JANUS INVESTMENT FUND
497, 1999-02-19
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<PAGE> 
 
                                                     [JANUS LOGO]
 
                         Janus Balanced Fund
 
                                       PROSPECTUS
 
                                       FEBRUARY 17, 1999
 
                         THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED
                         OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED ON THE
                         ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
                         REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
<PAGE> 
 
    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
                                                              Table of contents
 
<TABLE>
                <S>                                               <C>
                RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
                   Janus Balanced Fund..........................    2
                   Fees and expenses............................    5
                INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT
                STRATEGIES AND RISKS
                   Investment objective and principal investment
                   strategies...................................    6
                   General portfolio policies...................    7
                   Risks........................................   10
                SHAREHOLDER'S MANUAL
                   Minimum investments..........................   17
                   Types of account ownership...................   17
                   How to open your Janus account...............   19
                   How to purchase shares.......................   20
                   How to exchange shares.......................   22
                   How to redeem shares.........................   24
                   Shareholder services and account policies....   28
                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
                   Investment adviser...........................   33
                   Portfolio manager............................   34
                OTHER INFORMATION............... ...............   35
                DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
                   Distributions................................   36
                   Taxes........................................   37
                FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.............. .............   39
                GLOSSARY
                   Glossary of investment terms.................   40
 
</TABLE>
 
                                                            Table of contents  1
<PAGE> 
Risk return summary
 
JANUS BALANCED FUND
 
1. WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE OF JANUS BALANCED FUND?
 
               The Fund seeks long-term capital growth, consistent with
               preservation of capital and balanced by current income.
 
               The Fund's Trustees may change this objective without a
               shareholder vote and the Fund will notify you of any changes that
               are material. If there is a material change in the Fund's
               objective or policies, you should consider whether the Fund
               remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee
               that the Fund will meet its objective.
 
2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES OF JANUS BALANCED FUND?
 
               The Fund normally invests 40-60% of its assets in securities
               selected primarily for their growth potential and 40-60% of its
               assets in securities selected primarily for their income
               potential. The Fund will normally invest at lest 25% of its
               assets in fixed-income securities.
 
               The portfolio manager applies a "bottom up" approach in choosing
               investments. In other words, he looks mostly for equity and
               income-producing securities that meet his investment criteria one
               at a time. If the portfolio manager is unable to find such
               investments, much of the Fund's assets may be in cash or similar
               investments.
 
3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN RISKS OF INVESTING IN JANUS BALANCED FUND?
 
               The biggest risk of investing in this Fund is that its returns
               may vary and you could lose money. If you are considering
               investing in the Fund, remember that it is designed for long-term
               investors who can accept the risks of investing in a portfolio
               with significant common stock holdings. Common stocks tend to be
               more volatile than other investment choices.
 
               The value of the Fund's portfolio may decrease if the value of an
               individual company in the portfolio decreases. The value of the
               Fund's portfolio could also decrease if the stock market goes
               down. If the value of the Fund's portfolio decreases, the Fund's
 
 2 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               net asset value (NAV) will also decrease which means if you sell
               your shares in the Fund you would get back less money.
 
               The income component of the Fund's portfolio includes fixed-
               income securities. A fundamental risk to the income component is
               that the value of these securities will fall if interest rates
               rise. Generally, the value of a fixed-income portfolio will
               decrease when interest rates rise, which means the Fund's NAV may
               likewise decrease. Another fundamental risk associated with
               fixed-income securities is credit risk, which is the risk that an
               issuer will be unable to make principal and interest payments
               when due.
 
               An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not
               insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
               Corporation or any other government agency.
 
                                                          Risk return summary  3
<PAGE> 
 
               The following information illustrates how the Fund's performance
               has varied over time. The bar chart depicts the change in the
               Fund's performance from year-to-year during the periods
               indicated. The table compares the Fund's average annual returns
               for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market
               index.
 
                JANUS BALANCED FUND

A BAR CHART showing Annual Total Returns for Janus Balanced Fund from 1993 
through 1998:

                Annual returns for periods ended 12/31

                10.56%   0.02%   27.31%   15.30%   21.81%   31.20%
                 1993    1994     1995     1996     1997     1998

Each percentage is represented by a bar of proportionate size with the actual
total return printed above the bar.

                Best Quarter: 4th-1998  18.75%; Worst Quarter: 3rd-1998  (4.49%)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                          Average annual total return for periods ended 12/31/98
                          ------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                                             Since Inception
                                                         1 year    5 years      (9/1/92)
                <S>                                   <C>          <C>       <C>
                Janus Balanced Fund                       31.20%   18.60%        18.43%
                S&P 500 Index*                            28.74%   24.08%        21.54%
                Lehman Brothers Gov't/Corp Bond
                  Index+                                   9.47%    7.30%         7.73%
                                                      --------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
               * The S&P 500 is the Standard & Poor's Composite Index of 500
                 Stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock
                 prices.
               + Lehman Brothers Gov't/Corp Bond Index is composed of all bonds
                 that are of investment grade with at least one year until
                 maturity.
 
               The Fund's past performance does not necessarily indicate how it
               will perform in the future.
 
 4 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
FEES AND EXPENSES
 
               SHAREHOLDER FEES, such as sales loads, redemption fees or
               exchange fees, are charged directly to an investor's account. All
               Janus funds are no-load investments, so you will not pay any
               shareholder fees when you buy or sell shares of the Fund.
 
               ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES are paid out of the Fund's assets
               and include fees for portfolio management, maintenance of
               shareholder accounts, shareholder servicing, accounting and other
               services. You do not pay these fees directly but, as the example
               below shows, these costs are borne indirectly by all
               shareholders.
 
               This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
               you buy and hold shares of the Fund. It is based upon gross
               expenses (without the effect of expense offset arrangements) for
               the fiscal year ended October 31, 1998.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             Janus Balanced Fund
   <S>                                                           <C>                
   Management Fee                                                   0.72%
   Other Expenses                                                   0.31%
   Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses                             1.03%
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  EXAMPLE:
  This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the
  Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example
  assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
  indicated then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The
  example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and
  that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual
  costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
  be:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           1 Year    3 Years    5 Years   10 Years
                                           ---------------------------------------
   <S>                                     <C>       <C>        <C>       <C>       
   Janus Balanced Fund                      $105      $328       $569      $1,259
</TABLE>
 
                                                          Risk return summary  5
<PAGE> 
Investment objective, principal 
           investment strategies 
           and risks
 
               This section takes a closer look at the investment objective of
               the Fund, its principal investment strategies and certain risks
               of investing in the Fund. Strategies and policies that are noted
               as "fundamental" cannot be changed without a shareholder vote.
 
               Please carefully review the "Risks" section of this Prospectus on
               pages 10-12 for a discussion of risks associated with certain
               investment techniques. We've also included a Glossary with
               descriptions of investment terms used throughout this Prospectus.
 
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
 
               Janus Balanced Fund seeks long-term capital growth, consistent
               with preservation of capital and balanced by current income. It
               pursues its objective by normally investing 40-60% of its assets
               in securities selected primarily for their growth potential and
               40-60% of its assets in securities selected primarily for their
               income potential. The Fund normally invests at least 25% of its
               assets in fixed-income securities.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
the Fund's principal investment strategies.
 
1. HOW ARE ASSETS ALLOCATED BETWEEN THE GROWTH AND INCOME COMPONENTS OF THE
   FUND'S PORTFOLIO?
 
               The Fund shifts assets between the growth and income components
               of its portfolio based on the portfolio manager's analysis of
               relevant market, financial and economic conditions. If the
               portfolio manager believes that growth securities will provide
               better returns than the yields then available or expected on
               income-producing securities, the Fund will place a greater
               emphasis on the growth component.
 
2. WHAT TYPES OF SECURITIES MAKE UP THE GROWTH COMPONENT OF THE FUND'S
   PORTFOLIO?
 
               The growth component of the Fund's portfolio is expected to
               consist primarily of common stocks, but may also include
 
 6 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               warrants, preferred stocks or convertible securities selected
               primarily for their growth potential.
 
3. WHAT TYPES OF SECURITIES MAKE UP THE INCOME COMPONENT OF THE FUND'S
   PORTFOLIO?
 
               The income component of the Fund will consist of securities that
               the portfolio manager believes have income potential. Such
               securities may include equity securities, convertible securities
               and all types of debt securities. Equity securities may be
               included in the income component of the Fund if they currently
               pay dividends or the portfolio manager believes they have the
               potential for either increasing their dividends or commencing
               dividends, if none are currently paid.
 
GENERAL PORTFOLIO POLICIES
 
               In investing its portfolio assets, the Fund will follow the
               general policies listed below. The percentage limitations
               included in these policies and elsewhere in this Prospectus apply
               only at the time of purchase of the security. So, for example, if
               the Fund exceeds a limit as a result of market fluctuations or
               the sale of securities, it will not be required to dispose of any
               securities.
 
               CASH POSITION
               When the Fund's portfolio manager believes that market conditions
               are unfavorable for profitable investing, or when he is otherwise
               unable to locate attractive investment opportunities, the Fund's
               cash or similar investments may increase. In other words, the
               Fund does not always stay fully invested in stocks and bonds.
               Cash or similar investments generally are a residual - they
               represent the assets that remain after the portfolio manager has
               committed available assets to desirable investment opportunities.
               However, the portfolio manager may also temporarily increase the
               Fund's cash position to protect its assets or maintain liquidity.
               When the Fund's investments in cash or similar investments
               increase, it may not participate in market advances or declines
               to the same extent that it would if the Fund remained more fully
               invested in stocks or bonds.
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  7
<PAGE> 
 
               OTHER TYPES OF INVESTMENTS
               The Fund invests in domestic and foreign equity securities with a
               degree of emphasis on income. The Fund may also invest to a
               lesser degree in other types of securities. These securities
               (which are described in the Glossary) may include:
 
               - debt securities
 
               - indexed/structured securities
 
               - high-yield/high-risk securities (less than 35% of the Fund's
                 assets)
 
               - options, futures, forwards and other types of derivatives for
                 hedging purposes or for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to
                 enhance return
 
               - securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
                 forward commitment basis
 
               ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS
               The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid
               investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other
               position that cannot be disposed of quickly in the normal course
               of business. For example, some securities are not registered
               under the U.S. securities laws and cannot be sold to the U.S.
               public because of SEC regulations (these are known as "restricted
               securities"). Under procedures adopted by the Fund's Trustees,
               certain restricted securities may be deemed liquid, and will not
               be counted toward this 15% limit.
 
               FOREIGN SECURITIES
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign equity and debt
               securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities
               denominated in a foreign currency and not publicly traded in the
               United States. Other ways of investing in foreign securities
               include depositary receipts or shares, and passive foreign
               investment companies.
 
 8 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               SPECIAL SITUATIONS
               The Fund may invest in special situations. A special situation
               arises when, in the opinion of the Fund's portfolio manager, the
               securities of a particular issuer will be recognized and
               appreciate in value due to a specific development with respect to
               that issuer. Developments creating a special situation might
               include, among others, a new product or process, a technological
               breakthrough, a management change or other extraordinary
               corporate event, or differences in market supply of and demand
               for the security. The Fund's performance could suffer if the
               anticipated development in a "special situation" investment does
               not occur or does not attract the expected attention.
 
               PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
               The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term
               investment although, to a limited extent, the Fund may purchase
               securities in anticipation of relatively short-term price gains.
               Short-term transactions may also result from liquidity needs,
               securities having reached a price or yield objective, changes in
               interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason
               of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time of the
               investment decision. The Fund may also sell one security and
               simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take
               advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or
               securities prices. Changes are made in the Fund's portfolio
               whenever its portfolio manager believes such changes are
               desirable. Portfolio turnover rates are generally not a factor in
               making buy and sell decisions.
 
               Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs for
               brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction
               costs and may also result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs
               associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in
               the Fund's performance.
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  9
<PAGE> 
 
RISKS
 
               Because the Fund may invest substantially all of its assets in
               common stocks, the main risk is the risk that the value of the
               stocks it holds might decrease in response to the activities of
               an individual company or in response to general market and/or
               economic conditions. If this occurs, the Fund's share price may
               also decrease. The Fund's performance may also be affected by
               risks specific to certain types of investments, such as foreign
               securities, derivative investments, non-investment grade debt
               securities or companies with relatively small market
               capitalizations.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
some of the risks of investing in the Fund.
 
1. THE FUND MAY INVEST IN SMALLER OR NEWER COMPANIES. DOES THIS CREATE ANY
   SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               Many attractive investment opportunities may be smaller, start-up
               companies offering emerging products or services. Smaller or
               newer companies may suffer more significant losses as well as
               realize more substantial growth than larger or more established
               issuers because they may lack depth of management, be unable to
               generate funds necessary for growth or potential development, or
               be developing or marketing new products or services for which
               markets are not yet established and may never become established.
               In addition, such companies may be insignificant factors in their
               industries and may become subject to intense competition from
               larger or more established companies. Securities of smaller or
               newer companies may have more limited trading markets than the
               markets for securities of larger or more established issuers, and
               may be subject to wide price fluctuations. Investments in such
               companies tend to be more volatile and somewhat more speculative.
 
2. I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HOW THE CHANGE TO THE YEAR 2000 COULD AFFECT COMPUTER
   SYSTEMS. DOES THIS CREATE ANY SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               The portfolio manager carefully researches each potential
               investment before making an investment decision and, among
 
 10 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               other things, considers Year 2000 readiness when selecting
               portfolio holdings. However, there is no guarantee that the
               information the portfolio manager receives regarding a company's
               Year 2000 readiness is completely accurate. If a company has not
               satisfactorily addressed Year 2000 issues, the Fund's performance
               could suffer.
 
3. HOW COULD THE FUND'S INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN SECURITIES AFFECT ITS
   PERFORMANCE?
 
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign securities either
               indirectly (e.g., depositary receipts) or directly in foreign
               markets. Investments in foreign securities, including those of
               foreign governments, may involve greater risks than investing in
               domestic securities because the Fund's performance may depend on
               issues other than the performance of a particular company. These
               issues include:
 
               - currency risk
 
               - political and economic risk
 
               - regulatory risk
 
               - market risk
 
               - transaction costs
 
               These risks are described in the SAI.
 
4. ARE THERE SPECIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTMENTS IN HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK
   SECURITIES?
 
               High-yield/high-risk securities (or "junk" bonds) are securities
               rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies such
               as Standard & Poor's and Moody's. The value of lower quality
               securities generally is more dependent on credit risk, or the
               ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments,
               than investment grade debt securities. Issuers of high-yield
               securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing
               bonds with higher credit ratings and are more vulnerable to real
               or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse
               developments specific to the issuer.
 
             Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  11
<PAGE> 
 
               Please refer to the SAI for a description of bond rating
               categories.
 
5. HOW DOES THE FUND TRY TO REDUCE RISK?
 
               The Fund may use futures, options and other derivative
               instruments to "hedge" or protect its portfolio from adverse
               movements in securities prices and interest rates. The Fund may
               also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including
               forward currency contracts, to manage exchange rate risk. The
               Fund believes the use of these instruments will benefit the Fund.
               However, the Fund's performance could be worse than if the Fund
               had not used such instruments if the portfolio manager's
               judgement proves incorrect. Risks associated with the use of
               derivative instruments are described in the SAI.
 
 12 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
 
                                                                              13
<PAGE> 
 
Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                   Shareholder's
                   Manual
 
                   This section will help you become
                   familiar with the different types
                   of accounts you can establish with
                   Janus. It also explains in detail
                   the wide array of services and
                   features you can establish on your
                   account, as well as account
                   policies and fees that may apply
                   to your account. Account policies
                   (including fees), services and
                   features may be modified or
                   discontinued without shareholder
                   approval or prior notice.
 
                                                    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH JANUS
 
               Janus offers two Investor Service Centers for those individuals
               who would like to conduct their investing in person. Our
               representatives will be happy to assist you at either of the
               following locations: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
               Mountain time and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mountain time.
 
               100 Fillmore Street, Suite 100
               Denver, CO 80206
 
               3773 Cherry Creek North Drive, Suite 101
               Denver, CO 80209
 
 QUICK ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE REFERENCE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
  <S>                                           <C>
  MAILING ADDRESS                               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
  Janus                                         1-888-979-7737
  P.O. Box 173375                               For 24-hour access to account
  Denver, CO 80217-3375                         and fund information,
                                                exchanges, purchases and
  FOR OVERNIGHT CARRIER                         redemptions, automated daily
  Janus                                         quotes on fund share prices,
  Suite 101                                     yields and total returns.
  3773 Cherry Creek North Drive
  Denver, CO 80209-3811                         TDD
                                                1-800-525-0056
  INVESTOR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES              A telecommunications device
  If you have any questions while reading       for our hearing- and
  this Prospectus, please call one of our       speech-impaired shareholders.
  Investor Service Representatives at
  1-800-525-3713 Monday-Friday: 8:00            JANUS LITERATURE LINE
  a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Saturday: 10:00           1-800-525-8983
  a.m.-4:00 p.m., New York time.                To request a prospectus,
                                                shareholder reports or
  JANUS INTERNET ADDRESS                        marketing materials 24 hours a
  janus.com                                     day.
</TABLE>
 
 16 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
MINIMUM INVESTMENTS*
- ---------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>
To open a new regular account        $2,500

To open a new retirement,
education or UGMA/UTMA account       $  500

To open a new regular account with
an Automatic Investment Program      $  500**

To add to any type of an account     $  100+
</TABLE>
 
 * The Fund reserves the right to
   change the amount of these
   minimums from time to time or
   to waive them in whole or in
   part for certain types of
   accounts.
** An Automatic Investment Program
   requires a $100 minimum
   automatic investment per month
   until the account balance
   reaches $2,500.
 + The minimum subsequent
   investment for IRA UGMA/UTMA
   accounts is $50.
 
TYPES OF ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP
 
               If you are investing in the Fund for the first time, you will
               need to establish an account. You can establish the following
               types of accounts by completing a New Account Application. To
               request an application, call 1-800-525-3713 or visit our Web site
               at janus.com to download an application.
 
               INDIVIDUAL OR JOINT OWNERSHIP
               Individual accounts are owned by one person. Joint accounts have
               two or more owners.
 
               A GIFT OR TRANSFER TO MINOR (UGMA OR UTMA)
               An UGMA/ UTMA account is a custodial account managed for the
               benefit of a minor. To open an UGMA or UTMA account, you must
               include the minor's Social Security number on the application.
 
               TRUST
               An established trust can open an account. The names of each
               trustee, the name of the trust and the date of the trust
               agreement must be included on the application.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  17
<PAGE> 
 
               BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
               Corporations and partnerships may also open an account. The
               application must be signed by an authorized officer of the
               corporation or a general partner of the partnership.
 
TAX-DEFERRED ACCOUNTS
 
               If you are eligible, you may set up one or more tax-deferred
               accounts. A tax-deferred account allows you to shelter your
               investment income and capital gains from current income taxes. A
               contribution to certain of these plans may also be tax
               deductible. Tax-deferred accounts include retirement plans
               described below and the Education IRA. Distributions from these
               plans are generally subject to income tax and may be subject to
               an additional tax if withdrawn prior to age 59 1/2 or used for a
               nonqualifying purpose. Investors should consult their tax adviser
               or legal counsel before selecting a tax-deferred account.
 
               Investors Fiduciary Trust Company serves as custodian for the
               tax-deferred accounts offered by the Fund. You will be charged an
               annual account maintenance fee of $12 for each taxpayer
               identification number no matter how many tax-deferred accounts
               you have with Janus. You may pay the fee by check or have it
               automatically deducted from your account (usually in December).
               The custodian reserves the right to change the amount of this fee
               or to waive it in whole or in part for certain types of accounts.
 
               The following plans require a special application. For an
               application and more details about our Retirement Plans, call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
               TRADITIONAL AND ROTH INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
               Both types of IRAs allow most individuals with earned income to
               contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 ($4,000 for most married
               couples) or 100% of compensation annually. Please refer to the
               Janus IRA booklet for more complete information regarding the
               different types of IRAs.
 
 18 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               EDUCATION IRA
               This plan allows individuals, subject to certain income
               limitations, to contribute up to $500 annually on behalf of any
               child under the age of 18. Please refer to the Janus IRA booklet
               for more complete information regarding the Education IRA.
 
               SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSION PLAN
               This plan allows small business owners (including sole
               proprietors) to make tax-deductible contributions for themselves
               and any eligible employee(s). A SEP requires an IRA (a SEP-IRA)
               to be set up for each SEP participant.
 
               PROFIT SHARING OR MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN
               These plans are open to corporations, partnerships and sole
               proprietors to benefit their employees and themselves.
 
               SECTION 403(b)(7) PLAN
               Employees of educational organizations or other qualifying, tax-
               exempt organizations may be eligible to participate in a Section
               403(b)(7) Plan.
 
HOW TO OPEN YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT
 
               Complete and sign the appropriate application. Please be sure to
               provide your Social Security or taxpayer identification number on
               the application and make your check payable to Janus. The Fund is
               available only to U.S. citizens or residents, and your
               application will be returned to you if you do not meet these
               criteria. Send all items to one of addresses listed in the "Quick
               Address and Telephone Reference" on page 16.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  19
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
 
               PAYING FOR SHARES
 
               When you purchase shares, your request will be processed at the
               next NAV calculated after your order is received and accepted.
               Please note the following:
 
               - Cash, credit cards, third party checks and credit card checks
                 will not be accepted.
 
               - All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars.
 
               - Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to Janus.
 
               - If a check does not clear your bank, the Fund reserves the
                 right to cancel the purchase.
 
               - If the Fund is unable to debit your predesignated bank account
                 on the day of purchase, it may make additional attempts or
                 cancel the purchase.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase
                 request.
 
               If your purchase is cancelled you will be responsible for any
               losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be
               incurred as a result of any decline in the value of the cancelled
               purchase. The Fund (or its agents) has the authority to redeem
               shares in your account(s) to cover any such losses due to
               fluctuations in share price. Any profit on such cancellation will
               accrue to the Fund.
 
               ONCE YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT FOR
               AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IS $100 ($50 FOR IRAs OR UGMA/UTMA
               ACCOUNTS). You may add to your account at any time through any of
               the following options:
 
               BY MAIL
 
               Complete the remittance slip attached at the bottom of your
               confirmation statement. If you are making a purchase into a
               retirement account, please indicate whether the purchase is a
 
 20 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               rollover or a current or prior year contribution. Send your check
               made payable to Janus and remittance slip or written instructions
               to one of the addresses listed previously. You may also request a
               booklet of remittance slips for non-retirement accounts.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               This service allows you to purchase additional shares quickly and
               conveniently through an electronic transfer of money. To purchase
               shares by telephone, call an Investor Service Representative at
               1-800-525-3713 during normal business hours or call the Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. When you make an additional purchase by telephone, Janus
               will automatically debit your predesignated bank account for the
               desired amount. To establish the telephone purchase option on
               your new account, complete the "Telephone Purchase of Shares
               Option" section on the application and attach a "voided" check or
               deposit slip from your bank account. If your account is already
               established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the appropriate form.
               This option will become effective ten business days after the
               form is received.
 
               BY WIRE
 
               Purchases may also be made by wiring money from your bank account
               to your Janus account. Call 1-800-525-3713 to receive wiring
               instructions.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               You must pre-establish the "Telephone Purchase of Shares Option"
               to make a purchase on our Web site at janus.com. If you have
               questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to speak to a Janus
               representative.
 
               AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
 
               Janus offers several automatic investment programs to help you
               achieve your financial goals as simply and conveniently as
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  21
<PAGE> 
 
               possible. You may open a new account with a $500 initial purchase
               and $100 automatic subsequent investments.
 
               AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT PROGRAM
               You select the day each month that your money ($100 minimum) will
               be electronically transferred from your bank account to your Fund
               account. To establish this option, complete the "Automatic
               Monthly Investment Program" section on the application and attach
               a "voided" check from your bank account. If your Fund account is
               already established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               PAYROLL DEDUCTION
               If your employer can initiate an automatic payroll deduction, you
               may have all or a portion of your paycheck ($100 minimum)
               invested directly into your Fund account. To obtain information
               on establishing this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
               With a Systematic Exchange you determine the amount of money
               ($100 minimum) you would like automatically exchanged from one
               Janus account to another on any day of the month. For more
               information on how to establish this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may exchange all or a portion of your
               shares into any other available Janus fund.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request an exchange in writing, please follow the instructions
               for written requests on page 26.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               All accounts are automatically eligible for the telephone
               exchange option. To exchange shares by telephone, call an
               Investor Service Representative at 1-800-525-3713 during normal
               business hours
 
 22 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               or call the Janus XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this
               option 24 hours a day.
 
               BY SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
 
               As noted above, you may establish a Systematic Exchange for as
               little as $100 per month on established accounts. You may
               establish a new account with a $500 initial purchase and
               subsequent $100 systematic exchanges. If the balance in the
               account you are exchanging from falls below the systematic
               exchange amount, all remaining shares will be exchanged and the
               program will be discontinued.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Exchanges may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               EXCHANGE POLICIES
 
               - Except for Systematic Exchanges, new accounts established by
                 exchange must be opened with $2,500 or the total account value
                 if the value of the account you are exchanging from is less
                 than $2,500.
 
               - Exchanges between existing accounts must meet the $100
                 subsequent investment requirement.
 
               - You may make four exchanges out of the Fund during a calendar
                 year (exclusive of Systematic Exchanges). Exchanges in excess
                 of this limit may be subject to an exchange fee or may result
                 in termination of the exchange privilege.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange request and
                 to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. For
                 example, the Fund may reject exchanges from accounts engaged in
                 or known to engage in trading in excess of the limit above
                 (including market timing transactions).
 
               - Exchanges between accounts will be accepted only if the
                 registrations are identical.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  23
<PAGE> 
 
               - If the shares you are exchanging are held in certificate form,
                 you must return the certificate to the Fund prior to making any
                 exchanges.
 
               - Be sure to read the prospectus for the fund into which you are
                 exchanging.
 
               - An exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the
                 purchase of shares of another fund, which may produce a taxable
                 gain or loss in a non-tax deferred account.
 
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may redeem all or a portion of your
               shares. If the shares are held in certificate form, the
               certificate must be returned with or before your redemption
               request. Your transaction will be processed at the next NAV
               calculated after your order is received and accepted. The
               redemption may be suspended for 10 days following an address
               change unless a signature guarantee is provided.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request a redemption in writing, please follow the
               instructions for written requests noted on page 26.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               Most accounts have the telephone redemption option, unless this
               option was specifically declined on the application or in
               writing. This option enables you to request redemptions daily
               from your account by calling 1-800-525-3713 by the close of the
               regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")
               normally 4:00 p.m. New York time. You may also use Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. (There is a daily limit of $100,000 per account for
               redemptions payable by check.)
 
 24 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Redemptions may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               SYSTEMATIC REDEMPTION OPTION
 
               The Systematic Redemption Option allows you to redeem a specific
               dollar amount from your Fund account on a regular basis. For more
               information or to request the appropriate form, please call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
PAYMENT OF REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
 
               BY CHECK
               Redemption proceeds will be sent to the shareholder(s) of record
               at the address of record within seven days after receipt of a
               valid redemption request.
 
               BY ELECTRONIC TRANSFER
               If you have established the electronic redemption option, your
               redemption proceeds can be electronically transferred to your
               predesignated bank account on the next bank business day after
               receipt of your redemption request (wire transfer) or the second
               bank business day after receipt of your redemption request (ACH
               transfer). Wire transfers will be charged an $8 fee per wire and
               your bank may charge an additional fee to receive the wire. ACH
               transfers are made free of charge. Wire redemptions are not
               available for retirement accounts.
 
               If you would like to establish the electronic redemption option
               on an existing account, please call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               IF THE SHARES BEING REDEEMED WERE PURCHASED BY CHECK, TELEPHONE,
               ON OUR WEB SITE, OR THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT
               PROGRAM, THE FUND MAY DELAY THE PAYMENT OF YOUR REDEMPTION
               PROCEEDS FOR UP TO 15 DAYS FROM THE DAY OF PURCHASE TO ALLOW THE
               PURCHASE TO CLEAR. Unless you provide alternate instructions,
               your proceeds will be invested in Janus
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  25
<PAGE> 
 
               Money Market Fund - Investor Shares during the 15 day hold
               period.
 
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
 
               To redeem all or part of your shares in writing, your request
               should be sent to one of the addresses listed on page 16 and must
               include the following information:
 
               - the name of the Fund
 
               - the account number
 
               - the amount of money or number of shares being redeemed or
                 exchanged
 
               - the name(s) on the account registration
 
               - the signature(s) of all registered account owners
 
               - your daytime telephone number
 
               SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON ACCOUNT TYPE
 
               INDIVIDUAL, JOINT TENANTS, TENANTS IN COMMON
               Written instructions must be signed by each shareholder, exactly
               as the names appear in the account registration.
 
               UGMA OR UTMA
               Written instructions must be signed by the custodian in his/her
               capacity as it appears in the account registration.
 
               SOLE PROPRIETOR, GENERAL PARTNER
               Written instructions must be signed by an authorized individual
               in his/her capacity as it appears on the account registration.
 
               CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION
               Written instructions must be signed by the person(s) authorized
               to act on the account. In addition, a certified copy of the
               corporate resolution authorizing the signer to act must accompany
               the request.
 
 26 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               TRUST
               Written instructions must be signed by the trustee(s). If the
               name(s) of the current trustee(s) does not appear in the account
               registration, a certificate of incumbency dated within 60 days
               must also be submitted.
 
               IRA
               Written instructions must be signed by the account owner. If you
               do not want federal income tax withheld from your redemption, you
               must state that you elect not to have such withholding apply. In
               addition, your instructions must state whether the distribution
               is normal (after age 59 1/2) or premature (before age 59 1/2)
               and, if premature, whether any exceptions such as death or
               disability apply with regard to the 10% additional tax on early
               distributions.
 
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               In addition to the signature requirements, A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               IS ALSO REQUIRED if any of the following is applicable:
 
               - You request a redemption by check that exceeds $100,000.
 
               - You would like the check made payable to anyone other than the
                 shareholder(s) of record.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address which has been
                 changed within 10 days of the redemption request.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address other than the
                 address of record.
 
               THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES OR TO REJECT OR DELAY A REDEMPTION ON
               CERTAIN LEGAL GROUNDS. FOR MORE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO
               SIGNATURE GUARANTEES, PLEASE CALL 1-800-525-3713.
 
               HOW TO OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine. The
               signature guarantee protects shareholders from unauthorized
               account transfers. The following financial institutions may
               guaran-
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  27
<PAGE> 
 
               tee signatures: banks, savings and loan associations, trust
               companies, credit unions, broker-dealers, and member firms of a
               national securities exchange. Call your financial institution to
               see if they have the ability to guarantee a signature. A
               signature guarantee cannot be provided by a notary public.
 
               If you live outside the United States, a foreign bank properly
               authorized to do business in your country of residence or a U.S.
               consulate may be able to authenticate your signature.
 
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
 
               All purchases, redemptions and exchanges will be processed at the
               NAV next calculated after your request is received and accepted
               by the Fund (or the Fund's agent or authorized designee). The
               Fund's NAV is calculated at the close of the regular trading
               session of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each day
               that the NYSE is open. The NAV of Fund shares is not determined
               on days the NYSE is closed (generally, New Year's Day, Martin
               Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
               Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). In
               order to receive a day's price, your order must be received by
               the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE. Securities
               are valued at market value or, if a market quotation is not
               readily available, at their fair value determined in good faith
               under procedures established by and under the supervision of the
               Trustees. Short-term instruments maturing within 60 days are
               valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. See
               the SAI for more detailed information.
 
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AND ACCOUNT POLICIES
 
               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
 
               Janus XpressLine, our electronic telephone service, offers you
               24-hour access by TouchTone(TM) telephone to obtain information
               on account balances, Fund performance or dividends. You can also
               make exchanges, purchases and redemptions in existing accounts,
               request literature about any Janus fund, or order duplicate
 
 28 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               statements. Janus XpressLine is accessed by calling
               1-888-979-7737. Calls are limited to five minutes.
 
               JANUS WEB SITE
 
               Janus maintains a Web site located at janus.com. You can
               purchase, exchange and redeem shares and access information such
               as your account balance and the Fund's NAV through the Web site.
               In order to engage in transactions on our Web site, you must
               authorize us to transmit account information online and accept
               online instructions (see janus.com and follow the procedures
               accordingly). You may also need to have bank account information,
               wire instructions or other options established on your account.
               The Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses
               resulting from unauthorized transactions on our Web site when
               procedures designed for engaging in such transactions are
               followed. If you have questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to
               speak to a Janus representative.
 
               ACCOUNT MINIMUMS
 
               Due to the proportionately higher costs of maintaining small
               accounts, Janus reserves the right to deduct a $10 minimum
               balance fee (or the value of the account if less than $10) from
               accounts with values below the minimums described on page 17 or
               to close such accounts. This policy will apply to accounts
               participating in the Automatic Monthly Investment Program only if
               your account balance does not reach the required minimum initial
               investment or falls below such minimum and you have discontinued
               monthly investments. This policy does not apply to accounts that
               fall below the minimums solely as a result of market value
               fluctuations. It is expected that, for purposes of this policy,
               accounts will be valued in September, and the $10 fee will be
               assessed on the second Friday of September of each year. You will
               receive notice before we charge the $10 fee or close your account
               so that you may increase your account balance to the required
               minimum.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  29
<PAGE> 
 
               TRANSACTIONS THROUGH PROCESSING ORGANIZATIONS
 
               You may purchase or sell Fund shares through a broker-dealer,
               bank or other financial institution, or an organization that
               provides recordkeeping and consulting services to 401(k) plans or
               other employee benefit plans (a "Processing Organization").
               Processing Organizations may charge you a fee for this service
               and may require different minimum initial and subsequent
               investments than the Fund. Processing Organizations may also
               impose other charges or restrictions different from those
               applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. A
               Processing Organization, rather than its customer, may be the
               shareholder of record of your shares. The Fund is not responsible
               for the failure of any Processing Organization to carry out its
               obligations to its customers. Certain Processing Organizations
               may receive compensation from Janus Capital or its affiliates and
               certain Processing Organizations may receive compensation from
               the Fund for shareholder recordkeeping and similar services.
 
               TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
 
               On your application or other appropriate form, you will be asked
               to certify that your Social Security or taxpayer identification
               number is correct and that you are not subject to backup
               withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are
               subject to the 31% backup withholding or you did not certify your
               taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to
               withhold 31% of any dividends paid and redemption or exchange
               proceeds. In addition to the 31% backup withholding, you may be
               subject to a $50 fee to reimburse the Fund for any penalty that
               the IRS may impose.
 
               SHARE CERTIFICATES
 
               Most shareholders choose not to hold their shares in certificate
               form because account transactions such as exchanges and
               redemptions cannot be completed until the certificate has been
               returned to the Fund. The Fund will issue share certificates upon
               written request only and reserves the right to charge a fee for
               this service.
 
 30 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               Share certificates will not be issued until the shares have been
               held for at least 15 days and will not be issued for accounts
               that do not meet the minimum investment requirements. Share
               certificates cannot be issued for retirement accounts. In
               addition, if the certificate is lost, there may be a replacement
               charge.
 
               INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS
 
               The Fund reserves the right to close an account if the
               shareholder is deemed to engage in activities which are illegal
               or otherwise believed to be detrimental to the Fund.
 
               TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
 
               You may initiate many transactions by telephone. The Fund and its
               agents will not be responsible for any losses resulting from
               unauthorized transactions when procedures designed to verify the
               identity of the caller are followed.
 
               It may be difficult to reach an Investor Service Representative
               by telephone during periods of unusual market activity. If you
               are unable to reach a representative by telephone, please
               consider sending written instructions, stopping by a Service
               Center, calling the Janus XpressLine or visiting our Web site.
 
               TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF SERVICES
 
               The Fund or its agents may, in case of emergency, temporarily
               suspend telephone transactions or other shareholder services.
 
               ADDRESS CHANGES
 
               To change the address on your account, call 1-800-525-3713 or
               send a written request signed by all account owners. Include the
               name of the Fund, the account number(s), the name(s) on the
               account and both the old and new addresses. Certain options may
               be suspended for 10 days following an address change unless a
               signature guarantee is provided.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  31
<PAGE> 
 
               REGISTRATION CHANGES
 
               To change the name on an account, the shares are generally
               transferred to a new account. In some cases, legal documentation
               may be required. For more information call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
 
               Investors participating in an automatic investment program will
               receive quarterly confirmations of all transactions. Dividend
               information will be distributed quarterly. In addition, the Fund
               will send you an immediate transaction confirmation statement
               after every non-systematic transaction.
 
               The Fund produces financial reports, which include a list of the
               Fund's portfolio holdings, semiannually and updates its
               prospectus annually. To reduce expenses, the Fund may choose to
               mail only one report or prospectus to your household, even if
               more than one person in the household has a Fund account. Please
               call 1-800-525-3713 if you would like to receive additional
               reports or prospectuses. The Fund reserves the right to charge a
               fee for additional statement and report requests.
 
 32 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                          Management of the fund
 
INVESTMENT ADVISER
 
               Janus Capital Corporation, 100 Fillmore Street, Denver, Colorado
               80206-4928, is the investment adviser to the Fund and is
               responsible for the day-to-day management of its investment
               portfolio and other business affairs.
 
               Janus Capital began serving as investment adviser to Janus Fund
               in 1970 and currently serves as investment adviser to all of the
               Janus funds, acts as sub-adviser for a number of private-label
               mutual funds and provides separate account advisory services for
               institutional accounts.
 
               Janus Capital furnishes continuous advice and recommendations
               concerning the Fund's investments. Janus Capital also furnishes
               certain administrative, compliance and accounting services for
               the Fund, and may be reimbursed by the Fund for its costs in
               providing those services. In addition, Janus Capital employees
               serve as officers of the Trust and Janus Capital provides office
               space for the Fund and pays the salaries, fees and expenses of
               all Fund officers and those Trustees who are affiliated with
               Janus Capital.
 
               The Fund pays Janus Capital a management fee which is calculated
               daily and paid monthly. The advisory agreement with the Fund
               spells out the management fee and other expenses that the Fund
               must pay.
 
               The Fund incurs expenses not assumed by Janus Capital, including
               transfer agent and custodian fees and expenses, legal and
               auditing fees, printing and mailing costs of sending reports and
               other information to existing shareholders, and independent
               Trustees' fees and expenses. The Annual Fund Operating Expenses
               table on page 5 lists the actual management fee and total
               operating expenses of the Fund for the most recent fiscal year.
 
                                                      Management of the fund  33
<PAGE> 
 
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
BLAINE P. ROLLINS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   is Executive Vice President and portfolio manager of the
                   Fund, which he has managed since January 1996, and Janus
                   Equity Income Fund, which he has managed since inception.
                   He is an assistant portfolio manager of Janus Fund. Mr.
                   Rollins joined Janus Capital in 1990 and gained experience
                   as a fixed-income trader and equity research analyst prior
                   to managing the Fund. He holds a Bachelor of Science in
                   Finance from the University of Colorado and received the
                   Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
 
 34 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                               Other information
 
               SIZE OF THE FUND
 
               Although there is no present intention to do so, the Fund may
               discontinue sales of its shares if management and the Trustees
               believe that continued sales may adversely affect the Fund's
               ability to achieve its investment objective. If sales of the Fund
               are discontinued, it is expected that existing shareholders of
               the Fund will be permitted to continue to purchase shares and to
               reinvest any dividends or capital gains distributions absent
               highly unusual circumstances.
 
               YEAR 2000
 
               Preparing for Year 2000 is a high priority for Janus Capital,
               which has established a dedicated group to address this issue.
               Janus Capital has devoted considerable internal resources and has
               engaged one of the foremost experts in the field to help achieve
               Year 2000 readiness. Janus Capital does not anticipate that Year
               2000-related issues will have a material impact on its ability to
               continue to provide the Fund with service at current levels;
               however, Janus Capital cannot make any assurances that the steps
               it has taken to ensure Year 2000 readiness will be successful. In
               addition, there can be no assurance that Year 2000 issues will
               not affect the companies in which the Fund invests or worldwide
               markets and economies.
 
                                                           Other information  35
<PAGE> 
Distributions and taxes
 
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               To avoid taxation of the Fund, the Internal Revenue Code requires
               the Fund to distribute net income and any net capital gains
               realized on its investments annually. The Fund's income from
               dividends and interest and any net realized short-term gains are
               paid to shareholders as ordinary income dividends. Net realized
               long-term gains are paid to shareholders as capital gains
               distributions. Dividends are normally declared and paid in March,
               June, September and December, while capital gains distributions
               are normally declared and paid in December.
 
               HOW DISTRIBUTIONS AFFECT THE FUND'S NAV
 
               Distributions are paid to shareholders as of the record date of
               the distribution of the Fund, regardless of how long the shares
               have been held. Dividends and capital gains awaiting distribution
               are included in the Fund's daily NAV. The share price of the Fund
               drops by the amount of the distribution, net of any subsequent
               market fluctuations. As an example, assume that on December 31,
               the Fund declared a dividend in the amount of $0.25 per share. If
               the Fund's share price was $10.00 on December 30, the Fund's
               share price on December 31 would be $9.75, barring market
               fluctuations. Shareholders should be aware that distributions
               from a taxable mutual fund are not value-enhancing and may create
               income tax obligations.
 
               "BUYING A DIVIDEND"
 
               If you purchase shares of the Fund just before the distribution,
               you will pay the full price for the shares and receive a portion
               of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. This is
               referred to as "buying a dividend." In the above example, if you
               bought shares on December 30, you would have paid $10.00 per
               share. On December 31, the Fund would pay you $0.25 per share as
               a dividend and your shares would now be worth $9.75 per share.
               Unless your account is set up as a tax-deferred account,
               dividends paid to you would be included in your gross income for
               tax purposes, even though you may not have participated in the
 
 36 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               increase in NAV of the Fund, whether or not you reinvested the
               dividends.
 
DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS
 
               When you open an account, you must specify on your application
               how you want to receive your distributions. You may change your
               distribution option at any time by writing the Fund at one of the
               addresses on page 16 or calling 1-800-525-3713. The Fund offers
               the following options:
 
               1. REINVESTMENT OPTION. You may reinvest your income dividends
                  and capital gains distributions in additional shares. This
                  option is assigned automatically if no other choice is made.
 
               2. CASH OPTION. You may receive your income dividends and capital
                  gains distributions in cash.
 
               3. REINVEST AND CASH OPTION. You may receive either your income
                  dividends or capital gains distributions in cash and reinvest
                  the other in additional shares.
 
               4. REDIRECT OPTION. You may direct your dividends or capital
                  gains to purchase shares of another Janus fund.
 
               The Fund reserves the right to reinvest into your account
               undeliverable and uncashed dividend and distribution checks that
               remain outstanding for six months in shares of the Fund at the
               NAV next computed after the check is cancelled. Subsequent
               distributions may also be reinvested.
 
TAXES
 
               As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences
               of investing in the Fund. Any time you sell or exchange shares of
               a Fund in a taxable account, it is considered a taxable event.
               Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have
               a gain or loss on the transaction. Any tax liabilities generated
               by your transactions are your responsibility.
 
               The following discussion does not apply to tax-deferred accounts,
               nor is it a complete analysis of the federal tax implications of
               investing in the Fund. You may wish to consult your own tax
 
                                                     Distributions and taxes  37
<PAGE> 
 
               adviser. Additionally, state or local taxes may apply to your
               investment, depending upon the laws of your state of residence.
 
               TAXES ON DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               Dividends and distributions by the Fund are subject to federal
               income tax, regardless of whether the distribution is made in
               cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.
               Distributions may be taxable at different rates depending on the
               length of time the Fund holds a security. In certain states, a
               portion of the dividends and distributions (depending on the
               source of the Fund's income) may be exempt from state and local
               taxes. Information regarding the tax status of income dividends
               and capital gains distributions will be mailed to shareholders on
               or before January 31st of each year. Account tax information will
               also be sent to the IRS.
 
               TAXATION OF THE FUND
 
               Dividends, interest, and some capital gains received by the Fund
               on foreign securities may be subject to tax withholding or other
               foreign taxes. The Fund may from year to year make the election
               permitted under section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code to pass
               through such taxes to shareholders as a foreign tax credit. If
               such an election is not made, any foreign taxes paid or accrued
               will represent an expense to the Fund.
 
               The Fund does not expect to pay federal income or excise taxes
               because it intends to meet certain requirements of the Internal
               Revenue Code. It is important that the Fund meet these
               requirements so that any earnings on your investment will not be
               taxed twice.
 
 38 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                            Financial highlights
 
               The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand
               the Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years through
               October 31st of each fiscal year shown. Items 1 through 9 reflect
               financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in
               the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned
               (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of
               all dividends and distributions). This information has been
               audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with
               the Fund's financial statements, are included in the Annual
               Report, which is available upon request and incorporated by
               reference into the SAI.
 
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                              JANUS BALANCED FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Periods ending October 31st
                                           1998     1997     1996     1995     1994
<S>                                       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>
  1. NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF
     PERIOD                               $16.73   $15.20   $13.72   $12.17    $12.23
     INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
  2. Net investment income                  0.33     0.36     0.33     0.61      0.27
  3. Net gains or (losses) on securities
     (both realized and unrealized)         2.00     2.88     2.22     1.52    (0.09)
  4. Total from investment operations       2.33     3.24     2.55     2.13      0.18
     LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:
  5. Dividends (from net investment
     income)                              (0.35)   (0.36)   (0.26)   (0.58)    (0.24)
  6. Dividends (in excess of net
     investment income)                       --       --       --       --        --
  7. Distributions (from capital gains)   (1.49)   (1.35)   (0.81)       --        --
  8. Total distributions                  (1.84)   (1.71)   (1.07)   (0.58)    (0.24)
  9. NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD       $17.22   $16.73   $15.20   $13.72    $12.17
 10. Total return                         15.48%   23.38%   19.39%   18.26%     1.51%
 11. Net assets, end of period (in
     millions)                              $830     $360     $207     $125       $94
 12. Average net assets for the period
     (in millions)                          $537     $283     $159     $107       $86
 13. Ratio of gross expenses to average
     net assets                            1.03%    1.12%    1.23%    1.35%       N/A
 14. Ratio of net expenses to average
     net assets                            1.01%    1.10%    1.21%    1.32%     1.42%
 15. Ratio of net investment
     income/(loss) to average net assets   2.34%    2.63%    2.35%    2.52%     2.28%
 16. Portfolio turnover rate                 73%     139%     151%     185%      167%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                                        Financial highlights  39
<PAGE> 
Glossary of investment terms
 
               This glossary provides a more detailed description of some of the
               types of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may
               invest. The Fund may invest in these instruments to the extent
               permitted by its investment objective and policies. The Fund is
               not limited by this discussion and may invest in any other types
               of instruments not precluded by the policies discussed elsewhere
               in this Prospectus. Please refer to the SAI for a more detailed
               discussion of certain instruments.
 
I. EQUITY AND DEBT SECURITIES
 
               BONDS are debt securities issued by a company, municipality,
               government or government agency. The issuer of a bond is required
               to pay the holder the amount of the loan (or par value of the
               bond) at a specified maturity and to make scheduled interest
               payments.
 
               COMMERCIAL PAPER is a short-term debt obligation with a maturity
               ranging from 1 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and
               other borrowers to investors seeking to invest idle cash. The
               Fund may purchase commercial paper issued in private placements
               under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
 
               COMMON STOCKS are equity securities representing shares of
               ownership in a company, and usually carry voting rights and earns
               dividends. Unlike preferred stock, dividends on common stocks are
               not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer's
               board of directors.
 
               CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES are preferred stocks or bonds that pay a
               fixed dividend or interest payment and are convertible into
               common stock at a specified price or conversion ratio.
 
               DEBT SECURITIES are equity securities representing money borrowed
               that must be repaid at a later date. Such securities have
               specific maturities and usually a specific rate of interest or an
               original purchase discount.
 
               DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS are receipts for shares of a foreign-based
               corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital
               gains on the underlying security. Receipts include those issued
               by domestic banks (American Depositary Receipts), foreign banks
 
 40 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               (Global or European Depositary Receipts) and broker-dealers
               (depositary shares).
 
               FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES are securities that pay a specified rate
               of return. The term generally includes short- and long-term
               government, corporate and municipal obligations that pay a
               specified rate of interest or coupons for a specified period of
               time, and preferred stock, which pays fixed dividends. Coupon and
               dividend rates may be fixed for the life of the issue or, in the
               case of adjustable and floating rate securities, for a shorter
               period.
 
               HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES are securities that are rated
               below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (e.g., BB
               or lower by Standard & Poor's and Ba or lower by Moody's). Other
               terms commonly used to describe such securities include "lower
               rated bonds," "noninvestment grade bonds" and "junk bonds."
 
               MORTGAGE- AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES are shares in a pool of
               mortgages or other debt. These securities are generally pass-
               through securities, which means that principal and interest
               payments on the underlying securities (less servicing fees) are
               passed through to shareholders on a pro rata basis. These
               securities involve prepayment risk, which is the risk that the
               underlying mortgages or other debt may be refinanced or paid off
               prior to their maturities during periods of declining interest
               rates. In that case, the portfolio managers may have to reinvest
               the proceeds from the securities at a lower rate. Potential
               market gains on a security subject to prepayment risk may be more
               limited than potential market gains on a comparable security that
               is not subject to prepayment risk.
 
               PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICs) are any foreign
               corporations which generate certain amounts of passive income or
               hold certain amounts of assets for the production of passive
               income. Passive income includes dividends, interest, royalties,
               rents and annuities. To avoid taxes and interest that the Fund
               must pay if these investments are profitable, the Fund may make
               various elections permitted by the tax laws. These elections
               could require that the Fund recognize taxable income, which in
               turn
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  41
<PAGE> 
 
               must be distributed, before the securities are sold and before
               cash is received to pay the distributions.
 
               PREFERRED STOCKS are equity securities that generally pay
               dividends at a specified rate and have preference over common
               stock in the payment of dividends and liquidation. Preferred
               stock generally does not carry voting rights.
 
               REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the purchase of a security by the
               Fund and a simultaneous agreement by the seller (generally a bank
               or dealer) to repurchase the security from the Fund at a
               specified date or upon demand. This technique offers a method of
               earning income on idle cash. These securities involve the risk
               that the seller will fail to repurchase the security, as agreed.
               In that case, the Fund will bear the risk of market value
               fluctuations until the security can be sold and may encounter
               delays and incur costs in liquidating the security.
 
               REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the sale of a security by
               the Fund to another party (generally a bank or dealer) in return
               for cash and an agreement by the Fund to buy the security back at
               a specified price and time. This technique will be used primarily
               to provide cash to satisfy unusually heavy redemption requests,
               or for other temporary or emergency purposes.
 
               U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES include direct obligations of the U.S.
               government that are supported by its full faith and credit.
               Treasury bills have initial maturities of less than one year,
               Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years and
               Treasury bonds may be issued with any maturity but generally have
               maturities of at least ten years. U.S. government securities also
               include indirect obligations of the U.S. government that are
               issued by federal agencies and government sponsored entities.
               Unlike Treasury securities, agency securities generally are not
               backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some
               agency securities are supported by the right of the issuer to
               borrow from the Treasury, others are supported by the
               discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the
               agency's obligations and others are supported only by the credit
               of the sponsoring agency.
 
 42 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               WARRANTS are securities, typically issued with preferred stocks
               or bonds, that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate
               amount of common stock at a specified price, usually at a price
               that is higher than the market price at the time of issuance of
               the warrant. The right may last for a period of years or
               indefinitely.
 
               WHEN-ISSUED, DELAYED DELIVERY AND FORWARD TRANSACTIONS generally
               involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at
               some time in the future - i.e., beyond normal settlement. The
               Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement
               and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the
               purchase and settlement dates. New issues of stocks and bonds,
               private placements and U.S. government securities may be sold in
               this manner.
 
II. FUTURES, OPTIONS AND OTHER DERIVATIVES
 
               FORWARD CONTRACTS are contracts to purchase or sell a specified
               amount of a financial instrument for an agreed upon price at a
               specified time. Forward contracts are not currently exchange
               traded and are typically negotiated on an individual basis. The
               Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to hedge against
               declines in the value of securities denominated in, or whose
               value is tied to, a currency other than the U.S. dollar or to
               reduce the impact of currency appreciation on purchases of such
               securities. It may also enter into forward contracts to purchase
               or sell securities or other financial indices.
 
               FUTURES CONTRACTS are contracts that obligate the buyer to
               receive and the seller to deliver an instrument or money at a
               specified price on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell
               futures contracts on foreign currencies, securities and financial
               indices including interest rates or an index of U.S. government,
               foreign government, equity or fixed-income securities. The Fund
               may also buy options on futures contracts. An option on a futures
               contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to
               buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before
               a specified date. Futures contracts and options on futures are
               standardized and traded on designated exchanges.
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  43
<PAGE> 
 
               INDEXED/STRUCTURED SECURITIES are typically short- to
               intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or
               interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity
               securities, indices, commodity prices or other financial
               indicators. Such securities may be positively or negatively
               indexed (i.e., their value may increase or decrease if the
               reference index or instrument appreciates). Indexed/structured
               securities may have return characteristics similar to direct
               investments in the underlying instrument and may be more volatile
               than the underlying instrument. The Fund bears the market risk of
               an investment in the underlying instrument, as well as the credit
               risk of the issuer.
 
               OPTIONS are the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a
               specified amount of securities or other assets on or before a
               fixed date at a predetermined price. The Fund may purchase and
               write put and call options on securities, securities indices and
               foreign currencies.
 
 44 Janus Balanced Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
<PAGE> 
 
[JANUS LOGO]
          1-800-525-3713
          P.O. Box 173375
          Denver, Colorado 80217-3375
          janus.com
 
You can request other information, including a Statement of
Additional Information, Annual Report or Semiannual Report, free of
charge, by contacting Janus at 1-800-525-3713 or visiting our Web
site at janus.com. In the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a
discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that
significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal
year. Other information is also available from financial
intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund.
 
The Statement of Additional Information provides detailed
information about the Fund and is incorporated into this Prospectus
by reference. You may review the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information at the Public Reference Room of the SEC or get text only
copies for a fee, by writing to or calling the Public Reference
Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-6009 (1-800-SEC-0330). You may obtain
the Statement of Additional Information for free from the SEC's Web
site at http://www.sec.gov.
 
              Investment Company Act File No. 811-1879
 
  3187
<PAGE> 
                                                     [JANUS LOGO]
 
                         Janus Enterprise Fund
 
                                       PROSPECTUS
 
                                       FEBRUARY 17, 1999
 
                         THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED
                         OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED ON THE
                         ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
                         REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
<PAGE> 
 
    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
                                                               Table of contents
 
<TABLE>
                <S>                                               <C>
                RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
                   Janus Enterprise Fund........................    2
                   Fees and expenses............................    4
                INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT
                STRATEGIES AND RISKS
                   Investment objective and principal investment
                   strategies...................................    5
                   General portfolio policies...................    6
                   Risks........................................    9
                SHAREHOLDER'S MANUAL
                   Minimum investments..........................   15
                   Types of account ownership...................   15
                   How to open your Janus account...............   17
                   How to purchase shares.......................   18
                   How to exchange shares.......................   20
                   How to redeem shares.........................   22
                   Shareholder services and account policies....   26
                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
                   Investment adviser...........................   31
                   Portfolio manager............................   32
                OTHER INFORMATION............... ...............   33
                DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
                   Distributions................................   34
                   Taxes........................................   35
                FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.............. .............   37
                GLOSSARY
                   Glossary of investment terms.................   38
 
</TABLE>
 
                                                            Table of contents  1
<PAGE> 
Risk return summary
 
JANUS ENTERPRISE FUND
 
1. WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE OF JANUS ENTERPRISE FUND?
 
               The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
 
               The Fund's Trustees may change this objective without a
               shareholder vote and the Fund will notify you of any changes that
               are material. If there is a material change in the Fund's
               objective or policies, you should consider whether the Fund
               remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee
               that the Fund will meet its objective.
 
2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES OF JANUS ENTERPRISE FUND?
 
               The Fund invests primarily in common stocks selected for their
               growth potential, and normally invests at least 50% of its equity
               assets in medium-sized companies.
 
               The portfolio manager applies a "bottom up" approach in choosing
               investments. In other words, he looks for companies with earnings
               growth potential one at a time. If the portfolio manager is
               unable to find investments with earnings growth potential, a
               significant portion of the Fund's assets may be in cash or
               similar investments.
 
3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN RISKS OF INVESTING IN JANUS ENTERPRISE FUND?
 
               The biggest risk of investing in this Fund is that its returns
               may vary and you could lose money. If you are considering
               investing in the Fund, remember that it is designed for long-term
               investors who can accept the risks of investing in a portfolio
               with significant common stock holdings. Common stocks tend to be
               more volatile than other investment choices.
 
               The value of the Fund's portfolio may decrease if the value of an
               individual company in the portfolio decreases. The value of the
               Fund's portfolio could also decrease if the stock market goes
               down. If the value of the Fund's portfolio decreases, the Fund's
               net asset value (NAV) will also decrease which means if you sell
               your shares in the Fund you would get back less money.
 
 2 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               The Fund is nondiversified. In other words, it may hold larger
               positions in a smaller number of securities than a diversified
               fund. As a result, a single security's increase or decrease in
               value may have a greater impact on the Fund's NAV and total
               return.
 
               An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not
               insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
               Corporation or any other government agency.
 
               The following information illustrates how the Fund's performance
               has varied over time. The bar chart depicts the change in the
               Fund's performance from year-to-year during the periods
               indicated. The table compares the Fund's average annual returns
               for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market
               index.
 
                JANUS ENTERPRISE FUND

A BAR CHART showing Annual Total Returns for Janus Enterprise Fund from 1993
through 1998:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                Annual returns for periods ended 12/31

              <S>          <C>        <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>
                15.64%       8.92%      27.25%      11.65%      10.82%      33.75%
                 1993        1994        1995        1996        1997        1998

Each percentage is represented by a bar of proportionate size with the actual
total return printed above the bar.

                Best Quarter:  4th - 1998  34.15%;  Worst Quarter:  3rd - 1998  (14.63%)
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                          Average annual total return for periods ended 12/31/98
                          ------------------------------------------------------

                                                                             Since Inception
                                                          1 year   5 years      (9/1/92)
                <S>                                       <C>      <C>       <C>
                Janus Enterprise Fund                     33.75%   18.06%        21.54%
                S&P MidCap 400 Index*                     18.25%   18.67%        19.19%
                                                      ---------------------------------      
</TABLE>
 
                * The S&P MidCap 400 Index is an unmanaged group of 400 domestic
                  stocks chosen for their market size, liquidity and industry
                  group representation.
 
               The Fund's past performance does not necessarily indicate how it
               will perform in the future.
 
                                                          Risk return summary  3
<PAGE> 
 
FEES AND EXPENSES
 
               SHAREHOLDER FEES, such as sales loads, redemption fees or
               exchange fees, are charged directly to an investor's account. All
               Janus funds are no-load investments, so you will not pay any
               shareholder fees when you buy or sell shares of the Fund.
 
               ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES are paid out of the Fund's assets
               and include fees for portfolio management, maintenance of
               shareholder accounts, shareholder servicing, accounting and other
               services. You do not pay these fees directly but, as the example
               below shows, these costs are borne indirectly by all
               shareholders.
 
               This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
               you buy and hold shares of the Fund. It is based upon gross
               expenses (without the effect of expense offset arrangements) for
               the fiscal year ended October 31, 1998.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                    Janus Enterprise Fund
   <S>                                              <C>
   Management Fee                                            0.72%
   Other Expenses                                            0.36%
   Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses                      1.08%
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  EXAMPLE:
  This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the
  Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example
  assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
  indicated then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The
  example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and
  that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual
  costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
  be:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                             ----------------------------------------
   <S>                                       <C>       <C>        <C>        <C>         
   Janus Enterprise Fund                      $110      $343       $595       $1,317
</TABLE>
 
 4 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                Investment objective, principal
                                                           investment strategies
                                                           and risks
  
               This section takes a closer look at the investment objective of
               the Fund, its principal investment strategies and certain risks
               of investing in the Fund. Strategies and policies that are noted
               as "fundamental" cannot be changed without a shareholder vote.
 
               Please carefully review the "Risks" section of this Prospectus on
               pages 9-11 for a discussion of risks associated with certain
               investment techniques. We've also included a Glossary with
               descriptions of investment terms used throughout this Prospectus.
 
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
 
               Janus Enterprise Fund seeks long-term growth of capital. It
               pursues its objective by investing primarily in common stocks
               selected for their growth potential, and normally invests at
               least 50% of its equity assets in medium-sized companies. Medium-
               sized companies are those whose market capitalizations fall
               within the range of companies in the S&P MidCap 400 Index. Market
               capitalization is a commonly used measure of the size and value
               of a company. The market capitalizations within the Index will
               vary, but as of December 31, 1998, they ranged from approximately
               $142 million to $73 billion.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
the Fund's principal investment strategies.
 
1. HOW ARE COMMON STOCKS SELECTED?
 
               The Fund may invest substantially all of its assets in common
               stocks if its portfolio manager believes that common stocks will
               appreciate in value. The portfolio manager generally takes a
               "bottom up" approach to selecting companies. In other words, he
               seeks to identify individual companies with earnings growth
               potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. He
               makes this assessment by looking at companies one at a time,
               regardless of size, country of organization, place of principal
               business activity, or other similar selection criteria.
               Realization of income is not a significant consideration when
               choosing
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  5
<PAGE> 
 
               investments for the Fund. Income realized on the Fund's
               investments will be incidental to its objective.
 
2. ARE THE SAME CRITERIA USED TO SELECT FOREIGN SECURITIES?
 
               Generally, yes. The portfolio manager seeks companies that meet
               his selection criteria regardless of where a company is located.
               Foreign securities are generally selected on a stock-by-stock
               basis without regard to any defined allocation among countries or
               geographic regions. However, certain factors such as expected
               levels of inflation, government policies influencing business
               conditions, the outlook for currency relationships, and prospects
               for economic growth among countries, regions or geographic areas
               may warrant greater consideration in selecting foreign
               securities. There are no limitations on the countries in which
               the Fund may invest and the Fund may at times have significant
               foreign exposure.
 
3. WHAT DOES "MARKET CAPITALIZATION" MEAN?
 
               Market capitalization is the most commonly used measure of the
               size and value of a company. It is computed by multiplying the
               current market price of a share of the company's stock by the
               total number of its shares outstanding. As noted previously,
               market capitalization and annual gross revenues are important
               investment criteria for the Fund.
 
GENERAL PORTFOLIO POLICIES
 
               In investing its portfolio assets, the Fund will follow the
               general policies listed below. The percentage limitations
               included in these policies and elsewhere in this Prospectus apply
               only at the time of purchase of the security. So, for example, if
               the Fund exceeds a limit as a result of market fluctuations or
               the sale of securities, it will not be required to dispose of any
               securities.
 
               CASH POSITION
               When the Fund's portfolio manager believes that market conditions
               are unfavorable for profitable investing, or when he is otherwise
               unable to locate attractive investment opportunities, the
 
 6 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               Fund's cash or similar investments may increase. In other words,
               the Fund does not always stay fully invested in stocks. Cash or
               similar investments generally are a residual - they represent the
               assets that remain after the portfolio manager has committed
               available assets to desirable investment opportunities. However,
               the portfolio manager may also temporarily increase the Fund's
               cash position to protect its assets or maintain liquidity. When
               the Fund's investments in cash or similar investments increase,
               it may not participate in market advances or declines to the same
               extent that it would if the Fund remained more fully invested in
               stocks.
 
               OTHER TYPES OF INVESTMENTS
               The Fund invests primarily in domestic and foreign equity
               securities, which may include preferred stocks, common stocks,
               warrants and securities convertible into common or preferred
               stocks, but it may also invest to a lesser degree in other types
               of securities. These securities (which are described in the
               Glossary) may include:
 
               - debt securities
 
               - indexed/structured securities
 
               - high-yield/high-risk securities (less than 35% of the Fund's
                 assets)
 
               - options, futures, forwards and other types of derivatives for
                 hedging purposes or for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to
                 enhance return
 
               - securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
                 forward commitment basis
 
               ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS
               The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid
               investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other
               position that cannot be disposed of quickly in the normal course
               of business. For example, some securities are not registered
               under the U.S. securities laws and cannot be sold to the U.S.
               public because of SEC regulations (these are known as "restricted
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  7
<PAGE> 
 
               securities"). Under procedures adopted by the Fund's Trustees,
               certain restricted securities may be deemed liquid, and will not
               be counted toward this 15% limit.
 
               FOREIGN SECURITIES
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign equity and debt
               securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities
               denominated in a foreign currency and not publicly traded in the
               United States. Other ways of investing in foreign securities
               include depositary receipts or shares, and passive foreign
               investment companies.
 
               SPECIAL SITUATIONS
               The Fund may invest in special situations. A special situation
               arises when, in the opinion of the Fund's portfolio manager, the
               securities of a particular issuer will be recognized and
               appreciate in value due to a specific development with respect to
               that issuer. Developments creating a special situation might
               include, among others, a new product or process, a technological
               breakthrough, a management change or other extraordinary
               corporate event, or differences in market supply of and demand
               for the security. The Fund's performance could suffer if the
               anticipated development in a "special situation" investment does
               not occur or does not attract the expected attention.
 
               PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
               The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term
               investment although, to a limited extent, the Fund may purchase
               securities in anticipation of relatively short-term price gains.
               Short-term transactions may also result from liquidity needs,
               securities having reached a price or yield objective, changes in
               interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason
               of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time of the
               investment decision. The Fund may also sell one security and
               simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take
               advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or
               securities prices. Changes are made in the Fund's portfolio
               whenever its portfolio manager
 
 8 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               believes such changes are desirable. Portfolio turnover rates are
               generally not a factor in making buy and sell decisions.
 
               Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs for
               brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction
               costs and may also result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs
               associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in
               the Fund's performance.
 
RISKS
 
               Because the Fund may invest substantially all of its assets in
               common stocks, the main risk is the risk that the value of the
               stocks it holds might decrease in response to the activities of
               an individual company or in response to general market and/or
               economic conditions. If this occurs, the Fund's share price may
               also decrease. The Fund's performance may also be affected by
               risks specific to certain types of investments, such as foreign
               securities, derivative investments, non-investment grade debt
               securities or companies with relatively small market
               capitalizations.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
some of the risks of investing in the Fund.
 
1. THE FUND MAY INVEST IN SMALLER OR NEWER COMPANIES. DOES THIS CREATE ANY
   SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               Many attractive investment opportunities may be smaller, start-up
               companies offering emerging products or services. Smaller or
               newer companies may suffer more significant losses as well as
               realize more substantial growth than larger or more established
               issuers because they may lack depth of management, be unable to
               generate funds necessary for growth or potential development, or
               be developing or marketing new products or services for which
               markets are not yet established and may never become established.
               In addition, such companies may be insignificant factors in their
               industries and may become subject to intense competition from
               larger or more established companies. Securities of smaller or
               newer companies may have more limited trading markets than the
               markets for securities of larger or more
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  9
<PAGE> 
 
               established issuers, and may be subject to wide price
               fluctuations. Investments in such companies tend to be more
               volatile and somewhat more speculative.
 
2. HOW DOES THE NONDIVERSIFIED STATUS OF THE FUND AFFECT ITS RISK?
 
               Diversification is a way to reduce risk by investing in a broad
               range of stocks or other securities. A "nondiversified" fund has
               the ability to take larger positions in a smaller number of
               issuers. Because the appreciation or depreciation of a single
               stock may have a greater impact on the NAV of a nondiversified
               fund, its share price can be expected to fluctuate more than a
               comparable diversified fund. This fluctuation, if significant,
               may affect the performance of the Fund.
 
3. I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HOW THE CHANGE TO THE YEAR 2000 COULD AFFECT COMPUTER
   SYSTEMS. DOES THIS CREATE ANY SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               The portfolio manager carefully researches each potential
               investment before making an investment decision and, among other
               things, considers Year 2000 readiness when selecting portfolio
               holdings. However, there is no guarantee that the information the
               portfolio manager receives regarding a company's Year 2000
               readiness is completely accurate. If a company has not
               satisfactorily addressed Year 2000 issues, the Fund's performance
               could suffer.
 
4. HOW COULD THE FUND'S INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN SECURITIES AFFECT ITS
   PERFORMANCE?
 
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign securities either
               indirectly (e.g., depositary receipts) or directly in foreign
               markets. Investments in foreign securities, including those of
               foreign governments, may involve greater risks than investing in
               domestic securities because the Fund's performance may depend on
               issues other than the performance of a particular company. These
               issues include:
 
               - currency risk
 
               - political and economic risk
 
 10 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               - regulatory risk
 
               - market risk
 
               - transaction costs
 
               These risks are described in the SAI.
 
5. ARE THERE SPECIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTMENTS IN HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK
   SECURITIES?
 
               High-yield/high-risk securities (or "junk" bonds) are securities
               rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies such
               as Standard & Poor's and Moody's. The value of lower quality
               securities generally is more dependent on credit risk, or the
               ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments,
               than investment grade debt securities. Issuers of high-yield
               securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing
               bonds with higher credit ratings and are more vulnerable to real
               or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse
               developments specific to the issuer.
 
               Please refer to the SAI for a description of bond rating
               categories.
 
6. HOW DOES THE FUND TRY TO REDUCE RISK?
 
               The Fund may use futures, options and other derivative
               instruments to "hedge" or protect its portfolio from adverse
               movements in securities prices and interest rates. The Fund may
               also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including
               forward currency contracts, to manage exchange rate risk. The
               Fund believes the use of these instruments will benefit the Fund.
               However, the Fund's performance could be worse than if the Fund
               had not used such instruments if the portfolio manager's
               judgement proves incorrect. Risks associated with the use of
               derivative instruments are described in the SAI.
 
             Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  11
<PAGE> 
 
Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                   Shareholder's
                   Manual
 
                   This section will help you become
                   familiar with the different types
                   of accounts you can establish with
                   Janus. It also explains in detail
                   the wide array of services and
                   features you can establish on your
                   account, as well as account
                   policies and fees that may apply
                   to your account. Account policies
                   (including fees), services and
                   features may be modified or
                   discontinued without shareholder
                   approval or prior notice.
 
                                                    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH JANUS
 
               Janus offers two Investor Service Centers for those individuals
               who would like to conduct their investing in person. Our
               representatives will be happy to assist you at either of the
               following locations: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
               Mountain time and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mountain time.
 
               100 Fillmore Street, Suite 100
               Denver, CO 80206
 
               3773 Cherry Creek North Drive, Suite 101
               Denver, CO 80209
 
 QUICK ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE REFERENCE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
  <S>                                           <C>
  MAILING ADDRESS                               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
  Janus                                         1-888-979-7737
  P.O. Box 173375                               For 24-hour access to account
  Denver, CO 80217-3375                         and fund information,
                                                exchanges, purchases and
  FOR OVERNIGHT CARRIER                         redemptions, automated daily
  Janus                                         quotes on fund share prices,
  Suite 101                                     yields and total returns.
  3773 Cherry Creek North Drive
  Denver, CO 80209-3811                         TDD
                                                1-800-525-0056
  INVESTOR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES              A telecommunications device
  If you have any questions while reading       for our hearing- and
  this Prospectus, please call one of our       speech-impaired shareholders.
  Investor Service Representatives at
  1-800-525-3713 Monday-Friday: 8:00            JANUS LITERATURE LINE
  a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Saturday: 10:00           1-800-525-8983
  a.m.-4:00 p.m., New York time.                To request a prospectus,
                                                shareholder reports or
  JANUS INTERNET ADDRESS                        marketing materials 24 hours a
  janus.com                                     day.
</TABLE>
 
 14 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
MINIMUM INVESTMENTS*
- ---------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>
To open a new regular account        $2,500

To open a new retirement,
education or UGMA/UTMA account       $  500

To open a new regular account with
an Automatic Investment Program      $  500**

To add to any type of an account     $  100+
</TABLE>
 
 * The Fund reserves the right to
   change the amount of these
   minimums from time to time or
   to waive them in whole or in
   part for certain types of
   accounts.
** An Automatic Investment Program
   requires a $100 minimum
   automatic investment per month
   until the account balance
   reaches $2,500.
 + The minimum subsequent
   investment for IRA UGMA/UTMA
   accounts is $50.
 
TYPES OF ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP
 
               If you are investing in the Fund for the first time, you will
               need to establish an account. You can establish the following
               types of accounts by completing a New Account Application. To
               request an application, call 1-800-525-3713 or visit our Web site
               at janus.com to download an application.
 
               INDIVIDUAL OR JOINT OWNERSHIP
               Individual accounts are owned by one person. Joint accounts have
               two or more owners.
 
               A GIFT OR TRANSFER TO MINOR (UGMA OR UTMA)
               An UGMA/ UTMA account is a custodial account managed for the
               benefit of a minor. To open an UGMA or UTMA account, you must
               include the minor's Social Security number on the application.
 
               TRUST
               An established trust can open an account. The names of each
               trustee, the name of the trust and the date of the trust
               agreement must be included on the application.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  15
<PAGE> 
 
               BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
               Corporations and partnerships may also open an account. The
               application must be signed by an authorized officer of the
               corporation or a general partner of the partnership.
 
TAX-DEFERRED ACCOUNTS
 
               If you are eligible, you may set up one or more tax-deferred
               accounts. A tax-deferred account allows you to shelter your
               investment income and capital gains from current income taxes. A
               contribution to certain of these plans may also be tax
               deductible. Tax-deferred accounts include retirement plans
               described below and the Education IRA. Distributions from these
               plans are generally subject to income tax and may be subject to
               an additional tax if withdrawn prior to age 59 1/2 or used for a
               nonqualifying purpose. Investors should consult their tax adviser
               or legal counsel before selecting a tax-deferred account.
 
               Investors Fiduciary Trust Company serves as custodian for the
               tax-deferred accounts offered by the Fund. You will be charged an
               annual account maintenance fee of $12 for each taxpayer
               identification number no matter how many tax-deferred accounts
               you have with Janus. You may pay the fee by check or have it
               automatically deducted from your account (usually in December).
               The custodian reserves the right to change the amount of this fee
               or to waive it in whole or in part for certain types of accounts.
 
               The following plans require a special application. For an
               application and more details about our Retirement Plans, call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
               TRADITIONAL AND ROTH INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
               Both types of IRAs allow most individuals with earned income to
               contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 ($4,000 for most married
               couples) or 100% of compensation annually. Please refer to the
               Janus IRA booklet for more complete information regarding the
               different types of IRAs.
 
 16 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               EDUCATION IRA
               This plan allows individuals, subject to certain income
               limitations, to contribute up to $500 annually on behalf of any
               child under the age of 18. Please refer to the Janus IRA booklet
               for more complete information regarding the Education IRA.
 
               SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSION PLAN
               This plan allows small business owners (including sole
               proprietors) to make tax-deductible contributions for themselves
               and any eligible employee(s). A SEP requires an IRA (a SEP-IRA)
               to be set up for each SEP participant.
 
               PROFIT SHARING OR MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN
               These plans are open to corporations, partnerships and sole
               proprietors to benefit their employees and themselves.
 
               SECTION 403(b)(7) PLAN
               Employees of educational organizations or other qualifying, tax-
               exempt organizations may be eligible to participate in a Section
               403(b)(7) Plan.
 
HOW TO OPEN YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT
 
               Complete and sign the appropriate application. Please be sure to
               provide your Social Security or taxpayer identification number on
               the application and make your check payable to Janus. The Fund is
               available only to U.S. citizens or residents, and your
               application will be returned to you if you do not meet these
               criteria. Send all items to one of addresses listed in the "Quick
               Address and Telephone Reference" on page 14.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  17
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
 
               PAYING FOR SHARES
 
               When you purchase shares, your request will be processed at the
               next NAV calculated after your order is received and accepted.
               Please note the following:
 
               - Cash, credit cards, third party checks and credit card checks
                 will not be accepted.
 
               - All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars.
 
               - Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to Janus.
 
               - If a check does not clear your bank, the Fund reserves the
                 right to cancel the purchase.
 
               - If the Fund is unable to debit your predesignated bank account
                 on the day of purchase, it may make additional attempts or
                 cancel the purchase.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase
                 request.
 
               If your purchase is cancelled you will be responsible for any
               losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be
               incurred as a result of any decline in the value of the cancelled
               purchase. The Fund (or its agents) has the authority to redeem
               shares in your account(s) to cover any such losses due to
               fluctuations in share price. Any profit on such cancellation will
               accrue to the Fund.
 
               ONCE YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT FOR
               AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IS $100 ($50 FOR IRAs OR UGMA/UTMA
               ACCOUNTS). You may add to your account at any time through any of
               the following options:
 
               BY MAIL
 
               Complete the remittance slip attached at the bottom of your
               confirmation statement. If you are making a purchase into a
               retirement account, please indicate whether the purchase is a
 
 18 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               rollover or a current or prior year contribution. Send your check
               made payable to Janus and remittance slip or written instructions
               to one of the addresses listed previously. You may also request a
               booklet of remittance slips for non-retirement accounts.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               This service allows you to purchase additional shares quickly and
               conveniently through an electronic transfer of money. To purchase
               shares by telephone, call an Investor Service Representative at
               1-800-525-3713 during normal business hours or call the Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. When you make an additional purchase by telephone, Janus
               will automatically debit your predesignated bank account for the
               desired amount. To establish the telephone purchase option on
               your new account, complete the "Telephone Purchase of Shares
               Option" section on the application and attach a "voided" check or
               deposit slip from your bank account. If your account is already
               established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the appropriate form.
               This option will become effective ten business days after the
               form is received.
 
               BY WIRE
 
               Purchases may also be made by wiring money from your bank account
               to your Janus account. Call 1-800-525-3713 to receive wiring
               instructions.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               You must pre-establish the "Telephone Purchase of Shares Option"
               to make a purchase on our Web site at janus.com. If you have
               questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to speak to a Janus
               representative.
 
               AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
 
               Janus offers several automatic investment programs to help you
               achieve your financial goals as simply and conveniently as
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  19
<PAGE> 
 
               possible. You may open a new account with a $500 initial purchase
               and $100 automatic subsequent investments.
 
               AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT PROGRAM
               You select the day each month that your money ($100 minimum) will
               be electronically transferred from your bank account to your Fund
               account. To establish this option, complete the "Automatic
               Monthly Investment Program" section on the application and attach
               a "voided" check from your bank account. If your Fund account is
               already established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               PAYROLL DEDUCTION
               If your employer can initiate an automatic payroll deduction, you
               may have all or a portion of your paycheck ($100 minimum)
               invested directly into your Fund account. To obtain information
               on establishing this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
               With a Systematic Exchange you determine the amount of money
               ($100 minimum) you would like automatically exchanged from one
               Janus account to another on any day of the month. For more
               information on how to establish this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may exchange all or a portion of your
               shares into any other available Janus fund.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request an exchange in writing, please follow the instructions
               for written requests on page 24.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               All accounts are automatically eligible for the telephone
               exchange option. To exchange shares by telephone, call an
               Investor Service Representative at 1-800-525-3713 during normal
               business hours
 
 20 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               or call the Janus XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this
               option 24 hours a day.
 
               BY SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
 
               As noted above, you may establish a Systematic Exchange for as
               little as $100 per month on established accounts. You may
               establish a new account with a $500 initial purchase and
               subsequent $100 systematic exchanges. If the balance in the
               account you are exchanging from falls below the systematic
               exchange amount, all remaining shares will be exchanged and the
               program will be discontinued.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Exchanges may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               EXCHANGE POLICIES
 
               - Except for Systematic Exchanges, new accounts established by
                 exchange must be opened with $2,500 or the total account value
                 if the value of the account you are exchanging from is less
                 than $2,500.
 
               - Exchanges between existing accounts must meet the $100
                 subsequent investment requirement.
 
               - You may make four exchanges out of the Fund during a calendar
                 year (exclusive of Systematic Exchanges). Exchanges in excess
                 of this limit may be subject to an exchange fee or may result
                 in termination of the exchange privilege.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange request and
                 to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. For
                 example, the Fund may reject exchanges from accounts engaged in
                 or known to engage in trading in excess of the limit above
                 (including market timing transactions).
 
               - Exchanges between accounts will be accepted only if the
                 registrations are identical.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  21
<PAGE> 
 
               - If the shares you are exchanging are held in certificate form,
                 you must return the certificate to the Fund prior to making any
                 exchanges.
 
               - Be sure to read the prospectus for the fund into which you are
                 exchanging.
 
               - An exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the
                 purchase of shares of another fund, which may produce a taxable
                 gain or loss in a non-tax deferred account.
 
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may redeem all or a portion of your
               shares. If the shares are held in certificate form, the
               certificate must be returned with or before your redemption
               request. Your transaction will be processed at the next NAV
               calculated after your order is received and accepted. The
               redemption may be suspended for 10 days following an address
               change unless a signature guarantee is provided.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request a redemption in writing, please follow the
               instructions for written requests noted on page 24.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               Most accounts have the telephone redemption option, unless this
               option was specifically declined on the application or in
               writing. This option enables you to request redemptions daily
               from your account by calling 1-800-525-3713 by the close of the
               regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")
               normally 4:00 p.m. New York time. You may also use Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. (There is a daily limit of $100,000 per account for
               redemptions payable by check.)
 
 22 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Redemptions may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               SYSTEMATIC REDEMPTION OPTION
 
               The Systematic Redemption Option allows you to redeem a specific
               dollar amount from your Fund account on a regular basis. For more
               information or to request the appropriate form, please call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
PAYMENT OF REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
 
               BY CHECK
               Redemption proceeds will be sent to the shareholder(s) of record
               at the address of record within seven days after receipt of a
               valid redemption request.
 
               BY ELECTRONIC TRANSFER
               If you have established the electronic redemption option, your
               redemption proceeds can be electronically transferred to your
               predesignated bank account on the next bank business day after
               receipt of your redemption request (wire transfer) or the second
               bank business day after receipt of your redemption request (ACH
               transfer). Wire transfers will be charged an $8 fee per wire and
               your bank may charge an additional fee to receive the wire. ACH
               transfers are made free of charge. Wire redemptions are not
               available for retirement accounts.
 
               If you would like to establish the electronic redemption option
               on an existing account, please call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               IF THE SHARES BEING REDEEMED WERE PURCHASED BY CHECK, TELEPHONE,
               ON OUR WEB SITE, OR THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT
               PROGRAM, THE FUND MAY DELAY THE PAYMENT OF YOUR REDEMPTION
               PROCEEDS FOR UP TO 15 DAYS FROM THE DAY OF PURCHASE TO ALLOW THE
               PURCHASE TO CLEAR. Unless you provide alternate instructions,
               your proceeds will be invested in Janus
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  23
<PAGE> 
 
               Money Market Fund - Investor Shares during the 15 day hold
               period.
 
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
 
               To redeem all or part of your shares in writing, your request
               should be sent to one of the addresses listed on page 14 and must
               include the following information:
 
               - the name of the Fund
 
               - the account number
 
               - the amount of money or number of shares being redeemed or
                 exchanged
 
               - the name(s) on the account registration
 
               - the signature(s) of all registered account owners
 
               - your daytime telephone number
 
               SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON ACCOUNT TYPE
 
               INDIVIDUAL, JOINT TENANTS, TENANTS IN COMMON
               Written instructions must be signed by each shareholder, exactly
               as the names appear in the account registration.
 
               UGMA OR UTMA
               Written instructions must be signed by the custodian in his/her
               capacity as it appears in the account registration.
 
               SOLE PROPRIETOR, GENERAL PARTNER
               Written instructions must be signed by an authorized individual
               in his/her capacity as it appears on the account registration.
 
               CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION
               Written instructions must be signed by the person(s) authorized
               to act on the account. In addition, a certified copy of the
               corporate resolution authorizing the signer to act must accompany
               the request.
 
 24 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               TRUST
               Written instructions must be signed by the trustee(s). If the
               name(s) of the current trustee(s) does not appear in the account
               registration, a certificate of incumbency dated within 60 days
               must also be submitted.
 
               IRA
               Written instructions must be signed by the account owner. If you
               do not want federal income tax withheld from your redemption, you
               must state that you elect not to have such withholding apply. In
               addition, your instructions must state whether the distribution
               is normal (after age 59 1/2) or premature (before age 59 1/2)
               and, if premature, whether any exceptions such as death or
               disability apply with regard to the 10% additional tax on early
               distributions.
 
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               In addition to the signature requirements, A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               IS ALSO REQUIRED if any of the following is applicable:
 
               - You request a redemption by check that exceeds $100,000.
 
               - You would like the check made payable to anyone other than the
                 shareholder(s) of record.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address which has been
                 changed within 10 days of the redemption request.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address other than the
                 address of record.
 
               THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES OR TO REJECT OR DELAY A REDEMPTION ON
               CERTAIN LEGAL GROUNDS. FOR MORE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO
               SIGNATURE GUARANTEES, PLEASE CALL 1-800-525-3713.
 
               HOW TO OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine. The
               signature guarantee protects shareholders from unauthorized
               account transfers. The following financial institutions may
               guaran-
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  25
<PAGE> 
 
               tee signatures: banks, savings and loan associations, trust
               companies, credit unions, broker-dealers, and member firms of a
               national securities exchange. Call your financial institution to
               see if they have the ability to guarantee a signature. A
               signature guarantee cannot be provided by a notary public.
 
               If you live outside the United States, a foreign bank properly
               authorized to do business in your country of residence or a U.S.
               consulate may be able to authenticate your signature.
 
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
 
               All purchases, redemptions and exchanges will be processed at the
               NAV next calculated after your request is received and accepted
               by the Fund (or the Fund's agent or authorized designee). The
               Fund's NAV is calculated at the close of the regular trading
               session of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each day
               that the NYSE is open. The NAV of Fund shares is not determined
               on days the NYSE is closed (generally, New Year's Day, Martin
               Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
               Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). In
               order to receive a day's price, your order must be received by
               the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE. Securities
               are valued at market value or, if a market quotation is not
               readily available, at their fair value determined in good faith
               under procedures established by and under the supervision of the
               Trustees. Short-term instruments maturing within 60 days are
               valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. See
               the SAI for more detailed information.
 
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AND ACCOUNT POLICIES
 
               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
 
               Janus XpressLine, our electronic telephone service, offers you
               24-hour access by TouchTone(TM) telephone to obtain information
               on account balances, Fund performance or dividends. You can also
               make exchanges, purchases and redemptions in existing accounts,
               request literature about any Janus fund, or order duplicate
 
 26 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               statements. Janus XpressLine is accessed by calling
               1-888-979-7737. Calls are limited to five minutes.
 
               JANUS WEB SITE
 
               Janus maintains a Web site located at janus.com. You can
               purchase, exchange and redeem shares and access information such
               as your account balance and the Fund's NAV through the Web site.
               In order to engage in transactions on our Web site, you must
               authorize us to transmit account information online and accept
               online instructions (see janus.com and follow the procedures
               accordingly). You may also need to have bank account information,
               wire instructions or other options established on your account.
               The Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses
               resulting from unauthorized transactions on our Web site when
               procedures designed for engaging in such transactions are
               followed. If you have questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to
               speak to a Janus representative.
 
               ACCOUNT MINIMUMS
 
               Due to the proportionately higher costs of maintaining small
               accounts, Janus reserves the right to deduct a $10 minimum
               balance fee (or the value of the account if less than $10) from
               accounts with values below the minimums described on page 15 or
               to close such accounts. This policy will apply to accounts
               participating in the Automatic Monthly Investment Program only if
               your account balance does not reach the required minimum initial
               investment or falls below such minimum and you have discontinued
               monthly investments. This policy does not apply to accounts that
               fall below the minimums solely as a result of market value
               fluctuations. It is expected that, for purposes of this policy,
               accounts will be valued in September, and the $10 fee will be
               assessed on the second Friday of September of each year. You will
               receive notice before we charge the $10 fee or close your account
               so that you may increase your account balance to the required
               minimum.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  27
<PAGE> 
 
               TRANSACTIONS THROUGH PROCESSING ORGANIZATIONS
 
               You may purchase or sell Fund shares through a broker-dealer,
               bank or other financial institution, or an organization that
               provides recordkeeping and consulting services to 401(k) plans or
               other employee benefit plans (a "Processing Organization").
               Processing Organizations may charge you a fee for this service
               and may require different minimum initial and subsequent
               investments than the Fund. Processing Organizations may also
               impose other charges or restrictions different from those
               applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. A
               Processing Organization, rather than its customer, may be the
               shareholder of record of your shares. The Fund is not responsible
               for the failure of any Processing Organization to carry out its
               obligations to its customers. Certain Processing Organizations
               may receive compensation from Janus Capital or its affiliates and
               certain Processing Organizations may receive compensation from
               the Fund for shareholder recordkeeping and similar services.
 
               TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
 
               On your application or other appropriate form, you will be asked
               to certify that your Social Security or taxpayer identification
               number is correct and that you are not subject to backup
               withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are
               subject to the 31% backup withholding or you did not certify your
               taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to
               withhold 31% of any dividends paid and redemption or exchange
               proceeds. In addition to the 31% backup withholding, you may be
               subject to a $50 fee to reimburse the Fund for any penalty that
               the IRS may impose.
 
               SHARE CERTIFICATES
 
               Most shareholders choose not to hold their shares in certificate
               form because account transactions such as exchanges and
               redemptions cannot be completed until the certificate has been
               returned to the Fund. The Fund will issue share certificates upon
               written request only and reserves the right to charge a fee for
               this service.
 
 28 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               Share certificates will not be issued until the shares have been
               held for at least 15 days and will not be issued for accounts
               that do not meet the minimum investment requirements. Share
               certificates cannot be issued for retirement accounts. In
               addition, if the certificate is lost, there may be a replacement
               charge.
 
               INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS
 
               The Fund reserves the right to close an account if the
               shareholder is deemed to engage in activities which are illegal
               or otherwise believed to be detrimental to the Fund.
 
               TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
 
               You may initiate many transactions by telephone. The Fund and its
               agents will not be responsible for any losses resulting from
               unauthorized transactions when procedures designed to verify the
               identity of the caller are followed.
 
               It may be difficult to reach an Investor Service Representative
               by telephone during periods of unusual market activity. If you
               are unable to reach a representative by telephone, please
               consider sending written instructions, stopping by a Service
               Center, calling the Janus XpressLine or visiting our Web site.
 
               TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF SERVICES
 
               The Fund or its agents may, in case of emergency, temporarily
               suspend telephone transactions or other shareholder services.
 
               ADDRESS CHANGES
 
               To change the address on your account, call 1-800-525-3713 or
               send a written request signed by all account owners. Include the
               name of the Fund, the account number(s), the name(s) on the
               account and both the old and new addresses. Certain options may
               be suspended for 10 days following an address change unless a
               signature guarantee is provided.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  29
<PAGE> 
 
               REGISTRATION CHANGES
 
               To change the name on an account, the shares are generally
               transferred to a new account. In some cases, legal documentation
               may be required. For more information call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
 
               Investors participating in an automatic investment program will
               receive quarterly confirmations of all transactions. Dividend
               information will be distributed annually. In addition, the Fund
               will send you an immediate transaction confirmation statement
               after every non-systematic transaction.
 
               The Fund produces financial reports, which include a list of the
               Fund's portfolio holdings, semiannually and updates its
               prospectus annually. To reduce expenses, the Fund may choose to
               mail only one report or prospectus to your household, even if
               more than one person in the household has a Fund account. Please
               call 1-800-525-3713 if you would like to receive additional
               reports or prospectuses. The Fund reserves the right to charge a
               fee for additional statement and report requests.
 
 30 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                          Management of the fund
 
INVESTMENT ADVISER
 
               Janus Capital Corporation, 100 Fillmore Street, Denver, Colorado
               80206-4928, is the investment adviser to the Fund and is
               responsible for the day-to-day management of its investment
               portfolio and other business affairs.
 
               Janus Capital began serving as investment adviser to Janus Fund
               in 1970 and currently serves as investment adviser to all of the
               Janus funds, acts as sub-adviser for a number of private-label
               mutual funds and provides separate account advisory services for
               institutional accounts.
 
               Janus Capital furnishes continuous advice and recommendations
               concerning the Fund's investments. Janus Capital also furnishes
               certain administrative, compliance and accounting services for
               the Fund, and may be reimbursed by the Fund for its costs in
               providing those services. In addition, Janus Capital employees
               serve as officers of the Trust and Janus Capital provides office
               space for the Fund and pays the salaries, fees and expenses of
               all Fund officers and those Trustees who are affiliated with
               Janus Capital.
 
               The Fund pays Janus Capital a management fee which is calculated
               daily and paid monthly. The advisory agreement with the Fund
               spells out the management fee and other expenses that the Fund
               must pay.
 
               The Fund incurs expenses not assumed by Janus Capital, including
               transfer agent and custodian fees and expenses, legal and
               auditing fees, printing and mailing costs of sending reports and
               other information to existing shareholders, and independent
               Trustees' fees and expenses. The Annual Fund Operating Expenses
               table on page 4 lists the actual management fee and total
               operating expenses of the Fund for the most recent fiscal year.
 
                                                      Management of the fund  31
<PAGE> 
 
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
JAMES P. GOFF
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   is Executive Vice President and portfolio manager of the
                   Fund. Mr. Goff joined Janus Capital in 1988 and has
                   managed the Fund since its inception. Mr. Goff managed or
                   co-managed Janus Venture Fund from December 1993 to
                   February 1, 1997. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics
                   from Yale University and received the Chartered Financial
                   Analyst designation.
 
 32 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                               Other information
 
               SIZE OF THE FUND
 
               Although there is no present intention to do so, the Fund may
               discontinue sales of its shares if management and the Trustees
               believe that continued sales may adversely affect the Fund's
               ability to achieve its investment objective. If sales of the Fund
               are discontinued, it is expected that existing shareholders of
               the Fund would be permitted to continue to purchase shares and to
               reinvest any dividends or capital gains distributions, absent
               highly unusual circumstances.
 
               YEAR 2000
 
               Preparing for Year 2000 is a high priority for Janus Capital,
               which has established a dedicated group to address this issue.
               Janus Capital has devoted considerable internal resources and has
               engaged one of the foremost experts in the field to help achieve
               Year 2000 readiness. Janus Capital does not anticipate that Year
               2000-related issues will have a material impact on its ability to
               continue to provide the Fund with service at current levels;
               however, Janus Capital cannot make any assurances that the steps
               it has taken to ensure Year 2000 readiness will be successful. In
               addition, there can be no assurance that Year 2000 issues will
               not affect the companies in which the Fund invests or worldwide
               markets and economies.
 
                                                           Other information  33
<PAGE> 
Distributions and taxes
 
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               To avoid taxation of the Fund, the Internal Revenue Code requires
               the Fund to distribute net income and any net capital gains
               realized on its investments annually. The Fund's income from
               dividends and interest and any net realized short-term gains are
               paid to shareholders as ordinary income dividends. Net realized
               long-term gains are paid to shareholders as capital gains
               distributions. Dividends and capital gains distributions are
               normally declared and paid in December.
 
               HOW DISTRIBUTIONS AFFECT THE FUND'S NAV
 
               Distributions are paid to shareholders as of the record date of
               the distribution of the Fund, regardless of how long the shares
               have been held. Dividends and capital gains awaiting distribution
               are included in the Fund's daily NAV. The share price of the Fund
               drops by the amount of the distribution, net of any subsequent
               market fluctuations. As an example, assume that on December 31,
               the Fund declared a dividend in the amount of $0.25 per share. If
               the Fund's share price was $10.00 on December 30, the Fund's
               share price on December 31 would be $9.75, barring market
               fluctuations. Shareholders should be aware that distributions
               from a taxable mutual fund are not value-enhancing and may create
               income tax obligations.
 
               "BUYING A DIVIDEND"
 
               If you purchase shares of the Fund just before the distribution,
               you will pay the full price for the shares and receive a portion
               of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. This is
               referred to as "buying a dividend." In the above example, if you
               bought shares on December 30, you would have paid $10.00 per
               share. On December 31, the Fund would pay you $0.25 per share as
               a dividend and your shares would now be worth $9.75 per share.
               Unless your account is set up as a tax-deferred account,
               dividends paid to you would be included in your gross income for
               tax purposes, even though you may not have participated in the
 
 34 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               increase in NAV of the Fund, whether or not you reinvested the
               dividends.
 
DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS
 
               When you open an account, you must specify on your application
               how you want to receive your distributions. You may change your
               distribution option at any time by writing the Fund at one of the
               addresses on page 14 or calling 1-800-525-3713. The Fund offers
               the following options:
 
               1. REINVESTMENT OPTION. You may reinvest your income dividends
                  and capital gains distributions in additional shares. This
                  option is assigned automatically if no other choice is made.
 
               2. CASH OPTION. You may receive your income dividends and capital
                  gains distributions in cash.
 
               3. REINVEST AND CASH OPTION. You may receive either your income
                  dividends or capital gains distributions in cash and reinvest
                  the other in additional shares.
 
               4. REDIRECT OPTION. You may direct your dividends or capital
                  gains to purchase shares of another Janus fund.
 
               The Fund reserves the right to reinvest into your account
               undeliverable and uncashed dividend and distribution checks that
               remain outstanding for six months in shares of the Fund at the
               NAV next computed after the check is cancelled. Subsequent
               distributions may also be reinvested.
 
TAXES
 
               As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences
               of investing in the Fund. Any time you sell or exchange shares of
               a Fund in a taxable account, it is considered a taxable event.
               Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have
               a gain or loss on the transaction. Any tax liabilities generated
               by your transactions are your responsibility.
 
               The following discussion does not apply to tax-deferred accounts,
               nor is it a complete analysis of the federal tax implications of
               investing in the Fund. You may wish to consult your own tax
 
                                                     Distributions and taxes  35
<PAGE> 
 
               adviser. Additionally, state or local taxes may apply to your
               investment, depending upon the laws of your state of residence.
 
               TAXES ON DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               Dividends and distributions by the Fund are subject to federal
               income tax, regardless of whether the distribution is made in
               cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.
               Distributions may be taxable at different rates depending on the
               length of time the Fund holds a security. In certain states, a
               portion of the dividends and distributions (depending on the
               source of the Fund's income) may be exempt from state and local
               taxes. Information regarding the tax status of income dividends
               and capital gains distributions will be mailed to shareholders on
               or before January 31st of each year. Account tax information will
               also be sent to the IRS.
 
               TAXATION OF THE FUND
 
               Dividends, interest, and some capital gains received by the Fund
               on foreign securities may be subject to tax withholding or other
               foreign taxes. The Fund may from year to year make the election
               permitted under section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code to pass
               through such taxes to shareholders as a foreign tax credit. If
               such an election is not made, any foreign taxes paid or accrued
               will represent an expense to the Fund.
 
               The Fund does not expect to pay federal income or excise taxes
               because it intends to meet certain requirements of the Internal
               Revenue Code. It is important that the Fund meet these
               requirements so that any earnings on your investment will not be
               taxed twice.
 
 36 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                            Financial highlights
 
               The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand
               the Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years through
               October 31st of each fiscal year shown. Items 1 through 9 reflect
               financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in
               the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned
               (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of
               all dividends and distributions). This information has been
               audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with
               the Fund's financial statements, are included in the Annual
               Report, which is available upon request and incorporated by
               reference into the SAI.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>                        JANUS ENTERPRISE FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               
 
                                                  Periods ending October 31st
                                           1998     1997     1996     1995     1994
<S>                                       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>
  1. NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF
     PERIOD                               $30.86   $31.19   $27.14   $24.43    $21.87
     INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
  2. Net investment income                    --       --       --     0.52    (0.06)
  3. Net gains or (losses) on securities
     (both realized and unrealized)         3.43     0.95     5.85     3.09      3.18
  4. Total from investment operations       3.43     0.95     5.85     3.61      3.12
     LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:
  5. Dividends (from net investment
     income)                                  --       --       --   (0.52)    (0.02)
  6. Dividends (in excess of net
     investment income)                       --       --       --       --        --
  7. Distributions (from capital gains)   (1.96)   (1.28)   (1.80)   (0.38)    (0.54)
  8. Total distributions                  (1.96)   (1.28)   (1.80)   (0.90)    (0.56)
  9. NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD       $32.33   $30.86   $31.19   $27.14    $24.43
 10. Total return                         11.79%    3.31%   22.43%   15.46%    14.56%
 11. Net assets, end of period (in
     millions)                              $559     $552     $732     $459      $370
 12. Average net assets for the period
     (in millions)                          $551     $614     $596     $408      $270
 13. Ratio of gross expenses to average
     net assets                            1.08%    1.07%    1.14%    1.26%       N/A
 14. Ratio of net expenses to average
     net assets                            1.06%    1.04%    1.12%    1.23%     1.25%
 15. Ratio of net investment
     income/(loss) to average net assets  (0.67%)  (0.61%)  (0.78%)   0.02%    (0.32%)
 16. Portfolio turnover rate                134%     111%      93%     194%      193%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                                        Financial highlights  37
<PAGE> 
Glossary of investment terms
 
               This glossary provides a more detailed description of some of the
               types of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may
               invest. The Fund may invest in these instruments to the extent
               permitted by its investment objective and policies. The Fund is
               not limited by this discussion and may invest in any other types
               of instruments not precluded by the policies discussed elsewhere
               in this Prospectus. Please refer to the SAI for a more detailed
               discussion of certain instruments.
 
I. EQUITY AND DEBT SECURITIES
 
               BONDS are debt securities issued by a company, municipality,
               government or government agency. The issuer of a bond is required
               to pay the holder the amount of the loan (or par value of the
               bond) at a specified maturity and to make scheduled interest
               payments.
 
               COMMERCIAL PAPER is a short-term debt obligation with a maturity
               ranging from 1 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and
               other borrowers to investors seeking to invest idle cash. The
               Fund may purchase commercial paper issued in private placements
               under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
 
               COMMON STOCKS are equity securities representing shares of
               ownership in a company, and usually carry voting rights and earns
               dividends. Unlike preferred stock, dividends on common stocks are
               not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer's
               board of directors.
 
               CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES are preferred stocks or bonds that pay a
               fixed dividend or interest payment and are convertible into
               common stock at a specified price or conversion ratio.
 
               DEBT SECURITIES are equity securities representing money borrowed
               that must be repaid at a later date. Such securities have
               specific maturities and usually a specific rate of interest or an
               original purchase discount.
 
               DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS are receipts for shares of a foreign-based
               corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital
               gains on the underlying security. Receipts include those issued
               by domestic banks (American Depositary Receipts), foreign banks
 
 38 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               (Global or European Depositary Receipts) and broker-dealers
               (depositary shares).
 
               FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES are securities that pay a specified rate
               of return. The term generally includes short- and long-term
               government, corporate and municipal obligations that pay a
               specified rate of interest or coupons for a specified period of
               time, and preferred stock, which pays fixed dividends. Coupon and
               dividend rates may be fixed for the life of the issue or, in the
               case of adjustable and floating rate securities, for a shorter
               period.
 
               HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES are securities that are rated
               below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (e.g., BB
               or lower by Standard & Poor's and Ba or lower by Moody's). Other
               terms commonly used to describe such securities include "lower
               rated bonds," "noninvestment grade bonds" and "junk bonds."
 
               MORTGAGE- AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES are shares in a pool of
               mortgages or other debt. These securities are generally pass-
               through securities, which means that principal and interest
               payments on the underlying securities (less servicing fees) are
               passed through to shareholders on a pro rata basis. These
               securities involve prepayment risk, which is the risk that the
               underlying mortgages or other debt may be refinanced or paid off
               prior to their maturities during periods of declining interest
               rates. In that case, the portfolio managers may have to reinvest
               the proceeds from the securities at a lower rate. Potential
               market gains on a security subject to prepayment risk may be more
               limited than potential market gains on a comparable security that
               is not subject to prepayment risk.
 
               PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICs) are any foreign
               corporations which generate certain amounts of passive income or
               hold certain amounts of assets for the production of passive
               income. Passive income includes dividends, interest, royalties,
               rents and annuities. To avoid taxes and interest that the Fund
               must pay if these investments are profitable, the Fund may make
               various elections permitted by the tax laws. These elections
               could require that the Fund recognize taxable income, which in
               turn
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  39
<PAGE> 
 
               must be distributed, before the securities are sold and before
               cash is received to pay the distributions.
 
               PREFERRED STOCKS are equity securities that generally pay
               dividends at a specified rate and have preference over common
               stock in the payment of dividends and liquidation. Preferred
               stock generally does not carry voting rights.
 
               REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the purchase of a security by the
               Fund and a simultaneous agreement by the seller (generally a bank
               or dealer) to repurchase the security from the Fund at a
               specified date or upon demand. This technique offers a method of
               earning income on idle cash. These securities involve the risk
               that the seller will fail to repurchase the security, as agreed.
               In that case, the Fund will bear the risk of market value
               fluctuations until the security can be sold and may encounter
               delays and incur costs in liquidating the security.
 
               REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the sale of a security by
               the Fund to another party (generally a bank or dealer) in return
               for cash and an agreement by the Fund to buy the security back at
               a specified price and time. This technique will be used primarily
               to provide cash to satisfy unusually heavy redemption requests,
               or for other temporary or emergency purposes.
 
               U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES include direct obligations of the U.S.
               government that are supported by its full faith and credit.
               Treasury bills have initial maturities of less than one year,
               Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years and
               Treasury bonds may be issued with any maturity but generally have
               maturities of at least ten years. U.S. government securities also
               include indirect obligations of the U.S. government that are
               issued by federal agencies and government sponsored entities.
               Unlike Treasury securities, agency securities generally are not
               backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some
               agency securities are supported by the right of the issuer to
               borrow from the Treasury, others are supported by the
               discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the
               agency's obligations and others are supported only by the credit
               of the sponsoring agency.
 
 40 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               WARRANTS are securities, typically issued with preferred stocks
               or bonds, that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate
               amount of common stock at a specified price, usually at a price
               that is higher than the market price at the time of issuance of
               the warrant. The right may last for a period of years or
               indefinitely.
 
               WHEN-ISSUED, DELAYED DELIVERY AND FORWARD TRANSACTIONS generally
               involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at
               some time in the future - i.e., beyond normal settlement. The
               Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement
               and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the
               purchase and settlement dates. New issues of stocks and bonds,
               private placements and U.S. government securities may be sold in
               this manner.
 
II. FUTURES, OPTIONS AND OTHER DERIVATIVES
 
               FORWARD CONTRACTS are contracts to purchase or sell a specified
               amount of a financial instrument for an agreed upon price at a
               specified time. Forward contracts are not currently exchange
               traded and are typically negotiated on an individual basis. The
               Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to hedge against
               declines in the value of securities denominated in, or whose
               value is tied to, a currency other than the U.S. dollar or to
               reduce the impact of currency appreciation on purchases of such
               securities. It may also enter into forward contracts to purchase
               or sell securities or other financial indices.
 
               FUTURES CONTRACTS are contracts that obligate the buyer to
               receive and the seller to deliver an instrument or money at a
               specified price on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell
               futures contracts on foreign currencies, securities and financial
               indices including interest rates or an index of U.S. government,
               foreign government, equity or fixed-income securities. The Fund
               may also buy options on futures contracts. An option on a futures
               contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to
               buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before
               a specified date. Futures contracts and options on futures are
               standardized and traded on designated exchanges.
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  41
<PAGE> 
 
               INDEXED/STRUCTURED SECURITIES are typically short- to
               intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or
               interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity
               securities, indices, commodity prices or other financial
               indicators. Such securities may be positively or negatively
               indexed (i.e., their value may increase or decrease if the
               reference index or instrument appreciates). Indexed/structured
               securities may have return characteristics similar to direct
               investments in the underlying instrument and may be more volatile
               than the underlying instrument. The Fund bears the market risk of
               an investment in the underlying instrument, as well as the credit
               risk of the issuer.
 
               OPTIONS are the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a
               specified amount of securities or other assets on or before a
               fixed date at a predetermined price. The Fund may purchase and
               write put and call options on securities, securities indices and
               foreign currencies.
 
 42 Janus Enterprise Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
 
                                                                              43
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
 
 44
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
<PAGE> 
 
[JANUS LOGO]
          1-800-525-3713
          P.O. Box 173375
          Denver, Colorado 80217-3375
          janus.com
 
You can request other information, including a Statement of
Additional Information, Annual Report or Semiannual Report, free of
charge, by contacting Janus at 1-800-525-3713 or visiting our Web
site at janus.com. In the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a
discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that
significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal
year. Other information is also available from financial
intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund.
 
The Statement of Additional Information provides detailed
information about the Fund and is incorporated into this Prospectus
by reference. You may review the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information at the Public Reference Room of the SEC or get text only
copies for a fee, by writing to or calling the Public Reference
Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-6009 (1-800-SEC-0330). You may obtain
the Statement of Additional Information for free from the SEC's Web
site at http://www.sec.gov.
 
              Investment Company Act File No. 811-1879
 
  3177
<PAGE> 
                                                     [JANUS LOGO]
 
                         Janus Flexible Income Fund
 
                                       PROSPECTUS
 
                                       FEBRUARY 17, 1999
 
                         THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED
                         OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED ON THE
                         ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
                         REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
<PAGE> 
 
    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
                                                               Table of contents
 
<TABLE>
                <S>                                               <C>
                RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
                   Janus Flexible Income Fund...................    2
                   Fees and expenses............................    5
                INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT
                STRATEGIES AND RISKS
                   Investment objective and principal investment
                   strategies...................................    6
                   General portfolio policies...................    8
                   Risks........................................   11
                SHAREHOLDER'S MANUAL
                   Minimum investments..........................   17
                   Types of account ownership...................   17
                   How to open your Janus account...............   19
                   How to purchase shares.......................   20
                   How to exchange shares.......................   22
                   How to redeem shares.........................   24
                   Shareholder services and account policies....   28
                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
                   Investment adviser...........................   33
                   Portfolio manager............................   34
                OTHER INFORMATION............... ...............   35
                DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
                   Distributions................................   36
                   Taxes........................................   37
                FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.............. .............   39
                GLOSSARY
                   Glossary of investment terms.................   40
                RATING CATEGORIES
                   Explanation of rating categories.............   47
 
</TABLE>
 
                                                            Table of contents  1
<PAGE> 
Risk return summary
 
JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND
 
1. WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE OF JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND?
 
               The Fund seeks to obtain maximum total return, consistent with
               preservation of capital.
 
               The Fund's Trustees may change this objective without a
               shareholder vote and the Fund will notify you of any changes that
               are material. If there is a material change in the Fund's
               objective or policies, you should consider whether the Fund
               remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee
               that the Fund will meet its objective.
 
2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES OF JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND?
 
               The Fund invests primarily in a wide variety of income-producing
               securities such as corporate bonds and notes, government
               securities and preferred stock. As a fundamental policy, the Fund
               will invest at least 80% of its assets in income-producing
               securities. The Fund may own an unlimited amount of high-yield/
               high-risk securities, and these securities may be a big part of
               the portfolio.
 
               In addition to considering economic factors such as the effect of
               interest rates on the Fund's investments, the portfolio manager
               applies a "bottom up" approach in choosing investments. In other
               words, he looks mostly for income-producing securities that meet
               his investment criteria one at a time. If the portfolio manager
               is unable to find such investments, the Fund's assets may be in
               cash or similar investments.
 
3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN RISKS OF INVESTING IN JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND?
 
               Although the Fund may be less volatile than funds that invest
               most of their assets in common stocks, the Fund's returns and
               yields will vary, and you could lose money.
 
               The Fund invests in a variety of fixed-income securities. A
               fundamental risk is that the value of these securities will fall
               if interest rates rise. Generally, the value of a fixed-income
               portfolio will decrease when interest rates rise, which means the
               Fund's net asset value (NAV) will likewise decrease. Another
               fundamental risk
 
 2 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               associated with fixed-income funds is credit risk, which is the
               risk that an issuer will be unable to make principal and interest
               payments when due.
 
               The Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its assets in high-
               yield/high-risk securities, also known as "junk" bonds. Junk
               bonds may be sensitive to economic changes, political changes, or
               adverse developments specific to the company that issued the
               bond. These securities generally have a greater credit risk than
               other types of fixed-income securities. Because of these factors,
               the performance and NAV of the Fund may vary significantly,
               depending upon its holdings in junk bonds.
 
               An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not
               insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
               Corporation or any other government agency.
 
                                                          Risk return summary  3
<PAGE> 
 
               The following information illustrates how the Fund's performance
               has varied over time. The bar chart depicts the change in the
               Fund's performance from year-to-year during the periods
               indicated. The table compares the Fund's average annual returns
               for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market
               index.
 
                JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND

A BAR CHART showing Annual Total Returns for Janus Flexible Income Fund from
1989 through 1998:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Annual returns for periods ended 12/31
<S>         <C>         <C>          <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>         <C>        <C>         <C>
 4.12%      (4.62%)     25.98%      11.85%     15.70%      (2.92%)     21.15%      6.88%      11.43%      8.84%
 1989       1990        1991        1992       1993        1994        1995        1996       1997        1998

Each percentage is represented by a bar of proportionate size with the actual
total return printed above the bar.

Best Quarter:  1st-1991  8.17%;  Worst Quarter:  1st-1990  (8.37%)
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           Average annual total return for periods ended 12/31/98
                                           ------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Since Inception
                                                    1 year   5 years   10 years      (7/7/87)
                <S>                                 <C>      <C>       <C>        <C>
                Janus Flexible Income Fund           8.84%    8.80%      9.46%          9.45%
                Lehman Brothers Gov't/Corp
                  Bond Index*                        9.47%    7.30%      9.33%          9.01%
                                                     --------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                * Lehman Brothers Gov't/Corp Bond Index is composed of all bonds
                  that are of investment grade with at least one year until
                  maturity.
 
               The Fund's past performance does not necessarily indicate how it
               will perform in the future.
 
 4 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
FEES AND EXPENSES
 
               SHAREHOLDER FEES, such as sales loads, redemption fees or
               exchange fees, are charged directly to an investor's account. All
               Janus funds are no-load investments, so you will not pay any
               shareholder fees when you buy or sell shares of the Fund.
 
               ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES are paid out of the Fund's assets
               and include fees for portfolio management, maintenance of
               shareholder accounts, shareholder servicing, accounting and other
               services. You do not pay these fees directly but, as the example
               below shows, these costs are borne indirectly by all
               shareholders.
 
               This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
               you buy and hold shares of the Fund. It is based upon gross
               expenses (without the effect of expense offset arrangements) for
               the fiscal year ended October 31, 1998.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                      Janus Flexible Income Fund
   <S>                                                <C>
   Management Fee                                               0.58%
   Other Expenses                                               0.26%
   Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses                         0.84%
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  EXAMPLE:
  This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the
  Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example
  assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
  indicated then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The
  example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, and
  that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual
  costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
  be:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                             ----------------------------------------
   <S>                                       <C>       <C>        <C>        <C>
   Janus Flexible Income Fund                 $86       $268       $466       $1,037
</TABLE>
 
                                                          Risk return summary  5
<PAGE> 
Investment objective, principal
           investment strategies
           and risks
 
               This section takes a closer look at the investment objective of
               the Fund, its principal investment strategies and certain risks
               of investing in the Fund. Strategies and policies that are noted
               as "fundamental" cannot be changed without a shareholder vote.
 
               Please carefully review the "Risks" section of this Prospectus on
               pages 11-13 for a discussion of risks associated with certain
               investment techniques. We've also included a Glossary with
               descriptions of investment terms used throughout this Prospectus.
 
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
 
               Janus Flexible Income Fund seeks to obtain maximum total return,
               consistent with preservation of capital. It pursues its objective
               by primarily investing in a wide variety of income-producing
               securities such as corporate bonds and notes, government
               securities and preferred stock. As a fundamental policy, the Fund
               will invest at least 80% of its assets in income-producing
               securities. The Fund may own an unlimited amount of
               high-yield/high-risk securities, and these may be a big part of
               the portfolio. This Fund generates total return from a
               combination of current income and capital appreciation, but
               income is usually the dominant portion.
 
               In addition to considering economic factors such as the effect of
               interest rates on the Fund's investments, the portfolio manager
               applies a "bottom up" approach in choosing investments. In other
               words, he looks mostly for income-producing securities that meet
               his investment criteria one at a time. If the portfolio manager
               is unable to find such investments, much of the Fund's assets may
               be in cash or similar investments.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
the Fund's principal investment strategies.
 
1. HOW DO INTEREST RATES AFFECT THE VALUE OF MY INVESTMENT?
 
               Generally, a fixed-income security will increase in value when
               interest rates fall and decrease in value when interest rates
               rise.
 
 6 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               Longer-term securities are generally more sensitive to interest
               rate changes than shorter-term securities, but they generally
               offer higher yields to compensate investors for the associated
               risks. High-yield bond prices are generally less directly
               responsive to interest rate changes than investment grade issues
               and may not always follow this pattern. A bond fund's
               average-weighted effective maturity and its duration are measures
               of how the fund may react to interest rate changes.
 
2. HOW DOES THE FUND MANAGE INTEREST RATE RISK?
 
               The Fund may vary the average-weighted effective maturity of its
               portfolio to reflect its portfolio manager's analysis of interest
               rate trends and other factors. The Fund's average-weighted
               effective maturity will tend to be shorter when the portfolio
               manager expects interest rates to rise and longer when its
               portfolio manager expects interest rates to fall. The Fund may
               also use futures, options and other derivatives to manage
               interest rate risks.
 
3. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE FUND'S "AVERAGE-WEIGHTED EFFECTIVE MATURITY"?
 
               The stated maturity of a bond is the date when the issuer must
               repay the bond's entire principal value to an investor. Some
               types of bonds may also have an "effective maturity" that is
               shorter than the stated date due to prepayment or call
               provisions. Securities without prepayment or call provisions
               generally have an effective maturity equal to their stated
               maturity. Dollar-weighted effective maturity is calculated by
               averaging the effective maturity of bonds held by the Fund with
               each effective maturity "weighted" according to the percentage of
               net assets that it represents.
 
4. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE FUND'S "DURATION"?
 
               A bond's duration indicates the time it will take an investor to
               recoup his investment. Unlike average maturity, duration reflects
               both principal and interest payments. Generally, the higher the
               coupon rate on a bond, the lower its duration will be. The
               duration of a bond fund is calculated by averaging the duration
               of bonds held by a fund with each duration "weighted" according
               to the percentage of net assets that it represents. Because
               duration
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  7
<PAGE> 
 
               accounts for interest payments, the Fund's duration is usually
               shorter than its average maturity.
 
5. WHAT IS A HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITY?
 
               A high-yield/high-risk security (also called a "junk" bond) is a
               debt security rated below investment grade by major rating
               agencies (i.e., BB or lower by Standard & Poor's or Ba or lower
               by Moody's) or an unrated bond of similar quality. It presents
               greater risk of default (the failure to make timely interest and
               principal payments) than higher quality bonds.
 
GENERAL PORTFOLIO POLICIES
 
               In investing its portfolio assets, the Fund will follow the
               general policies listed below. The percentage limitations
               included in these policies and elsewhere in this Prospectus apply
               only at the time of purchase of the security. So, for example, if
               the Fund exceeds a limit as a result of market fluctuations or
               the sale of securities, it will not be required to dispose of any
               securities.
 
               CASH POSITION
               When the Fund's portfolio manager believes that market conditions
               are unfavorable for profitable investing, or when he is otherwise
               unable to locate attractive investment opportunities, the Fund's
               cash or similar investments may increase. In other words, the
               Fund does not always stay fully invested in bonds. Cash or
               similar investments generally are a residual - they represent the
               assets that remain after the portfolio manager has committed
               available assets to desirable investment opportunities. However,
               the portfolio manager may also temporarily increase the Fund's
               cash position to protect its assets or maintain liquidity. When
               the Fund's investments in cash or similar investments increase,
               it may not participate in market advances or declines to the same
               extent that it would if the Fund remained more fully invested in
               bonds.
 
 8 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               OTHER TYPES OF INVESTMENTS
               The Fund invests primarily in fixed-income securities, which may
               include corporate bonds and notes, government securities,
               preferred stock, high-yield/high-risk fixed-income securities and
               municipal obligations. The Fund may also invest to a lesser
               degree in other types of securities. These securities (which are
               described in the Glossary) may include:
 
               - common stocks
 
               - mortgage- and asset-backed securities
 
               - zero coupon, pay-in-kind and step coupon securities
 
               - options, futures, forwards and other types of derivatives for
                 hedging purposes or for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to
                 enhance return
 
               - securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
                 forward commitment basis
 
               ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS
               The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid
               investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other
               position that cannot be disposed of quickly in the normal course
               of business. For example, some securities are not registered
               under the U.S. securities laws and cannot be sold to the U.S.
               public because of SEC regulations (these are known as "restricted
               securities"). Under procedures adopted by the Fund's Trustees,
               certain restricted securities may be deemed liquid, and will not
               be counted toward this 15% limit.
 
               FOREIGN SECURITIES
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign equity and debt
               securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities
               denominated in a foreign currency and not publicly traded in the
               United States. Other ways of investing in foreign securities
               include depositary receipts or shares, and passive foreign
               investment companies.
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  9
<PAGE> 
 
               SPECIAL SITUATIONS
               The Fund may invest in special situations. A special situation
               arises when, in the opinion of the Fund's portfolio manager, the
               securities of a particular issuer will be recognized and
               appreciate in value due to a specific development with respect to
               that issuer. Developments creating a special situation might
               include, among others, a new product or process, a technological
               breakthrough, a management change or other extraordinary
               corporate event, or differences in market supply of and demand
               for the security. The Fund's performance could suffer if the
               anticipated development in a "special situation" investment does
               not occur or does not attract the expected attention.
 
               PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
               The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term
               investment although, to a limited extent, the Fund may purchase
               securities in anticipation of relatively short-term price gains.
               Short-term transactions may also result from liquidity needs,
               securities having reached a price or yield objective, changes in
               interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason
               of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time of the
               investment decision. The Fund may also sell one security and
               simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take
               advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or
               securities prices. Changes are made in the Fund's portfolio
               whenever its portfolio manager believes such changes are
               desirable. Portfolio turnover rates are generally not a factor in
               making buy and sell decisions.
 
               Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs for
               brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction
               costs and may also result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs
               associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in
               the Fund's performance.
 
 10 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
RISKS
 
               Because the Fund invests substantially all of its assets in
               fixed-income securities, it is subject to risks such as credit or
               default risks, and decreased value due to interest rate
               increases. The Fund's performance may also be affected by risks
               to certain types of investments, such as foreign securities and
               derivative instruments.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
some of the risks of investing in the Fund.
 
1. WHAT IS MEANT BY "CREDIT QUALITY" AND WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH IT?
 
               Credit quality measures the likelihood that the issuer will meet
               its obligations on a bond. One of the fundamental risks
               associated with all fixed-income funds is credit risk, which is
               the risk that an issuer will be unable to make principal and
               interest payments when due. U.S. government securities are
               generally considered to be the safest type of investment in terms
               of credit risk. Municipal obligations generally rank between U.S.
               government securities and corporate debt securities in terms of
               credit safety. Corporate debt securities, particularly those
               rated below investment grade, present the highest credit risk.
 
2. HOW IS CREDIT QUALITY MEASURED?
 
               Ratings published by nationally recognized statistical rating
               agencies such as Standard & Poor's and Moody's are widely
               accepted measures of credit risk. The lower a bond issue is rated
               by an agency, the more credit risk it is considered to represent.
               Lower rated bonds generally pay higher yields to compensate
               investors for the associated risk. Please refer to "Explanation
               of Rating Categories" on page 47 for description of rating
               categories.
 
3. ARE THERE SPECIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTMENTS IN HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK
   SECURITIES?
 
               High-yield/high-risk securities (or "junk" bonds) are securities
               rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies such
               as Standard & Poor's and Moody's. The value of lower quality
 
             Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  11
<PAGE> 
 
               securities generally is more dependent on credit risk, or the
               ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments,
               than investment grade debt securities. Issuers of high-yield
               securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing
               bonds with higher credit ratings and are more vulnerable to real
               or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse
               developments specific to the issuer.
 
               The junk bond market can experience sudden and sharp price
               swings. Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its
               portfolio in high-yield/high-risk securities, investors should be
               willing to tolerate a corresponding increase in the risk of
               significant and sudden changes in NAV. Please refer to
               "Explanation of Rating Categories" on page 47 for a description
               of rating categories.
 
4. HOW DOES THE FUND TRY TO REDUCE RISK?
 
               The Fund may use futures, options and other derivative
               instruments to "hedge" or protect its portfolio from adverse
               movements in securities prices and interest rates. The Fund may
               also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including
               forward currency contracts, to manage exchange rate risk. The
               Fund believes the use of these instruments will benefit the Fund.
               However, the Fund's performance could be worse than if the Fund
               had not used such instruments if the portfolio manager's
               judgement proves incorrect. Risks associated with the use of
               derivative instruments are described in the SAI.
 
5. I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HOW THE CHANGE TO THE YEAR 2000 COULD AFFECT COMPUTER
   SYSTEMS. DOES THIS CREATE ANY SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               The portfolio manager carefully researches each potential
               investment before making an investment decision and, among other
               things, considers Year 2000 readiness when selecting portfolio
               holdings. However, there is no guarantee that the information the
               portfolio manager receives regarding a company's Year 2000
               readiness is completely accurate. If a company has not
 
 12 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               satisfactorily addressed Year 2000 issues, the Fund's performance
               could suffer.
 
6. HOW COULD THE FUND'S INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN SECURITIES AFFECT ITS
   PERFORMANCE?
 
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign securities either
               indirectly (e.g., depositary receipts) or directly in foreign
               markets. Investments in foreign securities, including those of
               foreign governments, may involve greater risks than investing in
               domestic securities because the Fund's performance may depend on
               issues other than the performance of a particular company. These
               issues include:
 
               - currency risk
 
               - political and economic risk
 
               - regulatory risk
 
               - market risk
 
               - transaction costs
 
               These risks are described in the SAI.
 
             Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  13
<PAGE> 
 
Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                   Shareholder's
                   Manual
 
                   This section will help you become
                   familiar with the different types
                   of accounts you can establish with
                   Janus. It also explains in detail
                   the wide array of services and
                   features you can establish on your
                   account, as well as account
                   policies and fees that may apply
                   to your account. Account policies
                   (including fees), services and
                   features may be modified or
                   discontinued without shareholder
                   approval or prior notice.
 
                                                    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH JANUS
 
               Janus offers two Investor Service Centers for those individuals
               who would like to conduct their investing in person. Our
               representatives will be happy to assist you at either of the
               following locations: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
               Mountain time and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mountain time.
 
               100 Fillmore Street, Suite 100
               Denver, CO 80206
 
               3773 Cherry Creek North Drive, Suite 101
               Denver, CO 80209
 
 QUICK ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE REFERENCE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
  <S>                                           <C>
  MAILING ADDRESS                               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
  Janus                                         1-888-979-7737
  P.O. Box 173375                               For 24-hour access to account
  Denver, CO 80217-3375                         and fund information,
                                                exchanges, purchases and
  FOR OVERNIGHT CARRIER                         redemptions, automated daily
  Janus                                         quotes on fund share prices,
  Suite 101                                     yields and total refunds.
  3773 Cherry Creek North Drive
  Denver, CO 80209-3811                         TDD
                                                1-800-525-0056
  INVESTOR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES              A telecommunications device
  If you have any questions while reading       for our hearing- and
  this Prospectus, please call one of our       speech-impaired shareholders.
  Investor Service Representatives at
  1-800-525-3713 Monday-Friday: 8:00            JANUS LITERATURE LINE
  a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Saturday: 10:00           1-800-525-8983
  a.m.-4:00 p.m., New York time.                To request a prospectus,
                                                shareholder reports or
  JANUS INTERNET ADDRESS                        marketing materials 24 hours a
  janus.com                                     day.
</TABLE>
 
 16 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
MINIMUM INVESTMENTS*
- ---------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>
To open a new regular account        $2,500

To open a new retirement,
education, or UGMA/UTMA account      $  500

To open a new regular account with
an Automatic Investment Program      $  500**

To add to any type of an account     $  100+
</TABLE>
 
 * The Fund reserves the right to
   change the amount of these
   minimums from time to time or
   to waive them in whole or in
   part for certain types of
   accounts.
** An Automatic Investment Program
   requires a $100 minimum
   automatic investment per month
   until the account balance
   reaches $2,500.
 + The minimum subsequent
   investment for IRA UGMA/UTMA
   accounts is $50.
 
TYPES OF ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP
 
               If you are investing in the Fund for the first time, you will
               need to establish an account. You can establish the following
               types of accounts by completing a New Account Application. To
               request an application, call 1-800-525-3713 or visit our Web site
               at janus.com to download a prospectus.
 
               INDIVIDUAL OR JOINT OWNERSHIP
               Individual accounts are owned by one person. Joint accounts have
               two or more owners.
 
               A GIFT OR TRANSFER TO MINOR (UGMA OR UTMA)
               An UGMA/ UTMA account is a custodial account managed for the
               benefit of a minor. To open an UGMA or UTMA account, you must
               include the minor's Social Security number on the application.
 
               TRUST
               An established trust can open an account. The names of each
               trustee, the name of the trust and the date of the trust
               agreement must be included on the application.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  17
<PAGE> 
 
               BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
               Corporations and partnerships may also open an account. The
               application must be signed by an authorized officer of the
               corporation or a general partner of the partnership.
 
TAX-DEFERRED ACCOUNTS
 
               If you are eligible, you may set up one or more tax-deferred
               accounts. A tax-deferred account allows you to shelter your
               investment income and capital gains from current income taxes. A
               contribution to certain of these plans may also be tax
               deductible. Tax-deferred accounts include retirement plans
               described below and the Education IRA. Distributions from these
               plans are generally subject to income tax and may be subject to
               an additional tax if withdrawn prior to age 59 1/2 or used for a
               nonqualifying purpose. Investors should consult their tax adviser
               or legal counsel before selecting a tax-deferred account.
 
               Investors Fiduciary Trust Company serves as custodian for the
               tax-deferred accounts offered by the Fund. You will be charged an
               annual account maintenance fee of $12 for each taxpayer
               identification number no matter how many tax-deferred accounts
               you have with Janus. You may pay the fee by check or have it
               automatically deducted from your account (usually in December).
               The custodian reserves the right to change the amount of this fee
               or to waive it in whole or in part for certain types of accounts.
 
               The following plans require a special application. For an
               application and more details about our Retirement Plans, call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
               TRADITIONAL AND ROTH INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
               Both types of IRAs allow most individuals with earned income to
               contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 ($4,000 for most married
               couples) or 100% of compensation annually. Please refer to the
               Janus IRA booklet for more complete information regarding the
               different types of IRAs.
 
 18 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               EDUCATION IRA
               This plan allows individuals, subject to certain income
               limitations, to contribute up to $500 annually on behalf of any
               child under the age of 18. Please refer to the Janus IRA booklet
               for more complete information regarding the Education IRA.
 
               SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSION PLAN
               This plan allows small business owners (including sole
               proprietors) to make tax-deductible contributions for themselves
               and any eligible employee(s). A SEP requires an IRA (a SEP-IRA)
               to be set up for each SEP participant.
 
               PROFIT SHARING OR MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN
               These plans are open to corporations, partnerships and sole
               proprietors to benefit their employees and themselves.
 
               SECTION 403(b)(7) PLAN
               Employees of educational organizations or other qualifying, tax-
               exempt organizations may be eligible to participate in a Section
               403(b)(7) Plan.
 
HOW TO OPEN YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT
 
               Complete and sign the appropriate application. Please be sure to
               provide your Social Security or taxpayer identification number on
               the application and make your check payable to Janus. The Fund is
               available only to U.S. citizens or residents, and your
               application will be returned to you if you do not meet these
               criteria. Send all items to one of addresses listed in the "Quick
               Address and Telephone Reference" on page 16.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  19
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
 
               PAYING FOR SHARES
 
               When you purchase shares, your request will be processed at the
               next NAV calculated after your order is received and accepted.
               Please note the following:
 
               - Cash, credit cards, third party checks and credit card checks
                 will not be accepted.
 
               - All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars.
 
               - Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to Janus.
 
               - If a check does not clear your bank, the Fund reserves the
                 right to cancel the purchase.
 
               - If the Fund is unable to debit your predesignated bank account
                 on the day of purchase, it may make additional attempts or
                 cancel the purchase.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase
                 request.
 
               If your purchase is cancelled you will be responsible for any
               losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be
               incurred as a result of any decline in the value of the cancelled
               purchase. The Fund (or its agents) has the authority to redeem
               shares in your account(s) to cover any such losses due to
               fluctuations in share price. Any profit on such cancellation will
               accrue to the Fund.
 
               ONCE YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT FOR
               AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IS $100 ($50 FOR IRAs OR UGMA/UTMA
               ACCOUNTS). You may add to your account at any time through any of
               the following options:
 
               BY MAIL
 
               Complete the remittance slip attached at the bottom of your
               confirmation statement. If you are making a purchase into a
               retirement account, please indicate whether the purchase is a
               rollover or a current or prior year contribution. Send your check
 
 20 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               made payable to Janus and remittance slip or written instructions
               to one of the addresses listed previously. You may also request a
               booklet of remittance slips for non-retirement accounts.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               This service allows you to purchase additional shares quickly and
               conveniently through an electronic transfer of money. To purchase
               shares by telephone, call an Investor Service Representative at
               1-800-525-3713 during normal business hours or call the Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. When you make an additional purchase by telephone, Janus
               will automatically debit your predesignated bank account for the
               desired amount. To establish the telephone purchase option on
               your new account, complete the "Telephone Purchase of Shares
               Option" section on the application and attach a "voided" check or
               deposit slip from your bank account. If your account is already
               established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the appropriate form.
               This option will become effective ten business days after the
               form is received.
 
               BY WIRE
 
               Purchases may also be made by wiring money from your bank account
               to your Janus account. Call 1-800-525-3713 to receive wiring
               instructions.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               You must pre-establish the "Telephone Purchase of Shares Option"
               to make a purchase on our Web site at janus.com. If you have
               questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to speak to a Janus
               representative.
 
               AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
 
               Janus offers several automatic investment programs to help you
               achieve your financial goals as simply and conveniently as
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  21
<PAGE> 
 
               possible. You may open a new account with a $500 initial purchase
               and $100 automatic subsequent investments.
 
               AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT PROGRAM
               You select the day each month that your money ($100 minimum) will
               be electronically transferred from your bank account to your Fund
               account. To establish this option, complete the "Automatic
               Monthly Investment Program" section on the application and attach
               a "voided" check from your bank account. If your Fund account is
               already established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               PAYROLL DEDUCTION
               If your employer can initiate an automatic payroll deduction, you
               may have all or a portion of your paycheck ($100 minimum)
               invested directly into your Fund account. To obtain information
               on establishing this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
               With a Systematic Exchange you determine the amount of money
               ($100 minimum) you would like automatically exchanged from one
               Janus account to another on any day of the month. For more
               information on how to establish this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may exchange all or a portion of your
               shares into any other available Janus fund.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request an exchange in writing, please follow the instructions
               for written requests on page 26.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               All accounts are automatically eligible for the telephone
               exchange option. To exchange shares by telephone, call an
               Investor Service Representative at 1-800-525-3713 during normal
               business hours
 
 22 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               or call the Janus XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this
               option 24 hours a day.
 
               BY SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
 
               As noted above, you may establish a Systematic Exchange for as
               little as $100 per month on established accounts. You may
               establish a new account with a $500 initial purchase and
               subsequent $100 systematic exchanges. If the balance in the
               account you are exchanging from falls below the systematic
               exchange amount, all remaining shares will be exchanged and the
               program will be discontinued.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Exchanges may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               EXCHANGE POLICIES
 
               - Except for Systematic Exchanges, new accounts established by
                 exchange must be opened with $2,500 or the total account value
                 if the value of the account you are exchanging from is less
                 than $2,500.
 
               - Exchanges between existing accounts must meet the $100
                 subsequent investment requirement.
 
               - You may make four exchanges out of the Fund during a calendar
                 year (exclusive of Systematic Exchanges). Exchanges in excess
                 of this limit may be subject to an exchange fee or may result
                 in termination of the exchange privilege.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange request and
                 to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. For
                 example, the Fund may reject exchanges from accounts engaged in
                 or known to engage in trading in excess of the limit above
                 (including market timing transactions).
 
               - Exchanges between accounts will be accepted only if the
                 registrations are identical.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  23
<PAGE> 
 
               - If the shares you are exchanging are held in certificate form,
                 you must return the certificate to the Fund prior to making any
                 exchanges.
 
               - Be sure to read the prospectus for the fund into which you are
                 exchanging.
 
               - An exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the
                 purchase of shares of another fund, which may produce a taxable
                 gain or loss in a non-tax deferred account.
 
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may redeem all or a portion of your
               shares. If the shares are held in certificate form, the
               certificate must be returned with or before your redemption
               request. Your transaction will be processed at the next NAV
               calculated after your order is received and accepted. The
               redemption may be suspended for 10 days following an address
               change unless a signature guarantee is provided.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request a redemption in writing, please follow the
               instructions for written requests noted on page 26.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               Most accounts have the telephone redemption option, unless this
               option was specifically declined on the application or in
               writing. This option enables you to request redemptions daily
               from your account by calling 1-800-525-3713 by the close of the
               regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")
               normally 4:00 p.m. New York time. You may also use Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. (There is a daily limit of $100,000 per account for
               redemptions payable by check.)
 
 24 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Redemptions may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               SYSTEMATIC REDEMPTION OPTION
 
               The Systematic Redemption Option allows you to redeem a specific
               dollar amount from your Fund account on a regular basis. For more
               information or to request the appropriate form, please call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
PAYMENT OF REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
 
               BY CHECK
               Redemption proceeds will be sent to the shareholder(s) of record
               at the address of record within seven days after receipt of a
               valid redemption request.
 
               BY ELECTRONIC TRANSFER
               If you have established the electronic redemption option, your
               redemption proceeds can be electronically transferred to your
               predesignated bank account on the next bank business day after
               receipt of your redemption request (wire transfer) or the second
               bank business day after receipt of your redemption request (ACH
               transfer). Wire transfers will be charged an $8 fee per wire and
               your bank may charge an additional fee to receive the wire. ACH
               transfers are made free of charge. Wire redemptions are not
               available for retirement accounts.
 
               If you would like to establish the electronic redemption option
               on an existing account, please call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               IF THE SHARES BEING REDEEMED WERE PURCHASED BY CHECK, TELEPHONE,
               ON OUR WEB SITE, OR THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT
               PROGRAM, THE FUND MAY DELAY THE PAYMENT OF YOUR REDEMPTION
               PROCEEDS FOR UP TO 15 DAYS FROM THE DAY OF PURCHASE TO ALLOW THE
               PURCHASE TO CLEAR. Unless you provide alternate instructions,
               your proceeds will be invested in
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  25
<PAGE> 
 
               Janus Money Market Fund - Investor Shares during the 15 day hold
               period.
 
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
 
               To redeem all or part of your shares in writing, your request
               should be sent to one of the addresses listed on page 16 and must
               include the following information:
 
               - the name of the Fund
 
               - the account number
 
               - the amount of money or number of shares being redeemed or
                 exchanged
 
               - the name(s) on the account registration
 
               - the signature(s) of all registered account owners
 
               - your daytime telephone number
 
               SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON ACCOUNT TYPE
 
               INDIVIDUAL, JOINT TENANTS, TENANTS IN COMMON
               Written instructions must be signed by each shareholder, exactly
               as the names appear in the account registration.
 
               UGMA OR UTMA
               Written instructions must be signed by the custodian in his/her
               capacity as it appears in the account registration.
 
               SOLE PROPRIETOR, GENERAL PARTNER
               Written instructions must be signed by an authorized individual
               in his/her capacity as it appears on the account registration.
 
               CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION
               Written instructions must be signed by the person(s) authorized
               to act on the account. In addition, a certified copy of the
               corporate resolution authorizing the signer to act must accompany
               the request.
 
 26 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               TRUST
               Written instructions must be signed by the trustee(s). If the
               name(s) of the current trustee(s) does not appear in the account
               registration, a certificate of incumbency dated within 60 days
               must also be submitted.
 
               IRA
               Written instructions must be signed by the account owner. If you
               do not want federal income tax withheld from your redemption, you
               must state that you elect not to have such withholding apply. In
               addition, your instructions must state whether the distribution
               is normal (after age 59 1/2) or premature (before age 59 1/2)
               and, if premature, whether any exceptions such as death or
               disability apply with regard to the 10% additional tax on early
               distributions.
 
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               In addition to the signature requirements, A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               IS ALSO REQUIRED if any of the following is applicable:
 
               - You request a redemption by check that exceeds $100,000.
 
               - You would like the check made payable to anyone other than the
                 shareholder(s) of record.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address which has been
                 changed within 10 days of the redemption request.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address other than the
                 address of record.
 
               THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES OR TO REJECT OR DELAY A REDEMPTION ON
               CERTAIN LEGAL GROUNDS. FOR MORE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO
               SIGNATURE GUARANTEES, PLEASE CALL 1-800-525-3713.
 
               HOW TO OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine. The
               signature guarantee protects shareholders from unauthorized
               account transfers. The following financial institutions may
               guaran-
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  27
<PAGE> 
 
               tee signatures: banks, savings and loan associations, trust
               companies, credit unions, broker-dealers, and member firms of a
               national securities exchange. Call your financial institution to
               see if they have the ability to guarantee a signature. A
               signature guarantee cannot be provided by a notary public.
 
               If you live outside the United States, a foreign bank properly
               authorized to do business in your country of residence or a U.S.
               consulate may be able to authenticate your signature.
 
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
 
               All purchases, redemptions and exchanges will be processed at the
               NAV next calculated after your request is received and accepted
               by the Fund (or the Fund's agent or authorized designee). The
               Fund's NAV is calculated at the close of the regular trading
               session of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each day
               that the NYSE is open. The NAV of Fund shares is not determined
               on days the NYSE is closed (generally, New Year's Day, Martin
               Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
               Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). In
               order to receive a day's price, your order must be received by
               the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE. Securities
               are valued at market value or, if a market quotation is not
               readily available, at their fair value determined in good faith
               under procedures established by and under the supervision of the
               Trustees. Short-term instruments maturing within 60 days are
               valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. See
               the SAI for more detailed information.
 
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AND ACCOUNT POLICIES
 
               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
 
               Janus XpressLine, our electronic telephone service, offers you
               24-hour access by TouchTone(TM) telephone to obtain information
               on account balances, Fund performance or dividends. You can also
               make exchanges, purchases and redemptions in existing accounts,
               request literature about any Janus fund, or order
 
 28 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               duplicate statements. Janus XpressLine is accessed by calling
               1-888-979-7737. Calls are limited to five minutes.
 
               JANUS WEB SITE
 
               Janus maintains a Web site located at janus.com. You can
               purchase, exchange and redeem shares and access information such
               as your account balance and the Fund's NAV through the Web site.
               In order to engage in transactions on our Web site, you must
               authorize us to transmit account information online and accept
               online instructions (see janus.com and follow the procedures
               accordingly). You may also need to have bank account information,
               wire instructions or other options established on your account.
               The Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses
               resulting from unauthorized transactions on our Web site when
               procedures designed for engaging in such transactions are
               followed. If you have questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to
               speak to a Janus representative.
 
               ACCOUNT MINIMUMS
 
               Due to the proportionately higher costs of maintaining small
               accounts, Janus reserves the right to deduct a $10 minimum
               balance fee (or the value of the account if less than $10) from
               accounts with values below the minimums described on page 17 or
               to close such accounts. This policy will apply to accounts
               participating in the Automatic Monthly Investment Program only if
               your account balance does not reach the required minimum initial
               investment or falls below such minimum and you have discontinued
               monthly investments. This policy does not apply to accounts that
               fall below the minimums solely as a result of market value
               fluctuations. It is expected that, for purposes of this policy,
               accounts will be valued in September, and the $10 fee will be
               assessed on the second Friday of September of each year. You will
               receive notice before we charge the $10 fee or close your account
               so that you may increase your account balance to the required
               minimum.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  29
<PAGE> 
 
               TRANSACTIONS THROUGH PROCESSING ORGANIZATIONS
 
               You may purchase or sell Fund shares through a broker-dealer,
               bank or other financial institution, or an organization that
               provides recordkeeping and consulting services to 401(k) plans or
               other employee benefit plans (a "Processing Organization").
               Processing Organizations may charge you a fee for this service
               and may require different minimum initial and subsequent
               investments than the Fund. Processing Organizations may also
               impose other charges or restrictions different from those
               applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. A
               Processing Organization, rather than its customer, may be the
               shareholder of record of your shares. The Fund is not responsible
               for the failure of any Processing Organization to carry out its
               obligations to its customers. Certain Processing Organizations
               may receive compensation from Janus Capital or its affiliates and
               certain Processing Organizations may receive compensation from
               the Fund for shareholder recordkeeping and similar services.
 
               TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
 
               On your application or other appropriate form, you will be asked
               to certify that your Social Security or taxpayer identification
               number is correct and that you are not subject to backup
               withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are
               subject to the 31% backup withholding or you did not certify your
               taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to
               withhold 31% of any dividends paid and redemption or exchange
               proceeds. In addition to the 31% backup withholding, you may be
               subject to a $50 fee to reimburse the Fund for any penalty that
               the IRS may impose.
 
               SHARE CERTIFICATES
 
               Most shareholders choose not to hold their shares in certificate
               form because account transactions such as exchanges and
               redemptions cannot be completed until the certificate has been
               returned to the Fund. The Fund will issue share certificates upon
               written request only and reserves the right to charge a fee for
               this
 
 30 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               service. Share certificates will not be issued until the shares
               have been held for at least 15 days and will not be issued for
               accounts that do not meet the minimum investment requirements.
               Share certificates cannot be issued for retirement accounts. In
               addition, if the certificate is lost, there may be a replacement
               charge.
 
               INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS
 
               The Fund reserves the right to close an account if the
               shareholder is deemed to engage in activities which are illegal
               or otherwise believed to be detrimental to the Fund.
 
               TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
 
               You may initiate many transactions by telephone. The Fund and its
               agents will not be responsible for any losses resulting from
               unauthorized transactions when procedures designed to verify the
               identity of the caller are followed.
 
               It may be difficult to reach an Investor Service Representative
               by telephone during periods of unusual market activity. If you
               are unable to reach a representative by telephone, please
               consider sending written instructions, stopping by a Service
               Center, calling the Janus XpressLine or visiting our Web site.
 
               TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF SERVICES
 
               The Fund or its agents may, in case of emergency, temporarily
               suspend telephone transactions or other shareholder services.
 
               ADDRESS CHANGES
 
               To change the address on your account, call 1-800-525-3713 or
               send a written request signed by all account owners. Include the
               name of the Fund, the account number(s), the name(s) on the
               account and both the old and new addresses. Certain options may
               be suspended for 10 days following an address change unless a
               signature guarantee is provided.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  31
<PAGE> 
 
               REGISTRATION CHANGES
 
               To change the name on an account, the shares are generally
               transferred to a new account. In some cases, legal documentation
               may be required. For more information call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
 
               Investors participating in an automatic investment program will
               receive quarterly confirmations of all transactions. Dividend
               information will be confirmed quarterly. In addition, the Fund
               will send you an immediate transaction confirmation statement
               after every non-systematic transaction.
 
               The Fund produces financial reports, which include a list of the
               Fund's portfolio holdings, semiannually and updates its
               prospectus annually. To reduce expenses, the Fund may choose to
               mail only one report or prospectus to your household, even if
               more than one person in the household has a Fund account. Please
               call 1-800-525-3713 if you would like to receive additional
               reports or prospectuses. The Fund reserves the right to charge a
               fee for additional statement and report requests.
 
 32 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                          Management of the fund
 
INVESTMENT ADVISER
 
               Janus Capital Corporation, 100 Fillmore Street, Denver, Colorado
               80206-4928, is the investment adviser to the Fund and is
               responsible for the day-to-day management of its investment
               portfolio and other business affairs.
 
               Janus Capital began serving as investment adviser to Janus Fund
               in 1970 and currently serves as investment adviser to all of the
               Janus funds, acts as sub-adviser for a number of private-label
               mutual funds and provides separate account advisory services for
               institutional accounts.
 
               Janus Capital furnishes continuous advice and recommendations
               concerning the Fund's investments. Janus Capital also furnishes
               certain administrative, compliance and accounting services for
               the Fund, and may be reimbursed by the Fund for its costs in
               providing those services. In addition, Janus Capital employees
               serve as officers of the Trust and Janus Capital provides office
               space for the Fund and pays the salaries, fees and expenses of
               all Fund officers and those Trustees who are affiliated with
               Janus Capital. The Fund pays all of its expenses not assumed by
               Janus Capital, including auditing fees and independent Trustees'
               fees and expenses.
 
               The Fund pays Janus Capital a management fee which is calculated
               daily and paid monthly. The advisory agreement with the Fund
               spells out the management fee and other expenses that the Fund
               must pay.
 
               The Fund incurs expenses not assumed by Janus Capital, including
               transfer agent and custodian fees and expenses, legal and
               auditing fees, printing and mailing costs of sending reports and
               other information to existing shareholders, and independent
               Trustees' fees and expenses. The Annual Fund Operating Expenses
               table on page 5 lists the actual management fee and total
               operating expenses of the Fund for the most recent fiscal year.
 
                                                      Management of the fund  33
<PAGE> 
 
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
RONALD V. SPEAKER
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   is Executive Vice President and portfolio manager of the
                   Fund, which he has managed or co-managed since December
                   1991. He previously served as co-manager of Janus
                   High-Yield Fund from its inception to February 1998 and
                   manager of Janus Short-Term Bond Fund and Janus Federal
                   Tax-Exempt Fund from their inceptions through December
                   1995. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the
                   University of Colorado and received the Chartered
                   Financial Analyst designation.
 
                   In January 1997, Mr. Speaker settled an administrative
                   action involving two personal trades made by him in
                   January of 1993. Without admitting or denying the
                   allegations, Mr. Speaker agreed to civil money penalty,
                   disgorgement, and interest payments totaling $37,199 and
                   to a 90-day suspension which ended on April 25, 1997.
 
 34 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                               Other information
 
               SIZE OF THE FUND
 
               Although there is no present intention to do so, the Fund may
               discontinue sales of its shares if management and the Trustees
               believe that continued sales may adversely affect the Fund's
               ability to achieve its investment objective. If sales of the Fund
               are discontinued, it is expected that existing shareholders of
               the Fund will be permitted to continue to purchase shares and to
               reinvest any dividends or capital gains distributions, absent
               highly unusual circumstances.
 
               YEAR 2000
 
               Preparing for Year 2000 is a high priority for Janus Capital,
               which has established a dedicated group to address this issue.
               Janus Capital has devoted considerable internal resources and has
               engaged one of the foremost experts in the field to help achieve
               Year 2000 readiness. Janus Capital does not anticipate that Year
               2000-related issues will have a material impact on its ability to
               continue to provide the Fund with service at current levels;
               however, Janus Capital cannot make any assurances that the steps
               it has taken to ensure Year 2000 readiness will be successful. In
               addition, there can be no assurance that Year 2000 issues will
               not affect the companies in which the Fund invests or worldwide
               markets and economies.
 
                                                           Other information  35
<PAGE> 
Distributions and taxes
 
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               To avoid taxation of the Fund, the Internal Revenue Code requires
               the Fund to distribute net income and any net capital gains
               realized on its investments annually. The Fund's income from
               dividends and interest and any net realized short-term gains are
               paid to shareholders as ordinary income dividends. Net realized
               long-term gains are paid to shareholders as capital gains
               distributions.
 
               Income dividends are declared daily, Saturdays, Sundays and
               holidays included, and are generally paid as of the last business
               day of each month. If a month begins on a Saturday, Sunday or
               holiday, dividends for those days are paid at the end of the
               preceding month. You will begin accruing income dividends the day
               after a purchase is effective. If shares are redeemed, you will
               receive all dividends accrued through the day of the redemption.
               Capital gains, if any, are declared and paid in December.
 
               HOW DISTRIBUTIONS AFFECT THE FUND'S NAV
 
               Distributions, other than daily income dividends, are paid to
               shareholders as of the record date of the distribution of the
               Fund, regardless of how long the shares have been held.
               Undistributed income and realized gains are included in the
               Fund's daily NAV. The share price of the Fund drops by the amount
               of the distribution, net of any subsequent market fluctuations.
               As an example, assume that on December 31, the Fund declared a
               dividend in the amount of $0.25 per share. If the Fund's share
               price was $10.00 on December 30, the Fund's share price on
               December 31 would be $9.75, barring market fluctuations.
               Shareholders should be aware that distributions from a taxable
               mutual fund are not value-enhancing and may create income tax
               obligations.
 
               "BUYING A DIVIDEND"
 
               If you purchase shares of the Fund just before the distribution,
               you will pay the full price for the shares and receive a portion
               of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. This is
               referred to as "buying a dividend." In the above example, if you
               bought shares on December 30, you would have paid $10.00 per
               share.
 
 36 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               On December 31, the Fund would pay you $0.25 per share as a
               dividend and your shares would now be worth $9.75 per share.
               Unless your account is set up as a tax-deferred account,
               dividends paid to you would be included in your gross income for
               tax purposes, even though you may not have participated in the
               increase in NAV of the Fund, whether or not you reinvested the
               dividends.
 
DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS
 
               When you open an account, you must specify on your application
               how you want to receive your distributions. You may change your
               distribution option at any time by writing the Fund at one of the
               addresses on page 16 or calling 1-800-525-3713. The Fund offers
               the following options:
 
               1. REINVESTMENT OPTION. You may reinvest your income dividends
                  and capital gains distributions in additional shares. This
                  option is assigned automatically if no other choice is made.
 
               2. CASH OPTION. You may receive your income dividends and capital
                  gains distributions in cash.
 
               3. REINVEST AND CASH OPTION. You may receive either your income
                  dividends or capital gains distributions in cash and reinvest
                  the other in additional shares.
 
               4. REDIRECT OPTION. You may direct your dividends or capital
                  gains to purchase shares of another Janus fund.
 
               The Fund reserves the right to reinvest into your account
               undeliverable and uncashed dividend and distribution checks that
               remain outstanding for six months in shares of the Fund at the
               NAV next computed after the check is cancelled. Subsequent
               distributions may also be reinvested.
 
TAXES
 
               As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences
               of investing in the Fund. Any time you sell or exchange shares of
               a Fund in a taxable account, it is considered a taxable event.
               Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you
 
                                                     Distributions and taxes  37
<PAGE> 
 
               may have a gain or loss on the transaction. Any tax liabilities
               generated by your transactions are your responsibility.
 
               The following discussion does not apply to tax-deferred accounts,
               nor is it a complete analysis of the federal tax implications of
               investing in the Fund. You may wish to consult your own tax
               adviser. Additionally, state or local taxes may apply to your
               investment, depending upon the laws of your state of residence.
 
               TAXES ON DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               Dividends and distributions by the Fund are subject to federal
               income tax, regardless of whether the distribution is made in
               cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.
               Distributions may be taxable at different rates depending on the
               length of time the Fund holds a security. In certain states, a
               portion of the dividends and distributions (depending on the
               source of the Fund's income) may be exempt from state and local
               taxes. Information regarding the tax status of income dividends
               and capital gains distributions will be mailed to shareholders on
               or before January 31st of each year. Account tax information will
               also be sent to the IRS.
 
               TAXATION OF THE FUND
 
               Dividends, interest, and some capital gains received by the Fund
               on foreign securities may be subject to tax withholding or other
               foreign taxes. The Fund may from year to year make the election
               permitted under section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code to pass
               through such taxes to shareholders as a foreign tax credit. If
               such an election is not made, any foreign taxes paid or accrued
               will represent an expense to the Fund.
 
               The Fund does not expect to pay federal income or excise taxes
               because it intends to meet certain requirements of the Internal
               Revenue Code. It is important that the Fund meet these
               requirements so that any earnings on your investment will not be
               taxed twice.
 
 38 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                            Financial highlights
 
               The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand
               the Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years through
               October 31st of each fiscal year shown. Items 1 through 8 reflect
               financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in
               the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned
               (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of
               all dividends and distributions). This information has been
               audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with
               the Fund's financial statements, are included in the Annual
               Report, which is available upon request and incorporated by
               reference into the SAI.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                       Periods ending October 31st
                                                1998      1997     1996     1995     1994
<S>                                            <C>       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>
  1. NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD       $10.00    $9.65    $9.55    $8.96    $10.03
     INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
  2. Net investment income                        0.67     0.69     0.73     0.72      0.74
  3. Net gains or (losses) on securities
     (both realized and unrealized)               0.12     0.37     0.10     0.59    (0.86)
  4. Total from investment operations             0.79     1.06     0.83     1.31    (0.12)
     LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:
  5. Dividends (from net investment income)     (0.67)   (0.69)   (0.73)   (0.72)    (0.72)
  6. Distributions (from capital gains)         (0.21)   (0.02)       --       --    (0.23)
  7. Total distributions                        (0.88)   (0.71)   (0.73)   (0.72)    (0.95)
  8. NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD              $9.91   $10.00    $9.65    $9.55     $8.96
  9. Total return                                8.14%   11.48%    9.01%   15.35%   (1.26%)
 10. Net assets, end of period (in millions)    $1,104     $727     $604     $580      $377
 11. Average net assets for the period (in
     millions)                                    $893     $656     $604     $450      $429
 12. Ratio of gross expenses to average net
     assets                                      0.84%    0.87%    0.88%    0.96%       N/A
 13. Ratio of net expenses to average net
     assets                                      0.82%    0.86%    0.87%    0.96%     0.93%
 14. Ratio of net investment income to
     average net assets                          6.68%    7.10%    7.60%    7.91%     7.75%
 15. Portfolio turnover rate                      148%     207%     214%     250%      137%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                                        Financial highlights  39
<PAGE> 
Glossary of investment terms
 
               This glossary provides a more detailed description of some of the
               types of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may
               invest. The Fund may invest in these instruments to the extent
               permitted by its investment objective and policies. The Fund is
               not limited by this discussion and may invest in any other types
               of instruments not precluded by the policies discussed elsewhere
               in this Prospectus. Please refer to the SAI for a more detailed
               discussion of certain instruments.
 
I. EQUITY AND DEBT SECURITIES
 
               BONDS are debt securities issued by a company, municipality,
               government or government agency. The issuer of a bond is required
               to pay the holder the amount of the loan (or par value of the
               bond) at a specified maturity and to make scheduled interest
               payments.
 
               CERTIFICATES OF PARTICIPATION ("COPs") are certificates
               representing an interest in a pool of securities. Holders are
               entitled to a proportionate interest in the underlying
               securities. Municipal lease obligations are often sold in the
               form of COPs. See "Municipal lease obligations" below.
 
               COMMERCIAL PAPER is a short-term debt obligation with a maturity
               ranging from 1 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and
               other borrowers to investors seeking to invest idle cash. The
               Fund may purchase commercial paper issued in private placements
               under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
 
               COMMON STOCKS are equity securities representing shares of
               ownership in a company, and usually carry voting rights and earns
               dividends. Unlike preferred stock, dividends on common stocks are
               not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer's
               board of directors.
 
               CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES are preferred stocks or bonds that pay a
               fixed dividend or interest payment and are convertible into
               common stock at a specified price or conversion ratio.
 
               DEBT SECURITIES are equity securities representing money borrowed
               that must be repaid at a later date. Such securities have
               specific
 
 40 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               maturities and usually a specific rate of interest or an original
               purchase discount.
 
               DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS are receipts for shares of a foreign-based
               corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital
               gains on the underlying security. Receipts include those issued
               by domestic banks (American Depositary Receipts), foreign banks
               (Global or European Depositary Receipts) and broker-dealers
               (depositary shares).
 
               FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES are securities that pay a specified rate
               of return. The term generally includes short- and long-term
               government, corporate and municipal obligations that pay a
               specified rate of interest or coupons for a specified period of
               time, and preferred stock, which pays fixed dividends. Coupon and
               dividend rates may be fixed for the life of the issue or, in the
               case of adjustable and floating rate securities, for a shorter
               period.
 
               HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES are securities that are rated
               below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (e.g., BB
               or lower by Standard & Poor's and Ba or lower by Moody's). Other
               terms commonly used to describe such securities include "lower
               rated bonds," "noninvestment grade bonds" and "junk bonds."
 
               INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BONDS are revenue bonds that are issued by
               a public authority but which may be backed only by the credit and
               security of a private issuer and may involve greater credit risk.
               See "Municipal securities" below.
 
               MORTGAGE- AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES are shares in a pool of
               mortgages or other debt. These securities are generally pass-
               through securities, which means that principal and interest
               payments on the underlying securities (less servicing fees) are
               passed through to shareholders on a pro rata basis. These
               securities involve prepayment risk, which is the risk that the
               underlying mortgages or other debt may be refinanced or paid off
               prior to their maturities during periods of declining interest
               rates. In that case, the portfolio managers may have to reinvest
               the proceeds from the securities at a lower rate. Potential
               market gains on a security subject to prepayment risk may be more
               limited
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  41
<PAGE> 
 
               than potential market gains on a comparable security that is not
               subject to prepayment risk.
 
               MUNICIPAL LEASE OBLIGATIONS are revenue bonds backed by leases or
               installment purchase contracts for property or equipment. Lease
               obligations may not be backed by the issuing municipality's
               credit and may involve risks not normally associated with general
               obligation bonds and other revenue bonds. For example, their
               interest may become taxable if the lease is assigned and the
               holders may incur losses if the issuer does not appropriate funds
               for the lease payments on an annual basis, which may result in
               termination of the lease and possible default.
 
               MUNICIPAL SECURITIES are bonds or notes issued by a U.S. state or
               political subdivision. A municipal security may be a general
               obligation backed by the full faith and credit (i.e., the
               borrowing and taxing power) of a municipality or a revenue
               obligation paid out of the revenues of a designated project,
               facility or revenue source.
 
               PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICs) are any foreign
               corporations which generate certain amounts of passive income or
               hold certain amounts of assets for the production of passive
               income. Passive income includes dividends, interest, royalties,
               rents and annuities. To avoid taxes and interest that the Fund
               must pay if these investments are profitable, the Fund may make
               various elections permitted by the tax laws. These elections
               could require that the Fund recognize taxable income, which in
               turn must be distributed, before the securities are sold and
               before cash is received to pay the distributions.
 
               PAY-IN-KIND BONDS are debt securities that normally give the
               issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or give the
               holder of the security a similar bond with the same coupon rate
               and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that
               would have been made.
 
               PREFERRED STOCKS are equity securities that generally pay
               dividends at a specified rate and have preference over common
               stock in the
 
 42 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               payment of dividends and liquidation. Preferred stock generally
               does not carry voting rights.
 
               REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the purchase of a security by the
               Fund and a simultaneous agreement by the seller (generally a bank
               or dealer) to repurchase the security from the Fund at a
               specified date or upon demand. This technique offers a method of
               earning income on idle cash. These securities involve the risk
               that the seller will fail to repurchase the security, as agreed.
               In that case, the Fund will bear the risk of market value
               fluctuations until the security can be sold and may encounter
               delays and incur costs in liquidating the security.
 
               REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the sale of a security by
               the Fund to another party (generally a bank or dealer) in return
               for cash and an agreement by the Fund to buy the security back at
               a specified price and time. This technique will be used primarily
               to provide cash to satisfy unusually heavy redemption requests,
               or for other temporary or emergency purposes.
 
               RULE 144A SECURITIES are securities that are not registered for
               sale to the general public under the Securities Act of 1933, but
               that may be resold to certain institutional investors.
 
               STANDBY COMMITMENTS are obligations purchased by the Fund from a
               dealer that give the Fund the option to sell a security to the
               dealer at a specified price.
 
               STEP COUPON BONDS are debt securities that trade at a discount
               from their face value and pay coupon interest. The discount from
               the face value depends on the time remaining until cash payments
               begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and
               the perceived credit quality of the issuer.
 
               STRIP BONDS are debt securities that are stripped of their
               interest (usually by a financial intermediary) after the
               securities are issued. The market value of these securities
               generally fluctuates more in response to changes in interest
               rates than interest-paying securities of comparable maturity.
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  43
<PAGE> 
 
               TENDER OPTION BONDS are generally long-term securities that are
               coupled with an option to tender the securities to a bank,
               broker-dealer or other financial institution at periodic
               intervals and receive the face value of the bond. This type of
               security is commonly used as a means of enhancing the security's
               liquidity.
 
               U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES include direct obligations of the U.S.
               government that are supported by its full faith and credit.
               Treasury bills have initial maturities of less than one year,
               Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years and
               Treasury bonds may be issued with any maturity but generally have
               maturities of at least ten years. U.S. government securities also
               include indirect obligations of the U.S. government that are
               issued by federal agencies and government sponsored entities.
               Unlike Treasury securities, agency securities generally are not
               backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some
               agency securities are supported by the right of the issuer to
               borrow from the Treasury, others are supported by the
               discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the
               agency's obligations and others are supported only by the credit
               of the sponsoring agency.
 
               VARIABLE AND FLOATING RATE SECURITIES have variable or floating
               rates of interest and, under certain limited circumstances, may
               have varying principal amounts. These securities pay interest at
               rates that are adjusted periodically according to a specified
               formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or
               market interest rate. The floating rate tends to decrease the
               security's price sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
 
               WARRANTS are securities, typically issued with preferred stocks
               or bonds, that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate
               amount of common stock at a specified price, usually at a price
               that is higher than the market price at the time of issuance of
               the warrant. The right may last for a period of years or
               indefinitely.
 
               WHEN-ISSUED, DELAYED DELIVERY AND FORWARD TRANSACTIONS generally
               involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at
               some time in the future - i.e., beyond normal settlement. The
               Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement
 
 44 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the
               purchase and settlement dates. New issues of stocks and bonds,
               private placements and U.S. government securities may be sold in
               this manner.
 
               ZERO COUPON BONDS are debt securities that do not pay regular
               interest at regular intervals, but are issued at a discount from
               face value. The discount approximates the total amount of
               interest the security will accrue from the date of issuance to
               maturity. The market value of these securities generally
               fluctuates more in response to changes in interest rates than
               interest-paying securities.
 
II. FUTURES, OPTIONS AND OTHER DERIVATIVES
 
               FORWARD CONTRACTS are contracts to purchase or sell a specified
               amount of a financial instrument for an agreed upon price at a
               specified time. Forward contracts are not currently exchange
               traded and are typically negotiated on an individual basis. The
               Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to hedge against
               declines in the value of securities denominated in, or whose
               value is tied to, a currency other than the U.S. dollar or to
               reduce the impact of currency appreciation on purchases of such
               securities. It may also enter into forward contracts to purchase
               or sell securities or other financial indices.
 
               FUTURES CONTRACTS are contracts that obligate the buyer to
               receive and the seller to deliver an instrument or money at a
               specified price on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell
               futures contracts on foreign currencies, securities and financial
               indices including interest rates or an index of U.S. government,
               foreign government, equity or fixed-income securities. The Fund
               may also buy options on futures contracts. An option on a futures
               contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to
               buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before
               a specified date. Futures contracts and options on futures are
               standardized and traded on designated exchanges.
 
               INDEXED/STRUCTURED SECURITIES are typically short- to
               intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or
               interest rate is
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  45
<PAGE> 
 
               linked to currencies, interest rates, equity securities, indices,
               commodity prices or other financial indicators. Such securities
               may be positively or negatively indexed (i.e., their value may
               increase or decrease if the reference index or instrument
               appreciates). Indexed/structured securities may have return
               characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying
               instrument and may be more volatile than the underlying
               instrument. The Fund bears the market risk of an investment in
               the underlying instrument, as well as the credit risk of the
               issuer.
 
               INTEREST RATE SWAPS involve the exchange by two parties of their
               respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an
               exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments).
 
               INVERSE FLOATERS are debt instruments whose interest rate bears
               an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another
               instrument or index. For example, upon reset the interest rate
               payable on a security may go down when the underlying index has
               risen. Certain inverse floaters may have an interest rate reset
               mechanism that multiplies the effects of change in the underlying
               index. Such mechanism may increase the volatility of the
               security's market value.
 
               OPTIONS are the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a
               specified amount of securities or other assets on or before a
               fixed date at a predetermined price. The Fund may purchase and
               write put and call options on securities, securities indices and
               foreign currencies.
 
 46 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                Explanation of rating categories
 
               The following is a description of credit ratings issued by two of
               the major credit ratings agencies. Credit ratings evaluate only
               the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market
               value risk of lower quality securities. Credit rating agencies
               may fail to change credit ratings to reflect subsequent events on
               a timely basis. Although Janus Capital considers security ratings
               when making investment decisions, it also performs its own
               investment analysis and does not rely solely on the ratings
               assigned by credit agencies.
 
STANDARD & POOR'S
RATINGS SERVICES
 
<TABLE>
                <S>                          <C>
                BOND RATING                  EXPLANATION
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
                Investment Grade
                AAA......................... Highest rating; extremely strong
                                             capacity to pay principal and
                                             interest.
                AA.......................... High quality; very strong capacity
                                             to pay principal and interest.
                A........................... Strong capacity to pay principal
                                             and interest; somewhat more
                                             susceptible to the adverse effects
                                             of changing circumstances and
                                             economic conditions.
                BBB......................... Adequate capacity to pay principal
                                             and interest; normally exhibit
                                             adequate protection parameters, but
                                             adverse economic conditions or
                                             changing circumstances more likely
                                             to lead to a weakened capacity to
                                             pay principal and interest than for
                                             higher rated bonds.
                Non-Investment Grade
                BB, B, CCC, CC, C........... Predominantly speculative with
                                             respect to the issuer's capacity to
                                             meet required interest and
                                             principal payments. BB - lowest
                                             degree of speculation; C - the
                                             highest degree of speculation.
                                             Quality and protective
                                             characteristics outweighed by large
                                             uncertainties or major risk
                                             exposure to adverse conditions.
                D........................... In default.
</TABLE>
 
                                            Explanation of rating categories  47
<PAGE> 
 
MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.
 
<TABLE>
                <S>                          <C>
                BOND RATING                  EXPLANATION
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
                Investment Grade
                Aaa......................... Highest quality, smallest degree of
                                             investment risk.
                Aa.......................... High quality; together with Aaa
                                             bonds, they compose the high-grade
                                             bond group.
                A........................... Upper-medium grade obligations;
                                             many favorable investment
                                             attributes.
                Baa......................... Medium-grade obligations; neither
                                             highly protected nor poorly
                                             secured. Interest and principal
                                             appear adequate for the present but
                                             certain protective elements may be
                                             lacking or may be unreliable over
                                             any great length of time.
                Non-Investment Grade
                Ba.......................... More uncertain, with speculative
                                             elements. Protection of interest
                                             and principal payments not well
                                             safeguarded during good and bad
                                             times.
                B........................... Lack characteristics of desirable
                                             investment; potentially low
                                             assurance of timely interest and
                                             principal payments or maintenance
                                             of other contract terms over time.
                Caa......................... Poor standing, may be in default;
                                             elements of danger with respect to
                                             principal or interest payments.
                Ca.......................... Speculative in a high degree; could
                                             be in default or have other marked
                                             shortcomings.
                C........................... Lowest-rated; extremely poor
                                             prospects of ever attaining
                                             investment standing.
</TABLE>
 
 48 Janus Flexible Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               Unrated securities will be treated as noninvestment grade
               securities unless a portfolio manager determines that such
               securities are the equivalent of investment grade securities.
               Securities that have received ratings from more than one agency
               are considered investment grade if at least one agency has rated
               the security investment grade.
 
SECURITIES HOLDINGS BY RATING CATEGORY
 
               During the fiscal period ended October 31, 1998, the percentage
               of securities holdings for the Fund by rating category based upon
               a weighted monthly average was:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                        JANUS FLEXIBLE INCOME FUND
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                <S>                                             <C>
                BONDS-S&P RATING:
                 AAA                                                         24%
                 AA                                                           2%
                 A                                                           13%
                 BBB                                                         18%
                 BB                                                          15%
                 B                                                           17%
                 CCC                                                          0%
                 CC                                                           0%
                 C                                                            0%
                 Preferred Stock                                              2%
                 Cash and Options                                             9%
                 TOTAL                                                      100%
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 
                                            Explanation of rating categories  49
<PAGE> 
 
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 50
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
 
                                                                              51
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
 
 52
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
<PAGE> 
 
[JANUS LOGO]
          1-800-525-3713
          P.O. Box 173375
          Denver, Colorado 80217-3375
          janus.com
 
You can request other information, including a Statement of
Additional Information, Annual Report or Semiannual Report, free of
charge, by contacting Janus at 1-800-525-3713 or visiting our Web
site at janus.com. In the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a
discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that
significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal
year. Other information is also available from financial
intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund.
 
The Statement of Additional Information provides detailed
information about the Fund and is incorporated into this Prospectus
by reference. You may review the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information at the Public Reference Room of the SEC or get text only
copies for a fee, by writing to or calling the Public Reference
Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-6009 (1-800-SEC-0330). You may obtain
the Statement of Additional Information for free from the SEC's Web
site at http://www.sec.gov.
 
              Investment Company Act File No. 811-1879
 
  3189
<PAGE> 
 
 
                                                     [JANUS LOGO]
 
                         Janus Growth and
                            Income Fund
 
                                       PROSPECTUS
                                       FEBRUARY 17, 1999
 
                         THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED
                         OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED ON THE
                         ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
                         REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
<PAGE> 
 
    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
                                                              Table of contents
 
<TABLE>
                <S>                                               <C>
                RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
                   Janus Growth and Income Fund.................    2
                   Fees and expenses............................    5
                INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT
                STRATEGIES AND RISKS
                   Investment objective and principal investment
                   strategies...................................    6
                   General portfolio policies...................    7
                   Risks........................................   10
                SHAREHOLDER'S MANUAL
                   Minimum investments..........................   17
                   Types of account ownership...................   17
                   How to open your Janus account...............   19
                   How to purchase shares.......................   20
                   How to exchange shares.......................   22
                   How to redeem shares.........................   24
                   Shareholder services and account policies....   28
                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
                   Investment adviser...........................   33
                   Portfolio manager............................   34
                OTHER INFORMATION...............................   35
                DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
                   Distributions................................   36
                   Taxes........................................   37
                FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.............. .............   39
                GLOSSARY
                   Glossary of investment terms.................   40
 
</TABLE>
 
                                                            Table of contents  1
<PAGE> 
Risk return summary
 
JANUS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

1. WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE OF JANUS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND?
 
               The Fund seeks long-term capital growth and current income.
 
               The Fund's Trustees may change this objective without a
               shareholder vote and the Fund will notify you of any changes that
               are material. If there is a material change in the Fund's
               objective or policies, you should consider whether the Fund
               remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee
               that the Fund will meet its objective.
 
2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES OF JANUS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND?
 
               The Fund normally emphasizes investments in common stocks. It
               will normally invest up to 75% of its assets in equity securities
               selected primarily for their growth potential, and at least 25%
               of its assets in securities the portfolio manager believes have
               income potential. Equity securities may make up part of this
               income component if they currently pay dividends or the portfolio
               manager believes they have potential for increasing or commencing
               dividend payments.
 
               The portfolio manager applies a "bottom up" approach in choosing
               investments. In other words, he looks mostly for equity and
               income-producing securities that meet his investment criteria one
               at a time. If the portfolio manager is unable to find such
               investments, much of the Fund's assets may be in cash or similar
               investments.
 
3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN RISKS OF INVESTING IN JANUS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND?
 
               The biggest risk of investing in this Fund is that its returns
               may vary and you could lose money. If you are considering
               investing in the Fund, remember that it is designed for long-term
               investors who can accept the risks of investing in a portfolio
               with significant common stock holdings. Common stocks tend to be
               more volatile than other investment choices.
 
               The value of the Fund's portfolio may decrease if the value of an
               individual company in the portfolio decreases. The value of the
               Fund's portfolio could also decrease if the stock market goes
 
 2 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               down. If the value of the Fund's portfolio decreases, the Fund's
               net asset value (NAV) will also decrease which means if you sell
               your shares in the Fund you would get back less money.
 
               The income component of the Fund's portfolio includes fixed-
               income securities. A fundamental risk to the income component is
               that the value of these securities will fall if interest rates
               rise. Generally, the value of a fixed-income portfolio will
               decrease when interest rates rise, which means the Fund's NAV may
               likewise decrease. Another fundamental risk associated with
               fixed-income securities is credit risk, which is the risk that an
               issuer will be unable to make principal and interest payments
               when due.
 
               An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not
               insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance
               Corporation or any other government agency.
 
                                                          Risk return summary  3
<PAGE> 
 
               The following information illustrates how the Fund's performance
               has varied over time. The bar chart depicts the change in the
               Fund's performance from year-to-year during the periods
               indicated. The table compares the Fund's average annual returns
               for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market
               index.
 
                JANUS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

A BAR CHART showing Annual Total Returns for Janus Growth and Income Fund from
1992 through 1998:

 <TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                Annual returns for periods ended 12/31

               <S>           <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>
               5.35%         6.70%        (4.87%)       36.35%        26.03%        34.66%        34.87%
                1992          1993          1994          1995          1996          1997          1998
</TABLE>

Each percentage is represented by a bar of proportionate size with the actual
total return printed above the bar.

               Best Quarter:  4th-1998 21.49%  Worst Quarter:  3rd-1998 (8.97%)
 


 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                               Average annual total return for periods ended 12/31/98
                               ------------------------------------------------------           
                                                                             Since Inception
                                                          1 year   5 years      (5/15/91)
                <S>                                       <C>      <C>           <C>
                Janus Growth and Income Fund              34.87%   24.31%        22.08%
                S&P 500 Index*                            28.74%   24.08%        20.00%
                                                      ---------------------------------     
</TABLE>
 
                * The S&P 500 is the Standard & Poor's Composite Index of 500
                  Stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock
                  prices.
 
               The Fund's past performance does not necessarily indicate how it
               will perform in the future.
 
 4 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
FEES AND EXPENSES
 
               SHAREHOLDER FEES, such as sales loads, redemption fees or
               exchange fees, are charged directly to an investor's account. All
               Janus funds are no-load investments, so you will not pay any
               shareholder fees when you buy or sell shares of the Fund.
 
               ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES are paid out of the Fund's assets
               and include fees for portfolio management, maintenance of
               shareholder accounts, shareholder servicing, accounting and other
               services. You do not pay these fees directly but, as the example
               below shows, these costs are borne indirectly by all
               shareholders.
 
               This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
               you buy and hold shares of the Fund. It is based upon gross
               expenses (without the effect of expense offset arrangements) for
               the fiscal year ended October 31, 1998.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                   Janus Growth and Income Fund
   <S>                                             <C>
   Management Fee                                              0.67%
   Other Expenses                                              0.29%
   Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses                        0.96%
</TABLE>
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  EXAMPLE:
  This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the
  Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example
  assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods
  indicated then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The
  example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and
  that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual
  costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
  be:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years
                                             ----------------------------------------
   <S>                                       <C>       <C>        <C>        <C>
   Janus Growth and Income Fund               $98       $306       $531       $1,178
</TABLE>
 
                                                          Risk return summary  5
<PAGE> 
Investment objective, principal 
           investment strategies 
           and risks
 
               This section takes a closer look at the investment objective of
               the Fund, its principal investment strategies and certain risks
               of investing in the Fund. Strategies and policies that are noted
               as "fundamental" cannot be changed without a shareholder vote.
 
               Please carefully review the "Risks" section of this Prospectus on
               pages 10-12 for a discussion of risks associated with certain
               investment techniques. We've also included a Glossary with
               descriptions of investment terms used throughout this Prospectus.
 
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
 
               Janus Growth and Income Fund seeks long-term capital growth and
               current income. It normally emphasizes investments in common
               stocks. It will normally invest up to 75% of its assets in equity
               securities selected primarily for their growth potential, and at
               least 25% of its assets in securities the portfolio manager
               believes have income potential. Because of this investment
               strategy, the Fund is not designed for investors who need
               consistent income.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
the Fund's principal investment strategies.
 
1. HOW ARE ASSETS ALLOCATED BETWEEN THE GROWTH AND INCOME COMPONENTS OF THE
   FUND'S PORTFOLIO?
 
               The Fund shifts assets between the growth and income components
               of its portfolio based on the portfolio manager's analysis of
               relevant market, financial and economic conditions. If the
               portfolio manager believes that growth securities will provide
               better returns than the yields then available or expected on
               income-producing securities, the Fund will place a greater
               emphasis on the growth component.
 
2. WHAT TYPES OF SECURITIES MAKE UP THE GROWTH COMPONENT OF THE FUND'S
   PORTFOLIO?
 
               The growth component of the Fund's portfolio is expected to
               consist primarily of common stocks, but may also include
 
 6 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               warrants, preferred stocks or convertible securities selected
               primarily for their growth potential.
 
3. WHAT TYPES OF SECURITIES MAKE UP THE INCOME COMPONENT OF THE FUND'S
   PORTFOLIO?
 
               The income component of the Fund will consist of securities that
               the portfolio manager believes have income potential. Such
               securities may include equity securities, convertible securities
               and all types of debt securities. Equity securities may be
               included in the income component of the Fund if they currently
               pay dividends or the portfolio manager believes they have the
               potential for either increasing their dividends or commencing
               dividends, if none are currently paid.
 
GENERAL PORTFOLIO POLICIES
 
               In investing its portfolio assets, the Fund will follow the
               general policies listed below. The percentage limitations
               included in these policies and elsewhere in this Prospectus apply
               only at the time of purchase of the security. So, for example, if
               the Fund exceeds a limit as a result of market fluctuations or
               the sale of securities, it will not be required to dispose of any
               securities.
 
               CASH POSITION
               When the Fund's portfolio manager believes that market conditions
               are unfavorable for profitable investing, or when he is otherwise
               unable to locate attractive investment opportunities, the Fund's
               cash or similar investments may increase. In other words, the
               Fund does not always stay fully invested in stocks and bonds.
               Cash or similar investments generally are a residual - they
               represent the assets that remain after the portfolio manager has
               committed available assets to desirable investment opportunities.
               However, the portfolio manager may also temporarily increase the
               Fund's cash position to protect its assets or maintain liquidity.
               When the Fund's investments in cash or similar investments
               increase, it may not participate in market advances or declines
               to the same extent that it would if the Fund remained more fully
               invested in stocks or bonds.
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  7
<PAGE> 
 
               OTHER TYPES OF INVESTMENTS
               The Fund invests in domestic and foreign equity securities with a
               degree of emphasis on income. The Fund may also invest to a
               lesser degree in other types of securities. These securities
               (which are described in the Glossary) may include:
 
               - debt securities
 
               - indexed/structured securities
 
               - high-yield/high-risk securities (less than 35% of the Fund's
                 assets)
 
               - options, futures, forwards and other types of derivatives for
                 hedging purposes or for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to
                 enhance return
 
               - securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
                 forward commitment basis
 
               ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS
               The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid
               investments. An illiquid investment is a security or other
               position that cannot be disposed of quickly in the normal course
               of business. For example, some securities are not registered
               under the U.S. securities laws and cannot be sold to the U.S.
               public because of SEC regulations (these are known as "restricted
               securities"). Under procedures adopted by the Fund's Trustees,
               certain restricted securities may be deemed liquid, and will not
               be counted toward this 15% limit.
 
               FOREIGN SECURITIES
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign equity and debt
               securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities
               denominated in a foreign currency and not publicly traded in the
               United States. Other ways of investing in foreign securities
               include depositary receipts or shares, and passive foreign
               investment companies.
 
 8 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               SPECIAL SITUATIONS
               The Fund may invest in special situations. A special situation
               arises when, in the opinion of the Fund's portfolio manager, the
               securities of a particular issuer will be recognized and
               appreciate in value due to a specific development with respect to
               that issuer. Developments creating a special situation might
               include, among others, a new product or process, a technological
               breakthrough, a management change or other extraordinary
               corporate event, or differences in market supply of and demand
               for the security. The Fund's performance could suffer if the
               anticipated development in a "special situation" investment does
               not occur or does not attract the expected attention.
 
               PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
               The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term
               investment although, to a limited extent, the Fund may purchase
               securities in anticipation of relatively short-term price gains.
               Short-term transactions may also result from liquidity needs,
               securities having reached a price or yield objective, changes in
               interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason
               of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time of the
               investment decision. The Fund may also sell one security and
               simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take
               advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or
               securities prices. Changes are made in the Fund's portfolio
               whenever its portfolio manager believes such changes are
               desirable. Portfolio turnover rates are generally not a factor in
               making buy and sell decisions.
 
               Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs for
               brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction
               costs and may also result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs
               associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in
               the Fund's performance.
 
              Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  9
<PAGE> 
 
RISKS
 
               Because the Fund may invest substantially all of its assets in
               common stocks, the main risk is the risk that the value of the
               stocks it holds might decrease in response to the activities of
               an individual company or in response to general market and/or
               economic conditions. If this occurs, the Fund's share price may
               also decrease. The Fund's performance may also be affected by
               risks specific to certain types of investments, such as foreign
               securities, derivative investments, non-investment grade debt
               securities or companies with relatively small market
               capitalizations.
 
The following questions and answers are designed to help you better understand
some of the risks of investing in the Fund.
 
1. THE FUND MAY INVEST IN SMALLER OR NEWER COMPANIES. DOES THIS CREATE ANY
   SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               Many attractive investment opportunities may be smaller, start-up
               companies offering emerging products or services. Smaller or
               newer companies may suffer more significant losses as well as
               realize more substantial growth than larger or more established
               issuers because they may lack depth of management, be unable to
               generate funds necessary for growth or potential development, or
               be developing or marketing new products or services for which
               markets are not yet established and may never become established.
               In addition, such companies may be insignificant factors in their
               industries and may become subject to intense competition from
               larger or more established companies. Securities of smaller or
               newer companies may have more limited trading markets than the
               markets for securities of larger or more established issuers, and
               may be subject to wide price fluctuations. Investments in such
               companies tend to be more volatile and somewhat more speculative.
 
 10 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
2. I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HOW THE CHANGE TO THE YEAR 2000 COULD AFFECT COMPUTER
   SYSTEMS. DOES THIS CREATE ANY SPECIAL RISKS?
 
               The portfolio manager carefully researches each potential
               investment before making an investment decision and, among other
               things, considers Year 2000 readiness when selecting portfolio
               holdings. However, there is no guarantee that the information the
               portfolio manager receives regarding a company's Year 2000
               readiness is completely accurate. If a company has not
               satisfactorily addressed Year 2000 issues, the Fund's performance
               could suffer.
 
3. HOW COULD THE FUND'S INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN SECURITIES AFFECT ITS
   PERFORMANCE?
 
               The Fund may invest without limit in foreign securities either
               indirectly (e.g., depositary receipts) or directly in foreign
               markets. Investments in foreign securities, including those of
               foreign governments, may involve greater risks than investing in
               domestic securities because the Fund's performance may depend on
               issues other than the performance of a particular company. These
               issues include:
 
               - currency risk
 
               - political and economic risk
 
               - regulatory risk
 
               - market risk
 
               - transaction costs
 
               These risks are described in the SAI.
 
             Investment objective, principal investment strategies and risks  11
<PAGE> 
 
4. ARE THERE SPECIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTMENTS IN HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK
   SECURITIES?
 
               High-yield/high-risk securities (or "junk" bonds) are securities
               rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies such
               as Standard & Poor's and Moody's. The value of lower quality
               securities generally is more dependent on credit risk, or the
               ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments,
               than investment grade debt securities. Issuers of high-yield
               securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing
               bonds with higher credit ratings and are more vulnerable to real
               or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse
               developments specific to the issuer.
 
               Please refer to the SAI for a description of bond rating
               categories.
 
5. HOW DOES THE FUND TRY TO REDUCE RISK?
 
               The Fund may use futures, options and other derivative
               instruments to "hedge" or protect its portfolio from adverse
               movements in securities prices and interest rates. The Fund may
               also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including
               forward currency contracts, to manage exchange rate risk. The
               Fund believes the use of these instruments will benefit the Fund.
               However, the Fund's performance could be worse than if the Fund
               had not used such instruments if the portfolio manager's
               judgement proves incorrect. Risks associated with the use of
               derivative instruments are described in the SAI.
 
 12 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
 
                                                                              13
<PAGE> 
 
Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                   Shareholder's
                   Manual
 
                   This section will help you become
                   familiar with the different types
                   of accounts you can establish with
                   Janus. It also explains in detail
                   the wide array of services and
                   features you can establish on your
                   account, as well as account
                   policies and fees that may apply
                   to your account. Account policies
                   (including fees), services and
                   features may be modified or
                   discontinued without shareholder
                   approval or prior notice.
 
                                                    [JANUS LOGO]
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH JANUS
 
               Janus offers two Investor Service Centers for those individuals
               who would like to conduct their investing in person. Our
               representatives will be happy to assist you at either of the
               following locations: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
               Mountain time and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mountain time.
 
               100 Fillmore Street, Suite 100
               Denver, CO 80206
 
               3773 Cherry Creek North Drive, Suite 101
               Denver, CO 80209
 
 QUICK ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE REFERENCE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
  <S>                                           <C>
  MAILING ADDRESS                               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
  Janus                                         1-888-979-7737
  P.O. Box 173375                               For 24-hour access to account
  Denver, CO 80217-3375                         and fund information,
                                                exchanges, purchases and
  FOR OVERNIGHT CARRIER                         redemptions, automated daily
  Janus                                         quotes on fund share prices,
  Suite 101                                     yields and total refunds.
  3773 Cherry Creek North Drive
  Denver, CO 80209-3811                         TDD
                                                1-800-525-0056
  INVESTOR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES              A telecommunications device
  If you have any questions while reading       for our hearing- and
  this Prospectus, please call one of our       speech-impaired shareholders.
  Investor Service Representatives at
  1-800-525-3713 Monday-Friday: 8:00            JANUS LITERATURE LINE
  a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Saturday: 10:00           1-800-525-8983
  a.m.-4:00 p.m., New York time.                To request a prospectus,
                                                shareholder reports or
  JANUS INTERNET ADDRESS                        marketing materials 24 hours a
  janus.com                                     day.
</TABLE>
 
 16 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
MINIMUM INVESTMENTS*
- ---------------------------------------------
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                 <C>
To open a new regular account        $2,500

To open a new retirement,
education or UGMA/UTMA account       $  500

To open a new regular account with
an Automatic Investment Program      $  500**

To add to any type of an account     $  100+
</TABLE>
 
 * The Fund reserves the right to
   change the amount of these
   minimums from time to time or
   to waive them in whole or in
   part for certain types of
   accounts.
** An Automatic Investment Program
   requires a $100 minimum
   automatic investment per month
   until the account balance
   reaches $2,500.
 + The minimum subsequent
   investment for IRA UGMA/UTMA
   accounts is $50.
 
TYPES OF ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP
 
               If you are investing in the Fund for the first time, you will
               need to establish an account. You can establish the following
               types of accounts by completing a New Account Application. To
               request an application, call 1-800-525-3713 or visit our Web site
               at janus.com to download a prospectus.
 
               INDIVIDUAL OR JOINT OWNERSHIP
               Individual accounts are owned by one person. Joint accounts have
               two or more owners.
 
               A GIFT OR TRANSFER TO MINOR (UGMA OR UTMA)
               An UGMA/ UTMA account is a custodial account managed for the
               benefit of a minor. To open an UGMA or UTMA account, you must
               include the minor's Social Security number on the application.
 
               TRUST
               An established trust can open an account. The names of each
               trustee, the name of the trust and the date of the trust
               agreement must be included on the application.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  17
<PAGE> 
 
               BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
               Corporations and partnerships may also open an account. The
               application must be signed by an authorized officer of the
               corporation or a general partner of the partnership.
 
TAX-DEFERRED ACCOUNTS
 
               If you are eligible, you may set up one or more tax-deferred
               accounts. A tax-deferred account allows you to shelter your
               investment income and capital gains from current income taxes. A
               contribution to certain of these plans may also be tax
               deductible. Tax-deferred accounts include retirement plans
               described below and the Education IRA. Distributions from these
               plans are generally subject to income tax and may be subject to
               an additional tax if withdrawn prior to age 59 1/2 or used for a
               nonqualifying purpose. Investors should consult their tax adviser
               or legal counsel before selecting a tax-deferred account.
 
               Investors Fiduciary Trust Company serves as custodian for the
               tax-deferred accounts offered by the Fund. You will be charged an
               annual account maintenance fee of $12 for each taxpayer
               identification number no matter how many tax-deferred accounts
               you have with Janus. You may pay the fee by check or have it
               automatically deducted from your account (usually in December).
               The custodian reserves the right to change the amount of this fee
               or to waive it in whole or in part for certain types of accounts.
 
               The following plans require a special application. For an
               application and more details about our Retirement Plans, call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
               TRADITIONAL AND ROTH INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
               Both types of IRAs allow most individuals with earned income to
               contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 ($4,000 for most married
               couples) or 100% of compensation annually. Please refer to the
               Janus IRA booklet for more complete information regarding the
               different types of IRAs.
 
 18 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               EDUCATION IRA
               This plan allows individuals, subject to certain income
               limitations, to contribute up to $500 annually on behalf of any
               child under the age of 18. Please refer to the Janus IRA booklet
               for more complete information regarding the Education IRA.
 
               SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSION PLAN
               This plan allows small business owners (including sole
               proprietors) to make tax-deductible contributions for themselves
               and any eligible employee(s). A SEP requires an IRA (a SEP-IRA)
               to be set up for each SEP participant.
 
               PROFIT SHARING OR MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN
               These plans are open to corporations, partnerships and sole
               proprietors to benefit their employees and themselves.
 
               SECTION 403(b)(7) PLAN
               Employees of educational organizations or other qualifying, tax-
               exempt organizations may be eligible to participate in a Section
               403(b)(7) Plan.
 
HOW TO OPEN YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT
 
               Complete and sign the appropriate application. Please be sure to
               provide your Social Security or taxpayer identification number on
               the application and make your check payable to Janus. The Fund is
               available only to U.S. citizens or residents, and your
               application will be returned to you if you do not meet these
               criteria. Send all items to one of addresses listed in the "Quick
               Address and Telephone Reference" on page 16.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  19
<PAGE> 
 
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES
 
               PAYING FOR SHARES
 
               When you purchase shares, your request will be processed at the
               next NAV calculated after your order is received and accepted.
               Please note the following:
 
               - Cash, credit cards, third party checks and credit card checks
                 will not be accepted.
 
               - All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars.
 
               - Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to Janus.
 
               - If a check does not clear your bank, the Fund reserves the
                 right to cancel the purchase.
 
               - If the Fund is unable to debit your predesignated bank account
                 on the day of purchase, it may make additional attempts or
                 cancel the purchase.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any specific purchase
                 request.
 
               If your purchase is cancelled you will be responsible for any
               losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be
               incurred as a result of any decline in the value of the cancelled
               purchase. The Fund (or its agents) has the authority to redeem
               shares in your account(s) to cover any such losses due to
               fluctuations in share price. Any profit on such cancellation will
               accrue to the Fund.
 
               ONCE YOU HAVE OPENED YOUR JANUS ACCOUNT, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT FOR
               AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IS $100 ($50 FOR IRAs OR UGMA/UTMA
               ACCOUNTS). You may add to your account at any time through any of
               the following options:
 
               BY MAIL
 
               Complete the remittance slip attached at the bottom of your
               confirmation statement. If you are making a purchase into a
               retirement account, please indicate whether the purchase is a
               rollover or a current or prior year contribution. Send your check
 
 20 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               made payable to Janus and remittance slip or written instructions
               to one of the addresses listed previously. You may also request a
               booklet of remittance slips for non-retirement accounts.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               This service allows you to purchase additional shares quickly and
               conveniently through an electronic transfer of money. To purchase
               shares by telephone, call an Investor Service Representative at
               1-800-525-3713 during normal business hours or call the Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. When you make an additional purchase by telephone, Janus
               will automatically debit your predesignated bank account for the
               desired amount. To establish the telephone purchase option on
               your new account, complete the "Telephone Purchase of Shares
               Option" section on the application and attach a "voided" check or
               deposit slip from your bank account. If your account is already
               established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the appropriate form.
               This option will become effective ten business days after the
               form is received.
 
               BY WIRE
 
               Purchases may also be made by wiring money from your bank account
               to your Janus account. Call 1-800-525-3713 to receive wiring
               instructions.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               You must pre-establish the "Telephone Purchase of Shares Option"
               to make a purchase on our Web site at janus.com. If you have
               questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to speak to a Janus
               representative.
 
               AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
 
               Janus offers several automatic investment programs to help you
               achieve your financial goals as simply and conveniently as
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  21
<PAGE> 
 
               possible. You may open a new account with a $500 initial purchase
               and $100 automatic subsequent investments.
 
               AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT PROGRAM
               You select the day each month that your money ($100 minimum) will
               be electronically transferred from your bank account to your Fund
               account. To establish this option, complete the "Automatic
               Monthly Investment Program" section on the application and attach
               a "voided" check from your bank account. If your Fund account is
               already established, call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               PAYROLL DEDUCTION
               If your employer can initiate an automatic payroll deduction, you
               may have all or a portion of your paycheck ($100 minimum)
               invested directly into your Fund account. To obtain information
               on establishing this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
               With a Systematic Exchange you determine the amount of money
               ($100 minimum) you would like automatically exchanged from one
               Janus account to another on any day of the month. For more
               information on how to establish this option, call 1-800-525-3713.
 
HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may exchange all or a portion of your
               shares into any other available Janus fund.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request an exchange in writing, please follow the instructions
               for written requests on page 26.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               All accounts are automatically eligible for the telephone
               exchange option. To exchange shares by telephone, call an
               Investor Service Representative at 1-800-525-3713 during normal
               business hours
 
 22 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               or call the Janus XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this
               option 24 hours a day.
 
               BY SYSTEMATIC EXCHANGE
 
               As noted above, you may establish a Systematic Exchange for as
               little as $100 per month on established accounts. You may
               establish a new account with a $500 initial purchase and
               subsequent $100 systematic exchanges. If the balance in the
               account you are exchanging from falls below the systematic
               exchange amount, all remaining shares will be exchanged and the
               program will be discontinued.
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Exchanges may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               EXCHANGE POLICIES
 
               - Except for Systematic Exchanges, new accounts established by
                 exchange must be opened with $2,500 or the total account value
                 if the value of the account you are exchanging from is less
                 than $2,500.
 
               - Exchanges between existing accounts must meet the $100
                 subsequent investment requirement.
 
               - You may make four exchanges out of the Fund during a calendar
                 year (exclusive of Systematic Exchanges). Exchanges in excess
                 of this limit may be subject to an exchange fee or may result
                 in termination of the exchange privilege.
 
               - The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange request and
                 to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. For
                 example, the Fund may reject exchanges from accounts engaged in
                 or known to engage in trading in excess of the limit above
                 (including market timing transactions).
 
               - Exchanges between accounts will be accepted only if the
                 registrations are identical.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  23
<PAGE> 
 
               - If the shares you are exchanging are held in certificate form,
                 you must return the certificate to the Fund prior to making any
                 exchanges.
 
               - Be sure to read the prospectus for the fund into which you are
                 exchanging.
 
               - An exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the
                 purchase of shares of another fund, which may produce a taxable
                 gain or loss in a non-tax deferred account.
 
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
 
               On any business day, you may redeem all or a portion of your
               shares. If the shares are held in certificate form, the
               certificate must be returned with or before your redemption
               request. Your transaction will be processed at the next NAV
               calculated after your order is received and accepted. The
               redemption may be suspended for 10 days following an address
               change unless a signature guarantee is provided.
 
               IN WRITING
 
               To request a redemption in writing, please follow the
               instructions for written requests noted on page 26.
 
               BY TELEPHONE
 
               Most accounts have the telephone redemption option, unless this
               option was specifically declined on the application or in
               writing. This option enables you to request redemptions daily
               from your account by calling 1-800-525-3713 by the close of the
               regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")
               normally 4:00 p.m. New York time. You may also use Janus
               XpressLine, 1-888-979-7737, for access to this option 24 hours a
               day. (There is a daily limit of $100,000 per account for
               redemptions payable by check.)
 
 24 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               BY INTERNET
 
               Redemptions may also be made on our Web site at janus.com.
 
               SYSTEMATIC REDEMPTION OPTION
 
               The Systematic Redemption Option allows you to redeem a specific
               dollar amount from your Fund account on a regular basis. For more
               information or to request the appropriate form, please call
               1-800-525-3713.
 
PAYMENT OF REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
 
               BY CHECK
               Redemption proceeds will be sent to the shareholder(s) of record
               at the address of record within seven days after receipt of a
               valid redemption request.
 
               BY ELECTRONIC TRANSFER
               If you have established the electronic redemption option, your
               redemption proceeds can be electronically transferred to your
               predesignated bank account on the next bank business day after
               receipt of your redemption request (wire transfer) or the second
               bank business day after receipt of your redemption request (ACH
               transfer). Wire transfers will be charged an $8 fee per wire and
               your bank may charge an additional fee to receive the wire. ACH
               transfers are made free of charge. Wire redemptions are not
               available for retirement accounts.
 
               If you would like to establish the electronic redemption option
               on an existing account, please call 1-800-525-3713 to request the
               appropriate form.
 
               IF THE SHARES BEING REDEEMED WERE PURCHASED BY CHECK, TELEPHONE,
               ON OUR WEB SITE, OR THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC MONTHLY INVESTMENT
               PROGRAM, THE FUND MAY DELAY THE PAYMENT OF YOUR REDEMPTION
               PROCEEDS FOR UP TO 15 DAYS FROM THE DAY OF PURCHASE TO ALLOW THE
               PURCHASE TO CLEAR. Unless you provide alternate instructions,
               your proceeds will be invested in Janus
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  25
<PAGE> 
 
               Money Market Fund - Investor Shares during the 15 day hold
               period.
 
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
 
               To redeem all or part of your shares in writing, your request
               should be sent to one of the addresses listed on page 16 and must
               include the following information:
 
               - the name of the Fund
 
               - the account number
 
               - the amount of money or number of shares being redeemed or
                 exchanged
 
               - the name(s) on the account registration
 
               - the signature(s) of all registered account owners
 
               - your daytime telephone number
 
               SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON ACCOUNT TYPE
 
               INDIVIDUAL, JOINT TENANTS, TENANTS IN COMMON
               Written instructions must be signed by each shareholder, exactly
               as the names appear in the account registration.
 
               UGMA OR UTMA
               Written instructions must be signed by the custodian in his/her
               capacity as it appears in the account registration.
 
               SOLE PROPRIETOR, GENERAL PARTNER
               Written instructions must be signed by an authorized individual
               in his/her capacity as it appears on the account registration.
 
               CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION
               Written instructions must be signed by the person(s) authorized
               to act on the account. In addition, a certified copy of the
               corporate resolution authorizing the signer to act must accompany
               the request.
 
 26 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               TRUST
               Written instructions must be signed by the trustee(s). If the
               name(s) of the current trustee(s) does not appear in the account
               registration, a certificate of incumbency dated within 60 days
               must also be submitted.
 
               IRA
               Written instructions must be signed by the account owner. If you
               do not want federal income tax withheld from your redemption, you
               must state that you elect not to have such withholding apply. In
               addition, your instructions must state whether the distribution
               is normal (after age 59 1/2) or premature (before age 59 1/2)
               and, if premature, whether any exceptions such as death or
               disability apply with regard to the 10% additional tax on early
               distributions.
 
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               In addition to the signature requirements, A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               IS ALSO REQUIRED if any of the following is applicable:
 
               - You request a redemption by check that exceeds $100,000.
 
               - You would like the check made payable to anyone other than the
                 shareholder(s) of record.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address which has been
                 changed within 10 days of the redemption request.
 
               - You would like the check mailed to an address other than the
                 address of record.
 
               THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
               UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES OR TO REJECT OR DELAY A REDEMPTION ON
               CERTAIN LEGAL GROUNDS. FOR MORE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO
               SIGNATURE GUARANTEES, PLEASE CALL 1-800-525-3713.
 
               HOW TO OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
 
               A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine. The
               signature guarantee protects shareholders from unauthorized
               account transfers. The following financial institutions may
               guaran-
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  27
<PAGE> 
 
               tee signatures: banks, savings and loan associations, trust
               companies, credit unions, broker-dealers, and member firms of a
               national securities exchange. Call your financial institution to
               see if they have the ability to guarantee a signature. A
               signature guarantee cannot be provided by a notary public.
 
               If you live outside the United States, a foreign bank properly
               authorized to do business in your country of residence or a U.S.
               consulate may be able to authenticate your signature.
 
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
 
               All purchases, redemptions and exchanges will be processed at the
               NAV next calculated after your request is received and accepted
               by the Fund (or the Fund's agent or authorized designee). The
               Fund's NAV is calculated at the close of the regular trading
               session of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each day
               that the NYSE is open. The NAV of Fund shares is not determined
               on days the NYSE is closed (generally, New Year's Day, Martin
               Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
               Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas). In
               order to receive a day's price, your order must be received by
               the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE. Securities
               are valued at market value or, if a market quotation is not
               readily available, at their fair value determined in good faith
               under procedures established by and under the supervision of the
               Trustees. Short-term instruments maturing within 60 days are
               valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. See
               the SAI for more detailed information.
 
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AND ACCOUNT POLICIES
 
               JANUS XPRESSLINE(TM)
 
               Janus XpressLine, our electronic telephone service, offers you
               24-hour access by TouchTone(TM) telephone to obtain information
               on account balances, Fund performance or dividends. You can also
               make exchanges, purchases and redemptions in existing accounts,
               request literature about any Janus fund, or order
 
 28 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               duplicate statements. Janus XpressLine is accessed by calling
               1-888-979-7737. Calls are limited to five minutes.
 
               JANUS WEB SITE
 
               Janus maintains a Web site located at janus.com. You can
               purchase, exchange and redeem shares and access information such
               as your account balance and the Fund's NAV through the Web site.
               In order to engage in transactions on our Web site, you must
               authorize us to transmit account information online and accept
               online instructions (see janus.com and follow the procedures
               accordingly). You may also need to have bank account information,
               wire instructions or other options established on your account.
               The Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses
               resulting from unauthorized transactions on our Web site when
               procedures designed for engaging in such transactions are
               followed. If you have questions, please call 1-800-975-9932 to
               speak to a Janus representative.
 
               ACCOUNT MINIMUMS
 
               Due to the proportionately higher costs of maintaining small
               accounts, Janus reserves the right to deduct a $10 minimum
               balance fee (or the value of the account if less than $10) from
               accounts with values below the minimums described on page 17 or
               to close such accounts. This policy will apply to accounts
               participating in the Automatic Monthly Investment Program only if
               your account balance does not reach the required minimum initial
               investment or falls below such minimum and you have discontinued
               monthly investments. This policy does not apply to accounts that
               fall below the minimums solely as a result of market value
               fluctuations. It is expected that, for purposes of this policy,
               accounts will be valued in September, and the $10 fee will be
               assessed on the second Friday of September of each year. You will
               receive notice before we charge the $10 fee or close your account
               so that you may increase your account balance to the required
               minimum.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  29
<PAGE> 
 
               TRANSACTIONS THROUGH PROCESSING ORGANIZATIONS
 
               You may purchase or sell Fund shares through a broker-dealer,
               bank or other financial institution, or an organization that
               provides recordkeeping and consulting services to 401(k) plans or
               other employee benefit plans (a "Processing Organization").
               Processing Organizations may charge you a fee for this service
               and may require different minimum initial and subsequent
               investments than the Fund. Processing Organizations may also
               impose other charges or restrictions different from those
               applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. A
               Processing Organization, rather than its customer, may be the
               shareholder of record of your shares. The Fund is not responsible
               for the failure of any Processing Organization to carry out its
               obligations to its customers. Certain Processing Organizations
               may receive compensation from Janus Capital or its affiliates and
               certain Processing Organizations may receive compensation from
               the Fund for shareholder recordkeeping and similar services.
 
               TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
 
               On your application or other appropriate form, you will be asked
               to certify that your Social Security or taxpayer identification
               number is correct and that you are not subject to backup
               withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are
               subject to the 31% backup withholding or you did not certify your
               taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to
               withhold 31% of any dividends paid and redemption or exchange
               proceeds. In addition to the 31% backup withholding, you may be
               subject to a $50 fee to reimburse the Fund for any penalty that
               the IRS may impose.
 
               SHARE CERTIFICATES
 
               Most shareholders choose not to hold their shares in certificate
               form because account transactions such as exchanges and
               redemptions cannot be completed until the certificate has been
               returned to the Fund. The Fund will issue share certificates upon
               written request only and reserves the right to charge a fee for
               this
 
 30 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               service. Share certificates will not be issued until the shares
               have been held for at least 15 days and will not be issued for
               accounts that do not meet the minimum investment requirements.
               Share certificates cannot be issued for retirement accounts. In
               addition, if the certificate is lost, there may be a replacement
               charge.
 
               INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS
 
               The Fund reserves the right to close an account if the
               shareholder is deemed to engage in activities which are illegal
               or otherwise believed to be detrimental to the Fund.
 
               TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
 
               You may initiate many transactions by telephone. The Fund and its
               agents will not be responsible for any losses resulting from
               unauthorized transactions when procedures designed to verify the
               identity of the caller are followed.
 
               It may be difficult to reach an Investor Service Representative
               by telephone during periods of unusual market activity. If you
               are unable to reach a representative by telephone, please
               consider sending written instructions, stopping by a Service
               Center, calling the Janus XpressLine or visiting our Web site.
 
               TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF SERVICES
 
               The Fund or its agents may, in case of emergency, temporarily
               suspend telephone transactions or other shareholder services.
 
               ADDRESS CHANGES
 
               To change the address on your account, call 1-800-525-3713 or
               send a written request signed by all account owners. Include the
               name of the Fund, the account number(s), the name(s) on the
               account and both the old and new addresses. Certain options may
               be suspended for 10 days following an address change unless a
               signature guarantee is provided.
 
                                                        Shareholder's manual  31
<PAGE> 
 
               REGISTRATION CHANGES
 
               To change the name on an account, the shares are generally
               transferred to a new account. In some cases, legal documentation
               may be required. For more information call 1-800-525-3713.
 
               STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
 
               Investors participating in an automatic investment program will
               receive quarterly confirmations of all transactions. Dividend
               information will be distributed quarterly. In addition, the Fund
               will send you an immediate transaction confirmation statement
               after every non-systematic transaction.
 
               The Fund produces financial reports, which include a list of the
               Fund's portfolio holdings, semiannually and updates its
               prospectus annually. To reduce expenses, the Fund may choose to
               mail only one report or prospectus to your household, even if
               more than one person in the household has a Fund account. Please
               call 1-800-525-3713 if you would like to receive additional
               reports or prospectuses. The Fund reserves the right to charge a
               fee for additional statement and report requests.
 
 32 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                         Management of the fund
 
INVESTMENT ADVISER
 
               Janus Capital Corporation, 100 Fillmore Street, Denver, Colorado
               80206-4928, is the investment adviser to the Fund and is
               responsible for the day-to-day management of its investment
               portfolio and other business affairs.
 
               Janus Capital began serving as investment adviser to Janus Fund
               in 1970 and currently serves as investment adviser to all of the
               Janus funds, acts as sub-adviser for a number of private-label
               mutual funds and provides separate account advisory services for
               institutional accounts.
 
               Janus Capital furnishes continuous advice and recommendations
               concerning the Fund's investments. Janus Capital also furnishes
               certain administrative, compliance and accounting services for
               the Fund, and may be reimbursed by the Fund for its costs in
               providing those services. In addition, Janus Capital employees
               serve as officers of the Trust and Janus Capital provides office
               space for the Fund and pays the salaries, fees and expenses of
               all Fund officers and those Trustees who are affiliated with
               Janus Capital.
 
               The Fund pays Janus Capital a management fee which is calculated
               daily and paid monthly. The advisory agreement with the Fund
               spells out the management fee and other expenses that the Fund
               must pay.
 
               The Fund incurs expenses not assumed by Janus Capital, including
               transfer agent and custodian fees and expenses, legal and
               auditing fees, printing and mailing costs of sending reports and
               other information to existing shareholders, and independent
               Trustees' fees and expenses. The Annual Fund Operating Expenses
               table on page 5 lists the actual management fee and total
               operating expenses of the Fund for the most recent fiscal year.
 
                                                      Management of the fund  33
<PAGE> 
 
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
DAVID J. CORKINS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   is Executive Vice President and portfolio manager of the
                   Fund which he has managed since August 1997. He previously
                   served as an assistant portfolio manager of Janus Mercury
                   Fund. He joined Janus Capital in 1995 as a research
                   analyst specializing in domestic financial services
                   companies and a variety of foreign industries. Prior to
                   joining Janus he was the Chief Financial Officer of Chase
                   U.S. Consumer Services, Inc., a Chase Manhattan mortgage
                   business. He holds a bachelor of Arts in English and
                   Russian from Dartmouth and received his Master of Business
                   Administration from Columbia University in 1993.
 
 34 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                               Other information
 
               SIZE OF THE FUND
 
               Although there is no present intention to do so, the Fund may
               discontinue sales of its shares if management and the Trustees
               believe that continued sales may adversely affect the Fund's
               ability to achieve its investment objective. If sales of the Fund
               are discontinued, it is expected that existing shareholders of
               the Fund will be permitted to continue to purchase shares and to
               reinvest any dividends or capital gains distributions, absent
               highly unusual circumstances.
 
               YEAR 2000
 
               Preparing for Year 2000 is a high priority for Janus Capital,
               which has established a dedicated group to address this issue.
               Janus Capital has devoted considerable internal resources and has
               engaged one of the foremost experts in the field to help achieve
               Year 2000 readiness. Janus Capital does not anticipate that Year
               2000-related issues will have a material impact on its ability to
               continue to provide the Fund with service at current levels;
               however, Janus Capital cannot make any assurances that the steps
               it has taken to ensure Year 2000 readiness will be successful. In
               addition, there can be no assurance that Year 2000 issues will
               not affect the companies in which the Fund invests or worldwide
               markets and economies.
 
                                                           Other information  35
<PAGE> 
Distributions and taxes
 
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               To avoid taxation of the Fund, the Internal Revenue Code requires
               the Fund to distribute net income and any net capital gains
               realized on its investments annually. The Fund's income from
               dividends and interest and any net realized short-term gains are
               paid to shareholders as ordinary income dividends. Net realized
               long-term gains are paid to shareholders as capital gains
               distributions. Dividends are normally declared and paid in March,
               June, September and December, while capital gains distributions
               are normally declared and paid in December.
 
               HOW DISTRIBUTIONS AFFECT THE FUND'S NAV
 
               Distributions are paid to shareholders as of the record date of
               the distribution of the Fund, regardless of how long the shares
               have been held. Dividends and capital gains awaiting distribution
               are included in the Fund's daily NAV. The share price of the Fund
               drops by the amount of the distribution, net of any subsequent
               market fluctuations. As an example, assume that on December 31,
               the Fund declared a dividend in the amount of $0.25 per share. If
               the Fund's share price was $10.00 on December 30, the Fund's
               share price on December 31 would be $9.75, barring market
               fluctuations. Shareholders should be aware that distributions
               from a taxable mutual fund are not value-enhancing and may create
               income tax obligations.
 
               "BUYING A DIVIDEND"
 
               If you purchase shares of the Fund just before the distribution,
               you will pay the full price for the shares and receive a portion
               of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. This is
               referred to as "buying a dividend." In the above example, if you
               bought shares on December 30, you would have paid $10.00 per
               share. On December 31, the Fund would pay you $0.25 per share as
               a dividend and your shares would now be worth $9.75 per share.
               Unless your account is set up as a tax-deferred account,
               dividends paid to you would be included in your gross income for
               tax purposes, even though you may not have participated in the
 
 36 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               increase in NAV of the Fund, whether or not you reinvested the
               dividends.
 
DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS
 
               When you open an account, you must specify on your application
               how you want to receive your distributions. You may change your
               distribution option at any time by writing the Fund at one of the
               addresses on page 16 or calling 1-800-525-3713. The Fund offers
               the following options:
 
               1. REINVESTMENT OPTION. You may reinvest your income dividends
                  and capital gains distributions in additional shares. This
                  option is assigned automatically if no other choice is made.
 
               2. CASH OPTION. You may receive your income dividends and capital
                  gains distributions in cash.
 
               3. REINVEST AND CASH OPTION. You may receive either your income
                  dividends or capital gains distributions in cash and reinvest
                  the other in additional shares.
 
               4. REDIRECT OPTION. You may direct your dividends or capital
                  gains to purchase shares of another Janus fund.
 
               The Fund reserves the right to reinvest into your account
               undeliverable and uncashed dividend and distribution checks that
               remain outstanding for six months in shares of the Fund at the
               NAV next computed after the check is cancelled. Subsequent
               distributions may also be reinvested.
 
TAXES
 
               As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences
               of investing in the Fund. Any time you sell or exchange shares of
               a Fund in a taxable account, it is considered a taxable event.
               Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have
               a gain or loss on the transaction. Any tax liabilities generated
               by your transactions are your responsibility.
 
               The following discussion does not apply to tax-deferred accounts,
               nor is it a complete analysis of the federal tax implications of
               investing in the Fund. You may wish to consult your own tax
 
                                                     Distributions and taxes  37
<PAGE> 
 
               adviser. Additionally, state or local taxes may apply to your
               investment, depending upon the laws of your state of residence.
 
               TAXES ON DISTRIBUTIONS
 
               Dividends and distributions by the Fund are subject to federal
               income tax, regardless of whether the distribution is made in
               cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.
               Distributions may be taxable at different rates depending on the
               length of time the Fund holds a security. In certain states, a
               portion of the dividends and distributions (depending on the
               source of the Fund's income) may be exempt from state and local
               taxes. Information regarding the tax status of income dividends
               and capital gains distributions will be mailed to shareholders on
               or before January 31st of each year. Account tax information will
               also be sent to the IRS.
 
               TAXATION OF THE FUND
 
               Dividends, interest, and some capital gains received by the Fund
               on foreign securities may be subject to tax withholding or other
               foreign taxes. The Fund may from year to year make the election
               permitted under section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code to pass
               through such taxes to shareholders as a foreign tax credit. If
               such an election is not made, any foreign taxes paid or accrued
               will represent an expense to the Fund.
 
               The Fund does not expect to pay federal income or excise taxes
               because it intends to meet certain requirements of the Internal
               Revenue Code. It is important that the Fund meet these
               requirements so that any earnings on your investment will not be
               taxed twice.
 
 38 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
                                                            Financial highlights
 
               The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand
               the Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years through
               October 31st of each fiscal year shown. Items 1 through 9 reflect
               financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in
               the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned
               (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of
               all dividends and distributions). This information has been
               audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with
               the Fund's financial statements, are included in the Annual
               Report, which is available upon request and incorporated by
               reference into the SAI.
 

 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                  JANUS GROWTH AND INCOME FUND
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
                                                          Periods ending October 31st
                                                1998       1997       1996       1995       1994
<S>                                           <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>
  1. NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF PERIOD      $25.07     $20.05     $18.13     $14.69     $15.24
     INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
  2. Net investment income                       0.08       0.01       0.16       0.11       0.19
  3. Net gains or (losses) on securities
     (both
     realized and unrealized)                    3.72       6.98       4.01       3.43     (0.31)
  4. Total from investment operations            3.80       6.99       4.17       3.54     (0.12)
     LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:
  5. Dividends (from net investment income)    (0.04)     (0.11)     (0.08)     (0.10)     (0.10)
  6. Dividends (in excess of net investment
     income)                                       --         --         --         --         --
  7. Distributions (from capital gains)        (2.38)     (1.86)     (2.17)         --     (0.33)
  8. Total distributions                       (2.42)     (1.97)     (2.25)     (0.10)     (0.43)
  9. NET ASSET VALUE, END OF PERIOD            $26.45     $25.07     $20.05     $18.13     $14.69
 10. Total return                              16.73%     37.78%     25.56%     24.20%     (0.76%)
 11. Net assets, end of period (in millions)   $2,819     $1,889     $1,033       $583       $490
 12. Average net assets for the period (in
     millions)                                 $2,479     $1,416       $773       $498       $500
 13. Ratio of gross expenses to average net
     assets                                     0.96%      0.98%      1.05%      1.19%        N/A
 14. Ratio of net expenses to average net
     assets                                     0.94%      0.96%      1.03%      1.17%      1.22%
 15. Ratio of net investment income/(loss)
     to average net assets                      0.33%      0.30%      0.70%      1.11%      1.26%
 16. Portfolio turnover rate                      95%       127%       153%       195%       123%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
</TABLE>
 
                                                        Financial highlights  39
<PAGE> 
Glossary of investment terms
 
               This glossary provides a more detailed description of some of the
               types of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may
               invest. The Fund may invest in these instruments to the extent
               permitted by its investment objective and policies. The Fund is
               not limited by this discussion and may invest in any other types
               of instruments not precluded by the policies discussed elsewhere
               in this Prospectus. Please refer to the SAI for a more detailed
               discussion of certain instruments.
 
I. EQUITY AND DEBT SECURITIES
 
               BONDS are debt securities issued by a company, municipality,
               government or government agency. The issuer of a bond is required
               to pay the holder the amount of the loan (or par value of the
               bond) at a specified maturity and to make scheduled interest
               payments.
 
               COMMERCIAL PAPER is a short-term debt obligation with a maturity
               ranging from 1 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and
               other borrowers to investors seeking to invest idle cash. The
               Fund may purchase commercial paper issued in private placements
               under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
 
               COMMON STOCKS are equity securities representing shares of
               ownership in a company, and usually carry voting rights and earns
               dividends. Unlike preferred stock, dividends on common stocks are
               not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer's
               board of directors.
 
               CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES are preferred stocks or bonds that pay a
               fixed dividend or interest payment and are convertible into
               common stock at a specified price or conversion ratio.
 
               DEBT SECURITIES are equity securities representing money borrowed
               that must be repaid at a later date. Such securities have
               specific maturities and usually a specific rate of interest or an
               original purchase discount.
 
               DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS are receipts for shares of a foreign-based
               corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital
               gains on the underlying security. Receipts include those issued
               by domestic banks (American Depositary Receipts), foreign banks
 
 40 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               (Global or European Depositary Receipts) and broker-dealers
               (depositary shares).
 
               FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES are securities that pay a specified rate
               of return. The term generally includes short- and long-term
               government, corporate and municipal obligations that pay a
               specified rate of interest or coupons for a specified period of
               time, and preferred stock, which pays fixed dividends. Coupon and
               dividend rates may be fixed for the life of the issue or, in the
               case of adjustable and floating rate securities, for a shorter
               period.
 
               HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES are securities that are rated
               below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (e.g., BB
               or lower by Standard & Poor's and Ba or lower by Moody's). Other
               terms commonly used to describe such securities include "lower
               rated bonds," "noninvestment grade bonds" and "junk bonds."
 
               MORTGAGE- AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES are shares in a pool of
               mortgages or other debt. These securities are generally pass-
               through securities, which means that principal and interest
               payments on the underlying securities (less servicing fees) are
               passed through to shareholders on a pro rata basis. These
               securities involve prepayment risk, which is the risk that the
               underlying mortgages or other debt may be refinanced or paid off
               prior to their maturities during periods of declining interest
               rates. In that case, the portfolio managers may have to reinvest
               the proceeds from the securities at a lower rate. Potential
               market gains on a security subject to prepayment risk may be more
               limited than potential market gains on a comparable security that
               is not subject to prepayment risk.
 
               PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICs) are any foreign
               corporations which generate certain amounts of passive income or
               hold certain amounts of assets for the production of passive
               income. Passive income includes dividends, interest, royalties,
               rents and annuities. To avoid taxes and interest that the Fund
               must pay if these investments are profitable, the Fund may make
               various elections permitted by the tax laws. These elections
               could require that the Fund recognize taxable income, which in
               turn
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  41
<PAGE> 
 
               must be distributed, before the securities are sold and before
               cash is received to pay the distributions.
 
               PREFERRED STOCKS are equity securities that generally pay
               dividends at a specified rate and have preference over common
               stock in the payment of dividends and liquidation. Preferred
               stock generally does not carry voting rights.
 
               REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the purchase of a security by the
               Fund and a simultaneous agreement by the seller (generally a bank
               or dealer) to repurchase the security from the Fund at a
               specified date or upon demand. This technique offers a method of
               earning income on idle cash. These securities involve the risk
               that the seller will fail to repurchase the security, as agreed.
               In that case, the Fund will bear the risk of market value
               fluctuations until the security can be sold and may encounter
               delays and incur costs in liquidating the security.
 
               REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS involve the sale of a security by
               the Fund to another party (generally a bank or dealer) in return
               for cash and an agreement by the Fund to buy the security back at
               a specified price and time. This technique will be used primarily
               to provide cash to satisfy unusually heavy redemption requests,
               or for other temporary or emergency purposes.
 
               U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES include direct obligations of the U.S.
               government that are supported by its full faith and credit.
               Treasury bills have initial maturities of less than one year,
               Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years and
               Treasury bonds may be issued with any maturity but generally have
               maturities of at least ten years. U.S. government securities also
               include indirect obligations of the U.S. government that are
               issued by federal agencies and government sponsored entities.
               Unlike Treasury securities, agency securities generally are not
               backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some
               agency securities are supported by the right of the issuer to
               borrow from the Treasury, others are supported by the
               discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the
               agency's obligations and others are supported only by the credit
               of the sponsoring agency.
 
 42 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
               WARRANTS are securities, typically issued with preferred stocks
               or bonds, that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate
               amount of common stock at a specified price, usually at a price
               that is higher than the market price at the time of issuance of
               the warrant. The right may last for a period of years or
               indefinitely.
 
               WHEN-ISSUED, DELAYED DELIVERY AND FORWARD TRANSACTIONS generally
               involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at
               some time in the future - i.e., beyond normal settlement. The
               Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement
               and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the
               purchase and settlement dates. New issues of stocks and bonds,
               private placements and U.S. government securities may be sold in
               this manner.
 
II. FUTURES, OPTIONS AND OTHER DERIVATIVES
 
               FORWARD CONTRACTS are contracts to purchase or sell a specified
               amount of a financial instrument for an agreed upon price at a
               specified time. Forward contracts are not currently exchange
               traded and are typically negotiated on an individual basis. The
               Fund may enter into forward currency contracts to hedge against
               declines in the value of securities denominated in, or whose
               value is tied to, a currency other than the U.S. dollar or to
               reduce the impact of currency appreciation on purchases of such
               securities. It may also enter into forward contracts to purchase
               or sell securities or other financial indices.
 
               FUTURES CONTRACTS are contracts that obligate the buyer to
               receive and the seller to deliver an instrument or money at a
               specified price on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell
               futures contracts on foreign currencies, securities and financial
               indices including interest rates or an index of U.S. government,
               foreign government, equity or fixed-income securities. The Fund
               may also buy options on futures contracts. An option on a futures
               contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to
               buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before
               a specified date. Futures contracts and options on futures are
               standardized and traded on designated exchanges.
 
                                                Glossary of investment terms  43
<PAGE> 
 
               INDEXED/STRUCTURED SECURITIES are typically short- to
               intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or
               interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity
               securities, indices, commodity prices or other financial
               indicators. Such securities may be positively or negatively
               indexed (i.e., their value may increase or decrease if the
               reference index or instrument appreciates). Indexed/structured
               securities may have return characteristics similar to direct
               investments in the underlying instrument and may be more volatile
               than the underlying instrument. The Fund bears the market risk of
               an investment in the underlying instrument, as well as the credit
               risk of the issuer.
 
               OPTIONS are the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a
               specified amount of securities or other assets on or before a
               fixed date at a predetermined price. The Fund may purchase and
               write put and call options on securities, securities indices and
               foreign currencies.
 
 44 Janus Growth and Income Fund
<PAGE> 
 
                       This page intentionally left blank
<PAGE> 
 
[JANUS LOGO]
          1-800-525-3713
          P.O. Box 173375
          Denver, Colorado 80217-3375
          janus.com
 
You can request other information, including a Statement of
Additional Information, Annual Report or Semiannual Report, free of
charge, by contacting Janus at 1-800-525-3713 or visiting our Web
site at janus.com. In the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a
discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that
significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal
year. Other information is also available from financial
intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund.
 
The Statement of Additional Information provides detailed
information about the Fund and is incorporated into this Prospectus
by reference. You may review the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information at the Public Reference Room of the SEC or get text only
copies for a fee, by writing to or calling the Public Reference
Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-6009 (1-800-SEC-0330). You may obtain
the Statement of Additional Information for free from the SEC's Web
site at http://www.sec.gov.
 
              Investment Company Act File No. 811-1879
 
  3185



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