497 1 acwmf20130719_497.htm FORM 497 ex1-7.htm

 

July 26, 2013

 

American Century Investments

Statement of Additional Information

 

American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc.

 

 

Emerging Markets 

International Opportunities 

Investor Class (TWMIX)

Investor Class (AIOIX)

Institutional Class (AMKIX)

Institutional Class (ACIOX)

A Class (AEMMX)

A Class (AIVOX)

C Class (ACECX)

C Class (AIOCX)

R Class (AEMRX)

R Class (AIORX

R6 Class (AEDMX)

 
   

Global Growth 

International Value 

Investor Class (TWGGX)

Investor Class (ACEVX)

Institutional Class (AGGIX)

Institutional Class (ACVUX)

A Class (AGGRX)

A Class (MEQAX)

C Class (AGLCX)

C Class (ACCOX)

R Class (AGORX)

R Class (ACVRX)

R6 Class (AGGDX)

R6 Class (ACVDX)

   

International Discovery 

NT Emerging Markets 

Investor Class (TWEGX)

Institutional Class (ACLKX)

Institutional Class (TIDIX)

R6 Class (ACKDX)

A Class (ACIDX)

 

C Class (TWECX)

 

R Class (TWERX)

 
   

International Growth 

NT International Growth 

Investor Class (TWIEX)

Institutional Class (ACLNX)

Institutional Class (TGRIX)

R6 Class (ACDNX)

A Class (TWGAX)

 

C Class (AIWCX)

 

R Class (ATGRX)

 

R6 Class (ATGDX)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This statement of additional information adds to the discussion in the funds’ prospectuses dated
April 1, 2013 and July 26, 2013, but is not a prospectus. The statement of additional information should be
read in conjunction with the funds’ current prospectuses. If you would like a copy of a
prospectus, please contact us at one of the addresses or telephone numbers listed on the
back cover or visit American Century Investments’ website at americancentury.com.

 

This statement of additional information incorporates by reference
certain information that appears in the funds’ annual reports, which
are delivered to all investors. You may obtain a free copy of the
funds’ annual reports by calling 1-800-345-2021.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2013 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 
 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

The Funds’ History 

2 

Fund Investment Guidelines 

3 

Fund Investments and Risks 

4 

Investment Strategies and Risks

4

Investment Policies

16

Portfolio Turnover

19

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

19

Management 

24 

The Board of Directors

24

Officers

31

Code of Ethics

31

Proxy Voting Guidelines

32

The Funds’ Principal Shareholders 

33 

Service Providers 

33 

Investment Advisor

33

Subadvisor

36

Portfolio Managers

37

Transfer Agent and Administrator

42

Sub-Administrator

42

Distributor

42

Custodian Bank

42

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

42

Brokerage Allocation 

43 

Regular Broker-Dealers

44

Information About Fund Shares 

45 

Multiple Class Structure

45

Valuation of a Fund’s Securities

48

Taxes 

49 

Federal Income Taxes

49

State and Local Taxes

50

Financial Statements 

51 

   

Appendix A – Principal Shareholders 

A-1 

Appendix B – Sales Charges and Payments to Dealers 

B-1 

Appendix C – Buying and Selling Fund Shares 

C-1 

Appendix D – Explanation of Fixed-Income Securities Ratings 

D-1 

 

 
1

 

 

The Funds’ History

 

American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc., is a registered open-end management investment company that was organized in 1990 as a Maryland corporation under the name Twentieth Century World Investors, Inc. In January 1997, it changed its name to American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc. Throughout this statement of additional information we refer to American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc. as the corporation.

 

For accounting and performance purposes, the International Value fund is the post-reorganization successor to the Mason Street International Equity fund. All references to fees and expenses paid by the International Value fund prior to April 1, 2006, are for the fiscal year ended March 31, and represent amounts paid by the Mason Street International Equity fund.

 

Each fund described in this statement of additional information is a separate series of the corporation and operates for many purposes as if it were an independent company. Each fund has its own investment objective, strategy, management team, assets, and tax identification and stock registration numbers.

 

Fund/Class 

Ticker Symbol 

Inception Date 

Emerging Markets 

Investor Class

TWMIX

09/30/1997

Institutional Class

AMKIX

01/28/1999

A Class

AEMMX

05/12/1999

C Class

ACECX

12/18/2001

R Class

AEMRX

09/28/2007

R6 Class

AEDMX

07/26/2013

Global Growth 

   

Investor Class

TWGGX

12/01/1998

Institutional Class

AGGIX

08/01/2000

A Class

AGGRX

02/05/1999

C Class

AGLCX

03/01/2002

R Class

AGORX

07/29/2005

R6 Class

AGGDX

07/26/2013

International Discovery 

   

Investor Class

TWEGX

04/01/1994

Institutional Class

TIDIX

01/02/1998

A Class

ACIDX

04/28/1998

C Class

TWECX

03/01/2010

R Class

TWERX

03/01/2010

International Growth 

   

Investor Class

TWIEX

05/09/1991

Institutional Class

TGRIX

11/20/1997

A Class

TWGAX

10/02/1996

C Class

AIWCX

06/04/2001

R Class

ATGRX

08/29/2003

R6 Class

ATGDX

07/26/2013

 

 
2

 

 

Fund/Class 

Ticker Symbol 

Inception Date 

International Opportunities 

   

Investor Class

AIOIX

06/01/2001

Institutional Class

ACIOX

01/09/2003

A Class

AIVOX

03/01/2010

C Class

AIOCX

03/01/2010

R Class

AIORX

03/01/2010

International Value 

   

Investor Class

ACEVX

04/03/2006

Institutional Class

ACVUX

04/03/2006

A Class

MEQAX

03/31/1997

C Class

ACCOX

04/03/2006

R Class

ACVRX

04/03/2006

R6 Class

ACVDX

07/26/2013

NT Emerging Markets 

   

Institutional Class

ACLKX

05/12/2006

R6 Class

ACKDX

07/26/2013

NT International Growth 

   

Institutional Class

ACLNX

05/12/2006

R6 Class

ACDNX

07/26/2013

 

Fund Investment Guidelines

 

This section explains the extent to which the funds’ advisor, American Century Investment Management, Inc. (ACIM), can use various investment vehicles and strategies in managing a fund’s assets. Descriptions of the investment techniques and risks associated with each appear in the section, Investment Strategies and Risks, which begins on page 4. In the case of the funds’ principal investment strategies, these descriptions elaborate upon discussions contained in the prospectuses.

 

The funds are diversified as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Investment Company Act). Diversified means that, with respect to 75% of its total assets, each fund will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other investment companies).

 

To meet federal tax requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company, each fund must limit its investments so that at the close of each quarter of its taxable year

 

(1)

no more than 25% of its total assets are invested in the securities of a single issuer (other than the U.S. government or a regulated investment company), and

(2)

with respect to at least 50% of its total assets, no more than 5% of its total assets are invested in the securities of a single issuer (other than the U.S. government or a regulated investment company) and it does not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of a single issuer.

 

In general, within the restrictions outlined here and in the funds’ prospectuses, the portfolio managers have broad powers to decide how to invest fund assets, including the power to hold them uninvested.

 

 
3

 

 

Investments are varied according to what is judged advantageous under changing economic conditions. It is the advisor’s policy to retain maximum flexibility in management without restrictive provisions as to the proportion of one or another class of securities that may be held, subject to the investment restrictions described below. It is the advisor’s intention that each fund will generally consist of foreign (and U.S. in the case of Global Growth) equity and equity-equivalent securities. However, subject to the specific limitations applicable to a fund, the funds’ management teams may invest the assets of each fund in varying amounts in other instruments when such a course is deemed appropriate in order to pursue a fund’s investment objective.

 

So long as a sufficient number of acceptable securities are available, the portfolio managers intend to keep the funds fully invested, regardless of the movement of stock or bond prices generally. In most circumstances, each fund’s actual level of cash and cash equivalents will be less than 10%. The managers may use futures as a way to expose each fund’s cash assets to the market, while maintaining liquidity. The managers may not leverage a fund’s portfolio without appropriately segregating assets to cover such positions. See Derivative Securities, page 5, Futures and Options, page 10 and Short-Term Securities, page 15.

 

Fund Investments and Risks

 

Investment Strategies and Risks

 

This section describes investment vehicles and techniques the portfolio managers can use in managing a fund’s assets. It also details the risks associated with each, because each investment vehicle and technique contributes to a fund’s overall risk profile.

 

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 of the same or a different issuer within a particular time period at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive the 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 or exchange, such securities ordinarily provide a stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower than the yield on non-convertible debt. Of course, there can be no assurance of current income because issuers of convertible securities may default on their obligations. In addition, there can be no assurance of capital appreciation because the value of the underlying common stock will fluctuate. Because of the conversion feature, the managers consider some convertible securities to be equity equivalents.

 

The price of a convertible security will normally fluctuate in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying asset. A convertible security is subject to risks relating to the activities of the issuer and/or general market and economic conditions. The stream of income typically paid on a convertible security may tend to cushion the security against declines in the price of the underlying asset. However, the stream of income causes fluctuations based upon changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer. In general, the value of a convertible security is a function of (1) its yield in comparison with yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege and (2) its worth, at market value, if converted or exchanged into the underlying common stock. The price of a convertible security often reflects such variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that a non-convertible security does not. At any given time, investment value generally depends upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuer’s capital structure.

 

A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption, the fund would be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security and convert it to underlying common stock or to cash, or would sell the convertible security to a third party, which may have an adverse effect on the fund. A convertible security may feature a put option that permits the holder of the convertible security to sell that security back to the issuer at a predetermined price. A fund generally invests in convertible securities for their favorable price characteristics and total return potential and normally would not exercise an option to convert unless the security is called or conversion is forced.

 

 
4

 

 

Debt Securities

 

The managers believe that equity securities ordinarily offer the greatest potential for capital appreciation. The funds may invest, however, in any security the managers believe has the potential for capital appreciation. When the managers believe that the total return potential of other securities equals or exceeds the potential return of equity securities, each fund (except Emerging Markets, International Value and NT Emerging Markets, which are 20%) may invest up to 35% of its assets in such other securities. The other securities the funds may invest in are bonds, notes and debt securities of companies, and obligations of domestic or foreign governments and their agencies.

 

The funds may purchase sovereign debt instruments issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies, including debt of emerging market countries. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments, such as loans or loan participations. Sovereign debt of emerging market countries may involve a high degree of risk and may present a risk of default or renegotiation or rescheduling of debt payments.

 

In the event of exceptional market or economic conditions, the funds may, as a temporary defensive measure, invest all or a substantial portion of their assets in cash or high-quality, short-term debt securities. To the extent a fund assumes a defensive position, it will not be pursuing its objective of capital growth. Global Growth, International Growth and NT International Growth will limit their purchases of debt securities to investment-grade obligations except convertible securities, which may be rated below investment grade. For long-term debt obligations, this includes securities that are rated Baa or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or BBB or better by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (S&P), or that are not rated but are considered by the managers to be of equivalent quality. According to Moody’s, bonds rated Baa are medium-grade and possess some speculative characteristics. A BBB rating by S&P indicates S&P’s belief that a security exhibits a satisfactory degree of safety and capacity for repayment, but is more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances than is the case with higher-quality debt securities. See Explanation of Fixed-Income Securities Ratings, Appendix D.

 

Emerging Markets, International Discovery, International Opportunities, International Value and NT Emerging Markets have no credit quality or maturity restrictions with regard to the bonds, corporate debt securities and government obligations in which the funds may invest, although less than 35% (20% for Emerging Markets, International Value and NT Emerging Markets) of each fund’s assets will be invested in below-investment-grade fixed income securities. See Explanation of Fixed-Income Securities Ratings, Appendix D. Debt securities, especially those of issuers in emerging market countries, may be of poor quality and speculative in nature. While these securities will be chosen primarily for their appreciation potential, a fund also may take the potential for income into account when selecting investments.

 

In addition to other factors that will affect its value, the value of a fund’s investments in fixed income securities will change as prevailing interest rates change. In general, the prices of such securities vary inversely with interest rates. As prevailing interest rates fall, the prices of bonds and other securities that trade on a yield basis rise. When prevailing interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall. These changes in value may, depending upon the particular amount and type of fixed-income securities holdings of a fund, impact the net asset value of that fund’s shares.

 

Derivative Securities

 

To the extent permitted by its investment objectives and policies, each of the funds may invest in securities that are commonly referred to as derivative securities. Generally, a derivative security is a financial arrangement the value of which is based on, or derived from, a traditional security, asset, or market index. Certain derivative securities are more accurately described as index/structured securities. Index/structured securities are derivative securities whose value or performance is linked to other equity securities (such as depositary receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference indices). For example, Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts, also known as “SPDRS,” track the price performance and dividend yield of an S&P Index by providing a stake in the stocks that make up that index.

 

In addition, the funds may make foreign investments either directly in foreign securities or indirectly by purchasing derivative securities known as depositary receipts, depositary shares or similar instruments (DRs) for foreign securities. DRs are securities that are listed on exchanges or quoted in over-the-counter markets in one country but represent shares of issuers domiciled in another country. The funds also may purchase securities of issuers in foreign markets, either on foreign securities exchanges, electronic trading networks or in over-the-counter markets.

 

 
5

 

 

Some derivative securities, such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities.

 

There are many different types of derivative securities and many different ways to use them. Futures and options are commonly used for traditional hedging purposes to attempt to protect a fund from exposure to changing interest rates, securities prices, or currency exchange rates and for cash management purposes as a low-cost method of gaining exposure to a particular securities market without investing directly in those securities.

 

The return on a derivative security may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the reference index or instrument to which it relates.

 

There are risks associated with investing in derivative securities, including:

 

the risk that the underlying security, interest rate, market index or other financial asset will not move in the direction the portfolio managers anticipate or that the value of the structured or derivative security will not move or react to changes in the underlying security, interest rate, market index or other financial asset as anticipated;

the possibility that there may be no liquid secondary market, or the possibility that price fluctuation limits may be imposed by the exchange, either of which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired;

the risk that adverse price movements in an instrument can result in a loss substantially greater than a fund’s initial investment;

the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations; and

the risk that a fund will be subject to higher volatility because some derivative securities create leverage.

 

The funds’ Board of Directors has reviewed the advisor’s policy regarding investments in derivative securities. That policy specifies factors that must be considered in connection with a purchase of derivative securities and provides that a fund may not invest in a derivative security if it would be possible for a fund to lose more money than the notional value of the investment. The policy also establishes a committee that must review certain proposed purchases before the purchases can be made. The advisor will report on fund activity in derivative securities to the Board of Directors as necessary.

 

Equity Equivalents

 

In addition to investing in common stocks, the funds may invest in other equity securities and equity equivalents, including securities that permit a fund to receive an equity interest in an issuer, the opportunity to acquire an equity interest in an issuer, or the opportunity to receive a return on its investment that permits the fund to benefit from the growth over time in the equity of an issuer. Examples of equity securities and equity equivalents include preferred stock, convertible preferred stock and convertible securities. Equity equivalents also may include securities whose value or return is derived from the value or return of a different security. An example of one type of derivative security in which the funds might invest is a depositary receipt.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions and Forward Exchange Contracts

 

A fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot basis (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward currency exchange contracts, currency options and futures transactions to purchase or sell foreign currencies). Although foreign exchange dealers generally do not charge a fee for such transactions, they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies.

 

Forward contracts are customized transactions that require a specific amount of a currency to be delivered at a specific exchange rate on a specific date or range of dates in the future. Forward contracts are generally traded in an interbank market directly between currency traders (usually larger commercial banks) and their customers. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated currency exchange.

 

The following summarizes the principal currency management strategies involving forward contracts. A fund may also use swap agreements, indexed securities, and options and futures contracts relating to foreign currencies for the same purposes.

 

 
6

 

 

(1)

Settlement Hedges or Transaction Hedges. When the portfolio managers wish to lock in the U.S. dollar price of a foreign currency denominated security when a fund is purchasing or selling the security, the fund may enter into a forward contract to do so. This type of currency transaction, often called a “settlement hedge” or “transaction hedge,” protects the fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received (i.e., settled). Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used by a fund in anticipation of future purchases or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected by the portfolio managers. This strategy is often referred to as “anticipatory hedging.”

 

(2)

Position Hedges. When the portfolio managers believe that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, a fund may enter into a forward contract to sell foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities either denominated in, or whose value is tied to, such foreign currency. This use of a forward contract is sometimes referred to as a “position hedge.” For example, if a fund owned securities denominated in Euro, it could enter into a forward contract to sell Euro in return for U.S. dollars to hedge against possible declines in the Euro’s value. This hedge would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not tend to offset changes in security values caused by other factors.

 

 

A fund could also hedge the position by entering into a forward contract to sell another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency in which the fund’s existing investments are denominated. This type of hedge, often called a “proxy hedge,” could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield or efficiency, but may not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a simple position hedge against U.S. dollars. This type of hedge may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.

 

 

The precise matching of forward contracts in the amounts and values of securities involved generally would not be possible because the future values of such foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the values of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Predicting short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain. Normally, consideration of the prospect for currency parities will be incorporated into the long-term investment decisions made with respect to overall diversification strategies. However, the managers believe that it is important to have flexibility to enter into such forward contracts when they determine that a fund’s best interests may be served.

 

 

At the maturity of the forward contract, the fund may either sell the portfolio security and make delivery of the foreign currency, or it may retain the security and terminate the obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an “offsetting” forward contract with the same currency trader obligating the fund to purchase, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the foreign currency.

 

 

It is impossible to forecast with absolute precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of the forward contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary for a fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver.

 

(3)

Shifting Currency Exposure. A fund may also enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This strategy tends to limit exposure to the currency sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, much as if a fund had sold a security denominated in one currency and purchased an equivalent security denominated in another currency. For example, if the portfolio managers believed that the U.S. dollar may suffer a substantial decline against the Euro, they could enter into a forward contract to purchase Euros for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars. This transaction would protect against losses resulting from a decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, but would cause the fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the Euro.

 

 
7

 

 

Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on the fund management team’s skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a fund’s investment exposure to changes in currency rates and could result in losses to a fund if currencies do not perform as the portfolio managers anticipate. For example, if a currency’s value rose at a time when the portfolio manager hedged a fund by selling the currency in exchange for U.S. dollars, a fund would not participate in the currency’s appreciation. Similarly, if the portfolio managers increase a fund’s exposure to a currency and that currency’s value declines, a fund will sustain a loss. There is no assurance that the portfolio managers’ use of foreign currency management strategies will be advantageous to a fund or that they will hedge at appropriate times.

 

The fund will generally cover outstanding forward contracts by maintaining liquid portfolio securities denominated in, or whose value is tied to, the currency underlying the forward contract or the currency being hedged. To the extent that the fund is not able to cover its forward currency positions with underlying portfolio securities, the fund’s custodian will segregate cash or other liquid assets having a value equal to the aggregate amount of the fund’s commitments under forward contracts entered into with respect to position hedges, settlement hedges and anticipatory hedges.

 

Foreign Securities

 

Each fund invests in the securities of foreign issuers, including foreign governments, when these securities meet the fund’s standards of selection.

 

A description of the funds’ investment strategies regarding foreign securities is contained in the funds’ prospectuses. Investing in securities of foreign issuers generally involves greater risks than investing in the securities of domestic companies including:

 

Currency Risk. The value of the foreign investments held by the funds may be significantly affected by changes in currency exchange rates. The dollar value of a foreign security generally decreases when the value of the dollar rises against the foreign currency in which the security is denominated and tends to increase when the value of the dollar falls against such currency. In addition, the value of fund assets may be affected by losses and other expenses incurred in converting between various currencies in order to purchase and sell foreign securities, and by currency restrictions, exchange control regulation, currency devaluations and political developments.

 

Social, Political and Economic Risk. The economies of many of the countries in which the funds invest are not as developed as the economy of the United States and may be subject to significantly different forces. Political or social instability, expropriation, nationalization, or confiscatory taxation, and limitations on the removal of funds or other assets, could also adversely affect the value of investments. Further, the funds may find it difficult or be unable to enforce ownership rights, pursue legal remedies or obtain judgments in foreign courts.

 

Regulatory Risk. Foreign companies generally are not subject to the regulatory controls imposed on U.S. issuers and, in general, there is less publicly available information about foreign securities than is available about domestic securities. Many foreign companies are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic companies and there may be less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards in some foreign markets. Income from foreign securities owned by the funds may be reduced by a withholding tax at the source, which would reduce dividend income payable to shareholders.

 

Market and Trading Risk. Brokerage commission rates in foreign countries, which are generally fixed rather than subject to negotiation as in the United States, are likely to be higher. The securities markets in many of the countries in which the funds invest will have substantially less trading volume than the principal U.S. markets. As a result, the securities of some companies in these countries may be less liquid, more volatile and harder to value than comparable U.S. securities. Furthermore, one securities broker may represent all or a significant part of the trading volume in a particular country, resulting in higher trading costs and decreased liquidity due to a lack of alternative trading partners. There is generally less government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and issuers, which may make it difficult to enforce contractual obligations. In addition, it may be more difficult in foreign countries to accurately determine appropriate brokerage commissions, taxes and other trading costs related to securities trades.

 

 
8

 

 

Clearance and Settlement Risk. Foreign securities markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in clearance and settlement could result in temporary periods when assets of the funds are uninvested and no return is earned. The inability of the funds to make intended security purchases due to clearance and settlement problems could cause the funds to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to clearance and settlement problems could result either in losses to the funds due to subsequent declines in the value of the portfolio security or, if the fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, liability to the purchaser.

 

Ownership Risk. Evidence of securities ownership may be uncertain in many foreign countries. In many of these countries, the most notable of which is the Russian Federation, the ultimate evidence of securities ownership is the share register held by the issuing company or its registrar. While some companies may issue share certificates or provide extracts of the company’s share register, these are not negotiable instruments and are not effective evidence of securities ownership. In an ownership dispute, the company’s share register is controlling. As a result, there is a risk that a fund’s trade details could be incorrectly or fraudulently entered on the issuer’s share register at the time of the transaction, or that a fund’s ownership position could thereafter be altered or deleted entirely, resulting in a loss to the fund. While the funds intend to invest directly in Russian companies that utilize an independent registrar, there can be no assurance that such investments will not result in a loss to the funds.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Investing in emerging market companies generally is also riskier than investing in other foreign securities. Emerging market countries may have unstable governments and/or economies that are subject to sudden change. These changes may be magnified by the countries’ emergent financial markets, resulting in significant volatility to investments in these countries. These countries also may lack the legal, business and social framework to support securities markets.

 

As a result of the foregoing risks, these funds are intended for aggressive investors seeking significant gains through investments in foreign securities. Those investors must be willing and able to accept the significantly greater risks associated with the investment strategy that the funds will pursue. An investment in the funds is not appropriate for individuals with limited investment resources or who are unable to tolerate fluctuations in the value of their investment.

 

Risk of Focusing Investment on Region or Country. Investing a significant portion of assets in one country or region makes a fund more dependent upon the political and economic circumstances of that particular country or region.

 

Eurozone Investment Risk. The recent global economic crisis brought several small economies in Europe to the brink of bankruptcy and many other economies into recession and weakened the banking and financial sector of many European countries. For example, the governments of Greece, Spain, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland have all recently experienced large public budget deficits, the effects of which are still unknown and may slow the overall recovery of the European economies from the recent global economic crisis. In addition, due to large public deficits, some European countries may be dependent on assistance from other European governments and institutions or agencies. Assistance may be dependent on a country’s implementation of reforms or reaching a certain level of performance. Failure to reach those objectives or an insufficient level of assistance could result in an economic downturn that could significantly affect the value of the fund’s European investments.

 

The Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU) is comprised of the European Union members that have adopted the euro currency. By adopting the euro as its currency, a member state relinquishes control of its own monetary policies. As a result, European countries are significantly affected by fiscal and monetary controls implemented by the EMU. The euro currency may not fully reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the various economies that comprise the EMU and Europe generally. One or more countries could depart from the EU, which could further weaken the EMU and, by extension, its remaining members.

 

 
9

 

 

Futures and Options

 

Each fund may enter into futures contracts, options or options on futures contracts. Futures contracts provide for the sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specific security at a specified future time and price. Generally, futures transactions will be used to:

 

protect against a decline in market value of the fund’s securities (taking a short futures position), or

protect against the risk of an increase in market value for securities in which the fund generally invests at a time when the fund is not fully-invested (taking a long futures position), or

provide a temporary substitute for the purchase of an individual security that may be purchased in an orderly fashion.

 

Some futures and options strategies, such as selling futures, buying puts and writing calls, hedge a fund’s investments against price fluctuations. Other strategies, such as buying futures, writing puts and buying calls, tend to increase market exposure.

 

Although other techniques may be used to control a fund’s exposure to market fluctuations, the use of futures contracts may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. While a fund pays brokerage commissions in connection with opening and closing out futures positions, these costs are lower than the transaction costs incurred in the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.

 

For example, the sale of a future by a fund means the fund becomes obligated to deliver the security (or securities, in the case of an index future) at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase of a future means the fund becomes obligated to buy the security (or securities) at a specified price on a specified date. The portfolio managers may engage in futures and options transactions, provided that the transactions are consistent with the fund’s investment objectives. Examples of indices that may be used include the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index, the S&P/Citigroup EMI Growth World ex-US Index, and the MSCI Emerging Markets Free Index. The managers also may engage in futures and options transactions based on specific securities. Futures contracts are traded on national futures exchanges. Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a U.S. government agency.

 

Index futures contracts differ from traditional futures contracts in that when delivery takes place, no stocks or bonds change hands. Instead, these contracts settle in cash at the spot market value of the index. Although other types of futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of the underlying securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date. A futures position may be closed by taking an opposite position in an identical contract (i.e., buying a contract that has previously been sold or selling a contract that has previously been bought).

 

Unlike when the fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the fund upon the purchase or sale of the future. Initially, the fund will be required to deposit an amount of cash or securities equal to a varying specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. A margin deposit does not constitute a margin transaction for purposes of the fund’s investment restrictions. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised.

 

In addition, brokers may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held in the margin accounts generally is not income producing. However, coupon bearing securities, such as Treasury bills and bonds, held in margin accounts generally will earn income. Subsequent payments, to and from the broker, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying security or index fluctuates, making the future more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the future, the fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position. A final determination of variation margin is then made; additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the fund and the fund realizes a loss or gain.

 

Risks Related to Futures and Options Transactions

 

Futures and options prices can be volatile, and trading in these markets involves certain risks. If the portfolio managers apply a hedge at an inappropriate time or judge interest rate or equity market trends incorrectly, futures and options strategies may lower a fund’s return.

 

 
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A fund could suffer losses if it were unable to close out its position because of an illiquid secondary market. Futures contracts may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for these contracts, and there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Consequently, it may not be possible to close a futures position when the portfolio managers consider it appropriate or desirable to do so. In the event of adverse price movements, a fund would be required to continue making daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. If the fund had insufficient cash, it might have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when the portfolio managers would not otherwise elect to do so. In addition, a fund may be required to deliver or take delivery of instruments underlying futures contracts it holds. The portfolio managers will seek to minimize these risks by limiting the futures contracts entered into on behalf of the funds to those traded on national futures exchanges and for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.

 

A fund could suffer losses if the prices of its futures and options positions were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if securities underlying futures contracts purchased by a fund had different maturities than those of the portfolio securities being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may give rise to circumstances in which a fund loses money on a futures contract at the same time that it experiences a decline in the value of its hedged portfolio securities. A fund also could lose margin payments it has deposited with a margin broker, if, for example, the broker became bankrupt.

 

Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of the trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond the limit. However, the daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and, therefore, does not limit potential losses. In addition, the daily limit may prevent liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.

 

Options Disclosure

 

By buying a put option, a fund obtains the right (but not the obligation) to sell the instrument underlying the option at a fixed strike price and in return a fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the option premium). A fund may terminate its position in a put option it has purchased by allowing it to expire, by exercising the option or by entering into an offsetting transaction, if a liquid market exists. If the option is allowed to expire, a fund will lose the entire premium it paid. If a fund exercises a put option on a security, it will sell the instrument underlying the option at the strike price. Purchasing an option on a futures contract does not require a fund to make margin payments unless the option is exercised. The buyer of a typical put option can expect to realize a gain if the value of the underlying instrument falls substantially. However, if the price of the instrument underlying the option does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer can expect to suffer a loss limited to the amount of the premium paid, plus related transaction costs.

 

The features of call options are essentially the same as those of put options, except that the buyer of a call option obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the instrument underlying the option at the option’s strike price. The buyer of a typical call option can expect to realize a gain if the value of the underlying instrument increases substantially and can expect to suffer a loss if security prices do not rise sufficiently to offset the cost of the option.

 

When a fund writes a put option, it takes the opposite side of the transaction from the option’s buyer. In return for the receipt of the premium, a fund 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. A fund may seek to terminate its position in a put option it writes before exercise by purchasing an offsetting option in the market at its current price. Otherwise, a fund must continue to be prepared to pay the strike price while the option is outstanding, regardless of price changes, and must continue to post margin as discussed below. If the price of the underlying instrument rises, a put writer would generally realize as profit the premium it received. If the price of the underlying instrument remains the same over time, it is likely that the writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a lower price. If the price of the underlying instrument falls, the put writer would expect to suffer a loss.

 

 
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A fund writing a call option is obligated to sell or deliver the option’s underlying instrument in return for the strike price upon exercise of the option. Writing calls generally is a profitable strategy if the price of the underlying instrument remains the same or falls. A call writer offsets part of the effect of a price decline by receipt of the option premium, but gives up some ability to participate in security price increases. The writer of an exchange traded put or call option on a security, an index of securities or a futures contract is required to deposit cash or securities or a letter of credit as margin and to make mark to market payments of variation margin as the position becomes unprofitable.

 

Although they do not currently intend to do so, the funds may write (or sell) call options that obligate them to sell (or deliver) the option’s underlying instrument upon exercise of the option. While the receipt of option premiums would mitigate the effects of price declines, the funds would give up some ability to participate in a price increase on the underlying security. If a fund were to engage in options transactions, it would own the futures contract at the time a call was written and would keep the contract open until the obligation to deliver it pursuant to the call expired.

 

Restrictions on the Use of Futures Contracts and Options

 

Each fund may enter into futures contracts, options, options on futures contracts, or swap agreements as permitted by its investment policies and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rules. The advisor to each fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, the advisor is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under that Act with respect to its provision of services to each fund.

 

The CFTC recently adopted certain rule amendments that may impose additional limits on the ability of a fund to invest in futures contracts, options on futures, swaps, and certain other commodity interests if its investment advisor does not register with the CFTC as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to such fund. It is expected that the funds will be able to execute their investment strategies within the limits adopted by the CFTC’s rules. As a result, the advisor does not intend to register with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator on behalf of any of the funds. In the event that one of the funds engages in transactions that necessitate future registration with the CFTC, the advisor will register as a commodity pool operator and comply with applicable regulations with respect to that fund.

 

To the extent required by law, each fund will segregate cash, cash equivalents or other appropriate liquid securities on its records in an amount sufficient to cover its obligations under the futures contracts and options.

 

Initial Public Offerings

 

The funds may invest in initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stock or other equity securities issued by a company. The purchase of securities in an IPO may involve higher transaction costs than those associated with the purchase of securities already traded on exchanges or other established markets. In addition to the risks associated with equity securities generally, IPO securities may be subject to additional risk due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading and speculation, a potentially small number of securities available for trading, limited information about the issuer and other factors. These factors may cause IPO shares to be volatile in price. While a fund may hold IPO securities for a period of time, it may sell them in the aftermarket soon after the purchase, which could increase portfolio turnover and lead to increased expenses such as commissions and transaction costs. Investments in IPOs could have a magnified impact (either positive or negative) on performance if a fund’s assets are relatively small. The impact of IPOs on a fund’s performance may tend to diminish as assets grow.

 

Investments in Issuers with Limited Operating Histories

 

The funds may invest the following portions of their assets in the equity securities of issuers with limited operating histories: Global Growth, International Growth and NT International Growth up to 5%; Emerging Markets, NT Emerging Markets, International Discovery and International Value up to 10% and International Opportunities up to 20%. The portfolio managers consider an issuer to have a limited operating history if that issuer has a record of less than three years of continuous operation. The managers will consider periods of capital formation, incubation, consolidations, and research and development in determining whether a particular issuer has a record of three years of continuous operation.

 

Investments in securities of issuers with limited operating histories may involve greater risks than investments in securities of more mature issuers. By their nature, such issuers present limited operating histories and financial information upon which the managers may base their investment decision on behalf of the funds. In addition, financial and other information regarding such issuers, when available, may be incomplete or inaccurate.

 

 
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For purposes of this limitation, “issuers” refers to operating companies that issue securities for the purposes of issuing debt or raising capital as a means of financing their ongoing operations. It does not, however, refer to entities, corporate or otherwise, that are created for the express purpose of securitizing obligations or income streams. For example, a fund’s investments in a trust created for the purpose of pooling mortgage obligations or other financial assets would not be subject to the limitation.

 

Loans of Portfolio Securities

 

In order to realize additional income, a fund may lend its portfolio securities. Such loans may not exceed one-third of the fund’s total assets valued at market, however, this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities in accordance with the fund’s investment objectives, policies and limitations, or to repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities.

 

Cash received from the borrower as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities. Investing this cash subjects that investment to market appreciation or depreciation. If a borrower defaults on a securities loan because of insolvency or other reasons, the lending fund could experience delays or costs in recovering the securities it loaned; if the value of the loaned securities increased over the value of the collateral, the fund could suffer a loss. To minimize the risk of default on securities loans, the advisor adheres to guidelines prescribed by the Board of Directors governing lending of securities. These guidelines strictly govern:

 

(1)

the type and amount of collateral that must be received by the fund;

(2)

the circumstances under which additions to that collateral must be made by borrowers;

(3)

the return to be received by the fund on the loaned securities;

(4)

the limitations on the percentage of fund assets on loan; and

(5)

the credit standards applied in evaluating potential borrowers of portfolio securities.

 

In addition, the guidelines require that the fund have the option to terminate any loan of a portfolio security at any time and set requirements for recovery of securities from borrowers.

 

Other Investment Companies

 

Each of the funds may invest in other investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, unit investment trusts, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and other open-end investment companies, provided that the investment is consistent with the fund’s investment policies and restrictions. Under the Investment Company Act, a fund’s investment in such securities, subject to certain exceptions, currently is limited to

 

3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company,

5% of the fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company, and

10% of the fund’s total assets in the aggregate.

 

A fund’s investments in other investment companies may include money market funds managed by the advisor. Investments in money market funds are not subject to the percentage limitations set forth above.

 

Such purchases will be made in the open market where no commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer results from the purchase other than the customary brokers’ commissions. As a shareholder of another investment company, a fund 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 management fee that each fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

ETFs, such as Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts (SPDRs) and the Barclays Aggregate Bond ETF, are a type of fund bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF trades like common stock and usually represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. A fund may purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or a foreign market while awaiting purchase of underlying securities. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities they are designed to track, although the lack of liquidity on an ETF could result in it being more volatile and the market price for the ETF may be higher than or lower than the ETF’s net asset value. Additionally, ETFs have management fees, which increase their cost.

 

 
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Repurchase Agreements

 

Each fund may invest in repurchase agreements when they present an attractive short-term return on cash that is not otherwise committed to the purchase of securities pursuant to the investment policies of that fund.

 

A repurchase agreement occurs when, at the time the fund purchases an interest-bearing obligation, the seller (a bank or a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) agrees to purchase it on a specified date in the future at an agreed-upon price. The repurchase price reflects an agreed-upon interest rate during the time the fund’s money is invested in the security.

 

Because the security purchased constitutes collateral security for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement can be considered a loan collateralized by the security purchased. The fund’s risk is the seller’s ability to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the repurchase date. If the seller defaults, the fund may incur costs in disposing of the collateral, which would reduce the amount realized thereon. If the seller seeks relief under the bankruptcy laws, the disposition of the collateral may be delayed or limited. To the extent the value of the security decreases, the fund could experience a loss.

 

The funds will limit repurchase agreement transactions to securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and will enter into such transactions with those banks and securities dealers who are deemed creditworthy by the funds’ advisor.

 

Repurchase Agreements maturing in more than seven days would count toward a fund’s 15% limit on illiquid securities.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Securities

 

The funds may, from time to time, purchase restricted or illiquid securities, including Rule 144A securities, when they present attractive investment opportunities that otherwise meet the funds’ criteria for selection. Rule 144A securities are securities that are privately placed with and traded among qualified institutional investors rather than the general public. Although Rule 144A securities are considered restricted securities, they are not necessarily illiquid.

 

With respect to securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken the position that the liquidity of such securities in the portfolio of a fund offering redeemable securities is a question of fact for the Board of Directors to determine, such determination to be based upon a consideration of the readily available trading markets and the review of any contractual restrictions. Accordingly, the Board of Directors is responsible for developing and establishing the guidelines and procedures for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A securities. As allowed by Rule 144A, the Board of Directors has delegated the day-to-day function of determining the liquidity of Rule 144A securities to the portfolio managers. The board retains the responsibility to monitor the implementation of the guidelines and procedures it has adopted.

 

Because the secondary market for restricted securities is generally limited to certain qualified institutional investors, the liquidity of such securities may be limited accordingly and a fund may, from time to time, hold a Rule 144A or other security that is illiquid. In such an event, the portfolio managers will consider appropriate remedies to minimize the effect on such fund’s liquidity. Each of the funds may invest no more than 15% of the value of its assets in illiquid securities.

 

Short Sales

 

A fund may engage in short sales for cash management purposes only if, at the time of the short sale, the fund owns or has the right to acquire securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities being sold short.

 

In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. If a fund engages in a short sale, the fund’s custodian will segregate cash, cash equivalents or other appropriate liquid securities on its records in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price. There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales, but the fund will endeavor to offset these costs with income from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.

 

 
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Short-Term Securities

 

In order to meet anticipated redemptions, anticipated purchases of additional securities for a fund’s portfolio, or, in some cases, for temporary defensive purposes, the funds may invest a portion of their assets in money market and other short-term securities.

 

Examples of those securities include:

 

Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities;

Commercial Paper;

Certificates of Deposit and Euro Dollar Certificates of Deposit;

Bankers’ Acceptances;

Short-term notes, bonds, debentures, or other debt instruments;

Repurchase agreements; and

Money market funds.

 

Swap Agreements

 

Each fund may invest in swap agreements, consistent with its investment objective and strategies. A fund may enter into a swap agreement in order to, for example, attempt to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets; protect against currency fluctuations; attempt to manage duration to protect against any increase in the price of securities the fund anticipates purchasing at a later date; or gain exposure to certain markets in the most economical way possible.

 

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, in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include, for example, interest rate swaps, under which fixed- or floating-rate interest payments on a specific principal amount are exchanged and total return swaps, under which one party agrees to pay the other the total return of a defined underlying asset (usually an index [including inflation indexes], stock, bond or defined portfolio of loans and mortgages) in exchange for fee payments, often a variable stream of cashflows based on LIBOR. The funds may enter into credit default swap agreements to hedge an existing position by purchasing or selling credit protection. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy/sell protection against a credit event of a specific issuer. The seller of credit protection against a security or basket of securities receives an up-front or periodic payment to compensate against potential default event(s). The fund may enhance returns by selling protection or attempt to mitigate credit risk by buying protection. Market supply and demand factors may cause distortions between the cash securities market and the credit default swap market.

 

Whether a fund’s use of swap agreements will be successful depends on the advisor’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Interest rate swaps could result in losses if interest rate changes are not correctly anticipated by the fund. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or investments do not perform as anticipated by the fund. Credit default swaps could result in losses if the fund does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the issuer on which the credit default swap is based. 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 fund 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. The funds will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness or that are cleared through a Derivatives Clearing Organization (“DCO”). Certain restrictions imposed on the funds by the Internal Revenue Code may limit the funds’ ability to use swap agreements.

 

 
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The swaps market is an evolving market and was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”). The Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments have imposed several new requirements on swap market participants, including: (i) new registration and business conduct requirements on swap dealers; (ii) mandatory execution of certain swaps on swap execution facilities or designated contract markets; and (iii) mandatory clearing of certain swaps with DCOs. The mandatory execution and clearing requirements will occur on a phased-in basis. Although central clearing is designed to decrease counterparty risk, it does not do so entirely since a fund will still be subject to the credit risk of the central clearing entity. In addition, swaps that are not cleared will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could limit or adversely affect a fund’s ability to enter into such swaps. Additionally, such collateral requirements, or other government regulations, could cause a fund to terminate new or existing swaps or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at inopportune times.

 

When-Issued and Forward Commitment Agreements

 

The funds may engage in securities transactions on a when-issued or forward commitment basis in which the transaction price and yield are each fixed at the time the commitment is made, but payment and delivery occur at a future date.

 

For example, a fund may sell a security and at the same time make a commitment to purchase the same or a comparable security at a future date and specified price. Conversely, a fund may purchase a security and at the same time make a commitment to sell the same or a comparable security at a future date and specified price. These types of transactions are executed simultaneously in what are known as dollar-rolls, buy/sell back transactions, cash and carry, or financing transactions. For example, a broker-dealer may seek to purchase a particular security that a fund owns. The fund will sell that security to the broker-dealer and simultaneously enter into a forward commitment agreement to buy it back at a future date. This type of transaction generates income for the fund if the dealer is willing to execute the transaction at a favorable price in order to acquire a specific security.

 

When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risks of price and yield fluctuations. Market rates of interest on debt securities at the time of delivery may be higher or lower than those contracted for on the when-issued security. Accordingly, the value of the security may decline prior to delivery, which could result in a loss to the fund. While the fund will make commitments to purchase or sell securities with the intention of actually receiving or delivering them, it may sell the securities before the settlement date if doing so is deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy.

 

In purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a fund will segregate cash, cash equivalents or other appropriate liquid securities on its records in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price. To the extent a fund remains fully invested or almost fully invested at the same time it has purchased securities on a when-issued basis, there will be greater fluctuations in its net asset value than if it solely set aside cash to pay for when-issued securities. When the time comes to pay for the when-issued securities, a fund will meet its obligations with available cash, through the sale of securities, or, although it would not normally expect to do so, by selling the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the fund’s payment obligation). Selling securities to meet when-issued or forward commitment obligations may generate taxable capital gains or losses.

 

Investment Policies

 

Unless otherwise indicated, with the exception of the percentage limitations on borrowing, the policies described below apply at the time a fund enters into a transaction. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease beyond the specified limitation resulting from a change in a fund’s assets will not be considered in determining whether it has complied with its investment policies.

 

 
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Fundamental Investment Policies

 

The funds’ fundamental investment policies are set forth below. These investment policies, a fund’s investment objective set forth in its prospectus, and a fund’s status as diversified may not be changed without approval of a majority of the outstanding votes of shareholders of a fund, as determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act.

 

Subject 

Policy 

Senior Securities

A fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act.

Borrowing

A fund may not borrow money, except that a fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33⅓% of the fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings).

Lending

A fund may not lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33⅓% of the fund’s total assets would be lent to other parties, except, (i) through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations or (ii) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities.

Real Estate

A fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This policy shall not prevent a fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business.

Concentration

A fund may not concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in a particular industry (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities).

Underwriting

A fund may not act as an underwriter of securities issued by others, except to the extent that the fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in the disposition of restricted securities.

Commodities

A fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this limitation shall not prohibit the fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.

Control

A fund may not invest for purposes of exercising control over management.

 

For purposes of the investment policy relating to senior securities, a fund may borrow from any bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of such fund. In the event that such asset coverage falls below 300%, the fund shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings is at least 300%. In addition, when a fund enters into certain transactions involving potential leveraging, it will hold offsetting positions or segregate assets to cover such obligations at levels consistent with the guidance of the SEC and its staff.

 

For purposes of the investment policies relating to lending and borrowing, the funds have received an exemptive order from the SEC regarding an interfund lending program. Under the terms of the exemptive order, the funds may borrow money from or lend money to other American Century Investments-advised funds that permit such transactions. All such transactions will be subject to the limits for borrowing and lending set forth above. The funds will borrow money through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the cost of short-term bank loans. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend only overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. The funds will lend through the program only when the returns are higher than those available from other short-term instruments (such as repurchase agreements). The funds may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs. For purposes of the funds’ investment policy relating to borrowing, short positions held by the funds are not considered borrowings.

 

 
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For purposes of the investment policy relating to concentration, a fund shall not purchase any securities that would cause 25% or more of the value of the fund’s net 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)

there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any of their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations (except that an Industrial Development Bond backed only by the assets and revenues of a non-governmental user will be deemed to be an investment in the industry represented by such user),

(b)

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 their parents,

(c)

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, and

(d)

personal credit and business credit businesses will be considered separate industries.

 

Nonfundamental Investment Policies

 

In addition, the funds are subject to the following investment policies that are not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Directors.

 

Subject 

Policy 

Leveraging

A fund may not purchase additional investment securities at any time during which outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the total assets of the fund.

Liquidity

A fund may not purchase any security or enter into a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment of principal and interest within seven days and in securities that are illiquid by virtue of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or the absence of a readily available market.

Short Sales

A fund may not sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

Margin

A fund may not purchase securities on margin, except to obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

Futures and
Options

A fund may enter into futures contracts and write and buy put and call options relating to futures contracts. A fund may not, however, enter into leveraged futures transactions if it would be possible for the fund to lose more than the notional value of the investment.

Issuers with
Limited
Operating
Histories

A fund may invest a portion of its assets in the equity securities of issuers with limited operating histories. See Investment in Issuers with Limited Operating Histories under Fund Investments and Risks. An issuer is considered to have a limited operating history if that issuer has a record of less than three years of continuous operation. Periods of capital formation, incubation, consolidations, and research and development may be considered in determining whether a particular issuer has a record of three years of continuous operation.

 

For purposes of the funds’ investment policy relating to leveraging, short positions held by the funds are not considered borrowings.

 

The Investment Company Act imposes certain additional restrictions upon the funds’ ability to acquire securities issued by insurance companies, broker-dealers, underwriters or investment advisors, and upon transactions with affiliated persons as defined by the Act. It also defines and forbids the creation of cross and circular ownership. Neither the SEC nor any other agency of the federal or state government participates in or supervises the management of the funds or their investment practices or policies.

 

 
18

 

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The portfolio turnover rate of each fund for its most recent fiscal year is included in the Fund Summary section of that fund’s prospectus. The portfolio turnover rate for each fund’s last five fiscal years (or a shorter period if the fund is less than five years old) is shown in the Financial Highlights tables in the prospectus.

 

The portfolio managers will sell securities without regard to the length of time the security has been held. Accordingly, each fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be substantial.

 

The portfolio managers intend to purchase a given security whenever they believe it will contribute to the stated objective of a particular fund. In order to achieve each fund’s investment objective, the portfolio managers may sell a given security, regardless of the length of time it has been held in the portfolio, and regardless of the gain or loss realized on the sale. The managers may sell a portfolio security if they believe that the security is not fulfilling its purpose because, among other things, it did not live up to the managers’ expectations, because it may be replaced with another security holding greater promise, because it has reached its optimum potential, because of a change in the circumstances of a particular company or industry or in general economic conditions, or because of some combination of such reasons.

 

When a general decline in security prices is anticipated, the funds may decrease or eliminate entirely their equity positions and increase their cash positions, and when a general rise in price levels is anticipated, the funds may increase their equity positions and decrease their cash positions. However, it should be expected that the funds will, under most circumstances, be essentially fully invested in equity securities.

 

Because investment decisions are based on a particular security’s anticipated contribution to a fund’s investment objective, the managers believe that the rate of portfolio turnover is irrelevant when they determine that a change is required to pursue the fund’s investment objective. As a result, a fund’s annual portfolio turnover rate cannot be anticipated and may be higher than that of other mutual funds with similar investment objectives. Higher turnover would generate correspondingly greater brokerage commissions, which is a cost the funds pay directly. Portfolio turnover also may affect the character of capital gains realized and distributed by the fund, if any, since short-term capital gains are characterized as ordinary income.

 

Because the managers do not take portfolio turnover rate into account in making investment decisions, (1) the managers have no intention of maintaining any particular rate of portfolio turnover, whether high or low, and (2) the portfolio turnover rates in the past should not be considered as representative of the rates that will be attained in the future.

 

Variations in a fund’s portfolio turnover rate from year to year may be due to a fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption activity, varying market conditions, and/or changes in the managers’ investment outlook. Global Growth experienced significantly decreased portfolio turnover in the fiscal years ended November 30, 2011 and 2012, due largely to slowing economies and fewer tactical opportunities. International Value experienced significantly increased portfolio turnover in the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, due to changes in the portfolio management team and investment strategies.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

The advisor has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings and characteristics, which are described below.

 

Distribution to the Public

 

Full portfolio holdings for each fund will be made available for distribution 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, and will be posted on americancentury.com at approximately the same time. This disclosure is in addition to the portfolio disclosure in annual and semi-annual shareholder reports, and on Form N-Q, which disclosures are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 60 days of each fiscal quarter end and also posted on americancentury.com at the time the filings are made.

 

Top 10 holdings for each fund will be made available for distribution 30 days after the end of each month, and will be posted on americancentury.com at approximately the same time.

 

 
19

 

 

Portfolio characteristics that are derived from portfolio holdings but do not identify any specific security will be made available for distribution 15 days after the end of the period to which such data relates. Characteristics that identify any specific security will be made available 30 days after the end of the period to which such data relates. Characteristics in both categories will generally be posted on americancentury.com at approximately the time they are made available for distribution. Data derived from portfolio returns and any other characteristics not deemed confidential will be available for distribution at any time. The advisor may make determinations of confidentiality on a fund-by-fund basis, and may add or delete characteristics to or from those considered confidential at any time.

 

Any American Century Investments fund that sells securities short as an investment strategy will disclose full portfolio holdings only in annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and on form N-Q. These funds will make long holdings available for distribution 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, but the funds will keep short holdings confidential. Top 10 long holdings and portfolio characteristics will be made available for distribution in accordance with the policies set forth above.

 

So long as portfolio holdings are disclosed in accordance with the above parameters, the advisor makes no distinction among different categories of recipients, such as individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries that distribute the funds’ shares, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations, and fund affiliates. Because this information is publicly available and widely disseminated, the advisor places no conditions or restrictions on, and does not monitor, its use. Nor does the advisor require special authorization for its disclosure.

 

Accelerated Disclosure

 

The advisor recognizes that certain parties, in addition to the advisor and its affiliates, may have legitimate needs for information about portfolio holdings and characteristics prior to the times prescribed above. Such accelerated disclosure is permitted under the circumstances described below.

 

Ongoing Arrangements

 

Certain parties, such as investment consultants who provide regular analysis of fund portfolios for their clients and intermediaries who pass through information to fund shareholders, may have legitimate needs for accelerated disclosure. These needs may include, for example, the preparation of reports for customers who invest in the funds, the creation of analyses of fund characteristics for intermediary or consultant clients, the reformatting of data for distribution to the intermediary’s or consultant’s clients, and the review of fund performance for ERISA fiduciary purposes.

 

In such cases, accelerated disclosure is permitted if the service provider enters an appropriate non-disclosure agreement with the funds’ distributor in which it agrees to treat the information confidentially until the public distribution date and represents that the information will be used only for the legitimate services provided to its clients (i.e., not for trading). Non-disclosure agreements require the approval of an attorney in the advisor’s legal department. The advisor’s compliance department receives quarterly reports detailing which clients received accelerated disclosure, what they received, when they received it and the purposes of such disclosure. Compliance personnel are required to confirm that an appropriate non-disclosure agreement has been obtained from each recipient identified in the reports.

 

Those parties who have entered into non-disclosure agreements as of June 30, 2013, are as follows:

 

Albourne America LLC

American Fidelity Assurance Co.

AUL/American United Life Insurance Company

Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation

Annuity Investors Life Insurance Company

Asset Services Company L.L.C.

Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company

Bell Globemedia Publishing

Bellwether Consulting, LLC

Bidart & Ross

Callan Associates, Inc.

Calvert Asset Management Company, Inc.

Cambridge Associates, LLC

 

 
20

 

 

Cambridge Financial Services, Inc.

Capital Cities, LLC

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Cleary Gull Inc.

Commerce Bank, N.A.

Connecticut General Life Insurance Company

Consulting Services Group, LLC

Curcio Webb LLC

Defined Contribution Advisors, Inc.

DWS Investments Distributors, Inc.

EquiTrust Life Insurance Company

Evaluation Associates, LLC

Evergreen Investment Management Company, LLC

Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company

FIL Investments International

First MetLife Investors Insurance Company

Fund Evaluation Group, LLC

The Guardian Life Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc.

Hammond Associates, Inc.

Hewitt Associates LLC

Hewitt EnnisKnupp, Inc.

ICMA Retirement Corporation

ING Insurance Company of America

Iron Capital Advisors

J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services LLC

Jefferson National Life Insurance Company

John Hancock Financial Services, Inc.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company

Kmotion, Inc.

The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company

Lipper Inc.

Marquette Associates

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

McGladrey Wealth Management LLC

Merrill Lynch

MetLife Investors Insurance Company

MetLife Investors Insurance Company of California

Midland National Life Insurance Company

Minnesota Life Insurance Company

Modern Woodmen of America

Montana Board of Investments

Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

Morningstar Associates LLC

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Investment Services, Inc.

National Life Insurance Company

Nationwide Financial

New England Pension Consultants

 

 
21

 

 

The Newport Group

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.

NYLIFE Distributors, LLC

Pacific Life Insurance Company

Penn Series Funds, Inc.

Principal Life Insurance Company

Prudential Financial

RidgeWorth Capital Management, Inc.

Rocaton Investment Advisors, LLC

RogersCasey, Inc.

S&P Financial Communications

Security Benefit Life Insurance Co.

SEI Investments (Europe) Limited

Slocum

SunTrust Bank

Symetra Life Insurance Company

Towers Watson Limited

Union Bank of California, N.A.

The Union Central Life Insurance Company

Valic Financial Advisors Inc.

VALIC Retirement Services Company

Vestek Systems, Inc.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Wilshire Associates Incorporated

 

Once a party has executed a non-disclosure agreement, it may receive any or all of the following data for funds in which its clients have investments or are actively considering investment:

 

(1)

Full holdings quarterly as soon as reasonably available;

(2)

Full holdings monthly as soon as reasonably available;

(3)

Top 10 holdings monthly as soon as reasonably available; and

(4)

Portfolio characteristics monthly as soon as reasonably available.

 

The types, frequency and timing of disclosure to such parties vary. In most situations, the information provided pursuant to a non-disclosure agreement is limited to certain portfolio characteristics and/or top 10 holdings, which information is provided on a monthly basis. In limited situations, and when approved by a member of the legal department and responsible chief investment officer, full holdings may be provided.

 

Single Event Requests

 

In certain circumstances, the advisor may provide fund holding information on an accelerated basis outside of an ongoing arrangement with manager-level or higher authorization. For example, from time to time the advisor may receive requests for proposals (RFPs) from consultants or potential clients that request information about a fund’s holdings on an accelerated basis. As long as such requests are on a one-time basis, and do not result in continued receipt of data, such information may be provided in the RFP as of the most recent month end regardless of lag time. Such information will be provided with a confidentiality legend and only in cases where the advisor has reason to believe that the data will be used only for legitimate purposes and not for trading.

 

In addition, the advisor occasionally may work with a transition manager to move a large account into or out of a fund. To reduce the impact to the fund, such transactions may be conducted on an in-kind basis using shares of portfolio securities rather than cash. The advisor may provide accelerated holdings disclosure to the transition manager with little or no lag time to facilitate such transactions, but only if the transition manager enters into an appropriate non-disclosure agreement.

 

 
22

 

 

Service Providers

 

Various service providers to the funds and the funds’ advisor must have access to some or all of the funds’ portfolio holdings information on an accelerated basis from time to time in the ordinary course of providing services to the funds. These service providers include the funds’ custodian (daily, with no lag), auditors (as needed) and brokers involved in the execution of fund trades (as needed). Additional information about these service providers and their relationships with the funds and the advisor are provided elsewhere in this statement of additional information. In addition, the funds’ investment advisor may use analytical systems provided by third party data aggregators who have access to the funds’ portfolio holdings daily, with no lag. These data aggregators enter into non-disclosure agreements after authorization by an appropriate officer of the advisor.

 

Additional Safeguards

 

The advisor’s policies and procedures include a number of safeguards designed to control disclosure of portfolio holdings and characteristics so that such disclosure is consistent with the best interests of fund shareholders, including procedures to address conflicts between the interests of shareholders and those of the advisor and its affiliates. First, the frequency with which this information is disclosed to the public, and the length of time between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed, are selected to minimize the possibility of a third party improperly benefiting from fund investment decisions to the detriment of fund shareholders. In the event that a request for portfolio holdings or characteristics creates a potential conflict of interest that is not addressed by the safeguards and procedures described above, the advisor’s procedures require that such requests may only be granted with the approval of the advisor’s legal department and the relevant chief investment officers. In addition, distribution of portfolio holdings information, including compliance with the advisor’s policies and the resolution of any potential conflicts that may arise, is monitored quarterly by the advisor’s compliance department. Finally, the funds’ Board of Directors exercises oversight of disclosure of the funds’ portfolio securities. The board has received and reviewed a summary of the advisor’s policy and is informed on a quarterly basis of any changes to or violations of such policy detected during the prior quarter.

 

Neither the advisor nor the funds receive any compensation from any party for the distribution of portfolio holdings information.

 

The advisor reserves the right to change its policies and procedures with respect to the distribution of portfolio holdings information at any time. There is no guarantee that these policies and procedures will protect the funds from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of such information.

 

 
23

 

 

Management

 

The Board of Directors

 

The individuals listed below serve as directors of the funds. Each director will continue to serve in this capacity until death, retirement, resignation or removal from office. The board has adopted a mandatory retirement age for directors who are not “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act (independent directors). Independent directors shall retire by December 31 of the year in which they reach their 75th birthday. Mr. Pratt may serve until December 31 of the year in which he reaches his 76th birthday based on an extension granted under previous retirement guidelines.

 

Mr. Thomas is an “interested person” because he currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of American Century Companies, Inc. (ACC), the parent company of American Century Investment Management, Inc. (ACIM or the advisor). Mr. Fink is an “interested person” because of his employment with American Century Services, LLC (ACS).

 

The other directors (more than three-fourths of the total number) are independent; that is, they have never been employees, directors or officers of, and have no financial interest in, ACC or any of its wholly owned, direct or indirect, subsidiaries, including ACIM, American Century Investment Services, Inc. (ACIS) and ACS. The directors serve in this capacity for seven (in the case of Mr. Thomas, 15) registered investment companies in the American Century Investments family of funds.

 

The following table presents additional information about the directors. The mailing address for each director is 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.

 

Name (Year of Birth) 

Position(s)

Held with

Funds 

Length of

Time Served 

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years 

 

Number of

American

Century

Portfolios

Overseen

by Director 

Other Directorships

Held During Past
5 Years
 

Independent Directors 

         

Thomas A. Brown
(1940)

Director

Since 1980

Managing Member, Associated Investments, LLC (real estate investment company); Brown Cascade Properties, LLC (real estate investment company) (2001 to 2009)

 

65

None

Andrea C. Hall
(1945)

Director

Since 1997

Retired

 

65

None

Jan M. Lewis
(1957)

Director

Since 2011

President and Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (human services organization)

 

65

None

James A. Olson
(1942)

Director

Since 2007

Member, Plaza Belmont LLC (private equity fund manager)

 

65

Saia, Inc. (2002 to 2012) and EPR Properties (2003 to 2013)

Donald H. Pratt
(1937)

Director

and

Chairman

of the

Board

Since 1995

(Chairman

since 2005)

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Western Investments, Inc. (real estate company)

 

65

None

M. Jeannine Strandjord
(1945)

Director

Since 1994

Retired

 

65

Euronet Worldwide Inc.; Charming Shoppes, Inc. (2006 to 2010); and DST Systems Inc. (1996 to 2012)

 

 
24

 

 

John R. Whitten
(1946)

Director

Since 2008

Retired

 

65

Rudolph Technologies, Inc.  

Stephen E. Yates
(1948)

Director

Since 2012

Retired; Executive Vice President, Technology & Operations, KeyCorp. (computer services)(2004 to 2010)

 

65

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (2001 to 2010)

Interested Directors 

         

Barry Fink
(1955)

Director

Since 2012

Retired; Executive Vice President, ACC (September 2007 to February 2013); President, ACS (October 2007 to February 2013); Chief Operating Officer, ACC (September 2007 to November 2012)

 

65

None

Jonathan S. Thomas
(1963)

Director and President

Since 2007

President and Chief Executive Officer, ACC (March 2007 to present). Also serves as Chief Executive Officer and Manager, ACS; Executive Vice President, ACIM; Director, ACC, ACIM and other ACC subsidiaries

 

106

None

 

Qualifications of Directors

 

Generally, no one factor was decisive in the selection of the directors to the board. Qualifications considered by the board to be important to the selection and retention of directors include the following: (i) the individual’s business and professional experience and accomplishments; (ii) the individual’s educational background and accomplishments; (iii) the individual’s experience and expertise performing senior policy-making functions in business, government, education, accounting, law and/or administration; (iv) how the individual’s expertise and experience would contribute to the mix of relevant skills and experience on the board; (v) the individual’s ability to work effectively with the other members of the board; and (vi) the individual’s ability and willingness to make the time commitment necessary to serve as an effective director. In addition, the individuals’ ability to review and critically evaluate information, their ability to evaluate fund service providers, their ability to exercise good business judgment on behalf of fund shareholders, their prior service on the board, and their familiarity with the funds are considered important assets.

 

When assessing potential new directors, the board has a policy of considering individuals from various and diverse backgrounds. Such diverse backgrounds may include differences in professional experience, education, individual skill sets and other individual attributes. Additional information about each director’s individual educational and professional experience (supplementing the information provided in the table above) follows and was considered as part of his or her nomination to, or retention on, the board.

 

Thomas A. Brown: BS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Kansas; formerly, Chief Executive Officer, Associated Bearings Company; formerly, Area Vice President, Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (bearings and power transmission company)

 

Barry Fink: BA in English and History, Binghamton University; Juris Doctorate, University of Michigan; formerly held leadership roles during a 20-year career with Morgan Stanley Investment Management; formerly asset management and securities law attorney at Seward & Kissel; serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of ICI Mutual Insurance Company

 

Andrea C. Hall: BS in Biology, Florida State University; PhD in Biology, Georgetown University; formerly, advisor to the President, Senior Vice President and Director of Research Operations, Midwest Research Institute

 

Jan M. Lewis: BS in Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska and MBA, Rockhurst College; formerly, President, BUCON, Inc. (full-service design-build construction company); 20 years of experience with Butler Manufacturing Company (metal buildings producer) and its subsidiaries

 

James A. Olson: BS in Business Administration and MBA, St. Louis University; CPA; formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Plaza Belmont LLC; 21 years of experience as a partner in the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP

 

 
25

 

 

Donald H. Pratt: BS in Industrial Engineering, Wichita State University; MBA, Harvard Business School; serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and the Governing Council of the Independent Directors Council; formerly, Chairman of the Board, Butler Manufacturing Company (metal buildings producer)

 

M. Jeannine Strandjord: BS in Business Administration and Accounting, University of Kansas; CPA; formerly, Senior Vice President, Process Excellence, Sprint Corporation (telecommunications company); formerly, Senior Vice President of Financial Services and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Global Markets Group; Sprint Corporation; formerly, with the accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney

 

Jonathan S. Thomas: BA in Economics, University of Massachusetts; MBA, Boston College; formerly held senior leadership roles with Fidelity Investments, Boston Financial Services, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley; serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute

 

John R. Whitten: BS in Business Administration, Cleveland State University; CPA; formerly, Project Consultant, Celanese Corp. (industrial chemical company); formerly, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc.; thirteen years of experience with accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

Stephen E. Yates: BS and MS in Industrial Engineering, University of Alabama; formerly, President, USAA Information Technology Company (financial services); 33 years of experience in Information Technology

 

Responsibilities of the Board

 

The board is responsible for overseeing the advisor’s management and operations of the funds pursuant to the management agreements. Directors also have significant responsibilities under the federal securities laws. Among other things, they:

 

oversee the performance of the funds;

oversee the quality of the advisory and shareholder services provided by the advisor and other service providers to the funds;

review annually the fees paid to the advisor for its services;

monitor potential conflicts of interest between the funds and the advisor;

oversee custody of assets and the valuation of securities; and

oversee the funds' compliance program.

 

In performing their duties, board members receive detailed information about the funds, the advisor and other service providers to the funds regularly throughout the year, and meet at least quarterly with management of the advisor to review reports about fund operations. The directors’ role is to provide oversight and not to provide day-to-day management.

 

The board has all powers necessary or convenient to carry out its responsibilities. Consequently, the board may adopt bylaws providing for the regulation and management of the affairs of the funds and may amend and repeal them to the extent that such bylaws do not reserve that right to the funds’ shareholders. They may increase or reduce the number of board members and may, subject to the Investment Company Act, fill board vacancies. Board members also may elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as they consider appropriate. They may establish and terminate committees consisting of two or more directors who may exercise the powers and authority of the board as determined by the directors. They may, in general, delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the funds, to any board committee and to any agent or employee of the funds or to any custodian, transfer agent, investor servicing agent, principal underwriter or other service provider for a fund.

 

To communicate with the board, or a member of the board, a shareholder should send a written communication addressed to the attention of the corporate secretary (the “Corporate Secretary”) at American Century funds, P.O. Box 418210, Kansas City, Missouri 64141-9210. Shareholders who prefer to communicate by email may send their comments to corporatesecretary@americancentury.com. The Corporate Secretary will forward all such communications to each member of the Compliance and Shareholder Services Committee, or if applicable, the individual director(s) and/or committee chair named in the correspondence. However, if a shareholder communication is addressed exclusively to the funds’ independent directors, the Corporate Secretary will forward the communication to the Compliance and Shareholder Services Committee chair, who will determine the appropriate action.

 

 
26

 

 

Board Leadership Structure and Standing Board Committees

 

Donald H. Pratt currently serves as the independent chairman of the board and has served in such capacity since 2005. Of the board’s members, Jonathan S. Thomas and Barry Fink are the only members who are “interested persons” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act. The remaining members are independent directors. The independent directors meet separately, as needed and at least in conjunction with each quarterly meeting of the board, to consider a variety of matters that are scheduled to come before the board and meet periodically with the funds’ Chief Compliance Officer and fund auditors. They are advised by independent legal counsel. No independent director may serve as an officer or employee of a fund. The board has also established several committees, as described below. Each committee is comprised solely of independent directors, except the Executive Committee. The board believes that the current leadership structure, with independent directors filling all but two positions on the board, with an independent director serving as chairman of the board, and with the board committees comprised only of independent directors (with the exception of the Executive Committee), is appropriate and allows for independent oversight of the funds.

 

The board has an Audit Committee that approves the funds’ (or corporation’s) engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm and recommends approval of such engagement to the independent directors. The committee also oversees the activities of the accounting firm, receives regular reports regarding fund accounting, oversees securities valuation (approving the funds’ valuation policy and receiving reports regarding instances of fair valuation thereunder) and receives regular reports from the advisor’s internal audit department. The committee currently consists of Andrea C. Hall (chair), James A. Olson, M. Jeannine Strandjord and Stephen E. Yates. It met four times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.

 

The board has a Governance Committee that is responsible for reviewing board procedures and committee structures. The committee also considers and recommends individuals for nomination as directors, and may recommend the creation of new committees. The names of potential director candidates may be drawn from a number of sources, including members of the board, management and shareholders. Shareholders may submit director nominations at any time to the Corporate Secretary, American Century funds, P.O. Box 418210, Kansas City, MO 64141-9210. When submitting nominations, shareholders should include the name, age and address of the candidate, as well as a detailed resume of the candidate’s qualifications and a signed statement from the candidate of his/her willingness to serve on the board. Shareholders submitting nominations should also include information concerning the number of fund shares and length of time held by the shareholder, and if applicable, similar information for the potential candidate. All nominations submitted by shareholders will be forwarded to the chair of the Governance Committee for consideration. The Corporate Secretary will maintain copies of such materials for future reference by the committee when filling board positions.

 

If this process yields more than one desirable candidate, the committee will rank them by order of preference depending on their qualifications and the funds’ needs. The candidate(s) may then be contacted to evaluate their interest and be interviewed by the full committee. Based upon its evaluation and any appropriate background checks, the committee will decide whether to recommend a candidate’s nomination to the board.

 

The Governance Committee also may recommend the creation of new committees, evaluate the membership structure of new and existing committees, consider the frequency and duration of board and committee meetings and otherwise evaluate the responsibilities, processes, resources, performance and compensation of the board. The committee currently consists of James A. Olson (chair), Thomas A. Brown, Andrea C. Hall and Donald H. Pratt. None of its members are “interested persons” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act. It met three times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.

 

The board also has a Compliance and Shareholder Services Committee, which reviews the results of the funds’ compliance testing program, meets regularly with the funds’ Chief Compliance Officer, reviews shareholder communications, reviews quarterly reports regarding the quality of shareholder service provided by the advisor, and monitors implementation of the funds’ Code of Ethics. The committee currently consists of John R. Whitten (chair), Thomas A. Brown, Jan M. Lewis and Donald H. Pratt. It met four times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.

 

 
27

 

 

The board has a Fund Performance Review Committee that meets quarterly to review the investment activities and strategies used to manage fund assets and monitor investment performance. The committee regularly receives reports from the advisor’s chief investment officer, portfolio managers and other investment personnel concerning the funds’ efforts to achieve their investment objectives. The committee also receives information regarding fund trading activities and monitors derivative usage. The committee does not review individual security selections. It currently consists of all of the independent directors with M. Jeannine Strandjord serving as chair. The committee met four times during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.

 

Finally, the board has an Executive Committee that performs the functions of the board between board meetings, subject to the limitations on its power set out in the Maryland General Corporation Law and except for matters requiring the action of the entire board under the Investment Company Act. The committee currently consists of Donald H. Pratt (chair), Jonathan S. Thomas and M. Jeannine Strandjord. It did not meet during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.

 

Risk Oversight by the Board

 

As previously disclosed, the board oversees the advisor’s management of the funds and meets at least quarterly with management of the advisor to review reports and receive information regarding fund operations. Risk oversight relating to the funds is one component of the board’s oversight and is undertaken in connection with the duties of the board. As described above, the board’s committees assist the board in overseeing various types of risks relating to the funds, including, but not limited to, investment risk, operational risk and enterprise risk. The board receives regular reports from each committee regarding the committee’s areas of oversight responsibility and, through those reports and its regular interactions with management of the advisor during and between meetings, analyzes, evaluates, and provides feedback on the advisor’s risk management processes. In addition, the board receives information regarding, and has discussions with senior management of the advisor about, the advisor’s enterprise risk management systems and strategies, including an annual review of the advisor’s risk management practices. There can be no assurance that all elements of risk, or even all elements of material risk, will be disclosed to or identified by the board, or that the advisor’s risk management systems and strategies, and the Board’s oversight thereof, will mitigate all elements of risk, or even all elements of material risk to the funds.

 

Board Compensation

 

Each independent director receives compensation for service as a member of the board. None of the interested directors or officers of the funds receives compensation from the funds. Under the terms of each management agreement with the advisor, the funds are responsible for paying such fees and expenses. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, the funds and the American Century family of funds paid the independent directors the amounts shown in the following table.

 

Name of Director 

Total Compensation
from the Funds
1 

Total Compensation from the
American Century Investments
Family of Funds
2 

Thomas A. Brown

$14,572

$238,079

Andrea C. Hall, Ph.D.  

$15,307

$250,079

Jan M. Lewis

$13,896

$227,079

James A. Olson

$14,940

$244,079

Donald H. Pratt

$17,562

$286,912

M. Jeannine Strandjord

$14,511

$237,079

John R. Whitten

$14,631

$239,079

Stephen E. Yates

$12,641

$207,046

 

1 

Includes compensation paid to the directors for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, and also includes amounts deferred at the election of the directors under the American Century Mutual Funds’ Independent Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan. 

 

2 

Includes compensation paid by the investment companies of the American Century Investments family of funds served by this board. The total amount of deferred compensation included in the table is as follows: Mr. Brown, $83,327; Dr. Hall, $50,000; Ms. Lewis, $118,735; Mr. Olson, $144,079; Mr. Pratt, $28,037; Mr. Whitten, $150,079; and Mr. Yates, $207,046. 

 

 
28

 

 

None of the funds currently provides any pension or retirement benefits to the directors except pursuant to the American Century Mutual Funds’ Independent Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan adopted by the corporation. Under the plan, the independent directors may defer receipt of all or any part of the fees to be paid to them for serving as directors of the funds. All deferred fees are credited to accounts established in the names of the directors. The amounts credited to each account then increase or decrease, as the case may be, in accordance with the performance of one or more American Century funds selected by the directors. The account balance continues to fluctuate in accordance with the performance of the selected fund or funds until final payment of all amounts credited to the account. Directors are allowed to change their designation of funds from time to time.

 

Generally, deferred fees are not payable to a director until the distribution date elected by the director in accordance with the terms of the plan. Such distribution date may be a date on or after the director’s retirement date, but may be earlier if the director agrees not to make any additional deferrals. Distributions may commence prior to the elected payment date for certain reasons specified in the plan, such as unforeseeable emergencies, death or disability. Directors may receive deferred fee account balances either in a lump sum payment or in substantially equal installment payments to be made over a period not to exceed 10 years. Upon the death of a director, all remaining deferred fee account balances are paid to the director’s beneficiary or, if none, to the director’s estate.

 

The plan is an unfunded plan and, accordingly, the funds have no obligation to segregate assets to secure or fund the deferred fees. To date, the funds have met all payment obligations under the plan. The rights of directors to receive their deferred fee account balances are the same as the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the funds. The plan may be terminated at any time by the administrative committee of the plan. If terminated, all deferred fee account balances will be paid in a lump sum.

 

Ownership of Fund Shares

 

The directors owned shares in the funds as of December 31, 2012, as shown in the table below.

 

 

Name of Directors 

 

Jonathan S.
Thomas
1 

Thomas A.
Brown
1 

Barry
Fink
1 

Andrea C.
Hall, Ph.D
1 

Jan M.
Lewis
1 

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds: 

   Emerging Markets

E

A

A

D

A

   Global Growth

E

A

A

A

A

   International Discovery

D

A

A

D

A

   International Growth

C

A

A

D

A

   International Opportunities

A

A

A

A

A

   International Value

A

A

A

A

A

   NT Emerging Markets

A

A

A

A

A

   NT International Growth

A

A

A

A

A

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all
Registered Investment Companies Overseen by
Director in Family of Investment Companies
 

E 

B 

E 

E 

E 

 

Ranges: A—none, B—$1-$10,000, C—$10,001-$50,000, D—$50,001-$100,000, E—More than $100,000

 

1 

This director owns shares of one or more registered investment companies in the American Century Investments family of funds that are not overseen by this board. 

 

 
29

 

 

 

Name of Directors 

 

James A.
Olson
 

Donald H.
Pratt
1 

M. Jeannine
Strandjord
1 

John R.
Whitten
1 

Stephen E.
Yates
 

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds: 

   Emerging Markets

E

E

D

A

A

   Global Growth

A

A

D

A

A

   International Discovery

A

C

D

A

A

   International Growth

A

E

B

A

A

   International Opportunities

A

A

A

A

A

   International Value

A

A

A

A

A

   NT Emerging Markets

A

A

A

A

A

   NT International Growth

A

A

A

A

A

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all
Registered Investment Companies Overseen by
Director in Family of Investment Companies
 

E 

E 

E 

E 

E 

 

Ranges: A—none, B—$1-$10,000, C—$10,001-$50,000, D—$50,001-$100,000, E—More than $100,000

 

1 

This director owns shares of one or more registered investment companies in the American Century Investments family of funds that are not overseen by this board. 

 

Director’s Indirect Interest in Transactions with ACS

 

On December 23, 1999, American Century Services, LLC (ACS), an affiliate of the advisor, entered into an agreement with DST Systems, Inc. (DST) under which DST would provide back office software and support services for transfer agency services provided by ACS. ACS pays DST fees based in part on the number of accounts and the number and type of transactions processed for those accounts. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2012, DST received $17.5 million in fees from ACS and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011, DST received $17.6 million in fees from ACS. DST’s revenue for the calendar year ended December 31, 2012, was approximately $2.6 billion and DST’s revenue for the calendar year ended December 31, 2011, was approximately $2.4 billion.

 

Prior to May 8, 2012, Ms. Strandjord was a director of DST. She owns 26,859 shares of DST common stock, which is less than one percent (1%) of the shares outstanding. Because of her past official duties as a director of DST, she may be deemed to have had an “indirect interest” in the agreement. However, the board was not required to nor did they approve or disapprove the agreement, since the provision of the services covered by the agreement is within the discretion of ACS. DST was chosen by ACS for its industry-leading role in providing cost-effective back office support for mutual fund service providers such as ACS. DST is the largest mutual fund transfer agent, servicing more than 88.1 million mutual fund accounts on its shareholder recordkeeping system. Ms. Strandjord’s role as a director of DST was not considered by ACS; she was not involved in any way with the negotiations between ACS and DST; and her status as a director of either DST or the funds was not a factor in the negotiations. The board and counsel to the independent directors of the funds have concluded that the existence of this agreement does not impair Ms. Strandjord’s ability to serve as an independent director under the Investment Company Act.

 

Beneficial Ownership of Affiliates by Independent Directors

 

No independent director or his or her immediate family members beneficially owned shares of the advisor, the funds’ principal underwriter or any other person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the advisor or the funds’ principal underwriter as of December 31, 2012.

 

 
30

 

 

Officers

 

The following table presents certain information about the executive officers of the funds. Each officer serves as an officer for each of the 15 investment companies in the American Century family of funds, unless otherwise noted. No officer is compensated for his or her service as an officer of the funds. The listed officers are interested persons of the funds and are appointed or re-appointed on an annual basis. The mailing address for each officer listed below is 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.

 

 

Name (Year
of Birth)
 

Offices with
the Funds
 

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years 

Jonathan S.
Thomas
(1963)

Director and
President
since 2007

President and Chief Executive Officer, ACC (March 2007 to present). Also serves as Chief Executive Officer and Manager, ACS; Executive Vice President, ACIM; Director, ACC, ACIM and other ACC subsidiaries

Maryanne L.
Roepke
(1956)

Chief Compliance
Officer since 2006
and Senior
Vice President
since 2000

Chief Compliance Officer, American Century funds, ACIM and ACS (August 2006 to present). Also serves as Senior Vice President, ACS 

Charles A.
Etherington
(1957)

General Counsel
since 2007 and
Senior Vice
President since 2006

Attorney, ACC (February 1994 to present); Vice President, ACC (November 2005 to present), General Counsel, ACC (March 2007 to present). Also serves as General Counsel, ACIM, ACS, ACIS and other ACC subsidiaries; and Senior Vice President, ACIM and ACS 

C. Jean Wade
(1964)

Vice President,
Treasurer and
Chief Financial
Officer since 2012

Vice President, ACS (February 2000 to present)

Robert J.
Leach
(1966)

Vice President
since 2006 and
Assistant Treasurer
since 2012

Vice President, ACS (February 2000 to present)

David H.
Reinmiller
(1963)

Vice President
since 2000

Attorney, ACC (January 1994 to present); Associate General Counsel, ACC (January 2001 to present). Also serves as Vice President, ACIM and ACS 

Ward D.
Stauffer
(1960)

Secretary
since 2005

Attorney, ACC (June 2003 to present)

 

Code of Ethics

 

The funds, their investment advisor, principal underwriter and, if applicable, subadvisor have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act. They permit personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the funds, provided that they first obtain approval from the compliance department before making such investments.

 

 
31

 

 

Proxy Voting Guidelines 

 

The advisor is responsible for exercising the voting rights associated with the securities purchased and/or held by the funds. In exercising its voting obligations, the advisor is guided by general fiduciary principles. It must act prudently, solely in the interest of the funds, and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits to them. The advisor attempts to consider all factors of its vote that could affect the value of the investment. The funds’ Board of Directors has approved the advisor’s proxy voting guidelines to govern the advisor’s proxy voting activities.

 

The advisor and the board have agreed on certain significant contributors to shareholder value with respect to a number of matters that are often the subject of proxy solicitations for shareholder meetings. The proxy voting guidelines specifically address these considerations and establish a framework for the advisor’s consideration of the vote that would be appropriate for the funds. In particular, the proxy voting guidelines outline principles and factors to be considered in the exercise of voting authority for proposals addressing:

 

Routine Matters

• Election of Directors

 

• Ratification of Selection of Auditors

Compensation Matters

 

• Executive Compensation

 

• Equity-Based Compensation Plans

Anti-Takeover Proposals

 

• Cumulative Voting

 

• Staggered Boards

 

• "Blank Check" Preferred Stock

 

• Elimination of Preemptive Rights

 

• Non-targeted Share Repurchase

 

• Increase in Authorized Common Stock

 

• "Supermajority" Voting Provisions or Super Voting Share Classes

 

• "Fair Price" Amendments

 

• Limiting the Right to Call Special Shareholder Meetings

 

• Poison Pills or Shareholder Rights Plans

 

• Golden Parachutes

 

• Reincorporation

 

• Confidential Voting

 

• Opting In or Out of State Takeover Laws

Other Matters

 

• Shareholder Proposals Involving Social, Moral or Ethical Matters

 

• Anti-Greenmail Proposals

 

• Changes to Indemnification Provisions

 

• Non-Stock Incentive Plans

 

• Director Tenure

 

• Directors’ Stock Options Plans

 

• Director Share Ownership

 

• Non-U.S. Proxies

 

 
32

 

 

Finally, the proxy voting guidelines establish procedures for voting of proxies in cases in which the advisor may have a potential conflict of interest. Companies with which the advisor has direct business relationships could theoretically use these relationships to attempt to unduly influence the manner in which American Century Investments votes on matters for the funds. To ensure that such a conflict of interest does not affect proxy votes cast for the funds, all discretionary (including case-by-case) voting for these companies will be voted in direct consultation with a committee of the independent directors of the funds.

 

In addition, to avoid any potential conflict of interest that may arise when one American Century Investments fund owns shares of another American Century Investments fund, the advisor will “echo vote” such shares, if possible. That is, it will vote the shares in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of the shares. Shares of American Century Investments “NT” funds will be voted in the same proportion as the vote of the shareholders of the corresponding American Century Investments policy portfolio for proposals common to both funds. For example, NT International Growth Fund shares will be echo voted in accordance with the votes of International Growth Fund shareholders. In all other cases, the shares will be voted in direct consultation with a committee of the independent directors of the voting fund.

 

A copy of the advisor’s proxy voting guidelines and information regarding how the advisor voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 are available on the About Us page at americancentury.com. The advisor’s proxy voting record also is available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

 

The Funds’ Principal Shareholders

 

A list of the funds’ principal shareholders appears in Appendix A.

 

Service Providers

 

The funds have no employees. To conduct the funds’ day-to-day activities, the corporation has hired a number of service providers. Each service provider has a specific function to fill on behalf of the funds that is described below.

 

ACIM, ACS and ACIS are wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by ACC. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) controls ACC by virtue of its beneficial ownership of more than 25% of the voting securities of ACC. SIMR is part of a not-for-profit biomedical research organization dedicated to finding the keys to the causes, treatments and prevention of disease.

 

Investment Advisor

 

American Century Investment Management, Inc. (ACIM) serves as the investment advisor for each of the funds. A description of the responsibilities of the advisor appears in each prospectus under the heading Management.

 

For services provided to each fund, the advisor receives a unified management fee based on a percentage of the daily net assets of each class of shares of the fund. For more information about the unified management fee, see The Investment Advisor under the heading Management in each fund’s prospectus. The amount of the fee is calculated daily and paid monthly in arrears. For each fund with a stepped fee schedule, the rate of the fee is determined by applying the formula indicated in the table below. This formula takes into account the assets of the fund as well as certain assets, if any, of other clients of the advisor outside the American Century Investments fund family (such as subadvised funds and separate accounts) that use very similar investment teams and strategies (strategy assets). For a fund with a corresponding NT fund, strategy assets for both funds also include the assets of the other. The use of strategy assets, rather than fund assets, in calculating the fee rate for a particular fund could allow the fund to realize scheduled cost savings more quickly. However, it is possible that a fund’s strategy assets will not include assets of other client accounts or that any such assets may not be sufficient to result in a lower fee rate. The management fee schedules for the funds appear below.

 

 
33

 

 

Fund 

Class 

Percentage of Strategy Assets 

Emerging Markets 

Investor, A, C and R

1.850% of first $250 million
1.750% of the next $250 million
1.500% of the next $500 million
1.250% over $1 billion

 

Institutional

1.650% of first $250 million
1.550% of the next $250 million
1.300% of the next $500 million
1.050% over $1 billion

 

R6

1.500% of first $250 million
1.400% of the next $250 million
1.150% of the next $500 million
0.900% over $1 billion

Global Growth 

Investor, A, C and R

1.300% of first $1 billion
1.150% of the next $1 billion
1.050% over $2 billion

 

Institutional

1.100% of first $1 billion
0.950% of the next $1 billion
0.850% over $2 billion

 

R6

0.950% of first $1 billion
0.800% of the next $1 billion
0.700% over $2 billion

International Discovery 

Investor, A, C and R

1.750% of first $500 million
1.400% of the next $500 million
1.200% over $1 billion

 

Institutional

1.550% of first $500 million
1.200% of the next $500 million
1.000% over $1 billion

International Growth 

Investor, A, C and R

1.500% of first $1 billion
1.200% of the next $1 billion
1.100% of the next $2 billion
1.050% over $4 billion

 

Institutional

1.300% of first $1 billion
1.000% of the next $1 billion
0.900% of the next $2 billion
0.850% over $4 billion

 

R6

1.150% of first $1 billion
0.850% of the next $1 billion
0.750% of the next $2 billion
0.700% over $4 billion

International Opportunities  

Investor, A, C and R

2.000% of first $250 million
1.800% of the next $250 million
1.600% of the next $500 million
1.400% over $1 billion

 

Institutional

1.800% of first $250 million
1.600% of the next $250 million
1.400% of the next $500 million
1.200% over $1 billion

 

 
34

 

 

Fund 

Class 

Percentage of Strategy Assets 

International Value 

Investor, A, C and R

1.300% of first $1 billion
1.200% of the next $1 billion
1.100% over $2 billion

 

Institutional

1.100% of first $1 billion
1.000% of the next $1 billion
0.900% over $2 billion

 

R6

0.950% of first $1 billion
0.850% of the next $1 billion
0.750% over $2 billion

NT Emerging Markets 

Institutional

1.650% of first $250 million
1.550% of the next $250 million
1.300% of the next $500 million
1.050% over $1 billion

 

R6

1.500% of first $250 million
1.400% of the next $250 million
1.150% of the next $500 million
0.900% over $1 billion

NT International Growth 

Institutional

1.300% of first $1 billion
1.000% of the next $1 billion
0.900% of the next $2 billion
0.850% over $4 billion

 

R6

1.150% of first $1 billion
0.850% of the next $1 billion
0.750% of the next $2 billion
0.700% over $4 billion

 

On each calendar day, each class of each fund accrues a management fee that is equal to the class’s management fee rate (as calculated pursuant to the above schedules) times the net assets of the class divided by 365 (366 in leap years). On the first business day of each month, the funds pay a management fee to the advisor for the previous month. The management fee is the sum of the daily fee calculations for each day of the previous month.

 

The management agreement between the corporation and the advisor shall continue in effect for a period of two years from its effective date (unless sooner terminated in accordance with its terms) and shall continue in effect from year to year thereafter for each fund so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by

 

(1)

either the funds’ Board of Directors, or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such fund (as defined in the Investment Company Act) and

(2)

the vote of a majority of the directors of the funds who are not parties to the agreement or interested persons of the advisor, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

The management agreement states that the funds’ Board of Directors or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each class of such fund may terminate the management agreement at any time without payment of any penalty on 60 days’ written notice to the advisor. The management agreement shall be automatically terminated if it is assigned.

 

The management agreement states that the advisor shall not be liable to the funds or their shareholders for anything other than willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.

 

The management agreement also provides that the advisor and its officers, directors and employees may engage in other business, render services to others, and devote time and attention to any other business whether of a similar or dissimilar nature.

 

 
35

 

 

Certain investments may be appropriate for the funds and also for other clients advised by the advisor. Investment decisions for the funds and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investment generally. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or fund, or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients or funds. A particular security may be bought for one client or fund on the same day it is sold for another client or fund, and a client or fund may hold a short position in a particular security at the same time another client or fund holds a long position. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients or funds on the same date. The advisor has adopted procedures designed to ensure such transactions will be allocated among clients and funds in a manner believed by the advisor to be equitable to each. In some cases this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by a fund.

 

The advisor may aggregate purchase and sale orders of the funds with purchase and sale orders of its other clients when the advisor believes that such aggregation provides the best execution for the funds. The Board of Directors has approved the policy of the advisor with respect to the aggregation of portfolio transactions. To the extent equity trades are aggregated, shares purchased or sold are generally allocated to the participating portfolios pro rata based on order size. The advisor will not aggregate portfolio transactions of the funds unless it believes such aggregation is consistent with its duty to seek best execution on behalf of the funds and the terms of the management agreement. The advisor receives no additional compensation or remuneration as a result of such aggregation.

 

Unified management fees incurred by each fund for the fiscal periods ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010, are indicated in the following table.

 

 

Unified Management Fees 

     

Fund 

2012 

2011 

2010 

Emerging Markets

$8,400,410

$10,285,918

$10,642,168

Global Growth

$4,576,992

$4,650,232

$4,763,005

International Discovery

$9,896,023

$13,660,145

$13,228,453

International Growth

$19,307,166

$21,667,516

$20,223,069

International Opportunities

$1,727,064

$1,950,348

$1,832,059

International Value

$333,835

$356, 249

$358,575

NT Emerging Markets

$2,278,704

$1,688,382

$1,123,890

NT International Growth

$4,611,385

$3,465,440

$2,366,304

 

Subadvisor

 

Prior to December 1, 2011, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC (Templeton) was the subadvisor for International Value Fund.

 

For the fiscal years ended November 30, 2011 and 2010, ACIM paid Templeton subadvisory fees as listed in the following table:

 

Templeton Subadvisory Fees 

 

2011

$136,490

2010

$127,203

 

 
36

 

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Accounts Managed

 

The portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of various accounts, as indicated by the following table. None of these accounts has an advisory fee based on the performance of the account.

 

Accounts Managed (As of November 30, 2012) 

   

Registered Investment
Companies (e.g.,
American Century
Investments funds
and American Century
Investments -
subadvised funds)
 

Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
(e.g., commingled
trusts and 529
education
savings plans)
 

Other Accounts (e.g.,
separate accounts and
corporate accounts,
including incubation
strategies and
corporate money)
 

Brian Brady

Number of Accounts

2

0

2

 

Assets

$806.5 million1 

N/A

$236.4 million

Vinod
Chandrashekaran

Number of Accounts

2

0

0

 

Assets

$35.4 million2 

N/A

N/A

Keith Creveling

Number of Accounts

2

6

7

 

Assets

$551.0 million3 

$803.6 million

$7.3 billion

Indraneel Das

Number of Accounts

2

0

3

 

Assets

$395.2 million4 

N/A

$261.2 million

Rajesh Gandhi

Number of Accounts

4

6

5

 

Assets

$2.6 billion5 

$863.0 million

$597.2 million

Trevor Gurwich

Number of Accounts

2

0

3

 

Assets

$395.2 million4 

N/A

$261.2 million

Anthony Han

Number of Accounts

2

0

0

 

Assets

$669.1 million6 

N/A

N/A

Mark Kopinski

Number of Accounts

4

0

5

 

Assets

$1.2 billion7 

N/A

$497.6 million

Yulin Long

Number of Accounts

2

0

0

 

Assets

$35.4 million2 

N/A

N/A

Brent Puff

Number of Accounts

2

6

7

 

Assets

$551.0 million3 

$803.6 million

$7.3 billion

Patricia Ribeiro

Number of Accounts

2

0

0

 

Assets

$669.1 million6 

N/A

N/A

Alexander Tedder

Number of Accounts

4

6

5

 

Assets

$2.6 billion5 

$863.0 million

$597.2 million

 

 
37

 

 

Accounts Managed (As of November 30, 2012) 

   

Registered Investment
Companies (e.g.,
American Century
Investments funds
and American Century
Investments -
subadvised funds)
 

Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
(e.g., commingled
trusts and 529
education
savings plans)
 

Other Accounts (e.g.,
separate accounts and
corporate accounts,
including incubation
strategies and
corporate money)
 

Elizabeth Xie

Number of Accounts

2

0

0

 

Assets

$32.7 million 8 

N/A

N/A

 

1 

Includes $635.6 million in International Discovery.  

 

2 

Includes $28.0 million in International Value. Information is provided as of April 22, 2013. 

 

3 

Includes $453.4 million in Global Growth. 

 

4 

Includes $101.7 million in International Opportunities. 

 

5 

Includes $1.6 billion in International Growth and $499.0 million in NT International Growth. 

 

6 

Includes $497.6 million in Emerging Markets and $171.5 million in NT Emerging Markets. 

 

7 

Includes $635.6 million in International Discovery and $101.7 million in International Opportunities. 

 

8 

Includes $26.5 million in International Value. 

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest

 

Certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the management of multiple portfolios. Potential conflicts include, for example, conflicts among investment strategies, such as one portfolio buying or selling a security while another portfolio has a differing, potentially opposite position in such security. This may include one portfolio taking a short position in the security of an issuer that is held long in another portfolio (or vice versa). Other potential conflicts may arise with respect to the allocation of investment opportunities, which are discussed in more detail below. American Century Investments has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to minimize the effects of these conflicts.

 

Responsibility for managing American Century Investments client portfolios is organized according to investment discipline. Investment disciplines include, for example, quantitative equity, U. S. growth mid- and small-cap, U.S. growth large-cap, value, global and non-U.S., fixed income, and asset allocation. Within each discipline are one or more portfolio teams responsible for managing specific client portfolios. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed by the same team using the same objective, approach, and philosophy. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios, which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest. In addition, American Century Investments maintains an ethical wall around each of its equity investment disciplines (U.S. growth large-cap, U.S. Growth mid- and small-cap, value, quantitative equity and global and non-U.S.), meaning that access to information regarding any portfolio's transactional activities is only available to team members of the investment discipline that manages such portfolio. The ethical wall is intended to aid in preventing the misuse of portfolio holdings information and trading activity in the other disciplines.

 

For each investment strategy, one portfolio is generally designated as the “policy portfolio.” Other portfolios with similar investment objectives, guidelines and restrictions, if any, are referred to as “tracking portfolios.” When managing policy and tracking portfolios, a portfolio team typically purchases and sells securities across all portfolios that the team manages. American Century Investments’ trading systems include various order entry programs that assist in the management of multiple portfolios, such as the ability to purchase or sell the same relative amount of one security across several funds. In some cases a tracking portfolio may have additional restrictions or limitations that cause it to be managed separately from the policy portfolio. Portfolio managers make purchase and sale decisions for such portfolios alongside the policy portfolio to the extent the overlap is appropriate, and separately, if the overlap is not.

 

American Century Investments may aggregate orders to purchase or sell the same security for multiple portfolios when it believes such aggregation is consistent with its duty to seek best execution on behalf of its clients. Orders of certain client portfolios may, by investment restriction or otherwise, be determined not available for aggregation. American Century Investments has adopted policies and procedures to minimize the risk that a client portfolio could

 

 
38

 

 

be systematically advantaged or disadvantaged in connection with the aggregation of orders. To the extent equity trades are aggregated, shares purchased or sold are generally allocated to the participating portfolios pro rata based on order size. Because initial public offerings (IPOs) are usually available in limited supply and in amounts too small to permit across-the-board pro rata allocations, American Century Investments has adopted special procedures designed to promote a fair and equitable allocation of IPO securities among clients over time. Fixed income securities transactions are not executed through a centralized trading desk. Instead, portfolio teams are responsible for executing trades with broker/dealers in a predominantly dealer marketplace. Trade allocation decisions are made by the portfolio manager at the time of trade execution and orders entered on the fixed income order management system.

 

Finally, investment of American Century Investments’ corporate assets in proprietary accounts may raise additional conflicts of interest. To mitigate these potential conflicts of interest, American Century Investments has adopted policies and procedures intended to provide that trading in proprietary accounts is performed in a manner that does not give improper advantage to American Century Investments to the detriment of client portfolios.

 

Compensation

 

American Century Investments portfolio manager compensation is structured to align the interests of portfolio managers with those of the shareholders whose assets they manage. As of November 30, 2012, it includes the components described below, each of which is determined with reference to a number of factors such as overall performance, market competition, and internal equity. Compensation is not directly tied to the value of assets held in client portfolios.

 

Base Salary

 

Portfolio managers receive base pay in the form of a fixed annual salary.

 

Bonus

 

A significant portion of portfolio manager compensation takes the form of an annual incentive bonus tied to performance. Bonus payments are determined by a combination of factors. One factor is fund investment performance. Fund investment performance is generally measured by a combination of one-, three- and five-year pre-tax performance relative to various benchmarks and/or internally-customized peer groups, such as those indicated below. The performance comparison periods may be adjusted based on a fund’s inception date or a portfolio manager’s tenure on the fund.

 

Fund 

Benchmark 

Peer Group1 

Emerging Markets

MSCI Emerging Markets Growth

Morningstar Diversified
Emerging Markets

Global Growth

50% MSCI The World,
50% MSCI The World Growth

Lipper Global Large-Cap Growth &
Multi-Cap Growth

International Discovery

MSCI AC World ex-US Mid Cap Growth

Lipper International Small/Mid-
Cap Core & Growth

International Growth

50% MSCI EAFE, 50% MSCI EAFE Growth

Morningstar Foreign
Large Growth

International Opportunities

MSCI AC World ex-US Small Cap Growth

Lipper International Small/Mid-
Cap Core & Growth

International Value

MSCI EAFE Value

Morningstar Foreign Large Value

NT Emerging Markets2 

N/A

N/A

NT International Growth2 

N/A

N/A

 

1 

Custom peer groups are constructed using all the funds in the indicated categories as a starting point. Funds are then eliminated from the peer group based on a standardized methodology designed to result in a final peer group that is both more stable (i.e., has less peer turnover) over the long term and that more closely represents the fund’s true peers based on internal investment mandates.  

 

2 

Performance of NT Emerging Markets and NT International Growth is not separately considered in determining portfolio manager compensation. 

 

 
39

 

 

Portfolio managers may have responsibility for multiple American Century Investments mutual funds. In such cases, the performance of each is assigned a percentage weight appropriate for the portfolio manager’s relative levels of responsibility. Portfolio managers also may have responsibility for other types of similarly managed portfolios. If the performance of a similarly managed account is considered for purposes of compensation, it is either measured in the same way as a comparable American Century Investments mutual fund (i.e., relative to the performance of a benchmark and/or peer group) or relative to the performance of such mutual fund.

 

A second factor in the bonus calculation relates to the performance of a number of American Century Investments funds managed according to one of the following investment styles: U.S. growth, U.S. value, international, quantitative and fixed-income. Performance is measured for each product individually as described above and then combined to create an overall composite for the product group. These composites may measure one-year performance (equal weighted) or a combination of one-, three- and five-year performance (equal or asset weighted) depending on the portfolio manager’s responsibilities and products managed. This feature is designed to encourage effective teamwork among portfolio management teams in achieving long-term investment success for similarly styled portfolios.

 

A portion of portfolio managers’ bonuses may be tied to individual performance goals, such as research projects and the development of new products.

 

Restricted Stock Plans

 

Portfolio managers are eligible for grants of restricted stock of ACC. These grants are discretionary, and eligibility and availability can vary from year to year. The size of an individual’s grant is determined by individual and product performance as well as other product-specific considerations. Grants can appreciate/depreciate in value based on the performance of the ACC stock during the restriction period (generally three to four years).

 

Deferred Compensation Plans

 

Portfolio managers are eligible for grants of deferred compensation. These grants are used in very limited situations, primarily for retention purposes. Grants are fixed and can appreciate/depreciate in value based on the performance of the American Century Investments mutual funds in which the portfolio manager chooses to invest them.

 

 
40

 

 

Ownership of Securities

 

The following table indicates the dollar range of securities of each fund beneficially owned by the fund’s portfolio managers as of November 30, 2012, the fund’s most recent fiscal year end.

 

Ownership of Securities 

   

Aggregate Dollar Range of Securities in Fund 

Emerging Markets Fund 

 

Patricia Ribeiro

D

 

Anthony Han

D

Global Growth Fund 

 

Keith Creveling

F

 

Brent Puff

E

International Discovery Fund 

 

Mark Kopinski

F

 

Brian Brady

E

International Growth Fund 

 

Alexander Tedder

A

 

Rajesh Gandhi

A

International Opportunities Fund 

 

Mark Kopinski

D

 

Trevor Gurwich

E

 

Indraneel Das

C

International Value Fund 

 

Vinod Chandrashekaran2 

A

 

Elizabeth Xie

C

 

Yulin Long2 

A

NT Emerging Markets Fund 

 

Patricia Ribeiro1 

A

 

Anthony Han1 

A

NT International Growth Fund 

 

Alexander Tedder1 

A

 

Rajesh Gandhi1 

A

 

Ranges: A – none; B – $1-$10,000; C – $10,001-$50,000; D – $50,001-$100,000; E – $100,001-$500,000; F – $500,001-$1,000,000; G – More than $1,000,000.

 

1 

The portfolio manager cannot invest directly in this fund, which is available for purchase only by certain funds of funds advised by American Century Investments. 

 

2 

Information is provided as of April 22, 2013. 

 

 
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Transfer Agent and Administrator

 

American Century Services, LLC (ACS), 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111, serves as transfer agent and dividend-paying agent for the funds. It provides physical facilities, computer hardware and software and personnel, for the day-to-day administration of the funds and the advisor. The advisor pays ACS’s costs for serving as transfer agent and dividend-paying agent for the funds out of the advisor’s unified management fee. For a description of this fee and the terms of its payment, see the discussion under the caption Investment Advisor on page 33.

 

Proceeds from purchases of fund shares may pass through accounts maintained by the transfer agent at Commerce Bank, N.A. or UMB Bank, n.a. before being held at the fund’s custodian. Redemption proceeds also may pass from the custodian to the shareholder through such bank accounts.

 

From time to time, special services may be offered to shareholders who maintain higher share balances in our family of funds. These services may include the waiver of minimum investment requirements, expedited confirmation of shareholder transactions, newsletters and a team of personal representatives. Any expenses associated with these special services will be paid by the advisor.

 

Sub-Administrator

 

The advisor has entered into an Administration Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company (SSB) to provide certain fund accounting, fund financial reporting, tax and treasury/tax compliance services for the funds, including striking the daily net asset value for each fund. The advisor pays SSB a monthly fee as compensation for these services that is based on the total net assets of accounts in the American Century complex serviced by SSB. ACS does pay SSB for some additional services on a per fund basis. While ACS continues to serve as the administrator of the funds, SSB provides sub-administrative services that were previously undertaken by ACS.

 

Distributor

 

The funds’ shares are distributed by American Century Investment Services, Inc. (ACIS), a registered broker-dealer. The distributor is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACC and its principal business address is 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.

 

The distributor is the principal underwriter of the funds’ shares. The distributor makes a continuous, best efforts underwriting of the funds’ shares. This means the distributor has no liability for unsold shares. The advisor pays ACIS’s costs for serving as principal underwriter of the funds’ shares out of the advisor’s unified management fee. For a description of this fee and the terms of its payment, see the discussion under the caption Investment Advisor on page 33. ACIS does not earn commissions for distributing the funds’ shares.

 

Certain financial intermediaries unaffiliated with the distributor or the funds may perform various administrative and shareholder services for their clients who are invested in the funds. These services may include assisting with fund purchases, redemptions and exchanges, distributing information about the funds and their performance, preparing and distributing client account statements, and other administrative and shareholder services that would otherwise be provided by the distributor or its affiliates. The distributor may pay fees out of its own resources to such financial intermediaries for providing these services.

 

Custodian Bank

 

State Street Bank and Trust Company (SSB), Lafayette Corporate Center, 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 serves as custodian of the funds’ cash and securities. Foreign securities, if any, are held by foreign banks participating in a network coordinated by SSB. The custodian takes no part in determining the investment policies of the funds or in deciding which securities are purchased or sold by the funds. The funds, however, may invest in certain obligations of the custodian and may purchase or sell certain securities from or to the custodian.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Deloitte & Touche LLP is the independent registered public accounting firm of the funds. The address of Deloitte & Touche LLP is 1100 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. As the independent registered public accounting firm of the funds, Deloitte & Touche LLP provides services including auditing the annual financial statements and financial highlights for each fund.

 

 
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Brokerage Allocation

 

The advisor places orders for equity portfolio transactions with broker-dealers, who receive commissions for their services. Generally, commissions relating to securities traded on foreign exchanges will be higher than commissions relating to securities traded on U.S. exchanges. The advisor purchases and sells fixed-income securities through principal transactions, meaning the advisor normally purchases securities on a net basis directly from the issuer or a primary market-maker acting as principal for the securities. The funds generally do not pay a stated brokerage commission on these transactions, although the purchase price for debt securities usually includes an undisclosed compensation. Purchases of securities from underwriters typically include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers serving as market-makers typically include a dealer’s mark-up (i.e., a spread between the bid and asked prices).

 

Under the management agreement between the funds and the advisor, the advisor has the responsibility of selecting brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions. The funds’ policy is to secure the most favorable prices and execution of orders on its portfolio transactions. The advisor selects broker-dealers on their perceived ability to obtain “best execution” in effecting transactions in its clients’ portfolios. In selecting broker-dealers to effect portfolio transactions relating to equity securities, the advisor considers the full range and quality of a broker-dealer’s research and brokerage services, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

applicable commission rates and other transaction costs charged by the broker-dealer

 

value of research provided to the advisor by the broker-dealer (including economic forecasts, fundamental and technical advice on individual securities, market analysis, and advice, either directly or through publications or writings, as to the value of securities, availability of securities or of purchasers/sellers of securities)

 

timeliness of the broker-dealer's trade executions

 

efficiency and accuracy of the broker-dealer’s clearance and settlement processes

 

broker-dealer’s ability to provide data on securities executions

 

financial condition of the broker-dealer

 

the quality of the overall brokerage and customer service provided by the broker-dealer

 

 

In transactions to buy and sell fixed-income securities, the selection of the broker-dealer is determined by the availability of the desired security and its offering price, as well as the broker-dealer’s general execution and operational and financial capabilities in the type of transaction involved. The advisor will seek to obtain prompt execution of orders at the most favorable prices or yields. The advisor does not consider the receipt of products or services other than brokerage or research services in selecting broker-dealers.

 

On an ongoing basis, the advisor seeks to determine what levels of commission rates are reasonable in the marketplace. In evaluating the reasonableness of commission rates, the advisor considers:

 

rates quoted by broker-dealers

the size of a particular transaction, in terms of the number of shares, dollar amount, and number of clients involved

the ability of a broker-dealer to execute large trades while minimizing market impact

the complexity of a particular transaction

the nature and character of the markets on which a particular trade takes place

the level and type of business done with a particular firm over a period of time

the ability of a broker-dealer to provide anonymity while executing trades

historical commission rates

rates that other institutional investors are paying, based on publicly available information

 

The brokerage commissions paid by the funds may exceed those that another broker-dealer might have charged for effecting the same transactions, because of the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. Research services furnished by broker-dealers through whom the funds effect securities transactions may be used by the advisor in servicing all of its accounts, and not all such services may be used by the advisor in managing the portfolios of the funds.

 

 
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Pursuant to its internal allocation procedures, the advisor regularly evaluates the brokerage and research services provided by each broker-dealer that it uses. On a semi-annual basis, each member of the advisor’s portfolio management team rates the quality of research and brokerage services provided by each broker-dealer that provides execution services and research to the advisor for its clients’ accounts. The resulting scores are used to rank these broker-dealers on a broker research list. In the event that the advisor has determined that best execution for a particular transaction may be obtained by more than one broker-dealer, the advisor may consider the relative positions of the broker-dealer on this list in determining the party through which to execute the transaction. Actual business received by any firm may be more or less than other broker-dealers with a similar rank. Execution-only brokers are used where deemed appropriate.

 

In the fiscal years ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010, the brokerage commissions including, as applicable, futures commissions, of each fund are listed in the following table.

 

Fund 

2012 

2011 

2010 

Emerging Markets

$1,682,852

$1,800,326

$2,002,734

Global Growth

$241,446

$310,087

$576,673

International Discovery

$2,895,106

$4,218,657

$5,146,980

International Growth

$3,108,764

$3,491,838

$3,841,092

International Opportunities

$369,392

$451,067

$585,970

International Value

$28,662

$23,860

$18,796

NT Emerging Markets

$549,253

$377,449

$266,170

NT International Growth

$827,862

$455,540

$355,526

 

Brokerage commissions paid by a fund may vary significantly from year to year as a result of changing asset levels throughout the year, portfolio turnover, varying market conditions, and other factors. The increase in brokerage commissions paid by NT Emerging Markets and NT International Growth over the last three fiscal years is due to increases in the net assets of the funds. The decrease in brokerage commissions for International Discovery, Global Growth and International Opportunities is due to the use of lower cost execution venues and a decrease in overall market value. The decrease in brokerage commissions paid by Emerging Markets over the last three fiscal years is due to decreases in net assets of the fund.

 

Regular Broker-Dealers

 

As of the end of its most recently completed fiscal year, each of the funds listed below owned securities of its regular brokers or dealers (as defined by Rule 10b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940) or of their parent companies.

 

Fund 

Broker, Dealer or Parent 

Value of Securities Owned
as of November 30, 2012
(in thousands)
 

Global Growth

Wells Fargo Securities LLC

$5,172

 
 

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

$3,963

 
 

UBS AG

$2,711

 

International Growth

BNP Paribas

$19,946

 
 

UBS AG

$8,460

 

NT International Growth

BNP Paribas

$6,458

 
 

UBS AG

$2,549

 

 

 
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Information About Fund Shares

 

Each of the funds named on the front of this statement of additional information is a series of shares issued by the corporation, and shares of each fund have equal voting rights. In addition, each series (or fund) may be divided into separate classes. See Multiple Class Structure, which follows. Additional funds and classes may be added without a shareholder vote.

 

Each fund votes separately on matters affecting that fund exclusively. Voting rights are not cumulative, so investors holding more than 50% of the corporation’s (all funds’) outstanding shares may be able to elect a Board of Directors. The corporation undertakes dollar-based voting, meaning that the number of votes a shareholder is entitled to is based upon the dollar amount of the shareholder’s investment. The election of directors is determined by the votes received from all the corporation’s shareholders without regard to whether a majority of shares of any one fund voted in favor of a particular nominee or all nominees as a group.

 

The assets belonging to each series are held separately by the custodian and the shares of each series represent a beneficial interest in the principal, earnings and profit (or losses) of investment and other assets held for each series. Within their respective series, all shares have equal redemption rights. Each share, when issued, is fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Each shareholder has rights to dividends and distributions declared by the fund he or she owns and to the net assets of such fund upon its liquidation or dissolution proportionate to his or her share ownership interest in the fund.

 

Multiple Class Structure

 

The corporation’s Board of Directors has adopted a multiple class plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 adopted by the SEC. The plan is described in the prospectus of any fund that offers more than one class. Pursuant to such plan, the funds may issue the following classes of shares: Investor Class, Institutional Class, A Class, C Class, R Class and R6 Class. Not all funds offer all classes.

 

The Investor Class is made available to investors directly from American Century Investments and/or through some financial intermediaries. Investor Class shares charge a single unified management fee, without any load or commission payable to American Century Investments. Additional information regarding eligibility for Investor Class shares may be found in the funds’ prospectuses. The Institutional Class is made available to institutional shareholders or through financial intermediaries that provide various shareholder and administrative services. The R6 Class is generally available only to participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans where a financial intermediary provides recordkeeping services to plan participants. Because Institutional Class and R6 Class shareholders do not require the same level of shareholder and administrative services from the advisor as Investor Class shareholders, and because American Century does not pay any service, distribution or administrative fees to financial intermediaries for R6 Class shares, the advisor is able to charge these classes lower total management fees. The A and C Classes also are made available through financial intermediaries, for purchase by individual investors who receive advisory and personal services from the intermediary. The R Class is made available through financial intermediaries and is generally used in 401(k) and other retirement plans. The unified management fee for the A, C and R Classes is the same as for Investor Class, but the A, C and R Class shares each are subject to a separate Master Distribution and Individual Shareholder Services Plan (the A Class Plan, C Class Plan and R Class Plan, respectively, and collectively, the plans) described below. The plans have been adopted by the funds’ Board of Directors in accordance with Rule 12b-1 adopted by the SEC under the Investment Company Act.

 

 
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Rule 12b-1

 

Rule 12b-1 permits an investment company to pay expenses associated with the distribution of its shares in accordance with a plan adopted by its Board of Directors and approved by its shareholders. Pursuant to such rule, the Board of Directors of the funds’ A, C and R Classes have approved and entered into the A Class Plan, C Class Plan and R Class Plan, respectively. The plans are described below.

 

In adopting the plans, the Board of Directors (including a majority of directors who are not interested persons of the funds [as defined in the Investment Company Act], hereafter referred to as the independent directors) determined that there was a reasonable likelihood that the plans would benefit the funds and the shareholders of the affected class. Some of the anticipated benefits include improved name recognition of the funds generally; and growing assets in existing funds, which helps retain and attract investment management talent, provides a better environment for improving fund performance, and can lower the total expense ratio for funds with stepped-fee schedules. Pursuant to Rule 12b-1, information about revenues and expenses under the plans is presented to the Board of Directors quarterly. Continuance of the plans must be approved by the Board of Directors, including a majority of the independent directors, annually. The plans may be amended by a vote of the Board of Directors, including a majority of the independent directors, except that the plans may not be amended to materially increase the amount spent for distribution without majority approval of the shareholders of the affected class. The plans terminate automatically in the event of an assignment and may be terminated upon a vote of a majority of the independent directors or by a majority of the outstanding shareholder votes of the affected class.

 

All fees paid under the plans will be made in accordance with Section 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

 

The Share Class Plans

 

As described in the prospectuses, the A, C and R Class shares of the funds are made available to participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and to persons purchasing through broker-dealers, banks, insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide various administrative, shareholder and distribution services. The funds’ distributor enters into contracts with various banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and other financial intermediaries, with respect to the sale of the funds’ shares and/or the use of the funds’ shares in various investment products or in connection with various financial services.

 

Certain recordkeeping and administrative services that would otherwise be performed by the funds’ transfer agent may be performed by a plan sponsor (or its agents) or by a financial intermediary for A, C and R Class investors. In addition to such services, the financial intermediaries provide various individual shareholder and distribution services.

 

To enable the funds’ shares to be made available through such plans and financial intermediaries, and to compensate them for such services, the funds’ Board of Directors has adopted the A, C and R Class Plans. Pursuant to the plans, the following fees are paid and described further below.

 

A Class

 

The A Class pays the funds’ distributor 0.25% annually of the average daily net asset value of the A Class shares. The distributor may use these fees to pay for certain ongoing shareholder and administrative services and for distribution services, including past distribution services. This payment is fixed at 0.25% and is not based on expenses incurred by the distributor.

 

C Class

 

The C Class pays the funds’ distributor 1.00% annually of the average daily net asset value of the funds’ C Class shares, 0.25% of which is paid for certain ongoing individual shareholder and administrative services and 0.75% of which is paid for distribution services, including past distribution services. This payment is fixed at 1.00% and is not based on expenses incurred by the distributor.

 

 
46

 

 

R Class

 

The R Class pays the funds’ distributor 0.50% annually of the average daily net asset value of the R Class shares. The distributor may use these fees to pay for certain ongoing shareholder and administrative services and for distribution services, including past distribution services. This payment is fixed at 0.50% and is not based on expenses incurred by the distributor.

 

During the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, the aggregate amount of fees paid under each class plan was:

 

 

A Class 

C Class 

R Class 

Emerging Markets

$35,475

 

$36,775

 

$3,757

 

Global Growth

$76,373

 

$37,707

 

$5,342

 

International Discovery

$7,035

 

$956

 

$1,353

 

International Growth

$461,127

 

$25,234

 

$12,783

 

International Opportunities

$8,878

 

$1,143

 

$587

 

International Value

$35,563

 

$12,352

 

$1,276

 

 

The distributor then makes these payments to the financial intermediaries (including underwriters and broker-dealers, who may use some of the proceeds to compensate sales personnel) who offer the A, C and R Class shares for the services described below. No portion of these payments is used by the distributor to pay for advertising, printing costs or interest expenses.

 

Payments may be made for a variety of individual shareholder services, including, but not limited to:

 

(a)

providing individualized and customized investment advisory services, including the consideration of shareholder profiles and specific goals;

(b)

creating investment models and asset allocation models for use by shareholders in selecting appropriate funds;

(c)

conducting proprietary research about investment choices and the market in general;

(d)

periodic rebalancing of shareholder accounts to ensure compliance with the selected asset allocation;

(e)

consolidating shareholder accounts in one place;

(f)

paying service fees for providing personal, continuing services to investors, as contemplated by the Conduct Rules of FINRA; and

(g)

other individual services.

 

Individual shareholder services do not include those activities and expenses that are primarily intended to result in the sale of additional shares of the funds.

 

Distribution services include any activity undertaken or expense incurred that is primarily intended to result in the sale of A, C, R and/or Advisor Class shares, which services may include but are not limited to:

 

(a)

paying sales commissions, on-going commissions and other payments to brokers, dealers, financial institutions or others who sell A, C and R Class shares pursuant to selling agreements;

(b)

compensating registered representatives or other employees of the distributor who engage in or support distribution of the funds’ A, C and R Class shares;

(c)

compensating and paying expenses (including overhead and telephone expenses) of the distributor;

(d)

printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports for other-than-existing shareholders;

(e)

preparing, printing and distributing sales literature and advertising materials provided to the funds’ shareholders and prospective shareholders;

(f)

receiving and answering correspondence from prospective shareholders, including distributing prospectuses, statements of additional information, and shareholder reports;

(g)

providing facilities to answer questions from prospective shareholders about fund shares;

(h)

complying with federal and state securities laws pertaining to the sale of fund shares;

(i)

assisting shareholders in completing application forms and selecting dividend and other account options;

(j)

providing other reasonable assistance in connection with the distribution of fund shares;

(k)

organizing and conducting sales seminars and payments in the form of transactional and compensation or promotional incentives;

 

 
47

 

 

(l)

profit on the foregoing; and

(m)

such other distribution and services activities as the advisor determines may be paid for by the funds pursuant
to the terms of the agreement between the corporation and the funds’ distributor and in accordance with Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act.

 

Valuation of a Fund’s Securities

 

The net asset value (NAV) for each class of each fund is calculated by adding the value of all portfolio securities and other assets attributable to the class, deducting liabilities, and dividing the result by the number of shares of the class outstanding. Expenses and interest earned on portfolio securities are accrued daily.

 

All classes of the funds except the A Class are offered at their NAV, as described below. The A Class of the funds are offered at its public offering price, which is the net asset value plus the appropriate sales charge. This calculation may be expressed as a formula:

 

Offering Price = NAV/(1 – Sales Charge as a % of Offering Price)

 

For example, if the NAV of a fund’s A Class shares is $5.00, the public offering price would be $5.00/(1-5.75%) = $5.31.

 

Each fund’s NAV is calculated as of the close of business of the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE), each day the NYSE is open for business. The NYSE usually closes at 4 p.m. Eastern time. The NYSE typically observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Although the funds expect the same holiday schedule to be observed in the future, the NYSE may modify its holiday schedule at any time.

 

The portfolio securities of each fund that are listed or traded on a domestic securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on that exchange except as otherwise noted. Portfolio securities primarily traded on foreign securities exchanges are generally valued at the preceding closing values of such securities on the exchange where primarily traded or as of the close of the NYSE, if that is earlier. That value is then converted to U.S. dollars at the prevailing foreign exchange rate. If no sale is reported, or if local convention or regulation so provides, the mean of the latest bid and asked prices is used. Depending on local convention or regulation, securities traded over-the-counter are priced at the mean of the latest bid and asked prices, the last sale price or the official closing price. When market quotations are not readily available, securities and other assets are valued at fair value as determined in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Directors.

 

Debt securities not traded on a principal securities exchange are valued through valuations obtained from a commercial pricing service or at the most recent mean of the bid and asked prices provided by investment dealers in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Directors.

 

Securities maturing within 60 days of the valuation date may be valued at cost, plus or minus any amortized discount or premium, unless the directors determine that this would not result in fair valuation of a given security. Other assets and securities for which quotations are not readily available are valued in good faith using methods approved by the Board of Directors.

 

The value of an exchange-traded foreign security is determined in its national currency as of the close of trading on the foreign exchange on which it is traded or as of the close of business on the NYSE, if that is earlier. That value is then translated to dollars at the prevailing foreign exchange rate.

 

Trading in securities on European and Far Eastern securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets is normally completed at various times before the close of business on each day that the NYSE is open. If an event were to occur after the value of a security was established but before the NAV was determined that was likely to materially change the NAV, then that security would be valued as determined in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Directors.

 

Trading of these securities in foreign markets may not take place on every day that the NYSE is open. In addition, trading may take place in various foreign markets and on some electronic trading networks on Saturdays or on other days when the NYSE is not open and on which the funds’ NAVs are not calculated. Therefore, such calculations do not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of many of the portfolio securities used in such calculations and the value of the funds’ portfolios may be affected on days when shares of the fund may not be purchased or redeemed.

 

 
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Taxes

 

Federal Income Taxes

 

Each fund intends to qualify annually as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). RICs are not subject to federal and state income taxes. To qualify as a RIC a fund must, among other requirements, distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains (if any) to investors each year. If a fund were not eligible to be treated as a RIC, it would be liable for taxes at the fund level on all its income, significantly reducing its distributions to investors and eliminating investors’ ability to treat distributions received from the fund in the same manner in which they were realized by the fund. However, the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, under certain circumstances, allows funds to cure deficiencies that would otherwise result in the loss of RIC status.

 

To qualify as a RIC, a fund must meet certain requirements of the Code, among which are requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets. A fund is also required to distribute 90% of its investment company taxable income each year. Additionally, a fund must declare dividends by December 31 of each year equal to at least 98% of ordinary income (as of December 31) and 98.2% of capital gains (as of October 31) to avoid the nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on any undistributed amounts.

 

If fund shares are purchased through taxable accounts, distributions of either cash or additional shares of net investment income and net short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income, unless they are designated as qualified dividend income and you meet a minimum required holding period with respect to your shares of a fund, in which case such distributions are taxed at the same rate as long-term capital gains. Qualified dividend income is a dividend received by a fund from the stock of a domestic or qualifying foreign corporation, provided that the fund has held the stock for a required holding period. The required holding period for qualified dividend income is met if the underlying shares are held more than 60 days in the 121-day period beginning 60 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Dividends received by the funds on shares of stock of domestic corporations may qualify for the 70% dividends received deduction to the extent that the fund held those shares for more than 45 days.

 

Distributions from gains on assets held by the funds longer than 12 months are taxable as long-term gains regardless of the length of time you have held your shares in the funds. If you purchase shares in the fund and sell them at a loss within six months, your loss on the sale of those shares will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gains dividend you received on those shares.

 

A fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and futures contracts on foreign currencies) will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the fund, defer fund losses, and affect the determination of whether capital gains and losses are characterized as long-term or short-term capital gains or losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were sold), which may cause the fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements of the Code for relief from income and excise taxes. A fund will monitor its transactions and may make such tax elections as fund management deems appropriate with respect to these transactions.

 

A fund’s investments in foreign securities may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. However, tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. Any foreign taxes paid by a fund will reduce its dividend distributions to investors.

 

If more than 50% of the value of a fund’s total assets at the end of its fiscal year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the fund may make an election with the Internal Revenue Service with respect to such fiscal year so that fund shareholders may be able to claim a foreign tax credit. If such an election is made, the eligible foreign taxes will be treated as income received by you. In order for you to utilize the foreign tax credit, you must have held your shares for 16 days or more during the 31-day period, beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date for the mutual fund shares. The mutual fund must meet a similar holding period requirement with respect to securities to which a dividend is attributable. Any portion of the foreign tax credit that is ineligible as a result of the fund not meeting the holding period requirement will be deducted in computing net investment income.

 

 
49

 

 

If a fund purchases the securities of certain foreign investment funds or trusts called passive foreign investment companies (PFIC), capital gains on the sale of such holdings will be deemed ordinary income regardless of how long the fund holds the investment. The fund also may be subject to corporate income tax and an interest charge on certain dividends and capital gains earned from these investments, regardless of whether such income and gains are distributed to shareholders. In the alternative, the fund may elect to recognize cumulative gains on such investments as of the last day of its fiscal year and distribute them to shareholders. Any distribution attributable to a PFIC is characterized as ordinary income.

 

As of November 30, 2012, the funds in the table below had the following capital loss carryover, which expire in the years and amounts listed. When a fund has a capital loss carryover, it does not make capital gains distributions until the loss has been offset or expired. The Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 allows the funds to carry forward capital losses incurred in future taxable years for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred during those future taxable years will be required to be utilized prior to the losses which carry an expiration date. As a result, capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused.

 

Fund 

2016 

2017 

Unlimited 

 

Emerging Markets

($12,429,763)

($117,206,401)

         

 

Global Growth

         

($42,873,929)

         

 

International Discovery

($84,373,986)

($241,484,655)

($5,806,363)

 

International Growth

($6,402,967)

($181,813,340)

         

 

International Opportunities

($11,863,521)

($11,775,357)

         

 

International Value

         

($6,210,901)

($846,973)

 

NT Emerging Markets

         

($1,146,451)

($9,285,417)

 

NT International Growth

         

($8,278,098)

($5,354,116)

 

 

If you have not complied with certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations, either American Century Investments or your financial intermediary is required by federal law to withhold and remit to the IRS the applicable federal withholding rate of reportable payments (which may include dividends, capital gains distributions and redemption proceeds). Those regulations require you to certify that the Social Security number or tax identification number you provide is correct and that you are not subject to withholding for previous under-reporting to the IRS. You will be asked to make the appropriate certification on your account application. Payments reported by us to the IRS that omit your Social Security number or tax identification number will subject us to a non-refundable penalty of $50, which will be charged against your account if you fail to provide the certification by the time the report is filed.

 

A redemption of shares of a fund (including a redemption made in an exchange transaction) will be a taxable transaction for federal income tax purposes and you will generally recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the basis of the shares and the amount received. If a loss is realized on the redemption of fund shares, the reinvestment in additional fund shares within 30 days before or after the redemption may be subject to the “wash sale” rules of the Code, resulting in a postponement of the recognition of such loss for federal income tax purposes.

 

Beginning in 2013, a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will be imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends and capital gains, provided you meet specified income levels.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Distributions by the funds also may be subject to state and local taxes, even if all or a substantial part of such distributions are derived from interest on U.S. government obligations which, if you received such interest directly, would be exempt from state income tax. However, most but not all states allow this tax exemption to pass through to fund shareholders when a fund pays distributions to its shareholders. You should consult your tax advisor about the tax status of such distributions in your state.

 

The information above is only a summary of some of the tax considerations affecting the funds and their shareholders. No attempt has been made to discuss individual tax consequences. A prospective investor should consult with his or her tax advisors or state or local tax authorities to determine whether the funds are suitable investments.

 

 
50

 

 

Financial Statements

 

Each of the fund’s financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal period ended November 30, 2012 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm. The Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the financial statements included in the annual reports of each of these funds for the fiscal period ended November 30, 2012, are incorporated herein by reference.

 

 
51

 

 

Appendix A – Principal Shareholders

 

As of June 26, 2013, the following shareholders owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a class of a fund. The table shows shares owned of record unless otherwise noted. Because the R6 Class is new, it is not included in the table.

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

Emerging Markets 

Investor Class

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian
One Choice Portfolio Aggressive Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

13%

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian
One Choice Portfolio Moderate Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

11%

Institutional Class

 

Trustees of American Century P/S &
401(k) Savings Plan & Trust
Overland Park, KS 

44%

 

State Street Bank & Trust Co TTEE

Los Angeles, CA

Includes 24.02% registered for the benefit of Hallmark Master Trust Strat Mod and 7.38% registered for the benefit of Hallmark Master Trust Strat Agg 

31%

 

American Century Services SSB&T Custodian
Global Allocation Portfolio Emerging Markets Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

12%

 

JPMorgan Chase TR
American Century Executive Def Comp Plan Trust
Overland Park, KS

5%

A Class

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

41%

 

Pershing LLC 
Jersey City, NJ

13%

 

UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Weehawken, NJ

9%

C Class

 

First Clearing LLC
Saint Louis, MO

12%

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

9%

 

MLPF&S
Jacksonville, FL

7%

 

UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Weehawken, NJ

6%

 

 
A-1

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

Emerging Markets 

R Class

 

State Street Bank FBO ADP/MSDW 401K Product
Boston, MA

51%

 

Samuels Green & Steel LLP TTEE
FBO Samuels Green & Steel LLP 401K c/o Fascore LLC
Greenwood Village, CO

11%

 

Cheryl Dasilva & Bradford Kemp TTEE
Beechwoods Software Inc 401K c/o Fascore LLC
Greenwood Village, CO

9%

 

Capital Bank & Trust Company
TTEE Kratos Analytical Inc. 401K
Greenwood Village, CO

6%

Global Growth  

Investor Class

 

Charles Schwab & Co Inc
San Francisco, CA

7%

 

National Financial Services Corp
New York, NY

7%

Institutional Class

 

DWS Trust Co TTEE Lonza US Savings Plan
Salem, NH

27%

 

JPMorgan Chase as Trustee FBO
Cushman & Wakefield 401(K) Retirement Savings Plan
Overland Park, KS

27%

 

Trustees of American Century P/S & 401K Savings Plan & Trust
Overland Park, KS

22%

 

Charles Schwab & Co Inc
San Francisco, CA

19%

A Class

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

27%

 

FIIOC
Covington, KY

Includes 5.27% registered for the benefit of Yellowpages.com
401K Success Sharing Plan
 

15%

 

State Street Bank Trustee FBO ADP Access
Boston, MA

15%

 

Suntrust Bank FBO Various Suntrust Omnibus Accounts
Greenwood Village, CO

7%

 

 
A-2

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

Global Growth  

C Class

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

25%

 

MLPF&S Inc
Jacksonville, FL

24%

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

11%

 

First Clearing LLC
Saint Louis, MO

9%

R Class

 

State Street Corporation FBO ADP Access
Boston, MA

74%

 

Hartford Securities Distribution Co Agent for Reliance Trust Company
FBO Agents Plan Customers
Hartford, CT

7%

 

National Financial Services Corp
New York, NY

6%

International Discovery 

Investor Class

 

Charles Schwab & Co Inc.
San Francisco, CA

8%

Institutional Class

 

Trustees of American Century P/S & 401K Savings Plan & Trust
Overland Park, KS

82%

 

Strafe & Co
Newark, DE

8%

A Class

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

25%

 

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing Inc
FBO Primerica Financial Services
King of Prussia, PA

14%

 

American United Life
Indianapolis, IN

Includes 9.88% registered for the benefit of American United Life Group Retirement Annuity II 

12%

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

10%

 

VRSCO
Houston, TX

Includes 5.67% registered for the benefit of AIGFSB Custodian
Trustee FBO Georgia Health Sciences Univ
 

8%

 

UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Weehawken, NJ

7%

 

 
A-3

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

International Discovery 

C Class

 

LPL Financial
San Diego, CA

55%

 

UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Weehawken, NJ

17%

 

American Enterprise Inv Svcs
Minneapolis, MN

15%

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

7%

 

MSSB FBO Mary K. Hanley & Kenneth T. Scheffler, JT TEN
Seattle, WA

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

6%

R Class

 

Capital Bank & Trust Co TTEE FBO Trombetta – Tympanium 401K
Greenwood Village, CO

81%

 

American Century Investment Management Inc
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

10%

 

John M. Bourdelais TTEE
FBO Level One Fasteners 401K PSP c/o Fascore LLC
Greenwood Village, CO

9%

International Growth  

Investor Class

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian
One Choice Portfolio Moderate Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

8%

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian
One Choice Portfolio Aggressive Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

8%

 

Charles Schwab & Co Inc
San Francisco, CA

6%

Institutional Class

 

Charles Schwab & Co Inc
San Francisco, CA

48%

 

State Street Bank & Trust Co TTEE
Los Angeles, CA

Includes 11.32% registered for the benefit of Hallmark Master
Trust Strat Mod S/A
 

17%

 

American Century Services SSB&T Custodian
Global Allocation Portfolio International Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

8%

 

JP Morgan Chase TR

Overland Park, KS

Includes 6.20% registered for the benefit of
Atlantic Southeast Airlines Inc Investment Savings Plan
 

7%

 

JP Morgan Chase RPS TTEE
The Linde Savings & Investment Plan Trust
Overland Park, KS

5%

 

 
A-4

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

International Growth  

A Class

 

KS Postsecondary Education SP SSB&T Custodian
Kansas City, MO

Includes 18.68% registered for the benefit of Schwab-Moderately Aggressive Intrnational Grwth Advisor Omnibus, 16.56% registered for the benefit of Schwab-Aggressive Intrnational Grwth Advisor Omnibus, and 7.69% registered for the benefit of Schwab-Moderate Intrnational Grwth Advisor Omnibus 

47%

 

AMFO & Co
Kansas City, MO

17%

 

UMB Bank
Topeka, KS

12%

C Class

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

13%

 

MLPF&S Inc
Jacksonville, FL

13%

 

First Clearing LLC
Saint Louis, MO

8%

R Class

 

ING Life Insurance and Annuity Co Trust
Windsor, CT

42%

 

Frontier Trust Company
Fargo, ND

Includes 5.55% registered for the benefit of Leblanc & Associates
401K Retire and 5.85% registered for the benefit of Anderson & Wood Plan
 

15%

 

MLPF&S
Jacksonville, FL

9%

 

ING National Trust
Windsor, CT

9%

 

DCGT Trustee & Or Custodian
Principal Financial Group Qualified FIA Omnibus
Des Moines, IA

6%

International Opportunities 

Investor Class

 

Charles Schwab & Co Inc
San Francisco, CA

16%

 

JP Morgan Clearing Corp Omnibus
Brooklyn, NY

6%

Institutional Class

 

American Century Investment Management Inc
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

100%

 

 
A-5

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

International Opportunities 

 

A Class

 
 

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing Inc
FBO Primerica Financial Services
King of Prussia, PA

70%

 

American Enterprise Inv Svcs
Minneapolis, MN

15%

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

7%

International Opportunities 

 

C Class

 
 

American Enterprise Inv Svcs
Minneapolis, MN

27%

 

Kurt Widmann TTEE FBO
Vulcan Industries Corp 401K Plan c/o Fascore LLC
Greenwood Village, CO

20%

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

20%

 

Robert F Burris & Deborah F Burris JTWROS
Mandeville, LA

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

10%

 

Frontier Trust Co
Fargo, ND

Includes 7.43% registered for the benefit of Xentity Employees Retirement Plan 

8%

R Class

 

Larry Garrett & Dennis Vickers TTEE
DM Vickers & Associates PC 401K c/o Fascore LLC
Greenwood Village, CO

71%

 

Labchem Inc TR FBO Labchem Inc
401K Profit Sharing c/o Fascore LLC
Greenwood Village, CO

17%

 

American Century Investment Management Inc
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

7%

International Value 

Investor Class

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

13%

 

Ameritrade Inc FEBO Our Customers
Omaha, NE

9%

Institutional Class

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank Trustee
Henry Wurst Inc Employee PSP Trust
Overland Park, KS

56%

 

JP Morgan Chase TR
American Century Executive Def Comp Plan Trust
Overland Park, KS

40%

 

 
A-6

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

International Value 

A Class

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

33%

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

21%

C Class

 

American Enterprise Investment Svc
Minneapolis, MN

46%

 

UBS WM USA Omni Account M/F
Weehawken, NJ

18%

 

Pershing LLC
Jersey City, NJ

5%

R Class

 

Capital Bank & Trust Company TTEE
Liberty Tire Services LLC 401K
Greenwood Village, CO

34%

 

Hartford Securities Distribution Co Agent for Reliance Trust Company

FBO Agents Plan Customers

Hartford, CT

16%

 

Frontier Trust Company FBO Jerry S Autogroup 401K
Fargo, ND

14%

 

MG Trust Company Cust
Denver, CO

Includes 8.25% registered for the benefit of Positron Access Solutions EMP 

9%

 

DCGT Trustee & Or Custodian FBO
Principal Financial Group Qualified Fia Omnibus
Des Moines, IA

7%

 

401(K) RPSA GM2 Associates Inc.
401K Vincent A Avino
Tolland, CT

6%

NT Emerging Markets 

 

Institutional Class

 
 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian
One ChoiceSM 2045 Portfolio NT Emerging Markets Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

20%

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2035 Portfolio NT Emerging Markets Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

20%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2025 Portfolio NT Emerging Markets Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

17%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian
One ChoiceSM 2040 Portfolio NT Emerging Mkts Omnibus
Kansas City, Missouri

Shares owned of record and beneficially

12%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian
One ChoiceSM 2030 Portfolio NT Emerging Mkts Omnibus
Kansas City, Missouri

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

11%

 

 
A-7

 

 

Fund/
Class
 

Shareholder  

Percentage of Outstanding
Shares Owned of Record
 

NT Emerging Markets 

 

Institutional Class

 
 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian
One ChoiceSM 2050 Portfolio NT Emerging Mkts Omnibus
Kansas City, Missouri
       Shares owned of record and beneficially 

9%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian
One ChoiceSM 2020 Portfolio NT Emerging Mkts Omnibus
Kansas City, Missouri

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

6%

NT International Growth 

Institutional Class

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian
One ChoiceSM 2035 Portfolio NT International Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

19%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2025 Portfolio NT International Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

19%

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2045 Portfolio NT International Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

13%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2030 Portfolio NT Intl Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

12%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2040 Portfolio NT Intl Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

10%

 

American Century Serv Corp SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2015 Portfolio NT International Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

9%

 

American Century Services LLC SSB&T Custodian 
One ChoiceSM 2020 Portfolio NT Intl Growth Omnibus
Kansas City, MO

Shares owned of record and beneficially 

9%

 

The funds are unaware of any other shareholders, beneficial or of record, who own more than 5% of any class of a fund’s outstanding shares or who own more than 25% of the voting securities of the corporation. A shareholder owning beneficially more than 25% of the corporation’s outstanding shares may be considered a controlling person. The vote of any such person could have a more significant effect on matters presented at a shareholders’ meeting than votes of other shareholders. As of June 26, 2013, the officers and directors of the funds, as a group, owned less than 1% of any class of a fund’s outstanding shares.

 

 
A-8

 

 

Appendix B – Sales Charges and Payments to Dealers

 

Sales Charges

 

The sales charges applicable to the A and C Classes of the funds are described in the prospectuses for those classes in the section titled Investing Through a Financial Intermediary. Shares of the A Class are subject to an initial sales charge, which declines as the amount of the purchase increases. Additional information regarding reductions and waivers of the A Class sales charge may be found in the funds’ prospectuses. Shares of the A and C Classes are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) upon redemption of the shares in certain circumstances. The specific charges and when they apply are described in the relevant prospectuses. The CDSC may be waived for certain redemptions by some shareholders, as described in the prospectuses.

 

An investor may terminate his relationship with an intermediary at any time. If the investor does not establish a relationship with a new intermediary and transfer any accounts to that new intermediary, such accounts may be exchanged to the Investor Class of the fund, if such class is available. The investor will be the shareholder of record of such accounts. In this situation, any applicable CDSCs will be charged when the exchange is made.

 

No CDSCs were paid to the distributor for A Class shares in the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012.

 

The aggregate CDSCs paid to the distributor for C Class shares in the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012, were:

 

Emerging Markets

$56

Global Growth

$677

International Discovery

$1

International Growth

$495

International Opportunities

$103

International Value

$357

 

Payments to Dealers

 

The funds’ distributor expects to pay dealer commissions to the financial intermediaries who sell A and/or C Class shares of the fund at the time of such sales. Payments for A Class shares will be as follows:

 

Purchase Amount 

Dealer Commission as a % of Offering Price 

< $50,000

5.00%

$50,000 - $99,999

4.00%

$100,000 - $249,999

3.25%

$250,000 - $499,999

2.00%

$500,000 - $999,999

1.75%

$1,000,000 - $3,999,999

1.00%

$4,000,000 - $9,999,999

0.50%

> $10,000,000

0.25%

 

No dealer commission will be paid on purchases by employer-sponsored retirement plans. For this purpose, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs. Payments will equal 1.00% of the purchase price of the C Class shares sold by the financial intermediary. The distributor will retain the 12b-1 fee paid by the C Class of funds for the first 12 months after the shares are purchased. This fee is intended in part to permit the distributor to recoup a portion of on-going sales commissions to dealers plus financing costs, if any. Beginning with the first day of the 13th month, the distributor will make the C Class distribution and individual shareholder services fee payments described above to the financial intermediaries involved on a quarterly basis. In addition, C Class purchases and A Class purchases greater than $1,000,000 are subject to a CDSC as described in the prospectuses.

 

From time to time, the distributor may make additional payments to dealers, including but not limited to payment assistance for conferences and seminars, provision of sales or training programs for dealer employees and/or the public (including, in some cases, payment for travel expenses for registered representatives and other dealer employees who participate), advertising and sales campaigns about a fund or funds, and assistance in financing dealer-sponsored events. Other payments may be offered as well, and all such payments will be consistent with applicable law, including the then-current rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Such payments will not change the price paid by investors for shares of the funds.

 

 
B-1

 

 

Appendix C – Buying and Selling Fund Shares

 

Information about buying, selling, exchanging and, if applicable, converting fund shares is contained in the funds’ prospectuses. The prospectuses are available to investors without charge and may be obtained by calling us.

 

Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans

 

Certain group employer-sponsored retirement plans that hold a single account for all plan participants with the fund, or that are part of a retirement plan or platform offered by banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors or insurance companies, or serviced by retirement recordkeepers are eligible to purchase Investor, Institutional, A, C, R and R6 Class shares. A and C Class purchases are available at net asset value with no dealer commission paid to the financial professional and do not incur a CDSC. A, C and R Class shares purchased in employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to applicable distribution and service (12b-1) fees, which the financial intermediary begins receiving immediately at the time of purchase. American Century Investments does not impose minimum initial investment amount, plan size or participant number requirements by class for employer-sponsored retirement plans; however, financial intermediaries or plan recordkeepers may require plans to meet different requirements.

 

Examples of employer-sponsored retirement plans include the following:

 

401(a) plans

pension plans

profit sharing plans

401(k) plans

money purchase plans

target benefit plans

Taft-Hartley multi-employer pension plans

SERP and “Top Hat” plans

ERISA trusts

employee benefit plans and trusts

employer-sponsored health plans

457 plans

KEOGH or HR(10) plans

employer-sponsored 403(b) plans

nonqualified deferred compensation plans

nonqualified excess benefit plans

nonqualified retirement plans

 

Traditional and Roth IRAs are not considered employer-sponsored retirement plans, and SIMPLE IRAs, SEP IRAs and SARSEPs are collectively referred to as Business IRAs. SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA or SARSEP retirement plans that (i) held shares of an A Class fund prior to March 1, 2009 that received sales charge waivers or (ii) held shares of an Advisor Class fund that was renamed A Class on March 1, 2010, may permit additional purchases by new and existing participants in A Class shares without an initial sales charge.

 

R Class IRA Accounts established prior to August 1, 2006 may make additional purchases.

 

 
C-1

 

 

Waiver of Minimum Initial Investment Amounts — Institutional Class

 

A financial intermediary, upon receiving prior approval from American Century Investments, may waive applicable minimum initial investment amounts per shareholder for Institutional Class shares in the following situations:

 

Broker-dealers purchasing fund shares for clients in broker-sponsored discretionary fee-based advisory programs where the portfolio manager of the program acts on behalf of the shareholder through omnibus accounts;

Trust companies and bank wealth management organizations purchasing shares in a fiduciary, discretionary trustee or advisory account on behalf of the shareholder, through omnibus accounts or nominee name accounts;

Financial intermediaries with clients of a registered investment advisor (RIA) purchasing fund shares in fee based advisory accounts with a $100,000 initial minimum per client or $250,000 aggregated initial investment across multiple clients, where the RIA is purchasing shares through certain broker-dealers through omnibus accounts;

Qualified Tuition Programs under Section 529 that have entered into an agreement with the distributor; and

Certain other situations deemed appropriate by American Century Investments.

 

 
C-2

 

 

Appendix D – Explanation of Fixed-Income Securities Ratings

 

As described in the prospectuses and in this SAI, some of the funds may invest in fixed-income securities. Those investments, however, are subject to certain credit quality restrictions as noted in the prospectuses. The following is a summary of the rating categories referenced in the prospectuses.

 

Ratings of Corporate Debt Securities 

Standard & Poor’s 

AAA

This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt obligation. It indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

AA

Debt rated in this category is considered to have a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal. It differs from the highest-rated obligations only in small degree.

A

Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher-rated categories.

BBB

Debt rated in this category is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. While it normally exhibits 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. Debt rated below BBB is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics.

BB

Debt rated in this category 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 that could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating also is used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB rating.

B

Debt rated in this category is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but currently has the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal.

CCC

Debt rated in this category is currently vulnerable to nonpayment 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.

CC

Debt rated in this category is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. This rating category is also applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating.

C

The rating C typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt, and is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment of interest and principal. This rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but debt service payments are being continued.

D

Debt rated in this category is in default. This rating is used when interest payments or principal repayments 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. It also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if debt service payments are jeopardized.

 

 
D-1

 

 

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. 

Aaa

This is the highest rating assigned by Moody’s to a debt obligation. It indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Aa

Debt rated in this category is considered to have a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from Aaa issues only in a small degree. Together with Aaa debt, it comprises what are generally known as high-grade bonds.

A

Debt rated in this category possesses many favorable investment attributes and is to be considered as upper-medium-grade debt. Although capacity to pay interest and repay principal are considered adequate, it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher-rated categories.

Baa

Debt rated in this category is considered as medium-grade debt having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. While it normally exhibits 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. Debt rated below Baa is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics.

Ba

Debt rated Ba 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 that could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate.

B

Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default, but currently has the capacity to meet financial commitments. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied Ba or Ba3 rating.

Caa

Debt rated Caa is of poor standing, 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. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest. The Caa rating is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B3 rating.

Ca

Debt rated in this category represent obligations that are speculative in a high degree. Such debt is often in default or has other marked shortcomings.

C

This is the lowest rating assigned by Moody’s, and debt rated C can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of attaining investment standing.

 

Fitch Investors Service, Inc. 

AAA

Debt rated in this category has the lowest expectation of credit risk. Capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is exceptionally strong and highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA

Debt rated in this category has a very low expectation of credit risk. Capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is very strong and not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A

Debt rated in this category has a low expectation of credit risk. Capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is strong, but may be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than debt rated in higher categories.

BBB

Debt rated in this category currently has a low expectation of credit risk and an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. However, adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.

 

 
D-2

 

 

Fitch Investors Service, Inc. 

BB

Debt rated in this category has a possibility of developing credit risk, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time. However, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.

B

Debt rated in this category has significant credit risk, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments currently are being met, but capacity for continued debt service payments is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

CCC, CC, C

Debt rated in these categories has a real possibility for default. Capacity for meeting financial commitments depends solely upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A CC rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable; a C rating signals imminent default.

DDD, DD, D

The ratings of obligations in these categories are based on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a reorganization or liquidation of the obligor. While expected recovery values are highly speculative and cannot be estimated with any precision, the following serve as general guidelines. DDD obligations have the highest potential for recovery, around 90%-100% of outstanding amounts and accrued interest. DD indicates potential recoveries in the range of 50%-90% and D the lowest recovery potential, i.e., below 50%.

Entities rated in these categories have defaulted on some or all of their obligations. Entities rated DDD have the highest prospect for resumption of performance or continued operation with or without a formal reorganization process. Entities rated DD and D are generally undergoing a formal reorganization or liquidation process; those rated DD are likely to satisfy a higher portion of their outstanding obligations, while entities rated D have a poor prospect of repaying all obligations.

 

To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the Standard & Poor’s ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within these major rating categories. Similarly, Moody’s adds numerical modifiers (1,2,3) to designate relative standing within its major bond rating categories. Fitch also rates bonds and uses a ratings system that is substantially similar to that used by Standard & Poor’s.

 

Commercial Paper Ratings 

S&P

Moody’s

Description

A-1

Prime-1
(P-1)

This indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Standard & Poor’s rates those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics as A-1+.

A-2

Prime-2
(P-2)

Capacity for timely payment on commercial paper is satisfactory, but the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriated, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

A-3

Prime-3
(P-3)

Satisfactory capacity for timely repayment. Issues that carry this rating are somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.

 

 
D-3

 

 

Municipal Note and Variable Rate Security Ratings 

S&P

Moody’s

Description

SP-1

MIG-1;
VMIG-1

Notes are of the highest quality enjoying strong protection from established cash flows of funds for their servicing or from established and broad-based access to the market for refinancing, or both.

SP-2

MIG-2;
VMIG-2

Notes are of high quality, with margins of protection ample, although not so large as in the preceding group.

SP-3

MIG-3;
VMIG-3

Notes are of favorable quality, with all security elements accounted for, but lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Market access for refinancing, in particular, is likely to be less well established.

SP-4

MIG-4;
VMIG-4

Notes are of adequate quality, carrying specific risk but having protection and not distinctly or predominantly speculative.

 

 
D-4 

 

 

Notes

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Century Investments
americancentury.com

 

Retail Investors

P.O. Box 419200
Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6200
1-800-345-2021 or 816-531-5575

Financial Professionals

P.O. Box 419385 
Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6385 
1-800-345-6488

 

 

 

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-06247

 

CL-SAI-78925    1307