Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
Registration Nos. 333-66807
811-09093
E*TRADE FUNDS
E*TRADE EXTENDED MARKET INDEX FUND
Supplement dated May 31, 2000 to the
Prospectus dated May 1, 2000
This Supplemented Prospectus updates certain information contained in the above
dated Prospectus. This Prospectus concisely sets forth information about the
E*TRADE Extended Market Index Fund (the "Fund") that an investor needs to know
before investing. Please read this Prospectus carefully before investing, and
keep it for future reference. The Fund is a series of E*TRADE Funds.
Objectives, Goals and Principal Strategies.
The investment objective of the Fund is to match as closely as practicable,
before fees and expenses, the performance of the Wilshire 4500 Equity Index,
commonly known as the Extended Market Index. The Fund seeks to achieve its
objective by investing in a master portfolio. The Master Portfolio, in turn,
invests in a representative sample of those U.S. securities that comprise the
Wilshire 4500 Index and are selected in accordance with their capitalization,
industry sector and valuation, among other factors.
Eligible Investors.
This Fund is designed and built specifically for on-line investors. In order to
be a shareholder of the Fund, you need to have an account with E*TRADE
Securities, Inc. ("E*TRADE Securities"). In addition, the Fund requires you to
consent to receive all information about the Fund electronically. If you wish to
rescind this consent or close your E*TRADE Securities account, the Fund will
redeem all of your shares in your Fund account. The Fund is designed for
long-term investors and the value of the Fund's shares will fluctuate over time.
The Fund is a true no-load fund, which means you pay no sales charges or 12b-1
fees.
About E*TRADE.
E*TRADE Group, Inc. ("E*TRADE") is the direct parent of E*TRADE Asset
Management, Inc., the Fund's investment advisor. E*TRADE, through its group
companies, is a leader in providing secure online investing services. E*TRADE's
focus on technology has enabled it to eliminate traditional barriers, creating
one of the most powerful and economical investing systems for the self-directed
investor. To give you ultimate convenience and control, E*TRADE offers
electronic access to your account virtually anywhere, at any time.
An investment in the Fund is:
o not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
o not a deposit or other obligation of, or guaranteed by, E*TRADE Bank and
its affiliates; and
o subject to investment risks, including loss of principal.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these
securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to
the contrary is a criminal offense.
Supplement dated May 31, 2000 to the
Prospectus dated May 1, 2000
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY....................................................4
FEES AND EXPENSES......................................................5
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS.....................7
FUND MANAGEMENT........................................................8
THE FUND'S STRUCTURE...................................................9
PRICING OF FUND SHARES................................................10
HOW TO BUY, SELL AND EXCHANGE SHARES..................................11
DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS.....................................15
TAX CONSEQUENCES......................................................15
<PAGE>
RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
This is a summary. You should read this section along with the rest of this
Prospectus.
Investment Objectives/Goals
The Fund's investment objective is to match as closely as practicable, before
fees and expenses, the performance of the Wilshire 4500 Index.
Principal Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing all of its
assets in the Extended Index Master Portfolio ("Master Portfolio"), a series of
Master Investment Portfolio ("MIP"), a registered open-end management investment
company, rather than directly in a portfolio of securities. In turn, the Master
Portfolio seeks to provide a portfolio that approximates the investment
characteristics and performance of the Wilshire 4500 Index.
The Wilshire 4500 Index is composed of over 6,500 equity securities of issuers
headquartered in the United States. The Wilshire 4500 Index is almost entirely
comprised of common stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock
Exchange or Nasdaq Stock Market, excluding the 500 largest capitalization
stocks. Many of the companies whose securities comprise the Wilshire 4500 Index
are small- to medium-capitalization companies. The weightings of stocks in the
Wilshire 4500 Index are based on each stock's relative total market
capitalization; that is, its market price per share times the number of shares
outstanding. The Master Portfolio invests in a representative sample of these
securities. The Master Portfolio selects securities for investment in accordance
with their capitalization, industry sector and valuation, among other factors.
The Master Portfolio attempts to be fully invested at all times in securities
comprising the Wilshire 4500 Index. It also may invest up to 10% of its assets
in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, which may be considered
derivatives, and high-quality money market instruments to provide liquidity. The
Master Portfolio may also invest up to 15% of the value of its net assets in
illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements providing for settlement in
more than seven days.
Principal Risks
The stock market may rise and fall daily. The Wilshire 4500 Index represents a
significant segment of the U.S. stock market. The Wilshire 4500 Index may also
rise and fall daily. As with any stock investment, the value of your investment
in the Fund will fluctuate, meaning you could lose money.
* Wilshire Associates, Inc. ("Wilshire Associates") does not sponsor the Fund or
the Master Portfolio, nor is it affiliated in any way with the Fund or the
Master Portfolio or their respective investment advisors. "Wilshire 4500 Equity
Index(R)," "Wilshire 4500 Index(R)," and "Wilshire 4500(R)," are trademarks of
Wilshire Associates Incorporated and have been licensed for use by E*TRADE Asset
Management, Inc. The Fund and the Master Portfolio are not sponsored, endorsed,
sold, or promoted by Wilshire Associates, and neither Wilshire Associates nor
the Wilshire 4500 Index makes any representation or warranty, express or
implied, regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund or the Master
Portfolio.
<PAGE>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The
Wilshire 4500 Index may not appreciate, and could depreciate, during the time
you are invested in the Fund, even if you are a long-term investor.
The Fund cannot as a practical matter own all the equity securities that make up
the Wilshire 4500 Index in perfect correlation to the Wilshire 4500 Index
itself. The use of futures and options on futures contracts is intended to help
the Fund match the Wilshire 4500 Index but that may not be the result. The value
of an investment in the Fund depends to a great extent upon changes in market
conditions. The Fund seeks to track the Wilshire 4500 Index during down markets
as well as during up markets. The Fund's returns will be directly affected by
the volatility of the equity securities making up the Wilshire 4500 Index. The
Fund will also have exposure to the industries represented by those equity
securities.
Small- to medium-capitalization companies are more susceptible to market
fluctuations than securities of larger capitalization companies. As a result,
whenever these stocks perform worse than large-capitalization stocks, the Fund
may underperform funds that have exposure to larger capitalization segments of
the U.S. stock market. Likewise, whenever small to medium-capitalization U.S.
stocks fall behind other types of investments--bonds or foreign stocks, for
instance--the Fund's performance also will lag behind those investments. The
companies in the Wilshire 4500 Index are also exposed to the global economy.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or
guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency. Shares of the Fund involve investment risks, including the possible loss
of principal.
Performance
This Fund commenced operations on August 13, 1999. Therefore, the performance
information (including annual total returns and average annual total returns)
for a full calendar year is not yet available.
FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold
shares of the Fund. The Fund is new, and therefore, has limited historical
expense data.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) None
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed in Reinvested
Dividends and other Distributions None
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of redemption
proceeds, payable only if shares are redeemed within 1.00%*
four months of purchase)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses**
(expenses that are deducted from Fund assets)
Management Fees 0.10%***
Distribution (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses (Administration) 0.28%****
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.38%
* Effective for redemptions after September 30, 2000. For Shares redeemed before
October 1, 2000 and within four months from the date of purchase, the redemption
fee is 0.50%.
** The cost reflects the expenses at both the Fund and the Master Portfolio
levels. Effective February 22, 2001, fees at the Master Portfolio level will
increase by up to 0.01% to reflect custodial fees paid by the Master Portfolio.
The Fund's total annual fund operating expenses will increase to reflect the
change at the Master Portfolio level, but the increase is not presented in the
fee table at this time.
*** Management fees include a fee equal to 0.08% of daily net assets payable at
the Master Portfolio level to its investment advisor and an investment advisory
fee equal to 0.02% payable by the Fund to its investment advisor.
**** The administration fees include a fee equal to 0.02% of daily net assets
payable at the Master Portfolio level to its co-administrators and a fee equal
to 0.26% payable by the Fund to its administrator, E*TRADE Asset Management,
Inc.
You should also know that the Fund does not charge investors any account
maintenance fees, account set-up fees, low balance fees, transaction fees or
customer service fees. E*TRADE Securities charges $20 for wire transfers out of
your E*TRADE Securities account. Also, transactions in Fund shares effected by
speaking with an E*TRADE Securities representative are subject to a $15 fee.
Transactions in Fund shares effected online are not subject to the $15 fee. You
will be responsible for opening and maintaining an e-mail account and internet
access at your own expense.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund
with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The
example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the
Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be
higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year* 3 years*
$40 $125
*Reflects costs at both the Fund and Master Portfolio levels.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund's investment objective is to match as closely as practicable, before
fees and expenses, the performance of the Extended Market Index.
Under normal market conditions, the Master Portfolio invests at least 90% of the
value of its total assets in the securities comprising the Wilshire 4500 Index.
That portion of its assets is not actively managed but is designed to
substantially duplicate the investment performance of the Wilshire 4500 Index.
As investment advisor to the Master Portfolio, Barclays Global Fund Advisors
("BGFA") regularly monitors the Master Portfolio's correlation to the Wilshire
4500 Index and adjusts the Master Portfolio's portfolio to the extent necessary.
At times, the portfolio composition of the Master Portfolio may be altered (or
"rebalanced") to reflect changes in the characteristics of the Wilshire 4500
Index. Inclusion of a security in the Wilshire 4500 Index in no way implies an
opinion by Wilshire Associates as to its attractiveness as an investment.
The Master Portfolio also may enter into transactions in futures contracts and
options on futures contracts, each of which involves risks. The futures
contracts and options on futures contracts that the Master Portfolio may
purchase may be considered derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments
whose values are derived, at least in part, from the prices of other securities
or specified assets, indices, or rates. The Master Portfolio intends to use
futures contracts and options as part of its short-term liquidity holdings
and/or comparable market positions in the underlying securities. Some
derivatives may be more sensitive than direct securities to changes in interest
rates or sudden market moves. Some derivatives also may be susceptible to
fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.
The Master Portfolio also uses these derivatives to minimize the gap in
performance that naturally exists between any index fund and its index. This gap
will occur mainly because, unlike the Wilshire 4500 Index, the Master Portfolio
and the Fund incur expenses and must keep a portion of their assets in cash for
paying expenses and processing shareholder redemptions. By using futures, the
Master Portfolio potentially can offset the portion of the gap attributable to
their cash holdings. However, because some of the effect of expenses remains,
the Master Portfolio and the Fund's performance normally will be below that of
the Wilshire 4500 Index. The Master Portfolio also uses futures contracts to
gain exposure to the Wilshire 4500 Index for its cash balances, which could
cause the Fund to track the Wilshire 4500 Index less closely if the futures
contracts do not perform as expected.
Like all equity funds, the Fund's Net Asset Value ("NAV") will fluctuate with
the value of its assets. The assets held by the Fund will fluctuate based on
market and economic conditions, or other factors that affect particular
companies or industries.
Since the investment characteristics and therefore, the investment risks of the
Fund, correspond to those of the Master Portfolio, the following discussion also
includes a description of the risks associated with the investments of the
Master Portfolio. The Fund's performance before Fund-level fees will correspond
directly to the performance of the Master Portfolio.
Neither the Fund nor the Master Portfolio are managed according to traditional
methods of "active" investment management, which involve the buying and selling
of securities based upon economic, financial and market analysis and investment
judgment. Instead, the Fund and the Master Portfolio are managed by utilizing an
"indexing" investment approach to determine which securities are to be purchased
or sold to replicate, to the extent feasible, the investment characteristics of
the Wilshire 4500 Index through computerized, quantitative techniques.
The Fund's ability to match its investment performance to the investment
performance of the Wilshire 4500 Index may be affected by, among other things:
the Fund and the Master Portfolio's expenses; the amount of cash and cash
equivalents held by the Master Portfolio; the manner in which the total return
of the Wilshire 4500 Index is calculated; the size of the Master Portfolio's
investment portfolio; the Master Portfolio's use of futures and options
transactions and other derivative securities transactions; Master Portfolio's
lending of its portfolio securities; and the timing, frequency and size of
shareholder purchases and redemptions of both the Fund and the Master Portfolio.
The Master Portfolio uses cash flows from shareholder purchase and redemption
activity to maintain, to the extent feasible, the similarity of its
capitalization range and returns to those of the securities comprising the
Wilshire 4500 Index.
Many factors can affect stock market performance. Political and economic news
can influence marketwide trends; the outcome may be positive or negative,
short-term or long-term. Other factors may be ignored by the market as a whole
but may cause movements in the price of one company's stock or the stocks of one
or more industries (for example, rising oil prices may lead to a decline in
airline stocks).
The recent growth rate in the stock market has helped produce short-term
positive returns that are not typical historically and may not continue in the
future. Because of ongoing market volatility, the Fund's performance may be
subject to substantial short-term changes.
FUND MANAGEMENT
Investment Advisor. Under an investment advisory agreement with the Fund,
E*TRADE Asset Management, Inc. ("Investment Advisor"), a registered investment
adviser, provides investment advisory services to the Fund. The Investment
Advisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of E*TRADE Group, Inc. and is located at
4500 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. The Investment Advisor commenced
operating in February 1999, and therefore, has limited experience as an
investment advisor. As of March 31, 2000, the Investment Advisor provided
investment advisory services for over $277 million in assets.
Subject to general supervision of the E*TRADE Funds' Board of Trustees (the
"Board") and in accordance with the investment objective, policies and
restrictions of the Fund, the Investment Advisor provides the Fund with ongoing
investment guidance, policy direction and monitoring of the Master Portfolio.
The Investment Advisor may in the future manage cash and money market
instruments for cash flow purposes. For its advisory services, the Fund pays the
Investment Advisor an investment advisory fee at an annual rate equal to 0.02%
of the Fund's average daily net assets.
The Master Portfolio's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors
("BGFA"). BGFA is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of Barclays Global Investors,
N.A. (which, in turn, is an indirect subsidiary of Barclays Bank PLC) and is
located at 45 Fremont Street, San Francisco, California 94105. BGFA has provided
asset management, administration and advisory services for over 25 years. As of
December 31, 1999, Barclays Global Investors and its affiliates, including BGFA,
provided investment advisory services for over $783 billion of assets. BGFA
receives a monthly advisory fee from the Master Portfolio at an annual rate
equal to 0.08% of the Master Portfolio's average daily net assets. From time to
time, BGFA may waive such fees in whole or in part. Any such waiver will reduce
the expenses of the Master Portfolio, and accordingly, have a favorable impact
on its performance.
The Fund bears a pro rata portion of the investment advisory fees paid by the
Master Portfolio, as well as certain other fees paid by the Master Portfolio,
such as accounting, administration, legal, and SEC registration fees.
THE FUND'S STRUCTURE
The Fund is a separate series of E*TRADE Funds, a Delaware business trust
organized in 1998. The Fund is a feeder fund in a master/feeder structure.
Accordingly, the Fund invests all of its assets in the Master Portfolio. The
Master Portfolio seeks to provide investment results that match as closely as
practicable, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Wilshire 4500
Index. In addition to selling its shares to the Fund, the Master Portfolio has
and may continue to sell its shares to certain other mutual funds or other
accredited investors. The expenses and, correspondingly, the returns of other
investment options in the Master Portfolio may differ from those of the Fund.
The Fund's Board believes that, as other investors invest their assets in the
Master Portfolio, certain economic efficiencies may be realized with respect to
the Master Portfolio. For example, fixed expenses that otherwise would have been
borne solely by the Fund (and the other existing interestholders in the Master
Portfolio) would be spread across a larger asset base as more funds invest in
the Master Portfolio. However, if a mutual fund or other investor withdraws its
investment from the Master Portfolio, the economic efficiencies (e.g., spreading
fixed expenses across a larger asset base) that the Fund's Board believes should
be available through investment in the Master Portfolio may not be fully
achieved or maintained. In addition, given the relatively complex nature of the
master/feeder structure, accounting and operational difficulties could occur.
For example, coordination of calculation of net asset value ("NAV") would be
affected at the master and/or feeder level.
Fund shareholders may be asked to vote on matters concerning the Master
Portfolio.
The Fund may withdraw its investments in the Master Portfolio if the Board
determines that it is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders to
do so. Upon any such withdrawal, the Board would consider what action might be
taken, including the investment of all the assets of the Fund in another pooled
investment entity having the same investment objective as the Fund, direct
management of a portfolio by the Investment Advisor or the hiring of a
sub-advisor to manage the Fund's assets.
Investment of the Fund's assets in the Master Portfolio is not a fundamental
policy of the Fund and a shareholder vote is not required for the Fund to
withdraw its investment from the Master Portfolio.
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
The Fund is a true no-load fund, which means you may buy or sell shares directly
at the NAV next determined after E*TRADE Securities receives your request in
proper form. If E*TRADE Securities receives such request prior to the close of
the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. ("NYSE") on a day on which the NYSE is open,
your share price will be the NAV determined that day. Shares will not be priced
on the days on which the NYSE is closed for trading.
The Fund's investment in the Master Portfolio is valued at the NAV of the Master
Portfolio's shares held by the Fund. The Master Portfolio calculates the NAV of
its shares on the same day and at the same time as the Fund. Net asset value per
share is computed by dividing the value of the Master Portfolio's net assets
(i.e., the value of its assets less liabilities) by the total number of
outstanding shares of such Master Portfolio. The Master Portfolio's investments
are valued each day the NYSE is open for business. The Master Portfolio's assets
are valued generally by using available market quotations or at fair value as
determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees of MIP.
The Fund's NAV per share is calculated by taking the value of the Fund's net
assets and dividing by the number of shares outstanding. Expenses are accrued
daily and applied when determining the NAV.
The NAV for the Fund is determined as of the close of trading on the floor of
the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), each day the NYSE is open. The
Fund reserves the right to change the time at which purchases, redemptions and
exchanges are priced if the NYSE closes at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time or if an emergency exists.
HOW TO BUY, SELL AND EXCHANGE SHARES
This Fund is designed and built specifically for on-line investors. In order to
become a shareholder of the Fund, you will need to have an E*TRADE Securities
account. All shares must be held in an E*TRADE Securities account and cannot be
transferred to the account of any other financial institution. However, shares
held by qualified employee benefit plans may be held directly with E*TRADE
Funds. In addition, the Fund requires you to consent to receive all information
about the Fund electronically. If you wish to rescind this consent, the Fund
will redeem your position in the Fund, unless a new class of shares of the Fund
has been formed for those shareholders who rescinded consent, reflecting the
higher costs of paper-based information delivery. Shareholders required to
redeem their shares because they revoked their consent to receive Fund
information electronically may experience adverse tax consequences.
E*TRADE Securities reserves the right to deliver paper-based documents in
certain circumstances, at no cost to the investor. Shareholder information
includes prospectuses, financial reports, proxies, confirmations and statements.
In order to buy shares, you will need to: 1) open an E*TRADE Securities account;
2) deposit money in the account; and 3) execute an order to buy shares.
Step 1: How to Open an E*TRADE Securities Account
To open an E*TRADE Securities account, you must complete the application
available through our Website (www.etrade.com). You will be subject to E*TRADE
Securities' general account requirements as described in E*TRADE Securities'
customer agreement.
On-line. You can access E*TRADE Securities' online application through multiple
electronic gateways, including the internet, WebTV, Prodigy, AT&T Worldnet,
Microsoft Investor, by GO ETRADE on CompuServe, with the keyword ETRADE on
America Online and via personal digital assistant. For more information on how
to access E*TRADE Securities electronically, please refer to our online
assistant E*STATION at www.etrade.com available 24 hours a day.
By Mail. You can request an application by visiting the "Open an Account"
area of our Website, or by calling 1-800-786-2575. Complete and sign the
application. Make your check or money order payable to E*TRADE Securities,
Inc. Mail to E*TRADE Securities, Inc., P.O. Box 8160, Boston, MA 02266-8160,
or if by overnight mail: 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree, MA 02184-8160.
Telephone. Request a new account kit by calling 1-800-786-2575. E*TRADE's
customer service is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
STEP 2: Funding Your Account
By check or money order. Make your check or money order payable to E*TRADE
Securities, Inc. and mail it to E*TRADE Securities, Inc., P.O. Box 8160, Boston,
MA 02266-8160, or if by overnight mail: E*TRADE Securities., Inc., 66 Brooks
Drive, Braintree, MA 02184-8160.
In Person. Investors may visit E*TRADE Securities' self-service center in Menlo
Park, California at the address on the back cover page of this prospectus
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (pacific time). Customer service will only
accept checks or money orders made payable to E*TRADE Securities, Inc.
Wire. Send wired funds to:
The Bank of New York
48 Wall Street
New York, NY 10286
ABA #021000018
FBO: E*TRADE Securities, Inc.
A/C #8900346256 for further credit to (your name and account number).
After your account is opened, E*TRADE Securities will contact you with an
account number so that you can immediately wire funds.
STEP 3: Execute an Order to Buy/Sell/Exchange Shares
Minimum Investment Requirements:
For your initial investment in the Fund $ 1,000
To buy additional shares of the Fund $ 250
Continuing minimum investment* $ 1,000
To invest in the Fund for your IRA, Roth IRA,
or one-person SEP account $ 250
To invest in the Fund for your Education IRA account $ 250
To invest in the Fund for your UGMA/UTMA account $ 250
To invest in the Fund for your SIMPLE, SEP-IRA,
Profit Sharing or Money Purchase Pension Plan,
or 401(a) account $ 250
* Your shares may be automatically redeemed if, as a result of selling or
exchanging shares, you no longer meet a Fund's minimum balance requirements.
Before taking such action, the Fund will provide you with written notice and at
least 30 days to buy more shares to bring your investment up to $1,000.
After your account is established you may use the methods described below to
buy, sell or exchange shares. You can only sell funds that are held in your
E*TRADE Securities account; that means you cannot "short" shares of the Fund.
Whether you are investing in the Fund for the first time or adding to an
existing investment, you can generally only buy Fund shares on-line. Because the
Fund's NAV changes daily, your purchase price will be the next NAV determined
after the Fund receives and accepts your purchase order.
You can access the money you have invested in the Fund at any time by selling
some or all of your shares back to the Fund. Please note that the fee the Fund
assesses on redemptions of Fund shares redeemed after September 30, 2000, and
held for less than four months is 1.00%. Redemptions of shares redeemed prior to
October 1, 2000 and held for less than four months are subject to a 0.50%
redemption fee. As soon as E*TRADE Securities receives the shares or the
proceeds from the Fund, the transaction will appear in your account. This
usually occurs the business day following the transaction, but in any event, no
later than three days thereafter.
On-line. You can access E*TRADE Securities' secure trading pages at
www.etrade.com via the internet, WebTV, Prodigy, AT&T Worldnet, Microsoft
Investor, by GO ETRADE on CompuServe, with the keyword ETRADE on America Online
and via personal digital assistant. By clicking on one of several mutual fund
order buttons, you can quickly and easily place a buy, sell or exchange order
for shares in the Fund. You will be prompted to enter your trading password
whenever you perform a transaction so that we can be sure each buy or sell is
secure. It is for your own protection to make sure you or your co-account
holder(s) are the only people who can place orders in your E*TRADE account. When
you buy shares, you will be asked to: 1) affirm your consent to receive all Fund
documentation electronically, 2) provide an e-mail address and 3) affirm that
you have read the prospectus. The prospectus will be readily available for
viewing and printing on our Website.
No information provided on the Website is incorporated by reference into this
Prospectus, unless specifically noted in this Prospectus.
Our built-in verification system lets you double-check orders before they are
sent to the markets, and you can change or cancel any unfilled order subject to
prior execution.
If you are already a shareholder, you may call 1-800-STOCKS5 (1-800-786-2575) to
sell shares by phone through an E*TRADE Securities broker for an additional $15
fee.
The Fund reserves the right to refuse a telephone redemption request if it
believes it advisable to do so.
Investors will bear the risk of loss from fraudulent or unauthorized
instructions received over the telephone provided that the Fund reasonably
believes that such instructions are genuine. The Fund and its transfer agent
employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by
telephone are genuine. The Fund may incur liability if it does not follow these
procedures.
Due to increased telephone volume during periods of dramatic economic or market
changes, you may experience difficulty in implementing a broker-assisted
telephone redemption. In these situations, investors may want to consider
trading online by accessing our Website or use TELE*MASTER, E*TRADE Securities'
automated telephone system, to effect such a transaction by calling
1-800-STOCKS1 (1-800-786-2571).
Signature Guarantee. For your protection, certain requests may require a
signature guarantee.
A signature guarantee is designed to protect you and the Fund against fraudulent
transactions by unauthorized persons. In the following instances, the Fund will
require a signature guarantee for all authorized owners of an account:
1. If you transfer the ownership of your account to another individual or
organization.
2. When you submit a written redemption for more than $25,000.
3. When you request that redemption proceeds be sent to a different name
or address than is registered on your account.
4. If you add or change your name or add or remove an owner on your
account.
5. If you add or change the beneficiary on your transfer-on-death account.
For other registrations, access E*STATION through our Website or call
1-800-786-2575 for instructions.
You will have to wait to redeem your shares until the funds you use to buy them
have cleared (e.g., your check has cleared).
The right of redemption may be suspended during any period in which (i) trading
on the NYSE is restricted, as determined by the SEC, or the NYSE is closed for
other than weekends and holidays; (ii) the SEC has permitted such suspension by
order; or (iii) an emergency as determined by the SEC exists, making disposal of
portfolio securities or valuation of net assets of the Fund not reasonably
practicable.
Redemption Fee. The Fund can experience substantial price fluctuations and is
intended for long-term investors. Short-term "market timers" who engage in
frequent purchases, redemptions or exchanges can disrupt the Fund's investment
program and increase costs. To discourage short-term trading, the Fund assesses
a redemption fee on shares held for less than four months. The redemption fee of
the Fund will increase to 1.00% for shares which are redeemed after October 1,
2000, and which have been held for less than four months from the date of
purchase. Before October 1, the fee is 0.50%.
Any redemption fees imposed will be paid to the Fund to help offset transaction
costs. The Fund will use the "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method to determine
the four month holding period. Under this method, the date of the redemption
will be compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account.
If this holding period is less than four months, the fee will be assessed. The
fee may apply to shares held through omnibus accounts or certain retirement
plans.
The Fund may waive the redemption fee from time to time in its sole discretion.
The Fund may also change the redemption fee and the period it applies for shares
to be issued in the future.
Redemption In-Kind. The Fund reserves the right to honor any request for
redemption or repurchases by making payment in whole or in part in readily
marketable securities ("redemption in-kind"). These securities will be chosen by
the Fund and valued as they are for purposes of computing the Fund's NAV. You
may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.
Exchange. You may exchange your shares of the Fund for shares of another E*TRADE
fund. An exchange is two transactions: a sale (or redemption) of shares of one
fund and the purchase of shares of a different fund with the redemption
proceeds. Exchange transactions generally may be effected on-line. If you are
unable to make an exchange on-line for any reason (for example, due to
Internet-related difficulties) exchanges by telephone will be made available.
After we receive your exchange request, the Fund's transfer agent will
simultaneously process exchange redemptions and exchange purchases at the share
prices next determined, as further explained under "Pricing of Fund Shares."
Shares still subject to a redemption fee will be assessed that fee if exchanged.
You must meet the minimum investment requirements for the E*TRADE fund into
which you are exchanging or purchasing shares. The Fund reserves the right to
revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount of an exchange, or
reject an exchange at any time, without notice.
Closing your account. If you close your E*TRADE Securities account, you will be
required to redeem your shares in your Fund account.
DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund intends to pay dividends from net investment income quarterly and
distribute capital gains, if any, annually. The Fund may make additional
distributions if necessary.
Unless you choose otherwise, all your dividends and capital gain distributions
will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares. Shares are purchased
at the net asset value determined on the payment date.
TAX CONSEQUENCES
The Fund's total returns do not show the effects of income taxes on an
individual's investment.
The following information is meant as a general summary for U.S. taxpayers.
Please see the Fund's Statement of Additional Information for more information.
You should rely on your own tax advisor for advice about the particular federal,
state and local tax consequences to you of investing in the Fund.
The Fund generally will not have to pay income tax on amounts it distributes to
shareholders, although shareholders will be taxed on distributions they receive.
The Fund will distribute substantially all of its income and gains to its
shareholders every year. If the Fund declares a dividend in October, November or
December but pays it in January, you may be taxed on the dividend as if you
received it in the previous year.
You will generally be taxed on dividends you receive from the Fund, regardless
of whether they are paid to you in cash or are reinvested in additional Fund
shares. If the Fund designates a dividend as a capital gain distribution, (e.g.,
when the Fund has a gain from the sale of an asset the Fund held for more than
12 months), you will pay tax on that dividend at the long-term capital gains tax
rate, no matter how long you have held your Fund shares.
If you invest through a tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, you
generally will not have to pay tax on dividends until they are distributed from
the account. These accounts are subject to complex tax rules, and you should
consult your tax advisor about investment through a tax-deferred account.
There may be tax consequences to you if you dispose of your Fund shares, for
example, through redemption, exchange or sale. You will generally have a capital
gain or loss from a disposition. The amount of the gain or loss and the rate of
tax will depend mainly upon how much you pay for the shares, how much you sell
them for, and how long you hold them. For example, if you sold at a gain Fund
shares that you had held for more than one year as a capital asset, then your
gain would be taxed at the long-term capital gains tax rate.
The Fund will send you a tax report each year that will tell you which dividends
must be treated as ordinary income and which (if any) are long-term capital
gain.
As with all mutual funds, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal
income tax at the rate of 31% of all taxable distributions payable to you if you
fail to provide the Fund with your correct taxpayer identification number or to
make required certifications, or if you have been notified by the IRS that you
are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax,
but is a method in which the IRS ensures that it will collect taxes otherwise
due. Any amounts withheld may be credited against your U.S. federal income tax
liability.
<PAGE>
[Outside back cover page.]
The Supplement dated May 31, 2000 to the Statement of Additional Information for
the Fund, dated May 1, 2000 ("SAI"), contains further information about the
Fund. The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (that means it
is legally considered part of this Prospectus). Additional information about the
Fund's investments will be available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual
reports to shareholders which are incorporated into this Prospectus by
reference. In the Fund's next annual report, you will find a discussion of the
market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the
Fund's performance during its fiscal year.
The SAI and the most recent annual report (dated February 29, 2000 and
incorporated herein by reference) and semi-annual reports (when available) may
be obtained without charge, at our Website (www.etrade.com). Other information
on the Website is not incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.
Shareholders will be notified when a prospectus, prospectus update, amendment,
annual or semi-annual report is available. Shareholders may also call the
toll-free number listed below for additional information or with any inquiries.
Further information about the Fund (including the SAI) can also be reviewed and
copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may call
202-942-8090 for information about the operations of the public reference room.
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available on the SEC's
Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) or copies can be obtained, upon payment of a
duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address:
[email protected] or by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC,
Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.
E*TRADE Securities, Inc.
4500 Bohannon Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: (650) 331-6000
Toll-Free: (800) 786-2575
http://www.etrade.com
Investment Company Act File No.: 811-09093
<PAGE>
SUPPLEMENT DATED MAY 31, 2000 TO THE
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DATED MAY 1, 2000
E*TRADE Funds
E*TRADE EXTENDED MARKET INDEX FUND
This Supplemented Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") updates certain
information contained in the above-dated SAI.
The SAI is not a prospectus and should be read together with the Prospectus
dated May 1, 2000, as supplemented on May 31, 2000 (as amended from time to
time) for the E*TRADE Extended Market Index Fund (the "Fund"), a separate series
of E*TRADE Funds. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the
meanings given to them in the Fund's Prospectus.
To obtain a free copy of the Fund's Prospectus and the Fund's most recent
shareholders report dated February 29, 2000 and incorporated herein by
reference, please access our Website online (www.etrade.com) or call our
toll-free number at (800) 786-2575. Other information on the Website is not
incorporated by reference into this SAI. Only customers of E*TRADE Securities,
Inc. who consent to receive all information about the Fund electronically may
invest in the Fund.
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
FUND HISTORY.................................................................3
THE FUND.....................................................................3
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS..............................................3
FUND POLICIES...............................................................13
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS.......................................................17
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT.......................................................22
SERVICE PROVIDERS...........................................................23
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE SELECTION..............................25
ORGANIZATION, DIVIDEND AND VOTING RIGHTS....................................26
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION.....................................................27
TAXATION....................................................................27
UNDERWRITER.................................................................31
MASTER PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATION...............................................32
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION.....................................................33
APPENDIX....................................................................39
<PAGE>
FUND HISTORY
The E*TRADE Extended Market Index Fund (the "Fund") is a diversified series of
E*TRADE Funds (the "Trust"). The Trust is organized as a Delaware business trust
and was formed on November 4, 1998.
THE FUND
The Fund is classified as a diversified open-end, management investment company.
The Fund's investment objective is to match as closely as practicable, before
fees and expenses, the performance of the Wilshire 4500 Equity Index (the
"Wilshire 4500 Index"), commonly known as the Extended Market Index. This
investment objective is fundamental and therefore, cannot be changed without
approval of a majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act, as
amended ("1940 Act")) of the Fund's outstanding voting interests. The Fund seeks
to achieve its objective by investing in a master portfolio that, in turn,
invests in a representative sample of those U.S. securities that comprise the
Wilshire 4500 Index and are selected in accordance with their capitalization,
industry sector and valuation, among other factors.
To achieve its investment objective, the Fund intends to invest all of its
assets in the Extended Index Master Portfolio (the "Master Portfolio"), a series
of Master Investment Portfolio ("MIP"), an open-end, management investment
company. However, this policy is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and a
shareholder vote is not required for the Fund to withdraw its investment from
the Master Portfolio.
The Master Portfolio seeks to match as closely as practicable, before fees and
expenses, the performance of the Wilshire 4500 Index.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The following supplements the discussion in the Prospectus of the Master
Portfolio's investment strategies, policies and risks. These investment
strategies and policies may be changed without shareholder approval of either
the Fund or the Master Portfolio unless otherwise noted.
Index Funds. The net asset value of index funds and funds which are not actively
managed, such as the Fund, may be disproportionately affected by the following
risks: short- and long-term changes in the characteristics of the companies
whose securities make up the index; modifications in the criteria for companies
selected to make up the index; suspension or termination of the operation of the
index; and the activities of issuers whose market capitalization represents a
disproportionate amount of the total market capitalization of the index.
Futures Contracts and Options Transactions. The Master Portfolio may use futures
as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities.
A futures contract is an agreement between two parties, a buyer and a seller, to
exchange a particular commodity or financial instrument at a specific price on a
specific date in the future. An option transaction generally involves a right,
which may or may not be exercised, to buy or sell a commodity or financial
instrument at a particular price on a specified future date. Futures contracts
and options are standardized and traded on exchanges, where the exchange serves
as the ultimate counterparty for all contracts. Consequently, the primary credit
risk on futures contracts is the creditworthiness of the exchange. Futures
contracts are subject to market risk (i.e., exposure to adverse price changes).
The Master Portfolio may enter into futures contracts and may purchase and write
options thereon. Upon exercise of an option on a futures contract, the writer of
the option delivers to the holder of the option the futures position and 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 purchase of options
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 time of
sale, there are no daily cash payments to reflect changes in the value of the
underlying contract; however, the value of the option does change daily and that
change would be reflected in the net asset value of the Master Portfolio.
Although the Master Portfolio intends to purchase or sell futures contracts only
if there is an active market for such contracts, no assurance can be given that
a liquid market will exist for any particular contract at any particular time.
Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation
permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily
limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day
at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods
during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for
several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing
prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Master
Portfolio to substantial losses. If it is not possible, or if the Master
Portfolio determines not to close a futures position in anticipation of adverse
price movements, the Master Portfolio will be required to make daily cash
payments on variation margin.
The Master Portfolio's futures transactions must constitute permissible
transactions pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission ("CFTC"). In addition, the Master Portfolio may not engage in
futures transactions if the sum of the amount of initial margin deposits and
premiums paid for unexpired futures contracts, other than those contracts
entered into for bona fide hedging purposes, would exceed 5% of the liquidation
value of the Master Portfolio's assets, after taking into account unrealized
profits and unrealized losses on such contracts; provided, however, that in the
case of an option on a futures contract that is in-the-money at the time of
purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5%
liquidation limit. Pursuant to regulations and/or published positions of the
SEC, the Master Portfolio may be required to segregate cash or high quality
money market instruments in connection with its futures transactions in an
amount generally equal to the entire value of the underlying security.
Future Developments. The Master Portfolio may take advantage of opportunities in
the area of options and futures contracts and options on futures contracts and
any other derivative investments which are not presently contemplated for use by
the Master Portfolio or which are not currently available but which may be
developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Master
Portfolio's investment objective and legally permissible for the Master
Portfolio. Before entering into such transactions or making any such investment,
the Master Portfolio will provide appropriate disclosure in its prospectus.
Stock Index Futures and Options on Stock Index Futures. The Master Portfolio may
invest in stock index futures and options on stock index futures as a substitute
for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. A stock index
future obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take), effectively,
an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between
the value of a specific stock index on or before the close of the last trading
day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical
delivery of the underlying stocks in the index is made. With respect to stock
indices that are permitted investments, the Master Portfolio intends to purchase
and sell futures contracts on the stock index for which it can obtain the best
price with consideration also given to liquidity. There can be no assurance that
a liquid market will exist at the time when the Master Portfolio seeks to close
out a futures contract or a futures option position. Lack of a liquid market may
prevent liquidation of an unfavorable position.
Index Swaps. The Master Portfolio may enter into index swaps in pursuit of its
investment objective. Index swaps involve the exchange by the Master Portfolio
with another party of cash flows based upon the performance of an index of
securities or a portion of an index of securities that usually include dividends
or income. In each case, the exchange commitments can involve payments to be
made in the same currency or in different currencies. The Master Portfolio will
usually enter into swaps on a net basis. In so doing, the two payment streams
are netted out, with the Master Portfolio receiving or paying, as the case may
be, only the net amount of the two payments. If the Master Portfolio enters into
a swap, it will maintain a segregated account on a gross basis, unless the
contract provides for a segregated account on a net basis. If there is a default
by the other party to such a transaction, the Master Portfolio will have
contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.
The use of index swaps is a highly specialized activity which involves
investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary
portfolio security transactions. There is no limit, except as provided below, on
the amount of swap transactions that may be entered into by the Master
Portfolio. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of
securities or other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of
loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments
that the Master Portfolio is contractually obligated to make. There is also a
risk of a default by the other party to a swap, in which case the Master
Portfolio may not receive the net amount of payments that the Master Portfolio
contractually is entitled to receive.
Forward commitments, when-issued purchases and delayed-delivery transactions.
The Master Portfolio may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or
delayed-delivery basis and make contracts to purchase or sell securities for a
fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Securities
purchased or sold on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis
involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines, or
the value of the security to be sold increases, before the settlement date.
Although the Master Portfolio will generally purchase securities with the
intention of acquiring them, the Master Portfolio may dispose of securities
purchased on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or a forward commitment basis
before settlement when deemed appropriate by the Master Portfolio's advisor.
Short-term instruments and temporary investments. The Master Portfolio may
invest in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide
liquidity or for temporary purposes when there is an unexpected level of
shareholder purchases or redemptions or when "defensive" strategies are
appropriate. The instruments in which the Master Portfolio may invest include:
(i) short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its
agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (ii)
negotiable certificates of deposit ("CDs"), bankers' acceptances, fixed time
deposits and other obligations of domestic banks (including foreign branches)
that have more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of investment and
that are members of the Federal Reserve System or are examined by the
Comptroller of the Currency or whose deposits are insured by the FDIC; (iii)
commercial paper rated at the date of purchase "Prime-1" by Moody's or "A-1+" or
"A-1" by S&P, or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by BGFA; (iv)
non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with
remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than one year that are
rated at least "Aa" by Moody's or "AA" by S&P; (v) repurchase agreements; and
(vi) short-term, U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including
U.S. branches) that, at the time of investment have more than $10 billion, or
the equivalent in other currencies, in total assets and in the opinion of BGFA
are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by
the Master Portfolio.
Bank Obligations. The Master Portfolio may invest in bank obligations, including
certificates of deposit, time deposits, bankers' acceptances and other
short-term obligations of domestic banks, foreign subsidiaries of domestic
banks, foreign branches of domestic banks, and domestic and foreign branches of
foreign banks, domestic savings and loan associations and other banking
institutions.
Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates evidencing the obligation of
a bank to repay funds deposited with it for a specified period of time. Time
deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in a banking institution for a
specified period of time at a stated interest rate. Time deposits which may be
held by the Master Portfolio will not benefit from insurance from the Bank
Insurance Fund or the Savings Association Insurance Fund administered by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Bankers' acceptances are credit
instruments evidencing the obligation of a bank to pay a draft drawn on it by a
customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the
drawer to pay the face amount of the instrument upon maturity. The other
short-term obligations may include uninsured, direct obligations, bearing fixed,
floating- or variable-interest rates.
Domestic commercial banks organized under Federal law are supervised and
examined by the Comptroller of the Currency and are required to be members of
the Federal Reserve System and to have their deposits insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC"). Domestic banks organized under state
law are supervised and examined by state banking authorities but are members of
the Federal Reserve System only if they elect to join. In addition, state banks
whose certificates of deposit ("CDs") may be purchased by the Master Portfolio
are insured by the FDIC (although such insurance may not be of material benefit
to the Master Portfolio, depending on the principal amount of the CDs of each
bank held by the Master Portfolio) and are subject to Federal examination and to
a substantial body of Federal law and regulation. As a result of Federal or
state laws and regulations, domestic branches of domestic banks whose CDs may be
purchased by the Master Portfolio generally are required, among other things, to
maintain specified levels of reserves, are limited in the amounts which they can
loan to a single borrower and are subject to other regulation designed to
promote financial soundness. However, not all of such laws and regulations apply
to the foreign branches of domestic banks.
Obligations of foreign branches of domestic banks, foreign subsidiaries of
domestic banks and domestic and foreign branches of foreign banks, such as CDs
and time deposits ("TDs"), may be general obligations of the parent banks in
addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific
obligation and governmental regulation. Such obligations are subject to
different risks than are those of domestic banks. These risks include foreign
economic and political developments, foreign governmental restrictions that may
adversely affect payment of principal and interest on the obligations, foreign
exchange controls and foreign withholding and other taxes on interest income.
These foreign branches and subsidiaries are not necessarily subject to the same
or similar regulatory requirements that apply to domestic banks, such as
mandatory reserve requirements, loan limitations, and accounting, auditing and
financial record keeping requirements. In addition, less information may be
publicly available about a foreign branch of a domestic bank or about a foreign
bank than about a domestic bank.
Obligations of United States branches of foreign banks may be general
obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be
limited by the terms of a specific obligation or by Federal or state regulation
as well as governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its
head office. A domestic branch of a foreign bank with assets in excess of $1
billion may be subject to reserve requirements imposed by the Federal Reserve
System or by the state in which the branch is located if the branch is licensed
in that state.
In addition, Federal branches licensed by the Comptroller of the Currency and
branches licensed by certain states ("State Branches") may be required to: (1)
pledge to the regulator, by depositing assets with a designated bank within the
state, a certain percentage of their assets as fixed from time to time by the
appropriate regulatory authority; and (2) maintain assets within the state in an
amount equal to a specified percentage of the aggregate amount of liabilities of
the foreign bank payable at or through all of its agencies or branches within
the state. The deposits of Federal and State Branches generally must be insured
by the FDIC if such branches take deposits of less than $100,000.
In view of the foregoing factors associated with the purchase of CDs and TDs
issued by foreign branches of domestic banks, by foreign subsidiaries of
domestic banks, by foreign branches of foreign banks or by domestic branches of
foreign banks, the Master Portfolio's Advisor carefully evaluates such
investments on a case-by-case basis.
The Master Portfolio may purchase CDs issued by banks, savings and loan
associations and similar thrift institutions with less than $1 billion in
assets, which are members of the FDIC, provided such Master Portfolio purchases
any such CD in a principal amount of not more than $100,000, which amount would
be fully insured by the Bank Insurance Fund or the Savings Association Insurance
Fund administered by the FDIC. Interest payments on such a CD are not insured by
the FDIC. The Master Portfolio will not own more than one such CD per such
issuer.
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Corporate Debt Instruments. The Master Portfolio
may invest in commercial paper (including variable amount master demand notes),
which consists of short-term, unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations
to finance short-term credit needs. Commercial paper is usually sold on a
discount basis and has a maturity at the time of issuance not exceeding nine
months. Variable amount master demand notes are demand obligations that permit
the investment of fluctuating amounts at varying market rates of interest
pursuant to arrangements between the issuer and a commercial bank acting as
agent for the payee of such notes whereby both parties have the right to vary
the amount of the outstanding indebtedness on the notes. BGFA monitors on an
ongoing basis the ability of an issuer of a demand instrument to pay principal
and interest on demand.
The Master Portfolio also may invest in non-convertible corporate debt
securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with not more than one year remaining to
maturity at the date of settlement. The Master Portfolio will invest only in
such corporate bonds and debentures that are rated at the time of purchase at
least "Aa" by Moody's or "AA" by S&P. Subsequent to its purchase by the Master
Portfolio, an issue of securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be
reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by the Master Portfolio.
BGFA will consider such an event in determining whether the Master Portfolio
should continue to hold the obligation. To the extent the Master Portfolio
continues to hold such obligations, it may be subject to additional risk of
default.
To the extent the ratings given by Moody's or S&P may change as a result of
changes in such organizations or their rating systems, the Master Portfolio will
attempt to use comparable ratings as standards for investments in accordance
with the investment policies contained in its Prospectus and in this SAI. The
ratings of Moody's and S&P and other nationally recognized statistical rating
organizations are more fully described in the attached Appendix.
Repurchase Agreements. The Master Portfolio may enter into a repurchase
agreement wherein the seller of a security to the Master Portfolio agrees to
repurchase that security from the Master Portfolio at a mutually-agreed upon
time and price. The period of maturity is usually quite short, often overnight
or a few days, although it may extend over a number of months. The Master
Portfolio may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to securities
that could otherwise be purchased by the Master Portfolio, and all repurchase
transactions must be collateralized.
The Master Portfolio may incur a loss on a repurchase transaction if the seller
defaults and the value of the underlying collateral declines or is otherwise
limited or if receipt of the security or collateral is delayed. The Master
Portfolio may participate in pooled repurchase agreement transactions with other
funds advised by its investment advisor.
The Master Portfolio may enter into repurchase agreements wherein the seller of
a security to the Master Portfolio agrees to repurchase that security from the
Master Portfolio at a mutually agreed-upon time and price that involves the
acquisition by the Master Portfolio of an underlying debt instrument, subject to
the seller's obligation to repurchase, and the Master Portfolio's obligation to
resell, the instrument at a fixed price usually not more than one week after its
purchase. The Master Portfolio's custodian has custody of, and holds in a
segregated account, securities acquired as collateral by the Master Portfolio
under a repurchase agreement. Repurchase agreements are considered by the staff
of the SEC to be loans by the Master Portfolio. The Master Portfolio may enter
into repurchase agreements only with respect to securities of the type in which
it may invest, including government securities and mortgage-related securities,
regardless of their remaining maturities, and requires that additional
securities be deposited with the custodian if the value of the securities
purchased should decrease below the repurchase price. BGFA monitors on an
ongoing basis the value of the collateral to assure that it always equals or
exceeds the repurchase price. Certain costs may be incurred by the Master
Portfolio in connection with the sale of the underlying securities if the seller
does not repurchase them in accordance with the repurchase agreement. In
addition, if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of
the securities, disposition of the securities by the Master Portfolio may be
delayed or limited. While it does not presently appear possible to eliminate all
risks from these transactions (particularly the possibility of a decline in the
market value of the underlying securities, as well as delay and costs to the
Master Portfolio in connection with insolvency proceedings), it is the policy of
the Master Portfolio to limit repurchase agreements to selected creditworthy
securities dealers or domestic banks or other recognized financial institutions.
The Master Portfolio considers on an ongoing basis the creditworthiness of the
institutions with which it enters into repurchase agreements. Repurchase
agreements are considered to be loans by the Master Portfolio under the 1940
Act.
Floating- and variable- rate obligations. The Master Portfolio may purchase debt
instruments with interest rates that are periodically adjusted at specified
intervals or whenever a benchmark rate or index changes. These adjustments
generally limit the increase or decrease in the amount of interest received on
the debt instruments. Floating- and variable-rate instruments are subject to
interest - rate risk and credit risk.
The Master Portfolio may purchase floating- and variable-rate demand notes and
bonds, which are obligations ordinarily having stated maturities in excess of
thirteen months, but which permit the holder to demand payment of principal at
any time, or at specified intervals not exceeding thirteen months. Variable rate
demand notes include master demand notes that are obligations that permit the
Master Portfolio to invest fluctuating amounts, which may change daily without
penalty, pursuant to direct arrangements between the Master Portfolio, as
lender, and the borrower. The interest rates on these notes fluctuate from time
to time. The issuer of such obligations ordinarily has a corresponding right,
after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal
amount of the obligations plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days'
notice to the holders of such obligations. The interest rate on a floating-rate
demand obligation is based on a known lending rate, such as a bank's prime rate,
and is adjusted automatically each time such rate is adjusted. The interest rate
on a variable-rate demand obligation is adjusted automatically at specified
intervals. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or
other credit support arrangements provided by banks. Because these obligations
are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower, it is not
contemplated that such instruments generally will be traded, and there generally
is no established secondary market for these obligations, although they are
redeemable at face value. Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured
by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the Master
Portfolio's right to redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay
principal and interest on demand. Such obligations frequently are not rated by
credit rating agencies and the Master Portfolio may invest in obligations which
are not so rated only if the Master Portfolio's investment advisor determines
that at the time of investment the obligations are of comparable quality to the
other obligations in which the Master Portfolio may invest. The Master
Portfolio's investment advisor considers on an ongoing basis the
creditworthiness of the issuers of the floating- and variable-rate demand
obligations in the Master Portfolio's portfolio. The Master Portfolio will not
invest more than 10% of the value of its total net assets in floating- or
variable-rate demand obligations whose demand feature is not exercisable within
seven days. Such obligations may be treated as liquid, provided that an active
secondary market exists.
Loans of portfolio securities. The Master Portfolio may lend securities from its
portfolio to brokers, dealers and financial institutions (but not individuals)
if cash, U.S. Government securities or other high quality debt obligations equal
to at least 100% of the current market value of he securities loaned (including
accrued interest thereon) plus the interest payable to the Master Portfolio with
respect to the loan is maintained with the Master Portfolio. In determining
whether or not to lend a security to a particular broker, dealer or financial
institution, the Master Portfolio's investment advisor considers all relevant
facts and circumstances, including the size, creditworthiness and reputation of
the broker, dealer, or financial institution. Any loans of portfolio securities
are fully collateralized based on valued that are marked to market daily. The
Master Portfolio does not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement
having a duration of longer than one year. Any securities that the Master
Portfolio may receive as collateral will not become part of the Master
Portfolio's investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a
default by the borrower, the Master Portfolio will, if permitted by law, dispose
of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the
Master Portfolio is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan,
the borrower will pay the Master Portfolio any accrued income on those
securities, and the Master Portfolio may invest the cash collateral and earn
income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered
cash-equivalent collateral. The Master Portfolio will not lend securities having
a value that exceeds one-third of the current value of the Master Portfolio's
total assets. Loans of securities by the Master Portfolio are subject to
termination at the Master Portfolio's or the borrower's option.
The principal risk of lending is potential default or insolvency of the
borrower. In either of these cases, the Master Portfolio could experience delays
in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of
the loaned securities. The Master Portfolio may pay reasonable administrative
and custodial fees in connection with loans of portfolio securities and may pay
a portion of the interest or fee earned thereon to the borrower of a placing
broker. Borrowers and placing brokers are not permitted to be affiliated,
directly or indirectly, with the Master Portfolio, its investment advisor or
Stephens, Inc.
Initial Public Offerings. Although it is not a principal investment strategy of
the Master Portfolio, the Master Portfolio may purchase shares issued in initial
public offerings ("IPOs") in anticipation of such shares becoming part of the
Wilshire 4500 Index. Although companies can be any age or size at the time of
their IPOs, they are often smaller and have a limited operating history, which
involve a greater potential for the value of their securities to be impaired
following the IPO. In addition, market psychology prevailing at the time of an
IPO can have a substantial and unpredictable effect on the price of an IPO
security, causing the price of a company's securities to be particularly
volatile at the time of its IPO and for a period thereafter. Because of the
nature of IPOs and the fact that such securities may not be part of the Wilshire
4500 Index at the time of the Master Portfolio's purchase, the Master
Portfolio's investments in IPOs may cause the Master Portfolio to track the
Wilshire 4500 Index less closely and may cause the Master Portfolio's, and
accordingly the Fund's, performance to track less closely that of the Wilshire
4500 Index.
Investment company securities. The Master Portfolio may invest in securities
issued by other open-end management investment companies to the extent permitted
under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a Master Portfolio's investment in such
securities currently is limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the
total voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Master
Portfolio's net assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10%
of the Master Portfolio's net assets in the aggregate. Investments in the
securities of other investment companies generally will involve duplication of
advisory fees and certain other expenses. The Master Portfolio may also purchase
shares of exchange-listed closed-end funds.
Illiquid securities. To the extent that such investments are consistent with its
investment objective, the Master Portfolio may invest up to 15% of the value of
its net assets in securities as to which a liquid trading market does not exist.
Such securities may include securities that are not readily marketable, such as
privately issued securities and other securities that are subject to legal or
contractual restrictions on resale, floating- and variable-rate demand
obligations as to which the Master Portfolio cannot exercise a demand feature on
not more than seven days' notice and as to which there is no secondary market
and repurchase agreements providing for settlement more than seven days after
notice.
U.S. Government Obligations. The Master Portfolio may invest in various types of
U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations include securities
issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its
agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S.
Government obligations (i) may be backed by the full faith and credit of the
United States (as with U.S. Treasury obligations and GNMA certificates) or (ii)
may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality
itself (as with FNMA notes). In the latter case, the investor must look
principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the
obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be
privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would
provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not
obligated to do so. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments,
including U.S. Government obligations, declines when market interest rates
increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S.
Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to
their structure or contract terms.
Borrowing Money. As a fundamental policy, the Master Portfolio is permitted to
borrow the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. However, the Master Portfolio
currently intends to borrow money only for temporary or emergency (not
leveraging) purposes, and may borrow up to one-third of the value of its total
assets (including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or market,
less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing
is made.
Securities Related Businesses. The 1940 Act limits the ability of the Fund to
invest in securities issued by companies deriving more than 15% of their gross
revenues from securities related activities ("financial companies"). If the
Wilshire 4500 Index provides a higher concentration in one or more financial
companies, the Fund may experience increased tracking error due to the
limitations on investments in such companies.
Portfolio Turnover Rate. The portfolio turnover rate for the Master Portfolio
generally is not expected to exceed 50%. This portfolio turnover rate will not
be a limiting factor when the investment advisor to the Master Portfolio or the
Fund's investment advisor deems portfolio changes appropriate.
Index Changes. The stocks comprising the Wilshire 4500 Index are changed from
time to time. Announcements of those changes and related market activity may
result in reduced returns or volatility for the Fund.
Year 2000. Like other mutual funds, financial and business organizations and
individuals around the world, the Fund could be adversely affected if the
computer systems used by the Fund's service providers or persons with whom they
deal, do not properly process and calculate date-related information and data on
and after January 1, 2000. This possibility is commonly known as the "Year 2000
Problem." The Year 2000 Problem could have an adverse impact into the Year 2000
or beyond. Virtually all operations of the Fund are computer reliant. The
investment advisor, administrator, transfer agent and custodian have informed
the Fund that they have actively taken steps to address the Year 2000 Problem
with regard to their respective computer systems. The Fund also obtained
assurances that comparable steps are being taken by the Fund's other significant
service providers. There can be no assurance that the Fund's service providers
are Year 2000 compliant. The Master Portfolio's investment advisor and principal
service providers have also advised the Master Portfolio that they were working
on any necessary changes to their systems and that they expected their systems
to be Year 2000 compliant. There can be no assurance that the Master Portfolio
or the Master Portfolio's service providers are Year 2000 complaint. In
addition, because the Year 2000 Problem affects virtually all organizations, the
issuers in whose securities the Master Portfolio invests and the economy as a
whole also could be adversely impacted by the Year 2000 Problem and costs of
remediation. The extent of such impact cannot be predicted.
FUND POLICIES
Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The following are the Fund's fundamental investment restrictions which, along
with the Fund's investment objective, cannot be changed without shareholder
approval by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, as set
forth in the 1940 Act.
Unless noted otherwise, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of
investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change
in the Fund's assets (i.e., due to cash inflows or redemptions) or in market
value of the investment or the Fund's assets will not constitute a violation of
that restriction. The Fund will be deemed to be in compliance with its
investment policies to the extent any master portfolio in which it invests has
substantially similar policies or has a portfolio in compliance with the Fund's
policies.
Unless indicated otherwise below, the Fund:
1. may not invest more than 5% of its assets in the obligations of any single
issuer, except that up to 25% of the value of its total assets may be invested,
and securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or its agencies or
instrumentalities may be purchased, without regard to any such limitation;
2. may not with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest in a security if, as
a result of such investment, it would hold more than 10% (taken at the time of
such investment) of the outstanding securities of any one issuer;
3. may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act;
4. may not borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act,
provided that the Master Portfolio may borrow up to 20% of the current value of
its net assets for temporary purposes only in order to meet redemptions, and
these borrowings may be secured by the pledge of up to 20% of the current value
of its net assets. For purposes of this investment restriction, the Master
Portfolio's entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including
those relating to indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes shall not
constitute borrowing to the extent certain segregated accounts are established
and maintained by the Master Portfolio;
5. may not act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the
extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with the disposition of
portfolio securities;
6. may not purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 25%
of the Fund's total assets (taken at market value at the time of such
investment) would be invested in the securities of issuers in any particular
industry, except that this restriction does not apply to (i) securities issued
or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities (or
repurchase agreements thereto); and (ii) any industry in which the Wilshire 4500
Index becomes concentrated to the same degree during the same period, the Master
Portfolio will be concentrated as specified above only to the extent the
percentage of its assets invested in those categories of investments is
sufficiently large that 25% or more of its total assets would be invested in a
single industry;
7. may not purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase securities
secured by real estate or interests therein, or securities issued by companies
which invest in real estate, or interests therein;
8. may not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts or
oil, gas or mineral programs. This restriction shall not prohibit the Fund,
subject to restrictions described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this
Statement of Additional Information, from purchasing, selling or entering into
futures contracts, options on futures contracts and other derivative
instruments, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal
securities or commodities laws; and
9. may not lend any funds or other assets, except that the Fund may, consistent
with its investment objective and policies: (a) invest in certain short-term or
temporary debt obligations, even though the purchase of such obligations may be
deemed to be the making of loans, (b) enter into repurchase agreements, and (c)
lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's
total assets, provided such loans are made in accordance with applicable
guidelines established by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
directors of the Fund.
Non-Fundamental Operating Restrictions
The following are the Fund's non-fundamental operating restrictions, which may
be changed by the Fund's Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
1. The Fund may invest in shares of other open-end management investment
companies, subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Under
the 1940 Act, the Fund's investment in such securities currently is limited,
subject to certain exceptions, to (i) 3% of the total voting stock of any one
investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund's net assets with respect to any one
investment company, and (iii) 10% of the Fund's net assets in the aggregate.
Other investment companies in which the Fund invests can be expected to charge
fees for operating expenses, such as investment advisory and administrative
fees, that would be in addition to those charged by the Fund.
2. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of the Fund's net assets in illiquid
securities. For this purpose, illiquid securities include, among others, (a)
securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available
market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale, (b) fixed time deposits
that are subject to withdrawal penalties and that have maturities of more than
seven days, and (c) repurchase agreements not terminable within seven days.
3. The Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and
financial institutions, in amounts not to exceed (in the aggregate) one-third of
the Fund's total assets. Any such loans of portfolio securities will be fully
collateralized based on values that are marked to market daily. The Fund will
not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of
longer than one year.
The Fund may, notwithstanding any fundamental or non-fundamental policy or
restriction, invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end
management investment company with substantially similar investment objectives
and policies as the Fund or investment objectives and policies consistent with
those of the Fund.
Master Portfolio: Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The Master Portfolio is subject to the following fundamental investment
restrictions which cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a
majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Master Portfolio's outstanding
voting securities. If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of
investment, a later change in percentage resulting from a change in values or
assets except with respect to compliance with fundamental investment restriction
number 5, will not constitute a violation of such restriction.
The Master Portfolio may not:
1. invest more than 5% of its assets in the obligations of any single issuer,
except that up to 25% of the value of its total assets may be invested, and
securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies or
instrumentalities may be purchased, without regard to any such limitation;
2. hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any single issuer.
This investment restriction applies only with respect to 75% of its total
assets;
3. issue any senior security (as such term is defined in Section 18(f) of the
1940 Act), except to the extent the activities permitted in the Master
Portfolio's fundamental policies (4) and (8), may be deemed to give rise to a
senior security;
4. borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, provided
that the Master Portfolio may borrow up to 20% of the current value of its net
assets for temporary purposes only in order to meet redemptions, and these
borrowings may be secured by the pledge of up to 20% of the current value of its
net assets. For purposes of this investment restriction, the Master Portfolio's
entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those
relating to indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes shall not
constitute borrowing to the extent certain segregated accounts are established
and maintained by the Master Portfolio;
5. act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent
that the Master Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, by virtue of disposing of portfolio securities;
6. invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of issuers in any
particular industry or group of closely related industries except that there
shall be no limitation with respect to investments in (i) obligations of the
U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities; or (ii) any industry in
which the Wilshire 4500 Index becomes concentrated to the same degree during the
same period, the Master Portfolio will be concentrated as specified above only
to the extent the percentage of its assets invested in those categories of
investments is sufficiently larger than 25% or more of its total assets would be
invested in a single industry;
7. purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or other mineral leases or
exploration or development programs, but the Master Portfolio may purchase and
sell securities that are secured by real estate or issued by companies that
invest or deal in real estate;
8. invest in commodities, except that the Master Portfolio may purchase and sell
(i.e., write) options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those
relating to indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes; and
9. make loans to others, except through the purchase of debt obligations and the
entry into repurchase agreements. However, the Master Portfolio may lend its
portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed one-third of the value of its
total assets. Any loans of portfolio securities will be made according to
guidelines established by the SEC and the Master Portfolio's Board of Trustees.
Non-Fundamental Operating Policies
The Master Portfolio has adopted the following investment restrictions as
non-fundamental policies which may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the
Master Portfolio without the approval of the holders of the Master Portfolio's
outstanding securities.
1. The Master Portfolio may invest in shares of other open-end management
investment companies, subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940
Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Master Portfolio's investment in such securities
currently is limited, subject to certain exceptions, to (i) 3% of the total
voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Master Portfolio's
net assets with respect to any one investment company, and (iii) 10% of the
Master Portfolio's net assets in the aggregate. Other investment companies in
which the Master Portfolio invests can be expected to charge fees for operating
expenses, such as investment advisory and administrative fees, that would be in
addition to those charged by the Master Portfolio.
2. The Master Portfolio may not invest more than 15% of the Master Portfolio's
net assets in illiquid securities. For this purpose, illiquid securities
include, among others, (a) securities that are illiquid by virtue of the absence
of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale,
(b) fixed time deposits that are subject to withdrawal penalties and that have
maturities of more than seven days, and (c) repurchase agreements not terminable
within seven days.
3. The Master Portfolio may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers,
dealers and financial institutions, in amounts not to exceed (in the aggregate)
one-third of the Master Portfolio's total assets. Any such loans of portfolio
securities will be fully collateralized based on values that are marked to
market daily. The Master Portfolio will not enter into any portfolio security
lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
The Board has the responsibility for the overall management of the Fund,
including general supervision and review of its investment activities and the
conformity with Delaware Law and the stated policies of the Fund. The Board
elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the
Fund's day-to-day operations. Trustees and officers of the Fund, together with
information as to their principal business occupations during the last five
years, and other information are shown below. Each "interested or affiliated
person," as defined in the 1940 Act, is indicated by an asterisk (*):
<TABLE>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
Name, Address, and Age Position(s) Held with Principal Occupation(s) During
the Fund the Past 5 Years
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
*Leonard C. Purkis (51) Trustee, Treasurer Mr. Purkis is chief financial
4500 Bohannon Drive, officer and executive vice
Menlo Park, CA 94025 president of finance and
administration of E*TRADE
Group, Inc. He previously
served as chief financial
officer for Iomega Corporation
(Hardware Manufacturer) from
1995 to 1998. Prior to joining
Iomega, he served in numerous
senior level domestic and
international finance positions
for General Electric Co. and
its subsidiaries, culminating
his career there as senior vice
president, finance, for GE
Capital Fleet Services
(Financial Services).
*Shelly J. Meyers (40)(1) Trustee Ms. Meyers is the Manager,
4500 Bohannon Drive, Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Menlo Park, CA 94025 Financial Officer and founder
of Meyers Capital Management,
a registered investment
adviser formed in January
1996. She has also managed
the Meyers Pride Value Fund
since June 1996. Prior to
that, she was employed by The
Boston Company Asset
Management, Inc. as Assistant
Vice President of its
Institutional Asset Management
group.
Ashley T. Rabun (47) Trustee Ms. Rabun is the Founder and
4500 Bohannon Drive, Chief Executive Officer of
Menlo Park, CA 94025 InvestorReach (which is a
consulting firm specializing in
marketing and distribution
strategies for financial
services companies formed in
October 1996). From 1992 to
1996, she was a partner and
President of Nicholas Applegate
Mutual Funds, a division of
Nicholas Applegate Capital
Management.
Steven Grenadier (35) Trustee Mr. Grenadier is an Associate
4500 Bohannon Drive, Professor of Finance at the
Menlo Park, CA 94025 Graduate School of Business at
Stanford University, where he
has been employed as a
professor since 1992.
George J. Rebhan (65) Trustee Mr. Rebhan has been a Trustee
4500 Bohannon Drive, for the Trust For Investment
Menlo Park, CA 94025 Managers (investment company)
since August 30, 1999. Mr.
Rebhan retired in December
1993, and prior to that he was
President of Hotchkis and
Wiley Funds (investment
company) from 1985 to 1993.
*Amy J. Errett (42) President Ms. Errett is President of
4500 Bohannon Drive, E*TRADE Asset Management,
Menlo Park, CA 94025 Inc. She joined E*TRADE Asset
Management, Inc. in March
2000. Prior to that,
Ms. Errett was Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and founder
of Spectrem Group, a financial
services consulting firm since
1990.
*W. David Moore (40) Vice President and Mr. Moore is Vice President of
4500 Bohannon Drive, Secretary Operations, E*TRADE Asset
Menlo Park, CA 94025 Management, Inc. He joined
E*TRADE Securities, Inc. in
February 1999. Prior to that
Mr. Moore was a Sales
Consultant of BARRA Inc.
(investment analytics)
beginning in 1998. From 1995
to 1997, he was Client
Services Manager of Templeton
Europe (investment
management), and prior to that
he was an Assistant Vice
President of Maryland National
Bank.
</TABLE>
Beginning July 1, 2000, each non-affiliated Trustee, will receive from the Trust
an annual fee (payable quarterly) of $18,000 plus an additional fee of: (i)
$4,500 for each regularly scheduled or special Board meeting attended; and (ii)
$2,000 for each Audit Committee meeting attended. Previously, the Trust paid
each non-affiliated Trustee a fee of $1,500 per Board meeting for the Fund. It
is estimated that in the future the new compensation schedule will result in
lower compensation per Trustee than that which would have been paid under the
prior compensation schedule. In addition, the Trust reimburses each of the
non-affiliated Trustees for travel and other expenses incurred in connection
with attendance at such meetings. Other officers and Trustees of the Trust
receive no compensation or expense reimbursement. The following table provides
an estimate of each Trustee's compensation received from the Trust for the
current fiscal year ending December 31, 2000 and the total compensation received
from the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999:
Compensation Table
<TABLE>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
Name of Person, Position Aggregate Total Compensation
Compensation from from the Trust Paid
the Trust(1) to Trustees(2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Leonard C. Purkis, Trustee None None
Shelly J. Meyers, Trustee(3) $48,000 $22,500
Ashley T. Rabun, Trustee $57,000 $22,500
Steven Grenadier, Trustee $57,000 $22,500
George J. Rebhan, Trustee $57,000 -0-
No Trustee will receive any benefits upon retirement. Thus, no pension or
retirement benefits have accrued as part of the Fund's expenses.
------------
<FN>
(1) This amount represents the estimated aggregate amount of compensation paid
by the Trust to each non-affiliated Trustee for service on the Board of
Trustees for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2000. The estimate is
based on the prior compensation schedule in effect until July 1, 2000 and
the new compensation schedule thereafter, both of which are described
above.
(2) This amount represents the actual amount paid in 1999. The Trust consists
of eight series, of which six began operations in 1999. There are no other
funds in the Fund Complex.
(3) Ms. Meyers may be considered an "interested person," but she is not an
"affiliated person," as defined in the 1940 Act and is compensated by the
Trust for serving as Trustee.
</FN>
</TABLE>
Code of Ethics. Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, E*TRADE Funds has
adopted a code of ethics. The Fund's investment advisor and principal
underwriter have also adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1. Each code of
ethics permits personal trading by covered personnel, including securities that
may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to certain reporting requirements
and restrictions.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities
As of April 3, 2000, no shareholder owned more than 5% of the Fund's outstanding
equity securities. E*TRADE Asset Management, Inc., the Fund's investment
advisor, is a Delaware corporation and is wholly owned by E*TRADE Group, Inc.
Its address is 4500 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and Officers of the Fund as a group
owned less than 1% of the Fund's equity securities.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
Investment Advisor. Under an investment advisory agreement with the Fund,
E*TRADE Asset Management, Inc. ("Investment Advisor") provides investment
advisory services to the Fund. The Investment Advisor is a wholly owned
subsidiary of E*TRADE Group, and is located at 4500 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park,
CA 94025. The Investment Advisor commenced operating in February 1999 and,
therefore, has limited experience as an investment advisor. As of March 31,
2000, the Investment Advisor provided investment advisory services for over $277
million in assets.
Subject to the general supervision of the E*TRADE Funds' Board of Trustees and
in accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions of the
Fund, the Investment Advisor provides the Fund with ongoing investment guidance,
policy direction and monitoring of the Master Portfolio. The Investment Advisor
may in the future manage cash and money market instruments for cash flow
purposes. For its advisory services, the Fund currently pays the Investment
Advisor an investment advisory fee at an annual rate equal to 0.02% of the
Fund's average daily net assets. To the extent the Fund has assets that are not
invested in a master portfolio in the future, the Fund would pay the Investment
Advisor an investment advisory fee at annual rate equal to 0.08% of that portion
of the Fund's assets not invested in a master portfolio. The Fund paid the
Investment Advisor approximately $144 for its investment advisory services to
the Fund in 1999.
The Master Portfolio's Investment Advisor. The Master Portfolio's investment
advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors ("BGFA"). BGFA is a direct subsidiary
of Barclays Global Investors, N.A. (which, in turn, is an indirect subsidiary of
Barclays Bank PLC) and is located at 45 Fremont Street, San Francisco,
California 94105. BGFA has provided asset management, administration and
advisory services for over 25 years. As of December 31, 1999, Barclays Global
Investors and its affiliates, including BGFA, provided investment advisory
services for over $783 billion of assets. Pursuant to an Investment Advisory
Contract (the "Advisory Contract") with the Master Portfolio, BGFA provides the
Master Portfolio with investment guidance and policy direction in connection
with the daily portfolio management of the Master Portfolio, subject to the
supervision of the Master Portfolio's Board of Trustees and in conformity with
Delaware law and the stated policies of the Master Portfolio. Pursuant to the
Advisory Contract, BGFA furnishes to the Master Portfolio's Board of Trustees
periodic reports on the investment strategy and performance of the Master
Portfolio. BGFA receives a fee from the Master Portfolio at an annual rate equal
to 0.08% of the Master Portfolio's average daily net assets. From time to time,
BGFA may waive such fees in whole or in part. Any such waiver will reduce the
expenses of the Master Portfolio, and accordingly, have a favorable impact on
its performance. This advisory fee is an expense of the Master Portfolio borne
proportionately by its interestholders, including the Fund.
The Advisory Contract will continue in effect for more than two years provided
the continuance is approved annually (i) by the holders of a majority of the
Master Portfolio's outstanding voting securities or by the Master Portfolio's
Board of Trustees and (ii) by a majority of the Trustees of the Master Portfolio
who are not parties to the Advisory Contract or affiliated of any such party.
The Advisory Contract may be terminated on 60 days' written notice by either
party without penalty and will terminate automatically if assigned.
Purchase and sale orders for portfolio securities of the Master Portfolio may be
combined with those of other accounts that BGFA manages or advises, and for
which it has brokerage placement authority in the interest of seeking the most
favorable overall net results. When BGFA, subject to the supervision of, and the
overall authority of the Master Portfolio's Board of Trustees, determines that a
particular security should be bought or sold for the Master Portfolio and other
account managed by BGFA, it undertakes to allocate those transactions among the
participants equitably. BGFA may deal, trade and invest for its own account in
the types of securities in which the Master Portfolio may invest. BGFA has
informed the Master Portfolio that in making its investment decisions it does
not obtain or use material inside information in its possession.
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. E*TRADE Securities, Inc., 4500 Bohannon Drive, Menlo
Park, CA 94025, is the Fund's principal underwriter. The underwriter is a
wholly owned subsidiary of E*TRADE Group, Inc.
Co-Administrators and Placement Agent of the Master Portfolio. Stephens, Inc.
("Stephens"), and Barclays Global Investors, N.A. ("BGI") serve as
co-administrators on behalf of the Master Portfolio. Stephens and BGI provide
the Master Portfolio with administrative services, including: (i) general
supervision of the Master Portfolio's non-investment operations, and
coordination of the other services provided to the Master Portfolio; (ii)
compilation of information for reports to, and filings with, the SEC and state
securities commissions; and preparation of proxy statements and shareholder
reports for the Master Portfolio; and (iii) general supervision relative to the
compilation of data required for the preparation of periodic reports distributed
to the MIP's officers and Board. Stephens also furnishes office space and
certain facilities required for conducting the business of the Master Portfolio,
and compensates the MIP's trustees, officers and employees who are affiliated
with Stephens. In addition, Stephens and BGI will be responsible for paying all
expenses incurred by the Master Portfolio other than the fees payable to BGFA
and other than custodial fees of up to 0.01% payable after the first two years
of the Master Portfolio's operations. Stephens and BGI are entitled to receive a
monthly fee, in the aggregate, at an annual rate of 0.02% of the average daily
net assets of the Master Portfolio for providing administrative services and
assuming expenses.
Stephens also acts as the placement agent of Master Portfolio's shares pursuant
to a Placement Agency Agreement (the "Placement Agency Agreement") with the
Master Portfolio.
Administrator of the Fund. E*TRADE Asset Management, the Fund's Investment
Advisor, also serves as the Fund's administrator. As the Fund's administrator,
E*TRADE Asset Management provides administrative services directly or through
sub-contracting, including: (i) coordinating the services performed by the
investment advisor, transfer and dividend disbursing agent, custodian,
sub-administrator, shareholder servicing agent, independent auditors and legal
counsel; (ii) preparing or supervising the preparation of periodic reports to
the Fund's shareholders; (iii) generally supervising regulatory compliance
matters, including the compilation of information for documents such as reports
to, and filings with, the SEC and other federal or state governmental agencies;
and (iv) monitoring and reviewing the Fund's contracted services and
expenditures. E*TRADE Asset Management also furnishes office space and certain
facilities required for conducting the business of the Fund. Pursuant to an
administrative services agreement with the Fund, E*TRADE Asset Management
receives a fee equal to 0.26% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
E*TRADE Asset Management is responsible under that agreement for all expenses
otherwise payable by the Fund, other than the advisory fees, E*TRADE Asset
Management's compensation pursuant to the administrative services agreement and
any expenses of any "master" fund in which the Fund invests.
The Fund paid the Administrator approximately $1,929 for its services to the
Fund in 1999 under the administrative services agreement. E*TRADE Asset
Management is not responsible for any fees or expenses incurred at the master
fund level.
Custodian, Fund Accounting Services Agent and Sub-administrator. Investors Bank
& Trust Company ("IBT"), 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, serves as
custodian of the assets of the Fund and the Master Portfolio. As a result, IBT
has custody of all securities and cash of the Fund and the Master Portfolio,
delivers and receives payment for securities sold, receives and pays for
securities purchased, collects income from investments, and performs other
duties, all as directed by the officers of the Fund and the Master Portfolio.
The custodian has no responsibility for any of the investment policies or
decisions of the Fund and the Master Portfolio. IBT also acts as the Fund's
Accounting Services Agent. IBT also serves as the Fund's sub-administrator,
under an agreement among IBT, the Trust and E*TRADE Asset Management, providing
management reporting and treasury administration and financial reporting to Fund
management and the Fund's Board of Trustees and preparing income tax provisions
and tax returns. IBT is compensated for its services by E*TRADE Asset
Management.
During the first two years of the Master Portfolio's operations, IBT, as the
Master Portfolio's custodian, will be entitled to receive compensation for its
custodial services from Stephens and BGI, the co-administrators of the Master
Portfolio's. Thereafter, IBT will be entitled to receive custodial fees of up to
0.01% from the Master Portfolio.
Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent. PFPC Inc., 400 Bellevue
Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809, acts as transfer agent and dividend-disbursing
agent for the Fund.
Retail Shareholder Servicing Agent. Under a Retail Shareholder Servicing
Agreement with E*TRADE Securities and E*TRADE Asset Management, E*TRADE
Securities, 4500 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025, acts as shareholder
servicing agent for the Fund. As shareholder servicing agent, E*TRADE Securities
provides personal services to the Fund's shareholders and maintains the Fund's
shareholder accounts. Such services include: (i) providing to an approved
shareholder mailing agent for the purpose of providing certain Fund-related
materials the names and contact information of all shareholders; (ii) delivering
current Fund prospectuses, statements of additional information, annual and
other periodic reports upon shareholder requests; (iii) delivering statements to
shareholders on a monthly basis; (iv) producing and providing confirmation
statements reflecting purchases and redemptions; (v) answering shareholder
inquiries regarding, among other things, share prices, account balances,
dividend amounts and dividend payment dates; (vi) communicating purchase,
redemption and exchange orders reflecting orders received from shareholders;
(vii) preparing and filing with the appropriate governmental agencies returns
and reports required to be reported for dividends and other distributions made,
amounts withheld on dividends and other distributions and payments under
applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and, as required,
gross proceeds of sales transactions; and (viii) providing such other related
services as the Fund or a shareholder may reasonably request, to the extent
permitted by applicable law.
Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, 350 S. Grand Avenue, Los
Angeles, CA 90071-3462, acts as independent accountants for the Fund.
Legal Counsel. Dechert Price & Rhoads, 1775 Eye Street N.W., Washington, DC
20006-2401, acts as legal counsel for the Fund.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE SELECTION
BGFA assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Master
Portfolio for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Allocation of
brokerage transactions, including their frequency, is made in the best judgment
of BGFA and in a manner deemed fair and reasonable to shareholders.
Purchase and sale orders of the securities held by the Master Portfolio may be
combined with those of other accounts that BGFA manages, and for which it has
brokerage placement authority, in the interest of seeking the most favorable
overall net results. When BGFA determines that a particular security should be
bought or sold for the Master Portfolio and other accounts managed by BGFA, BGFA
undertakes to allocate those transactions among the participants equitably.
BGFA may deal, trade and invest for its own account in the types of securities
in which the Master Portfolio may invest. BGFA has informed the Master Portfolio
that in making its investment decisions it does not obtain or use material
information in its possession.
In executing portfolio transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, BGFA seeks
to obtain the best overall terms available for the Master Portfolio. In
assessing the best overall terms available for any transaction, BGFA considers
factors deemed relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security,
the price of the security, the financial condition and execution capability of
the broker or dealer, and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, both for
the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The primary consideration is
prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
Certain of the brokers or dealers with whom the Master Portfolio may transact
business offer commission rebates to the Master Portfolio. BGFA considers such
rebates in assessing the best overall terms available for any transaction. The
overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid is evaluated by BGFA based
upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of
commission paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
ORGANIZATION, DIVIDEND AND VOTING RIGHTS
The Fund is a diversified series of E*TRADE Funds (the "Trust"), an open-end
investment company, organized as a Delaware business trust on November 4, 1998.
The Trust may issue additional series and classes.
All shareholders may vote on each matter presented to shareholders. Fractional
shares have the same rights proportionately as do full shares. Shares of the
Trust have no preemptive, conversion, or subscription rights. All shares, when
issued, will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Trust. If the Trust issues
additional series, each series of shares will be held separately by the
custodian, and in effect each series will be a separate fund.
All shares of the Trust have equal voting rights. Approval by the shareholders
of a fund is effective as to that fund whether or not sufficient votes are
received from the shareholders of the other investment portfolios to approve the
proposal as to those investment portfolios.
Generally, the Trust will not hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless
required by the 1940 Act. The Trust will hold a special meeting of its
shareholders for the purpose of voting on the question of removal of a Trustee
or Trustees if requested in writing by the holders of at least 10% of the
Trust's outstanding voting securities, and to assist in communicating with other
shareholders as required by Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act.
Each share of the Fund represents an equal proportional interest in the Fund and
is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of the income earned on the
assets belonging to the Fund as are declared in the discretion of the Trustees.
In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the Trust, shareholders of a
Fund are entitled to receive the assets attributable to the Fund that are
available for distribution, and a distribution of any general assets not
attributable to a particular investment portfolio that are available for
distribution in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole
discretion may determine.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that obligations of the Trust are not
binding upon the Trustees individually but only upon the property of the Trust
and that the Trustees will not be liable for any action or failure to act, but
nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against any liability to
which the Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of the Trustee's office.
Under Delaware law, the shareholders of the Fund are not generally subject to
liability for the debts or obligations of the Trust. Similarly, Delaware law
provides that a series of the Trust will not be liable for the debts or
obligations of any other series of the Trust. However, no similar statutory or
other authority limiting business trust shareholder liability exists in other
states or jurisdictions. As a result, to the extent that a Delaware business
trust or a shareholder is subject to the jurisdiction of courts of such other
states or jurisdictions, the courts may not apply Delaware law and may thereby
subject the Delaware business trust shareholders to liability. To guard against
this risk, the Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of
shareholder liability for acts or obligations of a series of the Trust. Notice
of such disclaimer will generally be given in each agreement, obligation or
instrument entered into or executed by a series or the Trustees. The Declaration
of Trust also provides for indemnification by the relevant series for all losses
suffered by a shareholder as a result of an obligation of the series. In view of
the above, the risk of personal liability of shareholders of a Delaware business
trust is remote.
The Fund only recently commenced operations. Like any venture, there can be no
assurance that the Fund as an enterprise will be successful or will continue to
operate indefinitely.
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
Shares are sold through E*TRADE Securities.
Pricing of Fund Shares. The net asset value of the Fund will be determined as of
the close of trading on each day the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open
for trading. The NYSE is open for trading Monday through Friday except on
national holidays observed by the NYSE. Assets in which the Fund invests may
trade and fluctuate in value after the close and before the opening of the NYSE.
Telephone and Internet Redemption Privileges. The Fund employs reasonable
procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone or the
Internet are genuine. The Fund may not be liable for losses due to unauthorized
or fraudulent instructions. Such procedures include but are not limited to
requiring a form of personal identification prior to acting on instructions
received by telephone or the Internet, providing written confirmations of such
transactions to the address of record, tape recording telephone instructions and
backing up Internet transactions.
Retirement Plans. You can find information about the retirement plans offered by
E*TRADE Securities by accessing our Website. You may fill out an IRA application
online or request our IRA application kit by mail.
TAXATION
Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax issues
concerning the Fund and the purchase, ownership, and disposition of Fund shares.
This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of
federal income taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light of their
particular circumstances. This discussion is based upon present provisions of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the regulations
promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all
of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. Prospective
investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the federal tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of Fund shares, as well
as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or
other taxing jurisdiction.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund intends to be taxed as a regulated investment
company under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund must, among other
things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from
dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and
gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign
currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in
such stock, securities or currencies; and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at
the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund's
total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities,
the securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities,
with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount
not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the
value of its total assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other
than U.S. Government securities and the securities of other regulated investment
companies).
As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally is not subject to U.S.
federal income tax on income and gains that it distributes to shareholders, if
at least 90% of the Fund's investment company taxable income (which includes,
among other items, dividends, interest and the excess of any net short-term
capital gains over net long-term capital losses) for the taxable year is
distributed. The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of such income.
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year
distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax at the
Fund level. To avoid the tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year
an amount equal to the sum of (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not
taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (2) at
least 98% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for
certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of
the calendar year, and (3) all ordinary income and capital gains for previous
years that were not distributed during such years. To avoid application of the
excise tax, the Fund intends to make distributions in accordance with the
calendar year distribution requirement.
Distributions. Distributions of investment company taxable income (including net
short-term capital gains) are taxable to a U.S. shareholder as ordinary income,
whether paid in cash or shares. Dividends paid by the Fund to a corporate
shareholder, to the extent such dividends are attributable to dividends received
by the Fund from U.S. corporations, may, subject to limitation, be eligible for
the dividends received deduction. However, the alternative minimum tax
applicable to corporations may reduce the value of the dividends received
deduction. Distributions of net capital gains (the excess of net long-term
capital gains over net short-term capital losses) designated by the Fund as
capital gain dividends, whether paid in cash or reinvested in Fund shares, will
generally be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of
how long a shareholder has held Fund shares.
Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of
distributions, and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of newly
issued shares will receive a report as to the net asset value of the shares
received. A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of a calendar
year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December of that year
with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the
following year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the
calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar
year in which the distributions are received.
If the net asset value of shares is reduced below a shareholder's cost as a
result of a distribution by the Fund, such distribution generally will be
taxable even though it represents a return of invested capital. Investors should
be careful to consider the tax implications of buying shares of the Fund just
prior to a distribution. The price of shares purchased at this time will include
the amount of the forthcoming distribution, but the distribution will generally
be taxable to the shareholder.
Dispositions. Upon a redemption, sale or exchange of shares of the Fund, a
shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon his or her basis
in the shares. A gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the
shares are capital assets in the shareholder's hands, and will be long-term
capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year and
short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for not more than one
year. Any loss realized on a redemption, sale or exchange will be disallowed to
the extent the shares disposed of are replaced (including through reinvestment
of dividends) within a period of 61 days, beginning 30 days before and ending 30
days after the shares are disposed of. In such a case the basis of the shares
acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. If a shareholder holds
Fund shares for six months or less and during that period receives a
distribution taxable to the shareholder as long-term capital gain, any loss
realized on the sale of such shares during such six-month period would be a
long-term loss to the extent of such distribution.
Backup Withholding. The Fund generally will be required to withhold federal
income tax at a rate of 31% ("backup withholding") from dividends paid, capital
gain distributions, and redemption proceeds to shareholders if (1) the
shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with the shareholder's correct taxpayer
identification number or social security number, (2) the IRS notifies the
shareholder or the Fund that the shareholder has failed to report properly
certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to
that effect, or (3) when required to do so, the shareholder fails to certify
that he or she is not subject to backup withholding. Any amounts withheld may be
credited against the shareholder's federal income tax liability.
Other Taxation. Distributions may be subject to additional state, local and
foreign taxes, depending on each shareholder's particular situation.
Market Discount. If the Fund purchases a debt security at a price lower than the
stated redemption price of such debt security, the excess of the stated
redemption price over the purchase price is "market discount". If the amount of
market discount is more than a de minimis amount, a portion of such market
discount must be included as ordinary income (not capital gain) by the Fund in
each taxable year in which the Fund owns an interest in such debt security and
receives a principal payment on it. In particular, the Fund will be required to
allocate that principal payment first to the portion of the market discount on
the debt security that has accrued but has not previously been includable in
income. In general, the amount of market discount that must be included for each
period is equal to the lesser of (i) the amount of market discount accruing
during such period (plus any accrued market discount for prior periods not
previously taken into account) or (ii) the amount of the principal payment with
respect to such period. Generally, market discount accrues on a daily basis for
each day the debt security is held by the Fund at a constant rate over the time
remaining to the debt security's maturity or, at the election of the Fund, at a
constant yield to maturity which takes into account the semi-annual compounding
of interest. Gain realized on the disposition of a market discount obligation
must be recognized as ordinary interest income (not capital gain) to the extent
of the "accrued market discount."
Original Issue Discount. Certain debt securities acquired by the Fund may be
treated as debt securities that were originally issued at a discount. Very
generally, original issue discount is defined as the difference between the
price at which a security was issued and its stated redemption price at
maturity. Although no cash income on account of such discount is actually
received by the Fund, original issue discount that accrues on a debt security in
a given year generally is treated for federal income tax purposes as interest
and, therefore, such income would be subject to the distribution requirements
applicable to regulated investment companies. Some debt securities may be
purchased by the Fund at a discount that exceeds the original issue discount on
such debt securities, if any. This additional discount represents market
discount for federal income tax purposes (see above).
Options, Futures and Forward Contracts. Any regulated futures contracts and
certain options (namely, nonequity options and dealer equity options) in which
the Fund may invest may be "section 1256 contracts." Gains (or losses) on these
contracts generally are considered to be 60% long-term and 40% short-term
capital gains or losses. Also, section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the
end of each taxable year (and on certain other dates prescribed in the Code) are
"marked to market" with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated
as though they were realized.
Transactions in options, futures and forward contracts undertaken by the Fund
may result in "straddles" for federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules
may affect the character of gains (or losses) realized by the Fund, and losses
realized by the Fund on positions that are part of a straddle may be deferred
under the straddle rules, rather than being taken into account in calculating
the taxable income for the taxable year in which the losses are realized. In
addition, certain carrying charges (including interest expense) associated with
positions in a straddle may be required to be capitalized rather than deducted
currently. Certain elections that the Fund may make with respect to its straddle
positions may also affect the amount, character and timing of the recognition of
gains or losses from the affected positions.
Because only a few regulations implementing the straddle rules have been
promulgated, the consequences of such transactions to the Fund are not entirely
clear. The straddle rules may increase the amount of short-term capital gain
realized by the Fund, which is taxed as ordinary income when distributed to
shareholders. Because application of the straddle rules may affect the character
of gains or losses, defer losses and/or accelerate the recognition of gains or
losses from the affected straddle positions, the amount which must be
distributed to shareholders as ordinary income or long-term capital gain may be
increased or decreased substantially as compared to a fund that did not engage
in such transactions.
Constructive Sales. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may recognize gain
from a constructive sale of an "appreciated financial position" it holds if it
enters into a short sale, forward contract or other transaction that
substantially reduces the risk of loss with respect to the appreciated position.
In that event, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and immediately
repurchased the property and would be taxed on any gain (but not loss) from the
constructive sale. The character of gain from a constructive sale would depend
upon the Fund's holding period in the property. Loss from a constructive sale
would be recognized when the property was subsequently disposed of, and its
character would depend on the Fund's holding period and the application of
various loss deferral provisions of the Code. Constructive sale treatment does
not apply to transactions closed in the 90-day period ending with the 30th day
after the close of the taxable year, if certain conditions are met.
UNDERWRITER
Distribution of Securities. Under a Distribution Agreement with the Fund
("Distribution Agreement"), E*TRADE Securities Inc., 4500 Bohannon Drive,
Menlo Park, CA 94025, acts as underwriter of the Fund's shares. The Fund
pays no compensation to E*TRADE Securities, Inc. for its distribution
services. The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor will use
its best efforts to distribute the Fund's shares.
The Fund is a no-load fund, therefore investors pay no sales charges when
buying, exchanging or selling shares of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement
further provides that the Distributor will bear any costs of printing
prospectuses and shareholder reports which are used for selling purposes, as
well as advertising and any other costs attributable to the distribution of the
Fund's shares. The Distributor is a wholly owned subsidiary of E*TRADE Group,
Inc. The Distribution Agreement is subject to the same termination and renewal
provisions as are described above with respect to the Advisory Agreement.
MASTER PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATION
The Master Portfolio is a series of Master Investment Portfolio ("MIP"), an
open-end, series management investment company organized as Delaware business
trust. MIP was organized on October 21, 1993. In accordance with Delaware law
and in connection with the tax treatment sought by MIP, the Declaration of Trust
provides that its investors are personally responsible for Trust liabilities and
obligations, but only to the extent the Trust property is insufficient to
satisfy such liabilities and obligations. The Declaration of Trust also provides
that MIP must maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding and
errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Trust, its investors,
trustees, officers, employees and agents covering possible tort and other
liabilities, and that investors will be indemnified to the extent they are held
liable for a disproportionate share of MIP's obligations. Thus, the risk of an
investor incurring financial loss on account of investor liability is limited to
circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and MIP itself was
unable to meet its obligations.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that obligations of MIP are not
binding upon its trustees individually but only upon the property of MIP and
that the trustees will not be liable for any action or failure to act, but
nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a trustee against any liability to
which the trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of the trustee's office.
The interests in the Master Portfolio have substantially identical voting and
other rights as those rights enumerated above for shares of the Fund. MIP is
generally not required to hold annual meetings, but is required by Section 16(c)
of the 1940 Act to hold a special meeting and assist investor communications
under certain circumstances. Whenever the Fund is requested to vote on a matter
with respect to the Master Portfolio the Fund will vote its shares of the Master
Portfolio in accordance with the requirements of applicable law. As a result,
the Fund may hold a meeting of Fund shareholders and will cast its votes as
instructed by such shareholders. In a situation where the Fund does not receive
instruction from certain of its shareholders on how to vote the corresponding
shares of the Master Portfolio or, to the extent permitted by law the Fund does
not seek voting instructions from its shareholders, the Fund will vote such
shares in the same proportion as the shares for which the Fund does receive
voting instructions or in the same proportion as the other interestholders of
the Master Portfolio. A proposal at the Master Portfolio may pass even though
the shareholders of the Fund vote against the proposal.
For reasons such as a change in the Master Portfolio's investment objective,
among others, the Fund could terminate its investment in the Master Portfolio
and choose another master portfolio or decide to manage its assets directly. The
fees and expenses of the Fund and the Fund's returns could be affected by a
switch to another master portfolio or direct management of the Fund's assets.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund may advertise a variety of types of performance information as more
fully described below. The Fund's performance is historical and past performance
does not guarantee the future performance of the Fund. From time to time, the
Investment Advisor may agree to waive or reduce its management fee and/or to
reimburse certain operating expenses of the Fund. Waivers of management fees and
reimbursement of other expenses will have the effect of increasing the Fund's
performance.
Average Annual Total Return. The Fund's average annual total return quotation
will be computed in accordance with a standardized method prescribed by rules of
the SEC. The average annual total return for the Fund for a specific period is
calculated as follows:
P(1+T)(To the power of n) = ERV
Where:
P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
T = average annual total return
N = number of years
ERV = ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the
beginning of the applicable period at the end of the period.
The calculation assumes that all income and capital gains dividends paid by the
Fund have been reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during
the period and all recurring fees charges to all shareholder accounts are
included.
Total Return. Calculation of the Fund's total return is not subject to a
standardized formula. Total return performance for a specific period will be
calculated by first taking an investment (assumed below to be $1,000) ("initial
investment") in the Fund's shares on the first day of the period and computing
the "ending value" of that investment at the end of the period. The total return
percentage is then determined by subtracting the initial investment from the
ending value and dividing the remainder by the initial investment and expressing
the result as a percentage. The calculation assumes that all income and capital
gains dividends paid by the Fund have been reinvested at net asset value of the
Fund on the reinvestment dates during the period. Total return may also be shown
as the increased dollar value of the hypothetical investment over the period.
Cumulative Total Return. Cumulative total return represents the simple change in
value of an investment over a stated period and may be quoted as a percentage or
as a dollar amount. Total returns and cumulative total returns may be broken
down into their components of income and capital (including capital gains and
changes in share price) in order to illustrate the relationship between these
factors and their contributions to total return.
Distribution Rate. The distribution rate for the Fund would be computed,
according to a non-standardized formula by dividing the total amount of actual
distributions per share paid by the Fund over a twelve month period by the
Fund's net asset value on the last day of the period. The distribution rate
differs from the Fund's yield because the distribution rate includes
distributions to shareholders from sources other than dividends and interest,
such as short-term capital gains. Therefore, the Fund's distribution rate may be
substantially different than its yield. Both the Fund's yield and distribution
rate will fluctuate.
Yield. The yield would be calculated based on a 30-day (or one-month) period,
computed by dividing the net investment income per share earned during the
period by the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period and
annualizing the result, according to the following formula:
YIELD = 2[(a-b+1)(To the power of 6)-1],
---
cd
where:
a = dividends and interest earned during the period;
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements);
c = the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were
entitled to receive dividends;
d = the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period.
The net investment income of a Fund includes actual interest income, plus or
minus amortized purchase discount (which may include original issue discount) or
premium, less accrued expenses. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on
portfolio securities are not included in a Fund's net investment income.
Performance Comparisons:
Certificates of Deposit. Investors may want to compare the Fund's performance to
that of certificates of deposit offered by banks and other depositary
institutions. Certificates of deposit may offer fixed or variable interest rates
and principal is guaranteed and may be insured. Withdrawal of the deposits prior
to maturity normally will be subject to a penalty. Rates offered by banks and
other depositary institutions are subject to change at any time specified by the
issuing institution.
Money Market Funds. Investors may also want to compare performance of the Fund
to that of money market funds. Money market fund yields will fluctuate and
shares are not insured, but share values usually remain stable.
Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. ("Lipper") and Other Independent Ranking
Organizations. From time to time, in marketing and other fund literature, the
Fund's performance may be compared to the performance of other mutual funds in
general or to the performance of particular types of mutual funds with similar
investment goals, as tracked by independent organizations. Among these
organizations, Lipper, a widely used independent research firm which ranks
mutual funds by overall performance, investment objectives, and assets, may be
cited. Lipper performance figures are based on changes in net asset value, with
all income and capital gains dividends reinvested. Such calculations do not
include the effect of any sales charges imposed by other funds. The Fund may be
compared to Lipper's appropriate fund category, that is, by fund objective and
portfolio holdings. The Fund's performance may also be compared to the average
performance of its Lipper category.
Morningstar, Inc. The Fund's performance may also be compared to the performance
of other mutual funds by Morningstar, Inc., which rates funds on the basis of
historical risk and total return. Morningstar's ratings range from five stars
(highest) to one star (lowest) and represent Morningstar's assessment of the
historical risk level and total return of a fund as a weighted average for 3, 5,
and 10 year periods. Ratings are not absolute and do not represent future
results.
Independent Sources. Evaluations of fund performance made by independent sources
may also be used in advertisements concerning the Fund, including reprints of,
or selections from, editorials or articles about the Fund, especially those with
similar objectives. Sources for fund performance and articles about the Fund may
include publications such as Money, Forbes, Kiplinger's, Smart Money, Financial
World, Business Week, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal,
Barron's, and a variety of investment newsletters.
Indices. The Fund may compare its performance to a wide variety of indices.
There are differences and similarities between the investments that the Fund may
purchase and the investments measured by the indices.
Historic data on the Wilshire 4500 may be used to promote the Fund. The
historical Wilshire 4500 data presented from time to time is not intended to
suggest that an investor would have achieved comparable results by investing in
any one equity security or in managed portfolios of equity securities, such as
the Fund, during the periods shown.
Historical Asset Class Returns. From time to time, marketing materials may
portray the historical returns of various asset classes. Such presentations will
typically compare the average annual rates of return of inflation, U.S. Treasury
bills, bonds, common stocks, and small stocks. There are important differences
between each of these investments that should be considered in viewing any such
comparison. The market value of stocks will fluctuate with market conditions,
and small-stock prices generally will fluctuate more than large-stock prices.
Stocks are generally more volatile than bonds. In return for this volatility,
stocks have generally performed better than bonds or cash over time. Bond prices
generally will fluctuate inversely with interest rates and other market
conditions, and the prices of bonds with longer maturities generally will
fluctuate more than those of shorter-maturity bonds. Interest rates for bonds
may be fixed at the time of issuance, and payment of principal and interest may
be guaranteed by the issuer and, in the case of U.S. Treasury obligations,
backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury.
Portfolio Characteristics. In order to present a more complete picture of the
Fund's portfolio, marketing materials may include various actual or estimated
portfolio characteristics, including but not limited to median market
capitalizations, earnings per share, alphas, betas, price/earnings ratios,
returns on equity, dividend yields, capitalization ranges, growth rates,
price/book ratios, top holdings, sector breakdowns, asset allocations, quality
breakdowns, and breakdowns by geographic region.
Measures of Volatility and Relative Performance. Occasionally statistics may be
used to specify fund volatility or risk. The general premise is that greater
volatility connotes greater risk undertaken in achieving performance. Measures
of volatility or risk are generally used to compare the Fund's net asset value
or performance relative to a market index. One measure of volatility is beta.
Beta is the volatility of a fund relative to the total market as represented by
the Wilshire 4500 Index. A beta of more than 1.00 indicates volatility greater
than the market, and a beta of less than 1.00 indicates volatility less than the
market. Another measure of volatility or risk is standard deviation. Standard
deviation is a statistical tool that measures the degree to which a fund's
performance has varied from its average performance during a particular time
period.
Standard deviation is calculated using the following formula:
Standard deviation = the square root of S(xi - xm)2
----------
n-1
Where: S = "the sum of",
xi = each individual return during the time period,
xm = the average return over the time period, and
n = the number of individual returns during the time period.
Statistics may also be used to discuss the Fund's relative performance. One such
measure is alpha. Alpha measures the actual return of a fund compared to the
expected return of a fund given its risk (as measured by beta). The expected
return is based on how the market as a whole performed, and how the particular
fund has historically performed against the market. Specifically, alpha is the
actual return less the expected return. The expected return is computed by
multiplying the advance or decline in a market representation by the Fund's
beta. A positive alpha quantifies the value that the fund manager has added, and
a negative alpha quantifies the value that the fund manager has lost. Other
measures of volatility and relative performance may be used as appropriate.
However, all such measures will fluctuate and do not represent future results.
Discussions of economic, social, and political conditions and their impact on
the Fund may be used in advertisements and sales materials. Such factors that
may impact the Fund include, but are not limited to, changes in interest rates,
political developments, the competitive environment, consumer behavior, industry
trends, technological advances, macroeconomic trends, and the supply and demand
of various financial instruments. In addition, marketing materials may cite the
portfolio management's views or interpretations of such factors.
<PAGE>
Wilshire 4500 Index
The Fund relies on a license related to the Wilshire 4500 Index. In the absence
of the license, the Fund may not be able to pursue its investment objective.
Although not currently anticipated, the license can be terminated.
The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Wilshire Associates
Incorporated ("Wilshire"). Wilshire makes no representation or warranty, express
or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the
advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly or
the ability of the Wilshire 4500 Equity Index to track general stock market
performance. Wilshire's only relationship to E*TRADE Asset Management or the
Fund is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Wilshire. The
Wilshire 4500 Equity Index is composed and calculated by Wilshire without regard
to E*TRADE Asset Management or the Fund. Wilshire has no obligation to take the
needs of the E*TRADE Asset Management, the Fund, or the Shareholders into
consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Wilshire 4500 Equity
Index.
Wilshire does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Wilshire
4500 Equity Index or any data included therein and Wilshire shall have no
liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. Wilshire makes no
warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by E*TRADE Asset
Management, the Fund, the shareholders, or any other person or entity from the
use of the Wilshire 4500 Equity Index or any data included therein. Wilshire
makes no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to
the Wilshire 4500 Equity Index or any data included therein. Without limiting
any of the foregoing, in no event shall Wilshire have any liability for any
special, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages (including lost profits),
even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
<PAGE>
APPENDIX
Description of certain ratings assigned by Standard & Poor's Corporation
("S&P"), Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), Fitch Investors Service,
Inc. ("Fitch"), Duff & Phelps, Inc. ("Duff") and IBCA Inc. and IBCA Limited
("IBCA"):
S&P
Bond Ratings
"AAA"
Bonds rated AAA have the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay
interest and repay principal is extremely strong.
"AA"
Bonds rated AA have a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal and differ from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
"A"
Bonds rated A have a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal
although they are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rated
categories.
"BBB"
Bonds rated "BBB" are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
interest and repay principal. Whereas they normally exhibit adequate protection
parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more
likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for
bonds in this category than for bonds in higher rated categories.
"BB, B, CCC, CC or C"
Bonds rated "BB, B, CCC, CC or C" are regarded, on balance, as
predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. While such
debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are
outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse debt
conditions.
"C1"
Bonds rated "C1" is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is
being paid.
"D"
Bonds rated "D" are in default and payment of interest and/or payment of
principal is in arrears.
S&P's letter ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or
minus (-) sign designation, which is used to show relative standing within the
major rating categories, except in the AAA (Prime Grade) category.
Commercial Paper Rating
The designation A-1 by S&P indicates that the degree of safety regarding
timely payment is either overwhelming or very strong. Those issues determined to
possess overwhelming safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+)
designation. Capacity for timely payment on issues with an A-2 designation is
strong. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues
designated A-1.
Moody's
Bond Ratings
"Aaa"
Bonds which 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
edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable
margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely
to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the
fundamentally strong position of such issues.
"Aa"
Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all
standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what generally are 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.
"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 the desirable
investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of
other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.
"Caa"
Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in
default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or
interest.
"Ca"
Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative to a
high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
"C"
Bonds which are rated C are the lowest class of bonds and issues so rated
can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real
investment standing.
Moody's applies the numerical modifiers "1", "2" and "3" to show relative
standing within the major rating categories, except in the "Aaa" category. The
modifier "1" indicates a ranking for the security in the higher end of a rating
category; the modifier "2" indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier "3"
indicates a ranking in the lower end of a rating category.
Commercial Paper Rating
The rating ("P-1") Prime-1 is the highest commercial paper rating assigned
by Moody's. Issuers of "P-1" paper must have a superior capacity for repayment
of short-term promissory obligations, and ordinarily will be evidenced by
leading market positions in well established industries, high rates of return on
funds employed, conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on
debt and ample asset protection, broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed
financial charges and high internal cash generation, and well established access
to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.
Issuers (or relating supporting institutions) rated ("P-2") Prime-2 have a
strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This
ordinarily will be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a
lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more
subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate,
may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is
maintained.
Fitch
Bond Ratings
The ratings represent Fitch's assessment of the issuer's ability to meet
the obligations of a specific debt issue or class of debt. The ratings take into
consideration special features of the issue, its relationship to other
obligations of the issuer, the current financial condition and operative
performance of the issuer and of any guarantor, as well as the political and
economic environment that might affect the issuer's future financial strength
and credit quality.
"AAA"
Bonds rated "AAA" are considered to be investment grade and of the highest
credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to pay interest
and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably foreseeable
events.
"AA"
Bonds rated "AA" are considered to be investment grade and of very high
credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is
very strong, although not quite as strong as bonds rated "AAA". Because bonds
rated in the "AAA" and "AA" categories are not significantly vulnerable to
foreseeable future developments, short- term debt of these issuers is generally
rated "F-1+".
"A"
Bonds rated "A" are considered to be investment grade and of high credit
quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered
to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic
conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.
"BBB"
Bonds rated "BBB" are considered to be investment grade and of
satisfactory credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay
principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions
and circumstances, however, are more likely to have an adverse impact on these
bonds and, therefore, impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of
these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for bonds with
higher ratings.
Plus (+) and minus (-) signs are used with a rating symbol to indicate the
relative position of a credit within the rating category.
Short-Term Ratings
Fitch's short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on
demand or have original maturities of up to three years, including commercial
paper, certificates of deposit, medium-term notes, and municipal and investment
notes.
Although the credit analysis is similar to Fitch's bond rating analysis,
the short-term rating places greater emphasis than bond ratings on the existence
of liquidity necessary to meet the issuer's obligations in a timely manner.
"F-1+"
Exceptionally Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating are
regarded as having the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.
"F-1"
Very Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating reflect an
assurance of timely payment only slightly less in degree than issues rated F-1+.
"F-2"
Good Credit Quality. Issues carrying this rating have a satisfactory
degree of assurance for timely payments, but the margin of safety is not as
great as the F-1+ and F-1 categories.
Duff
Bond Ratings
"AAA"
Bonds rated AAA are considered highest credit quality. The risk factors
are negligible, being only slightly more than for risk-free U.S. Treasury debt.
"AA"
Bonds rated AA are considered high credit quality. Protection factors are
strong. Risk is modest but may vary slightly from time to time because of
economic conditions.
"A"
Bonds rated A have protection factors which are average but adequate.
However, risk factors are more variable and greater in periods of economic
stress.
"BBB"
Bonds rated BBB are considered to have below average protection factors
but still considered sufficient for prudent investment. Considerable variability
in risk during economic cycles.
Plus (+) and minus (-) signs are used with a rating symbol (except AAA) to
indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category.
Commercial Paper Rating
The rating "Duff-1" is the highest commercial paper rating assigned by
Duff. Paper rated Duff-1 is regarded as having very high certainty of timely
payment with excellent liquidity factors which are supported by ample asset
protection. Risk factors are minor. Paper rated "Duff-2" is regarded as having
good certainty of timely payment, good access to capital markets and sound
liquidity factors and company fundamentals. Risk factors are small.
IBCA
Bond and Long-Term Ratings
Obligations rated AAA by IBCA have the lowest expectation of investment
risk. Capacity for timely repayment of principal and interest is substantial,
such that adverse changes in business, economic or financial conditions are
unlikely to increase investment risk significantly. Obligations for which there
is a very low expectation of investment risk are rated AA by IBCA. Capacity for
timely repayment of principal and interest is substantial. Adverse changes in
business, economic or financial conditions may increase investment risk albeit
not very significantly.
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Ratings
The designation A1 by IBCA indicates that the obligation is supported by a
very strong capacity for timely repayment. Those obligations rated A1+ are
supported by the highest capacity for timely repayment. Obligations rated A2 are
supported by a strong capacity for timely repayment, although such capacity may
be susceptible to adverse changes in business, economic or financial conditions.
International and U.S. Bank Ratings
An IBCA bank rating represents IBCA's current assessment of the strength
of the bank and whether such bank would receive support should it experience
difficulties. In its assessment of a bank, IBCA uses a dual rating system
comprised of Legal Ratings and Individual Ratings. In addition, IBCA assigns
banks Long- and Short-Term Ratings as used in the corporate ratings discussed
above. Legal Ratings, which range in gradation from 1 through 5, address the
question of whether the bank would receive support provided by central banks or
shareholders if it experienced difficulties, and such ratings are considered by
IBCA to be a prime factor in its assessment of credit risk. Individual Ratings,
which range in gradations from A through E, represent IBCA's assessment of a
bank's economic merits and address the question of how the bank would be viewed
if it were entirely independent and could not rely on support from state
authorities or its owners.
<PAGE>
4500 Bohannon Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: (650) 331-6000
Toll-Free: (800) 786-2575
Internet: http://www.etrade.com
