COLONIAL SHORT DURATION U.S. GOVERNMENT FUND
COLONIAL INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUND
COLONIAL FEDERAL SECURITIES FUND
Supplement to the December 29, 1997 Prospectus
The Funds' Prospectus is amended as follows:
(1) A new paragraph is added to the front cover of the Prospectus below the
Table of Contents as follows:
This Prospectus is also available on-line at the Web site
http://www.libertyfunds.com. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
maintains a Web site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the Statement of
Additional Information, materials that are incorporated by reference into
this Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, and other
information regarding the Funds.
(2) The paragraph Borrowing of Money under the caption HOW THE FUNDS PURSUE
THEIR OBJECTIVES AND CERTAIN RISK FACTORS is revised in its entirety as
follows:
Borrowing of Money. The Funds may borrow money from banks, other affiliated
funds and other entities to the extent permitted by law for temporary or
emergency purposes up to 33 1/3% of their total assets.
(3) A new caption is added after the caption HOW THE FUNDS ARE MANAGED
entitled YEAR 2000 as follows:
The Funds' Advisor, Distributor and Transfer Agent (Liberty Companies) are
actively managing Year 2000 readiness for the Funds. The Liberty Companies
are taking steps that they believe are reasonably designed to address the
Year 2000 problem and are communicating with vendors who provide services,
software and systems to the Funds to provide that date-related information
and data can be properly processed and calculated on and after January 1,
2000. Many Fund service providers and vendors, including the Liberty
Companies, are in the process of making Year 2000 modifications to their
software and systems and believe that such modifications will be completed
on a timely basis prior to January 1, 2000. The Funds will not pay the cost
of these modifications. However, no assurances can be given that all
modifications required to ensure proper data processing and calculation on
and after January 1, 2000 will be timely made or that services to the Funds
will not be adversely affected.
(4) Liberty Financial Investments, Inc., the Funds' distributor, has changed
its name to Liberty Funds Distributor, Inc. (Distributor). The new name
does not affect the investment management of, or services to, the Funds.
The Distributor continues to offer selected investment products managed by
subsidiaries of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (NYSE:L), the indirect
parent of the Distributor.
(5) Colonial Investors Service Center, Inc. (Transfer Agent), the Funds'
transfer agent, has changed its name to Liberty Funds Services, Inc. The
new name does not affect the services that the Transfer Agent provides to
the Funds.
(6) The last sentence under the caption HOW THE FUNDS VALUE THEIR SHARES is
changed in its entirety as follows:
In addition, if the values of foreign securities have been materially
affected by events occurring after the closing of a foreign market, the
foreign securities may be valued at their fair value.
(7) The last sentence in the first paragraph under the caption HOW TO SELL
SHARES is revised in its entirety as follows:
To avoid delay in payment, investors are advised to purchase shares
unconditionally, such as by federal fund wire or other immediately
available funds.
(8) The following sentence is added to the paragraph Class A Shares under the
caption HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES:
Exchanges of Class A shares are not subject to a contingent deferred sales
charge. However, in determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge
is applicable to redemptions, the schedule of the fund into which the
original investment was made should be used.
(9) Under the caption TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS the first sentence in the first
paragraph is revised in its entirety and a new second and third sentence
are added as follows:
All shareholders and/or their financial advisors are automatically eligible
to exchange Fund shares and to redeem up to $100,000 of Fund shares by
calling 1-800-422-3737 toll-free any business day between 9:00 a.m. Eastern
time and the time at which the Fund values it shares. Telephone redemptions
are limited to a total of $100,000 in a 30-day period. Redemptions that
exceed $100,000 may be done by placing a wire order trade through a broker,
or furnishing a signature guaranteed request. Redemptions may also be
accomplished by writing a check against the account. Each check written
against the account is limited to a maximum of $100,000.
(10) Price Waterhouse LLP, the Funds' independent accountants, changed its name
to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The new name will not affect the services
provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to the Funds.
GF-36/229G-1198 October 30, 1998
COLONIAL SHORT DURATION U.S. GOVERNMENT FUND
COLONIAL INTERMEDIATE U.S. GOVERNMENT FUND
COLONIAL FEDERAL SECURITIES FUND
Supplement to the December 29, 1997 Statement of Additional Information
(Replacing Supplement dated June 22, 1998)
The Funds' (Funds) Statement of Additional Information is amended as follows:
(1) A Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Funds was held on October 30,
1998, the Funds' shareholders approved a number of proposals. As a result
of these approvals, the Funds' SAI is amended as follows:
(a) The first and sixth fundamental investment policies under the caption
FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICIES are revised in their entirety as
follows:
Each Fund may:
1. The Fund may borrow from banks, other affiliated funds and other
entities to the extent permitted by applicable law, provided that the
Fund's borrowings shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of its assets
(including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than
borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law.
6. The Fund may make loans (a) through lending of securities, (b) through
the purchase of debt instruments or similar evidences of indebtedness
typically sold privately to financial institutions, (c) through an
interfund lending program with other affiliated funds provided that no
such loan may be made if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans
would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (taken at market
value at the time of such loans) and (d) through repurchase agreements.
(b) The eighth fundamental investment policy under the caption FUNDAMENTAL
INVESTMENT POLICIES is deleted. (c) The third non-fundamental investment
policy under the caption OTHER INVESTMENT POLICIES is revised in its
entirety as
follows:
Each Fund may not:
3. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
(d) The following policy is added after the non-fundamental policies:
Notwithstanding the investment policies and restrictions of the Fund, the Fund
may invest all or a portion of its investable assets in investment companies
with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as
the Fund.
(e) John Carberry, Salvatore Macera, Thomas E. Stizel and Anne-Lee Verville
were elected as new trustees. As a result, the following information is
added to the section MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS:
John Carberry(1), Age 51, is Senior Vice President of Liberty Financial
Companies, Inc. (formerly Managing Director, Salomon Brothers (investment
banking) from January 1988 to January 1998).
Salvatore Macera, Age 67, is a Private Investor (formerly Executive Vice
President of Itek Corp. and President of Itek Optical & Electronic Industries,
Inc. (electronics)). Trustee: Liberty Variable Investment Trust, Stein Roe
Variable Investment Trust.
Thomas E. Stitzel, Age 58, is Professor of Finance, College of Business, Boise
State University (higher education); Business consultant and author.
Trustee: Liberty Variable Investment Trust, Stein Roe Variable Investment Trust.
Anne-Lee Verville, Age 51, is a Consultant (formerly General Manager, Global
Education Industry from 1994 to 1997, and President, Applications Solutions
Division from 1991 to 1994, IBM Corporation (global education and global
applications)).
The following table sets forth the compensation paid to Mr. Macera and Mr.
Stitzel in their capacities as Trustees of Liberty Variable Investment Trust
(LVIT), which offers nine funds: Colonial Growth and Income Fund, Variable
Series; Stein Roe Global Utilities Fund, Variable Series; Colonial International
Fund for Growth, Variable Series; Colonial U.S. Stock Fund, Variable Series;
Colonial Strategic Income Fund, Variable Series; Newport Tiger Fund, Variable
Series; Liberty All-Star Equity Fund, Variable Series; Colonial Small Cap Value
Fund, Variable Series; and Colonial High Yield Securities Fund, Variable Series,
for serving during the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C>
Total Compensation From the LVIT and Investment
Trustee Aggregate 1997 Compensation(2) Companies which are Series of LVIT in 1997(3)
Salvatore Macera $12,500 $33,500
Thomas E. Stitzel 12,500 33,500
</TABLE>
(2) Stephen E. Gibson is President of the Funds. He replaces Harold W. Cogger.
He is 45 years old and has been President of the Funds since June, 1998,
Chairman of the Board since July, 1998, Chief Executive Officer and
President since December 1996, and; Director, since July 1996 of the
Advisor (formerly Executive Vice President from July, 1996 to
December, 1996); Director, Chief Executive Officer and President of
TCG since December, 1996 (formerly Managing Director of Marketing of
Putnam Investments, June, 1992 to July, 1996).
(3) Nancy L. Conlin is Secretary of the Funds. She replaces Michael H. Koonce.
She is 44 years old and has been Secretary of the Funds since April, 1998
(formerly Assistant Secretary from July, 1994 to April, 1998), is Director,
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Clerk and Secretary of the Advisor
since April, 1998 (formerly Vice President, Counsel, Assistant Secretary
and Assistant Clerk from July, 1994 to April, 1998), Vice President -
Legal, General Counsel and Clerk of TCG since April, 1998 (formerly
Assistant Clerk from July, 1994 to April, 1998).
(4) The following paragraph is added to the MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS section:
The Trustees have the authority to convert the Funds into a master
fund/feeder fund structure. Under this structure, a Fund may invest all or
a portion of its investable assets in investment companies with
substantially the same investment objectives, policies and restrictions as
the Fund. The primary reason to use the master fund/feeder fund structure
is to provide a mechanism to pool, in a single master fund, investments of
different investor classes, resulting in a larger portfolio, investment and
administrative efficiencies and economies of scale.
(5) Liberty Financial Investments, Inc., the Funds' distributor, has changed
its name to Liberty Funds Distributor, Inc. (Distributor). The new name
does not affect the investment management of, or services to, the Funds.
The Distributor continues to offer selected investment products managed by
subsidiaries of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (NYSE:L), the indirect
parent of the Distributor.
(6) Colonial Investors Service Center, Inc., (Transfer Agent) the Funds'
transfer agent, has changed its name to Liberty Funds Services, Inc. The
new name does not affect services that the Transfer Agent provides to the
Funds.
(7) Price Waterhouse LLP, the Funds' independent accountants, changed its name
to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The new name will not affect services to the
Funds.
(8) William D. Ireland, Jr., George L. Shinn and Sinclair Weeks, Jr., retired
as Trustees of the Trust effective April 24, 1998.
(9) The following is added as the last paragraphs under the caption PERFORMANCE
MEASURES:
General. From time to time, the Fund may discuss, or quote its current
portfolio manager as well as other investment personnel, including such
persons' views on: the economy; securities markets; portfolio securities
and their issuers; investment philosophies, strategies, techniques and
criteria used in the selection of securities to be purchased or sold for
the Fund, including the New ValueTM investment strategy that expands upon
the principles of traditional value investing; the Fund's portfolio
holdings; the investment research and analysis process; the formulation and
evaluation of investment recommendations; and the assessment and evaluation
of credit, interest rate, market and economic risks and similar or related
matters.
The Fund may also quote evaluations mentioned in independent radio or
television broadcasts, and use charts and graphs to illustrate the past
performance of various indices such as those mentioned in Appendix II and
illustrations using hypothetical rates of return to illustrate the effects
of compounding and tax-deferral. The Fund may advertise examples of the
effects of periodic investment plans, including the principle of dollar
cost averaging. In such a program, an investor invests a fixed dollar
amount in a fund at periodic intervals, thereby purchasing fewer shares
when prices are high and more shares when prices are low.
From time to time, the Fund may also discuss or quote the views of its
distributor, its investment advisor and other financial planning, legal,
tax, accounting, insurance, estate planning and other professionals, or
from surveys, regarding individual and family financial planning. Such
views may include information regarding: retirement planning; general
investment techniques (e.g., asset allocation and disciplined saving and
investing); business succession; issues with respect to insurance (e.g.,
disability and life insurance and Medicare supplemental insurance); issues
regarding financial and health care management for elderly family members;
and similar or related matters.
GF-39/253G-1198 October 30, 1998
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1 Mr. Carberry is an "interested person," as defined in the Investment Company
Act of 1940 (1940 Act), because of his affiliation with Liberty Financial
Companies, Inc., an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Liberty Mutual
Insurance Company.
2 Consists of Trustee fees in the amount of (i) a $5,000 annual retainer,
(ii) a $1,500 meeting fee for each meeting attended in person
and (iii) a $500 meeting fee for each telephone meeting.
3 Includes Trustee fees paid by LVIT and by Stein Roe Variable Investment Trust.
