.

The exchange of Investor B and Investor C Shares will not be subject to a CDSC, although exchanges may be subject to the 2% redemption/exchange fee. See “Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees” above. The CDSC will continue to be measured from the date of the original purchase and will not be affected by the exchange.

To make an exchange, you must send a written request to BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc. at P.O. Box 9819, Providence, Rhode Island, 02940-8019. You can also make exchanges via telephone automatically, unless you previously indicated that you did not want this option. If so, you may not use telephone exchange privileges until completing a Telephone Exchange Authorization Form. To receive a copy of the form contact PFPC. The Company has the right to reject any telephone request.

The Company may suspend or terminate your exchange privilege at any time, including if the Company believes, in its sole discretion, that you are engaging in market timing activities. See “Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees” above.

The Company reserves the right to modify, limit the use of, or terminate the exchange privilege at any time.

Automatic Investment Plan (AIP) for Investor Shares

If you would like to establish a regular, affordable investment program, BlackRock Funds makes it easy to set up. As a holder of Investor Shares in any fund, you can arrange for periodic investments in that fund through automatic deductions from a checking or savings account by completing the AIP Application Form. The minimum investment amount for an automatic investment plan is $50. AIP Application Forms are available from PFPC.

Retirement Plans for Investor Shares

Investor Shares may be purchased in conjunction with individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and rollover IRAs where PNC Bank or any of its affiliates acts as custodian. For more information about applications or annual fees, please contact BlackRock Funds c/o PFPC Inc., at P.O. Box 9819, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8019, or call (800) 441-7762. To determine if you are eligible for an IRA and whether an IRA will benefit you, you should consult with a tax adviser.

Statements

Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP) for Investor Shares

This feature can be used by holders of Investor Shares who want to receive regular distributions from their accounts. To start a SWP a shareholder must have a current investment of $10,000 or more in Investor Shares in a fund. Shareholders can elect to receive cash payments of $50 or more monthly, every other month, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Shareholders may sign up by completing the SWP Application Form which may be obtained from PFPC. Shareholders should realize that if

withdrawals exceed income the invested principal in their account will be depleted.

To participate in the SWP, shareholders must have their dividends automatically reinvested. Shareholders may change or cancel the SWP at any time, upon written notice to PFPC. If an investor purchases additional Investor A Shares of a fund at the same time he or she redeems shares through the SWP, that investor may lose money because of the sales charge involved. No CDSC will be assessed on redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares made through the SWP that do not exceed 12% of the account’s net asset value on an annualized basis. For example, monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual SWP redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares will not be subject to the CDSC if they do not exceed 1%, 3% and 6%, respectively, of an account’s net asset value on the redemption date. SWP redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares in excess of this limit will still pay any applicable CDSC.

Important Notice Regarding Delivery of Shareholder Documents

Internet Transactions for Investor Shares

Holders of Investor Shares in the funds may view their account balance and activity through the BlackRock website. To use this service, you will need a browser that supports Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.5 or higher or Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher.

The total purchase amount will be debited directly from your bank account via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. Purchases made on the Internet using the ACH system will have a trade date that is the day after the purchase is made. Proceeds

from Internet redemptions may be sent via check, ACH or wire to the bank account of record. The Company will limit Internet purchases and redemptions in Investor Class shares to $25,000.00 per trade. Applications may be downloaded from www.blackrock.com. Please read the Internet Services Disclosure Agreement and the User Agreement before attempting to transact online.

The Company employs reasonable procedures to confirm that transactions entered over the Internet are genuine. The procedures include the use of a protected password, Secure Socket Layering (SSL), 128-bit encryption and other precautions designed to protect the integrity, confidentiality and security of shareholder information. By entering into the User Agreement with the Company in order to open an account through the website, the shareholder waives any right to reclaim any losses from the Company or any of its affiliates, incurred through fraudulent activity.

Electronic Access to Shareholder Documents

To enroll:

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts With Investment Advisers, Banks or Brokerages:

1) Have your enrollment number ready. If you do not have one, please contact your financial adviser.

2) Log on to www.investordelivery.com.

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts Directly With the Fund:

1) Log on to http://funds.blackrock.com.

2) Click on Electronic Delivery icon on either side of your screen.

3) Complete the on-line form by entering your social security number, e-mail address and by selecting your electronic delivery preference.

For more information

This prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the BlackRock Funds is available free, upon request, including:

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

A Statement of Additional Information, dated November 3, 2004, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SAI, which includes additional information about the BlackRock Funds, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Company’s annual and semi-annual reports, by calling (800) 441-7762 if you hold Investor Shares and (800) 441-7450 if you hold Institutional Shares. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.

Shareholder Account Service Representatives

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time), Monday-Friday. Call: (800) 441-7762 if you hold Investor Shares and (800) 441-7450 if you hold Institutional Shares.

Purchases and Redemptions

Call your registered representative or (800) 441-7762 if you hold Investor Shares and (800) 441-7450 if you hold Institutional Shares.

World Wide Web

Access general fund information and specific fund performance. Request mutual fund prospectuses and literature. Forward mutual fund inquiries. www.blackrock.com

Written Correspondence

For holders of Investor Shares:

Post Office Address: BlackRock Funds, c/o PFPC Inc.,

P.O. Box 9819, Providence, RI 02940-8019

Street Address: BlackRock Funds, c/o PFPC Inc.,

760 Moore Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406-1212

For holders of Institutional Shares:

BlackRock Funds

100 Bellevue Parkway

Mail Stop WR-R100-04-07

Wilmington, DE 19809

Internal Wholesalers/Broker Dealer Support

Available to support investment professionals 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern time), Monday - Friday. Call: (888) 825-2257

Portfolio Characteristics and Holdings

For additional information, as well as more current information about portfolio holdings and characteristics, BlackRock fund shareholders and prospective investors may call (888) 825-2257.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05742

SHLPRXPRO 11/04

LOGO


FIXED INCOME		LIQUIDITY		EQUITIES		ALTERNATIVES		BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS

BlackRock Funds

Exchange Portfolio

BlackRock Shares

Prospectus

November 3, 2004

BlackRock Funds^SMis a mutual fund family with 47 investment portfolios, 1 of which is described in this prospectus.

NOT FDIC INSURED

MAY LOSE VALUE

NO BANK GUARANTEE

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

LOGO

Table of

Contents



*How to find the information you need* *How to find the information you need*		1

*Exchange*		2

*About Your Investments* *How to Buy/Sell Shares*		6

*Dividends/Distributions/Taxes*		13

How to Find the

Information You Need

About BlackRock Funds

This is the BlackRock Exchange Portfolio Prospectus. It has been written to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to invest in BlackRock Funds (the Company). Also included are sections that tell you about buying and selling shares, certain fees and expenses, shareholder features of the fund and your rights as a shareholder.

BlackRock

Exchange Portfolio

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Investment Goal

The fund seeks long-term growth of capital and consequent long-term growth of income.

Primary Investment Strategies

In pursuit of this goal, the fund normally invests largely in a diversified and supervised portfolio of common stocks, or securities convertible into common stocks, believed by management to have growth potential over the years. In pursuing the fund’s investment objective, the fund management team seeks to minimize the recognition of capital gains.

The fund generally follows a buy and hold approach in which turnover and corresponding capital gains are minimized. The fund generally will sell a stock when, in the management team’s opinion, there is a fundamental change in the company’s underlying business or a significant deterioration in growth prospects.

The management team may, when consistent with the fund’s investment goal, buy or sell options or futures on a security or an

index of securities (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). An option is the right to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price on or before a specific date. A future is an agreement to buy or sell an instrument at a specific price on a specific date. The primary purpose of using derivatives is to attempt to reduce risk to the fund as a whole (hedge) but they may also be used to maintain liquidity and commit cash pending investment. The management team also may, but under normal market conditions generally does not intend to, use derivatives for speculation to increase returns.

Shares of the fund are not currently offered to the public.

Key Risks

The main risk of any investment in stocks is that values fluctuate in price. The value of your investment can go up or down depending upon market conditions, which means you could lose money.

Because different kinds of stocks go in and out of favor depending on market conditions, this fund’s performance may be better or worse than other funds with different investment styles.

The fund may invest in securities prior to their date of issue. These securities could fall in value by the time they are actually issued, which may be any time from a few days to over a year.

unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the fund’s derivatives positions to lose value.

When you invest in this fund you are not making a bank deposit. Your investment is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency.

Expenses and Fees

As a shareholder you pay certain fees and expenses. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets.

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold BlackRock Shares of the fund. The “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table may not reflect expenses of the fund after February 1, 2007.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that are deducted from fund assets)


Advisory fees	0.50	%
Other expenses¹	0.24	%
Total annual fund operating expenses	0.74	%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements*	0.14	%
Net expenses*	0.60	%

*	BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit fund expenses to 0.60% of average daily net assets until February 1, 2007. See the “Management” section for a discussion of these waivers and reimbursements.

¹	The fund is newly organized and, accordingly, “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Advisory Fees: Fees paid to the investment adviser for portfolio management services.

Other Expenses: Include administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.

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. We are assuming an initial investment of $10,000, 5% total return each year with no changes in operating expenses and redemption at the end of each time period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:


	1 Year		3 Years
BlackRock Shares	$	61	$	208

Fund Management

About Your Investment

Buying Shares

BlackRock Shares are offered without a sales charge to institutional investors, registered investment advisers and certain fee-based programs.

BlackRock, the Company’s Distributor and their affiliates are permitted to make payments relating to distribution and sales support activities out of their past profits or other sources available to them (and not as an additional charge to the fund). BlackRock, the Distributor and their affiliates may pay affiliated and unaffiliated brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals (Service Organizations) compensation for the sale and distribution of shares of the fund or for services to the fund and shareholders. These payments (Additional Payments) would be in addition to the payments by the fund described in this Prospectus and may be a fixed dollar amount, may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by the Service Organization, or may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the Service Organization. Additional Payments generally are made available to all qualified Service Organizations when they are in effect, subject to applicable NASD regulations. The aggregate amount of Additional Payments may be substantial. For more information on Additional Payments, see the SAI.

Purchase orders may be placed by calling (800) 441-7450.

What Price Per Share Will You Pay?

The price of mutual fund shares generally changes every day that the New York Stock Exchange is open (a business day). A mutual fund is a pool of investors’ money that is used to purchase a portfolio of securities, which in turn is owned in common by the investors. Investors put money into a mutual fund by buying shares. If a mutual fund has a portfolio worth $50 million and has 5 million shares outstanding, the net asset value (NAV) per share is $10.

Purchase orders received before the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (currently 4 p.m. (Eastern time)) on each day the NYSE is open will be priced based on the NAV calculated at the close of trading on that day. NAV is calculated separately for each class of shares of the fund at 4 p.m. (Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open. Shares will not be priced on days the NYSE is closed. Purchase orders received after the close of trading will be priced based on the next calculation of NAV. Non-U.S. securities and certain other securities held by the

fund may trade on days when the NYSE is closed. In these cases, net asset value of shares may change when fund shares cannot be bought or sold.

Since the NAV changes daily, the price of your shares depends on the time that your order is received.

The fund’s assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations. Certain short-term debt securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost. When a determination is made that market quotations are not readily available, including when a particular security does not trade regularly or has had its trading halted or there has been a significant subsequent event, the fund values the affected securities at fair value as determined by BlackRock under the direction of the Company’s Board of Trustees. For example, in valuing a security that trades principally on a foreign market, the fund uses the most recent closing market price from the market on which the security principally trades, unless because of a significant event subsequent to the market close such closing market price, in BlackRock’s judgment, does not represent the current market value of the security. Because significant events could affect the value of a foreign security between the close of the foreign market where the security is principally traded and the time the fund calculates its NAV, such closing price may not be reflective of current market conditions. Therefore, the fund may adjust the closing market price of a foreign security as a result of a significant subsequent event to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the security as of the time the fund calculates its NAV. Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of a security. A security’s valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value.

Paying for Shares

Payment for BlackRock Shares must normally be made in Federal funds or other funds immediately available by 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following receipt of the order. Payment may also, at the discretion of the Company, be made in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the fund. The Company does not accept third party checks as payment for shares.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions, including the Company, to obtain, verify and record information

that identifies each person who opens an account. When opening an account, you will be asked for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow the Company to identify you. The Company may also ask to see other identifying documents such as a driver’s license (for individuals) or Articles of Incorporation or other formation documents (for institutions). The Company may use a third party to obtain and verify this information. The Company may not be able to establish an account if you do not provide the necessary information.

How Much is the Minimum Investment?

The minimum investment for the initial purchase of BlackRock Shares is generally $5,000,000. The minimum initial investment for registered investment advisers is $250,000, and there is no minimum initial investment requirement for fee-based programs with an annual fee of at least .50%. There is no minimum requirement for later investments.

Selling Shares

Shareholders may place redemption orders by telephoning (800) 441-7450. Shares are redeemed at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of the redemption order minus any applicable redemption/exchange fee. See “Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees” below. The Company, the administrators and the distributor will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. The fund and its service providers will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for acting upon telephone instructions that are reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with such procedures. Payment for redeemed shares for which a redemption order is received before 4 p.m. (Eastern time) on a business day is normally made in Federal funds wired to the redeeming shareholder on the next business day, provided that the fund’s custodian is also open for business. Payment for redemption orders received after 4 p.m. (Eastern time) or on a day when the fund’s custodian is closed is normally wired in Federal

funds on the next business day following redemption on which the fund’s custodian is open for business. The Company reserves the right to wire redemption proceeds within seven days after receiving a redemption order if, in the judgement of the Company, an earlier payment could adversely affect the fund. No charge for wiring redemption payments is imposed by the Company.

During periods of substantial economic or market change, telephone redemptions may be difficult to complete. Redemption requests may also be mailed to BlackRock Funds at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Mail Stop WR-R100-04-07, Wilmington, DE 19809.

The Company may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so.

Market Timing and Redemption/Exchange Fees

The interests of long-term shareholders and the Company’s ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when shares are repeatedly bought, sold or exchanged in response to short-term market fluctuations—also known as “market timing.” The fund is not designed for market timing organizations or other entities using programmed or frequent purchases and sales or exchanges. Excessive purchase and sale or exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, increase expenses and may have an adverse effect on all shareholders. If the Company believes, in its sole discretion, that your short-term trading is excessive or that you are engaging in market-timing activity, it reserves the right to reject any specific purchase or exchange order. If the Company rejects your purchase or exchange order, you will not be able to execute that transaction, and the Company will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. In addition, any redemptions or exchanges that you make (as a result of the activity described above or otherwise) will be subject to any and all redemption/exchange fees, as described below. For transactions placed directly with the Company, the Company may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same financial intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Company. Certain accounts, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Company with a net purchase or redemption request on any given day where purchases and redemptions of shares are netted against

one another and the identity of individual purchasers and redeemers whose orders are aggregated are not known by the Company. While the Company monitors for market timing activity, the Company may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the fund. Identification of market timers may also be limited by operational systems and technical limitations.

The redemption/exchange fee is for the benefit of the remaining shareholders of the fund and is intended to encourage long-term investment, to compensate for transaction and other expenses caused by early redemptions, and to facilitate portfolio management. The “first-in, first-out” method is used to determine the holding period. Under this method, the date of redemption or exchange will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. The redemption/exchange fee will not be assessed on redemptions or exchanges by (i) accounts managed by PNC Advisors, (ii) certain 401(k) plans, bank or trust company accounts, asset allocation programs or wrap programs approved by the Company, (iii) accounts of certain financial institutions or intermediaries that are unable for administrative reasons to apply the redemption/exchange fee to underlying shareholders, (iv) accounts in the event of shareholder death or disability and (v) certain other accounts in the absolute discretion of the Company when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship. In addition, former State Street Research fund shareholders will not be charged a redemption/exchange fee in connection with a redemption or exchange of fund shares received in connection with a reorganization of a State Street Research fund with the fund. The Company reserves the right to modify or eliminate these waivers at any time.

The Company's Rights

The Company may:

Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act,

Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level, as described below, and

Redeem shares for property other than cash if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable in accordance with its rights under the Investment Company Act.

Accounts with Low Balances

The Company may redeem a shareholder’s account in the fund at any time if the net asset value of the account in the fund falls below the applicable minimum initial investment as the result of a redemption. The shareholder will be notified in writing that the value of the account is less than the required amount and the shareholder will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

Statements

Management

BlackRock Funds’ adviser is BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (BlackRock). BlackRock was organized in 1994 to perform advisory services for investment companies and is located at 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809. BlackRock is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., one of the largest publicly traded investment management firms in the United States with $323.5 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2004. BlackRock, Inc. is a majority-owned indirect subsidiary of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the United States.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Adviser: The adviser of a mutual fund is responsible for the overall investment management of the fund. The adviser for BlackRock Funds is BlackRock Advisors, Inc.

For its investment advisory services, BlackRock is entitled to fees computed daily and payable monthly.

The total annual advisory fees that can be paid to BlackRock (as a percentage of average daily net assets of the fund) are .50% of average daily net assets.

As discussed above, BlackRock has agreed contractually to cap net expenses (excluding interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses, if any) of BlackRock Shares of the fund at the levels shown in the fund’s expense table.

To achieve this cap, BlackRock and the Company have entered into an expense limitation agreement. The agreement sets a limit on certain of the operating expenses of BlackRock Shares of the fund through February 1, 2007 and requires BlackRock to waive or reimburse fees or expenses if these operating expenses exceed that limit.

Dividends and Distributions

BlackRock Funds makes two kinds of distributions to shareholders: net investment income and net realized capital gains.

Distributions of net investment income derived by the fund are paid within 10 days after the end of each quarter. The Company’s Board of Trustees may change the timing of such dividend payments.

Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed by the fund at least annually at a date determined by the Company’s Board of Trustees.

Taxation of Distributions

Distributions paid out of the fund’s “net capital gain” will be taxed to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long a shareholder has owned shares. Distributions of net investment income, other than exempt interest dividends, and net short-term capital gains will generally be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. However, individual shareholders who satisfy certain holding period requirements and other requirements are taxed on such dividends at long-term capital gain rates to the extent the dividends are attributable to “qualified dividend income” received by the fund. “Qualified dividend income” generally consists of dividends received from U.S. corporations (other than dividends from tax exempt organizations and certain dividends from real estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies) and certain foreign corporations.

Your annual tax statement from the Company will present in detail the tax status of your distributions for each year.

If more than half of the total asset value of the fund is invested in non-U.S. stock or securities, the fund may elect to “pass through” to its shareholders the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by it. In such case, you would be required to include your proportionate share of such taxes in your income and may be entitled to deduct or credit such taxes when computing your taxable income.

Distributions paid by the fund with respect to certain qualifying dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations may be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction.

Important Notice Regarding Delivery of Shareholder Documents

The fund delivers only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, shareholder reports and proxy statements to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is known as “householding” and is intended to eliminate duplicate mailings and reduce expenses. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact BlackRock Funds at (800) 441-7450.

Electronic Access to Shareholder Documents

To enroll:

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts With Investment Advisers, Banks or Brokerages:

1) Have your enrollment number ready. If you do not have one, please contact your financial adviser.

2) Log on to www.investordelivery.com.

Shareholders Who Hold Accounts Directly With the Fund:

1) Log on to http://funds.blackrock.com.

2) Click on Electronic Delivery icon on either side of your screen.

3) Complete the on-line form by entering your social security number, e-mail address and by selecting your electronic delivery preference.

For more information:

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports

These reports contain additional information about the fund’s investments. The annual report describes the fund’s performance, lists portfolio holdings, and discusses recent market conditions, economic trends and fund investment strategies that significantly affected the fund’s performance for the last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

Shareholder Account Service Representatives

Purchases and Redemptions

Call your registered representative or (800) 441-7450.

World Wide Web

Access general fund information and specific fund performance. Request mutual fund prospectuses and literature. Forward mutual fund inquiries. www.blackrock.com

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Portfolio Characteristics and Holdings

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Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05742

EXPRXPRO 11/04

LOGO

BLACKROCK FUNDS^SM

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This Statement of Additional Information provides supplementary information pertaining to shares representing interests in the Exchange, Small/Mid-Cap Growth, Aurora, Legacy, Health Sciences and Global Resources Portfolios (collectively, the “Portfolios”) of BlackRock Funds^SM (the “Fund”). This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus, and should be read only in conjunction with the Prospectuses of the Portfolios dated November 3, 2004 (the “Prospectuses”). Prospectuses and current shareholder reports of the Fund may be obtained at no charge by calling toll-free (800) 441-7762. This Statement of Additional Information is dated November 3, 2004.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page

INVESTMENT POLICIES		1

ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS		20

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS		22

SHAREHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY OF THE FUND		30

INVESTMENT ADVISORY, ADMINISTRATION, DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS		30

EXPENSES		36

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS		37

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION		39

VALUATION OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES		46

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION		48

TAXES		52

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES		56

MISCELLANEOUS		57

APPENDIX A		A-1

APPENDIX B		B-1

INVESTMENT POLICIES

The following supplements information contained in the Prospectuses concerning the Portfolios’ investment policies. To the extent that an investment strategy is discussed in this Statement of Additional Information but not in the Prospectuses, such strategy is not a principal strategy of the Portfolios. Except as indicated, the information below relates only to those Portfolios that are authorized to invest in the instruments or securities described below.

The Portfolios that are subject to Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), will not change their investment policies required by that Rule without giving shareholders 60 days prior written notice.

Additional Information on Investment Strategies

Equity securities include common stock and preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock); bonds, notes and debentures convertible into common or preferred stock; stock purchase warrants and rights; equity interests in trusts; general and limited partnerships and limited liability companies; and depositary receipts.

From time to time each of the Portfolios may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings (IPOs). IPOs have the potential to produce substantial gains for the Portfolios. There is no assurance that any Portfolio will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of a Portfolio during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when it is able to do so. In addition, as a Portfolio increases in size, the impact of IPOs on its performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the initial public offering.

The Portfolios may invest in companies that have relatively small market capitalizations. These organizations will normally have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources and will be dependent upon a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. The securities of smaller capitalized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter markets and may have fewer market makers and wider price spreads. This may result in greater price movements and less ability to sell a Portfolio’s investment than if the Portfolio held the securities of larger, more established companies.

Health Sciences Portfolio. A variety of important factors are influencing the health sciences and related industries in significant ways. The aging of the overall population, and a focus on good health and prevention of illness, as well as increased attention to the diagnosis of diseases and deficiencies, have generated growth in the health science field.

Technological advances in the development of drugs, medical devices and procedures, and genetic engineering, have similarly fostered growth in the health care area. The focus of consumers and regulators on health care costs, managed health care programs, health maintenance organizations, and other service delivery arrangements have driven the industries further.

At the same time, these forces have heightened the difficulty of investing in health sciences companies. Shifts in consumer attitudes or regulatory policy, or new medical or technological developments, can have a substantial positive or negative effect on a company’s business. Changes in the financial infrastructure for health sciences may also affect the companies. For example, changes in Medicare/Medicaid and private insurance coverage, as well as the consolidation or break-up of individual companies themselves, influence the overall business prospects of the health sciences sector.

Global Resources Portfolio. The Portfolio’s investments will be concentrated in energy and natural resources companies. Because the Portfolio is concentrated in these companies, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. A downturn in the energy and natural resources industry would have a larger impact on the Portfolio than on an investment company that does not concentrate in such companies. Energy companies can be significantly affected by the supply of and demand for specific products and services, the supply and demand for oil and gas, the price of oil and gas, exploration and production spending, government regulation, world events and economic conditions. Natural resource companies can be significantly affecting by events relating to international political developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and government regulations. At times, the performance of securities of energy and natural resources companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole.

Other risks inherent in investing in energy and natural resources companies include:

Supply and Demand Risk. A decrease in the production of natural gas, natural gas liquids (“NGLs”), crude oil, coal or other energy commodities or a decrease in the volume of such commodities available for transportation, mining, processing, storage or distribution may adversely impact the financial performance of energy and natural resources companies. Production declines and volume decreases could be caused by various factors, including catastrophic events affecting production, depletion of resources, labor difficulties, environmental proceedings, increased regulations, equipment failures and unexpected maintenance problems, import supply disruption, increased competition from alternative energy sources or commodity prices. Alternatively, a sustained decline in demand for such commodities could also adversely affect the financial performance of energy and natural resources companies. Factors which could lead to a decline in demand include economic recession or other adverse economic conditions, higher fuel taxes or governmental regulations, increases in fuel economy, consumer shifts to the use of alternative fuel sources, changes in commodity prices, or weather.

Depletion and Exploration Risk. Many energy and natural resources companies are either engaged in the production of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal, or are engaged in transporting, storing, distributing and processing these items on behalf of shippers. To maintain or grow their revenues, these companies or their customers need to maintain or expand their reserves through exploration of new sources of supply, through the development of existing sources, through acquisitions, or through long-term contracts to acquire reserves. The financial performance of energy and natural resources companies may be adversely affected if they, or the companies to whom they provide the service, are unable to cost-effectively acquire additional reserves sufficient to replace the natural decline.

Regulatory Risk. Energy and natural resources companies are subject to significant federal, state and local government regulation in virtually every aspect of their operations, including how facilities are constructed, maintained and operated, environmental and safety controls, and the prices they may charge for the products and services they provide. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and the permits issued under them, and violators are subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may adversely affect the financial performance of energy and natural resources companies.

Commodity Pricing Risk. The operations and financial performance of energy and natural resources companies may be directly affected by energy commodity prices, especially those energy and natural resources companies which own the underlying energy commodity. Commodity prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in market and economic conditions, the impact of weather on demand, levels of domestic production and imported commodities, energy conservation, domestic and foreign governmental regulation and taxation and the availability of local, intrastate and interstate transportation systems. Volatility of commodity prices, which may lead to a reduction in production or supply, may also negatively impact the performance of energy and natural resources companies which are solely involved in the transportation, processing, storing, distribution or marketing of commodities. Volatility of commodity prices may also make it more difficult for energy and natural resources companies to raise capital to the extent the market perceives that their performance may be directly or indirectly tied to commodity prices.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Other Borrowings. Each Portfolio is authorized to borrow money for temporary purposes. If the securities held by a Portfolio should decline in value while borrowings are outstanding, the net asset value of the Portfolio’s outstanding shares will decline in value by proportionately more than the decline in value suffered by the Portfolio’s securities. Borrowings may be made by each Portfolio through reverse repurchase agreements under which the Portfolio sells portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers and agrees to repurchase them at a particular date and price. Such Agreements are considered to be borrowings under the 1940 Act. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risks that the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense, that the market value of the securities sold by a Portfolio may decline below the price of the securities the Portfolio is obligated to repurchase and that the securities may not be returned to the Portfolio. During the time a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, BlackRock will designate liquid assets on its books and records in an amount equal to the amount of the Portfolio’s commitments to the extent required by SEC guidelines. A Portfolio’s reverse repurchase agreements, together with any other borrowings, will not exceed, in the aggregate, 33¹/3% of the value of its total assets. Whenever borrowings exceed 5% of a Portfolio’s total assets, the Portfolios will not make any investments.

Preferred Stock. The Portfolios may invest in preferred stocks. Preferred stock has a preference over common stock in liquidation (and generally dividends as well) but is subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer in all respects. As a general rule, the market value of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk, while the market price of convertible preferred stock generally also reflects some element of conversion value. Because preferred stock is junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer’s board of directors. Preferred stock also may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.

Convertible Securities. The Portfolios each may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument.

Pay-in-kind Bonds. The Portfolios may invest in Pay-in-kind, or PIK, bonds. PIK bonds are bonds which pay interest through the issuance of additional debt or equity securities. Similar to zero coupon obligations, pay-in-kind bonds also carry additional risk as holders of these types of securities realize no cash until the cash payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer defaults, the Portfolio may obtain no return at all on its investment. The market price of pay-in-kind bonds is affected by interest rate changes to a greater extent, and therefore tends to be more volatile, than that of securities which pay interest in cash. Additionally, current federal tax law requires the holder of certain pay-in-kind bonds to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. To maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid liability for federal income and excise taxes, each Portfolio may be required to distribute income accrued with respect to these securities and may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements.

Money Market Obligations of Domestic Banks, Non-U.S. Banks and Non-U.S. Branches of U.S. Banks. Each Portfolio may purchase bank obligations, such as certificates of deposit, notes, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits, including instruments issued or supported by the credit of U.S. or non-U.S. banks or savings institutions having total assets at the time of purchase in excess of $1 billion. These obligations may be general

obligations of the parent bank or may be limited to the issuing branch or subsidiary by the terms of a specific obligation or by government regulation. The assets of a bank or savings institution will be deemed to include the assets of its domestic and non-U.S. branches for purposes of each Portfolio’s investment policies. Investments in short-term bank obligations may include obligations of non-U.S. banks and domestic branches of non-U.S. banks, and also non-U.S. branches of domestic banks.

Mortgage Related and Asset-Backed Securities. The Portfolios may make investments in residential and commercial mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities (i.e., securities backed by home equity loans, installment sale contracts, credit card receivables or other assets) issued by governmental entities and private issuers.

Asset-backed securities are generally issued as pass-through certificates, which represent undivided fractional ownership interests in an underlying pool of assets, or as debt instruments, which are also known as collateralized obligations, and are generally issued as the debt of a special purpose entity organized solely for the purpose of owning such assets and issuing such debt. Asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties.

The yield characteristics of certain mortgage-related and asset-backed securities may differ from traditional debt securities. One such major difference is that all or a principal part of the obligations may be prepaid at any time because the underlying assets (i.e., loans) may be prepaid at any time. As a result, a decrease in interest rates in the market may result in increases in the level of prepayments as borrowers, particularly mortgagors, refinance and repay their loans. An increased prepayment rate with respect to a mortgage-related or asset-backed security subject to such a prepayment feature will have the effect of shortening the maturity of the security. If a Portfolio has purchased such a mortgage-related or asset-backed security at a premium, a faster than anticipated prepayment rate could result in a loss of principal to the extent of the premium paid. Conversely, an increase in interest rates may result in lengthening the anticipated maturity of such a security because expected prepayments are reduced. A prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce the yield to maturity of such a security, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected may have the opposite effect of increasing yield to maturity.

In general, the assets supporting non-mortgage asset-backed securities are of shorter maturity than the assets supporting mortgage-related securities. Like other fixed-income securities, when interest rates rise the value of an asset-backed security generally will decline; however, when interest rates decline, the value of an asset-backed security with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income securities, and, as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or retard prepayments and thus affect maturities.

These characteristics may result in a higher level of price volatility for asset-backed securities with prepayment features under certain market conditions. In addition, while the trading market for short-term mortgages and asset-backed securities is ordinarily quite liquid, in times of financial stress the trading market for these securities sometimes becomes restricted.

The relationship between prepayments and interest rates may give some high-yielding mortgage- related and asset-backed securities less potential for growth in value than conventional bonds with comparable maturities. During periods of falling interest rates, the reinvestment of prepayment proceeds by a Portfolio will generally be at lower rates than the rates that were carried by the obligations that have been prepaid. Because of these and other reasons, mortgage-related and other asset-backed security’s total return and maturity may be difficult to predict precisely.

A Portfolio from time to time may purchase in the secondary market (i) certain mortgage pass-through securities packaged and master serviced by PNC Mortgage Securities Corp. (“PNC Mortgage”) (or Sears Mortgage if PNC Mortgage succeeded to the rights and duties of Sears Mortgage) or Midland Loan Services, Inc. (“Midland”), or (ii) mortgage-related securities containing loans or mortgages originated by PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”) or its affiliates. It is possible that under some circumstances, PNC Mortgage, Midland or other affiliates could have interests that are in conflict with the holders of these mortgage-backed securities, and such holders could have rights against PNC Mortgage, Midland or their affiliates. For example, if PNC Mortgage, Midland or their affiliates engaged in negligence or willful misconduct in carrying out its duties as a master servicer, then any holder of the mortgage-backed security could seek recourse against PNC Mortgage, Midland or their affiliates, as applicable. Also, as a master servicer, PNC Mortgage, Midland or their affiliates may make certain

representations and warranties regarding the quality of the mortgages and properties underlying a mortgage-backed security. If one or more of those representations or warranties is false, then the holders of the mortgage-backed securities could trigger an obligation of PNC Mortgage, Midland or their affiliates, as applicable, to repurchase the mortgages from the issuing trust. Finally, PNC Mortgage, Midland or their affiliates may own securities that are subordinate to the senior mortgage-backed securities owned by a Portfolio.

There are a number of important differences among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they issue. Mortgage-related securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) include Ginnie Maes, which are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. GNMA is a wholly-owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA certificates also are supported by the authority of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage-related securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) include FNMA guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as “Fannie Maes”) which are solely the obligations of the FNMA, are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States and are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury. FNMA is a government-sponsored organization owned entirely by private stockholders. Fannie Maes are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA. Mortgage-related securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) include FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (also known as “Freddie Macs” or “PCs”). FHLMC is a corporate instrumentality of the United States, created pursuant to an Act of Congress, which is owned entirely by Federal Home Loan Banks. Freddie Macs, which are not guaranteed by the United States or by any Federal Home Loan Banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan Bank, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. When FHLMC generally does not guarantee timely payment of principal, FHLMC may remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable. FHLMC “Gold” PCs are guaranteed as to timely payment of interest and principal by FHLMC and represent 100% of the current fixed-rate production of the majority of FHLMC fixed-rate securities outstanding.

The Portfolios may invest in multiple class pass-through securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) pass-through or participation certificates (“REMIC Certificates”). These multiple class securities may be issued by GNMA, U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, including FNMA and FHLMC, or by trusts formed by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans. In general, CMOs and REMICs are debt obligations of a legal entity that are collateralized by, and multiple class pass-through securities represent direct ownership interests in, a pool of residential or commercial mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities (the “Mortgage Assets”), the payments on which are used to make payments on the CMOs or multiple pass-through securities. Investors may purchase beneficial interests in CMOs and REMICs, which are known as “regular” interests or “residual” interests. The residual in a CMO or REMIC structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow or tax liability remaining after making required payments of principal of and interest on the CMOs or REMICs, as well as the related administrative expenses of the issuer. Residual interests generally are junior to, and may be significantly more volatile than, “regular” CMO and REMIC interests. The Portfolios do not currently intend to purchase residual interests. The markets for CMOs and REMICs may be more illiquid than those of other securities.

Each class of CMOs or REMIC Certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Assets underlying the CMOs or REMIC Certificates may cause some or all of the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates to be retired substantially earlier than their final distribution dates. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates on a monthly basis.

The principal of and interest on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in various ways. In certain structures (known as “sequential pay” CMOs or REMIC Certificates), payments of principal, including any principal prepayments, on the Mortgage Assets generally are applied to the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made on any class of sequential pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full.

Additional structures of CMOs or REMIC Certificates include, among others, “parallel pay” CMOs and REMIC Certificates. Parallel pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates are those which are structured to apply principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets to two or more classes concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class. A wide variety of REMIC Certificates may be issued in the parallel pay or sequential pay structures. These securities include accrual certificates (also known as “Z-Bonds”), which only accrue interest at a specified rate until all other certificates having an earlier final distribution date have been retired and are converted thereafter to an interest-paying security.

Classes of CMOs include interest only (“IOs”), principal only (“POs”), planned amortization classes (“PACs”) and targeted amortization classes (“TACs”). IOs and POs are stripped mortgage-backed securities representing interests in a pool of mortgages the cash flow from which has been separated into interest and principal components. IOs (interest only securities) receive the interest portion of the cash flow while POs (principal only securities) receive the principal portion. IOs and POs can be extremely volatile in response to changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise and fall, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. POs perform best when prepayments on the underlying mortgages rise since this increases the rate at which the investment is returned and the yield to maturity on the PO. When payments on mortgages underlying a PO are slow, the life of the PO is lengthened and the yield to maturity is reduced.

The scheduled principal payments for PAC Certificates generally have the highest priority on each payment date after interest due has been paid to all classes entitled to receive interest currently. Shortfalls, if any, are added to the amount payable on the next payment date. The PAC Certificate payment schedule is taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class of PAC. In order to create PAC tranches, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most of the volatility in the underlying mortgage assets. These tranches (often called “supports” or “companion” tranches) tend to have market prices and yields that are more volatile than the PAC classes.

TACs are similar to PACs in that they require that specified amounts of principal be applied on each payment date to one or more classes of REMIC Certificates. A PAC’s payment schedule, however, remains in effect as long as prepayment rates on the underlying mortgages do not exceed certain ranges. In contrast, a TAC provides investors with protection, to a certain level, against either faster than expected or slower than expected prepayment rates, but not both. TACs thus provide more cash flow stability than a regular sequential paying class, but less than a PAC. TACs also tend to have market prices and yields that are more volatile than PACs.

FNMA REMIC Certificates are issued and guaranteed as to timely distribution of principal and interest by FNMA. In addition, FNMA will be obligated to distribute on a timely basis to holders of FNMA REMIC Certificates required installments of principal and interest and to distribute the principal balance of each class of REMIC Certificates in full, whether or not sufficient funds are otherwise available.

For FHLMC REMIC Certificates, FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest, and also guarantees the ultimate payment of principal as payments are required to be made on the underlying mortgage participation certificates (“PCs”). PCs represent undivided interests in specified level payment, residential mortgages or participations therein purchased by FHLMC and placed in a PC pool. With respect to principal payments on PCs, FHLMC generally guarantees ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans without offset or deduction. FHLMC also guarantees timely payment of principal on certain PCs, referred to as “Gold PCs.”

U.S. Government Obligations. The Portfolios may purchase obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. Obligations of certain agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; and still others are supported only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality issuing the obligation. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so by law. Certain U.S. Treasury and agency securities may be held by trusts that issue participation certificates (such as

Treasury income growth receipts (“TIGRs”) and certificates of accrual on Treasury certificates (“CATs”)). These certificates, as well as Treasury receipts and other stripped securities, represent beneficial ownership interests in either future interest payments or the future principal payments on U.S. Government obligations. These instruments are issued at a discount to their “face value” and may (particularly in the case of stripped mortgage-backed securities) exhibit greater price volatility than ordinary debt securities because of the manner in which their principal and interest are returned to investors.

Examples of the types of U.S. Government obligations that may be held by the Portfolios include U.S. Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes, and Treasury Bonds and the obligations of the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Financing Bank, General Services Administration, Student Loan Marketing Association, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Farm Credit Banks System, Maritime Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Washington D.C. Armory Board. The Portfolios may also invest in mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities, including such instruments as obligations of the GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC.

Supranational Organization Obligations. The Portfolios may purchase debt securities of supranational organizations such as the World Bank, which are chartered to promote economic development.

Lease Obligations. The Portfolios may hold participation certificates in a lease, an installment purchase contract, or a conditional sales contract (“lease obligations”).

BlackRock will monitor the credit standing of each borrower and each entity providing credit support and/or a put option relating to lease obligations. In determining whether a lease obligation is liquid, BlackRock will consider, among other factors, the following: (i) whether the lease can be cancelled; (ii) the degree of assurance that assets represented by the lease could be sold; (iii) the strength of the lessee’s general credit (e.g., its debt, administrative, economic, and financial characteristics); (iv) in the case of a municipal lease, the likelihood that the municipality would discontinue appropriating funding for the leased property because the property is no longer deemed essential to the operations of the municipality (e.g., the potential for an “event of nonappropriation”); (v) legal recourse in the event of failure to appropriate; (vi) whether the security is backed by a credit enhancement such as insurance; and (vii) any limitations which are imposed on the lease obligor’s ability to utilize substitute property or services other than those covered by the lease obligation.

Commercial Paper. The Portfolios may purchase commercial paper rated (at the time of purchase) “A-1” by S&P or “Prime-1” by Moody’s or, when deemed advisable by BlackRock, “high quality” issues rated “A-2” or “Prime-2” by S&P or Moody’s, respectively. These ratings symbols are described in Appendix A.

Commercial paper purchasable by each Portfolio includes “Section 4(2) paper,” a term that includes debt obligations issued in reliance on the “private placement” exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. Section 4(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the Federal securities laws, and is frequently sold (and resold) to institutional investors such as the Fund through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in the Section 4(2) paper, thereby providing liquidity. Certain transactions in Section 4(2) paper may qualify for the registration exemption provided in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

Repurchase Agreements. Each Portfolio may agree to purchase securities from financial institutions subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at an agreed upon time and price (“repurchase agreements”). Repurchase agreements are, in substance, loans. Default by or bankruptcy of a seller would expose a Portfolio to possible loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying obligations.

The repurchase price under the repurchase agreements generally equals the price paid by a Portfolio involved plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on securities underlying the repurchase agreement). The financial institutions with which a Portfolio may enter into repurchase agreements will be banks and non-bank dealers, if such banks and non-bank dealers are deemed

creditworthy by BlackRock. BlackRock will continue to monitor creditworthiness of the seller under a repurchase agreement, and will require the seller to maintain during the term of the agreement the value of the securities subject to the agreement to equal at least the repurchase price (including accrued interest and any accrued premium). The accrued premium is the amount specified in the repurchase agreement or the daily amortization of the difference between the purchase price and the repurchase price specified in the repurchase agreement. BlackRock will mark-to-market daily the value of the securities. Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be held by the Fund’s custodian (or sub-custodian) in the Federal Reserve/Treasury book-entry system or by another authorized securities depository. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans by the Portfolios under the 1940 Act.

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the seller of securities under a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying securities, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, a Portfolio will seek to dispose of such securities, which action could involve costs or delays. If the seller becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under applicable bankruptcy or other laws, a Portfolio’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities may be restricted. Finally, it is possible that a Portfolio may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying securities. To minimize this risk, the securities underlying the repurchase agreement will be held by the custodian at all times in an amount at least equal to the repurchase price, including accrued interest. If the seller fails to repurchase the securities, a Portfolio may suffer a loss to the extent proceeds from the sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price.

Investment Grade Debt Obligations. The Portfolios may invest in “investment grade securities,” which are securities rated in the four highest rating categories of an NRSRO or deemed to be of equivalent quality by BlackRock. It should be noted that debt obligations rated in the lowest of the top four ratings (i.e., “Baa” by Moody’s or “BBB” by S&P) are considered to have some speculative characteristics and are more sensitive to economic change than higher rated securities. If an investment grade security of a Portfolio is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, BlackRock will consider such an event in determining whether the Portfolio should continue to hold the security. Subject to its investment strategies, there is no limit on the amount of such downgraded securities a Portfolio may hold, although under normal market conditions BlackRock does not expect to hold these securities to a material extent.

See Appendix A to this Statement of Additional Information for a description of applicable securities ratings.

Non-Investment Grade Securities. Each of the Aurora and Global Resources Portfolios may invest in non-investment grade or “high yield” fixed income or convertible securities commonly known to investors as “junk bonds.”

High yield securities are bonds that are issued by a company whose credit rating (based on rating agencies’ evaluation of the likelihood of repayment) necessitates offering a higher coupon and yield on its issues when selling them to investors who may otherwise be hesitant in purchasing the debt of such a company. While generally providing greater income and opportunity for gain, non-investment grade debt securities may be subject to greater risks than securities which have higher credit ratings, including a high risk of default, and their yields will fluctuate over time. High yield securities will generally be in the lower rating categories of recognized rating agencies (rated “Ba” or lower by Moody’s or “BB” or lower by S&P) or will be non-rated. The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change, positively or negatively, to reflect developments regarding the issuer’s financial condition. High yield securities are considered to be speculative with respect to the capacity of the issuer to timely repay principal and pay interest or dividends in accordance with the terms of the obligation and may have more credit risk than higher rated securities.

While the market values of high yield securities tend to react less to fluctuations in interest rates than do those of higher rated securities, the values of high yield securities often reflect individual corporate developments and have a high sensitivity to economic changes to a greater extent than do higher rated securities. Issuers of high yield securities are often in the growth stage of their development and/or involved in a reorganization or takeover. The companies are often highly leveraged (have a significant amount of debt relative to shareholders’ equity) and may not have available to them more traditional financing methods, thereby increasing the risk associated with acquiring these types of securities. In some cases, obligations with respect to high yield securities are subordinated to the prior repayment of senior indebtedness, which will potentially limit a Portfolio’s ability to fully recover

principal or to receive interest payments when senior securities are in default. Thus, investors in high yield securities have a lower degree of protection with respect to principal and interest payments then do investors in higher rated securities.

During an economic downturn, a substantial period of rising interest rates or a recession, highly leveraged issuers of high yield securities may experience financial distress possibly resulting in insufficient revenues to meet their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing. An economic downturn could also disrupt the market for lower-rated securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding securities, the Portfolio’s net asset value and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest. If the issuer of a security held by a Portfolio defaulted, the Portfolio may not receive full interest and principal payments due to it and could incur additional expenses if it chose to seek recovery of its investment.

The secondary markets for high yield securities are not as liquid as the secondary markets for higher rated securities. The secondary markets for high yield securities are concentrated in relatively few market makers and participants in the markets are mostly institutional investors, including insurance companies, banks, other financial institutions and mutual funds. In addition, the trading volume for high yield securities is generally lower than that for higher rated securities and the secondary markets could contract under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. Under certain economic and/or market conditions, a Portfolio may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield securities due to the limited number of investors in that sector of the market. An illiquid secondary market may adversely affect the market price of the high yield security, which may result in increased difficulty selling the particular issue and obtaining accurate market quotations on the issue when valuing a Portfolio’s assets. Market quotations on high yield securities are available only from a limited number of dealers, and such quotations may not be the actual prices available for a purchase or sale.

The high yield markets may react strongly to adverse news about an issuer or the economy, or to the perception or expectation of adverse news, whether or not it is based on fundamental analysis. Additionally, prices for high yield securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. These developments could adversely affect a Portfolio’s net asset value and investment practices, the secondary market for high yield securities, the financial condition of issuers of these securities and the value and liquidity of outstanding high yield securities, especially in a thinly traded market. For example, federal legislation requiring the divestiture by federally insured savings and loan associations of their investments in high yield bonds and limiting the deductibility of interest by certain corporate issuers of high yield bonds adversely affected the market in the past.

When the secondary market for high yield securities becomes more illiquid, or in the absence of readily available market quotations for such securities, the relative lack of reliable objective data makes it more difficult to value a Portfolio’s securities, and judgment plays a more important role in determining such valuations. Increased illiquidity in the junk bond market, in combination with the relative youth and growth of the market for such securities, also may affect the ability of a Portfolio to dispose of such securities at a desirable price. Additionally, if the secondary markets for high yield securities contract due to adverse economic conditions or for other reasons, certain of a Portfolio’s liquid securities may become illiquid and the proportion of the Portfolio’s assets invested in illiquid securities may significantly increase.

The rating assigned by a rating agency evaluates the safety of a non-investment grade security’s principal and interest payments, but does not address market value risk. Because such ratings of the ratings agencies may not always reflect current conditions and events, in addition to using recognized rating agencies and other sources, BlackRock performs its own analysis of the issuers whose non-investment grade securities a Portfolio holds. Because of this, the Portfolio’s performance may depend more on BlackRock’s own credit analysis than in the case of mutual funds investing in higher-rated securities. For a description of these ratings, see Appendix A.

In selecting non-investment grade securities, BlackRock considers factors such as those relating to the creditworthiness of issuers, the ratings and performance of the securities, the protections afforded the securities and the diversity of the Portfolio. BlackRock continuously monitors the issuers of non-investment grade securities held by the Portfolio for their ability to make required principal and interest payments, as well as in an effort to control the liquidity of the Portfolio so that it can meet redemption requests. If a security’s rating is reduced below the minimum credit rating that is permitted for a Portfolio, BlackRock will consider whether the Portfolio should continue to hold the security.

In the event that a Portfolio investing in high yield securities experiences an unexpected level of net redemptions, the Portfolio could be forced to sell its holdings without regard to the investment merits, thereby decreasing the assets upon which the Portfolio’s rate of return is based.

The costs attributable to investing in the high yield markets are usually higher for several reasons, such as higher investment research costs and higher commission costs.

Mezzanine Investments. Each of the Aurora and Global Resources Portfolios, consistent with its restrictions on investing in securities of a specific credit quality, may invest in certain high yield securities known as mezzanine investments, which are subordinated debt securities which are generally issued in private placements in connection with an equity security (e.g., with attached warrants). Such mezzanine investments may be issued with or without registration rights. Similar to other high yield securities, maturities of mezzanine investments are typically seven to ten years, but the expected average life is significantly shorter at three to five years. Mezzanine investments are usually unsecured and subordinate to other obligations of the issuer.

When-Issued Purchases and Forward Commitments. Each Portfolio may purchase securities on a “when-issued” basis and may purchase or sell securities on a “forward commitment,” including “TBA” (to be announced) basis. These transactions involve a commitment by a Portfolio to purchase or sell particular securities with payment and delivery taking place at a future date (perhaps one or two months later), and permit a Portfolio to lock in a price or yield on a security it owns or intends to purchase, regardless of future changes in interest rates or market action. When-issued and forward commitment transactions involve the risk, however, that the price or yield obtained in a transaction may be less favorable than the price or yield available in the market when the securities delivery takes place.

When a Portfolio agrees to purchase securities on this basis, BlackRock will designate liquid assets on its books and records in an amount equal to the amount of the Portfolio’s commitments to the extent required by SEC guidelines. It may be expected that the market value of a Portfolio’s net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash.

If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, a Portfolio may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it has been entered into, and may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Portfolio on the settlement date. In these cases the Portfolio may realize a taxable capital gain or loss.

When a Portfolio engages in when-issued, TBA or forward commitment transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in the Portfolio’s incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price considered to be advantageous.

The market value of the securities underlying a commitment to purchase securities, and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value, is taken into account when determining the market value of a Portfolio starting on the day the Portfolio agrees to purchase the securities. The Portfolio does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date.

Rights Offerings and Warrants to Purchase. Each Portfolio may participate in rights offerings and may purchase warrants, which are privileges issued by corporations enabling the owners to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short life span to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that a Portfolio could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the rights’ and warrants’ expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security. Warrants acquired by a Portfolio in units or attached to other securities are not subject to this restriction.

Non-U.S. Investments. Each Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. securities. Investing in non-U.S. securities involves risks not typically associated with investing in securities of companies organized and operated in the United States. Because non-U.S. securities generally are denominated and pay dividends or interest in non-U.S. currencies, the value of a Portfolio that invests in non-U.S. securities as measured in U.S. dollars will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in exchange rates.

A Portfolio’s investments in non-U.S. securities may also be adversely affected by changes in non-U.S. political or social conditions, diplomatic relations, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, limitation on the removal of funds or assets, or imposition of (or change in) exchange control regulations. In addition, changes in government administrations or economic or monetary policies in the U.S. or abroad could result in appreciation or depreciation of portfolio securities and could favorably or adversely affect a Portfolio’s operations.

In general, less information is publicly available with respect to non-U.S. issuers than is available with respect to U.S. companies. Most non-U.S. companies are also not subject to the uniform accounting and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States. While the volume of transactions effected on non-U.S. stock exchanges has increased in recent years, it remains appreciably below that of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, a Portfolio’s non-U.S. investments may be less liquid and their prices may be more volatile than comparable investments in securities in U.S. companies. In addition, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries than in the United States.

Investments in non-dollar denominated securities may be on either a currency hedged or unhedged basis, and the Portfolios may hold from time to time various non-U.S. currencies pending investment or conversion into U.S. dollars. Some of these instruments may have the characteristics of futures contracts. In addition, certain Portfolios may engage in non-U.S. currency exchange transactions to seek to protect against changes in the level of future exchange rates which would adversely affect the Portfolio’s performance. These investments and transactions involving non-U.S. securities, currencies, options (including options that relate to non-U.S. currencies), futures, hedging and cross-hedging are described below and under “-Interest Rate Transactions and Currency Swaps,” “-Non-U.S. Currency Transactions” and “-Options and Futures Contracts.”

To maintain greater flexibility, a Portfolio may invest in instruments which have the characteristics of futures contracts. These instruments may take a variety of forms, such as debt securities with interest or principal payments determined by reference to the value of a currency or commodity at a future point in time. The risks of such investments could reflect the risks of investing in futures, currencies and securities, including volatility and illiquidity.

Non-U.S. investments of the Portfolios may include: (a) debt obligations issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. sovereign governments or their agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, including a non-U.S. state, province or municipality; (b) debt obligations of supranational organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Economic Community; (c) debt obligations of non-U.S. banks and bank holding companies; (d) debt obligations of domestic banks and corporations issued in non-U.S. currencies; (e) debt obligations denominated in the Euro; and (f) non-U.S. corporate debt securities and commercial paper. Such securities may include loan participations and assignments, convertible securities and zero-coupon securities.

Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Some of these countries may have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized or expropriated the assets of private companies. As a result the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, may be heightened. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability to a Portfolio of additional investments in emerging market countries. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in Japan or most Western European countries. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in certain emerging market countries, and it may be difficult to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers.

The expense ratios of the Portfolios investing significantly in non-U.S. securities can be expected to be higher than those of Portfolios investing primarily in domestic securities. The costs attributable to investing abroad are usually higher for several reasons, such as the higher cost of custody of non-U.S. securities, higher commissions paid on comparable transactions on non-U.S. markets and additional costs arising from delays in settlements of transactions involving non-U.S. securities.

Brady Bonds. A Portfolio’s emerging market debt securities may include emerging market governmental debt obligations commonly referred to as Brady Bonds. Brady Bonds are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with debt restructurings under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the “Brady Plan”). Brady Plan debt restructurings have been implemented in a number of countries, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) and are actively traded in the over-the-counter secondary market. Brady Bonds are not considered to be U.S. Government securities. U.S. dollar-denominated, collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed rate par bonds or floating rate discount bonds, are generally collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds having the same maturity as the Brady Bonds. Interest payments on these Brady Bonds generally are collateralized on a one-year or longer rolling-forward basis by cash or securities in an amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal to at least one year of interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one year’s interest payments based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter. Certain Brady Bonds are entitled to “value recovery payments” in certain circumstances, which in effect constitute supplemental interest payments but generally are not collateralized. Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components: (i) the collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; (ii) the collateralized interest payments; (iii) the uncollateralized interest payments; and (iv) any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (the uncollateralized amounts constitute the “residual risk”).

Most Mexican Brady Bonds issued to date have principal repayments at final maturity fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds (or comparable collateral denominated in other currencies) and interest coupon payments collateralized on an 18-month rolling-forward basis by funds held in escrow by an agent for the bondholders. A significant portion of the Venezuelan Brady Bonds and the Argentine Brady Bonds issued to date have repayments at final maturity collateralized by U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds (or comparable collateral denominated in other currencies) and/or interest coupon payments collateralized on a 14-month (for Venezuela) or 12-month (for Argentina) rolling-forward basis by securities held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as collateral agent.

Brady Bonds involve various risk factors described above associated with investing in non-U.S. securities, including the history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady Bonds. There can be no assurance that Brady Bonds in which the Portfolios may invest will not be subject to restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit, which may cause the Portfolios to suffer a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings.

ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. Each Portfolio may invest in both sponsored and unsponsored American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depository Receipts (“EDRs”), Global Depository Receipts (“GDRs”) and other similar global instruments. ADRs typically are issued by an American bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. corporation. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depository Receipts, are receipts issued in Europe, typically by non-U.S. banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either non-U.S. or domestic underlying securities. GDRs are depository receipts structured like global debt issues to facilitate trading on an international basis. Unsponsored ADR, EDR and GDR programs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the issuer of the underlying securities. As a result, available information concerning the issuer may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, and the prices of unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Investments in ADRs, EDRs and GDRs present additional investment considerations as described under “-Non-U.S. Investments.”

Options and Futures Contracts. To the extent consistent with its investment objective, each Portfolio may write (i.e., sell) covered call options, buy call options, write secured put options and buy put options for the purpose of hedging or earning additional income, which may be deemed speculative or cross-hedging. Each of the Portfolios may also purchase exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on non-U.S. currencies, and may write covered call options on up to 100% of the currencies in its portfolio. For the payment of a premium, the purchaser of an option obtains the right to buy (in the case of a call option) or to sell (in the case of a put option) the item which is the subject of the option at a stated exercise price for a specific period of time. These options may relate to particular securities, securities indices, or the yield differential between two securities, or non-U.S. currencies, and may or may not be listed on a securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. A Portfolio will not purchase put and call options when the aggregate premiums on outstanding options exceed 5% of its total assets at the time of purchase, and will not write options on more than 25% of the value of its total assets (measured at the time an option is written). There is no limit on the amount of a Portfolio’s assets that can be put at risk through the use of options. In addition, unlisted options are not subject to the protections afforded purchasers of listed options issued by the Options Clearing Corporation, which performs the obligations of its members if they default.

Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in the underlying securities themselves. A Portfolio will write call options only if they are “covered.” In the case of a call option on a security, the option is “covered” if a Portfolio owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, liquid assets in such amount are designated on BlackRock’s books and records in an amount equal to the amount of the Portfolio’s commitments to the extent required by SEC guidelines) upon conversion or exchange of other securities held by it. For a call option on an index, the option is covered if a Portfolio maintains with its custodian liquid assets equal to the contract value. A call option is also covered if a Portfolio holds a call on the same security or index as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written provided the difference is maintained by the Portfolio in liquid assets designated on BlackRock’s books and records to the extent required by SEC guidelines.

When a Portfolio purchases an option, the premium paid by it is recorded as an asset of the Portfolio. When a Portfolio writes a put option, in return for receipt of the premium, it assumes the obligation to pay the strike price for the instrument underlying the option if the other party to the option chooses to exercise it. When a Portfolio writes an option, an amount equal to the net premium (the premium less the commission) received by the Portfolio is included in the liability section of the Portfolio’s statement of assets and liabilities as a deferred credit. The amount of this asset or deferred credit will be subsequently marked-to-market to reflect the current value of the option purchased or written. The current value of the traded option is the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, the mean between the last bid and asked prices. If an option purchased by a Portfolio expires unexercised the Portfolio realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Portfolio enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Portfolio will realize a gain if the premium received by the Portfolio on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by a Portfolio expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Portfolio enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold) and the deferred credit related to such option will be eliminated. If an option written by a Portfolio is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Portfolio will realize a gain or loss.

There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities and indexes. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options, whether traded over-the-counter or on a national securities exchange (“Exchange”) may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an Exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options

or underlying securities; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an Exchange; the facilities of an Exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or one or more Exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

To the extent consistent with its investment objective, each Portfolio may also invest in futures contracts and options on futures contracts (interest rate futures contracts, index futures contracts, or non-U.S. exchange futures contracts as applicable). These instruments are described in Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information. There is no limit on the amount of a Portfolio’s assets that can be put at risk through the use of futures contracts and the value of a Portfolio’s futures contracts and options on futures contracts may equal or exceed 100% of its total assets.

To maintain greater flexibility, each of the Portfolios may invest in instruments which have characteristics similar to futures contracts. These instruments may take a variety of forms, such as debt securities with interest or principal payments determined by reference to the value of a commodity at a future point in time. The risks of such investments could reflect the risks of investing in futures and securities, including volatility and illiquidity.

Futures contracts obligate a Portfolio, at maturity, to take or make delivery of securities, the cash value of a securities index or a stated quantity of a non-U.S. currency. A Portfolio may sell a futures contract in order to offset an expected decrease in the value of its portfolio positions that might otherwise result from a market decline or currency exchange fluctuation. A Portfolio may do so either to hedge the value of its securities portfolio as a whole, or to protect against declines occurring prior to sales of securities in the value of the securities to be sold. In addition, a Portfolio may utilize futures contracts in anticipation of changes in the composition of its holdings or in currency exchange rates.

A Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on futures contracts traded on an exchange or board of trade. When a Portfolio purchases an option on a futures contract, it has the right to assume a position as a purchaser or a seller of a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the option period. When a Portfolio sells an option on a futures contract, it becomes obligated to sell or buy a futures contract if the option is exercised. In connection with a Portfolio’s position in a futures contract or related option, BlackRock will designate liquid assets on its books and records in an amount equal to the amount of the Portfolio’s commitments or will otherwise cover its position in accordance with applicable SEC requirements.

The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by a Portfolio and the price of the futures contract or option; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) BlackRock inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations.

The Fund and the Portfolios have claimed exclusions from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, are not subject to registration or regulation as commodity pool operators under the Act.

Interest Rate Transactions, Currency Swaps and Swaptions. The Portfolios may enter into interest rate swaps, may purchase or sell interest rate caps and floors and may enter into options on swap agreements (“swaptions”). The Portfolios may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of their holdings, as a duration management technique or to protect against an increase in the price of securities a Portfolio anticipates purchasing at a later date. They may also be used for speculation to increase returns.

In order to protect against currency fluctuations, the Portfolios may enter into currency swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the Portfolios and another party to make or receive payments in specified currencies.

The Portfolios may enter into interest rate swaps, caps, floors and swaptions on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether a Portfolio is hedging its assets or its liabilities. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap”; and interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified rate, or “floor”.

A Portfolio will usually enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis, i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Portfolio receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. In contrast, currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency.

A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Portfolios may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions.

Whether the Portfolios’ use of swap agreements or swaptions will be successful in furthering their investment objectives will depend on BlackRock’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to product greater returns than other investments. Because they are two-party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, a Portfolio bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. A Portfolio will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, a Portfolio will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid. Caps and floors are less liquid than swaps.

The swaps market is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect a Portfolio’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Portfolio will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When a Portfolio purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Portfolio writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Portfolio will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

A Portfolio will accrue the net amount of the excess, if any, of its obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate or currency swap or swaption on a daily basis and its adviser or sub-adviser will designate liquid assets on its books and records in an amount having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess to the extent required by SEC guidelines. If the other party to an interest rate swap defaults, a Portfolio’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of interest payments that the Portfolio is contractually entitled to receive. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

Credit Default Swaps. To the extent consistent with their investment strategies, the Portfolios may, for hedging purposes, make use of credit default swaps, which are contracts whereby one party makes periodic payments to a counterparty in exchange for the right to receive from the counterparty a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation in the event of a default by the issuer of the debt obligation. The use of credit default swaps may be limited by the Portfolios’ limitations on illiquid investments. When used for hedging purposes, the Portfolio would be the buyer of a credit default swap contract. In that case, the Portfolio would be entitled to receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation from the counterparty to the contract in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or non-U.S. issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, the Portfolio would pay to the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the Portfolio would have spent the stream of payments and received no benefit from the contract. Credit default swaps involve the risk that the investment may expire worthless and would generate income only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). It would also involve credit risk - that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Portfolio in the event of a default.

When the Portfolio is the seller of a credit default swap contract, it receives the stream of payments but is obligated to pay upon default of the referenced debt obligation. As the seller, the Portfolio would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Portfolio would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

In addition to the risks applicable to derivatives generally, credit default swaps involve special risks because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).

Non-U.S. Currency Transactions. Each of the Portfolios may engage in non-U.S. currency exchange transactions to protect against uncertainty in the level of future exchange rates. The Portfolios may engage in non-U.S. currency exchange transactions in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities (transaction hedging) and to protect the value of specific portfolio positions (position hedging). The Portfolios may purchase or sell a non-U.S. currency on a spot (or cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate in connection with the settlement of transactions in portfolio securities denominated in that non-U.S. currency, and may also enter into contracts to purchase or sell non-U.S. currencies at a future date (“forward contracts”).

Forward non-U.S. currency exchange contracts involve an obligation to purchase or sell a specified currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward currency contracts do not eliminate fluctuations in the values of portfolio securities but rather allow a Portfolio to establish a rate of exchange for a future point in time. A Portfolio may use forward non-U.S. currency exchange contracts to hedge against movements in the value of non-U.S. currencies relative to the U.S. dollar in connection with specific portfolio transactions or with respect to portfolio positions. A Portfolio generally may enter into forward non-U.S. currency exchange contracts when deemed advisable by its adviser or sub-adviser under two circumstances. First, when entering into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security, a Portfolio may enter into a forward non-U.S. currency exchange contract for the amount of the purchase or sale price to protect against variations, between the date the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received, in the value of the non-U.S. currency relative to the U.S. dollar or other non-U.S. currency.

Second, when a Portfolio’s adviser anticipates that a particular non-U.S. currency may decline relative to the U.S. dollar or other leading currencies, in order to reduce risk, the Portfolio may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount, the amount of non-U.S. currency approximating the value of some or all of the Portfolio’s securities denominated in such non-U.S. currency. With respect to any forward non-U.S. currency contract, it will not generally be possible to match precisely the amount covered by that contract and the value of the securities involved due to the changes in the values of such securities resulting from market movements between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. In addition, while forward contracts may offer protection from losses resulting from declines in the value of a particular non-U.S. currency, they also limit potential gains which might result from increases in the value of such currency. A Portfolio will also incur costs in connection with forward non-U.S. currency exchange contracts and conversions of non-U.S. currencies and U.S. dollars.

A Portfolio may also engage in proxy hedging transactions to reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing or anticipated holdings of portfolio securities. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the dollar. Proxy hedging entails entering into a forward contract to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be linked to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Portfolio’s securities are, or are expected to be, denominated, and to buy U.S. dollars. Proxy hedging involves some of the same risks and considerations as other transactions with similar instruments. Currency transactions can result in losses to the Portfolio if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. In addition, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time that a Portfolio is engaging in proxy hedging. A Portfolio may also cross-hedge currencies by entering into forward contracts to sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value relative to other currencies to which the Portfolio has or in which the Portfolio expects to have portfolio exposure. For example, a Portfolio may hold both Canadian government bonds and Japanese government bonds, and the adviser may believe that Canadian dollars will deteriorate against Japanese yen. The Portfolio would sell Canadian dollars to reduce its exposure to that currency and buy Japanese yen. This strategy would be a hedge against a decline in the value of Canadian dollars, although it would expose the Portfolio to declines in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar.

In general, currency transactions are subject to risks different from those of other portfolio transactions, and can result in greater losses to a Portfolio than would otherwise be incurred, even when the currency transactions are used for hedging purposes.

Liquid assets equal to the amount of the Portfolio’s assets that could be required to consummate forward contracts will be segregated on the books and records of the adviser or sub-adviser to the extent required by SEC guidelines. For the purpose of determining the adequacy of the securities so segregated, the securities will be valued at market or fair value. If the market or fair value of such securities declines, additional cash or securities will be added.

Securities Lending. A Portfolio may seek additional income by lending securities on a short-term basis. The securities lending agreements will require that the loans be secured by collateral in cash, U.S. Government securities or irrevocable bank letters of credit maintained on a current basis equal in value to at least the market value of the loaned securities. A Portfolio may not make such loans in excess of 33¹/3% of the value of its total assets. Securities loans involve risks of delay in receiving additional collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or possibly loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower of the securities becomes insolvent.

A Portfolio would continue to accrue interest on loaned securities and would also earn income on investment collateral for such loans. Any cash collateral received by a Portfolio in connection with such loans may be invested in a broad range of high quality, U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments that meet Rule 2a-7 restrictions for money market funds. Specifically, cash collateral may be invested in any of the following instruments: (a) securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government or by its agencies or instrumentalities and related custodial receipts; (b) “first tier” quality commercial paper and other obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. and non-U.S. corporations and other issuers rated (at the time of purchase) in the highest rating category by at least two NRSRO’s, or one if only rated by one NRSRO; (c) U.S. dollar-denominated obligations issued or supported by the credit of U.S. or non-U.S. banks or savings institutions with total assets in excess of $1 billion (including obligations of non-U.S. branches of such banks) (i.e., CD’s, BA’s and time deposits); (d) repurchase agreements relating to the above instruments, as well as corporate debt; and (e) unaffiliated and, to the extent permitted by SEC guidelines, affiliated money market funds. Any such investments must be rated “first tier” and must have a maturity of 397 days or less from the date of purchase.

Yields and Ratings. The yields on certain obligations are dependent on a variety of factors, including general market conditions, conditions in the particular market for the obligation, the financial condition of the issuer, the size of the offering, the maturity of the obligation and the ratings of the issue. The ratings of Moody’s, Fitch Investor Services, Inc. (“Fitch”) and S&P represent their respective opinions as to the quality of the obligations they undertake to rate. Ratings, however, are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, obligations with the same rating, maturity and interest rate may have different market prices. Subsequent to its purchase by a Portfolio, a rated security may cease to be rated. A Portfolio’s adviser or sub-adviser will consider such an event in determining whether the Portfolio should continue to hold the security. Subject to its other investment strategies, there is no limit on the amount of unrated securities a Portfolio may hold, although under normal market conditions the adviser and sub-adviser do not expect to hold these securities to a material extent.

Investment Companies. The Portfolios may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act and set forth below. The Portfolios may purchase shares of investment companies investing primarily in non-U.S. securities, including so-called “country funds.” Country funds have portfolios consisting exclusively of securities of issuers located in one foreign country. Securities of other investment companies will be acquired within limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Portfolio would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory fees and other expenses the Portfolio bears directly in connection with its own operations.

Each Portfolio currently intends to limit its investments so that, as determined immediately after a securities purchase is made: (i) not more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (ii) not more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of investment companies as a group; and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Portfolio or by the Fund as a whole.

Stripped and Zero Coupon Obligations. To the extent consistent with their investment objectives, the Portfolios may purchase Treasury receipts and other “stripped” securities that evidence ownership in either the future interest payments or the future principal payments on U.S. Government and other obligations. These participations, which may be issued by the U.S. Government (or a U.S. Government agency or instrumentality) or by private issuers such as banks and other institutions, are issued at a discount to their “face value,” and may include stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBS”). Stripped securities, particularly SMBS, may exhibit greater price volatility than ordinary debt securities because of the manner in which their principal and interest are returned to investors, and they are often illiquid. The Portfolios also may purchase “stripped” securities that evidence ownership in the future interest payments or principal payments on obligations of non-U.S. governments.

SMBS are usually structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage-backed obligations. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving all of the interest (“IO” or interest-only), while the other class receives all of the principal (“PO” or principal-only). However, in some cases, one class will receive some of the interest and most of the principal while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. If the underlying obligations experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a Portfolio may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities even if the securities have received the highest rating by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization. The market value of SMBS can be extremely volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other mortgage-related obligations because their cash flow patterns are also volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped.

Each Portfolio may invest in zero-coupon bonds, which are normally issued at a significant discount from face value and do not provide for periodic interest payments. Zero-coupon bonds may experience greater volatility in market value than similar maturity debt obligations which provide for regular interest payments. Additionally, current federal tax law requires the holder of certain zero-coupon bonds to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. To maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid liability for federal income and excise taxes, a Portfolio may be required to distribute income accrued with respect to these securities and may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements. See “Taxes.”

Funding Agreements. The Portfolios may invest in guaranteed investment contracts (“GICs”) and similar funding agreements. In connection with these investments, a Portfolio makes cash contributions to a deposit fund of an insurance company’s general account. The insurance company then credits to the Portfolio on a monthly basis guaranteed interest, which is based on an index (such as LIBOR). The funding agreements provide that this guaranteed interest will not be less than a certain minimum rate. The purchase price paid for a funding agreement becomes part of the general assets of the insurance company, and the contract is paid from the general assets of the insurance company. Generally, funding agreements are not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing insurance companies, and an active secondary market in some funding agreements does not currently exist.

Short Sales. The Portfolios may only make short sales of securities “against-the-box.” A short sale is a transaction in which a Portfolio sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. The Portfolios may make short sales both as a form of hedging to offset potential declines in long positions in similar securities and in order to maintain portfolio flexibility. In a short sale “against-the-box,” at the time of sale, the Portfolio owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical or similar security at no additional cost. When selling short “against-the-box,” a Portfolio forgoes an opportunity for capital appreciation in the security. The Portfolios have no present intention to engage in short sales.

Interest Rate and Extension Risk. The value of fixed income securities in the Portfolios can be expected to vary inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates. Fixed income securities with longer maturities, which tend to produce higher yields, are subject to potentially greater capital appreciation and depreciation than securities with shorter maturities. The Portfolios are not restricted to any maximum or minimum time to maturity in purchasing individual portfolio securities, and the average maturity of a Portfolio’s assets will vary.

Liquidity Management. As a temporary defensive measure if its adviser determines that market conditions warrant, each Portfolio may invest without limitation in high quality money market instruments. The Portfolios may also invest in high quality money market instruments pending investment or to meet anticipated redemption requests. High quality money market instruments include U.S. government obligations, U.S. government agency obligations, dollar denominated obligations of non-U.S. issuers, bank obligations, including U.S. subsidiaries and branches of non-U.S. banks, corporate obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements and obligations of supranational organizations. Generally, such obligations will mature within one year from the date of settlement, but may mature within two years from the date of settlement.

Illiquid Securities. No Portfolio will invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities that are illiquid. GICs, variable and floating rate instruments that cannot be disposed of within seven days, and repurchase agreements and time deposits that do not provide for payment within seven days after notice, without taking a reduced price, are subject to these limits. Each Portfolio may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) but which can be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the adviser or sub-adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in a Portfolio during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing these restricted securities.

Any securities that are thinly traded or whose resale is restricted can be difficult to sell at the desired time and price. Some of these securities are new and complex, and trade only among institutions; the markets for these securities are still developing, and may not function as efficiently as established markets. Owning a large percentage of restricted or illiquid securities could hamper the fund’s ability to raise cash to meet redemptions. Also, because there may not be an established market price for these securities, the fund may have to estimate their value, which means that their valuation (and, to a much smaller extent, the valuation of the fund) may have a subjective element. Transactions in restricted or illiquid securities may entail registration expense and other transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in unrestricted or liquid securities. Where registration is required for restricted or illiquid securities a considerable time period may elapse between the time the fund decides to sell the security and the time it is actually permitted to sell the security under an effective registration statement. If during such period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the fund might obtain less favorable pricing terms that when it decided to sell the security.

Guarantees. A Portfolio may purchase securities which contain guarantees issued by an entity separate from the issuer of the security. Generally, the guarantor of a security (often an affiliate of the issuer) will fulfill an issuer’s payment obligations under a security if the issuer is unable to do so.

Portfolio Turnover Rates. A Portfolio’s annual portfolio turnover rate will not be a factor preventing a sale or purchase when the adviser believes investment considerations warrant such sale or purchase. Portfolio turnover may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year. Higher than normal portfolio

turnover (i.e., 100% or more) may result in increased transaction costs to a Portfolio, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and reinvestment in other securities. The sale of a Portfolio’s securities may result in the recognition of capital gain or loss. Given the frequency of sales, such gain or loss will likely be short-term capital gain or loss. Unlike long-term capital gain, short-term capital gain of individuals is taxable at the same rates as ordinary income. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect a Portfolio’s performance.

ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

Each Portfolio is subject to the investment limitations enumerated in this subsection which may be changed with respect to a particular Portfolio only by a vote of the holders of a majority of such Portfolio’s outstanding shares (as defined below under “Miscellaneous”).

Each of the Portfolios (other than the Health Sciences and Global Resources Portfolios) may not:

1. Purchase securities of any one issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities or certificates of deposit for any such securities) if more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets would (taken at current value) be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting securities would be owned by the Portfolio or the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets may (taken at current value) be invested without regard to these limitations. For purposes of this limitation, a security is considered to be issued by the entity (or entities) whose assets and revenues back the security. A guarantee of a security shall not be deemed to be a security issued by the guarantors when the value of all securities issued and guaranteed by the guarantor, and owned by the Portfolio, does not exceed 10% of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets.

Each of the Portfolios may not:

2. Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that (a) the Health Sciences Portfolio will cause 25% or more of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in health sciences or related industries as described in the Prospectuses; (b) the Global Resources Portfolio will cause 25% or more of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in energy or natural resources industries as described in the Prospectuses; (c) there is no limitation with respect to (i) instruments issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, and (ii) repurchase agreements secured by the instruments described in clause (i); (d) wholly-owned finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents; and (e) utilities will be divided according to their services; for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and gas, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry.

3. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except that each Portfolio may borrow from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary purposes in amounts up to one-third of the value of its total assets at the time of such borrowing; or mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets, except in connection with any such borrowing and then in amounts not in excess of one-third of the value of the Portfolio’s total assets at the time of such borrowing. No Portfolio will purchase securities while its aggregate borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements and borrowings from banks) in excess of 5% of its total assets are outstanding. Securities held in escrow or separate accounts in connection with a Portfolio’s investment practices are not deemed to be pledged for purposes of this limitation.

4. Purchase or sell real estate, except that each Portfolio may purchase securities of issuers which deal in real estate and may purchase securities which are secured by interests in real estate.

5. Acquire any other investment company or investment company security except in connection with a merger, consolidation, reorganization or acquisition of assets or where otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act.

6. Act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 except to the extent that the purchase of obligations directly from the issuer thereof, or the disposition of securities, in accordance with the Portfolio’s investment objective, policies and limitations may be deemed to be underwriting.

7. Write or sell put options, call options, straddles, spreads, or any combination thereof, except for transactions in options on securities and securities indices, futures contracts and options on futures contracts and currencies.

8. Purchase securities of companies for the purpose of exercising control.

9. Purchase securities on margin, make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except that (a) this investment limitation shall not apply to a Portfolio’s transactions in futures contracts and related options or a Portfolio’s sale of securities short against the box, and (b) a Portfolio may obtain short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities.

10. Purchase or sell commodity contracts, or invest in oil, gas or mineral exploration or development programs, except that each Portfolio may, to the extent appropriate to its investment policies, purchase securities of companies engaging in whole or in part in such activities and may enter into futures contracts and related options.

11. Make loans, except that each Portfolio may purchase and hold debt instruments and enter into repurchase agreements in accordance with its investment objective and policies and may lend portfolio securities.

12. Purchase or sell commodities except that each Portfolio may, to the extent appropriate to its investment policies, purchase securities of companies engaging in whole or in part in such activities, may engage in currency transactions and may enter into futures contracts and related options.

Unless otherwise indicated, all limitations apply only at the time that a transaction is undertaken. Any change in the percentage of a Portfolio’s assets invested in certain securities or other instruments resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in the Portfolio’s total assets will not require the Portfolio to dispose of an investment until the adviser determines that it is practicable to sell or close out the investment without undue market or tax consequences.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The business and affairs of the Fund are managed under the direction of its Board of Trustees. The trustees and executive officers of the Fund, and their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years, are:

Interested Trustees:

Name, Address and Age

Position(s)
Held with
Fund

Term

of
Office¹

and
Length
of
Time
Served

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past Five Years

Number

Portfolios

in Fund
Complex²

Overseen

Trustee

Other Directorships Held

by Trustee

Laurence D. Fink³

BlackRock, Inc. 40 E. 52^nd Street New York, NY 10022

Age: 50

Trustee and
President

Since
2000

Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock, Inc. since its formation in 1998 and of BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities since 1988; Chairman of the Management Committee; formerly, Managing Director of the First Boston Corporation, Member of its Management Committee, Co-head of its Taxable Fixed Income Division and Head of its Mortgage and Real Estate Products Group; formerly Chairman of the Board and Director of each of the closed-end Trusts for which BlackRock Advisors, Inc. acts as investment advisor; Chairman of the Board of Nomura BlackRock Asset Management and several of BlackRock’s alternative investment vehicles; Director of several of BlackRock’s offshore funds; formerly, Director of the New York Stock Exchange; Co-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mount Sinai-NYU; Co-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NYU Hospitals Center; and a member of the Board of Trustees of NYU.

55 (includes 50 Portfolios of the Fund and 5 Portfolios of BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares)

Director, BlackRock, Inc.

Each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until the earlier of (1) the next meeting of shareholders at which Trustees are elected and until his or her successor is elected and qualified and (2) such time as such Trustee resigns or his or her term as a Trustee is terminated in accordance with the Fund’s code of regulations and Declaration of Trust.

A Fund Complex means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services, that have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies.

³	Mr. Fink is an interested person of the Fund due to his position at BlackRock, Inc.

Disinterested Trustees:


Name, Address and Age	Position(s) Held with Fund	Term of Office² and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex³ Overseen by Trustee	Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Honorable Stuart E. Eizenstat Covington & Burling 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 Age: 60	Trustee and Chairman of the Nominating Committee	Since 2001	Partner, Covington & Burling (law firm) (2001-Present); Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (1999-2001), Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs (1997-1999), Chairman, International Board of Governors, Weizmann Institute of Science.	55 (includes 50 Portfolios of the Fund and 5 Portfolios of BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares)	Director, Mirant Corporation; Advisory Board member, The Coca-Cola Company; Advisory Board member, Group Menatep.

Robert M. Hernandez c/o BlackRock Funds, 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 Age: 59	Trustee, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Audit Committee	Since 1996	Retired; Director of USX Corporation (a diversified company principally engaged in energy and steel businesses), 1991-2001; Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer 1994-2001, Executive Vice President - Accounting and Finance and Chief Financial Officer from 1991 to 1994.	55 (includes 50 Portfolios of the Fund and 5 Portfolios of BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares)	Director, ACE Limited (insurance company); Director and Chairman of the Board, RTI International Metals, Inc.; Director, Eastman Chemical Company.


Name, Address and Age	Position(s) Held with Fund	Term of Office² and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex³ Overseen by Trustee	Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Matina Horner c/o BlackRock Funds, 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 Age: 65	Trustee and Chairperson of the Governance Committee	Since 2004	Retired; Executive Vice President of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 1989-2003.	55 (includes 50 Portfolios of the Fund and 5 Portfolios of BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares)	Chair of the Board of The Fund for the City of New York; Chair of the Board of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions; Chair of the Board of the Greenwall Foundation; Trustee, Century Foundation (formerly The Twentieth Century Fund); Greenwall Foundation Director, N STAR (formerly called Boston Edison); Director, The Neiman Marcus Group; Honorary Trustee, Massachusetts General Hospital Corporation.

David R. Wilmerding, Jr. Rosemont Business Campus Building Three, Suite 111 919 Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010 Age: 68	Trustee and Chairman of the Board	Since 1996	Chairman, Wilmerding & Associates, Inc. (investment advisers) since 1989; Director, Beaver Management Corporation (land management corporation); Managing General Partner, Chestnut Street Exchange Fund; Director, Peoples First, The Peoples Bank of Oxford; Director Emeritus, The Mutual Fire, Marine and Inland Insurance Company.	56 (includes 50 Portfolios of the Fund, 5 Portfolios of BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares and 1 Portfolio of Chestnut Street Exchange Fund, which is managed by BFM and BIMC.)

Executive Officers:


Name, Address and Age	Position(s) Held with Fund	Term of Office⁴ and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Paul Audet BlackRock, Inc. 40 E. 52^nd Street New York, NY 10022 Age: 50	Treasurer	Since 2002	Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of BlackRock, Inc. since 1998; Treasurer of BlackRock Provident Institutional Funds since 2001; Senior Vice President of PNC Bank Corp. from 1991 to 1998.

Anne Ackerley BlackRock, Inc. 40 E. 52^nd Street New York, NY 10022 Age: 41	Vice President	Since 2003 (previously served as Assistant Secretary since 2000)	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. since May 2000; First Vice President and Operating Officer, Mergers and Acquisitions Group (1997-2000), First Vice President and Operating Officer, Public Finance Group (1995-1997), and First Vice President, Emerging Markets Fixed Income Research (1994-1995), Merrill Lynch & Co.

Bart Battista BlackRock, Inc. 40 E. 52^nd Street New York, NY 10022 Age: 45	Chief Compliance Officer and Anti- Money Laundering Compliance Officer	Since 2004	Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of BlackRock, Inc. since 2004; Managing Director (since 2003), and Director (1998-2002) of BlackRock, Inc.; Compliance Officer at Moore Capital Management from 1995 to 1998.

⁴

Each officer holds office for an indefinite term until the earlier of (1) the next meeting of trustees at which his or her successor is appointed and (2) such time as such officer resigns or his or her term as an officer is terminated in accordance with the Fund’s code of regulations and Declaration of Trust.


Name, Address and Age	Position(s) Held with Fund	Term of Office⁴ and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Ellen L. Corson PFPC Inc. 103 Bellevue Parkway Wilmington, DE 19809 Age: 39	Assistant Treasurer	Since 1998	Senior Director and Vice President of Fund Accounting and Administration, PFPC, Inc., since 2003; Vice President and Director of Mutual Fund Accounting and Administration, PFPC, Inc. since November 1997; Assistant Vice President, PFPC, Inc. from March 1997 to November 1997; Senior Accounting Officer, PFPC, Inc. from March 1993 to March 1997.

Brian P. Kindelan BlackRock Advisors, Inc. 100 Bellevue Parkway Wilmington, DE 19809 Age: 44	Secretary	Since 1997	Director and Senior Counsel (since January 2001), and Vice President and Senior Counsel (1998-2000), BlackRock Advisors, Inc.; Senior Counsel, PNC Bank Corp. from May 1995 to April 1998.

Vincent Tritto BlackRock, Inc. 40 E. 52^nd Street New York, NY 10022 Age: 42	Assistant Secretary	Since 2003	Director and Assistant Secretary of BlackRock, Inc. since 2002. Formerly, Executive Director (2000-2002) and Vice President (1998- 2000), Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Morgan Stanley Asset Management Inc. and officer of various Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment vehicles; Counsel (1998) and Associate (1988-1997), Rogers & Wells LLP, New York, NY.

The standing committees of the Board are the Audit Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Governance Committee.

The members of the Audit Committee are Ms. Horner and Messrs. Eizenstat, Hernandez and Wilmerding. Mr. Hernandez serves as Chairman. The Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things: (i) considering management’s recommendations of independent accountants for the Fund and evaluating such accountants’ performance, costs and financial stability; (ii) reviewing and coordinating audit plans prepared by the Fund’s independent accountants and management’s internal audit staff; and (iii) reviewing financial statements contained in periodic reports to shareholders with the Fund’s independent accountants and management. The Audit Committee met 5 times in the 2003 fiscal year.

The members of the Nominating Committee are Ms. Horner and Messrs. Eizenstat, Hernandez and Wilmerding. Mr. Eizenstat serves as Chairman. The Nominating Committee is responsible for selecting and nominating “disinterested” trustees of the Fund. The Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders when a vacancy becomes available. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations which include biographical information and sets forth the qualifications of the proposed nominee to the Fund’s Secretary. The Nominating Committee did not meet in the 2003 fiscal year.

The members of the Governance Committee are Ms. Horner and Messrs. Eizenstat, Hernandez and Wilmerding. Ms. Horner serves as Chairwoman. The Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, the scheduling and organization of board meetings, evaluating the structure and composition of the board and determining compensation of the Fund’s disinterested trustees. The Governance Committee was formed after the end of the Fund’s 2003 fiscal year.

The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities owned by the Trustees in the Fund and in other investment companies overseen by the Trustees within the same family of investment companies as of December 31, 2003. Investment companies are considered to be in the same family if they share the same investment adviser or principal underwriter and hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services.


Name of Trustee	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies
Interested Trustees	International Opportunities – over $100,000	Over $100,000

Laurence D. Fink	Global Science & Technology Opportunities - $50,001-$100,000

Disinterested Trustees

Stuart E. Eizenstat	None	None

Robert M. Hernandez	PA Muni Money Market – over $100,000	over $100,000

	Money Market — $10,001-50,000

Matina Horner	None	None

David R. Wilmerding, Jr.	None	None

Compensation

Trustees who are not affiliated with BlackRock Advisors, Inc. (“BlackRock”) or BlackRock Distributors, Inc. (“BDI” or the “Distributor”) receive from the BlackRock open-end funds (BlackRock Funds and BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares) the following: $20,000 annually, $2,500 for each meeting that they attend, whether by phone or in person, and $350 per Portfolio for each full in-person meeting of the Board that they attend; in addition, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the open-end Boards receive an additional $10,000 and $5,000 per year, respectively, for their service in such capacities and trustees who are not affiliated with BlackRock or BDI receive from the BlackRock open-end funds (BlackRock Funds and BlackRock Bond Allocation Target Shares) the following: $1,500 for each committee meeting that they attend, whether by phone or in person, and the Audit Committee Chairman receives an additional $10,000 and each other committee chairperson an additional $5,000 per year, for their service in such capacities. Trustees who are not affiliated with BlackRock or the Distributor are reimbursed for any expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof. The term of office of each trustee will automatically terminate when such trustee reaches 72 years of age. No officer, director or employee of BlackRock, PFPC Inc. (“PFPC”) (with BlackRock, the “Administrators”), BDI, PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”) or BlackRock, Inc. currently receives any compensation from the Trust. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the trustees and officers of the Fund, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the Fund.

The table below sets forth the compensation actually received from the Fund and the Fund Complex of which the Fund is a part by the trustees for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2003:


	Aggregate Compensation from Registrant		Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses	Estimated Annual Benefits upon Retirement	Total Compensation from Registrant and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
David R. Wilmerding, Jr., Trustee and Chairman of the Board	$	87,400	N/A	N/A	(3)¹$97,400

Robert M. Hernandez, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Audit Committee	$	82,400	N/A	N/A	(2)¹$82,400

Honorable Stuart E. Eizenstat, Trustee and Chairman of the Nominating Committee	$	77,400	N/A	N/A	(2)¹$77,400

Matina Horner, Trustee and Chairperson of the Governance Committee		N/A	N/A	N/A	(2)¹ N/A

1.	Total number of investment company boards trustees served on within the Fund Complex.

SHAREHOLDER AND TRUSTEE LIABILITY OF THE FUND

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for the obligations of the trust. However, the Fund’s Declaration of Trust provides that shareholders shall not be subject to any personal liability in connection with the assets of the Fund for the acts or obligations of the Fund, and that every note, bond, contract, order or other undertaking made by the Fund shall contain a provision to the effect that the shareholders are not personally liable thereunder. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of the trust property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of his being or having been a shareholder and not because of his acts or omissions or some other reason. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Fund shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the Fund, and shall satisfy any judgment thereon.

The Declaration of Trust further provides that all persons having any claim against the trustees or Fund shall look solely to the trust property for payment; that no trustee of the Fund shall be personally liable for or on account of any contract, debt, tort, claim, damage, judgment or decree arising out of or connected with the administration or preservation of the trust property or the conduct of any business of the Fund; and that no trustee shall be personally liable to any person for any action or failure to act except by reason of his own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duties as a trustee. With the exception stated, the Declaration of Trust provides that a trustee is entitled to be indemnified against all liabilities and expenses reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or disposition of any proceeding in which he may be involved or with which he may be threatened by reason of his being or having been a trustee, and that the Fund will indemnify officers, representatives and employees of the Fund to the same extent that trustees are entitled to indemnification.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY, ADMINISTRATION,

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS

Advisory Agreements. The advisory services provided by BlackRock, and the fees received by BlackRock for such services, are described in the Prospectuses.

For its advisory services, BlackRock is entitled to fees, computed daily on a portfolio-by-portfolio basis and payable monthly, at the maximum annual rates set forth below.

MAXIMUM ANNUAL CONTRACTUAL FEE RATE FOR THE SMALL/MID-CAP GROWTH, HEALTH SCIENCES AND GLOBAL RESOURCES PORTFOLIOS (BEFORE WAIVERS)


Average Daily Net Assets	Investment Advisory Fee
first $1 billion	.750	%
$1 billion — $2 billion	.700
$2 billion — $3 billion	.675
Greater than $3 billion	.650

MAXIMUM ANNUAL CONTRACTUAL FEE RATE FOR THE LEGACY PORTFOLIOS (BEFORE WAIVERS)


Average Daily Net Assets	Investment Advisory Fee
first $1 billion	.650	%
$1 billion — $2 billion	.600
$2 billion — $3 billion	.575
Greater than $3 billion	.550

MAXIMUM ANNUAL CONTRACTUAL FEE RATE FOR AURORA PORTFOLIO (BEFORE WAIVERS)


Average Daily Net Assets	Investment Advisory Fee
first $1 billion	.850	%
$1 billion — $2 billion	.800
$2 billion — $3 billion	.750
Greater than $3 billion	.700

The total annual advisory fee that can be paid to BlackRock with respect to the Exchange Portfolio is .50% of average daily net assets.

BlackRock, a majority-owned indirect subsidiary of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., renders advisory services to each of the Portfolios. The Portfolios’ Investment Advisory Agreement with BlackRock is referred to as the “Advisory Contract.”

The Advisory Contract was approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees at an in-person meeting of the Board held on September 10, 2004, including a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the agreements or interested persons of any such party (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act). In determining to approve the Advisory Contract, the Trustees met with the relevant investment advisory personnel from BlackRock and considered information relating to the education, experience and number of investment professionals and other personnel who would provide services under the applicable agreement. The Trustees also took into account the time and attention to be devoted by senior management to the Portfolios. The Trustees evaluated the level of skill required to manage each Portfolio and concluded that the human resources to be available at BlackRock were appropriate to fulfill effectively the duties of BlackRock on behalf of the Portfolios under the Advisory Contract. The Trustees also considered the business reputation of BlackRock, its financial resources and professional liability insurance coverage and concluded that BlackRock would be able to meet any reasonably foreseeable obligations under the Advisory Contract.

The Trustees received information concerning the investment philosophy and investment process to be applied by BlackRock in managing each Portfolio. In this connection, the Trustees considered the adviser’s in-house research capabilities as well as other resources available to their personnel. The Trustees concluded that the adviser’s investment process, research capabilities and philosophy were well suited to the Portfolios, given each Portfolio’s investment objectives and policies. The Trustees considered the scope of the services provided by BlackRock to each Portfolio under the Advisory Contract relative to services provided by third parties to other funds. The Trustees noted that the adviser’s standard of care was comparable to that found in most investment company advisory agreements. The Trustees concluded that the scope of the adviser’s services to be provided to the Portfolios was consistent with each Portfolio’s operational requirements, including, in addition to its investment objectives, compliance with investment restrictions, tax and reporting requirements and related shareholder services.

The Trustees considered the quality of the services to be provided by BlackRock to the Portfolios. The Trustees also evaluated the procedures of BlackRock designed to fulfill its fiduciary duty to the Portfolios with respect to possible conflicts of interest, including its code of ethics (regulating the personal trading of its officers and employees) (see “—Code of Ethics” below), the procedures by which BlackRock allocates trades among its various investment advisory clients, the integrity of the systems in place to ensure compliance with the foregoing and the record of BlackRock in these matters. The Trustees also received information concerning standards of BlackRock with respect to the execution of portfolio transactions. See “Portfolio Transactions” below.

In approving the Advisory Contract, the Trustees also gave substantial consideration to the fees payable under the agreement. The Trustees reviewed information concerning fees paid to investment advisers of similar funds. The Trustees also considered the fees of each Portfolio as a percentage of assets at different asset levels and possible economies of scale to BlackRock. In evaluating each Portfolio’s advisory fees, the Trustees also took into account the complexity of investment management for the Portfolio relative to other types of funds. The Trustees concluded that the fees to be paid pursuant to the Advisory Contract were fair and reasonable in light of the services provided, the types of Portfolios and fees paid by similar funds.

Under the Advisory Contract, BlackRock is not liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund or a Portfolio in connection with the performance of the Advisory Contract. Under the Advisory Contract, BlackRock is liable for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Advisory Contract is terminable as to a Portfolio by vote of the Fund’s Board of Trustees or by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio, at any time without penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to BlackRock. BlackRock may also terminate its advisory relationship with respect to a Portfolio on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund. The Advisory Contract terminates automatically in the event of its assignment.

Administration Agreement. BlackRock and PFPC serve as the Fund’s co-administrators pursuant to an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”). PFPC has agreed to maintain office facilities for the Fund; furnish the Fund with statistical and research data, clerical, accounting, and bookkeeping services; provide and supervise the operation of an automated data processing system to process purchase and redemption orders; prepare and file certain reports required by regulatory authorities; prepare and file federal and state tax returns; prepare and file material requested by state securities regulators; calculate various contractual expenses; compute each Portfolio’s net asset value, net income and net capital gain or loss; and serve as a liaison with the Fund’s independent public accountants. The Administrators may from time to time voluntarily waive administration fees with respect to a Portfolio and may voluntarily reimburse the Portfolios for expenses.

Under the Administration Agreement, the Fund pays to BlackRock and PFPC on behalf of each Portfolio a fee, computed daily and payable monthly, at an aggregate annual rate of (i) .085% of the first $500 million of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets, .075% of the next $500 million of each Portfolio’s average daily net assets and .065% of the average daily net assets of each Portfolio in excess of $1 billion and (ii) .145% of the first $500 million of average daily net assets allocated to each class of shares of each Portfolio (.035% with respect to BlackRock Shares), .135% of the next $500 million of such average daily net assets (.025% with respect to BlackRock Shares) and .125% of the average daily net assets allocated to each class of shares of each Portfolio in excess of $1 billion (.015% with respect to BlackRock Shares).

Under the Administration Agreement, BlackRock is responsible for: (i) the supervision and coordination of the performance of the Fund’s service providers; (ii) the negotiation of service contracts and arrangements between the Fund and its service providers; (iii) acting as liaison between the trustees of the Fund and the Fund’s service providers; and (iv) providing ongoing business management and support services in connection with the Fund’s operations.

The Administration Agreement provides that BlackRock and PFPC will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund or a Portfolio in connection with the performance of the Administration Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their respective duties or from reckless disregard of their respective duties and obligations thereunder. In addition, the Fund will indemnify each of BlackRock and PFPC and their affiliates against any loss arising in connection with their provision of services under the Administration Agreement, except that neither BlackRock nor PFPC nor their affiliates shall be indemnified against any loss arising out of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of their respective duties under the Administration Agreement.

The Fund and its service providers may engage third party plan administrators who provide trustee, administrative and recordkeeping services for certain employee benefit, profit-sharing and retirement plans as agent for the Fund with respect to such plans, for the purpose of accepting orders for the purchase and redemption of shares of the Fund.

Custodian and Transfer Agency Agreements. Pursuant to the terms of a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”) between the Fund and PFPC Trust Company (“PTC”), PTC or a sub-custodian (i) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of each Portfolio, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of each Portfolio, (iii) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of each Portfolio, (iv) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of each Portfolio’s securities and (v) makes periodic reports to the Board of Trustees concerning each Portfolio’s operations. PTC is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund, provided that, with respect to sub-custodians other than sub-custodians for non-U.S. securities, PTC remains responsible for the performance of all its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Fund harmless from the acts and omissions of any sub-custodian. Citibank, N.A. serves as the international sub-custodian for various Portfolios of the Fund.

For its services to the Fund under the Custodian Agreement, PTC receives a fee which is calculated based upon each investment portfolio’s average gross assets. PTC is also entitled to out-of-pocket expenses and certain transaction charges.

PFPC, which has its principal offices at 301 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 and is an affiliate of PNC Bank, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which PFPC (i) issues and redeems Service, Investor, Institutional and BlackRock classes of shares in each Portfolio, (ii) addresses and mails all communications by each Portfolio to record owners of its shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders, (iii) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts and (iv) makes periodic reports to the Board of Trustees concerning the operations of each Portfolio. PFPC may, on 30 days’ notice to the Fund, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any other affiliate of PNC Bank Corp. For its services with respect to the Fund’s Institutional and Service Shares under the Transfer Agency Agreement, PFPC receives fees at the annual rate of .03% of the average net asset value of outstanding Institutional and Service Shares in each Portfolio, plus per account fees and disbursements. For its services with respect to the Fund’s BlackRock Shares under the Transfer Agency Agreement, PFPC receives fees at the annual rate of .01% of the average net asset value of outstanding BlackRock Shares in each Portfolio, plus per account fees and disbursements. For its services under the Transfer Agency Agreement with respect to Investor Shares, PFPC receives per account fees. Until further notice, the transfer agency fees for each series of Investor Shares in each Portfolio will not exceed the annual rate of .10% of the series’ average daily net assets.

Distributor and Distribution and Service Plan. The Fund has entered into a distribution agreement with the Distributor under which the Distributor, as agent, offers shares of each Portfolio on a continuous basis. The Distributor has agreed to use appropriate efforts to effect sales of the shares, but it is not obligated to sell any particular amount of shares. The Distributor’s principal business address is 760 Moore Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406.

Pursuant to the Fund’s Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”), the Fund may pay the Distributor and/or BlackRock or any other affiliate of PNC Bank fees for distribution and sales support services. Currently, as described further below, only Investor A Shares, Investor B Shares and Investor C Shares bear the expense of distribution fees under the Plan. In addition, the Fund may pay brokers, dealers, financial institutions and industry professionals (including BlackRock and Hillard Lyons) (collectively, “Service Organizations”) fees for the provision of personal services to shareholders. The Plan provides, among other things, that: (i) the Board of Trustees shall receive quarterly reports regarding the amounts expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made; (ii) the Plan will continue in effect for so long as its continuance is approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; (iii) any

material amendment thereto must be approved by the Board of Trustees, including the trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreement entered into in connection with the Plan (the “12b-1 Trustees”), acting in person at a meeting called for said purpose; (iv) any amendment to increase materially the costs which any class of shares may bear for distribution services pursuant to the Plan shall be effective only upon approval by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class and by a majority of the 12b-1 Trustees; and (v) while the Plan remains in effect, the selection and nomination of the Fund’s trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Fund shall be committed to the discretion of the Fund’s non-interested trustees.

The Plan is terminable as to any class of shares without penalty at any time by a vote of a majority of the 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of such class.

With respect to Investor A Shares, the front-end sales charge and the distribution fee payable under the Plan (at a maximum annual rate of .10% of the average daily net asset value of each Portfolio’s outstanding Investor A Shares, as applicable) are used to pay commissions and other fees payable to Service Organizations and other broker/dealers who sell Investor A Shares.

With respect to Investor B Shares, Service Organizations and other broker/dealers receive commissions from the Distributor for selling Investor B Shares, which are paid at the time of the sale. The distribution fees payable under the Plan (at a maximum annual rate of .75% of the average daily net asset value of each Portfolio’s outstanding Investor B Shares) are intended to cover the expense to the Distributor of paying such up-front commissions, as well as to cover ongoing commission payments to broker/dealers. The contingent deferred sales charge is calculated to charge the investor with any shortfall that would occur if Investor B Shares are redeemed prior to the expiration of the conversion period, after which Investor B Shares automatically convert to Investor A Shares.

With respect to Investor C Shares, Service Organizations and other broker/dealers receive commissions from the Distributor for selling Investor C Shares, which are paid at the time of the sale. The distribution fees payable under the Plan (at a maximum annual rate of .75% of the average daily net asset value of each Portfolio’s outstanding Investor C Shares) are intended to cover the expense to the Distributor of paying such up-front commissions, as well as to cover ongoing commission payments to the broker/dealers. The contingent deferred sales charge is calculated to charge the investor with any shortfall that would occur if Investor C Shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchase.

The Fund is not required or permitted under the Plan to make distribution payments with respect to Service, Institutional or BlackRock Shares. However, the Plan permits BDI, BlackRock, PFPC, their affiliates and other companies that receive fees from the Fund to make payments relating to distribution and sales support activities out of their past profits or other sources available to them (and not as an additional charge to the Portfolios). The Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may pay affiliated and unaffiliated financial institutions, broker/dealers and/or their salespersons certain compensation for the sale and distribution of shares of the Fund or for services to the Fund and its shareholders. These payments (“Additional Payments”) would be in addition to the payments by the Fund described in this Statement of Additional Information for distribution and shareholder servicing and processing. These Additional Payments may take the form of, among other things, “due diligence” payments for a dealer’s examination of the Portfolios and payments for providing extra employee training and information relating to Portfolios; “listing” fees for the placement of the Portfolios on a dealer’s list of mutual funds available for purchase by its customers; “finders” or “referral” fees for directing investors to the Fund; “marketing support” fees for providing assistance in promoting the sale of the Funds’ shares; payments for the sale of shares and/or the maintenance of share balances; CUSIP fees; maintenance fees; set-up fees regarding the establishment of new accounts; and fees for the Fund’s inclusion on a broker/dealer’s “preferred lists.” In addition, the Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may make Additional Payments to affiliated and unaffiliated entities for subaccounting, administrative and/or shareholder processing services that are in addition to the shareholder servicing and processing fees paid by the Fund. The Additional Payments made by the Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may be a fixed dollar amount, may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by a financial institution or broker/dealer, or may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the affiliated and unaffiliated financial institutions or dealers involved, and may be different for different institutions and dealers. Additional Payments generally are made available to all qualified financial institutions, broker/dealers and salespersons when such arrangements are in effect, subject to applicable NASD regulations.

Furthermore, the Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may contribute to various non-cash and cash incentive arrangements to promote the sale of shares, and may sponsor various contests and promotions subject to applicable NASD regulations in which participants may receive prizes such as travel awards, merchandise and cash. Subject to applicable NASD regulations, the Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may also (i) pay for the travel expenses, meals, lodging and entertainment of broker/dealers, financial institutions and their salespersons in connection with educational and sales promotional programs, (ii) sponsor speakers, educational seminars and charitable events and (iii) provide other sales and marketing conferences and other resources to broker/dealers, financial institutions and their salespersons.

BlackRock, Inc., the parent company of BlackRock, has agreed to pay PNC Bank, National Association and PNC Bank, Delaware (including Hilliard Lyons Asset Management and PNC Advisors Wealth Management) fees for administration and servicing with respect to assets of the Fund attributable to shares held by customers of such entities. These assets are predominantly in the Institutional Share Class of the Funds, with respect to which the Fund does not pay shareholder servicing and shareholder providing fees under the Plan. The fees are paid according to the following schedule: Money Market Portfolios - .15% of net assets; Bond Portfolios - .20% of net assets; and Equity Portfolios - .25% of net assets.

Service Organizations may charge their clients additional fees for account-related services. Service Organizations may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to its customers by each individual Service Organization. Processing or service fees typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in the Prospectuses and this Statement of Additional Information. Your Service Organization will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged.

Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund enters into service arrangements with Service Organizations pursuant to which Service Organizations render certain support services to their customers (“Customers”) who are the beneficial owners of Service, Investor A, Investor B, and Investor C Shares of all Portfolios. Such services will be provided to Customers who are the beneficial owners of Shares of such classes and are intended to supplement the services provided by the Fund’s Administrators and transfer agent to the Fund’s shareholders of record. In consideration for payment of a service fee of up to .25% (on an annualized basis) of the average daily net asset value of the Service, Investor A, Investor B and Investor C Shares of all Portfolios owned beneficially by their Customers, Service Organizations may provide general shareholder liaison services, including, but not limited to (i) answering customer inquiries regarding account status and history, the manner in which purchases, exchanges and redemptions of shares may be effected and certain other matters pertaining to the Customers’ investments; and (ii) assisting Customers in designating and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses.

To the extent a shareholder is not associated with a Service Organization, the shareholder servicing fees will be paid to BlackRock, and BlackRock will provide services.

Code of Ethics. The Fund, BlackRock and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.

Proxy Voting Policies. The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to BlackRock and its affiliates, subject to the general oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Fund expects BlackRock and its affiliates to vote proxies related to the Fund’s portfolio securities for which the Fund has voting authority consistent with the Fund’s best interests. BlackRock has adopted its own proxy voting policies (the “Proxy Voting Policy”) to be used in voting the Fund’s proxies, which are summarized below.

BlackRock recognizes that implicit in the initial decision to retain or invest in the security of a corporation is approval of its existing corporate ownership structure, its management, and its operations. Accordingly, proxy proposals that would change the existing status of a corporation are reviewed carefully and supported only when it

seems clear that the proposed changes are likely to benefit the corporation and its shareholders. Notwithstanding this favorable predisposition, BlackRock assesses management on an ongoing basis both in terms of its business capability and its dedication to the shareholders to ensure that BlackRock’s continued confidence remains warranted. If BlackRock determines that management is acting on its own behalf instead of for the well being of the corporation, it will vote to support the shareholder.

BlackRock’s proxy voting policy and its attendant recommendations attempt to generalize a complex subject. Specific fact situations, including differing voting practices in jurisdictions outside the United States, might warrant departure from these guidelines. With respect to voting proxies of non-U.S. companies, a number of logistical problems may arise that may have a detrimental effect on BlackRock’s ability to vote such proxies in the best interests of the Fund. Accordingly, BlackRock may determine not to vote proxies if it believes that the restrictions or other detriments associated with such vote outweigh the benefits that will be derived by voting on the company’s proposal.

Additionally, situations may arise that involve an actual or perceived conflict of interest. For example, BlackRock may manage assets of a pension plan of a company whose management is soliciting proxies, or a BlackRock employee may have a close relative who serves as a director or executive of a company that is soliciting proxies. BlackRock’s policy in all cases is to vote proxies based on its clients’ best interests and not the product of the conflict.

BlackRock has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) to assist it in the voting of proxies. ISS analyzes all proxy solicitations BlackRock receives for its clients and advises BlackRock how, based upon BlackRock’s guidelines, the relevant votes should be cast.

Below is a summary of some of the procedures described in the Proxy Voting Policy.

Routine Matters. BlackRock will generally support routine proxy proposals, amendments, or resolutions if they do not measurably change the structure, management control, or operation of the issuer and they are consistent with industry standards as well as the corporate laws of the state of incorporation of the issuer.

Social Issues. If BlackRock has determined that management is generally socially responsible, it will generally vote against social issue proposals, which are generally proposed by shareholders who believe that the corporation’s internally adopted policies are ill-advised or misguided.

Financial/Corporate Issues. BlackRock will generally vote in favor of proposals that seek to change a corporation’s legal, business or financial structure provided the position of current shareholders is preserved or enhanced.

Shareholder Rights. Proposals in this category are made regularly both by management and shareholders. They can be generalized as involving issues that transfer or realign board or shareholder voting power. BlackRock will generally oppose any proposal aimed solely at thwarting potential takeover offers by requiring, for example, super-majority approval. At the same time it believes stability and continuity promote profitability. Individual proposals may have to be carefully assessed in the context of their particular circumstances.

Copies of the proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-699-1236 and posted on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov no later than August 31, 2005 and will reflect the twelve-month period beginning July 1, 2004 and ending June 30, 2005.

EXPENSES

Expenses are deducted from the total income of each Portfolio before dividends and distributions are paid. These expenses include, but are not limited to, fees paid to BlackRock, PFPC, transfer agency fees, fees and expenses of officers and trustees who are not affiliated with BlackRock, the Distributor or any of their affiliates, taxes, interest, legal fees, custodian fees, auditing fees, distribution fees, shareholder servicing fees, fees and expenses in registering and qualifying the Portfolios and their shares for distribution under federal and state

securities laws, expenses of preparing prospectuses and statements of additional information and of printing and distributing prospectuses and statements of additional information to existing shareholders, expenses relating to shareholder reports, shareholder meetings and proxy solicitations, fidelity bond and trustees and officers liability insurance premiums, the expense of independent pricing services and other expenses which are not expressly assumed by BlackRock or the Fund’s service providers under their agreements with the Fund. Any general expenses of the Fund that do not belong to a particular investment portfolio will be allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees in a manner the Board determines to be fair and equitable.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

In executing portfolio transactions, BlackRock seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for a Portfolio, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved. While BlackRock generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions. Payments of commissions to brokers who are affiliated persons of the Fund (or affiliated persons of such persons), will be made in accordance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.

No Portfolio has any obligation to deal with any broker or group of brokers in the execution of Portfolio transactions. BlackRock may, consistent with the interests of a Portfolio, select brokers on the basis of the research, statistical and pricing services they provide to a Portfolio and BlackRock’s other clients. Information and research received from such brokers will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the services required to be performed by BlackRock under the Advisory Contracts. A commission paid to such brokers may be higher than that which another qualified broker would have charged for effecting the same transaction, provided that BlackRock determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in terms either of the transaction or the overall responsibility of BlackRock to a Portfolio and its other clients and that the total commissions paid by a Portfolio will be reasonable in relation to the benefits to a Portfolio over the long-term. The advisory fees that the Portfolios pay to BlackRock will not be reduced as a consequence of BlackRock’s receipt of brokerage and research services. To the extent the Portfolios’ portfolio transactions are used to obtain such services, the brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolios will exceed those that might otherwise be paid by an amount which cannot be presently determined. Such services generally would be useful and of value to the adviser or sub-advisers in serving one or more of their other clients and, conversely, such services obtained by the placement of brokerage business of other clients generally would be useful to BlackRock in carrying out its obligations to the Portfolios. While such services are not expected to reduce the expenses of BlackRock, BlackRock would, through use of the services, avoid the additional expenses which would be incurred if it should attempt to develop comparable information through its own staff. Commission rates for brokerage transactions on non-U.S. stock exchanges are generally fixed.

Over-the-counter issues, including corporate debt and U.S. Government securities, are normally traded on a “net” basis without a stated commission, through dealers acting for their own account and not as brokers. The Portfolios will primarily engage in transactions with these dealers or deal directly with the issuer unless a better price or execution could be obtained by using a broker. Prices paid to a dealer with respect to both non-U.S. and domestic securities will generally include a “spread,” which is the difference between the prices at which the dealer is willing to purchase and sell the specific security at the time, and includes the dealer’s normal profit.

Purchases of money market instruments by a Portfolio are made from dealers, underwriters and issuers. The Portfolios do not currently expect to incur any brokerage commission expense on such transactions because money market instruments are generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission. The price of the security, however, usually includes a profit to the dealer.

Securities purchased in underwritten offerings include a fixed amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s concession or discount. When securities are purchased or sold directly from or to an issuer, no commissions or discounts are paid.

BlackRock may seek to obtain an undertaking from issuers of commercial paper or dealers selling commercial paper to consider the repurchase of such securities from a Portfolio prior to maturity at their original

cost plus interest (sometimes adjusted to reflect the actual maturity of the securities), if it believes that a Portfolio’s anticipated need for liquidity makes such action desirable. Any such repurchase prior to maturity reduces the possibility that a Portfolio would incur a capital loss in liquidating commercial paper, especially if interest rates have risen since acquisition of such commercial paper.

Investment decisions for a Portfolio and for other investment accounts managed by BlackRock are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. BlackRock allocates investments among client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. A variety of factors will be considered in making such allocations. These factors include: (i) investment objectives or strategies for particular accounts, (ii) tax considerations of an account, (iii) risk or investment concentration parameters for an account, (iv) supply or demand for a security at a given price level, (v) size of available investment, (vi) cash availability and liquidity requirements for accounts, (vii) regulatory restrictions, (viii) minimum investment size of an account, (ix) relative size of account, and (x) such other factors as may be approved by BlackRock’s general counsel. Moreover, investments may not be allocated to one client account over another based on any of the following considerations: (i) to favor one client account at the expense of another, (ii) to generate higher fees paid by one client account over another or to produce greater performance compensation to BlackRock, (iii) to develop or enhance a relationship with a client or prospective client, (iv) to compensate a client for past services or benefits rendered to BlackRock or to induce future services or benefits to be rendered to BlackRock, or (v) to manage or equalize investment performance among different client accounts.

Equity securities will generally be allocated among client accounts within the same investment mandate on a pro rata basis. This pro-rata allocation may result in a Portfolio receiving less of a particular security than if pro-ration had not occurred. All allocations of equity securities will be subject, where relevant, to share minimums established for accounts and compliance constraints.

Initial public offerings of securities may be over-subscribed and subsequently trade at a premium in the secondary market. When BlackRock is given an opportunity to invest in such an initial offering or “hot issue”, the supply of securities available for client accounts is often less than the amount of securities the accounts would otherwise take. In order to allocate these investments fairly and equitably among client accounts over time, each portfolio manager or a member of his or her respective investment team will indicate to BlackRock’s trading desk their level of interest in a particular offering with respect to eligible clients accounts for which that team is responsible. Initial public offerings of U.S. equity securities will be identified as eligible for particular client accounts that are managed by portfolio teams who have indicated interest in the offering based on market capitalization of the issuer of the security and the investment mandate of the client account and in the case of international equity securities, the country where the offering is taken place and the investment mandate of the client account. Generally, shares received during the initial public offering will be allocated among participating client accounts within each investment mandate on a pro rata basis. In situations where supply is too limited to be allocated among all accounts for which the investment is eligible, portfolio managers may rotate such investment opportunities among one or more accounts so long as the rotation system provides for fair access for all client accounts over time.

Because different accounts may have differing investment objectives and policies, BlackRock may buy and sell the same securities at the same time for different clients based on the particular investment objective, guidelines and strategies of those accounts. For example, BlackRock may decide that it may be entirely appropriate for a growth fund to sell a security at the same time a value fund is buying that security. There may be circumstances when purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more clients will have an adverse effect on other clients. For example, sales of a security by BlackRock on behalf of one or more of its clients may decrease the market price of such security, adversely impacting other BlackRock clients that still hold the security.

In certain instances, BlackRock may find it efficient for purposes of achieving best execution, to aggregate certain contemporaneous purchases or sale orders of its advisory accounts (a/k/a “bunching”). In general, all contemporaneous trades for client accounts under management by the same portfolio manager or investment team will be bunched in a single order if the trader believes the bunched trade would provide each client with an opportunity to achieve a more favorable execution at a potentially lower execution cost. The costs associated with a bunched order will be shared pro rata among the clients in the bunched order. Generally, if an order for a particular portfolio manager or management team is filled at several different prices through multiple trades, all accounts participating in the order will receive the average price except in the case of certain international markets where

average pricing is not permitted. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as a Portfolio is concerned, in other cases it could be beneficial to the Portfolio. Transactions effected by BlackRock on behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, causing an adverse effect on price. The trader will give the bunched order to the broker dealer that the trader has identified as being able to provide the best execution of the order. Orders for purchase or sale of securities will be placed within a reasonable amount of time of the order receipt and bunched orders will be kept bunched only long enough to execute the order.

A Portfolio will not purchase securities during the existence of any underwriting or selling group relating to such securities of which BlackRock, PNC Bank, PTC, the Administrators, the Distributor or any affiliated person (as defined in the 1940 Act) thereof is a member except pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees in accordance with Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act. In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased from or sold to BlackRock Advisors, Inc., PNC Bank, PTC, PFPC, the Distributor or any affiliated person of the foregoing entities except as permitted by SEC exemptive order or by applicable law.

The portfolio turnover rate of a Portfolio is calculated by dividing the lesser of a Portfolio’s annual sales or purchases of portfolio securities (exclusive of purchases or sales of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less) by the monthly average value of the securities held by the Portfolio during the year.

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

The Fund has authorized one or more brokers and/or financial institutions (“Authorized Persons”) to receive on its behalf purchase and redemption orders that are in “good form” in accordance with the policies of those Authorized Persons. Such Authorized Persons are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf, and the Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an Authorized Persons or, if applicable, such Authorized Person’s authorized designee, receives the order. Such customer orders will be priced at a Portfolio’s net asset value next computed after they are received by an Authorized Person or such Authorized Person’s authorized designee. Financial institutions may include retirement plan service providers who aggregate purchase and redemption instructions received from numerous retirement plans or plan participants.

Investor Shares

Purchase of Shares. The minimum investment for the initial purchase of shares is $500; there is a $50 minimum for subsequent investments. Purchases through the Automatic Investment Plan are subject to a lower initial purchase minimum. In addition, the minimum initial investment for employees of the Fund, the Fund’s investment adviser, sub-advisers, Distributor or transfer agent or employees of their affiliates is $100, unless payment is made through a payroll deduction program in which case the minimum investment is $25.

Purchases Through Brokers. It is the responsibility of brokers to transmit purchase orders and payment on a timely basis. Generally, if payment is not received within the period described in the prospectuses, the order will be canceled, notice thereof will be given, and the broker and its customers will be responsible for any loss to the Fund or its shareholders. Orders of less than $500 may be mailed by a broker to the transfer agent.

Other Purchase Information. Shares of each Portfolio of the Fund are sold on a continuous basis by BDI as the Distributor. BDI maintains its principal offices at 760 Moore Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Purchases may be effected on weekdays on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for business (a “Business Day”). Payment for orders which are not received or accepted will be returned after prompt inquiry. The issuance of shares is recorded on the books of the Fund. No certificates will be issued for shares. Payments for shares of a Portfolio may, in the discretion of the Fund’s investment adviser, be made in the form of securities that are permissible investments for that Portfolio. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order, to modify or waive the minimum initial or subsequent investment requirement and to suspend and resume the sale of any share class of any Portfolio at any time.

Unless a sales charge waiver applies, Investor B shareholders of a Portfolio pay a contingent deferred sales charge if they redeem during the first six years after purchase, and Investor C shareholders pay a contingent deferred sales charge if they redeem during the first twelve months after purchase. Investors expecting to redeem during these periods should consider the cost of the applicable contingent deferred sales charge in addition to the aggregate annual Investor B or Investor C distribution fees, as compared with the cost of the initial sales charges applicable to the Investor A Shares.

Dealer Reallowances. The following are the front-end sales loads reallowed to dealers as a percentage of the offering price of certain of the Funds’ A Shares. In case where the Distributor acts as dealer, the distributor will not receive a placement fee on purchases of over $1 million of Investor A Shares. For the tables below, the reallowance or placement fees indicated will apply up to the indicated breakpoint (so that, for example, a sale of $4 million worth of Investor A Shares in the Aurora Portfolio will result in a placement fee of 1.00% on the first $3 million and .50% on the final $1 million).

Small/Mid-Cap Growth, Aurora, Health Sciences and Global Resources Portfolios:


Amount of Transaction at Offering Price	Reallowance or Placement Fees to Dealers (as % of Offering Price)*
Less than $50,000	5.00	%
$50,000 but less than $100,000	4.00
$100,000 but less than $250,000	3.00
$250,000 but less than $500,000	2.00
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000	1.75
$1 million but less than $3 million	1.00
$3 million but less than $15 million	0.50
$15 million and above	0.25

*	BlackRock may pay placement fees to dealers as shown on purchases of Investor A Shares of $1,000,000 or more.

LEGACY PORTFOLIO:


Amount of Transaction at Offering Price	Reallowance or Placement Fees to Dealers (as % of Offering Price)*
Less than $50,000	5.00	%
$50,000 but less than $100,000	4.00
$100,000 but less than $250,000	3.00
$250,000 but less than $500,000	2.00
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000	1.75
$1 million but less than $3 million	0.75
$3 million but less than $15 million	0.50
$15 million and above	0.25

*	BlackRock may pay placement fees to dealers as shown on purchases of Investor A Shares of $1,000,000 or more.

During special promotions, the entire sales charge may be reallowed to dealers. Dealers who receive 90% or more of the sales charge may be deemed to be “underwriters” under the 1933 Act. The amount of the sales charge not reallowed to dealers may be paid to broker-dealer affiliates of PNC Bank Corp. who provide sales support services. Furthermore, the Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may, out of their assets and not as an additional charge to the Portfolios, contribute to various non-cash and cash incentive arrangements to promote the

sale of shares, and may sponsor various contests and promotions subject to applicable NASD regulations in which participants may receive prizes such as travel awards, merchandise and cash. The Distributor, BlackRock and their affiliates may also pay for the travel expenses, meals, lodging and entertainment of broker/dealers, financial institutions and their salespersons in connection with educational and sales promotional programs subject to applicable NASD regulations. The compensation arrangements described above generally are made available to all qualified financial institutions, broker/dealers and salespersons when such arrangements are in effect, subject to applicable NASD regulations.

The following special purchase plans result in the waiver or reduction of sales charges for Investor A, B or C shares of each of the Portfolios.

Sales Charge Waivers For Each of the Portfolios—Investor A Shares

Qualified Plans. In general, no sales charge will apply to purchases by authorized qualified employee benefit plans (“Qualified Plans”) of Investor A Shares. BlackRock may pay placement fees to dealers, up to the following amounts, on purchases of Investor A Shares of all Portfolios by Qualified Plans:


Less than $3,000,000	1.00	%
$3 million but less than $15 million	0.50	%
$15 million and above	0.25	%

For the table above, the placement fees indicated will apply up to the indicated breakpoint (so that, for example, a sale of $4 million worth of Investor A Shares will result in a placement fee of up to 1.00% on the first $3 million and .50% on the final $1 million).

Other. The following persons associated with the Fund, the Distributor, the Fund’s investment adviser, sub-advisers or transfer agent and their affiliates may buy Investor A Shares of each of the Portfolios without paying a sales charge to the extent permitted by these firms: (a) officers, directors and partners (and their spouses and minor children); (b) employees and retirees (and their spouses and minor children); (c) registered representatives of brokers who have entered into selling agreements with the Distributor; (d) spouses or children of such persons; and (e) any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for any of the persons set forth in (a) through (c). The following persons may also buy Investor A Shares without paying a sales charge: (a) persons investing through an authorized payroll deduction plan; (b) persons investing through an authorized investment plan for organizations which operate under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (c) registered investment advisers, trust companies and bank trust departments exercising discretionary investment authority with respect to amounts to be invested in a Portfolio; (d) persons participating in a “wrap account” or similar program under which they pay advisory fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution; and (e) persons participating in an account or program under which they pay fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution for providing transaction processing and other administrative services, but not investment advisory services. Investors who qualify for any of these exemptions from the sales charge must purchase Investor A Shares.

The CDSC related to purchases of $1,000,000 or more of Investor A Shares is not charged if the dealer receives a placement fee over time during the 18 months after purchase.

Reduced Sales Charges For Each of the Portfolios—Investor A Shares

Because of reductions in the front-end sales charge for purchases of Investor A Shares aggregating $50,000 or more, it may be advantageous for investors purchasing large quantities of Investor Shares to purchase Investor A Shares. In any event, the Fund will not accept any purchase order for $1,000,000 or more of Investor B Shares or Investor C Shares.

Quantity Discounts. Larger purchases may reduce the sales charge price. Upon notice to the investor’s broker or the transfer agent, purchases of Investor A Shares made at any one time by the following persons may be

considered when calculating the sales charge: (a) an individual, his or her spouse and their children under the age of 21; (b) a trustee or fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account; or (c) any organized group which has been in existence for more than six months, if it is not organized for the purpose of buying redeemable securities of a registered investment company, and if the purchase is made through a central administrator, or through a single dealer, or by other means which result in economy of sales effort or expense. An organized group does not include a group of individuals whose sole organizational connection is participation as credit card holders of a company, policyholders of an insurance company, customers of either a bank or broker/dealer or clients of an investment adviser. Purchases made by an organized group may include, for example, a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing for a single fiduciary account or other employee benefit plan purchases made through a payroll deduction plan.

Right of Accumulation. Under the Right of Accumulation, the current value of an investor’s existing Investor A Shares in any of the Portfolios that are subject to a front-end sales charge may be combined with the amount of the investor’s current purchase in determining the applicable sales charge. In order to receive the cumulative quantity reduction, previous purchases of Investor A Shares must be called to the attention of PFPC by the investor at the time of the current purchase.

Reinstatement Privilege. Upon redemption of Investor A, B or C Shares of a Portfolio a shareholder has a one-time right, to be exercised within 60 days, to reinvest the redemption proceeds in Investor A Shares of the same Portfolio without paying any front-end sales charge (although any redemption of Investor B or C Shares will be subject to any applicable CDSC). PFPC must be notified of the reinvestment in writing by the purchaser, or by his or her broker, at the time purchase is made in order to eliminate a sales charge. An investor should consult a tax adviser concerning the tax consequences of use of the reinstatement privilege.

Letter of Intent. An investor may qualify for a reduced sales charge immediately by signing a Letter of Intent stating the investor’s intention to invest during the next 13 months a specified amount in Investor A Shares of a Portfolio which, if made at one time, would qualify for a reduced sales charge. The Letter of Intent may be signed at any time within 90 days after the first investment to be included in the Letter of Intent. The investor must instruct PFPC upon making subsequent purchases that such purchases are subject to a Letter of Intent. All dividends and capital gains of a Portfolio that are invested in additional Investor A Shares of the same Portfolio are applied to the Letter of Intent.

During the term of a Letter of Intent, the Fund’s transfer agent will hold Investor A Shares representing up to 5% of the indicated amount in escrow for payment of a higher sales load if the full amount indicated in the Letter of Intent is not purchased. The escrowed Investor A Shares will be released when the full amount indicated has been purchased. Any redemptions made during the 13-month period will be subtracted from the amount of purchases in determining whether the Letter of Intent has been completed.

If the full amount indicated is not purchased within the 13-month period, the investor will be required to pay an amount equal to the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge the investor would have had to pay on his or her aggregate purchases if the total of such purchases had been made at a single time. If remittance is not received within 20 days of the expiration of the 13-month period, PFPC, as attorney-in-fact, pursuant to the terms of the Letter of Intent, will redeem an appropriate number of Investor A Shares held in escrow to realize the difference.

Investor B Shares

Investor B Shares of the Portfolios are subject to a deferred sales charge if they are redeemed within six years of purchase. Dealers will generally receive commissions equal to 4.00% of Investor B Shares sold by them plus ongoing fees under the Fund’s Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan. Dealers may not receive a commission in connection with sales of Investor B Shares to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund, BlackRock or its affiliates, but may receive fees under the Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan. These commissions and payments may be different than the reallowances, placement fees and commissions paid to dealers in connection with sales of Investor A Shares and Investor C Shares.

Investor C Shares

Investor C Shares of the Portfolios are subject to a deferred sales charge of 1% based on the lesser of the original cost or the net asset value of the Investor C Shares on the redemption date if redeemed within twelve months after purchase. Dealers will generally immediately receive commissions equal to 1% of the Investor C Shares sold by them plus ongoing fees under the Fund’s Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan. Dealers may not receive a commission in connection with sales of Investor C Shares to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund, BlackRock or its affiliates, but may receive fees under the Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan. These commissions and payments may be different than the reallowances, placement fees and commissions paid to dealers in connection with sales of Investor A Shares and Investor B Shares.

Exemptions from and Reductions of the Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Investor B and Investor C Shares. The contingent deferred sales charge on Investor B Shares and Investor C Shares of the Portfolios is not charged in connection with: (1) redemptions of Shares purchased through certain authorized Qualified Plans; (2) exchanges described in “Exchange Privilege” below; (3) redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions due to the shareholder reaching age 70¹/2 from IRA and 403(b)(7) accounts; (4) redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund, BlackRock or its affiliates; (5) redemptions in connection with a shareholder’s death (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent) or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) subsequent to the purchase of Shares; (6) involuntary redemptions of Shares in accounts with low balances as described in “Redemption of Shares” below; (7) redemptions made pursuant to the Systematic Withdrawal Plan, subject to the limitations set forth under “Systematic Withdrawal Plan” below; and (8) redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Fund. In addition, no contingent deferred sales charge is charged on Shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions.

When an investor redeems Investor B or C Shares, the redemption order is processed to minimize the amount of the contingent deferred sales charge that will be charged. Investor B or C Shares are redeemed first from those shares that are not subject to the deferred sales load (i.e., shares that were acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions) and after that from the shares that have been held the longest.

Shareholder Features

Exchange Privilege. Exchanges of Investor A Shares may be subject to the difference between the sales charge previously paid on the exchanged shares and the higher sales charge (if any) payable with respect to the shares acquired in the exchange. The exchange of Investor B and Investor C Shares will not be subject to a CDSC, which will continue to be measured from the date of the original purchase and will not be affected by exchanges.

Unless an exemption applies, a front-end sales charge will be charged in connection with exchanges of Investor A Shares of a Money Market Portfolio of the Fund for Investor A Shares of the Fund’s Non-Money Market Portfolios. Exchanges of Investor B or Investor C Shares of a Money Market Portfolio for Investor B or Investor C Shares of a Non-Money Market Portfolio of the Fund will be exercised at NAV. However, a CDSC will be charged in connection with the redemption of the Investor B or Investor C Shares of the Non-Money Market Portfolio received in the exchange. In determining the holding period for calculating the contingent deferred sales charge payable on redemption of Investor B and Investor C Shares of the Portfolios, the holding period of the Investor B or Investor C Shares originally held will be added to the holding period of the Investor B or Investor C Shares acquired through exchange.

A shareholder wishing to make an exchange may do so by sending a written request to the Fund c/o PFPC at the following address: PFPC Inc., P.O. Box 9819, Providence, RI 02940-8019. Shareholders are automatically provided with telephone exchange privileges when opening an account, unless they indicate on the Application that they do not wish to use this privilege. To add this feature to an existing account that previously did not provide this option, a Telephone Exchange Authorization Form must be filed with PFPC. This form is available from PFPC. Once this election has been made, the shareholder may simply contact PFPC by telephone at (800) 441-7762 to request the exchange. During periods of substantial economic or market change, telephone exchanges may be difficult to complete and shareholders may have to submit exchange requests to PFPC in writing.

If the exchanging shareholder does not currently own shares of the investment portfolio whose shares are being acquired, a new account will be established with the same registration, dividend and capital gain options and broker of record as the account from which shares are exchanged, unless otherwise specified in writing by the shareholder with all signatures guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution as defined below. In order to participate in the Automatic Investment Program or establish a Systematic Withdrawal Plan for the new account, however, an exchanging shareholder must file a specific written request.

Any share exchange must satisfy the requirements relating to the minimum initial investment requirement, and must be legally available for sale in the state of the investor’s residence. For Federal income tax purposes, a share exchange is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be realized. Before making an exchange request, shareholders should consult a tax or other financial adviser and should consider the investment objective, policies and restrictions of the investment portfolio into which the shareholder is making an exchange. Brokers may charge a fee for handling exchanges.

The Fund reserves the right to suspend, modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. Notice will be given to shareholders of any material modification or termination except where notice is not required. The Fund reserves the right to reject any telephone exchange request. Telephone exchanges may be subject to limitations as to amount or frequency, and to other restrictions that may be established from time to time to ensure that exchanges do not operate to the disadvantage of any portfolio or its shareholders. The Fund, the Administrators and the Distributor will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. The Fund, the Administrators and the Distributor will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for acting upon telephone instructions reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with such procedures. Exchange orders may also be sent by mail to the shareholder’s broker or to PFPC at P.O. Box 9819, Providence, RI 02940-8019.

By use of the exchange privilege, the investor authorizes the Fund’s transfer agent to act on telephonic or written exchange instructions from any person representing himself to be the investor and believed by the Fund’s transfer agent to be genuine. The records of the Fund’s transfer agent pertaining to such instructions are binding. The exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time upon 60 days’ notice to affected shareholders. The exchange privilege is only available in states where the exchange may legally be made.

The redemption of shares of one Portfolio and the subsequent investment in another Portfolio generally will be treated as two separate transactions. Therefore, a front-end sales charge will be imposed (unless an exemption applies) on the purchase of Investor A Shares of a Non-Money Market Portfolio with the proceeds of a redemption of Investor Shares of a Money Market Portfolio. In addition, when Investor Shares of a Money Market Portfolio are redeemed and the proceeds are used to purchase Investor B Shares or Investor C Shares of a Non-Money Market Portfolio, a contingent deferred sales charge will be imposed (unless an exemption applies) when the Investor B Shares or Investor C Shares of the Non-Money Market Portfolio are redeemed.

Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). Investor Share shareholders may arrange for periodic investments in that Portfolio through automatic deductions from a checking or savings account by completing the AIP Application Form which may be obtained from PFPC. The minimum pre-authorized investment amount is $50.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan (“SWP”). The Fund offers a Systematic Withdrawal Plan which may be used by Investor Share shareholders who wish to receive regular distributions from their accounts. Upon commencement of the SWP, the account must have a current value of $10,000 or more in a Portfolio. Shareholders may elect to receive automatic cash payments of $50 or more either monthly, every other month, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. Automatic withdrawals are normally processed on the 25^th day of the month or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next Business Day and are paid promptly thereafter. An investor may utilize the SWP by completing the SWP Application Form which may be obtained from PFPC.

Shareholders should realize that if withdrawals exceed income dividends their invested principal in the account will be depleted. To participate in the SWP, shareholders must have their dividends automatically reinvested. Shareholders may change or cancel the SWP at any time, upon written notice to PFPC, or by calling PFPC at (800) 441-7762. Purchases of additional Investor A Shares of the Fund concurrently with withdrawals may be disadvantageous to investors because of the sales charges involved and, therefore, are discouraged. No

contingent deferred sales charge will be assessed on redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares made through the SWP that do not exceed 12% of the original investment on an annualized basis. For example, monthly, quarterly and semi-annual SWP redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares will not be subject to the CDSC if they do not exceed 1%, 3% and 6%, respectively, of an account’s net asset value on the redemption date. SWP redemptions of Investor B or Investor C Shares in excess of this limit are still subject to the applicable CDSC.

Redemption of Shares. Except as noted below, a request for redemption must be signed by all persons in whose names the shares are registered. Signatures must conform exactly to the account registration. If the proceeds of the redemption would exceed $25,000, or if the proceeds are not to be paid to the record owner at the record address, or if the shareholder is a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, signature(s) must be guaranteed by any eligible guarantor institution.

A signature guarantee is designed to protect the shareholders and the Portfolio against fraudulent transactions by unauthorized persons. A signature guarantee may be obtained from a domestic bank or trust company, recognized broker, dealer, clearing agency, savings association who are participants in a medallion program by the Securities Transfer Association, credit unions, national securities exchanges and registered securities associations. The three recognized medallion programs are Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program (STAMP), Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program (MSP). Signature Guarantees which are not a part of these programs will not be accepted. Please note that a notary public stamp or seal is not acceptable.

Generally, a properly signed written request with any required signature guarantee is all that is required for a redemption. In some cases, however, other documents may be necessary. Additional documentary evidence of authority is required by PFPC in the event redemption is requested by a corporation, partnership, trust, fiduciary, executor or administrator.

Institutional and BlackRock Shares

Purchase of Shares. Employees of BlackRock and Trustees of the Fund may buy BlackRock or Institutional Shares of the fund without regard to any existing minimum investment requirements. The Fund may in its discretion waive or modify the minimum investment amount, may reject any order for Institutional and BlackRock Shares and may suspend and resume the sale of shares of any Portfolio at any time.

Institutional Shares of the Portfolios may be purchased by customers of broker-dealers and agents which have established a servicing relationship with the Fund on behalf of their customers. These broker-dealers and agents may impose additional or different conditions on the purchase or redemption of Portfolio shares by their customers and may charge their customers transaction, account or other fees on the purchase and redemption of Portfolio shares. Each broker-dealer or agent is responsible for transmitting to its customers a schedule of any such fees and information regarding any additional or different conditions regarding purchases and redemptions. Shareholders who are customers of such broker-dealers or agents should consult them for information regarding these fees and conditions.

Service Shares

Redemption of Shares. The Fund may redeem Service Shares in any Portfolio account if the account balance drops below $5,000 as the result of redemption requests and the shareholder does not increase the balance to at least $5,000 upon thirty days’ written notice. If a customer has agreed with an Institution to maintain a minimum balance in his or her account with the Institution, and the balance in the account falls below that minimum, the customer may be obligated to redeem all or part of his or her shares in the Portfolio to the extent necessary to maintain the minimum balance required.

DCC&S. Qualified Plans may be able to invest in shares of the Portfolios through the Defined Contribution Clearance and Settlement system (“DCC&S”) of the National Securities Clearing Corporation. Institutions qualifying to trade on DCC&S include broker/dealers, trust companies and third party administrators. Please contact the Fund for information on agreements, procedures, sales charges and fees related to DCC&S transactions.

Payment of Redemption Proceeds

The Fund may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for such periods as are permitted under the 1940 Act, and may redeem shares involuntarily or make payment for redemption in securities or other property when determined appropriate in light of the Fund’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

The Fund reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of a Portfolio’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Fund and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing a Portfolio’s net asset value. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash. The Fund has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that a Portfolio is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its net asset value during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of a Portfolio.

Under the 1940 Act, a Portfolio may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which trading on the NYSE is restricted, or during which (as determined by the SEC by rule or regulation) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation or portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit. (A Portfolio may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions.)

The Fund may redeem shares involuntarily to reimburse a Portfolio for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full-payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder. The Fund reserves the express right to redeem shares of each Portfolio involuntarily at any time if the Fund’s Board of Trustees determines, in its sole discretion, that failure to do so may have adverse consequences to the holders of shares in the Portfolio. Upon such redemption the holders of shares so redeemed shall have no further right with respect thereto other than to receive payment of the redemption price.

Dividends and Distributions

Each Portfolio will distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders. The net investment income of each of the Portfolios is declared quarterly as a dividend to investors who are shareholders of the Portfolio at the close of business on the record day. All dividends are paid not later than ten days after the end of each quarter. Any net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains) will be distributed by each Portfolio of the Fund at least annually. The period for which dividends are payable and the time for payment are subject to change by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Distributions are reinvested at net asset value in additional full and fractional shares of the same class on which the distributions are paid, unless a shareholder elects to receive distributions in cash. This election, or any revocation thereof, must be made in writing to PFPC, and will become effective with respect to distributions paid after its receipt by PFPC.

VALUATION OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

In determining the market value of portfolio investments, the Fund may employ outside organizations, which may use, without limitation, a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indexes, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments. This may result in the securities being valued at a price

different from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used. All cash, receivables and current payables are carried on the Fund’s books at their face value. Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith under the supervision of the Board of Trustees.

Net asset value is calculated separately for each class of shares of each Portfolio as of the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each Business Day by dividing the value of all securities, cash and other assets owned by a Portfolio that are allocated to a particular class of shares, less the liabilities charged to that class, by the total number of outstanding shares of the class.

Valuation of securities held by each Portfolio is as follows: securities traded on a national securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the last reported sale price that day or the NASDAQ official closing price (“NOCP”), if applicable; securities traded on a national securities exchange for which there were no sales on that day and securities traded on other over-the-counter markets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices; an option or futures contract is valued at the last sales price prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), as quoted on the principal exchange or board of trade on which such option or contract is traded, or in the absence of a sale, the mean between the last bid and asked prices prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time); and securities for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair market value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. The amortized cost method of valuation may also be used with respect to debt obligations with sixty days or less remaining to maturity unless the investment adviser and/or sub-adviser under the supervision of the Board of Trustees determines such method does not represent fair value.

Valuation of securities of non-U.S. issuers is as follows: to the extent sale prices are available, securities which are traded on a recognized stock exchange, whether U.S. or non-U.S., are valued at the latest sale price on that exchange prior to the time when assets are valued or prior to the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE. In the event that there are no sales, the mean between the last available bid and asked prices will be used. If a security is traded on more than one exchange, the latest sale price on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded is used. An option or futures contract is valued at the last sales price prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), as quoted on the principal exchange or board of trade on which such option or contract is traded, or in the absence of a sale, the mean between the last bid and asked prices prior to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). In the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for a security which is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such security, the security will be valued by, under the direction of or in accordance with a method specified by the Board of Trustees as reflecting fair value. The amortized cost method of valuation will be used with respect to debt obligations with sixty days or less remaining to maturity unless the investment adviser and/or sub-adviser under the supervision of the Board of Trustees determines such method does not represent fair value. All other assets and securities held by the Portfolios (including restricted securities) are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or by someone under its direction. Any assets which are denominated in a non-U.S. currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates.

Certain of the securities acquired by the Portfolios may be traded on non-U.S. exchanges or over-the-counter markets on days on which a Portfolio’s net asset value is not calculated. In such cases, the net asset value of the Portfolio’s shares may be significantly affected on days when investors can neither purchase nor redeem shares of the Portfolio.

A Portfolio may use a pricing service, bank or broker/dealer experienced in such matters to value the Portfolio’s securities.

Fair Value. When the exchange or market on which a security or other asset is traded does not open for trading for an entire trading day, and no other market prices are available, market quotations are not readily available. Market quotations may not be reliable when there is a substantial time differential between the close of trading for the asset and the time as of which the Fund values its assets and when significant events have occurred in the markets or in related instruments such as ADRs. When market quotations are not readily available or are believed by BlackRock to be unreliable, the Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (“Fair Value Assets”).

Fair Value Assets generally are valued by BlackRock in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. BlackRock may conclude that a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable if a

security or other asset does not have a price source due to its lack of liquidity, if BlackRock believes a market quotation from a broker-dealer is unreliable (e.g., where it varies significantly from a recent trade), where the security or other asset is thinly traded or where there is a significant event subsequent to the most recent market quotation. For these purpose, a “significant event” is deemed to occur if the BlackRock Portfolio Management Group and/or the Pricing Group determines, in its business judgment prior to or at the time of pricing the Fund’s assets, that it is highly likely that the event will cause a material change to the last closing market price of one or more assets held by the Fund.

BlackRock’s Pricing Group will submit its recommendations regarding the valuation and/or valuation methodologies for Fair Value Assets to BlackRock’s Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee may accept, modify or reject any recommendations. The pricing of all Fair Value Assets shall be subsequently reported to and ratified by the Board.

When determining the price for a Fair Value Asset, the Valuation Committee (or the Pricing Group) shall seek to determine the price that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset in an arm’s-length transaction. The price generally may not be determined based on what the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for selling an asset at a later time or if it holds the asset to maturity. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee (or Pricing Group) deems relevant.

Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of a security. The fair value of one or more securities may not, in retrospect, be the prices at which those assets could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used in determining a Portfolio’s net asset value. As a result, a Portfolio’s sale or redemption of its shares at net asset value, at a time when a holding or holdings are valued at fair value, may have the effect of diluting or increasing the economic interest of existing shareholders.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

A Portfolio may quote performance in various ways. All performance information supplied by a Portfolio in advertising is historical and is not intended to indicate future returns.

The performance of each class of Investor Shares of a Portfolio may be compared to the performance of mutual funds with similar investment objectives and to relevant indices, as well as to ratings or rankings prepared by independent services or other financial or industry publications that monitor the performance of mutual funds. For example, the yield of a particular class of Investor Shares of a Portfolio may be compared to data prepared by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. and Weisenberger Investment Company Service. Performance information may also include evaluations of the Portfolios published in nationally recognized ranking services, and information as reported by financial publications such as Business Week, Fortune, Institutional Investor, Money Magazine, Forbes, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, or in publications of a local or regional nature.

Performance quotations for shares of a Portfolio represent past performance and should not be considered as representative of future results. The yield of any investment is generally a function of portfolio quality and maturity, type of investment and operating expenses. Yields will fluctuate and are not necessarily representative of future results. Any fees charged by affiliates of the Portfolio’s investment adviser or other institutions directly to their customers’ accounts in connection with investments in the Portfolios will not be included in the Portfolios’ calculations of yield and performance.

Total Return. For purposes of quoting and comparing the performance of shares of the Portfolios to the performance of other mutual funds and to stock or other relevant indexes in advertisements, sales literature, communications to shareholders and other materials, performance may be stated in terms of total return. The total return for each class of a Portfolio will be calculated independently of the other classes within that Portfolio. Under the rules of the SEC, funds advertising performance must include total return quotes calculated according to the following formula:


		T = [(ERV^1/n) – 1] P
Where:	T =	average annual total return.

	ERV =	ending redeemable value at the end of the period covered by the computation of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the period.

	P =	hypothetical initial payment of $1,000.

	n =	period covered by the computation, expressed in terms of years.

In calculating the ending redeemable value for Investor A Shares of the Portfolios, the maximum front-end sales charge is deducted from the initial $1,000 payment and all dividends and distributions by the particular Portfolio are assumed to have been reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period. In calculating the ending redeemable value for Investor B Shares of the Portfolios, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is deducted at the end of the period and all dividends and distributions by the particular Portfolio are assumed to have been reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period. In calculating the ending redeemable value for Investor C Shares of the Fund’s Portfolios, the maximum contingent deferred sales charge is deducted at the end of the period, and all dividends and distributions by the particular Portfolio are assumed to have been reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period. Total return, or “T” in the formula above, is computed by finding the average annual compounded rates of return over the specified periods that would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value.

Each class of the Portfolios may also from time to time include in advertisements, sales literature, communications to shareholders and other materials a total return figure that is not calculated according to the formula set forth above in order to compare more accurately the performance of each class of a Portfolio’s shares with other performance measures. For example, in comparing the total return of a Portfolio’s shares with data published by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. or Weisenberger Investment Company Service, or with the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index, EAFE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the Shearson Lehman Hutton Government Corporate Bond Index, as appropriate, a Portfolio may calculate the aggregate total return for its shares of a certain class for the period of time specified in the advertisement or communication by assuming the investment of $10,000 in such Portfolio’s shares and assuming the reinvestment of each dividend or other distribution at net asset value on the reinvestment date. Percentage increases are determined by subtracting the initial value of the investment from the ending value and by dividing the remainder by the beginning value. A Portfolio may not, for these purposes, deduct from the initial value invested or the ending value any amount representing front-end and deferred sales charges charged to purchasers of Investor A, Investor B or Investor C Shares. The Investor A, Investor B and Investor C classes of the Portfolio will, however, disclose, if appropriate, the maximum applicable sales charges and will also disclose that the performance data does not reflect sales charges and that inclusion of sales charges would reduce the performance quoted.

In addition to average annual total returns, a Portfolio may quote unaveraged or cumulative total returns reflecting the simple change in value of an investment over a stated period. Average annual and cumulative total returns may be quoted as a percentage or as a dollar amount, and may be calculated for a single investment, a series of investments, or a series of redemptions, over any time period. Total returns may be broken down into their components of income and capital (including capital gains and changes in share price) in order to illustrate the relationship of these factors and their contributions to total return. Total returns may be quoted on a before-tax or after-tax basis and may be quoted with or without taking sales charges into account. Excluding the sales charge from a total return calculation produces a higher total return figure. Total returns, yields, and other performance information may be quoted numerically or in a table, graph or similar illustration.

Performance information for each class of the Portfolios’ shares may be quoted in advertisements and communications to shareholders. Total return will be calculated on an average annual total return basis for various periods. Average annual total return reflects the average annual percentage change in value of an investment in shares of a Portfolio over the measuring period. Total return may also be calculated on an aggregate total return

basis. Aggregate total return reflects the total percentage change in value over the measuring period. Both methods of calculating total return assume that dividend and capital gain distributions made by a Portfolio with respect to a class of shares are reinvested in shares of the same class, and also reflect the maximum sales load charged by the Portfolio with respect to a class of shares. When, however, a Portfolio compares the total return of a share class to that of other funds or relevant indices, total return may also be computed without reflecting the sales load.

The performance of a class of a Portfolio’s shares may be compared to the performance of other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and to relevant indices, as well as to ratings or rankings prepared by independent services or other financial or industry publications that monitor the performance of mutual funds. For example, the performance of a class of each of the Portfolio’s shares may be compared to data prepared by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. and Weisenberger Investment Company Service, and with the performance of the Lehman GNMA Index, the T-Bill Index, the “stocks, bonds and inflation index” published annually by Ibbotson Associates and the Lehman Government Corporate Bond Index. The performance of a class of each of the Portfolio’s shares may be compared to data prepared by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. and Weisenberger Investment Company Service, and to the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the “stocks bonds and inflation index” published annually by Ibbotson Associates, the Lipper International Fund Index, the Lipper Small Cap International Fund Index, the Lehman Corporate Bond Index and the Financial Times World Stock Index. Performance information may also include evaluations of the Portfolios and their share classes published by nationally recognized ranking services, and information as reported in financial publications such as Business Week, Fortune, Institutional Investor, Money Magazine, Forbes, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, or in publications of a local or regional nature.

In addition to providing performance information that demonstrates the actual yield or return of a class of shares of particular Portfolio, a Portfolio may provide other information demonstrating hypothetical investment returns. This information may include, but is not limited to, illustrating the compounding effects of dividends in a dividend investment plan or the impact on tax-deferring investing.

Performance quotations for shares of a Portfolio represent past performance and should not be considered representative of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment in a Portfolio will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Since performance will fluctuate, performance data for shares of a Portfolio cannot necessarily be used to compare an investment in such shares with bank deposits, savings accounts and similar investment alternatives which often provide an agreed or guaranteed fixed yield for a stated period of time. Performance is generally a function of the kind and quality of the instruments held in a portfolio, portfolio maturity, operating expenses and market conditions. Any fees charged by brokers or other institutions directly to their customer accounts in connection with investments in shares will not be included in the Portfolio performance calculations.

Other Information Regarding Investment Returns. In addition to providing performance information that demonstrates the total return or yield of shares of a particular class of a Portfolio over a specified period of time, the Fund may provide certain other information demonstrating hypothetical investment returns. Such information may include, but is not limited to, illustrating the compounding effects of dividends in a dividend reinvestment plan or the impact of tax-free investing. The Fund may demonstrate, using certain specified hypothetical data, the compounding effect of dividend reinvestment on investments in a Portfolio.

Miscellaneous. Yields on shares of a Portfolio may fluctuate daily and do not provide a basis for determining future yields. Because such yields will fluctuate, they cannot be compared with yields on savings account or other investment alternatives that provide an agreed to or guaranteed fixed yield for a stated period of time. In comparing the yield of one Portfolio to another, consideration should be given to each Portfolio’s investment policies, including the types of investments made, lengths of maturities of the portfolio securities, market conditions, operating expenses and whether there are any special account charges which may reduce the effective yield. The fees which may be imposed by Service Organizations and other institutions on their customers are not reflected in the calculations of total returns or yields for the Portfolios.

When comparing a Portfolio’s performance to stock, bond, and money market mutual fund performance indices prepared by Lipper or other organizations, it is important to remember the risk and return characteristics of

each type of investment. For example, while stock mutual funds may offer higher potential returns, they also carry the highest degree of share price volatility. Likewise, money market funds may offer greater stability of principal, but generally do not offer the higher potential returns from stock mutual funds.

From time to time, a Portfolio’s performance may also be compared to other mutual funds tracked by financial or business publications and periodicals. For example a Portfolio may quote Morningstar, Inc. in its advertising materials. Morningstar, Inc. is a mutual fund rating service that rates mutual funds on the basis of risk-adjusted performance. Rankings that compare the performance of Portfolios to one another in appropriate categories over specific periods of time may also be quoted in advertising.

Ibbotson Associates of Chicago, Illinois (“Ibbotson”) provides historical returns of the capital markets in the United States, including common stocks, small capitalization stocks, long-term corporate bonds, intermediate-term government bonds, long-term government bonds, Treasury bills, the U.S. rate of inflation (based on the Consumer Price Index), and combinations of various capital markets. The performance of these capital markets is based on the returns of different indices. Portfolios may use the performance of these capital markets in order to demonstrate general risk-versus-reward investment scenarios. Performance comparisons may also include the value of a hypothetical investment in any of these capital markets. The risks associated with the security types in any capital market may or may not correspond directly to those of the Portfolios. The Portfolios may also compare performance to that of other compilations or indices that may be developed and made available in the future.

The Fund may also from time to time include discussions or illustrations of the effects of compounding in advertisements. “Compounding” refers to the fact that, if dividends or other distributions on a Portfolio investment are reinvested by being paid in additional Portfolio shares, any future income or capital appreciation of a Portfolio would increase the value, not only of the original investment in the Portfolio, but also of the additional Portfolio shares received through reinvestment. The Fund may also include discussions or illustrations of the potential investment goals of a prospective investor, (including materials that describe general principles of investing, such as asset allocation, diversification, risk tolerance, and goal setting, questionnaires designed to help create a personal financial profile, worksheets used to project savings needs based on assumed rates of inflation and hypothetical rates of return and action plans offering investment alternatives) investment management techniques, policies or investment suitability of a Portfolio (such as value investing, market timing, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation, constant ratio transfer, automatic account rebalancing, the advantages and disadvantages of investing in tax-deferred and taxable investments), economic and political conditions and the relationship between sectors of the economy and the economy as a whole, the effects of inflation and historical performance of various asset classes, including but not limited to, stocks, bonds and Treasury bills. From time to time advertisements, sales literature, communications to shareholders or other materials may summarize the substance of information contained in shareholder reports (including the investment composition of a Portfolio), as well as the views of the Portfolios’ adviser and/or sub-advisers as to current market, economy, trade and interest rate trends, legislative, regulatory and monetary developments, investment strategies and related matters believed to be of relevance to a Portfolio. In addition, selected indices may be used to illustrate historic performance of select asset classes. The Fund may also include in advertisements, sales literature, communications to shareholders or other materials, charts, graphs or drawings which illustrate the potential risks and rewards of investment in various investment vehicles, including but not limited to, stocks, bonds, Treasury bills and shares of a Portfolio. In addition, advertisements, sales literature, shareholder communications or other materials may include a discussion of certain attributes or benefits to be derived by an investment in a Portfolio and/or other mutual funds, benefits, characteristics or services associated with a particular class of shares, shareholder profiles and hypothetical investor scenarios, timely information on financial management, tax and retirement planning and investment alternative to certificates of deposit and other financial instruments. Such advertisements or communicators may include symbols, headlines or other material which highlight or summarize the information discussed in more detail therein. Materials may include lists of representative clients of the Portfolios’ investment adviser and sub-advisers. Materials may refer to the CUSIP numbers of the various classes of the Portfolios and may illustrate how to find the listings of the Portfolios in newspapers and periodicals. Materials may also include discussions of other Portfolios, products, and services.

Charts and graphs using net asset values, adjusted net asset values, and benchmark indices may be used to exhibit performance. An adjusted NAV includes any distributions paid and reflects all elements of return. Unless otherwise indicated, the adjusted NAVs are not adjusted for sales charges, if any.

A Portfolio may illustrate performance using moving averages. A long-term moving average is the average of each week’s adjusted closing NAV for a specified period. A short-term moving average is the average of each day’s adjusted closing NAV for a specified period. Moving Average Activity Indicators combine adjusted closing NAVs from the last business day of each week with moving averages for a specified period to produce indicators showing when an NAV has crossed, stayed above, or stayed below its moving average.

A Portfolio may quote various measures of volatility and benchmark correlation in advertising. In addition, a Portfolio may compare these measures to those of other funds. Measures of volatility seek to compare the historical share price fluctuations or total returns to those of a benchmark. Measures of benchmark correlation indicate how valid a comparative benchmark may be. All measures of volatility and correlation are calculated using averages of historical data.

Momentum indicators indicate a Portfolio’s price movements over specific periods of time. Each point on the momentum indicator represents the Portfolio’s percentage change in price movements over that period.

A Portfolio may advertise examples of the effects of periodic investment plans, including the principle of dollar cost averaging. In such a program, an investor invests a fixed dollar amount in a fund at periodic intervals, thereby purchasing fewer shares when prices are high and more shares when prices are low. While such a strategy does not assure a profit or guard against loss in a declining market, the investor’s average cost per share can be lower than if fixed numbers of shares are purchased at the same intervals. In evaluating such a plan, investors should consider their ability to continue purchasing shares during periods of low price levels. A Portfolio may be available for purchase through retirement plans or other programs offering deferral of, or exemption from, income taxes, which may produce superior after-tax returns over time.

A Portfolio may advertise its current interest rate sensitivity, duration, weighted average maturity or similar maturity characteristics.

Advertisements and sales materials relating to a Portfolio may include information regarding the background, experience and expertise of the investment adviser and/or portfolio manager for the Portfolio.

TAXES

The following is only a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Portfolios and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectuses. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Portfolios or their shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectuses is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Investors are urged to consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situation.

Each Portfolio of the Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for taxation as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a regulated investment company, each Portfolio generally is exempt from federal income tax on its investment company taxable income, as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid, and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) that it distributes to shareholders, provided that it distributes an amount equal to at least the sum of (a) 90% of its investment company taxable income and (b) 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any, for the year (the “Distribution Requirement”) and satisfies certain other requirements of the Code that are described below. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net tax-exempt interest income made during the taxable year or, under specified circumstances, within twelve months after the close of the taxable year will satisfy the Distribution Requirement.

In addition to satisfaction of the Distribution Requirement, each Portfolio must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or non-U.S. currencies (including, but not limited to, gains from forward non-U.S. currency exchange contracts), or from other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies (the “Income Requirement”).

In addition to the foregoing requirements, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of each Portfolio’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which a Portfolio generally has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of such issuer and as to which a Portfolio does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer), and no more than 25% of the value of each Portfolio’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), or in two or more issuers which such Portfolio controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses.

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the “Act”), which the President recently signed into law, provides that for taxable years beginning after 2004, income form certain publicly traded partnerships will be treated as good income for purposes of the Income Requirement. However, the aggregate value of a regulated investment company’s holdings in publicly traded partnerships may not exceed 25 percent of the regulated investment company’s total value.

Distributions of investment company taxable income from a Portfolio will generally be taxable (other than qualified dividend income and the possible allowance of the dividends received deduction described below) to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of that Portfolio’s earnings and profits, regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or are reinvested in shares. However, for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, distributions of investment company taxable income that are designated by a Portfolio as derived from qualified dividend income are taxed to individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains. A Portfolio will notify shareholders of the amount of any distribution that may constitute qualified dividend income not later than 60 days after the close of its taxable year. If a Portfolio receives 95% or more of its gross income (as defined for that purpose) from qualified dividend income, all the Portfolio’s distributions may be classified as qualified dividend income, provided holding period and other requirements are met by both the shareholders and the Portfolio. Otherwise, only a portion of a Portfolio’s distributions may be eligible for classification as qualified dividend income. A Portfolio may designate such distributions as qualified dividend income only to the extent the Portfolio has qualified dividend income for the taxable year in which such distributions are made. Qualified dividend income is generally dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain non-U.S. corporations. Shareholders receiving any distribution from a Portfolio in the form of additional shares will be treated as receiving a taxable distribution in an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares received, determined as of the reinvestment date.

Each Portfolio intends to distribute to shareholders any of its net capital gain for each taxable year. Such gain is distributed as a capital gain dividend and is taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has held his shares, whether such gain was recognized by the Portfolio prior to the date on which a shareholder acquired shares of the Portfolio and whether the distribution was paid in cash or reinvested in shares.

Distributions by a Portfolio that do not constitute ordinary income dividends (including qualified dividend income), qualified dividend income, exempt-interest dividends or capital gain dividends will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) a shareholder’s tax basis in his shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his shares, as discussed below.

Under current law, ordinary income of individuals will be taxable at a maximum marginal rate of 35%, but because of limitations on itemized deductions otherwise allowable and the phase-out of personal exemptions, the maximum effective marginal rate of tax for some taxpayers may be higher. Long-term capital gains for individuals have been temporarily reduced to 15% (with lower rates for individuals in the 10% to 15% rate brackets) for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008. Capital gains and ordinary income of corporate taxpayers are both taxed at a maximum marginal rate of 35%.

A shareholder will recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange or redemption of a Portfolio’s shares in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sale, exchange or redemption and the shareholder’s

adjusted tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if the shareholder purchases other shares of such Portfolio within 30 days before or after the sale, exchange or redemption. Any gain or loss arising from the sale, exchange or redemption of shares of a Portfolio held as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment) will be considered capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for longer than one year. Any loss incurred on the sale or exchange of a Portfolio’s shares, held six months or less, will be disallowed to the extent of exempt-interest dividends received with respect to such shares, and any loss not so disallowed will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of capital gain dividends received with respect to such shares.

Under recently promulgated Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Each Portfolio may engage in hedging or derivatives transactions involving non-U.S. currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options, futures and forward contracts on non-U.S. currencies) and short sales. Such transactions will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Portfolio (that is, may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income of the Portfolio and defer recognition of certain of the Portfolio’s losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. In addition, these provisions (1) will require a Portfolio to “mark-to-market” certain types of positions in its portfolio (that is, treat them as if they were closed out) and (2) may cause a Portfolio to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and avoid the 4% excise tax (described below). Each Portfolio intends to monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any option, futures contract, forward contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules.

A Portfolio may make investments in zero coupon bonds having original issue discount (i.e., an amount equal to the excess of the stated redemption price of the bond at maturity over its issue price). Zero coupon bonds do not provide for periodic interest payments and therefore produce income that is not matched by a corresponding cash distribution. Any such income would be treated as income earned by a Portfolio and would be subject to the Distribution Requirement and taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (discussed below). As a result, such Portfolio may be required to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to be able to make distributions to its investors.

If a Portfolio purchases shares in a “passive foreign investment company” (a “PFIC”), such Portfolio may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Portfolio to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on a Portfolio in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If a Portfolio were to invest in a PFIC and elected to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code (a “QEF”), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Portfolio would be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Portfolio. Alternatively, a Portfolio can elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year its shares in a PFIC; in this case, the Portfolio would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under either election, a Portfolio might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the Distribution Requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (described below).

Investment income that may be received by certain of the Portfolios from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign taxes withheld at the source. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries which entitle any such Portfolio to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, taxes on such income. If more than 50% of the value of the total assets at the close of the taxable year of a Portfolio consists of stock or securities of non-U.S. corporations, such Portfolio may elect to “pass through” to the Portfolio’s shareholders the amount of foreign taxes paid by such Portfolio. If a Portfolio so elects, each shareholder would be required to include in gross income, even though not actually received, his pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Portfolio, but would be treated as having paid his pro rata share of such foreign taxes and would therefore be allowed to either deduct such amount in computing taxable income or use such amount (subject to various Code limitations) as a foreign tax credit against federal income tax (but not both). For purposes of the foreign tax credit limitation rules of the Code, each shareholder would treat as non-U.S. source income his pro rata share of such foreign taxes plus the portion of dividends received from the Portfolio representing income derived from non-U.S. sources. No deduction for foreign taxes could be claimed by an individual shareholder who does not itemize deductions. In certain circumstances, a shareholder that (i) has held shares of the Portfolio for less than a specified minimum period during which it is not protected from risk of loss or (ii) is obligated to make payments related to the dividends, will not be allowed a foreign tax credit for foreign taxes deemed imposed on dividends paid on such shares. Additionally, such Portfolio must also meet this holding period requirement with respect to its non-U.S. stocks and securities in order for “creditable” taxes to flow-through. Each shareholder should consult his own tax adviser regarding the potential application of foreign tax credits.

Ordinary income dividends paid by a Portfolio will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations to the extent of the amount of “qualifying dividends” received by the Portfolio from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by a Portfolio will not be treated as a qualifying dividend (i) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the Portfolio has held for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91 day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181 day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock), (ii) to the extent that the Portfolio is under an obligation to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property or (iii) to the extent the stock on which the dividend is paid is treated as debt-financed. Moreover, the dividends-received deduction for a corporate shareholder may be disallowed if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of a Portfolio.

If for any taxable year any Portfolio does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and all distributions (including amounts derived from interest on Municipal Obligations) will be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of such Portfolio’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Such distributions will generally be eligible (i) for treatment as qualified dividend income in the case of individual shareholders and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders.

A 4% non-deductible excise tax is imposed on regulated investment companies that fail to currently distribute specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each Portfolio intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its ordinary taxable income and any capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by a Portfolio into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Portfolio) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year.

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the United States Treasury a portion of dividends and gross sale proceeds paid to any shareholder (i) who has provided either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (ii) who is subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly, or (iii) who has failed to certify to the Fund when required to do so that he is not subject to backup withholding or that he is an “exempt recipient.”

Taxation of a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, non-U.S. trust or estate, non-U.S. corporation, or non-U.S. partnership (“non-U.S. shareholder”), depends on whether the income from a Portfolio is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by such shareholder. If the income from a Portfolio is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. shareholder, dividends paid to such non-U.S. shareholder from investment company taxable income will be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) upon the gross amount of the dividend. Such a non-U.S. shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on gains realized on the sale of shares of a Portfolio, exempt-interest dividends and capital gain dividends. In addition, under the Act, a new exemption is created under which U.S. source withholding taxes are no longer imposed on dividends paid by regulated investment companies to the extent the dividends are designated as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends.” Under this exemption, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of interest or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. withholding tax at the source if they had been received directly by a foreign person, and that satisfy certain other requirements. The exemption applies to dividends with respect to taxable years of regulated investment companies beginning after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2008. If the income from a Portfolio is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, capital gain dividends, and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of a Portfolio will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations. In the case of non-U.S. non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their non-U.S. status. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in a Portfolio, including the applicability of foreign taxes.

Shareholders will be advised annually as to the Federal income tax consequences of distributions made by the Portfolios each year.

The foregoing general discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

Although each Portfolio expects to qualify as a “regulated investment company” and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, each Portfolio may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about state and local tax consequences, which may differ from the federal income tax consequences described above.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES

Shares of each class of each Portfolio of the Fund bear their pro rata portion of all operating expenses paid by a Portfolio, except transfer agency fees, certain administrative/servicing fees and amounts payable under the Fund’s Amended and Restated Distribution and Service Plan. Each share of a Portfolio of the Fund has a par value of $.001, represents an interest in that Portfolio and is entitled to the dividends and distributions earned on that Portfolio’s assets that are declared in the discretion of the Board of Trustees. The Fund’s shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held and proportionate fractional votes for fractional shares held, and will vote in the aggregate and not by class, except where otherwise required by law or as determined by the Board of Trustees.

Shares of the Fund have noncumulative voting rights and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding shares (irrespective of class) may elect all of the trustees. Shares have no preemptive rights and only such conversion and exchange rights as the Board may grant in its discretion. When issued for payment, shares will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Fund.

There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees unless and until such time as required by law. At that time, the trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting to elect

trustees. Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. The Fund’s Declaration of Trust provides that meetings of the shareholders of the Fund shall be called by the trustees upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.

Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required by the provisions of the 1940 Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Fund shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each investment portfolio affected by such matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that an investment portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless the interests of each investment portfolio in the matter are substantially identical or the matter does not affect any interest of the investment portfolio. Under the Rule, the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan subject to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or any change in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to an investment portfolio only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such investment portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts and the election of Trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Fund voting together in the aggregate without regard to a particular investment portfolio.

The proceeds received by each Portfolio for each issue or sale of its shares, and all net investment income, realized and unrealized gain and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, will be specifically allocated to and constitute the underlying assets of that Portfolio. The underlying assets of each Portfolio will be segregated on the books of account, and will be charged with the liabilities in respect to that Portfolio and with a share of the general liabilities of the Fund. As stated herein, certain expenses of a Portfolio may be charged to a specific class of shares representing interests in that Portfolio.

The Funds’ Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board of Trustees, without shareholder approval (unless otherwise required by applicable law), to: (i) sell and convey the assets belonging to a class of shares to another management investment company for consideration which may include securities issued by the purchaser and, in connection therewith, to cause all outstanding shares of such class to be redeemed at a price which is equal to their net asset value and which may be paid in cash or by distribution of the securities or other consideration received from the sale and conveyance; (ii) sell and convert the assets belonging to one or more classes of shares into money and, in connection therewith, to cause all outstanding shares of such class to be redeemed at their net asset value; or (iii) combine the assets belonging to a class of shares with the assets belonging to one or more other classes of shares if the Board of Trustees reasonably determines that such combination will not have a material adverse effect on the shareholders of any class participating in such combination and, in connection therewith, to cause all outstanding shares of any such class to be redeemed or converted into shares of another class of shares at their net asset value. The Board of Trustees may authorize the liquidation and termination of any Portfolio or class of shares. Upon any liquidation of a Portfolio, Shareholders of each class of the Portfolio are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets belonging to that class available for distribution.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Fund. The Fund was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on December 22, 1988 and is registered under the 1940 Act as an open end, management investment company. Effective January 31, 1998, the Fund changed its name from Compass Capital Funds^SM to BlackRock Funds^SM.

Counsel. The law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, 425 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017, serves as the Fund’s counsel.

Independent Auditors. Deloitte & Touche LLP has been appointed as the Fund’s independent auditors for the current fiscal year.

Share Ownership. On January 12, 2004, PNC Bank, which has its principal offices at 1600 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, held of record approximately 67.577% of the Fund’s outstanding shares, and may be deemed a controlling person of the Fund under the 1940 Act. PNC Bank is a national bank organized under the laws of the United States. All of the capital stock of PNC Bank is owned by PNC Bancorp, Inc. All of the capital stock of PNC Bancorp, Inc. is owned by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., a publicly-held bank holding company.

Shareholder Approvals. As used in this Statement of Additional Information and in the Prospectuses, a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a class, series or Portfolio means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment policy, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the particular class, series or Portfolio represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such class, series or Portfolio are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such class, series or Portfolio.

APPENDIX A

Commercial Paper Ratings

A Standard & Poor’s commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Standard and Poor’s for commercial paper:

“A-1” - Issue’s degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted “A-1+.”

“A-2” - Issue’s capacity for timely payment is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated “A-1.”

“A-3” - Issue has an adequate capacity for timely payment. It is, however, somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than an obligation carrying a higher designation.

“B” - Issue has only a speculative capacity for timely payment.

“C” - Issue has a doubtful capacity for payment.

“D” - Issue is in payment default.

Moody’s commercial paper ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually promissory obligations not having an original maturity in excess of 9 months. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Moody’s for commercial paper:

“Prime-1” - Issuer or related supporting institutions are considered to have a superior capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Prime-1 repayment capacity will normally be evidenced by the following characteristics: leading market positions in well established industries; high rates of return on funds employed; conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earning coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

“Prime-2” - Issuer or related supporting institutions are considered to have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternative liquidity is maintained.

“Prime-3” - Issuer or related supporting institutions have an acceptable capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. The effects of industry characteristics and market composition may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and the requirement for relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.

“Not Prime” - Issuer does not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

Fitch short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand or have original maturities of generally up to three years. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

“F-1+” - Securities possess exceptionally strong credit quality. Issues assigned this rating are regarded as having the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.

“F-1” - Securities possess very strong credit quality. Issues assigned this rating reflect an assurance of timely payment only slightly less in degree than issues rated “F-1+.”

A-1

“F-2” - Securities possess good credit quality. Issues assigned this rating have a satisfactory degree of assurance for timely payment, but the margin of safety is not as great as the “F-1+” and “F-1” categories.

“F-3” - Securities possess fair credit quality. Issues assigned this rating have characteristics suggesting that the degree of assurance for timely payment is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could cause these securities to be rated below investment grade.

“F-S” - Securities possess weak credit quality. Issues assigned this rating have characteristics suggesting a minimal degree of assurance for timely payment and are vulnerable to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

“D” - Securities are in actual or imminent payment default.

Fitch may also use the symbol “LOC” with its short-term ratings to indicate that the rating is based upon a letter of credit issued by a commercial bank.

Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Debt Ratings

The following summarizes the ratings used by Standard & Poor’s for corporate and municipal debt:

“AAA” - This designation represents the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s to a debt obligation and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

“AA” - Debt is considered to have a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from AAA issues only in small degree.

“A” - Debt is considered to have a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although such issues are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher-rated categories.

“BBB” - Debt is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas such issues normally exhibit adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher-rated categories.

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Debt is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. “BB” indicates the lowest degree of speculation and “C” the highest degree of speculation. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.

“BB” - Debt has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The “BB” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BBB-” rating.

“B” - Debt has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The “B” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “BB” or “BB-” rating.

“CCC” - Debt has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The “CCC” rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “B” or “B-” rating.

A-2

“CC” - This rating is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied “CCC” rating.

“C” - This rating is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied “CCC-” debt rating. The “C” rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.

“CI” - This rating is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.

“D” - Debt is in payment default. This rating is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S & P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. “D” rating is also used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.

PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-) - The ratings from “AA” through “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

“r” - This rating is attached to highlight derivative, hybrid, and certain other obligations that S & P believes may experience high volatility or high variability in expected returns due to non-credit risks. Examples of such obligations are: securities whose principal or interest return is indexed to equities, commodities, or currencies; certain swaps and options; and interest only and principal only mortgage securities. The absence of an “r” symbol should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will exhibit no volatility or variability in total return.

The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for corporate and municipal long-term debt:

“Aaa” - Bonds are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

“Aa” - Bonds are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the “Aaa” group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in “Aaa” securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in “Aaa” securities.

“A” - Bonds possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

“Baa” - Bonds considered medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

“Ba,” “B,” “Caa,” “Ca,” and “C” - Bonds that possess one of these ratings provide questionable protection of interest and principal (“Ba” indicates some speculative elements; “B” indicates a general lack of characteristics of desirable investment; “Caa” represents a poor standing; “Ca” represents obligations which are speculative in a high degree; and “C” represents the lowest rated class of bonds). “Caa,” “Ca” and “C” bonds may be in default.

Con. (—) - Bonds for which the security depends upon the completion of some act or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These are bonds secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects unseasoned in operation experience, (c) rentals which begin when facilities are completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting condition attaches. Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of construction or elimination of basis of condition.

A-3

(P) - When applied to forward delivery bonds, indicates that the rating is provisional pending delivery of the bonds. The rating may be revised prior to delivery if changes occur in the legal documents or the underlying credit quality of the bonds.

Note: Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups which Moody’s believes possess the strongest investment attributes are designated by the symbols, Aa1, A1, Ba1 and B1.

The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by Fitch for corporate and municipal bonds:

“AAA” - Bonds considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to pay interest and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably foreseeable events.

“AA” - Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is very strong, although not quite as strong as bonds rated “AAA.” Because bonds rated in the “AAA” and “AA” categories are not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future developments, short-term debt of these issuers is generally rated “F-1+.”

“A” - Bonds considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.

“BBB” - Bonds considered to be investment grade and of satisfactory credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, however, are more likely to have an adverse impact on these bonds, and therefore, impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for bonds with higher ratings.

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC,” “C,” “DDD,” “DD,” and “D” - Bonds that possess one of these ratings are considered by Fitch to be speculative investments. The ratings “BB” to “C” represent Fitch’s assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of principal and interest in accordance with the terms of obligation for bond issues not in default. For defaulted bonds, the rating “DDD” to “D” is an assessment of the ultimate recovery value through reorganization or liquidation.

To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the Fitch ratings from and including “AA” to “BBB” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within these major rating categories.

Municipal Note Ratings

A Standard and Poor’s rating reflects the liquidity concerns and market access risks unique to notes due in three years or less. The following summarizes the ratings used by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group for municipal notes:

“SP-1” - The issuers of these municipal notes exhibit very strong or strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues determined to possess overwhelming safety characteristics are given a plus (+) designation.

“SP-2” - The issuers of these municipal notes exhibit satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest.

“SP-3” - The issuers of these municipal notes exhibit speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

A-4

Moody’s ratings for state and municipal notes and other short-term loans are designated Moody’s Investment Grade (“MIG”) and variable rate demand obligations are designated Variable Moody’s Investment Grade (“VMIG”). Such ratings recognize the differences between short-term credit risk and long-term risk. The following summarizes the ratings by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. for short-term notes:

“MIG-1”/”VMIG-1” - Loans bearing this designation are of the best quality, enjoying strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

“MIG-2”/”VMIG-2” - Loans bearing this designation are of high quality, with margins of protection ample although not so large as in the preceding group.

“MIG-3”/”VMIG-3” - Loans bearing this designation are of favorable quality, with all security elements accounted for but lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well established.

“MIG-4”/”VMIG-4” - Loans bearing this designation are of adequate quality, carrying specific risk but having protection commonly regarded as required of an investment security and not distinctly or predominantly speculative.

“SG” - Loans bearing this designation are of speculative quality and lack margins of protection.

Fitch uses the short-term ratings described under Commercial Paper Ratings for municipal notes.

A-5

APPENDIX B

The Portfolios may enter into futures transactions. These transactions are described in this Appendix.

Futures Contracts

If so provided in the Prospectus relating to a particular Portfolio, the Portfolio may purchase and sell interest rate, currency and index futures contracts that are traded on U.S. and non-U.S. commodity exchanges on such underlying securities as U.S. Treasury bonds, notes, bills, GNMA Certificates and/or on any non-U.S. government fixed-income security, on various currencies and on such indices of U.S. and non-U.S. securities as may exist or come into existence.

A futures contract purchaser generally incurs an obligation to take delivery of a specified amount of the instrument (that is, the security or securities or the non-U.S. currency) underlying the contract at a specified time in the future for a specified price. A seller of a futures contract incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of the underlying instrument at a specified time in return for an agreed upon price. The purchase of a futures contract enables a Portfolio, during the term of the contract, to lock in a price at which it may purchase a security or currency and protect against a rise in prices pending purchase of portfolio securities. The sale of a future contract enables a Portfolio to lock in a price at which it may sell a security or currency and protect against declines in the value of portfolio securities.

Although most futures contracts call for actual delivery or acceptance of the underlying instrument, the contracts usually are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. Index futures contracts provide for the delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the open or close of the last trading day of the contract and the futures contract price. A futures contract sale is closed out by effecting a futures contract purchase for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of the underlying instrument and the same delivery date. If the sale price exceeds the offsetting purchase price, the seller would be paid the difference and would realize a gain. If the offsetting purchase price exceeds the sale price, the seller would pay the difference and would realize a loss. Similarly, a futures contract purchase is closed out by effecting a future contract sale for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of the underlying instrument and the same delivery date. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the purchase price, the purchaser would realize a gain, whereas if the purchase price exceeds the offsetting sale price, the purchaser would realize a loss. There is no assurance that a Portfolio will be able to enter into a closing transaction.

Margin

If a Portfolio enters into a futures contract, it is initially required to deposit an “initial margin” of cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid portfolio securities ranging from approximately 2% to 5% of the contract amount. Initial margin requirements are established by the exchanges on which futures contracts trade and may, from time to time, change. In addition, brokers may establish margin deposit requirements in excess of those required by the exchanges.

Initial margin in futures transactions is different from margin in securities transactions in that initial margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by a broker’s client but is, rather, a good faith deposit on the futures contract which will be returned to a Portfolio upon the proper termination of the futures contract.

The margin deposits made are marked to market daily and a Portfolio may be required to make subsequent deposits of cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid portfolio securities, called “variation margin,” which are reflective of price fluctuations in the futures contract. For example, when a Portfolio has purchased a futures contract and the price of the contract has risen in response to a rise in the underlying instrument, that position will have increased in value and the Portfolio will be entitled to receive from the broker a variation margin payment equal to that increase in value. Conversely, where a Portfolio has purchased a futures contract and the price of the future contract has declined in response to a decrease in the underlying instrument, the position would be less valuable and the Portfolio would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker. Prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Adviser to a Portfolio may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, subject to the availability of a secondary market, which will operate to terminate the Portfolio’s position in the futures contract. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Portfolio, and the Portfolio realizes a loss or a gain.

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Options on Futures Contracts

A Portfolio may purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position. An option on the futures contract gives the purchaser the right (in return for the premium paid), and the writer the obligation, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option is accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract at the time of exercise exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option on the futures contract.

The writer of an option on a futures contract is required to deposit initial and variation margin pursuant to requirements similar to those applicable to futures contracts. Premiums received from the writing of an option on a futures contract are included in initial margin deposits.

Risks of Transactions in Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

The prices of securities, currencies and indices subject to futures contracts (and thereby the futures contract prices) may correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the cash price of a Portfolio’s securities (and the currencies in which they are denominated). Also, prices of futures contracts may not move in tandem with the changes in prevailing interest rates, market movements and/or currency exchange rates against which a Portfolio seeks a hedge. A correlation may also be distorted (a) temporarily, by short-term traders seeking to profit from the difference between a contract or security price objective and their cost of borrowed funds; (b) by investors in futures contracts electing to close out their contracts through offsetting transactions rather than meet margin deposit requirements; (c) by investors in futures contracts opting to make or take delivery of underlying securities rather than engage in closing transactions, thereby reducing liquidity of the futures market; and (d) temporarily, by speculators who view the deposit requirements in the futures markets as less onerous than margin requirements in the cash market. Due to the possibility of price distortion in the futures market and because of the possible imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of securities, currencies and indices and movements in the price of futures contracts, a correct forecast of interest rate, currency exchange rate and/or market movement trends by a Portfolio’s adviser may still not result in a successful hedging transaction.

There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for futures contracts and related options in which a Portfolio may invest. In the event a liquid market does not exist, it may not be possible to close out a future position and, in the event of adverse price movements, the Portfolio would continue to be required to make daily case payments of variation margin. The absence of a liquid market in futures contracts might cause a Portfolio to make or take delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

Exchanges also limit the amount by which the price of a futures contract may move on any day. If the price moves equal the daily limit on successive days, then it may prove impossible to liquidate a futures position until the daily limit moves have ceased. In the event of adverse price movements, a Portfolio would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin on open futures positions. In these situations, if a Portfolio has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Portfolio may be required to take or make delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts it holds at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so. The inability to close out options and futures positions could also have an adverse impact on a Portfolio’s ability to effectively hedge its portfolio.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts in some strategies can be substantial, due both to the relatively low margin deposits required, and the extremely high degree of leverage involved in futures pricing. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as

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margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the contract.

Futures contracts and options thereon which are purchased or sold on non-U.S. commodities exchanges may have greater price volatility than their U.S. counterparts. Furthermore, non-U.S. commodities exchanges may be less regulated and under less governmental scrutiny than U.S. exchanges. Brokerage commissions, clearing costs and other transaction costs may be higher on non-U.S. exchanges. Greater margin requirements may limit a Portfolio’s ability to enter into certain commodity transactions on non-U.S. exchanges. Moreover, differences in clearance and delivery requirements on non-U.S. exchanges may occasion delays in the settlement of a Portfolio’s transactions effected on non-U.S. exchanges.

In the event of the bankruptcy of a broker through which a Portfolio engages in transactions in futures or options thereon, the Portfolio could experience delays and/or losses in liquidating open positions purchased or sold through the broker and/or incur a loss on all or part of its margin deposits with the broker.

If a Portfolio maintains a short position in a futures contract or has sold a call option on a futures contract, the adviser or sub-adviser will designate liquid assets on its books and records in an amount equal (when added to any initial or variation margin on deposit) to the market value of the instrument underlying the futures contract or the exercise price of the option. Such a position may also be covered by owning the instrument underlying the futures contract (in the case of a stock index futures contract a portfolio of securities substantially replicating the relevant index), or by holding a call option permitting the Portfolio to purchase the same contract at a price no higher than the price at which the short position was established.

In addition, if a Portfolio holds a long position in a futures contract or has sold a put option on a futures contract, it will hold cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid portfolio securities equal to the purchase price of the contract or the exercise price of the put option (less the amount of initial or variation margin on deposit) in a segregated account maintained on the books of the Portfolio. Alternatively, a Portfolio could cover its long position by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with an exercise price as high or higher than the price of the contract held by a Portfolio.

Accounting Treatment

Any Portfolio trading in futures contracts and options thereon will account for such instruments in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

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