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PROSPECTUS APRIL 1, 1997
DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC.
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DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC. (THE "FUND") IS AN OPEN-END, DIVERSIFIED,
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY, KNOWN AS A MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUND. THE
FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AS HIGH A LEVEL OF CURRENT
INCOME AS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESERVATION OF CAPITAL.
YOU CAN INVEST, REINVEST OR REDEEM SHARES AT ANY TIME WITHOUT CHARGE
OR PENALTY. THE FUND PROVIDES FREE REDEMPTION CHECKS, WHICH YOU CAN USE IN
AMOUNTS OF $500 OR MORE FOR CASH OR TO PAY BILLS. YOU CONTINUE TO EARN INCOME
ON THE AMOUNT OF THE CHECK UNTIL IT CLEARS. YOU CAN PURCHASE OR REDEEM SHARES
BY TELEPHONE USING DREYFUS TELETRANSFER.
THE DREYFUS CORPORATION PROFESSIONALLY MANAGES THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO.
THIS PROSPECTUS SETS FORTH CONCISELY INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE INVESTING. IT SHOULD BE READ AND RETAINED FOR
FUTURE REFERENCE.
THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, DATED APRIL 1, 1997, WHICH
MAY BE REVISED FROM TIME TO TIME, PROVIDES A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN
AREAS IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND OTHER MATTERS WHICH MAY BE OF INTEREST TO SOME
INVESTORS. IT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION AND
IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
MAINTAINS A WEB SITE (HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV) THAT CONTAINS THE STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, MATERIAL INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE, AND OTHER
INFORMATION REGARDING THE FUND. FOR A FREE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WRITE TO THE FUND AT 144 GLENN CURTISS BOULEVARD,
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK 11556-0144, OR CALL 1-800-645-6561. WHEN TELEPHONING, ASK
FOR OPERATOR 144.
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NEITHER INSURED NOR GUARANTEED BY THE
U.S. GOVERNMENT. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE FUND WILL BE ABLE TO
MAINTAIN A STABLE NET ASSET VALUE OF $1.00 PER SHARE.
MUTUAL FUND SHARES ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR
GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK, AND ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY
OTHER AGENCY.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Annual Fund Operating Expenses.................... 3
Condensed Financial Information................... 3
Yield Information................................. 4
Description of the Fund........................... 4
Management of the Fund............................ 6
How to Buy Shares................................. 7
Shareholder Services.............................. 9
How to Redeem Shares.............................. 12
Shareholder Services Plan......................... 14
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes................ 14
General Information............................... 15
Appendix.......................................... 17
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THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY
IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
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[This Page Intentionally Left Blank]
Page 2
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(as a percentage of average daily net assets)
<S> <C>
Management Fees (after fee waiver)....................................................... .44%
Other Expenses............................................................................ .31%
Total Fund Operating Expenses (after fee waiver).......................................... .75%
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Example: 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
You would pay the following expenses on
a $1,000 investment, assuming (1) 5%
annual return and (2) redemption at the
end of each time period: $8 $24 $42 $93
</TABLE>
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THE AMOUNTS LISTED IN THE EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS
REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE EXPENSES AND ACTUAL EXPENSES MAY BE GREATER
OR LESS THAN THOSE INDICATED. MOREOVER, WHILE THE EXAMPLE ASSUMES A 5% ANNUAL
RETURN, THE FUND'S ACTUAL PERFORMANCE WILL VARY AND MAY RESULT IN AN ACTUAL
RETURN GREATER OR LESS THAN 5%.
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The purpose of the foregoing table is to assist you in understanding
the costs and expenses borne by the Fund, the payment of which will reduce
investors' annual return. The expenses noted above have been restated to
reflect an undertaking by The Dreyfus Corporation that if Fund expenses,
including the management fee, exceed .75% of the value of the Fund's average
net assets for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1997, The Dreyfus
Corporation may waive its management fee or bear certain other Fund expenses
to the extent of such excess expense. The expenses noted above, without
reimbursement, would have been: Management Fees _ .47% and Total Fund
Operating Expenses _ .78%. You can purchase Fund shares without charge
directly from the Fund's distributor; you may be charged a fee if you effect
transactions in Fund shares through a securities dealer, bank or other
financial institution. See "Management of the Fund," "How to Buy Shares" and
"Shareholder Services Plan."
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The information in the following table has been audited by Ernst &
Young LLP, the Fund's independent auditors, whose report thereon appears in
the Statement of Additional Information. Further financial data and related
notes are included in the Statement of Additional Information, available upon
request.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Contained below is per share operating performance data for a share
of Common Stock outstanding, total investment return, ratios to average net
assets and other supplemental data for each year indicated. This information
has been derived from the Fund's financial statements.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
PER SHARE DATA:
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Net asset value,
beginning of year....$ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00.. .$ 1.00
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Investment income_net.. .061 .069 .087 .076 .057 .034 .026 .035 .053 .048
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
DISTRIBUTIONS:
Dividends from investment
income_net......... (.061) (.069) (.087) (.076) (.057) (.034) (.026) (.035) (.053) (.048)
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Net asset value,
end of year..........$ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00.. .$ 1.00
====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN. 6.28% 7.11% 9.07% 7.99% 5.87% 3.47% 2.64% 3.53% 5.45% 4.91%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Ratio of expenses to
average net assets... .67% .69% .66% .65% .67% .72% .77% .76% .79% .76%
Decrease reflected
in above expense ratios
due to undertaking by The
Dreyfus Corporation -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- .02%
Ratio of net investment
income to average
net assets .......... 6.11% 6.92% 8.72% 7.66% 5.75% 3.43% 2.62% 3.49% 5.33% 4.76%
Net Assets,
end of year
(000's omitted)..$7,446,635 $7,304,277 $7,835,754 $7,521,291 $6,200,255 $5,502,100 $4,828,134 $4,863,374 $4,459,938 $4,714,699
</TABLE>
Page 3
YIELD INFORMATION
From time to time, the Fund advertises its yield and effective yield.
Both yield figures are based on historical earnings and are not intended to
indicate future performance. It can be expected that these yields will
fluctuate substantially. The yield of the Fund refers to the income generated
by an investment in the Fund over a seven-day period (which period will be
stated in the advertisement). This income is then annualized. That is, the
amount of income generated by the investment during that week is assumed to
be generated each week over a 52-week period and is shown as a percentage of
the investment. The effective yield is calculated similarly, but, when
annualized, the income earned by an investment in the Fund is assumed to be
reinvested. The effective yield will be slightly higher than the yield
because of the compounding effect of this assumed reinvestment. The Fund's
yield and effective yield may reflect absorbed expenses pursuant to any
undertaking that may be in effect. See "Management of the Fund."
Yield information is useful in reviewing the Fund's performance, but
because yields will fluctuate, under certain conditions such information may
not provide a basis for comparison with domestic bank deposits, other
investments which pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time, or other
investment companies which may use a different method of computing yield.
Comparative performance information may be used from time to time in
advertising or marketing the Fund's shares, including data from Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc., IBC's Money Fund Reporttrademark, Morningstar,
Inc., Bank Rate Monitortrademark, N. Palm Beach, Fla. 33408 and other
industry publications.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund's investment objective is to provide you with as high a
level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. It
cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority (as defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act")) of the
Fund's outstanding voting shares. There can be no assurance that the Fund's
investment objective will be achieved. Securities in which the Fund will
invest may not earn as high a level of current income as long-term or lower
quality securities which generally have less liquidity, greater market risk
and more fluctuation in market value.
MANAGEMENT POLICIES
The Fund invests in short-term money market instruments, consisting
exclusively of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its
agencies or instrumentalities, certificates of deposit, time deposits,
bankers' acceptances and other short-term obligations issued by domestic
banks and London branches of domestic banks, repurchase agreements, high
grade commercial paper and other short-term corporate obligations. See
"Appendix--Certain Portfolio Securities." The Fund will invest at least 25%
of its assets in bank obligations. See "Investment Considerations and Risks"
below.
The Fund seeks to maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share for
purchases and redemptions. To do so, the Fund uses the amortized cost method
of valuing its securities pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, which
Rule includes various maturity, quality and diversification requirements,
certain of which are summarized below.
In accordance with Rule 2a-7, the Fund is required to maintain a
dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of 90 days or less, purchase only
instruments having remaining maturities of 13 months or less and invest only
in U.S. dollar denominated securities determined in accordance with procedures
established by the Fund's Board to present minimal credit risks and which are
rated in one of the two highest rating categories for debt obligations by at
least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (or one
rating organization if the instrument was rated by only one such organization)
or, if unrated, are of comparable quality as determined in accordance with
procedures established by the Board. Moreover,
Page 4
the Fund will purchase only securities so rated in the highest rating category
or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined in accordance with such
procedures. The nationally recognized statistical rating organizations
currently rating instruments of the type the Fund may purchase are Moody's
Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, Duff & Phelps Credit
Rating Co., Fitch Investors Service, L.P., IBCA Limited and IBCA Inc. and
Thomson BankWatch, Inc. and their rating criteria are described in the
"Appendix" to the Statement of Additional Information. For further information
regarding the amortized cost method of valuing securities, see "Determination
of Net Asset Value" in the Statement of Additional Information. There can be
no assurance that the Fund will be able to maintain a stable net asset value
of $1.00 per share.
The Fund may borrow money from banks for temporary or emergency (not
leveraging) purposes in an amount up to 5% of the value of its total assets
(including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or market, less
liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is
made.
INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
GENERAL -- The Fund attempts to increase yields by trading to take advantage
of short-term market variations. This policy is expected to result in high
portfolio turnover but should not adversely affect the Fund because the Fund
usually does not pay brokerage commissions when it purchases short-term debt
obligations. The value of the portfolio securities held by the Fund will vary
inversely to changes in prevailing interest rates. Thus, if interest rates
have increased from the time a security was purchased, such security, if
sold, might be sold at a price less than its purchase cost. Similarly, if
interest rates have declined from the time a security was purchased, such
security, if sold, might be sold at a price greater than its purchase cost.
In either instance, if the security was purchased at face value and held to
maturity, no gain or loss would be realized.
BANK SECURITIES -- To the extent the Fund's investments are concentrated in
the banking industry, the Fund will have correspondingly greater exposure to
the risk factors which are characteristic of such investments. Sustained
increases in interest rates can adversely affect the availability or
liquidity and cost of capital funds for a bank's lending activities, and a
deterioration in general economic conditions could increase the exposure to
credit losses. In addition, the value of and the investment return on the Fund
's shares could be affected by economic or regulatory developments in or
related to the banking industry, and competition within the banking industry
as well as with other types of financial institutions. The Fund, however,
will seek to minimize its exposure to such risks by investing only in debt
securities which are determined to be of the highest quality.
FOREIGN SECURITIES -- Because the Fund's portfolio may contain securities
issued by London branches of domestic banks, the Fund may be subject to
additional investment risks with respect to such securities that are
different in some respects from those incurred by a fund which invests only
in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. Such risks include possible
political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign
deposits, or adoption of governmental restrictions which might adversely
affect or restrict the payment of principal and interest on such securities
to investors located outside the country of the issuer.
SIMULTANEOUS INVESTMENTS -- Investment decisions for the Fund are made
independently from those of other investment companies advised by The Dreyfus
Corporation. If, however, such other investment companies desire to invest
in, or dispose of, the same securities as the Fund, available investments or
opportunities for sales will be allocated equitably to each investment
company. In some cases, this procedure may adversely affect the price paid or
received by the Fund or the size of the position obtained for or disposed of
by the Fund.
Page 5
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISER -- The Dreyfus Corporation, located at 200 Park Avenue,
New York, New York 10166, was formed in 1947 and serves as the Fund's
investment adviser. The Dreyfus Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Mellon Bank, N.A., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mellon Bank
Corporation ("Mellon"). As of February 28, 1997, The Dreyfus Corporation
managed or administered approximately $86 billion in assets for approximately
1.7 million investor accounts nationwide.
The Dreyfus Corporation supervises and assists in the overall
management of the Fund's affairs under a Management Agreement with the Fund,
subject to the authority of the Fund's Board in accordance with Maryland law.
Mellon is a publicly owned multibank holding company incorporated
under Pennsylvania law in 1971 and registered under the Federal Bank Holding
Company Act of 1956, as amended. Mellon provides a comprehensive range of
financial products and services in domestic and selected international
markets. Mellon is among the twenty-five largest bank holding companies in
the United States based on total assets. Mellon's principal wholly-owned
subsidiaries are Mellon Bank, N.A., Mellon Bank (DE) National Association,
Mellon Bank (MD), The Boston Company, Inc., AFCO Credit Corporation and a
number of companies known as Mellon Financial Services Corporations. Through
its subsidiaries, including The Dreyfus Corporation, Mellon managed more than
$233 billion in assets as of December 31, 1996, including approximately $86
billion in proprietary mutual fund assets. As of December 31, 1996, Mellon,
through various subsidiaries, provided non-investment services, such as
custodial or administration services, for more than $1.046 trillion in
assets, including approximately $57 billion in mutual fund assets.
Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Fund has agreed to
pay The Dreyfus Corporation a monthly fee at the annual rate of .47 of 1% of
the value of the Fund's average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1996, the Fund paid The Dreyfus Corporation a monthly management
fee at the effective annual rate of .45 of 1% of the value of the Fund's
average daily net assets pursuant to an undertaking by The Dreyfus
Corporation. From time to time, The Dreyfus Corporation may waive receipt of
its fees and/or voluntarily assume certain expenses of the Fund, which would
have the effect of lowering the expense ratio of the Fund and increasing
yield to investors. The Fund will not pay The Dreyfus Corporation at a later
time for any amounts it may waive, nor will the Fund reimburse The Dreyfus
Corporation for any amounts it may assume.
In allocating brokerage transactions, The Dreyfus Corporation seeks
to obtain the best execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
Subject to this determination, The Dreyfus Corporation may consider, among
other things, the receipt of research services and/or the sale of shares of
the Fund or other funds managed, advised or administered by The Dreyfus
Corporation as factors in the selection of broker-dealers to execute
portfolio transactions for the Fund. See "Portfolio Transactions" in the State
ment of Additional Information.
The Dreyfus Corporation may pay the Fund's distributor for
shareholder services from The Dreyfus Corporation's own assets, including
past profits but not including the management fee paid by the Fund. The
Fund's distributor may use part or all of such payments to pay securities
dealers, banks or other financial institutions in respect to these services.
DISTRIBUTOR -- The Fund's distributor is Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc.
("Distributor"), located at 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. The
Distributor's ultimate parent is Boston Institutional Group, Inc.
TRANSFER AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT AND CUSTODIAN -- Dreyfus Transfer,
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dreyfus Corporation, P.O. Box 9671,
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, is the Fund's Transfer and Dividend
Disbursing Agent (the "Transfer Agent"). The Bank of New York, 90 Washington
Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the Fund's Custodian.
Page 6
HOW TO BUY SHARES
Fund shares are sold without a sales charge. You may be charged a fee
if you effect transactions in Fund shares through a securities dealer, bank
or other financial institution. Stock certificates are issued only upon your
written request. No certificates are issued for fractional shares. The Fund
reserves the right to reject any purchase order.
The minimum initial investment is $2,500, or $1,000 if you are a
client of a securities dealer, bank or other financial institution which
maintains an omnibus account in the Fund and has made an aggregate minimum
initial purchase for its customers of $2,500. Subsequent investments must be
at least $100. However, the minimum initial investment for Dreyfus-sponsored
Keogh Plans, IRAs, SEP-IRAs and 403(b)(7) Plans with only one participant is
$750, with no minimum for subsequent purchases. Individuals who open an IRA
also may open a non-working spousal IRA with a minimum initial investment of
$250. Subsequent investments in a spousal IRA must be at least $250. The
initial investment must be accompanied by the Account Application. For
full-time or part-time employees of The Dreyfus Corporation or any of its
affiliates or subsidiaries, directors of The Dreyfus Corporation, Board
members of a fund advised by The Dreyfus Corporation, including members of
the Fund's Board, or the spouse or minor child of any of the foregoing, the
minimum initial investment is $1,000. For full-time or part-time employees of
The Dreyfus Corporation or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries who elect to
have a portion of their pay directly deposited into their Fund account, the
minimum initial investment is $50. The Fund reserves the right to offer Fund
shares without regard to minimum purchase requirements to employees
participating in certain qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans
or other programs where contributions or account information may be
transmitted in a manner and form acceptable to the Fund. The Fund reserves
the right to vary further the initial and subsequent minimum investment
requirements at any time. Fund shares also are offered without regard to the
minimum initial investment requirements through Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset
BuilderRegistration Mark, Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit Privilege or
Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan pursuant to the Dreyfus Step Program described
under "Shareholder Services." These services enable you to make regularly
scheduled investments and may provide you with a convenient way to invest for
long-term financial goals. You should be aware, however, that periodic
investment plans do not guarantee a profit and will not protect an investor
against loss in a declining market.
You may purchase Fund shares by check or wire, or through the Dreyfus
TELETRANSFER Privilege described below. Checks should be made payable to "The
Dreyfus Family of Funds," or, if for Dreyfus retirement plan accounts, to
"The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian." Payments to open new accounts which
are mailed should be sent to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9387,
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9387, together with your Account Application.
For subsequent investments, your Fund account number should appear on the
check and an investment slip should be enclosed and sent to The Dreyfus
Family of Funds, P.O. Box 105, Newark, New Jersey 07101-0105. For Dreyfus
retirement plan accounts, both initial and subsequent investments should be
sent to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427, Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-6427. Neither initial nor subsequent investments should be
made by third party check. Purchase orders may be delivered in person only to
a Dreyfus Financial Center. THESE ORDERS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE FUND AND
WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. For the location of the nearest
Dreyfus Financial Center, please call one of the telephone numbers listed
under "General Information."
Wire payments may be made if your bank account is in a commercial
bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System or any other bank having
a correspondent bank in New York City. Immediately available funds may be
transmitted by wire to The Bank of New York, DDA #8900051795/Dreyfus Liquid
Assets, Inc., for purchase of Fund shares in your name. The wire must include
your Fund account number (for new
Page 7
accounts, your taxpayer identification number ("TIN") should be included
instead), account registration and dealer number, if applicable. If your
initial purchase of Fund shares is by wire, please call 1-800-645-6561 after
completing your wire payment to obtain your Fund account number. Please
include your Fund account number on the Account Application and promptly mail
the Account Application to the Fund, as no redemptions will be permitted until
the Account Application is received. You may obtain further information about
remitting funds in this manner from your bank. All payments should be made in
U.S. dollars and, to avoid fees and delays, should be drawn only on U.S.
banks. A charge will be imposed if any check used for investment in your
account does not clear. The Fund makes available to certain large institutions
the ability to issue purchase instructions through compatible computer
facilities.
Subsequent investments also may be made by electronic transfer of
funds from an account maintained in a bank or other domestic financial
institution that is an Automated Clearing House member. You must direct the
institution to transmit immediately available funds through the Automated
Clearing House to The Bank of New York with instructions to credit your Fund
account. The instructions must specify your Fund account registration and
Fund account number PRECEDED BY THE DIGITS "1111."
Fund shares are sold on a continuous basis at the net asset value per
share next determined after an order in proper form is received by the
Transfer Agent or other agent or entity subject to the direction of such
agents. Net asset value per share is determined as of the close of trading on
the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m., New York time)
on each day the New York Stock Exchange or the Transfer Agent is open for
business. Net asset value per share is computed by dividing the value of the
Fund's net assets (i.e., the value of its assets less liabilities) by the
total number of Fund shares outstanding. See "Determination of Net Asset
Value" in the Statement of Additional Information.
The Distributor may pay dealers a fee of up to .5% of the amount
invested through such dealers in Fund shares by employees participating in
qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans or other programs where
(i) the employers or affiliated employers maintaining such plans or programs
have a minimum of 250 employees eligible for participation in such plans or
programs, or (ii) such plan's or program's aggregate investment in the
Dreyfus Family of Funds or certain other products made available by the
Distributor to such plans or programs exceeds $1,000,000 ("Eligible Benefit
Plans"). Shares of funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds then held by Eligible
Benefit Plans will be aggregated to determine the fee payable. The
Distributor reserves the right to cease paying these fees at any time. The
Distributor will pay such fees from its own funds, other than amounts
received from the Fund, including past profits or any other source available
to it.
Federal regulations require that you provide a certified TIN upon
opening or reopening an account. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes" and
the Account Application for further information concerning this requirement.
Failure to furnish a certified TIN to the Fund could subject you to a $50
penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS").
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE
You may purchase shares (minimum $500, maximum $150,000 per day) by
telephone if you have checked the appropriate box and supplied the necessary
information on the Account Application or have filed a Shareholder Services
Form with the Transfer Agent. The proceeds will be transferred between the
bank account designated in one of these documents and your Fund account. Only
a bank account maintained in a domestic financial institution which is an
Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. The Fund may modify or
terminate this Privilege at any time or charge a service fee upon notice to
shareholders. No such fee currently is contemplated.
If you have selected the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may
request a Dreyfus TELETRANSFER purchase of shares by calling 1-800-645-6561
or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452.
Page 8
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
FUND EXCHANGES
You may purchase, in exchange for shares of the Fund, shares of
certain other funds managed or administered by The Dreyfus Corporation, to
the extent such shares are offered for sale in your state of residence. These
funds have different investment objectives which may be of interest to you.
If you desire to use this service, please call 1-800-645-6561 to determine if
it is available and whether any conditions are imposed on its use.
To request an exchange, you must give exchange instructions to the
Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone. Before any exchange, you must
obtain and should review a copy of the current prospectus of the fund into
which an exchange is being made. Prospectuses may be obtained by calling
1-800-645-6561. Except in the case of personal retirement plans, the shares
being exchanged must have a current value of at least $500; furthermore, when
establishing a new account by exchange, the shares being exchanged must have
a value of at least the minimum initial investment required for the fund into
which the exchange is being made. The ability to issue exchange instructions
by telephone is given to all Fund shareholders automatically, unless you
check the applicable "No"box on the Account Application, indicating that you
specifically refuse this Privilege. The Telephone Exchange Privilege may be
established for an existing account by written request signed by all
shareholders on the account, by a separate signed Shareholder Services Form,
available by calling 1-800-645-6561, or by oral request from any of the
authorized signatories on the account by calling 1-800-645-6561. If you have
established the Telephone Exchange Privilege, you may telephone exchange
instructions (including over The Dreyfus TouchRegistration Mark automated
telephone system) by calling 1-800-645-6561. If you are calling from
overseas, call 516-794-5452. See "How to Redeem Shares _ Procedures." Upon an
exchange into a new account the following shareholder services and
privileges, as applicable and where available, will be automatically carried
over to the fund into which the exchange is made: Telephone Exchange
Privilege, Check Redemption Privilege, Wire Redemption Privilege, Telephone
Redemption Privilege, Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege and the dividend/capital
gain distribution option (except for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep) selected by the
investor.
Shares will be exchanged at the next determined net asset value;
however, a sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds
sold with a sales load. If you are exchanging into a fund that charges a
sales load, you may qualify for share prices which do not include the sales
load or which reflect a reduced sales load, if the shares you are exchanging
were: (a) purchased with a sales load, (b) acquired by a previous exchange
from shares purchased with a sales load, or (c) acquired through reinvestment
of dividends or distributions paid with respect to the foregoing categories
of shares. To qualify, at the time of the exchange you must notify the
Transfer Agent. Any such qualification is subject to confirmation of your
holdings through a check of appropriate records. See "Shareholder Services"
in the Statement of Additional Information. No fees currently are charged
shareholders directly in connection with exchanges, although the Fund
reserves the right, upon not less than 60 days' written notice, to charge
shareholders a nominal administrative fee in accordance with rules
promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Fund reserves the
right to reject any exchange request in whole or in part. The availability of
Fund Exchanges may be modified or terminated at any time upon notice to
shareholders. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes."
DREYFUS AUTO-EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege enables you to invest regularly (on
a semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis), in exchange for shares
of the Fund, in shares of certain other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds
of which you are a shareholder. The amount you designate, which can be
expressed either in terms of a specific dollar or share amount ($100
minimum), will be exchanged automatically on
Page 9
the first and/or fifteenth of the month according to the schedule you have
selected. Shares will be exchanged at the then-current net asset value;
however, a sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds sold
with a sales load. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional
Information. The right to exercise this Privilege may be modified or cancelled
by the Fund or the Transfer Agent. You may modify or cancel your exercise of
this Privilege at any time by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus
Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. The Fund
may charge a service fee for the use of this Privilege. No such fee currently
is contemplated. For more information concerning this Privilege and the funds
in the Dreyfus Family of Funds eligible to participate in this Privilege, or
to obtain a Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Authorization Form, please call toll free
1-800-645-6561. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes."
DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDERRegistration Mark
Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset Builder permits you to purchase Fund shares
(minimum of $100 and maximum of $150,000 per transaction) at regular
intervals selected by you. Fund shares are purchased by transferring funds
from the bank account designated by you. At your option, the account
designated by you will be debited in the specified amount, and Fund shares
will be purchased, once a month, on either the first or fifteenth day, or
twice a month, on both days. Only an account maintained at a domestic
financial institution which is an Automated Clearing House member may be so
designated. To establish a Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset Builder account, you must
file an authorization form with the Transfer Agent. You may obtain the
necessary authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561. You may cancel your
participation in this Privilege or change the amount of purchase at any time
by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box
9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, or, if for Dreyfus retirement plan
accounts, to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427, Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-6427, and the notification will be effective three
business days following receipt. The Fund may modify or terminate this
Privilege at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently is
contemplated.
DREYFUS GOVERNMENT DIRECT DEPOSIT PRIVILEGE -- Dreyfus Government Direct
Deposit Privilege enables you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and
maximum of $50,000 per transaction) by having Federal salary, Social
Security, or certain veterans', military or other payments from the Federal
government automatically deposited into your Fund account. You may deposit as
much of such payments as you elect. To enroll in Dreyfus Government Direct
Deposit, you must file with the Transfer Agent a completed Direct Deposit
Sign-Up Form for each type of payment that you desire to include in this
Privilege. The appropriate form may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561.
Death or legal incapacity will terminate your participation in this
Privilege. You may elect at any time to terminate your participation by
notifying in writing the appropriate Federal agency. The Fund may terminate
your participation upon 30 days' notice to you.
DREYFUS PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN -- Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan permits you to
purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically on a
regular basis. Depending upon your employer's direct deposit program, you may
have part or all of your paycheck transferred to your existing Dreyfus
account electronically through the Automated Clearing House system at each
pay period. To establish a Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan account, you must
file an authorization form with your employer's payroll department. Your
employer must complete the reverse side of the form and return it to The
Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671.
You may obtain the necessary authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561.
You may change the amount of purchase or cancel the authorization only by
written notification to your employer. It is the sole responsibility of your
employer, not the Distributor, The Dreyfus Corporation, the Fund, the
Transfer Agent or any other person, to arrange for transactions under the
Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege
at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently is contemplated.
Page 10
Dreyfus Step Program _ Dreyfus Step Program enables you to purchase Fund
shares without regard to the Fund's minimum initial investment requirements
through Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset BuilderRegistration Mark, Dreyfus Government
Direct Deposit Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. To establish a
Dreyfus Step Program account, you must supply the necessary information on
the Account Application and file the required authorization form(s) with the
Transfer Agent. For more information concerning this Program, or to request
the necessary authorization form(s), please call toll free 1-800-782-6620.
You may terminate your participation in this Program at any time by
discontinuing your participation in Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset BuilderRegistration
Mark, Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings
Plan, as the case may be, as provided under the terms of such Privilege(s).
The Fund may modify or terminate this Program at any time. Investors who wish
to purchase Fund shares through the Dreyfus Step Program in conjunction with
a Dreyfus-sponsored retirement plan may do so only for IRAs, SEP-IRAs and IRA
"Rollover Accounts."
MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTION PLANS -- The Distribution Plans permit you
to receive monthly or quarterly payments from the Fund consisting of proceeds
from the redemption of shares purchased for your account through the
automatic reinvestment of dividends declared on your account during the
preceding month or calendar quarter.
You may open a monthly or quarterly Distribution Plan by submitting
a request to the Transfer Agent. A Plan may be ended at any time by you, the
Fund or the Transfer Agent. Shares for which certificates have been issued
must be presented before redemption under the Plan.
DREYFUS DIVIDEND OPTIONS -- Dreyfus Dividend Sweep enables you to invest
automatically dividends or dividends and capital gain distributions, if any,
paid by the Fund in shares of another fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds of
which you are a shareholder. Shares of the other fund will be purchased at
the then-current net asset value; however, a sales load may be charged with
respect to investments in shares of a fund sold with a sales load. If you are
investing in a fund that charges a sales load, you may qualify for share price
s which do not include the sales load or which reflect a reduced sales load.
If you are investing in a fund that charges a contingent deferred sales
charge, the shares purchased will be subject on redemption to the contingent
deferred sales charge, if any, applicable to the purchased shares. See
"Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional Information. Dreyfus
Dividend ACH permits you to transfer electronically dividends or dividends
and capital gain distributions, if any, from the Fund to a designated bank
account. Only an account maintained at a domestic financial institution which
is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. Banks may charge
a fee for this service.
For more information concerning these privileges or to request a
Dividend Options Form, please call toll free 1-800-645-6561. You may cancel
these privileges by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. To select a new
fund after cancellation, you must submit a new Dividend Options Form.
Enrollment in or cancellation of these privileges is effective three business
days following receipt. These privileges are available only for existing
accounts and may not be used to open new accounts. Minimum subsequent
investments do not apply for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep. The Fund may modify or
terminate these privileges at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee
currently is contemplated. Shares of the Fund held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or
other retirement plans are not eligible for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep.
AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN -- The Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits you to
request withdrawal of a specified dollar amount (minimum of $50) on either a
monthly or quarterly basis if you have a $5,000 minimum account. An
application for Automatic Withdrawal can be obtained by calling
1-800-645-6561. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be ended at any time by
you, the Fund or the Transfer Agent. Shares for which certificates have been
issued may not be redeemed through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.
Page 11
RETIREMENT PLANS -- The Fund offers a variety of pension and profit-sharing
plans, including Keogh Plans, IRAs, SEP-IRAs and IRA "Rollover Accounts,"
401(k) Salary Reduction Plans and 403(b)(7) Plans. Plan support services also
are available. You can obtain details on the various plans by calling the
following numbers: for Keogh Plans, please call 1-800-358-5566; for IRAs and
IRA "Rollover Accounts," please call 1-800-645-6561; or for SEP-IRAs, 401(k)
Salary Reduction Plans and 403(b)(7) Plans, please call 1-800-322-7880.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
GENERAL
You may request redemption of your shares at any time. Redemption
requests should be transmitted to the Transfer Agent as described below. When
a request is received in proper form, the Fund will redeem the shares at the
next determined net asset value.
The Fund imposes no charges when shares are redeemed. Securities
dealers, banks and other financial institutions may charge their clients a
fee for effecting redemptions of Fund shares. Any certificates representing
Fund shares being redeemed must be submitted with the redemption request. The
value of the shares redeemed may be more or less than their original cost,
depending upon the Fund's then-current net asset value.
The Fund ordinarily will make payment for all shares redeemed
within seven days of receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in
proper form, except as provided by the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED FUND SHARES BY CHECK, BY DREYFUS
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE OR THROUGH DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDERRegistration
Mark AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMIT A WRITTEN REDEMPTION REQUEST TO THE TRANSFER
AGENT, YOUR REDEMPTION WILL BE EFFECTIVE AND THE REDEMPTION PROCEEDS WILL BE
TRANSMITTED TO YOU PROMPTLY UPON BANK CLEARANCE OF YOUR PURCHASE CHECK,
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PURCHASE OR DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER, WHICH
MAY TAKE UP TO EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS OR MORE. IN ADDITION, THE FUND WILL NOT
HONOR REDEMPTION CHECKS UNDER THE CHECK REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE, AND WILL REJECT
REQUESTS TO REDEEM SHARES BY WIRE OR TELEPHONE OR PURSUANT TO THE DREYFUS
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE, FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS AFTER RECEIPT BY
THE TRANSFER AGENT OF THE PURCHASE CHECK, THE DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PURCHASE
OR THE DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER AGAINST WHICH SUCH REDEMPTION IS
REQUESTED. THESE PROCEDURES WILL NOT APPLY IF YOUR SHARES WERE PURCHASED BY
WIRE PAYMENT, OR IF YOU OTHERWISE HAVE A SUFFICIENT COLLECTED BALANCE IN YOUR
ACCOUNT TO COVER THE REDEMPTION REQUEST. PRIOR TO THE TIME ANY REDEMPTION IS
EFFECTIVE, DIVIDENDS ON SUCH SHARES WILL ACCRUE AND BE PAYABLE, AND YOU WILL
BE ENTITLED TO EXERCISE ALL OTHER RIGHTS OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Fund shares
will not be redeemed until the Transfer Agent has received your Account
Application.
Ordinarily the Fund will initiate payment for all shares redeemed
pursuant to the regular redemption procedure, by wire or telephone or through
the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege on the next business day after receipt by
the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in proper form.
The Fund reserves the right to redeem your account at its option
upon not less than 45 days' written notice if your account's net asset value
is $500 or less and remains so during the notice period.
PROCEDURES
You may redeem shares by using the regular redemption procedure
through the Transfer Agent, or, if you have checked the appropriate box and
supplied the necessary information on the Account Application or have filed a
Shareholder Services Form with the Transfer Agent, through the Check
Redemption Privilege, the Wire Redemption Privilege, the Telephone Redemption
Privilege, or the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege. The Fund makes available to
certain large institutions the ability to issue redemption instructions
through compatible computer facilities. The Fund reserves the right to refuse
any request made by wire or telephone, including requests made shortly after
a change of address, and may limit the amount
Page 12
involved or the number of such requests. The Fund may modify or terminate any
redemption Privilege at any time or charge a service fee upon notice to
shareholders. No such fee currently is contemplated. Shares held under Keogh
Plans, IRAs or other retirement plans, and shares for which certificates have
been issued, are not eligible for the Check Redemption, Wire Redemption,
Telephone Redemption or Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege.
You may redeem Fund shares by telephone if you have checked the
appropriate box on the Account Application or have filed a Shareholder
Services Form with the Transfer Agent. If you select a telephone redemption
privilege or telephone exchange privilege (which is granted automatically
unless you refuse it), you authorize the Transfer Agent to act on telephone
instructions (including over The Dreyfus TouchRegistration Mark automated
telephone system) from any person representing himself or herself to be you,
and reasonably believed by the Transfer Agent to be genuine. The Fund will
require the Transfer Agent to employ reasonable procedures, such as requiring
a form of personal identification, to confirm that instructions are genuine
and, if it does not follow such procedures, the Fund or the Transfer Agent
may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions.
Neither the Fund nor the Transfer Agent will be liable for following
telephone instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.
During times of drastic economic or market conditions, you may
experience difficulty in contacting the Transfer Agent by telephone to
request a redemption or exchange of Fund shares. In such cases, you should
consider using the other redemption procedures described herein. Use of these
other redemption procedures may result in your redemption request being
processed at a later time than it would have been if telephone redemption had
been used.
REGULAR REDEMPTION -- Under the regular redemption procedure, you may redeem
shares by written request mailed to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box
9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, or, if for Dreyfus retirement plan
accounts, to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427, Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-6427. Redemption requests may be delivered in person only
to a Dreyfus Financial Center. THESE REQUESTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE FUND
AND WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. For the location of the
nearest Dreyfus Financial Center, please call one of the telephone numbers
listed under "General Information." Redemption requests must be signed by
each shareholder, including each owner of a joint account, and each signature
must be guaranteed. The Transfer Agent has adopted standards and procedures
pursuant to which signature-guarantees in proper form generally will be
accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national
securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies
and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock
Exchange Medallion Signature Program, the Securities Transfer Agents
Medallion Program ("STAMP") and the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program. If you
have any questions with respect to signature-guarantees, please call one of
the telephone numbers listed under "General Information."
Redemption proceeds of at least $1,000 will be wired to any member
bank of the Federal Reserve System in accordance with a written
signature-guaranteed request.
CHECK REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE -- You may write Redemption Checks drawn on your
Fund account. Redemption Checks may be made payable to the order of any
person in the amount of $500 or more. Redemption Checks should not be used to
close your account. Redemption Checks are free, but the Transfer Agent will
impose a fee for stopping payment of a Redemption Check upon your request or
if the Transfer Agent cannot honor a Redemption Check due to insufficient
funds or other valid reason. You should date your Redemption Checks with the
current date when you write them. Please do not postdate your Redemption
Checks. If you do, the Transfer Agent will honor, upon presentment, even if
presented before the date of the check, all postdated Redemption Checks which
are dated within six months of presentment for payment, if they are otherwise
in good order. If you hold shares in a Dreyfus sponsored IRA
Page 13
account, you may be permitted to make withdrawals from your IRA account using
checks furnished to you by The Dreyfus Trust Company.
WIRE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE _ You may request by wire or telephone that
redemption proceeds (minimum $1,000) be wired to your account at a bank which
is a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a correspondent bank if your
bank is not a member. You also may direct that redemption proceeds be paid by
check (maximum $150,000 per day) made out to the owners of record and mailed
to your address. Redemption proceeds of less than $1,000 will be paid
automatically by check. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank accounts
may have redemption proceeds of not more than $250,000 wired within any
30-day period. You may telephone redemption requests by calling
1-800-645-6561 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452. The
Statement of Additional Information sets forth instructions for transmitting
redemption requests by wire.
TELEPHONE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE -- You may request by telephone that
redemption proceeds (maximum $150,000 per day) be paid by check and mailed to
your address. You may telephone redemption instructions by calling
1-800-645-6561 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452.
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE -- You may request by telephone that
redemption proceeds (minimum $500 per day) be transferred between your Fund
account and your bank account. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic
financial institution which is an Automated Clearing House member may be
designated. Redemption proceeds will be on deposit in your account at an
Automated Clearing House member bank ordinarily two days after receipt of the
redemption request or, at your request, paid by check (maximum $150,000 per
day) and mailed to your address. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank
accounts may redeem through the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege for transfer
to their bank account not more than $250,000 within any 30-day period.
If you have selected the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may
request a Dreyfus TELETRANSFER redemption of shares by calling 1-800-645-6561
or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES PLAN
The Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan pursuant to which
the Fund reimburses Dreyfus Service Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
The Dreyfus Corporation, an amount not to exceed an annual rate of .25 of 1%
of the value of the Fund's average daily net assets for certain allocated
expenses of providing personal services and/or maintaining shareholder
accounts. The services provided may include personal services relating to
shareholder accounts, such as answering shareholder inquiries regarding the
Fund and providing reports and other information, and services related to the
maintenance of shareholder accounts.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
The Fund ordinarily declares and pays dividends from its net
investment income on each day the New York Stock Exchange or the Transfer
Agent is open for business. The Fund's earnings for Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays are paid as dividends on the next business day. Shares begin
accruing dividends on the day following the date of purchase. Distributions
from net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid
once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to
comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code"), in all events in a manner consistent with the
provisions of the 1940 Act. The Fund will not make distributions from net
realized securities gains unless capital loss carryovers, if any, have been
utilized or have expired. You may choose whether to receive dividends and
distributions in cash or to reinvest in additional Fund shares at net asset
value. All expenses are accrued daily and deducted before declaration of
dividends to investors.
Dividends derived from net investment income, together with
distributions from any net realized short-term securities gains and all or a
portion of any gain realized from the sale or other disposition of certain
market discount bonds, paid by the Fund will be taxable to shareholders as
ordinary income whether received
Page 14
in cash or reinvested in additional Fund shares. No dividend will qualify for
the dividends received deduction allowable to certain U.S. corporations.
Distributions from net realized long-term securities gains of the Fund will
be taxable to U.S. shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of how
long shareholders have held their Fund shares and whether such distributions
are received in cash or reinvested in additional Fund shares. The Code
provides that the net capital gains of an individual generally will not be
subject to Federal income tax at a rate in excess of 28%. Dividends and
distributions may be subject to certain state and local taxes.
Dividends derived from net investment income, together with
distributions from net realized short-term securities gain and all or a
portion of any gain realized from the sale or other disposition of certain
market discount bonds, paid by the Fund to a foreign investor generally are
subject to U.S. nonresident withholding taxes at the rate of 30%, unless the
investor claims the benefit of a lower rate specified in a tax treaty.
Distributions from net realized long-term securities gains paid by the Fund to
a foreign investor generally will not be subject to U.S. nonresident
withholding tax. However, such distributions may be subject to backup
withholding, as described below, unless the foreign investor certifies his
non-U.S. residency status.
Notice as to the tax status of your dividends and distributions
will be mailed to you annually. You also will receive periodic summaries of
your account which will include information as to dividends and distributions
from securities gains, if any, paid during the year.
The exchange of shares of one fund for shares of another is treated
for Federal income tax purposes as a sale of the shares given in exchange by
the shareholder and, therefore, an exchanging shareholder may realize a
taxable gain or loss.
Federal regulations generally require the Fund to withhold ("backup
withholding") and remit to the U.S. Treasury 31% of dividends and
distributions from net realized securities gains of the Fund paid to a
shareholder if such shareholder fails to certify either that the TIN
furnished in connection with opening an account is correct, or that such
shareholder has not received notice from the IRS of being subject to backup
withholding as a result of a failure to properly report taxable dividend or
interest income on a Federal income tax return. Furthermore, the IRS may
notify the Fund to institute backup withholding if the IRS determines that a
shareholder's TIN is incorrect or if a shareholder has failed to properly
report taxable dividend and interest income on a Federal income tax return.
A TIN is either the Social Security number or employer
identification number of the record owner of the account. Any tax withheld as
a result of backup withholding does not constitute an additional tax imposed
on the record owner of the account, and may be claimed as a credit on the
record owner's Federal income tax return.
Management of the Fund believes that the Fund has qualified for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996 as a "regulated investment company" under
the Code. The Fund intends to continue to so qualify if such qualification is
in the best interests of its shareholders. Such qualification relieves the
Fund of any liability for Federal income taxes to the extent its earnings are
distributed in accordance with applicable provisions of the Code. The Fund is
subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax, measured with respect to certain
undistributed amounts of taxable income and capital gains, if any.
You should consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as
to Federal, state or local taxes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Fund was incorporated under Maryland law on September 6, 1973,
and commenced operations on January 28, 1974. The Fund is authorized to issue
25 billion shares of Common Stock, par value $.10 per share. Each share has
one vote.
Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act, ordinarily it will not
be necessary for the Fund to hold annual meetings of shareholders. As a
result, Fund shareholders may not consider each year the election of Board
members or the appointment of auditors. However, pursuant to the Fund's
By-Laws, the hold-
Page 15
ers of at least 10% of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote may require
the Fund to hold a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of removing
a Board member from office and the holders of at least 25% of such shares may
require the Fund to hold a special meeting of shareholders for any other
purpose. Fund shareholders may remove a Board member by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting shares. In addition, the Board
will call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Board members
if, at any time, less than a majority of the Board members then holding office
have been elected by shareholders.
The Transfer Agent maintains a record of your ownership and sends
you confirmations and statements of account.
Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Fund at 144
Glenn Curtiss Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11556-0144, or by calling toll
free 1-800-645-6561. In New York City, call 1-718-895-1206; outside the U.S.
and Canada, call 516-794-5452.
Page 16
APPENDIX
CERTAIN PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES -- Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury
securities, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of
issuance. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies
and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury;
others by discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain
obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit
of the agency or instrumentality. These securities bear fixed, floating or
variable rates of interest. While the U.S. Government currently provides
financial support to such U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or
instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, since
it is not so obligated by law.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS -- In a repurchase agreement, the Fund buys, and the
seller agrees to repurchase, a security at a mutually agreed upon time and
price (usually within seven days). The repurchase agreement thereby
determines the yield during the purchaser's holding period, while the
seller's obligation to repurchase is secured by the value of the underlying
security. Repurchase agreements could involve risks in the event of a default
or insolvency of the other party to the agreement, including possible delays
or restrictions upon the Fund's ability to dispose of the underlying
securities. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with certain banks
or non-bank dealers.
BANK OBLIGATIONS -- The Fund may purchase certificates of deposit, time
deposits, bankers' acceptances and other short-term obligations issued by
domestic banks and London branches of domestic banks. With respect to such
securities issued by London branches of domestic banks, the Fund may be
subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects
from those incurred by a fund which invests only in debt obligations of U.S.
domestic issuers. "Description of the Fund--Investment Considerations and
Risks--Foreign Securities."
Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates evidencing the
obligation of a bank to repay funds deposited with it for a specified period
of time.
Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in a banking
institution for a specified period of time (in no event longer than seven
days) at a stated interest rate. Investments in time deposits generally are
limited to domestic banks and London branches of domestic banks that have
total assets in excess of one billion dollars.
Bankers' acceptances are credit instruments evidencing the obligation
of a bank to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect
the obligation both of the bank and the drawer to pay the face amount of the
instrument upon maturity. The other short-term obligations may include
uninsured, direct obligations bearing fixed, floating or variable interest
rates.
COMMERCIAL PAPER -- Commercial paper consists of short-term, unsecured
promissory notes issued to finance short-term credit needs. The commercial
paper purchased by the Fund will consist only of direct obligations issued by
domestic entities. The other corporate obligations in which the Fund may
invest consist of high quality, U.S. dollar denominated short-term bonds and
notes (including variable amount master demand notes) issued by domestic and
foreign corporations, including banks.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND IN THE
FUND'S OFFICIAL SALES LITERATURE IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OF THE FUND'S
SHARES, AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH OTHER INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST
NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE FUND. THIS PROSPECTUS
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER IN ANY STATE IN WHICH, OR TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM,
SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
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Liquid
Assets, Inc.
Prospectus
Registration Mark
Copy Rights 1997, Dreyfus Service Corporation
039p040197a
Page 20
