<PAGE> 1
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON APRIL 30, 1999
SECURITIES ACT FILE NO. 333-
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM N-2
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
[X]
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. [ ]
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. [ ]
AND/OR
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [X]
AMENDMENT NO. [ ]
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
------------------------
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as
Specified in Charter)
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800 SCUDDERS MILL ROAD, PLAINSBORO, NEW JERSEY 08536
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (609) 282-2800
TERRY K. GLENN
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
800 SCUDDERS MILL ROAD
PLAINSBORO, NEW JERSEY 08536
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 9011, PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08543-9011
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
------------------------
COPIES TO:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
MICHAEL J. HENNEWINKEL, ESQ. FRANK P. BRUNO, ESQ.
FUND ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P. BROWN & WOOD LLP
P.O. BOX 9011 ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08543-9011 NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048-0557
</TABLE>
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Approximate date of proposed public offering: As soon as practicable after the
effective date of this Registration Statement.
------------------------
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on
a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), other than securities offered only in
connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following
box. [ ]
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ]
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. [ ]
If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434
under the Securities Act, please check the following box. [ ]
------------------------
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PROPOSED
PROPOSED MAXIMUM
AMOUNT MAXIMUM AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF
TITLE OF BEING OFFERING PRICE OFFERING REGISTRATION
SECURITIES BEING REGISTERED REGISTERED(1) PER UNIT(1) PRICE(1) FEE(2)
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Common Stock ($.10 par value)............................... 66,667 shares $15.00 $1,000,005 $278
</TABLE>
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(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.
(2) Transmitted to the designated lockbox at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh, PA.
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY
BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A
FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT
SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE
SECURITIES ACT OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON
SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY
DETERMINE.
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<PAGE> 2
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE
CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS
IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO
BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS DATED APRIL 30, 1999
PROSPECTUS
SHARES
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
COMMON STOCK
------------------------
MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund IV, Inc. (the "Fund") is a newly
organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that seeks
to provide shareholders with current income exempt from Federal income tax and
New Jersey personal income taxes. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment
objective by investing primarily in a portfolio of long-term, investment grade
municipal obligations the interest on which, in the opinion of bond counsel to
the issuer, is exempt from Federal income tax and New Jersey personal income
taxes. The Fund intends to invest in municipal obligations that are rated
investment grade or, if unrated, are considered by the Fund's investment adviser
to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the
Fund's assets will be invested in municipal obligations with remaining
maturities of one year or more that are covered by insurance guaranteeing the
timely payment of principal at maturity and interest.
Because the Fund is newly organized, its shares have no history of public
trading. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a
discount from their net asset value. This risk may be greater for investors
expecting to sell their shares in a relatively short period after completion of
the public offering. The Fund plans to apply to list its shares on the New York
Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange under the symbol "MHJ."
Trading of the Fund's common stock on the exchange is expected to begin within
two weeks of the date of this prospectus. Before it begins trading, the
underwriter does not intend to make a market in the Fund's shares. Thus,
investors may not be able to buy and sell shares of the Fund during that time.
Within approximately three months after completion of the offering of
common stock described herein, the Fund intends to offer shares of preferred
stock representing approximately 40% of the Fund's capital immediately after the
issuance of such preferred stock. There can be no assurance, however, that
preferred stock representing such percentage of the Fund's capital will actually
be issued. The use of preferred stock to leverage the common stock can create
special risks.
------------------------
This prospectus contains information you should know before investing,
including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it
for future reference.
------------------------
INVESTING IN THE COMMON STOCK INVOLVES CERTAIN RISKS, WHICH ARE DESCRIBED
IN THE "RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS" SECTION BEGINNING ON PAGE 8 OF
THIS PROSPECTUS.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PER SHARE TOTAL
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<S> <C> <C>
Public Offering Price............. $15.00 $
Sales Load........................ None None
Proceeds, before expenses, to
fund............................ $15.00 $
</TABLE>
The Fund's investment adviser or an affiliate will pay the underwriter a
commission in the amount of % of the public offering price per share in
connection with the sale of the common stock.
The underwriter may also purchase up to an additional shares at the
public offering price within 45 days from the date of this prospectus to cover
over-allotments.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities
commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this
prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
We expect that the shares of common stock will be ready for delivery in New
York, New York on or about June , 1999.
------------------------
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
------------------------
The date of this Prospectus is June , 1999.
<PAGE> 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
----
<S> <C>
Prospectus Summary.......................................... 3
Risk Factors and Special Considerations..................... 8
Fee Table................................................... 10
The Fund.................................................... 11
Use of Proceeds............................................. 11
Investment Objective and Policies........................... 11
Risks and Special Considerations of Leverage................ 23
Investment Restrictions..................................... 26
Directors and Officers...................................... 28
Investment Advisory and Management Arrangements............. 29
Portfolio Transactions...................................... 30
Dividends and Distributions................................. 32
Taxes....................................................... 32
Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan........................ 37
Mutual Fund Investment Option............................... 39
Net Asset Value............................................. 40
Description of Capital Stock................................ 41
Custodian................................................... 44
Underwriting................................................ 44
Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Registrar..... 45
Legal Opinions.............................................. 46
Experts..................................................... 46
Additional Information...................................... 46
Independent Auditors' Report................................ 48
Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Capital................ 49
Appendix I-Economic Conditions in New Jersey................ 51
Appendix II-Ratings of Municipal Bonds...................... 56
Appendix III-Portfolio Insurance............................ 64
Appendix IV-Taxable Equivalent Yields for 1999.............. 66
</TABLE>
------------------------
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND CAN BE REVIEWED AND COPIED AT THE SEC'S PUBLIC
REFERENCE ROOM IN WASHINGTON, D.C. CALL 1-800-SEC-0330 FOR INFORMATION ON THE
OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC REFERENCE ROOM. THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON
THE SEC'S INTERNET SITE AT HTTP:// WWW.SEC.GOV AND COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED UPON
PAYMENT OF A DUPLICATING FEE BY WRITING THE PUBLIC REFERENCE SECTION OF THE SEC,
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549-6009.
------------------------
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We
have not, and the underwriter has not, authorized any other person to provide
you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or
inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the
underwriter is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction
where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information
appearing on this prospectus is accurate as of the date on the front cover of
this prospectus only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects may have changed since that date.
2
<PAGE> 4
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the more
detailed information included elsewhere in this Prospectus.
THE FUND MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund IV, Inc. is a newly
organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment
company. See "The Fund."
THE OFFERING The Fund is offering shares of common stock at an
initial offering price of $ per share. The common stock is
being offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated as underwriter. The underwriter may also purchase
up to an additional shares of common stock within 45 days
of the date of this prospectus to cover over-allotments.
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
AND POLICIES The investment objective of the Fund is to provide shareholders
with current income exempt from Federal income tax and New
Jersey personal income taxes. The Fund seeks to achieve its
investment objective by investing primarily in a portfolio of
long-term, investment grade municipal obligations the interest
on which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is
exempt from Federal income tax and New Jersey personal income
taxes.
Investment Grade Municipal Bonds. The Fund intends to invest in
municipal bonds that are rated investment grade by one or more
nationally recognized statistical rating agencies or, if
unrated, are considered by the investment adviser to be of
comparable quality.
New Jersey Municipal Bonds. The Fund will generally invest
substantially all (at least 80%) of its assets in New Jersey
municipal bonds. However, when the Fund's investment adviser
believes that investment grade New Jersey municipal bonds are
not available in sufficient amounts at an appropriate price, the
Fund may invest a lesser amount of its assets in these
securities. At all times, except during periods when the Fund is
in the process of investing its proceeds from a public offering
or during temporary defensive periods, the Fund intends to
invest at least 80% of its assets in New Jersey municipal bonds.
The Fund may buy other long term municipal bonds that will be
exempt from Federal income tax but not New Jersey personal
income tax.
The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its assets in
insured municipal obligations with remaining maturities of one
year or more. Insured municipal obligations are covered by
insurance that guarantees timely interest payments and the
repayment of principal on maturity.
In general, the Fund does not intend its investments to earn a
large amount of income that is not exempt from Federal income
tax and New Jersey personal income taxes.
Indexed and Inverse Floating Rate Securities. The Fund may
invest in securities whose potential returns are directly
related to changes in an underlying index or interest rate,
known as indexed securities. The return on indexed securities
will rise when the underlying index or interest rate rises and
fall when the index or
3
<PAGE> 5
interest rate falls. The Fund may also invest in securities
whose return is inversely related to changes in an interest rate
(inverse floaters). In general, income on inverse floaters will
decrease when short term interest rates increase and increase
when short term interest rates decrease. Investments in inverse
floaters may subject the Fund to the risks of reduced or
eliminated interest payments and losses of principal. In
addition, certain indexed securities and inverse floaters may
increase or decrease in value at a greater rate than the
underlying interest rate, which effectively leverages the Fund's
investment. As a result, the market value of such securities
will generally be more volatile than that of fixed rate, tax
exempt securities. Both indexed securities and inverse floaters
are derivative securities and can be considered speculative.
Options and Futures Transactions. The Fund may seek to hedge
its portfolio against changes in interest rates using options
and financial futures contracts. The Fund's hedging transactions
are designed to reduce volatility, but come at some cost. For
example, the Fund may try to limit its risk of loss from a
decline in price of a portfolio security by purchasing a put
option. However, the Fund must pay for the option, and the price
of the security may not in fact drop. In large part, the success
of the Fund's hedging activities depends on its ability to
forecast movements in securities prices and interest rates. The
Fund does not, however, intend to enter into options and futures
transactions for speculative purposes. The Fund is not required
to hedge its portfolio and may choose not to do so. The Fund
cannot guarantee that any hedging strategies it uses will work.
LEVERAGE Issuance of Preferred Stock. The Fund intends to offer shares
of preferred stock within three months after completion of this
offering. The preferred stock will represent approximately 40%
of the Fund's capital, including the capital raised by issuing
the preferred stock. There can be no assurance, however, that
preferred stock will actually be issued. Issuing preferred stock
will result in the leveraging of the common stock. Although the
Board of Directors has not yet determined the terms of the
preferred stock offering, the Fund expects that the preferred
stock will pay dividends that will be adjusted over either
relatively short-term periods (generally seven to 28 days) or
medium-term periods (up to five years). The preferred stock
dividend rate will be based upon prevailing interest rates for
debt obligations of comparable maturity. The money raised by the
preferred stock offering will be invested in longer-term
obligations in accordance with the Fund's investment objective.
The expenses of the preferred stock, which will be borne by the
Fund, will reduce the net asset value of the common stock. In
addition, at times when the Fund is required to allocate taxable
income to preferred stockholders, the terms of the preferred
stock may require the Fund to make an additional distribution to
them. The amount of this additional distribution approximately
equals the tax liability resulting from the allocation (an
"Additional Distribution"). During periods when the Fund has
preferred stock outstanding, the Fund will pay fees to the
investment adviser for its services that are higher than if the
Fund did not issue preferred stock because the fees will be
4
<PAGE> 6
calculated on the basis of the Fund's average weekly net assets,
including proceeds from the sale of preferred stock.
Potential Benefits of Leverage. Under normal market conditions,
longer term obligations produce higher yields than short and
medium term obligations. The Fund's investment adviser believes
that the interest income the Fund receives from its long term
investments will exceed the amount of interest the Fund must pay
to the preferred stockholders. Thus, the Fund's use of preferred
stock should provide common stockholders with a higher yield
than they would receive if the Fund were not leveraged.
Risks. This use of leverage creates certain risks for common
stockholders, including higher volatility of both the net asset
value and the market value of the common stock. Since any
decline in the value of the Fund's investments will affect only
the common stockholders, in a declining market the use of
leverage will cause the Fund's net asset value to decrease more
than it would if the Fund were not leveraged. This decrease in
net asset value will likely also cause a decline in the market
price for shares of common stock. In addition, fluctuations in
the dividend rates on, and the amount of taxable income
allocable to, the preferred stock will affect the yield to
common stockholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund
will earn a higher net return on its investments than the then
current dividend rate (and any Additional Distribution) it pays
on the preferred stock. Under certain conditions, the benefits
of leverage of common stockholders will be reduced, and the
Fund's leveraged capital structure could result in a lower rate
of return to common stockholders than if the Fund were not
leveraged.
Distributions. When the Fund issues preferred stock, common
stockholders will receive all of the Fund's net income that
remains after it pays dividends (and any Additional
Distribution) on the preferred stock and generally will be
entitled to a pro rata share of net realized capital gains. If
the Fund is liquidated, preferred stockholders will be entitled
to receive liquidating distributions before any distribution is
made to common stockholders. These liquidating distributions are
expected to equal the original purchase price per share of the
preferred stock plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends and
Additional Distributions.
Redemption of Preferred Stock. The Fund may redeem the
preferred stock for any reason. For example, the Fund may redeem
all or part of the preferred stock if it believes that the
Fund's leveraged capital structure will cause common
stockholders to obtain a lower return than they would if the
common stock were unleveraged for any significant amount of
time.
Voting Rights. Preferred stockholders, voting as a separate
class, will be entitled to elect two of the Fund's Directors.
Common and preferred stockholders, voting together as a single
class, will be entitled to elect the remaining Directors. If the
Fund fails to pay dividends to the preferred stockholders for
two full years, the holders of all outstanding shares of
preferred stock, voting as a separate class,
5
<PAGE> 7
would then be entitled to elect a majority of the Fund's
Directors. Preferred stockholders also will vote separately on
certain other matters as required under the Fund's Articles of
Incorporation, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
and Maryland law. Otherwise, common and preferred stockholders
will have equal voting rights (one vote per share) and will vote
together as a single class.
Ratings. Before it offers the preferred stock, the Fund intends
to apply to one or more nationally recognized statistical
ratings organizations for ratings on the preferred stock. The
Fund believes that a rating for the preferred stock will make it
easier to market the stock, which should reduce the dividend
rate.
LISTING Currently, there is no public market for the Fund's common
stock. However, the Fund plans to apply to list its shares of
common stock on the New York Stock Exchange or another national
securities exchange. Trading of the Fund's common stock is
expected to begin within two weeks of the date of this
prospectus. Before it begins trading, the underwriter does not
intend to make a market in the Fund's shares of common stock.
Thus, investors may not be able to buy and sell shares of the
Fund during that period.
INVESTMENT
ADVISER Fund Asset Management, L.P. is the Fund's investment adviser and
provides investment advisory and management services to the
Fund. For its services, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser a
monthly fee at the annual rate of of % of Fund's
average weekly net assets, including assets acquired from the
sale of preferred stock.
DIVIDENDS
AND
DISTRIBUTIONS The Fund intends to distribute dividends of all or a portion of
its net investment income to common stockholders each month.
Once the Fund issues preferred stock, the monthly dividends to
common stockholders will consist of all or a portion of net
investment income remaining after the payment of dividends (and
any Additional Distribution) on the preferred stock. At times,
in order to maintain a stable level of monthly dividends to
common stockholders, the Fund may pay out less than all of its
net investment income or pay out accumulated undistributed
income in addition to net investment income. The Fund expects to
begin paying dividends to common stockholders within
approximately 90 days from the date of this prospectus. The Fund
will distribute net capital gains, if any, at least annually to
common stockholders and, after it issues the preferred stock, on
a pro rata basis to common stockholders and preferred
stockholders. When the Fund allocates capital gains or other
taxable income to preferred stockholders, under certain
circumstances, the terms of the preferred stock may require the
Fund to make an Additional Distribution. The Fund may not
declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its common
stock unless the preferred stock has asset coverage of at least
200%. If the Fund issues preferred stock representing 40% of its
total capital, the preferred stock's asset coverage will be
approximately 250%. If the Fund's ability to make distributions
on its common stock is limited, the Fund may not be able to
qualify
6
<PAGE> 8
for taxation as a regulated investment company. This would have
adverse tax consequences for common stockholders.
AUTOMATIC
DIVIDEND
REINVESTMENT
PLAN Dividend and capital gains distributions generally are used to
purchase additional shares of the Fund's common stock. However,
an investor can choose to receive distributions in cash. Since
not all investors can participate in the automatic dividend
reinvestment plan, you should call your broker or nominee to
confirm that you are eligible to participate in the plan.
MUTUAL FUND
INVESTMENT
OPTION Investors who purchase shares in this offering through the
underwriter and later sell their shares have the option, subject
to certain conditions, to purchase Class D shares of certain
Merrill Lynch Funds with the proceeds of the sale.
7
<PAGE> 9
RISK FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Liquidity and Market Price of Shares. The Fund is newly organized and has
no operating history or history of public trading. Before the Fund's common
stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, an investment in the Fund may be
illiquid.
Shares of closed-end funds that trade in a secondary market frequently
trade at a market price that is below their net asset value. This is commonly
referred to as "trading at a discount." Investors who sell their shares within a
relatively short period after completion of the public offering are more likely
to be exposed to this risk. The Fund is designed primarily for long-term
investors and should not be considered a vehicle for trading purposes.
New Jersey Municipal Bonds. The Fund intends to invest the majority of its
portfolio in New Jersey municipal bonds. As a result, the Fund is more exposed
to risks affecting issuers of New Jersey municipal bonds than is a municipal
bond fund that invests more widely. If the Fund invests less than 80% of its
assets in New Jersey municipal bonds, the income provided by the Fund may not be
exempt from New Jersey personal income tax.
Interest Rate and Credit Risk. The Fund invests in municipal bonds, which
are subject to interest rate and credit risk. Interest rate risk is the risk
that prices of municipal bonds generally increase when interest rates decline
and decrease when interest rates increase. Prices of longer term securities
generally change more in response to interest rate changes than prices of
shorter term securities. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will be unable
to pay the interest or principal when due. The degree of credit risk depends on
both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
Non-diversification. The Fund is registered as a "non-diversified"
investment company. This means that the Fund may invest a greater percentage of
its assets in a single issuer than a diversified investment company. Even as a
non-diversified fund, the Fund must still meet the diversification requirements
of applicable Federal income tax laws. Since the Fund may invest a relatively
high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund may be
more exposed to any single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a
more widely-diversified fund.
Rating Categories. The Fund intends to invest in municipal bonds that are
rated investment grade by Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or
Fitch IBCA, Inc. It may also invest in unrated municipal bonds that the Fund's
investment adviser believes are of comparable quality. Obligations rated in the
lowest investment grade category may have certain speculative characteristics.
Private Activity Bonds. The Fund may invest in certain tax-exempt
securities classified as "private activity bonds." These bonds may subject
certain investors in the Fund to the alternative minimum tax.
Portfolio Insurance and Rating Agencies. The Fund will be subject to
certain investment restrictions imposed by guidelines of the insurance companies
that issue portfolio insurance and to guidelines of one or more nationally
recognized statistical ratings organizations that may issue ratings for the
preferred stock. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio
composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed by the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Fund does not expect these
requirements or guidelines to prevent the investment
8
<PAGE> 10
adviser from managing the Fund's portfolio in accordance with the Fund's
investment objective and policies.
Leverage. The Fund plans to offer shares of preferred stock. The preferred
stock will represent approximately 40% of the Fund's capital, including capital
raised by issuing the preferred stock. Leverage creates certain risks for common
stockholders, including higher volatility of both the net asset value and the
market value of the common stock. Leverage also creates the risk that the
investment return on shares of the Fund's common stock will be reduced to the
extent the dividends paid on preferred stock and other expenses of the preferred
stock exceed the income earned by the Fund on its investments. If the Fund is
liquidated, preferred stockholders will be entitled to receive liquidating
distributions before any distribution is made to common stockholders.
Inverse Floating Obligations. The Fund's investments in "inverse floating
obligations" or "residual interest bonds" provide investment leverage because
their market value increases or decreases in response to market changes at a
greater rate than fixed rate, long term tax exempt securities. The market values
of such securities are more volatile than the market values of fixed rate, tax
exempt securities.
Options and Futures Transactions. The Fund may engage in certain options
and futures transactions to reduce its exposure to interest rate movements. If
the Fund incorrectly forecasts market values, interest rates or other factors,
the Fund's performance could suffer. The Fund also may suffer a loss if the
other party to the transaction fails to meet its obligations. The Fund is not
required to use hedging and may not do so.
Antitakeover Provisions. The Fund's Articles of Incorporation include
provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire
control of the Fund or to change the composition of its Board of Directors. Such
provisions could limit the ability of shareholders to sell their shares at a
premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking
to obtain control of the Fund.
9
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FEE TABLE
<TABLE>
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SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES:
Maximum Sales Load (as a percentage of offering
price)................................................ None
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees........................ None
ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of net assets attributable
to shares of Common Stock)
Investment Advisory Fees(a)(b)......................... %
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds.................... None
Other Expenses(a)(b)................................... %
----
Total Annual Expenses(a)(b)....................... %
====
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1 3 5 10
EXAMPLE YEAR YEARS YEARS YEARS
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An investor would pay the following expenses on a $1,000
investment, assuming (1) total annual expenses of %
(assuming leverage of 40% of the Fund's total assets) and
a 5% annual return throughout the periods:................ $ $ $ $
</TABLE>
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(a) Assumes leverage by issuing preferred stock in an amount of approximately
40% of the Fund's capital at a dividend rate of %. The Fund intends to
use leverage only if the Investment Adviser believes that it would result in
higher income to shareholders over time. See "Risks and Special
Considerations of Leverage." If the Fund does not use leverage, it is
estimated that, as a percentage of net assets attributable to common stock,
the Investment Advisory Fees would be %, Other Expenses would be % and
Total Annual Expenses would be %.
(b) See "Investment Advisory and Management Arrangements"-page 29.
The Fee Table is intended to assist investors in understanding the costs and
expenses that a shareholder in the Fund will bear directly or indirectly. The
expenses set forth under "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts
through the end of the Fund's first fiscal year on an annualized basis. The
Example set forth above assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions
and uses a 5% annual rate of return as mandated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission regulations. THE EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REPRESENTATION
OF FUTURE EXPENSES OR ANNUAL RATE OF RETURN, AND ACTUAL EXPENSES OR ANNUAL RATE
OF RETURN MAY BE MORE OR LESS THAN THOSE ASSUMED FOR PURPOSES OF THE EXAMPLE.
10
<PAGE> 12
THE FUND
MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund IV, Inc. (the "Fund") is a newly
organized, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund
was incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland on April 5, 1999, and
has registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund's principal office is located at 800
Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536, and its telephone number is
(609) 282-2800.
The Fund has been organized as a closed-end investment company. Closed-end
investment companies differ from open-end investment companies (commonly
referred to as "mutual funds") in that closed-end investment companies do not
generally make a continuous offering of their shares or redeem their securities
at the option of the shareholder, whereas open-end companies issue securities
redeemable at net asset value at any time at the option of the shareholder and
typically engage in a continuous offering of their shares. Accordingly, open-end
investment companies are subject to continuous asset in-flows and out-flows that
can complicate portfolio management. Shares of closed-end investment companies,
however, frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This risk
may be greater for investors expecting to sell their shares in a relatively
short period after completion of the public offering.
USE OF PROCEEDS
The net proceeds of this offering will be approximately $ (or
approximately $ assuming the Underwriter exercises the over-allotment
option in full) after payment of offering expenses estimated to be approximately
$ .
The net proceeds of the offering will be invested in accordance with the
Fund's investment objective and policies within approximately three months after
completion of the offering of common stock, depending on market conditions and
the availability of appropriate securities. Pending such investment, it is
anticipated that the proceeds will be invested in short-term, tax-exempt
securities. See "Investment Objective and Policies."
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
The investment objective of the Fund is to provide shareholders with
current income exempt from Federal income tax and New Jersey personal income
taxes. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily
in a portfolio of long-term, investment grade municipal obligations issued by or
on behalf of the State of New Jersey, its political subdivisions, agencies and
instrumentalities, and other qualifying issuers, each of which pays interest
which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, is exempt from Federal
income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes ("New Jersey Municipal Bonds").
The Fund intends to invest substantially all (at least 80%) of its assets in New
Jersey Municipal Bonds, except at times when the Fund's investment adviser, Fund
Asset Management, L.P. (the "Investment Adviser"), considers that New Jersey
Municipal Bonds of sufficient quality and quantity are unavailable for
investment at suitable prices by the Fund. To the extent the Investment Adviser
considers that suitable New Jersey Municipal Bonds are not available for
investment, the Fund may purchase other long-term municipal obligations exempt
from Federal income tax, but not New Jersey personal income tax ("Municipal
Bonds"). The Fund will maintain at least 80% of its assets in New Jersey
Municipal Bonds, except during interim periods
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pending investment of the net proceeds of public offerings of the Fund's
securities and during temporary defensive periods. Under normal circumstances,
at least 80% of the Fund's assets will be invested in municipal obligations with
remaining maturities of one year or more that are covered by insurance
guaranteeing the timely payment of principal at maturity and interest. If the
Fund invests less than 80% of its assets in New Jersey Municipal Bonds, the
income provided by the Fund may not be exempt from New Jersey personal income
tax. The Fund's investment objective is a fundamental policy that may not be
changed without a vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, as defined below under "Investment Restrictions." There can be no
assurance that the investment objective of the Fund will be realized. At times
the Fund may seek to hedge its portfolio through the use of futures transactions
and options to reduce volatility in the net asset value of its shares of common
stock.
The Fund ordinarily does not intend to realize significant investment
income that is subject to Federal income tax and New Jersey personal income
taxes. The Fund may invest all or a portion of its assets in certain tax-exempt
securities classified as "private activity bonds" (in general, bonds that
benefit non-governmental entities) that may subject certain investors in the
Fund to an alternative minimum tax.
The Fund also may invest in securities not issued by or on behalf of a
state or territory or by an agency or instrumentality thereof, if the Fund
nevertheless believes such securities pay interest or distributions that are
exempt from Federal income taxation ("Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities").
Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities may include securities issued by other
investment companies that invest in New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal
Bonds, to the extent such investments are permitted by the 1940 Act. Other
Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities could include trust certificates or other
instruments evidencing interests in one or more long-term New Jersey Municipal
Bonds or Municipal Bonds. Certain Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities may be
characterized as derivative instruments. Non-Municipal Tax-Exempt Securities
will be considered "New Jersey Municipal Bonds" or "Municipal Bonds" for
purposes of the Fund's investment objective and policies.
Investment in shares of common stock of the Fund offers several potential
benefits. The Fund offers investors the opportunity to receive income exempt
from Federal income and New Jersey personal income taxes by investing in a
professionally managed portfolio comprised primarily of investment grade insured
New Jersey Municipal Bonds. Investment in the Fund also relieves the investor of
the burdensome administrative details involved in managing a portfolio of New
Jersey Municipal Bonds. Additionally, the Investment Adviser will seek to
enhance the yield on the common stock by leveraging the Fund's capital structure
through the issuance of preferred stock. The benefits are at least partially
offset by the expenses involved in operating an investment company. Such
expenses primarily consist of the advisory fee and operational costs.
Additionally, the use of leverage involves certain expenses and special risk
considerations. See "Risks and Special Considerations of Leverage."
The investment grade New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds in
which the Fund will primarily invest are those New Jersey Municipal Bonds and
Municipal Bonds rated at the date of purchase in the four highest rating
categories of S&P, Moody's or Fitch or, if unrated, are considered to be of
comparable quality by the Investment Adviser. In the case of long-term debt, the
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<PAGE> 14
investment grade rating categories are AAA through BBB for S&P, Aaa through Baa
for Moody's and AAA through BBB for Fitch. In the case of short-term notes, the
investment grade rating categories are SP-1+ through SP-3 for S&P, MIG-1 through
MIG-3 for Moody's and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch. In the case of tax-exempt
commercial paper, the investment grade rating categories are A-1+ through A-3
for S&P, Prime-1 through Prime-3 for Moody's and F-1+ through F-3 for Fitch.
Obligations ranked in the lowest investment grade rating category (BBB, SP-3 and
A-3 for S&P; Baa, MIG-3 and Prime-3 for Moody's; and BBB and F-3 for Fitch),
while considered "investment grade," may have certain speculative
characteristics. There may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative
standing within the rating categories set forth above. See Appendix II to this
Prospectus for a description of S&P's, Moody's and Fitch's ratings of Municipal
Bonds. In assessing the quality of New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal
Bonds with respect to the foregoing requirements, the Investment Adviser will
take into account the portfolio insurance as well as the nature of any letters
of credit or similar credit enhancements to which particular New Jersey
Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds are entitled and the creditworthiness of the
insurance company or financial institution that provided such insurance or
credit enhancements. Consequently, if New Jersey Municipal Bonds or Municipal
Bonds are covered by insurance policies issued by insurers whose claims-paying
ability is rated AAA by S&P or Fitch, or Aaa by Moody's, the Investment Adviser
may consider such municipal obligations to be equivalent to AAA- or Aaa- rated
securities, as the case may be, even though such New Jersey Municipal Bonds or
Municipal Bonds would generally be assigned a lower rating if the rating were
based primarily upon the credit characteristics of the issuers without regard to
the insurance feature. The insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal
Bonds must also comply with the standards applied by the insurance carriers in
determining eligibility for portfolio insurance.
The Fund's investments may also include variable rate demand obligations
("VRDOs") and VRDOs in the form of participation interests ("Participating
VRDOs") in variable rate tax-exempt obligations held by a financial institution,
typically a commercial bank. The VRDOs in which the Fund will invest are
tax-exempt obligations, in the opinion of counsel to the issuer, that contain a
floating or variable interest rate adjustment formula and a right of demand on
the part of the holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid principal
balance plus accrued interest on a short notice period not to exceed seven days.
Participating VRDOs provide the Fund with a specified undivided interest (up to
100%) in the underlying obligation and the right to demand payment of the unpaid
principal balance plus accrued interest on the Participating VRDOs from the
financial institution on a specified number of days' notice, not to exceed seven
days. There is, however, the possibility that because of default or insolvency,
the demand feature of VRDOs or Participating VRDOs may not be honored. The Fund
has been advised by its counsel that the Fund should be entitled to treat the
income received on Participating VRDOs as interest from tax-exempt obligations
for Federal income tax purposes.
The average maturity of the Fund's portfolio securities will vary based
upon the Investment Adviser's assessment of economic and market conditions. The
net asset value of the shares of common stock of a closed-end investment
company, such as the Fund, which invests primarily in fixed-income securities,
changes as the general levels of interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates
decline, the value of a fixed-income portfolio can be expected to rise.
Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed-income portfolio can
be expected to decline. Prices of longer-term securities
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<PAGE> 15
generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do short-term
or medium-term securities. These changes in net asset value are likely to be
greater in the case of a fund having a leveraged capital structure, as proposed
for the Fund. See "Risks and Special Considerations of Leverage."
The Fund intends to invest primarily in long-term New Jersey Municipal
Bonds and Municipal Bonds with a maturity of more than ten years. Also, the Fund
may invest in intermediate-term New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds
with a maturity of between three years and ten years. The Fund may invest in
short-term, tax-exempt securities, short-term U.S. Government securities,
repurchase agreements or cash. Such short-term securities or cash will not
exceed 20% of its total assets except during interim periods pending investment
of the net proceeds of public offerings of the Fund's securities or in
anticipation of the repurchase or redemption of the Fund's securities and
temporary periods when, in the opinion of the Investment Adviser, prevailing
market or economic conditions warrant. The Fund does not ordinarily intend to
realize significant interest income not exempt from Federal income tax and New
Jersey personal income taxes.
The Fund is classified as non-diversified within the meaning of the 1940
Act, which means that the Fund is not limited by such Act in the proportion of
its assets that it may invest in securities of a single issuer. However, the
Fund's investments will be limited so as to qualify the Fund for special tax
treatment afforded regulated investment companies under the Code. See "Taxes."
To qualify, among other requirements, the Fund will limit its investments so
that, at the close of each quarter of the taxable year, (i) not more than 25% of
the market value of the Fund's total assets will be invested in the securities
(other than U.S. Government securities) of a single issuer, and (ii) with
respect to 50% of the market value of its total assets, not more than 5% of the
market value of its total assets will be invested in the securities (other than
U.S. Government securities) of a single issuer. A fund that elects to be
classified as "diversified" under the 1940 Act must satisfy the foregoing 5%
requirement with respect to 75% of its total assets. To the extent that the Fund
assumes large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, the
Fund's yield may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified
company as a result of changes in the financial condition or in the market's
assessment of the issuers.
PORTFOLIO INSURANCE
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's assets will be
invested in New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds either (i) insured
under an insurance policy purchased by the Fund or (ii) insured under an
insurance policy obtained by the issuer thereof or any other party. The Fund
will seek to limit its investments to municipal bonds insured under insurance
policies issued by insurance carriers that have total admitted assets
(unaudited) of at least $75,000,000 and capital and surplus (unaudited) of at
least $50,000,000 and insurance claims-paying ability ratings of AAA from S&P or
Fitch or Aaa from Moody's. There can be no assurance that insurance from
insurance carriers meeting these criteria will be at all times available. See
Appendix III to this Prospectus for a brief description of S&P's, Fitch's and
Moody's insurance claims-paying ability ratings. Currently, it is anticipated
that a majority of the insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds in
the Fund's portfolio will be insured by the following insurance companies that
satisfy the foregoing criteria: AMBAC Indemnity Corporation, Financial Guaranty
Insurance Company, Financial Security Assurance and Municipal Bond Investors
Assurance Corporation. The Fund also may
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<PAGE> 16
purchase New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds covered by insurance
issued by any other insurance company that satisfies the foregoing criteria. It
is anticipated that initially a majority of insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds
and Municipal Bonds held by the Fund will be insured under policies obtained by
parties other than the Fund.
The Fund may purchase, but has no obligation to purchase, separate
insurance policies (the "Policies") from insurance companies meeting the
criteria set forth above that guarantee the payment of principal and interest on
specified eligible New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds purchased by
the Fund. A New Jersey Municipal Bond or a Municipal Bond will be eligible for
coverage if it meets certain requirements of the insurance company set forth in
a Policy. In the event interest or principal on an insured New Jersey Municipal
Bond and Municipal Bond is not paid when due, the insurer will be obligated
under its Policy to make such payment not later than 30 days after it has been
notified by, and provided with documentation from, the Fund that such nonpayment
has occurred.
The Policies will be effective only as to insured New Jersey Municipal
Bonds and Municipal Bonds beneficially owned by the Fund. In the event of a sale
of any New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds held by the Fund, the
issuer of the relevant Policy will be liable only for those payments of interest
and principal that are then due and owing. The Policies will not guarantee the
market value of the insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds or
the value of the shares of the Fund.
The insurer will not have the right to withdraw coverage on securities
insured by their Policies and held by the Fund so long as such securities remain
in the Fund's portfolio. In addition, the insurer may not cancel its Policies
for any reason except failure to pay premiums when due. The Board of Directors
of the Fund will reserve the right to terminate any of the Policies if it
determines that the benefits to the Fund of having its portfolio insured under
such policy are not justified by the expense involved.
The premiums for the Policies are paid by the Fund and the yield on the
Fund's portfolio is reduced thereby. The Investment Adviser estimates that the
cost of the annual premiums for the Policies currently ranges from approximately
.02 of 1% to .15 of 1% of the principal amount of the New Jersey Municipal Bonds
and Municipal Bonds covered by such Policies. The estimate is based on the
expected composition of the Fund's portfolio of New Jersey Municipal Bonds and
Municipal Bonds. Additional information regarding the Policies is set forth in
Appendix III to this Prospectus. In instances in which the Fund purchases New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds insured under policies obtained by
parties other than the Fund, the Fund does not pay the premiums for such
policies; rather, the cost of such policies may be reflected in the purchase
price of the New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds.
It is the intention of the Investment Adviser to retain any insured
securities that are in default or in significant risk of default and to place a
value on the insurance, which ordinarily will be the difference between the
market value of the defaulted security and the market value of similar
securities that are not in default. In certain circumstances, however, the
Investment Adviser may determine that an alternate value for the insurance, such
as the difference between the market value of the defaulted security and its par
value, is more appropriate. The Investment Adviser's ability to manage the
portfolio may be limited to the extent it holds defaulted securities, which may
limit its
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<PAGE> 17
ability in certain circumstances to purchase other New Jersey Municipal Bonds
and Municipal Bonds. See "Net Asset Value" below for a more complete description
of the Fund's method of valuing defaulted securities and securities that have a
significant risk of default.
There can be no assurance that insurance with the terms and issued by
insurance carriers meeting the criteria described above will continue to be
available to the Fund. In the event the Board of Directors determines that such
insurance is unavailable or that the cost of such insurance outweighs the
benefits to the Fund, the Fund may modify the criteria for insurance carriers or
the terms of the insurance, or may discontinue its policy of maintaining
insurance for all or any of the New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds
held in the Fund's portfolio. Although the Investment Adviser periodically
reviews the financial condition of each insurer, there can be no assurance that
the insurers will be able to honor their obligations under all circumstances.
The portfolio insurance reduces financial or credit risk (i.e., the
possibility that the owners of the insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds or
Municipal Bonds will not receive timely scheduled payments of principal or
interest). However, the insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds or Municipal Bonds
are subject to market risk (i.e., fluctuations in market value as a result of
changes in prevailing interest rates).
DESCRIPTION OF NEW JERSEY MUNICIPAL BONDS AND MUNICIPAL BONDS
New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds include debt obligations
issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including construction of a
wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and
obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public
institutions and facilities. In addition, certain types of private activity
bonds ("PABs") are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance
various privately operated facilities, including, among other things, airports,
public parks mass commuting facilities, multi family housing projects, as well
as facilities for water supply, gas, electricity, sewage or solid waste
disposal. For purposes of this Prospectus, such obligations are Municipal Bonds
if the interest paid thereon is exempt from Federal income tax and as New Jersey
Municipal Bonds if the interest thereon is exempt from Federal income tax and
exempt from New Jersey personal income tax, even though such bonds may be PABs
as discussed below. Also, for purposes of this Prospectus, Non-Municipal
Tax-Exempt securities as discussed above will be considered New Jersey Municipal
Bonds or Municipal Bonds.
The two principal classifications of New Jersey Municipal Bonds and
Municipal Bonds are "general obligation" bonds and "revenue" bonds, which latter
category includes PABs and, for bonds issued on or before August 15, 1986,
private activity bonds. General obligation bonds (other than those of the State
of New Jersey which has limited taxing powers) are typically secured by the
issuer's pledge of faith, credit and taxing power for the repayment of principal
and the payment of interest. Revenue or special obligation bonds are typically
payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of
facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other
specific revenue source such as from the user of the facility being financed.
PABs are in most cases revenue bonds and do not generally constitute the pledge
of the credit or taxing power of the issuer of such bonds. The repayment of
principal and the payment of interest on such industrial development bonds
depends solely on the ability of the user of the facility financed by the bonds
to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and personal
property so financed as
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security for such payment. New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds may
also include "moral obligation" bonds, which are normally issued by special
purpose public authorities. If an issuer of moral obligation bonds is unable to
meet its obligations, the repayment of such bonds becomes a moral commitment but
not a legal obligation of the state or municipality in question.
The Fund may purchase New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds
classified as PABs. Interest received on certain PABs is treated as an item of
"tax preference" for purposes of the Federal alternative minimum tax and may
impact the overall tax liability of certain investors in the Fund. There is no
limitation on the percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds the interest on which is treated as
an item of "tax preference" for purposes of the Federal alternative minimum tax.
See "Taxes -- General." Also included within the general category of New Jersey
Municipal Bonds and/or Municipal Bonds are certificates of participation
("COPs") executed and delivered for the benefit of government authorities or
entities to finance the acquisition or construction of equipment, land and/or
facilities. COPs represent participations in a lease, an installment purchase
contract or a conditional sales contract (hereinafter collectively referred to
as "lease obligations") relating to such equipment, land or facilities. Although
lease obligations typically do not constitute general obligations of the issuer
for which the issuer's unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation
frequently is backed by the issuer's covenant to budget for, appropriate and
make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease
obligations contain "non-appropriation" clauses, which provide that the issuer
has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years
unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although
"non-appropriation" lease obligations are secured by the lease property,
disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult.
Federal tax legislation has limited the types and volume of such bonds the
interest on which qualifies for a Federal income tax exemption. As a result,
this legislation and legislation that may be enacted in the future may affect
the availability of New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds for
investment by the Fund.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO NEW JERSEY MUNICIPAL BONDS
The Fund ordinarily will invest at least 80% of its total assets in New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and, therefore, it is more susceptible to factors
adversely affecting issuers of New Jersey Municipal Bonds than is a municipal
bond fund that is not concentrated in issuers of New Jersey Municipal Bonds to
this degree. The Investment Adviser does not believe that current economic
conditions in New Jersey will have a significant adverse effect on the Fund's
ability to invest prudently in New Jersey Municipal Bonds. Currently, New
Jersey's general obligation bonds are rated AA+ by S&P, Aa1 by Moody's and AA+
by Fitch. See Appendix I, "Economic and Financial Conditions in New Jersey" and
Appendix II, "Ratings of Municipal Bonds."
OTHER INVESTMENT POLICIES
The Fund has adopted certain other policies as set forth below:
Borrowings. The Fund is authorized to borrow money in amounts of up to 5%
of the value of its total assets at the time of such borrowings; provided,
however, that the Fund is authorized to borrow moneys in amounts of up to
33 1/3% of the value of its total assets at the time of such
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borrowings to finance the repurchase of its own common stock pursuant to tender
offers or otherwise to redeem or repurchase shares of preferred stock or for
temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes. Borrowings by the Fund (commonly
known, as with the issuance of preferred stock, as "leveraging") create an
opportunity for greater total return since the Fund will not be required to sell
portfolio securities to repurchase or redeem shares but, at the same time,
increase exposure to capital risk. In addition, borrowed funds are subject to
interest costs that may offset or exceed the return earned on the borrowed
funds.
When-Issued Securities and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may
purchase or sell New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds on a delayed
delivery basis or on a when-issued basis at fixed purchase or sale terms. These
transactions arise when securities are purchased or sold by the Fund with
payment and delivery taking place in the future. The purchase will be recorded
on the date the Fund enters into the commitment, and the value of the obligation
will thereafter be reflected in the calculation of the Fund's net asset value.
The value of the obligation on the delivery day may be more or less than its
purchase price. A separate account of the Fund will be established with its
custodian consisting of cash, cash equivalents or liquid securities having a
market value at all times at least equal to the amount of the commitment.
Indexed and Inverse Floating Obligations. The Fund may invest in New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds the return on which is based on a
particular index of value or interest rates. For example, the Fund may invest in
New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds that pay interest based on an
index of Municipal Bond interest rates. The principal amount payable upon
maturity of certain New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds also may be
based on the value of an index. To the extent the Fund invests in these types of
Municipal Bonds, the Fund's return on such New Jersey Municipal Bonds and
Municipal Bonds will be subject to risk with respect to the value of the
particular index. Also, the Fund may invest in so-called "inverse floating
obligations" or "residual interest bonds" on which the interest rates typically
vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically
by a dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term
tax-exempt interest rate index). The Fund may purchase in the secondary market
synthetically-created inverse floating rate bonds evidenced by custodial or
trust receipts. Generally, income on inverse floating rate bonds will decrease
when short-term interest rates increase, and will increase when short-term
interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing a degree
of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response
to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate that is a
multiple (typically two) of the rate at which fixed-rate, long-term, tax-exempt
securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the
market values of such securities generally will be more volatile than the market
values of fixed-rate tax-exempt securities. To seek to limit the volatility of
these securities, the Fund may purchase inverse floating obligations with
shorter-term maturities or limitations on the extent to which the interest rate
may vary. The Investment Adviser believes that indexed and inverse floating
obligations represent a flexible portfolio management instrument for the Fund
that allows the Investment Adviser to vary the degree of investment leverage
relatively efficiently under different market conditions.
Call Rights. The Fund may purchase a New Jersey Municipal Bond or
Municipal Bond issuer's right to call all or a portion of such New Jersey
Municipal Bond or Municipal Bond for mandatory tender for purchase (a "Call
Right"). A holder of a Call Right may exercise such right
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to require a mandatory tender for the purchase of related New Jersey Municipal
Bonds or Municipal Bonds, subject to certain conditions. A Call Right that is
not exercised prior to the maturity of the related New Jersey Municipal Bond or
Municipal Bond will expire without value. The economic effect of holding both
the Call Right and the related New Jersey Municipal Bond or Municipal Bond is
identical to holding a New Jersey Municipal Bond or Municipal Bond as a
non-callable security.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in securities pursuant to
repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements may be entered into only with a
member bank of the Federal Reserve System or a primary dealer in U.S. Government
securities or an affiliate thereof. Under such agreements, the seller agrees,
upon entering into the contract, to repurchase the security at a mutually
agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the term of the
agreement. The Fund may not invest in repurchase agreements maturing in more
than seven days if such investments, together with all other illiquid
investments, would exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets. In the event of default
by the seller under a repurchase agreement, the Fund may suffer time delays and
incur costs or possible losses in connection with the disposition of the
underlying securities.
In general, for Federal and New Jersey income tax purposes, repurchase
agreements are treated as collateralized loans secured by the securities "sold."
Therefore, amounts earned under such agreements will not be considered
tax-exempt interest.
OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
The Fund may hedge all or a portion of its portfolio investments against
fluctuations in interest rates through the use of options and certain financial
futures contracts and options thereon. While the Fund's use of hedging
strategies is intended to reduce the volatility of the net asset value of the
common stock, the net asset value of the common stock will fluctuate. There can
be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions will be effective. In
addition, because of the anticipated leveraged nature of the common stock,
hedging transactions will result in a larger impact on the net asset value of
the common stock than would be the case if the common stock were not leveraged.
Furthermore, the Fund may only engage in hedging activities from time to time
and may not necessarily be engaging in hedging activities when movements in
interest rates occur. The Fund has no obligation to enter into hedging
transactions and may not do so.
Certain Federal income tax requirements may limit the Fund's ability to
engage in hedging transactions. Gains from transactions in options and futures
contracts distributed to shareholders will be taxable as ordinary income or, in
certain circumstances, as long-term capital gains to shareholders. See
"Taxes -- Tax Treatment of Options and Futures Transactions." In addition, in
order to obtain ratings of the preferred stock from one or more NRSROs, the Fund
may be required to limit its use of hedging techniques in accordance with the
specified guidelines of such organizations.
The following is a description of the options and futures transactions in
which the Fund may engage, limitations on the use of such transactions and risks
associated therewith. The investment policies with respect to the hedging
transactions of the Fund are not fundamental policies and may be modified by the
Board of Directors of the Fund without the approval of the Fund's shareholders.
Writing Covered Call Options. The Fund may write (i.e., sell) covered call
options with respect to New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds it owns,
thereby giving the holder of
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the option the right to buy the underlying security covered by the option from
the Fund at the stated exercise price until the option expires. The Fund writes
only covered call options, which means that so long as the Fund is obligated as
the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to
the option. The Fund may not write covered call options on underlying securities
in an amount exceeding 15% of the market value of its total assets.
The Fund will receive a premium from writing a call option, which increases
the Fund's return on the underlying security in the event the option expires
unexercised or is closed out at a profit. By writing a call, the Fund limits its
opportunity to profit from an increase in the market value of the underlying
security above the exercise price of the option for as long as the Fund's
obligation as a writer continues. Covered call options serve as a partial hedge
against a decline in the price of the underlying security. The Fund may engage
in closing transactions in order to terminate outstanding options that it has
written.
Purchase of Options. The Fund may purchase put options in connection with
its hedging activities. By buying a put the Fund has a right to sell the
underlying security at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss
through a decline in the market value of the security until the put expires. The
amount of any appreciation in the value of the underlying security will be
partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any
related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration, a put option may be sold in
a closing sale transaction; profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether
the amount received is more or less than the premium paid for the put option
plus the related transaction costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out the
Fund's position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of
an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has purchased. In
certain circumstances, the Fund may purchase call options on securities held in
its portfolio on which it has written call options or on securities that it
intends to purchase. The Fund will not purchase options on securities if, as a
result of such purchase, the aggregate cost of all outstanding options on
securities held by the Fund would exceed 5% of the market value of the Fund's
total assets.
Financial Futures Contracts and Options. The Fund is authorized to
purchase and sell certain financial futures contracts and options thereon solely
for the purpose of hedging its investments in New Jersey Municipal Bonds and
Municipal Bonds against declines in value and to hedge against increases in the
cost of securities it intends to purchase. A financial futures contract
obligates the seller of a contract to deliver and the purchaser of a contract to
take delivery of the type of financial instrument covered by the contract or, in
the case of index-based futures contracts, to make and accept a cash settlement,
at a specific future time for a specified price. A sale of financial futures
contracts may provide a hedge against a decline in the value of portfolio
securities because such depreciation may be offset, in whole or in part, by an
increase in the value of the position in the financial futures contracts. A
purchase of financial futures contracts may provide a hedge against an increase
in the cost of securities intended to be purchased because such appreciation may
be offset, in whole or in part, by an increase in the value of the position in
the futures contracts.
The purchase or sale of a futures contract differs from the purchase or
sale of a security in that no price or premium is paid or received. Instead, an
amount of cash or securities acceptable to the broker equal to approximately 5%
of the contract amount must be deposited with the broker. This amount is known
as initial margin. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, called variation
20
<PAGE> 22
margin, are made on a daily basis as the price of the financial futures contract
fluctuates making the long and short positions in the financial futures contract
more or less valuable.
The Fund may purchase and sell financial futures contracts based on The
Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, a price-weighted measure of the market value of
40 large tax-exempt issues, and purchase and sell put and call options on such
financial futures contracts for the purpose of hedging New Jersey Municipal
Bonds and Municipal Bonds that the Fund holds or anticipates purchasing against
adverse changes in interest rates. The Fund also may purchase and sell financial
futures contracts on U.S. Government securities and purchase and sell put and
call options on such financial futures contracts for such hedging purposes. With
respect to U.S. Government securities, currently there are financial futures
contracts based on long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, U.S. Treasury notes, GNMA
Certificates and three-month U.S. Treasury bills.
Subject to policies adopted by the Board of Directors, the Fund also may
engage in transactions in other financial futures contracts, such as financial
futures contracts on other municipal bond indices that may become available, if
the Investment Adviser should determine that there is normally sufficient
correlation between the prices of such financial futures contracts and the New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds in which the Fund invests to make
such hedging appropriate.
Over-The-Counter Options. The Fund may engage in options and futures
transactions on exchanges and in the over-the-counter markets ("OTC options").
In general, exchange-traded contracts are third-party contracts (i.e.,
performance of the parties' obligations is guaranteed by an exchange or clearing
corporation) with standardized strike prices and expiration dates. OTC options
transactions are two-party contracts with prices and terms negotiated by the
buyer and seller. See "Restrictions on OTC Options" below for information as to
restrictions on the use of OTC options.
Restrictions on OTC Options. The Fund will engage in transactions in OTC
options only with banks or dealers that have capital of at least $50 million or
whose obligations are guaranteed by an entity having capital of at least $50
million. Certain OTC options and assets used to cover OTC options written by the
Fund may be considered to be illiquid. The illiquidity of such options or assets
may prevent a successful sale of such options or assets, result in a delay of
sale, or reduce the amount of proceeds that might otherwise be realized.
Risk Factors in Options and Futures Transactions. Use of futures
transactions involves the risk of imperfect correlation in movements in the
price of financial futures contracts and movements in the price of the security
that is the subject of the hedge. If the price of the financial futures contract
moves more or less than the price of the security that is the subject of the
hedge, the Fund will experience a gain or loss that will not be completely
offset by movements in the price of such security. There is a risk of imperfect
correlation where the securities underlying financial futures contracts have
different maturities, ratings, geographic compositions or other characteristics
than the security being hedged. In addition, the correlation may be affected by
additions to or deletions from the index that serves as a basis for a financial
futures contract. Finally, in the case of financial futures contracts on U.S.
Government securities and options on such financial futures contracts, the
anticipated correlation of price movements between the U.S. Government
securities underlying the futures or options and New Jersey Municipal Bonds and
Municipal Bonds may be adversely affected by economic, political, legislative or
other developments that have a disparate impact on the respective markets for
such securities.
21
<PAGE> 23
Under regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), the
futures trading activities described herein will not result in the Fund being
deemed a "commodity pool," as defined under such regulations, provided that the
Fund adheres to certain restrictions. In particular, the Fund may purchase and
sell financial futures contracts and options thereon (i) for bona fide hedging
purposes, without regard to the percentage of the Fund's assets committed to
margin and option premiums, and (ii) for non-hedging purposes if, immediately
thereafter, the sum of the amount of initial margin deposits on the Fund's
existing futures positions and option premiums entered into for non-hedging
purposes do not exceed 5% of the market value of the liquidation value of the
Fund's portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized
losses on any such transactions. Margin deposits may consist of cash or
securities acceptable to the broker and the relevant contract market.
When the Fund purchases a financial futures contract, or writes a put
option or purchases a call option thereon, it will maintain an amount of cash,
cash equivalents (e.g., commercial paper and daily tender adjustable notes) or
liquid securities in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian so that the
amount so segregated plus the amount of initial and variation margin held in the
account of its broker equals the market value of the financial futures contract,
thereby ensuring that the use of such financial futures contract is unleveraged.
Certain risks are involved in options and futures transactions. The
Investment Adviser believes, however, that, because the Fund will engage in
options and futures transactions only for hedging purposes, the Fund's options
and futures portfolio strategies will not subject the Fund to the risks
associated with speculation in options and futures transactions.
The volume of trading in the exchange markets with respect to New Jersey
Municipal Bond or Municipal Bond options may be limited, and it is impossible to
predict the amount of trading interest that may exist in such options. In
addition, there can be no assurance that viable exchange markets will continue
to be available.
The Fund intends to enter into options and futures transactions, on an
exchange or in the over-the-counter market, only if there appears to be a liquid
secondary market for such options or futures. There can be no assurance,
however, that a liquid secondary market will exist at any specific time. Thus,
it may not be possible to close an options or futures transaction. The inability
to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on the
Fund's ability to effectively hedge its portfolio. There is also the risk of
loss by the Fund of margin deposits or collateral in the event of bankruptcy of
a broker with which the Fund has an open position in an option or financial
futures contract.
The liquidity of a secondary market in a financial futures contract may be
adversely affected by "daily price fluctuation limits" established by commodity
exchanges that limit the amount of fluctuation in a financial futures contract
price during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in the
contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the limit, thus
preventing the liquidation of open futures positions. Prices have in the past
moved beyond the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days.
If it is not possible to close a financial futures position entered into by
the Fund, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of
variation margin in the event of adverse price movements. In such a situation,
if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell
22
<PAGE> 24
portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when
it may be disadvantageous to do so.
The successful use of these transactions also depends on the ability of the
Investment Adviser to forecast correctly the direction and extent of interest
rate movements within a given time frame. To the extent these rates remain
stable during the period in which a financial futures contract is held by the
Fund or move in a direction opposite to that anticipated, the Fund may realize a
loss on the hedging transaction that is not fully or partially offset by an
increase in the value of portfolio securities. As a result, the Fund's total
return for such period may be less than if it had not engaged in the hedging
transaction. Furthermore, the Fund will only engage in hedging transactions from
time to time and may not necessarily be engaged in hedging transactions when
movements in interest rates occur.
RISKS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS OF LEVERAGE
EFFECTS OF LEVERAGE
Within approximately three months after the completion of this offering of
shares, the Fund intends to offer shares of preferred stock representing
approximately 40% of the Fund's capital immediately after the issuance of such
preferred stock. There can be no assurance, however, that preferred stock
representing such percentage of the Fund's capital will actually be issued.
Issuing the preferred stock will result in the leveraging of the common stock.
Although the Fund's Board of Directors has not yet determined the terms of the
preferred stock offering, the Fund anticipates that the preferred stock will pay
dividends that will be adjusted over either relatively short-term periods
(generally seven to 28 days) or medium-term periods (up to five years). The
dividend rate will be based upon prevailing interest rates for debt obligations
of comparable maturity. The proceeds of the preferred stock offering will be
invested in longer-term obligations in accordance with the Fund's investment
objective. The expenses of the preferred stock, which will be borne by the Fund,
will reduce the net asset value of the common stock. Additionally, under certain
circumstances, when the Fund is required to allocate taxable income to holders
of preferred stock, the Fund anticipates that the terms of the preferred stock
will require the Fund to make an additional distribution to such holders in an
amount approximately equal to the tax liability resulting from such allocation
(an "Additional Distribution"). Because under normal market conditions,
obligations with longer maturities produce higher yields than short-term and
medium-term obligations, the Investment Adviser believes that the spread
inherent in the difference between the short-term and medium-term rates (and any
Additional Distribution) paid by the Fund as dividends on the preferred stock
and the longer-term rates received by the Fund will provide holders of common
stock with a potentially higher yield.
The use of leverage, however, involves certain risks to the holders of
common stock. For example, issuance of the preferred stock may result in higher
volatility of the net asset value of the common stock and potentially more
volatility in the market value of the common stock. In addition, changes in the
short-term and medium-term dividend rates on, and the amount of taxable income
allocable to, the preferred stock will affect the yield to holders of common
stock. Leverage will allow holders of common stock to realize a higher current
rate of return than if the Fund were not leveraged as long as the Fund, while
accounting for its costs and operating expenses, is able to realize
23
<PAGE> 25
a higher net return on its investment portfolio than the then current dividend
rate (and any Additional Distribution) paid on the preferred stock. Similarly,
since a pro rata portion of the Fund's net realized capital gains are generally
payable to holders of common stock, the use of leverage will increase the amount
of such gains distributed to holders of common stock. However, short-term,
medium-term and long-term interest rates change from time to time as does their
relationship to each other (i.e., the slope of the yield curve) depending upon
such factors as supply and demand forces, monetary and tax policies and investor
expectations. Changes in any or all of such factors could cause the relationship
between short-term, medium-term and long-term rates to change (i.e., to flatten
or to invert the slope of the yield curve) so that short-term and medium-term
rates may substantially increase relative to the long-term obligations in which
the Fund may be invested. To the extent that the current dividend rate (and any
Additional Distribution) on the preferred stock approaches the net return on the
Fund's investment portfolio, the benefit of leverage to holders of common stock
will be decreased. If the current dividend rate (and any Additional
Distribution) on the preferred stock were to exceed the net return on the Fund's
portfolio, holders of common stock would receive a lower rate of return than if
the Fund were not leveraged. Similarly, since both the cost of issuing the
preferred stock and any decline in the value of the Fund's investments
(including investments purchased with proceeds from any preferred stock
offering) will be borne entirely by holders of common stock, the effect of
leverage in a declining market would result in a greater decrease in net asset
value to holders of common stock than if the Fund were not leveraged. If the
Fund is liquidated, holders of preferred stock will be entitled to receive
liquidating distributions before any distribution is made to holders of common
stock.
In an extreme case, a decline in net asset value could affect the Fund's
ability to pay dividends on the common stock. Failure to make such dividend
payments could adversely affect the Fund's qualification as a regulated
investment company under the Federal tax laws. See "Taxes." However, the Fund
intends to take all measures necessary to continue to make common stock dividend
payments. If the Fund's current investment income is ever insufficient to meet
dividend payments on either the common stock or the preferred stock, the Fund
may have to liquidate certain of its investments. In addition, the Fund will
have the authority to redeem the preferred stock for any reason and may redeem
all or part of the preferred stock under the following circumstances:
- if it anticipates that the leveraged capital structure will result in a
lower rate of return for any significant amount of time to holders of the
common stock than it can obtain if the common stock were not leveraged,
- if the asset coverage for the preferred stock declines below 200% either
as a result of a decline in the value of the Fund's portfolio investments
or as a result of the repurchase of common stock in tender offers, or
- in order to maintain the asset coverage guidelines established by the
nationally recognized statistical rating organizations ("NRSROs") that
have rated the preferred stock.
Redemption of the preferred stock or insufficient investment income to make
dividend payments, may reduce the net asset value of the common stock and
require the Fund to liquidate a portion of its investments at a time when it may
be disadvantageous to do so.
As discussed under "Investment Advisory and Management Arrangements,"
during periods when the Fund has preferred stock outstanding, the fees paid the
Investment Adviser for investment
24
<PAGE> 26
advisory and management services will be higher than if the Fund did not issue
preferred stock because the fees paid will be calculated on the basis of the
Funds average weekly net assets, including proceeds from the sale of preferred
stock.
Assuming the utilization of leverage by the issuance of preferred stock
that pays dividends at a rate that generally will be adjusted every 28 days in
an amount representing approximately 40% of the Fund's capital at an annual
dividend rate of % payable on such preferred stock based on market rates as
of the date of this Prospectus, the annual return that the Fund's portfolio must
experience (net of expenses) in order to cover such dividend payments would be
%.
The following table is designed to illustrate the effect on the return to a
holder of the Fund's common stock of the leverage obtained by the issuance of
preferred stock representing approximately 40% of the Fund's capital, assuming
hypothetical annual returns on the Fund's portfolio of minus 10% to plus 10%. As
the table shows, leverage generally increases the return to stockholders when
portfolio return is positive and decreases the return when the portfolio return
is negative. The figures appearing in the table are hypothetical and actual
returns may be greater or less than those appearing in the table.
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Assumed Portfolio Return (net of expenses)....... (10)% (5)% 0% 5% 10%
Corresponding Common Stock Return................ ()% ()% ()% % %
</TABLE>
Leveraging of the common stock cannot be fully achieved until preferred
stock is issued and the proceeds of the offering of preferred stock have been
invested in long-term New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
If short-term or medium-term rates increase or other changes in market
conditions occur to the point where the Fund's leverage could adversely affect
holders of common stock as noted above (or in anticipation of such changes), the
Fund may attempt to shorten the average maturity of its investment portfolio in
order to offset the negative impact of leverage. The Fund also may attempt to
reduce the degree to which it is leveraged by redeeming preferred stock pursuant
to the Fund's Articles Supplementary, which establish the rights and preferences
of the preferred stock, or otherwise purchasing shares of preferred stock.
Purchases and redemptions of preferred stock, whether on the open market or in
negotiated transactions, are subject to limitations under the 1940 Act. In
determining whether or not it is in the best interest of the Fund and its
stockholders to redeem outstanding preferred stock, the Board of Directors will
take into account a variety of factors including the following:
- market conditions,
- the ratio of preferred stock to common stock and
- the expenses associated with such redemption.
If market conditions subsequently change, the Fund may sell previously unissued
shares of preferred stock or shares of preferred stock that the Fund previously
issued but later repurchased or redeemed.
The Fund intends to apply for ratings of the preferred stock from one or
more NRSROs. In order to obtain these ratings, the Fund may be required to
maintain portfolio holdings meeting specified guidelines of such organizations.
These guidelines may impose asset coverage requirements that are more stringent
than those imposed by the 1940 Act. The Fund does not anticipate that these
guidelines will impede the Investment Adviser from managing the Fund's portfolio
in accordance
25
<PAGE> 27
with the Fund's investment objective and policies. Ratings on preferred stock
issued by the Fund should not be confused with ratings on obligations held by
the Fund.
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue shares of preferred
stock unless immediately after such issuance the net asset value of the Fund's
portfolio is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred
stock (expected to equal the original purchase price of the outstanding shares
of preferred stock plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon and any
accumulated and unpaid Additional Distribution). In addition, the Fund is not
permitted to declare any cash dividend or other distribution on its common stock
unless, at the time of such declaration, the net asset value of the Fund's
portfolio (determined after deducting the amount of such dividend or
distribution) is at least 200% of the liquidation value of the outstanding
preferred stock. Under the Fund's proposed capital structure, assuming the sale
of shares of preferred stock representing approximately 40% of the Fund's
capital, the net asset value of the Fund's portfolio is expected to be
approximately 250% of the liquidation value of the Fund's preferred stock. To
the extent possible, the Fund intends to purchase or redeem shares of preferred
stock from time to time to maintain coverage of preferred stock of at least
200%.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund and,
prior to issuance of the preferred stock, may not be changed without the
approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding shares of common
stock (which for this purpose and under the 1940 Act means the lesser of (i) 67%
of the shares of common stock represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of
the outstanding shares of common stock are represented or (ii) more than 50% of
the outstanding shares). Subsequent to the issuance of the preferred stock, the
following investment restrictions may not be changed without the approval of a
majority of the outstanding shares of common stock and of the outstanding shares
of preferred stock, voting together as a class, and the approval of a majority
of the outstanding shares of preferred stock, voting separately as a class. The
Fund may not:
1. Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or
management.
2. Purchase or sell real estate, commodities or commodity contracts;
provided that the Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or
interests therein or issued by entities that invest in real estate or
interest therein, and the Fund may purchase and sell financial futures
contracts and options thereon.
3. Issue senior securities or borrow money except as permitted by
Section 18 of the 1940 Act.
4. Underwrite securities of other issuers except insofar as the Fund
may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
in selling portfolio securities.
5. Make loans to other persons, except that the Fund may purchase New
Jersey Municipal Bonds, Municipal Bonds and other debt securities and enter
into repurchase agreements in accordance with its investment objective,
policies and limitations.
6. Invest more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at
the time of each investment) in securities of issuers in a single industry;
provided that, for purposes of this restriction, states, municipalities and
their political subdivisions are not considered to be part of any industry.
26
<PAGE> 28
Additional investment restrictions adopted by the Fund, which may be changed by
the Board of Directors without shareholder approval, provide that the Fund may
not:
a. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the
extent that such purchases are permitted by applicable law. Applicable law
currently prohibits the Fund from purchasing the securities of other
investment companies except if immediately thereafter not more than (i) 3%
of the total outstanding voting stock of such company is owned by the Fund,
(ii) 5% of the Fund's total assets, taken at market value, would be
invested in any one such company, (iii) 10% of the Fund's total assets,
taken at market value, would be invested in such securities, and (iv) the
Fund, together with other investment companies having the same investment
adviser and companies controlled by such companies, owns not more than 10%
of the total outstanding stock of any one closed-end investment company.
b. Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as
security for indebtedness, any securities owned or held by the Fund except
as may be necessary in connection with borrowings mentioned in investment
restriction (3) above or except as may be necessary in connection with
transactions in financial futures contracts and options thereon.
c. Purchase any securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain
such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases
and sales of portfolio securities (the deposit or payment by the Fund of
initial or variation margin in connection with financial futures contracts
and options thereon is not considered the purchase of a security on
margin).
d. Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position or
invest in put, call, straddle or spread options, except that the Fund may
write, purchase and sell options and futures on New Jersey Municipal Bonds,
Municipal Bonds, U.S. Government obligations and related indices or
otherwise in connection with bona fide hedging activities and may purchase
and sell Call Rights to require mandatory tender for the purchase of
related New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds.
If a percentage restriction on the investment or use of assets set forth
above is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in
percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation.
The Investment Adviser of the Fund and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch") are owned and controlled by Merrill Lynch &
Co. ("ML&Co."). Because of the affiliation of Merrill Lynch with the Investment
Adviser, the Fund is prohibited from engaging in certain transactions involving
Merrill Lynch except pursuant to an exemptive order or otherwise in compliance
with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Included among such restricted transactions will be purchases from or sales to
Merrill Lynch of securities in transactions in which it acts as principal. An
exemptive order has been obtained that permits the Fund to effect principal
transactions with Merrill Lynch in high quality, short-term, tax-exempt
securities subject to conditions set forth in such order. The Fund may consider
in the future requesting an order permitting other principal transactions with
Merrill Lynch, but there can be no assurance that such application will be made
and, if made, that such order would be granted.
27
<PAGE> 29
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Information about the Directors, executive officers and the portfolio
managers of the Fund, including their ages and their principal occupations
during the last five years is set forth below. Unless otherwise noted, the
address of each Director, executive officer and the portfolio managers is 800
Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536.
[To be provided by amendment]
- ------------
(1) Interested person, as defined in the 1940 Act, of the Fund.
(2) Such Director or officer is a director, trustee or officer of one or more
additional investment companies for which the Investment Adviser or its
affiliate, MLAM, acts as investment adviser or manager.
In the event that the Fund issues preferred stock, in connection with the
election of the Fund's Directors, holders of shares of preferred stock, voting
as a separate class, will be entitled to elect two of the Fund's Directors, and
the remaining Directors will be elected by all holders of capital stock, voting
as a single class. See "Description of Capital Stock."
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Fund, the Investment
Adviser pays all compensation of officers and employees of the Fund as well as
the fees of all the Directors who are affiliated persons of ML&Co. or its
subsidiaries.
The Fund pays each Director not affiliated with the Investment Adviser
(each a "non-affiliated Director") a fee of $ per year plus $ per meeting
attended, and pays all Director's actual out-of-pocket expenses relating to
attendance at meetings. The Fund also compensates members of the Board's audit
and nominating committee (the "Committee"), which consists of all the non-
affiliated Directors, an annual fee of $ . The Chairman of the Committee
receives an additional annual fee of $ per year.
The following table sets forth compensation to be paid by the Fund to the
non-affiliated Directors projected through the end of the Fund's first full
fiscal year and for the calendar year ended December 31, 1998 the aggregate
compensation paid by all investment companies advised by the Investment Adviser
and its affiliate, MLAM ("FAM/MLAM Advised Funds"), to the non-affiliated
Directors.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TOTAL
PENSION OR COMPENSATION
RETIREMENT FROM FUND AND
AGGREGATE BENEFITS FAM/MLAM
COMPENSATION ACCRUED AS PART OF ADVISED FUNDS PAID
NAME OF DIRECTOR FROM FUND FUND EXPENSE TO DIRECTORS
---------------- ------------ ------------------ ------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
(1)....................... $ None $
(1)....................... $ None $
(1)....................... $ None $
(1)....................... $ None $
(1)....................... $ None $
</TABLE>
- ------------
(1) In addition to the Fund, the Directors serve on the boards of other FAM/MLAM
Advised Funds as follows: ( registered investment companies
consisting of portfolios); ( registered investment companies
consisting of portfolios); (54 registered investment companies
consisting of portfolios); ( registered investment companies
consisting of portfolios); and ( registered investment
companies consisting of portfolios).
28
<PAGE> 30
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS
The Investment Adviser is an affiliate of MLAM and is owned and controlled
by ML&Co., a financial services holding company and the parent of Merrill Lynch,
provides the Fund with investment advisory and management services. The Asset
Management Group of ML&Co. (which includes the Investment Adviser) acts as the
investment adviser for over 100 other registered management investment companies
and offers portfolio management services to individuals and institutions. As of
1999, the Investment Adviser and MLAM had a total of
approximately $ billion in investment company and other portfolio assets under
management (approximately $ billion of which were invested in municipal
securities). This amount includes assets managed for certain affiliates of the
Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser is a limited partnership, the
partners of which are ML&Co. and Princeton Services. The principal business
address of the Investment Adviser is 800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New
Jersey 08536.
The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, subject to the supervision
of the Board of Directors of the Fund, the Investment Adviser is responsible for
the actual management of the Fund's portfolio. The responsibility for making
decisions to buy, sell or hold a particular security rests with the Investment
Adviser, subject to review by the Board of Directors.
The Investment Adviser provides the portfolio management for the Fund. Such
portfolio management will consider analyses from various sources (including
brokerage firms with which the Fund does business), make the necessary
investment decisions, and place orders for transactions accordingly. The
Investment Adviser will also be responsible for the performance of certain
administrative and management services for the Fund. and
are the portfolio managers for the Fund and are primarily
responsible for the Fund's day-to-day management.
For the services provided by the Investment Adviser under the Investment
Advisory Agreement, the Fund will pay a monthly fee at an annual rate of of
1% of the Fund's average weekly net assets (i.e., the average weekly value of
the total assets of the Fund, including proceeds from the issuance of shares of
preferred stock, minus the sum of accrued liabilities of the Fund and
accumulated dividends on the shares of preferred stock). For purposes of this
calculation, average weekly net assets are determined at the end of each month
on the basis of the average net assets of the Fund for each week during the
month. The assets for each weekly period are determined by averaging the net
assets at the last business day of a week with the net assets at the last
business day of the prior week.
The Investment Advisory Agreement obligates the Investment Adviser to
provide investment advisory services and to pay all compensation of and furnish
office space for officers and employees of the Fund connected with investment
and economic research, trading and investment management of the Fund, as well as
the compensation of all Directors of the Fund who are affiliated persons of the
Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates. The Fund pays all other expenses
incurred in the operation of the Fund, including, among other things, expenses
for legal and auditing services, taxes, costs of printing proxies, listing fees,
if any, stock certificates and shareholder reports, charges of the custodian and
the transfer and dividend disbursing agent and registrar, fees and expenses with
respect to the issuance of preferred stock, Securities and Exchange Commission
fees, fees and expenses of non-interested Directors, accounting and pricing
costs, insurance, interest, brokerage costs, litigation
29
<PAGE> 31
and other extraordinary or non-recurring expenses, mailing and other expenses
properly payable by the Fund. Accounting services are provided to the Fund by
the Investment Adviser, and the Fund reimburses the Investment Adviser for its
costs in connection with such services.
Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Investment Advisory
Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date of
execution and will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if approved
annually (a) by the Board of Directors of the Fund or by a majority of the
outstanding shares of the Fund and (b) by a majority of the Directors who are
not parties to such contract or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act)
of any such party. Such contract is not assignable and may be terminated without
penalty on 60 days' written notice at the option of either party thereto or by
the vote of the shareholders of the Fund.
Securities held by the Fund may also be held by, or be appropriate
investments for, other funds or investment advisory clients for which the
Investment Adviser or its affiliates act as an adviser. Because of different
objectives or other factors, a particular security may be bought for an advisory
client when other clients are selling the same security. If purchases or sales
of securities by the Investment Adviser for the Fund or other funds for which it
acts as investment adviser or for other advisory clients arise for consideration
at or about the same time, transactions in such securities will be made, insofar
as feasible, for the respective funds and clients in a manner deemed equitable
to all. Transactions effected by the Investment Advisor (or its affiliates) on
behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the
demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold,
there may be an adverse effect on price.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Board of Directors of the Fund has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to
Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that incorporates the Code of Ethics of the
Investment Adviser (together, the "Codes"). The Codes significantly restrict the
personal investing activities of all employees of the Investment Adviser and, as
described below, impose additional, more onerous, restrictions on Fund
investment personnel.
The Codes require that all employees of the Investment Adviser preclear any
personal securities investment (with limited exceptions, such as U.S. Government
securities). The preclearance requirement and associated procedures are designed
to identify any substantive prohibition or limitation applicable to the proposed
investment. The substantive restrictions applicable to all employees of the
Investment Adviser include a ban on acquiring any securities in a "hot" initial
public offering and a prohibition from profiting on short-term trading
securities. In addition, no employee may purchase or sell any security that at
the time is being purchased or sold (as the case may be), or to the knowledge of
the employee is being considered for purchase or sale, by any fund advised by
the Investment Adviser. Furthermore, the Codes provide for trading "blackout
periods" that prohibit trading by investment personnel of the Fund within
periods of trading by the Fund in the same (or equivalent) security (15 or 30
days depending upon the transaction).
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Subject to policies established by the Board of Directors of the Fund, the
Investment Adviser is primarily responsible for the execution of the Fund's
portfolio transactions. In executing such
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transactions, the Investment Adviser seeks to obtain the best results for the
Fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable
brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution
and operational facilities of the firm involved and the firm's risk in
positioning a block of securities. While the Investment Adviser generally seeks
reasonably competitive commission rates, the Fund does not necessarily pay the
lowest commission or spread available.
The Fund has no obligation to deal with any broker or dealer in the
execution of transactions in portfolio securities. Subject to obtaining the best
price and execution, securities firms that provided investment research to the
Investment Adviser, including Merrill Lynch, may receive orders for transactions
by the Fund. Research information provided to the Investment Adviser by
securities firms is supplemental. It does not replace or reduce the level of
services performed by the Investment Adviser and the expenses of the Investment
Adviser will not be reduced because it receives supplemental research
information.
The Fund invests in securities traded in the over-the-counter markets, and
the Fund intends to deal directly with the dealers who make markets in the
securities involved, except in those circumstances where better prices and
execution are available elsewhere. Under the 1940 Act, except as permitted by
exemptive order, persons affiliated with the Fund, including Merrill Lynch, are
prohibited from dealing with the Fund as principal in the purchase and sale of
securities. Since transactions in the over-the-counter market usually involve
transactions with dealers acting as principal for their own account, the Fund
does not deal with Merrill Lynch and its affiliates in connection with such
transactions except that, pursuant to exemptive orders obtained by the
Investment Adviser, the Fund may engage in principal transactions with Merrill
Lynch in high quality, short-term, tax-exempt securities. See "Investment
Restrictions." An affiliated person of the Fund may serve as its broker in
over-the-counter transactions conducted on an agency basis.
The Fund may also purchase tax-exempt debt instruments in individually
negotiated transactions with the issuers. Because an active trading market may
not exist for such securities, the prices that the Fund may pay for these
securities or receive on their resale may be lower than that for similar
securities with a more liquid market.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund may dispose of securities without regard to the time they have
been held when such action, for defensive or other reasons, appears advisable to
the Investment Adviser. While it is not possible to predict turnover rates with
any certainty, presently it is anticipated that the Fund's annual portfolio
turnover rate, under normal circumstances, should be less than 100%. (The
portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or
sales of portfolio securities for the particular fiscal year by the monthly
average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the
particular fiscal year. For purposes of determining this rate, all securities
whose maturities at the time of acquisition are one year or less are excluded.)
A high portfolio turnover rate has certain tax consequences and results in
greater transaction costs, which are borne directly by the Fund.
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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund intends to distribute dividends of all or a portion of its net
investment income monthly to holders of common stock. It is expected that the
Fund will commence paying dividends to holders of common stock within
approximately 90 days of the date of this Prospectus. From and after issuance of
the preferred stock, monthly dividends to holders of common stock normally will
consist of all or a portion of its net investment income remaining after the
payment of dividends (and any Additional Distribution) on the preferred stock.
The Fund may at times pay out less than the entire amount of net investment
income earned in any particular period and may at times pay out such accumulated
undistributed income in addition to net investment income earned in other
periods in order to permit the Fund to maintain a more stable level of dividends
to holders of common stock. As a result, the dividend paid by the Fund to
holders of common stock for any particular period may be more or less than the
amount of net investment income earned by the Fund during such period. For
Federal tax purposes, the Fund is required to distribute substantially all of
its net investment income for each calendar year. All net realized capital
gains, if any, will be distributed pro rata at least annually to holders of
common stock and any preferred stock. While any shares of preferred stock are
outstanding, the Fund may not declare any cash dividend or other distribution on
its common stock, unless at the time of such declaration, (i) all accumulated
preferred stock dividends, including any Additional Distribution, have been
paid, and (ii) the net asset value of the Fund's portfolio (determined after
deducting the amount of such dividend or other distribution) is at least 200% of
the liquidation value of the outstanding preferred stock (expected to equal the
original purchase price of the outstanding shares of preferred stock plus any
accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon and any accumulated but unpaid
Additional Distribution). If the Fund's ability to make distributions on its
common stock is limited, such limitation could under certain circumstances
impair the ability of the Fund to maintain its qualification for taxation as a
regulated investment company, which would have adverse tax consequences for
holders of common stock. See "Taxes."
See "Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan" for information concerning the
manner in which dividends and distributions to holders of common stock may be
automatically reinvested in shares of common stock of the Fund. Dividends and
distributions may be taxable to shareholders under certain circumstances as
discussed below, whether they are reinvested in shares of the Fund or received
in cash.
TAXES
GENERAL
The Fund intends to elect and to qualify for the special tax treatment
afforded regulated investment companies ("RICs") under the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). As long as it so qualifies, in any taxable
year in which it distributes at least 90% of its taxable net income and 90% of
its tax-exempt net income (see below), the Fund (but not its shareholders) will
not be subject to Federal income tax to the extent that it distributes its net
investment income and net realized capital gains. The Fund intends to distribute
substantially all of such income. Under present New Jersey law, a RIC, such as
the Fund, pays a flat tax of $250 per
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<PAGE> 34
year. The Fund might be subject to the New Jersey corporation business
(franchise) tax for any taxable year in which it does not qualify as a RIC.
The Code requires a RIC to pay a nondeductible 4% excise tax to the extent
the RIC does not distribute, during each calendar year, 98% of its ordinary
income, determined on a calendar year basis, and 98% of its capital gains,
determined, in general, on an October 31 year-end, plus certain undistributed
amounts from previous years. The required distributions, however, are based only
on the taxable income of a RIC. The excise tax, therefore, generally will not
apply to the tax-exempt income of a RIC, such as the Fund, that pays
exempt-interest dividends.
The Fund intends to qualify to pay "exempt-interest dividends" as defined
in Section 852(b)(5) of the Code. Under such section if, at the close of each
quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets
consists of obligations the interest on which is excludable from gross income
for Federal income tax purpose ("tax-exempt obligations") under Section 103(a)
of the Code (relating generally to obligations of a state or local governmental
unit), the Fund shall be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends to its
shareholders. Exempt-interest dividends are dividends or any part thereof paid
by the Fund that are attributable to interest on tax-exempt obligations and
designated by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends in a written notice mailed
to the Fund's shareholders within 60 days after the close of its taxable year.
To the extent that the dividends distributed to the Fund's shareholders are
derived from interest income excludable from gross income for Federal income tax
purposes under Code Section 103(a) and are properly designated as exempt-
interest dividends, they will be excludable from a shareholder's gross income
for Federal income tax purposes. Exempt-interest dividends are included,
however, in determining the portion, if any, of a person's social security and
railroad retirement benefits subject to Federal income taxes. Each shareholder
is advised to consult a tax adviser with respect to whether exempt-interest
dividends retain the exclusion under Code Section 103(a) if such shareholder
would be treated as a "substantial user" or "related person" under Code Section
147(a) with respect to property financed with the proceeds of an issue of PABs
or IDBs, if any, held by the Fund.
So long as, at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, at
least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets consists of New Jersey
Municipal Bonds, the portion of such exempt-interest dividends properly
identified in a year-end statement as directly attributable to interest on New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and the portion of distributions attributable to gains
from New Jersey Municipal Bonds ("New Jersey exempt-interest dividends") also
will be exempt from New Jersey personal income taxes. In order to pass through
tax-exempt interest for New Jersey personal income tax purposes, the Fund, among
other requirements, must have not less than 80% of the aggregate principal
amount of its investments invested in New Jersey Municipal Bonds at the close of
each quarter of the tax year (the "80% Test"). For purposes of calculating
whether the 80% Test is satisfied, financial options, futures, forward contracts
and similar financial instruments relating to interest-bearing obligations are
excluded from the principal amount of the Fund's investments. The Fund intends
to comply with this requirement so as to enable it to pass through interest
exempt from both Federal income tax and New Jersey personal income tax. In the
event the Fund does not so comply, distributions by the Fund may be taxable to
shareholders for New Jersey personal income tax purposes. However, regardless of
whether the Fund meets the 80% Test, all distributions attributable to interest
earned on Federal obligations will be exempt from New Jersey personal income
tax. Shareholders subject to income taxation by states other than New Jersey
will realize a
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lower after-tax rate of return than New Jersey shareholders since the dividends
distributed by the Fund generally will not be exempt, to any significant degree,
from income taxation by such other states. The Fund will inform shareholders
annually as to the portion of the Fund's distributions that constitutes
exempt-interest dividends and the portion that is exempt from New Jersey
personal income taxes. To the extent attributable to exempt-interest dividends,
interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry Fund shares
is not deductible for Federal income tax purposes and is not deductible for New
Jersey personal income tax purposes.
Exempt-interest dividends and gains paid to a corporate shareholder will be
subject to New Jersey corporation business (franchise) tax and, if applicable,
the New Jersey corporation income tax. Accordingly, investors in the Fund,
including, in particular, corporate investors which may be subject to the New
Jersey corporation business (franchise) tax and, if applicable, the New Jersey
corporation income tax, should consult their tax advisors with respect to the
application of such taxes to an investment in the Fund, to the receipt of the
Fund dividends and as to their New Jersey tax situation in general.
On February 21, 1997, the Tax Court of New Jersey ruled against the
Director of the Division of Taxation holding against the New Jersey requirement
that fund investors pay state taxes on interest their funds earned from U.S.
government securities if the 80% Test was not met. As a result of the court
decision, the State of New Jersey could be forced to pay substantial amounts in
tax refunds to state residents who are mutual fund investors. At this time, the
effect of this litigation cannot be evaluated.
To the extent that the Fund's distributions are derived from interest on
its taxable investments or from an excess of net short-term capital gains over
net long-term capital losses ("ordinary income dividends"), such distributions
will be considered taxable ordinary income for Federal income tax purposes.
Distributions, if any, from an excess of net long-term capital gains over net
short-term capital losses derived from the sale of securities or from certain
transactions in futures or options ("capital gain dividends") are taxable as
long-term capital gains for Federal income tax purposes, regardless of the
length of time the shareholder has owned Fund shares. Certain categories of
capital gains are taxable at different rates for Federal income tax purposes.
Generally not later than 60 days after the close of its taxable year, the Fund
will provide its shareholders with a written notice designating any amounts of
any exempt-interest dividends or capital gain dividends, as well as any amount
of capital gain dividends in the different categories of capital gain referred
to above. Distributions by the Fund, whether from exempt-income, ordinary income
or capital gains, will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction
allowed to corporations under the Code.
All or a portion of the Fund's gain from the sale or redemption of
tax-exempt obligations purchased at a market discount will be treated for
Federal income tax purposes as ordinary income rather than capital gain. This
rule may increase the amount of ordinary income dividends received by
shareholders. Distributions in excess of the Fund's earnings and profits will
first reduce the adjusted tax basis of a holder's shares and, after such
adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such
holder (assuming the shares are held as a capital asset). Any loss upon the sale
or exchange of Fund shares held for six months or less will be disallowed to the
extent of any exempt-interest dividends received by the shareholder. In
addition, any such loss that is not disallowed under the rule stated above will
be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any
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<PAGE> 36
capital gain dividends received by the shareholder. If the Fund pays a dividend
in January that was declared in the previous October, November or December to
shareholders of record on a specified date in one of such months, then such
dividend will be treated for tax purposes as being paid by the Fund and received
by its shareholders on December 31 of the year in which such dividend was
declared.
The Internal Revenue Service ("Service") has taken the position in a
revenue ruling that if a RIC has more than one class of shares, it may designate
distributions made to each class in any year as consisting of no more than such
class's proportionate share of particular types of income, including
exempt-interest income and net long-term capital gains. A class's proportionate
share of a particular type of income is determined according to the percentage
of total dividends paid by the RIC during such year that was paid to such class.
Consequently, when common stock and one or more series of preferred stock are
outstanding, the Fund intends to designate distributions made to the classes as
consisting of particular types of income in accordance with each class's
proportionate share of such income. Thus, the Fund will designate dividends paid
as exempt-interest dividends in a manner that allocates such dividends among the
holders of common stock and series of preferred stock in proportion to the total
dividends paid to each class during the taxable year, or otherwise as required
by applicable law. Capital gain dividends will similarly be allocated among the
classes in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class during the
taxable year, or otherwise as required by applicable law. When capital gain or
other taxable income is allocated to holders of preferred stock pursuant to the
allocation rules described above, the terms of the preferred stock may require
the Fund to make an additional distribution to or otherwise compensate such
holders for the tax liability resulting from such allocation.
The Code subjects interest received on certain otherwise tax-exempt
securities to an alternative minimum tax. The alternative minimum tax applies to
interest received on certain "private activity bonds" issued after August 7,
1986. Private activity bonds are bonds that, although tax-exempt, are used for
purposes other than those generally performed by governmental units and that
benefit non-governmental entities (e.g., bonds used for industrial development
or housing purposes). Income received on such bonds is classified as an item of
"tax preference," which could subject certain investors in such bonds, including
shareholders of the Fund, to an increased alternative minimum tax. The Fund
intends to purchase such "private activity bonds" and will report to
shareholders within 60 days after calendar year-end the portion of its dividends
declared during the year that constitutes an item of tax preference for
alternative minimum tax purposes. The Code further provides that corporations
are subject to an alternative minimum tax based, in part, on certain differences
between taxable income as adjusted for other tax preferences and the
corporation's "adjusted current earnings," which more closely reflect a
corporation's economic income. Because an exempt-interest dividend paid by the
Fund will be included in adjusted current earnings, a corporate shareholder may
be required to pay an alternative minimum tax on exempt-interest dividends paid
by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in instruments the return on which includes
nontraditional features such as indexed principal or interest payments
("nontraditional instruments"). These instruments may be subject to special tax
rules under which the Fund may be required to accrue and distribute income
before amounts due under the obligations are paid. In addition, it is possible
that all or a portion of the interest payments on nontraditional instruments
could be recharacterized as taxable ordinary income.
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<PAGE> 37
If at any time when shares of preferred stock are outstanding the Fund does
not meet the asset coverage requirements of the 1940 Act, the Fund will be
required to suspend distributions to holders of common stock until the asset
coverage is restored. See "Dividends and Distributions." This may prevent the
Fund from distributing at least 90% of its net investment income and may,
therefore, jeopardize the Fund's qualification for taxation as a RIC. If the
Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC, some or all of the distributions paid by
the Fund would be fully taxable for Federal and New Jersey income tax purposes.
Upon any failure to meet the asset coverage requirements of the 1940 Act, the
Fund, in its sole discretion, may redeem shares of preferred stock in order to
maintain or restore the requisite asset coverage and avoid the adverse
consequences to the Fund and its shareholders of failing to qualify as a RIC.
There can be no assurance, however, that any such action would achieve such
objectives.
As noted above, the Fund must distribute annually at least 90% of its net
taxable and tax-exempt interest income. A distribution will only be counted for
this purpose if it qualifies for the dividends paid deduction under the Code.
Some types of preferred stock that the Fund currently contemplates issuing may
raise an issue as to whether distributions on such preferred stock are
"preferential" under the Code and, therefore, not eligible for the dividends
paid deduction. The Fund intends to issue preferred stock that counsel advises
will not result in the payment of a preferential dividend and may seek a private
letter ruling from the Service to that effect. If the Fund ultimately relies
solely on a legal opinion when it issues such preferred stock, there is no
assurance that the Service would agree that dividends on the preferred stock are
not preferential. If the Service successfully disallowed the dividends paid
deduction for dividends on the preferred stock, the Fund could be disqualified
as a RIC. In this case, dividends on the common stock would not be exempt from
Federal income taxes. Additionally, the Fund would be subject to the alternative
minimum tax.
The value of shares acquired pursuant to the Fund's dividend reinvestment
plan will generally be excluded from gross income to the extent that the cash
amount reinvested would be excluded from gross income. If, when the Fund's
shares are trading at a premium over net asset value, the Fund issues shares
pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan that have a greater fair market value
than the amount of cash reinvested, it is possible that all or a portion of such
discount (which may not exceed 5% of the fair market value of the Fund's shares)
could be viewed as a taxable distribution. If the discount is viewed as a
taxable distribution, it is also possible that the taxable character of this
discount would be allocable to all of the shareholders, including shareholders
who do not participate in the dividend reinvestment plan. Thus, shareholders who
do not participate in the dividend reinvestment plan, as well as dividend
reinvestment plan participants, might be required to report as ordinary income a
portion of their distributions equal to their allocable share of the discount.
Ordinary income dividends paid to shareholders who are nonresident aliens
or foreign entities will be subject to a 30% United States withholding tax under
existing provisions of the Code applicable to foreign individuals and entities
unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided
under applicable treaty law. Nonresident shareholders are urged to consult their
own tax advisers concerning the applicability of the United States withholding
tax.
Under certain Code provisions, some taxpayers may be subject to 31%
withholding tax on certain ordinary income dividends and on capital gain
dividends and redemption payments ("backup withholding"). Generally,
shareholders subject to backup withholding are those for whom no certified
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<PAGE> 38
taxpayer identification number is on file with the Fund or who, to the Fund's
knowledge, have furnished an incorrect number. When establishing an account, an
investor must certify under penalty of perjury that such number is correct and
that such investor is not otherwise subject to backup withholding.
The Code provides that every shareholder required to file a tax return must
include for information purposes on such return the amount of exempt-interest
dividends received from all sources (including the Fund) during the taxable
year.
TAX TREATMENT OF OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
The Fund may purchase or sell municipal bond index financial futures
contracts and interest rate financial futures contracts on U.S. Government
securities. The Fund may also purchase and write call and put options on such
financial futures contracts. In general, unless an election is available to the
Fund or an exception applies, such options and financial futures contracts that
are "Section 1256 contracts" will be "marked to market" for Federal income tax
purposes at the end of each taxable year, i.e., each such option or financial
futures contract will be treated as sold for its fair market value on the last
day of the taxable year, and any gain or loss attributable to Section 1256
contracts will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss.
Application of these rules to Section 1256 contracts held by the Fund may alter
the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The mark-to-market
rules outlined above, however, will not apply to certain transactions entered
into by the Fund solely to reduce the risk of changes in price or interest rates
with respect to its investments.
Code Section 1092, which applies to certain "straddles," may affect the
taxation of the Fund's sales of securities and transactions in financial futures
contracts and related options. Under Section 1092, the Fund may be required to
postpone recognition for tax purposes of losses incurred in certain sales of
securities and certain closing transactions in financial futures contracts or
the related options.
The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the applicable
provisions of the Code and Treasury Regulations and New Jersey personal income
and corporation business (franchise) tax and the corporation income tax laws
presently in effect. For the complete provisions, reference should be made to
the pertinent Code sections, the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and
New Jersey personal income and corporation business (franchise) tax and the
corporation income tax laws. The Code and the Treasury Regulations, as well as
the New Jersey income tax laws, are subject to change by legislative, judicial
or administrative action either prospectively or retroactively.
Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific
questions as to Federal, state, local or foreign taxes.
AUTOMATIC DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN
Pursuant to the Fund's Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the "Plan"),
unless a holder of common stock otherwise elects, all dividend and capital gains
distributions will be automatically reinvested by , as
agent for shareholders in administering the Plan (the "Plan Agent"), in
additional shares of common stock of the Fund. Holders of common stock who elect
not to participate in the Plan will receive all distributions in cash paid by
check mailed directly to the
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shareholder of record (or, if the shares are held in street or other nominee
name, then to such nominee) by , as dividend paying
agent. Such participants may elect not to participate in the Plan and to receive
all distributions of dividends and capital gains in cash by sending written
instructions to , as dividend paying agent, at the
address set forth below. Participation in the Plan is completely voluntary and
may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by written notice if
received by the Plan Agent not less than ten days prior to any dividend record
date; otherwise, such termination or resumption will be effective with respect
to any subsequently declared dividend or distribution.
Whenever the Fund declares an income dividend or a capital gains
distribution (collectively, referred to as "dividends") payable either in shares
or in cash, non-participants in the Plan will receive cash, and participants in
the Plan will receive the equivalent in shares of common stock. The shares will
be acquired by the Plan Agent for the participant's account, depending upon the
circumstances described below, either (i) through receipt of additional unissued
but authorized shares of common stock from the Fund ("newly issued shares") or
(ii) by purchase of outstanding shares of common stock on the open market
("open-market purchases") on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") or
elsewhere. If on the payment date for the dividend, the net asset value per
share of the common stock is equal to or less than the market price per share of
the common stock plus estimated brokerage commissions (such condition being
referred to herein as "market premium"), the Plan Agent will invest the dividend
amount in newly issued shares on behalf of the participant. The number of newly
issued shares of common stock to be credited to the participant's account will
be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the dividend by the net asset
value per share on the date the shares are issued, provided that the maximum
discount from the then current market price per share on the date of issuance
may not exceed 5%. If on the dividend payment date the net asset value per share
is greater than the market value (such condition being referred to herein as
"market discount"), the Plan Agent will invest the dividend amount in shares
acquired on behalf of the participant in open-market purchases. Prior to the
time the shares of common stock commence trading on the NYSE, participants in
the Plan will receive any dividends in newly issued shares.
In the event of a market discount on the dividend payment date, the Plan
Agent will have until the last business day before the next date on which the
shares trade on an "ex-dividend" basis or in no event more than 30 days after
the dividend payment date (the "last purchase date") to invest the dividend
amount in shares acquired in open-market purchases. It is contemplated that the
Fund will pay monthly income dividends. Therefore, the period during which
open-market purchases can be made will exist only from the payment date on the
dividend through the date before the next "ex-dividend" date, which typically
will be approximately ten days. If, before the Plan Agent has completed its
open-market purchases, the market price of a share of common stock exceeds the
net asset value per share, the average per share purchase prices paid by the
Plan Agent may exceed the net asset value of the Fund's shares, resulting in the
acquisition of fewer shares than if the dividend had been paid in newly issued
shares on the dividend payment date. Because of the foregoing difficulty with
respect to open-market purchases, the Plan provides that if the Plan Agent is
unable to invest the full dividend amount in open-market purchases during the
purchase period or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the
purchase period, the Plan Agent will cease
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<PAGE> 40
making open-market purchases and will invest the uninvested portion of the
dividend amount in newly issued shares at the close of business on the last
purchase date.
The Plan Agent maintains all shareholders' accounts in the Plan and
furnishes written confirmation of all transactions in the account, including
information needed by shareholders for tax records. Shares in the account of
each Plan participant will be held by the Plan Agent in non-certificated form in
the name of the participant and each shareholder's proxy will include those
shares purchased or received pursuant to the Plan. The Plan Agent will forward
all proxy solicitation materials to participants and vote proxies for shares
held pursuant to the Plan in accordance with the instructions of the
participants.
In the case of shareholders such as banks, brokers or nominees that hold
shares for others who are the beneficial owners, the Plan Agent will administer
the Plan on the basis of the number of shares certified from time to time by the
record shareholders as representing the total amount registered in the record
shareholder's name and held for the account of beneficial owners who are to
participate in the Plan.
There will be no brokerage charges with respect to shares issued directly
by the Fund as a result of dividends or capital gains distributions payable
either in shares or in cash. However, each participant will pay a pro rata share
of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to the Plan Agent's open-market
purchases in connection with the reinvestment of dividends.
The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions will not relieve
participants of any Federal, state or local income tax that may be payable (or
required to be withheld) on such dividends. See "Taxes."
Shareholders participating in the Plan may receive benefits not available
to shareholders not participating in the Plan. If the market price plus
commissions of the Fund's shares is above the net asset value, participants in
the Plan will receive shares of the Fund at less than they could otherwise
purchase them and will have shares with a cash value greater than the value of
any cash distribution they would have received on their shares. If the market
price plus commissions is below the net asset value, participants will receive
distributions in shares with a net asset value greater than the value of any
cash distribution they would have received on their shares. However, there may
be insufficient shares available in the market to make distributions in shares
at prices below the net asset value. Also, since the Fund does not redeem its
shares, the price on resale may be more or less than the net asset value. See
"Taxes" for a discussion of tax consequences of the Plan.
Experience under the Plan may indicate that changes are desirable.
Accordingly, the Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan. There
is no direct service charge to participants in the Plan; however, the Fund
reserves the right to amend the Plan to include a service charge payable by the
participants.
All correspondence concerning the Plan should be directed to the Plan Agent
at .
MUTUAL FUND INVESTMENT OPTION
Purchasers of shares of common stock of the Fund through Merrill Lynch in
this offering will have an investment option consisting of the right to reinvest
the net proceeds from a sale of such shares (the "Original Shares") in Class D
initial sales charge shares of certain Merrill Lynch-
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<PAGE> 41
sponsored open-end mutual funds ("Eligible Class D Shares") at their net asset
value, without the imposition of the initial sales charge, if the conditions set
forth below are satisfied. First, the sale of the Original Shares must be made
through Merrill Lynch, and the net proceeds therefrom must be immediately
reinvested in Eligible Class D Shares. Second, the Original Shares must have
been either acquired in this offering or be shares representing reinvested
dividends from shares of common stock acquired in this offering. Third, the
Original Shares must have been continuously maintained in a Merrill Lynch
securities account. Fourth, there must be a minimum purchase of $250 to be
eligible for the investment option. Class D shares of the mutual funds are
subject to an account maintenance fee at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the
average daily net asset value of such mutual fund. The Eligible Class D Shares
may be redeemed at any time at the next determined net asset value, subject in
certain cases to a redemption fee. Prior to the time the shares of common stock
commence trading on the NYSE, the distributor for the mutual funds will advise
Merrill Lynch Financial Consultants as to those mutual funds that offer the
investment option described above.
NET ASSET VALUE
Net asset value per share of common stock is determined as of 15 minutes
after the close of business on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., the NYSE closes
at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on the last business day in each week. For purposes
of determining the net asset value of a share of common stock, the value of the
securities held by the Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest
accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses)
and the aggregate liquidation value of the outstanding shares of preferred stock
is divided by the total number of shares of common stock outstanding at such
time. Expenses, including the fees payable to the Investment Adviser, are
accrued daily.
The New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds in which the Fund
invests are traded primarily in the over-the-counter markets. In determining net
asset value, the Fund utilizes the valuations of portfolio securities furnished
by a pricing service approved by the Board of Directors. The pricing service
typically values portfolio securities at the bid price or the yield equivalent
when quotations are readily available. New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal
Bonds for which quotations are not readily available are valued at fair market
value on a consistent basis as determined by the pricing service using a matrix
system to determine valuations. The procedures of the pricing service and its
valuations are reviewed by the officers of the Fund under the general
supervision of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has determined in
good faith that the use of a pricing service is a fair method of determining the
valuation of portfolio securities. Positions in futures contracts are valued at
closing prices for such contracts established by the exchange on which they are
traded, or if market quotations are not readily available, are valued at fair
value on a consistent basis using methods determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors.
The Fund determines and makes available for publication the net asset value
of its common stock weekly. Currently, the net asset values of shares of
publicly traded closed-end investment companies investing in debt securities are
published in Barron's, the Monday edition of The Wall Street Journal, and the
Monday and Saturday editions of The New York Times.
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<PAGE> 42
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The Fund is authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of capital stock, par
value $.10 per share, all of which shares are initially classified as common
stock. The Board of Directors is authorized, however, to classify or reclassify
any unissued shares of capital stock by setting or changing the preferences,
conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to
dividends, qualifications, or terms or conditions of redemption. Within
approximately three months after completion of the offering of the common stock
described herein, the Fund intends to reclassify an amount of unissued common
stock as preferred stock and at that time to offer shares of preferred stock
representing approximately 40% of the Fund's capital immediately after the
issuance of such preferred stock. There is no assurance that such preferred
stock will be issued.
COMMON STOCK
Shares of common stock, when issued and outstanding, will be fully paid and
non-assessable. Shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of
the Fund available for distribution to shareholders upon liquidation of the
Fund. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held.
So long as any shares of the Fund's preferred stock are outstanding,
holders of common stock will not be entitled to receive any net income of or
other distributions from the Fund unless all accumulated dividends on preferred
stock have been paid and unless asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act) with
respect to preferred stock would be at least 200% after giving effect to such
distributions. See "Preferred Stock" below.
The Fund will send unaudited reports at least semi-annually and audited
annual financial statements to all of its shareholders.
The Investment Adviser provided the initial capital for the Fund by
purchasing 6,667 shares of common stock of the Fund for $100,005. As of the date
of this Prospectus, the Investment Adviser owned 100% of the outstanding shares
of common stock of the Fund. The Investment Adviser may be deemed to control the
Fund until such time as it owns less than 25% of the outstanding shares of the
Fund.
PREFERRED STOCK
It is anticipated that the Fund's shares of preferred stock will be issued
in one or more series, with rights as determined by the Board of Directors, by
action of the Board of Directors without the approval of the holders of common
stock. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is permitted to have outstanding more than
one series of preferred stock so long as no single series has a priority over
another series as to the distribution of assets of the Fund or the payment of
dividends. Holders of common stock have no preemptive right to purchase any
shares of preferred stock that might be issued. It is anticipated that the net
asset value per share of the preferred stock will equal its original purchase
price per share plus accumulated dividends per share.
The Fund's Board of Directors has declared its intention to authorize an
offering of shares of preferred stock (representing approximately 40% of the
Fund's capital immediately after the issuance of such preferred stock) within
approximately three months after completion of the offering of common stock,
subject to market conditions and to the Board's continuing to believe that
leveraging the Fund's capital structure through the issuance of preferred stock
is likely to achieve the benefits to
41
<PAGE> 43
the holders of common stock described in the Prospectus. Although the terms of
the preferred stock, including its dividend rate, voting rights, liquidation
preference and redemption provisions will be determined by the Board of
Directors (subject to applicable law and the Fund's Articles of Incorporation),
the initial series of preferred stock will be structured to carry either a
relatively short-term dividend rate, in which case periodic redetermination of
the dividend rate will be made at relatively short intervals (generally seven or
28 days), or a medium-term dividend rate, in which case periodic redetermination
of the dividend rate will be made at intervals of up to five years. In either
case, such redetermination of the dividend rate will be made through an auction
or remarketing procedure. Additionally, under certain circumstances, when the
Fund is required to allocate taxable income to holders of the preferred stock,
it is anticipated that the terms of the preferred stock will require the Fund to
make an Additional Distribution (as defined in "Risks and Special Considerations
of Leverage-Effects of Leverage") to such holders. The Board also has indicated
that it is likely that the liquidation preference, voting rights and redemption
provisions of the preferred stock will be as stated below. The Fund's Articles
of Incorporation, as amended, together with any Articles Supplementary, is
referred to below as the "Charter."
Liquidation Preference. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Fund, the holders of shares of
preferred stock will be entitled to receive a preferential liquidating
distribution (expected to equal the original purchase price per share plus an
amount equal to accumulated and unpaid dividends whether or not earned or
declared and any accumulated and unpaid Additional Distribution) before any
distribution of assets is made to holders of common stock. After payment of the
full amount of the liquidating distribution to which they are entitled, the
preferred stockholders will not be entitled to any further participation in any
distribution of assets by the Fund. A consolidation or merger of the Fund with
or into any other corporation or corporations or a sale of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Fund will not be deemed to be a liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Fund.
Voting Rights. Except as otherwise indicated in this Prospectus and except
as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of shares of preferred stock
will have equal voting rights with holders of shares of common stock (one vote
per share) and will vote together with holders of common stock as a single
class.
In connection with the election of the Fund's directors, holders of shares
of preferred stock, voting as a separate class, will be entitled to elect two of
the Fund's directors, and the remaining directors will be elected by all holders
of capital stock, voting as a single class. So long as any preferred stock is
outstanding, the Fund will have not less than five directors. If at any time
dividends on shares of the Fund's preferred stock shall be unpaid in an amount
equal to two full years' dividends thereon, the holders of all outstanding
shares of preferred stock, voting as a separate class, will be entitled to elect
a majority of the Fund's directors until all dividends in default have been paid
or declared and set apart for payment.
The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares
of the preferred stock, voting as a separate class, will be required to (i)
authorize, create or issue any class or series of stock ranking prior to any
series of preferred stock with respect to payment of dividends or the
distribution of assets on liquidation or (ii) amend, alter or repeal the
provisions of the Charter, whether by
42
<PAGE> 44
merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to adversely affect any of the
contract rights expressly set forth in the Charter of holders of preferred
stock.
Redemption Provisions. It is anticipated that shares of preferred stock
will generally be redeemable at the option of the Fund at a price equal to their
liquidation preference plus accumulated but unpaid dividends to the date of
redemption plus, under certain circumstances, a redemption premium. Shares of
preferred stock will also be subject to mandatory redemption at a price equal to
their liquidation preference plus accumulated but unpaid dividends to the date
of redemption upon the occurrence of certain specified events, such as the
failure of the Fund to maintain asset coverage requirements for the preferred
stock specified by the rating agencies that issue ratings on the preferred
stock.
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
The Fund's Articles of Incorporation include provisions that could have the
effect of limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control
of the Fund or to change the composition of its Board of Directors and could
have the effect of depriving shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares
at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from
seeking to obtain control of the Fund. A director may be removed from office
with or without cause, but only by vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of
the votes entitled to be voted on the matter. A director elected by all the
holders of capital stock may be removed only by action of such holders, and a
director elected by the holders of preferred stock may be removed only by action
of such holders.
In addition, the Articles of Incorporation require the favorable vote of
the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the Fund's shares of capital stock then
entitled to be voted, voting as a single class, to approve, adopt or authorize
the following:
- a merger or consolidation or statutory share exchange of the Fund with
other corporations,
- a sale of all or substantially all of the Fund's assets (other than in
the regular course of the Fund's investment activities), or
- a liquidation or dissolution of the Fund, unless such action has been
approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of
the total number of Directors fixed in accordance with the by-laws, in
which case the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund's shares of
capital stock is required. Following the proposed issuance of the
preferred stock, it is anticipated that the approval, adoption or
authorization of the foregoing would also require the favorable vote of a
majority of the Fund's shares of preferred stock then entitled to be
voted, voting as a separate class.
In addition, conversion of the Fund to an open-end investment company would
require an amendment to the Fund's Articles of Incorporation. The amendment
would have to be declared advisable by the Board of Directors prior to its
submission to shareholders. Such an amendment would require the favorable vote
of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the Fund's outstanding shares of capital
stock (including any preferred stock) entitled to be voted on the matter, voting
as a single class (or a majority of such shares if the amendment was previously
approved, adopted or authorized by two-thirds of the total number of Directors
fixed in accordance with the by-laws), and, assuming preferred stock is issued,
the affirmative vote of a majority of outstanding shares of preferred stock of
the Fund, voting as a separate class. Such a vote also would satisfy a separate
requirement in the
43
<PAGE> 45
1940 Act that the change be approved by the shareholders. Shareholders of an
open-end investment company may require the company to redeem their shares of
common stock at any time (except in certain circumstances as authorized by or
under the 1940 Act) at their net asset value, less such redemption charge, if
any, as might be in effect at the time of a redemption. All redemptions will be
made in cash. If the Fund is converted to an open-end investment company, it
could be required to liquidate portfolio securities to meet requests for
redemption, and the common stock would no longer be listed on a stock exchange.
Conversion to an open-end investment company would also require redemption
of all outstanding shares of preferred stock and would require changes in
certain of the Fund's investment policies and restrictions, such as those
relating to the issuance of senior securities, the borrowing of money and the
purchase of illiquid securities.
The Board of Directors has determined that the 66 2/3% voting requirements
described above, which are greater than the minimum requirements under Maryland
law or the 1940 Act, are in the best interests of shareholders generally.
Reference should be made to the Charter on file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission for the full text of these provisions.
CUSTODIAN
The Fund's securities and cash are held under a custodial agreement with
.
UNDERWRITING
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (the "Underwriter") has
agreed, subject to the terms and conditions of a Purchase Agreement with the
Fund and the Investment Adviser, to purchase shares of common stock
from the Fund. The Underwriter is committed to purchase all of such shares if
any are purchased.
The Underwriter has advised the Fund that it proposes initially to offer
the shares of common stock to the public at the public offering price set forth
on the cover page of this Prospectus. There is no sales charge or underwriting
discount charged to investors on purchases of shares of common stock in the
offering. The Investment Adviser or an affiliate has agreed to pay the
Underwriter from its own assets a commission in connection with the sale of
shares of common stock in the offering in the amount of $ per share. Such
payment is equal to % of the initial public offering price per share. The
Underwriter also has advised the Fund that from this amount the Underwriter may
pay a concession to certain dealers not in excess of $ per share on sales by
such dealers. After the initial public offering, the public offering price and
other selling terms may be changed. Investors must pay for shares of common
stock purchased in the offering on or before June , 1999.
The Fund has granted the Underwriter an option, exercisable for 45 days
after the date hereof, to purchase additional shares of common stock to
cover over-allotments, if any, at the initial offering price.
The Underwriter may engage in certain transactions that stabilize the price
of the shares of common stock. Such transactions consist of bids or purchases
for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the shares of
common stock.
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<PAGE> 46
If the Underwriter creates a short position in the shares of common stock
in connection with the offering, i.e., if it sells more shares of common stock
than are set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus, the Underwriter may
reduce that short position by purchasing shares of common stock in the open
market. The Underwriter also may elect to reduce any short position by
exercising all or part of the over-allotment option described above.
The Underwriter also may impose a penalty bid on certain selling group
members. This means that if the Underwriter purchases shares of common stock in
the open market to reduce the Underwriter's short position or to stabilize the
price of the shares of common stock, it may reclaim the amount of the selling
concession from the selling group members who sold those shares of common stock
as part of the offering.
In general, purchases of a security for the purpose of stabilization or to
reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than
it might be in the absence of such purchases. The imposition of a penalty bid
might also have an effect on the price of a security to the extent that it were
to discourage resales of the security.
Neither the Fund nor the Underwriter makes any representation or prediction
as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described
above may have on the price of the shares of common stock. In addition, neither
the Fund nor the Underwriter makes any representation that the Underwriter will
engage in such transactions or that such transactions, once commenced, will not
be discontinued without notice.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the shares of
the common stock. The Fund plans to apply to list its shares of common stock on
the NYSE or another national securities exchange. However, during an initial
period which is not expected to exceed two weeks from the date of this
prospectus, the Fund's common stock will not be listed on any securities
exchange. Additionally, before it begins trading, the Underwriter does not
intend to make a market in the Fund's common stock, although a limited market
may develop. Thus, it is anticipated that investors may not be able to buy and
sell shares of the Fund during such period. In order to meet the requirements
for listing, the Underwriter has undertaken to sell lots of 100 or more shares
to a minimum of 2,000 beneficial owners.
The Fund anticipates that the Underwriter may from time to time act as a
broker in connection with the execution of its portfolio transactions. The Fund
has obtained an exemptive order permitting it to engage in certain principal
transactions with the Underwriter involving high quality, short-term, tax-exempt
securities subject to certain conditions. See "Investment Restrictions" and
"Portfolio Transactions."
The Underwriter is an affiliate of the Investment Adviser of the Fund.
The Fund and the Investment Adviser have agreed to indemnify the
Underwriter against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the
Securities Act of 1933.
TRANSFER AGENT, DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT AND REGISTRAR
The transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and registrar for the shares
of common stock of the Fund will be .
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<PAGE> 47
LEGAL OPINIONS
Certain legal matters in connection with the common stock offered hereby
will be passed upon for the Fund and the Underwriter by Brown & Wood LLP, New
York, New York.
EXPERTS
The statement of assets, liabilities and capital of the Fund as of
included in this prospectus has been so included in reliance
on the report of , independent auditors, and on their
authority as experts in auditing and accounting. The selection of independent
auditors is subject to ratification by shareholders of the Fund.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Fund is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and the 1940 Act and in accordance therewith is required to
file reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Any such reports, proxy statements and
other information can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities
of the Commission at Room 1024, Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, and at the following regional offices of the Commission:
Regional Office, at Seven World Trade Center, Suite 1300, New York, New York
10048; Pacific Regional Office, at 5670 Wilshire Boulevard, 11th Floor, Los
Angeles, California 90036; and Midwest Regional Office, at Northwestern Atrium
Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661-2511.
Copies of such materials can be obtained from the public reference section of
the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed
rates. The Commission maintains a Web site at http://www.sec.gov containing
reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding
registrants, including the Fund, that file electronically with the Commission.
Reports, proxy statements and other information concerning the Fund can also be
inspected at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New
York, New York 10005.
Additional information regarding the Fund is contained in the Registration
Statement on Form N-2, including amendments, exhibits and schedules thereto,
relating to such shares filed by the Fund with the Commission in Washington,
D.C. This Prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the
Registration Statement, including any amendments, exhibits and schedules
thereto. For further information with respect to the fund and the shares offered
hereby, reference is made to the Registration Statement. Statements contained in
this Prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to
are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy
of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such
reference. A copy of the Registration Statement may be inspected without charge
at the Commission's principal office in Washington, D.C., and copies of all or
any part thereof may be obtained from the Commission upon the payment of certain
fees prescribed by the Commission.
YEAR 2000 ISSUES
Many computer systems were designed using only two digits to designate
years. These systems may not be able to distinguish the Year 2000 from the Year
1900 (commonly known as the "Year
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<PAGE> 48
2000 Problem"). The Fund could be adversely affected if the computer systems
used by the Investment Adviser or other Fund service providers do not properly
address this problem before January 1, 2000. The Investment Adviser expects to
have addressed this problem before then, and does not anticipate that the
services it provides will be adversely affected. The Fund's other service
providers have told the Investment Adviser that they also expect to resolve the
Year 2000 Problem, and the Investment Adviser will continue to monitor the
situation as the Year 2000 approaches. However, if the problem has not been
fully addressed, the Fund could be negatively affected. The Year 2000 Problem
could also have a negative impact on the issuers of securities in which the Fund
invests, and this could hurt the Fund's investment returns.
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<PAGE> 49
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
The Board of Directors and Shareholder,
MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund IV, Inc.:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets, liabilities and
capital of MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund IV, Inc. as of June , 1999.
This financial statement is the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on this financial statement based on our
audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, such statement of assets, liabilities and capital presents
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of MuniHoldings New
Jersey Insured Fund IV, Inc. as of June , 1999 in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.
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<PAGE> 50
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
STATEMENT OF ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL
JUNE , 1999
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
ASSETS
Cash................................................... $100,005
Offering costs (Note 1)................................
--------
Total assets......................................
--------
LIABILITIES
Liabilities and accrued expenses (Note 1)..............
--------
NET ASSETS.................................................. $100,005
========
CAPITAL
Common Stock, par value $.10 per share; 200,000,000
shares authorized; 6,667 shares issued and outstanding
(Note 1).............................................. $ 667
Paid-in Capital in excess of par....................... 99,338
--------
Total Capital-Equivalent to $15.00 net asset value per
share of Common Stock (Note 1)........................ $100,005
========
</TABLE>
NOTES TO STATEMENT OF ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION
The Fund was incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland on April
5, 1999, as a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company and has
had no operations other than the sale to Fund Asset Management, L.P. (the
"Investment Adviser") of an aggregate of 6,667 shares of Common Stock for
$100,005 on , 1999. The General Partner of the Investment
Adviser is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
The Investment Adviser, on behalf of the Fund, will incur organization
costs estimated at $ . Direct costs relating to the public offering of the
Fund's shares will be charged to capital at the time of issuance of shares.
NOTE 2. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS
The Fund has engaged the Investment Adviser to provide investment advisory
and management services to the Fund. The Investment Adviser will receive a
monthly fee for advisory services, at an annual rate equal to of 1% of the
average weekly net assets of the Fund, including any proceeds from the issuance
of Preferred Stock. The Investment Adviser or an affiliate will pay Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated a commission in the amount of %
of the price to the public in connection with the initial public offering of the
Fund's common stock.
NOTE 3. FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The Fund intends to qualify as a "regulated investment company" and as such
(and by complying with the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended) will not be subject to Federal income tax on taxable income
(including realized capital gains) that is distributed to shareholders.
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<PAGE> 51
APPENDIX I
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN NEW JERSEY
The following information is a brief summary of factors affecting the
economy of the State of New Jersey and does not purport to be a complete
description of such factors. Other factors will effect issuers. The summary is
based primarily upon one or more of the most recent publicly available offering
statements relating to debt offerings of New Jersey issuers, however, it has not
been updated nor will it be updated during the year. The Fund has not
independently verified the information.
New Jersey (sometimes referred to herein as the "State") personal income
tax rates were reduced so that beginning with the tax year 1996, personal income
tax rates are, depending upon a taxpayer's level of income and filing status,
30%, 15% or 9% lower than 1993 tax rates.
The State operates on a fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.
For example, "Fiscal Year 2000" refers to the State's fiscal year beginning July
1, 1999 and ending June 30, 2000.
The General Fund is the fund into which all State revenues, not otherwise
restricted by statute, are deposited and from which appropriations are made. The
largest part of the total financial operations of the State is accounted for in
the General Fund. Revenues received from taxes and unrestricted by statute, most
federal revenues, and certain miscellaneous revenue items are recorded in the
General Fund.
The State's undesignated General Fund balance was $442 million for Fiscal
Year 1996, and $281 million for Fiscal Year 1997 and $228 for Fiscal Year 1998.
For the Fiscal Year 1999 and the Fiscal Year 2000, the balance in the
undesignated General Fund is estimated to be $311 million and $113 million,
respectively.
The State finances certain capital projects primarily through the sale of
the general obligation bonds of the State. These bonds are backed by the full
faith and credit of the State. Certain State tax revenues and certain other fees
are pledged to meet the principal, interest payments, redemption premium
payments, if any, required to fully pay the bonds. No general obligation debt
can be issued by the State without prior voter approval, except that no voter
approval is required for any law authorizing the creation of a debt for the
purpose of refinancing all or a portion of outstanding debt of the State, so
long as such law requires that the refinancing provide a debt service savings.
The State's economic base is diversified, consisting of a variety of
manufacturing, construction and service industries, supplemented by rural areas
with selective commercial agriculture.
In its seventh year of expansion, the State has benefited and will continue
to benefit from national growth. While the latest national indicators show that
economic growth strongly accelerated
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<PAGE> 52
during the first quarter of 1998, the inflation rate remained low. After very
robust economic growth of 5.5% in the first quarter of 1998, inflation-adjusted
gross domestic product slowed to 1.4% in the second quarter. This second quarter
pace was slower, but was positive and more sustainable.
Business investment expenditures and consumer spending have increased
substantially in the nation as well as in the State. Capital and consumer
spending may continue to rise due to the sustained character of economic growth
and the interest-sensitive homebuilding industry may continue to provide
stimulus both nationally and in New Jersey. It is expected that the employment
and income growth that has and is taking place will lead to further growth in
consumer outlays. Reasons for continued optimism in New Jersey include
increasing employment levels and a higher-than-national level of per capita
personal income. Also, several expansions of existing hotel-casinos and plans
for several new casinos in Atlantic City will mean additional job creation.
In addition, the State's growth potential is not yet as limited by labor
supply constraints affecting some other parts of the country. The region's
manufacturers and trade-related service sectors could also get a lift from
continued recovery in Western Europe and Mexico and from relatively high
economic growth in South America. At the same time, the State appears to be less
dependent on exports to East Asian countries that currently have financial
difficulties than many other states, especially on the West Coast.
The State of New Jersey has implemented a plan to address the Year 2000
data processing problem and ensure the continuation of government operations
into the Year 2000 and beyond. Planning for the Year 2000 commenced in 1997 with
the requirement that the various State departments submit comprehensive three
year action plans identifying all year 2000 impacts, strategies and timeframes
for addressing these impacts and estimates of cost. The State imposed a
moratorium during Fiscal Year 1998 on all non-year 2000 related data processing
activities to ensure availability of resources for Year 2000 compliance.
Agencies were directed to review current and ongoing technology initiatives in
light of the moratorium and suspend all those that are not considered mission
critical. This moratorium will remain in effect until each agency can certify
that it is Year 2000 compliant. As of December 31, 1998, the testing, validation
and implementation of 75 percent of all centrally maintained state systems is
complete. Departmental systems are in varying stages of remediation. The total
estimated cost to the State to achieve Year 2000 compliance is $120 million of
which approximately $66 million of expenditures have been incurred as of
December 31, 1998. Colleges and universities, authorities, municipal, county and
local sub-divisions will address Year 2000 issues separately.
Looking further ahead, prospects for New Jersey are favorable. While growth
is likely to be slower than in the nation, the locational advantages that have
served New Jersey well for many years will still be there. Structural changes
that have been going on for years can be expected to continue, with job creation
concentrated most heavily in the service industries.
Tort, Contract and Other Claims. At any given time, there are various
numbers of claims and cases pending against the State, State agencies and
employees, seeking recovery of monetary damages that are primarily paid out of
the fund created pursuant to the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (N.J.S.A. 59:1-1,
et. seq.). The State does not formally estimate its reserve representing
potential
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exposure for these claims and cases. The State is unable to estimate its
exposure for these claims and cases.
The State routinely receives notices of claim seeking substantial sums of
money. The majority of those claims have historically proven to be of
substantially less value than the amount originally claimed. Under the New
Jersey Tort Claims Act, any tort litigation against the State must be preceded
by a notice of claim, which affords the State the opportunity for a six-month
investigation prior to the filing of any suit against it.
In addition, at any given time, there are various numbers of contract and
other claims against the State and State agencies, including environmental
claims asserted against the State, among other parties, arising from the alleged
disposal of hazardous waste. Claimants in such matters are seeking recovery of
monetary damages or other relief which, if granted, would require the
expenditure of funds. The State is unable to estimate its exposure for these
claims.
At any given time, there are various numbers of claims and cases pending
against the University of Medicine and Dentistry and its employees, seeking
recovery of monetary damages that are primarily paid out of the Self Insurance
Reserve Fund created pursuant to the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (N.J.S.A.
59:1-1, et seq.). An independent study estimated an aggregate potential exposure
of $85,300,000 for tort and medical malpractice claims pending as of December
31, 1997. In addition, at any given time, there are various numbers of contract
and other claims against the University of Medicine and Dentistry, seeking
recovery of monetary damages or other relief which, if granted, would require
the expenditure of funds. The State is unable to estimate its exposure for these
claims.
Buena Regional Commercial Township et al. v. New Jersey Department of
Education et al. This lawsuit was filed in Superior Court, Chancery Division,
Cumberland County. This lawsuit was filed December 9, 1997, on behalf of 17
rural school districts seeking the same type of relief as has been mandated to
be provided to the poor urban school districts in Abbott V. Burke. The
plaintiffs requested a declaratory judgement stating that the chancery court
retain jurisdiction, pending the remanding of the matter to the Commissioner of
Education for a hearing. The petition was then amended to include three more
rural districts for a total of 20. The State and plaintiffs entered into a
consent order to transfer the matter to the Commissioner of Education for
resolution. The chancery court did not retain jurisdiction. Once the matter was
transferred to the Commissioner, plaintiffs moved to amend their pleadings and
have done so three times. With each new pleading, the State has answered with a
motion to dismiss. Decisions on the first two motions to dismiss were rendered
moot by plaintiffs' filing of a subsequent amended pleading. There has been no
decision on the last motion to dismiss filed. The State is unable at this time
to estimate its exposure for this claim and intends to defend this suit
vigorously.
Verner Stubaus, et al. v. State of New Jersey, et al. Plaintiffs, 25
middle income school districts, have filed a complaint alleging that the State's
system of funding for their schools is violative of the constitutional rights of
equal protection and a thorough and efficient education. The complaint was filed
April 20, 1998. On June 23, 1998, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint removing
one and adding eighteen school district plaintiffs. The State defendants filed a
motion to dismiss the amended complaint on September 18, 1998. The motion was
argued and the court
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reserved its decision until March 12, 1999, pending the submission of additional
briefs by the parties. The time to answer the complaint has not yet run and a
response to the amended complaint has not yet been filed. The State will
vigorously defend this matter. The State is unable, at this time, to estimate
its exposure for these claims.
United Hospitals et. al. v. State of New Jersey and William Waldman. This
case represents a challenge by 19 New Jersey hospitals to Medicaid hospital
reimbursement since 1995. The matters were filed in the Appellate Division of
the Superior Court of New Jersey. The hospitals challenge all of the following:
(i) whether the State complied with certain federal requirements for Medicaid
reimbursement; (ii) whether the State's reimbursement regulations, N.J.A.C
10:52-1 et. seq., are arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable; (iii) whether the
Department of Human Services (DHS) incorrectly calculated the rates; (iv)
whether DHS denied hospitals of a meaningful appeal process; (v) whether the
1996-7 State Appropriations Act (L.1996, c.42) violates the New Jersey
Constitution with respect to the provision for Medicaid reimbursement to
hospitals; and (vi) whether DHS violated the Medicaid State Plan, filed with the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in implementing hospital rates
since 1995. The State intends to vigorously defend these actions.
Currently, the State's general obligation bonds are rated AA+ by Standard &
Poor's, Aa1 by Moody's and AA+ by Fitch IBCA. From time to time agencies may
change their ratings.
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APPENDIX II
RATINGS OF MUNICIPAL BONDS
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. ("MOODY'S") MUNICIPAL 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 are
generally known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than
the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large
as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may
be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present
which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in
Aaa securities.
A Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment
attributes and are to be considered as upper medium grade
obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest
are considered adequate, but elements may be present which
suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade
obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly
secured. Interest payment 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 in a high degree. Such issues are often in default
or have other marked shortcomings.
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C Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds, and
issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor
prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Note: Those bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B categories which Moody's
believes possess the strongest credit attributes within those categories are
designated by the symbols Aa1, A1, Baa1, Ba1 and B1.
Short-term Notes: The three ratings of Moody's for short-term notes are
MIG 1/VMIG1, MIG 2/VMIG2 and MIG 3/VMIG3; MIG 1/VMIG1 denotes "best quality . .
. strong protection by established cash flows"; MIG 2/VMIG2 denotes "high
quality" with ample margins of protection; MIG 3/VMIG3 notes are of "favorable
quality . . . but . . . lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding
grades".
DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
Moody's Commercial Paper ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to
repay punctually promissory obligations not having an original maturity in
excess of nine months. Moody's employs the following three designations, all
judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of
rated issuers:
Issuers rated Prime-1 (or related supporting institutions) have a superior
ability for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Prime-1 repayment
ability will often be evidenced by the following characteristics: leading market
positions in well established industries; high rates of return on funds
employed; conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt
and ample asset protection; broad margins in earning 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 rated Prime-2 (or related supporting institutions) have a strong
ability for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally
be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree.
Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to
variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more
affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable
ability for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. The effect of
industry characteristics and market composition may be more pronounced.
Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of
debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage.
Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating
categories.
DESCRIPTION OF STANDARD & POOR'S, A DIVISION OF THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC.
("STANDARD & POOR'S"), MUNICIPAL DEBT RATINGS
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the
creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation,
a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific
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financial program. It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of
guarantors, insurers or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation.
The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a
financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or
suitability for a particular investor.
The ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or
obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard
& Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on
occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed,
suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such
information, or based on other circumstances.
The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
I. Likelihood of payment -- capacity and willingness of the obligor
to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the
terms of obligation;
II. Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and
III. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation
in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization or other arrangement under the
laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
AAA Debt rated "AAA" has the highest rating assigned by Standard &
Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment
on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA Debt rated "AA" differs from the highest rated obligations only
in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A Debt rated "A" is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse
effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than
debt in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity
to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still
strong.
BBB Debt rated "BBB" exhibits adequate protection parameters.
However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances
are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to
meet its financial commitment to the obligation.
BB
B
CCC
CC
C Debt rated "BB," "B," "CCC," "CC" and "C" is regarded as having
significant speculative characteristics. "BB" indicates the
least degree of speculation and "C" the highest degree of
speculation. While such bonds will likely have some quality and
protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large
uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
D Debt rated "D" is in payment default. The "D" rating category is
used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due
even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless
Standard & Poor's believes that such
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payments will be made during such grace period. The "D" rating
also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or
the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are
jeopardized.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by
the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major
rating categories.
DESCRIPTION OF STANDARD & POOR'S COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
A Standard & Poor's Commercial Paper rating is a current assessment of the
likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than
365 days. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from "A-1" for the
highest-quality obligations to "D" for the lowest. These categories are as
follows:
This highest category indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely
payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety
characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.
Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is
satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for
issues designated "A-1".
Issues carrying this designation have an adequate capacity for timely
payment. They are, however, more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.
B Issues rated "B" are regarded as having only speculative
capacity for timely payment.
C This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations with a
doubtful capacity for payment.
D Debt rated "D" is in payment default. The "D" rating category is
used when interest payments or principal payments are not made
on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not
expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments
will be made during such grace period.
A Commercial Paper rating is not a recommendation to purchase or sell a
security. The ratings are based on current information furnished to Standard &
Poor's by the issuer or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it
considers reliable. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a
result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information.
DESCRIPTION OF STANDARD & POOR'S SHORT-TERM ISSUED CREDIT RATING
A Standard & Poor's note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market
access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely
receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three
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years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria
will be used in making that assessment.
-- Amortization schedule -- the larger the final maturity relative to other
maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
-- Source of payment -- the more dependent the issue is on the market for
its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue
determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service
is given a plus "+" designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some
vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the
term of the notes.
SP-3 Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
DESCRIPTION OF FITCH IBCA, INC.'S ("FITCH") INVESTMENT GRADE BOND RATINGS
Fitch investment grade bond ratings provide a guide to investors in
determining the credit risk associated with a particular security. The rating
represents Fitch's assessment of the issuer's ability to meet the obligations of
a specific debt issue or class of debt in a timely manner.
The rating takes into consideration special features of the issue, its
relationship to other obligations of the issuer, the current and prospective
financial condition and operating performance of the issuer and any guarantor,
as well as the economic and political environment that might affect the issuer's
future financial strength and credit quality.
Fitch ratings do not reflect any credit enhancement that may be provided by
insurance policies or financial guarantees unless otherwise indicated.
Bonds that have the same rating are of similar but not necessarily
identical credit quality since the rating categories do not fully reflect small
differences in the degrees of credit risk.
Fitch ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any security.
Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any
security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of
payments made in respect of any security.
Fitch ratings are based on information obtained from issuers, other
obligors, underwriters, their experts, and other sources Fitch believes to be
reliable. Fitch does not audit or verify the truth or accuracy of such
information. Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of
changes in, or the unavailability of, information or for other reasons.
AAA Bonds 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 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
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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 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 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 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 (+) or Minus (-): Plus and minus signs are used with a rating symbol
to indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Plus
and minus signs, however, are not used in the "AAA" category.
NR Indicates that Fitch does not rate the specific issue.
Conditional A conditional rating is premised on the successful completion of
a project or the occurrence of a specific event.
Suspended A rating is suspended when Fitch deems the amount of information
available from the issuer to be inadequate for rating purposes.
Withdrawn A rating will be withdrawn when an issue matures or is called or
refinanced and, at Fitch's discretion, when an issuer fails to
furnish proper and timely information.
FitchAlert Ratings are placed on FitchAlert to notify investors of an
occurrence that is likely to result in a rating change and the
likely direction of such change. These are designated as
"Positive," indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative," for
potential downgrade, or "Evolving," where ratings may be raised
or lowered. FitchAlert is relatively short-term, and should be
resolved within three to 12 months.
Ratings Outlook: An outlook is used to describe the most likely direction
of any rating change over the intermediate term. It is described as "Positive"
or "Negative." The absence of a designation indicates a stable outlook.
DESCRIPTION OF FITCH'S SPECULATIVE GRADE BOND RATINGS
Fitch speculative grade bond ratings provide a guide to investors in
determining the credit risk associated with a particular security. The ratings
("BB" to "C") represent Fitch's assessment of the likelihood of timely payment
of principal and interest in accordance with the terms of obligation for bond
issues not in default. For defaulted bonds, the rating ("DDD" to "D") is an
assessment of the ultimate recovery value through reorganization or liquidation.
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The rating takes into consideration special features of the issue, its
relationship to other obligations of the issuer, the current and prospective
financial condition and operating performance of the issuer and any guarantor,
as well as the economic and political environment that might affect the issuer's
future financial strength.
Bonds that have the rating are of similar but not necessarily identical
credit quality since rating categories cannot fully reflect the differences in
degrees of credit risk.
BB Bonds are considered speculative. The obligor's ability to pay
interest and repay principal may be affected over time by
adverse economic changes. However, business and financial
alternatives can be identified which could assist the obligor in
satisfying its debt service requirements.
B Bonds are considered highly speculative. While bonds in this
class are currently meeting debt service requirements, the
probability of continued timely payment of principal and
interest reflects the obligor's limited margin of safety and the
need for reasonable business and economic activity throughout
the life of the issue.
CCC Bonds have certain identifiable characteristics which, if not
remedied, may lead to default. The ability to meet obligations
requires an advantageous business and economic environment.
CC Bonds are minimally protected. Default in payment of interest
and/or principal seems probable over time.
C Bonds are in imminent default in payment of interest or
principal.
DDD
DD
D Bonds are in default on interest and/or principal payments. Such
bonds are extremely speculative and should be valued on the
basis of their ultimate recovery value in liquidation or
reorganization of the obligor. "DDD" represents the highest
potential for recovery on these bonds, and "D" represents the
lowest potential for recovery.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): Plus and minus signs are used with a rating symbol
to indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Plus
and minus signs, however, are not used in the "DDD," "DD," or "D" categories.
DESCRIPTION OF FITCH'S 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.
The short-term rating places greater emphasis than a long-term rating on
the existence of liquidity necessary to meet the issuer's obligations in a
timely manner.
Fitch short-term ratings are as follows:
F-1+ Exceptionally Strong Credit Quality. Issues assigned this
rating are regarded as having the strongest degree of assurance
for timely payment.
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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 assigned this rating have a
satisfactory degree of assurance for timely payment, but the
margin of safety is not as great as for issues assigned "F-1+"
and "F-1" ratings.
F-3 Fair Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating have
characteristics suggesting that the degree of assurance for
timely payment is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes
could cause these securities to be rated below investment grade.
F-S Weak Credit Quality. Issues assigned this rating have
characteristics suggesting a minimal degree of assurance for
timely payment and are vulnerable to near-term adverse changes
in financial and economic conditions.
D Default. Issues assigned this rating are in actual or imminent
payment default.
LOC The symbol "LOC" indicates that the rating is based on a letter
of credit issued by a commercial bank.
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APPENDIX III
PORTFOLIO INSURANCE
Set forth below is further information with respect to the insurance
policies (the "Policies") that the Fund may obtain from several insurance
companies with respect to insured New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds
held by the Fund. The Fund has no obligation to obtain any such Policies, and
the terms of any Policies actually obtained may vary significantly from the
terms discussed below.
In determining eligibility for insurance, insurance companies will apply
their own standards. These standards correspond generally to the standards such
companies normally use in establishing the insurability of new issues of New
Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds and are not necessarily the criteria
that would be used in regard to the purchase of such bonds by the Fund. The
Policies do not insure (i) municipal securities ineligible for insurance and
(ii) municipal securities no longer owned by the Fund.
The Policies do not guarantee the market value of the insured New Jersey
Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds or the value of the shares of the Fund. In
addition, if the provider of an original issuance insurance policy is unable to
meet its obligations under such policy or if the rating assigned to the
insurance claims-paying ability of any such insurer deteriorates, the insurance
company will not have any obligation to insure any issue held by the Fund that
is adversely affected by either of the above described events. In addition to
the payment of premiums, the Policies may require that the Fund notify the
insurance company as to all New Jersey Municipal Bonds and Municipal Bonds in
the Fund's portfolio and permit the insurance company to audit their records.
The insurance premiums will be payable monthly by the Fund in accordance with a
premium schedule to be furnished by the insurance company at the time the
Policies are issued. Premiums are based upon the amounts covered and the
composition of the portfolio.
The fund will seek to utilize insurance companies that have insurance
claims-paying ability ratings of AAA from Standard & Poor's ("S&P") or Fitch
IBCA, Inc. ("Fitch") or Aaa from Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's"). There
can be no assurance however, that insurance from insurance carriers meeting
these criteria will be at all times available.
An S&P insurance claims-paying ability rating is an assessment of an
operating insurance company's financial capacity to meet obligations under an
insurance policy in accordance with the terms. An insurer with an insurance
claims-paying ability rating of AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P.
Capacity to honor insurance contracts is considered by S&P to be extremely
strong and highly likely to remain so over a long period of time. A Fitch
insurance claims-paying ability rating provides an assessment of an insurance
company's financial strength and, therefore, its ability to pay policy and
contract claims under the terms indicated. An insurer with an insurance claims-
paying ability rating of AAA has the highest rating assigned by Fitch. The
ability to pay claims is adjudged by Fitch to be extremely strong for insurance
companies with this highest rating. In the opinion of Fitch, foreseeable
business and economic risk factors should not have any material adverse impact
on the ability of these insurers to pay claims. In Fitch's opinion,
profitability, overall balance sheet strength, capitalization and liquidity are
all at very secure levels and are unlikely to be affected by potential adverse
underwriting, investment or cyclical events. A Moody's insurance claims-paying
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ability rating is an opinion of the ability of an insurance company to repay
punctually senior policyholder obligations and claims. An insurer with an
insurance claims-paying ability rating of Aaa is considered by Moody's to be of
the best quality. In the opinion of Moody's, the policy obligations of an
insurance company with an insurance claims-paying ability rating of Aaa carry
the smallest degree of credit risk and, while the financial strength of these
companies is likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most
unlikely to impair the company's fundamentally strong position.
An insurance claims-paying ability rating of S&P, Fitch or Moody's does not
constitute an opinion on any specific contract in that such an opinion can only
be rendered upon the review of the specific insurance contract. Furthermore, an
insurance claims-paying ability rating does not take into account deductibles,
surrender or cancellation penalties or the timeliness of payment; nor does it
address the ability of a company to meet nonpolicy obligations (i.e., debt
contracts).
The assignment of ratings by S&P, Fitch or Moody's to debt issues that are
fully or partially supported by insurance policies, contracts or guarantees is a
separate process from the determination of claims-paying ability ratings. The
likelihood of a timely flow of funds from the insurer to the trustee for the
bondholders is a key element in the rating determination for such debt issues.
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APPENDIX IV
TAXABLE EQUIVALENT YIELDS FOR 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1999
TAXABLE INCOME* NEW JERSEY A TAX-FREE YIELD OF
- ------------------------------------ 1999 FEDERAL TAX ---------------------------------------------
SINGLE RETURN JOINT RETURN TAX BRACKET BRACKET 5.00% 5.50% 6.00% 6.50% 7.00% 7.50%
- ----------------- ----------------- ------------ ---------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
IS EQUAL TO A TAXABLE YIELD OF
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
$ 25,751-$ 35,000 $ 43,051-$ 50,000 28% 1.750% 7.07 7.77 8.48 9.19 9.90 10.60
$ 50,001-$ 70,000 28% 2.450% 7.12 7.83 8.54 9.25 9.97 10.68
$ 35,001-$ 40,000 $ 70,001-$ 80,000 28% 3.500% 7.20 7.92 8.64 9.36 10.07 10.79
$ 40,001-$ 62,450 $ 80,001-$104,050 28% 5.525% 7.35 8.09 8.82 9.56 10.29 11.03
$ 62,451-$ 75,000 $104,051-$150,000 31% 5.525% 7.67 8.44 9.20 9.97 10.74 11.51
$ 75,001-$130,250 $150,001-$158,550 31% 6.370% 7.74 8.51 9.29 10.06 10.84 11.61
$130,251-$283,150 $158,551-$283,150 36% 6.370% 8.34 9.18 10.01 10.85 11.68 12.52
Over $283,150 Over $283,150 39.6% 6.370% 8.84 9.73 10.61 11.49 12.38 13.26
</TABLE>
- ------------
* An investor's marginal tax rate may exceed the rates shown in the above table
due to the reduction, or possible elimination, of the personal exemption
deduction for high-income taxpayers and an overall limit on itemized
deductions. For investors who pay alternative minimum tax, tax-free yields may
be equivalent to lower taxable yields than those shown above. Shareholders
subject to income taxation by states other than New Jersey will realize a
lower after-tax return than New Jersey shareholders. This table is a
combination of the Federal taxable income brackets, which is adjusted annually
for inflation and New Jersey taxable income brackets which have not been
adjusted for 1999. The New Jersey taxable yields set forth in the above table
presume that taxpayers in each Federal tax bracket are in the highest New
Jersey tax bracket corresponding to that Federal bracket. The tax rates shown
above do not apply to corporate taxpayers subject to the New Jersey
corporation business (franchise) tax and the corporation income tax. The tax
characteristics of the Fund are described more fully elsewhere in this
Prospectus. Consult your tax adviser for further details. This chart is for
illustrative purposes only and cannot be taken as an indication of anticipated
Fund performance.
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through and including September , 1999 (the 90th day after the date of
this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities,
whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a
prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers' obligation to deliver a
prospectus when acting underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments
or subscriptions.
SHARES
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
COMMON STOCK
---------------------
PROSPECTUS
---------------------
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
JUNE , 1999
CODE
19051-0199
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE> 67
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 24. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
(1) Financial Statements
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
STATEMENT OF ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL AS OF , 1999
(2) Exhibits:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DESCRIPTION
-----------
<S> <C> <C>
(a)(1) -- Articles of Incorporation of the Fund(a)
(b) -- By-Laws of the Fund(a)
(c) -- Not applicable.
(d)(1) -- Portions of the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the
Fund defining the rights of holders of shares of common
stock of the Fund*
(d)(2) -- Form of specimen certificate for shares of common stock of
the Fund*
(e) -- Form of Dividend Reinvestment Plan*
(f) -- Not applicable
(g) -- Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund and
Fund Asset Management, L.P.*
(h)(1) -- Form of Purchase Agreement between the Fund and Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated*
(h)(2) -- Merrill Lynch Standard Dealer Agreement*
(i) -- Not applicable
(j) -- Form of Custodian Contract between the Fund and
*
(k) -- Form of Registrar, Transfer Agency and Service Agreement
between the Fund and *
(l) -- Opinion and Consent of Brown & Wood LLP.*
(m) -- Not applicable
(n)(2) -- Consent of , independent auditors for
the Fund*
(o) -- Not applicable
(p) -- Certificate of Fund Asset Management, L.P.*
(q) -- Not applicable
(r) -- Not applicable
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(a) Reference is made to Article V, Article VI (sections 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6),
Article VII, Article VIII, Article X, Article XI, Article XII and Article
XIII of the Registrant's Articles of Incorporation, filed as Exhibit (a) to
this Registration Statement; and to Article II, Article III (sections 1, 2,
3, 5 and 17), Article VI, Article VII, Article XII, Article XIII and Article
XIV of the Registrant's By-Laws, filed as Exhibit (b) to this Registration
Statement.
* To be provided by amendment.
ITEM 25. MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS.
See Exhibits (h)(1) and (2).
C-1
<PAGE> 68
ITEM 26. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The following table sets forth the estimated expenses to be incurred in
connection with the offering described in this Registration Statement:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Registration fees........................................... $ *
New York Stock Exchange listing fee......................... *
Printing (other than stock certificates).................... *
Engraving and printing stock certificates................... *
Legal fees and expenses..................................... *
Accounting fees and expenses................................ *
NASD fees................................................... *
Miscellaneous............................................... *
--------
Total............................................. $
========
</TABLE>
- ---------------
* To be provided by amendment.
ITEM 27. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT.
The information in the prospectus under the captions "Investment Advisory
and Management Arrangements" and "Description of Capital Stock-Common Stock" and
in Note 1 to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Capital is incorporated
herein by reference.
ITEM 28. NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES.
There will be one record holder of the Common Stock, par value $0.10 per
share, as of the effective date of this Registration Statement.
ITEM 29. INDEMNIFICATION.
Section 2-418 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Maryland,
Article VI of the Registrant's Articles of Incorporation, filed as Exhibit
(a)(1) to this Registration Statement, Article VI of the Registrant's By-Laws,
filed as Exhibit (b) to this Registration Statement, and the Investment Advisory
Agreement, a form of which is filed as Exhibit (g)(1) to this Registration
Statement, provide for indemnification.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") may be provided to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the Fund, pursuant to the foregoing provisions or
otherwise, the Fund has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Fund of
expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
Fund in connection with any successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Fund will, unless in the
opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Reference is made to Section Six of the Purchase Agreement, a form of which
is filed as Exhibit (h)(1) hereto, for provisions relating to the
indemnification of the underwriter.
ITEM 30. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER.
Fund Asset Management, L.P. (the "Investment Adviser"), an affiliate of
MLAM acts as investment adviser for the following open-end registered investment
companies: CBA Money Fund, CMA Government Securities Fund, CMA Money Fund, CMA
Multi-State Municipal Series Trust, CMA Tax-Exempt Fund, CMA Treasury Fund, The
Corporate Fund Accumulation Program, Inc., Financial Institutions Series Trust,
Merrill Lynch Basic Value Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch California Municipal Series
Trust, Merrill Lynch Corporate Bond Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Corporate High
Yield Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Emerging Tigers Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch
Federal Securities Trust, Merrill Lynch Funds for Institutions Series, Merrill
Lynch Multi-State Limited Maturity Municipal Series Trust, Merrill Lynch
Multi-State Municipal Series Trust, Merrill Lynch Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.,
Merrill Lynch Phoenix Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Special Value
C-2
<PAGE> 69
Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch World Income Fund, Inc., and The Municipal Fund
Accumulation Program, Inc., and for the following closed-end registered
investment companies: Apex Municipal Fund, Inc., Corporate High Yield Fund,
Inc., Corporate High Yield Fund II, Inc., Corporate High Yield Fund III, Inc.,
Debt Strategies Fund, Inc., Debt Strategies Fund II, Inc., Debt Strategies Fund
III, Inc., Income Opportunities Fund 1999, Inc., Income Opportunities Fund 2000,
Inc., Merrill Lynch Municipal Strategy Fund, Inc., MuniAssets Fund, Inc.,
MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc., MuniHoldings Fund, Inc., MuniHoldings Fund II, Inc.,
MuniHoldings California Insured Fund, Inc., MuniHoldings California Insured Fund
II, Inc., MuniHoldings California Insured Fund III, Inc., MuniHoldings
California Insured Fund IV, Inc., MuniHoldings Florida Insured Fund,
MuniHoldings Florida Insured Fund II, MuniHoldings Florida Insured Fund III,
MuniHolding's Florida Insured Fund IV, MuniHoldings Insured Fund, Inc.,
MuniHoldings Insured Fund II, Inc., MuniHoldings Michigan Insured Fund Inc.,
MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund, Inc., MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund
II, Inc., MuniHoldings New Jersey Insured Fund III, Inc., MuniHoldings New York
Fund, Inc., MuniHoldings New York Insured Fund, Inc., MuniHoldings New York
Insured Fund II, Inc., MuniHolding's New York Insured Fund III, Inc.,
MuniHoldings Pennsylvania Insured Fund, MuniInsured Fund, Inc., MuniVest Florida
Fund, MuniVest Fund, Inc., MuniVest Fund II, Inc., MuniVest Michigan Insured
Fund, Inc., MuniVest New Jersey Fund, Inc., MuniVest Pennsylvania Insured Fund,
MuniYield Arizona Fund, Inc., MuniYield California Fund, Inc., MuniYield
California Insured Fund, Inc., MuniYield California Insured Fund II, Inc.,
MuniYield Florida Fund, MuniYield Florida Insured Fund, MuniYield Fund, Inc.,
MuniYield Insured Fund, Inc., MuniYield Michigan Fund, Inc., MuniYield Michigan
Insured Fund, Inc., MuniYield New Jersey Fund, Inc., MuniYield New Jersey
Insured Fund, Inc., MuniYield New York Insured Fund, Inc., MuniYield New York
Insured Fund II, Inc., MuniYield Pennsylvania Fund, MuniYield Quality Fund,
Inc., MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc., Senior High Income Portfolio, Inc., and
Worldwide DollarVest Fund, Inc.
Merrill Lynch Asset Management, L.P. ("MLAM"), an affiliate of the
Investment Adviser, acts as the investment adviser for the following open-end
registered investment companies: Merrill Lynch Adjustable Rate Securities Fund,
Inc., Merrill Lynch Americas Income Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Asset Builder
Program, Inc., Merrill Lynch Asset Growth Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Asset Income
Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Capital Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Convertible Fund,
Inc., Merrill Lynch Developing Capital Markets Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Dragon
Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch EuroFund, Merrill Lynch Fundamental Growth Fund, Inc.,
Merrill Lynch Global Bond Fund for Investment and Retirement, Merrill Lynch
Global Allocation Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Global Growth Fund, Inc., Merrill
Lynch Global Holdings, Merrill Lynch Global Resources Trust, Merrill Lynch
Global SmallCap Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Global Technology Fund, Inc., Merrill
Lynch Global Utility Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Global Value Fund, Inc., Merrill
Lynch Growth Fund, Merrill Lynch Healthcare Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch
Intermediate Government Bond Fund, Merrill Lynch International Equity Fund,
Merrill Lynch Latin America Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Middle East/Africa Fund,
Inc., Merrill Lynch Municipal Series Trust, Merrill Lynch Pacific Fund, Inc.,
Merrill Lynch Ready Assets Trust, Merrill Lynch Real Estate Fund, Inc., Merrill
Lynch Retirement Series Trust, Merrill Lynch Series Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch
Short-Term Global Income Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch Strategic Dividend Fund,
Merrill Lynch Technology Fund, Inc., Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Money Fund,
Merrill Lynch U.S.A. Government Reserves, Merrill Lynch Utility Income Fund,
Inc., Merrill Lynch Variable Series Funds, Inc. and Hotchkis and Wiley Funds
(advised by Hotchkis and Wiley, a division of MLAM); and for the following
closed-end registered investment companies: Merrill Lynch High Income Municipal
Bond Fund, Inc. and Merrill Lynch Senior Floating Rate Fund, Inc. MLAM also acts
as sub-adviser to Merrill Lynch World Strategy Portfolio and Merrill Lynch Basic
Equity Portfolio, two investment portfolios of EQ Advisors Trust.
The address of each of these registered investment companies is P.O. Box
9011, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-9011, except that the address of Merrill Lynch
Funds for Institutions Series and Merrill Lynch Intermediate Government Bond
Fund is One Financial Center, 23rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02111-2665.
The address of the Investment Adviser, MLAM, Princeton Services, Inc.
("Princeton Services") and Princeton Administrators, L.P. is also P.O. Box 9011,
Princeton, New Jersey 08543-9011. The address of Princeton Funds Distributor,
Inc. ("PFD") and of Merrill Lynch Funds Distributor ("MLFD") is
C-3
<PAGE> 70
P.O. Box 9081, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-9081. The address of Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch") and Merrill Lynch & Co.,
Inc. ("ML&Co.") is World Financial Center, North Tower, 250 Vesey Street, New
York, New York 10281-1201.
Set forth below is a list of each executive officer and partner of the
Investment Adviser indicating each business, profession, vocation or employment
of a substantial nature in which each such person or entity has been engaged for
the past two years for his or her or its own account or in the capacity of
director, officer, employee, partner or trustee. In addition, Mr. Glenn is
President and Mr. Burke is Vice President and Treasurer of all or substantially
all of the investment companies described in the first two paragraphs of this
Item 30 and also hold the same positions with all or substantially all of the
investment companies advised by MLAM as they do with those advised by the
Investment Adviser. Messrs. Giordano and Monagle are officers of one or more of
such companies.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
POSITION(S) WITH OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS,
NAME INVESTMENT ADVISER PROFESSION, VOCATION OR EMPLOYMENT
---- ---------------------------- ----------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
ML&Co.................................. Limited Partner Financial Services Holding
Company; Limited Partner of FAM
Princeton Services..................... General Partner General Partner of MLAM Chairman
of MLAM; President of the
Investment Adviser and MLAM from
1977 to 1997; Chairman and
Director of Princeton Services;
President of Princeton
Jeffrey M. Peek........................ President Executive Vice President of MLAM;
Executive Vice President and
Director of Princeton Services;
President and Director of PFD;
Director of Financial Data
Terry K. Glenn......................... Executive Vice President Executive Vice President of MLAM;
Services, Inc.; Executive Vice President and
Director of Princeton Services;
President and Director of PFD;
Director of FDS; President of
Princeton Administrators, L.P.
Donald C. Burke........................ Senior Vice President, Senior Vice President and
Treasurer and Director of Treasurer of FAM; Senior Vice
Taxation President and Treasurer of
Princeton Services; Vice President
of PFD; First Vice President of
the Investment Adviser from 1997
to 1999; Vice President of the
Investment Adviser from 1990 to
1997
Michael G. Clark....................... Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of FAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services; Treasurer and Director
of PFD; First Vice President of
the Investment Adviser from 1997
to 1999; Vice President of the
Investment Adviser from 1996 to
1997
</TABLE>
C-4
<PAGE> 71
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
POSITION(S) WITH OTHER SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS,
NAME INVESTMENT ADVISER PROFESSION, VOCATION OR EMPLOYMENT
---- ---------------------------- ----------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Linda L. Federici...................... Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services
Vincent R. Giordano.................... Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services
Michael J. Hennewinkel................. Senior Vice President, Senior Vice President of MLAM;
General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Director
Secretary and Secretary of Princeton
Services
Philip L. Kirstein..................... Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President General
Counsel, Director and Secretary of
Princeton Services
Ronald M. Kloss........................ Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services;
Debra W. Landsman-Yaros................ Senior Vice President Vice President of PFD
Stephen M. M. Miller................... Senior Vice President Executive Vice President of
Princeton Administrators, L.P.;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services
Joseph T. Monagle, Jr.................. Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services
Brian A. Murdock....................... Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services Senior Vice President and
Treasurer of MLAM;
Gregory D. Upah........................ Senior Vice President Senior Vice President of MLAM;
Senior Vice President of Princeton
Services
</TABLE>
ITEM 31. LOCATION OF ACCOUNT AND RECORDS.
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by
Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Rules
promulgated thereunder are maintained at the offices of the Registrant (800
Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536), its investment adviser (800
Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536), and its custodian and
transfer agent.
ITEM 32. MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 33. UNDERTAKINGS.
(a) Registrant undertakes to suspend the offering of the shares of common
stock covered hereby until it amends its prospectus contained herein if (1)
subsequent to the effective date of this Registration Statement, its net asset
value per share of common stock declines more than 10% from its net asset value
per share of common stock as of the effective date of this Registration
Statement, or (2) its net asset value per share of common stock increases to an
amount greater than its net proceeds as stated in the prospectus contained
herein.
(b) Registrant undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, the
information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this
Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form
of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 497(h) under the
1933 Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of
the time it was declared effective.
C-5
<PAGE> 72
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act,
each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
C-6
<PAGE> 73
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the Township of Plainsboro, and State of New Jersey, on the 30th
day of April 1999.
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND
IV, INC.
(Registrant)
By: /s/ ALICE A. PELLEGRINO
--------------------------------------
(Alice A. Pellegrino, President)
Each person whose signature appears below hereby authorizes Alice A.
Pellegrino, William E. Zitelli, Jr. or Lori A. Martin, or any of them, as
attorney-in-fact, to sign on his or her behalf, individually and in each
capacity stated below, any amendment to this Registration Statement (including
post-effective amendments) and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURES TITLE DATE
---------- ----- ----
<C> <S> <C>
/s/ ALICE A. PELLEGRINO President and Trustee April 30, 1999
- ---------------------------------------------------
(Alice A. Pellegrino)
/s/ WILLIAM E. ZITELLI, JR. Treasurer and Trustee April 30, 1999
- ---------------------------------------------------
(William E. Zitelli, Jr.)
/s/ LORI A. MARTIN Secretary and Trustee April 30, 1999
- ---------------------------------------------------
(Lori A. Martin)
</TABLE>
C-7
<PAGE> 74
EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER
- -------
<S> <C>
(a)(1) -- Articles of Incorporation
(b) -- By-laws
</TABLE>
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit a(1)
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
THE UNDERSIGNED, CASEY LIPSCOMB, whose post-office address is c/o Brown
& Wood LLP, One World Trade Center, 56th Floor, New York, New York 10048, being
at least eighteen (18) years of age, does hereby act as incorporator, under and
by virtue of the General Laws of the State of Maryland authorizing the formation
of corporations and with the intention of forming a corporation.
ARTICLE I.
NAME
The name of the corporation is MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV,
INC. (the "Corporation").
ARTICLE II.
PURPOSES AND POWERS
The purpose or purposes for which the Corporation is formed is to act
as a closed-end, management investment company under the federal Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended, and in effect from time to time (the
"Investment Company Act"), and to exercise and enjoy all of the powers, rights
and privileges granted to, or conferred upon, corporations by the General Laws
of the State of Maryland now or hereafter in force.
ARTICLE III.
PRINCIPAL OFFICE AND RESIDENT AGENT
The post-office address of the principal office of the Corporation in
the State of Maryland is c/o The Corporation Trust Incorporated, 32 South
Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The name of the resident agent of the
Corporation in this State is The Corporation Trust Incorporated, a corporation
of this State, and the post-office address of the resident agent is The
Corporation Trust Incorporated, 32 South Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.
<PAGE> 2
ARTICLE IV.
CAPITAL STOCK
(1) The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation
shall have authority to issue is 200,000,000 shares, all initially classified as
one class called Common Stock, of the par value of Ten Cents ($0.10) per share,
and of the aggregate par value of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000).
(2) The Board of Directors may classify and reclassify any unissued
shares of capital stock into one or more additional or other classes or series
as may be established from time to time by setting or changing in any one or
more respects the designations, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting
powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications or terms or
conditions of redemption of such shares of stock and pursuant to such
classification or reclassification to increase or decrease the number of
authorized shares of any existing class or series provided, however, that the
total amount of shares of all classes or series shall not exceed the total
number of shares of capital stock authorized in the Charter.
(3) Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Charter of the
Corporation, including any Articles Supplementary creating any class or series
of capital stock, the holders of each class or series of capital stock shall be
entitled to dividends and distributions in such amounts and at such times as may
be determined by the Board of Directors, and the dividends and distributions
paid with respect to the various classes or series of capital stock may vary
among such classes and series.
(4) Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Charter of the
Corporation, including any Articles Supplementary creating any class or series
of capital stock, on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders, each
holder of a share of capital stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to one
vote for each share standing in such holder's name on the books of the
Corporation, irrespective of the class or series thereof, and all shares of all
classes and series shall vote together as a single class; provided, however,
that as to any matter with respect to which a separate vote of any class or
series is required by the Investment Company Act, or any rules, regulations or
orders issued thereunder, or by the Maryland General Corporation Law, such
requirement as to a separate vote by that class or series shall apply in lieu of
a general vote of all classes and series as described above.
2
<PAGE> 3
(5) Notwithstanding any provision of the Maryland General Corporation
Law requiring a greater proportion than a majority of the votes of all classes
or series of capital stock of the Corporation (or of any class or series
entitled to vote thereon as a separate class or series) to take or authorize any
action, the Corporation is hereby authorized (subject to the requirements of the
Investment Company Act, and any rules, regulations and orders issued thereunder)
to take such action upon the concurrence of a majority of the votes entitled to
be cast by holders of capital stock of the Corporation (or a majority of the
votes entitled to be cast by holders of a class or series as a separate class or
series) unless a greater proportion is specified in the Charter.
(6) Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Charter of the
Corporation, including any Articles Supplementary creating any class or series
of capital stock, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of each class or
series of capital stock of the Corporation shall be entitled, after payment or
provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation, to
share ratably in the remaining net assets of the Corporation.
(7) Any fractional shares shall carry proportionately all of the rights
of a whole share, excepting any right to receive a certificate evidencing such
fractional share, but including, without limitation, the right to vote and the
right to receive dividends.
(8) The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares
entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast shall constitute a
quorum at any meeting of stockholders, except with respect to any matter which
requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes or series of stock,
in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares
entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast by each class or
series entitled to vote as a separate class shall constitute a quorum.
(9) All persons who shall acquire stock in the Corporation shall
acquire the same subject to the provisions of the Charter and the By-Laws of the
Corporation. As used in the Charter of the Corporation, the terms "Charter" and
"Articles of Incorporation" shall mean and include the Articles of Incorporation
of the Corporation as amended, supplemented and restated from time to time by
Articles of Amendment, Articles Supplementary, Articles of Restatement or
otherwise.
3
<PAGE> 4
ARTICLE V.
PROVISIONS FOR DEFINING, LIMITING AND
REGULATING CERTAIN POWERS OF THE CORPORATION
AND OF THE DIRECTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS
(1) The initial number of directors of the Corporation shall be three
(3), which number may be increased or decreased pursuant to the By-Laws of the
Corporation but shall never be less than the minimum number permitted by the
General Laws of the State of Maryland. The names of the directors who shall act
until the first annual meeting or until their successors are duly elected and
qualify are:
Alice A. Pellegrino
Lori A. Martin
William E. Zitelli, Jr.
(2) The Board of Directors of the Corporation is hereby empowered to
authorize the issuance from time to time of shares of capital stock of any class
or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such consideration as the
Board of Directors may deem advisable, without any action by the stockholders,
subject to such limitations as may be set forth in these Articles of
Incorporation or in the By-Laws of the Corporation or in the General Laws of the
State of Maryland.
(3) No holder of stock of the Corporation shall, as such holder, have
any right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of the capital stock of the
Corporation or any other security of the Corporation which it may issue or sell
(whether out of the number of shares authorized by these Articles of
Incorporation, or out of any shares of the capital stock of the Corporation
acquired by it after the issue thereof, or otherwise) other than such right, if
any, as the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may determine.
(4) Each director and each officer of the Corporation shall be
indemnified and advanced expenses by the Corporation to the full extent
permitted by the General Laws of the State of Maryland now or hereafter in
force, including the advance of expenses under the procedures and to the full
extent permitted by law subject to the requirements of the Investment Company
Act. The foregoing rights of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other
rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled. No amendment of
these Articles of Incorporation or repeal of any provision hereof shall limit or
eliminate the benefits provided to directors and officers
4
<PAGE> 5
under this provision in connection with any act or omission that occurred prior
to such amendment or repeal.
(5) To the fullest extent permitted by the General Laws of the State of
Maryland or decisional law, as amended or interpreted, subject to the
requirements of the Investment Company Act, no director or officer of the
Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its security
holders for money damages. No amendment of these Articles of Incorporation or
repeal of any provision hereof shall limit or eliminate the benefits provided to
directors and officers under this provision in connection with any act or
omission that occurred prior to such amendment or repeal.
(6) The Board of Directors of the Corporation is vested with the sole
power, to the exclusion of the stockholders, to make, alter or repeal from time
to time any of the By-Laws of the Corporation except any particular By-Law which
is specified as not subject to alteration or repeal by the Board of Directors,
subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
(7) A director elected by the holders of capital stock may be removed
(with or without cause), but only by action taken by the holders of at least
sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the shares of capital stock then
entitled to vote in an election to fill that directorship.
(8) The enumeration and definition of the particular powers of the
Board of Directors included in the Charter shall in no way be limited or
restricted by reference to or inference from the terms of any other clause of
this or any other Article of the Charter of the Corporation, or construed as or
deemed by inference or otherwise in any manner to exclude or limit any powers
conferred upon the Board of Directors under the General Laws of the State of
Maryland now or hereinafter in force.
ARTICLE VI.
DENIAL OF PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS
No stockholder of the Corporation shall by reason of his holding shares
of capital stock have any preemptive or preferential right to purchase or
subscribe to any shares of capital stock of the Corporation, now or hereafter to
be authorized, or any notes, debentures, bonds or other securities convertible
into shares of capital stock, now or hereafter to be authorized, whether or not
the issuance of any such shares, or
5
<PAGE> 6
notes, debentures, bonds or other securities would adversely affect the dividend
or voting rights of such stockholder; except that the Board of Directors, in its
discretion, may issue shares of any class of the Corporation, or any notes,
debentures, bonds, other securities convertible into shares of any class, either
in whole or in part, to the existing stockholders or holders of any class,
series or type of stock or other securities at the time outstanding to the
exclusion of any or all of the holders of any or all of the classes, series or
types of stock or other securities at the time outstanding.
ARTICLE VII.
DETERMINATION BINDING
Any determination made in good faith and consistent with applicable
law, so far as accounting matters are involved, in accordance with accepted
accounting practice by or pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors,
as to the amount of assets, obligations or liabilities of the Corporation, as to
the amount of net income of the Corporation from dividends and interest for any
period or amounts at any time legally available for the payment of dividends, as
to the amount of any reserves or charges set up and the propriety thereof, as to
the time of or purpose for creating reserves or as to the use, alteration or
cancellation of any reserves or charges (whether or not any obligation or
liability for which such reserves or as to the use, alteration or cancellation
of any reserves or charges shall have been created, shall have been paid or
discharged or shall be then or thereafter required to be paid or discharged), as
to the price of any security owned by the Corporation or as to any other matters
relating to the issuance, sale, redemption or other acquisition or disposition
of securities or shares of capital stock of the Corporation, and any reasonable
determination made in good faith by the Board of Directors as to whether any
transaction constitutes a purchase of securities on "margin," a sale of
securities "short," or an underwriting or the sale of, or a participation in any
underwriting or selling group in connection with the public distribution of, any
securities, shall be final and conclusive, and shall be binding upon the
Corporation and all holders of its capital stock, past, present and future, and
shares of the capital stock of the Corporation are issued and sold on the
condition and understanding, evidenced by the purchase of shares of capital
stock or acceptance of share certificates, that any and all such determinations
shall be binding as aforesaid. No provision in this Charter shall be effective
to (a) require a waiver of
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compliance with any provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Investment Company Act, or of any valid rule, regulation or order of the
Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder or (b) protect or purport to
protect any director or officer of the Corporation against any liability to the
Corporation or its security holders to which he would otherwise be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
ARTICLE VIII.
PRIVATE PROPERTY OF STOCKHOLDERS
The private property of stockholders shall not be subject to the
payment of corporate debts to any extent whatsoever.
ARTICLE IX.
CONVERSION TO OPEN-END COMPANY
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation
or the By-Laws of the Corporation, a favorable vote of the holders of at least
sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the outstanding shares of capital
stock of the Corporation entitled to be voted on the matter shall be required to
approve, adopt or authorize an amendment to these Articles of Incorporation of
the Corporation that makes the Common Stock a "redeemable security" (as that
term is defined in section 2(a) (32) the Investment Company Act) unless such
action has previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative
vote of at least two-thirds of the total number of directors fixed in accordance
with the By-Laws of the Corporation, in which case the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Corporation entitled to vote thereon shall be required.
ARTICLE X.
MERGER, SALE OF ASSETS, LIQUIDATION
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation
or the By-Laws of the Corporation, a favorable vote of the holders of at least
sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the outstanding shares of capital
stock of the Corporation entitled to be voted on the matter shall be required to
approve, adopt or authorize (i) a merger or consolidation or statutory share
exchange of the Corporation with any other
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corporation, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Corporation (other than in the regular course of its investment activities), or
(iii) a liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation, unless such action has
previously been approved, adopted or authorized by the affirmative vote of at
least two-thirds of the total number of directors fixed in accordance with the
By-Laws of the Corporation, in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of
a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation
entitled to vote thereon shall be required.
ARTICLE XI.
PERPETUAL EXISTENCE
The duration of the Corporation shall be perpetual.
ARTICLE XII.
AMENDMENT
The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal
any provision contained in its Charter, in any manner now or hereafter
prescribed by statute, including any amendment which alters the contract rights,
as expressly set forth in the Charter, of any outstanding stock and
substantially adversely affects the stockholders' rights, and all rights
conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation or the
By-Laws of the Corporation (and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser
percentage may be specified by law, these Articles of Incorporation or the
By-Laws of the Corporation), the amendment or repeal of Section (5) of Article
IV, Section (1), Section (4), Section (5), Section (6) and Section (7) of
Article V, Article VIII, Article IX, Article X, Article XI or this Article XII,
of these Articles of Incorporation shall require the affirmative vote of the
holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to be voted on
the matter.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned incorporator of MUNIHOLDINGS NEW
JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC. hereby executes the foregoing Articles of
Incorporation and acknowledges the same to be his act.
Dated this 1st day
of April, 1999
----------------------
Casey Lipscomb
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Exhibit (b)
BY-LAWS
OF
MUNIHOLDINGS NEW JERSEY INSURED FUND IV, INC.
ARTICLE I.
Offices
Section 1. Principal Office. The principal office of the Corporation
shall be in the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland.
Section 2. Principal Executive Office. The principal executive office
of the Corporation shall be at 800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey
08536.
Section 3. Other Offices. The Corporation may have such other offices
in such places as the Board of Directors from time to time may determine.
ARTICLE II.
Meetings of Stockholders
Section 1. Annual Meeting. Except as otherwise required by the rules of
any stock exchange on which the Corporation's shares of stock may be listed, the
Corporation shall not be required to hold an annual meeting of its stockholders
in any year in which the election of directors is not required to be acted upon
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company
Act"). In the event that the Corporation shall be required to hold an annual
meeting of stockholders to elect directors under the Investment Company Act,
such meeting shall be held no later than 120 days after the occurrence of the
event requiring the meeting. Any stockholders' meeting held in accordance with
this Section shall for all purposes constitute the annual meeting of
stockholders for the year in which the meeting is held.
In the event an annual meeting is required by the rules of a stock
exchange on which the Corporation's shares of stock are listed, the annual
meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation for the election of directors and
for the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the
meeting shall be held on such day and month of each year as shall be designated
annually by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders,
unless otherwise provided by law, may be called for any purpose or purposes by a
majority of the Board of Directors, the President, or on the written request of
the holders of at least 10% of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting if they comply with Section
2-502(b) or (c) of the Maryland General Corporation Law.
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Section 3. Place of Meetings. The annual meeting and any special
meeting of the stockholders shall be held at such place within the United States
as the Board of Directors from time to time may determine.
Section 4. Notice of Meetings; Waiver of Notice. Notice of the place,
date and time of the holding of each annual and special meeting of the
stockholders and the purpose or purposes of each special meeting shall be given
personally or by mail, not less than ten nor more than 90 days before the date
of such meeting, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to
each other stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. Notice by mail shall
be deemed to be duly given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to
the stockholder at his or her address as it appears on the records of the
Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid.
Notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be deemed waived by any
stockholder who shall attend such meeting in person or by proxy, or who, either
before or after the meeting, shall submit a signed waiver of notice which is
filed with the records of the meeting. When a meeting is adjourned to another
time and place, unless the Board of Directors, after the adjournment, shall fix
a new record date for an adjourned meeting, or unless the adjournment is for
more than 120 days after the original record date, notice of such adjourned
meeting need not be given if the time and place to which the meeting shall be
adjourned were announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken.
Section 5. Quorum. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of
shares of stock entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast
shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of stockholders, except with respect to
any matter which requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes or
series of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders
of shares entitled to cast one-third of the votes entitled to be cast by each
class or series entitled to vote as a separate class or series shall constitute
a quorum. In the absence of a quorum no business may be transacted, except that
the holders of a majority of the shares of stock present in person or by proxy
and entitled to vote may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice
other than announcement thereat except as otherwise required by these By-Laws,
until the holders of the requisite amount of shares of stock shall be so
present. At any such adjourned meeting at which a quorum may be present any
business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as
originally called. The absence from any meeting, in person or by proxy, of
holders of the number of shares of stock of the Corporation in excess of a
majority thereof which may be required by the laws of the State of Maryland, the
Investment Company Act, or other applicable statute, the Charter, or these
By-Laws, for action upon any given matter shall not prevent action at such
meeting upon any other matter or matters which properly may come before the
meeting, if there shall be present thereat, in person or by proxy, holders of
the number of shares of stock of the Corporation required for action in respect
of such other matter or matters.
Section 6. Organization. At each meeting of the stockholders, the
Chairman of the Board (if one has been designated by the Board), or in his or
her absence or inability to act, the President, or in the absence or inability
to act of the Chairman of the Board and the President, a Vice President, shall
act as chairman of the meeting. The Secretary, or in his or her absence or
inability to act, any person appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act
as secretary of the meeting and keep the minutes thereof.
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Section 7. Order of Business. The order of business at all meetings of
the stockholders shall be as determined by the chairman of the meeting.
Section 8. Voting. Except as otherwise provided by statute or the
Charter, each holder of record of shares of stock of the Corporation having
voting power shall be entitled at each meeting of the stockholders to one vote
for every share of such stock standing in his or her name on the record of
stockholders of the Corporation as of the record date determined pursuant to
Section 9 of this Article or, if such record date shall not have been so fixed,
then at the later of (i) the close of business on the day on which notice of the
meeting is mailed or (ii) the thirtieth day before the meeting.
Each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders may
authorize another person or persons to act for him or her by a proxy signed by
such stockholder or his or her attorney-in-fact. No proxy shall be valid after
the expiration of eleven months from the date thereof, unless otherwise provided
in the proxy. Every proxy shall be revocable at the pleasure of the stockholder
executing it, except in those cases where such proxy states that it is
irrevocable and where an irrevocable proxy is permitted by law. Except as
otherwise provided by statute, the Charter or these By-Laws, any corporate
action to be taken by vote of the stockholders (other than the election of
directors, which shall be by a plurality of votes cast) shall be authorized by a
majority of the total votes cast at a meeting of stockholders by the holders of
shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on such
action.
If a vote shall be taken on any question other than the election of
directors, which shall be by written ballot, then unless required by statute or
these By-Laws, or determined by the chairman of the meeting to be advisable, any
such vote need not be by ballot. On a vote by ballot, each ballot shall be
signed by the stockholder voting, or by his or her proxy, if there be such
proxy, and shall state the number of shares voted.
Section 9. Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Directors may set a
record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at any
meeting of the stockholders. The record date, which may not be prior to the
close of business on the day the record date is fixed, shall be not more than 90
nor less than ten days before the date of the meeting of the stockholders. All
persons who were holders of record of shares at such time, and not others, shall
be entitled to vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof.
Section 10. Inspectors. The Board, in advance of any meeting of
stockholders, may appoint one or more inspectors to act at such meeting or any
adjournment thereof. If the inspectors shall not be so appointed or if any of
them shall fail to appear or act, the chairman of the meeting may, and on the
request of any stockholder entitled to vote thereat shall, appoint inspectors.
Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall
take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of inspector at such
meeting with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her
ability. The inspectors shall determine the number of shares outstanding and the
voting powers of each, the number of shares represented at the meeting, the
existence of a quorum, and the validity and effect of proxies, and shall receive
votes, ballots or consents, hear and determine all challenges and questions
arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all votes,
ballots or consents, determine the result, and do such acts as are proper to
conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders. On
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request of the chairman of the meeting or any stockholder entitled to vote
thereat, the inspectors shall make a report in writing of any challenge, request
or matter determined by them and shall execute a certificate of any fact found
by them. No director or candidate for the office of director shall act as
inspector of an election of directors. Inspectors need not be stockholders.
Section 11. Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting. Except as
otherwise provided by statute or the Charter, any action required to be taken at
any annual or special meeting of stockholders, or any action which may be taken
at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may be taken without a
meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if the following are filed
with the records of stockholders' meetings: (i) a unanimous written consent
which sets forth the action and is signed by each stockholder entitled to vote
on the matter and (ii) a written waiver of any right to dissent signed by each
stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting but not entitled to vote thereat.
ARTICLE III.
Board of Directors
Section 1. General Powers. Except as otherwise provided in the Charter,
the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction
of the Board of Directors. All powers of the Corporation may be exercised by or
under authority of the Board of Directors except as conferred on or reserved to
the stockholders by law or by the Charter or these By-Laws.
Section 2. Number of Directors. The number of directors shall be fixed
from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors adopted by a majority
of the entire Board of Directors then in office; provided, however, that in no
event shall the number of directors be less than the minimum permitted by the
General Law of the State of Maryland nor more than 15. Any vacancy created by an
increase in the number of directors may be filled in accordance with Section 6
of this Article III. No reduction in the number of directors shall have the
effect of removing any director from office prior to the expiration of his or
her term unless such director specifically is removed pursuant to Section 5 of
this Article III at the time of such decrease. Directors need not be
stockholders. As long as any preferred stock of the Corporation is outstanding,
the number of directors shall be not less than five.
Section 3. Election and Term of Directors. Directors shall be elected
annually at a meeting of stockholders held for that purpose; provided, however,
that if no meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation is required to be held
in a particular year pursuant to Section 1 of Article II of these By-Laws,
directors shall be elected at the next meeting held. The term of office of each
director shall be from the time of his election and qualification until the
election of directors next succeeding his election and until his successor shall
have been elected and shall have qualified, or until his death, or until he
shall have resigned or until December 31 of the year in which he shall have
reached seventy-two years of age, or until he shall have been removed as
hereinafter provided in these By-Laws, or as otherwise provided by statute or by
the Charter.
Section 4. Resignation. A director of the Corporation may resign at any
time by giving written notice of his or her resignation to the Board or the
Chairman of the Board or the
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President or the Secretary. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time
specified therein or, if the time when it shall become effective shall not be
specified therein, immediately upon its receipt; and, unless otherwise specified
therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it
effective.
Section 5. Removal of Directors. Any director of the Corporation may be
removed (with or without cause) by the stockholders by a vote of sixty-six and
two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the outstanding shares of capital stock then
entitled to vote in the election of such director.
Section 6. Vacancies. Subject to the provisions of the Investment
Company Act, any vacancies in the Board of Directors, whether arising from
death, resignation, removal, an increase in the number of directors or any other
cause, shall be filled by a vote of a majority of the Board of Directors then in
office, regardless of whether they constitute a quorum.
Section 7. Place of Meetings. Meetings of the Board may be held at such
place as the Board from time to time may determine or as shall be specified in
the notice of such meeting.
Section 8. Regular Meeting. Regular meetings of the Board may be held
without notice at such time and place as may be determined by the Board of
Directors.
Section 9. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be
called by two or more directors of the Corporation or by the Chairman of the
Board or the President.
Section 10. Telephone Meetings. Members of the Board of Directors or of
any committee thereof may participate in a meeting by means of a conference
telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in
the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Subject to the provisions of
the Investment Company Act, participation in a meeting by these means
constitutes presence in person at the meeting.
Section 11. Notice of Special Meetings. Notice of each special meeting
of the Board shall be given by the Secretary as hereinafter provided, in which
notice shall be stated the time and place of the meeting. Notice of each such
meeting shall be delivered to each director, either personally or by telephone
or any standard form of telecommunication, at least 24 hours before the time at
which such meeting is to be held, or by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to him or her at his or her residence or usual place of business, at
least three days before the day on which such meeting is to be held.
Section 12. Waiver of Notice of Meetings. Notice of any special meeting
need not be given to any director who, either before or after the meeting, shall
sign a written waiver of notice which is filed with the records of the meeting
or who shall attend such meeting. Except as otherwise specifically required by
these By-Laws, a notice or waiver of notice of any meeting need not state the
purposes of such meeting.
Section 13. Quorum and Voting. One-third, but not less than two (unless
there is only one director) of the members of the entire Board shall be present
in person at any meeting of the Board in order to constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business at such meeting, and except as otherwise expressly
required by statute, the Charter, these By-Laws, the Investment Company Act, or
other applicable statute, the act of a majority of the directors present at any
meeting at
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which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board. In the absence of a
quorum at any meeting of the Board, a majority of the directors present thereat
may adjourn such meeting to another time and place until a quorum shall be
present thereat. Notice of the time and place of any such adjourned meeting
shall be given to the directors who were not present at the time of the
adjournment and, unless such time and place were announced at the meeting at
which the adjournment was taken, to the other directors. At any adjourned
meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted which might
have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.
Section 14. Organization. The Board, by resolution adopted by a
majority of the entire Board, may designate a Chairman of the Board, who shall
preside at each meeting of the Board. In the absence or inability of the
Chairman of the Board to preside at a meeting, the President or, in his or her
absence or inability to act, another director chosen by a majority of the
directors present, shall act as chairman of the meeting and preside thereat. The
Secretary (or, in his or her absence or inability to act, any person appointed
by the Chairman) shall act as secretary of the meeting and keep the minutes
thereof.
Section 15. Written Consent of Directors in Lieu of a Meeting. Subject
to the provisions of the Investment Company Act, any action required or
permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any
committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or
the committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing, and the writings
or writing are filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board or the
committee.
Section 16. Compensation. Directors may receive compensation for
services to the Corporation in their capacities as directors or otherwise in
such manner and in such amounts as may be fixed from time to time by the Board.
Section 17. Investment Policies. It shall be the duty of the Board of
Directors to direct that the purchase, sale, retention and disposal of portfolio
securities and the other investment practices of the Corporation at all times
are consistent with the investment policies and restrictions with respect to
securities investments and otherwise of the Corporation, as recited in the
Prospectus of the Corporation included in the registration statement of the
Corporation relating to the initial public offering of its capital stock, as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (or as such investment
policies and restrictions may be modified by the Board of Directors, or, if
required, by a majority vote of the stockholders of the Corporation in
accordance with the Investment Company Act) and as required by the Investment
Company Act. The Board, however, may delegate the duty of management of the
assets and the administration of its day to day operations to an individual or
corporate management company and/or investment adviser pursuant to a written
contract or contracts which have obtained the requisite approvals, including the
requisite approvals of renewals thereof, of the Board of Directors and/or the
stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the
Investment Company Act.
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ARTICLE IV.
Committees
Section 1. Executive Committee. The Board, by resolution adopted by a
majority of the entire board, may designate an Executive Committee consisting of
two or more of the directors of the Corporation, which committee shall have and
may exercise all of the powers and authority of the Board with respect to all
matters other than:
(i) the submission to stockholders of any action requiring
authorization of stockholders pursuant to statute or the Charter;
(ii) the filling of vacancies on the Board of Directors;
(iii) the fixing of compensation of the directors for serving
on the Board or on any committee of the Board, including the Executive
Committee;
(iv) the approval or termination of any contract with an
investment adviser or principal underwriter, as such terms are defined
in the Investment Company Act, or the taking of any other action
required to be taken by the Board of Directors by the Investment
Company Act;
(v) the amendment or repeal of these By-Laws or the adoption of
new By-Laws;
(vi) the amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Board
which by its terms may be amended or repealed only by the Board;
(vii) the declaration of dividends and, except to the extent
permitted by law, the issuance of capital stock of the Corporation; and
(viii) the approval of any merger or share exchange which does
not require stockholder approval.
The Executive Committee shall keep written minutes of its proceedings
and shall report such minutes to the Board. All such proceedings shall be
subject to revision or alteration by the Board; provided, however, that third
parties shall not be prejudiced by such revision or alteration.
Section 2. Other Committees of the Board. The Board of Directors from
time to time, by resolution adopted by a majority of the whole Board, may
designate one or more other committees of the Board, each such committee to
consist of two or more directors and to have such powers and duties as the Board
of Directors, by resolution, may prescribe.
Section 3. General. One-third, but not less than two, of the members of
any committee shall be present in person at any meeting of such committee in
order to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at such meeting,
and the act of a majority present shall be the act of such committee. The Board
may designate a chairman of any committee and such chairman or
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any two members of any committee may fix the time and place of its meetings
unless the Board shall otherwise provide. In the absence or disqualification of
any member of any committee, the member or members thereof present at any
meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he or she or they
constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of
Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified
member. The Board shall have the power at any time to change the membership of
any committee, to fill all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace
any absent or disqualified member, or to dissolve any such committee. Nothing
herein shall be deemed to prevent the Board from appointing one or more
committees consisting in whole or in part of persons who are not directors of
the Corporation; provided, however, that no such committee shall have or may
exercise any authority or power of the Board in the management of the business
or affairs of the Corporation except as may be prescribed by the Board.
ARTICLE V.
Officers, Agents and Employees
Section 1. Number of Qualifications. The officers of the Corporation
shall be a President, who shall be a director of the Corporation, a Secretary
and a Treasurer, each of whom shall be elected by the Board of Directors. The
Board of Directors may elect or appoint one or more Vice Presidents and also may
appoint such other officers, agents and employees as it may deem necessary or
proper. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person, except the
offices of President and Vice President, but no officer shall execute,
acknowledge or verify any instrument in more than one capacity. Such officers
shall be elected by the Board of Directors each year at its first meeting held
after the annual meeting of stockholders, each to hold office until the next
meeting of the stockholders and until his or her successor shall have been duly
elected and shall have qualified, or until his or her death, or until he or she
shall have resigned, or have been removed, as hereinafter provided in these
By-Laws. The Board from time to time may elect such officers (including one or
more Assistant Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Treasurers and one or more
Assistant Secretaries) and such agents, as may be necessary or desirable for the
business of the Corporation. The President also shall have the power to appoint
such assistant officers (including one or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one or
more Assistant Treasurers and one or more Assistant Secretaries) as may be
necessary or appropriate to facilitate the management of the Corporation's
affairs. Such officers and agents shall have such duties and shall hold their
offices for such terms as may be prescribed by the Board or by the appointing
authority.
Section 2. Resignations. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at
any time by giving written notice of resignation to the Board, the Chairman of
the Board, the President or the Secretary. Any such resignation shall take
effect at the time specified therein or, if the time when it shall become
effective shall not be specified therein, immediately upon its receipt; and,
unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall be
necessary to make it effective.
Section 3. Removal of Officer, Agent or Employee. Any officer, agent or
employee of the Corporation may be removed by the Board of Directors with or
without cause at any time, and the Board may delegate such power of removal as
to agents and employees not elected or
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appointed by the Board of Directors. Such removal shall be without prejudice to
such person's contract rights, if any, but the appointment of any person as an
officer, agent or employee of the Corporation shall not of itself create
contract rights.
Section 4. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office, whether arising from
death, resignation, removal or any other cause, may be filled for the unexpired
portion of the term of the office which shall be vacant, in the manner
prescribed in these By-Laws for the regular election or appointment to such
office.
Section 5. Compensation. The compensation of the officers of the
Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors, but this power may be
delegated to any officer in respect of other officers under his or her control.
Section 6. Bonds or Other Security. If required by the Board, any
officer, agent or employee of the Corporation shall give a bond or other
security for the faithful performance of his or her duties, in such amount and
with such surety or sureties as the Board may require.
Section 7. President. The President shall be the chief executive
officer of the Corporation. In the absence of the Chairman of the Board (or if
there be none), the President shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders
and of the Board of Directors. He or she shall have, subject to the control of
the Board of Directors, general charge of the business and affairs of the
Corporation. He or she may employ and discharge employees and agents of the
Corporation, except such as shall be appointed by the Board, and he or she may
delegate these powers.
Section 8. Vice President. Each Vice President shall have such powers
and perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the President from time to
time may prescribe.
Section 9. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall:
(i) have charge and custody of, and be responsible for, all of
the funds and securities of the Corporation, except those which the
Corporation has placed in the custody of a bank or trust company or
member of a national securities exchange (as that term is defined in
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) pursuant to a written
agreement designating such bank or trust company or member of a
national securities exchange as custodian of the property of the
Corporation;
(ii) keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and
disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation;
(iii) cause all moneys and other valuables to be deposited to
the credit of the Corporation;
(iv) receive, and give receipts for, moneys due and payable to
the Corporation from any source whatsoever;
(v) disburse the funds of the Corporation and supervise the
investment of its funds as ordered or authorized by the Board, taking
proper vouchers therefor; and
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(vi) in general, perform all of the duties incident to the
office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be
assigned to him or her by the Board or the President.
Section 10. Secretary. The Secretary shall:
(i) keep or cause to be kept in one or more books provided for
the purpose, the minutes of all meetings of the Board, the committees
of the Board and the stockholders;
(ii) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the
provisions of these By-Laws and as required by law;
(iii) be custodian of the records and the seal of the
Corporation and affix and attest the seal to all stock certificates of
the Corporation (unless the seal of the Corporation on such
certificates shall be a facsimile, as hereinafter provided) and affix
and attest the seal to all other documents to be executed on behalf of
the Corporation under its seal;
(iv) see that the books, reports, statements, certificates and
other documents and records required by law to be kept and filed are
properly kept and filed; and
(v) in general, perform all of the duties incident to the
office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be
assigned to him or her by the Board or the President.
Section 11. Delegation of Duties. In case of the absence of any officer
of the Corporation, or for any other reason that the Board may deem sufficient,
the Board may confer for the time being the powers or duties, or any of them, of
such officer upon any other officer or upon any director.
ARTICLE VI.
Indemnification
Section 1. General Indemnification. Each officer and director of the
Corporation shall be indemnified by the Corporation to the full extent permitted
under the General Laws of the State of Maryland, except that such indemnity
shall not protect any such person against any liability to the Corporation or
any stockholder thereof to which such person otherwise would be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office. Absent a court
determination that an officer or director seeking indemnification was not liable
on the merits or guilty of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office,
the decision by the Corporation to indemnify such person must be based upon the
reasonable determination of independent legal counsel or the vote of a majority
of a quorum of the directors who are neither "interested persons," as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act, nor parties to the proceeding
("non-party independent directors"), after review of the facts, that such
officer or director is not guilty of willful misfeasance, bad
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faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of his or her office.
Each officer and director of the Corporation claiming indemnification
within the scope of this Article VI shall be entitled to advances from the
Corporation for payment of the reasonable expenses incurred by him or her in
connection with proceedings to which he or she is a party in the manner and to
the full extent permitted under the General Laws of the State of Maryland;
provided, however, that the person seeking indemnification shall provide to the
Corporation a written affirmation of his or her good faith belief that the
standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation has been
met and a written undertaking to repay any such advance, if it ultimately should
be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met, and provided
further that at least one of the following additional conditions is met:
(i) the person seeking indemnification shall provide a security
in form and amount acceptable to the Corporation for his or her
undertaking;
(ii) the Corporation is insured against losses arising by
reason of the advance; or
(iii) a majority of a quorum of non-party independent
directors, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion shall
determine, based on a review of facts readily available to the
Corporation at the time the advance is proposed to be made, that there
is reason to believe that the person seeking indemnification will
ultimately be found to be entitled to indemnification.
The Corporation may purchase insurance on behalf of an officer or
director protecting such person to the full extent permitted under the General
Laws of the State of Maryland, from liability arising from his or her activities
as an officer or director of the Corporation. The Corporation, however, may not
purchase insurance on behalf of any officer or director of the Corporation that
protects or purports to protect such person from liability to the Corporation or
to its stockholders to which such officer or director otherwise would be subject
by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Corporation may indemnify, make advances or purchase insurance to
the extent provided in this Article VI on behalf of an employee or agent who is
not an officer or director of the Corporation.
Section 2. Other Rights. The indemnification provided by this Article
VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right, in respect of
indemnification or otherwise, to which those seeking such indemnification may be
entitled under any insurance or other agreement, vote of stockholders or
disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action by a director or officer
of the Corporation in his or her official capacity and as to action by such
person in another capacity while holding such office or position, and shall
continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall
inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.
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ARTICLE VII.
Capital Stock
Section 1. Stock Certificates. Each holder of stock of the Corporation
shall be entitled upon request to have a certificate or certificates, in such
form as shall be approved by the Board, representing the number of shares of
stock of the Corporation owned by him or her, provided, however, that
certificates for fractional shares will not be delivered in any case. The
certificates representing shares of stock shall be signed by or in the name of
the Corporation by the President or a Vice President and by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary or the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer and sealed with
the seal of the Corporation. Any or all of the signatures or the seal on the
certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar
who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate
shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such
certificate shall be issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same
effect as if such officer, transfer agent or registrar were still in office at
the date of issue.
Section 2. Books of Account and Record of Stockholders. There shall be
kept at the principal executive office of the Corporation correct and complete
books and records of account of all the business and transactions of the
Corporation.
Section 3. Transfers of Shares. Transfers of shares of stock of the
Corporation shall be made on the stock records of the Corporation only by the
registered holder thereof, or by his or her attorney thereunto authorized by
power of attorney duly executed and filed with the Secretary or with a transfer
agent or transfer clerk, and on surrender of the certificate or certificates, if
issued, for such shares properly endorsed or accompanied by a duly executed
stock transfer power and the payment of all taxes thereon. Except as otherwise
provided by law, the Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive
right of a person in whose name any share or shares stand on the record of
stockholders as the owner of such share or shares for all purposes, including,
without limitation, the rights to receive dividends or other distributions, and
to vote as such owner, and the Corporation shall not be bound to recognize any
equitable or legal claim to or interest in any such share or shares on the part
of any other person.
Section 4. Regulations. The Board may make such additional rules and
regulations, not inconsistent with these By-Laws, as it may deem expedient
concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates for shares of
stock of the Corporation. It may appoint, or authorize any officer or officers
to appoint, one or more transfer agents or one or more transfer clerks and one
or more registrars and may require all certificates for shares of stock to bear
the signature or signatures of any of them.
Section 5. Lost, Destroyed or Mutilated Certificates. The holder of any
certificates representing shares of stock of the Corporation immediately shall
notify the Corporation of any loss, destruction or mutilation of such
certificate, and the Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in the
place of any certificate theretofore issued by it which the owner thereof shall
allege to have been lost or destroyed or which shall have been mutilated, and
the Board, in its discretion, may require such owner or his or her legal
representatives to give to the Corporation a bond in such sum, limited or
unlimited, and in such form and with such surety or sureties, as the
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Board in its absolute discretion shall determine, to indemnify the Corporation
against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss or
destruction of any such certificate, or issuance of a new certificate. Anything
herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Board, in its absolute discretion,
may refuse to issue any such new certificate, except pursuant to legal
proceedings under the laws of the State of Maryland.
Section 6. Fixing of a Record Date for Dividends and Distributions. The
Board may fix, in advance, a date not more than 90 days preceding the date fixed
for the payment of any dividend or the making of any distribution or the
allotment of rights to subscribe for securities of the Corporation, or for the
delivery of evidences of rights or evidences of interests arising out of any
change, conversion or exchange of common stock or other securities, as the
record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to receive any
such dividend, distribution, allotment, rights or interests, and in such case
only the stockholders of record at the time so fixed shall be entitled to
receive such dividend, distribution, allotment, rights or interests.
Section 7. Information to Stockholders and Others. Any stockholder of
the Corporation or his or her agent may inspect and copy during usual business
hours the Corporation's By-Laws, minutes of the proceedings of its stockholders,
annual statements of its affairs, and voting trust agreements on file at its
principal office.
ARTICLE VIII.
Seal
The seal of the Corporation shall be circular in form and shall bear,
in addition to any other emblem or device approved by the Board of Directors,
the name of the Corporation, the year of its incorporation and the words
"Corporate Seal" and "Maryland". Said seal may be used by causing it or a
facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.
ARTICLE IX.
Fiscal Year
The Board of Directors shall have the power from time to time to fix
the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.
ARTICLE X.
Depositories and Custodians
Section 1. Depositories. The funds of the Corporation shall be
deposited with such banks or other depositories as the Board of Directors of the
Corporation from time to time may determine.
Section 2. Custodians. All securities and other investments shall be
deposited in the safekeeping of such banks or other companies as the Board of
Directors of the Corporation from time to time may determine. Every arrangement
entered into with any bank or other company
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for the safekeeping of the securities and investments of the Corporation shall
contain provisions complying with the Investment Company Act, and the general
rules and regulations thereunder.
ARTICLE XI.
Execution of Instruments
Section 1. Checks, Notes, Drafts, etc. Checks, notes, drafts,
acceptances, bills of exchange and other orders or obligations for the payment
of money shall be signed by such officer or officers or person or persons as the
Board of Directors by resolution from time to time shall designate.
Section 2. Sale or Transfer of Securities. Stock certificates, bonds or
other securities at any time owned by the Corporation may be held on behalf of
the Corporation or sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of subject to any
limits imposed by these By-Laws and pursuant to authorization by the Board and,
when so authorized to be held on behalf of the Corporation or sold, transferred
or otherwise disposed of, may be transferred from the name of the Corporation by
the signature of the President or a Vice President or the Treasurer or pursuant
to any procedure approved by the Board of Directors, subject to applicable law.
ARTICLE XII.
Independent Public Accountants
The firm of independent public accountants which shall sign or certify
the financial statements of the Corporation which are filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission shall be selected annually by the Board of Directors and
ratified by the stockholders in accordance with the provisions of the Investment
Company Act.
ARTICLE XIII.
Annual Statement
The books of account of the Corporation shall be examined by an
independent firm of public accountants at the close of each annual period of the
Corporation and at such other times as may be directed by the Board. A report to
the stockholders based upon each such examination shall be mailed to each
stockholder of record of the Corporation on such date with respect to each
report as may be determined by the Board, at his or her address as the same
appears on the books of the Corporation. Such annual statement also shall be
available at the annual meeting of stockholders and shall be placed on file at
the Corporation's principal office in the State of Maryland, and if no annual
meeting is held pursuant to Article II, Section 1, such annual statement of
affairs shall be placed on file as the Corporation's principal office within 120
days after the end of the Corporation's fiscal year. Each such report shall show
the assets and liabilities of the Corporation as of the close of the period
covered by the report and the securities in which the funds of the Corporation
then were invested. Such report also shall show the Corporation's income and
expenses for the period from the end of the Corporation's preceding fiscal year
to the close of the period covered by the report and any other information
required by
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the Investment Company Act, and shall set forth such other matters as the Board
or such firm of independent public accountants shall determine.
ARTICLE XIV.
Amendments
These By-Laws or any of them may be amended, altered or repealed by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors. The stockholders shall
have no power to make, amend, alter or repeal By-Laws.
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