497 1 d497.htm LEGG MASON PARTNERS EQUITY TRUST Legg Mason Partners Equity Trust
Table of Contents

SEPTEMBER 2, 2008

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

LEGG MASON PARTNERS EQUITY TRUST

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement Series

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2015 (“Target 2015”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2020 (“Target 2020”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2025 (“Target 2025”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2030 (“Target 2030”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2035 (“Target 2035”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2040 (“Target 2040”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2045 (“Target 2045”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2050 (“Target 2050”)

Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement Fund (“Retirement Fund”)

55 Water Street

New York, New York 10041

(800) 451-2010

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) expands upon and supplements the information contained in the current prospectus, dated September 2, 2008, for Class A, Class C, Class FI, Class R, Class I and Class IS shares of Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2015, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2020, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2025, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2030, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2035, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2040, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2045, Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement 2050 (collectively, the “Target Funds”) and Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement Fund (together with the Target Funds, the “funds”) as amended or supplemented from time to time, and should be read in conjunction therewith.

The funds are series of Legg Mason Partners Equity Trust (the “Trust”), a Maryland business trust.

This SAI is not a prospectus and is only authorized for distribution when preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus for the funds. Each of the nine funds offers different levels of potential return and involves different levels of risk. Each of the funds seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a number of open-end management investment companies or series thereof (“underlying funds”). Most of the underlying funds have Legg Mason Investment Services (“LMIS”), a wholly-owned broker/dealer subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc. (“Legg Mason”), as principal underwriter or an investment management subsidiary of Legg Mason as investment adviser. Other underlying funds are exchange-traded funds managed by unaffiliated investment advisers.

Additional information about the funds’ investments will be available in the funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. A prospectus and copies of the annual and semi-annual reports, when available, may be obtained free of charge by contacting banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, investment advisers, financial consultants or advisors, mutual fund supermarkets and other financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the funds’ distributor to sell shares of the funds (each called a “Service Agent”), or by writing or calling the funds at the address or telephone number set forth above. LMIS serves as the funds’ sole and exclusive distributor.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

Management

   3

Investment Management and Other Services

   11

Portfolio Manager Disclosure

   16

Investment Objectives and Management Policies

   21

Investment Policies

   47

Portfolio Transactions

   50

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

   52

Purchase of Shares

   54

Redemption of Shares

   60

Exchange Privilege

   61

Distributor

   62

Valuation of Shares

   64

Dividends and Distributions

   64

Additional Information

   72

Financial Statements

   75

Appendix A—Description of Ratings

   A-1

Appendix B—Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures

   B-1

This Statement of Additional Information is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by an effective prospectus.


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MANAGEMENT

The business affairs of the funds are managed by or under the direction of the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Board elects officers who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the funds and who execute policies authorized by the Board.

The Trustees, including the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the funds (the “Independent Trustees”), and executive officers of the funds, their birth years, their principal occupations during at least the past five years (their titles may have varied during that period), the number of funds associated with Legg Mason the Trustees oversee and other board memberships they hold are set forth below. The address of each Trustee is c/o R. Jay Gerken, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018.

 

Name and Year of Birth

   Position(s)
with Funds
   Term of Office*
and Length of
Time Served†
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
   Other Board
Memberships Held
by Trustee During
Past Five Years

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES:

           

Paul R. Ades

Born 1940

   Trustee    Since 1983    Law firm of Paul R. Ades, PLLC (since 2000)    57    None

Andrew L. Breech

Born 1952

   Trustee    Since 1991    President, Dealer Operating Control Service, Inc. (automotive retail management) (since 1985)    57    None

Dwight B. Crane

Born 1937

   Trustee    Since 1981    Independent Consultant (since 1969); formerly, Professor, Harvard Business School (1969 to 2007)    59    None

Robert M. Frayn, Jr.

Born 1934

   Trustee    Since 1981    Retired; formerly, President and Director, Book Publishing Co. (1970 to 2002)    57    None

Frank G. Hubbard

Born 1937

   Trustee    Since 1993    President, Avatar International Inc. (business development) (since 1998)    57    None

Howard J. Johnson

Born 1938

   Trustee    From 1981 to
1998 and
2000 to
present
   Chief Executive Officer, Genesis Imaging LLC (technology company) (since 2003)    57    None

David E. Maryatt

Born 1936

   Trustee    Since 1983    Private Investor; President and Director, ALS Co. (real estate management and development firm) (since 1993)    57    None

 

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Name and Year of Birth

   Position(s)
with Funds
   Term of Office*
and Length of
Time Served†
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
   Other Board
Memberships Held
by Trustee During
Past Five Years

Jerome H. Miller

Born 1938

   Trustee    Since 1995    Retired    57    None

Ken Miller

Born 1942

   Trustee    Since 1983    Chairman, Young Stuff Apparel Group, Inc. (apparel manufacturer) (since 1963)    57    None

John J. Murphy

Born 1944

   Trustee    Since 2002    President, Murphy Capital Management (investment advice) (since 1983)    57    Director,
Nicholas
Applegate funds
(13 funds);
Trustee,
Consulting
Group Capital
Markets Funds
(11 funds);
formerly,
Director,
Atlantic
Stewardship
Bank (2004 to
2005); Director,
Barclays
International
Funds Group
Ltd. and
affiliated
companies (to
2003)

Thomas F. Schlafly

Born 1948

   Trustee    Since 1983    Of Counsel, Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP (law firm) (since 1984); President, The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. (since 1989)    57    Director,
Citizens
National Bank
of Greater
St. Louis,
Maplewood,
MO (since
2006)

Jerry A. Viscione

Born 1944

   Trustee    Since 1993    Retired; formerly, Executive Vice President, Marquette University (1997 to 2002)    57    None

 

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Name and Year of Birth

   Position(s)
with Funds
   Term of Office*
and Length of
Time Served†
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Funds in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee
   Other Board
Memberships Held
by Trustee During
Past Five Years

INTERESTED TRUSTEE AND OFFICER:

        

R. Jay Gerken, CFA**

Born 1951

   Trustee,
President,
Chairman
and Chief
Executive
Officer
   Since
2002
   Managing Director, Legg Mason & Co., LLC (“Legg Mason & Co.”); Chairman of the Board and Trustee/Director of 164 funds associated with Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC (“LMPFA” or the “manager”) and its affiliates; President, LMPFA (since 2006); Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. or its affiliates; formerly, Chairman, Smith Barney Fund Management LLC (“SBFM”) and Citi Fund Management, Inc. (“CFM”) (2002 to 2005); formerly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Travelers Investment Adviser Inc. (2002 to 2005)    149    Former Trustee,
Consulting
Group Capital
Markets Funds
(11 funds)

(2002-2006)

 

* Each Trustee serves until his respective successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal.
** Mr. Gerken is an “interested person,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), because of his position with the manager and/or certain of its affiliates.
Indicates the earliest year in which the Trustee became a Board member for a fund in the Legg Mason Partners fund complex.

 

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Name, Year of Birth and Address

  

Position(s) with Funds

   Term of Office†
and Length of
Time Served‡
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

OTHER OFFICERS:

        

Ted P. Becker

Born 1951

620 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

   Chief Compliance Officer    Since 2006    Director of Global Compliance at Legg Mason (2006 to present); Managing Director of Compliance at Legg Mason & Co. (2005 to present); Chief Compliance Officer with certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (since 2006); Chief Compliance Officer of LMPFA and certain affiliates; Managing Director of Compliance at Citigroup Asset Management (“CAM”) (a group of affiliated investment advisers, which included SBFM, Smith Barney Asset Management and other affiliated investment advisory entities) (2002 to 2005).

John Chiota

Born 1968

300 First Stamford Place

Stamford, CT 06902

   Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer    Since 2006    Vice President of Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); Vice President at CAM (since 2004); Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (since 2006). Prior to August 2004, Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer of TD Waterhouse.

Steven Frank

Born 1967

55 Water Street

New York, NY 10041

   Controller    Since 2005    Vice President of Legg Mason & Co. or its predecessors (since 2002); Controller of certain funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); formerly, Assistant Controller of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (2001 to 2005).

 

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Name, Year of Birth and Address

  

Position(s) with Funds

   Term of Office†
and Length of
Time Served‡
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Robert I. Frenkel

Born 1954

300 First Stamford Place

Stamford, CT 06902

   Secretary and Chief Legal Officer    Since 2003    Managing Director and General Counsel of Global Mutual Funds for Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); Managing Director and General Counsel of Global Mutual Funds for CAM (since 2000); Secretary and Chief Legal Officer of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (since 2003). Previously, Secretary of CFM (2001 to 2004).

Jeanne M. Kelly

Born 1951

620 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

   Senior Vice President    Since 2007    Managing Director of Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); Senior Vice President of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. or its affiliates (since 2007); formerly, Director—Global Fund Administration, CAM (from 1996-2005).

Albert Laskaj

Born 1977

55 Water Street

New York, NY 10041

   Controller    Since 2007    Vice President of Legg Mason & Co. (since 2008); Controller of certain funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (since 2007); formerly, Assistant Controller of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (2005 to 2007); accounting manager of certain mutual funds associated with certain predecessor firms of Legg Mason & Co. (2003 to 2005).

Thomas C. Mandia

Born 1962

300 First Stamford Place

Stamford, CT 06902

   Assistant Secretary    Since 2000    Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel of Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel for CAM (since 1992); Assistant Secretary of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co.

 

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Name, Year of Birth and Address

  

Position(s) with Funds

   Term of Office†
and Length of
Time Served‡
  

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Kaprel Ozsolak

Born 1965

55 Water Street

New York, NY 10041

   Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer    Since
2004
   Director of Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); Vice President at CAM (1996 to 2005); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of certain mutual funds associated with Legg Mason & Co. (since 2005); Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of certain mutual funds associated with CAM (2004 to 2005). Previously, Controller of certain mutual funds associated CAM (2002 to 2004).

 

Each officer serves until his or her respective successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal.
Indicates the earliest year in which the officer took office for any funds in the Legg Mason Partners fund complex.

Officers of the funds receive no compensation from the funds, although they may be reimbursed by the funds for reasonable out-of-pocket travel expenses for attending Board meetings.

The Board has three standing Committees: the Audit Committee, the Governance Committee and the Pricing Committee. The Audit Committee and the Governance Committee are composed of all of the Independent Trustees. The Pricing Committee is composed of the Chairman of the Board and one Independent Trustee.

The Audit Committee oversees the scope of each fund’s audit, each fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and its internal controls. The primary purposes of the Board’s Audit Committee are to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for oversight of the integrity of the accounting, auditing and financial reporting practices of each fund, the qualifications and independence of each fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and each fund’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee approves, and recommends to the Independent Trustees for their ratification, the selection, appointment, retention or termination of each fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and approves the compensation of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also approves all audit and permissible non-audit services provided to each fund by the independent registered public accounting firm and all permissible non-audit services provided by each fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to its manager and any affiliated service providers if the engagement relates directly to each fund’s operations and financial reporting.

The Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, recommending candidates to fill vacancies on the Board. The Governance Committee may consider nominees recommended by a shareholder. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send recommendations to the Trust’s Secretary that include all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for the election of Trustees. A recommendation must be accompanied by a written consent of the individual to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the shareholders.

The Governance Committee identifies potential nominees through its network of contacts and may also engage, if it deems appropriate, a professional search firm. The Governance Committee meets to discuss and consider such candidates’ qualifications and then chooses a candidate by majority vote. The Governance Committee does not have specific, minimum qualifications for nominees, nor has it established specific qualities or skills that it regards as necessary for one or more of the Trustees to possess (other than any qualities or skills that may be required by applicable law, regulation or listing standard). However, in evaluating a person as a potential nominee to serve as a Trustee, the Governance Committee may consider the following factors, among any others it may deem relevant:

 

   

whether or not the person is an “interested person,” as defined in the 1940 Act, and whether the person is otherwise qualified under applicable laws and regulations to serve as a Trustee;

 

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whether or not the person has any relationships that might impair his or her independence, such as any business, financial or family relationships with fund management, the manager, service providers or their affiliates;

 

   

whether or not the person serves on boards of, or is otherwise affiliated with, competing financial service organizations or their related mutual fund complexes;

 

   

whether or not the person is willing to serve, and willing and able to commit the time necessary for the performance of the duties of a Trustee;

 

   

the contribution which the person can make to the Board (or, if the person has previously served as a Trustee, the contribution which the person made to the Board during his or her previous term of service), with consideration being given to the person’s business and professional experience, education and such other factors as the Governance Committee may consider relevant;

 

   

the character and integrity of the person; and

 

   

whether or not the selection and nomination of the person would be consistent with the requirements of the retirement policies of the Trust, as applicable.

The Pricing Committee is charged with determining the fair value prices for securities when required.

The Trust’s Board oversees all of the equity-type funds in the fund complex. All members of the Board previously have served on Boards of predecessors of Legg Mason Partners funds. The Board met six times during the Trust’s most recent fiscal year. The Audit, Governance and Pricing Committees met three, three, and seven times, respectively, during the Trust’s most recent fiscal year.

The following table shows the amount of equity securities owned by the Trustees in other investment companies in the fund complex supervised by the Trustees as of December 31, 2007.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity
Securities in Registered
Investment Companies
Overseen by Trustee

Independent Trustees

  

Paul R. Ades

   Over $100,000

Andrew L. Breech

   Over $100,000

Dwight B. Crane

   Over $100,000

Robert M. Frayn, Jr.

   Over $100,000

Frank G. Hubbard

   Over $100,000

Howard J. Johnson

   $50,001-$100,000

David E. Maryatt

   Over $100,000

Jerome H. Miller

   Over $100,000

Ken Miller

   $50,001-$100,000

John J. Murphy

   Over $100,000

Thomas F. Schlafly

   Over $100,000

Jerry A. Viscione

   Over $100,000

Interested Trustee

  

R. Jay Gerken

   Over $100,000

As of August 12, 2008, none of the Independent Trustees or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of the manager, Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC (“LMGAA” or the “subadviser”), or distributor of the funds, or of a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the manager, subadviser or distributor of the funds.

 

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Information regarding compensation paid by the funds to the Board is set forth below. The Independent Trustees receive a fee for each meeting of the funds’ Board and committee meetings attended and are reimbursed for all out-of-pocket expenses relating to attendance at such meetings. Mr. Gerken, an “interested person,” as defined in the 1940 Act, does not receive compensation from the funds for his service as Trustee, but may be reimbursed for all out-of-pocket expenses relating to attendance at such meetings.

The funds pay a pro rata share of the Trustee fees based upon asset size. The funds currently pay each of the Independent Trustees his pro rata share of: an annual fee of $100,000, plus $20,000 for each regularly scheduled Board meeting attended in person, and $1,000 for each telephonic Board meeting in which that Trustee participates. The lead Independent Trustee will receive an additional $25,000 per year and the Chairs of the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee will receive an additional $15,000 per year.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2015(3)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2020(3)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2025(3)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2030(3)

Independent Trustees

           

Paul R. Ades

   $ 66    $ 101    $ 66    $ 76

Andrew L. Breech

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

Dwight B. Crane

   $ 71    $ 109    $ 71    $ 82

Robert M. Frayn, Jr.

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

Frank G. Hubbard

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

Howard J. Johnson

   $ 68    $ 104    $ 68    $ 78

David E. Maryatt

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

Jerome H. Miller

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

Ken Miller

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

John J. Murphy

   $ 67    $ 103    $ 67    $ 77

Thomas F. Schlafly

   $ 63    $ 96    $ 63    $ 72

Jerry A. Viscione

   $ 66    $ 101    $ 66    $ 76

Interested Trustee

           

R. Jay Gerken(1)

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2035(3)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2040(3)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2045(3)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from Target
2050(3)

Independent Trustees

           

Paul R. Ades

   $ 41    $ 46    $ 15    $ 10

Andrew L. Breech

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

Dwight B. Crane

   $ 44    $ 49    $ 16    $ 11

Robert M. Frayn, Jr.

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

Frank G. Hubbard

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

Howard J. Johnson

   $ 42    $ 47    $ 16    $ 10

David E. Maryatt

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

Jerome H. Miller

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

Ken Miller

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

John J. Murphy

   $ 41    $ 46    $ 15    $ 10

Thomas F. Schlafly

   $ 39    $ 43    $ 14    $ 10

Jerry A. Viscione

   $ 41    $ 46    $ 15    $ 10

Interested Trustee

           

R. Jay Gerken(1)

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

 

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Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from the
Retirement
Fund(3)
   Total Pension
or Retirement
Benefits Paid
as Part of
Fund
Expenses
    Total
Compensation
from Fund
Complex Paid
to Trustee for
the Calendar
Year Ended
December 31,
2007
   Number of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee

Independent Trustees

          

Paul R. Ades

   $ 81    $ 0     $ 183,550    47

Andrew L. Breech

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 162,000    47

Dwight B. Crane

   $ 87           (2)   $ 746,293    49

Robert M. Frayn, Jr.

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 136,151    47

Frank G. Hubbard

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 193,950    47

Howard J. Johnson

   $ 83    $ 0     $ 196,250    47

David E. Maryatt

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 140,139    47

Jerome H. Miller

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 171,950    47

Ken Miller

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 173,450    47

John J. Murphy

   $ 82    $ 0     $ 185,800    47

Thomas F. Schlafly

   $ 77    $ 0     $ 183,000    47

Jerry A. Viscione

   $ 81    $ 0     $ 137,000    47

Interested Trustee

          

R. Jay Gerken(1)

   $ 0    $ 0     $ 0    137

 

(1) Mr. Gerken was not compensated for his service as Trustee because of his affiliation with the manager.
(2) Pursuant to a prior retirement plan, Mr. Crane received in a lump sum (calculated on a net present value basis), an aggregate benefit from the fund complex having a net present value equal to $444,643. Each fund no longer overseen by Mr. Crane has paid a pro rata share (based upon asset size) of the aggregate benefit to Mr. Crane. Legg Mason or its affiliates have agreed to reimburse these funds an amount equal to 50% of the benefits paid to Mr. Crane.
(3) As the funds had not commenced operations on December 31, 2007, information is estimated for the calendar year ending December 31, 2008.

As of August 12, 2008, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding common shares of each fund.

As of August 12, 2008, to the knowledge of each fund, no shareholders or groups (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”)) beneficially owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of a fund. Legg Mason, Inc. owned all of the outstanding shares of each fund prior to their public offering.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES

Manager

LMPFA serves as investment manager to each fund pursuant to an investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with the Trust on behalf of each fund. LMPFA, with offices at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018, is an investment adviser formed to serve as the investment manager of the funds and certain other Legg Mason-sponsored funds. LMPFA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Legg Mason. Legg Mason, whose principal executive offices are at 100 Light Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, is a global asset management company. As of June 30, 2008, Legg Mason’s asset management operation had aggregate assets under management of approximately $922.8 billion.

 

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Under each Management Agreement, subject to the supervision and direction of the Board, the manager is delegated the responsibility of managing the fund’s portfolio in accordance with the fund’s stated investment objectives and policies, making investment decisions for the fund and placing orders to purchase and sell securities. The manager also performs administrative and management services necessary for the operation of each fund, such as (i) supervising the overall administration of the fund, including negotiation of contracts and fees with and the monitoring of performance and billings of the fund’s transfer agent, shareholder servicing agents, custodian and other independent contractors or agents; (ii) providing certain compliance, fund accounting, regulatory reporting, and tax reporting services; (iii) preparing or participating in the preparation of Board materials, registration statements, proxy statements and reports and other communications to shareholders; (iv) maintaining the fund’s existence; and (v) maintaining the registration and qualification of the fund’s shares under federal and state laws.

Each Management Agreement has an initial term ending August 29, 2010 and will continue in effect from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (a) by the Board or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), and (b) in either event, by a majority of the Independent Trustees with such Independent Trustees casting votes in person at a meeting called for such purpose.

Each Management Agreement provides that the manager may render services to others. Each Management Agreement is terminable without penalty on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice by the fund when authorized either by a vote of holders of shares representing a majority of the voting power of the outstanding voting securities of the fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) or by a vote of a majority of the Trustees, or by the manager on not less than 90 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. Each Management Agreement provides that neither the manager nor its personnel shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in the execution of security transactions for the fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of its or their obligations and duties.

For its services under the Management Agreement, LMPFA receives an investment management fee of 0.10% of each fund’s average daily net assets.

Each fund, as a shareholder in the underlying funds, will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any investment management fees and other expenses paid by the underlying funds. The effective management fee from the prospectus of each of the underlying funds in which the funds may invest is set forth below as a percentage rate of the underlying fund’s average net assets:

Underlying Fund Management Fees

 

U.S. Equity

  

iShares® Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund (ETF)

   0.20 %

iShares® Russell 1000 Value Index Fund (ETF)

   0.20 %

iShares® Russell 2000 Index Fund (ETF)

   0.20 %

Legg Mason American Leading Companies Trust

   0.70 %

Legg Mason Classic Valuation Fund

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Growth Trust, Inc.

   0.70 %

Legg Mason Opportunity Trust

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Partners 130/30 U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

   1.00 %

Legg Mason Partners Aggressive Growth Fund

   0.69 %

Legg Mason Partners Appreciation Fund

   0.56 %

Legg Mason Partners Capital Fund

   0.58 %

Legg Mason Partners Fundamental Value Fund

   0.64 %

Legg Mason Partners Investors Value Fund

   0.50 %

Legg Mason Partners Large Cap Growth Fund

   0.71 %

Legg Mason Partners Mid Cap Core Fund

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Partners Small Cap Core Fund

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Partners Small Cap Growth Fund

   0.75 %

 

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Legg Mason Partners Small Cap Value Fund

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Partners U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Special Investment Trust, Inc.

   0.68 %

Legg Mason Value Trust, Inc.

   0.66 %

Royce Total Return Fund

   0.95 %

Royce Value Fund

   1.00 %

International Equity

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Index Fund (ETF)

   0.34 %

Legg Mason International Equity Trust

   0.75 %

Legg Mason Partners International All Cap Opportunity Fund

   0.85 %

Emerging Market Equity

  

Legg Mason Emerging Market Trust

   1.00 %

Legg Mason Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund

   0.85 %

Vanguard® Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (ETF)

   0.14 %

Emerging Market Fixed Income

  

Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio

   0.75 %

High Yield Fixed Income

  

Western Asset High Yield Portfolio

   0.55 %

U.S. Core Fixed Income

  

Western Asset Absolute Return Portfolio

   0.75 %

Western Asset Core Bond Portfolio

   0.41 %

Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

   0.40 %

Global Fixed Income

  

Global Opportunities Bond Fund

   0.50 %

Western Asset Non-U.S. Opportunity Bond Portfolio

   0.45 %

Real Estate

  

Vanguard® REIT Index Fund (ETF)

   0.07 %

iShares® is a registered trademark of Barclays Global Investors, N.A. (“BGI”). Neither BGI nor the iShares® Funds makes any representations regarding the advisability of investing in a fund in the Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement Series.

Vanguard® is a registered trademark of The Vanguard Group, Inc. (“Vanguard”). Neither Vanguard nor the Vanguard® funds makes any representations regarding the advisability of investing in a fund in the Legg Mason Partners Target Retirement Series.

Subadviser

LMGAA serves as the subadviser to each fund pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between the manager and LMGAA with respect to each fund (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”). LMGAA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Legg Mason. LMGAA has offices at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018 and provides asset allocation advisory services to the funds. As of June 30, 2008, LMGAA’s total assets for both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory clients were over $5.5 billion.

Under each Sub-Advisory Agreement, subject to the supervision and direction of the Board and the manager, the subadviser will manage each fund’s portfolio in accordance with the fund’s stated investment objective and policies, assist in supervising all aspects of the fund’s operations, make investment decisions for the fund, place orders to purchase and sell securities, and employ professional portfolio managers and securities analysts who provide research services to the fund.

Each Sub-Advisory Agreement has an initial term ending August 29, 2010 and will continue in effect from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (a) by the fund’s Board or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), and (b) in

 

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either event, by a majority of the Independent Trustees with such Independent Trustees casting votes in person at a meeting called for such purpose. The Board or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) may terminate a Sub-Advisory Agreement on 60 days’ written notice without penalty, in each case on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the subadviser. The subadviser may terminate the Sub-Advisory Agreement on 90 days’ written notice to the fund and the manager. The manager or the subadviser may terminate a Sub-Advisory Agreement upon their mutual written consent. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of assignment by the subadviser and shall not be assignable by the manager without the consent of the subadviser.

The subadviser does not receive a fee from the manager.

Expenses

In addition to amounts payable under the Management Agreement and the 12b-1 Plan (as discussed below), each fund is responsible for its own expenses, including, among other things: interest; taxes; governmental fees; voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; organization costs of the fund; the cost (including brokerage commissions, transaction fees or charges, if any) in connection with the purchase or sale of the fund’s securities and other investments and any losses in connection therewith; fees and expenses of custodians, transfer agents, registrars, independent pricing vendors or other agents; legal expenses; loan commitment fees; expenses relating to share certificates; expenses relating to the issuance and redemption or repurchase of the fund’s shares and servicing shareholder accounts; expenses of registering and qualifying the fund’s shares for sale under applicable federal and state law; expenses of preparing, setting in print, printing and distributing prospectuses and statements of additional information and any supplements thereto, reports, proxy statements, notices and dividends to the fund’s shareholders; costs of stationery; website costs; costs of meetings of the Board or any committee thereof, meetings of shareholders and other meetings of the fund; Board fees; audit fees; travel expenses of officers, Trustees and employees of the fund, if any; and the fund’s pro rata portion of premiums on any fidelity bond and other insurance covering the fund and its officers, Trustees and employees; litigation expenses and any nonrecurring or extraordinary expenses as may arise, including, without limitation, those relating to actions, suits or proceedings to which the fund is a party and the legal obligation which the fund may have to indemnify the fund’s Trustees and officers with respect thereto.

Management may agree to waive fees and or reimburse operating expenses for one or more classes of shares, either through contractual or voluntary arrangements. Any such waivers and/or reimbursements are described in the funds’ prospectus. The contractual and voluntary fee waivers and/or reimbursements do not cover extraordinary expenses, such as (a) any expenses or charges related to litigation, derivative actions, demand related to litigation, regulatory or other government investigations and proceedings, “for cause” regulatory inspections and indemnification or advancement of related expenses or costs, to the extent any such expenses are considered extraordinary expenses for the purposes of fee disclosure in Form N-1A as the same may be amended from time to time; and (b) other extraordinary expenses as determined for the purposes of fee disclosure in Form N-1A, as the same may be amended from time to time. Without limiting the foregoing, extraordinary expenses are generally those that are unusual or expected to recur only infrequently, and may include such expenses, by way of illustration, as (i) expenses of the reorganization, restructuring, redomiciling or merger of a fund or class or the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of another fund or class, (ii) expenses of holding, and soliciting proxies for, a meeting of shareholders of a fund or class (except to the extent relating to routine items such as the election of Trustees or the approval of the independent registered public accounting firm), and (iii) expenses of converting to a new custodian, transfer agent or other service provider, in each case to the extent any such expenses are considered extraordinary expenses for the purposes of fee disclosure in Form N-1A as the same may be amended from time to time.

The manager is permitted to recapture amounts previously voluntarily forgone or reimbursed by the manager to a fund during the same fiscal year if the fund’s total annual operating expenses have fallen to a level below the voluntary expense cap shown in the fee table of the fund’s prospectus. In no case will the manager recapture any amount that would result, on any particular fund business day, in the fund’s total annual operating expenses exceeding the

 

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voluntary expense cap. The Board has been apprised of the voluntary expense cap and recapture arrangement.

Custodian and Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, serves as the custodian of each fund. State Street, among other things, maintains a custody account or accounts in the name of the fund; receives and delivers all assets for the fund upon purchase and upon sale or maturity; collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the assets of the fund; and makes disbursements on behalf of the fund. State Street neither determines the fund’s investment policies, nor decides which securities the fund will buy or sell. For its services, State Street receives a monthly fee based upon the daily average market value of securities held in custody and also receives securities transaction charges, including out-of-pocket expenses. Each fund may also periodically enter into arrangements with other qualified custodians with respect to certain types of securities or other transactions such as repurchase agreements or derivatives transactions. State Street may also act as the funds’ securities lending agent and in that case would receive a share of the income generated by such activities.

PNC Global Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc. (the “transfer agent”), located at 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, Massachusetts 01581, serves as each fund’s transfer agent. Under the transfer agency agreement, the transfer agent maintains the shareholder account records for each fund, handles certain communications between shareholders and the fund and distributes dividends and distributions payable by the fund. For these services, the transfer agent receives a monthly fee computed on the basis of the number of shareholder accounts it maintains for the fund during the month, and is reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, located at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, has been selected to audit and report upon each fund’s financial statements and financial highlights for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2009.

Counsel

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019-6099, serves as counsel to the Trust and the funds.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, 180 Maiden Lane, New York, New York 10038-4982, serves as counsel to the Independent Trustees.

Code of Ethics

Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, the funds, the manager, the subadviser and the distributor have adopted codes of ethics that permit personnel to invest in securities for their own accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by the funds. All personnel must place the interests of clients first and avoid activities, interests and relationships that might interfere with the duty to make decisions in the best interests of the clients. All personal securities transactions by employees must adhere to the requirements of the codes and must be conducted in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest, the appearance of such a conflict, or the abuse of an employee’s position of trust and responsibility.

Copies of the code of ethics of the funds, the manager, the subadviser and the distributor are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Proxy Voting Guidelines and Procedures

Although individual Trustees may not agree with particular policies or votes by the manager, the Board has delegated proxy voting discretion to the manager, believing that the manager should be responsible for voting because it is a matter relating to the investment decision making process.

 

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LMPFA delegates the responsibility for voting proxies for the funds to the subadviser through its contracts with the subadviser. The subadviser will use its own Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures to vote proxies. Accordingly, LMPFA does not expect to have proxy voting responsibility for the funds. Should LMPFA become responsible for voting proxies for any reason, such as the inability of the subadviser to provide investment advisory services, LMPFA shall utilize the proxy voting guidelines established by the most recent subadviser to vote proxies until a new subadviser is retained. In the case of a material conflict between the interests of LMPFA (or its affiliates if such conflict is known to persons responsible for voting at LMPFA) and the funds, the board of directors of LMPFA shall consider how to address the conflict and/or how to vote the proxies. LMPFA shall maintain records of all proxy votes in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations, to the extent that LMPFA votes proxies. LMPFA shall be responsible for gathering relevant documents and records related to proxy voting from the subadviser and providing them to the funds as required for the funds to comply with applicable rules under the 1940 Act.

The subadviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures govern in determining how proxies relating to the funds’ portfolio securities are voted, a summary of which is attached as Appendix B to this SAI. Information regarding how each fund voted proxies (if any) relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge (1) by calling (888) 425-6432, (2) on the funds’ website at http://www.leggmason.com/individualinvestors, and (3)  on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

PORTFOLIO MANAGER DISCLOSURE

The following tables set forth certain additional information with respect to the portfolio managers for each fund. Unless noted otherwise, all information is provided as of June 30, 2008.

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers

The table below identifies the portfolio managers, the number of accounts (other than the funds with respect to which information is provided) for which the funds’ portfolio managers have day-to-day management responsibilities and the total assets in such accounts, within each of the following categories: registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts. None of the accounts had fees based on performance.

 

Fund

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Registered Investment
Companies

 

Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

Target 2015

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Target 2020

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

 

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Fund

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Registered Investment
Companies

 

Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Target 2025

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Target 2030

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Target 2035

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

 

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Fund

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Registered Investment
Companies

 

Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

Target 2040

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Target 2045

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Target 2050

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Retirement Fund

  Steven Bleiberg   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   58 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $3.35 billion in assets under management  

5 other

accounts with approximately $0.40 billion in total assets under management

 

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Fund

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Registered Investment
Companies

 

Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles

 

Other Accounts

  Andrew Purdy   10 registered investment companies with approximately $2.22 billion in total assets under management   42 other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $0.64 billion in assets under management  

2 other

accounts with approximately $0.33 billion in total assets under management

Portfolio Manager Compensation

LMGAA investment professionals receive base salary and other employee benefits and are eligible to receive incentive compensation. Base salary is fixed and typically determined based on market factors and the skill and experience of individual investment personnel.

The level of incentive compensation is determined by the senior management of Legg Mason, based upon a number of factors, including (but not limited to) the performance of LMGAA’s funds relative to their benchmarks and to their relevant peer groups.

Up to 20% of an investment professional’s annual incentive compensation is subject to deferral. Of that principal deferred award amount, 50% will accrue a return based on the hypothetical returns of the investment fund or product that is the primary focus of the investment professional’s business activities with LMGAA, and 50% may be received in the form of Legg Mason restricted stock shares.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

Potential conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager also has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to one or more other funds or other accounts, as is the case for both of the funds’ portfolio managers. The manager, the subadviser and the funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that are designed to address various conflicts of interest that may arise for the manager or the subadviser and the individuals that it employs. For example, the manager seeks to minimize the effects of competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by assigning portfolio managers to manage funds and accounts that share a similar investment style. The subadviser also seeks to minimize these effects by limiting its advisory services generally to asset allocation and manager or fund selection advisory services. The manager and the subadviser have also adopted trade allocation procedures that are designed to facilitate the fair allocation of limited investment opportunities among multiple funds and accounts. There is no guarantee, however, that the policies and procedures adopted by the manager, the subadviser and the funds will be able to detect and/or prevent every situation in which an actual or potential conflict may appear. These potential conflicts include:

Allocation of Limited Time and Attention. A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those funds and/or accounts. As a result, the portfolio manager may not be able to formulate as complete a strategy or identify equally attractive investment opportunities for each of those accounts as might be the case if he or she were to devote substantially more attention to the management of a single fund. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where funds and/or accounts overseen by a particular portfolio manager have different investment strategies.

Allocation of Limited Investment Opportunities. If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for multiple funds and/or accounts, the opportunity may be allocated among these several funds or accounts, which may limit a fund’s ability to take full advantage of the investment opportunity.

 

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Pursuit of Differing Strategies. At times, a portfolio manager may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some of the funds and/or accounts for which he or she exercises investment responsibility, or may decide that certain of the funds and/or accounts should take differing positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the portfolio manager may place separate transactions for one or more funds or accounts which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment or benefit of one or more other funds and/or accounts.

Selection of Broker/Dealers. Portfolio managers may be able to select or influence the selection of the brokers and dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the funds and/or accounts that they supervise. As of the date of this SAI, the subadviser has not entered into any arrangements with brokers and dealers to receive, in addition to trade execution, brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act) in exchange for the payment of higher brokerage fees than might have otherwise been available. If the subadviser were to enter into these arrangements, the payment of brokerage commissions would be subject to the requirement that the subadviser determine in good faith that the commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided to the funds. In connection with such arrangements, a decision as to the selection of brokers and dealers could yield disproportionate costs and benefits among the funds and/or accounts managed. The subadviser has formed a brokerage committee that reviews best execution, trade allocation and other related trading matters.

Variation in Compensation. A conflict of interest may arise where the financial or other benefits available to the portfolio manager differ among the funds and/or accounts that he or she manages. If the structure of the manager’s management fee and/or the portfolio manager’s compensation differs among funds and/or accounts (such as where certain funds or accounts pay higher management fees or performance-based management fees), the portfolio manager might be motivated to help certain funds and/or accounts over others. The portfolio manager might be motivated to favor funds and/or accounts in which he or she has an interest or in which the manager and/or its affiliates have interests. Similarly, the desire to maintain assets under management or to enhance the portfolio manager’s performance record or to derive other rewards, financial or otherwise, could influence the portfolio manager in affording preferential treatment to those funds and/or accounts that could most significantly benefit the portfolio manager.

Related Business Opportunities. The manager or its affiliates may provide more services (such as distribution or recordkeeping) for some types of funds or accounts than for others. In such cases, a portfolio manager may benefit, either directly or indirectly, by devoting disproportionate attention to the management of funds and/or accounts that provide greater overall returns to the manager and its affiliates.

Portfolio Managers Securities Ownership

The table below identifies ownership of fund securities by the portfolio managers as of August 12, 2008.

 

Fund

   Portfolio Managers   

Dollar Range of
Ownership of Securities

Target 2015

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2020

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2025

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2030

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2035

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2040

   Steven Bleiberg    None

 

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Fund

   Portfolio Managers   

Dollar Range of
Ownership of Securities

   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2045

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Target 2050

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

Retirement Fund

   Steven Bleiberg    None
   Andrew Purdy    None

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND MANAGEMENT POLICIES

Each fund is a series of the Trust, an open-end, management investment company and each fund is diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act. The prospectus discusses the funds’ investment objectives and the policies they employ to achieve their objectives. The following discussion supplements the description of the funds’ investment policies in the prospectus.

Investment Objective

The investment objective of each fund is to seek the highest total return (that is a combination of income and long-term capital appreciation) over time consistent with its asset mix.

Principal Investment Strategies

In pursuing their investment objectives and policies, each of the underlying funds is permitted to engage in a wide range of investment policies. Since the funds invest in the underlying funds, shareholders of each fund will be affected by these investment policies in direct proportion to the amount of assets each fund allocates to the underlying funds pursuing such policy. There can be no assurance that the respective investment objectives of the funds or the underlying funds will be achieved.

Each fund will seek to achieve its objective by investing in a combination of underlying funds representing a variety of asset classes and investment styles. Each fund (other than the Retirement Fund) is managed to the specific target date (generally, the retirement year for an investor) included in its name. The funds’ asset mixes will gradually become more conservative until approximately 15 years after the target date, at which time the asset mix will become static. This reflects the goal of pursuing the highest total return, consistent with a reasonable amount of risk, during the investor’s pre-retirement and early retirement years. After a fund reaches its target date, that fund, by following these investment strategies, seeks to reduce the likelihood that an investor will experience a significant loss of capital at a more advanced age. When the target asset allocation of a fund with a target date matches the Retirement Fund’s target asset allocation (up to 15 years after the fund’s target date), the Board may combine the fund with the Retirement Fund, without shareholder approval, and the fund’s shareholders will become shareholders of the Retirement Fund. This combination is anticipated to be tax-free under current law. Shareholders will be provided with additional information at that time.

Additional Information

The funds’ principal investment strategies are described above. The following provides additional information about these principal strategies and describes other investment strategies that may be used by the underlying funds and the funds. However, an underlying fund or fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this SAI. Also note that there are other factors, which may not be described here, that could adversely affect your investment and that could prevent a fund from achieving its investment objective.

Because the funds invest primarily in the underlying funds, rather than directly in securities or other instruments, the strategies and risks below are described by reference to the underlying funds. However, each of the strategies and risks described below may not apply to all of the underlying funds. To the extent that the funds invest directly in securities and other instruments, the strategies and risks described below are also directly applicable to the funds.

 

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Equity Securities

General. Equity securities are subject to the following risks: the risk that their prices generally fluctuate more than those of other securities, such as debt or fixed-income securities; the risk that prices of securities will go down because of the interplay of market forces, which may affect a single issuer, industry or sector of the economy, country or region, or may affect the market as a whole; the risk that an adverse company-specific event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may negatively affect the stock price of a company in which an underlying fund invests; and the risk that an underlying fund may experience a substantial or complete loss on an individual stock.

Common Stocks. Each of the funds, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in common stocks. Common stocks are shares of a corporation or other entity that entitle the holder to a pro rata share of the profits of the corporation, if any, without preference over any other shareholder or class of shareholders, including holders of the entity’s preferred stock and other senior equity securities. Common stock usually carries with it the right to vote and frequently an exclusive right to do so.

Preferred Stock. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in preferred stocks which, like debt obligations, have characteristics similar to fixed-income securities. Holders of preferred stocks normally have the right to receive dividends at a fixed rate when and as declared by the issuer’s board of directors, but do not participate in other amounts available for distribution by the issuing corporation. Dividends on preferred stock may be cumulative, and all cumulative dividends usually must be paid prior to common shareholders receiving any dividend. For that reason, preferred stocks generally entail less risk than common stocks. Upon liquidation, preferred stocks are entitled to a specified liquidation preference, which is generally the same as the par or stated value, and are senior in right of payment to common stock. Preferred stocks are, however, equity securities in the sense that they do not represent a liability of the issuer and, therefore, do not offer as great a degree of protection of capital or assurance of continued income as investments in corporate debt securities. In addition, preferred stocks are subordinated in right of payment to all debt obligations and creditors of the issuer, and convertible preferred stocks may be subordinated to other preferred stock of the same issuer.

Foreign Investments. Each fund may invest in certain underlying funds that invest all or a portion of their assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers. Foreign investments include non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities traded outside the United States and U.S. dollar-denominated securities traded in the United States (such as American Depositary Receipts). Investors should recognize that investing in foreign companies involves certain considerations which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. Because certain underlying funds will be investing in securities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and because certain underlying funds may temporarily hold funds in bank deposits or other money market investments denominated in foreign currencies, the funds may be affected favorably or unfavorably by exchange control regulations or changes in the exchange rate between such currencies and the dollar. A change in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the dollar value of an underlying fund’s assets denominated in that foreign currency. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may also affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities and net investment income and gain, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by an underlying fund.

The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets. Changes in the exchange rate may result over time from the interaction of many factors directly or indirectly affecting economic conditions and political developments in other countries. Of particular importance are rates of inflation, interest rate levels, the balance of payments and the extent of government surpluses or deficits in the United States and the particular foreign country, all of which are in turn sensitive to the monetary, fiscal and trade policies pursued by the governments of the United States and foreign countries important to international trade and finance. Governmental intervention may also play a significant role. National governments rarely voluntarily allow their currencies to float freely in response to economic forces. Sovereign governments use a variety of techniques, such as intervention by a country’s central bank or imposition of regulatory controls or taxes, to affect the exchange rates of their currencies.

 

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Foreign securities held by an underlying fund generally will not be registered with, nor the issuers thereof be subject to reporting requirements of, the SEC. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information about the foreign securities and about the foreign company or government issuing them than is available about a domestic company or government entity. Foreign issuers are generally not subject to uniform financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. In addition, with respect to some foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the removal of funds or other assets of the funds, political or social instability, or domestic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments positions. Certain underlying funds may invest in securities of foreign governments (or agencies or instrumentalities thereof), and many, if not all, of the foregoing considerations apply to such investments as well.

Securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and their prices are more volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. Certain foreign countries are known to experience long delays between the trade and settlement dates of securities purchased or sold.

The interest and dividends payable on an underlying fund’s foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, and the general effect of these taxes will be to reduce the underlying fund’s income. Additionally, the operating expenses of an underlying fund that invests in foreign securities can be expected to be higher than that of an investment company investing exclusively in U.S. securities, since the expenses of the underlying fund, such as custodial costs, valuation costs and communication costs, as well as the rate of the investment advisory fees, though similar to such expenses of some other international funds, are higher than those costs incurred by other investment companies. In addition, dividend and interest income from non-U.S. securities will generally be subject to withholding taxes by the country in which the issuer is located and may not be recoverable by the underlying fund or a fund investing in such fund.

Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in securities of emerging markets. The risks of investing in foreign securities are heightened for investments in emerging markets and securities of their governments.

Equity-linked notes, or ELNs, are securities that are valued based upon the performance of one or more equity securities, such as a stock index, a group of stocks or a single stock. ELNs offer investors the opportunity to participate in the appreciation of the underlying local equity securities where an underlying fund may not have established local access. Investors in ELNs are subject to risk of loss of principal investment.

American, European and Continental Depositary Receipts. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in the securities of foreign and domestic issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”). These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs, which sometimes are referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts (“CDRs”), are receipts issued in Europe typically by foreign banks and trust companies evidencing ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets and EDRs and CDRs are designed for use in European securities markets.

For purposes of a fund’s investment policies, depositary receipts generally are deemed to have the same classifications as the underlying securities they represent. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock.

Warrants. A warrant entitles an underlying fund to purchase common stock from the issuer at a specified price and time. Since a warrant does not carry with it the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to securities that the warrant holder is entitled to purchase, and because it does not represent any rights to the assets

 

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of the issuer, a warrant may be considered more speculative than certain other types of investments. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. Warrants acquired by an underlying fund in units or attached to securities may be deemed to be without value.

Model Risk. The proprietary models that may be used by certain underlying funds’ advisers to evaluate securities or securities markets are based on the adviser’s understanding of the interplay of market factors and do not assure successful investment. The markets or the prices of individual securities may be affected by factors not foreseen in developing the models.

Style Risk. The value approach to investing involves the risk that value stocks may remain undervalued. Value stocks as a group may be out of favor and underperform the overall equity market for a long period of time, while the market concentrates on “growth” stocks. Value funds often concentrate much of their investments in certain industries, and thus will be more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers within that industry than would a more diversified portfolio of securities. In addition, the market values of growth stocks may be more volatile than other types of investments and may lack dividends that can cushion share prices during market declines. The returns on growth securities may or may not move in tandem with the returns of other styles of investing or the overall stock markets.

Capitalization Risk. Returns on investments in stocks of large-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small- and mid-sized companies. Mid-sized companies may be more volatile and more likely than large-capitalization companies to have relatively limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or depend on a few key employees. Returns on investments in mid-size companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of larger or smaller companies. Small-sized companies may be more volatile and more likely than large- and mid-capitalization companies to have relatively limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or depend on a few key employees. Returns on investments in stocks of small companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of larger companies. Micro cap companies may be newly formed or in the early stages of development with limited product lines, markets or financial resources. Therefore, micro cap companies may be less financially secure than large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies and may be more vulnerable to key personnel losses due to reliance on a smaller number of management personnel. In addition, there may be less public information available about these companies. Micro cap stock prices may be more volatile than large-, mid- and small-capitalization companies and such stocks may be more thinly traded and thus difficult for an underlying fund to buy and sell in the market.

Fixed-Income Securities

General. Fixed-income securities may be affected by general changes in interest rates, which will result in increases or decreases in the market value of the debt securities held by the underlying funds. The market value of the fixed-income obligations in which the underlying funds may invest can be expected to vary inversely in relation to the changes in prevailing interest rates and also may be affected by other market and credit factors.

Many fixed-income securities, especially those issued at high interest rates and with longer maturities, provide that the issuer may repay them early. Issuers often exercise this right when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate of the security. Accordingly, holders of callable securities may not benefit fully from the increase in value that other fixed-income securities experience when rates decline. Furthermore, the underlying funds most likely would have to reinvest the proceeds of the payoff at current yields, which would be lower than those paid by the security that was paid off.

Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in high-quality, high-grade or investment-grade securities. High-quality securities are those rated in the two highest categories by Moody’s Investors Service Inc. (“Moody’s”) (Aaa or Aa) or Standard & Poor’s, a Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”) (AAA or AA) or determined by the underlying fund’s adviser to be of comparable

 

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quality. High grade securities are those rated in the three highest categories by Moody’s (Aaa, Aa or A) or S&P (AAA, AA or A) or determined by the underlying fund’s adviser to be of comparable quality. Investment-grade securities are those rated in the four highest categories by Moody’s (Aaa, Aa, A or Baa) or S&P (AAA, AA, A or BBB) or determined by the underlying fund’s adviser to be of comparable quality. Securities rated Baa or BBB have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of their issuer to make timely principal and interest payments than is the case with higher grade securities.

High Yield Securities. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in securities rated below investment grade; that is, rated below Baa by Moody’s or BBB by S&P, or determined by the underlying fund’s adviser to be of comparable quality. Securities rated below investment grade (and comparable unrated securities) are the equivalent of high yield, high risk bonds, commonly known as “junk bonds.” Such securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations and involve major risk exposure to adverse business, financial, economic or political conditions. See Appendix A for additional information on the bond ratings by Moody’s and S&P.

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are fixed-income securities that may be converted at either a stated price or stated rate into underlying shares of common stock. Convertible securities have general characteristics similar to both fixed-income and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with fixed-income securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stocks and, therefore, also will react to variations in the general market for equity securities. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.

As fixed-income securities, convertible securities are investments that provide for a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks. Of course, like all fixed-income securities, there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. Convertible securities, however, generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of the potential for capital appreciation. A convertible security, in addition to providing fixed income, offers the potential for capital appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. There can be no assurance of capital appreciation, however, because securities prices fluctuate.

Synthetic convertible securities are created by combining non-convertible bonds or preferred stocks with warrants or stock call options. Synthetic convertible securities differ from convertible securities in certain respects, including that each component of a synthetic convertible security has a separate market value and responds differently to market fluctuations. Investing in synthetic convertible securities involves the risks normally involved in holding the securities comprising the synthetic convertible security.

Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock of the same issuer. Convertible securities typically have lower ratings than similar nonconvertible securities because of the subordination feature.

Money Market Instruments. Money market instruments include: U.S. government securities; certificates of deposit (“CDs”), time deposits (“TDs”) and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic banks (including their

 

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branches located outside the United States and subsidiaries located in Canada), domestic branches of foreign banks, savings and loan associations and similar institutions; high grade commercial paper; and repurchase agreements with respect to the foregoing types of instruments.

U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities include debt obligations of varying maturities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include not only direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, but also securities issued or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Loan Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), General Services Administration, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), Maritime Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, District of Columbia Armory Board, Student Loan Marketing Association, and Resolution Trust Corporation. Certain U.S. government securities, such as those issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), are mortgage-related securities. The underlying funds may invest in instruments that are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury and instruments that are supported solely by the credit of the instrumentality or government-sponsored enterprise. Since the U.S. government is not obligated by law to provide support to an instrumentality that it sponsors, a fund or an underlying fund may invest in obligations issued by such an instrumentality if its adviser determines that the credit risk with respect to the instrumentality does not make its securities unsuitable for investment by a fund or the underlying fund, as the case may be.

Mortgage-Related Securities. Mortgage-related securities provide capital for mortgage loans made to residential homeowners and include securities which represent interests in pools of mortgage loans made by lenders such as savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled for sale to investors (such as an underlying fund) by various governmental, government-related and private organizations, such as dealers. The market value of mortgage-related securities will fluctuate as a result of changes in interest rates and mortgage rates.

Interests in pools of mortgage loans generally provide a monthly payment which consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a “pass-through” of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying residential property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Securities issued by Ginnie Mae and Fannie Mae are fully modified pass-through securities, i.e., the timely payment of principal and interest is guaranteed by the issuer. Freddie Mac securities are modified pass-through securities, i.e., the timely payment of interest is guaranteed by Freddie Mac, principal is passed through as collected but payment thereof is guaranteed not later than one year after it becomes payable.

Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers, such as dealers, create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers also may be the originators of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payments with respect to such pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools is supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance. There can be no assurance that the private insurers can meet their obligations under the policies. The underlying funds may buy mortgage-related securities without insurance or guarantees if the adviser determines that the securities are an appropriate investment for the underlying fund.

Another type of security representing an interest in a pool of mortgage loans is known as a collateralized mortgage obligation (“CMO”). CMOs represent interests in a short-term, intermediate-term or long-term portion of a mortgage pool. Each portion of the pool receives monthly interest payments, but the principal repayments

 

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pass through to the short-term CMO first and to the long-term CMO last. A CMO permits an investor to more accurately predict the rate of principal repayments. CMOs are issued by private issuers, such as broker-dealers, and by government agencies, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Investments in CMOs are subject to the same risks as direct investments in the underlying mortgage-backed securities. In addition, in the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a broker that issued the CMO held by the fund, the fund could experience delays in liquidating both its position and losses. An underlying fund may invest in CMOs in any rating category of the recognized rating services and may invest in unrated CMOs. An underlying fund may also invest in “stripped” CMOs, which represent only the income portion or the principal portion of the CMO. The values of stripped CMOs are very sensitive to interest rate changes; accordingly, these instruments present a greater risk of loss than conventional mortgage-backed securities.

Governmental, government-related or private entities may create mortgage loan pools offering pass-through investments in addition to those described above. The mortgages underlying these securities may be second mortgages or alternative mortgage instruments (for example, mortgage instruments whose principal or interest payments may vary or whose terms to maturity may differ from customary long-term fixed-rate mortgages). As new types of mortgage-related securities are developed and offered to investors, an underlying fund’s adviser may, consistent with the underlying fund’s investment objective and policies, consider making investments in such new types of securities.

The average life of securities representing interests in pools of mortgage loans is likely to be substantially less than the original maturity of the mortgage pools as a result of prepayments or foreclosures of such mortgages. Prepayments are passed through to the registered holder with the regular monthly payments of principal and interest, and have the effect of reducing future payments. To the extent the mortgages underlying a security representing an interest in a pool of mortgages are prepaid, an underlying fund may experience a loss (if the price at which the respective security was acquired by the fund was at a premium over par, which represents the price at which the security will be redeemed upon prepayment) or a gain (if the price at which the respective security was acquired by the fund was at a discount from par). In addition, prepayments of such securities held by the fund will reduce the share price of the fund to the extent the market value of the securities at the time of prepayment exceeds their par value, and will increase the share price of the fund to the extent the par value of the securities exceeds their market value at the time of prepayment. Prepayments may occur with greater frequency in periods of declining mortgage rates because, among other reasons, it may be possible for mortgagors to refinance their outstanding mortgages at lower interest rates. When market interest rates increase, the market values of mortgage-backed securities decline. At the same time, however, mortgage refinancing slows, which lengthens the effective maturities of these securities. As a result, the negative effect of the rate increase on the market value of mortgage securities is usually more pronounced than it is for other types of fixed-income securities.

Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities are generally issued as pass-through certificates, which represent undivided fractional ownership interests in the underlying pool of assets, or as debt instruments, which are generally issued as the debt of a special purpose entity organized solely for the purpose of owning such assets and issuing such debt. The pool of assets generally represents the obligations of a number of different parties. Asset-backed securities frequently carry credit protection in the form of extra collateral, subordinated certificates, cash reserve accounts, letters of credit or other enhancements. For example, payments of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or other enhancement issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the entities issuing the securities. Assets which, to date, have been used to back asset-backed securities include motor vehicle installment sales contracts or installment loans secured by motor vehicles, and receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements.

Asset-backed securities present certain risks which are, generally, related to limited interests, if any, in related collateral. Credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. Most issuers of automobile receivables permit the servicers to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these

 

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obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the related automobile receivables. In addition, because of the large number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in all of the obligations backing such receivables. Therefore, there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. Other types of asset-backed securities will be subject to the risks associated with the underlying assets. If a letter of credit or other form of credit enhancement is exhausted or otherwise unavailable, holders of asset-backed securities may also experience delays in payments or losses if the full amounts due on underlying assets are not realized.

Foreign Government Securities. Among the foreign government securities in which each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest are those issued by countries with developing economies, which are countries in the initial stages of their industrialization cycles. Investing in securities of countries with developing economies involves exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and less mature, and to political systems that can be expected to have less stability, than those of developed countries. The markets of countries with developing economies historically have been more volatile than markets of the more mature economies of developed countries, but often have provided higher rates of return to investors.

Brady Bonds. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest in Brady Bonds, which are are securities created through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to sovereign entities for new obligations in connection with debt restructurings under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the “Brady Plan”). Brady Plan debt restructurings have been implemented in a number of countries, including: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Uruguay and Venezuela.

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

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

Bank Obligations. Domestic commercial banks organized under federal law are supervised and examined by the Comptroller of the Currency and are required to be members of the Federal Reserve System and to be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). Domestic banks organized under state law are supervised and examined by state banking authorities but are members of the Federal Reserve System only if they elect to join. Most state banks are insured by the FDIC (although such insurance may not be of material

 

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benefit to an underlying fund, depending upon the principal amount of CDs of each held by a fund) and are subject to federal examination and to a substantial body of federal law and regulation. As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic branches of domestic banks are, among other things, generally required to maintain specified levels of reserves, and are subject to other supervision and regulation designed to promote financial soundness.

Obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks, such as CDs and TDs, may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and governmental regulation. Obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks are subject to different risks than are those of U.S. banks or U.S. branches of foreign banks. These risks include foreign economic and political developments, foreign governmental restrictions that may adversely affect payment of principal and interest on the obligations, foreign exchange controls and foreign withholding and other taxes on interest income. Foreign branches of U.S. banks are not necessarily subject to the same or similar regulatory requirements that apply to U.S. banks, such as mandatory reserve requirements, loan limitations and accounting, auditing and financial recordkeeping requirements. In addition, less information may be publicly available about a foreign branch of a U.S. bank than about a U.S. bank. CDs issued by wholly-owned Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. banks are guaranteed as to repayment of principal and interest, but not as to sovereign risk, by the U.S. parent bank.

Obligations of U.S. branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by federal and state regulation as well as governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its head office. An U.S. branch of a foreign bank with assets in excess of $1 billion may or may not be subject to reserve requirements imposed by the Federal Reserve System or by the state in which the branch is located if the branch is licensed in that state. In addition, branches licensed by the Comptroller of the Currency and branches licensed by certain states (“State Branches”) may or may not be required to: (a) pledge to the regulator by depositing assets with a designated bank within the state, an amount of its assets equal to 5% of its total liabilities; and (b) maintain assets within the state in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the aggregate amount of liabilities of the foreign bank payable at or through all of its agencies or branches within the state. The deposits of State Branches may not necessarily be insured by the FDIC. In addition, there may be less publicly-available information about a U.S. branch of a foreign bank than about a U.S. bank.

Commercial Paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. A variable amount master demand note (which is a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender, such as one of the underlying funds, pursuant to which the lender may determine to invest varying amounts. Transfer of such notes is usually restricted by the issuer, and there is no secondary trading market for such notes.

Ratings as Investment Criteria. In general, the ratings of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”) represent the opinions of these agencies as to the quality of securities that they rate. Such ratings, however, are relative and subjective, are not absolute standards of quality and do not evaluate the market value risk of the securities. These ratings may be used by the underlying funds as initial criteria for the selection of portfolio securities, but the underlying funds also will rely upon the independent advice of their respective advisers to evaluate potential investments. Among the factors that may be considered are the long-term ability of the issuer to pay principal and interest and general economic trends. Appendix A to this SAI contains further information concerning the rating categories of NRSROs and their significance.

Subsequent to its purchase by a fund or an underlying fund, an issue of securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by the fund. In addition, it is possible that an NRSRO might not change its rating of a particular issue to reflect subsequent events. None of these events may require sale of such securities by a fund, but the fund’s subadviser or the adviser of an underlying fund may

 

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consider such events in its determination of whether such fund should continue to hold the securities. In addition, to the extent that the ratings change as a result of changes in such organizations or their rating systems, or because of a corporate reorganization, a fund or an underlying fund may attempt to use comparable ratings as standards for its investments in accordance with its investment objective and policies.

Derivative Transactions

Derivative transactions, including the options and futures transactions described below, are used for a number of reasons including: to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, stock and bond prices and foreign currencies; as an efficient means of adjusting overall exposure to certain markets; to adjust duration; to enhance income or return; and to protect the value of portfolio securities. Options and futures can be volatile instruments, and involve certain risks. If the adviser to the underlying fund applies a hedge at an inappropriate time or judges market conditions incorrectly, options and futures strategies may lower the underlying fund’s return. Further losses could also be experienced if the options and futures positions held by an underlying fund were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid secondary market.

Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into stock index, interest rate and currency futures contracts (or options thereon), swaps, caps, collars and floors. Certain underlying funds may also purchase and sell call and put options, futures and options contracts.

Each fund may also enter into futures contracts on securities or related options on futures contracts on securities that are traded on a domestic or foreign exchange or in the over-the-counter market, and may also engage in transactions in options on securities, which may include the writing of covered put options and covered call options, the purchase of put and call options and the entry into closing transactions.

Options on Securities. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds and directly, may engage in transactions in options on securities, which, depending on the fund, may include the writing of covered put options and covered call options, the purchase of put and call options and the entry into closing transactions.

The principal reason for writing covered call options on securities is to attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. Certain underlying funds, however, may engage in option transactions only to hedge against adverse price movements in the securities that they hold or may wish to purchase and the currencies in which certain portfolio securities may be denominated. In return for a premium, the writer of a covered call option forgoes the right to any appreciation in the value of the underlying security above the strike price for the life of the option (or until a closing purchase transaction can be effected). Nevertheless, the call writer retains the risk of a decline in the price of the underlying security. Similarly, the principal reason for writing covered put options is to realize income in the form of premiums. The writer of a covered put option accepts the risk of a decline in the price of the underlying security. The size of the premiums that a fund may receive may be adversely affected as new or existing institutions, including other investment companies, engage in or increase their option-writing activities.

Options written by an underlying fund normally will have expiration dates between one and nine months from the date written. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to or above the market values of the underlying securities at the times the options are written. In the case of call options, these exercise prices are referred to as “in-the-money,” “at-the-money” and “out-of-the-money,” respectively. An underlying fund with option-writing authority may write (a) in-the-money call options when its adviser expects that the price of the underlying security will remain flat or decline moderately during the option period, (b) at-the-money call options when its adviser expects that the price of the underlying security will remain flat or advance moderately during the option period and (c) out-of-the-money call options when its adviser expects that the price of the underlying security may increase but not above a price equal to the sum of the exercise price plus the premiums received from writing the call option. In any of the preceding situations, if the market price of the underlying security declines and the security is sold at this lower price, the amount of any realized loss will be offset wholly or in

 

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part by the premium received. Out-of-the-money, at-the-money and in-the-money put options (the reverse of call options as to the relation of exercise price to market price) may be utilized in the same market environments that such call options are used in equivalent transactions.

So long as the obligation of an underlying fund as the writer of an option continues, the fund may be assigned an exercise notice by the broker/dealer through which the option was sold, requiring the fund to deliver, in the case of a call, or take delivery of, in the case of a put, the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. This obligation terminates when the option expires or the fund effects a closing purchase transaction. A fund can no longer effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option once it has been assigned an exercise notice. To secure its obligation to deliver the underlying security when it writes a call option, or to pay for the underlying security when it writes a put option, an underlying fund will be required to deposit in escrow the underlying security or other assets in accordance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation (the “Clearing Corporation”) or similar foreign clearing corporation and of the securities exchange on which the option is written.

Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may purchase and sell put, call and other types of option securities that are traded on domestic or foreign exchanges or the over-the-counter market including, but not limited to, “spread” options, “knock-out” options, “knock-in” options and “average rate” or “look-back” options. “Spread” options are dependent upon the difference between the price of two securities or futures contracts, “knock-out” options are canceled if the price of the underlying asset reaches a trigger level prior to expiration, “knock-in” options only have value if the price of the underlying asset reaches a trigger level and “average rate” or “look-back” options are options where, at expiration, the option’s strike price is set based on either the average, maximum or minimum price of the asset over the period of the option.

An option position may be closed out only where there exists a secondary market for an option of the same series on a recognized securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. Certain underlying funds with option-writing authority may write options on U.S. or foreign exchanges and in the over-the-counter market.

An underlying fund may realize a profit or loss upon entering into a closing transaction. In cases in which a fund has written an option, it will realize a profit if the cost of the closing purchase transaction is less than the premium received upon writing the original option and will incur a loss if the cost of the closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received upon writing the original option. Similarly, when a fund has purchased an option and engages in a closing sale transaction, whether the fund realizes a profit or loss will depend upon whether the amount received in the closing sale transaction is more or less than the premium that the fund initially paid for the original option plus the related transaction costs.

Although an underlying fund generally will purchase or write only those options for which its adviser believes there is an active secondary market so as to facilitate closing transactions, there is no assurance that sufficient trading interest to create a liquid secondary market on a securities exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time, and for some options no such secondary market may exist. A liquid secondary market in an option may cease to exist for a variety of reasons. In the past, for example, higher than anticipated trading activity, order flow or other unforeseen events have at times rendered inadequate certain facilities of the Clearing Corporation and U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and resulted in the institution of special procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders or trading halts or suspensions in one or more options. There can be no assurance that similar events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the timely execution of customers’ orders, will not recur. In such event, it might not be possible to effect a closing transaction in a particular option. If as a covered call option writer a fund is unable to effect closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security upon exercise.

Securities exchanges generally have established limitations governing the maximum number of calls and puts of each class which may be held or written, or exercised within certain time periods, by an investor or group

 

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of investors acting in concert (regardless of whether the options are written on the same or different securities exchanges or are held, written or exercised in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). It is possible that the underlying funds with authority to engage in options transactions and other clients of their respective advisers and certain of their affiliates may be considered to be such a group. A securities exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose certain other sanctions.

In the case of options written by an underlying fund that are deemed covered by virtue of the fund’s holding convertible or exchangeable preferred stock or debt securities, the time required to convert or exchange and obtain physical delivery of the underlying common stocks with respect to which the fund has written options may exceed the time within which the fund must make delivery in accordance with an exercise notice. In these instances, an underlying fund may purchase or temporarily borrow the underlying securities for purposes of physical delivery. By so doing, the fund will not bear any market risk because the fund will have the absolute right to receive from the issuer of the underlying security an equal number of shares to replace the borrowed stock, but the fund may incur additional transaction costs or interest expenses in connection with any such purchase or borrowing.

Additional risks exist with respect to certain of the U.S. government securities for which an underlying fund may write covered call options. If a fund writes covered call options on mortgage-backed securities, the securities that it holds as cover may, because of scheduled amortization or unscheduled prepayments, cease to be sufficient cover. The fund will compensate for the decline in the value of the cover by purchasing the appropriate additional amount of those securities.

Stock Index Options. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may purchase and write put and call options on U.S. stock indexes listed on U.S. exchanges. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included in the index. Some stock index options are based on a broad market index such as the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index or a narrower market index such as the Standard & Poor’s 100. Options on stock indexes are similar to options on stock except that (a) the expiration cycles of stock index options are monthly, while those of stock options currently are quarterly, and (b) the delivery requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount” equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed “index multiplier.” Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based being greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. The amount of cash received will be equal to such difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The writer may offset its position in stock index options prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or it may let the options expire unexercised.

The effectiveness of purchasing or writing stock index options as a hedging technique will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the portion of a securities portfolio being hedged correlate with price movements of the stock index selected. Since the value of an index option depends upon movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular stock, whether a fund will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or, in the case of certain indexes, in an industry or market segment, rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by a fund of options on stock indexes will be subject to its adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the prices of individual stocks.

 

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An underlying fund may engage in stock index options transactions when determined by its adviser to be consistent with the fund’s efforts to control risk. There can be no assurance that such judgment will be accurate or that the use of these portfolio strategies will be successful. When a fund writes an option on a stock index, the fund will establish a segregated account with its custodian in an amount equal to the market value of the option and will maintain the account while the option is open.

Currency Transactions. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into forward currency exchange transactions. A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a currency against another currency at a future date and price as agreed upon by the parties. An underlying fund that enters into a forward currency contract may either accept or make delivery of the currency at the maturity of the forward contract or, prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. A fund may engage in forward currency transactions in anticipation of, or to protect itself against, fluctuations in exchange rates.

A fund might sell a particular foreign currency forward, for example, when it holds bonds denominated in that currency but anticipates, and seeks to be protected against, a decline in the currency against the U.S. dollar. Similarly, a fund may sell the U.S. dollar forward when it holds bonds denominated in U.S. dollars but anticipates, and seeks to be protected against, a decline in the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies. Further, a fund may purchase a currency forward to “lock in” the price of securities denominated in that currency which it anticipates purchasing.

Transaction hedging is the purchase or sale of forward currency contracts with respect to a specific receivable or payable of a fund generally arising in connection with the purchase or sale of its securities. Position hedging, generally, is the sale of forward currency contracts with respect to portfolio security positions denominated or quoted in the currency. A fund may not position hedge with respect to a particular currency to an extent greater than the aggregate market value at any time of the security or securities held in its portfolio denominated or quoted in or currently convertible (such as through exercise of an option or consummation of a forward currency contract) into that particular currency, except that certain underlying funds may utilize forward currency contracts denominated in the euro to hedge portfolio security positions when a security or securities are denominated in currencies of member countries in the European Union. If a fund enters into a transaction hedging or position hedging transaction, it may cover the transaction through one or more of the following methods: (a) ownership of the underlying currency or an option to purchase such currency; (b) ownership of an option to enter into an offsetting forward currency contract; (c) entering into a forward contract to purchase currency being sold or to sell currency being purchased, provided that such covering contract is itself covered by any one of these methods unless the covering contract closes out the first contract; or (d) depositing into a segregated account with the custodian or a sub-custodian of the fund cash or liquid assets in an amount equal to the value of the fund’s total assets committed to the consummation of the forward currency contract and not otherwise covered. In any case, if the value of the securities placed in the segregated account declines, additional cash or securities will be placed in the account so that the value of the account will equal the above amount. Hedging transactions may be made from any foreign currency into U.S. dollars or into other appropriate currencies.

At or before the maturity of a forward contract, a fund either may sell a portfolio security and make delivery of the currency, or retain the security and offset its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing a second contract pursuant to which the fund will obtain, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the currency which it is obligated to deliver. If a fund retains the portfolio security and engages in an offsetting transaction, the fund, at the time of execution of the offsetting transaction, will incur a gain or loss to the extent movement has occurred in forward contract prices. Should forward prices decline during the period between a fund’s entering into a forward contract for the sale of a currency and the date that it enters into an offsetting contract for the purchase of the currency, the fund will realize a gain to the extent that the price of the currency it has agreed to sell exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase. Should forward prices increase, the fund will suffer a loss to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to sell.

 

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The cost to a fund of engaging in currency transactions varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Since transactions in currency exchanges are usually conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved. The use of forward currency contracts does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities, but it does establish a rate of exchange that can be achieved in the future. In addition, although forward currency contracts limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, at the same time they limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currency increase. If a devaluation is generally anticipated a fund may not be able to contract to sell the currency at a price above the devaluation level it anticipates.

Foreign Currency Options. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may purchase or write put and call options on foreign currencies for the purpose of hedging against changes in future currency exchange rates. Foreign currency options generally have three, six and nine month expiration cycles. Put options convey the right to sell the underlying currency at a price which is anticipated to be higher than the spot price of the currency at the time the option expires. Call options convey the right to buy the underlying currency at a price which is expected to be lower than the spot price of the currency at the time that the option expires.

An underlying fund may use foreign currency options under the same circumstances that it could use forward currency exchange transactions. A decline in the U.S. dollar value of a foreign currency in which a fund’s securities are denominated, for example, will reduce the U.S. dollar value of the securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. In order to protect against such diminutions in the value of securities that it holds, the fund may purchase put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency does decline, the fund will have the right to sell the currency for a fixed amount in U.S. dollars and will thereby offset, in whole or in part, the adverse effect on its securities that otherwise would have resulted. Conversely, if a rise in the U.S. dollar value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated is projected, thereby potentially increasing the cost of the securities, the fund may purchase call options on the particular currency. The purchase of these options could offset, at least partially, the effects of the adverse movements in exchange rates. The benefit to the fund derived from purchases of foreign currency options, like the benefit derived from other types of options, will be reduced by the amount of the premium and related transaction costs. In addition, if currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, the fund could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency options that would require it to forgo a portion or all of the benefits of advantageous changes in the rates.

Futures Contracts. The purpose of the acquisition or sale of a futures contract by a fund is to mitigate the effects of fluctuations in interest rates or currency or market values, depending on the type of contract, on securities or their values without actually buying or selling the securities. Of course, because the value of portfolio securities will far exceed the value of the futures contracts sold by a fund, an increase in the value of the futures contracts could only mitigate—but not totally offset—the decline in the value of the fund.

Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into futures contracts or related options on futures contracts that are traded on a domestic or foreign exchange or in the over-the-counter market. Generally, these investments may be made solely for the purpose of hedging against changes in the value of portfolio securities due to anticipated changes in interest rates, currency values and/or market conditions when the transactions are economically appropriate to the reduction of risks inherent in the management of the fund and not for purposes of speculation, but some underlying funds may enter into futures contracts for non-hedging purposes, i.e., to increase total return. The ability of the underlying funds to trade in futures contracts may be limited by the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), applicable to a regulated investment company.

No consideration is paid or received by a fund upon entering into a futures contract. Initially, an underlying fund will be required to deposit with its custodian an amount of cash or cash equivalents or other liquid assets acceptable to the broker equal to approximately 1% to 10% of the contract amount (this amount is subject to change by the board of trade on which the contract is traded and members of such board of trade may charge a

 

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higher amount). This amount, known as initial margin, is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to a fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming that all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as variation margin, to and from the broker, will be made daily as the price of the securities, currency or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to expiration of a futures contract, a fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the fund’s existing position in the contract.

Several risks are associated with the use of futures contracts as a hedging device. Successful use of futures contracts by an underlying fund is subject to the ability of its adviser to predict correctly movements in interest rates, stock or bond indices or foreign currency values. These predictions involve skills and techniques that may be different from those involved in the management of the fund being hedged. In addition, there can be no assurance that there will be a correlation between movements in the price of the underlying securities, currency or index and movements in the price of the securities which are the subject of the hedge. A decision of whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected trends in interest rates or currency values.

There is no assurance that an active market will exist for future contracts at any particular time. Most futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit. It is possible that futures contract prices could move 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. In such event, and in the event of adverse price movements, a fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin, and an increase in the value of the portion of the portfolio being hedged, if any, may partially or completely offset losses on the futures contract. As described above, however, there is no guarantee that the price of the securities being hedged will, in fact, correlate with the price movements in a futures contract and thus provide an offset to losses on the futures contract.

If an underlying fund has hedged against the possibility of a change in interest rates or currency or market values adversely affecting the value of securities held in its portfolio and rates or currency or market values move in a direction opposite to that which the fund has anticipated, the fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if the fund had insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. These sales of securities may, but will not necessarily, be at increased prices which reflect the change in interest rates or currency or market values, as the case may be.

Options on Futures Contracts. An option on an interest rate futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. An option on a foreign currency futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, to assume a long or short position in the relevant underlying foreign currency futures contract at a predetermined exercise price at a time in the future. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on futures contracts is limited to the premium paid for the option (plus transaction costs). Since the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option does change daily and that change would be reflected in the net asset value of a fund investing in the options.

 

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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has eliminated limitations on futures transactions and options thereon by registered investment companies, provided that the investment manager to the registered investment company claims an exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator. Certain of the underlying funds are operated by persons who have claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, are not subject to registration or regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act. Those underlying funds are not restricted in their ability to enter into futures transactions and options thereon under CFTC regulations. In addition, the funds will not be commodity pools. The manager has claimed an exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the rules of the CFTC. The current view of the staff of the SEC is that a fund’s long and short positions in futures contracts as well as put and call options on futures written by it must be collateralized with cash or other liquid assets and segregated with the fund’s custodian or a designated sub-custodian or “covered” in a manner similar to that for covered options on securities and designed to eliminate any potential leveraging.

Several risks are associated with options on futures contracts. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the existence of a liquid market. In addition, the purchase of put or call options on interest rate and foreign currency futures will be based upon predictions by a fund’s adviser as to anticipated trends in interest rates and currency values, as the case may be, which could prove to be incorrect. Even if the expectations of an adviser are correct, there may be an imperfect correlation between the change in the value of the options and of the portfolio securities in the currencies being hedged.

Commodity-Linked Derivative Instruments. Investments by an underlying fund in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the underlying fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, changes in interest rates or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The means by which an underlying fund seeks exposure to commodities, both directly and indirectly, including through derivatives, may be limited by the underlying fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code.

Foreign Commodity Exchanges. Unlike trading on domestic commodity exchanges, trading on foreign commodity exchanges is not regulated by the CFTC and may be subject to greater risks than trading on domestic exchanges. For example, some foreign exchanges may be principal markets so that no common clearing facility exists and a trader may look only to the broker for performance of the contract. In addition, unless an underlying fund’s trading on a foreign commodity exchange hedges against fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which trading is done on foreign exchanges, any profits that the fund might realize in trading could be eliminated by adverse changes in the exchange rate, or the fund could incur losses as a result of those changes.

Swap Agreements. Among the hedging transactions into which certain underlying funds may enter are interest rate swaps and the purchase or sale of interest rate caps and floors. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of floating-rate payments for fixed-rate payments. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor.

Certain underlying funds may enter into interest rate swaps, caps and floors on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether a fund is hedging its assets or its liabilities, and will usually enter into interest rate swaps on a net basis, i.e., the two payment streams are netted, with the fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Inasmuch as these hedging transactions are entered

 

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into for good faith hedging purposes, the advisers and the funds may believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities and, accordingly will not treat them as being subject to their borrowing restrictions. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid securities having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in a segregated account with its custodian. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, a fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years, with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid. Caps and floors are more recent innovations for which standardized documentation has not yet been developed and, accordingly, they are less liquid than swaps.

Credit Default Swaps. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into credit default swaps. Credit default swap contracts involve special risks and may result in losses to a fund. Credit default swaps may in some cases be illiquid, and they increase credit risk since the fund has exposure to both the issuer of the referenced obligation and the counterparty to the credit default swap. As there is no central exchange or market for credit default swap transactions, they may be difficult to trade or value, especially in the event of market disruptions. The swap market is a relatively new market and is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swap market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect a fund’s ability to terminate existing credit default swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

Investment Practices

In attempting to achieve its investment objectives, an underlying fund and/or a fund may employ, among others, the following investment strategies.

Borrowing. Certain of the underlying funds may borrow in certain circumstances. Borrowing creates an opportunity for increased return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. For example, borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of the fund’s shares and in the return on the fund’s portfolio. Although the principal of any borrowing will be fixed, the fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. The fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so in order to make payments with respect to any borrowing, which could affect the adviser’s strategy and the ability of the fund to comply with certain provisions of the Code in order to provide pass-though tax treatment to shareholders. Interest on any borrowings will be a fund expense and will reduce the value of the fund’s shares. See also “Reverse Repurchase Agreements” in this section.

Repurchase Agreements. Certain of the underlying funds, and each fund, may enter into repurchase agreements. In a repurchase agreement, a fund buys, and the seller agrees to repurchase, a security at a mutually agreed upon time and price (usually within seven days). The repurchase agreement thereby determines the yield during the purchaser’s holding period, while the seller’s obligation to repurchase is secured by the value of the underlying security. The fund custodian will have custody of, and will hold in a segregated account, securities acquired by the fund under a repurchase agreement. Repurchase agreements are considered by the staff of the SEC to be loans by a fund. Repurchase agreements could involve risks in the event of a default or insolvency of the other party to the agreement, including possible delays or restrictions upon the fund’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities. In an attempt to reduce the risk of incurring a loss on a repurchase agreement, a fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with domestic banks with total assets in excess of $1 billion, or primary government securities dealers reporting to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, with respect to securities of the type in which the fund may invest, and will require that additional securities be deposited with it if the value of the securities purchased should decrease below their resale price.

Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the funds, along with other affiliated entities managed by the manager, may transfer uninvested cash balances into one or more joint repurchase accounts. These balances

 

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are invested in one or more repurchase agreements, secured by U.S. government securities. Securities that are collateral for repurchase agreements are financial assets subject to each fund’s entitlement orders through its securities account at its custodian bank until the agreements mature. Each joint repurchase arrangement requires that the market value of the collateral be sufficient to cover payments of interest and principal; however, in the event of default by the other party to the agreement, retention or sale of the collateral may be subject to legal proceedings.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with banks or broker/dealers. A reverse repurchase agreement involves the sale of a security held by a fund coupled with an agreement by the fund to repurchase the security at a stated price, date and interest payment. A fund will use the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement to purchase other securities which either mature at a date simultaneous with or prior to the expiration of the reverse repurchase agreement or which are held under an agreement to resell, maturing as of that time.

An underlying fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement when the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction is greater than the interest expense of the transaction. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by the seller. Entry into such agreements requires the creation and maintenance of a segregated account with the fund’s custodian consisting of cash or liquid assets. The segregated assets will be marked-to-market daily and additional assets will be segregated on any day in which the assets fall below the repurchase price. A fund’s liquidity and ability to manage its assets might be affected when it sets aside cash or portfolio securities to cover such commitments.

When-issued Securities and Delayed-delivery Transactions. To secure an advantageous price or yield, each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may purchase certain securities on a when-issued basis or purchase or sell securities for delayed delivery. Delivery of the securities in such cases occurs beyond the normal settlement periods, but no payment or delivery is made by a fund prior to the reciprocal delivery or payment by the other party to the transaction. In entering into a when-issued or delayed-delivery transaction, a fund will rely on the other party to consummate the transaction and may be disadvantaged if the other party fails to do so.

Fixed-income securities normally are subject to changes in value based upon changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates and the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. In general, fixed- income securities tend to appreciate when interest rates decline and depreciate when interest rates rise. Purchasing these securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, therefore, can involve the risk that the yields available in the market when the delivery takes place may actually be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Similarly, the sale of fixed-income securities for delayed delivery can involve the risk that the prices available in the market when the delivery is made may actually be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself.

In the case of the purchase by a fund or an underlying fund of securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, a segregated account in the name of the fund consisting of cash or liquid securities equal to the amount of the when-issued or delayed-delivery commitments will be established. For the purpose of determining the adequacy of the securities in the accounts, the deposited securities will be valued at market or fair value. If the market or fair value of the securities declines, additional cash or securities will be placed in the account daily so that the value of the account will equal the amount of such commitments by the fund involved. On the settlement date, a fund will meet its obligations from then-available cash flow, the sale of securities held in the segregated account, the sale of other securities or, although it would not normally expect to do so, from the sale of the securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis (which may have a value greater or less than the fund’s payment obligations).

Lending of Portfolio Securities. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may have the ability to lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations. Loans of

 

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portfolio securities will be collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, which are maintained at all times in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the loaned securities.

By lending its securities, an underlying fund can increase its income by continuing to receive interest on the loaned securities as well as by either investing the cash collateral in short-term instruments or obtaining yield in the form of interest paid by the borrower when U.S. government securities are used as collateral. A fund may lend portfolio securities to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder or by guidance regarding, interpretations of, or exemptive orders under, the 1940 Act. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of a possible delay in receiving additional collateral or in the recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Loans may be made to firms deemed by each underlying fund’s adviser to be of good standing and generally will not be made unless, in the judgment of the adviser, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. Payments received by an underlying fund in lieu of any dividends paid on the loaned securities will not be treated as “qualified dividend income” for purposes of determining what portion of the underlying fund’s dividends received by a fund and distributed to its shareholders may be taxed at the rates generally applicable to long-term capital gains (see “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” below).

Short Sales. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may from time to time sell securities short. A short sale is a transaction in which a fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market price of that security. To effect a short sale, the fund arranges through a broker to borrow the security it does not own to be delivered to a buyer of such security. In borrowing the security to be delivered to the buyer, the fund will become obligated to replace the security borrowed at its market price at the time of replacement, whatever that price may be. A short sale results in a gain when the price of the securities sold short declines between the date of the short sale and the date on which a security is purchased to replace the borrowed security. Conversely, a short sale will result in a loss if the price of the security sold short increases. Short selling is a technique that may be considered speculative and involves risk beyond the amount of money used to secure each transaction.

When a fund makes a short sale, the broker effecting the short sale typically holds the proceeds as part of the collateral securing the fund’s obligation to cover the short position. The fund may use securities it owns to meet such collateral obligations. Generally, the fund may not keep, and must return to the lender, any dividends or interest that accrue on the borrowed security during the period of the loan. Depending on the arrangements with a broker or the custodian, the fund may or may not receive any payments (including interest) on collateral it designates as security for the broker.

In addition, until a fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the fund, pursuant to the 1940 Act, will designate liquid assets it owns (other than short sale proceeds) as segregated assets in an amount equal to its obligation to purchase the securities sold short. The amount segregated in this manner will be increased or decreased each business day (called marked-to-market) in an amount equal to the changes in the market value of the fund’s obligation to purchase the security sold short. This may limit the fund’s investment flexibility as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

The fund will realize a gain if the price of a security declines between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund purchases a security to replace the borrowed security. On the other hand, the fund will incur a loss if the price of the security increases between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased and the amount of any loss increased by any premium or interest that the fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale. It should be noted that possible losses from short sales differ from those that could arise from a cash investment in a security in that losses from a short sale may be limitless, while the losses from a cash investment in a security cannot exceed the total amount of the investment in the security.

Short Sales Against the Box. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into short sales “against the box.” A fund may enter into a short sale of common stock such that when the short

 

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position is open the fund owns an amount of preferred stocks or debt securities, convertible or exchangeable, without payment of further consideration, into an equal number of shares of the common stock sold short. This kind of short sale, which is described as “against the box,” will be entered into by a fund for the purpose of receiving a portion of the interest earned by the executing broker from the proceeds of the sale. The proceeds of the sale will be held by the broker until the settlement date, when the fund delivers the convertible securities to close out its short position. Although prior to delivery the fund will have to pay an amount equal to any dividends paid on the common stock sold short, the fund will receive the dividends from the preferred stock or interest from the debt securities convertible into the stock sold short, plus a portion of the interest earned from the proceeds of the short sale. The fund will deposit, in a segregated account with its custodian, convertible preferred stock or convertible debt securities in connection with short sales against the box.

Restricted Securities. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds and directly, may invest in securities the disposition of which is subject to legal or contractual restrictions. The sale of restricted securities often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of securities eligible for trading on a national securities exchange that are not subject to restrictions on resale. Restricted securities often sell at a price lower than similar securities that are not subject to restrictions on resale.

Leveraging. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may from time to time leverage its investments by purchasing securities with borrowed money. A fund is required under the 1940 Act to maintain at all times an asset coverage of 300% of the amount of its borrowings. If, as a result of market fluctuations or for any other reason, a fund’s asset coverage drops below 300%, the fund must reduce its outstanding borrowings within three business days so as to restore its asset coverage to the 300% level.

Any gain in the value of securities purchased with borrowed money that exceeds the interest paid on the amount borrowed would cause the net asset value of the underlying fund’s shares to increase more rapidly than otherwise would be the case. Conversely, any decline in the value of securities purchased would cause the net asset value of the fund’s shares to decrease more rapidly than otherwise would be the case. Borrowed money thus creates an opportunity for greater capital gain but at the same time increases exposure to capital risk. The net cost of any borrowed money would be an expense that otherwise would not be incurred, and this expense could restrict or eliminate an underlying fund’s net investment income in any given period.

Mortgage Dollar Rolls. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may enter into mortgage dollar rolls. A fund may enter into dollar rolls in which the fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month, realizing a gain or loss, and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities to settle on a specified future date. During the roll period, the fund forgoes interest paid on the securities. The fund is compensated by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale and by the lower repurchase price at the specified future date. The fund maintains a segregated account, the dollar value of which is at least equal to its obligations with respect to dollar rolls.

The underlying funds generally execute mortgage dollar rolls in the to-be-announced (“TBA”) market, where a fund makes a forward commitment to purchase a security and, instead of accepting delivery, the position is offset by a sale of the security with a simultaneous agreement to repurchase at a future date.

The obligation to repurchase securities on a specified future date involves the risk that the market value of the securities a fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities under a mortgage dollar roll files for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent or defaults on its obligations, a fund’s use of proceeds of the dollar roll may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. Dollar roll transactions may result in a form of leverage that increases the fund’s sensitivity to interest rate changes and may increase the overall risk of investing in the fund.

 

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Additional Risk Factors

Investment in Other Mutual Funds. The investments of each fund are concentrated in underlying funds so each fund’s performance is directly related to the investment performance of the underlying funds held by it. The ability of each fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the ability of the underlying funds to meet their objectives as well as the allocation among those underlying funds by LMGAA. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of any fund or any underlying fund will be achieved.

The underlying funds are subject to management risk. This is the risk that the adviser’s security selection process, which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results.

The funds will invest only in classes of shares of the underlying funds (except for exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)) that are offered only to institutional and other eligible investors, such as the funds, at net asset value and, accordingly, will not pay any sales loads or service or distribution (12b-1) fees in connection with their investments in shares of the underlying funds. The funds, however, will indirectly bear their pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred by the underlying funds that are applicable to institutional class shareholders, including advisory fees. The investment returns of each fund, therefore, will be net of the expenses of the underlying funds in which it is invested. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

When a fund redeems shares from an underlying fund, the underlying fund, under certain circumstances, may choose to pay the fund’s net redemption proceeds with an in-kind distribution of a portion of the underlying fund’s securities rather than in cash. If the fund does not want to invest in such securities, it will liquidate such securities as soon as practicable. The liquidation of securities may cause a fund to incur brokerage or other transaction costs. In addition, there can be no assurance that when a fund sells these securities, it would receive the value attributed to the securities by the underlying fund.

The funds may invest in securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, or pursuant to an order by the SEC. Generally, under the 1940 Act, a fund may hold securities of another investment company in amounts which (a) do not exceed 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such company, (b) do not exceed 5% of the value of the fund’s total assets and (c) when added to all other investment company securities held by the fund, do not exceed 10% of the value of the fund’s total assets. However, a registered fund may invest in another registered fund that is in the same group of investment companies (as defined in the 1940 Act) subject to certain other conditions and in ETFs in amounts greater than those permitted under the 1940 Act if the fund enters into a “participation agreement” with the ETF and meets certain other conditions set forth in the exemptive order received by the ETF from the SEC. The exemptive order would permit the fund to, in the aggregate, acquire up to 25% of the ETF’s outstanding voting securities.

Investment in ETFs. Each fund invests in shares of ETFs that are registered investment companies whose shares are listed and traded on U.S. stock exchanges or otherwise traded in the over-the-counter market. As with other investments in shares of mutual funds, each fund will bear its pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses are in addition to the direct expenses of the fund’s own operations.

The ETFs in which the funds invest seek to track a specified securities index (“benchmark index”) or a basket of securities that an “index provider” (such as Russell or Morgan Stanley Capital International) selects as representative of a market, market segment, industry sector, country or geographic region. An ETF portfolio generally holds the same stocks or bonds as the index it tracks (or it may hold a representative sample of such securities). Accordingly, an ETF is designed so that its performance will correspond closely with that of the its benchmark index.

Many ETFs are not actively “managed.” Therefore, those ETFs may not sell a stock because the stock’s issuer was in financial trouble unless that stock is removed from the relevant index. Such an ETF may not

 

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perform the same as its benchmark index due to tracking error. An ETF’s return may not match the return of the benchmark index for a number of reasons. For example, the ETF incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the benchmark index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the ETF’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the benchmark index, or representative sample of the benchmark index. The ETF may not be fully invested at times, either as a result of cash flows into the ETF or reserves of cash held by the ETF to meet redemptions and pay expenses. Since the ETF may utilize a sampling approach and may hold futures or other derivative positions, its return may not correlate as well with the return on the benchmark index, as would be the case if the ETF purchased all of the stocks in the benchmark index.

Because an ETF may, under certain circumstances, hold less than the total number of stocks in its benchmark index, an ETF is subject to management risk. This is the risk that the investment manager’s security selection process, which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results.

An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and the funds could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the stocks or bonds owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional open-end funds: (i) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount to their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

Concentration Risk. An underlying fund’s assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries. By concentrating its assets in a single industry or group of industries, the underlying fund is subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on that industry or group of industries will negatively impact the underlying fund to a greater extent than if the underlying fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of industries.

Trading Frequency. Although the underlying funds generally invest for the longer term, an underlying fund may engage in active and frequent trading, resulting in high portfolio turnover, in order to achieve its investment objective. This may lead to the realization and distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains, increasing their tax liability. Frequent trading also increases transaction costs, which could detract from the fund’s performance.

Non-Diversified Portfolios. Certain of the underlying funds are classified as non-diversified under the 1940 Act. Since, as a non-diversified fund, each such fund is permitted to invest a greater proportion of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers, each such fund may be subject to greater risk with respect to its individual portfolio than a fund that is more broadly diversified.

Securities of Unseasoned Issuers. Securities in which each of the funds, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds or directly, may invest may have limited marketability and, therefore, may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. In addition, certain securities may lack a significant operating history and be dependent on products or services without an established market share.

Sovereign Debt Obligations. Sovereign debt of developing countries may involve a high degree of risk, and may be in default or present the risk of default. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and interest when due, and may require renegotiation or rescheduling of debt payments. In addition, prospects for repaying principal and interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady bonds, is collateralized by U.S. government securities, repayment of principal and interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. government.

 

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Brady Bonds. The Brady bonds that the underlying funds may purchase have no or limited collateralization, and an underlying fund will be relying for payment of interest and (except in the case of principal collateralized Brady bonds) principal primarily on the willingness and ability of the foreign government to make payment in accordance with the terms of the Brady bonds. In the event of a default on collateralized Brady bonds for which obligations are accelerated, the collateral for the payment of principal will not be distributed to investors, nor will such obligations be sold and the proceeds distributed. In light of the residual risk of the Brady bonds and, among other factors, the history of default with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady bonds, investments in Brady bonds are to be viewed as speculative.

Sovereign obligors in developing and emerging market countries are among the world’s largest debtors to commercial banks, other governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. These obligors have in the past experienced substantial difficulties in servicing their external debt obligations, which led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things, reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiating new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to Brady bonds, and obtaining new credit to finance interest payments. Holders of certain foreign sovereign debt securities may be requested to participate in the restructuring of such obligations and to extend further loans to their issuers. There can be no assurance that the Brady bonds and other foreign sovereign debt securities in which the underlying funds may invest will not be subject to similar restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit which may adversely affect an underlying fund’s holdings. Furthermore, certain participants in the secondary market for such debt may be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may, therefore, have access to information not available to other market participants.

Restrictions on Foreign Investment. Some countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities. For example, certain countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company or limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of a company that may have less advantageous terms than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals or limit the repatriation of funds for a period of time.

Smaller capital markets, while often growing in trading volume, have substantially less volume than U.S. markets, and securities in many smaller capital markets are less liquid and their prices may be more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Brokerage commissions, custodial services, and other costs relating to investment in smaller capital markets are generally more expensive than in the United States. Such markets 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. Further, satisfactory custodial services for investment securities may not be available in some countries having smaller capital markets, which may result in an underlying fund incurring additional costs and delays in transporting and custodying such securities outside such countries. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when assets of a fund are uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of an underlying fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause such fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of a portfolio security due to settlement problems could result either in losses to a fund because of subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of exchanges, brokers and issuers in countries having smaller capital markets than there is in the United States.

Mortgage-Related Securities. To the extent an underlying fund purchases mortgage-related securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and prepayments of principal by mortgagors (which may be made at any time without penalty) may result in some loss of the underlying fund’s principal investment to the extent of the premium paid. The underlying fund’s yield may be affected by reinvestment of prepayments at higher or lower rates than the original investment. In addition, like other debt securities, the values of mortgage-related securities,

 

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including government and government-related mortgage pools, generally will fluctuate in response to market interest rates.

Non-Publicly Traded and Illiquid Securities. The sale of securities that are not publicly traded is typically restricted under federal securities laws. As a result, an underlying fund may be forced to sell these securities at less than fair market value or may not be able to sell them when the underlying funds’ advisers believe it desirable to do so. Investments by an underlying fund in illiquid securities are subject to the risk that should the underlying fund desire to sell any of these securities when a ready buyer is not available at a price that the fund’s adviser deems representative of its value, the value of the underlying fund’s net assets could be adversely affected.

High Yield Securities. Certain underlying funds may invest in high yield, below investment grade securities, commonly known as “junk bonds.” Investments in high yield securities are subject to special risks, including a greater risk of loss of principal and non-payment of interest.

Generally, high yield, below investment grade securities offer a higher return potential than higher-rated securities but involve greater volatility of price and greater risk of loss of income and principal, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities. Below investment grade securities and comparable non-rated securities will likely have large uncertainties or major risk exposure to adverse conditions and are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. The occurrence of adverse conditions and uncertainties would likely reduce the value of securities held by an underlying fund, with a commensurate effect on the value of the underlying fund’s shares.

The markets in which below investment grade securities or comparable non-rated securities are traded generally are more limited than those in which higher-quality securities are traded. The existence of limited markets for these securities may restrict the availability of securities for an underlying fund to purchase and also may restrict the ability of an underlying fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing securities and calculating net asset value or to sell securities at their fair value. An economic downturn could adversely affect the ability of issuers of high yield securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon.

While the market values of below investment grade securities and comparable non-rated securities tend to react less to fluctuations in interest rate levels than do those of higher-quality securities, the market values of certain of these securities also tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-quality securities. In addition, below investment grade securities and comparable non-rated securities generally present a higher degree of credit risk. Issuers of below investment grade securities and comparable non-rated securities are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired. The risk of loss because of default by such issuers is significantly greater because below investment grade securities and comparable non-rated securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. An underlying fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings.

Short Sales. Short selling is a technique that may be considered speculative and involves risks beyond the initial capital necessary to secure each transaction. Whenever an underlying fund sells short, it is required to deposit collateral in segregated accounts to cover its obligation, and to maintain the collateral in an amount at least equal to the market value of the short position. As a hedging technique, an underlying fund may purchase call options to buy securities sold short by the underlying fund. Such options would lock in a future price and protect the underlying fund in case of an unanticipated increase in the price of a security sold short by the underlying fund.

 

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Repurchase Agreements. Repurchase agreements, as utilized by a fund or an underlying fund, could involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the other party, including possible delays or restrictions upon the ability of a fund to dispose of the underlying securities, the risk of a possible decline in the value of the underlying securities during the period in which a fund seeks to assert its rights to them, the risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting those rights and the risk of losing all or part of the income from the agreement.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may engage in reverse repurchase agreement transactions with banks, brokers and other financial institutions. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the fund may decline below the repurchase price of the securities. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer, or its trustee or receiver, may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce a fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

Lending of Portfolio Securities. The risks in lending portfolio securities, like those associated with other extensions of secured credit, consist of possible delays in receiving additional collateral or in the recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Loans may be made to firms deemed by the adviser to the underlying fund to be of good standing and may not be made unless, in the judgment of the adviser, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk.

When-Issued Securities and Delayed-Delivery Transactions. The purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis involves the risk that, as a result of an increase in yields available in the marketplace, the value of the securities purchased will decline prior to the settlement date. The sale of securities for delayed delivery involves the risk that the prices available in the market on the delivery date may be greater than those obtained in the sale transaction.

Leverage. Certain of the underlying funds may borrow from banks, on a secured or unsecured basis, in order to leverage their portfolios. Leverage creates an opportunity for increased returns to shareholders of an underlying fund but, at the same time, creates special risk considerations. For example, leverage may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of a fund’s shares and in a fund’s yield. Although the principal or stated value of such borrowings will be fixed, a fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leverage will create interest or dividend expenses for the fund that can exceed the income from the assets retained. To the extent the income or other gain derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest or dividends the fund will have to pay in respect thereof, the fund’s net income or other gain will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or other gain from the incremental assets is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage, the net income or other gain of the fund will be less than if leverage had not been used. If the amount of income for the incremental securities is insufficient to cover the cost of borrowing, securities might have to be liquidated to obtain required funds. Depending on market or other conditions, such liquidations could be disadvantageous to the underlying fund.

Indexed Securities. Each fund, through its investment in certain of the underlying funds, may invest in indexed securities, including inverse floaters, whose value is linked to currencies, interest rates, commodities, indices or other financial indicators. Indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed (i.e., their value may increase or decrease if the underlying instrument appreciates), and may have return characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying instrument or to one or more options on the underlying instrument. Indexed securities may be more volatile than the underlying instrument itself.

Inflation-Indexed Securities. The value of inflation-indexed fixed-income securities generally fluctuates in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest

 

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rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed securities. Although the principal value of inflation-indexed securities declines in periods of deflation, holders at maturity receive no less than the par value of the security. However, if an underlying fund purchases inflation-indexed securities in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, it may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation. If inflation is lower than expected during the period an underlying fund holds an inflation-indexed security, the underlying fund may earn less on the security than on a conventional bond.

Any increase in principal value caused by an increase in the index to which the inflation-indexed securities are tied is taxable in the year the increase occurs, even though an underlying fund will not receive cash representing the increase at that time. As a result, an underlying fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements as a regulated investment company under the Code.

If real interest rates rise (i.e., if interest rates rise for reasons other than inflation, for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), the value of inflation-indexed securities held by an underlying fund will decline. Moreover, because the principal amount of inflation-indexed securities would be adjusted downward during a period of deflation, an underlying fund will be subject to deflation risk with respect to its investments in these securities. Inflation-indexed securities are tied to indices that are calculated based on rates of inflation for prior periods. There can be no assurance that such indices will accurately measure the actual rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.

Forward Roll Transactions. Forward roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by an underlying fund may decline below the repurchase price of the securities. Forward roll transactions are considered borrowings by a fund. Although investing the proceeds of these borrowings in repurchase agreements or money market instruments may provide an underlying fund with the opportunity for higher income, this leveraging practice will increase a fund’s exposure to capital risk and higher current expenses. Any income earned from the securities purchased with the proceeds of these borrowings that exceeds the cost of the borrowings would cause a fund’s net asset value per share to increase faster than would otherwise be the case; any decline in the value of the securities purchased would cause a fund’s net asset value per share to decrease faster than would otherwise be the case.

Swap Agreements. As one way of managing their exposure to different types of investments, certain of the underlying funds may enter into interest rate swaps, currency swaps and other types of swap agreements such as caps, collars and floors. Swap agreements can be highly volatile and may have a considerable impact on a fund’s performance. Swap agreements are subject to risks related to the counterparty’s ability to perform, and may decline in value if the counterparty’s creditworthiness deteriorates. A fund may also suffer losses if it is unable to terminate outstanding swap agreements or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions.

Floating and Variable Rate Income Securities. Floating and variable rate income securities include securities whose rates vary inversely with changes in market rates of interest. Such securities may also pay a rate of interest determined by applying a multiple to the variable rate. The extent of increases and decreases in the value of securities whose rates vary inversely with changes in market rates of interest generally will be larger than comparable changes in the value of an equal principal amount of a fixed rate security having similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturity.

Zero Coupon, Discount and Payment-in-Kind Securities. Zero coupon securities generally pay no cash interest (or dividends in the case of preferred stock) to their holders prior to maturity. Payment-in-kind securities allow the lender, at its option, to make current interest payments on such securities either in cash or in additional securities. Accordingly, such securities usually are issued and traded at a deep discount from their face or par

 

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value and generally are subject to greater fluctuations of market value in response to changing interest rates than securities of comparable maturities and credit quality that pay cash interest (or dividends in the case of preferred stock) on a current basis.

Premium Securities. Premium securities are income securities bearing coupon rates higher than prevailing market rates. Premium securities are typically purchased at prices greater than the principal amounts payable on maturity. If securities purchased by an underlying fund at a premium are called or sold prior to maturity, a fund will recognize a capital loss to the extent the call or sale price is less than the purchase price. Additionally, the fund will recognize a capital loss if it holds such securities to maturity.

Yankee Bonds. Yankee bonds are U.S. dollar-denominated bonds sold in the United States by non-U.S. issuers. As compared with bonds issued in the United States, such bond issues normally carry a higher interest rate but are less actively traded.

Cash Investments. An underlying fund may invest to a limited extent in short-term debt securities, money market instruments and/or cash to pay expenses and/or meet redemption requests.

INVESTMENT POLICIES

Each fund has adopted the following fundamental investment policies for the protection of shareholders. Investment policies described in this SAI are fundamental only if they are described as such. Fundamental investment policies may not be changed without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund, defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the voting power present at a fund meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the voting power of the fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the voting power of the fund.

If any percentage restriction described below is complied with at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction.

Fundamental Investment Policies

Each fund’s fundamental investment policies are as follows:

(1)    A fund may not borrow money except as permitted by (i) 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

(2)    A fund may not engage in the business of underwriting the securities of other issuers except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

(3)    A fund may lend money or other assets to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

(4)    A fund may not issue senior securities except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

(5)    A fund may not purchase or sell real estate except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

 

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(6)    A fund may purchase or sell commodities or contracts related to commodities to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing money set forth in (1) above, the 1940 Act permits a fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires a fund to maintain at all times an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings. Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the fund’s total assets, minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Certain trading practices and investments, such as reverse repurchase agreements, may be considered to be borrowings and thus subject to the 1940 Act restrictions. Borrowing money to increase portfolio holdings is known as “leveraging.” Borrowing, especially when used for leverage, may cause the value of a fund’s shares to be more volatile than if the fund did not borrow. This is because borrowing tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the fund’s portfolio holdings. Borrowed money thus creates an opportunity for greater gains, but also greater losses. To repay borrowings, a fund may have to sell securities at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the fund. There also are costs associated with borrowing money, and these costs would offset and could eliminate a fund’s net investment income in any given period. Currently the funds have no intention of borrowing money for leverage. The policy in (1) above will be interpreted to permit a fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered to be borrowings under the policy. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (2) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a fund from engaging in the underwriting business or from underwriting the securities of other issuers; in fact, the 1940 Act permits a fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances. Those circumstances currently are that the amount of a fund’s underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the fund’s investments in issuers where the fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”). Under the 1933 Act, an underwriter may be liable for material omissions or misstatements in an issuer’s registration statement or prospectus. Securities purchased from an issuer and not registered for sale under the 1933 Act are considered restricted securities. There may be a limited market for these securities. If these securities are registered under the 1933 Act, they may then be eligible for sale but participating in the sale may subject the seller to underwriter liability. These risks could apply to a fund investing in restricted securities. Although it is not believed that the application of the 1933 Act provisions described above would cause a fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (2) above will be interpreted not to prevent a fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to lending set forth in (3) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.) While lending securities may be a source of income to a fund, as with other extensions of credit there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the underlying securities should the borrower fail financially. However, loans would be made only when a fund’s adviser believes the income justifies the attendant risks. Each fund also will be permitted by this policy to make loans of money, including to other funds. A fund would have to obtain exemptive relief from the SEC to make loans to other funds. The policy in (3) above will be interpreted not to prevent a fund from purchasing or investing in debt

 

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obligations and loans. In addition, collateral arrangements with respect to options, forward currency and futures transactions and other derivative instruments, as well as delays in the settlement of securities transactions, will not be considered loans.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to issuing senior securities set forth in (4) above, “senior securities” are defined as fund obligations that have a priority over a fund’s shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of fund assets. The 1940 Act prohibits a fund from issuing senior securities except that a fund may borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose. A fund also may borrow up to 5% of the fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes, and these borrowings are not considered senior securities. The issuance of senior securities by a fund can increase the speculative character of a fund’s outstanding shares through leveraging. Leveraging of a fund’s portfolio through the issuance of senior securities magnifies the potential for gain or loss on monies, because even though the fund’s net assets remain the same, the total risk to investors is increased to the extent of the fund’s gross assets. The policy in (4) above will be interpreted not to prevent collateral arrangements with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures contracts or other derivatives, or the posting of initial or variation margin.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to real estate set forth in (5) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a fund from owning real estate; however, a fund is limited in the amount of illiquid assets it may purchase. Investing in real estate may involve risks, including that real estate is generally considered illiquid and may be difficult to value and sell. Owners of real estate may be subject to various liabilities, including environmental liabilities. To the extent that investments in real estate are considered illiquid, the current SEC staff position generally limits a fund’s purchases of illiquid securities to 15% of net assets. The policy in (5) above will be interpreted not to prevent a fund from investing in real estate-related companies, companies whose businesses consist in whole or in part of investing in real estate, instruments (like mortgages) that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or real estate investment trust securities.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to commodities set forth in (6) above, the 1940 Act does not generally prohibit a fund from owning commodities, whether physical commodities and contracts related to physical commodities (such as oil or grains and related futures contracts), or financial commodities and contracts related to financial commodities (such as currencies and, possibly, currency futures). However, a fund is limited in the amount of illiquid assets it may purchase. To the extent that investments in commodities are considered illiquid, the current SEC staff position generally limits a fund’s purchases of illiquid securities to 15% of net assets. If a fund were to invest in a physical commodity or a physical commodity-related instrument, the fund would be subject to the additional risks of the particular physical commodity and its related market. The value of commodities and commodity-related instruments may be extremely volatile and may be affected either directly or indirectly by a variety of factors. There also may be storage charges and risks of loss associated with physical commodities. The policy in (6) above will be interpreted to permit investments in exchange-traded funds that invest in physical and/or financial commodities.

The funds’ fundamental policies are written and will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations and modifications of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.

Notwithstanding the foregoing investment restrictions, the underlying funds in which the funds invest have adopted certain investment restrictions which may be more or less restrictive than those listed above, thereby permitting a fund to engage in investment strategies indirectly that are prohibited under the investment restrictions listed above. The investment restrictions of an underlying fund are located in its statement of additional information.

 

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Due to its investment objective and policies, each fund will each concentrate more than 25% of its assets in the mutual fund industry. In accordance with the funds’ investment programs, each fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in certain underlying funds.

Diversification

Each fund is currently classified as a diversified fund under the 1940 Act. This means that the fund may not purchase securities of an issuer (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies) if, with respect to 75% of its total assets, (a) more than 5% of the fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer, or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of its total assets, the fund can invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer. Under the 1940 Act, a fund cannot change its classification from diversified to non-diversified without shareholder approval.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Subject to policies as may be established by the funds’ Board from time to time, the subadviser is primarily responsible for the funds’ portfolio decisions and the placing of the funds’ portfolio transactions. Commissions are negotiated with broker/dealers on all transactions.

The cost of securities purchased from underwriters includes an underwriting commission, concession or a net price. The purchase by the funds of participations or assignments may be pursuant to privately negotiated transactions pursuant to which a fund may be required to pay fees to the seller or forgo a portion of payments in respect of the participation agreement.

Pursuant to the Management Agreements and the Sub-Advisory Agreements, each of the manager and the subadviser is authorized to place orders pursuant to its investment determinations for a fund either directly with the issuer or with any broker or dealer, foreign currency dealer, futures commission merchant or others selected by it. The general policy of the manager and subadviser in selecting brokers and dealers is to obtain the best results achievable in the context of a number of factors which are considered both in relation to individual trades and broader trading patterns, including the reliability of the broker/dealer, the competitiveness of the price and the commission, the research services received and whether the broker/dealer commits its own capital.

In connection with the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, subject to applicable law, brokers or dealers may be selected who also provide brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act) to a fund and/or the other accounts over which the manager, the subadviser or their affiliates exercise investment discretion. The manager and the subadviser are authorized to pay a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services a commission for executing a portfolio transaction for a fund which is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if the manager or subadviser, as applicable, determines in good faith that such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer. This determination may be viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the overall responsibilities that the manager or the subadviser, as applicable, and its affiliates have with respect to accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. The manager and the subadviser may also have arrangements with brokers pursuant to which such brokers provide research services to the manager or the subadviser, as applicable, in exchange for a certain volume of brokerage transactions to be executed by such brokers. While the payment of higher commissions increases the funds’ costs, the manager and the subadviser do not believe that the receipt of such brokerage and research services significantly reduces its expenses as manager or subadviser, as applicable. Arrangements for the receipt of research services from brokers may create conflicts of interest.

 

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Research services furnished to the manager or subadviser by brokers who effect securities transactions for the fund may be used by the manager or subadviser, as applicable, in servicing other investment companies and accounts which it manages. Similarly, research services furnished to the manager or subadviser by brokers who effect securities transactions for other investment companies and accounts which the manager or subadviser manages may be used by the manager or subadviser, as applicable, in servicing the funds. Not all of these research services are used by the manager or the subadviser in managing any particular account, including the funds.

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, the funds paid no commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers because of research services provided as of the date of this SAI.

The funds contemplate that, consistent with the policy of obtaining the best net results, brokerage transactions may be conducted through “affiliated broker/dealers,” as defined in the 1940 Act. The Board has adopted procedures in accordance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act to ensure that all brokerage commissions paid to such affiliates are reasonable and fair in the context of the market in which such affiliates operate.

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, the funds paid no commissions for brokerage transactions as of the date of this SAI.

In certain instances there may be securities that are suitable as an investment for a fund as well as for one or more of the manager’s or the subadviser’s other clients. Investment decisions for the funds and for the manager’s or the subadviser’s other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives. It may develop that a particular security is bought or sold for only one client even though it might be held by, or bought or sold for, other clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more clients are selling the same security. Some simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several clients receive investment advice from the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objectives of more than one client. When two or more clients are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed to be equitable to each. It is recognized that in some cases this system could adversely affect the price of or the size of the position obtainable in a security for a fund. When purchases or sales of the same security for a fund and for other portfolios managed by the manager or subadviser, as applicable, occur contemporaneously, the purchase or sale orders may be aggregated in order to obtain any price advantages available to large volume purchases or sales.

For reporting purposes, each fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the fund during the fiscal year. In determining such portfolio turnover, all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less are excluded. A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all of the securities in a fund’s investment portfolio (other than short-term money market securities) were replaced once during the fiscal year. Portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor should the manager or subadviser, as applicable, deem it advisable to purchase or sell securities.

Increased portfolio turnover necessarily results in correspondingly greater transaction costs which must be paid by the funds. To the extent portfolio trading results in realization of net short-term capital gains, shareholders will be taxed on such gains at ordinary tax rates (except shareholders who invest individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), and other retirement plans which are not taxed currently on accumulations in their accounts).

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, no fund held securities issued by its regular broker/dealers as of the date of this SAI.

The portfolio turnover rates of the underlying funds ranged from 0% to 449% during their fiscal years reported in their most recent available prospectuses. The underlying funds do not limit their portfolio turnover rates should an adviser deem it advisable to purchase or sell securities. Higher turnover rates may result in higher expenses being incurred by the underlying funds.

 

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DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

For funds in the Legg Mason Partners family of funds, each fund’s board of trustees has adopted policies and procedures developed by LMPFA with respect to the disclosure of the funds’ portfolio securities and any ongoing arrangements to make available information about each fund’s portfolio securities. The policy requires that consideration always be given as to whether disclosure of information about any fund’s portfolio holdings is in the best interests of such fund’s shareholders, and that any conflicts of interest between the interests of the fund’s shareholders and those of LMPFA, the funds’ distributor or their affiliates be addressed in a manner that places the interests of fund shareholders first. The policy provides that information regarding a fund’s portfolio holdings may not be shared with non-Legg Mason employees, with investors or potential investors (whether individual or institutional), or with third parties unless it is done for legitimate fund business purposes and in accordance with the policy.

LMPFA’s policy generally provides for the release of details of securities positions once they are considered “stale.” Data is considered stale 25 calendar days following quarter-end. LMPFA believes that this passage of time prevents a third party from benefiting from an investment decision made by a fund that has not been fully reflected by the market.

Under the policy, a fund’s complete list of holdings (including the size of each position) may be made available to investors, potential investors, third parties and non-Legg Mason employees with simultaneous public disclosure at least 25 days after calendar quarter end. Typically, simultaneous public disclosure is achieved by the filing of Form N-Q or Form N-CSR in accordance with SEC rules, provided that such filings may not be made until 25 days following quarter-end and/or posting the information to Legg Mason’s or the funds’ Internet site that is accessible by the public, or through public release by a third party vendor.

The policy permits the release of limited portfolio holdings information that is not yet considered stale in a number of situations, including:

1. A fund’s top ten securities, current as of month-end, and the individual size of each such security position may be released at any time following month-end with simultaneous public disclosure.

2. A fund’s top ten securities positions (including the aggregate but not individual size of such positions) may be released at any time with simultaneous public disclosure.

3. A list of securities (that may include fund holdings together with other securities) followed by a portfolio manager (without position sizes or identification of particular funds) may be disclosed to sell-side brokers at any time for the purpose of obtaining research and/or market information from such brokers.

4. A trade in process may be discussed only with counterparties, potential counterparties and others involved in the transaction (i.e., brokers and custodians).

5. A fund’s sector weightings, performance attribution (e.g., analysis of the fund’s out-performance or underperformance of its benchmark based on its portfolio holdings) and other summary and statistical information that does not include identification of specific portfolio holdings may be released, even if non-public, if such release is otherwise in accordance with the policy’s general principles.

6. A fund’s portfolio holdings may be released on an as-needed basis to its legal counsel, counsel to its Independent Trustees and its independent public accounting firm, in required regulatory filings or otherwise to governmental agencies and authorities.

Under the policy, if information about a fund’s portfolio holdings is released pursuant to an ongoing arrangement with any party, a fund must have a legitimate business purpose for the release of the information, and either a party receiving the information must be under a duty of confidentiality, or the release of non-public information must be subject to trading restrictions and confidential treatment to prohibit the entity from sharing with an unauthorized source or trading upon any non-public information provided. Neither a fund nor Legg Mason nor any other affiliated person may receive compensation or any other consideration in connection with

 

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such arrangements. Ongoing arrangements to make available information about a fund’s portfolio securities will be reviewed at least annually by the Board. The release of portfolio holdings other than in ongoing arrangements is subject to a written agreement that requires the recipient to keep the information confidential and to use the information only for the purpose specified in the agreement. The approval of a fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, or designee, must be obtained prior to release of the information other than in an ongoing arrangement.

The approval of a fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, or designee, must be obtained before entering into any new ongoing arrangement or altering any existing ongoing arrangement to make available portfolio holdings information, or with respect to any exceptions to the policy. Any exceptions to the policy must be consistent with the purposes of the policy. Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis and are granted only after a thorough examination and consultation with LMPFA’s legal department, as necessary. Exceptions to the policies are reported annually to the funds’ Board.

Currently, the funds typically disclose their complete portfolio holdings approximately 25 days after calendar quarter-end on Legg Mason’s website, http://www.leggmason.com/individualinvestors.

Set forth below is a list, as of August 31, 2007, of those parties with whom LMPFA, on behalf of the funds, has authorized ongoing arrangements that include the release of portfolio holdings information, the frequency of the release under such arrangements, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed. The parties identified below as recipients are service providers, fund rating agencies, consultants and analysts.

 

Recipient

   Frequency   

Delay Before Dissemination

State Street Bank and Trust Company

(Fund Custodian and Accounting Agent)

   Daily    None

Institutional Shareholder Services

(Proxy voting services)

   As necessary    None

Bloomberg

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Lipper

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

S&P

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Morningstar

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Vestek

   Daily    None

Factset

   Daily    None

The Bank of New York

   Daily    None

Thomson

   Semi-annually    None

Dataware

   Daily    None

ITG

   Daily    None

Portfolio holdings information for a fund may also be released from time to time pursuant to ongoing arrangements with the following parties:

 

Recipient

  

Frequency

  

Delay Before Dissemination

Baseline

   Daily    None

Frank Russell

   Monthly    1 Day

Callan

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Mercer

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

eVestment Alliance

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

CRA RogersCasey

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Cambridge Associates

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Marco Consulting

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Wilshire

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Informa Investment Services (Efron)

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

CheckFree (Mobius)

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

 

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Recipient

  

Frequency

  

Delay Before Dissemination

Nelsons Information

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Investor Tools

   Daily    None

Advent

   Daily    None

BARRA

   Daily    None

Plexus

   Quarterly (Calendar)    Sent 1-3 business days following the end of a Quarter

Elkins/McSherry

   Quarterly (Calendar)    Sent 1-3 business days following the end of a Quarter

Quantitative Services Group

   Daily    None

AMBAC

   Daily    None

Deutsche Bank

   Monthly    6-8 business days

Fitch

   Monthly    6-8 business days

Liberty Hampshire

   Weekly and Month End    None

Sun Trust

   Weekly and Month End    None

New England Pension Consultants

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Evaluation Associates

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

Watson Wyatt

   Quarterly    25 Days after Quarter End

S&P (Rating Agency)

   Weekly Tuesday Night    1 business day

Moody’s (Rating Agency)

   Monthly    6-8 business days

Electra Information Systems

   Daily    None

SunGard

   Daily    None

PURCHASE OF SHARES

General

Investors may purchase shares from a Service Agent. In addition, certain investors, including retirement plans purchasing through certain Service Agents, may purchase shares directly from the funds. When purchasing shares of a fund, investors must specify whether the purchase is for Class A, Class C, Class FI, Class R, Class I or Class IS shares. Service Agents may charge their customers an annual account maintenance fee in connection with a brokerage account through which an investor purchases or holds shares. Accounts held directly at the transfer agent are not subject to a maintenance fee.

For additional information regarding applicable investment minimums and eligibility requirements, please see the prospectus.

There are no minimum investment requirements for purchases of Class A shares by: (i) current and retired board members of Legg Mason, (ii) current and retired board members of any fund advised by LMPFA (such board members, together with board members of Legg Mason, are referred to herein as “Board Members”), (iii) current employees of Legg Mason and its subsidiaries, (iv) the “immediate families” of such persons (“immediate families” are such person’s spouse, including the surviving spouse of a deceased Board Member, and children under the age of 21) and (v) a pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of such persons. Each fund reserves the right to waive or change minimums, to decline any order to purchase its shares and to suspend the offering of shares from time to time.

The funds do not issue share certificates.

Purchase orders received by the fund prior to the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), on any day a fund calculates its net asset value, are priced according to the net asset value determined on that day (the “trade date”). Orders received by a Service Agent prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE on any day the fund calculates its net asset value are priced according to the net asset value determined on that day, provided the order is received by the fund or the fund’s agent prior to its close of business. Payment must be made with the purchase order.

 

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Systematic Investment Plan. Shareholders may make additions to their accounts at any time by purchasing shares through a service known as the Systematic Investment Plan. Under the Systematic Investment Plan, the distributor or the transfer agent is authorized through preauthorized transfers of a predetermined dollar amount that meets at least the applicable investment minimum of the class on a monthly, quarterly, every alternate month, semi-annual or annual basis to charge the shareholder’s account held with a bank or other financial institution as indicated by the shareholder, to provide for systematic additions to the shareholder’s fund account. A shareholder who has insufficient funds to complete the transfer may be charged a fee of up to $25 by the distributor or the transfer agent. Additional information is available from the funds or a Service Agent.

Sales Charge Alternatives

The following classes of shares are available for purchase. See the prospectus for a discussion of who is eligible to purchase certain classes and of factors to consider in selecting which class of shares to purchase.

Class A Shares. Class A shares are sold to investors at the public offering price, which is the net asset value (“NAV”) plus an initial sales charge as described in the prospectus.

Members of the selling group may receive a portion of the sales charge as described above and may be deemed to be underwriters of a fund as defined in the 1933 Act. The sales charges are calculated based on the aggregate purchases of Class A shares of a fund made at one time by any “person,” which includes an individual and his or her spouse and children under the age of 21, or a trustee or other fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account. For additional information regarding sales charge reductions, see “Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions” below.

Purchases of Class A shares of $1,000,000 or more will be made at NAV without any initial sales charge, but will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% on redemptions made within 12 months of purchase. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Provisions” and “Waivers of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge.” The contingent deferred sales charge is waived in the same circumstances in which the contingent deferred sales charge applicable to Class C shares is waived. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Provisions” and “Waivers of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge” below.

Class C Shares. Class C shares are sold without an initial sales charge but are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge payable upon certain redemptions. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Provisions” below.

Class FI, R, I and IS Shares. Class FI, R, I and IS shares are sold at net asset value with no initial sales charge and no contingent deferred sales charge upon redemption.

Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions

Initial Sales Charge Waivers. Purchases of Class A shares may be made at NAV without an initial sales charge in the following circumstances:

(a)    sales to (i) current and retired board members of Legg Mason, (ii) current and retired Board Members, (iii) current employees of Legg Mason and its subsidiaries, (iv) the “immediate families” of such persons (“immediate families” are such person’s spouse, including the surviving spouse of a deceased Board Member, and children under the age of 21) and (v) a pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of such persons;

(b)    sales to any employees of Service Agents having dealer, service or other selling agreements with the funds’ distributor or otherwise having an arrangement with any such Service Agent with respect to sales of fund shares, and by the immediate families of such persons or by a pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for the benefit of such persons (providing the purchase is made for investment purposes and such securities will not be resold except through redemption or repurchase);

 

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(c)    offers of Class A shares to any other investment company to effect the combination of such company with the fund by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise;

(d)    purchases by shareholders who have redeemed Class A shares in a fund (or Class A shares of another Legg Mason Partners fund that is offered with a sales charge) and who wish to reinvest their redemption proceeds in the fund, provided the reinvestment is made within 60 calendar days of the redemption;

(e)    purchases by accounts managed by registered investment advisory subsidiaries of Citigroup Inc. (“Citigroup”);

(f)    purchases by certain separate accounts used to fund unregistered variable annuity contracts; and

(g)    purchases by investors participating in “wrap fee” or asset allocation programs or other fee-based arrangements sponsored by broker/dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with LMIS.

In order to obtain such discounts, the purchaser must provide sufficient information at the time of purchase to permit verification that the purchase qualifies for the elimination of the sales charge.

Accumulation Privilege. Please see the prospectus for information regarding accumulation privileges.

Letter of Intent. This helps you take advantage of breakpoints in Class A sales charges. You may purchase Class A shares of Legg Mason Partners funds over a thirteen (13) month period and pay the same sales charge, if any, as if all shares had been purchased at once. You have a choice of seven Asset Level Goal amounts, as follows:

  (1) $25,000

 

  (2) $50,000

 

  (3) $100,000

 

  (4) $250,000

 

  (5) $500,000

 

  (6) $750,000

 

  (7) $1,000,000

Each time you make a Class A purchase under a Letter of Intent, you will be entitled to the sales charge that is applicable to the amount of your Asset Level Goal. For example, if your Asset Level Goal is $100,000, any Class A investments you make under a Letter of Intent would be subject to the sales charge of the specific fund you are investing in for purchases of $100,000. Sales charges and breakpoints vary among the Legg Mason Partners funds.

When you enter into a Letter of Intent, you agree to purchase in Eligible Accounts over a 13-month period Eligible Fund Purchases in an amount equal to the Asset Level Goal you have selected, less any Eligible Prior Purchases. For this purpose, shares are valued at the public offering price (including any sales charge paid) calculated as of the date of purchase, plus any appreciation in the value of the shares as of the date of calculation, except for Eligible Prior Purchases, which are valued at current value as of the date of calculation. Your commitment will be met if at any time during the 13-month period the value, as so determined, of eligible holdings is at least equal to your Asset Level Goal. All reinvested dividends and distributions on shares acquired under the Letter will be credited towards your Asset Level Goal. You may include any Eligible Fund Purchases towards the Letter, including shares of classes other than Class A shares. However, a Letter of Intent will not entitle you to a reduction in the sales charge payable on any shares other than Class A shares, and if the shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, you will still be subject to that contingent deferred sales charge with respect to those shares. You must make reference to the Letter of Intent each time you make a purchase under the Letter.

 

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Eligible Fund Purchases. Generally, shares of a Legg Mason Partners fund may be credited towards your Asset Level Goal. Shares of certain money market funds advised by the manager or its affiliates (except for money market fund shares acquired by exchange from other Legg Mason Partners funds), Legg Mason Partners S&P 500 Index Fund and Class O shares of Legg Mason Partners Equity Fund are not eligible.

This list may change from time to time. Investors should check with their Service Agent to see which funds may be eligible.

Eligible Accounts. Purchases may be made through any account in your name, or in the name of your spouse or your children under the age of 21. You may need to provide certain records, such as account statements, in order to verify your eligibility for reduced sales charges. Contact your Service Agent to see which accounts may be credited toward your letter of intent asset goal.

Eligible Prior Purchases. You may also credit towards your Asset Level Goal any Eligible Fund Purchases made in Eligible Accounts at any time prior to entering into the Letter of Intent that have not been sold or redeemed, based on the current price of those shares as of the date of calculation.

Backdating Letter. You may establish a date for a Letter of Intent that is up to ninety (90) calendar days prior to the date you enter into the Letter. Any Eligible Fund Purchases in Eligible Accounts made during that period will count towards your Goal and will also be eligible for the lower sales charge applicable to your Asset Level Goal. You will be credited by way of additional shares at the current offering price for the difference between (a) the aggregate sales charges actually paid for those eligible shares and (b) the aggregate applicable sales charges for your Asset Level Goal.

Increasing the Amount of the Letter. You may at any time increase your Asset Level Goal. You must, however, contact your Service Agent, or if you purchase your shares directly through the transfer agent, contact the transfer agent, prior to making any purchases in an amount in excess of your current Asset Level Goal. Upon such an increase, you will be credited by way of additional shares at the then current offering price for the difference between: (a) the aggregate sales charges actually paid for shares already purchased under the Letter and (b) the aggregate applicable sales charges for the increased Asset Level Goal. The 13-month period during which the Asset Level Goal must be achieved will remain unchanged.

Sales and Exchanges. Shares acquired pursuant to a Letter of Intent, other than Escrowed Shares as defined below, may be redeemed or exchanged at any time, although any shares that are redeemed prior to meeting your Asset Level Goal will no longer count towards meeting your Goal. However, complete liquidation of purchases made under a Letter of Intent prior to meeting the Asset Level Goal will result in the cancellation of the Letter. See “Failure to Meet Asset Level Goal” below. Exchanges in accordance with a fund’s prospectus are permitted, and shares so exchanged will continue to count towards your Asset Level Goal, as long as the exchange results in an Eligible Fund Purchase.

Cancellation of Letter. You may cancel a Letter of Intent by notifying your Service Agent in writing, or if you purchase your shares directly through the transfer agent, by notifying the transfer agent in writing. The Letter will be automatically cancelled if all shares are sold or redeemed as set forth above. See “Failure to Meet Asset Level Goal” below.

Escrowed Shares. Shares equal in value to five percent (5%) of your Asset Level Goal as of the date of your Letter (or the date of any increase in the amount of the Letter) is accepted, will be held in escrow during the term of your Letter. The Escrowed Shares will be included in the total shares owned as reflected in your account statement and any dividends and capital gains distributions applicable to the Escrowed Shares will be credited to your account and counted towards your Asset Level Goal or paid in cash upon request. The Escrowed Shares will be released from escrow if all the terms of your Letter are met.

 

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Failure to Meet Asset Level Goal. If the total assets under your Letter of Intent within its 13-month term are less than your Asset Level Goal or you elect to liquidate all of your holdings or cancel the Letter before reaching your Asset Level Goal, you will be liable for the difference between: (a) the sales charge actually paid and; (b) the sales charge that would have applied if you had not entered into the Letter. You may, however, be entitled to any breakpoints that would have been available to you under the accumulation privilege. An appropriate number of shares in your account will be redeemed to realize the amount due. For these purposes, by entering into a Letter of Intent, you irrevocably appoint your Service Agent, or if you purchase your shares directly through the transfer agent, the transfer agent, as your attorney-in-fact for the purposes of holding the Escrowed Shares and surrendering shares in your account for redemption. If there are insufficient assets in your account, you will be liable for the difference. Any Escrowed Shares remaining after such redemption will be released to your account.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Provisions

“Contingent deferred sales charge shares” are: (a) Class C shares and (b) Class A shares that were purchased without an initial sales charge but are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. A contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed on certain redemptions of these shares.

Any applicable contingent deferred sales charge will be assessed on the net asset value at the time of purchase or redemption whichever is less.

Class C shares and Class A shares that are contingent deferred sales charge shares are subject to a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed within 12 months of purchase.

In determining the applicability of any contingent deferred sales charge, it will be assumed that a redemption is made first of shares representing capital appreciation, next of shares representing the reinvestment of dividends and capital gain distributions, next of shares that are not subject to the contingent deferred sales charge and finally of other shares held by the shareholder for the longest period of time. The length of time that contingent deferred sales charge shares acquired through an exchange have been held will be calculated from the date that the shares exchanged were initially acquired in one of the other Legg Mason Partners funds. For federal income tax purposes, the amount of the contingent deferred sales charge will reduce the gain or increase the loss, as the case may be, on the amount realized on redemption. The funds’ distributor receives contingent deferred sales charges in partial consideration for its expenses in selling shares.

Waivers of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

The contingent deferred sales charge will be waived on: (a) exchanges (see “Exchange Privilege”); (b) redemptions of shares within 12 months following the death or disability (as defined by the Code) of the shareholder; (c) mandatory post-retirement distributions from retirement plans or IRAs commencing on or after attainment of age 70 1/2; (d) involuntary redemptions; (e) redemptions of shares to effect a combination of a fund with any investment company by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise; (f) tax-free returns of an excess contribution to any retirement plan; and (g) certain redemptions of shares of a fund in connection with lump-sum or other distributions made by eligible retirement plans or redemption of shares by participants in certain “wrap fee” or asset allocation programs sponsored by broker/dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with the distributor or the manager.

The contingent deferred sales charge is waived on new Class C shares purchased by retirement plan omnibus accounts held on the books of a fund.

A shareholder who has redeemed shares from other Legg Mason Partners funds may, under certain circumstances, reinvest all or part of the redemption proceeds within 60 days and receive pro rata credit for any deferred sales charge imposed on the prior redemption.

 

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Contingent deferred sales charge waivers will be granted subject to confirmation by the distributor or the transfer agent of the shareholder’s status or holdings, as the case may be.

Grandfathered Retirement Program with Exchange Features

Certain retirement plan programs authorized prior to November 20, 2006 (collectively, the “Grandfathered Retirement Program”), to offer eligible retirement plan investors the opportunity to exchange all of their Class C shares for Class A shares of an applicable Legg Mason Partners fund, are permitted to maintain such share class exchange feature for current and prospective retirement plan investors.

Under the Grandfathered Retirement Program, Class C shares may be purchased by plans investing less than $3 million. Class C shares are eligible for exchange into Class A shares not later than eight years after the plan joins the program. They are eligible for exchange in the following circumstances:

If a participating plan’s total Class C holdings in all non-money market Legg Mason Partners funds equal at least $3,000,000 at the end of the fifth year after the date the participating plan enrolled in the Grandfathered Retirement Program, the participating plan will be offered the opportunity to exchange all of its Class C shares for Class A shares of the fund. Such participating plans will be notified of the pending exchange in writing within 30 days after the fifth anniversary of the enrollment date and, unless the exchange offer has been rejected in writing, the exchange will occur on or about the 90th day after the fifth anniversary date. If the participating plan does not qualify for the five-year exchange to Class A shares, a review of the participating plan’s holdings will be performed each quarter until either the participating plan qualifies or the end of the eighth year.

Any participating plan that has not previously qualified for an exchange into Class A shares will be offered the opportunity to exchange all of its Class C shares for Class A shares of the same fund regardless of asset size at the end of the eighth year after the date the participating plan enrolled in the Grandfathered Retirement Program. Such plans will be notified of the pending exchange in writing approximately 60 days before the eighth anniversary of the enrollment date and, unless the exchange has been rejected in writing, the exchange will occur on or about the eighth anniversary date. Once an exchange has occurred, a participating plan will not be eligible to acquire additional Class C shares, but instead may acquire Class A shares of the same fund. Any Class C shares not converted will continue to be subject to the distribution fee.

For further information regarding this Program, contact your Service Agent or the transfer agent.

Participating plans that enrolled in the Grandfathered Retirement Program prior to June 2, 2003 should contact the transfer agent for information regarding Class C exchange privileges applicable to their plan.

Determination of Public Offering Price

The funds offer their shares on a continuous basis. The public offering price for a Class A, Class C, Class FI, Class R, Class I and Class IS share of a fund is equal to the NAV per share at the time of purchase, plus for Class A shares an initial sales charge based on the aggregate amount of the investment. A contingent deferred sales charge, however, is imposed on certain redemptions of Class A and Class C shares.

Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class A shares of each fund.

 

Target 2015

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Target 2020

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

 

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Target 2025

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Target 2030

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Target 2035

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Target 2040

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Target 2045

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Target 2050

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

Retirement Fund

 

Class A (based on a net asset value of $11.40 and a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%):

  $ 12.10

REDEMPTION OF SHARES

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (a) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the funds normally utilize is restricted, or an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC, so that disposal of the funds’ investments or determination of net asset value is not reasonably practicable or (c) for such other periods as the SEC by order may permit for protection of the funds’ shareholders.

Any signature appearing on a stock power or written redemption request in excess of $50,000 must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution such as a domestic bank, savings and loan institution, domestic credit union, member bank of the Federal Reserve System or member firm of a national securities exchange. Written redemption requests of $50,000 or less do not require a signature guarantee unless more than one such redemption request is made in any 10-day period. Redemption proceeds will be mailed to an investor’s address of record. The transfer agent may require additional supporting documents for redemptions made by corporations, executors, administrators, trustees or guardians. A redemption request will not be deemed properly received until the transfer agent receives all required documents in proper form.

If a shareholder holds shares in more than one class, any request for redemption must specify the class being redeemed. In the event of a failure to specify which class, or if the investor owns fewer shares of the class than specified, the redemption request will be delayed until the transfer agent receives further instructions. The redemption proceeds will be remitted on or before the seventh business day following receipt of proper tender, except on any days on which the NYSE is closed or as permitted under the 1940 Act, in extraordinary circumstances. Redemption proceeds for shares purchased by check, other than a certified or official bank check, will be remitted upon clearance of the check, which may take up to 10 days. Each Service Agent is responsible for transmitting promptly orders for its customers.

 

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The Service Agent may charge you a fee for executing your order. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to its customers by each Service Agent.

Automatic Cash Withdrawal Plan

An automatic cash withdrawal plan (the “Withdrawal Plan”) is available to shareholders as described in the prospectus. To the extent withdrawals under the Withdrawal Plan exceed dividends, distributions and appreciation of a shareholder’s investment in a fund, there will be a reduction in the value of the shareholder’s investment, and continued withdrawal payments may reduce the shareholder’s investment and ultimately exhaust it. Withdrawal payments should not be considered as income from investment in a fund. Furthermore, as it generally would not be advantageous to a shareholder to make additional investments in a fund at the same time he or she is participating in the Withdrawal Plan, purchases by such shareholder in amounts of less than $5,000 ordinarily will not be permitted. The Withdrawal Plan will be carried over on exchanges between classes of a fund. All dividends and distributions on shares in the Withdrawal Plan are reinvested automatically at net asset value in additional shares of the fund.

For additional information, shareholders should contact their Service Agent. A shareholder who purchases shares directly through the transfer agent may continue to do so and applications for participation in the Withdrawal Plan must be received by the transfer agent no later than the eighth day of the month to be eligible for participation beginning with that month’s withdrawal.

Distributions in Kind

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders to make a redemption payment wholly in cash, a fund may pay, in accordance with SEC rules, any portion of a redemption in excess of the lesser of $250,000 or 1.00% of the fund’s net assets by a distribution in kind of portfolio securities in lieu of cash. If a redemption is paid in portfolio securities, such securities will be valued in accordance with the procedures described under “Share price” in the prospectus. Securities issued as a distribution in kind may incur brokerage commissions when shareholders subsequently sell those securities.

Additional Information Regarding Telephone Redemption and Exchange Program

Neither the funds nor their agents will be liable for following instructions communicated by telephone that are reasonably believed to be genuine. The funds and their agents will employ procedures designed to verify the identity of the caller and legitimacy of instructions (for example, a shareholder’s name and account number will be required and phone calls may be recorded). The funds reserve the right to suspend, modify or discontinue the telephone redemption and exchange program or to impose a charge for this service at any time following at least seven (7) days’ prior notice to shareholders.

EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE

The exchange privilege enables shareholders to acquire shares of the same class in a fund with different investment objectives when they believe that a shift between funds is an appropriate investment decision. This privilege is available to shareholders residing in any state in which the fund shares being acquired may legally be sold. Prior to any exchange, the shareholder should obtain and review a copy of the current prospectus of each fund into which an exchange is being considered. Prospectuses may be obtained from a Service Agent.

Upon receipt of proper instructions and all necessary supporting documents, shares submitted for exchange are redeemed at the then-current net asset value and the proceeds are immediately invested, at a price as described above, in shares of the fund being acquired. The distributor reserves the right to reject any exchange request. The exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time after written notice to shareholders.

 

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Class A, FI, R, I and IS Exchanges. Class A, FI, R, I and IS shareholders of the fund who wish to exchange all or a portion of their shares for shares of the respective class in another fund may do so without imposition of any charge.

Class C Exchanges. Class C shares of the fund may be exchanged for other Class C shares without a contingent deferred sales charge. Upon an exchange, the new Class C shares will be deemed to have been purchased on the same date as the Class C shares of the fund that have been exchanged.

Additional Information Regarding the Exchange Privilege

The funds are not designed to provide investors with a means of speculation on short-term market movements. A pattern of frequent exchanges by investors can be disruptive to efficient portfolio management and, consequently, can be detrimental to a fund and its shareholders. See “Frequent purchases and redemptions of fund shares” in the prospectus.

During times of drastic economic or market conditions, a fund may suspend the exchange privilege temporarily without notice and treat exchange requests based on their separate components—redemption orders with a simultaneous request to purchase the other fund’s shares. In such a case, the redemption request would be processed at the fund’s next determined net asset value but the purchase order would be effective only at the net asset value next determined after the fund being purchased formally accepts the order, which may result in the purchase being delayed.

Certain shareholders may be able to exchange shares by telephone. See the prospectus for additional information. Exchanges will be processed at the net asset value next determined. Redemption procedures discussed above are also applicable for exchanging shares, and exchanges will be made upon receipt of all supporting documents in proper form. If the account registration of the shares of the fund being acquired is identical to the registration of the shares of the fund exchanged, no signature guarantee is required.

This exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time, and is available only in those jurisdictions where such exchanges legally may be made. Before making any exchange, shareholders should contact the transfer agent or, if they hold fund shares through a Service Agent, their Service Agent, to obtain more information and prospectuses of the funds to be acquired through the exchange. An exchange is treated as a sale of the shares exchanged and could result in taxable gain or loss to the shareholder making the exchange.

DISTRIBUTOR

LMIS, a wholly-owned broker/dealer subsidiary of Legg Mason, located at 100 Light Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, acts as each fund’s sole and exclusive distributor pursuant to a written agreement (the “distribution agreement”).

The distributor’s obligation is an agency or “best efforts” arrangement under which the distributor is required to take and pay only for such shares of a fund as may be sold to the public. The distributor is not obligated to sell any stated number of shares. The distribution agreement is renewable from year to year if approved (a) by the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the fund’s outstanding voting securities, and (b) by the affirmative vote of a majority of Trustees who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any party by votes cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. The distribution agreement provides that it will terminate if assigned, and that it may be terminated without penalty by either party on 60 days’ written notice.

The distributor may be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act.

 

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Initial Sales Charges

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, no commissions were received by LMIS as of the date of this SAI.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charges

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, no commissions were received by LMIS as of the date of this SAI.

Services and Distribution Plan Arrangements.

The Trust, on behalf of the funds, has adopted an amended shareholder services and distribution plan (the “12b-1 Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act with respect to their Class A, C, FI and R shares. Under the 12b-1 Plan, the funds pay service and distribution fees to LMIS for the services it provides and expenses it bears with respect to the distribution of Class A, Class C, Class FI and Class R shares and providing services to Class A, Class C, Class FI and Class R shareholders. The distributor will provide the Board with periodic reports of amounts expended under the 12b-1 Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. Each fund pays service fees, accrued daily and payable monthly, calculated at the annual rate of 0.25% of the value of a fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the fund’s Class A, Class C, Class FI and Class R shares. In addition, the fund pays distribution fees with respect to the Class C shares at the annual rate of 0.75% of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such class and with respect to the Class R shares at the annual rate of 0.25% of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such class.

Fees under the 12b-1 Plan may be used to make payments to the distributor for distribution services, to Service Agents in respect of the sale of shares of the funds, and to other parties in respect of the sale of shares of the funds, and to make payments for advertising, marketing or other promotional activity, and payments for preparation, printing, and distribution of prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports for recipients other than regulators and existing shareholders. The funds also may make payments to the distributor, Service Agents and others for providing personal service or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The amounts paid to each recipient may vary based upon certain factors, including, among other things, the levels of sales of fund shares and/or shareholder services provided.

The 12b-1 Plan also provides that the distributor and Service Agents may receive all or a portion of the sales charges paid by Class A and Class C investors.

The 12b-1 Plan permits the funds to pay fees to the distributor, Service Agents and others as compensation for their services, not as reimbursement for specific expenses incurred. Thus, even if their expenses exceed the fees provided for by the 12b-1 Plan, the funds will not be obligated to pay more than those fees and, if their expenses are less than the fees paid to them, they will realize a profit. The funds may pay the fees to the distributor and others until the 12b-1 Plan or Distribution Agreement is terminated or not renewed. In that event, the distributor’s or other recipient’s expenses in excess of fees received or accrued through the termination date will be the distributor’s or other recipient’s sole responsibility and not obligations of the funds. In their annual consideration of the continuation of the 12b-1 Plan for the funds, the Trustees will review the 12b-1 Plan and the expenses for each class within the funds separately.

The 12b-1 Plan also recognizes that various service providers to the funds, such as the manager, may make payments for distribution related expenses out of their own resources, including past profits, or payments received from the funds for other purposes, such as management fees, and that the funds’ distributor or Service Agents may from time to time use their own resources for distribution-related services, in addition to the fees paid under the 12b-1 Plan. The 12b-1 Plan specifically provides that, to the extent that such payments might be deemed to be indirect financing of any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the funds within the context of Rule 12b-1, then the payments are deemed to be authorized by the 12b-1 Plan, if permitted under applicable law.

 

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The 12b-1 Plan continues in effect if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of both a majority of the Trustees and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the funds and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the 12b-1 Plan or in any agreement related to the 12b-1 Plan (for purposes of this paragraph “Qualified Trustees”). The Trustees, in the exercise of their business judgment in the best interests of the shareholders of each fund and each class, have approved the continuation of the 12b-1 Plan. The 12b-1 Plan requires that the Trust and the distributor provide to the Board and the Board review, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts expended (and the purposes therefor) under the 12b-1 Plan. The 12b-1 Plan further provides that the selection and nomination of the Qualified Trustees is committed to the discretion of the Qualified Trustees then in office who are not interested Trustees of the funds. The 12b-1 Plan may be terminated with respect to any class of a fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the fund’s Qualified Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that class. The 12b-1 Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of permitted expenses of the class thereunder without the approval of a majority of the outstanding securities of that class and may not be materially amended in any case without a vote of a majority of both the Trustees and Qualified Trustees. The funds will preserve copies of any plan, agreement or report made pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan for a period of not less than six years, and for the first two years the funds will preserve such copies in an easily accessible place.

As contemplated by the 12b-1 Plan, the distributor acts as an agent of the funds in connection with the offering of shares of the funds pursuant to the Distribution Agreement.

Dealer reallowances are described in the funds’ prospectus.

Service Fees and Distribution Fees

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, as of the date of this SAI, no service and distribution fees were incurred by the funds pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan.

VALUATION OF SHARES

The net asset value per share of each fund’s classes of shares is calculated on each day, Monday through Friday, except on days when the NYSE is closed. The NYSE currently is scheduled to be closed on 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, and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday when one of these holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively. The per share net asset value of each class may differ because of the differences in distribution and/or service fees and class-specific expenses. Please see the prospectus for a description of the procedures used by each fund in valuing its assets.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

Each fund’s policy is to declare and pay annual dividends from its net investment income. Distributions from net realized capital gains, if any, from each of the funds will be made annually. Each fund may also pay additional dividends shortly before December 31 from certain amounts of undistributed ordinary income and realized capital gains in order to avoid a federal excise tax liability.

If a shareholder does not otherwise instruct, dividends and capital gain distributions will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the same class at net asset value, with no additional sales charge or deferred sales charge. A shareholder may change the option at any time by notifying his or her Service Agent. Shareholders whose accounts are held directly by the transfer agent should notify the transfer agent in writing, requesting a change to this automatic reinvestment option.

 

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The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations regarding the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of a fund. This summary does not address all of the potential U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be applicable to a fund or to all categories of investors, some of which may be subject to special tax rules. Current and prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in a fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this SAI and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

Tax Treatment of the Funds

Each fund intends to continue to qualify to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code each taxable year. To so qualify, a fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities, foreign currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains, and other traditionally permitted mutual fund income); and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of a fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other regulated investment companies, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of a fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock is held by a fund and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

Although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Underlying fund investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in an underlying fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

As a regulated investment company, a fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders, provided such fund satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. To satisfy the minimum distribution requirement, the fund must distribute to its shareholders at least the sum of (i) 90% of its “investment company taxable income” (i.e., generally, the taxable income of a RIC other than its net capital gain plus or minus certain adjustments) and (ii) 90% of its net tax-exempt income for the taxable year. Each fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporation tax rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders.

Distributions received by a fund from an underlying fund attributable to the underlying fund’s investment company taxable income including short-term capital gains are taxable as dividend income to the fund. Distributions received by a fund from an underlying fund attributable to the excess of the underlying fund’s net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss and that are properly designated as “capital gain dividends” are taxable as long-term capital gain to the fund, regardless of how long the fund has held the underlying fund’s shares. Upon the sale or other disposition by a fund of shares of any underlying fund, the fund generally will realize a capital gain or loss which will be long-term or short-term, generally depending upon the fund’s holding period for the shares.

The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on a fund to the extent it does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for that year and (ii) 98% of its capital gain

 

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net income (both long-term and short-term and including capital gain dividends from the underlying funds) for the one-year period ending, as a general rule, on October 31 of that year. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the fund that is subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed by year-end. In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any underdistribution or overdistribution, as the case may be, from the previous year. Each fund anticipates that it will pay such dividends and will make such distributions as are necessary in order to avoid the application of this excise tax.

If, in any taxable year, a fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code or failed to meet the distribution requirement, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, the fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes to the extent of the fund’s earnings and profits. However, such dividends would be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if a fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. If a fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than two taxable years, the fund may be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the fund had been liquidated) if it qualifies as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.

Tax Treatment of the Underlying Funds

Each underlying fund intends to continue to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In any year in which an underlying fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and timely distributes all of its taxable income, the underlying fund generally will not pay any U.S. federal income or excise tax. The underlying funds are subject to the same asset diversification and income distribution requirements applicable to the funds.

An underlying 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 (including provisions relating to “hedging transactions” and “straddles”) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by such underlying fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the underlying fund and defer underlying fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to the funds and thus to the shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require an underlying fund to “mark-to-market” certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out at the end of each year) and (b) may cause the underlying fund to recognize income prior to the receipt of cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. In order to distribute this income and avoid a tax on the applicable underlying fund, that underlying fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss. Each underlying fund will monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency, forward contract, option, futures contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of the underlying fund as a regulated investment company.

An underlying fund’s investment in so-called “section 1256 contracts,” such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by an underlying fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be

 

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included in the underlying fund’s income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the underlying fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a “hedging transaction” nor part of a “straddle,” 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the underlying fund.

As a result of entering into swap contracts, an underlying fund may make or receive periodic net payments. An underlying fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, an underlying fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss. The tax treatment of many types of credit default swaps is uncertain.

An underlying fund may be required to treat amounts as taxable income or gain, subject to the distribution requirements referred to above, even though no corresponding amounts of cash are received concurrently, as a result of (1) mark-to-market or constructive sale rules or rules applicable to PFICs (as defined below), or partnerships, trusts in which the underlying fund invests, certain options, futures or forward contracts, or “appreciated financial positions,” or (2) the inability to obtain cash distributions or other amounts due to currency controls or restrictions on repatriation imposed by a foreign country with respect to the underlying fund’s investments (including through depositary receipts) in issuers in such country or (3) tax rules applicable to debt obligations acquired with “original issue discount,” including zero-coupon or deferred payment bonds and pay-in-kind debt obligations, or to market discount if an election is made with respect to such market discount. An underlying fund may therefore be required to obtain cash to be used to satisfy these distribution requirements by selling securities at times that it might not otherwise be desirable to do so or borrowing the necessary cash, thereby incurring interest expenses. In certain situations, an underlying fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its capital losses and currency losses realized after October until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.

In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when an underlying fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered as capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in an underlying fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by an underlying fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of “substantially identical property” held by an underlying fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by an underlying fund for more than one year. In general, an underlying fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into. Furthermore, certain transactions (including options, futures contracts, notional principal contracts, short sales and short sales against the box) with respect to an “appreciated financial position” in certain financial instruments may be deemed a constructive sale of the appreciated position, requiring the immediate recognition of gain as if the appreciated position were sold. For this purpose, an appreciated financial position is defined generally to mean any position (defined as any interest, including a futures or forward contract, short sale or option) with respect to stocks, debt instruments, or partnership interests where there would be gain if such position is sold, assigned or otherwise terminated at its fair market value. The term appreciated financial position, however, does not apply generally to a position with respect to certain debt instruments or a position which is marked to market.

 

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Foreign Investments. Dividends or other income (including, in some cases, capital gains) received by an underlying fund from investments in foreign securities may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Foreign taxes paid by an underlying fund will reduce the return from the underlying fund’s investments.

If more than 50% of the value of an underlying fund’s assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, that underlying fund may elect for U.S. federal income tax purposes to treat certain foreign taxes paid by it as paid by the funds that own its shares. Such a fund would then be required to include its proportionate share of the electing fund’s foreign income and related foreign taxes in income even if the fund does not receive the amount representing foreign taxes. Each of the funds may invest in some underlying funds that expect to be eligible to make the above-described election. While a fund will be able to deduct the foreign taxes that it will be treated as having paid if the election is made, the fund will not itself be able to elect to treat such foreign taxes as paid by its shareholders. Accordingly, the shareholders of the fund will not have an option of claiming a foreign tax credit or deduction for foreign taxes paid by the underlying funds, while persons who invest directly in such underlying funds may have that option.

Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time an underlying fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the underlying fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. In general, gains (and losses) realized on debt instruments will be treated as Section 988 gain (or loss) to the extent attributable to changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the instruments are denominated. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss unless the underlying fund were to elect otherwise.

Passive Foreign Investment Companies. If an underlying fund purchases shares in certain foreign investment entities, called “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”), it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the underlying fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the underlying fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

If an underlying fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, such underlying fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the underlying fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to distribute this income and avoid a tax on the applicable underlying fund, that underlying fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss. In order to make the “qualified electing fund” election, the underlying fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain.

Alternatively, an underlying fund may make a mark-to-market election that will result in the underlying fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased all of the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the underlying fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the underlying fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years of the underlying fund, unless revoked with the consent of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). By making the election, such underlying fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares

 

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in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. The underlying fund may have to distribute this “phantom” income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. In order to distribute this income and avoid a tax on the applicable underlying fund, that underlying fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss.

Each underlying fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules.

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders

Dividends and Distributions. Dividends and other distributions by a fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, any dividend or distribution declared by a fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month shall be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year and to have been paid by a fund not later than such December 31, provided such dividend is actually paid by the fund during January of the following calendar year.

Each fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income, and any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers). However, if a fund retains for investment an amount equal to all or a portion of its net long-term capital gains in excess of its net short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers), it will be subject to a corporate tax (currently at a maximum rate of 35%) on the amount retained. In that event, the fund will designate such retained amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the 35% tax paid by the fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in their shares by an amount equal to 65% of the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s income. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the fund upon timely filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.

Distributions of net realized long-term capital gains, if any, that a fund designates as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, whether paid in cash or in shares and regardless of how long a shareholder has held shares of the fund. Such distributions will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. All other dividends (including dividends from short-term capital gains) of a fund from its current and accumulated earnings and profits (“regular dividends”) are generally subject to tax as ordinary income.

Special rules apply, however, to regular dividends paid to individuals. Such a dividend, with respect to taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, may be subject to tax at the rates generally applicable to long-term capital gains for individuals (currently at a maximum rate of 15%), provided that the individual receiving the dividend satisfies certain holding period and other requirements. Dividends subject to these special rules are not actually treated as capital gains, however, and thus are not included in the computation of an individual’s net capital gain and generally cannot be used to offset capital losses. The long-term capital gains rates will apply to: (i) 100% of the regular dividends paid by a fund to an individual in a particular taxable year if 95% or more of a fund’s gross income (ignoring gains attributable to the sale of stocks and securities except to the extent net short-term capital gain from such sales exceeds net long-term capital loss from such sales) in that taxable year is attributable to qualified dividend income received by the fund; or (ii) the portion of the regular dividends paid by a fund to an individual in a particular taxable year that is attributable to qualified dividend income received by the fund in that taxable year if such qualified dividend income accounts for less than 95% of the fund’s gross income (ignoring gains attributable to the sale of stocks and securities except to the extent net short-term capital gain from such sales

 

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exceeds net long-term capital loss from such sales) for that taxable year. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” generally means income from dividends received by a fund from U.S. corporations and qualified foreign corporations, provided that the fund satisfies certain holding period requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations and has not hedged its position in the stock in certain ways. However, qualified dividend income does not include any dividends received from tax-exempt corporations. Also, dividends received by a fund from a real estate investment trust or another regulated investment company (such as an underlying fund) generally are qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are made out of qualified dividend income received by such real estate investment trust or other regulated investment company. In the case of securities lending transactions, payments in lieu of dividends are not qualified dividend income. If a shareholder elects to treat fund dividends as investment income for purposes of the limitation on the deductibility of investment interest, such dividends would not be a qualified dividend income.

Each fund in which you are a shareholder or your Service Agent will send you information after the end of each year setting forth the amount of dividends paid by the fund that are eligible for the reduced rates.

If an individual receives a regular dividend qualifying for the long-term capital gains rates and such dividend constitutes an “extraordinary dividend” and the individual subsequently recognizes a loss on the sale or exchange of stock in respect of which the extraordinary dividend was paid, then the loss will be long-term capital loss to the extent of such extraordinary dividend. An extraordinary dividend on common stock for this purpose is generally a dividend (i) in an amount greater than or equal to 10% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within an 85-day period or (ii) in an amount greater than 20% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within a 365-day period.

If an underlying fund derives dividends from domestic corporations, a portion of the income distributions of a fund that invests in that underlying fund may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations. Shareholders will be informed of the portion of dividends that so qualify. The dividends received deduction is reduced to the extent the shares of the corporation paying the dividend, the shares of the underlying fund or the shares of the fund receiving the dividends are treated as debt-financed under U.S. federal income tax law and is eliminated if either the shares of the corporation paying the dividend, the shares of the underlying fund or the shares of the fund receiving the dividends are deemed to have been held by the underlying fund, the fund or the shareholders, as the case may be, for less than a minimum period, generally 46 days, during a prescribed period with respect to each dividend.

Distributions in excess of a fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in his shares of the fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (if the shareholder holds his shares of the fund as capital assets). Shareholders receiving dividends or distributions in the form of additional shares should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that the shareholders receiving cash dividends or distributions will receive, and should have a cost basis in the shares received equal to such amount.

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares just purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a fund is the holder of record of any stock on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such stock, such dividends are included in the fund’s gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such stock became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends (i.e., the date on which a buyer of the stock would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends) or (b) the date the fund acquired such stock. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, the fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

Sales of Shares. Upon the sale or exchange of his shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and his basis in his shares. Such gain or loss will be treated

 

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as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced, including replacement through the reinvesting of dividends and capital gains distributions in the fund, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a shareholder on the sale of a fund share held by the shareholder for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received by the shareholder with respect to such shares and, to the extent not disallowed, will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions or deemed distributions of long-term capital gains received by the shareholder (or amounts credited to the shareholder as an undistributed capital gain) with respect to such shares. If a shareholder incurs a sales charge in acquiring shares of a fund, disposes of those shares within 90 days and then acquires shares in a mutual fund for which the otherwise applicable sales charge is reduced by reason of a reinvestment right (e.g., an exchange privilege), the original sales charge will not be taken into account in computing gain/loss on the original shares to the extent the subsequent sales charge is reduced. Instead, the disregarded portion of the original sales charge will be added to the tax basis of the newly acquired shares. Furthermore, the same rule also applies to a disposition of the newly acquired shares made within 90 days of the second acquisition. This provision prevents a shareholder from immediately deducting the sales charge by shifting his or her investment within a family of mutual funds.

Under current law, each fund serves to block unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a fund if shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). Certain types of income received by a fund from real estate investment trusts, real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause a fund to designate some or all of its distributions as “excess inclusion income.” To a fund’s shareholders such excess inclusion income may (1) constitute taxable income, as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) accounts, Keogh plans, pension plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset against otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause a fund to be subject to tax if certain “disqualified organizations,” as defined by the Code, are fund shareholders. If a charitable remainder annuity trust or charitable remainder unitrust (each as defined by Code Section 664) has UBTI for a tax year, a 100% excise tax on the UBTI is imposed on the trust.

The funds and the underlying funds intend to take the position that redemptions from the underlying funds will be respected as “redemptions” and will not be treated as Code Section 301 dividends, but the IRS could disagree with this position. Losses realized upon such redemptions may result in “wash sales” and deferral, perhaps indefinitely, of realized losses to the funds.

Backup Withholding. A fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a portion of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

Notices; Other Taxes

Notices. Shareholders will receive, if appropriate, various written notices after the close of a fund’s taxable year regarding the U.S. federal income tax status of certain dividends, distributions and deemed distributions that were paid (or that are treated as having been paid) by the fund to its shareholders during the preceding taxable year.

 

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Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of stocks or securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders.

Dividends paid by a fund to non-U.S. shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. shareholder who provides a Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.

In general, U.S. federal withholding tax will not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses, exempt-interest dividends, or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of a fund.

A distribution from a fund to foreign shareholders who have held more than 5% of the fund at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of distribution is treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and treated as income effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business with certain tax filing requirements applicable, if such distribution is attributable to a distribution of real property gain received by a fund from a real estate investment trust and if 50% or more of the value of the fund’s assets are invested in real estate investment trusts and other U.S. real property holding corporations. Restrictions apply regarding wash sales and substitute payment transactions.

The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Foreign shareholders should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in a fund, including the applicability of foreign taxes.

The foregoing is only a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences (and, where noted, state and local tax consequences) affecting the funds and their shareholders. Current and prospective shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in a fund.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Trust. The certificate of trust to establish Legg Mason Partners Equity Trust (referred to in this section as the trust) was filed with the State of Maryland on October 4, 2006. Each fund is a series of the trust, a Maryland business trust. A Maryland business trust is an unincorporated business association that is established under, and governed by, Maryland law. Maryland law provides a statutory framework for the powers, duties, rights and obligations of the Board (referred to in this section as “trustees”) and shareholders of the trust, while

 

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the more specific powers, duties, rights and obligations of the trustees and the shareholders are determined by the trustees as set forth in the declaration of trust (referred to in this section as the “declaration”). Some of the more significant provisions of the trust’s declaration are described below.

Shareholder Voting

The declaration provides for shareholder voting as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable laws but otherwise permits, consistent with Maryland law, actions by the trustees without seeking the consent of shareholders. The trustees may, without shareholder approval, amend the declaration or authorize the merger or consolidation of the trust into another trust or entity, reorganize the trust or any series or class into another trust or entity or a series or class of another entity, sell all or substantially all of the assets of the trust or any series or class to another entity, or a series or class of another entity, or terminate the trust or any series or class.

The funds are not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders, but the funds will call special meetings of shareholders whenever required by the 1940 Act or by the terms of the declaration. The declaration provides for “dollar-weighted voting” which means that a shareholder’s voting power is determined, not by the number of shares he or she owns, but by the dollar value of those shares determined on the record date. All shareholders of all series and classes of the trust vote together, except where required by the 1940 Act to vote separately by series or by class, or when the trustees have determined that a matter affects only the interests of one or more series or classes of shares.

Election and Removal of Trustees

The declaration provides that the trustees may establish the number of trustees and that vacancies on the board may be filled by the remaining trustees, except when election of trustees by the shareholders is required under the 1940 Act. Trustees are then elected by a plurality of votes cast by shareholders at a meeting at which a quorum is present. The declaration also provides that a mandatory retirement age may be set by action of two-thirds of the trustees and that trustees may be removed, with or without cause, by a vote of shareholders holding two-thirds of the voting power of the trust, or by a vote of two-thirds of the remaining trustees. The provisions of the declaration relating to the election and removal of trustees may not be amended without the approval of two-thirds of the trustees.

Amendments to the Declaration

The trustees are authorized to amend the declaration without the vote of shareholders, but no amendment may be made that impairs the exemption from personal liability granted in the declaration to persons who are or have been shareholders, trustees, officers or employees of the trust or that limit the rights to indemnification or insurance provided in the declaration with respect to actions or omissions of persons entitled to indemnification under the declaration prior to the amendment.

Issuance and Redemption of Shares

The funds may issue an unlimited number of shares for such consideration and on such terms as the trustees may determine. Shareholders are not entitled to any appraisal, preemptive, conversion, exchange or similar rights, except as the trustees may determine. The funds may involuntarily redeem a shareholder’s shares upon certain conditions as may be determined by the trustees, including, for example, if the shareholder fails to provide the funds with identification required by law, or if the funds are unable to verify the information received from the shareholder. Additionally, as discussed below, shares may be redeemed in connection with the closing of small accounts.

Disclosure of Shareholder Holdings

The declaration specifically requires shareholders, upon demand, to disclose to the funds information with respect to the direct and indirect ownership of shares in order to comply with various laws or regulations, and the funds may disclose such ownership if required by law or regulation.

 

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Small Accounts

The declaration provides that the funds may close out a shareholder’s account by redeeming all of the shares in the account if the account falls below a minimum account size (which may vary by class) that may be set by the trustees from time to time. Alternately, the declaration permits the funds to assess a fee for small accounts (which may vary by class) and redeem shares in the account to cover such fees, or convert the shares into another share class that is geared to smaller accounts.

Series and Classes

The declaration provides that the trustees may establish series and classes in addition to those currently established and to determine the rights and preferences, limitations and restrictions, including qualifications for ownership, conversion and exchange features, minimum purchase and account size, expenses and charges, and other features of the series and classes. The trustees may change any of those features, terminate any series or class, combine series with other series in the trust, combine one or more classes of a series with another class in that series or convert the shares of one class into another class.

Each share of the funds, as a series of the trust, represents an interest in the funds only and not in the assets of any other series of the trust.

Shareholder, Trustee and Officer Liability

The declaration provides that shareholders are not personally liable for the obligations of the funds and requires the funds to indemnify a shareholder against any loss or expense arising from any such liability. In addition, the funds will assume the defense of any claim against a shareholder for personal liability at the request of the shareholder. The declaration further provides that a trustee acting in his or her capacity of trustee is not personally liable to any person other than the trust or its shareholders, for any act, omission, or obligation of the trust. Further, a trustee is held to the same standard of conduct as a director of a Maryland corporation. This requires that a trustee perform his or her duties in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the trust or a series thereof, and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. The declaration also permits the limitation of a trustee’s liability to the full extent provided under Maryland law. Under current Maryland law, a trustee is liable to the trust or its shareholders for monetary damages only (a) to the extent that it is proved that he or she actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property, or services or (b) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the trustee is entered in a proceeding based on a finding in the proceeding that the trustee’s action, or failure to act, was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding. The declaration requires the trust to indemnify any persons who are or who have been trustees, officers or employees of the trust for any liability for actions or failure to act except to the extent prohibited by applicable federal law. In making any determination as to whether any person is entitled to the advancement of expenses in connection with a claim for which indemnification is sought, such person is entitled to a rebuttable presumption that he or she did not engage in conduct for which indemnification is not available.

The declaration provides that any trustee who serves as chair of the Board or of a committee of the Board, lead independent trustee, or audit committee financial expert, or in any other similar capacity will not be subject to any greater standard of care or liability because of such position.

Derivative Actions

The declaration provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders in order to permit legitimate inquiries and claims while avoiding the time, expense, distraction, and other harm that can be caused to the funds or its shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder demands and derivative actions. Prior to bringing a derivative action, a demand by three unrelated shareholders must first be made on the funds’

 

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trustees. The declaration details various information, certifications, undertakings and acknowledgements that must be included in the demand. Following receipt of the demand, the trustees have a period of 90 days, which may be extended by an additional 60 days, to consider the demand. If a majority of the trustees who are considered independent for the purposes of considering the demand determine that maintaining the suit would not be in the best interests of the funds, the trustees are required to reject the demand and the complaining shareholders may not proceed with the derivative action unless the shareholders are able to sustain the burden of proof to a court that the decision of the trustees not to pursue the requested action was not a good faith exercise of their business judgment on behalf of the funds. The declaration further provides that shareholders owning shares representing at least 5% of the voting power of the affected funds must join in bringing the derivative action. If a demand is rejected, the complaining shareholders will be responsible for the costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by the funds in connection with the consideration of the demand, if in the judgment of the independent trustees, the demand was made without reasonable cause or for an improper purpose. If a derivative action is brought in violation of the declaration, the shareholders bringing the action may be responsible for the funds’ costs, including attorneys’ fees.

The declaration further provides that the funds shall be responsible for payment of attorneys’ fees and legal expenses incurred by a complaining shareholder only if required by law, and any attorneys’ fees that the funds are obligated to pay shall be calculated using reasonable hourly rates. The declaration also requires that actions by shareholders against the funds be brought only in federal court in Baltimore, Maryland, or if not permitted to be brought in federal court, then in state court in Baltimore, Maryland, and that the right to jury trial be waived to the full extent permitted by law.

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports. The funds send their shareholders a semi-annual report and an audited annual report, which include listings of investment securities held by the fund at the end of the period covered. In an effort to reduce the funds’ printing and mailing costs, the funds consolidate the mailing of their semi-annual and annual reports by household. This consolidation means that a household having multiple accounts with the identical last name and address of record will receive a single copy of each report. In addition, the funds also consolidate the mailing of their prospectus so that a shareholder having multiple accounts (that is, individual, IRA and/or self-employed retirement plan accounts) will receive a single prospectus annually. Shareholders who do not want this consolidation to apply to their accounts should contact their Service Agent or the transfer agent.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

As the funds commenced operations on August 29, 2008, no financial information is available as of the date of this SAI.

 

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APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS

The ratings of Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings represent their opinions as to the quality of various debt obligations. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, debt obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while debt obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. As described by the rating agencies, ratings are generally given to securities at the time of issuances. While the rating agencies may from time to time revise such ratings, they undertake no obligation to do so.

Description of Moody’s Long-Term Obligation Ratings:

Moody’s long-term obligation ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of fixed-income obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.

Aaa—Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.

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

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

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

Ba—Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.

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

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

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

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

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers “1,” “2” and “3” to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier “1” indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier “2” indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier “3” indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

Description of Moody’s US Municipal and Tax Exempt Ratings:

Municipal Ratings are opinions of the investment quality of issuers and issues in the US municipal and tax-exempt markets. As such, these ratings incorporate Moody’s assessment of the default probability and loss severity of these issuers and issues. The default and loss content for Moody’s municipal long-term rating scale differs from Moody’s general long-term rating scale.

 

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Municipal Ratings are based upon the analysis of four primary factors relating to municipal finance: economy, debt, finances, and administration/management strategies. Each of the factors is evaluated individually and for its effect on the other factors in the context of the municipality’s ability to repay its debt.

Municipal Long-Term Rating Definitions:

Aaa—Issuers or issues rated Aaa demonstrate the strongest creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Aa—Issuers or issues rated Aa demonstrate very strong creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

A—Issuers or issues rated A present above-average creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Baa—Issuers or issues rated Baa represent average creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Ba—Issuers or issues rated Ba demonstrate below-average creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

B—Issuers or issues rated B demonstrate weak creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Caa—Issuers or issues rated Caa demonstrate very weak creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Ca—Issuers or issues rated Ca demonstrate extremely weak creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

C—Issuers or issues rated C demonstrate the weakest creditworthiness relative to other US municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers “1,” “2” and “3” to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier “1” indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier “2” indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier “3” indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

Description of Moody’s US Municipal Short-Term Debt And Demand Obligation Ratings:

There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) and are divided into three levels-”MIG 1” through “MIG 3.” In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated “SG,” or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.

MIG 1—This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

MIG 2—This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

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MIG 3—This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

SG—This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

Description of Moody’s Demand Obligation Ratings:

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating. When either the long-or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1. VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue’s specific structural or credit features.

VMIG 1—This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

VMIG 2—This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

VMIG 3—This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

SG—This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

Description of Moody’s Short-Term Prime Ratings:

Moody’s short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.

P-1—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

NP—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

 

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Description of Standard & Poor’s Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations: (1) likelihood of payment—capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; (2) nature of and provisions of the obligation; and (3) protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

The issue rating definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CC—An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C—A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘C’ rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A ‘C’ also will be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.

 

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D—An obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

Plus (+) or Minus (–): The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (–) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

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

Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)

i: This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The ‘i’ subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The ‘i’ subscript will always be used in conjunction with the ‘p’ subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of “AAAp NRi” indicating that the principal portion is rated “AAA” and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

L: Ratings qualified with ‘L’ apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.

p: This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The ‘p’ subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The ‘p’ subscript will always be used in conjunction with the ‘i’ subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of “AAAp NRi” indicating that the principal portion is rated “AAA” and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

pi: Ratings with a ‘pi’ subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer’s published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer’s management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a ‘pi’ subscript. Ratings with a ‘pi’ subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year’s financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer’s credit quality.

pr: The letters ‘pr’ indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.

preliminary: Preliminary ratings are assigned to issues, including financial programs, in the following circumstances. Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt and approval by Standard & Poor’s of appropriate documentation. Changes in the information provided to Standard & Poor’s could result in the assignment of a different rating. In addition, Standard & Poor’s reserves the right not to issue a final rating. Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor’s policies. The final rating may differ from the preliminary rating.

 

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t: This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks: Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor’s analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor’s capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government’s own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.

Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings of Notes:

A Standard & Poor’s U.S. municipal note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment:

 

   

Amortization schedule—the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

   

Source of payment—the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

SP-1—Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

SP-2—Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

SP-3—Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

Description of Standard & Poor’s Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

A-1—Short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments is extremely strong.

A-2—Short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3—Short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B—A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of ‘B-1’, ‘B-2’, and ‘B-3’ may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the ‘B’ category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

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B-1—A short-term obligation rated ‘B-1’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.

B-2—A short-term obligation rated ‘B-2’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.

B-3—A short-term obligation rated ‘B-3’ is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.

C—A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D—A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)

i: This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The ‘i’ subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The ‘i’ subscript will always be used in conjunction with the ‘p’ subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of “AAAp NRi” indicating that the principal portion is rated “AAA” and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

L: Ratings qualified with ‘L’ apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.

p: This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The ‘p’ subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The ‘p’ subscript will always be used in conjunction with the ‘i’ subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of “AAAp NRi” indicating that the principal portion is rated “AAA” and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

pi: Ratings with a ‘pi’ subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer’s published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer’s management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a ‘pi’ subscript. Ratings with a ‘pi’ subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year’s financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer’s credit quality.

pr: The letters ‘pr’ indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.

 

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preliminary: Preliminary ratings are assigned to issues, including financial programs, in the following circumstances. Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt and approval by Standard & Poor’s of appropriate documentation. Changes in the information provided to Standard & Poor’s could result in the assignment of a different rating. In addition, Standard & Poor’s reserves the right not to issue a final rating. Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor’s policies. The final rating may differ from the preliminary rating.

t: This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date. Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks: Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor’s analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor’s capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government’s own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.

Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings of Commercial Paper:

A Standard & Poor’s commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from “A” for the highest-quality obligations to “D” for the lowest. These categories are as follows:

A-1—This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.

A-2—Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated ‘A-1’.

A-3—Issues carrying this designation have an adequate capacity for timely payment. They are, however, more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.

B—Issues rated ‘B’ are regarded as having only speculative capacity for timely payment.

C—This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a doubtful capacity for payment.

D—Debt rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when interest payments of principal payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes such payments will be made during such grace period.

Description of Standard & Poor’s Dual Ratings:

Standard & Poor’s assigns “dual” ratings to all debt issues that have a put option or demand feature as part of their structure.

The first rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second rating addresses only the demand feature. The long-term debt rating symbols are used for bonds to denote the long-term maturity and the commercial paper rating symbols for the put option (for example, “AAA/A-1+”). With short-term demand debt, Standard & Poor’s note rating symbols are used with the commercial paper rating symbols (for example, “SP-1+/A-1+”).

 

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Description of Fitch Ratings International Long-Term Credit Ratings:

International Long-Term Credit Ratings (“LTCR”) may also be referred to as “Long-Term Ratings.” When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations. When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations. The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings.

Investment Grade

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

AA—Very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A—High credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB—Good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that there is currently expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.

Speculative Grade

BB—Speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, 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—Highly speculative. For issuers and performing obligations, ‘B’ ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. For individual obligations, ‘B’ ratings may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of ‘R1’ (outstanding).

CCC—For issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of ‘R2’ (superior), or ‘R3’ (good) or ‘R4’ (average).

CC—For issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of ‘R4’ (average) or ‘R5’ (below average).

C—For issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of ‘R6’ (poor).

 

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RD—Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations.

D—Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following: (i) failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation; (ii) the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or (iii) the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.

Issuers will be rated ‘D’ upon a default. Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of ‘C’ to ‘B’ ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to meet pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation’s documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the ‘B’ or ‘CCC-C’ categories.

Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations’ documentation. Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonably determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation’s documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch’s published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.

Description of Fitch Ratings International Short-Term Credit Ratings:

International Short-Term Credit Ratings may also be referred to as “Short-Term Ratings.” The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A short-term rating has a time horizon of less than 13 months for most obligations, or up to three years for U.S. public finance, in line with industry standards, to reflect unique characteristics of bond, tax, and revenue anticipation notes that are commonly issued with terms up to three years. Short-term ratings thus places greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner.

F1—Highest credit quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2—Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.

F3—Fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.

B—Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C—High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

D—Default. Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.

 

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Notes to Fitch Ratings International Long-Term and Short-Term Credit Ratings:

The modifiers “+” or “–” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ Long-term rating category, to categories below ‘CCC’, or to Short-term ratings other than ‘F1’. (The +/– modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)

Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as “Positive,” indicating a potential upgrade, “Negative,” for a potential downgrade, or “Evolving,” if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.

Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are ‘stable’ could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.

Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e., those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.

Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term ‘put’ or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.

Interest Only: Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.

Principal Only: Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.

Rate of Return: Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.

‘PIF’: Paid-in-Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or refinanced.

‘NR’ indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.

‘Withdrawn’: A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.

 

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APPENDIX B

LEGG MASON GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION, LLC

Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures

January 2007

 

I.    Types of Accounts and Securities for Which LMGAA Votes Proxies
II.    General Guidelines
III.    How LMGAA Votes
IV.    Conflicts of Interest
V.    Mutual Funds With Approved Voting Methods
VI.    Disclosure of Proxy Voting
VII.    Recordkeeping and Oversight

 

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LEGG MASON GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION, LLC

Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures

I. Types of Accounts For Which LMGAA Votes Proxies

Each U.S. registered investment company (“Fund of Funds”) and Section 529 college savings plan (“529 Plan”) advised by Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC (“LMGAA”) invests in U.S. registered investment companies (“Underlying Funds”). Any proxy voting with respect to shares of Underlying Funds held by any Fund of Funds or 529 Plan, for which LMGAA acts as an adviser or sub-adviser with the power to vote proxies, is subject to this Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures.

LMGAA advises other clients through manager-of-managers arrangements, in which the various segments of each client’s multi-style investment portfolio is individually managed by a number of investment advisers (“Underlying Advisers”). As a manager of managers, LMGAA determines asset allocations to each Underlying Adviser, and LMGAA does not advise the client or otherwise make recommendations with respect to the purchase, holding or disposition of shares of individual securities. With respect to such manager-of-managers arrangements, LMGAA does not exercise any proxy voting authority with respect to the securities of individual corporate issuers held in the client’s portfolio. Such authority is reserved or delegated to the Underlying Advisers which have investment authority over such securities. For any employee benefit plan client subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), such proxy voting authority is reserved or delegated to the Underlying Advisers unless the plan document or investment advisory agreement specifically reserves the responsibility to vote proxies to the plan trustees or other named fiduciary.

These policies and procedures are intended to fulfill applicable requirements imposed on LMGAA by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and ERISA, and the rules and regulations adopted under these laws.

II. General Guidelines

In voting proxies, we are guided by general fiduciary principles. Our goal is to act prudently, solely in the best interest of the beneficial owners of the accounts we manage, and, in the case of ERISA accounts, for the exclusive purpose of providing economic benefits to such persons. We attempt to provide for the consideration of all factors that could affect the value of the investment and will vote proxies in the manner that we believe will be consistent with efforts to maximize shareholder values.

III. How LMGAA Votes

LMGAA has determined that proxy voting with respect to shares of Underlying Funds present diverse and complex policy issues that make the establishment of standard voting guidelines impractical. To the extent that LMGAA has proxy voting authority with respect to shares of Underlying Funds, LMGAA shall vote such shares in the best interest of client accounts and subject to the general fiduciary principles set forth in Section II. We may utilize an external service provider to provide us with information and/or a recommendation with regard to proxy votes, but we are not required to follow any such recommendations. The use of an external service provider does not relieve LMGAA of its responsibility for the proxy vote.

IV. Conflicts-of-Interest Procedure for 529 Plans

In furtherance of LMGAA’s goal to vote proxies in the best interests of 529 Plan clients, LMGAA follows procedures designed to identify and address material conflicts that may arise between LMGAA’s interests and those of its 529 Plan clients before voting investment company proxies on behalf of such clients.

 

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A. Procedures for Identifying Conflicts of Interest

LMGAA relies on the following to seek to identify conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting:

1. On behalf of 529 Plans, LMGAA brings all proxies relating to investment companies (“Affiliated Funds”) for which LMGAA or an affiliate serves as the sponsor, manager, adviser or sub-adviser to the attention of the Proxy Voting Committee for a conflicts of interest review.

2. The policy memorandum attached hereto as Appendix A will be distributed periodically to LMGAA employees. The policy memorandum alerts LMGAA employees that they are under an obligation (i) to be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest on the part of LMGAA with respect to voting investment company proxies on behalf of client accounts both as a result of their personal relationships and due to special circumstances that may arise during the conduct of LMGAA’s business, and (ii) to bring conflicts of interest of which they become aware to the attention of the Compliance Department.

3. Based on information furnished by LMGAA employees pursuant to Section IV.A. above, LMGAA shall maintain an up to date list of Underlying Funds with respect to which LMGAA has a potential conflict of interest in voting proxies on behalf of client accounts. LMGAA shall not vote proxies on behalf of 529 Plans relating to investment companies where a potential conflict of interest has been identified until it has been determined that the conflict of interest is not material or a method for resolving such conflict of interest has been agreed upon and implemented, as described in this Section IV below.

B. Procedures for Assessing Materiality of Conflicts of Interest

1. LMGAA shall maintain a Proxy Voting Committee to review and address conflicts of interest brought to its attention. The Proxy Voting Committee shall be comprised of such LMGAA personnel as are designated from time to time. The current members of the Proxy Voting Committee are set forth on Appendix B hereto.

2. All conflicts of interest identified pursuant to the procedures outlined in Section IV.A. must be brought to the attention of the Proxy Voting Committee by the Compliance Department for resolution.

3. The Proxy Voting Committee shall determine whether a conflict of interest is material. A conflict of interest will be considered material to the extent that it is determined that such conflict is likely to influence, or appear to influence, LMGAA’s decision-making in voting the proxy. All materiality determinations will be based on an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. The Compliance Department shall maintain a written record of all materiality determinations made by the Proxy Voting Committee.

4. If it is determined by the Proxy Voting Committee that a conflict of interest is not material, LMGAA may vote proxies on behalf of the 529 Plan notwithstanding the existence of the conflict.

C. Procedures for Addressing Material Conflicts of Interest

1. If it is determined by the Proxy Voting Committee that a conflict of interest is material, the Proxy Voting Committee shall determine an appropriate method to resolve such conflict of interest before the proxy affected by the conflict of interest is voted on behalf of the 529 Plan. Such determination shall be based on the particular facts and circumstances, including the importance of the proxy issue, the nature of the conflict of interest, etc. Such methods may include:

(a) disclosing the conflict to clients and obtaining their instruction as to how to vote;

(b) voting shares in proportion to how other shareholders have voted (also known as “mirror” or “echo” voting);

(c) voting in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third party;

 

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(d) suggesting to clients that they engage another party to vote the proxy on their behalf;

(e) in the case of a conflict of interest resulting from a particular employee’s personal relationships, removing such employee from the decision-making process with respect to such proxy vote; or

(f) such other method as is deemed appropriate given the particular facts and circumstances, including the importance of the proxy issue, the nature of the conflict of interest, etc.*

2. The Compliance Department shall maintain a written record of the method used to resolve a material conflict of interest.

 

* Especially in the case of an apparent, as opposed to actual, conflict of interest, the Proxy Voting Committee may resolve such conflict of interest by satisfying itself that LMGAA’s proposed vote on a proxy issue is in the best interest of client accounts and is not being influenced by the conflict of interest.

D. Third Party Proxy Voting Firm—Conflicts of Interests

To the extent that LMGAA utilizes a third party proxy voting firm as described herein, LMGAA will periodically review and assess such firm’s policies, procedures and practices with respect to the disclosure and handling of conflicts of interest.

V. Voting Procedure for Fund of Funds

With respect to proxy voting for any Fund of Funds investing in Underlying Funds advised by LMGAA’s affiliates and/or advisers which are unaffiliated with LMGAA, proxies for the shares of any such Underlying Fund will be voted in accordance with an echo voting procedure under which such proxies are voted in the same proportion as the votes from other shareholders of such Underlying Fund. LMGAA may vote such proxies in accordance with other voting procedures approved by the Proxy Committee, provided such procedures comply with applicable law and/or regulatory requirements. Voting procedures are intended to be in the best interest of client accounts and subject to the general fiduciary principles set forth in Section II, and such procedures are subject to review by the Proxy Committee.

VI. Disclosure of Proxy Voting

LMGAA employees may not disclose to others outside of LMGAA (including employees of other Legg Mason business units) how LGMAA intends to vote a proxy absent prior approval from the Compliance Department.

If a LMGAA employee receives a request to disclose LMGAA’s proxy voting intentions to, or is otherwise contacted by, another person outside of LMGAA (including an employee of another Legg Mason business unit) in connection with an upcoming proxy voting matter, he/she should immediately notify the Compliance Department.

VII. Recordkeeping and Oversight

LMGAA shall maintain the following records relating to proxy voting:

 

   

a copy of these policies and procedures;

 

   

a copy of each proxy form (as voted);

 

   

a copy of each proxy solicitation (including proxy statements) and related materials with regard to each vote;

 

   

documentation relating to the identification and resolution of conflicts of interest;

 

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any documents created by LMGAA that were material to a proxy voting decision or that memorialized the basis for that decision; and

 

   

a copy of each written client request for information on how LMGAA voted proxies on behalf of the client, and a copy of any written response by LMGAA to any (written or oral) client request for information on how LMGAA voted proxies on behalf of the requesting client.

Such records shall be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in an appropriate office of LMGAA.

With respect to each Fund of Funds for which LMGAA votes proxies, LMGAA shall maintain such records as are necessary to allow such fund to comply with its recordkeeping, reporting and disclosure obligations under applicable laws, rules and regulations.

In lieu of keeping copies of proxy statements, LMGAA may rely on proxy statements filed on the EDGAR system as well as on third party records of proxy statements and votes cast if the third party provides an undertaking to provide the documents promptly upon request.

The Compliance Department will review LMGAA’s proxy voting process, record retention and related matters on a periodic basis.

 

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APPENDIX A

Memorandum

 

To:    All Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC (LMGAA) Employees
From:    Legal and Compliance
Date:    January, 2007
Re:    LMGAA Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures Conflicts of Interest with respect to Proxy Voting

Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC (LMGAA) currently has in place a proxy voting policy and procedures designed to ensure that LMGAA votes investment company proxies in the best interest of its Section 529 college savings plan clients. Accompanying this memorandum is a copy of LMGAA’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (January 2007). The Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures are designed to comply with the SEC rule under the Investment Advisers Act that addresses an investment adviser’s fiduciary obligation to its clients when voting proxies. AS DISCUSSED IN MORE DETAIL BELOW, LMGAA EMPLOYEES ARE UNDER AN OBLIGATION (i) TO BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ON THE PART OF LMGAA IN VOTING PROXIES ON BEHALF OF CLIENT ACCOUNTS BOTH AS A RESULT OF AN EMPLOYEE’S PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND DUE TO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY ARISE DURING THE CONDUCT OF LMGAA’S BUSINESS, AND (ii) TO BRING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OF WHICH THEY BECOME AWARE TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT.

All LMGAA employees must play an important role in helping our organization identify potential conflicts of interest that could impact LMGAA’s proxy voting. LMGAA employees need to (i) be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest on the part of LMGAA in voting proxies on behalf of client accounts both as a result of an employee’s personal relationships and due to special circumstances that may arise during the conduct of LMGAA’s business, and (ii) bring conflicts of interest of which they become aware to the attention of the Compliance Department.

A conflict of interest arises when the existence of a personal or business relationship on the part of LMGAA or one of its employees or special circumstances that arise during the conduct of LMGAA’s business might influence, or appear to influence, the manner in which LMGAA decides to vote a proxy. An example of a personal relationship that creates a potential conflict of interest would be a situation in which a LMGAA employee has a spouse or other close relative who serves as a director or senior executive of an investment company or a service provider to an investment company. Another example would be a situation in which there was contact between LMGAA and non-LMGAA personnel in which the non-LMGAA Legg Mason personnel, on their own initiative or at the prompting of a client of a non-LMGAA unit of Legg Mason, tried to exert pressure to influence LMGAA’s proxy vote. Of course, the foregoing examples are not exhaustive, and a variety of situations may arise that raise conflict of interest questions for LMGAA. You are encouraged to raise and discuss with the Compliance Department particular facts and circumstances that you believe may raise conflict of interest issues for LMGAA.

As described in the Proxy Policy and Procedures, LMGAA has established a Proxy Voting Committee to assess the materiality of conflicts of interest brought to its attention by the Compliance Department as well as to agree upon appropriate methods to resolve material conflicts of interest before proxies affected by the conflicts of interest are voted. As described in the Proxy Policies and Procedures, there are a variety of methods and approaches that the Proxy Voting Committee may utilize to resolve material conflicts of interest. Please note that LMGAA employees should report all conflicts of interest of which they become aware to the Compliance Department.* It is

 

 

* The conflicts procedures described in this memorandum apply to proxy voting for shares of the underlying investment funds held by Section 529 college savings plans advised by LMGAA, and do not apply to proxy voting for shares of underlying investment funds held by a fund of funds (i.e., a U.S. registered investment company investing in other U.S. registered investment companies).

 

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up to the Proxy Voting Committee to assess the materiality of conflicts of interest brought to its attention and to agree upon an appropriate resolution with respect to conflicts of interest determined to be material.

The obligation of LMGAA employees to be sensitive to the issue of conflicts of interest and to bring conflicts of interest to the attention of the Compliance Department is a serious one. Failure to do so can lead to negative legal, regulatory, and reputational consequences for the firm as well as to negative regulatory and disciplinary consequences for the LMGAA employee. Please consult the Compliance Department if you have any questions concerning your obligations with respect to conflicts of interest under the updated proxy voting policies and procedures.

 

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APPENDIX B

Proxy Voting Committee Members

Investment Representatives

Steven Bleiberg

Wayne Lin

Legal Representatives

Leonard Larrabee

Thomas Mandia

John Sohn

Compliance Representatives

Barbara Manning

Brian Murphy

At least one representative from each of Investment Management, Legal and Compliance must participate in any deliberations and decisions of the Proxy Voting Committee.

 

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