497 1 d497.htm FORM 497 Form 497
Table of Contents

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N Share Prospectus

 

U.S. Equity Funds   U.S. Fixed Income Funds
Balanced   Core Fixed Income
Diversified Value   High Yield Bond
Dividend Focused   Total Return Bond
Equities  
Focused Equities   International Funds
Growth   Emerging Markets Income
Growth Equities  
Large Cap Growth  
Relative Value Small Cap  
Select Equities  
Small Cap Growth  
Spectrum  
Value Added  
Value Opportunities  

This Prospectus tells you about the Class N shares of eighteen of the separate investment funds offered by TCW Funds, Inc., each of which has different investment objectives and policies. Please read this document carefully and keep it for future reference.

As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

February 29, 2008

 


Table of Contents

The Firm

Founded in 1971, the TCW Group (TCW) provides a broad range of international and U.S. equity and fixed income investment products and services for investors around the world. With a team of approximately 390 investment and administrative professionals located in Los Angeles, New York and Houston, TCW has a broad depth of knowledge, investment experience and research capability. TCW Investment Management Company, a member of TCW and an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, will act as the advisor to the TCW Funds.

 


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TCW Funds, Inc.

 

This prospectus tells you about the Class N shares of eighteen of the separate investment funds offered by TCW Funds, Inc., (collectively the “Funds”) each of which has different investment objectives and policies that are designed to meet different investment goals. Please read this document carefully before investing, and keep it for future reference.

 

TCW Balanced Fund

 

TCW Diversified

Value Fund

 

TCW Dividend

Focused Fund

 

TCW Equities Fund

 

TCW Focused

Equities Fund

 

TCW Growth Fund

 

TCW Growth Equities Fund

 

TCW Large Cap

Growth Fund

 

TCW Relative Value

Small Cap Fund

 

TCW Select Equities Fund

 

TCW Small Cap

Growth Fund

 

TCW Spectrum Fund

 

TCW Value Added Fund

 

TCW Value

Opportunities Fund

 

TCW Core Fixed Income Fund

 

TCW High Yield Bond Fund

 

TCW Total Return Bond Fund

 

TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund

 

As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

February 29, 2008

 

LOGO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    
General Fund Information     

Investment Objectives, Principal Strategies and Main Risks

   4

Performance Summary

   7

Fund Expenses and Expense Example

   25
TCW Balanced Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   28

Main Risks

   30
TCW Diversified Value Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   31

Main Risks

   33
TCW Dividend Focused Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   34

Main Risks

   36
TCW Equities Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   37

Main Risks

   38
TCW Focused Equities Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   39

Main Risks

   41
TCW Growth Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   42

Main Risks

   44
TCW Growth Equities Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   45

Main Risks

   47
TCW Large Cap Growth Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   48

Main Risks

   49
TCW Relative Value Small Cap Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   50

Main Risks

   52
TCW Select Equities Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   53

Main Risks

   54
TCW Small Cap Growth Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   55

Main Risks

   56

 

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TCW Spectrum Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   57

Main Risks

   59
TCW Value Added Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   60

Main Risks

   61
TCW Value Opportunities Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   62

Main Risks

   63
TCW Core Fixed Income Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   64

Main Risks

   66
TCW High Yield Bond Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   67

Main Risks

   68
TCW Total Return Bond Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   69

Main Risks

   70
TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund     

Investment Objectives/Approach

   71

Main Risks

   73
Principal Risks and Risk Definitions    74
Management of the Funds    83

Investment Advisor

   83

Portfolio Managers

   83

Advisory Agreement

   86

Payments by the Advisor

   86

Multiple Class Structure

   87

 

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Your Investment     

Buying Shares

   88

Automatic Investment Plan

   89

Selling Shares

   90

Written Sell Order

   90

Exchange Privilege

   91

Third Party Transactions

   91

Account Statements

   91

Household Mailings

   92

General Policies

   92

Trading Limits

   92

To Open an Account/ To Add to an Account

   94

To Sell or Exchange Shares

   96

Distributions and Taxes

   97

Portfolio Holdings Information

   98

Financial Highlights

   99
For More Information    116

 

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GENERAL FUND INFORMATION

 

Investment Objectives, Principal Strategies and Main Risks

 

TCW Funds, Inc.    Investment Objectives    Principal Investment
Strategies
   Main Risks*
TCW Balanced Fund    Long-term capital appreciation and high current income    Invests in equity and debt securities    Equity risk, price volatility risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, credit risk, market risk, prepayment risk, extension risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Diversified Value Fund    Capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities of large capitalization companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, investment style risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Dividend Focused Fund    High level of dividend income    Invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets in equity securities of issuers which pay dividends    Equity risk, price volatility risk, investment style risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Equities Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities of large capitalization companies trading below their intrinsic value    Equity risk, price volatility risk, market risk, investment style risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Focused Equities Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in the equity securities of 25-40 large capitalization companies.    Equity risk, price volatility risk, market risk, investment style risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Growth Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities issued by companies with market capitalizations within the range of companies comprising the Russell 3000 Growth Index    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, investment style risk, market risk, small and medium capitalization company risk and portfolio management risk
TCW Growth Equities Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities of emerging growth companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, investment style risk, market risk, small and medium capitalization company risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Large Cap Growth Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in the equity securities of 30-50 large capitalization companies.    Equity risk, price volatility risk, investment style risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.

 

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TCW Funds, Inc.    Investment Objectives    Principal Investment
Strategies
   Main Risks*
TCW Relative Value Small Cap Fund    Capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities of small capitalization companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, investment style risk, market risk, small and medium capitalization company risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Select Equities Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in common stock of mid and large capitalization companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, investment style risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Small Cap Growth Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets in equity securities issued by small capitalization growth companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, investment style risk, market risk, small and medium capitalization company risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Spectrum Fund    Long-term total return    Invests 80% of the value of its net assets in equity securities of large cap growth and value companies.    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Value Added Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities issued by small cap value companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, investment style risk, market risk, small and medium capitalization company risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Value Opportunities Fund    Long-term capital appreciation    Invests in equity securities issued by midcap value companies    Equity risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, investment style risk, market risk, small and medium capitalization company risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Core Fixed Income Fund    Maximize current income and achieve above average total return consistent with prudent investment management over a full market cycle    Invests in fixed income securities    Interest rate risk (including extension risk and prepayment risk), credit risk (including “junk bond” risk), price volatility risk, liquidity risk, mortgage-backed securities risks, market risk, foreign investing risk and portfolio management risk.

 

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TCW Funds, Inc.    Investment Objectives    Principal Investment
Strategies
   Main Risks*
TCW High Yield Bond Fund    Maximize current income and achieve above average total return consistent with reasonable risk over a full market cycle    Invests in high yield bonds, commonly known as “Junk” bonds    Credit risk (including “junk bond” risk), price volatility risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Total Return Bond Fund    Maximize current income and achieve above average total return consistent with prudent investment management over a full market cycle    Invests in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by, or secured by collateral that is guaranteed by, the United States government, its agencies, instrumentalities or its sponsored corporations, or private issued mortgage-backed securities rated Aa or higher by Moody’s or AA or higher by S&P    Interest rate risk (including extension risk and prepayment risk), mortgage-backed securities risks, credit risk, price volatility risk, liquidity risk, market risk and portfolio management risk.
TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund    High total return from current income and capital appreciation    Invests in debt securities issued by Emerging Market Country governments or their agencies or instrumentalities or private corporate issuers    Interest rate risk, credit risk (including “junk bond” risk), foreign investing risk (including emerging market country risk), price volatility risk, liquidity risk, market risk, defaulted securities risk and portfolio management risk.

 

* Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed.

 

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Performance Summary

 

The barchart and table below show each Fund’s annual and after-tax returns and its performance with respect to its Class N shares. The barchart shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table compares the before and after-tax returns over time to that of a broad-based securities market index. Both tables assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. No performance data is shown for the TCW Growth Fund because it does not have a full year of operations.

 

The performance information for the Diversified Value, Dividend Focused and Relative Value Small Cap Funds includes the performance of its predecessor fund (“Predecessor Funds”), which prior to December 14, 2001, was managed by SG Cowen Asset Management Inc. The performance of the Predecessor Funds in the bar charts and other tables was calculated using the fee and expenses, not including the 4.75% sales charge for Class A shares, of the Class A shares of the Predecessor Funds. As with all mutual funds, past performance, both before and after taxes, is not a prediction of future results.

 

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant if you hold shares of a Fund through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

 

As with all mutual funds, past performance, both before and after taxes, is not a prediction of future results. The indices performance does not reflect any deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.

 

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Balanced Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Balanced Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2007

     4.23% (Best)

Quarter ended December 31, 2007

  – 3.21% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since Inception

Ÿ  Balanced Fund

  0.19%   N/A   4.94%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 0.89%   N/A   3.93%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  0.50%   N/A   3.77%

S&P 500 Index (60%) Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (40%)

  6.22%   N/A   9.67%

 

The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries. The Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization weighted index of investment grade fixed-rate debt issues, including government, corporate, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities with maturities of at least one year.

 

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Diversified Value Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Diversified Value Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2003

     17.98% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2002

  – 20.38% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since Inception

Ÿ  Diversified Value Fund

  - 3.25%   15.09%   6.55%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 3.70%   14.79%   6.27%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  - 1.55%   13.24%   5.64%

Russell 1000® Value Index

  - 0.17%   14.63%   7.69%

 

The Russell 1000® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

 

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Dividend Focused Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Dividend Focused Fund

   

Quarter ended September 30, 2000

     16.84% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2002

  – 14.56% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   10 Years

Ÿ  Dividend Focused Fund

  1.56%   13.81%   9.45%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  0.72%   13.06%   7.98%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  2.17%   11.98%   7.56%

Russell 1000® Value Index

  - 0.17%   14.63%   7.68%

 

The Russell 1000® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

 

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Equities Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Equities Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2003

     17.71% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2002

  – 21.18% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  Equities Fund

  1.80%   13.43%   5.96%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 0.12%   12.74%   5.55%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  3.76%   11.79%   5.18%

S&P 500 Index

  5.49%   12.83%   3.61%

 

The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.

 

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Focused Equities Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during the period

 

Ÿ Focused Equities Fund

   

Quarter ended December 31, 2003

     19.77% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2002

  – 22.71% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 Year   5 Years   From Inception/
Registration or
10 years

Ÿ  Focused Equities Fund

  3.95%   15.48%   7.54%

Return from Registration Date (3/1/2001)

  3.95%   15.48%   6.63%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  3.90%   15.46%   6.59%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  2.65%   13.65%   5.76%

S&P 500 Index

  5.49%   12.83%   3.96%

Return Before Taxes Including Predecessor Entity Performance

  3.95%   15.48%   7.54%

 

The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.

 

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Growth Equities Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ   Growth Equities Fund

   

Quarter ended September 30, 2007

     15.45% (Best)

Quarter ended March 31, 2005

    – 9.54% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

 

    1 year   5 years   From inception

Ÿ    Growth Equities Fund

  30.30%   N/A   13.93%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  28.06%   N/A   13.42%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  21.27%   N/A   11.99%

Russell Midcap® Growth Index

  11.43%   N/A   11.53%

 

The Russell Midcap® Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

 

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Large Cap Growth Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Large Cap Growth Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2007

    5.43% (Best)

Quarter ended December 31, 2007

  – 0.42% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  Large Cap Growth Fund

  12.76%   N/A   8.88%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  12.76%   N/A   8.88%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  8.29%   N/A   7.59%

Russell 1000® Growth Index

  11.81%   N/A   10.79%

 

The Russell 1000® Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

 

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Relative Value Small Cap Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Relative Value Small Cap Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2003

       23.76% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 1998

    – 21.66% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   10 years

Ÿ  Relative Value Small Cap Fund

  - 3.93%   13.88%   8.63%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 5.37%   12.93%   7.88%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  - 0.59%   12.14%   9.54%

Russell 2000® Index

  - 1.57%   16.25%   7.08%

 

The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index, which represents approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000® Index.

 

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Select Equities Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Select Equities Fund

   

Quarter ended December 31, 2001

     25.92% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2001

  – 25.83% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 year   Since inception

Ÿ  Select Equities Fund

  13.42%   13.34%   3.35%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  11.39%   12.90%   2.77%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  10.60%   11.63%   2.68%

Russell 1000® Growth

  11.81%   12.11%   0.43%

 

The Russell 1000® Growth Index measure the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth rates.

 

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Small Cap Growth Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Fund   Performance

Ÿ Small Cap Growth Fund

   

Quarter ended December 31, 2001

     41.10% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2001

  – 45.14% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  Small Cap Growth Fund

  18.53%   18.75%   2.28%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  18.53%   18.75%   2.10%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  12.05%   16.62%   1.97%

Russell 2000® Growth Index

  7.05%   16.50%   5.38%

 

The Russell 2000® Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and high forecasted growth values.

 

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TCW Spectrum Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during the period

 

Ÿ Spectrum Fund

   

Quarter ended December 31, 2006

     6.01% (Best)

Quarter ended December 31, 2007

  – 7.36% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 Year   5 Years   From Inception

Ÿ  Spectrum Fund

  1.66%   N/A   9.44%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  0.24%   N/A   8.66%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  2.08%   N/A   7.88%

S&P 500 Index

  5.49%   N/A   10.68%

 

The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.

 

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Value Added Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period.

 

Ÿ Value Added Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2003

     28.52% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2004

  – 11.04% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   From Inception

Ÿ  Value Added Fund

  - 9.60%   12.29%     2.42%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 11.13%   11.44       1.73%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

  - 4.01%   10.72%     2.04%

Russell 2000® Value Index

  - 9.78%   15.80%     8.96%

Russell 2000® Index

  - 1.57%   16.25%     8.75%

 

The Russell 2000® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000® Index, which represents approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000® Index.

 

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Value Opportunities Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period.

 

Ÿ Value Opportunities Fund    

Quarter ended December 31, 2001

     29.92% (Best)

Quarter ended September 30, 2002

  – 25.79% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   From Inception

Ÿ  Value Opportunities Fund

  - 1.56%   13.97%   9.75%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 4.54%   12.52%   8.37%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  1.11%   11.90%   8.06%

Russell Midcap® Value Index

  - 1.42%   17.92%   12.08%

 

The Russell Midcap® Value Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000® Value Index.

 

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Core Fixed Income Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Core Fixed Income Fund

   

Quarter ended December 31, 2000

     4.61% (Best)

Quarter ended June 30, 2003

  – 2.43% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  Core Fixed Income Fund

  6.92%   4.61%   5.28%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  5.30%   2.99%   3.41%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  4.46%   2.98%   3.37%

Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index

  6.97%   4.42%   5.91%

 

The Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of investment grade fixed-rate debt issues, including government, corporate, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities with maturities of at least one year.

 

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High Yield Bond Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ High Yield Bond Fund

   

Quarter ended June 30, 2003

     8.24% (Best)

Quarter ended December 31, 2000

  – 5.12% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  High Yield Bond Fund

  1.22%   8.17%   4.47%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  - 1.63%   5.30%   1.30%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  0.81%   5.33%   1.82%

Citigroup High Yield Cash Pay Custom Index

  2.63%   10.51%   6.06%

 

The Citigroup High Yield Cash Pay Custom Index is a blend of the Citigroup High Yield Cash Pay Index and Citigroup High Yield Cash Pay Capped Index. The Citigroup High Yield Cash Pay Capped Index includes only cash-pay bonds with remaining maturities of at least one year and a minimum amount outstanding of USD 100 million and a cap on the prior amount of each issuer in the Index at USD 5 billion.

 

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Total Return Bond Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Total Return Bond Fund

   

Quarter ended December 31, 2000

     5.83% (Best)

Quarter ended June 30, 2004

  – 1.95% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  Total Return Bond Fund

  6.18%   4.37%   6.05%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  4.46%   2.68%   4.04%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  3.98%   2.73%   3.95%

Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index

  6.97%   4.42%   5.91%

 

The Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of investment grade fixed-rate debt issues, including government, corporate, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities with maturities of at least one year.

 

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Emerging Markets Income Fund

 

LOGO

 

Best and worst quarterly performance during this period

 

Ÿ Emerging Markets Income Fund    

Quarter ended June 30, 2005

     3.58% (Best)

Quarter ended June 30, 2006

  – 0.64% (Worst)

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31

 

    1 year   5 years   Since inception

Ÿ  Emerging Markets Income Fund

  4.03%   N/A   7.98%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

  1.69%   N/A   7.16%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

and Sale of Fund Shares

  2.75%   N/A   6.53%

JP Morgan EMBI Global Diversified Index

  6.16%   N/A   9.55%

 

The JP Morgan EMBI Global Diversified Index is a market capitalization-weighted total return index of U.S. dollars and other external currency-denominated Brady bonds, loans, Eurobonds, and local market debt instruments traded in emerging markets.

 

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Fund Expenses and Expense Example

 

As an investor, you pay certain fees and expenses in connection with the Funds, which are described in the table below. Annual Fund operating expenses are paid out of Fund assets, so their effect is included in the share price. The Class N shares of the Funds have no sales charge (load), but are subject to Rule 12b-1 distribution fees.

 

FEE TABLE

 

       

Balanced

Fund

 

Diversified

Value

Fund

 

Dividend
Focused

Fund

 

Equities

Fund

 

Focused

Equities

Fund

  Growth Fund  

Growth

Equities

Fund

  Large Cap
Growth
 

Relative
Value
Small Cap

Fund

 

Select
Equities

Fund

Shareholder Transaction Fees                                
1)  

Redemption Fees

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
2)  

Exchange Fees

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
3)  

Contingent Deferred Sales Load

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
4)  

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Reinvested Dividends

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
5)  

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses                                
   

Management Fees.

      0.60%   0.75%   0.75%     0.55%   0.65%     0.75%       1.00%       0.65%   0.90%   0.75%
   

Distribution (12b-1) Fees

  0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%
   

Other Expenses

  0.85%   0.18%   0.15%   0.54%   0.37%   1.19%   0.94%   0.89%   0.28%   0.19%
   

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

  1.70%(1)   1.18%   1.15%   1.34%(2)   1.27%   2.19%(3)   2.19%(4)   1.79%(5)   1.43%   1.19%
   

Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement

  0.53%   0.00%   0.00%   0.01%   0.00%   0.75%   0.65%   0.36%   0.00%   0.00%
   

Net Expenses

  1.17%   1.18%   1.15%   1.33%   1.27%   1.44%   1.54%   1.43%   1.43%   1.19%

 

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        Small Cap
Growth Fund
  Spectrum
Fund
  Value Added
Fund
 

Value

Opportunities

Fund

 

Core Fixed
Income

Fund

 

High Yield
Bond

Fund

 

Total Return

Bond

Fund

  Emerging
Markets
Income Fund
Shareholder Transaction Fees                            
1)  

Redemption Fees

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   2.00%
2)  

Exchange Fees

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   2.00%
3)  

Contingent Deferred Sales Load

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
4)  

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Reinvested Dividends

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
5)  

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases

  None   None   None   None   None   None   None   None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses                            
   

Management Fees

    1.00%   0.55%   1.00%   0.80%   0.40%   0.75%   0.50%   0.75%
   

Distribution (12b-1) Fees

  0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%   0.25%
   

Other Expenses

  0.44%   0.51%   15.49%   0.20%   0.17%   0.20%   0.13%   1.63%
   

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

  1.69%(6)   1.31%   16.74%(7)   1.25%   0.82%(8)   1.20%   0.88%(9)   2.63%(10)
   

Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement

  0.04%   0.00%   15.22%   0.00%   0.06%   0.00%   0.14%   1.17%
   

Net Expenses

  1.65%   1.31%   1.52%   1.25%   0.76%   1.20%   0.74%   1.46%

 

1 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.17% of Net Assets as a result of the expense limitation.

2 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.33% of Net Assets as a result of the expense limitation.

3 Estimated. The Advisor has agreed to pay the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For December 2007, the Lipper, Inc. category expense ratio was 1.44%.

4 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.54% of Net Assets as a result of the expense limitation.

5 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.43% of Net Assets as a result of the expense limitation.

6 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.65% of Net Assets as a result of the expense limitation.

7 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.52% of Net Assets as a result of the expense limitation.

8 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to 0.78%. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on 60 days notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 0.82% of Net Assets.

9 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to 0.74%. The expense limitation is terminable on 60 days notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 0.88% of Net Assets.

10 The Advisor paid the operating expenses of the Fund to reduce Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the extent necessary to limit the operating expenses of the Fund to an amount not to exceed the trailing monthly expense ratio for comparable funds as reported by Lipper, Inc. The expense limitation is voluntary and is terminable on six months notice. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, the Fund’s Annual Operating Expenses were 1.46% as a result of the expense limitation.

 

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EXPENSE EXAMPLE

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in a Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example uses the gross expense ratio before any expense waiver or reimbursement.

 

This Example shows what you could pay in expenses over time. It uses the same hypothetical conditions other funds use in their prospectuses: $10,000 Initial Investment, 5% total return each year and no changes in expenses. The figures shown would be the same whether or not you sold your shares at the end of a period. Because actual return and expenses will be higher or lower, the Example is for comparison purposes only.

 

    1 Year

     3 Years

     5 Years

     10 Years

Balanced

  $ 173      $ 536      $ 923      $ 2,009

Diversified Value

  $ 120      $ 375      $ 649      $ 1,432

Dividend Focused

  $ 117      $ 365      $ 633      $ 1,398

Equities

  $ 136      $ 425      $ 734      $ 1,613

Focused Equities

  $ 129      $ 403      $ 697      $ 1,534

Growth

  $ 222      $ 685              

Growth Equities

  $ 222      $ 685      $ 1,175      $ 2,524

Large Cap Growth

  $ 182      $ 563      $ 970      $ 2,105

Relative Value Small Cap

  $ 146      $ 452      $ 782      $ 1,713

Select Equities

  $ 121      $ 378      $ 654      $ 1,443

Small Cap Growth

  $ 172      $ 533      $ 918      $ 1,998

Spectrum

  $ 133      $ 415      $ 718      $ 1,579

Value Added*

  $ 1,576      $ 4,194      $ 6,234      $ 9,572

Value Opportunities

  $ 127      $ 397      $ 686      $ 1,511

Core Fixed Income

  $ 84      $ 262      $ 455      $ 1,014

High Yield Bond

  $ 122      $ 381      $ 660      $ 1,455

Total Return Bond

  $ 90      $ 281      $ 488      $ 1,084

Emerging Markets Income

  $ 266      $ 817      $ 1,395      $ 2,964

 

* Based on the Value Added Fund’s net expenses after reimbursement, the Expense Example would be:

 

1 Year

     3 Years

     5 Years

     10 Years

$ 155      $ 480      $ 829      $ 1,813

 

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TCW Balanced Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. The Fund also seeks to produce high current income. To pursue these goals, the Fund will invest in a combination of common stocks, preferred stocks, rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock, American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”), other securities with equity characteristics, convertible preferred stocks, convertible debt securities, U.S. Government and corporate debt securities, and other debt securities, including mortgage- and asset-backed securities, unless maintaining a temporary defensive position. Investments in non-U.S. corporate debt securities will be U.S. dollar denominated. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a United States bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign security. The allocation of assets invested in each type of security is designed to balance long-term capital appreciation and yield income. The Fund expects to change its allocation mix over time based on the Advisor’s view of economic conditions and underlying security values. It is anticipated that the range of equity securities will be between 55% and 75% of the Fund’s total assets and debt securities will be in the range of 25% to 45% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

When evaluating equity securities, the Advisor emphasizes investing in companies that tend to have one or more characteristics that are lower than the equivalent characteristics for companies in the S&P Index and prefer companies with a dividend yield although a dividend yielding stock is not obligatory. The Advisor seeks companies it believes are neglected or out-of-favor and whose stock prices are low in relation to current earnings, cash flow, book value and sales and those companies that have reasonable prospects for growth even though expectations for these companies are low and their valuations are temporarily depressed.

 

When evaluating debt securities, the Advisor uses a bottom-up investment process that focuses more on security and sector selection than macro-economic variables. The Advisor’s investment process seeks to add value by selecting the best available debt securities as well as tactically allocating between various sectors from time to time. In managing the Fund’s investments the Advisor uses a controlled risk approach. The techniques of this approach attempt to control the principal risk components of the fixed income market. These components include:

 

 

security selection within a given sector

 

 

relative performance of the various market sectors

 

 

the shape of the yield curve

 

 

fluctuations in the overall level of interest rates

 

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Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of the underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor, there is a perceived deterioration in the credit fundamentals of the issuer or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Jeffrey E. Gundlach and Diane E. Jaffee are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

equity risk

 

 

interest rate risk

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

credit risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

extension risk of mortgage-backed securities

 

 

prepayment risk of mortgage-backed securities

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

 

asset-backed securities risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Diversified Value Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks capital appreciation, with a secondary goal of current income. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large capitalization companies. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics. The Fund will invest (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 65% of the value of its net assets in equity securities of companies with a market capitalization of greater than $2 billion at the time of purchase. The Fund will invest mostly in “value companies.”

 

Concepts to understand

 

Large capitalization companies are established companies that are considered known quantities. Large capitalization companies often have the resources to weather economic shifts, though they can be slower to innovate than small companies.

 

Value companies are companies that appear underpriced according to certain financial measurements of their intrinsic worth or business prospects (such as price-to-earnings or price-to-book ratios). Because a stock can remain undervalued for years, value investors often look for factors that could trigger a rise in prices.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor blends a number of investment strategies. The Advisor emphasizes investing in companies that tend to have one or more characteristics that are lower than the equivalent characteristics for companies in the S&P 500 Index. The Advisor seeks companies that it believes are neglected or out of favor and whose stock prices are low in relation to current earnings, cash flow, book value and sales and those companies that have reasonable prospects for growth even though the expectations for these companies are low and their valuations are temporarily depressed.

 

The Fund will generally invest in equity securities which include common and preferred stock, rights or warrants to purchase common stocks or preferred stocks, securities convertible into common and preferred stocks, securities convertible into common and preferred stocks, such as convertible bonds and debentures; American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”); and other securities with equity characteristics. ADRs are typically certificates issued by U.S. banks which represent a stated number of shares of a foreign corporation that a bank holds in its vault.

 

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The Fund may invest some its assets in covered call options. A call option is an agreement which gives the buyer the right but not the obligation to buy a certain amount of a specified security for a specific price regardless of the market price of the security. A call option is termed covered when the seller owns the securities underlying the option.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of the underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Diane E. Jaffee and Matthew J. Spahn are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Dividend Focused Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks to realize a high level of dividend income consistent with prudent investment management. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective. To pursue this goal, the Fund will invest (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets in equity securities of companies that have a record of paying dividends.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Dividends are a distribution of corporate earnings to shareholders.

 

The Advisor analyzes economic and market conditions and identifies securities that make the best investments in the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objectives. In selecting the investments, the Advisor considers factors which may include one or more of the following:

 

 

the company’s current valuation

 

 

market capitalization

 

 

price/earnings ratio

 

 

current dividend yield

 

 

the company’s potential for a strong positive cash flow and future dividend growth.

 

The Fund will generally invest in equity securities which include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common stock and preferred stock such as bonds and debentures; American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”); and other securities with equity characteristics. ADRs are typically certificates issued by U.S. banks which represent a stated number of shares of a foreign corporation that a bank holds in its vault.

 

The Fund may invest some of its assets on covered call options. A covered call option is any agreement which gives the buyer the right but not the obligation to buy a

 

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Table of Contents

certain amount of a specified security for a specific price within a certain time period regardless of market price of the security. A call option is termed covered when the seller owns the securities underlying the option.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of the underlying fundamentals, the immediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Diane E. Jaffee is the Fund’s portfolio manager.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Equities Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large capitalization companies. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics. The Fund will invest (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in publicly traded equity securities of companies with a market capitalization of greater than $3 billion at the time of purchase. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. The Fund will invest in companies trading below their intrinsic value in the opinion of the Advisor.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Large capitalization companies are established companies that are considered known quantities. Large capitalization companies often have the resources to weather economic shifts, though they can be slower to innovate than small companies.

 

Intrinsic Value represents a company’s long-term value. Because a stock can remain below it’s intrinsic value for years, investors often look for factors that could trigger a rise in price.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor seeks to invest in attractively valued equity securities of companies where the return on invested capital is improving. The Advisor utilizes bottom-up fundamental research to identify these companies. The Advisor performs fundamental research by using techniques such as:

 

 

making company visits

 

 

financial screening to identify companies

 

 

maintaining a disciplined approach to stock selection and portfolio construction

 

The Advisor will use both quantitative and qualitative screening criteria to supplement the scope of its fundamental research.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Thomas K. McKissick and N. John Snider are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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Table of Contents

TCW Focused Equities Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large capitalization companies. These equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock such as convertible bonds and debentures; and other securities with equity characteristics. The Fund will invest (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in publicly traded equity securities of companies with a market capitalization of greater than $3 billion dollars at the time of purchase. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. The Fund will invest in companies trading below their intrinsic value.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Large capitalization companies are established companies that are considered known quantities. Large capitalization companies often have the resources to weather economic shifts, though they can be slower to innovate than small companies.

 

Intrinsic Value represents a company’s long-term value. Because a stock can remain below its intrinsic value for years, investors often look for factors that could trigger a rise in prices.

 

The Fund will typically invest in a portfolio of 25 to 40 issues. In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor seeks to invest in attractively valued equity securities where the return on invested capital is improving. The Advisor utilizes bottom-up fundamental research to identify these companies. The Advisor will use both qualitative and quantitative screening criteria to supplement the scope of fundamental research. The application of the Advisor’s quantitative screening focuses on companies that have a disciplined approach to investing capital and favors companies with increasing return on invested capital. The Advisor performs fundamental research by using techniques such as:

 

 

making company visits

 

 

telephone contract with senior management

 

 

industry conferences

 

 

financial projections

 

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Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Thomas K. McKissick and N. John Snider are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Table of Contents

Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Growth Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 65% of the value of its net assets in the equity securities issued by companies with market capitalizations, at the time of acquisition, within the capitalization range of the companies comprising the Russell 3000® Growth Index. As of December 31, 2007, the market capitalization of companies included in the Russell 3000® Growth Index was between $47.5 million and $512 billion.

 

Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities listed on a U.S. exchange or in the form of depositary receipts such as American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) or listed on a foreign exchange. In addition, the Fund may invest in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”)

 

Concepts to understand

 

Growth companies are companies exhibiting faster than average gains in earnings and which are expected to continue to show high levels of growth gain.

 

The Advisor applies a “bottom up” approach in choosing investments. In other words, the Advisor looks at companies, across all market capitalizations, one at a time to determine if a company is an attractive investment opportunity and consistent with the Fund’s investment policies.

 

The Fund seeks to achieve diversification by limiting weighting in any security or any one sector.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, the intermediate or long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity. The Fund will also sell if an individual security or sector weighting is too large.

 

The Advisor uses multiple portfolio managers to manage the Fund’s assets. Under this approach, the Fund’s

 

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investment portfolio is divided into segments managed by individual portfolio managers. The portfolio managers decide how their respective segments will be invested.

 

Derek S. Derman, Donald E. Evenson, Husam H. Nazer, Robert J. Park, Michael P. Reilly, R. Brendt Stallings and Anthony S. Valencia are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

small and medium capitalization company risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

foreign investing risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Growth Equities Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, the Fund anticipates that at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) will be invested (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) in equity securities. If the Fund changes this investment policy it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics. Generally, at the time a new position is initially purchased into the Fund, the issue will be within the capitalization range of the companies comprising the Russell MidCap® Growth Index. As of December 31, 2007, the market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Growth Index was between $384.1 million and $41.7 billion. The Fund will be primarily invested in issuers which are characterized as “growth” companies according to criteria established by the Advisor. Within these parameters, the Fund may invest in securities of foreign companies listed on a U.S. exchange or in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) of such companies. ADRs are typically certficates issued by U.S. banks which represent a stated number of shares of a foreign issuer that a bank holds in its vault.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Growth companies are companies expected to exhibit faster than average gains in earnings and which are expected to continue to show a high level of growth gain.

 

The Advisor utilizes a “bottom-up” approach to identify securities for investment. First, the Advisor uses quantitative and qualitative criteria to screen companies. The Advisor then subjects companies that make it through this screening process to fundamental analysis, which generally looks for at least one or more of the following factors:

 

 

a demonstrated record of consistent earnings growth or the potential to grow earnings

 

 

an ability to earn an attractive return on equity

 

 

a price/earnings ratio which is less than the Advisor’s internally estimated three-year earnings growth rate

 

 

a large and growing market share

 

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a strong balance sheet

 

 

significant ownership interest by management and a strong management team.

 

The Fund seeks to achieve diversification by limiting the weighting in any one security or any one sector.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity. The Fund will also sell if an individual security weighting or sector weighting is too large.

 

R. Brendt Stallings is the Fund’s portfolio manager

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

small and medium capitalization company risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

foreign investing risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Large Cap Growth Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large capitalization companies. These equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock such as convertible bonds and debentures; and other securities with equity characteristics. The Fund will invest (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in publicly traded equity securities of companies with a market capitalization of greater than $3 billion dollars at the time of purchase. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Growth companies are companies expected to exhibit faster than average gains in earnings and which are expected to continue to show a high level of growth.

 

The Fund will typically invest in a portfolio of 35 to 50 securities. In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor seeks to invest in companies with superior and sustainable revenue and earnings growth. The Advisor evaluates, analyzes and selects companies:

 

 

That exhibit catalysts for growth

 

 

Superior value creation potential

 

 

Sustainable competitive advantages

 

 

Superior profitability

 

Portfolio weightings are driven by bottom-up fundamental research, sustainability and viability of earnings; degree of expected return, and the presence of definable growth catalysts.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, there is an unsatisfactory progression of fundamentals or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Donald E. Evenson and Derek S. Derman are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversified status risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Relative Value Small Cap Fund

(previously named TCW Opportunity Fund)

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks capital appreciation. Current income is incidental.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Small-Sized Companies. The Fund seeks long term capital appreciation by focusing on small, fast-growing companies that offer cutting-edge products, services or technologies. Because these companies are often in their early stages of development, their stocks tend to fluctuate more than most other securities.

 

To pursue this goal, it invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its total assets in equity securities issued by companies with market capitalizations, at the time of acquisition, within the capitalization range of the companies comprising the Standard & Poor’s Small Cap 600 Index. As of December 31, 2007, the market capitalization of companies included in the Standard & Poor’s Small Cap 600 Index was between $56.4 million and $4.9 billion. Within these parameters, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in securities of foreign companies listed on U.S. exchanges or in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) of such companies.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor tries to identify those companies that have fallen out of favor and whose stock is selling below what the Advisor believes is its real value. The Advisor looks for those stocks with a potential catalyst such as new products, technologies, or management that will trigger an increase in their value. The Advisor analyzes each candidate’s fundamental strength, looking for companies with well positioned product lines and experienced management with equity ownership. In the course of this analysis, the Advisor often discovers that many individual stocks in a particular industry or market sector offer attractive investment opportunities. The Advisor’s analysis finds that frequently the market undervalues entire industries and

 

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sectors, offering a cluster of candidates that meet the investment criteria. As a result, the Advisor may focus the Fund’s investments in a number of industries that the Advisor’s analysis has revealed as poised for growth.

 

The Fund will generally invest in equity securities which include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock, securities convertible into common or preferred stocks such as convertible bonds and debentures; ADRs; and other securities with equity characteristics. ADRs are typically certificates issued by U.S. banks which represent a stated number of shares of a foreign issuer that a bank holds in its vault.

 

The Fund may also write covered call options. A call option is an agreement which gives the buyer the right but not the obligation to buy a certain amount of a specified security for a specific price regardless of the market price of the security. A call option is termed covered when the seller owns the securities underlying the option.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor, or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Diane E. Jaffee is the Fund’s portfolio manager.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

small and medium capitalization company risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

foreign investing risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Select Equities Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. Performance should be measured over a full market cycle.

 

To pursue this goal, the Fund invests primarily in the common stocks of mid and large capitalization companies. The investment philosophy underlying our strategy is a highly focused approach which seeks to achieve superior long-term returns by owning shares in companies that are believed to have strong and enduring business models and inherent advantages over their competitors. Except when maintaining a temporary defensive position, the Fund anticipates that at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) will be invested in equity securities of these companies. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of this change. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Large capitalization companies are established companies that are considered known quantities. Large companies often have the resources to weather economic shifts, though they can be slower to innovate than small companies.

 

The Fund may invest some assets in options, futures and foreign currency futures, and forward contracts. These practices are used primarily to hedge the Fund’s portfolio but may be used to attempt to increase returns; however, such practices sometimes may reduce returns or increase volatility.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, in the Advisor’s opinion the security becomes fully valued, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Craig C. Blum is the Fund’s portfolio manager.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, it invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in equity securities issued by companies with market capitalizations, at the time of acquisition, within the capitalization range of the companies comprising the Russell 2000® Growth Index. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. As of December 31, 2007, the market capitalization of companies included in the Russell 2000® Growth Index was between $47.5 million and $6.1 billion. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics. Within these parameters, the Fund may invest in securities of foreign companies listed on a U.S. exchange or in American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) of such companies. ADRs are typically certificates issued by U.S. banks which represent a stated number of shares of a foreign issuer that a bank holds in its vault.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Small-Sized Companies seek long term capital appreciation by focusing on small, fast-growing companies that offer cutting-edge products, services or technologies. Because these companies are often in their early stages of development, their stocks tend to fluctuate more than most other securities.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor pursues a small cap growth investment philosophy. That philosophy consists of fundamental company-by-company analysis to screen potential investments and to monitor securities in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of underlying fundamentals, the intermediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Husam H. Nazer is the Fund’s portfolio manager.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

small and medium capitalization company risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

foreign investing risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Spectrum Fund (previously named TCW Large Cap Core Fund)

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term total return. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large capitalization companies and invests in a blend of both growth and value companies. These equity securities include common and preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock such as convertible preferred stocks, bonds and debentures; and other securities with equity characteristics. The Fund will invest (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in publicly traded equity securities of companies with a market capitalization of greater than $3 billion dollars at time of purchase. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Large Capitalization Companies are established companies that are considered known quantities. Large capitalization companies often have the resources to weather economic shifts, although they can be slower to innovate than small companies.

 

The Advisor analyzes economic and market conditions and identifies securities that make the best investments in pursuit of the Fund’s investment objectives. In selecting the investments, the Advisor considers factors which may include one or more of the following:

 

 

Discounted value of future cash flows. Discounted cash flow valuation consists of forecasting corporate cash flows over a multi-year period and “discounting” them by the equity market expected rate of return, and summing the results to arrive at a value for the security.

 

 

Free cash yield projected to grow or is sustainably high. Free cash flow is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) less capital expenditures.

 

 

Increasing returns on capital or economic value added.

 

 

Private market values of similar companies.

 

 

Cost to replicate the business. This is an estimation of what it would cost to build a business, including its brand and reputation, starting from nothing.

 

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The Advisor also performs a qualitative assessment of the company’s products and competitive position to evaluate the sustainability of its value.

 

The Advisor employs a style neutral equity strategy typically with exposure to all the economic sectors of the S&P 500 Index. The Advisor seeks to maintain the Fund’s sector weightings in a range to track those of the S&P 500 Index.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the company fails to meet expectations, there is a deterioration of the underlying fundamentals, the immediate and long-term prospects for the company are poor, sector weightings are rebalanced or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Jason S. Maxwell is the Fund’s portfolio manager.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Value Added Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, it invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 65% of the value of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in equity securities issued by value companies with market valuations, at the time of acquisition, within the range of the companies comprising the S&P SmallCap 600 Index. As of December 31, 2007, the market capitalization of companies included in S&P SmallCap 600 Index was between $56.4 million and $4.9 billion. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Undervalued Assets: When a company’s securities are selling below probable liquidation values, net working capital or tangible book value.

 

Undervalued Growth Potential: When a company has a strong potential growth rate and a strong balance sheet but has securities selling at a market multiple (based on normalized earnings) and/or a price earnings multiple at a discount to its peer group of companies.

 

Turnaround Situation: When a company has a sound balance sheet but has securities that are selling at a significant market and/or pre-eminent market position, with a price/earnings multiple of generally not more than half the expected growth rate.

 

Emerging Growth Company: When a company has the potential for a significant annual growth rate, a proprietary product and/or pre-eminent market position, with a price earnings multiple of generally not more than half the expected growth rate.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor generally looks to invest the Fund’s assets in the equity securities of companies that are in one or more of the following situations:

 

 

have undervalued assets or undervalued growth potential

 

 

are in a turnaround situation

 

 

are emerging growth companies

 

The Advisor performs fundamental analysis on each company. This includes a review of available financial and other business information, company visits and/or management interviews.

 

Investments will be sold for reasons such as when it is judged by the Advisor that a company will not achieve anticipated results, a position becomes larger than a predetermined percentage of the portfolio or when the investment becomes fully valued.

 

Nicholas F. Galluccio and Susan I. Suvall are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

small and medium capitalization company risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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TCW Value Opportunities Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, the Fund invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 65% of the value of its net assets in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations, at the time of acquisition, within the capitalization range of companies comprising the Russell Midcap® Value Index. As of December 31, 2007, the market capitalization of companies included in the Russell Midcap® Value Index was between $478.9 million and $41.7 billion. Equity securities include common and preferred stock; rights or warrants to purchase common or preferred stock; securities convertible into common or preferred stock; and other securities with equity characteristics.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Undervalued Assets: When a company’s securities are selling below probable liquidation values, net working capital or tangible book value.

 

Undervalued Growth Potential: When a company has a strong potential growth rate and a strong balance sheet but has securities selling at less than a market multiple (based on normalized earnings) and/or a price earnings multiple at a discount to its peer group of companies.

 

Turnaround Situation: When a company has a sound balance sheet but has securities that are selling a significant market discount to the Advisor’s estimate of the company’s 24 month sustainable earnings.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor generally looks to invest the Fund’s assets in the equity securities of companies that are in one or more of the following situations:

 

 

have undervalued assets

 

 

have undervalued growth potential

 

 

are in a turnaround situation

 

The Advisor also utilizes fundamental analysis on each company. This includes a review of available financial information, company visits and management interviews.

 

Investments will be sold for reasons such as when it is judged by the Advisor that a company will not achieve anticipated results, a position becomes larger than a predetermined percentage of the portfolio or when the investment becomes fully valued.

 

Nicholas F. Galluccio and Susan I. Suvall are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

small and medium capitalization company risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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U.S. Fixed Income

Core Fixed Income Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks to provide maximum current income and achieve above average total return consistent with prudent investment management over a full market cycle. To pursue this goal, it invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in debt securities. These debt securities include, U.S. Government and corporate obligations, bonds, notes, debentures, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, foreign securities (government and corporate), and other securities bearing fixed or variable interest rates of any maturity. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Duration is often used to measure the potential volatility of a bond’s price: bonds with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than bonds with shorter durations. Bonds with fixed maturities have a readily determinable duration. Bonds with uncertain payment schedules, such as mortgage-backed securities, which can be prepaid, have durations which may vary or lengthen in certain interest rate environments, making their values even more volatile than when they were acquired.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor uses a controlled risk approach. The techniques of this approach attempt to control the principal risk components of the fixed income markets. These components include:

 

 

security selection within a given sector

 

 

relative performance of the various market sectors

 

 

the shape of the yield curve

 

 

fluctuations in the overall level of interest rates

 

The Advisor also utilizes active asset allocation in managing the Fund’s investments and monitors the duration of the Fund’s portfolio securities to mitigate the Fund’s exposure to interest rate risk.

 

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high yield/below investment grade bonds, commonly known as “junk” bonds. The Fund may also invest a portion of its assets in equity securities (including common stock and convertible and non-convertible preferred stocks), bank loans and credit default swaps of

 

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companies in the high yield investment universe. High yield portfolio holdings are diversified by industry and issuer in an attempt to reduce the impact of negative events for an industry or issuer.

 

The Fund may invest some assets in options, futures and foreign currency futures, and forward contracts. These practices are used primarily to hedge the Fund’s portfolio, but may also be used to attempt to increase returns; however, such practices sometimes may reduce returns or increase volatility. The Fund may also invest some assets in inverse floaters, interest-only and principal-only securities, which are sometimes referred to as derivatives. These practices may be used to increase returns; however, such practices sometimes may reduce returns or increase volatility and may be very sensitive to changes in interest rates.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when there is a perceived deterioration in the credit fundamentals of the issuer or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Philip A. Barach, Jeffrey E. Gundlach and James M. Hassett are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

interest rate risk

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

credit risk

 

 

junk bond risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

extension risk of mortgage-backed securities

 

 

prepayment risk of mortgage-backed securities

 

 

foreign investing risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

asset-backed securities risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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High Yield Bond Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks to maximize income and achieve above average total return consistent with reasonable risk over a full market cycle. To pursue this goal, it invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in high yield/below investment grade bonds, commonly known as “junk” bonds. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in equity securities (including common stock and convertible and non-convertible preferred stocks), bank loans and credit default swaps of companies in the high yield universe. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. Portfolio holdings are diversified by industry and issuer in an attempt to reduce the impact of negative events for an industry or issuer.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Junk bonds are bonds that have a credit rating of BB or lower by rating agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor’s Corporation.

 

Junk bonds are considered to be mostly speculative in nature. This gives the Fund more credit risk than the other TCW fixed income funds, but also gives it the potential for higher returns.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor looks for companies that have:

 

 

strong credit profiles

 

 

favorable industry fundamentals

 

 

good management teams

 

 

stable cash flows

 

 

attractive yields for a given level of risk

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the issuer has experienced a material deterioration of the above referenced areas, the security reaches its targeted price, or the portfolio is rebalanced for diversification purposes.

 

John A. Fekete and James M. Hassett are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

interest rate risk

 

 

credit risk

 

 

junk bond risk

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

equity risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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Total Return Bond Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks to maximize current income and achieve above average total return consistent with prudent investment management over a full market cycle. To pursue these goals, (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in debt securities. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. The Fund will invest primarily in mortgage-backed securities of any maturity or type guaranteed by, or secured by collateral that is guaranteed by, the United States Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or its sponsored corporations (collectively, the “Federal Agencies”), and in privately issued mortgage-backed securities rated Aa or higher by Moody’s or AA or higher by S&P or the equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical organization.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Duration is often used to measure the potential volatility of a bond’s price: bonds with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than bonds with shorter durations. Bonds with fixed maturities have a readily determinable duration. Bonds with uncertain payment schedules, such as mortgage-backed securities which can be prepaid, have durations which may vary or lengthen in certain interest rate environments, making their value even more volatile than when they were acquired.

 

Weighted average duration is the average duration of the securities in the portfolio weighted by market value.

 

Weighted average reset frequency is the average time to the next coupon reset date of the floating rate securities in the portfolio weighted by market value.

 

In managing the Fund’s investments, the Advisor seeks to construct a portfolio with a weighted average effective duration of no more than eight years.

 

The Fund may invest some assets in inverse floaters and interest-only and principal-only securities, which are sometimes referred to as derivatives. These practices may reduce returns or increase volatility and may be very sensitive to changes in interest rates.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Philip A. Barach and Jeffrey E. Gundlach are the Fund’s portfolio managers.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

interest rate risk

 

 

prepayment risk of mortgage-backed securities

 

 

extension risk of mortgage-backed securities

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

credit risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

asset-backed securities risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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International

TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund

 

Investment Objectives/Approach

 

The Fund seeks high total return from current income and capital appreciation. To pursue this goal, it invests (except when maintaining a temporary defensive position) at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in debt securities issued or guaranteed by companies, financial institutions and government entities in Emerging Market Countries. If the Fund changes this investment policy, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change. The debt securities in which the Fund may invest may consist of securities that are unrated or rated BB or lower by S&P or Ba or lower by Moody’s. Debt securities rated below investment grade are the equivalent of high yield, high risk bonds, commonly known as “junk bonds.” The Fund will generally invest in at least four Emerging Market Countries.

 

Concepts to understand

 

Emerging Market Country is a country that has a developing economy or market and is considered an emerging or developing country by the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development or any affiliate thereof (the “World Bank”) as well as Bahrain, Brunei, Cyprus, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

 

Emerging Market Company is a company that: (i) is organized under the laws of an Emerging Market Country or has a principal office in an Emerging Market Country; or (ii) derives 50% or more of its gross revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in Emerging Market Countries or has at least 50% of its assets situated in Emerging Market Countries; or (iii) its equity securities are traded principally on a stock exchange or over-the-counter in an Emerging Market Country.

 

In allocating investments among the various Emerging Market Countries, the Advisor attempts to analyze internal political, market and economic factors. The factors include:

 

 

public finances

 

 

monetary policy

 

 

external accounts

 

 

financial markets

 

 

foreign investment regulations

 

 

stability of exchange rate policy and labor conditions

 

The Fund may invest up to 40% of its total assets in structured investments that may be either subordinated or unsubordinated, and in indexed debt securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in defaulted securities. The Fund will invest in defaulted corporate securities where the Advisor believes the restructured enterprise valuations or liquidation valuations may significantly exceed current market values. In addition, the Fund may invest in defaulted sovereign

 

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investments where the Advisor believes the expected debt sustainability of the country exceeds current market valuations.

 

The Fund may invest assets in options, swaps (including credit default swaps), futures, foreign currency futures and forward contracts. These practices may be used to hedge the Fund’s portfolio as well as for investment purposes; however, such practices sometimes may reduce returns or increase volatility.

 

Typically, the Fund sells an individual security when there is a perceived deterioration in the credit fundamentals of the issuer, there are negative macro geo-political considerations that may affect the issuer or the Advisor determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity.

 

Luz M. Padilla is the Fund’s portfolio manager.

 

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Main Risks

 

The Fund’s ability to achieve its objective will depend largely on the Advisor’s ability in selecting the appropriate mix of portfolio securities.

 

The primary risks affecting the Fund are:

 

 

foreign investing risk

 

 

emerging market country risk

 

 

interest rate risk

 

 

price volatility risk

 

 

credit risk

 

 

junk bond risk

 

 

liquidity risk

 

 

securities selection risk

 

 

market risk

 

 

portfolio management risk

 

 

investment style risk

 

 

securities lending risk

 

 

non-diversification risk

 

Please refer to the Principal Risks and Risk Definitions section for more information on each of the risks listed above.

 

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Principal Risks and Risk Definitions

 

All the Funds are affected by changes in the economy, or in securities and other markets. There is also the possibility that investment decisions the Advisor makes with respect to the investments of the Funds will not accomplish what they were designed to achieve or that the investments will have disappointing performance. Risk is the chance that you will lose money on your investment or that it will not earn as much as you expect. In general, the greater the risk, the more money your investment may earn for you—and the more you can lose. Since the Funds hold securities with fluctuating market prices, the value of each Fund’s shares will vary as its portfolio securities increase or decrease in value. Therefore, the value of your investment in a Fund could go down as well as up.

 

Your investment is not a bank deposit, and it is not insured or guranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity, or person. You can lose money by investing in a Fund. When you sell your shares of a Fund, they could be worth more or less than what you paid for them.

 

Your investment in a Fund may be subject (in varying degrees) to the following risks discussed below. Each Fund may be more susceptible to some of the risks than others.

 

Price Volatility Risk

 

The value of a Fund’s investment portfolio will change as the prices of its investments go up or down. Although stocks offer the potential for greater long-term growth than most debt securities, stocks generally have higher short-term volatility. A Fund’s returns will vary and you can lose money. The Funds that invest primarily in the equity securities of small or medium capitalization companies are subject to greater price volatility than other mutual funds.

 

Prices of most securities tend to be more volatile in the short-term. Therefore, if you trade frequently or redeem in the short-term, you are more likely to incur a loss than an investor who holds investments for the longer-term. The fewer the number of issuers in which a Fund invests, the greater the potential volatility of its portfolio.

 

Equity Risk

 

Equity risk is the risk that stocks and other equity securities generally fluctuate more than bonds and can decline in value over short or extended periods. The value of stocks and other equity securities will be affected as a result of changes in a company’s financial condition and in overall market and economic conditions.

 

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Liquidity Risk

 

The securities of many of the companies with small and medium size capitaliztions may have less “float” (the number of shares that normally trade) and less interest in the market and therefore are subject to liquidity risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and price that a Fund would like to sell. If that happens, the Fund may have to lower the selling price, sell other securities instead, or forgo an investment opportunity, any of which couuld have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance.

 

Investment Style Risk

 

Certain Funds may also be subject to investment style risk. The Advisor primarily uses a particular style or set of styles—“growth” or “value” styles—to select investments for the Funds. Those styles may be out of favor at times or may not produce the best results over short or longer time periods and may increase the volatility of a Fund’s share price.

 

Portfolio Management Risk

 

The Advisor’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular companies’ stocks may prove to be incorrect and may not anticipate actual market movements or the impact of economic conditions generally. In fact, no matter how well the Advisor evaluates market conditions, the securities the Advisor chooses may fail to produce the intended result, and you could lose money on your investment in a Fund.

 

Securities Selection Risk

 

There is the possibility that the specific securities held in a Fund’s investment portfolio will underperform other funds in the same asset class or benchmarks that are representative of the general performance of the asset class because of a portfolio manager’s choice of securities.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk

 

Funds such as the TCW Growth, TCW Growth Equities, TCW Relative Value Small Cap, TCW Small Cap Growth, TCW Value Added and TCW Value Opportunities Funds that invest a portion of their assets in the equity securities of companies with small and medium capitalizations are subject to certain risks. Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger more established companies. As a result, their performance can be more volatile, and they face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility and risk of loss of a Fund’s assets.

 

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Market Risk

 

Various market risks can affect the price or liquidity of an issuer’s securities in which a Fund may invest. There is the possibility that the returns from the types of securities in which a Fund invests will underperform returns from the various general securities markets or different asset classes. Different types of securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to the general securities markets. Adverse events occurring with respect to an issuer’s performance or financial position can depress the value of the issuer’s securities. The liquidity in a market for a particular security will affect its value and may be affected by factors relating to the issuer, as well as the depth of the market for that security. Other market risks that can affect value include a market’s current attitudes about types of securities, market reactions to political or economic events, including litigation, and tax and regulatory effects (including lack of adequate regulations for a market or particular type of instrument).

 

Foreign Investing Risk

 

Investments in foreign securities may involve greater risks than investing in domestic securities because a Fund’s performance may depend on factors other than the performance of a particular company.

 

As compared to U.S. companies, foreign issuers generally disclose less financial and other information publicly and are subject to less stringent and less uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. Foreign countries typically impose less thorough regulations on brokers, dealers, stock exchanges, corporate insiders and domest markets. Investment in foreign securities involves higher costs than investment in U.S. securities, including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, security trading practices abroad may offer less protection to investors such as the Funds. Settlement of transactions in some foreign markets may be delayed or may be less frequent than in the U.S. which could affect the liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio.

 

Because foreign securities generally are denominated and pay dividends or interest in foreign currencies, and a Fund may hold various foreign currencies from time to time, the value of a Fund’s assets, as measured in U.S. dollars, can be affected unfavorably by changes in exchange rates.

 

Emerging Market Country Risk

 

The TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund invests in emerging market countries. Investing in emerging market countries involves substantial risk due to limited information; higher brokerage costs; different accounting standards; thinner trading markets as compared to those in developed countries; currency

 

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blockages or transfer restrictions; and expropriation, nationalization or other adverse political economic developments.

 

Political and economic structures in many emerging markets countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristics of developed countries. Some of these countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have nationalized or expropriated the assets of private companies.

 

The securities markets of emerging market countries are substantially smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the U.S. and other developed nations. The limited size of many securities markets in emerging market countries and limited trading volume in issuers compared to the volume in U.S. securities or securities of issuers in other developed countries could cause prices to be erratic for reasons other than factors that affect the quality of the securities. In addition, emerging market countries’ exchanges and broker-dealers are generally subject to less regulation than their counter parts in developed countries. Brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other transaction costs are generally higher in emerging market countries than in developed countires. As a result, funds that invest in emerging market countries have operating expenses that are higher than funds investing in other securities markets.

 

Some emerging market countries have a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than the U.S. and other developed countries. Such social, political and economic instability could disrupt the financial markets in which the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund invests and adversely affect the value of its investment portfolio.

 

Currencies of emerging market countries have experienced devaluations relative to the U.S. dollar, and major devaluations have historically occurred in certain countries. A devaluation of the currency in which investment portfolio securities are denominated will negatively impact the value of those securities. Emerging market countries have and may in the future impose foreign currency control controls and repatriation controls.

 

Securities Lending Risk

 

Each Fund may lend portfolio securities with a value up to 25% of its total assets, including collateral received for securities lent. If a Fund lends securities, there is a risk that the securities will not be available to the Fund on a timely basis, and the Fund, therefore, may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. In addition, as with other extensions of credit, there is the risk of 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

 

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financially. Also, there is the risk that the value of the investment of the collateral could decline causing a Fund to lose money.

 

Non-Diversification Risk

 

Each of the TCW Equity Funds, except the TCW Diversified Value, TCW Dividend Focused, TCW Relative Value Small Cap, TCW Core Fixed Income, TCW High Yield Bond and TCW Total Return Bond Funds, is organized as a nondiversified fund under the 1940 Act and is not subject to the general limitation that it not invest more than 5% of its total assets in a particular issuer. Because a relatively higher percentage of a Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of issuers, the Fund may be more susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund.

 

Debt Securities Risks

 

Debt securities are subject to various risks. Debt securities are subject to two primary (but not exclusive) types of risk: credit risk and interest rate risk. These risks can affect a security’s price volatility to varying degrees, depending upon the nature of the instrument. In addition, the depth and liquidity of the market for an individual or class of debt security can also affect its price and, hence, the market value of a Fund.

 

Credit Risk refers to the likelihood that an issuer will default in the payment of principal and/or interest on a security. Financial strength and solvency of an issuer are the primary factors influencing credit risk. In addition, lack of or inadequency of collateral or credit enhancements for a fixed income security may affect its credit risk. Credit risk of a security may change over time, and securities which are rated by ratings agencies are often reviewed and may be subject to downgrade.

 

Certain of the Funds may invest in convertible securities rated below investment grade. The TCW High Yield Bond Fund portfolio, and to a lesser extent the TCW Core Fixed Income and TCW Emerging Markets Income Funds portfolio, consist of below investment grade corporate securities. Debt securities that are rated below investment grade are considered to be speculative. Those debt securities rated below investment grade are also commonly known as “junk bonds.” These securities are regarded as bonds predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Because investment in lower quality securities involves greater investment risk, achievement of the Funds’ investment objective will be more dependent on the Advisor’s analysis than would be the case if the Funds were investing in higher quality debt securities. In addition, lower quality securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and individual corporate developments than would investment grade debt securities. Moreover, the secondary trading market for lower quality securities may be less liquid than the

 

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market for investment grade securities. This potential lack of liquidity may make it more difficult for the Advisor to accurately value certain portfolio securities.

 

Certain of the Funds may invest in debt securities and mortgage-backed securities issued by federal agencies and instrumentalities. These securities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government and are supported only by the credit of the issuer. Examples of such securities are mortgage-baced securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Corporation (“Fannie Mae”). These securities are neither issued nor guranteed by the United States Treasury.

 

Interest rate risk refers to the change in value of debt instruments associated with changes in interest rates. Interest rate changes may affect the value of a debt security directly (especially in the case of fixed rate securities) and indirectly (especially in the case of adjustable rate securities). In general, rises in interest rates will negatively impact the value of fixed rate securities and falling interest rates will have a positive effect on value. The degree to which a security’s price will change as a result of changes in interest rates is measured by its “duration.” For example, the price of a bond with a 5 year duration would be expected under normal market conditions to decrease 5% for every 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, securities with longer maturities have a greater duration and thus are subject to greater price volatility from changes in interest rates. Adjustable rate instruments also react to interest rate changes in a similar manner although generally to a lesser degree (depending, however, on the characteristics of the reset terms, including the index chosen, frequency of reset and reset caps or floors, among other things).

 

Junk Bond Risk

 

These bonds are speculative in nature. They are usually issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by those companies with questionable credit strength. These bonds are rated “below investment grade.” These bonds have a higher degree of default risk than higher-rated bonds. The TCW High Yield Bond Fund invests principally in “junk bonds.” Both the TCW Core Fixed Income Fund and the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund may invest a portion of their assets in bonds rated below investment grade.

 

Defaulted Securities Risk

 

The TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund may invest in securities in default. Defaulted securities risk refers to the uncertainty of repayment of defaulted securities and obligations of distressed issuers. Repayment of defaulted securities and obligations of distressed issuers (including insolvent issuers or issuers in payment or covenant default, in workout or restructuring or in bankruptcy or in solvency proceedings) is subject to significant uncertainties. Insolvency laws

 

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and practices in the projected issuers’ jurisdictions are different than those in the U.S. and the effect of these laws and practices cannot be predicted with certainty. Investments in defaulted securities and obligations of distressed issuers are considered speculative.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risks

 

Mortgage-backed securities represent participation interests in pools of residential mortgage loans purchased from individual lenders by a federal agency or originated and issued by private lenders. The TCW Balanced, TCW Core Fixed Income and TCW Total Return Bond Funds may invest in mortgage-backed securities and are subject to the following risks.

 

Credit and Market Risks of Mortgage-Backed Securities. Investments by a Fund in fixed rate and floating rate mortgage-backed securities will entail normal credit risks (i.e., the risk of non-payment of interest and principal) and market risks (i.e., the risk that interest rates and other factors will cause the value of the instrument to decline). Many issuers or servicers of mortgage-backed securities guarantee timely payment of interest and principal on the securities, whether or not payments are made when due on the underlying mortgages. This kind of guarantee generally increases the quality of a security, but does not mean that the security’s market value and yield will not change. Like bond investments, the value of fixed rate mortgage-backed securities will tend to rise when interest rates fall, and fall when rates rise. Floating rate mortgage-backed securities will generally tend to have minimal changes in price when interest rates rise or fall, but their current yield will be affected. The value of all mortgage-backed securities may also change because of changes in the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the organization that issued or guarantees them. In addition, the mortgage-backed securities market in general may be adversely affected by changes in governmental legislation or regulation. Fluctuations in the market value of mortgage-backed securities after their acquisition usually do not affect cash income from these securities but are reflected in a Fund’s net asset value. Factors that could affect the value of a mortgage-backed security include, among other things, the types and amounts of insurance which a mortgage carries, the amount of time the mortgage loan has been outstanding, the loan-to-value ratio of each mortgage and the amount of overcollateralization of a mortgage pool. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may limit substantially the pool’s ability to make payments of principal or interest to a Fund as a holder of such securities, reducing the values of these securities or in some case rendering them worthless.

 

Liquidity Risk of Mortgage-Backed Securities. The liquidity of mortgage-backed securities varies by type of security; at certain times a Fund may encounter difficulty in disposing of investments. Because mortgage-backed securities may be less liquid than other securities, a Fund may be more susceptible to liquidity

 

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risks than funds that invest in other securities. In the past, in stressed markets, certain types of mortgage-backed securities suffered periods of illiquidity if disfavored by the market.

 

Prepayment, Extension and Redemption Risks of Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities reflect an interest in monthly payments made by the borrowers who receive the underlying mortgage loans. Although the underlying mortgage loans are for specified periods of time, such as 20 or 30 years, the borrowers can, and typically do, pay them off sooner. When that happens, the mortgage-backed security which represents an interest in the underlying mortgage loan will be prepaid. A borrower is more likely to prepay a mortgage which bears a relatively high rate of interest. This means that in times of declining interest rates, a portion of the Fund’s higher yielding securities are likely to be redeemed and the Fund will probably be unable to replace them with securities having as great a yield. Prepayments can result in lower yields to shareholders. The increased likelihood of prepayment when interest rates decline also limits market price appreciation of mortgage-backed securities. This is known as prepayment risk. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk. Extension risk is the possibility that rising interest rates may cause prepayments to occur at a slower than expected rate. This particular risk may effectively change a security which was considered short or intermediate term into a long-term security. Long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than short or intermediate-term securities. In addition, a mortgage-backed security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer. If a mortgage-backed security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem or “pay-off” the security, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. There are certain risks associated specifically with collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). CMOs are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities. The average life of CMOs is determined using mathematical models that incorporate prepayment assumptions and other factors that involve estimates of future economic and market conditions. These estimates may vary from actual future results, particularly during periods of extreme market volatility. Further, under certain market conditions, such as those that occurred in 1994 and 2007, the average weighted life of certain CMOs may not accurately reflect the price volatility of such securities. For example, in periods of supply and demand imbalances in the market for such securities and/or in periods of sharp interest rate movements, the prices of CMOs may fluctuate to a greater extent than would be expected from interest rate movements alone. CMOs issued by private entities are not obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and are not guaranteed by

 

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any government agency, although the securities underlying a CMO may be subject to a guarantee. Therefore, if the collateral securing the CMO, as well as any third party credit support or guarantees, is insufficient to make payment, the holder could sustain a loss.

 

Adjustable Rate Mortgages. Adjustable Rate Mortgages (“ARMs”) contain maximum and minimum rates beyond which the mortgage interest rate may not vary over the lifetime of the security. In addition, many ARMs provide for additional limitations on the maximum amount by which the mortgage interest rate may adjust for any single adjustment period. Alternatively, certain ARMs contain limitations on changes in the required monthly payment. In the event that a monthly payment is not sufficient to pay the interest accruing on an ARM, any excess interest is added to the principal balance of the mortgage loan, which is repaid through future monthly payments. If the monthly payment for such an instrument exceeds the sum of the interest accrued at the applicable mortgage interest rate and the principal payment required at such point to amortize the outstanding principal balance over the remaining term of the loan, the excess is utilized to reduce the then-outstanding principal balance of the ARM.

 

Asset-Backed Securities Risks

 

Asset-backed securities are bonds or notes backed by loan paper or accounts receivable originated by banks, credit card companies or other providers of credit. Certain asset-backed securities do not have the benefit of the same security interest in the related collateral as do mortgage-backed securities; nor are they provided government guarantees of repayment. 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. In addition, some issuers of automobile receivables permit the servicers to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these 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. The impairment of the value of collateral or other assets underlying an asset-backed security, such as a result of non-payment of loans or non-performance of other collateral or underlying assets, may result in a reduction in the value of such asset-backed securities and losses to a Fund.

 

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Management of the Funds

 

Investment Advisor

 

The Funds’ investment advisor is TCW Investment Management Company (the “Advisor”) and is headquartered at 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, California 90017. As of December 31, 2007, the Advisor and its affiliated companies, which provide a variety of trust, investment management and investment advisory services, had approximately $150 billion under management or committed to management.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Listed below are the individuals who have been primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of Funds, including a summary of each person’s business experience during the past five years:

 

Portfolio Manager(s)   Business Experience During Last Five Years*

Balanced Fund

   
Jeffrey E. Gundlach   Chief Investment Officer and Group Managing Director, the Advisor and Trust Company of the West. President and Chief Investment Officer, TCW Asset Management Company
Diane E. Jaffee   Group Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Diversified Value Fund

   
Diane E. Jaffee   See above
Matthew J. Spahn   Senior Vice President, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Dividend Focused Fund

   
Diane E. Jaffee   See above

Equities Fund

   
Thomas K. McKissick   Group Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West
N. John Snider   Group Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Focused Equities Fund

   
Thomas K. McKissick   See above
N. John Snider   See above

Growth Fund

   
Derek S. Derman   Senior Vice President, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West since September 2005. Previously, Mr. Derman was a Co-Portfolio Manager at Provident Investment Counsel (Pasadena, CA)
Donald E. Evenson   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West since June 2005. Previously, Mr. Evenson was a Managing Director and Lead Portfolio Manager at Provident Investment Counsel (Pasadena, CA)
Husam H. Nazer   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

 

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Portfolio Manager(s)   Business Experience During Last Five Years*
Robert J. Park   Senior Vice President, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West
R. Brendt Stallings   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West
Michael P. Reilly   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West
Anthony S. Valencia   Senior Vice President, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Growth Equities Fund

   
R. Brendt Stallings   See above

Large Cap Growth Fund

   
Donald E. Evenson   See above
Derek S. Derman   See above

Relative Value Small Cap Fund

Diane E. Jaffee   See above

Select Equities Fund

   
Craig C. Blum   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Small Cap Growth Fund

   
Husam H. Nazer   See above

Spectrum Fund

   
Jason S. Maxwell   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Value Added Fund

   
Nicholas G. Galluccio   Group Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West
Susan I. Suvall   Group Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

Value Opportunities Fund

   
Nicholas F. Galluccio   See above
Susan I. Suvall   See above

Core Fixed Income Fund

   
Philip A. Barach   Group Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West.
Jeffrey E. Gundlach   See above
James M. Hassett   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

High Yield Bond Fund

   
John A. Fekete   Senior Vice President, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West
James M. Hassett   See above

 

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Total Return Bond Fund

   
Philip A. Barach   See above
Jeffrey E. Gundlach   See above

Emerging Markets Income Fund

Luz M. Padilla   Managing Director, the Advisor, TCW Asset Management Company and Trust Company of the West

 

* Positions with the TCW Group, Inc. and its affiliates may have changed over time.

 

The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ investment in each Fund they manage, a description of their compensation structure and information regarding the accounts they manage.

 

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Advisory Agreement

 

The Funds and the Advisor have entered into an Investment Advisory and Management Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), under the terms of which the Funds have employed the Advisor to manage the investment of its assets, to place orders for the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities, and to be responsible for overall management of the Funds’ business affairs, subject to control by the Board of Directors. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Funds pay to the Advisor as compensation for the services rendered, facilities furnished, and expenses paid by it the following fees:

 

Fund   Annual Management Fee (As Percent of Average Net Asset Value)
Balanced   0.60%
Diversified Value   0.75%
Dividend Focused   0.75%
Equities   0.55%
Focused Equities   0.65%
Growth   0.75%
Growth Equities   1.00%
Large Cap Growth   0.65%
Relative Value Small Cap   0.90%
Select Equities   0.75%
Small Cap Growth   1.00%
Spectrum   0.55%
Value Added   1.00%
Value Opportunities   0.80%
Core Fixed Income   0.40%
High Yield Bond   0.75%
Total Return Bond   0.50%
Emerging Markets Income   0.75%

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Directors approval of the Advisory Agreement of the Funds is contained in the Funds’ annual report to shareholders for the twelve months ended October 31, 2007.

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the matters to which the agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its duties under the agreement.

 

Payments by the Advisor

 

The Advisor pays certain costs of marketing the Funds from legitimate profits from its investment advisory fees and other resources available to it. The Advisor

 

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may also share with financial advisors certain marketing expenses or pay for the opportunity to distribute the Funds, sponsor informational meetings, seminars, client awareness events, support for marketing materials, or business building programs. The Advisor or its affiliates may pay amounts from their own resources to third parties, including brokerage firms, banks, financial advisors, retirement plan service providers, and other financial intermediaries for providing record keeping, subaccounting, transaction processing and other administrative services. These payments are in addition to any fees that may be paid by the Funds for these types of or other services.

 

The amount of these payments is determined from time to time by the Advisor and may differ among such financial intermediaries. Such payments may provide incentives for such parties to make shares of the Funds available to their customers, and may allow the Funds greater access to such parties and their customers than would be the case if no payments were paid. These payment arrangements will not, however, change the price an investor pays for shares of a Fund or the amount that the Fund receives to invest on behalf of the investor. You may wish to consider whether such arrangements exist when evaluating any recommendations to purchase or sell shares of a Fund.

 

Multiple Class Structure

 

Certain of the TCW Funds currently offer three classes of shares: Class I shares, Class N (or Investor Class) shares and Class K (or Advisor Class) shares. Each of the Funds contained in this Prospectus offer Class I shares. The TCW Dividend Focused, TCW Equities, TCW Relative Value Small Cap, TCW Select Equities, TCW Value Added and TCW Value Opportunities Funds also offer Class K shares by a separate prospectus. Shares of each class of a Fund represent an equal pro rata interest in that Fund and generally gives you the same voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights. The Class I shares are offered by a separate prospectus at the current net asset value. The Class N shares are also offered at the current net asset value, but will be subject to fees imposed under a distribution plan (“Distribution Plan”) adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the Distribution Plan, each Fund compensates the Funds’ distributor for distribution and related services at a rate equal to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of that Fund attributable to its Class N shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s Class N assets on an on-going basis, over time, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Because the expenses of each class may differ, the performance of each class is expected to differ.

 

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YOUR INVESTMENT

 

Buying shares

 

You pay no sales charges to invest in a Fund. Your price for a Fund’s shares is the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”) which is calculated as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) every day the exchange is open. The NAV of a Fund is determined by adding the value of a Fund’s securities, cash and other assets, subtracting all expenses and liabilities, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding (assets-liabilities/# of shares = NAV). Your order will be priced at the next NAV calculated after your order is accepted by a Fund. Orders received by the Funds’ transfer agent from dealers, brokers or other service providers (“financial Intermediaries”) after the NAV for the day is determined, will receive that same day’s NAV if the orders were received by the financial intermediary from its customers prior to 4:00 p.m. (or the time trading closes on the NYSE, whichever is earlier). If you place an order for the purchase of shares through a financial intermediary, the purchase will be based on the NAV next determined, but only if the financial intermediary receives the order by the daily cut-off (usually 4:00 P.M. Eastern time on days the NYSE is open for trading). Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting such orders promptly. A Fund’s investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued based on market value. A Fund may use the fair value of a security as determined in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Directors if market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable or if events occurring after the close of a securities market and before a Fund values its assets would materially affect net asset value. Such situations are particularly relevant for Funds that hold securities that trade primarily in overseas markets. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures. Unlike the closing price of a security on an exchange, fair value determinations employ elements of judgment. The fair value assigned to a security may not represent the value that a Fund could obtain if it were to sell the security.

 

Each security that is owned by a Fund that is listed on a securities exchange is valued at its last sales price on that exchange on the date as of which assets are valued. Where the security is listed on more than one exchange, the Funds will use the price of that exchange that the Advisor generally considers to be the principal exchange on which the stock is traded. Securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”) will be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price, which may not necessarily represent the last sale price.

 

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Minimums

 

       Initial      IRA      Additional
All Funds      $2,000      $500      $250

 

The Funds may accept investments of smaller amounts under circumstances deemed appropriate. The Funds reserve the right to change the minimum investment amounts without prior notice. All investments must be in U.S. dollars drawn on domestic banks. The Funds will not accept cash, money orders, checks drawn on banks outside the U.S., travelers checks, bank checks, drafts, cashiers’ checks in amounts less than $10,000 or credit card checks. Third-party checks, except those payable to an existing shareholder, will not be accepted. In addition, the Funds will not accept post-dated checks, post-dated on-line checks or any conditional order or payment. If your check does not clear, you will be responsible for any loss a Fund incurs. You will also be charged $25 for every check returned unpaid.

 

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means for you is that when you open an account, the Fund’s transfer agent will ask you for your name, address, date of birth, taxpayer identification number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. The transfer agent may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identification documents, and may consult third-party databases to help verify your identity. If the transfer agent is unable to verify your identity or that of another person authorized to act on your behalf, or if it believes it has identified potentially criminal activity, the transfer agent reserves the right to close your account or take any other action it deems reasonable or required by law.

 

Automatic Investment Plan ($100 minimum)

 

Once your account has been opened with the initial minimum investment you may make additional purchases at regular intervals through the Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). The AIP provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account for investment into the Fund, on a monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis (if your AIP falls on a weekend or holiday, it will be processed on the following business day). In order to participate in the AIP, each purchase must be in the amount of $100 or more and your financial institution must be a member of the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network. If your financial institution rejects your payment, the Fund’s transfer agent will charge a $25 fee to your Fund account. To begin participating in the AIP, please complete the AIP section on the account application or call the Fund’s transfer agent at (800) 248-4486. Any request to

 

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change or terminate your AIP should be submitted to the transfer agent at least five business days prior to the effective date of the next transaction.

 

Selling shares

 

You may sell shares at any time. Your shares will be sold at the next NAV calculated after your order is accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent or a dealer, broker or other service provider. However, the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund is not intended to serve as a vehicle for frequent trading activity because such trading may disrupt management of the Fund, generate expenses and adversely affect performance. Accordingly, the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund imposes a short-term redemption fee on shares owned less than 90 days equal to 2.00% of the value of the shares redeemed. This amount will be paid to the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund, not to the Advisor. The redemption fee is designed to offset the costs associated with fluctuations in fund asset levels and cash flow caused by short-term tradings. Shares held the longest will be redeemed first for purposes of calculating the redemption fee. This redemption fee may not apply to 401(k) or other group retirement accounts (although the redemption fee is applied to the Advisor’s retirement savings program), to certain asset allocation accounts (including mutual funds that invest in other mutual funds for asset allocation purposes, and not for short term trading), to automatic investment programs such as dividend reinvestment, or to transactions pursuant to the Fund’s systematic investment or withdrawal program. The redemption fee will be waived in the event of death of a shareholder. Because, as described above, certain asset allocation programs, retirement programs and omnibus accounts may not be subject to the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund’s redemption fee policy, shareholders trading through such accounts may redeem their shares more frequently than other shareholders, which could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

 

Any certificates representing Fund shares being sold must be returned with your redemption request. Your order will be processed promptly, and you will generally receive the proceeds within a week.

 

Before selling recently purchased shares, please note that if a Fund has not yet collected payment for the shares you are selling, it may delay sending the proceeds for up to fifteen days from the purchase date or until payment is collected, whichever is earlier.

 

Written sell order

 

Some circumstances require written sell orders, along with signature guarantees. These include:

 

 

amounts of $100,000 or more

 

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amounts of $1,000 or more on accounts whose address has been changed within the last 30 days

 

 

requests to send the proceeds to a payee, address or a bank account different than what is on our records

 

A signature guarantee helps protect against fraud. You can obtain one from most banks, securities dealers, credit unions or savings associations but not from a notary public. Please call (800) 248-4486 to ensure that your signature guarantee will be processed correctly.

 

Exchange privilege

 

You can exchange from one Class N Fund into another. The TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund is not intended to serve as a vehicle for frequent trading because such trading may disrupt management of the Fund, generate expenses and adversely affect performance. Accordingly, the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund has a short-term exchange fee on shares owned less than 90 days equal to 2.00% of the value of the shares exchanged. You must meet the investment minimum of the Fund you are exchanging into. The exchange fee may not apply to 401(k) or other group retirement accounts (although the exchange fee is applied to the Advisor’s retirement savings program) and to certain asset allocation accounts (including mutual funds that invest in other mutual funds for asset allocation purposes, and not for short-term trading). You can request your exchange in writing or by phone. Be sure to read the current prospectus for any Fund into which you are exchanging. Any new account established through an exchange will have the same privileges as your original account (as long as they are available). Because, as described above, certain asset allocation programs, retirement programs and omnibus accounts may not be subject to the TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund’s exchange fee policy, shareholders trading through such accounts may exchange their shares more frequently than other shareholders, which could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

 

Third party transactions

 

You may buy and redeem a Fund’s shares through certain broker-dealers and financial organizations and their authorized intermediaries. If purchases and redemptions of a Fund’s shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor’s election through a registered broker-dealer, other than the Fund’s distributor, that broker-dealer may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service.

 

Account statements

 

Every Fund investor automatically receives regular account statements. You will also be sent a yearly statement detailing the tax characteristics of any dividends and distributions you have received.

 

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Household mailings

 

Each year you are automatically sent an updated prospectus and annual and semi-annual reports for the Funds. You may also receive proxy statements for a Fund. In order to reduce the volume of mail you receive, when possible, only one copy of these documents will be sent to shareholders that are part of the same family and share the same residential address.

 

General policies

 

If your non-retirement account falls below $2,000 as a result of redemptions and or exchanges for six months or more, a Fund may close your account and send you the proceeds upon 60 days’ written notice.

 

Unless you decline telephone privileges on your New Account Form, you may be responsible for any fraudulent telephone order as long as the transfer agent takes reasonable measures to verify the order.

 

A signature guarantee is required:

 

 

if ownership is changed on your account

 

 

when adding or changing telephone privileges on your account

 

 

when adding or changing automated bank instructions on your account

 

Large Redemption Amounts

 

The Funds also reserve the right to make a “redemption in kind”—payment in portfolio securities rather than cash—if the amount you are redeeming in any 90-day period is large enough to affect Fund operations (for example, if it equals more than $250,000 or represents more than 1% of a Fund’s assets).

 

Trading Limits

 

The Funds are not intended to serve as vehicles for frequent trading activity because such trading may disrupt management of the Funds. In addition, such trading activity can increase expenses as a result of increased trading and transaction costs, forced and unplanned portfolio turnover, lost opportunity costs, and large asset swings that decrease the Funds’ ability to provide maximum investment return to all shareholders. In addition, certain trading activity that attempts to take advantage of inefficiencies in the valuation of the Funds’ securities holdings may dilute the interests of the remaining shareholders. This in turn can have an adverse effect on the Funds’ performance.

 

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Accordingly, the Board has adopted the following policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders. Each Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase or exchange request that could adversely affect a Fund or its operations, including those from any individual or group who, in the Fund’s view, is likely to engage in excessive trading. If a purchase or exchange order with respect to a Fund is rejected by a Fund, the potential investor will not benefit from any subsequent increase in the net asset value of the Fund. Further, in order to prevent excessive trading activity, the Funds limit the number of “round trip” transactions that a shareholder may make. A shareholder makes a round trip by purchasing shares of a particular Fund (through either a purchase or exchange from another Fund) and subsequently selling shares of that Fund (through either a redemption or an exchange into another Fund). The Funds reserve the right to refuse any exchange into or purchase order for a Fund from any shareholder upon completion of four round trips with respect to that Fund in a calendar year. Shareholders who exceed these trading limits are still permitted to redeem their shares subject to any applicable redemption fee. In addition, exchanges out of a Fund are not permitted within a 15 day period from the last purchase or exchange into the same Fund, and redemptions out of a Fund within a 15 day period following a purchase may result in future purchases in the Fund being barred. Exceptions to these trading limits may only be made upon approval of the Advisor’s Vice President of Fund Operations, and such exceptions are reported to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

 

These restrictions do not apply to certain asset allocation programs (including mutual funds that invest in other mutual funds for asset allocation purposes, and not for short-term trading), to omnibus accounts (except to the extent noted in the next paragraph) maintained by brokers and other financial intermediaries (including 401(k) or other group retirement accounts, although restrictions on Fund share transactions comparable to those set forth in the previous paragraph have been applied to the Advisor’s retirement savings program), and to involuntary transactions and automatic investment programs, such as dividend reinvestment, or transactions pursuant to the Funds’ systematic investment or withdrawal program.

 

In an attempt to detect and deter excessive trading in omnibus accounts, the Funds or their agents may require intermediaries to impose restrictions on the trading activity of accounts traded through those intermediaries. The Funds’ ability to impose restrictions with respect to accounts traded through particular intermediaries may vary depending on the systems capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions, and cooperation of those intermediaries. The Funds, however, cannot always identify or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify through the use of omnibus accounts by those intermediaries that transmit

 

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purchase, exchange and redemption orders to the Funds, and thus the Funds may have difficulty curtailing such activity.

 

In addition, each Fund reserves the right to:

 

 

change or discontinue its exchange privilege, or temporarily suspend this privilege during unusual market conditions, to the extent permitted under applicable SEC rules;

 

 

delay sending out redemption proceeds for up to seven days (generally only applies in cases of very large redemptions, excessive trading or during unusual market conditions).

 

TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT   TO ADD TO AN ACCOUNT
In Writing    

Complete the New Account Form. Mail your New

Account Form and a check made payable to TCW

                 Fund to:

 

Via Regular Mail

TCW Funds, Inc.

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Via Express, Registered or Certified Mail

TCW Funds, Inc.

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

615 E. Michigan Street,

3rd Floor Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

 

 

 

 

(Same, except that you should include the stub that is attached to your account statement that you receive after each transaction or a note specifying the Fund name, your account number, and the name(s) your account is registered in.)

By Telephone    

 

Please contact the Investor Relations Department at (800) FUND TCW (386-3829) for a New Account Form. The transfer agent will not establish a new account funded by fed wire unless a completed application is received prior to its receipt of the fed wire.

   

Wire: Have your bank send your investment to:

U.S. Bank, N.A.

777 E. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53202

ABA No. 075000022

Credit: U.S. Bancorp Fund Services LLC

Account No. 182380074993

Further Credit: TCW              Fund

(Name on the Fund Account)

(Fund Account Number)

Via Exchange

  Before sending your fed wire, please call the transfer agent to advise them of the wire. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit to your account upon receipt of the fed wire.

 

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TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT   TO ADD TO AN ACCOUNT
Call the transfer agent at (800) 248-4486. The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are exchanging.    

If you need help completing the New Account Form, please call the transfer agent at (800) 248-4486.

 

TO SELL OR EXCHANGE SHARES    
By Mail  

To reach the transfer agent, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, call toll free in the U.S.

Write a letter of instruction that includes:  

(800) 248-4486

Ÿ your name(s) and signature(s) as they appear on the account form

Ÿyour account number

Ÿthe Fund name

Ÿthe dollar amount you want to sell or exchange

Ÿhow and where to send the proceeds

 

Outside the U.S.

 

(414) 765-4124 (collect)

Obtain a signature guarantee or other documentation, if required (see “Account Policies and Services—Selling Shares”).    
Mail your letter of instruction to:    
Via Regular Mail    

TCW Funds, Inc.

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

   
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701    
Via Express, Registered or Certified Mail    

TCW Funds, Inc.

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

   
615 E. Michigan Street, 3rd Floor    
Milwaukee, WI 53202    
By Telephone    

Be sure the Funds have your bank account information on file. Call the transfer agent at (800) 248-4486 to request your transaction. Proceeds will be sent electronically to your bank or a check will be sent to the address of record. Any undeliverable checks or checks that remain uncashed for six months will be cancelled and will be reinvested in the Fund at the per share net asset value determined as of the date of cancellation.

 

Telephone redemption requests must be for a minimum of $1,000.

   

 

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TO SELL OR EXCHANGE SHARES    
Systematic Withdrawal Plan: As another convenience, you may redeem shares through the systematic withdrawal plan. Call (800) 248-4486 to request a form to add the plan. Complete the form, specifying the amount and frequency of withdrawals you would like.    
Under the plan, you may choose to receive a specified dollar amount generated from the redemption of shares in your account on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. In order to participate in the plan, your account balance must be at least $2,000 and there must be a minimum annual withdrawal of $500. If you elect this redemption method, the Funds will send a check to your address of record, or will send the payment via electronic funds transfer through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network, directly to your bank account. For payment through the ACH network, your bank must be an ACH member and your bank account information must be on file with the Fund. The plan may be terminated by the Funds at any time.    
You may elect to terminate your participation in the plan at any time by contacting the transfer agent sufficiently in advance of the next withdrawal date.    

 

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Distributions and Taxes

 

The amount of dividends of net investment income and distributions of net realized long and short-term capital gains payable to shareholders will be determined separately for each Fund class. Dividends from the net investment income of each Fund will be declared and paid annually except for the TCW Balanced and TCW Dividend Focused Funds, which will declare and pay dividends quarterly and the TCW Core Fixed Income, TCW High Yield Bond, TCW Total Return Bond and TCW Emerging Markets Income Funds which will declare and pay dividends monthly. The Funds will distribute any net realized long or short-term capital gains at least annually. Your distributions will be reinvested in the Fund unless you instruct the Fund otherwise. There are no fees or sales charges on reinvestments.

 

Distributions of a Fund’s net investment income, (which include, but are not limited to, interest dividends and net short-term capital gains), if any, are generally taxable to a Fund’s shareholders as ordinary income. To the extent that a Fund’s ordinary income distributions consist of “qualified dividend” income, such income may be subject to tax at the reduced rate of tax applicable to non-corporate shareholders for net long-term capital gains, if certain holding period requirements have been satified by a Fund and the shareholders.

 

Distributions of net capital gains (net long-term cpital gains less net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of the length of time a shareholder has owned shares of a Fund.

 

You will be taxed in the same manner whether you receive your distributions (whether of net investment income or capital gains) in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of a Fund.

 

Shareholders who sell or redeem shares generally will have a capital gain or loss from the sale or redemption. The amount of gain or loss and the applicable rate of tax will depend generally on the amount paid for the shares, the amount recived from the sale or redemption, and how long the shares were held by a shareholder.

 

Shareholders will be advised annually as to the federal tax status of distribtions made by a Fund for the preceding calendar year. Distributions by a Fund may also be subject to state and local taxes. Additional tax information may be found in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). This section is not intended to be a full discussion of tax laws and the effect of such laws on you. There may be other federal, state, or local tax considerations applicable to a particular investor. You are urged to consult your own tax advisor.

 

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Portfolio Holdings Information

 

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities is available in the SAI. Currently, disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the annual report and semi-annual report to shareholders and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. The SAI and Form N-Q are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website at www.sec.gov. The SAI is also available by contacting the Funds at 1-800-FUND TCW (1-800-386-3829) and on the Funds’ website at www.tcw.com.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in Class N Shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report which is available upon request.

 

TCW Balanced Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended
October 31, 2007

    September 1, 2006
(Commencement of
Offering of N Class
Shares) through

October 31, 2006

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Period

   $10.44     $10.00  
    

 

Income from Investment Operations:

            

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.19     0.03  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   0.35     0.42  
    

 

Total from Investment Operations

   0.54     0.45  
    

 

Less Distributions:

            

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.19 )   (0.01 )

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.02 )    
    

 

Total Distributions

   (0.21 )   (0.01 )
    

 

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Period

   $10.77     $10.44  
    

 

Total Return

   5.18%     4.53% (2)

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

            

Net Assets, End of Period (in thousands)

   $9,899     $9,410  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

            

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.70%     2.87% (3)

After Expense Reimbursement

   1.17%     1.22% (3)

Ratio of Net Investment to Average Net Assets

   1.77%     1.59% (3)

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   56.40%     4.70% (2)

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

(2) For the period September 1, 2006 (Commencement of Operations) through October 31, 2006 and not indicative of a full year’s operating results.

(3) Annualized

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in Class N Shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report which is available upon request.

 

TCW Diversified Value Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $16.18     $13.78     $12.32     $10.61     $8.23  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment Income (Loss)(1)

   0.12     0.08     0.04     (0.01 )   0.01  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   0.72     2.57     1.65     1.73     2.44  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   0.84     2.65     1.69     1.72     2.45  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.07 )   (2)   (0.02 )   (0.01 )   (0.07 )

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.12 )   (0.25 )   (0.21 )        
    

Total Distributions

   (0.19 )   (0.25 )   (0.23 )   (0.01 )   (0.07 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $16.83     $16.18     $13.78     $12.32     $10.61  
    

Total Return

   5.28%     19.56%     13.81%     16.25%     29.99%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $188,715     $85,125     $35,248     $13,396     $7,729  

Ratio of Net Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.18%     1.20%     1.41%     1.80%     2.43%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   N/A     N/A     1.40%     1.45%     1.34%  

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

   0.72%     0.52%     0.27%     (0.06)%     0.14%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   30.58%     27.44%     34.74%     59.75%     38.33%  

 

(1) Computed using the average shares outstanding throughout the period.

(2) Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in Class N Shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report which is available upon request.

 

TCW Dividend Focused Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $13.20     $11.30     $10.56     $10.12     $8.92  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.23     0.18     0.14     0.09     0.10  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   1.25     1.91     0.86     1.27     2.13  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   1.48     2.09     1.00     1.36     2.23  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Dividends from Net Investment Income

   (0.24 )   (0.15 )   (0.18 )   (0.10 )   (0.12 )

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.21 )   (0.04 )   (0.08 )   (0.82 )   (0.91 )
    

Total Distributions

   (0.45 )   (0.19 )   (0.26 )   (0.92 )   (1.03 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $14.23     $13.20     $11.30     $10.56     $10.12  
    

Total Return

   11.37%     18.72%     9.48%     14.36%     27.59%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $1,557,793     $1,256,657     $827,175     $214,493     $31,949  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.15%     1.16%     1.25%     1.33%     1.52%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   N/A     N/A     N/A     N/A     1.39%  

Ratio of Net Investment to Average Net Assets

   1.65%     1.51%     1.27%     0.91%     1.13%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   26.19%     25.14%     31.50%     44.05%     33.22%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Equities Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31

 
     2007

    2006

   2005

    2004

   2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $17.25     $14.91    $13.57     $12.05    $9.72  
    

Income from Investment Operations:

                            

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.06     0.10    0.02     0.01    0.01  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   1.40     2.24    1.38     1.51    2.36  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   1.46     2.34    1.40     1.52    2.37  
    

Less Distributions:

                            

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.13 )      (0.06 )      (0.04 )

Distribution from Net Realized Gain

   (1.17 )              
    

Total Distributions

   (1.30 )      (0.06 )      (0.04 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $17.41     $17.25    $14.91     $13.57    $12.05  
    

Total Return

   8.86%     15.69%    10.32%     12.62%    24.48%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                            

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $4,132     $7,039    $10,931     $6,800    $3,916  

Ratio of Net Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                            

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.34%     1.30%    1.60%     1.84%    2.42%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   1.33%     N/A    1.42%     1.42%    1.40%  

Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   0.35%     0.61%    0.12%     0.10%    0.07%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   48.92%     30.87%    32.31%     49.31%    60.52%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the N Class shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions (Class N shares of the Fund commenced operations on March 1, 2001). These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose reports, along with Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Focused Equities Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

   2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $14.31     $12.28     $10.97    $9.51     $7.50  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                             

Net Investment Income (Loss)(1)

   0.04     0.04     0.01    (0.01 )   (2)

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   1.35     2.01     1.30    1.47     2.03  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   1.39     2.05     1.31    1.46     2.03  
    

Less Distributions:

                             

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.03 )   (0.01 )          (0.02 )

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

       (0.01 )           
    

Total Distributions

   (0.03 )   (0.02 )          (0.02 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $15.67     $14.31     $12.28    $10.97     $9.51  
    

Total Return

   9.74%     16.75%     11.94%    15.35%     27.13%  

Ratio/Supplemental Data:

                             

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $35,509     $23,604     $2,251    $1,952     $996  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                             

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.27%     1.42%     3.43%    3.56%     7.37%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   N/A     1.38%     1.38%    1.41%     1.40%  

Ratio of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   0.30%     0.33%     0.05%    (0.06)%     0.04%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   63.43%     37.47%     42.82%    67.96%     68.28%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

(2) Amount rounds to less than $0.01.

 

103


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Growth Equities Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended
October 31,


    March 1, 2004
(Commencement
of Operations)
through
October 31, 2004

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

   

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $12.17     $11.46     $9.98     $10.00  
    

 

(Loss) from Investment Operations:

                        

Net Investment Income (Loss)(1)

   (0.14 )   (0.16 )   (0.10 )   (0.02 )

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   5.87     0.87     1.58      
    

 

Total from Investment Operations

   5.73     0.71     1.48     (0.02 )
    

 

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $17.90     $12.17     $11.46     $9.98  
    

 

Total Return

   47.08%     6.20%     14.83%     (0.20)% (2)

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                        

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $9,611     $5,172     $ — (3)   $— (3)

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                        

Before Expense Reimbursement

   2.19%     4.17%     5,104.46%     76.18% (4)

After Expense Reimbursement

   1.54%     1.56%     1.67%     1.71% (4)

Ratio of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   (1.00)%     (1.35)%     (0.95)%     (0.36)% (4)

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   71.58%     123.31%     57.18%     19.21% (2)

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding for the period.

(2) For the period March 1, 2004 (Commencement of Operations) through October 31, 2004 and not indicative of a full year’s operating results.

(3) Amount rounds to less than $1 (in thousands).

(4) Annualized.

 

104


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in Class N Shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report which is available upon request.

 

TCW Large Cap Growth Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended
October 31, 2007


    February 6, 2006
(Commencement
of Operations)
through
October 31, 2006


 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $ 20.28     $ 20.00  
    


 


Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                

Net Investment (Loss)(1)

     (0.19 )     (0.10 )

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

     4.41       0.38  
    


 


Total from Investment Operations

     4.22       0.28  
    


 


Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $ 24.50     $ 20.28  
    


 


Total Return

     20.86 %     1.40 %(2)

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $ 3,498     $ 1,531  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                

Before Expense Reimbursement

     1.79 %     3.71 %(3)

After Expense Reimbursement

     1.43 %     1.45 %(3)

Ratio of Net Investment to Average Net Assets

     (0.85 )%     (0.71) %(3)

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     56.12 %     20.40 %(3)

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

(2) For the period February 6, 2006 (Commencement of Operations) through October 31, 2006 and not indicative of a full year’s operating results.

(3) Annualized.

 

105


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in Class N Shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements are included in the annual report which is available upon request.

 

TCW Relative Value Small Cap Fund (previously TCW Opportunity Fund)

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $15.08     $13.49     $13.20     $11.96     $8.69  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations

      

Net Investment (Loss)(1)

   (0.05 )   (0.05 )   (0.07 )   (0.11 )   (0.05 )

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   1.06     2.27     1.28     1.43     3.32  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   1.01     2.22     1.21     1.32     3.27  
    

Less Distributions

                              

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.83 )   (0.63 )   (0.92 )   (0.08 )    
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $15.26     $15.08     $13.49     $13.20     $11.96  
    

Total Return

   7.03%     16.92%     9.21%     11.09%     37.63%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $96,786     $91,085     $53,083     $36,392     $24,042  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.43%     1.43%     1.57%     1.69%     1.79%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   N/A     N/A     N/A     1.65%     1.50%  

Ratio of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   (0.34)%     (0.37)%     (0.54)%     (0.82)%     (0.51)%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   33.62%     48.81%     44.61%     51.62%     55.68%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

106


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Select Equities Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $18.71     $19.00     $17.46     $16.75     $11.59  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment (Loss)(1)

   (0.04 )   (0.14 )   (0.16 )   (0.15 )   (0.13 )

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   3.16     (0.15 )   1.70     0.86     5.29  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   3.12     (0.29 )   1.54     0.71     5.16  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.17 )                
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $21.66     $18.71     $19.00     $17.46     $16.75  
    

Total Return

   16.83%     (1.53)%     8.82%     4.24%     44.52%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $647,402     $975,971     $1,168,507     $1,215,148     $754,060  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets

   1.19%     1.17%     1.21%     1.20%     1.25%  

Ratio of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   (0.19)%     (0.71)%     (0.90)%     (0.89)%     (0.93)%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   32.44%     38.65%     16.32%     14.41%     22.16%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

107


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Small Cap Growth Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31

     2007

   2006

   2005

   2004

   2003

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $19.40    $16.22    $14.44    $14.53    $10.13
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                        

Net Investment (Loss)(1)

   (0.22)    (0.17)    (0.22)    (0.15)    (0.18)

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   6.40    3.35    2.00    0.06    4.58
    

Total from Investment Operations

   6.18    3.18    1.78    (0.09)    4.40
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $25.58    $19.40    $16.22    $14.44    $14.53
    

Total Return

   31.86%    19.61%    12.33%    (0.62)%    43.43%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                        

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $25,864    $29,310    $31,617    $79,219    $81,834

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                        

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.69%    1.66%    1.75%    1.60%    1.68%

After Expense Reimbursement

   1.65%    N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A

Ratios of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   (1.04)%    (0.92)%    (1.44)%    (1.00)%    (1.55)%

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   92.14%    96.93%    76.33%    42.56%    84.70%

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

108


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Spectrum Fund (previously named TCW Large Cap Core Fund)

Class N

 

     Year Ended
October 31,


    November 1, 2004
(Commencement
of Operations)
through
October 31, 2005


 
     2007

    2006

   

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year

   $12.61     $11.12     $10.00  
    

 

Income from Investment Operations:

                  

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.03     0.02     0.01  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   1.68     1.52     1.14  
    

 

Total from Investment Operations

   1.71     1.54     1.15  
    

 

Less Distributions:

                  

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.01 )   (0.01 )   (0.03 )

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.36 )   (0.04 )    
    

 

Total Distributions

   (0.37 )   (0.05 )   (0.03 )
    

 

Net Asset Value per Share End of Year

   $13.95     $12.61     $11.12  
    

 

Total Return

   13.84%     13.93%     11.47%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                  

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $6,548     $4,131     $5,444  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                  

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.31%     1.46%     2.19%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   1.31% (2)   1.43%     1.45%  

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

   0.26%     0.21%     0.05%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   41.67%     41.96%     29.68%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

(2) Effect of waiver is less than 0.01%.

 

109


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the N class shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose reports, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Value Added Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $17.17     $14.33     $13.71     $13.80     $8.43  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment (Loss)(1)

   (0.14 )   (0.12 )       (0.11 )   (0.14 )

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   0.42     2.96     0.62     0.02     5.51  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   0.28     2.84     0.62     (0.09 )   5.37  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (1.98 )                
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $15.47     $17.17     $14.33     $13.71     $13.80  
    

Total Return

   1.46%     19.82%     4.45%     (0.65)%     63.70%  

Ratio/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $38     $1     $ — (2)   $ — (2)   $ — (2)

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   16.74%     4,180.98%     7,697.12%     6,789.72%     11,978.69%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   1.52%     1.56%     1.62%     1.67%     1.64%  

Ratio of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   (0.85)%     (0.73)%         (0.76)%     (1.34)%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   69.24%     74.91%     62.76%     71.97%     67.67%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

(2) Amount rounds to less than $1 (in thousands).

 

110


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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the N Class shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose reports, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Value Opportunities Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $23.85     $21.81     $20.56     $19.11     $12.99  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment (Loss)(1)

   (0.02 )   0.02     (0.07 )   (0.10 )   (0.09 )

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   1.93     3.71     1.62     1.55     6.21  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   1.91     3.73     1.55     1.45     6.12  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.01 )                

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (2.15 )   (1.69 )   (0.30 )        
    

Total Distributions

   (2.16 )   (1.69 )   (0.30 )        
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $23.60     $23.85     $21.81     $20.56     $19.11  
    

Total Return

   8.56%     17.85%     7.53%     7.59%     47.11%  

Ratio/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $170,918     $191,179     $222,342     $313,913     $137,795  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets

   1.25%     1.22%     1.27%     1.25%     1.33%  

Ratio of Net Investment (Loss) to Average Net Assets

   (0.08)%     0.08%     (0.32)%     (0.47)%     (0.58)%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   38.16%     73.48%     59.48%     46.33%     53.78%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

111


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the N Class shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Core Fixed Income Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $9.79     $9.78     $10.25     $10.08     $9.73  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.40     0.36     0.37     0.43     0.43  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   0.09     0.06     (0.36 )   0.18     0.40  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   0.49     0.42     0.01     0.61     0.83  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.42 )   (0.41 )   (0.48 )   (0.44 )   (0.48 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $9.86     $9.79     $9.78     $10.25     $10.08  
    

Total Return

   5.17%     4.44%     0.01%     6.19%     8.69%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $114,860     $17,821     $17,432     $16,633     $15,356  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   0.82%     1.08%     1.10%     1.10%     1.06%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   0.76%     N/A     N/A     N/A     N/A  

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

   4.10%     3.67%     3.61%     4.23%     4.29%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   76.69%     90.58%     97.60%     73.55%     127.30%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW High Yield Bond Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $6.90     $6.87     $7.30     $7.09     $6.21  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.47     0.49     0.52     0.55     0.56  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   (0.07 )   0.05     (0.43 )   0.23     0.89  
    

Total from Investment Operations

   0.40     0.54     0.09     0.78     1.45  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.52 )   (0.51 )   (0.52 )   (0.57 )   (0.57 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $6.78     $6.90     $6.87     $7.30     $7.09  
    

Total Return

   5.96%     8.15%     1.21%     11.42%     24.08%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $22,146     $50,318     $40,862     $53,551     $70,305  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   1.20%     1.20%     1.25%     1.32%     1.33%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   N/A     N/A     1.24%     1.30%     1.30%  

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

   6.71%     7.18%     7.25%     7.56%     8.15%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   91.99%     87.48%     95.52%     99.77%     146.65%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

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Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Total Return Bond Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended October 31,

 
     2007

    2006

    2005

    2004

    2003

 

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $9.81     $9.73     $9.95     $9.85     $10.22  
    

Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:

                              

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.47     0.44     0.47     0.47     0.55  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

   0.09     0.07     (0.26 )   0.07     (0.27 )
    

Total from Investment Operations

   0.56     0.51     0.21     0.54     0.28  
    

Less Distributions:

                              

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.48 )   (0.43 )   (0.43 )   (0.44 )   (0.65 )
    

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $9.89     $9.81     $9.73     $9.95     $9.85  
    

Total Return

   5.87%     5.42%     2.14%     5.62%     2.76%  

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                              

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $354,650     $203,481     $153,552     $72,458     $45,644  

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                              

Before Expense Reimbursement

   0.88%     0.88%     0.94%     1.04%     1.04%  

After Expense Reimbursement

   0.74%     0.74%     0.74%     0.74%     0.82%  

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

   4.80%     4.56%     4.75%     4.75%     5.43%  

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   18.92%     21.84%     24.39%     32.82%     59.84%  

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the fiscal years indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. “Total return” shows how much your investment in the Class N shares of the Fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These figures have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

TCW Emerging Markets Income Fund

Class N

 

     Year Ended
October 31,


    March 1, 2004
(Commencement of
Offering of N Class
Shares) through

October 31, 2004

 
     2007

    2006

   2005

   

Net Asset Value per Share, Beginning of Year

   $9.77     $9.08    $8.30     $7.72  
    

 

Income from Investment Operations:

                       

Net Investment Income(1)

   0.61     0.48    6.40     0.27  

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on Investments

   0.01     0.21    (5.62 )   0.31  
    

 

Total from Investment Operations

   0.62     0.69    0.78     0.58  
    

 

Less Distributions:

                       

Distributions from Net Investment Income

   (0.29 )           

Distributions from Net Realized Gain

   (0.43 )           
    

 

Total Distributions:

   (0.72 )           
    

 

Net Asset Value per Share, End of Year

   $9.67     $9.77    $9.08     $8.30  
    

 

Total Return

   6.56%     7.60%    9.40%     7.51% (2)

Ratios/Supplemental Data:

                       

Net Assets, End of Year (in thousands)

   $1,256     $31    $ — (3)   $ — (3)

Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets:

                       

Before Expense Waiver

   2.63%     353.50%    899.58%     22.68% (4)

After Expense Waiver

   1.46%     1.36%    1.47%     1.50% (4)

Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets

   6.33%     4.97%    6.83%     5.24% (4)

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   146.82%     149.79%    92.86%     79.63% (5)

 

(1) Computed using average shares outstanding for the period.

(2) For the period March 1, 2004 (Commencement of Offering of N Class Shares) through October 31, 2004 and not indicative of a full year’s operating results.

(3) The Amount rounds to less than $1 (in thousands).

(4) Annualized.

(5) Represents the Fund’s turnover for the year ended October 31, 2004.

 

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For More Information

 

For all shareholder account information such as transactions and account inquiries:

 

Call (800) 248-4486

 

For information regarding the TCW Funds, Inc.:

 

Call (800) FUND TCW (386-3829)

 

In writing:

 

TCW Funds, Inc.

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

On the Internet:

TCW FUNDS, INC.

www.tcw.com

 

You may visit the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov to view text only versions of Fund documents filed with the SEC. You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (phone 1-202-942-8090) or by sending your request and a duplicating fee to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0609 or by electronic request at the following e-mail address: wwwpublicinfo@sec.gov.

 

TCW Funds, Inc.

 

More information on each Fund is available free upon request by calling (800) FUND TCW (386-3829), or on the Internet at www.tcw.com, including the following:

 

Annual / Semi-Annual Report

 

Additional information about each Fund’s investments is in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Funds’ annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

 

Provides more details about each Fund and its policies. A current SAI is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is incorporated by reference and is legally considered part of this prospectus. The SAI can be reviewed and photocopied at the SEC’s public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.

 

SEC file number: 811-7170

 

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Table of Contents

More information on each Fund is available free upon request by calling (800) FUND-TCW (386-3829), or on the Internet at www.tcwfunds.com, including the following:

Annual/Semi-Annual Report

Additional information about each Fund’s investments is in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to the shareholders. In the Funds’ annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

Provides more details about each Fund and its policies. A current SAI is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is incorporated by reference and is legally considered part of this prospectus.

You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (Phone: 1-202-942-8090) or by sending your request and a duplicating fee to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0609.

Text-only versions of Fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from the SEC: www.sec.gov

TCW Funds, Inc.

865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800

Los Angeles, California 90017

800-FUND-TCW (800-386-3829)

advisors@tcw.com • www.tcwfunds.com

SEC file number: 811 7170

FUNDnp0208