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As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
on January 30, 1996
Securities Act File No.
Investment Company Act File No.
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [x]
Pre-Effective Amendment No. [ ]
Post-Effective Amendment No. [ ]
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [x]
Amendment No. [ ]
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
Warburg, Pincus Tax Free Fund, Inc.
Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
466 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3147
........................................ ................
(Address of Principal Executive Office) (Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code:
(212) 878-0600
Mr. Eugene P. Grace
Warburg, Pincus Tax Free Fund, Inc.
466 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3147
.........................................
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copy to:
Rose F. DiMartino, Esq.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
One Citicorp Center
153 East 53rd Street
New York, New York 10022-4677
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Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: May 6, 1996
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Proposed
Title of Proposed Maximum
Securities Maximum Aggregate Amount of
Being Amount Being Offering Price Offering Registration
Registered Registered Per Unit Price Fee
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Shares of common
stock, $.001 par
value per share Indefinite* Indefinite* Indefinite* $500
</TABLE>
- --------------------
* An indefinite number of shares of common stock of the Registrant is
being registered by this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 24f-2
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on
such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the
Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this
Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with
Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or
until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the
Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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WARBURG, PINCUS TAX FREE FUND, INC.
FORM N-1A
CROSS REFERENCE SHEET
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Part A
Item No. Heading for the Prospectus
- -------- --------------------------
<S> <C>
1. Cover Page.............................. Cover Page
2. Synopsis................................ The Funds' Expenses
3. Condensed Financial Information......... Financial Highlights
4. General Description of Registrant....... Cover Page; Investment Objective and Policies; Portfolio
Investments; Risk Factors and Special Considerations; Certain
Investment Strategies; Investment Guidelines; General Information
5. Management of the Fund.................. Management of the Funds
6. Capital Stock and Other Securities...... General Information
7. Purchase of Securities Being Offered.... How to Open an Account; How to Purchase Shares; Net Asset Value
8. Redemption or Repurchase................ How to Redeem and Exchange Shares
9. Legal Proceedings....................... Not applicable
Part B Heading for the Statement of
Item No. Additional Information
- -------- ----------------------------
10. Cover Page.............................. Cover Page
11. Table of Contents....................... Contents
12. General Information and History......... Management of the Fund;
Notes to Financial Statements; See Prospectus--"General
Information"
13. Investment Objectives and Policies...... Investment Objective; Investment Policies
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
14. Management of the Registrant............ Management of the Fund; See Prospectus--"Management of the Fund"
15. Control Persons and Principal Holders
of Securities............................ Management of the Fund; Miscellaneous; See Prospectus--"General
Information"
16. Investment Advisory and Other Services.. Management of the Fund; See Prospectus--"Management of the
Fund" and "Shareholder Servicing"
17. Brokerage Allocation.................... Investment Policies; See
Prospectus--"Portfolio Transactions
and Turnover Rate"
18. Capital Stock and Other Securities...... Management of the Fund--Organization of the Fund; See
Prospectus--"General Information"
19. Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of
Securities Being Offered................. Additional Purchase and Redemption Information; See
Prospectus--"How to Open an Account," "How to Purchase Shares,"
"How to Redeem and Exchange Shares" and "Net Asset Value"
20. Tax Status.............................. Additional Information Concerning Taxes; See
Prospectus--"Dividends, Distributions and Taxes"
21. Underwriters............................ Investment Policies--Portfolio Transactions; See
Prospectus--"Management of the Fund" and "Shareholder Servicing"
22. Calculation of Performance Data......... Determination of Performance
23. Financial Statements.................... Not applicable
</TABLE>
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Registrant's Prospectus is incorporated by reference to the common share
prospectus that forms a part of the registration statement on Form N-1A of
Warburg, Pincus Growth & Income Fund, Inc., filed on January 30, 1996.
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
Subject to Completion, dated January 30, 1996
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
____________, 1996
WARBURG PINCUS TAX FREE FUND
P.O. Box 9030, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-9030
For information, call (800) 888-6878
Contents
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
----
<S> <C>
Investment Objective...........................................................2
Investment Policies............................................................2
Management Of The Fund........................................................24
Additional Purchase And Redemption Information................................31
Exchange Privilege............................................................31
Additional Information Concerning Taxes.......................................32
Determination Of Performance..................................................36
Accountants And Counsel.......................................................37
Appendix - Description Of Ratings............................................A-1
</TABLE>
This Statement of Additional Information is meant to be read
in conjunction with the combined Prospectus for the Common Shares of Warburg
Pincus Tax Free Fund (the "Fund"), Warburg Pincus Growth & Income Fund and
Warburg Pincus Balanced Fund dated ___________, 1996, as amended or supplemented
from time to time, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into that
Prospectus. Because this Statement of Additional Information is not itself a
prospectus, no investment in shares of the Fund should be made solely upon the
information contained herein. Copies of the Fund's Prospectus and information
regarding the Fund's current performance may be obtained by calling the Fund at
(800) 927-2874. Information regarding the status of shareholder accounts may be
obtained by calling the Fund at (800) 888-6878 or by writing to the Fund, P.O.
Box 9030, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-9030.
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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The investment objective of the Fund is maximum current income
exempt from federal income taxes, consistent with preservation of capital, by
investing substantially all its assets in a diversified portfolio of Municipal
Obligations.
INVESTMENT POLICIES
The following policies supplement the descriptions of the
Fund's investment objective and policies in the Prospectus.
Options and Futures Transactions
Securities Options. The Fund may write covered call options
and put options on securities, and may purchase such options, that are traded on
exchanges, as well as over-the-counter ("OTC").
The Fund realizes fees (referred to as "premiums") for
granting the rights evidenced by the options it has written. A put option
embodies the right of its purchaser to compel the writer of the option to
purchase from the option holder an underlying security at a specified price for
a specified time period or at a specified time. In contrast, a call option
embodies the right of its purchaser to compel the writer of the option to sell
to the option holder an underlying security at a specified price for a specified
time period or at a specified time.
The principal reason for writing covered options on a security
is to attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than
would be realized on the securities alone. In return for a premium, the Fund as
the writer of a covered call option forfeits the right to any appreciation in
the value of the underlying security above the strike price for the life of the
option (or until a closing purchase transaction can be effected). Nevertheless,
the Fund as a put or call writer retains the risk of a decline in the price of
the underlying security. The size of the premiums that the Fund may receive may
be adversely affected as new or existing institutions, including other
investment companies, engage in or increase their option-writing activities.
If security prices rise, a put writer would generally expect
to profit, although its gain would be limited to the amount of the premium it
received. If security prices remain the same over time, it is likely that the
writer will also profit, because it should be able to close out the option at a
lower price. If security prices fall, the put writer would expect to suffer a
loss. This loss should be less than the loss from purchasing the underlying
instrument directly, however, because the premium received for writing the
option should mitigate the effects of the decline.
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In the case of options written by the Fund that are deemed
covered by virtue of the Fund's holding convertible or exchangeable preferred
stock or debt securities, the time required to convert or exchange and obtain
physical delivery of the underlying common stock with respect to which the Fund
has written options may exceed the time within which the Fund must make delivery
in accordance with an exercise notice. In these instances, the Fund may purchase
or temporarily borrow the underlying securities for purposes of physical
delivery. By so doing, the Fund will not bear any market risk, since the Fund
will have the absolute right to receive from the issuer of the underlying
security an equal number of shares to replace the borrowed securities, but the
Fund may incur additional transaction costs or interest expenses in connection
with any such purchase or borrowing.
Additional risks exist with respect to certain of the
securities for which the Fund may write covered call options. For example, if
the Fund writes covered call options on mortgage-backed securities, the
mortgage-backed securities that it holds as cover may, because of scheduled
amortization or unscheduled prepayments, cease to be sufficient cover. If this
occurs, the Fund will compensate for the decline in the value of the cover by
purchasing an appropriate additional amount of mortgage-backed securities.
Options written by the Fund will normally have expiration
dates between one and nine months from the date written. The exercise price of
the options may be below, equal to or above the market values of the underlying
securities at the times the options are written. In the case of call options,
these exercise prices are referred to as "in-the-money," "at-the-money" and
"out-of-the-money," respectively. The Fund may write (i) in-the-money call
options when Warburg, Pincus Counsellors, Inc., the Fund's investment adviser
("Warburg") expects that the price of the underlying security will remain flat
or decline moderately during the option period, (ii) at-the-money call options
when Warburg expects that the price of the underlying security will remain flat
or advance moderately during the option period and (iii) out-of-the-money call
options when Warburg expects that the premiums received from writing the call
option plus the appreciation in market price of the underlying security up to
the exercise price will be greater than the appreciation in the price of the
underlying security alone. In any of the preceding situations, if the market
price of the underlying security declines and the security is sold at this lower
price, the amount of any realized loss will be offset wholly or in part by the
premium received. Out-of-the-money, at-the-money and in-the-money put options
(the reverse of call options as to the relation of exercise price to market
price) may be used in the same market environments that such call options are
used in equivalent transactions. To secure its obligation to deliver the
underlying security when it writes a call option, the Fund will be required to
deposit in escrow the underlying security or other assets in accordance with the
rules of the Options Clearing Corporation (the "Clearing Corporation") and of
the securities exchange on which the option is written.
Prior to their expirations, put and call options may be sold
in closing sale or purchase transactions (sales or purchases by the Fund prior
to the exercise of options that it has purchased or written, respectively, of
options of the same series) in which the Fund may realize a profit or loss from
the sale. An option position may be closed out only where there
3
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exists a secondary market for an option of the same series on a recognized
securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. When the Fund has
purchased an option and engages in a closing sale transaction, whether the Fund
realizes a profit or loss will depend upon whether the amount received in the
closing sale transaction is more or less than the premium the Fund initially
paid for the original option plus the related transaction costs. Similarly, in
cases where the Fund has written an option, it will realize a profit if the cost
of the closing purchase transaction is less than the premium received upon
writing the original option and will incur a loss if the cost of the closing
purchase transaction exceeds the premium received upon writing the original
option. The Fund may engage in a closing purchase transaction to realize a
profit, to prevent an underlying security with respect to which it has written
an option from being called or put or, in the case of a call option, to unfreeze
an underlying security (thereby permitting its sale or the writing of a new
option on the security prior to the outstanding option's expiration). The
obligation of the Fund under an option it has written would be terminated by a
closing purchase transaction, but the Fund would not be deemed to own an option
as a result of the transaction. So long as the obligation of the Fund as the
writer of an option continues, the Fund may be assigned an exercise notice by
the broker-dealer through which the option was sold, requiring the Fund to
deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. This
obligation terminates when the option expires or the Fund effects a closing
purchase transaction. The Fund can no longer effect a closing purchase
transaction with respect to an option once it has been assigned an exercise
notice.
There is no assurance that sufficient trading interest will
exist to create a liquid secondary market on a securities exchange for any
particular option or at any particular time, and for some options no such
secondary market may exist. A liquid secondary market in an option may cease to
exist for a variety of reasons. In the past, for example, higher than
anticipated trading activity or order flow or other unforeseen events have at
times rendered certain of the facilities of the Clearing Corporation and various
securities exchanges inadequate and resulted in the institution of special
procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders
or trading halts or suspensions in one or more options. There can be no
assurance that similar events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the
timely execution of customers' orders, will not recur. In such event, it might
not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options. Moreover,
the Fund's ability to terminate options positions established in the
over-the-counter market may be more limited than for exchange-traded options and
may also involve the risk that securities dealers participating in
over-the-counter transactions would fail to meet their obligations to the Fund.
The Fund, however, intends to purchase over-the-counter options only from
dealers whose debt securities, as determined by Warburg, are considered to be
investment grade. If, as a covered call option writer, the Fund is unable to
effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able
to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the
underlying security upon exercise. In either case, the Fund would continue to be
at market risk on the security and could face higher transaction costs,
including brokerage commissions.
Securities exchanges generally have established limitations
governing the maximum number of calls and puts of each class which may be held
or written, or exercised within certain time periods by an investor or group of
investors acting in concert (regardless
4
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of whether the options are written on the same or different securities exchanges
or are held, written or exercised in one or more accounts or through one or more
brokers). It is possible that the Fund and other clients of Warburg and certain
of its affiliates may be considered to be such a group. A securities exchange
may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits
and it may impose certain other sanctions. These limits may restrict the number
of options the Fund will be able to purchase on a particular security.
Stock Index Options. The Fund may purchase and write
exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on stock indexes. A stock index
measures the movement of a certain group of stocks by assigning relative values
to the stocks included in the index, fluctuating with changes in the market
values of the stocks included in the index. Some stock index options are based
on a broad market index, such as the NYSE Composite Index, or a narrower market
index such as the Standard & Poor's 100. Indexes may also be based on a
particular industry or market segment.
Options on stock indexes are similar to options on stock
except that (i) the expiration cycles of stock index options are monthly, while
those of stock options are currently quarterly, and (ii) the delivery
requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery
of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the
right to receive a cash "exercise settlement amount" equal to (a) the amount, if
any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a
put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying
index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed "index multiplier."
Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the closing level of the stock
index upon which the option is based being greater than, in the case of a call,
or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the index and the
exercise price of the option times a specified multiple. The writer of the
option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of
this amount. Stock index options may be offset by entering into closing
transactions as described above for securities options.
OTC Options. The Fund may purchase OTC or dealer options or
sell covered OTC options. Unlike exchange-listed options where an intermediary
or clearing corporation, such as the Clearing Corporation, assures that all
transactions in such options are properly executed, the responsibility for
performing all transactions with respect to OTC options rests solely with the
writer and the holder of those options. A listed call option writer, for
example, is obligated to deliver the underlying stock to the clearing
organization if the option is exercised, and the clearing organization is then
obligated to pay the writer the exercise price of the option. If the Fund were
to purchase a dealer option, however, it would rely on the dealer from whom it
purchased the option to perform if the option were exercised. If the dealer
fails to honor the exercise of the option by the Fund, the Fund would lose the
premium it paid for the option and the expected benefit of the transaction.
Listed options generally have a continuous liquid market while
dealer options have none. Consequently, the Fund will generally be able to
realize the value of a dealer option it has purchased only by exercising it or
reselling it to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes a
dealer option, it generally will be able to close out the
5
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option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase
transaction with the dealer to which the Fund originally wrote the option.
Although the Fund will seek to enter into dealer options only with dealers who
will agree to and that are expected to be capable of entering into closing
transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able
to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any time prior to
expiration. The inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in
material losses to the Fund. Until the Fund, as a covered OTC call option
writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to
liquidate securities (or other assets) used to cover the written option until
the option expires or is exercised. This requirement may impair the Fund's
ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be
advantageous. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be
unable to liquidate a dealer option.
Futures Activities. The Fund may enter into interest rate and
index futures contracts and purchase and write (sell) related options traded on
exchanges designated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") or
consistent with CFTC regulations on foreign exchanges. These transactions may be
entered into for "bona fide hedging" purposes as defined in CFTC regulations and
other permissible purposes including hedging against changes in the value of
portfolio securities due to anticipated changes in interest rates and/or market
conditions and increasing return.
The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions
involving futures contracts and options on futures contracts to the extent
allowed by CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with
the Fund's policies. There is no overall limit on the percentage of Fund assets
that may be at risk with respect to futures activities. The ability of the Fund
to trade in futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be limited by
the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"),
applicable to a regulated investment company.
Futures Contracts. An interest rate futures contract provides
for the future sale by one party and the purchase by the other party of a
certain amount of a specific interest rate sensitive financial instrument (debt
security) at a specified price, date, time and place. Securities indexes are
capitalization weighted indexes which reflect the market value of the securities
listed on the indexes. An index futures contract is an agreement to be settled
by delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified multiplier times the
difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day
on the contract and the price at which the agreement is made.
No consideration is paid or received by the Fund upon entering
into a futures contract. Instead, the Fund is required to deposit in a
segregated account with its custodian an amount of cash or cash equivalents,
such as U.S. government securities or other liquid high-grade debt obligations,
equal to approximately 1% to 10% of the contract amount (this amount is subject
to change by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and brokers may
charge a higher amount). This amount is known as "initial margin" and is in the
nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract which is
returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all
contractual obligations have been satisfied.
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The broker will have access to amounts in the margin account if the Fund fails
to meet its contractual obligations. Subsequent payments, known as "variation
margin," to and from the broker, will be made daily as the financial instrument
or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short
positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as
"marking-to-market." The Fund will also incur brokerage costs in connection with
entering into futures transactions.
At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, the
Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will
operate to terminate the Fund's existing position in the contract. Positions in
futures contracts and options on futures contracts (described below) may be
closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into (or through a
linked exchange). No secondary market for such contracts exists. Although the
Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only if there is an active market
for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist at
any particular time. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation
permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily
limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day
at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods
during the day. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the
daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading,
thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions at an advantageous
price and subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In such event, and in the
event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to make daily cash
payments of variation margin. In such situations, if the fund had insufficient
cash, it might have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin
requirements at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so. In addition,
if the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, in such circumstances
the Fund may realize a loss on a futures contract or option that is not offset
by an increase in the value of the hedged position. Losses incurred in futures
transactions and the costs of these transactions will affect the Fund's
performance.
Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and write
put and call options on interest rate and index futures contracts and may enter
into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing
positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected;
the ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject
to the existence of a liquid market.
An option on an interest rate or index futures contract, as
contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser
the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures
contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date
of the option. The writer of the option is required upon exercise to assume an
offsetting futures position (a short position if the option is a call and a long
position if the option is a put). Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of
the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option
will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer's
futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of
the futures contract exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the
case of a put, the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The
potential loss related to the
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purchase of an option on futures contracts is limited to the premium paid for
the option (plus transaction costs). Because the value of the option is fixed at
the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect
changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the
option does change daily and that change would be reflected in the net asset
value of the Fund.
Hedging. The Fund may enter into options and futures
transactions as hedges to reduce investment risk, generally by making an
investment expected to move in the opposite direction of a portfolio position. A
hedge is designed to offset a loss in a portfolio position with a gain in the
hedged position; at the same time, however, a properly correlated hedge will
result in a gain in the portfolio position being offset by a loss in the hedged
position. As a result, the use of options and futures transactions for hedging
purposes could limit any potential gain from an increase in the value of the
position hedged. In addition, the movement in the portfolio position hedged may
not be of the same magnitude as movement in the hedge. With respect to futures
contracts, since the value of portfolio securities will far exceed the value of
the futures contracts sold by the Fund, an increase in the value of the futures
contracts could only mitigate, but not totally offset, the decline in the value
of the Fund's assets.
In hedging transactions based on an index, whether the Fund
will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index
depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market
generally or, in the case of certain indexes, in an industry or market segment,
rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. The risk of imperfect
correlation increases as the composition of the Fund's portfolio varies from the
composition of the index. In an effort to compensate for imperfect correlation
of relative movements in the hedged position and the hedge, the Fund's hedge
positions may be in a greater or lesser dollar amount than the dollar amount of
the hedged position. Such "over hedging" or "under hedging" may adversely affect
the Fund's net investment results if market movements are not as anticipated
when the hedge is established. Stock index futures transactions may be subject
to additional correlation risks. First, all participants in the futures market
are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting
additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts
through offsetting transactions which would distort the normal relationship
between the stock index and futures markets. Secondly, from the point of view of
speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous
than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased
participation by speculators in the futures market also may cause temporary
price distortions. Because of the possibility of price distortions in the
futures market and the imperfect correlation between movements in a securities
index and movements in the price of index futures, a correct forecast of general
market trends by Warburg still may not result in a successful hedging
transaction.
The Fund will engage in hedging transactions only when deemed
advisable by Warburg, and successful use by the Fund of hedging transactions
will be subject to Warburg's ability to predict trends in interest rates or
securities markets, as the case may be, and to correctly predict movements in
the directions of the hedge and the hedged position and the
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correlation between them, which predictions could prove to be inaccurate. This
requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the price of
individual securities, and there can be no assurance that the use of these
strategies will be successful. Even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful
to some degree because of unexpected market behavior or trends. Losses incurred
in hedging transactions and the costs of these transactions will affect the
Fund's performance.
Asset Coverage for Options, Futures and Options on Futures. As
described in the Prospectus, the Fund will comply with guidelines established by
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") with respect to coverage of
options written by the Fund on securities and indexes and interest rate and
index futures contracts and options on these futures contracts. These guidelines
may, in certain instances, require segregation by the Fund of cash or liquid
high-grade debt securities or other securities that are acceptable as collateral
to the appropriate regulatory authority.
For example, a call option written by the Fund on securities
may require the Fund to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities
convertible into the securities without additional consideration) or to
segregate assets (as described above) sufficient to purchase and deliver the
securities if the call is exercised. A call option written by the Fund on an
index may require the Fund to own portfolio securities that correlate with the
index or to segregate assets (as described above) equal to the excess of the
index value over the exercise price on a current basis. A put option written by
the Fund may require the Fund to segregate assets (as described above) equal to
the exercise price. The Fund could purchase a put option if the strike price of
that option is the same or higher than the strike price of a put option sold by
the Fund. If the Fund holds a futures contract, the Fund could purchase a put
option on the same futures contract with a strike price as high or higher than
the price of the contract held. The Fund may enter into fully or partially
offsetting transactions so that its net position, coupled with any segregated
assets (equal to any remaining obligation), equals its net obligation. Asset
coverage may be achieved by other means when consistent with applicable
regulatory policies.
Additional Information on Other Investment Practices
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in debt
obligations of varying maturities issued or guaranteed by the United States
government, its agencies or instrumentalities ("U.S. government securities").
Direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury include a variety of securities that
differ in their interest rates, maturities and dates of issuance. U.S.
government securities also include securities issued or guaranteed by the
Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Loan Administration, Export-Import
Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, Government National
Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), General Services Administration, Central Bank for
Cooperatives, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal
Land Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), Maritime
Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, District of Columbia Armory Board
and Student Loan Marketing Association. The Fund may
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also invest in instruments that are supported by the right of the issuer to
borrow from the U.S. Treasury and instruments that are supported by the credit
of the instrumentality. Because the U.S. government is not obligated by law to
provide support to an instrumentality it sponsors, the Fund will invest in
obligations issued by such an instrumentality only if Warburg determines that
the credit risk with respect to the instrumentality does not make its securities
unsuitable for investment by the Fund.
Mortgage-Related and Asset-Backed Debt Securities. The Fund
may invest in mortgage-related securities, such as those issued by GNMA, FNMA,
FHLMC or private organizations. Mortgage-related securities represent direct or
indirect participations in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans
secured by real property. The mortgages backing these securities include, among
other mortgage instruments, conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, 15-year
fixed-rate mortgages, graduated payment mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages.
Certain mortgage-related securities issued by certain government-related issuers
are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and
interest. Other mortgage-related securities, including those issued by private
organizations, and asset-backed securities are not guaranteed by the U.S.
government. However, certain mortgage loan and other asset pools may be
supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees. Although there may be
guarantees on the payment of interest and principal of these securities, the
guarantees do not extend to the securities' yield or value, which are likely to
vary inversely with fluctuations in interest rates, nor do the guarantees extend
to the yield or value of the Fund's shares.
These securities generally are "pass-through" instruments,
through which the holders receive a share of all interest and principal payments
from the mortgages underlying the securities, net of certain fees. Some
mortgage-related securities, such as collateralized mortgage obligations
("CMOs"), make payments of both principal and interest at a variety of
intervals; others make semiannual interest payments at a predetermined rate and
repay principal at maturity (like a typical bond). Yields on pass-through
securities are typically quoted by investment dealers and vendors based on the
maturity of the underlying instruments and the associated average life
assumption. The average life of pass-through pools varies with the maturities of
the underlying mortgage loans. A pool's term may be shortened by unscheduled or
early payments of principal on the underlying mortgages. The occurrence of
mortgage prepayments is affected by various factors, including the level of
interest rates, general economic conditions, the location, scheduled maturity
and age of the mortgage and other social and demographic conditions. Because
prepayment rates of individual pools vary widely, it is not possible to predict
accurately the average life of a particular pool. For pools of fixed-rate
30-year mortgages, a common industry practice in the U.S. has been to assume
that prepayments will result in a 12-year average life. At present, pools,
particularly those with loans with other maturities or different
characteristics, are priced on an assumption of average life determined for each
pool. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayment tends to
increase, thereby shortening the actual average life of a pool of
mortgage-related securities. Conversely, in periods of rising rates the rate of
prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the actual average life of the
pool. However, these effects may not be present, or may differ in degree, if the
mortgage loans in the pools have
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adjustable interest rates or other special payment terms, such as a prepayment
charge. Actual prepayment experience may cause the yield of mortgage-backed
securities to differ from the assumed average life yield. Reinvestment of
prepayments may occur at higher or lower interest rates than the original
investment, thus affecting the Fund's yield.
The rate of interest on mortgage-related securities is lower
than the interest rates paid on the mortgages included in the underlying pool
due to the annual fees paid to the servicer of the mortgage pool for passing
through monthly payments to certificate holders and to any guarantor, such as
GNMA, and due to any yield retained by the issuer. Actual yield to the holder
may vary from the coupon rate, even if adjustable, if the mortgage-related
securities are purchased or traded in the secondary market at a premium or
discount. In addition, there is normally some delay between the time the issuer
receives mortgage payments from the servicer and the time the issuer makes the
payments on the mortgage-related securities, and this delay reduces the
effective yield to the holder of such securities.
The Fund may also invest in asset-backed securities, which
represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, assets such as
motor vehicle installment sales, installment loan contracts, leases of various
types of real and personal property and receivables from revolving credit
(credit card) agreements. Such assets are securitized through the use of trusts
and special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and
interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period
by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial
institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not
presented by other securities in which the Fund may invest. Automobile
receivables generally are secured by automobiles. Most issuers of automobile
receivables permit the loan 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 asset-backed securities. In addition, because of the large
number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements
under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the automobile receivables may
not have a proper security interest in the underlying automobiles. Therefore,
there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in
some cases, be available to support payments on these securities. 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. Because asset-backed securities are relatively
new, the market experience in these securities is limited, and the market's
ability to sustain liquidity through all phases of the market cycle has not been
tested. The Fund's investments in mortgage-related and asset-backed debt
securities are limited to 5% of its net assets.
Downgraded Debt and Convertible Securities. Although the Fund
may invest only in investment grade securities (as described in the
Prospectuses), it is not required to dispose of securities downgraded below
investment grade subsequent to acquisition by the
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Fund. While the market values of medium- and lower-rated securities and unrated
securities of comparable quality tend to react less to fluctuations in interest
rate levels than do those of higher-rated securities, the market values of
certain of these securities also tend to be more sensitive to individual
corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-quality
securities. In addition, medium- and lower-rated securities and comparable
unrated securities generally present a higher degree of credit risk. Issuers of
medium- and lower-rated securities and unrated securities are often highly
leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to
them so that their ability to service their obligations during an economic
downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired.
The risk of loss due to default by such issuers is significantly greater because
medium- and lower-rated securities and unrated securities generally are
unsecured and frequently are subordinated to the prior payment of senior
indebtedness.
The market for medium- and lower-rated and unrated securities
is relatively new and has not weathered a major economic recession. Any such
recession could disrupt severely the market for such securities and may
adversely affect the value of such securities and the ability of the issuers of
such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon.
The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain of these
securities because there may be a thin trading market. Because there is no
established retail secondary market for many of these securities, the Fund
anticipates that these securities could be sold only to a limited number of
dealers or institutional investors. To the extent a secondary trading market for
these securities does exist, it generally is not as liquid as the secondary
market for higher-rated securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market, as
well as adverse publicity and investor perception with respect to these
securities, may have an adverse impact on market price and the Fund's ability to
dispose of particular issues when necessary to meet the Fund's liquidity needs
or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the
creditworthiness of the issuer. The lack of a liquid secondary market for
certain securities also may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain
accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing the Fund and calculating its
net asset value.
The market value of securities in medium- and lower-rated
categories is more volatile than that of higher quality securities. Factors
adversely impacting the market value of these securities will adversely impact
the Fund's net asset value. The Fund will rely on the judgment, analysis and
experience of Warburg in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer. In this
evaluation, Warburg will take into consideration, among other things, the
issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends,
its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory
matters. Normally, medium- and lower-rated and comparable unrated securities are
not intended for short-term investment. The Fund may incur additional expenses
to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of
principal or interest on its portfolio holdings of such securities. Recent
adverse publicity regarding lower-rated securities may have depressed the prices
for such securities to some extent. Whether investor perceptions will continue
to have a negative effect on the price of such securities is uncertain.
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Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend portfolio
securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet
capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the
Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board"). The Fund will not lend portfolio
securities to affiliates of Warburg unless it has applied for and received
specific authority to do so from the SEC. Loans of portfolio securities will be
collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, which
are maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current
market value of the loaned securities. Any gain or loss in the market price of
the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for
the account of the Fund. From time to time, the Fund may return a part of the
interest earned from the investment of collateral received for securities loaned
to the borrower and/or a third party that is unaffiliated with the Fund and that
is acting as a "finder."
By lending its securities, the Fund can increase its income by
continuing to receive interest and any dividends on the loaned securities as
well as by either investing the collateral received for securities loaned in
short-term instruments or obtaining yield in the form of interest paid by the
borrower when U.S. government securities are used as collateral. Although the
generation of income is not an investment objective of the Fund, income received
could be used to pay the Fund's expenses and would increase an investor's total
return. The Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio
securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral
or equivalent securities of the type discussed in the preceding paragraph from
the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the
market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii)
the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (iv) the Fund must
receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or
other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value;
(v) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan;
and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower,
provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment
occurs, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the
securities. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or
insolvency of the other party including possible delays or restrictions upon the
Fund's ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for
the loan.
Short Sales "Against the Box." In a short sale, the Fund sells
a borrowed security and has a corresponding obligation to the lender to return
the identical security. The seller does not immediately deliver the securities
sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery
occurs. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral for the short
position will be maintained by the Fund's custodian or qualified sub-custodian.
While the short sale is open, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account an
amount of securities equal in kind and amount to the securities sold short or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for such equivalent securities.
These securities constitute the Fund's long position.
The Fund does not intend to engage in short sales against the
box for investment purposes. The Fund may, however, make a short sale as a
hedge, when it believes that the
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price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security
owned by the Fund (or a security convertible or exchangeable for such security),
or when the Fund wants to sell the security at an attractive current price, but
also wishes to defer recognition of gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax
purposes and for purposes of satisfying certain tests applicable to regulated
investment companies under the Code. In such case, any future losses in the
Fund's long position should be offset by a gain in the short position and,
conversely, any gain in the long position should be reduced by a loss in the
short position. The extent to which such gains or losses are reduced will depend
upon the amount of the security sold short relative to the amount the Fund owns.
There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales
against the box, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with the
income from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.
Warrants. The Fund may invest up to 5% of net assets in
warrants (valued at the lower of cost or market) (other than warrants acquired
by the Fund as part of a unit or attached to securities at the time of
purchase). Because a warrant does not carry with it the right to dividends or
voting rights with respect to the securities which it entitles a holder to
purchase, and because it does not represent any rights in the assets of the
issuer, warrants may be considered more speculative than certain other types of
investments. Also, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the
value of the underlying securities and a warrant ceases to have value if it is
not exercised prior to its expiration date.
Non-Publicly Traded and Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not
invest more than 15% of its net assets in non-publicly traded and illiquid
securities, including securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a
readily available market, time deposits maturing in more than seven days,
certain Rule 144A Securities (as defined below) and repurchase agreements which
have a maturity of longer than seven days. Securities that have legal or
contractual restrictions on resale but have a readily available market are not
considered illiquid for purposes of this limitation. Repurchase agreements
subject to demand are deemed to have a maturity equal to the notice period.
Historically, illiquid securities have included securities
subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not
been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), securities which are otherwise not readily marketable and repurchase
agreements having a maturity of longer than seven days. Securities which have
not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private
placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer
or in the secondary market. Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant
amount of these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential
for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may
have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual
fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities
promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty
satisfying redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund might also have to
register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in
additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a
public offering of securities.
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In recent years, however, a large institutional market has
developed for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities
Act including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities,
municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors
depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security
can be readily resold or on an issuer's ability to honor a demand for repayment.
The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the
general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity
of such investments.
Rule 144A Securities. Rule 144A under the Securities Act
adopted by the SEC allows for a broader institutional trading market for
securities otherwise subject to restriction on resale to the general public.
Rule 144A establishes a "safe harbor" from the registration requirements of the
Securities Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional
buyers. Warburg anticipates that the market for certain restricted securities
such as institutional commercial paper will expand further as a result of this
regulation and use of automated systems for the trading, clearance and
settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers, such as
the PORTAL System sponsored by the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc.
An investment in Rule 144A Securities will be considered
illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund's limit on the purchase of illiquid
securities unless the Board or its delegates determines that the Rule 144A
Securities are liquid. In reaching liquidity decisions, the Board and its
delegates may consider, inter alia, the following factors: (i) the unregistered
nature of the security; (ii) the frequency of trades and quotes for the
security; (iii) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security
and the number of other potential purchasers; (iv) dealer undertakings to make a
market in the security and (v) the nature of the security and the nature of the
marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method
of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow up to 30% of its total assets
for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet portfolio redemption
requests so as to permit the orderly disposition of portfolio securities or to
facilitate settlement transactions on portfolio securities, so long as there is
asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of the Fund. The Fund will
not purchase portfolio securities whenever borrowings (including reverse
repurchase agreements) exceed 5% of the Fund's net assets. Although the
principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change in
value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. The Fund expects that some
of its borrowings may be made on a secured basis. In such situations, either the
custodian will segregate the pledged assets for the benefit of the lender or
arrangements will be made with a suitable subcustodian, which may include the
lender.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse
repurchase agreements with member banks of the Federal Reserve System and
certain non-bank dealers. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of
securities held by the Fund pursuant to its agreement to repurchase them at a
mutually agreed upon date, price and rate of interest. At the time the Fund
enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish and maintain a
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segregated account with an approved custodian containing cash or liquid
high-grade debt securities having a value not less than the repurchase price
(including accrued interest). The assets contained in the segregated account
will be marked-to-market daily and additional assets will be placed in such
account on any day in which the assets fall below the repurchase price (plus
accrued interest). The Fund's liquidity and ability to manage its assets might
be affected when it sets aside cash or portfolio securities to cover such
commitments. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market
value of the securities retained in lieu of sale may decline below the price of
the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase. In the event
the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for
bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may
receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce a Fund's obligation
to repurchase the securities, and the Fund's use of the proceeds of the reverse
repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Municipal Obligations. Municipal Obligations (as defined in
the Prospectus) are issued by governmental entities to obtain funds for various
public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public
facilities, the refunding of outstanding obligations, the payment of general
operating expenses and the extension of loans to public institutions and
facilities. Private activity bonds that are issued by or on behalf of public
authorities to finance various privately-owned facilities are included within
the term Municipal Obligations if the interest paid thereon is exempt from
federal income tax. See the Prospectus, "Certain Investment Strategies Municipal
Obligations".
Among other instruments, the Fund may purchase short-term tax
anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes and
other forms of short term loans. Such notes are issued with a short term
maturity in anticipation of the receipt of tax funds, the proceeds of bond
placements or other revenues.
There are, of course, variations in the quality of Municipal
Obligations, both within a particular classification and between
classifications, and the yields on Municipal Obligations depend upon a variety
of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition
of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a
particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue.
The ratings of Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") and Standard & Poor's
Ratings Group ("S&P") represent their opinions as to the quality of Municipal
Obligations. It should be emphasized, however, that the ratings are general and
are not absolute standards of quality, and Municipal Obligations with the same
maturity, interest rate and rating may have different yields, while Municipal
Obligations of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may
have the same yield. Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund, an issue of
Municipal Obligations may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below
the minimum rating required for purchase by the Fund. Warburg will consider such
an event in determining whether the Fund should continue to hold the obligation.
See the Appendix attached hereto for further information concerning the rating
of Moody's and S&P and their significance.
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Municipal Obligations are also subject to the provisions of
bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of
creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Code, the laws, if any, which may be
enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of
principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement
of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. There
is also the possibility that as the result of litigation or other conditions the
power or ability of any one or more issuers to pay, when due, principal of and
interest on its, or their, Municipal Obligations may be materially affected.
Variable Rate Notes. Variable rate demand notes ("VRDN's") are
tax exempt obligations which contain a floating or variable interest rate
adjustment formula and an unconditional right of demand to receive payment of
the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short notice period.
The interest rates are adjustable at intervals ranging from daily to up to every
six months to some prevailing market rate for similar investments, such
adjustment formula being calculated to maintain the market value of the VRDN at
approximately the par value of the VRDN upon the adjustment rate. The
adjustments are typically based upon the prime rate of a bank or some other
appropriate interest rate adjustment index.
Stand-By Commitments. The amount payable to the Fund upon its
exercise of a stand-by commitment is normally (i) the Fund's acquisition cost of
the Municipal Obligations (excluding any accrued interest which the Fund paid on
their acquisition), less any amortized market premium or plus any amortized
market or original issue discount during the period the Fund owned the
securities, plus (ii) all interest accrued on the securities since the last
interest payment date during that period.
The Fund expects that stand-by commitments will generally be
available without the payment of any direct or indirect consideration. However,
if necessary or advisable, the Fund may pay for a stand-by commitment either
separately in cash or by paying a higher price for portfolio securities which
are acquired subject to the commitment (this reducing the yield to maturity
otherwise available for the same securities).
The Fund would acquire stand-by commitments solely to
facilitate portfolio liquidity and does not intend to exercise its rights
thereunder for trading purposes. The acquisition of a stand-by commitment would
not affect the valuation or assumed maturity of the underlying Municipal
Obligations. Where the Fund paid any consideration directly or indirectly for a
stand-by commitment, its cost would be reflected as unrealized depreciation for
the period during which the commitment was held by the Fund. Stand-by
commitments would not affect the average weighted maturity of the Fund's
portfolio.
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a revenue ruling to
the effect that a registered investment company will be treated for federal
income tax purposes as the owner of the Municipal Obligations acquired subject
to a stand-by commitment and the interest on the Municipal Obligations will be
tax exempt to the Fund.
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When Issued Securities and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The
Fund may use its assets to purchase securities on a "when-issued" basis or
purchase or sell securities for delayed delivery (i.e., payment or delivery
occur beyond the normal settlement date at a stated price and yield). The Fund
will enter into a when-issued transaction for the purpose of acquiring portfolio
securities and not for speculative purposes, but may sell the securities before
the settlement date if Warburg deems it advantageous to do so. The payment
obligation and the interest rate that will be received on when-issued and
delayed-delivery securities are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the
commitment. Due to fluctuations in the value of securities purchased or sold on
a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, the yields obtained on such securities
may be higher or lower than the yields available in the market on the dates when
the investments are actually delivered to the buyers.
When the Fund agrees to purchase when-issued or
delayed-delivery securities, its custodian will set aside cash, U.S. government
securities or other liquid high-grade debt obligations or other securities that
are acceptable as collateral to the appropriate regulatory authority equal to
the amount of the commitment in a segregated account. Normally, the custodian
will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a purchase commitment, and in
such a case, the Fund may be required subsequently to place additional assets in
the segregated account in order to ensure that the value of the account remains
equal to the amount of the Fund's commitment. It may be expected that the Fund's
net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio
securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash. When
the Fund engages in when-issued or delayed-delivery transactions, it relies on
the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of the seller to do so may
result in the Fund's incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a
price considered to be advantageous.
Other Investment Limitations
The investment limitations numbered 1 through 11 may not be
changed without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's
outstanding shares. Such majority is defined as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of
the shares present at the meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more
than 50% of the outstanding shares. Investment limitations 12 through 18 may be
changed by a vote of the Board at any time.
The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money except that the Fund may (a) borrow from banks
for temporary or emergency purposes and (b) enter into reverse repurchase
agreements; provided that reverse repurchase agreements and any other
transactions constituting borrowing by the Fund may not exceed 30% of the value
of the Fund's total assets at the time of such borrowing and only if after such
borrowing there is assets coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of the
Fund. For purposes of this restriction, the entry into options, futures
contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute borrowing.
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2. Purchase the securities of any issuer if as a result more
than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the
securities of such issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities
of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that this 5% limitation does
not apply to U.S. government securities and except that up to 25% of the value
of the Fund's total assets may be invested without regard to this 5% limitation.
3. Make loans, except that the Fund may purchase or hold
fixed-income securities, lend portfolio securities and enter into repurchase
agreements in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and
limitations.
4. Underwrite any securities issued by others except to the
extent that the investment in restricted securities and the sale of securities
or the purchase of securities directly from the issuer in accordance with the
Fund's investment objectives, policies and limitations may be deeme to be
underwriting.
5. Purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may
invest in (a) securities secured by real estate, mortgages or interests therein
or (b) issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein.
6. Make short sales of securities or maintain a short
position, except that the Fund may maintain short positions in options on
currencies, securities and stock indexes, futures contracts and options on
futures contracts and enter into short sales "against the box."
7. Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may
obtain any short-term credits necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales
of securities. For purposes of this restriction, the deposit or payment of
initial or variation margin in connection with transactions in options, futures
contracts and options on futures contracts will not be deemed to be a purchase
of securities on margin.
8. Invest in commodities, except that the Fund may purchase
and sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts, currencies,
securities or indexes.
9. Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets, except (a) to
the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and (b) to the extent
related to the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with collateral and
initial or variation margin arrangements with respect to options, futures
contracts, and options on futures contracts and in amounts not in excess of 125%
of the dollar amount borrowed.
10. Invest more than 15% of the Fund's net assets in
securities which may be illiquid because of legal or contractual restrictions on
resale or securities for which there are no readily available market quotations.
For purposes of this limitation, repurchase agreements with maturities greater
than seven days shall be considered illiquid securities.
11. Make additional investments (including roll-overs) if the
Fund's borrowings exceed 5% of its net assets.
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12. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or
management.
13. Invest in private activity bonds where the payment of
principal and interest are the responsibility of a company (including its
predecessors) with less than three years of continuous operations.
14. Purchase securities of other investment companies except
in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition, reorganization or offer
of exchange.
15. Purchase any security if as a result the Fund would then
have more than 5% of its total assets invested in securities of companies
(including predecessors) that have been in continuous operation for fewer than
three years.
16. Invest in oil, gas or mineral exploration or development
programs, except that the Fund may invest in securities of companies that invest
in or sponsor oil, gas or mineral exploration or development programs.
17. Purchase or retain securities of any company if any of the
Fund's officers or Directors or any officer or director of Warburg individually
owns more than 1/2 of 1% of the outstanding securities of such company and
together they own beneficially more than 5% of the securities.
18. Invest in warrants (other than warrants acquired by the
Fund as part of a unit or attached to securities at the time of purchase) if, as
a result, the investments (valued at the lower of cost or market) would exceed
5% of the value of the Fund's net assets.
The aggregate of all Rule 144A Securities, non-publicly traded
and illiquid securities and securities of companies (including predecessors)
that have been in continuous operation for three years or less is limited to 15%
of total assets. This and certain other non-fundamental investment limitations
are currently required by one or more states in which shares of the Fund are
sold. These may be more restrictive than the limitations set forth above. Should
the Fund determine that any such commitment is no longer in the best interest of
the Fund and its shareholders, the Fund will revoke the commitment by
terminating the sale of Fund shares in the state involved. In addition, the
relevant state may change or eliminate its policy regarding such investment
limitations.
If a percentage restriction (other than the percentage
limitation set forth in No. 1 above) is adhered to at the time of an investment,
a later increase or decrease in the percentage of assets resulting from a change
in the values of portfolio securities or in the amount of the Fund's assets will
not constitute a violation of such restriction.
20
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<PAGE>
Portfolio Valuation
The Prospectus discusses the time at which the net asset value
of the Fund is determined for purposes of sales and redemptions. The following
is a description of the procedures used by the Fund in valuing its assets.
Securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange (including
securities traded through the NASDAQ National Market System) or foreign
securities exchange or traded in an over-the-counter market will be valued at
the most recent sale as of the time the valuation is made or, in the absence of
sales, at the mean between the bid and asked quotations. If there are no such
quotations, the value of the securities will be taken to be the highest bid
quotation on the exchange or market. Options and futures contracts will be
valued similarly. A security which is listed or traded on more than one exchange
is valued at the quotation on the exchange determined to be the primary market
for such security. Short-term obligations with maturities of 60 days or less are
valued at amortized cost, which constitutes fair value as determined by the
Board. Amortized cost involves valuing a portfolio instrument at its initial
cost and thereafter assuming a constant amortization to maturity of an discount
or premium, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market
value of the instrument. The amortized cost method of valuation may also be used
with respect to other debt obligations with 60 days or less remaining to
maturity. In determining the market value of portfolio investments, the Fund may
employ outside organizations (a "Pricing Service") which may use a matrix,
formula or other objective method that takes into consideration market indexes,
matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments. The procedures of Pricing
Services are reviewed periodically by the officers of the Fund under the general
supervision and responsibility of the Board, which may replace a Pricing Service
at any time. Securities, options and futures contracts for which market
quotations are not available and other assets of the Fund will be valued at
their fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied
procedures established by the Board. In addition, the Board or its delegates may
value a security at fair value if it determines that such security's value
determined by the methodology set forth above does not reflect its fair value.
Portfolio Transactions
Warburg is responsible for establishing, reviewing and, where
necessary, modifying the Fund's investment program to achieve its investment
objective. Purchases and sales of newly issued portfolio securities are usually
principal transactions without brokerage commissions effected directly with the
issuer or with an underwriter acting as principal. Other purchases and sales may
be effected on a securities exchange or over-the-counter, depending on where it
appears that the best price or execution will be obtained. The purchase price
paid by the Fund to underwriters of newly issued securities usually includes a
concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases of securities
from dealers, acting as either principals or agents in the after market, are
normally executed at a price between the bid and asked price, which includes a
dealer's mark-up or mark-down. Transactions on U.S. stock exchanges and some
foreign stock exchanges involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions.
On exchanges on which commissions are negotiated, the cost of transactions
21
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<PAGE>
may vary among different brokers. On most foreign exchanges, commissions are
generally fixed. There is generally no stated commission in the case of
securities traded in domestic or foreign over-the-counter markets, but the price
of securities traded in over-the-counter markets includes an undisclosed
commission or mark-up. U.S. government securities are generally purchased from
underwriters or dealers, although certain newly issued U.S. government
securities may be purchased directly from the U.S. Treasury or from the issuing
agency or instrumentality.
Warburg will select specific portfolio investments and effect
transactions for the Fund and in doing so seeks to obtain the overall best
execution of portfolio transactions. In evaluating prices and executions,
Warburg will consider the factors it deems relevant, which may include the
breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the financial
condition and execution capability of a broker or dealer and the reasonableness
of the commission, if any, for the specific transaction and on a continuing
basis. Warburg may, in its discretion, effect transactions in portfolio
securities with dealers who provide brokerage and research services (as those
terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) to
the Fund and/or other accounts over which Warburg exercises investment
discretion. Warburg may place portfolio transactions with a broker or dealer
with whom it has negotiated a commission that is in excess of the commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction if
Warburg determines in good faith that such amount of commission was reasonable
in relation to the value of such brokerage and research services provided by
such broker or dealer viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or
of the overall responsibilities of Warburg. Research and other services received
may be useful to Warburg in serving both the Fund and its other clients and,
conversely, research or other services obtained by the placement of business of
other clients may be useful to Warburg in carrying out its obligations to the
Fund. Research may include furnishing advice, either directly or through
publications or writings, as to the value of securities, the advisability of
purchasing or selling specific securities and the availability of securities or
purchasers or sellers of securities; furnishing seminars, information, analyses
and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, trading markets and
methods, legislative developments, changes in accounting practices, economic
factors and trends and portfolio strategy; access to research analysts,
corporate management personnel, industry experts, economists and government
officials; comparative performance evaluation and technical measurement services
and quotation services; and products and other services (such as third party
publications, reports and analyses, and computer and electronic access,
equipment, software, information and accessories that deliver, process or
otherwise utilize information, including the research described above) that
assist Warburg in carrying out its responsibilities. Research received from
brokers or dealers is supplemental to Warburg's own research program. The fees
to Warburg under its advisory agreement with the Fund are not reduced by reason
of its receiving any brokerage and research services.
Investment decisions for the Fund concerning specific
portfolio securities are made independently from those for other clients advised
by Warburg. Such other investment clients may invest in the same securities as
the Fund. When purchases or sales of the same security are made at substantially
the same time on behalf of such other clients, transactions
22
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<PAGE>
are averaged as to price and available investments allocated as to amount, in a
manner which Warburg believes to be equitable to each client, including the
Fund. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the
price paid or received by the Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold
for the Fund. To the extent permitted by law, Warburg may aggregate the
securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or
purchased for such other investment clients in order to obtain best execution.
Any portfolio transaction for the Fund may be executed through
Counsellors Securities Inc., the Fund's distributor ("Counsellors Securities"),
if, in Warburg's judgment, the use of Counsellors Securities is likely to result
in price and execution at least as favorable as those of other qualified
brokers, and if, in the transaction, Counsellors Securities charges the Fund a
commission rate consistent with those charged by Counsellors Securities to
comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions. All transactions with
affiliated brokers will comply with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.
In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased from or
sold to Warburg or Counsellors Securities or any affiliated person of such
companies. In addition, the Fund will not give preference to any institutions
with whom the Fund enters into distribution or shareholder servicing agreements
concerning the provision of distribution services or support services. See the
Prospectus, "Shareholder Servicing."
Transactions for the Fund may be effected on foreign
securities exchanges. In transactions for securities not actively traded on a
foreign securities exchange, the Fund will deal directly with the dealers who
make a market in the securities involved, except in those circumstances where
better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Such dealers usually are
acting as principal for their own account. On occasion, securities may be
purchased directly from the issuer. Such portfolio securities are generally
traded on a net basis and do not normally involve brokerage commissions.
Securities firms may receive brokerage commissions on certain portfolio
transactions, including options, futures and options on futures transactions and
the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon exercise of options.
The Fund may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding
for the purchase of securities for the Fund's portfolio directly from an issuer
in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of
such a group. The Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when Warburg,
in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in the Fund's
interest.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund does not intend to seek profits through short-term
trading, but the rate of turnover will not be a limiting factor when the Fund
deems it desirable to sell or purchase securities. The Fund's portfolio turnover
rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of its portfolio
securities for the year by the monthly average value of the
23
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portfolio securities. Securities with remaining maturities of one year or less
at the date of acquisition are excluded from the calculation.
Certain practices that may be employed by the Fund could
result in high portfolio turnover. For example, options on securities may be
sold in anticipation of a decline in the price of the underlying security
(market decline) or purchased in anticipation of a rise in the price of the
underlying security (market rise) and later sold. To the extent that its
portfolio is traded for the short-term, the Fund will be engaged essentially in
trading activities based on short-term considerations affecting the value of an
issuer's stock instead of long-term investments based on fundamental valuation
of securities. Because of this policy, portfolio securities may be sold without
regard to the length of time for which they have been held.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Officers and Board of Directors
The names (and ages) of the Fund's Directors and officers,
their addresses, present positions and principal occupations during the past
five years and other affiliations are set forth below.
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
[Richard N. Cooper (61).................... Director
Room 7E47OHB National Intelligence Counsel;
Central Intelligence Agency Professor at Harvard University;
930 Dolly Madison Blvd Director or Trustee of Circuit
McClain, Virginia 22107 City Stores, Inc. (retail electronics and appliances) and
Phoenix Home Life Insurance Co.
Donald J. Donahue (71)..................... Director
99 Indian Field Road Chairman of Magma Copper Company
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 since January 1987; Director or Trustee of GEV Corporation
and Signet Star Reinsurance Company; Chairman and Director
of NAC Holdings from September 1990-June 1993.
Jack W. Fritz (68)......................... Director
2425 North Fish Creek Road Private investor; Consultant and
P.O. Box 483 Director of Fritz Broadcasting, Inc. and
Wilson, Wyoming 83014 Fritz Communications (developers and operators of radio
stations); Director of Advo, Inc. (direct mail advertising).
John L. Furth* (65)........................ Chairman of the Board
- --------------------
* Indicates a Director who is an "interested person" of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act.
</TABLE>
24
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<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
466 Lexington Avenue Vice Chairman and Director of E.M. Warburg,
New York, New York 10017-3147 Pincus & Co., Inc. ("EMW"); Associated
with EMW since 1970; Director and officer of
other investment companies advised by
Warburg.
Thomas A. Melfe (63)....................... Director
30 Rockefeller Plaza Partner in the law firm of Donovan Leisure
New York, New York 10112 Newton & Irvine; Director of Municipal Fund for New York
Investors, Inc.]
Arnold M. Reichman* (47)................... President and Director
466 Lexington Avenue Managing Director and Assistant Secretary
New York, New York 10017-3147 of EMW; Associated with EMW since 1984;
Senior Vice President, Secretary and
Chief Operating Officer of Counsellors Securities;
Officer of other investment companies advised by
Warburg.
[Alexander B. Trowbridge (66).............. Director
1155 Connecticut Avenue, N.W President of Trowbridge Partners, Inc.
Suite 700 (business consulting) from January 1990-
Washington, DC 20036 January 1994; President of the National Association of
Manufacturers from 1980-1990; Director or Trustee of New
England Mutual Life Insurance Co., ICOS Corporation
(biopharmaceuticals), P.H.H. Corporation (fleet auto
management; housing and plant relocation service), WMX
Technologies Inc. (solid and hazardous waste collection and
disposal), The Rouse Company (real estate development),
SunResorts International Ltd. (hotel and real estate
management), Harris Corp. (electronics and communications
equipment), The Gillette Co. (personal care products) and
Sun Company Inc. (petroleum refining and marketing).
Eugene L. Podsiadlo (38)................... Senior Vice President
466 Lexington Avenue Managing Director of EMW;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with EMW since 1991; Vice President of Citibank,
N.A. from 1987-1991; Senior Vice President of Counsellors
Securities and officer of other investment companies advised
by Warburg.]
Stephen Distler (42)....................... Vice President, Treasurer, Chief Financial
- ------------
* Indicates a Director who is an "interested person of the Fund as defined in
the 1940 Act.
</TABLE>
25
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<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
466 Lexington Avenue Officer and Chief Accounting Officer
New York, New York 10017-3147 Managing Director, Controller and Assistant
Secretary of EMW; Associated with EMW since
1984; Treasurer of Counsellors Securities;
Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer or Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of other
investment companies advised by Warburg.
[Eugene P. Grace (44)...................... Vice President and Secretary
466 Lexington Avenue Associated with EMW since April 1994;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Attorney-at-law from September 1989-April 1994; life
insurance agent, New York Life Insurance Company from
1993-1994; General Counsel and Secretary, Home Unity
Savings Bank from 1991-1992; Vice President
and Chief Compliance Officer of Counsellors
Securities; Vice President and Secretary of other
investment companies advised by Warburg.
Howard Conroy (41)......................... Vice President, Treasurer and Chief
466 Lexington Avenue Accounting Officer
New York, New York 10017-3147 Associated with EMW since 1992;
Associated with Martin Geller, C.P.A. from 1990-1992; Vice
President, Finance with Gabelli/Rosenthal & Partners, L.P.
until 1990; Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Accounting
Officer of other investment companies advised by Warburg.
Karen Amato (32)........................... Assistant Secretary
466 Lexington Avenue Associated with EMW since 1987;
New York, New York 10017-3147 Assistant Secretary of other investment companies advised by
Warburg.]
</TABLE>
No employee of Warburg or PFPC Inc., the Fund's
co-administrator ("PFPC"), or any of their affiliates receives any compensation
from the Fund for acting as an officer or director of the Fund. Each Director
who is not a director, trustee, officer or employee of Warburg, PFPC or any of
their affiliates receives an annual fee of $500, and $250 for each meeting of
the Board attended by him for his services as Director and is reimbursed for
expenses incurred in connection with his attendance at Board meetings.
26
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[Directors' Compensation
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Total Total Compensation from
Compensation from all Investment Companies
Name of Director Fund`D' Managed by Warburg`D'*
---------------- ----------------- ------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
John L. Furth None** None**
Arnold M. Reichman None** None**
Richard N. Cooper $1,500 $47,000
Donald J. Donahue $1,500 $47,000
Jack W. Fritz $1,500 $47,000
Thomas A. Melfe $1,500 $47,000
Alexander B. Trowbridge $1,500 $47,000
</TABLE>
- -------------------
`D' Amounts shown are estimates of future payments to be made in the fiscal
year ending August 31, 1996 pursuant to existing arrangements.
* Each Director also serves as a Director or Trustee of 20 other
investment companies advised by Warburg.
** Mr. Furth and Mr. Reichman are considered to be interested persons of
the Fund and Warburg, as defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940
Act, and, accordingly, receive no compensation from the Fund or any
other investment company managed by Warburg.]
Mr. Dale C. Christensen is co-portfolio manager for the Fund.
Mr. Christensen is also the overall portfolio strategist for the of the Warburg
Pincus Balanced Fund, and the president and co-portfolio manager of Warburg
Pincus Fixed Income, Global Fixed Income, Intermediate Maturity Government and
New York Intermediate Municipal Fund. He also directs the fixed income group at
Warburg, which he joined in 1989, providing portfolio management for
institutional clients around the world. Mr. Christensen was a vice president in
the International Private Banking division at Citicorp from 1984 to 1989. Prior
to that, Mr. Christensen was a fixed income portfolio manager at CIC Asset
Management from 1982 to 1984. Mr. Christensen earned a B.S. in Agriculture from
the University of Alberta and a B.Ed. in Mathematics from the University of
Calgary, both located in Canada.
Ms. Sharon B. Parente , co-portfolio manager of the Fund, has
been with Warburg since 1992 and specializes in municipal bonds and corporate
cash. Ms. Parente was a vice president at Citibank, N.A. in the Private Banking
Group from 1985 to 1992. Prior to that, she was a fixed income portfolio manager
at Calvert Group from 1981 to 1985 and a
27
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<PAGE>
municipal trader's assistant at Prescott, Ball & Turben from 1979 to 1981. Ms.
Parente earned a B.S. degree from the University of Virginia.
Investment Adviser and Co-Administrators
Warburg serves as investment adviser to the Fund, Counsellors
Funds Service, Inc. ("Counsellors Service") serves as a co-administrator to the
Fund and PFPC serves as a co-administrator to the Fund pursuant to separate
written agreements (the "Advisory Agreement," the "Counsellors Service
Co-Administration Agreement" and the "PFPC Co-Administration Agreement,"
respectively). The services provided by, and the fees payable by the Fund to,
Warburg under the Advisory Agreement, Counsellors Service under the Counsellors
Service Co-Administration Agreement and PFPC under the PFPC Co-Administration
Agreement are described in the Prospectus. Each class of shares of the Fund
bears its proportionate share of fees payable to Warburg, Counsellors Service
and PFPC in the proportion that its assets bear to the aggregate assets of the
Fund at the time of calculation.
Warburg agrees that if, in any fiscal year, the expenses borne
by the Fund exceed the applicable expense limitations imposed by the securities
regulations of any state in which shares of the Fund are registered or qualified
for sale to the public, it will reimburse the Fund to the extent required by
such regulations. Unless otherwise required by law, such reimbursement would be
accrued and paid on a monthly basis. At the date of this Statement of Additional
Information, the most restrictive annual expense limitation applicable to the
Fund is 2.5% of the first $30 million of the average net assets of the Fund, 2%
of the next $70 million of the average net assets of the Fund and 1.5% of the
remaining average net assets of the Fund.
Custodians and Transfer Agent
PNC Bank, National Association ("PNC") serves as custodian of
the Fund's assets, pursuant to a custodian agreement (the "Custodian
Agreement"). Under the Custodian Agreement, PNC (i) maintains a separate account
or accounts in the name of the Fund, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio
securities on account of the Fund, (iii) makes receipts and disbursements of
money on behalf of the Fund, (iv) collects and receives all income and other
payments and distributions for the account of the Fund's portfolio securities
held by it and (v) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Fund's
custodial arrangements. PNC may delegate its duties under its Custodian
Agreement with the Fund to a wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary of PNC
or PNC Bank Corp. upon notice to the Fund and upon the satisfaction of certain
other conditions. PNC is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of PNC Bank Corp.
and its principal business address is Broad and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19101.
State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street") acts as
the shareholder servicing, transfer and dividend disbursing agent of the Fund
pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, under which State Street
(i) issues and redeems shares of the Fund, (ii) addresses and mails all
communications by the Fund to record owners of Fund shares,
28
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<PAGE>
including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy
material for its meetings of shareholders, (iii) maintains shareholder accounts
and, if requested, sub-accounts and (iv) makes periodic reports to the Board
concerning the transfer agent's operations with respect to the Fund. State
Street has delegated to Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., a 50% owned
subsidiary ("BFDS"), responsibility for most shareholder servicing functions.
The principal business address of State Street is 225 Franklin Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02110. BFDS's principal business address is 2 Heritage Drive,
Boston, Massachusetts 02171.
Organization of the Fund
The Fund's charter authorizes the Board to issue three billion
full and fractional shares of common stock, $.001 par value per share ("Common
Shares"), of which one billion shares are designated Common Stock - Series 1 and
one billion shares are designated Advisor Shares. Only Common Shares have been
issued by the Fund.
All shareholders of the Fund in each class, upon liquidation,
will participate ratably in the Fund's net assets. Shares do not have cumulative
voting rights, which means that holders of more than 50% of the shares voting
for the election of Directors can elect all Directors. Shares are transferable
but have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights.
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing
Common Shares. The Fund has entered into a Shareholder
Servicing and Distribution Plan (the "12b-1 Plan"), pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under
the 1940 Act, pursuant to which the Fund will pay Counsellors Securities, in
consideration for Services (as defined below), a fee calculated at an annual
rate of .25% of the average daily net assets of the Common Shares of the Fund.
Services performed by Counsellors Securities include (i) the sale of the Common
Shares, as set forth in the 12b-1 Plan ("Selling Services"), (ii) ongoing
servicing and/or maintenance of the accounts of Common Shareholders of the Fund,
as set forth in the 12b-1 Plan ("Shareholder Services"), and (iii) sub-transfer
agency services, subaccounting services or administrative services related to
the sale of the Common Shares, as set forth in the 12b-1 Plan ("Administrative
Services" and collectively with Selling Services and Administrative Services,
"Services") including, without limitation, (a) payments reflecting an allocation
of overhead and other office expenses of Counsellors Securities related to
providing Services; (b) payments made to, and reimbursement of expenses of,
persons who provide support services in connection with the distribution of the
Common Shares including, but not limited to, office space and equipment,
telephone facilities, answering routine inquiries regarding the Fund, and
providing any other Shareholder Services; (c) payments made to compensate
selected dealers or other authorized persons for providing any Services; (d)
costs relating to the formulation and implementation of marketing and
promotional activities for the Common Shares, including, but not limited to,
direct mail promotions and television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass
media advertising, and related travel and entertainment expenses; (e) costs of
printing and distributing prospectuses, statements of additional information and
reports of the Fund to prospective shareholders of the Fund; and (f) costs
29
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
involved in obtaining whatever information, analyses and reports with respect to
marketing and promotional activities that the Fund may, from time to time, deem
advisable.
Pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan, Counsellors Securities provides
the Board with periodic reports of amounts expended under the 12b-1 Plan and the
purpose for which the expenditures were made.
Advisor Shares. The Fund may, in the future, enter into
agreements ("agreements") with institutional shareholders of record,
broker-dealers, financial institutions, depository institutions, retirement
plans and financial intermediaries ("Institutions") to provide certain
distribution, shareholder servicing, administrative and accounting services for
their clients or customers (or participants in the case of retirement plans)
("Customers") who are beneficial owners of Advisor Shares. Agreements will be
governed by a distribution plan (the "Distribution Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act. The Distribution Plan requires the Board, at least
quarterly, to receive and review written reports of amounts expended under the
Distribution Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.
An Institution with which the Fund has entered into an
Agreement with respect to its Advisor Shares may charge a Customer one or more
of the following types of fees, as agreed upon by the Institution and the
Customer, with respect to the cash management or other services provided by the
Institution: (i) account fees (a fixed amount per month or per year); (ii)
transaction fees (a fixed amount per transaction processed); (iii) compensation
balance requirements (a minimum dollar amount a Customer must maintain in order
to obtain the services offered); or (iv) account maintenance fees (a periodic
charge based upon the percentage of assets in the account or of the dividend
paid on those assets). Services provided by an Institution to Customers are in
addition to, and not duplicative of, the services to be provided under the
Fund's co-administration and distribution and shareholder servicing
arrangements. A Customer of an Institution should read the relevant Prospectus
and this Statement of Additional Information in conjunction with the Agreement
and other literature describing the services and related fees that would be
provided by the Institution to its Customers prior to any purchase of Fund
shares. Prospectuses are available from the Fund's distributor upon request. No
preference will be shown in the selection of Fund portfolio investments for the
instruments of Institutions.
General. The Distribution Plan and the 12b-1 Plan will
continue in effect for so long as their continuance is specifically approved at
least annually by the Board, including a majority of the Directors who are not
interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial
interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan or the 12b-1 Plan
("Independent Directors"). Any material amendment of the Distribution Plan or
the 12b-1 Plan would require the approval of the Board in the same manner.
Neither the Distribution Plan nor the 12b-1 Plan may be amended to increase
materially the amount to be spent thereunder without shareholder approval of the
relevant class of shares. The Distribution Plan or the 12b-1 Plan may be
terminated at any time, without penalty, by vote of a majority of the
30
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<PAGE>
Independent Directors or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the relevant class of shares of the Fund.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
The offering price of the Fund's shares is equal to the per
share net asset value of the relevant class of shares of the Fund. Information
on how to purchase and redeem Fund shares and how such shares are priced is
included in the Prospectus under "Net Asset Value."
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may suspend the right of
redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during
which the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or
during which trading on the NYSE is restricted, or during which (as determined
by the SEC) an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or fair valuation
of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods
as the SEC may permit. (The Fund may also suspend or postpone the recordation of
an exchange of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing
conditions.)
If the Board determines that conditions exist which make
payment of redemption proceeds wholly in cash unwise or undesirable, the Fund
may make payment wholly or partly in securities or other investment instruments
which may not constitute securities as such term is defined in the applicable
securities laws. If a redemption is paid wholly or partly in securities or other
property, a shareholder would incur transaction costs in disposing of the
redemption proceeds. The Fund intends to comply with Rule 18f-1 promulgated
under the 1940 Act with respect to redemptions in kind.
Automatic Cash Withdrawal Plan. An automatic cash withdrawal
plan (the "Plan") is available to shareholders who wish to receive specific
amounts of cash periodically. Withdrawals may be made under the Plan by
redeeming as many shares of the Fund as may be necessary to cover the stipulated
withdrawal payment. To the extent that withdrawals exceed dividends,
distributions and appreciation of a shareholder's investment in the Fund, there
will be a reduction in the value of the shareholder's investment and continued
withdrawal payments may reduce the shareholder's investment and ultimately
exhaust it. Withdrawal payments should not be considered as income from
investment in the Fund. All dividends and distributions on shares in the Plan
are automatically reinvested at net asset value in additional shares of the
Fund.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
An exchange privilege with certain other funds advised by
Warburg is available to investors in the Fund. The funds into which exchanges of
Common Shares currently can be made are listed in the Common Share Prospectus.
31
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
The exchange privilege enables shareholders to acquire shares
in a fund with a different investment objective when they believe that a shift
between funds is an appropriate investment decision. This privilege is available
to shareholders residing in any state in which the Common Shares being acquired,
as relevant, may legally be sold. Prior to any exchange, the investor should
obtain and review a copy of the current prospectus of the relevant class of each
fund into which an exchange is being considered. Shareholders may obtain a
prospectus of the relevant class of the fund into which they are contemplating
an exchange from Counsellors Securities.
Upon receipt of proper instructions and all necessary
supporting documents, shares submitted for exchange are redeemed at the
then-current net asset value of the relevant class and the proceeds are invested
on the same day, at a price as described above, in shares of the relevant class
of the fund being acquired. Warburg reserves the right to reject more than three
exchange requests by a shareholder in any 30-day period. The exchange privilege
may be modified or terminated at any time upon 60 days' notice to shareholders.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES
The discussion set out below of tax considerations generally
affecting the Fund and its shareholders is intended to be only a summary and is
not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning by prospective
shareholders. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with
respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
The Fund intends to qualify each year as a "regulated
investment company" under Subchapter M of the Code. If it qualifies as a
regulated investment company, the Fund will pay no federal income taxes on its
taxable net investment income (that is, taxable income other than net realized
capital gains) and its net realized capital gains that are distributed to
shareholders. To qualify under Subchapter M, the Fund must, among other things:
(i) distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its taxable net investment
income (for this purpose consisting of taxable net investment income and net
realized short-term capital gains); (ii) derive at least 90% of its gross income
from dividends, interest, payments with respect to loans of securities, gains
from the sale or other disposition of securities, or other income (including,
but not limited to, gains from options and futures contracts) derived with
respect to the Fund's business of investing in securities; (iii) derive less
than 30% of its annual gross income from the sale or other disposition of
securities, options, futures or forward contracts held for less than three
months; and (iv) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal
quarter of the Fund (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is
represented by cash, U.S. government securities and other securities, with those
other securities limited, with respect to any one issuer, to an amount no
greater in value than 5% of the Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of
the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of
the market value of the Fund's assets is invested in the securities of any one
issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated
investment companies) or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that
are determined to be in
32
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<PAGE>
the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses. In
meeting these requirements, the Fund may be restricted in the selling of
securities held by the Fund for less than three months and in the utilization of
certain of the investment techniques described above and in the Fund's
Prospectus. As a regulated investment company, the Fund will be subject to a 4%
non-deductible excise tax measured with respect to certain undistributed amounts
of ordinary income and capital gain required to be but not distributed under a
prescribed formula. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a
calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund's taxable
ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98% of the excess of its
capital gains over capital losses realized during the one-year period ending
October 31 during such year, together with any undistributed, untaxed amounts of
ordinary income and capital gains from the previous calendar year. The Fund
expects to pay the dividends and make the distributions necessary to avoid the
application of this excise tax.
The Fund's transactions, if any, in options and futures
contracts will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other
things, may affect the character of gains and losses recognized by the Fund
(i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate
recognition of income to the Fund, defer Fund losses and cause the Fund to be
subject to hyperinflationary currency rules. These rules could therefore affect
the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These
provisions also (i) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of its
positions (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and (ii) may cause the
Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or
make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements
for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor its transactions,
will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in
its books and records when it acquires any option or futures contract or hedged
investment so that (a) neither the Fund nor its shareholders will be treated as
receiving a materially greater amount of capital gains or distributions than
actually realized or received, (b) the Fund will be able to use substantially
all of its losses for the fiscal years in which the losses actually occur and
(c) the Fund will continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.
Upon the sale or exchange of shares, a shareholder will
realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon the amount realized and the basis
in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the
shares are capital assets in the shareholder's hands, and, as described in the
Prospectus, will be long-term or short-term depending upon the shareholder's
holding period for the shares. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be
disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced, including
replacement through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains
distributions in the Fund, within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before
and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares. In such a case, the
basis of the shares acquired will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss.
A shareholder of the Fund receiving dividends or distributions
in additional shares should be treated for federal income tax purposes as
receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that a
shareholder receiving cash dividends or distributions receives, and should have
a cost basis in the shares received equal to that amount.
33
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<PAGE>
Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain
distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at
that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, those who
purchase just prior to a distribution will receive a distribution that will
nevertheless be taxable to them.
Each shareholder will receive an annual statement as to the
federal income tax status of his dividends and distributions from the Fund for
the prior calendar year. Furthermore, shareholders will also receive, if
appropriate, various written notices after the close of the Fund's taxable year
regarding the federal income tax status of certain dividends and distributions
that were paid (or that are treated as having been paid) by the Fund to its
shareholders during the preceding year.
If a shareholder fails to furnish a correct taxpayer
identification number, fails to report fully dividend or interest income, or
fails to certify that he has provided a correct taxpayer identification number
and that he is not subject to "backup withholding," the shareholder may be
subject to a 31% "backup withholding" tax with respect to (i) taxable dividends
and distributions and (ii) the proceeds of any sales or repurchases of shares of
the Fund. An individual's taxpayer identification number is his social security
number. Corporate shareholders and other shareholders specified in the Code are
or may be exempt from backup withholding. The backup withholding tax is not an
additional tax and may be credited against a taxpayer's federal income tax
liability. Dividends and distributions also may be subject to state and local
taxes depending on each shareholder's particular situation.
Investment in Municipal Obligations
Because the Fund will distribute exempt-interest dividends,
interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund
shares is not deductible for federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder
receives an exempt-interest dividend with respect to any share of the Fund and
if such share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss
on the sale or exchange of such share, to the extent of such exempt-interest
dividend, shall be disallowed. In addition, the Code may require a shareholder,
if he or she receives exempt-interest dividends, to treat as taxable income a
portion of certain otherwise non-taxable social security and railroad retirement
benefit payments. Furthermore, that portion of any exempt interest dividend paid
by the Fund which represents income from private activity bonds may not retain
its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a "substantial user"
(or persons related thereto) of a facility financed by such bonds.
Under the Code, interest on specified private activity bonds
issued after August 7, 1986, although otherwise exempt from federal income tax,
is treated as an item of tax preference for purposes of the alternative minimum
tax. If the Fund invests in such specified "private activity bonds," it will
report a portion of the "exempt-interest dividends" paid to its shareholders as
interest on specified private activity bonds, and hence as a tax preference
item. Corporate investors should note that the "adjusted current earnings" of a
corporation are treated as a tax preference item subject to the alternative
minimum tax. Exempt interest dividends are included in adjusted current
earnings. The amount of the alternative minimum
34
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<PAGE>
tax imposed by the Code is the excess, if any, of the taxpayer's "tentative
minimum tax" over the taxpayer's regular tax liability for the taxable year. The
"tentative minimum tax" is equal to (i) 26% of the first $175,000, and 28% of
any amount over $175,000 (for corporations, 20% of the whole), of the taxpayer's
alternative minimum taxable income (defined as regular taxable income modified
by certain adjustments and increased by the taxpayer's "items of tax
preference," including the adjustment for corporate current earnings and the tax
preference for tax-exempt interest on private activity bonds described above)
for the taxable year as exceeds the exemption amount, less (ii) the alternative
minimum tax foreign tax credit for the taxable year. The exemption amount is
$40,000 for corporations, $45,000 for those filing joint returns, lesser amounts
for others, and is phased out over certain income levels. Prospective investors
should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the possible application
of the alternative minimum tax to their tax situations and should inquire about
changes to the alternative minimum tax rules resulting from legislation that may
be passed after the effective date of this Statement of Additional Information.
In addition, the receipt of Fund dividends and distributions
may affect a foreign corporate shareholder's federal "branch profits" tax
liability and a Subchapter S corporation shareholder's federal "excess net
passive income" tax liability. Shareholders should consult their own tax
advisers as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility
or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a
federal alternative minimum tax, any applicable state alternative minimum tax,
the federal environmental tax, the federal branch profit tax, or the federal
excess net passive income tax. Shareholders who are recipients of Social
Security benefits should be aware that tax-exempt interest dividends received
from the Fund are included in their "modified adjusted gross income" for
purposes of determining the amount of such Social Security benefits, if any,
that are required to be included in their gross income.
While the Fund does not expect to realize a significant amount
of net capital gains, any such gains realized will be distributed annually as
described in the Fund's Prospectus. Such distributions ("capital gain
dividends"), if any, will be taxable to the shareholders as long-term capital
gains, regardless of how long a shareholder has held the Fund's shares, and will
be designated as capital gain dividends in a written notice mailed by the Fund
to the shareholders after the close of the Fund's prior taxable year. If a
shareholder receives a capital gain dividend with respect to any share and if
such share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss (to
the extent not disallowed pursuant to the other six month rule described above)
on the sale or exchange of such share, to the extent of the capital gain
dividend, shall be treated as a long-term capital loss. The maximum tax rate for
individuals imposed on net capital gains is 28% whereas the maximum marginal
income tax rate is 39.6%. Up to the 28% maximum, all capital gains, whether
long-term or short-term, are taxed as ordinary income. Proposed legislation
would reduce capital gains tax rates for individuals and corporations.
Capital gain distributions by the Fund result in a reduction
in the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Should a distribution reduce the
net asset value below a shareholder's cost basis, such distribution would
nevertheless be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary
35
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<PAGE>
income or capital gain as described above, even though, from an investment
standpoint, it may constitute a partial return of capital.
If, for any full fiscal year, the Fund's total distributions
exceed net investment income and net realized capital gains, the excess
distributions may be treated as a taxable dividend or as a tax-free return of
capital (up to the amount of the shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares).
The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce a shareholder's
adjusted basis in his or her shares. Pursuant to the requirements of the 1940
Act and other applicable laws, a notice will accompany any distribution paid
from sources other than net investment income. In the event the Fund distributes
amounts in excess of its net investment income and net realized capital gains,
such distributions may have the effect of decreasing the Fund's total assets,
which may increase the Fund's expense ratio.
Dividends derived by the Fund from tax-exempt interest are
designated as tax-exempt in the same percentage of the day's dividend as the
actual tax-exempt income earned on that day. Thus, the percentage of the
dividend designated as tax-exempt may vary from day to day.
DETERMINATION OF PERFORMANCE
From time to time, the Fund may quote the total return of its
Common Shares in advertisements or in reports and other communications to
shareholders. Average annual total return is calculated by finding the average
annual compounded rates of return for the one-, five- and ten- (or such shorter
period as the relevant class of shares has been offered) year periods that would
equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value according to
the following formula: P (1 + T)'pp'n = ERV. For purposes of this formula, "P"
is a hypothetical investment of $1,000; "T" is average annual total return; "n"
is number of years; and "ERV" is the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical
$1,000 payment made at the beginning of the one-, five- or ten-year periods (or
fractional portion thereof). Total return or "T" is computed by finding the
average annual change in the value of an initial $1,000 investment over the
period and assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested during
the period.
The Fund may advertise, from time to time, comparisons of the
performance of its Common Shares with that of one or more other mutual funds
with similar investment objectives. The Fund may advertise average annual
calendar year-to-date and calendar quarter returns, which are calculated
according to the formula set forth in the preceding paragraph, except that the
relevant measuring period would be the number of months that have elapsed in the
current calendar year or most recent three months, as the case may be. Investors
should note that this performance may not be representative of the Fund's total
return in longer market cycles.
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The Fund may also advertise its yield and tax equivalent
yield. Yield is calculated by annualizing the net investment income generated by
the Fund over a specified thirty-day period according to the following formula:
YIELD = 2[(a-b +1)'pp'6-1]
---
cd
For purposes of this formula: "a" is dividends and interest
earned during the period; "b" is expenses accrued for the period (net of
reimbursements); "c" is the average daily number of shares outstanding during
the period that were entitled to receive dividends; and "d" is the maximum
offering price per share on the last day of the period. Tax equivalent yield is
calculated over a specified thirty-day period by dividing that portion of the
Fund's yield which is tax exempt by one minus a stated income tax rate and
adding the product to that portion, if any, of the yield of the Fund that is not
tax exempt.
The performance of a class of Fund shares will vary from time
to time depending upon market conditions, the composition of the Fund's
portfolio and operating expenses allocable to it. As described above, total
return is based on historical earnings and is not intended to indicate future
performance. Consequently, any given performance quotation should not be
considered as representative of performance for any specified period in the
future. Performance information may be useful as a basis for comparison with
other investment alternatives. However, the Fund's performance will fluctuate,
unlike certain bank deposits or other investments which pay a fixed yield for a
stated period of time. Any fees charged by Institutions or other institutional
investors directly to their customers in connection with investments in Fund
shares are not reflected in the Fund's total return, and such fees, if charged,
will reduce the actual return received by customers on their investments.
ACCOUNTANTS AND COUNSEL
Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. ("Coopers & Lybrand"), with principal
offices at 2400 Eleven Penn Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as
independent accountants for the Fund. Willkie Farr & Gallagher serves as counsel
for the Fund as well as counsel to Warburg, Counsellors Service and Counsellors
Securities.
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APPENDIX
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
Commercial Paper Ratings
Commercial paper rated A-1 by Standard and Poor's Ratings
Group ("S&P") indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is
strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety
characteristics are denoted with a plus sign designation. Capacity for timely
payment on commercial paper rated A-2 is satisfactory, but the relative degree
of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.
The rating Prime-1 is the highest commercial paper rating
assigned by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's"). Issuers rated Prime-1
(or related supporting institutions) are considered to have a superior capacity
for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Issuers rated Prime-2 (or
related supporting institutions) are considered to have a strong capacity for
repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced
by many of the characteristics of issuers rated Prime-1 but to a lesser degree.
Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to
variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more
affected by external conditions. Ample alternative liquidity is maintained.
Short-Term Note Ratings
The following summarizes the two highest ratings used by S&P
for short-term notes:
SP-1 - Loans bearing this designation evidence a very strong
or strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues determined to
possess overwhelming safety characteristics will be given a plus sign
designation.
SP-2 - Loans bearing this designation evidence a satisfactory
capacity to pay principal and interest.
The following summarizes the two highest ratings used by
Moody's for short-term notes and variable rate demand obligations:
MIG-1/VMIG-2 - Obligations bearing these designations are of
the best quality, enjoying strong protection from established cash flows or
funds for their servicing or from established and broad-based access to the
market for refinancing, or both.
MIG-2/VMIG-2 - Obligations bearing these designations are of
high quality with margins of protection ample although not so large as in the
preceding group.
A-1
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<PAGE>
Corporate Bond and Municipal Obligations Ratings
The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P for corporate
bonds and Municipal Obligations:
AAA - This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt
obligation and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal.
AA - Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest
and repay principal and differs from AAA issues only in small degree.
A - Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and
repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects
of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher-rated
categories.
BBB - This is the lowest investment grade. Debt rated BBB is
regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Although it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened
capacity to pay interest and repay principal for bonds in this category than for
bonds in higher rated categories.
BB, B, CCC, CC and C - Debt rated BB and B are regarded, on
balance, as predominately speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB
represents a lower degree of speculation than B, and CCC the highest degree of
speculation. While such bonds will likely have some quality and protective
characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk
exposures to adverse conditions.
BB - Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default
than other speculative issues. However, they face major ongoing uncertainties or
exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could
lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The
BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is
assigned an actual or implied BBB rating.
B - Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but
currently have the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments.
Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity
or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is
also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or
implied BB or BB- rating.
CCC - Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable
vulnerability to default and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and
economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of
principal. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions,
it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
A-2
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<PAGE>
The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that
is assigned an actual or implied B or B- rating.
CC - This rating is typically applied to debt subordinated to
senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating.
C - This rating is typically applied to debt subordinated to
senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C
rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been
filed, but debt service payments are continued.
Additionally, the rating CI is reserved for income bonds on
which no interest is being paid. Such debt is rated between debt rated C and
debt rated D.
To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the
ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative
standing within this major rating category.
D - Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category
is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date
due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes
that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will
be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are
jeopardized.
The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody's for
corporate bonds and Municipal Obligations:
Aaa - Bonds that are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best
quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally
referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa - Bonds that are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality
by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally
known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because
margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of
protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements
present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa
securities.
A - Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment
attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors
giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements
may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the
future.
A-3
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Baa - Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade
obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but
certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically
unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba - Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative
elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the
protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby
not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty
of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B - Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of
desirable investments. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be
small.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers (1, 2 and 3) with respect
to the bonds rated "Aa" through "B." The modifier 1 indicates that the bond
being rated ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier
2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the bond
ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
Caa - Bonds that are rated Caa are of poor standing. These
issues may be in default or present elements of danger may exist with respect to
principal or interest.
Ca - Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are
speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other
marked shortcomings.
C - Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of
bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of
ever attaining any real investment standing.
A-4
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Part C
Information required to be included in Part C is set
forth after the appropriate item, so numbered, in Part C to this
Registration Statement.
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description of Exhibit
1 Articles of Incorporation.
2 By-Laws.
3 Not applicable.
4 Forms of Share Certificates.*
5 Form of Investment Advisory Agreement.*
6 Form of Distribution Agreement.*
7 Not applicable.
8(a) Form of Custodian Agreement with PNC Bank,
National Association.*
(b) Form of Custodian Agreement with State Street Bank
and Trust Company.*
9(a) Form of Transfer Agency Agreement.*
(b) Forms of Co-Administration Agreements.*
(c) Forms of Services Agreements.*
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* To be filed by amendment.
C-1
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10(a) Opinion and Consent of Willkie Farr & Gallagher,
counsel to the Fund.*
(b) Opinion and Consent of Venable, Baetjer and
Howard, LLP, Maryland counsel to the Fund.*
11 Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., Independent
Accountants.*
12 Not Applicable.
13 Form of Purchase Agreement.*
14 Not applicable.
15(a) Form of Shareholder Servicing and Distribution Plan*
(b) Form of Distribution Plan.*
(c) Form of Distribution Agreement.*
(d) Rule 18f-3 Plan.*
16 Not applicable.
17 Not applicable.
- ---------------
* To be filed by amendment.
Item 25. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant
All of the outstanding shares of common stock of Registrant on
the date Registrant's Registration Statement becomes effective will be owned by
Warburg, Pincus Counsellors, Inc. ("Warburg"), a corporation formed under New
York law.
Item 26. Number of Holders of Securities
It is anticipated that Warburg will hold all Registrant's
shares of common stock, par value $.001 per share, on the date Registrant's
Registration Statement becomes effective.
Item 27. Indemnification
Registrant, officers and directors of Warburg, of Counsellors
Securities Inc. ("Counsellors Securities") and of Registrant are covered by
insurance policies indemnifying them for liability incurred in connection with
the operation of Registrant. Discussion of this coverage is incorporated by
reference to Item 27 of Part C of the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of
Warburg, Pincus Small Company Value Fund, Inc. (Securities Act No. 33-63653;
Investment Company Act No. 811-07375), filed on October 25, 1995.
C-2
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<PAGE>
Item 28. Business and Other Connections of
Investment Adviser
Warburg is a wholly owned subsidiary of Warburg, Pincus
Counsellors G.P., acts as investment adviser to Registrant. Warburg renders
investment advice to a wide variety of individual and institutional clients. The
list required by this Item 28 of officers and directors of Warburg, together
with information as to their other business, profession, vocation or employment
of a substantial nature during the past two years, is incorporated by reference
to Schedules A and D of Form ADV filed by Warburg (SEC File No. 801-07321).
Item 29. Principal Underwriter
(a) Counsellors Securities will act as distributor for
Registrant. Counsellors Securities currently acts as distributor for The RBB
Fund, Inc.; Warburg, Pincus Capital Appreciation Fund; Warburg, Pincus Cash
Reserve Fund; Warburg, Pincus Emerging Growth Fund; Warburg, Pincus Emerging
Markets Fund; Warburg, Pincus Fixed Income Fund; Warburg, Pincus Global Fixed
Income Fund; Warburg, Pincus Institutional Fund, Inc.; Warburg, Pincus
Intermediate Maturity Government Fund; Warburg, Pincus International Equity
Fund; Warburg, Pincus Japan Growth Fund; Warburg, Pincus Japan OTC Fund;
Warburg, Pincus New York Intermediate Municipal Fund; Warburg, Pincus New York
Tax Exempt Fund; Warburg, Pincus Post-Venture Capital Fund; Warburg, Pincus
Short-Term Tax-Advantaged Bond Fund; Warburg, Pincus Small Company Value Fund
and Warburg, Pincus Trust.
(b) For information relating to each director and officer of
Counsellors Securities, reference is made to Form BD (SEC File No. 15-654) filed
by Counsellors Securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(c) None.
Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records
(1) Warburg, Pincus Tax Free Fund, Inc.
466 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3147
(Registrant's Articles of Incorporation, By-laws
and minute books)
(2) Warburg, Pincus Counsellors, Inc.
466 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3147
(records relating to its functions as investment
adviser)
(3) Counsellors Funds Service, Inc.
466 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3147
C-3
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<PAGE>
(records relating to its functions as co-
administrator)
(4) PFPC Inc.
400 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
(records relating to its functions as co-
administrator)
(5) Counsellors Securities Inc.
466 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017-3147
(records relating to its functions as distributor)
(6) PNC Bank, National Association
Broad & Chestnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101
(records relating to its functions as custodian)
(7) State Street Bank and Trust Company
225 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
(records relating to its functions as custodian,
shareholder servicing agent, transfer agent and
dividend disbursing agent)
Item 31. Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 32. Undertakings
(a) Registrant hereby undertakes not to offer its shares to
the public, except in connection with the reorganization of the Warburg Pincus
Tax Free Fund, a series of The RBB Fund, Inc., until Registrant files a
post-effective amendment including financial statements.
(b) Registrant hereby undertakes to call a meeting of its
shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a
director or directors of Registrant when requested in writing to do so by the
holders of at least 10% of Registrant's outstanding shares. Registrant
undertakes further, in connection with the meeting, to comply with the
provisions of Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act relating to communications with the
shareholders of certain common-law trusts.
(c) Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to
whom a prospectus is delivered with a copy of Registrant's latest annual report
to shareholders, upon request and without charge.
C-4
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<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has
duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and the State of
New York, on the 29th day of January, 1996.
WARBURG, PINCUS TAX FREE FUND, INC.
By:/s/ Arnold M. Reichman
Arnold M. Reichman
President
ATTEST:
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signature Title Date
<S> <C> <C>
/s/ Arnold M. Reichman Director, President and January 29, 1996
- --------------------------- Secretary
Arnold M. Reichman
/s/ Stephen Distler Vice President, January 29, 1996
- ---------------------------- Chief Financial
Stephen Distler Officer, Treasurer
and Chief Accounting
Officer
C-5
STATEMENT OF DIFFERENCES
------------------------
The dagger symbol shall be expressed as `D'
Any superscript shall be preceded by 'pp'
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit No. Description of Exhibit
- ----------- ----------------------
1 Articles of Incorporation.
2 By-Laws.
<PAGE>
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
WARBURG, PINCUS TAX FREE FUND, INC.
ARTICLE I
INCORPORATOR
The undersigned, Alisa C. Ja ncu, whose post office address
is c/o Willkie Farr & Gallagher, One Citicorp Center, 153 East 53rd Street, New
York, New York 10022, being at least 18 years of age, does hereby act as an
incorporator and forms a corporation under the Maryland General Corporation Law.
ARTICLE II
NAME
The name of the corporation is Warburg, Pincus Tax Free Fund,
Inc. (the "Corporation").
ARTICLE III
PURPOSES AND POWERS
The Corporation is formed for the following purposes:
(1) To conduct and carry on the business of an
investment company.
(2) To hold, invest and reinvest its assets in
securities and other investments or to hold part or all of its
assets in cash.
(3) To issue and sell shares of its capital stock in such
amounts, on such terms and conditions, for such purposes and for such amount or
kind of consideration as may now or hereafter be permitted by law.
(4) To redeem, purchase or acquire in any other manner, hold,
dispose of, resell, transfer, reissue or cancel (all without the vote or consent
of the stockholders of the Corporation) shares of its capital stock, in any
manner and to the extent now or hereafter permitted by law and by this Charter.
(5) To do any and all additional acts and to exercise any and
all additional powers or rights as may be necessary, incidental, appropriate or
desirable for the accomplishment of all or any of the foregoing purposes.
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The Corporation shall be authorized to exercise and enjoy all
of the powers, rights and privileges granted to, or conferred upon, corporations
by the Maryland General Corporation Law now or hereafter in force, and the
enumeration of the foregoing shall not be deemed to exclude any powers, rights
or privileges so granted or conferred.
ARTICLE IV
PRINCIPAL OFFICE AND RESIDENT AGENT
The post office address of the principal office of the
Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o The Corporation Trust Company
Incorporated, 32 South Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The name and address
of the resident agent of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is The
Corporation Trust Company Incorporated, a Maryland corporation, 32 South Street,
Baltimore, Maryland 21202.
ARTICLE V
CAPITAL STOCK
(1) (A) The total number of shares of capital stock that the
Corporation shall have authority to issue is three billion (3,000,000,000)
shares, of the par value of one tenth of one cent ($.001) per share and of the
aggregate par value of three million dollars ($3,000,000), all of which three
billion (3,000,000,000) shares are designated Common Stock.
(B) (i) One billion (1,000,000,000) shares of Common
Stock have been divided into and classified initially as a series of
Common Stock, designated Common Stock - Series 1 ("Series 1 Shares").
(ii) One billion (1,000,000,000) shares of
Common Stock have been divided into and classified initially
as a series of Common Stock, designated Advisor Shares
("Advisor Shares").
(C) Each Series 1 Share will have the same
preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions,
limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and conditions of
redemption as every other share of Common Stock, except that, subject
to the provisions of any governing order, rule or regulation issued
pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940
Act"):
(i) Series 1 Shares will share equally with
Common Stock other than Series 1 Shares ("Non-Series 1
Shares") in the income, earnings and profits derived from
investment and reinvestment of the assets belonging to the
Corporation and will be charged
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equally with Non-Series 1 Shares with the liabilities and
expenses of the Corporation, except that Series 1 Shares will
bear the expense of payments made pursuant to any agreements
entered into by the Corporation pursuant to any shareholder
services plan and/or distribution plan adopted by the
Corporation with respect to Series 1 Shares
(ii) On any matter submitted to a vote of
shareholders of the Corporation that pertains to the
agreements or expenses described in clause (C)(i) above (or to
any plan adopted by the Corporation relating to said
agreements or expenses), only Series 1 Shares will be entitled
to vote, except that if said matter affects Non-Series 1
Shares, Non-Series 1 Shares will also be entitled to vote, and
in such case Series 1 Shares will be voted in the aggregate
together with such Non-Series 1 Shares and not by series
except where otherwise required by law. Series 1 Shares will
not be entitled to vote on any matter that does not affect
Series 1 Shares (except where otherwise required by law) even
though the matter is submitted to a vote of the holders of
Non-Series 1 Shares; and
(iii) The Board of Directors of the
Corporation in its sole discretion may determine whether a
matter affects a particular class or series of Corporation
shares.
(D) Each Advisor Share will have the same
preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions,
limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and conditions of
redemption as every other share of Common Stock, except that, subject
to the provisions of any governing order, rule or regulation issued
pursuant to the 1940 Act:
(i) Advisor Shares will share equally with
Common Stock other than Advisor Shares("Non-Advisor Shares")
in the income, earnings and profits derived from investment
and reinvestment of the assets belonging to the Corporation
and will be charged equally with Non-Advisor Shares with the
liabilities and expenses of the Corporation, except Advisor
Shares will bear the expense of payments made pursuant to any
agreements entered into by the Corporation pursuant to any
shareholder services plan and/or distribution plan adopted by
the Corporation with respect to Advisor Shares;
(ii) On any matter submitted to a vote of
shareholders of the Corporation that pertains to the
agreements or expenses described in clause (D)(i) above (or to
any plan adopted by the Corporation relating to
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said agreements or expenses), only Advisor Shares will be
entitled to vote, except that if said matter affects
Non-Advisor Shares, Non-Advisor Shares will also be entitled
to vote, and in such case Advisor Shares will be voted in the
aggregate together with such Non-Advisor Shares and not by
series except where otherwise required by law. Advisor Shares
will not be entitled to vote on any matter that does not
affect Advisor Shares (except where otherwise required by
law) even though the matter is submitted to a vote of the
holders of Non-Advisor Shares; and
(iii) The Board of Directors of the
Corporation in its sole discretion may determine whether a
matter affects a particular class or series of Corporation
shares.
(2) Any fractional share shall carry proportionately the
rights of a whole share including, without limitation, the right to vote and the
right to receive dividends. A fractional share shall not, however, have the
right to receive a certificate evidencing it.
(3) All persons who shall acquire stock in the Corporation
shall acquire the same subject to the provisions of this Charter and the By-Laws
of the Corporation.
(4) No holder of stock of the Corporation by virtue of being
such a holder shall have any preemptive or other right to purchase or subscribe
for any shares of the Corporation's capital stock or any other security that the
Corporation may issue or sell (whether out of the number of shares authorized by
this Charter or out of any shares of the Corporation's capital stock that the
Corporation may acquire) other than a right that the Board of Directors in its
discretion may determine to grant.
(5) The Board of Directors shall have authority by resolution
to classify or to reclassify, as the case may be, any authorized but unissued
shares of capital stock from time to time by setting or changing in any one or
more respects the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers,
restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications or terms or conditions
of redemption of the capital stock.
(6) Notwithstanding any provision of law requiring any action
to be taken or authorized by the affirmative vote of a greater proportion of the
votes of all classes or of any class of stock of the Corporation, such action
shall be effective and valid if taken or authorized by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the total number of votes entitled to be cast thereon, except as
otherwise provided in this Charter.
(7) The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of
one-third of the shares of stock of the Corporation entitled
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to vote (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum
at any meeting of the stockholders, except with respect to any matter which,
under applicable statutes or regulatory requirements, requires approval by a
separate vote of one or more classes of stock, in which case the presence in
person or by proxy of the holders of one-third of the shares of stock of each
class required to vote as a class on the matter shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VI
REDEMPTION
Each holder of shares of the Corporation's capital stock shall
be entitled to require the Corporation to redeem all or any part of the shares
of capital stock of the Corporation standing in the name of the holder on the
books of the Corporation, and all shares of capital stock issued by the
Corporation shall be subject to redemption by the Corporation, at the redemption
price of the shares as in effect from time to time as may be determined by or
pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors of the Corporation in
accordance with the provisions of Article VII, subject to the right of the Board
of Directors of the Corporation to suspend the right of redemption or postpone
the date of payment of the redemption price in accordance with provisions of
applicable law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Corporation shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, have the right at
any time to redeem the shares owned by any holder of capital stock of the
Corporation (i) if the redemption is, in the opinion of the Board of Directors
of the Corporation, desirable in order to prevent the Corporation from being
deemed a "personal holding company" within the meaning of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 or (ii) if the value of the shares in the account maintained by the
Corporation or its transfer agent for any class of stock for the stockholder is
below an amount determined from time to time by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation (the "Minimum Account Balance") and the stockholder has been given
at least 60 (sixty) days' written notice of the redemption and has failed to
make additional purchases of shares in an amount sufficient to bring the value
in his account to at least the Minimum Account Balance before the redemption is
effected by the Corporation. Payment of the redemption price shall be made in
cash by the Corporation at the time and in the manner as may be determined from
time to time by the Board of Directors of the Corporation unless, in the opinion
of the Board of Directors, which shall be conclusive, conditions exist that make
payment wholly in cash unwise or undesirable; in such event the Corporation may
make payment wholly or partly by securities or other property included in the
assets belonging or allocable to the class of the shares for which redemption is
being sought, the value of which shall be determined as provided herein. The
Board of Directors may establish procedures for redemption of shares.
5
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ARTICLE VII
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(1) The number of directors constituting the Board of
Directors shall be one or such other number as may be set forth in the By-Laws
or determined by the Board of Directors pursuant to the By-Laws. The number of
Directors shall at no time be less than the minimum number required under the
Maryland General Corporation Law. Arnold M. Reichman has been appointed director
of the Corporation to hold office until the first annual meeting of stockholders
or until his successor is elected and qualified.
(2) In furtherance, and not in limitation, of the powers
conferred by the Maryland General Corporation Law, the Board of Directors is
expressly authorized:
(i) To make, alter or repeal the By-Laws of the
Corporation, except where such power is reserved by the By-Laws to the
stockholders, and except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act.
(ii) From time to time to determine whether and to
what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions and
regulations the books and accounts of the Corporation, or any of them
other than the stock ledger, shall be open to the inspection of the
stockholders. No stockholder shall have any right to inspect any
account or book or document of the Corporation, except as conferred by
law or authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors or of the
stockholders.
(iii) Without the assent or vote of the stockholders,
to authorize the issuance from time to time of shares of the stock of
any class of the Corporation, whether now or hereafter authorized, and
securities convertible into shares of stock of the Corporation of any
class or classes, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such
consideration as the Board of Directors may deem advisable.
(iv) Without the assent or vote of the stockholders,
to authorize and issue obligations of the Corporation, secured and
unsecured, as the Board of Directors may determine, and to authorize
and cause to be executed mortgages and liens upon the real or personal
property of the Corporation.
(v) Notwithstanding anything in this Charter to the
contrary, to establish in its absolute discretion the basis or method
for determining the value of the assets belonging to any class, the
value of the liabilities belonging to any class and the net asset value
of each share of any class of the Corporation's stock.
6
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(vi) To determine in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles and practices what constitutes net
profits, earnings, surplus or net assets in excess of capital, and to
determine what accounting periods shall be used by the Corporation for
any purpose; to set apart out of any funds of the Corporation reserves
for such purposes as it shall determine and to abolish the same; to
declare and pay any dividends and distributions in cash, securities or
other property from surplus or any other funds legally available
therefor, at such intervals as it shall determine; to declare dividends
or distributions by means of a formula or other method of
determination, at meetings held less frequently than the frequency of
the effectiveness of such declarations; and to establish payment dates
for dividends or any other distributions on any basis, including dates
occurring less frequently than the effectiveness of declarations
thereof.
(vii) In addition to the powers and authorities
granted herein and by statute expressly conferred upon it, the Board of
Directors is authorized to exercise all powers and do all acts that may
be exercised or done by the Corporation pursuant to the provisions of
the laws of the State of Maryland, this Charter and the By-Laws of the
Corporation.
(3) Any determination made in good faith, and in accordance
with applicable law and generally accepted accounting principles and practices,
if applicable, by or pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors, with
respect to the amount of assets, obligations or liabilities of the Corporation,
as to the amount of net income of the Corporation from dividends and interest
for any period or amounts at any time legally available for the payment of
dividends, as to the amount of any reserves or charges set up and the propriety
thereof, as to the time of or purpose for creating reserves or as to the use,
alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges (whether or not any
obligation or liability for which the reserves or charges have been created has
been paid or discharged or is then or thereafter required to be paid or
discharged), as to the value of any security owned by the Corporation, the
determination of the net asset value of shares of any class of the Corporation's
capital stock, or as to any other matters relating to the issuance, sale or
other acquisition or disposition of securities or shares of capital stock of the
Corporation, and any reasonable determination made in good faith by the Board of
Directors regarding whether any transaction constitutes a purchase of securities
on "margin," a sale of securities "short," or an underwriting of the sale of, or
a participation in any underwriting or selling group in connection with the
public distribution of, any securities, shall be final and conclusive, and shall
be binding upon the Corporation and all holders of its capital stock, past,
present and future, and shares of the capital stock of the Corporation are
issued and sold on the
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condition and understanding, evidenced by the purchase of shares of capital
stock or acceptance of share certificates, that any and all such determinations
shall be binding as aforesaid. No provision of this Charter shall be effective
to (i) require a waiver of compliance with any provision of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, or the 1940 Act, or of any valid rule, regulation or order
of the Securities and Exchange Commission under those Acts or (ii) protect or
purport to protect any director or officer of the Corporation against any
liability to the Corporation or its security holders to which he would otherwise
be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
(1) To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of
directors and officers are permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, no
director or officer of the Corporation shall have any liability to the
Corporation or its stockholders for money damages. This limitation on liability
applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a director or officer
of the Corporation whether or not such person is a director or officer at the
time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted.
(2) The Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to
its currently acting and its former directors to the fullest extent that
indemnification of directors and advancement of expenses to directors is
permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law. The Corporation shall
indemnify and advance expenses to its officers to the same extent as its
directors and to such further extent as is consistent with such law. The board
of directors may, through a by-law, resolution or agreement, make further
provisions for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents to
the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law.
(3) No provision of this Article VIII shall be effective to
protect or purport to protect any director or officer of the Corporation against
any liability to the Corporation or its stockholders to which he would otherwise
be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
(4) References to the Maryland General Corporation Law in this
Article VIII are to the law as from time to time amended. No amendment to this
Charter shall affect any right of any person under this Article VIII based on
any event, omission or proceeding prior to such amendment. The term "Charter" as
used herein shall have the meaning set forth in the Maryland
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General Corporation Law and includes these Articles of Incorporation and all
amendments thereto.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
The Corporation reserves the right from time to time to make
any amendment to its Charter, now or hereafter authorized by law, including any
amendment that alters the contract rights, as expressly set forth in this
Charter, of any outstanding stock, and all rights at any time conferred upon the
stockholders of the Corporation by its Charter are granted subject to the
provisions of this Article and the reservation of the right to amend the Charter
herein contained.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have adopted and signed these Articles
of Incorporation and do hereby acknowledge that the adoption and signing are my
act.
/s/ Alisa C. Jancu
----------------------------------------
Incorporator
Dated the 26th day of January, 1996
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BY-LAWS
OF
WARBURG, PINCUS TAX FREE FUND, INC.
A Maryland Corporation
ARTICLE I
STOCKHOLDERS
SECTION 1. Annual Meetings. No annual meeting of the stockholders of
the Warburg, Pincus Tax Free Fund, Inc. (the "Corporation") shall be held in any
year in which the election of directors is not required to be acted upon under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), unless
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors. An annual meeting may be held at
any place within the United States as may be determined by the Board of
Directors and as shall be designated in the notice of the meeting, at the time
specified by the Board of Directors. Any business of the Corporation may be
transacted at an annual meeting without being specifically designated in the
notice unless otherwise provided by statute, the Corporation's Charter or these
By-Laws.
SECTION 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders for
any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the
Corporation's Charter, may be held at any place within the United States, and
may be called at any time by the Board of Directors or by the President, and
shall be called by the President or Secretary at the request in writing of a
majority of the Board of Directors or at the request in writing of stockholders
entitled to cast at least 10% (ten percent) of the votes entitled to be cast at
the meeting upon payment by such stockholders to the Corporation of the
reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing a notice of the meeting
(which estimated cost shall be provided to such stockholders by the Secretary of
the Corporation). Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless requested by
stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the
meeting, a special meeting of the stockholders need not be called at the request
of stockholders to consider any matter which is substantially the same as a
matter voted on at any special meeting of the stockholders held during the
preceding 12 (twelve) months. A written request shall state the purpose or
purposes of the proposed meeting.
SECTION 3. Notice of Meetings. Written or printed notice of the
purpose or purposes and of the time and place of every meeting of the
stockholders shall be given by the
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Secretary of the Corporation to each stockholder of record entitled to
vote at the meeting, by placing the notice in the mail at least 10 (ten) days,
but not more than 90 (ninety) days, prior to the date designated for the meeting
addressed to each stockholder at his address appearing on the books of the
Corporation or supplied by the stockholder to the Corporation for the purpose of
notice. The notice of any meeting of stockholders may be accompanied by a form
of proxy approved by the Board of Directors in favor of the actions or the
election of persons as the Board of Directors may select. Notice of any meeting
of stockholders shall be deemed waived by any stockholder who attends the
meeting in person or by proxy, or who before or after the meeting submits a
signed waiver of notice that is filed with the records of the meeting.
SECTION 4. Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by statute or by the
Corporation's Charter, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders of the
Corporation entitled to cast at least one-third of the votes to be cast shall
constitute a quorum at each meeting of the stockholders and all questions shall
be decided by majority of the votes cast (except with respect to the election of
directors, which shall be by a plurality of votes cast). In the absence of a
quorum, the stockholders present in person or by proxy, by majority vote and
without notice other than by announcement, may adjourn the meeting from time to
time as provided in Section 5 of this Article I until a quorum shall attend. The
stockholders present at any duly organized meeting may continue to do business
until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to
leave less than a quorum. The absence from any meeting in person or by proxy of
holders of the number of shares of stock of the Corporation in excess of a
majority that may be required by Maryland law, the 1940 Act, or any other
applicable statute, the Corporation's Charter or these By-Laws, for action upon
any given matter shall not prevent action at the meeting on any other matter or
matters that may properly come before the meeting, so long as there are present,
in person or by proxy, holders of the number of shares of stock of the
Corporation required for action upon such other matter or matters.
SECTION 5. Adjournment. Any meeting of the stockholders may be
adjourned from time to time, without notice other than by announcement at the
meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At any adjourned meeting at which a
quorum shall be present, any action may be taken that could have been taken at
the meeting originally called. A meeting of the stockholders may not be
adjourned without further notice to a date more than 120 (one hundred twenty)
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days after the original record date determined pursuant to Section 9 of this
Article I.
SECTION 6. Organization. At every meeting of the stockholders, the
Chairman of the Board, or in his absence or inability to act (or if there is
none), the President, or in his absence or inability to act, a Vice President,
or in the absence or inability to act of the Chairman of the Board, the
President and all the Vice Presidents, a chairman chosen by the stockholders
shall act as chairman of the meeting. The Secretary, or in his absence or
inability to act, a person appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act
as secretary of the meeting and keep the minutes of the meeting.
SECTION 7. Order of Business. The order of business at all meetings of
the stockholders shall be as determined by the chairman of the meeting.
SECTION 8. Voting. Except as otherwise provided by statute or the
Corporation's Charter, each holder of record of shares of stock of the
Corporation having voting power shall be entitled at each meeting of the
stockholders to one vote for every share of stock standing in his name on the
records of the Corporation as of the record date determined pursuant to Section
9 of this Article I.
Each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders may
authorize another person or persons to act for him by a proxy signed by the
stockholder or his attorney-in-fact. No proxy shall be valid after the
expiration of 11 (eleven) months from the date thereof, unless otherwise
provided in the proxy. Every proxy shall be revocable at the pleasure of the
stockholder executing it, except in those cases in which the proxy states that
it is irrevocable and in which an irrevocable proxy is permitted by law.
If a vote shall be taken on any question other than the election of
directors, which shall be by written ballot, then unless required by statute or
these By-Laws, or determined by the chairman of the meeting to be advisable, any
such vote need not be by ballot. On a vote by ballot, each ballot shall be
signed by the stockholder voting, or by his proxy, and shall state the number of
shares voted.
SECTION 9. Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Directors may set a
record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at any
meeting of the stockholders. The record date for a particular meeting shall be
not more than 90 (ninety) nor fewer than 10 (ten)
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days before the date of the meeting. All persons who were holders of record of
shares as of the record date of a meeting, and no others, shall be entitled to
vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof.
SECTION 10. Inspectors. The Board of Directors may, in advance of any
meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting or
at any adjournment of the meeting. If the inspectors shall not be so appointed
or if any of them shall fail to appear or act, the chairman of the meeting may,
and on the request of any stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting shall,
appoint inspectors. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his
duties, shall take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of
inspector at the meeting with strict impartiality and according to the best of
his ability. The inspectors shall determine the number of shares outstanding and
the voting power of each share, the number of shares represented at the meeting,
the existence of a quorum and the validity and effect of proxies, and shall
receive votes, ballots or consents, hear and determine all challenges and
questions arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all
votes, ballots or consents, determine the result, and do those acts as are
proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders. On
request of the chairman of the meeting or any stockholder entitled to vote at
the meeting, the inspectors shall make a report in writing of any challenge,
request or matter determined by them and shall execute a certificate of any fact
found by them. No director or candidate for the office of director shall act as
inspector of an election of directors. Inspectors need not be stockholders of
the Corporation.
SECTION 11. Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting. Except as
otherwise provided by statute or the Corporation's Charter, any action required
to be taken at any meeting of stockholders, or any action that may be taken at
any meeting of the stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior
notice and without a vote, if the following are filed with the records of
stockholders' meetings: (a) a unanimous written consent that sets forth the
action and is signed by each stockholder entitled to vote on the matter and (b)
a written waiver of notice and any right to dissent signed by each stockholder
entitled to notice of the meeting but not entitled to vote at the meeting.
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SECTION 12. Notice of Stockholder Business.
(a) At any annual or special meeting of the stockholders, only such
business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the
meeting. To be properly brought before an annual or special meeting business
must be (i) (A) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto)
given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (B) otherwise properly
brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or
(C) subject to the provisions of Section 13 of this Article I, otherwise
properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder and (ii) a proper subject
under applicable law for stockholder action.
(b) For business to be properly brought before an annual or special
meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof
in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, any such notice
must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices
of the Corporation not later than 60 (sixty) days prior to the date of the
meeting; provided, however, that if less than 70 (seventy) days' notice or prior
public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given or made to stockholders,
any such notice by a stockholder to be timely must be so received not later than
the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which notice of the
date of the annual or special meeting was given or such public disclosure was
made.
(c) Any such notice by a stockholder shall set forth as to each matter
the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual or special meeting (i) a
brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual or
special meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual or
special meeting, (ii) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation's
books, of the stockholder proposing such business, (iii) the class and number of
shares of the capital stock of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by
the stockholder, and (iv) any material interest of the stockholder in such
business.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in the By-Laws to the contrary, no
business shall be conducted at any annual or special meeting except in
accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12. The chairman of the
annual or special meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to
the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting and in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 12, and if he should so
determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and any such
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business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be considered or
transacted.
SECTION 13. Stockholder Business not Eligible for Consideration.
(a) Notwithstanding anything in these By-Laws to the contrary, any
proposal that is otherwise properly brought before an annual or special meeting
by a stockholder will not be eligible for consideration by the stockholders at
such annual or special meeting if such proposal is substantially the same as a
matter properly brought before such annual or special meeting by or at the
direction of the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The chairman of such
annual or special meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare
that a stockholder proposal is substantially the same as a matter properly
brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors,
and, if he should so determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and any such
stockholder proposal shall not be considered at the meeting.
(b) This Section 13 shall not be construed or applied to make
ineligible for consideration by the stockholders at any annual or special
meeting any stockholder proposal required to be included in the Corporation's
proxy statement relating to such meeting pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), or any successor rule
thereto.
ARTICLE II
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1. General Powers. Except as otherwise provided in the
Corporation's Charter, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be
managed under the direction of its Board of Directors. All powers of the
Corporation may be exercised by or under authority of the Board of Directors
except as conferred on or reserved to the stockholders by law, by the
Corporation's Charter or by these By-Laws.
SECTION 2. Number of Directors. The number of directors shall be fixed
from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors adopted by a majority
of the entire Board of Directors; provided, however, that the number of
directors shall in no event be fewer than one nor more than fifteen. Any vacancy
created by an increase in directors may be filled in accordance with Section 7
of this Article
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II. No reduction in the number of directors shall have the effect of removing
any director from office prior to the expiration of his term unless the director
is specifically removed pursuant to Section 6 of this Article II at the time of
the decrease. A director need not be a stockholder of the Corporation, a citizen
of the United States or a resident of the State of Maryland.
SECTION 3. Election and Term of Directors. The term of office of each
director shall be from the time of his election and qualification until his
successor shall have been elected and shall have qualified, or until his death,
or until his resignation or removal as provided in these By-laws, or as
otherwise provided by statute or the Corporation's Charter.
SECTION 4. Director Nominations.
(a) Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures
set forth in this Section 4 shall be eligible for election or re-election as
directors. Nominations of persons for election or re-election to the Board of
Directors of the Corporation may be made at a meeting of stockholders by or at
the direction of the Board of Directors or by any stockholder of the Corporation
who is entitled to vote for the election of such nominee at the meeting and who
complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 4.
(b) Such nominations, other than those made by or at the direction of
the Board of Directors, shall be made pursuant to timely notice delivered in
writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, any such notice by a
stockholder must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal
executive offices of the Corporation not later than 60 (sixty) days prior to the
meeting; provided, however, that if less than 70 (seventy) days' notice or prior
public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given or made to stockholders,
any such notice by a stockholder to be timely must be so received not later than
the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which notice of the
date of the meeting was given or such public disclosure was made.
(c) Any such notice by a stockholder shall set forth (i) as to each
person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as
a director, (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of such
person, (B) the principal occupation or employment of such person, (C) the class
and number of shares of the capital stock of the Corporation which are
beneficially owned by
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such person and (D) any other information relating to such person that is
required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for the election of
directors pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act or any successor
regulation thereto (including without limitation such person's written consent
to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director
if elected and whether any person intends to seek reimbursement from the
Corporation of the expenses of any solicitation of proxies should such person be
elected a director of the Corporation); and (ii) as to the stockholder giving
the notice (A) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation's books,
of such stockholder and (B) the class and number of shares of the capital stock
of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by such stockholder. At the
request of the Board of Directors, any person nominated by the Board of
Directors for election as a director shall furnish to the Secretary of the
Corporation that information required to be set forth in a stockholder's notice
of nomination which pertains to the nominee.
(d) If a notice by a stockholder is required to be given pursuant to
this Section 4, no person shall be entitled to receive reimbursement from the
Corporation of the expenses of a solicitation of proxies for the election as a
director of a person named in such notice unless such notice states that such
reimbursement will be sought from the Corporation. No person shall be eligible
for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance
with the procedures set forth in this Section 4. The chairman of the meeting
shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a
nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the
By-Laws, and if he should so determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and
the defective nomination shall be disregarded for all purposes.
SECTION 5. Resignation. A director of the Corporation may resign at any
time by giving written notice of his resignation to the Board of Directors or
the Chairman of the Board or to the President or the Secretary of the
Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the time specified in it or,
should the time when it is to become effective not be specified in it,
immediately upon its receipt. Acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary
to make it effective unless the resignation states otherwise.
SECTION 6. Removal of Directors. Any director of the Corporation may be
removed by the stockholders with or
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without cause at any time by a vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be
cast for the election of directors.
SECTION 7. Vacancies. Subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, any
vacancies in the Board of Directors, whether arising from death, resignation,
removal or any other cause except an increase in the number of directors, shall
be filled by a vote of the majority of the Board of Directors then in office
even though that majority is less than a quorum, provided that no vacancy or
vacancies shall be filled by action of the remaining directors if, after the
filling of the vacancy or vacancies, fewer than two-thirds of the directors then
holding office shall have been elected by the stockholders of the Corporation. A
majority of the entire Board as calculated prior to Board expansion may fill a
vacancy which results from an increase in the number of directors. In the event
that at any time a vacancy exists in any office of a director that may not be
filled by the remaining directors, a special meeting of the stockholders shall
be held as promptly as possible and in any event within 60 (sixty) days, for the
purpose of filling the vacancy or vacancies. Any director elected or appointed
to fill a vacancy shall hold office until a successor has been chosen and
qualifies or until his earlier death, resignation or removal.
SECTION 8. Place of Meetings. Meetings of the Board may be held at any
place that the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or that is
specified in the notice of the meeting.
SECTION 9. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors
may be held without notice at the time and place determined by the Board of
Directors.
SECTION 10. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of
Directors may be called by two or more directors of the Corporation or by the
Chairman of the Board or the President.
SECTION 11. Notice of Special Meetings. Notice of each special meeting
of the Board of Directors shall be given by the Secretary as hereinafter
provided. Each notice shall state the time and place of the meeting and shall be
delivered to each director, either personally or by telephone, facsimile
transmission or other standard form of telecommunication, at least 24
(twenty-four) hours before the time at which the meeting is to be held, or by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the director at his residence or
usual place of business, and mailed at
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least 3 (three) days before the day on which the meeting is to be held.
SECTION 12. Waiver of Notice of Meetings. Notice of any special meeting
need not be given to any director who shall, either before or after the meeting,
sign a written waiver of notice that is filed with the records of the meeting or
who shall attend the meeting.
SECTION 13. Quorum and Voting. One-third (but not fewer than two unless
there be only one director) of the members of the entire Board of Directors
shall be present in person at any meeting of the Board in order to constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at the meeting, and except as otherwise
expressly required by statute, the Corporation's Charter, these By-Laws, the
1940 Act, or any other applicable statute, the act of a majority of the
directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act
of the Board. In the absence of a quorum at any meeting of the Board, a majority
of the directors present may adjourn the meeting to another time and place until
a quorum shall be present. Notice of the time and place of any adjourned meeting
shall be given to the directors who were not present at the time of the
adjournment and, unless the time and place were announced at the meeting at
which the adjournment was taken, to the other directors. At any adjourned
meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted that might
have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.
SECTION 14. Organization. The Board of Directors may, by resolution
adopted by a majority of the entire Board, designate a Chairman of the Board,
who shall preside at each meeting of the Board. In the absence or inability of
the Chairman of the Board to act or if there is none, the President, or, in his
absence or inability to act, another director chosen by a majority of the
directors present, shall act as chairman of the meeting and preside at the
meeting. The Secretary, or, in his absence or inability to act, any person
appointed by the chairman, shall act as secretary of the meeting and keep the
minutes thereof.
SECTION 15. Committees. The Board of Directors may designate one or
more committees of the Board of Directors, each consisting of 2 (two) or more
directors. To the extent provided in the resolution, and permitted by law, the
committee or committees shall have and may exercise the powers of the Board of
Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation and
may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may
require it. Any committee or committees shall have the
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name or names determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of
Directors. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report
the same to the Board of Directors when required. The members of a committee
present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint a
director to act in the place of an absent member.
SECTION 16. Written Consent of Directors in Lieu of a Meeting. Subject
to the provisions of the 1940 Act, any action required or permitted to be taken
at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee of the Board may be
taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case
may be, consent thereto in writing, and the writing or writings are filed with
the records of the Board's or such committee's meetings.
SECTION 17. Telephone Conference. Members of the Board of Directors or
any committee of the Board may participate in any Board or committee meeting by
means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of
which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same
time. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at the
meeting.
SECTION 18. Compensation. Each director shall be entitled to receive
compensation, if any, as may from time to time be fixed by the Board of
Directors, including a fee for each meeting of the Board or any committee
thereof, regular or special, he attends. Directors may also be reimbursed by the
Corporation for all reasonable expenses incurred in traveling to and from the
place of a Board or committee meeting.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS, AGENTS AND EMPLOYEES
SECTION 1. Number and Qualifications. The officers of the Corporation
shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, each of whom shall be elected
by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may elect or appoint one or
more Vice Presidents and may also appoint any other officers, agents and
employees it deems necessary or proper. Any two or more offices may be held by
the same person, except the offices of President and Vice President, but no
officer shall execute, acknowledge or verify any instrument in more than one
capacity. Officers shall be elected by the Board of Directors, each to hold
office until his successor shall have been duly elected and shall have
qualified, or until his death, or until his resignation or removal as
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provided in these By-Laws. The Board of Directors may from time to time elect,
or designate to the President the power to appoint, such officers (including one
or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Treasurers and one or
more Assistant Secretaries) and such agents as may be necessary or desirable for
the business of the Corporation. Such other officers and agents shall have such
duties and shall hold their offices for such terms as may be prescribed by the
Board or by the appointing authority.
SECTION 2. Resignations. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at
any time by giving written notice of his resignation to the Board of Directors,
the Chairman of the Board, the President or the Secretary. Any resignation shall
take effect at the time specified therein or, if the time when it shall become
effective is not specified therein, immediately upon its receipt. Acceptance of
a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless the resignation
states otherwise.
SECTION 3. Removal of Officer, Agent or Employee. Any officer, agent or
employee of the Corporation may be removed by the Board of Directors with or
without cause at any time, and the Board may delegate the power of removal as to
agents and employees not elected or appointed by the Board of Directors. Removal
shall be without prejudice to the person's contract rights, if any, but the
appointment of any person as an officer, agent or employee of the Corporation
shall not of itself create contract rights.
SECTION 4. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office whether arising from
death, resignation, removal or any other cause, may be filled for the unexpired
portion of the term of the office that shall be vacant, in the manner prescribed
in these By-Laws for the regular election or appointment to the office.
SECTION 5. Compensation. The compensation of the officers of the
Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors, but this power may be
delegated to any officer with respect to other officers under his control.
SECTION 6. Bonds or Other Security. If required by the Board, any
officer, agent or employee of the Corporation shall give a bond or other
security for the faithful performance of his duties, in an amount and with any
surety or sureties as the Board may require.
SECTION 7. President. The President shall be the chief executive
officer of the Corporation. In the absence or inability of the Chairman of the
Board to act (or if
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there is none), the President shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders
and of the Board of Directors. The President shall have, subject to the control
of the Board of Directors, general charge of the business and affairs of the
Corporation, and may employ and discharge employees and agents of the
Corporation, except those elected or appointed by the Board, and he may delegate
these powers.
SECTION 8. Vice President. Each Vice President shall have the powers
and perform the duties that the Board of Directors or the President may from
time to time prescribe.
SECTION 9. Treasurer. Subject to the provisions of any contract that
may be entered into with any custodian pursuant to authority granted by the
Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall have charge of all receipts and
disbursements of the Corporation and shall have or provide for the custody of
the Corporation's funds and securities; he shall have full authority to receive
and give receipts for all money due and payable to the Corporation, and to
endorse checks, drafts and warrants, in its name and on its behalf and to give
full discharge for the same; he shall deposit all funds of the Corporation,
except those that may be required for current use, in such banks or other places
of deposit as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate; and, in
general, he shall perform all duties incident to the office of Treasurer and
such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him by the Board of
Directors or the President.
SECTION 10. Secretary. The Secretary shall:
(a) keep or cause to be kept in one or more books provided for the
purpose, the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, the committees
of the Board and the stockholders;
(b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the
provisions of these By-Laws and as required by law;
(c) be custodian of the records and the seal of the Corporation and
affix and attest the seal to all stock certificates of the Corporation (unless
the seal of the Corporation on such certificates shall be a facsimile, as
hereinafter provided) and affix and attest the seal to all other documents to be
executed on behalf of the Corporation under its seal;
(d) see that the books, reports, statements, certificates and
other documents and records required by law to be kept and filed are properly
kept and filed; and
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(e) in general, perform all the duties incident to the office of
Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by
the Board of Directors or the President.
SECTION 11. Delegation of Duties. In case of the absence of any officer
of the Corporation, or for any other reason that the Board of Directors may deem
sufficient, the Board may confer for the time being the powers or duties, or any
of them, of such officer upon any other officer or upon any director.
ARTICLE IV
STOCK
SECTION 1. Stock Certificates. Each holder of stock of the Corporation
shall be entitled upon specific written request to such person as may be
designated by the Corporation to have a certificate or certificates, in a form
approved by the Board, representing the number of shares of stock of the
Corporation owned by him; provided, however, that certificates for fractional
shares will not be delivered in any case. The certificates representing shares
of stock shall be signed by or in the name of the Corporation by the Chairman of
the Board, President or a Vice President and by the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary or the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer and sealed with the seal of
the Corporation. Any or all of the signatures or the seal on the certificate may
be facsimiles. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed
or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have
ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate
shall be issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if
such officer, transfer agent or registrar were still in office at the date of
issue.
SECTION 2. Books of Account and Record of Stockholders. There shall be
kept at the principal executive office of the Corporation correct and complete
books and records of account of all the business and transactions of the
Corporation. There shall be made available upon request of any stockholder, in
accordance with Maryland law, a record containing the number of shares of stock
issued during a specified period not to exceed 12 (twelve) months and the
consideration received by the Corporation for each such share.
SECTION 3. Transfers of Shares. Transfers of shares of stock of the
Corporation shall be made on the stock
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records of the Corporation only by the registered holder thereof, or by his
attorney thereunto authorized by power of attorney duly executed and filed with
the Secretary or with a transfer agent or transfer clerk, and on surrender of
the certificate or certificates, if issued, for the shares properly endorsed or
accompanied by a duly executed stock transfer power and the payment of all taxes
thereon. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Corporation shall be entitled
to recognize the exclusive right of a person in whose name any share or shares
stand on the record of stockholders as the owner of the share or shares for all
purposes, including, without limitation, the rights to receive dividends or
other distributions and to vote as the owner, and the Corporation shall not be
bound to recognize any equitable or legal claim to or interest in any such share
or shares on the part of any other person.
SECTION 4. Regulations. The Board of Directors may make any additional
rules and regulations, not inconsistent with these By-Laws, as it may deem
expedient concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates for
shares of stock of the Corporation. It may appoint, or authorize any officer or
officers to appoint, one or more transfer agents or one or more transfer clerks
and one or more registrars and may require all certificates for shares of stock
to bear the signature or signatures of any of them.
SECTION 5. Stolen, Lost, Destroyed or Mutilated Certificates. The
holder of any certificate representing shares of stock of the Corporation shall
immediately notify the Corporation of its theft, loss, destruction or mutilation
and the Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in the place of any
certificate issued by it that has been alleged to have been stolen, lost or
destroyed or that shall have been mutilated. The Board may, in its discretion,
require the owner (or his legal representative) of a stolen, lost, destroyed or
mutilated certificate to give to the Corporation a bond in a sum, limited or
unlimited, and in a form and with any surety or sureties, as the Board in its
absolute discretion shall determine or to indemnify the Corporation against any
claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged theft, loss,
destruction or the mutilation of any such certificate, or issuance of a new
certificate. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Board of
Directors, in its absolute discretion, may refuse to issue any such new
certificate, except pursuant to legal proceedings under the Maryland General
Corporation Law.
SECTION 6. Fixing of Record Date for Dividends, Distributions, etc. The
Board may fix, in advance, a date
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not more than 90 (ninety) days preceding the date fixed for the payment of any
dividend or the making of any distribution or the allotment of rights to
subscribe for securities of the Corporation, or for the delivery of evidences of
rights or evidences of interests arising out of any change, conversion or
exchange of common stock or other securities, as the record date for the
determination of the stockholders entitled to receive any such dividend,
distribution, allotment, rights or interests, and in such case only the
stockholders of record at the time so fixed shall be entitled to receive such
dividend, distribution, allotment, rights or interests.
SECTION 7. Information to Stockholders and Others. Any stockholder of
the Corporation or his agent may inspect and copy during the Corporation's usual
business hours the Corporation's By-Laws, minutes of the proceedings of its
stockholders, annual statements of its affairs and voting trust agreements on
file at its principal office.
ARTICLE V
INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE
SECTION 1. Indemnification of Directors and Officers. Any person who
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party in any threatened, pending
or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is a current or former
director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving while a director or
officer of the Corporation at the request of the Corporation as a director,
officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or employee benefit plan, shall be
indemnified by the Corporation against judgments, penalties, fines, excise
taxes, settlements and reasonable expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually
incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding to
the full extent permissible under the Maryland General Corporation Law, the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the 1940 Act, as
such statutes are now or hereafter in force, except that such indemnity shall
not protect any such person against any liability to the Corporation or any
stockholder thereof to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of his office ("disabling conduct").
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SECTION 2. Advances. Any current or former director or officer of the
Corporation claiming indemnification within the scope of this Article V shall be
entitled to advances from the Corporation for payment of the reasonable expenses
incurred by him in connection with proceedings to which he is a party in the
manner and to the full extent permissible under the Maryland General Corporation
Law, the Securities Act and the 1940 Act, as such statutes are now or hereafter
in force; provided however, that the person seeking indemnification shall
provide to the Corporation a written affirmation of his good faith belief that
the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation has
been met and a written undertaking to repay any such advance unless it is
ultimately determined that he is entitled to indemnification, and provided
further that at least one of the following additional conditions is met: (a) the
person seeking indemnification shall provide a security in form and amount
acceptable to the Corporation for his undertaking; (b) the Corporation is
insured against losses arising by reason of the advance; or (c) a majority of a
quorum of directors of the Corporation who are neither "interested persons" as
defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, nor parties to the proceeding
("disinterested non-party directors"), or independent legal counsel, in a
written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of facts readily available
to the Corporation at the time the advance is proposed to be made, that there is
reason to believe that the person seeking indemnification will ultimately be
found to be entitled to indemnification.
SECTION 3. Procedure. At the request of any current or former director
or officer, or any employee or agent whom the Corporation proposes to indemnify,
the Board of Directors shall determine, or cause to be determined, in a manner
consistent with the Maryland General Corporation Law, the Securities Act and the
1940 Act, as such statutes are now or hereafter in force, whether the standards
required by this Article V have been met; provided, however, that
indemnification shall be made only following: (a) a final decision on the merits
by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the person
to be indemnified was not liable by reason of disabling conduct or (b) in the
absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination, based upon a review of
the facts, that the person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of
disabling conduct, by (i) the vote of a majority of a quorum of disinterested
non-party directors or (ii) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
SECTION 4. Indemnification of Employees and Agents. Employees and
agents who are not officers or directors of
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the Corporation may be indemnified, and reasonable expenses may be advanced to
such employees or agents, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this
Article V to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act, the Securities Act and
Maryland General Corporation Law, as such statutes are now or hereafter in
force, to the extent, consistent with the foregoing, as may be provided by
action of the Board of Directors or by contract.
SECTION 5. Other Rights. The indemnification provided by this Article V
shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right, in respect of indemnification
or otherwise, to which those seeking such indemnification may be entitled under
any insurance or other agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested
directors or otherwise, both as to action by a director or officer of the
Corporation, in his official capacity and as to action by such person in another
capacity while holding such office or position, and shall continue as to a
person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit
of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
SECTION 6. Insurance. The Corporation shall have the power to purchase
and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or who, while a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request
of the Corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent or
fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise
or employee benefit plan, against any liability asserted against and incurred by
him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, provided that no
insurance may be obtained by the Corporation for liabilities against which it
would not have the power to indemnify him under this Article V or applicable
law.
SECTION 7. Constituent, Resulting or Surviving Corporations. For the
purposes of this Article V, references to the "Corporation" shall include all
constituent corporations absorbed in a consolidation or merger as well the
resulting or surviving corporation so that any person who is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of a constituent corporation or is or was serving at
the request of a constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise shall stand in the same position under this Article V with respect to
the resulting or surviving corporation as he would if he had served the
resulting or surviving corporation in the same capacity.
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ARTICLE VI
SEAL
The seal of the Corporation shall be circular in form and shall bear
the name of the Corporation, the year of its incorporation, the words "Corporate
Seal" and "Maryland" and any emblem or device approved by the Board of
Directors. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile to be impressed or
affixed or in any other manner reproduced, or by placing the word "(seal)"
adjacent to the signature of the authorized officer of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VII
FISCAL YEAR
The Corporation's fiscal year shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended or repealed by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting of the
Board of Directors, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
As adopted, January 26, 1996
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