As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 27, 1996
File Nos.
2-72614
811-3193
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Pre-Effective Amendment No. _____
Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 (X)
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Amendment No. 18 (X)
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
777 MARINERS ISLAND BLVD., SAN MATEO, CA 94404
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code (415) 312-2000
HARMON E. BURNS, 777 MARINERS ISLAND BLVD., SAN MATEO, CA 94404
(Name and Address of Agent for Service of Process)
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
[ ] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[X] on December 1, 1996 pursuant to paragraph (b)
[ ] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
[ ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
[ ] 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
[ ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of rule 485
If appropriate, check the following box:
[ ] This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a
previously filed post effective amendment.
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Title of Proposed Amount
Securities Amount Maximum Proposed of
Being Being Offering Price Aggregate Offering
Registered Registered* Per Share Price* Fee*
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
Capital 6,699,170 $1.00 $290,000 $100
STOCK SHARES
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
*Registrant elects to calculate the maximum aggregate offering price pursuant to
Rule 24e-2. 275,981,642 shares were redeemed during the fiscal year ended July
31, 1996. 269,572,472 shares were used for reductions pursuant to Paragraph (d)
of Rule 24f-2 during the current year. 6,409,170 shares is the amount of
redeemed shares used for reduction in this amendment. Pursuant to 457(d) under
the Securities Act of 1933, the maximum public offering price of $1.00 per share
on November 18, 1996, is the price used as the basis for these calculations. The
maximum public offering price per share varies and, thus, may be higher or lower
than $1.00 in the future. While no fee is required for the 6,409,170 shares, the
registrant has elected to register, for $100, an additional $290,000 of shares
(approximately 290,000 shares at $1.00 per share).
As part of its initial registration statement, the registrant has elected to
register an indefinite number of shares pursuant to Rule 24f-2 under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and hereby continues such election.
The registrant filed the notice required by Rule 24f-2 for its most recent
fiscal year on September 25, 1996.
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
CROSS REFERENCE SHEET
FORM N-1A
PART A: INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
N-1A Location in
ITEM NO. ITEM REGISTRATION STATEMENT
1. Cover Page Cover Page
2. Synopsis "Expense Summary"
3. Condensed Financial "Financial Highlights"; "How
Information does the Fund Measure
Performance?"
4. General Description of "How is the Fund Organized?";
Registrant "How does the Fund Invest its
Assets?"; "What are the Fund's
Potential Risks?"
5. Management of the Fund "Who Manages the Fund?"
5A. Management's Discussion of Not Applicable
Fund Performance
6. Capital Stock and Other "How is the Fund Organized?";
Securities "Services to Help You Manage
Your Account"; "What
Distributions Might I Receive
from the Fund?"; "How Taxation
Affects You and the Fund"
7. Purchase of Securities Being "How Do I Buy Shares?"; "May
Offered I Exchange Shares for Shares
of Another Fund?";
"Transaction Procedures and
Special Requirements";
"Services to Help You Manage
Your Account"; "Who Manages
the Fund?"; "Useful Terms and
Definitions"
8. Redemption or Repurchase "May I Exchange Shares for
Shares of Another Fund?";
"How Do I Sell Shares?";
"Transaction Procedures and
Special Requirements";
"Services to Help You Manage
Your Account"
9. Pending Legal Proceedings Not Applicable
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
CROSS REFERENCE SHEET
FORM N-1A
Part B: Information Required in the
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
10. Cover Page Cover Page
11. Table of Contents Contents
12. General Information and Not Applicable
History
13. Investment Objectives and "How does the Fund Invest its
Policies Assets?"; "Investment
Restrictions"
14. Management of the Fund "Officers and Directors";
"Investment Management and
Other Services"
15. Control Persons and Principal "Officers and Directors";
Holders of Securities "Investment Management and
Other Services"; Miscellaneous
Information"
16. Investment Advisory and Other "Investment Management and
Services Other Services"; "The Fund's
Underwriter"
17. Brokerage Allocation "How does the Fund Buy
Securities for its Portfolio?"
18. Capital Stock and Other See Prospectus "How is the
Securities Fund Organized?"
19. Purchase, Redemption and "How Do I Buy, Sell and
Pricing of Securities Being Exchange Shares?"; "How are
Offered Fund Shares Valued?";
"Financial Statements"
Tax Status "Additional Information on
20. Distributions and Taxes"
21. Underwriters "The Fund's Underwriter"
22. Performance Data "How does the Fund Measure
Performance?"
23. Financial Statements "Financial Statements"
PROSPECTUS & APPLICATION
Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
TAX-FREE INCOME
DECEMBER 1, 1996
This prospectus describes the Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund (the "Fund"). It
contains information you should know before investing in the Fund. Please keep
it for future reference.
The Fund's SAI, dated December 1, 1996, as may be amended from time to time,
includes more information about the Fund's procedures and policies. It has been
filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. For a
free copy or a larger print version of this prospectus, call 1-800/DIAL BEN or
write the Fund at the address shown.
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.
Shares of the Fund 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 of the U.S.
government. Shares of the Fund involve investment risks, including the possible
loss of principal.
LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY
THE SEC OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SEC OR ANY STATE
SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
This prospectus is not an offering of the securities herein described in any
state in which the offering is not authorized. No sales representative, dealer,
or other person is authorized to give any information or make any
representations other than those contained in this prospectus. Further
information may be obtained from Distributors.
Franklin
Tax-Exempt
Money Fund
December 1, 1996
When reading this prospectus, you will see certain terms beginning with capital
letters. This means the term is explained in our glossary section.
Table of Contents
About the Fund
Expense Summary ............................................. 2
Financial Highlights ........................................ 3
How does the Fund Invest its Assets? ........................ 6
What are the Fund's Potential Risks?......................... 9
Who Manages the Fund?........................................ 9
How does the Fund Measure Performance?....................... 10
How is the Fund Organized?................................... 11
How Taxation Affects You and the Fund........................ 11
About Your Account
How Do I Buy Shares?......................................... 13
May I Exchange Shares for Shares of Another Fund?............ 14
How Do I Sell Shares?........................................ 16
What Distributions Might I Receive from the Fund?............ 18
Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements.............. 19
Services to Help You Manage Your Account..................... 23
Glossary
Useful Terms and Definitions................................. 26
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
P.O. Box 7777
San Mateo
CA 94403-7777
1-800/DIAL BEN
About the Fund
Expense Summary
This table is designed to help you understand the costs of investing in the
Fund. It is based on the Fund's historical expenses for the fiscal year ended
July 31, 1996. Your actual expenses may vary.
A. Shareholder Transaction Expenses+
Exchange Fee (per transaction)...................... $5.00*
B. Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(as a percentage of average net assets)
Management Fees.................................... 0.60%**
Other Expenses..................................... 0.27%
Total Fund Operating Expenses...................... 0.87%**
C. Example
Assume the Fund's annual return is 5% and its operating expenses are as
described above. For each $1,000 investment, you would pay the following
projected expenses if you sold your shares after the number of years shown.
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
$9 $28 $48 $107
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. IT DOES NOT REPRESENT PAST OR FUTURE EXPENSES OR
RETURNS. ACTUAL EXPENSES AND RETURNS MAY BE MORE OR LESS THAN THOSE SHOWN. The
Fund pays its operating expenses. The effects of these expenses are reflected in
its Net Asset Value or dividends and are not directly charged to your account.
+If your transaction is processed through your Securities Dealer, you may be
charged a fee by your Securities Dealer for this service.
*$5.00 fee is only for Market Timers. We process all other exchanges without a
fee.
**Advisers has agreed in advance to limit its management fees and make certain
payments to reduce the Fund's expenses. With this reduction, management fees and
total Fund operating expenses were 0.38% and 0.65%, respectively.
Financial Highlights
This table summarizes the Fund's financial history. The information has been
audited by Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., the Fund's independent auditors. Their
audit report covering each of the most recent five years appears in the
financial statements in the Fund's Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal
year ended July 31, 1996. The Annual Report to Shareholders also includes more
information about the Fund's performance. For a free copy, please call Fund
Information.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Ended July 31
1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987
Per Share Operating Performance
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net Asset Value at beginning of year $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00
Net investment income 0.029 0.029 0.020 0.021 0.031 0.045 0.056 0.056 0.047 0.041
Distributions from net
investment income (0.029) (0.029) (0.020) (0.021) (0.031) (0.045) (0.056) (0.056) (0.047) (0.041)
Net Asset Value at end of year $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00
Total return+ 2.93% 2.98% 1.85% 2.08% 3.14% 4.65% 5.81% 5.77% 4.80% 4.20%
Ratios/Supplemental Data
Net Asset Value at end
of year (in 000's) $166,713 $173,123 $202,883 $193,565 $207,374 $249,214 $228,001 $188,727 $214,090 $182,018
Ratio of expenses to
average net assets++ 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.69% 0.70% 0.70% 0.74% 0.74% 0.71% 0.74%
Ratio of net investment income to
average net assets 2.88% 2.65% 1.84% 2.10% 3.15% 4.53% 5.60% 5.67% 4.66% 4.22%
</TABLE>
+Total return measures the change in value of an investment over the periods
indicated. It is not annualized. It assumes reinvestment of dividends and
capital gains at Net Asset Value.
++During the periods indicated below, Advisers agreed in advance to limit its
management fees.
Had such action not been taken, the Fund's ratio of expenses to average net
assets would have been as follows:
Ratio of Expenses
to Average Net Assets
1991......................... 0.71%
1992......................... 0.75
1993......................... 0.80
1994......................... 0.81
1995......................... 0.78
1996......................... 0.87
How does the Fund Invest its Assets?
The Fund's Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is to attain the highest level of current income
that is exempt from federal income taxes, consistent with liquidity and the
preservation of capital. The objective is a fundamental policy of the Fund and
may not be changed without shareholder approval. Of course, there is no
assurance that the Fund's objective will be achieved. The Fund also attempts to
maintain a stable Net Asset Value of $1.00 per share, although there is no
assurance that this will be achieved.
Types of Securities in which the Fund May Invest
The Fund follows certain procedures required by federal securities laws with
respect to the quality, maturity and diversification of its investments. These
procedures are designed to help maintain a stable $1.00 share price. The Fund
limits its investments to U.S. dollar denominated instruments that the Board
determines present minimal credit risks and that are rated in one of the two
highest rating categories by nationally recognized statistical rating
organizations, or that are unrated but of comparable quality, with remaining
maturities of 397 calendar days or less ("Eligible Securities"). The Fund
maintains a dollar weighted average maturity of the securities in its portfolio
of 90 days or less. Please see the Appendix in the SAI for a description of
ratings.
The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio
of municipal securities. The term "municipal securities," as used in this
prospectus, means high quality, short-term debt obligations that are issued by
states, territories and possessions of the U.S., the District of Columbia, and
their political subdivisions and duly constituted authorities, the interest from
which is wholly exempt from federal income tax in the opinion of bond counsel to
the issuer. For temporary defensive purposes to preserve its Net Asset Value,
the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in taxable munincipal
securities.
As a fundamental policy, under normal conditions the Fund invests at least 80%
of its assets in obligations, the income on which is both exempt from regular
federal income tax and not specifically treated as a tax preference item under
the federal alternative minimum tax.
Because the Fund limits its investments to high quality securities, the Fund's
portfolio will generally earn lower yields than if the Fund purchased securities
with a lower rating and correspondingly greater risk. The yield to shareholders
in the Fund is accordingly likely to be lower.
Private Activity Bonds. Consistent with the Fund's investment objective, the
Fund may invest in private activity bonds if, in Advisers' opinion, these bonds
represent the most attractive investment opportunity then available to the Fund.
Floating and Variable Rate Obligations. The Fund may buy floating and variable
rate obligations. These obligations bear interest at rates that are not fixed,
but that vary with changes in prevailing market rates on predesignated dates.
The Fund may also invest in variable or floating rate demand notes ("VRDNs"),
which carry a demand feature that allows the Fund to tender the obligation back
to the issuer or a third party at par value plus accrued interest before
maturity, according to the terms of the obligation. Frequently, VRDNs are
secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements. Although it
is not a put option in the usual sense, a demand feature is sometimes known as a
put. With respect to 75% of the Fund's total assets, no more than 5% may be in
securities underlying puts from the same institution. The Fund will limit its
purchase of floating and variable rate obligations to those meeting the quality
standards discussed above. The quality of the underlying creditor must also meet
these standards. In addition, Advisers monitors the earning power, cash flow and
other liquidity ratios of the issuers of floating and variable rate obligations,
as well as the creditworthiness of the institution responsible for paying the
principal amount of the obligation under the demand feature.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may buy and sell
municipal securities on a "when-issued" and "delayed delivery" basis. The price
is subject to market fluctuation, and the value at delivery may be more or less
than the purchase price. Although the Fund will generally buy municipal
securities on a when-issued basis with the intention of acquiring the
securities, it may sell the securities before the settlement date if it is
deemed advisable. When the Fund is the buyer, it will maintain, in a segregated
account with its custodian bank, cash or high-grade marketable securities having
an aggregate value equal to the amount of its purchase commitments until payment
is made. To the extent the Fund engages in when-issued and delayed delivery
transactions, it will do so for the purpose of acquiring securities for the
Fund's portfolio consistent with its investment objective and policies and not
for the purpose of investment leverage.
Certificates of Participation. The Fund may invest in municipal lease
obligations, primarily through Certificates of Participation ("COPs"). COPs,
which are widely used by state and local governments to finance the purchase of
property, function much like installment purchase agreements. A COP is created
when long-term lease revenue obligations are issued by a governmental
corporation to pay for the acquisition of property or facilities that are then
leased to a municipality. The payments made by the municipality under the lease
are used to repay interest and principal on the obligations issued to buy the
property. Once these lease payments are completed, the municipality gains
ownership of the property for a nominal sum. This lease format is generally not
subject to constitutional limitations on the issuance of state debt, and COPs
may enable a governmental issuer to increase government liabilities beyond
constitutional debt limits.
A feature that distinguishes COPs from municipal debt is that the lease which is
the subject of the transaction contains a "nonappropriation" clause. A
nonappropriation clause provides that, while the municipality will use its best
efforts to make lease payments, the municipality may terminate the lease
annually without penalty if the municipality's appropriating body does not
allocate the necessary funds. Local administrations, when faced with
increasingly tight budgets, have more discretion to curtail payments under COPs
than they do to curtail payments on traditionally funded debt obligations. If
the government lessee does not appropriate sufficient monies to make lease
payments, the lessor or its agent is typically entitled to repossess the
property. The private sector value of the property may be more or less than the
amount the government lessee was paying.
While the risk of nonappropriation is inherent to COP financing, the Fund
believes that this risk is mitigated by its policy of investing only in COPs in
the two highest rating categories of Standard and Poor's Corporation ("S&P"),
Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") and Fitch Investor Services, Inc.
("Fitch"), or in unrated COPs believed by Advisers to be of comparable quality.
Criteria considered by the rating agencies and Advisers in assessing this risk
include the issuing municipality's credit rating, how essential the leased
property is to the municipality, and the term of the lease compared to the
useful life of the leased property. The Board reviews the COPs held in the
Fund's portfolio to assure that they constitute liquid investments based on
various factors reviewed by Advisers and monitored by the Board. These factors
include (a) the credit quality of the securities and the extent to which they
are rated or, if unrated, comply with existing criteria and procedures to ensure
that they are of comparable quality to the ratings required for the Fund's
investment, including an assessment of the likelihood that the leases will not
be canceled; (b) the size of the municipal securities market, both in general
and with respect to COPs; and (c) the extent to which the type of COPs held by
the Fund trade on the same basis and with the same degree of dealer
participation as other municipal bonds of comparable credit rating or quality.
While there is no limit as to the amount of its assets that the Fund may invest
in COPs, as of July 31, 1996, 1.44% of the Fund's net assets was invested in
COPs and other municipal leases.
Other Investment Policies of the Fund
The Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency purposes only and
pledge up to 10% of its total assets for these loans. No new investments will be
made by the Fund while any outstanding loans exceed 5% of its total assets. The
Fund may make loans of its portfolio securities, up to 10% of the value of its
total assets. The Fund may also enter into repurchase agreements, although it
has no present intention of doing so.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund's policy is not to invest more than 10% of its
net assets, at the time of purchase, in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities
are generally securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the normal
course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued
them.
Percentage Restrictions. If a percentage restriction noted above is adhered to
at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage
resulting from a change in value of portfolio securities or the amount of net
assets will not be considered a violation of any of the foregoing policies.
Other Policies and Restrictions. The Fund has a number of additional investment
restrictions that limit its activities to some extent. Some of these
restrictions may only be changed with shareholder approval. For a list of these
restrictions and more information about the Fund's investment policies, please
see "How does the Fund Invest its Assets?" and "Investment Restrictions" in the
SAI.
What are the Fund's Potential Risks?
Credit Enhancements. The Fund invests in securities backed by guarantees from
foreign and domestic banks and other financial institutions. The Fund's ability
to maintain a stable share price is largely dependent on these guarantees, which
are not supported by federal deposit insurance. Therefore, changes in the credit
quality of these institutions could have an adverse impact on securieties they
have guaranteed or backed. This could cause loss to the Fund and affect the
stability of its share price.
Credit and Market Risk. Credit risk is a function of the ability of an issuer of
a municipal security to make timely interest payments and to pay the principal
of a security upon maturity. It is generally reflected in a security's
underlying credit rating and its stated interest rate (normally the coupon
rate). A change in the credit risk associated with a municipal security may
cause a corresponding change in the security's price. Market risk is the risk of
price fluctuation of a municipal security caused by changes in general economic
and interest rate conditions generally affecting the market as a whole. A
municipal security's maturity length also affects its price.
Who Manages the Fund?
The Board. The Board oversees the management of the Fund and elects its
officers. The officers are responsible for the Fund's day-to-day operations.
Investment Manager. Advisers manages the Fund's assets and makes its investment
decisions. Advisers also performs similar services for other funds. It is wholly
owned by Resources, a publicly owned company engaged in the financial services
industry through its subsidiaries. Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr.
are the principal shareholders of Resources. Together, Advisers and its
affiliates manage over $150 billion in assets, including $38 billion in the
municipal securities market. Please see "Investment Management and Other
Services" and "Miscellaneous Information" in the SAI for information on
securities transactions and a summary of the Fund's Code of Ethics.
Management Fees. During the fiscal year ended July 31, 1996, management fees,
before any advance waiver, totaled 0.60% of the average daily net assets of the
Fund. Total operating expenses, including fees paid to Advisers before any
advance waiver, totaled 0.87%. Under an agreement by Advisers to limit its fees,
the Fund paid management fees totaling 0.38%. Total expenses of the Fund were
0.65%. Advisers may end this arrangement at any time upon notice to the Board.
Portfolio Transactions. Advisers tries to obtain the best execution on all
transactions. If Advisers believes more than one broker or dealer can provide
the best execution, consistent with internal policies it may consider research
and related services and the sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of other
funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, when selecting a broker or
dealer. Please see "How does the Fund Buy Securities for its Portfolio?" in the
SAI for more information. Administrative Services. Under an agreement with
Advisers, FT Services provides certain administrative services and facilities
for the Fund. Please see "Investment Management and Other Services" in the SAI
for more information.
How does the Fund Measure Performance?
From time to time, the Fund advertises its performance. The more commonly used
measures of performance are current and effective yield. The Fund may also
advertise its taxable-equivalent yield and effective yield.
Current yield shows the income per share earned by the Fund. When the yield is
calculated assuming that income earned is reinvested, it is called an effective
yield. The taxable-equivalent yield and effective yield show the before-tax
yield or effective yield that would have to be earned from a taxable investment
to equal the Fund's yield or effective yield, assuming one or more tax rates.
The Fund's investment results will vary. Performance figures are always based on
past performance and do not indicate future results. For a more detailed
description of how the Fund calculates its performance figures, please see "How
does the Fund Measure Performance?" in the SAI.
How is the Fund Organized?
The Fund is a no-load, diversified, open-end management investment company,
commonly called a mutual fund. It was organized as a California corporation on
March 18, 1980, and is registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. Each share of
the Fund has one vote. All shares have equal voting, participation and
liquidation rights. Shares of the Fund are considered Class I shares for
redemption, exchange and other purposes.
The Fund has cumulative voting rights. This gives each shareholder a number of
votes equal to the number of shares owned times the number of Board members to
be elected. You may cast all of your votes for one candidate or distribute your
votes between two or more candidates.
The Fund does not intend to hold annual shareholder meetings. It may hold a
special meeting, however, for matters requiring shareholder approval under the
1940 Act. A meeting may also be called by the Board in its discretion or by
shareholders holding at least 10% of the outstanding shares. The 1940 Act
requires that we help you communicate with other shareholders in connection with
removing members of the Board.
How Taxation Affects You and the Fund
The following discussion reflects some of the tax considerations that affect
mutual funds and their shareholders. For more information on tax matters
relating to the Fund and its shareholders, see "Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes" in the SAI.
The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated
investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. By distributing all of its
income and meeting certain other requirements relating to the sources of its
income and diversification of its assets, the Fund will not be liable for
federal income or excise taxes.
By meeting certain requirements of the Code, the Fund will continue to qualify
to pay exempt-interest dividends to you. Exempt-interest dividends are derived
from interest income exempt from regular federal income tax and are not subject
to regular federal income tax for you.
To the extent dividends are derived from taxable income from temporary
investments (including the discount from certain stripped obligations or their
coupons or income from securities loans or other taxable transactions), from the
excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, or from
ordinary income derived from the sale or disposition of bonds purchased with
market discount after April 30, 1993, they are treated as ordinary income for
federal tax purposes whether you have elected to receive them in cash or in
additional shares.
Since the Fund's income is derived from interest and gain on the sale of
portfolio securities rather than dividend income, no portion of the Fund's
distributions will generally be eligible for the corporate dividends-received
deduction. None of the distributions paid by the Fund for the fiscal year ended
July 31, 1996, qualified for this deduction and it is not anticipated that any
of the current year's dividends will so qualify.
The Fund will inform you of the source of your dividends and distributions at
the time they are paid, and will, promptly after the close of each calendar
year, advise you of the tax status for federal income tax purposes of such
dividends and distributions, including the portion of the dividends on an
average basis that constitutes interest income that is a tax preference item
under the alternative minimum tax. If you have not held shares of the Fund for a
full calendar year, you may have designated as tax-exempt or as tax preference
income a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of
tax-exempt or tax preference income earned during the period of your investment
in the Fund.
Exempt-interest dividends of the Fund, although exempt from regular federal
income tax in your hands, are includible in the tax base for determining the
extent to which your social security or railroad retirement benefits will be
subject to regular federal income tax. You are required to disclose the receipt
of tax-exempt interest on your federal income tax returns.
Interest on indebtedness incurred (directly or indirectly) by you to buy or
carry Fund shares may not be fully deductible for federal income tax purposes.
The interest on bonds issued to finance public purpose state and local
government operations is generally tax-exempt for regular federal income tax
purposes. Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7,
1986, while still tax-exempt, constitutes a preference item for taxpayers in
determining the federal alternative minimum tax under the Code and under the
income tax provisions of some states. This interest may subject you to, or
increase your liability under, the federal and state alternative minimum tax. In
addition, all distributions derived from interest exempt from regular federal
income tax may subject corporate shareholders to, or increase their liability
under, the federal alternative minimum tax, because these distributions are
included in the corporation's adjusted current earnings. In states with a
corporate franchise tax, distributions of the Fund may also be fully taxable to
corporate shareholders under their state franchise tax systems. As of July 31,
1996, the Fund derived 3.85% of its income from bonds, the interest on which
constitutes a preference item subject to the federal alternative minimum tax for
certain investors.
You should consult your tax advisor with respect to the applicability of state
and local intangible property or income taxes to your shares in the Fund and to
distributions and redemption proceeds received from the Fund. For example,
distributions attributable to interest received from, or capital gain derived
from the disposition of, obligations of a given state or its political
subdivisions may be exempt from income taxes in that state.
If you are not considered a U.S. person for federal income tax purposes, you
should consult with your financial or tax advisor regarding the applicability of
U.S. withholding or other taxes on distributions received by you from the Fund
and the application of foreign tax laws to these distributions.
About Your Account
How Do I Buy Shares?
Opening Your Account
You may buy shares of the Fund without a sales charge and write redemption
drafts against your account. Redemption drafts are similar to checks and are
referred to as checks in this prospectus. When you buy shares, it does not
create a checking or other bank account relationship with the Fund or any bank.
MINIMUM
INVESTMENTS*
To Open Your Account $500
To Add to Your Account $ 25
* We may refuse any order to buy shares.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
By Mail For an initial investment:
1. Complete and sign the enclosed shareholder application.
2. Return the application to the Fund with your
check, Federal Reserve draft or negotiable bank
draft made payable to the Fund. Instruments drawn
on other investment companies may not be
accepted.
For additional investments:
1. Send a check or use the deposit slips included
with your monthly statement or checkbook (if you
have requested one).
2. If you send a check, please include you account number on the
check.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
By Wire
1. Call Shareholder Services or, if that number is busy,
call 1-415/312-2000 collect, to receive a wire control
number. A new number is needed every time you wire money
into your account. If you do not have a currently effective
wire control number, we will return the money to the bank
and it will not be credited to your account.
2. Wire the funds to Bank of America, ABA routing number
121000358, for credit to Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund, A/C
1493-3-04779. Your name and wire control number must be
included.
3. For initial investments, you must also complete and sign
the enclosed shareholder application and return it to the
Fund.
Through Your Dealer Call your investment representative
If the Fund receives your order in proper form before 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, it
will be credited to your account that day. Orders received after 3:00 p.m. will
be credited the following business day.
When you buy shares, if you submit a check or a draft that is returned unpaid to
the Fund we may impose a $10 charge against your account for each returned item.
The investment authority of certain investors may be restricted by law. If you
are such an investor, you should consult your legal advisor to determine whether
and to what extent shares of the Fund are legal investments for you. If you are
a municipal investor considering investing proceeds of bond offerings, you
should consult with expert counsel to determine the effect, if any, of payments
by the Fund on arbitrage rebate calculations.
May I Exchange Shares for Shares of Another Fund?
We offer a wide variety of funds. The shares of most of these funds are offered
to the public with a sales charge. If you would like, you can move your
investment from your Fund account to an existing or new account in another
Franklin Templeton Fund (an "exchange"). Because it is technically a sale and a
purchase of shares, an exchange is a taxable transaction.
Before making an exchange, please read the prospectus of the fund you are
interested in. This will help you learn about the fund and its rules and
requirements for exchanges. For example, some Franklin Templeton Funds do not
accept exchanges and others may have different investment minimums.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
By Mail 1. Send us written instructions signed by all
account owners
2. Include any outstanding share certificates for
the shares you're exchanging
By Phone Call Shareholder Services or TeleFACTS(R)
- If you do not want the ability to exchange
by phone to apply to your account, please let
us know.
Through Your Dealer Call your investment representative
Please refer to "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements" for other
important information on how to exchange shares.
Will Sales Charges Apply to My Exchange?
You will generally pay the applicable front-end sales charge of the fund you are
exchanging into, unless you acquired your Fund shares under the exchange
privilege. These charges may not apply if you qualify to buy shares without a
sales charge.
Exchange Restrictions
Please be aware that the following restrictions apply to exchanges:
o You may only exchange shares within the same class.
o The accounts must be identically registered. You may exchange shares from a
Fund account requiring two or more signatures into another identically
registered money fund account requiring only one signature for all transactions.
Please notify us in writing if you do not want this option to be available on
your account(s). Additional procedures may apply. Please see "Transaction
Procedures and Special Requirements."
o The fund you are exchanging into must be eligible for sale in your state.
o We may modify or discontinue our exchange policy if we give you 60 days'
written notice.
o Your exchange may be restricted or refused if you: (i) request an exchange out
of the Fund within two weeks of an earlier exchange request, (ii) exchange
shares out of the Fund more than twice in a calendar quarter, or (iii) exchange
shares equal to at least $5 million, or more than 1% of the Fund's net assets.
Shares under common ownership or control are combined for these limits. If you
exchange shares as described in this paragraph, you will be considered a Market
Timer. Each exchange by a Market Timer, if accepted, will be charged $5.00. Some
of our funds do not allow investments by Market Timers.
Because excessive trading can hurt Fund performance and shareholders, we may
refuse any exchange purchase if (i) we believe the Fund would be harmed or
unable to invest effectively, or (ii) the Fund receives or anticipates
simultaneous orders that may significantly affect the Fund.
How Do I Sell Shares?
You may sell (redeem) your shares at any time.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
By Check
(Only available if there are
no outstanding share
certificates for your account)
1. You may request redemption drafts (checks) free of charge
on the shareholder application or by calling TeleFACTS(R).
2. You may make checks payable to any person and in any
amount of $100 or more. You will continue to earn daily
income dividends until the check has cleared. Please see
"More Information About Selling Your Shares By Check" below.
By Mail 1. Send us written instructions signed by all account owners
2. Include any outstanding share certificates for the shares
you are selling
3. Provide a signature guarantee if required
4. Corporate, partnership and trust accounts may need to send
additional documents. Accounts under court
jurisdiction may have additional requirements.
By Wire
(Only available for
requests over $1,000)
1. Complete the "Wire Redemption Privilege"
section of the shareholder application and
send it to us.
2. Call Shareholder Services
3. If we receive your request in proper form
before 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, your wire payment
will be sent the next business day. You may have
redemption proceeds wired to an escrow account the
same day, if we receive your request in proper
form before 9:00 a.m. Pacific time.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
By Phone
(For requests over $1,000, this option is only available if you have completed
and sent to us the telephone redemption agreement included with this
prospectus.)
Call Shareholder Services
Telephone requests will be accepted:
o If the request is $50,000 or less. Institutional accounts
may exceed $50,000 by completing a separate agreement. Call
Institutional Services to receive a copy.
o If there are no share certificates issued for the shares
you want to sell or you have already returned them to the
Fund
o Unless the address on your account was changed by phone
within the last 30 days
Through Your Dealer Call your investment representative
We will send your redemption check within seven days after we receive your
request in proper form. If you sell your shares by phone, the check may only be
made payable to all registered owners on the account and sent to the address of
record. We are not able to receive or pay out cash in the form of currency.
The wiring of redemption proceeds is a special service that we make available
whenever possible. By offering this service to you, however, the Fund is not
bound to meet any redemption request in less than the seven day period
prescribed by law. Neither the Fund nor its agents shall be liable to you or any
other person if, for any reason, a redemption request by wire is not processed
as described in this section.
If you sell shares you just purchased with a check or draft, we may delay
sending you the proceeds for up to 15 days or more to allow the check or draft
to clear. A certified or cashier's check may clear in less time.
Under unusual circumstances, we may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for
more than seven days as permitted by federal securities law.
Please refer to "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements" for other
important information on how to sell shares.
More Information About Selling Your Shares By Check
The checks are drawn through Bank of America NT & SA (the "Bank"), the Fund's
custodian. The Bank may terminate this service at any time upon notice to you.
When a check is presented for payment, we will redeem an equivalent number of
shares in your account to cover the amount of the check. Your shares will be
redeemed at the Net Asset Value next determined after we receive a check that
does not exceed the collected balance in your account. If a check is presented
for payment that exceeds the collected balance in your account, the Bank may
return the check unpaid. Since you will not know the exact amount in your
account on the day a check clears, you should not use a check to close your
account.
You will generally not be able to convert a check drawn on your Fund account
into a certified or cashier's check by presenting it at the Bank. Because the
Fund is not a bank, we cannot assure that a stop payment order written by you
will be effective. We will use our best efforts, however, to see that these
orders are carried out.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
The Fund does not impose a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. If, however, you
sell shares that were exchanged into the Fund from another Franklin Templeton
Fund and those shares would have been assessed a Contingent Deferred Sales
Charge in the other fund, the Fund will impose the charge as described below.
Certain Franklin Templeton Funds impose a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge if
you sell all or a part of an investment of $1 million or more within the
Contingency Period. The Contingency Period is tolled (or stopped) during the
time the shares are held in the Fund. The charge is 1% of the value of the
shares sold or the Net Asset Value at the time of purchase, whichever is less.
We will first redeem shares not subject to the charge in the following order:
1) A calculated number of shares equal to the capital appreciation on shares
held less than the Contingency Period,
2) Shares purchased with reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions,
and
3) Shares held longer than the Contingency Period.
We then redeem shares subject to the charge in the order they were purchased.
Unless otherwise specified, when you request to sell a stated dollar amount, we
will redeem additional shares to cover any Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. For
requests to sell a stated number of shares, we will deduct the amount of the
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge, if any, from the sale proceeds.
What Distributions Might I Receive from the Fund?
The Fund declares dividends each day that its Net Asset Value is calculated and
pays them to shareholders of record as of the close of business the day before.
The daily allocation of net investment income begins on the day after we receive
your money or settlement of a wire order trade and continues to accrue through
the day we receive your request to sell your shares or the settlement of a wire
order trade.
Dividend payments may vary from day to day and may be omitted on some days,
depending on changes in the Fund's net investment income. The Fund does not pay
"interest" or guarantee any amount of dividends or return on an investment in
its shares.
Dividend Options
Dividends will automatically be reinvested each day in the form of additional
shares of the Fund at the Net Asset Value per share at the close of business.
If you complete the "Special Payment Instructions for Dividends" section of the
shareholder application included with this prospectus, you may direct your
dividends to buy the same class of shares of another Franklin Templeton Fund
(without a sales charge or imposition of a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge).
Many shareholders find this a convenient way to diversify their investments.
You may also choose to receive dividends in cash. If you have the money sent to
another person or to a checking account, you may need a signature guarantee. If
you send the money to a checking account, please see "Electronic Fund Transfers"
under "Services to Help You Manage Your Account."
If you choose one of these options, the dividends reinvested and credited to
your account during the month will be redeemed as of the close of business on
the last business day of the month and paid as directed on the shareholder
application. You may change your dividend option at any time by notifying us by
mail or phone. Please allow at least seven days for us to process the new
option.
Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements
How and When Shares are Priced
The Fund is open for business each day the Exchange is open. We determine the
Net Asset Value per share at 3:00 p.m. Pacific time. To calculate Net Asset
Value per share, the Fund's assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are
subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of
shares outstanding. The Fund's assets are valued as described under "How are
Fund Shares Valued?" in the SAI.
The Price We Use When You Buy or Sell Shares
You buy and sell shares at Net Asset Value. We will use the Net Asset Value next
calculated after we receive your transaction request in proper form. If you buy
or sell shares through your Securities Dealer, however, we will use the Net
Asset Value next calculated after your Securities Dealer receives your request,
which is promptly transmitted to the Fund.
Proper Form
An order to buy shares is in proper form when we receive your signed shareholder
application and check or wired funds. Written requests to sell or exchange
shares are in proper form when we receive written instructions signed by all
registered owners, with a signature guarantee if necessary. We must also receive
any outstanding share certificates for those shares.
Many of the Fund's investments must be paid for in federal funds, which are
monies held by the Fund's custodian bank on deposit at the Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco and elsewhere. The Fund generally cannot invest money received
from you until it is converted into and is available to the Fund in federal
funds. Therefore, your purchase order may not be considered in proper form until
the money received from you is available in federal funds, which may take up to
two days. If the Fund is able to make investments immediately (within one
business day), it may accept your order with payment in other than federal
funds.
Written Instructions
Written instructions must be signed by all registered owners. To avoid any delay
in processing your transaction, they should include:
o Your name,
o The Fund's name,
o A description of the request,
o For exchanges, the name of the fund you're exchanging into,
o Your account number,
o The dollar amount or number of shares, and
o A telephone number where we may reach you during the day, or in the evening if
preferred.
Signature Guarantees
For our mutual protection, we require a signature guarantee in the following
situations:
1) You wish to sell over $50,000 worth of shares,
2) You want the proceeds to be paid to someone other than the registered owners,
3) The proceeds are not being sent to the address of record, preauthorized bank
account, or preauthorized brokerage firm account,
4) We receive instructions from an agent, not the registered owners,
5) We believe a signature guarantee would protect us against potential claims
based on the instructions received.
A signature guarantee verifies the authenticity of your signature and may be
obtained from certain banks, brokers or other eligible guarantors. You should
verify that the institution is an eligible guarantor prior to signing. A
notarized signature is not sufficient.
Share Certificates
We will credit your shares to your Fund account. We do not issue share
certificates unless you specifically request them. This eliminates the costly
problem of replacing lost, stolen or destroyed certificates. If a certificate is
lost, stolen or destroyed, you may have to pay an insurance premium of up to 2%
of the value of the certificate to replace it.
Any outstanding share certificates must be returned to the Fund if you want to
sell or exchange those shares or if you would like to start a systematic
withdrawal plan. The certificates should be properly endorsed. You can do this
either by signing the back of the certificate or by completing a share
assignment form. For your protection, you may prefer to complete a share
assignment form. In this case, you should send the certificate and assignment
form in separate envelopes.
Telephone Transactions
You may initiate many transactions by phone. Please refer to the sections of
this prospectus that discuss the transaction you would like to make or call
Shareholder Services.
When you call, we will request personal or other identifying information to
confirm that instructions are genuine. We will also record calls. We will not be
liable for following instructions communicated by telephone if we reasonably
believe they are genuine. For your protection, we may delay a transaction or not
implement one if we are not reasonably satisfied that the instructions are
genuine. If this occurs, we will not be liable for any loss.
If our lines are busy or you are otherwise unable to reach us by phone, you may
wish to ask your investment representative for assistance or send written
instructions to us, as described elsewhere in this prospectus. If you are unable
to execute a transaction by telephone, we will not be liable for any loss.
Account Registrations and Required Documents
When you open an account, you need to tell us how you want your shares
registered. How you register your account will affect your ownership rights and
ability to make certain transactions. If you have questions about how to
register your account, you should consult your investment representative or
legal advisor. Please keep the following information in mind when registering
your account.
Joint Ownership. If you open an account with two or more owners, we register the
account as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship" unless you tell us
otherwise. An account registered as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship"
is shown as "Jt Ten" on your account statement. For any account with two or more
owners, all owners must sign instructions to process transactions and changes to
the account. Even if the law in your state says otherwise, you will not be able
to change owners on the account unless all owners agree in writing. If you would
like another person or owner to sign for you, please send us a current power of
attorney.
Gifts and Transfers to Minors. You may set up a custodial account for a minor
under your state's Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act. Other than this form
of registration, a minor may not be named as an account owner.
Trusts. If you register your account as a trust, you should have a valid written
trust document to avoid future disputes or possible court action over who owns
the account.
Required Documents. For corporate, partnership and trust accounts, please send
us the following documents when you open your account. This will help avoid
delays in processing your transactions while we verify who may sign on the
account.
TYPE OF ACCOUNT DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Corporation Corporate Resolution
Partnership 1. The pages from the partnership agreement that
identify the general partners, or
2. A certification for a partnership agreement
Trust 1. The pages from the trust document that
identify the trustees, or
2. A certification for trust
Street or Nominee Accounts. If you have Fund shares held in a "street" or
"nominee" name account with your Securities Dealer, you may transfer the shares
to the street or nominee name account of another Securities Dealer. Both dealers
must have an agreement with Distributors or we will not process the transfer.
Contact your Securities Dealer to initiate the transfer. We will process the
transfer after we receive authorization in proper form from your delivering
Securities Dealer. Accounts may be transferred electronically through the NSCC.
For accounts registered in street or nominee name, we may take instructions
directly from the Securities Dealer or your nominee.
Electronic Instructions. If there is a Securities Dealer or other representative
of record on your account, we are authorized to use and execute electronic
instructions. We can accept electronic instructions directly from your dealer or
representative without further inquiry. Electronic instructions may be processed
through the services of the NSCC, which currently include the NSCC's
"Networking," "Fund/SERV," and "ACATS" systems, or through Franklin/Templeton's
PCTrades II(TM) System.
Tax Identification Number
For tax reasons, we must have your correct Social Security or tax identification
number on a signed shareholder application or applicable tax form. Federal law
requires us to withhold 31% of your taxable distributions and sale proceeds if
(i) you have not furnished a certified correct taxpayer identification number,
(ii) you have not certified that withholding does not apply, (iii) the IRS or a
Securities Dealer notifies the Fund that the number you gave us is incorrect, or
(iv) you are subject to backup withholding.
We may refuse to open an account if you fail to provide the required tax
identification number and certifications. We may also close your account if the
IRS notifies us that your tax identification number is incorrect. If you
complete an "awaiting TIN" certification, we must receive a correct tax
identification number within 60 days of your initial purchase to keep your
account open.
Keeping Your Account Open
Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining a small account, we may close
your account if the value of your shares is less than $250. We will only do this
if the value of your account fell below this amount because you voluntarily sold
your shares and your account has been inactive (except for the reinvestment of
distributions) for at least six months. Before we close your account, we will
notify you and give you 30 days to increase the value of your account to $500.
Services to Help You Manage Your Account
Automatic Investment Plan
Our automatic investment plan offers a convenient way to invest in the Fund.
Under the plan, you can have money transferred automatically from your checking
account to the Fund each month to buy additional shares. If you are interested
in this program, please refer to the automatic investment plan application
included with this prospectus or contact your investment representative. You may
discontinue the program at any time by notifying Investor Services by mail or
phone.
Automatic Payroll Deduction
You may have money transferred from your paycheck to the Fund to buy additional
shares. Your investments will continue automatically until you instruct the Fund
and your employer to discontinue the plan. To process your investment, we must
receive both the check and payroll deduction information in required form. Due
to different procedures used by employers to handle payroll deductions, there
may be a delay between the time of the payroll deduction and the time we receive
the money.
Rights of Accumulation
You may include the cost or current value (whichever is higher) of your Fund
shares when determining if you may buy shares of another Franklin Templeton Fund
at a discount. You may also include your Fund shares towards the completion of a
Letter of Intent established in connection with the purchase of shares of
another Franklin Templeton Fund.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
Our systematic withdrawal plan allows you to sell your shares and receive
regular payments from your account on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual
basis. The value of your account must be at least $5,000 and the minimum payment
amount for each withdrawal must be at least $50.
If you would like to establish a systematic withdrawal plan, call Shareholder
Services. You may choose to direct your payments to buy the same class of shares
of another Franklin Templeton Fund or have the money sent directly to you, to
another person, or to a checking account. If you choose to have the money sent
to a checking account, please see "Electronic Fund Transfers" below.
You will generally receive your payment by the fifth business day of the month
in which a payment is scheduled. Beginning with your February 1997 payment,
however, you will generally receive your payment by the end of the month in
which a payment is scheduled. When you sell your shares under a systematic
withdrawal plan, it is a taxable transaction.
You may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan, change the amount and schedule
of withdrawal payments, or suspend one payment by notifying us in writing at
least seven business days before the end of the month preceding a scheduled
payment. Please see "How Do I Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares? - Systematic
Withdrawal Plan" in the SAI for more information.
Electronic Fund Transfers
You may choose to have distributions from the Fund or payments under a
systematic withdrawal plan sent directly to a checking account. If the checking
account is with a bank that is a member of the Automated Clearing House, the
payments may be made automatically by electronic funds transfer. If you choose
this option, please allow at least fifteen days for initial processing. We will
send any payments made during that time to the address of record on your
account.
TeleFACTS(R)
From a touch-tone phone, you may call our TeleFACTS system (day or night) at
1-800/247-1753 to:
o obtain information about your account;
o obtain price and performance information about any Franklin Templeton Fund;
o exchange shares between identically registered Franklin accounts; and
o request duplicate statements, money fund checks, and deposit slips.
You will need the Fund's code number to use TeleFACTS. The Fund's code is 114.
Statements and Reports to Shareholders
We will send you the following statements and reports on a regular basis:
o Confirmation and account statements reflecting transactions in your account,
including additional purchases and dividend reinvestments. Please verify the
accuracy of your statements when you receive them.
o Financial reports of the Fund will be sent every six months. To reduce Fund
expenses, we attempt to identify related shareholders within a household and
send only one copy of a report. Call Fund Information if you would like an
additional free copy of the Fund's financial reports or an interim quarterly
report.
Institutional Accounts
Additional methods of buying, selling or exchanging shares of the Fund may be
available to institutional accounts. For further information, call Institutional
Services.
Special procedures have been designed for banks and other institutions that
would like to open multiple accounts in the Fund. Please see the SAI for more
information.
Availability of These Services
The services above are available to most shareholders. If, however, your shares
are held by a financial institution, in a street name account, or networked
through the NSCC, the Fund may not be able to offer these services directly to
you. Please contact your investment representative.
What If I Have Questions About My Account?
If you have any questions about your account, you may write to Investor Services
at 777 Mariners Island Blvd., P.O. Box 7777, San Mateo, California 94403-7777.
The Fund, Distributors and Advisers are also located at this address. You may
also contact us by phone at one of the numbers listed below.
HOURS OF OPERATION (PACIFIC TIME)
DEPARTMENT NAME TELEPHONE NO. (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)
Shareholder Services 1-800/632-2301 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Dealer Services 1-800/524-4040 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fund Information 1-800/DIAL BEN 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
(1-800/342-5236) 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Saturday)
Retirement Plans 1-800/527-2020 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Institutional Services 1-800/321-8563 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TDD (hearing impaired) 1-800/851-0637 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Your phone call may be monitored or recorded to ensure we provide you with high
quality service. You will hear a regular beeping tone if your call is being
recorded.
Glossary
Useful Terms and Definitions
1940 Act - Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
Advisers - Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund's investment manager
Board - The Board of Directors of the Fund
Class I and Class II - Certain funds in the Franklin Templeton Funds offer two
classes of shares, designated "Class I" and "Class II." The two classes have
proportionate interests in the same portfolio of investment securities. They
differ, however, primarily in their sales charge structures and Rule 12b-1
plans. Shares of the Fund are considered Class I shares for redemption, exchange
and other purposes.
Code - Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
Contingency Period - The 12 month period during which a Contingent Deferred
Sales Charge may apply. Regardless of when during the month you purchased
shares, they will age one month on the last day of that month and each following
month.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) - A sales charge of 1% that may apply if
you sell your shares within the Contingency Period.
Distributors - Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., the Fund's principal
underwriter. The SAI lists the officers and Board members who are affiliated
with Distributors. See "Officers and Directors."
Exchange - New York Stock Exchange
Investor Services - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's shareholder
servicing and transfer agent
Franklin Funds - The mutual funds in the Franklin Group of Funds(R) except
Franklin Valuemark Funds and the Franklin Government Securities Trust
Franklin Templeton Funds - The Franklin Funds and the Templeton Funds
Franklin Templeton Group - Franklin Resources, Inc., a publicly owned holding
company, and its various subsidiaries
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds - All U.S. registered investment companies in
the Franklin Group of Funds(R) and the Templeton Group of Funds
FT Services - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's administrator
Investor Services - Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc., the Fund's
shareholder servicing and transfer agent
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
Market Timer(s) - Market Timers generally include market timing or allocation
services, accounts administered so as to buy, sell or exchange shares based on
predetermined market indicators, or any person or group whose transactions seem
to follow a timing pattern.
NASD - National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Net Asset Value (NAV) - The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting
the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The net asset
value per share is determined by dividing the net asset value of the fund by the
number of shares outstanding.
NSCC - National Securities Clearing Corporation
Resources - Franklin Resources, Inc.
SAI - Statement of Additional Information
SEC - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities Dealer - A financial institution that, either directly or through
affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and
accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not
indicate a legal conclusion of capacity.
TeleFACTS(R) - Franklin Templeton's automated customer servicing system
Templeton Funds - The U.S. registered mutual funds in the Templeton Group of
Funds except Templeton Capital Accumulator Fund, Inc., Templeton Variable
Annuity Fund, and Templeton Variable Products Series Fund
U.S. - United States
We/Our/Us - Unless the context indicates a different meaning, these terms refer
to the Fund and/or Investor Services, Distributors, or other wholly owned
subsidiaries of Resources.
FRANKLIN
TAX-EXEMPT
MONEY FUND
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
777 Mariners Island Blvd., P.O. Box 7777
San Mateo, CA 94403-7777 1-800/DIAL BEN
DECEMBER 1, 1996
CONTENTS PAGE
How does the Fund Invest its Assets? 2
Investment Restrictions........... 5
Officers and Directors............ 6
Investment Management
and Other Services............... 10
How does the Fund Buy Securities
for its Portfolio?............... 11
How Do I Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares? 11
How are Fund Shares Valued?....... 13
Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes.......... 14
The Fund's Underwriter............ 15
How does the Fund
Measure Performance?............. 16
Miscellaneous Information......... 17
Financial Statements.............. 18
Useful Terms and Definitions...... 18
Appendix
Description of Ratings........... 18
When reading this SAI, you will see certain terms beginning with capital
letters. This means the term is explained under "Useful Terms and Definitions."
The Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund (the "Fund") is a no-load, diversified,
open-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to
attain the highest level of current income that is exempt from federal income
taxes, consistent with liquidity and the preservation of capital. The Fund seeks
to achieve its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio of municipal
securities that Advisers, under supervision of the Board, has determined present
minimal credit risks.
The Prospectus, dated December 1, 1996, as may be amended from time to time,
contains the basic information you should know before investing in the Fund. For
a free copy, call 1-800/DIAL BEN or write the Fund at the address shown.
THIS SAI IS NOT A PROSPECTUS. IT CONTAINS INFORMATION IN ADDITION TO AND IN MORE
DETAIL THAN SET FORTH IN THE PROSPECTUS. THIS SAI IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU
WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS OF THE FUND,
AND SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PROSPECTUS.
MUTUAL FUNDS, ANNUITIES, AND OTHER INVESTMENT PRODUCTS:
O ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE
FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER AGENCY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT;
O ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED BY ANY BANK;
O ARE SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF PRINCIPAL.
How does the Fund Invest its Assets?
The following provides more detailed information about some of the securities
the Fund may buy and its investment policies. You should read it together with
the section in the Prospectus entitled "How does the Fund Invest its Assets?"
Except as noted, the Fund's investment objective and policies discussed in this
SAI are fundamental and may not be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing in a diversified portfolio
of high quality, short-term debt obligations issued by states, territories and
possessions of the U.S., the District of Columbia, and their political
subdivisions and duly constituted authorities, the interest from which is wholly
exempt from federal income tax in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer.
These securities are generally known as "municipal securities."
The Fund will invest in municipal securities that have been rated, at the time
of purchase, in one of the two highest rating categories of Moody's Investors
Service ("Moody's"), Standard and Poor's Corporation ("S&P"), or Fitch Investors
Service Inc. ("Fitch"), or that are unrated, but only if Advisers believes that
the financial condition of the issuers limits the risks to the Fund to a degree
comparable to securities rated at least within the two highest categories of
Moody's, S&P or Fitch. Municipal securities that depend on the credit of the
federal government will be regarded as having a rating of triple-A by Moody's,
S&P or Fitch. Please see the Appendix in this SAI for a description of ratings.
After their purchase by the Fund, municipal securities may be assigned lower
ratings or cease to be rated. This generally will not require the elimination of
the issue from the Fund's portfolio, although it will be taken into
consideration by Advisers in determining whether the Fund should continue to
hold the security. In addition to considering ratings assigned by the rating
services in its selection of the Fund's portfolio securities, Advisers will
consider, among other things, information concerning the financial history and
condition of the issuer, its revenue and expense prospects and, in the case of
revenue bonds, the financial history and condition of the source of revenue to
service the debt securities.
The Fund may buy other types of tax-exempt instruments, such as tax-exempt
commercial paper, issued by municipalities. These investments will be limited to
those instruments that are rated no lower than P-2 by Moody's, A-2 by S&P, or
F-2 by Fitch. With respect to short-term discount notes or tax-exempt commercial
paper that are unrated, the Fund may invest only in instruments of issuers who
have an outstanding debt security rated in the two highest categories by S&P,
Moody's or Fitch. The Fund may buy other types of tax-exempt instruments as long
as, in the opinion of Advisers, they are of comparable quality to the debt or
commercial paper ratings stated above.
Generally, all of the instruments held by the Fund are offered on the basis of a
quoted yield to maturity. The price of the security is adjusted so that relative
to the stated rate of interest, it will return the quoted rate to the buyer. The
maturities of these instruments at the time of issue will generally range from
three to 13 months.
Each political subdivision, agency or instrumentality, each multi-state agency
of which a state is a member, and each public authority that issues private
activity bonds on behalf of a private entity, will be regarded as a separate
issuer for determining the diversification of the Fund's portfolio. Where
securities are backed only by assets and revenues of a particular
instrumentality, facility or subdivision, that entity is considered the issuer.
A bond for which the payments of principal and interest are secured or become
secured by an escrow account of securities backed by the full faith and credit
of the U.S. government ("defeased"), in general, will not be treated as an
obligation of the original municipality for purposes of determining issuer
diversification.
DESCRIPTION OF MUNICIPAL AND OTHER SECURITIES
TAX ANTICIPATION NOTES. These are used to finance working capital needs of
municipalities and are issued in anticipation of various seasonal tax revenues
that will be used to pay the notes. They are usually general obligations of the
issuer, secured by the taxing power for the payment of principal and interest.
REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES. These are issued in expectation of receipt of other
kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues available under the Federal Revenue
Sharing Program. They are usually general obligations of the issuer.
BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES. These are normally issued to provide interim financing
until long-term financing can be arranged. Long-term bonds then provide the
money for the repayment of the notes.
CONSTRUCTION LOAN NOTES. These are sold to provide construction financing for
specific projects. After successful completion and acceptance, many projects
receive permanent financing through the Federal Housing Administration under the
Federal National Mortgage Association or the Government National Mortgage
Association.
TAX-EXEMPT COMMERCIAL PAPER. These typically represent a short-term obligation
(270 days or less) issued by a municipality to meet working capital needs.
MUNICIPAL BONDS, which meet longer-term capital needs and generally have
maturities of more than one year when issued, have two principal
classifications: general obligation bonds and revenue bonds.
1. GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states,
counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these
obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including
construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, and water and sewer
systems. The basic security behind general obligation bonds is the issuer's
pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal
and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may
be limited or unlimited as to the rate or amount of special assessments.
2. REVENUE BONDS. A revenue bond is not secured by the full faith, credit and
taxing power of an issuer. Rather, the principal security for a revenue bond is
generally the net revenue derived from a particular facility, group of
facilities or, in some cases, the proceeds of a special excise tax or other
specific revenue source. Revenue bonds are issued to finance a wide variety of
capital projects, including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways,
bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; and
hospitals. The principal security behind these bonds may vary. Housing finance
authorities have a wide range of security, including partially or fully insured
mortgages, rent subsidized and/or collateralized mortgages, and/or the net
revenues from housing or other public projects. Many bonds provide additional
security in the form of a debt service reserve fund, from which money may be
used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. Some
authorities are provided with further security in the form of a state's
assurance (although without obligation) to make up deficiencies in the debt
service reserve fund.
TAX-EXEMPT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT REVENUE BONDS. These are bonds that pay
tax-exempt interest and are, in most cases, revenue bonds. They are issued by or
on behalf of public authorities to raise money for the financing of various
privately operated facilities for business, manufacturing, housing, sports, and
pollution control. These bonds are also used to finance public facilities such
as airports, mass transit systems, ports, and parking. The payment of the
principal and interest on these bonds is solely dependent on the ability of the
facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of the
real and personal property so financed as security for payment.
VARIABLE OR FLOATING RATE DEMAND NOTES ("VRDNS"). As stated in the Prospectus,
VRDNs are tax-exempt obligations that contain a floating or variable interest
rate and a right of demand, which may be unconditional, to receive payment of
the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short notice period
(generally up to 30 days) before specified dates, either from the issuer or by
drawing on a bank letter of credit, a guarantee or insurance issued with respect
to the instrument. The interest rates are adjustable at intervals ranging from
daily up to monthly, and are calculated to maintain the market value of the VRDN
at approximately its par value on the adjustment date.
WHEN-ISSUED PURCHASES. Municipal bonds are frequently offered on a "when-issued"
basis. When so offered, the price, which is generally expressed in yield terms,
is fixed at the time the commitment to buy is made, but delivery and payment for
the when-issued securities take place at a later date. During the period between
purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no
interest accrues to the Fund. To the extent that assets of the Fund are held in
cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, the Fund would earn no
income. It is the Fund's intention, however, to be fully invested to the extent
practicable and subject to its investment policies. While when-issued securities
may be sold before the settlement date, the Fund intends to buy these securities
with the purpose of actually acquiring them, unless a sale appears desirable for
investment reasons. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to buy a municipal
bond on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the
value of the security in determining its Net Asset Value. The Fund believes that
its Net Asset Value or income will not be adversely affected by its purchase of
municipal bonds on a when-issued basis. The Fund will establish a segregated
account in which it will maintain cash and marketable securities equal in value
to its commitments for when-issued securities.
STRIPPED MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. Municipal securities may also be sold in
"stripped" form. Stripped municipal securities represent separate ownership of
interest and principal payments on municipal obligations.
CALLABLE BONDS. There are municipal bonds issued with provisions that prevent
them from being called, typically for periods of 5 to 10 years. During times of
generally declining interest rates, if the call-protection on callable bonds
expires, there is an increased likelihood that a number of these bonds may, in
fact, be called away by the issuers. Based on a number of factors, including
certain portfolio management strategies used by Advisers, the Fund believes it
has reduced the risk of adverse impact on Net Asset Value based on calls of
callable bonds. Advisers may dispose of these bonds in the years before their
call date, if Advisers believes the bonds are at their maximum premium
potential. When pricing these bonds, each callable bond is marked-to-market
daily based on the bond's call date. Thus, the call of some or all of the Fund's
callable bonds may have an impact on its Net Asset Value. In light of the Fund's
pricing policies and because the Fund follows certain amortization procedures
required by the IRS, the Fund is not expected to suffer any material adverse
impact related to the value at which the Fund has carried the bonds in
connection with calls of bonds purchased at a premium. Notwithstanding these
policies, however, the reinvestment of the proceeds of any called bond may be in
bonds that pay a higher or lower rate of return than the called bonds. As with
any investment strategy, there is no guarantee that a call may not have a more
substantial impact than anticipated.
ESCROW-SECURED BONDS OR DEFEASED BONDS. These are created when an issuer refunds
in advance of maturity (or pre-refunds) an outstanding bond issue that is not
immediately callable, and it becomes necessary or desirable to set aside funds
for redemption of the bonds at a future date. In an advance refunding, the
issuer will use the proceeds of a new bond issue to buy high grade, interest
bearing debt securities that are then deposited in an irrevocable escrow account
held by a trustee bank to secure all future payments of principal and interest
of the advance refunded bond. Escrow-secured bonds will often receive a triple-A
rating from S&P, Moody's and Fitch.
U.S. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS. These are issued by the U.S. Treasury and include
bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds, or by agencies and
instrumentalities of the U.S. government and backed by the full faith and credit
of the U.S. government.
COMMERCIAL PAPER. Commercial paper refers to promissory notes issued by
corporations in order to finance their short-term credit needs.
Certificates of Deposit. CDs are issued against funds deposited in a commercial
bank, are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and
are normally negotiable.
BANKERS' ACCEPTANCES. These are short-term credit instruments used to finance
the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed "accepted"
when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may engage in repurchase transactions in which
the Fund buys a U.S. government security subject to resale to a bank or dealer
at an agreed-upon price and date. The transaction requires the collateralization
of the seller's obligation by the transfer of securities with an initial market
value, including accrued interest, equal to at least 102% of the dollar amount
invested by the Fund in each agreement, with the value of the underlying
security marked-to-market daily to maintain coverage of at least 100%. A default
by the seller might cause the Fund to experience a loss or delay in the
liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The Fund might
also incur disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. The Fund, however,
intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions
such as broker-dealers and banks that are deemed creditworthy by Advisers. A
repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan by the Fund under the 1940 Act. The
U.S. government security subject to resale (the collateral) will be held on
behalf of the Fund by a custodian bank approved by the Board and will be held
pursuant to a written agreement. The period of any repurchase agreements will
usually be short, from overnight to one week, and at no time will the Fund
invest in repurchase agreements with a term of more than one year. The
securities that are subject to repurchase agreements, however, may have maturity
dates in excess of one year from the effective date of the repurchase agreement.
The Fund may not enter into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to
maturity if, as a result, more than 10% of the market value of the Fund's net
assets would be invested in such repurchase agreements together with all other
illiquid investments.
LOANS OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Consistent with procedures approved by the Board
and subject to the following conditions, the Fund may lend its portfolio
securities to qualified securities dealers or other institutional investors,
provided that such loans do not exceed 10% of the value of the Fund's total
assets at the time of the most recent loan. The borrower must deposit with the
Fund's custodian bank collateral with an initial market value of at least 102%
of the initial market value of the securities loaned, including any accrued
interest, with the value of the collateral and loaned securities
marked-to-market daily to maintain collateral coverage of at least 100%. This
collateral shall consist of cash, securities issued by the U.S. government, its
agencies or instrumentalities, or irrevocable letters of credit. The lending of
securities is a common practice in the securities industry. The Fund may engage
in security loan arrangements with the primary objective of increasing the
Fund's income either through investing the cash collateral in short-term
interest bearing obligations or by receiving a loan premium from the borrower.
Under the securities loan agreement, the Fund continues to be entitled to all
dividends or interest on any loaned securities. As with any extension of credit,
there are risks of delay in recovery and loss of rights in the collateral should
the borrower of the security fail financially. Loans are typically subject to
termination by the Fund in the normal settlement time, or by the borrower on one
day's notice. Borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated.
Any gain or loss in the market price of the borrowed securities that occurs
during the term of the loan inures to the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund
may pay reasonable finders', borrowers', administrative, and custodial fees in
connection with a loan of its securities.
GENERAL. The ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goals is dependent on
a number of factors, including Advisers' skills in buying municipal securities
whose issuers have the continuing ability to meet their obligations for the
payment of interest and principal when due. The ability to achieve a high level
of income is dependent on the yields of the securities in the Fund's portfolio.
Yields on municipal securities are the product of a variety of factors,
including the general conditions of the money market and of the municipal
securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the
obligation and the rating of the issue. Municipal securities with longer
maturities tend to produce higher yields and are generally subject to
potentially greater price fluctuations than securities with shorter maturities.
The Fund's policy will generally be to hold securities to maturity rather than
to follow a policy of trading. Due to the short-term nature of the maturities of
the Fund's securities held in its portfolio, it is not expected that there will
be any reportable annual portfolio turnover.
Opinions relating to the validity of municipal securities and to the exclusion
from gross income for federal income tax purposes of the interest on municipal
securities are given by bond counsel at the time of issuance. The Fund does not
review the proceedings relating to the issuance of municipal securities, the
basis for the opinions, or actions of any of the parties thereto with respect to
compliance with requirements of the Code after the date of issue to preserve the
exclusion from gross income.
There may, of course, be other types of municipal securities that become
available that are similar to those described above in which the Fund may also
invest, to the extent such investments would be consistent with the Fund's
objective and policies.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies. These
restrictions may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, this means the
approval of (i) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or (ii) 67%
or more of the shares of the Fund present at a shareholder meeting if more than
50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are represented at the meeting in
person or by proxy, whichever is less. The Fund may not:
(1) Purchase the securities of any issuer (except the U.S. government, its
agencies or instrumentalities or securities which are backed by the full faith
and credit of the U.S.) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would
be invested in the securities of such issuer or more than 10% of the outstanding
voting securities of any class of any issuer would be held by the Fund.
(2) Borrow money, except from a bank for temporary or emergency purposes and
not for investment purposes, and then in an amount not exceeding 10% of the
value of the Fund's total assets at the time of borrowing. (No new investments
will be made by the Fund while any outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of its total
assets.) Secured temporary borrowings may take the form of reverse repurchase
agreements, pursuant to which the Fund would sell portfolio securities for cash
and simultaneously agree to repurchase them at a specified date for the same
amount of cash plus an interest component.
(3) Pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets, except that, to secure
borrowings permitted by subparagraph (2) above, it may pledge securities having
a market value at the time of pledge not exceeding 10% of the value of the
Fund's total assets.
(4) Knowingly purchase or otherwise acquire any securities which are subject to
legal or contractual restrictions on resale or for which there is no readily
available market or engage in any repurchase transactions of more than seven
days' duration if, as a result, more than 10% of its total assets would be
invested in all such securities.
(5) Underwrite any issue of securities, except to the extent that the purchase
of municipal obligations in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives,
policies, and restrictions, either directly from the issuer, or from an
underwriter for an issuer, may be deemed to be underwriting.
(6) Purchase or sell real estate, but this shall not prevent the Fund from
investing in municipal obligations secured by real estate or interests therein.
(7) Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts or invest in oil, gas
or other mineral exploration or development programs.
(8) Make loans, except (i) by the purchase of a portion of an issue of debt
securities in accordance with its investment objectives, policies, and
restrictions, (ii) by engaging in repurchase transactions, and (iii) by making
loans of portfolio securities not in excess of 10% of the value of the Fund's
total assets.
(9) Make short sales of securities or purchase any securities on margin, except
for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions.
(10) Purchase or retain the securities of any issuer other than the securities
of the Fund, if, to the Fund's knowledge, those directors and officers of the
Fund, or of the investment manager, who individually own beneficially more than
1/2 of 1% of the outstanding securities of such issuer together own beneficially
more than 5% of such outstanding securities.
(11) Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of another
company.
(12) Write, purchase or sell puts, calls, or combinations thereof, except that
it may obtain rights to resell municipal bonds and notes as set forth under "How
does the Fund Invest its Assets?"
(13) Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in connection
with a merger, consolidation or acquisition of assets.
(14) Purchase securities (other than municipal bonds, notes and obligations
issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities)
if, as a result, more than 25% of total Fund assets would be invested in any one
industry.
(15) Purchase an industrial revenue bond if, as a result of such purchase, more
than 5% of total Fund assets would be invested in industrial revenue bonds where
the payment of principal and interest are the responsibility of companies with
less than three years of operating history.
If a percentage restriction is met at the time of investment, a later increase
or decrease in the percentage due to a change in value of portfolio securities
or the amount of assets will not be considered a violation of any of the
foregoing restrictions.
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
The Board has the responsibility for the overall management of the Fund,
including general supervision and review of its investment activities. The
Board, in turn, elects the officers of the Fund who are responsible for
administering the Fund's day-to-day operations. The affiliations of the officers
and Board members and their principal occupations for the past five years are
shown below. Members of the Board who are considered "interested persons" of the
Fund under the 1940 Act are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Frank H. Abbott, III (75) Director
1045 Sansome St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
President and Director, Abbott Corporation (an investment company); and
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of 31 of the
investment companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Harris J. Ashton (64) Director
General Host Corporation
Metro Center, 1 Station Place
Stamford, CT 06904-2045
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, General Host
Corporation (nursery and craft centers); Director, RBC Holdings, Inc. (a bank
holding company) and Bar-S Foods; and director, trustee or managing general
partner, as the case may be, of 55 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds.
S. Joseph Fortunato (64) Director
Park Avenue at Morris County
P. O. Box 1945
Morristown, NJ 07962-1945
Member of the law firm of Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch; Director of General Host
Corporation; director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be,
of 57 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
David W. Garbellano (81) Director
111 New Montgomery St., #402
San Francisco, CA 94105
Private Investor; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer and Director, Berkeley Science
Corporation (a venture capital company); and director, trustee or managing
general partner, as the case may be, of 30 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
*Charles B. Johnson (63) Chairman
777 Mariners Island Blvd. of the Board
San Mateo, CA 94404 and Director
President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and
Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.;
Director, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc. and General Host
Corporation; and officer and/or director, trustee or managing general partner,
as the case may be, of most other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and
of 56 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
*Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. (56) President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Director
San Mateo, CA 94404
Executive Vice President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc. and Franklin
Templeton Distributors, Inc.; President and Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.;
Director, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc.; and officer and/or
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of most other
subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 60 of the investment companies
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Frank W. T. LaHaye (67) Director
20833 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Suite 102
Cupertino, CA 95014
General Partner, Peregrine Associates and Miller & LaHaye, which are General
Partners of Peregrine Ventures and Peregrine Ventures II (venture capital
firms); Chairman of the Board and Director, Quarterdeck Office Systems, Inc.;
Director, FischerImaging Corporation; and director, trustee or managing general
partner, as the case may be, of 26 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Group of Funds.
Gordon S. Macklin (68) Director
8212 Burning Tree Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
Chairman, White River Corporation (information services); Director, Fund
American Enterprises Holdings, Inc., MCI Communications, Inc., MedImmune, Inc.
(biotechnology), InfoVest Corporation (information services), Fusion Systems
Corporation (industrial technology), and Source One Mortgage Services
Corporation (information services); and director, trustee or managing general
partner, as the case may be, of 52 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds; and formerly held the following positions: Chairman,
Hambrecht and Quist Group; Director, H & Q Healthcare Investors; and President,
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Harmon E. Burns (51) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Executive Vice President, Secretary and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.;
Executive Vice President and Director, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.;
Executive Vice President, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; Director, Franklin/Templeton
Investor Services, Inc.; officer and/or director, as the case may be, of other
subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee
of 60 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Kenneth V. Domingues (64) Vice President -
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Financial
San Mateo, CA 94404 Reporting and
Accounting
Standards
Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., and
Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; officer and/or director, as the case may
be, of other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or
managing general partner, as the case may be, of 37 of the investment companies
in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Martin L. Flanagan (36) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Chief
San Mateo, CA 94404 Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Franklin
Resources, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Templeton Worldwide, Inc.; Senior
Vice President and Treasurer, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton
Distributors, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services,
Inc.; officer of most other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and
officer, director and/or trustee of 60 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Deborah R. Gatzek (47) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Secretary
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Senior Vice
President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; Vice President, Franklin
Advisers, Inc. and officer of 60 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds.
Thomas J. Kenny (33) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and officer of eight of the
investment companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Diomedes Loo-Tam (57) Treasurer
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Principal
San Mateo, CA 94404 Accounting Officer
Employee of Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer of 37 of the investment
companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Edward V. McVey (59) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President/National Sales Manager, Franklin Templeton Distributors,
Inc.; and officer of 32 of the investment companies in the Franklin Group of
Funds.
Richard C. Stoker (59) Vice President
11615 Spring Ridge Rd.
Potomac, MD 20854
Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; Vice President,
Franklin Management, Inc.; and officer of five of the funds in the Franklin
Group of Funds.
R. Martin Wiskemann (69) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.;
Senior Vice President, Franklin Management, Inc.; Vice President, Treasurer and
Director, ILA Financial Services, Inc. and Arizona Life Insurance Company of
America; and officer and/or director, as the case may be, of 21 of the
investment companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
The table above shows the officers and Board members who are affiliated with
Distributors and Advisers. Nonaffiliated Board members are currently paid $100
per month plus $100 per meeting attended. As shown above, some of the
nonaffiliated Board members also serve as directors, trustees or managing
general partners of other investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group
of Funds. They may receive fees from these funds for their services. The
following table provides the total fees paid to nonaffiliated Board members by
the Fund and by other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Number of
Boards in the
Total Fees Franklin Templeton
Total Fees Received from the Group of Funds
Received Franklin Templeton on Which
Name from the Fund* Group of Funds** Each Serves***
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Frank H. Abbott, III................... $2,400 $162,420 31
Harris J. Ashton....................... $2,400 $327,925 55
S. Joseph Fortunato.................... $2,400 $344,745 57
David W. Garbellano.................... $2,400 $146,100 30
Frank W.T. LaHaye...................... $2,300 $143,200 26
Gordon S. Macklin...................... $2,400 $321,525 52
</TABLE>
*For the fiscal year ended July 31, 1996.
**For the calendar year ended December 31, 1995.
***We base the number of boards on the number of registered investment companies
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. This number does not include the total
number of series or funds within each investment company for which the Board
members are responsible. The Franklin Templeton Group of Funds currently
includes 61 registered investment companies, with approximately 171 U.S. based
funds or series.
Nonaffiliated members of the Board are reimbursed for expenses incurred in
connection with attending board meetings, paid pro rata by each fund in the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds for which they serve as director, trustee or
managing general partner. No officer or Board member received any other
compensation, including pension or retirement benefits, directly or indirectly
from the Fund or other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. Certain
officers or Board members who are shareholders of Resources may be deemed to
receive indirect remuneration by virtue of their participation, if any, in the
fees paid to its subsidiaries.
As of November 4, 1996, the officers and Board members, as a group, owned of
record and beneficially approximately 11,947 shares, or less than 1% of the
Fund's total outstanding shares. Many of the Board members also own shares in
other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. Charles B. Johnson and
Rupert H. Johnson, Jr.
are brothers.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES
INVESTMENT MANAGER AND SERVICES PROVIDED. Advisers is the investment manager of
the Fund. Advisers provides investment research and portfolio management
services, including the selection of securities for the Fund to buy, hold or
sell and the selection of brokers through whom the Fund's portfolio transactions
are executed. Advisers' extensive research activities include, as appropriate,
traveling to meet with issuers and to review project sites. Advisers' activities
are subject to the review and supervision of the Board to whom Advisers renders
periodic reports of the Fund's investment activities. Advisers is covered by
fidelity insurance on its officers, directors and employees for the protection
of the Fund.
Advisers and its affiliates act as investment manager to numerous other
investment companies and accounts. Advisers may give advice and take action with
respect to any of the other funds it manages, or for its own account, that may
differ from action taken by Advisers on behalf of the Fund. Similarly, with
respect to the Fund, Advisers is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to
refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that Advisers and
access persons, as defined by the 1940 Act, may buy or sell for its or their own
account or for the accounts of any other fund. Advisers is not obligated to
refrain from investing in securities held by the Fund or other funds that it
manages. Of course, any transactions for the accounts of Advisers and other
access persons will be made in compliance with the Fund's Code of Ethics. Please
see "Miscellaneous Information Summary of Code of Ethics."
MANAGEMENT FEES. Under its management agreement, the Fund pays Advisers a
management fee equal to a daily rate of 1/584 of 1% (approximately 5/8 of 1% per
year) of the daily net assets of the Fund up to and including $100 million; plus
1/730 of 1% (approximately 1/2 of 1% per year) of average daily net assets over
$100 million up to and including $250 million; and 1/811 of 1% (approximately
45/100 of 1% per year) of average daily net assets over $250 million. The fee is
computed at the close of business each day.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996, management fees, before
any advance waiver, totaled $1,250,390, $1,102,243, and $1,016,591,
respectively. Under an agreement by Advisers to limit its fees, the Fund paid
management fees totaling $886,611, $742,949 and $644,383 for the same periods.
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. The management agreement is in effect until February 28,
1997. It may continue in effect for successive annual periods if its continuance
is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board or by a vote
of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, and in
either event by a majority vote of the Board members who are not parties to the
management agreement or interested persons of any such party (other than as
members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. The
management agreement may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Board
or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, or by Advisers on 60 days' written notice, and will automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides
certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. These include
preparing and maintaining books, records, and tax and financial reports, and
monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements. FT Services is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Resources.
Under its administration agreement, Advisers pays FT Services a monthly
administration fee equal to an annual rate of 0.15% of the Fund's average daily
net assets up to $200 million, 0.135% of average daily net assets over $200
million up to $700 million, 0.10% of average daily net assets over $700 million
up to $1.2 billion, and 0.075% of average daily net assets over $1.2 billion.
The fee is paid by Advisers. It is not a separate expense of the Fund.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGENT. Investor Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Resources, is the Fund's shareholder servicing agent and acts as the Fund's
transfer agent and dividend-paying agent. Investor Services is compensated on
the basis of a fixed fee per account.
CUSTODIANS. Bank of New York, Mutual Funds Division, 90 Washington Street, New
York, New York, 10286, acts as custodian of the securities and other assets of
the Fund. Bank of America NT & SA, 555 California Street, 4th Floor, San
Francisco, California 94104, acts as custodian for cash received in connection
with the purchase of Fund shares. Citibank Delaware, One Penn's Way, New Castle,
Delaware 19720, acts as custodian in connection with transfer services through
bank automated clearing houses. The custodians do not participate in decisions
relating to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.
AUDITORS. Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., 333 Market Street, San Francisco, California
94105, are the Fund's independent auditors. During the fiscal year ended July
31, 1996, their auditing services consisted of rendering an opinion on the
financial statements of the Fund included in the Fund's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the fiscal year ended July 31, 1996.
HOW DOES THE FUND BUY
SECURITIES FOR ITS PORTFOLIO?
Since most purchases by the Fund are principal transactions at net prices, the
Fund incurs little or no brokerage costs. The Fund deals directly with the
selling or buying principal or market maker without incurring charges for the
services of a broker on its behalf, unless it is determined that a better price
or execution may be obtained by using the services of a broker. Purchases of
portfolio securities from underwriters will include a commission or concession
paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include a
spread between the bid and ask prices. As a general rule, the Fund does not buy
bonds in underwritings where it is given no choice, or only limited choice, in
the designation of dealers to receive the commission. The Fund seeks to obtain
prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price. Transactions may be
directed to dealers in return for research and statistical information, as well
as for special services provided by the dealers in the execution of orders.
It is not possible to place a dollar value on the special executions or on the
research services received by Advisers from dealers effecting transactions in
portfolio securities. The allocation of transactions in order to obtain
additional research services permits Advisers to supplement its own research and
analysis activities and to receive the views and information of individuals and
research staff of other securities firms. As long as it is lawful and
appropriate to do so, Advisers and its affiliates may use this research and data
in their investment advisory capacities with other clients.
If the Fund's officers are satisfied that the best execution is obtained,
consistent with internal policies the sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of
other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, may also be considered a
factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute the Fund's portfolio
transactions.
If purchases or sales of securities of the Fund and one or more other investment
companies or clients supervised by Advisers are considered at or about the same
time, transactions in these securities will be allocated among the several
investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all by
Advisers, taking into account the respective sizes of the funds and the amount
of securities to be purchased or sold. In some cases this procedure could have a
detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is
concerned. In other cases it is possible that the ability to participate in
volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be
beneficial to the Fund.
Depending on Advisers' view of market conditions, the Fund may or may not buy
securities with the expectation of holding them to maturity, although its
general policy is to hold securities to maturity. The Fund may, however, sell
securities prior to maturity to meet redemptions or as a result of a revised
management evaluation of the issuer.
During the fiscal years ended July 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996, the Fund paid no
brokerage commissions.
As of July 31, 1996, the Fund did not own securities of its regular
broker-dealers.
HOW DO I BUY, SELL AND EXCHANGE SHARES?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING SHARES
The Fund continuously offers its shares through Securities Dealers who have an
agreement with Distributors. Securities laws of states where the Fund offers its
shares may differ from federal law. Banks and financial institutions that sell
shares of the Fund may be required by state law to register as Securities
Dealers.
All purchases of Fund shares will be credited to you, in full and fractional
shares of the Fund (rounded to the nearest 1/1000 of a share), in an account
maintained for you by the Fund's transfer agent. No share certificates will be
issued for fractional shares at any time. No certificates will be issued to you
if you have elected to redeem shares by check or by preauthorized bank or
brokerage firm account methods. The offering of shares of the Fund may be
suspended at any time and resumed at any time thereafter.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EXCHANGING SHARES
If a substantial number of shareholders should, within a short period, sell
their shares of the Fund under the exchange privilege, the Fund might have to
sell portfolio securities it might otherwise hold and incur the additional costs
related to such transactions.
The proceeds from the sale of shares of an investment company are generally not
available until the fifth business day following the sale. The funds you are
seeking to exchange into may delay issuing shares pursuant to an exchange until
that fifth business day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be
effected at Net Asset Value at the close of business on the day the request for
exchange is received in proper form. Please see "May I Exchange Shares for
Shares of Another Fund?" in the Prospectus.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SELLING SHARES
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. There are no service charges for establishing or
maintaining a systematic withdrawal plan. Payments under the plan will be made
from the redemption of an equivalent amount of shares in your account, generally
on the first business day of the month in which a payment is scheduled for
payments before February 1997 and on the 25th day of the month beginning with
your February 1997 payment. If the 25th falls on a weekend or holiday, we will
process the redemption on the next business day.
Redeeming shares through a systematic withdrawal plan may reduce or exhaust the
shares in your account if payments exceed distributions received from the Fund.
If a withdrawal amount exceeds the value of your account, your account will be
closed and the remaining balance in your account will be sent to you. Because
the amount withdrawn under the plan may be more than your actual yield or
income, part of the payment may be a return of your investment.
The Fund may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan by notifying you in
writing and will automatically discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan if all
shares in your account are withdrawn or if the Fund receives notification of the
shareholder's death or incapacity.
REDEMPTIONS IN KIND. The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash (by check) all
requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount,
however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value
of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period. This commitment
is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of redemption
requests in excess of these amounts, the Board reserves the right to make
payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund, in case
of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be
detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In these circumstances,
the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the
Fund's net assets and you may incur brokerage fees in converting the securities
to cash.
GENERAL INFORMATION
If dividend checks are returned to the Fund marked "unable to forward" by the
postal service, we will consider this a request by you to change your dividend
option to reinvest all distributions. The proceeds will be reinvested in
additional shares at Net Asset Value until we receive new instructions.
If mail is returned as undeliverable or we are unable to locate you or verify
your current mailing address, we may deduct the costs of our efforts to find you
from your account. These costs may include a percentage of the account when a
search company charges a percentage fee in exchange for its location services.
All checks, drafts, wires and other payment mediums used to buy or sell shares
of the Fund must be denominated in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank, and are
accepted subject to collection at full face value. Checks drawn in U.S. funds on
foreign banks will not be credited to your account and dividends will not begin
accruing until the proceeds are collected, which may take a long period of time.
We may, in our sole discretion, either (a) reject any order to buy or sell
shares denominated in any other currency or (b) honor the transaction or make
adjustments to your account for the transaction as of a date and with a foreign
currency exchange factor determined by the drawee bank.
SPECIAL SERVICES. The Franklin Templeton Institutional Services Department
provides specialized services, including recordkeeping, for institutional
investors. The cost of these services is not borne by the Fund.
Investor Services may pay certain financial institutions that maintain omnibus
accounts with the Fund on behalf of numerous beneficial owners for recordkeeping
operations performed with respect to such owners. For each beneficial owner in
the omnibus account, the Fund may reimburse Investor Services an amount not to
exceed the per account fee that the Fund normally pays Investor Services. These
financial institutions may also charge a fee for their services directly to
their clients.
Investor Services may charge you separate fees, negotiated directly with you,
for providing special services in connection with your account, such as
processing a large number of checks each month. Fees for special services will
not increase the expenses borne by the Fund.
Special procedures have been designed for banks and other institutions wishing
to open multiple accounts. An institution may open a single master account by
filing one application form with the Fund, signed by personnel authorized to act
for the institution. Individual sub-accounts may be opened at the time the
master account is filed by listing them, or instructions may be provided to the
Fund at a later date. These sub-accounts may be established by the institution
with registration either by name or number. The investment minimums applicable
to the Fund are applicable to each sub-account. The Fund will provide each
institution with a written confirmation for each transaction in a sub-account
and arrangements may be made at no additional charge for the transmittal of
duplicate confirmations to the beneficial owner of the sub-account.
The Fund will provide to each institution, on a quarterly basis or more
frequently if requested, a statement setting forth each sub-account's share
balance, income earned for the period, income earned for the year to date, and
total current market value.
HOW ARE FUND SHARES VALUED?
We calculate the Net Asset Value per share as of 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, each
day that the Exchange is open for trading. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund
is informed that the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year's Day,
Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
The valuation of the Fund's portfolio securities, including any securities held
in a separate account maintained for when-issued securities, is based on the
amortized cost of the securities, which does not take into account unrealized
capital gains or losses. This method involves valuing an instrument at its cost
and thereafter assuming a constant amortization to maturity of any discount or
premium, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market
value of the instrument. While this method provides certainty in calculation, it
may result in periods during which value, as determined by amortized cost, is
higher or lower than the price the Fund would receive if it sold the instrument.
During periods of declining interest rates, the daily yield on shares of the
Fund computed as described above may tend to be higher than a like computation
made by a fund with identical investments but utilizing a method of valuation
based upon market prices and estimates of market prices for all of its portfolio
instruments. Thus, if the use of amortized cost by the Fund resulted in a lower
aggregate portfolio value on a particular day, a prospective investor in the
Fund would be able to obtain a somewhat higher yield than would result from an
investment in a fund utilizing only market values, and existing investors in the
Fund would receive less investment income. The opposite would be true in a
period of rising interest rates.
The Fund's use of amortized cost, which helps the Fund maintain its Net Asset
Value per share of $1.00, is permitted by a rule adopted by the SEC. Under this
rule, the Fund must adhere to certain conditions. The Fund must maintain a
dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of 90 days or less and only buy
instruments having remaining maturities of 397 calendar days or less. The Fund
must also invest only in those U.S. dollar-denominated instruments that the
Board determines present minimal credit risks and that are rated in one of the
two highest rating categories by nationally recognized statistical rating
agencies, or if unrated are deemed comparable in quality, or are instruments
issued by an issuer that, with respect to an outstanding issue of short-term
debt that is comparable in priority and protection, has received a rating within
the two highest rating categories. Securities subject to floating or variable
interest rates with demand features that comply with applicable SEC rules may
have stated maturities in excess of one year.
The Board has agreed to establish procedures designed to stabilize, to the
extent reasonably possible, the Fund's price per share at $1.00, as computed for
the purpose of sales and redemptions. These procedures will include a review of
the Fund's holdings by the Board, at such intervals as it may deem appropriate,
to determine if the Fund's Net Asset Value calculated by using available market
quotations deviates from $1.00 per share based on amortized cost. The extent of
any deviation will be examined by the Board. If a deviation exceeds 1/2 of 1%,
the Board will promptly consider what action, if any, will be initiated. In the
event the Board determines that a deviation exists that may result in material
dilution or other unfair results to investors or existing shareholders, they
will take corrective action that they regard as necessary and appropriate, which
may include selling portfolio instruments prior to maturity to realize capital
gains or losses or to shorten average portfolio maturity, withholding dividends,
redeeming shares in kind, or establishing a Net Asset Value per share by using
available market quotations.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ON DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund's daily dividend includes accrued interest and any original issue and
market discount, plus or minus any gain or loss on the sale of portfolio
securities and changes in unrealized appreciation or depreciation in portfolio
securities (to the extent required to maintain a stable Net Asset Value per
share), less amortization of any premium paid on the purchase of portfolio
securities and the estimated expenses of the Fund.
Distributions and distribution adjustments resulting from realized gains and
losses on the sale of portfolio securities or from unrealized appreciation or
depreciation in the value of portfolio securities are required to maintain a
$1.00 Net Asset Value per share and may result in under or over distributions of
investment company taxable income or net tax-exempt income.
The Fund may derive capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other
dispositions of its portfolio securities. However, because under normal
circumstances the Fund's portfolio is composed of short-term securities, the
Fund does not expect to realize any long-term capital gains or losses. Any net
short-term or long-term capital gains that are realized by the Fund (adjusted
for any daily amounts of unrealized appreciation or depreciation and taking into
account any capital loss carryforward or post October loss deferral) will
generally be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently
if necessary to avoid federal excise taxes. Any distributions of capital gain
will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund at Net Asset Value, unless
you have previously elected to have them paid in cash.
If you withdraw the entire amount in your account at any time during a month,
all dividends accrued with respect to your account during that month up to the
time of withdrawal will be paid in the same manner and at the same time as your
withdrawal proceeds. You will receive a monthly summary of your account,
including information about dividends reinvested or paid.
The Board may revise the Fund's dividend policy or postpone the payment of
dividends, if warranted in its judgment, due to unusual circumstances such as a
large expense, loss or unexpected fluctuation in net assets.
TAXES
As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund has elected and qualified to be treated as
a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. The Board
reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated
investment company if it determines this course of action to be beneficial to
shareholders. In that case, the Fund will be subject to federal and possibly
state corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains, to the alternative
minimum tax on a portion of its tax-exempt income, and distributions (including
tax-exempt interest dividends) to shareholders will be taxable to the extent of
the Fund's available earnings and profits.
Distributions derived from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net
short-term capital loss, if any, are treated as long-term capital gain
regardless of the length of time you have owned Fund shares and regardless of
whether such distributions are received in cash or in additional shares.
Income derived by the Fund from securities lending transactions, and investments
in commercial paper, bankers' acceptances and CDs will be taxable for federal
income tax purposes when distributed to you. Income derived by the Fund from
interest on direct obligations of the U.S. government will be taxable for
federal income tax purposes when distributed to you.
From time to time, the Fund may buy a tax-exempt obligation with market
discount, that is, for a price that is less than the principal amount of the
bond or for a price that is less than the principal amount of the bond where the
bond was issued with original issue discount and such discount exceeds a de
minimis amount under the Code. For obligations purchased with a fixed maturity
exceeding one year from the date of issue, a portion of the gain (not to exceed
the accrued portion of market discount as of the time of sale or disposition) is
treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Any distribution by the
Fund of such ordinary income to you will be subject to regular income tax in
your hands. In any fiscal year, the Fund may elect not to distribute to you its
taxable ordinary income and to instead pay federal income or excise taxes on
this income at the Fund level. The amount of these distributions, if any, is
expected to be small.
Interest on obligations that are classified as "private activity bonds" is not
excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section
103(b)(1) of the Code, unless such bonds are registered (Section 149 of the
Code) and certain other requirements are satisfied. If the bonds do not satisfy
these requirements, they are not included in the Fund's definition of "municipal
securities," and the Fund will therefore not invest in them. Section 141(e) of
the Code, however, describes certain private activity bonds the interest on
which is excluded from federal gross income (certain small issues and
obligations to finance certain exempt facilities that may be leased to or used
by persons other than the issuer), except when the bonds are held by
"substantial users" or persons related to substantial users as defined below.
The Fund may invest periodically in private activity bonds described in Section
141 of the Code. Since the Fund's holding of such bonds may be attributed to
such substantial users, the Fund may not be an appropriate investment for
persons or entities that are substantial users of facilities financed by private
activity bonds or for investors who are "related persons." Generally, an
individual will not be a related person under the Code unless the investor or
the investor's immediate family (spouse, brothers, sisters and lineal
descendants) own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate more than 50% in
value of the equity of a corporation or partnership that is a substantial user
of a facility financed with the proceeds of private activity bonds. A
"substantial user" of such facilities is defined generally by Section
1.103-11(b) of the Treasury regulations as a "non-exempt person who regularly
uses a part of a facility" financed with the proceeds of a private activity
bond.
Interest on private activity bonds, as well as interest on municipal bonds that
are not private activity bonds, may become includable in gross income,
retroactively to the date of issue, if the bonds become "arbitrage bonds" as
defined in Section 148 of the Code or, in the case of private activity bonds,
certain requirements of the Code are not satisfied after the date of issue.
Persons who are defined in the Code as "substantial users" (or related persons)
of facilities financed by private activity bonds should consult with their tax
advisor before buying shares of the Fund.
The Code requires all funds to distribute at least 98% of their taxable ordinary
income earned during the calendar year and at least 98% of their capital gain
net income earned during the twelve month period ending October 31 of each year
(in addition to amounts from the prior year that were neither distributed nor
taxed to the Fund) to you by December 31 of each year in order to avoid the
imposition of a federal excise tax. Under these rules, certain distributions
that are declared in October, November or December but which, for operational
reasons, may not be paid to you until the following January, will be treated for
tax purposes as if paid by the Fund and received by you on December 31 of the
calendar year in which they are declared. The Fund intends, as a matter of
policy, to declare and pay such dividends, if any, in December to avoid the
imposition of this tax, but does not guarantee that its distributions will be
sufficient to avoid any or all federal excise taxes.
Redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares are taxable events on which you may
realize a gain or loss. Any loss incurred on the sale or exchange of Fund
shares, held for six months or less, will be treated as a long-term capital loss
to the extent of capital gain dividends received with respect to the shares and
will be disallowed to the extent of exempt interest dividends paid with respect
to such shares. Since the Fund seeks to maintain a stable $1.00 Net Asset Value
per share for both purchases and redemptions, however, you are not expected to
realize a capital gain or loss upon sale.
THE FUND'S UNDERWRITER
Pursuant to an underwriting agreement, Distributors acts as principal
underwriter in a continuous public offering for shares of the Fund. The
underwriting agreement will continue in effect for successive annual periods if
its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the
Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, and in either event by a majority vote of the Board members who are
not parties to the underwriting agreement or interested persons of any such
party (other than as members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called
for that purpose. The underwriting agreement terminates automatically in the
event of its assignment and may be terminated by either party on 90 days'
written notice.
Distributors pays the expenses of the distribution of Fund shares, including
advertising expenses and the costs of printing sales material and prospectuses
used to offer shares to the public. The Fund pays the expenses of preparing and
printing amendments to its registration statements and prospectuses (other than
those necessitated by the activities of Distributors) and of sending
prospectuses to existing shareholders.
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 1996, Distributors received $1,571 in
connection with redemptions or repurchases of shares of the Fund.
HOW DOES THE FUND
MEASURE PERFORMANCE?
Performance quotations are subject to SEC rules. These rules require the use of
standardized performance quotations or, alternatively, that every
non-standardized performance quotation furnished by the Fund be accompanied by
certain standardized performance information computed as required by the SEC.
Current yield and effective yield quotations used by the Fund are based on the
standardized methods of computing performance mandated by the SEC. An
explanation of these and other methods used by the Fund to compute or express
performance follows. Regardless of the method used, past performance is not
necessarily indicative of future results.
YIELD
CURRENT YIELD. Current yield shows the income per share earned by the Fund. It
is calculated by determining the net change, excluding capital changes, in the
value of a hypothetical pre-existing account having a balance of one share at
the beginning of the period, subtracting a hypothetical charge reflecting
deductions from shareholder accounts, and dividing the difference by the value
of the account at the beginning of the base period to obtain the base period
return. The result is then annualized by multiplying the base period return by
(365/7). The Fund's current yield for the seven day period ended July 31, 1996,
was 2.86%.
EFFECTIVE YIELD. The Fund's effective yield is calculated in the same manner as
its current yield, except the annualization of the return for the seven day
period reflects the results of compounding. The Fund's effective yield for the
seven day period ended July 31, 1996, was 2.90%.
This figure was obtained using the following SEC formula:
Effective Yield = [(Base Period Return + 1)365/7]-1
TAXABLE-EQUIVALENT YIELDS. The Fund may also quote a taxable-equivalent yield
and a taxable-equivalent effective yield that show the before-tax yield that
would have to be earned from a taxable investment to equal the Fund's yield.
These yields are computed by dividing the portion of the Fund's yield that is
tax-exempt by one minus the highest applicable federal income tax rate and
adding the product to the portion of the Fund's yield that is not tax-exempt, if
any. The Fund's taxable-equivalent yield based on the Fund's current yield for
the seven day period ended July 31, 1996, was 4.74%. The Fund's
taxable-equivalent effective yield based on the Fund's effective yield for the
seven day period ended July 31, 1996, was 4.80%.
As of the date of this SAI, the federal income tax rate upon which the Fund's
taxable-equivalent yield quotations are based was 39.6%. From time to time, as
any changes to the rate become effective, taxable-equivalent yield quotations
advertised by the Fund will be updated to reflect these changes. The Fund
expects updates may be necessary as tax rates are changed by the federal
government. The advantage of tax-free investments, like the Fund, will be
enhanced by any tax rate increases. Therefore, the details of specific tax
increases may be used in sales material for the Fund.
OTHER PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS
The Fund may include in its advertising or sales material information relating
to investment objectives and performance results of funds belonging to the
Templeton Group of Funds. Resources is the parent company of the advisors and
underwriter of both the Franklin Group of Funds and Templeton Group of Funds.
COMPARISONS
To help you better evaluate how an investment in the Fund may satisfy your
investment objective, advertisements and other materials about the Fund may
discuss certain measures of Fund performance as reported by various financial
publications. Materials may also compare performance (as calculated above) to
performance as reported by other investments, indices, and averages. These
comparisons may include, but are not limited to, the following examples:
a) IBC/Donoghue's Money Fund Report(R) - Industry averages for seven-day
annualized and compounded yields of taxable, tax-free, and government money
funds.
b) Bank Rate Monitor - A weekly publication that reports various bank
investments such as CD rates, average savings account rates and average loan
rates.
c) Lipper - Mutual Fund Performance Analysis, Lipper - Fixed Income Fund
Performance Analysis, and Lipper - Mutual Fund Yield Survey - measure total
return and average current yield for the mutual fund industry and rank
individual mutual fund performance over specified time periods, assuming
reinvestment of all distributions, exclusive of any applicable sales charges.
d) Salomon Brothers Bond Market Roundup - A weekly publication that reviews
yield spread changes in the major sectors of the money, government agency,
futures, options, mortgage, corporate, Yankee, Eurodollar, municipal, and
preferred stock markets and summarizes changes in banking statistics and reserve
aggregates.
Advertisements or information may also compare the Fund's performance to the
return on CDs or other investments. You should be aware, however, that an
investment in the Fund involves the risk of fluctuation of principal value, a
risk generally not present in an investment in a CD issued by a bank. For
example, as the general level of interest rates rise, the value of the Fund's
fixed-income investments, as well as the value of its shares that are based upon
the value of such portfolio investments, can be expected to decrease.
Conversely, when interest rates decrease, the value of the Fund's shares can be
expected to increase. CDs are frequently insured by an agency of the U.S.
government. An investment in the Fund is not insured by any federal, state or
private entity.
In assessing comparisons of performance, you should keep in mind that the
composition of the investments in the reported indices and averages is not
identical to the Fund's portfolio, the indices and averages are generally
unmanaged, and the items included in the calculations of the averages may not be
identical to the formula used by the Fund to calculate its figures. In addition,
there can be no assurance that the Fund will continue its performance as
compared to these other averages.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
The Fund may help you achieve various investment goals such as accumulating
money for retirement, saving for a down payment on a home, college costs and
other long-term goals. The Franklin College Costs Planner may help you in
determining how much money must be invested on a monthly basis in order to have
a projected amount available in the future to fund a child's college education.
(Projected college cost estimates are based upon current costs published by the
College Board.) The Franklin Retirement Planning Guide leads you through the
steps to start a retirement savings program. Of course, an investment in the
Fund cannot guarantee that these goals will be met.
The Fund is a member of the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, one of the
largest mutual fund organizations in the U.S., and may be considered in a
program for diversification of assets. Founded in 1947, Franklin, one of the
oldest mutual fund organizations, has managed mutual funds for over 48 years and
now services more than 2.5 million shareholder accounts. In 1992, Franklin, a
leader in managing fixed-income mutual funds and an innovator in creating
domestic equity funds, joined forces with Templeton Worldwide, Inc., a pioneer
in international investing. Together, the Franklin Templeton Group has over $150
billion in assets under management for more than 4.2 million U.S. based mutual
fund shareholder and other accounts. The Franklin Templeton Group of Funds
offers 125 U.S. based open-end investment companies to the public. The Fund may
identify itself by its NASDAQ symbol or CUSIP number.
The Dalbar Surveys, Inc. broker-dealer survey has ranked Franklin number one in
service quality for five of the past eight years.
From time to time advertisements or sales material issued by the Fund may
discuss or be based upon information in a recent issue of the Special Report on
Tax Freedom Day published by the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C. based
nonprofit research and public education organization. The report illustrates,
among other things, the annual amount of time the average taxpayer works to
satisfy his or her tax obligations to the federal, state and local taxing
authorities.
From time to time, the number of Fund shares held in the "street name" accounts
of various Securities Dealers for the benefit of their clients or in centralized
securities depositories may exceed 5% of the total shares outstanding. To the
best knowledge of the Fund, no other person holds beneficially or of record more
than 5% of the Fund's outstanding shares.
In the event of disputes involving multiple claims of ownership or authority to
control your account, the Fund has the right (but has no obligation) to: (a)
freeze the account and require the written agreement of all persons deemed by
the Fund to have a potential property interest in the account, prior to
executing instructions regarding the account; (b) interplead disputed funds or
accounts with a court of competent jurisdiction; or (c) surrender ownership of
all or a portion of the account to the IRS in response to a Notice of Levy.
SUMMARY OF CODE OF ETHICS. Employees of Resources or its subsidiaries who are
access persons under the 1940 Act are permitted to engage in personal securities
transactions subject to the following general restrictions and procedures: (i)
the trade must receive advance clearance from a compliance officer and must be
completed within 24 hours after clearance; (ii) copies of all brokerage
confirmations must be sent to a compliance officer and, within 10 days after the
end of each calendar quarter, a report of all securities transactions must be
provided to the compliance officer; and (iii) access persons involved in
preparing and making investment decisions must, in addition to (i) and (ii)
above, file annual reports of their securities holdings each January and inform
the compliance officer (or other designated personnel) if they own a security
that is being considered for a fund or other client transaction or if they are
recommending a security in which they have an ownership interest for purchase or
sale by a fund or other client.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report to Shareholders
of the Fund, for the fiscal year ended July 31, 1996, including the auditors'
report, are incorporated herein by reference.
USEFUL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1940 ACT - Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
ADVISERS - Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund's investment manager
BOARD - The Board of Directors of the Fund
CD - Certificate of deposit
CODE - Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
DISTRIBUTORS - Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., the Fund's principal
underwriter
EXCHANGE - New York Stock Exchange
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON GROUP OF FUNDS - All U.S. registered investment companies in
the Franklin Group of Funds(R) and the Templeton Group of Funds
FT SERVICES - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's administrator
INVESTOR SERVICES - Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc., the Fund's
shareholder servicing and transfer agent
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
NET ASSET VALUE (NAV) - The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting
the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The net asset
value per share is determined by dividing the net asset value of the fund by the
number of shares outstanding.
PROSPECTUS - The prospectus for the Fund dated December 1, 1996, as may be
amended from time to time
RESOURCES - Franklin Resources, Inc.
SAI - Statement of Additional Information
SEC - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
SECURITIES DEALER - A financial institution which, either directly or through
affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and
accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not
indicate a legal conclusion of capacity.
U.S. - United States
WE/OUR/US - Unless a different meaning is indicated by the context, these terms
refer to the Fund and/or Investor Services, Distributors, or other wholly owned
subsidiaries of Resources.
APPENDIX
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
MUNICIPAL BOND RATINGS
MOODY'S
AAA: Municipal bonds rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry
the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as
"gilt-edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or exceptionally stable
margin, and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are
likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair
the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
AA: Municipal bonds rated Aa are judged to be high quality by all standards.
Together with the Aaa group, they comprise what are generally known as
high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of
protection may not be as large, fluctuation of protective elements may be of
greater amplitude, or there may be other elements present which make the
long-term risks appear somewhat larger.
A: Municipal bonds rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are
considered upper medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal
and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest
a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
BAA: Municipal bonds rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e.,
they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and
principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective
elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great
length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and, in
fact, have speculative characteristics as well.
S&P
AAA: Municipal bonds rated AAA are the highest-grade obligations. They possess
the ultimate degree of protection as to principal and interest. In the market,
they move with interest rates and, hence, provide the maximum safety on all
counts.
AA: Municipal bonds rated AA also qualify as high-grade obligations, and in the
majority of instances differ from AAA issues only in a small degree. Here, too,
prices move with the long-term money market.
A: Municipal bonds rated A are regarded as upper medium-grade. They have
considerable investment strength but are not entirely free from adverse effects
of changes in economic and trade conditions. Interest and principal are regarded
as safe. They predominantly reflect money rates in their market behavior but
also, to some extent, economic conditions.
BBB: Bonds rated BBB are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
principal and interest. Whereas they normally exhibit adequate protection
parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more
likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay principal and interest for bonds in
this category than for bonds in the A category.
Note: The S&P ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-)
sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
FITCH
AAA: Municipal bonds rated AAA are considered to be of investment grade and of
the highest credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to
pay interest and repay principal which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably
foreseeable events.
AA: Municipal bonds rated AA are considered to be investment grade and of very
high credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal
is very strong although not quite as strong as bonds rated AAA and not
significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future developments.
A: Municipal bonds rated A are considered to be investment grade and of high
credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is
considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in
economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.
BBB: Municipal bonds rated BBB are considered to be investment grade and of
satisfactory credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay
principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions
and circumstances, however, are more likely to have an adverse impact on these
bonds, and therefore impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of
these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for bonds with
higher ratings.
Plus (+) or minus (-) signs are used with a rating symbol to indicate the
relative position of a credit within the rating category. Plus or minus are not
used for the AAA category.
MUNICIPAL NOTE RATINGS
MOODY'S
Moody's ratings for state, municipal and other short-term obligations will be
designated Moody's Investment Grade ("MIG"). This distinction is in recognition
of the differences between short-term credit risk and long-term risk. Factors
affecting the liquidity of the borrower are uppermost in importance in
short-term borrowing; factors of the first importance in long-term borrowing
risk are of lesser importance in the short run. Symbols used will be as follows:
MIG 1: Notes are of the best quality enjoying strong protection from established
cash flows of funds for their servicing or from established and broad-based
access to the market for refinancing, or both.
MIG 2: Notes are of high quality, with margins of protection ample, although not
so large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3: Notes are of favorable quality, with all security elements accounted for,
but lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Market access for
refinancing, in particular, is likely to be less well established.
MIG 4: Notes are of adequate quality, carrying specific risk but having
protection and not distinctly or predominantly speculative.
S&P
Until June 29, 1984, S&P used the same rating symbols for notes and bonds. After
June 29, 1984, for new municipal note issues due in three years or less, the
ratings below will usually be assigned. Notes maturing beyond three years will
most likely receive a bond rating of the type recited above.
SP-1: Issues carrying this designation have a very strong or strong capacity to
pay principal and interest. Issues determined to possess overwhelming safety
characteristics will be given a "plus" (+) designation.
SP-2: Issues carrying this designation have a satisfactory capacity to pay
principal and interest.
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
MOODY'S
Moody's commercial paper ratings, which are also applicable to municipal paper
investments permitted to be made by the Fund, are opinions of the ability of
issuers to repay punctually their promissory obligations not having an original
maturity in excess of nine months. Moody's employs the following designations,
all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment capacity
of rated issuers:
P-1 (PRIME-1): Superior capacity for repayment.
P-2 (PRIME-2): Strong capacity for repayment.
S&P
S&P's ratings are a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of
debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded
into four categories, ranging from "A" for the highest quality obligations to
"D" for the lowest. Issues within the "A" category are delineated with the
numbers 1, 2 and 3 to indicate the relative degree of safety, as follows:
A-1: This designation indicates the degree of safety regarding timely payment is
very strong. A "plus" (+) designation indicates an even stronger likelihood of
timely payment.
A-2: Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is strong.
However, the relative degree of safety is not as overwhelming as for issues
designated A-1.
A-3: Issues carrying this designation have a satisfactory capacity for timely
payment. They are, however, somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effects of
changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher designations.
FITCH
Fitch's short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand
or have original maturities of generally up to three years, including commercial
paper, certificates of deposit, medium-term notes, and municipal and investment
notes. The short-term rating places greater emphasis than a long-term rating on
the existence of liquidity necessary to meet the issuer's obligations in a
timely manner.
F-1+: Exceptionally strong credit quality. Regarded as having the strongest
degree of assurance for timely payment.
F-1: Very strong credit quality. Reflect on assurance of timely payment only
slightly less in degree than issues rated F-1+.
F-2: Good credit quality. A satisfactory degree of assurance for timely payment,
but the margin of safety is not as great as for issues assigned F-1+ and F-1
ratings.
F-3: Fair credit quality. Have characteristics suggesting that the degree of
assurance for timely payment is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes
could cause these securities to be rated below investment grade.
LOC: The symbol LOC indicates that the rating is based on a letter of credit
issued by a commercial bank.
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
File Nos. 2-72614
& 811-3193
FORM N-1A
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 24 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
a) Financial Statements incorporated herein by reference to the
Registrant's Annual Report to Shareholders, dated July 31, 1996 as filed
with the SEC on Form Type N-30D on October 08, 1996.
(i) Report of Independent Auditors
(ii) Statement of Investments in Securities and Net Assets, July 31,
1996.
(iii)Statement of Assets and Liabilities - July 31, 1996.
(iv) Statement of Operations - for the year ended July 31, 1996.
(v) Statements of Changes in Net Assets - for the years ended July 31,
1996 and 1995.
(vi) Notes to Financial Statements
b) Exhibits: The following exhibits are incorporated by reference as noted,
except exhibits 5(ii), 6(i), 8(iii), 8(iv), 10(i), 11(i) and 27(i) which
are filed herewith.
(1) copies of the charter as now in effect;
(i) Articles of Incorporation dated March 17, 1980
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(ii) Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation dated
July 14, 1981
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(iii) Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation dated
August 27, 1993
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(2) copies of the existing By-Laws or instruments corresponding thereto;
(i) By-Laws
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(ii) Amendment to By-Laws dated November 17, 1987
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(3) copies of any voting trust agreement with respect to more than five
percent of any class of equity securities of the Registrant;
Not Applicable
(4) specimens or copies of each security issued by the Registrant,
including copies of all constituent instruments, defining the rights of the
shareholders of such securities, and copies of each security being
registered;
Not Applicable
(5) copies of all investment advisory contracts relating to the management
of the assets of the Registrant;
(i) Management Agreement between Registrant and Franklin
Advisers, Inc. dated December 1, 1986
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(ii) Amendment to Management Agreement between Registrant and
Franklin Advisers, Inc. dated August 1, 1995
(6) copies of each underwriting or distribution contract between the
Registrant and a principal underwriter, and specimens or copies of all
agreements between principal underwriters and dealers;
(i) Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement between
Registrant and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated April
23, 1995.
(ii) Forms of Dealer Agreements between Franklin/Templeton
Distributors, Inc. and Securities Dealers
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(7) copies of all bonus, profit sharing, pension or other similar contracts
or arrangements wholly or partly for the benefit of directors or officers
of the Registrant in their capacity as such; any such plan that is not set
forth in a formal document, furnish a reasonably detailed description
thereof;
Not Applicable
(8) copies of all custodian agreements and depository contracts under
Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act, with respect to securities and similar
investments of the Registrant, including the schedule of renumeration;
(i) Custodian Agreement between Registrant and Bank of America
NT & SA dated December 1, 1982
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(ii) Copy of Custodian Agreements between Registrant and
Citibank Delaware
1. Citicash Management ACH Customer Agreement
2. Citibank Cash Management Services Master Agreement
3. Short Form Bank Agreement - Deposits and Disbursements
of Funds
Registrant: Franklin Premier Return Fund
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 2-12647
Filing Date: February 27, 1995
(iii) Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and
Bank of New York dated February 16, 1996
(iv) Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of
New York dated February 16, 1996
(9) copies of all other material contracts not made in the ordinary course
of business which are to be performed in whole or in part at or after the
date of filing the Registration Statement;
Not Applicable
(10) an opinion and consent of counsel as to the legality of the securities
being registered, indicating whether they will when sold be legally issued,
fully paid and nonassessable;
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated November 20, 1996
(11) copies of any other opinions, appraisals or rulings and consents to
the use thereof relied on in the preparation of this registration statement
and required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act;
(i) Consent of Independent Auditors dated November 26, 1996
(12) all financial statements omitted from Item 23;
Not Applicable
(13) copies of any agreements or understandings made in consideration for
providing the initial capital between or among the Registrant, the
underwriter, advisor, promoter or initial stockholders and written
assurances from promoters or initial stockholders that their purchases were
made for investment purposes without any present intention of redeeming or
reselling;
(i) Letter of Understanding dated July 14, 1981
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(14) copies of the model plan used in the establishment of any retirement
plan in conjunction with which Registrant offers its securities, any
instructions thereto and any other documents making up the model plan. Such
form(s) should disclose the costs and fees charged in connection therewith;
Not Applicable
(15) copies of any plan entered into by Registrant pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act, which describes all material aspects of the financing
of distribution of Registrant's shares, and any agreements with any person
relating to implementation of such plan.
Not Applicable
(16) schedule for computation of each performance quotation provided in the
registration statement in response to Item 22 (which need not be audited).
(i) Schedule for computation of performance quotation
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(17) Power of Attorney
(i) Power of Attorney dated September 18, 1995
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(ii) Certificate of Secretary dated September 18, 1995
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A
File Nos. 2-72614 and 811-3193
Filing Date: September 29, 1995
(27) Financial Data Schedule Computation
(i) Financial Data Schedule
ITEM 25 PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT
None
ITEM 26 NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of October 31, 1996, the number of record holders of the only class of
securities of the Registrant was as follows:
NUMBER OF
TITLE OF CLASS RECORD HOLDERS
Capital Stock 12,684
ITEM 27 INDEMNIFICATION
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court or appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
Notwithstanding the provisions contained in the Registrant's By-Laws, in
the absence of authorization by the appropriate court as set forth in Section
6(c) of Article VI of said By-Laws, any indemnification under said Article shall
be made by Registrant only if authorized in the manner provided in either
subsection (a) or (d) of said Section 6 of Article VI.
ITEM 28 BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER
The officers and directors of the Registrant's manager also serve as officers
and/or directors for (1) the manager's corporate parent, Franklin Resources,
Inc., and/or (2) other investment companies in the Franklin Group of Funds(R).
In addition, Mr. Charles B. Johnson is a director of General Host Corporation.
For additional information please see Part B and Schedules A and D of Form ADV
of the Funds' Investment Manager (SEC File 801-26292), incorporated herein by
reference, which sets forth the officers and directors of the Investment Manager
and information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a
substantial nature engaged in by those officers and directors during the past
two years.
ITEM 29 PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
a) Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., ("Distributors") also acts as
principal underwriter of shares of:
Franklin Asset Allocation Fund
Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund, Inc.
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust
Franklin Custodian Funds, Inc.
Franklin Equity Fund
Franklin Federal Money Fund
Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Gold Fund
Franklin High Income Trust
Franklin Investors Securities Trust
Franklin Managed Trust
Franklin Money Fund
Franklin Municipal Securities Trust
Franklin Mutual Series Fund Inc.
Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund, Inc.
Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust
Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust
Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio
Franklin Strategic Series
Franklin Tax-Advantaged High Yield Securities Fund
Franklin Tax-Advantaged International Bond Fund
Franklin Tax-Advantaged U.S. Government Securities Fund
Franklin Tax-Free Trust
Franklin Templeton Global Trust
Franklin Templeton International Trust
Franklin Templeton Money Fund Trust
Franklin Value Investors Trust
Institutional Fiduciary Trust
Franklin Templeton Japan Fund
Templeton American Trust, Inc.
Templeton Capital Accumulator Fund, Inc.
Templeton Developing Markets Trust
Templeton Funds, Inc.
Templeton Global Investment Trust
Templeton Global Opportunities Trust
Templeton Global Real Estate Fund
Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund, Inc.
Templeton Growth Fund, Inc.
Templeton Income Trust
Templeton Institutional Funds, Inc.
Templeton Variable Products Series Fund
b) The information required by this Item 29 with respect to each director and
officer of Distributors is incorporated by reference to Part B of this N-1A and
Schedule A of Form BD filed by Distributors with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1934 (SEC File No.
8-5889)
c) Not Applicable. Registrant's principal underwriter is an affiliated
person of the Registrant.
ITEM 31 MANAGEMENT SERVICES
There are no management-related service contracts not discussed in Part A or
Part B.
ITEM 32 UNDERTAKINGS
(a) The Registrant hereby undertakes to promptly call a meeting of shareholders
for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of any director or
directors when requested in writing to do so by the recordholders of not less
than 10 per cent of the Registrant's outstanding shares and to assist its
shareholders in communicating with other shareholders in accordance with the
requirements of Section 16(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
(b) The Registrant hereby undertakes to comply with the information requirement
in Item 5A of the Form N-1A by including the required information in the Fund's
annual report and to furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered a
copy of the annual report upon request and without charge.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment
Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the
requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to its
Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933
and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of San Mateo and the
State of California, on the 26th day of November, 1996.
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
(Registrant)
By: RUPERT H. JOHNSON, JR.*
Rupert H. Johnson, Jr., President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the dates indicated:
RUPERT H. JOHNSON, JR.* Principal Executive Officer
Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. and Director
Dated: November 26, 1996
CHARLES B. JOHNSON* Director
Charles B. Johnson Dated: November 26, 1996
FRANK H. ABBOTT III* Director
Frank H. Abbott III Dated: November 26, 1996
HARRIS J. ASHTON* Director
Harris J. Ashton Dated: November 26, 1996
S. JOSEPH FORTUNATO* Director
S. Joseph Fortunato Dated: November 26, 1996
DAVID W. GARBELLANO* Director
David W. Garbellano Dated: November 26, 1996
FRANK W.T. LAHAYE* Director
Frank W.T. LaHaye Dated: November 26, 1996
GORDON MACKLIN* Director
Gordon Macklin Dated: November 26, 1996
MARTIN L. FLANAGAN* Principal Financial Officer
Martin L. Flanagan Dated: November 26, 1996
DIOMEDES LOO-TAM* Principal Accounting Officer
Diomedes Loo-Tam Dated: November 26, 1996
*By /s/ Larry L. Greene
Attorney-in-Fact
(Pursuant to Power of Attorney previously filed)
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT NO. DESCRIPTION PAGE NO. IN
SEQUENTIAL
NUMBERING SYSTEM
EX-99.B1(i) Articles of Incorporation dated *
March 17, 1980
EX-99.B1(ii) Certificate of Amendment to *
Articles of Incorporation dated
July 14, 1981
EX-99.B1(iii) Certificate of Amendment to *
Articles of Incorporation dated
August 27, 1993
EX-99.B2(i) By-Laws *
EX-99.B2(ii) Amendment to By-Laws dated November *
17, 1987
EX-99.B5(i) Management Agreement between *
Registrant and Franklin Advisers,
Inc. dated December 1, 1986
EX-99.B5(ii) Amendment to Management Agreement Attached
between Registrant and Franklin
Advisors, Inc. dated August 1, 1995
EX-99.B6(i) Amended and Restated Distribution Attached
Agreement between Registrant and
Franklin/Templeton Distributors,
Inc. dated April 23, 1995
EX-99.B6(ii) Forms of Dealer Agreements between *
Franklin/Templeton Distributors,
Inc. and Securities Dealers
EX-99.B8(i) Custodian Agreement between *
Registrant and Bank of America NT &
SA dated December 1, 1982
EX-99.B8(ii) Copy of Custodian Agreements *
between Registrant and Citibank
Delaware
EX-9.B8(iii) Master Custody Agreement between Attached
Registrant and Bank of New York
dated February 16, 1996
EX-99.B8(iv.) Terminal Link Agreement between Attached
Registrant and The Bank of New York
dated February 16, 1996
EX-99.B10(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel Attached
dated November 20, 1996
EX-99.B11(i) Consent of Independent Auditors Attached
dated November 26, 1996
EX-99.B13.(i) Letter of Understanding dated July *
14, 1981
EX-99.B16(i) Schedule for computation of *
performance quotation
EX-99.B17(i) Power of Attorney dated September *
18, 1995
EX-99.B17(ii) Certificate of Secretary dated *
September 18, 1995
EX-99.B27(i) Financial Data Schedule Attached
* Incorporated by Reference
AMENDMENT TO MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
This Amendment dated as of August 1, 1995, is to the Management Agreement
dated December 1, 1986, as amended November 20, 1990, by and between FRANKLIN
TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND, a California corporation (the "Fund"), and FRANKLIN
ADVISERS, INC., a California corporation, (the "Manager"). The undersigned
parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
(1) Paragraph 4 B. is amended to read:
B. The management fee payable by the Fund shall be reduced or
eliminated to the extent that Distributors has actually received cash
payments of tender offer solicitation fees less certain cost and expenses
incurred in connection therewith and to the extent necessary to comply with
the limitations on expenses which may be borne by the Fund as set forth in
the laws, regulations and administrative interpretations of those states in
which the Fund's shares are registered. The Manager may waive all or a
portion of its fees provided for hereunder and such waiver shall be treated
as a reduction in purchase price of its services. The Manager shall be
contractually bound hereunder by the terms of any publicly announced waiver
of its fee, or any limitation of the Fund's expenses, as if such waiver or
limitation were full set forth herein.
(2) All other provisions of the Management Agreement dated December 1,
1986, remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have signed this Amendment as of the date and year
first above written.
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
By /s/ Deborah R. Gatzek
FRANKLIN ADVISERS, INC.
By /s/ Harmon E. Burns
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, California 94404
Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, California 94404
Re: Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement
Gentlemen:
We (the "Fund") are a corporation or business trust operating as an open-end
management investment company or "mutual fund", which is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and whose shares are registered
under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"). We desire to issue one or
more series or classes of our authorized but unissued shares of capital stock or
beneficial interest (the "Shares") to authorized persons in accordance with
applicable Federal and State securities laws. The Fund's Shares may be made
available in one or more separate series, each of which may have one or more
classes.
You have informed us that your company is registered as a broker-dealer under
the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that your company is a
member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. You have
indicated your desire to act as the exclusive selling agent and distributor for
the Shares. We have been authorized to execute and deliver this Distribution
Agreement ("Agreement") to you by a resolution of our Board of Directors or
Trustees ("Board") passed at a meeting at which a majority of Board members,
including a majority who are not otherwise interested persons of the Fund and
who are not interested persons of our investment adviser, its related
organizations or with you or your related organizations, were present and voted
in favor of the said resolution approving this Agreement.
1. APPOINTMENT OF UNDERWRITER. Upon the execution of this Agreement and in
consideration of the agreements on your part herein expressed and upon the terms
and conditions set forth herein, we hereby appoint you as the exclusive sales
agent for our Shares and agree that we will deliver such Shares as you may sell.
You agree to use your best efforts to promote the sale of Shares, but are not
obligated to sell any specific number of Shares.
However, the Fund and each series retain the right to make direct sales of
its Shares without sales charges consistent with the terms of the then current
prospectus and applicable law, and to engage in other legally authorized
transactions in its Shares which do not involve the sale of Shares to the
general public. Such other transactions may include, without limitation,
transactions between the Fund or any series or class and its shareholders only,
transactions involving the reorganization of the Fund or any series, and
transactions involving the merger or combination of the Fund or any series with
another corporation or trust.
2. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. You will undertake and discharge your
obligations hereunder as an independent contractor and shall have no authority
or power to obligate or bind us by your actions, conduct or contracts except
that you are authorized to promote the sale of Shares. You may appoint
sub-agents or distribute through dealers or otherwise as you may determine from
time to time, but this Agreement shall not be construed as authorizing any
dealer or other person to accept orders for sale or repurchase on our behalf or
otherwise act as our agent for any purpose.
3. OFFERING PRICE. Shares shall be offered for sale at a price equivalent
to the net asset value per share of that series and class plus any applicable
percentage of the public offering price as sales commission or as otherwise set
forth in our then current prospectus. On each business day on which the New York
Stock Exchange is open for business, we will furnish you with the net asset
value of the Shares of each available series and class which shall be determined
in accordance with our then effective prospectus. All Shares will be sold in the
manner set forth in our then effective prospectus and statement of additional
information, and in compliance with applicable law.
4. COMPENSATION.
A. SALES COMMISSION. You shall be entitled to charge a sales
commission on the sale or redemption, as appropriate, of each series and class
of each Fund's Shares in the amount of any initial, deferred or contingent
deferred sales charge as set forth in our then effective prospectus. You may
allow any sub-agents or dealers such commissions or discounts from and not
exceeding the total sales commission as you shall deem advisable, so long as any
such commissions or discounts are set forth in our current prospectus to the
extent required by the applicable Federal and State securities laws. You may
also make payments to sub-agents or dealers from your own resources, subject to
the following conditions: (a) any such payments shall not create any obligation
for or recourse against the Fund or any series or class, and (b) the terms and
conditions of any such payments are consistent with our prospectus and
applicable federal and state securities laws and are disclosed in our prospectus
or statement of additional information to the extent such laws may require.
B. DISTRIBUTION PLANS. You shall also be entitled to
compensation for your services as provided in any Distribution Plan adopted
as to any series and class of any Fund's Shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under
the 1940 Act.
5. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALES. Shares shall be offered for sale only in
those jurisdictions where they have been properly registered or are exempt from
registration, and only to those groups of people which the Board may from time
to time determine to be eligible to purchase such shares.
6. ORDERS AND PAYMENT FOR SHARES. Orders for Shares shall be directed to
the Fund's shareholder services agent, for acceptance on behalf of the Fund. At
or prior to the time of delivery of any of our Shares you will pay or cause to
be paid to the custodian of the Fund's assets, for our account, an amount in
cash equal to the net asset value of such Shares. Sales of Shares shall be
deemed to be made when and where accepted by the Fund's shareholder services
agent. The Fund's custodian and shareholder services agent shall be identified
in its prospectus.
7. PURCHASES FOR YOUR OWN ACCOUNT. You shall not purchase our Shares for
your own account for purposes of resale to the public, but you may purchase
Shares for your own investment account upon your written assurance that the
purchase is for investment purposes and that the Shares will not be resold
except through redemption by us.
8. SALE OF SHARES TO AFFILIATES. You may sell our Shares at net asset
value to certain of your and our affiliated persons pursuant to the applicable
provisions of the federal securities statutes and rules or regulations
thereunder (the "Rules and Regulations"), including Rule 22d-1 under the 1940
Act, as amended from time to time.
9. ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES. We will pay the expenses:
(a) Of the preparation of the audited and certified financial
statements of our company to be included in any Post-Effective
Amendments ("Amendments") to our Registration Statement under
the 1933 Act or 1940 Act, including the prospectus and
statement of additional information included therein;
(b) Of the preparation, including legal fees, and printing of
all Amendments or supplements filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the copies of the
prospectuses included in the Amendments and the first 10
copies of the definitive prospectuses or supplements
thereto, other than those necessitated by your (including
your "Parent's") activities or Rules and Regulations
related to your activities where such Amendments or
supplements result in expenses which we would not otherwise
have incurred;
(c) Of the preparation, printing and distribution of any
reports or communications which we send to our existing
shareholders; and
(d) Of filing and other fees to Federal and State securities
regulatory authorities necessary to continue offering our
Shares.
You will pay the expenses:
(a) Of printing the copies of the prospectuses and any supplements
thereto and statements of additional information which are
necessary to continue to offer our Shares;
(b) Of the preparation, excluding legal fees, and printing of all
Amendments and supplements to our prospectuses and statements
of additional information if the Amendment or supplement
arises from your (including your "Parent's") activities or
Rules and Regulations related to your activities and those
expenses would not otherwise have been incurred by us;
(c) Of printing additional copies, for use by you as sales
literature, of reports or other communications which we have
prepared for distribution to our existing shareholders; and
(d) Incurred by you in advertising, promoting and selling our
Shares.
10. FURNISHING OF INFORMATION. We will furnish to you such information
with respect to each series and class of Shares, in such form and signed by such
of our officers as you may reasonably request, and we warrant that the
statements therein contained, when so signed, will be true and correct. We will
also furnish you with such information and will take such action as you may
reasonably request in order to qualify our Shares for sale to the public under
the Blue Sky Laws of jurisdictions in which you may wish to offer them. We will
furnish you with annual audited financial statements of our books and accounts
certified by independent public accountants, with semi-annual financial
statements prepared by us, with registration statements and, from time to time,
with such additional information regarding our financial condition as you may
reasonably request.
11. CONDUCT OF BUSINESS. Other than our currently effective prospectus,
you will not issue any sales material or statements except literature or
advertising which conforms to the requirements of Federal and State securities
laws and regulations and which have been filed, where necessary, with the
appropriate regulatory authorities. You will furnish us with copies of all such
materials prior to their use and no such material shall be published if we shall
reasonably and promptly object.
You shall comply with the applicable Federal and State laws and
regulations where our Shares are offered for sale and conduct your affairs with
us and with dealers, brokers or investors in accordance with the Rules of Fair
Practice of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
12. REDEMPTION OR REPURCHASE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. If Shares are tendered to
us for redemption or repurchase by us within seven business days after your
acceptance of the original purchase order for such Shares, you will immediately
refund to us the full sales commission (net of allowances to dealers or brokers)
allowed to you on the original sale, and will promptly, upon receipt thereof,
pay to us any refunds from dealers or brokers of the balance of sales
commissions reallowed by you. We shall notify you of such tender for redemption
within 10 days of the day on which notice of such tender for redemption is
received by us.
13. OTHER ACTIVITIES. Your services pursuant to this Agreement shall
not be deemed to be exclusive, and you may render similar services and act as
an underwriter, distributor or dealer for other investment companies in the
offering of their shares.
14. TERM OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall become effective on the date
of its execution, and shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years. The
Agreement is renewable annually thereafter, with respect to the Fund or, if the
Fund has more than one series, with respect to each series, for successive
periods not to exceed one year (i) by a vote of (a) a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund or, if the Fund has more than one
series, of each series, or (b) by a vote of the Board, AND (ii) by a vote of a
majority of the members of the Board who are not parties to the Agreement or
interested persons of any parties to the Agreement (other than as members of the
Board), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the
Agreement.
This Agreement may at any time be terminated by the Fund or by any
series without the payment of any penalty, (i) either by vote of the Board or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or any
series on 90 days' written notice to you; or (ii) by you on 90 days' written
notice to the Fund; and shall immediately terminate with respect to the Fund and
each series in the event of its assignment.
15. SUSPENSION OF SALES. We reserve the right at all times to
suspend or limit the public offering of Shares upon two days' written notice
to you.
16. MISCELLANEOUS. This Agreement shall be subject to the laws of the
State of California and shall be interpreted and construed to further promote
the operation of the Fund as an open-end investment company. This Agreement
shall supersede all Distribution Agreements and Amendments previously in effect
between the parties. As used herein, the terms "Net Asset Value," "Offering
Price," "Investment Company," "Open-End Investment Company," "Assignment,"
"Principal Underwriter," "Interested Person," "Parent," "Affiliated Person," and
"Majority of the Outstanding Voting Securities" shall have the meanings set
forth in the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations thereunder.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to protect you against any liability to us or to
our securities holders to which you would otherwise be subject by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of your
duties hereunder, or by reason of your reckless disregard of your obligations
and duties hereunder.
If the foregoing meets with your approval, please acknowledge your acceptance by
signing each of the enclosed copies, whereupon this will become a binding
agreement as of the date set forth below.
Very truly yours,
FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
By: /s/ Deborah R. Gatzek
Accepted:
Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.
By: /s/ illegible
DATED: 4/23/95
MASTER CUSTODY AGREEMENT
THIS CUSTODY AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made and entered into as of
February 16, 1996, by and between each Investment Company listed on Exhibit A,
for itself and for each of its Series listed on Exhibit A, and BANK OF NEW YORK,
a New York corporation authorized to do a banking business (the "Custodian").
RECITALS
A. Each Investment Company is an investment company registered under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act")
that invests and reinvests, for itself or on behalf of its Series, in Domestic
Securities and Foreign Securities.
B. The Custodian is, and has represented to each Investment Company
that the Custodian is, a "bank" as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(5) of
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and is eligible to receive and
maintain custody of investment company assets pursuant to Section 17(f) and Rule
17f-2 thereunder.
C. The Custodian and each Investment Company, for itself and for
each of its Series, desire to provide for the retention of the Custodian as a
custodian of the assets of each Investment Company and each Series, on the terms
and subject to the provisions set forth herein.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and
agreements contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree
as follows:
Section 1.0 FORM OF AGREEMENT
Although the parties have executed this Agreement in the form of a
Master Custody Agreement for administrative convenience, this Agreement shall
create a separate custody agreement for each Investment Company and for each
Series designated on Exhibit A, as though each Investment Company had separately
executed an identical custody agreement for itself and for each of its Series.
No rights, responsibilities or liabilities of any Investment Company or Series
shall be attributed to any other Investment Company or Series.
Section 1.1 DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
respective meanings specified below:
"Agreement" shall mean this Custody Agreement.
"Board" shall mean the Board of Trustees, Directors or Managing
General Partners, as applicable, of an Investment Company.
"Business Day" with respect to any Domestic Security means any day,
other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is not a day on which banking institutions
are authorized or required by law to be closed in The City of New York and, with
respect to Foreign Securities, a London Business Day. "London Business Day"
shall mean any day on which dealings and deposits in U.S. dollars are transacted
in the London interbank market.
"Custodian" shall mean Bank of New York.
"Domestic Securities" shall have the meaning provided in Subsection
2.1 hereof.
"Executive Committee" shall mean the executive committee of a Board.
"Foreign Custodian" shall have the meaning provided in Section 4.1
hereof.
"Foreign Securities" shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.1
hereof.
"Foreign Securities Depository" shall have the meaning provided in
Section 4.1 hereof.
"Fund" shall mean an entity identified on Exhibit A as an Investment
Company, if the Investment Company has no series, or a Series.
"Investment Company" shall mean an entity identified on Exhibit A
under the heading "Investment Company."
"Investment Company Act" shall mean the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended.
"Securities" shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.1 hereof.
"Securities System" shall have the meaning provided in Section 3.1
hereof.
"Securities System Account" shall have the meaning provided in
Subsection 3.8(a) hereof.
"Series" shall mean a series of an Investment Company which is
identified as such on Exhibit A.
"Shares" shall mean shares of beneficial interest of the Investment
Company.
"Subcustodian" shall have the meaning provided in Subsection 3.7
hereof, but shall not include any Foreign Custodian.
"Transfer Agent" shall mean the duly appointed and acting transfer
agent for each Investment Company.
"Writing" shall mean a communication in writing, a communication by
telex, facsimile transmission, bankwire or other teleprocess or electronic
instruction system acceptable to the Custodian.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN; DELIVERY OF ASSETS
2.1 Appointment of Custodian. Each Investment Company hereby
appoints and designates the Custodian as a custodian of the assets of each Fund,
including cash denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currency ("cash"),
securities the Fund desires to be held within the United States ("Domestic
Securities") and securities it desires to be held outside the United States
("Foreign Securities"). Domestic Securities and Foreign Securities are sometimes
referred to herein, collectively, as "Securities." The Custodian hereby accepts
such appointment and designation and agrees that it shall maintain custody of
the assets of each Fund delivered to it hereunder in the manner provided for
herein.
2.2 Delivery of Assets. Each Investment Company may deliver to the
Custodian Securities and cash owned by the Funds, payments of income, principal
or capital distributions received by the Funds with respect to Securities owned
by the Funds from time to time, and the consideration received by the Funds for
such Shares or other securities of the Funds as may be issued and sold from time
to time. The Custodian shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any property
or assets of the Funds held or received by the Funds and not delivered to the
Custodian pursuant to and in accordance with the terms hereof. All Securities
accepted by the Custodian on behalf of the Funds under the terms of this
Agreement shall be in "street name" or other good delivery form as determined by
the Custodian.
2.3 Subcustodians. The Custodian may appoint BNY Western Trust
Company as a Subcustodian to hold assets of the Funds in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement. In addition, upon receipt of Proper Instructions
and a certified copy of a resolution of the Board or of the Executive Committee,
and certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of an Investment
Company, the Custodian may from time to time appoint one or more other
Subcustodians or Foreign Custodians to hold assets of the affected Funds in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
2.4 No Duty to Manage. The Custodian, a Subcustodian or a Foreign
Custodian shall not have any duty or responsibility to manage or recommend
investments of the assets of any Fund held by them or to initiate any purchase,
sale or other investment transaction in the absence of Proper Instructions or
except as otherwise specifically provided herein.
Section 3. DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO ASSETS OF THE FUNDS HELD
BY THE CUSTODIAN
3.1 Holding Securities. The Custodian shall hold and physically
segregate from any property owned by the Custodian, for the account of each
Fund, all non-cash property delivered by each Fund to the Custodian hereunder
other than Securities which, pursuant to Subsection 3.8 hereof, are held through
a registered clearing agency, a registered securities depository, the Federal
Reserve's book-entry securities system (referred to herein, individually, as a
"Securities System"), or held by a Subcustodian, Foreign Custodian or in a
Foreign Securities Depository.
3.2 Delivery of Securities. Except as otherwise provided in
Subsection 3.5 hereof, the Custodian, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, shall
release and deliver Securities owned by a Fund and held by the Custodian in the
following cases or as otherwise directed in Proper Instructions:
(a) except as otherwise provided herein, upon sale of such
Securities for the account of the Fund and receipt by the Custodian, a
Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian of payment therefor;
(b) upon the receipt of payment by the Custodian, a
Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian in connection with any repurchase agreement
related to such Securities entered into by the Fund;
(c) in the case of a sale effected through a Securities
System, in accordance with the provisions of Subsection 3.8 hereof;
(d) to a tender agent or other authorized agent in connection
with (i) a tender or other similar offer for Securities owned by the Fund, or
(ii) a tender offer or repurchase by the Fund of its own Shares;
(e) to the issuer thereof or its agent when such Securities
are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable; provided, that in any
such case, the cash or other consideration is to be delivered to the Custodian,
a Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian;
(f) to the issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the
name or nominee name of the Fund, the name or nominee name of the Custodian, the
name or nominee name of any Subcustodian or Foreign Custodian; or for exchange
for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the
same aggregate face amount or number of units; provided that, in any such case,
the new Securities are to be delivered to the Custodian, a Subcustodian or
Foreign Custodian;
(g) to the broker selling the same for examination in
accordance with the "street delivery" custom;
(h) for exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger,
consolidation, recapitalization, or reorganization of the issuer of such
Securities, or pursuant to a conversion of such Securities; provided that, in
any such case, the new Securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the
Custodian or a Subcustodian;
(i) in the case of warrants, rights or similar securities, the
surrender thereof in connection with the exercise of such warrants, rights or
similar Securities or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary Securities
for definitive Securities; provided that, in any such case, the new Securities
and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian, a subcustodian or a
Foreign Custodian;
(j) for delivery in connection with any loans of Securities
made by the Fund, but only against receipt by the Custodian, a Subcustodian or a
Foreign Custodian of adequate collateral as determined by the Fund (and
identified in Proper Instructions communicated to the Custodian), which may be
in the form of cash or obligations issued by the United States government, its
agencies or instrumentalities, except that in connection with any loans for
which collateral is to be credited to the account of the Custodian, a
Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian in the Federal Reserve's book-entry
securities system, the Custodian will not be held liable or responsible for the
delivery of Securities owned by the Fund prior to the receipt of such
collateral;
(k) for delivery as security in connection with any borrowings
by the Fund requiring a pledge of assets by the Fund, but only against receipt
by the Custodian, a Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian of amounts borrowed;
(l) for delivery in accordance with the provisions of any
agreement among the Fund, the Custodian, a Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian
and a broker-dealer relating to compliance with the rules of registered clearing
corporations and of any registered national securities exchange, or of any
similar organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in
connection with transactions by the Fund;
(m) for delivery in accordance with the provisions of any
agreement among the Fund, the Custodian, a Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian
and a futures commission merchant, relating to compliance with the rules of the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any contract market, or any similar
organization or organizations, regarding account deposits in connection with
transactions by the Fund;
(n) upon the receipt of instructions from the Transfer Agent
for delivery to the Transfer Agent or to the holders of Shares in connection
with distributions in kind in satisfaction of requests by holders of Shares for
repurchase or redemption; and
(o) for any other proper purpose, but only upon receipt of
Proper Instructions, and a certified copy of a resolution of the Board or of the
Executive Committee certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Fund, specifying the securities to be delivered, setting forth the purpose for
which such delivery is to be made, declaring such purpose to be a proper
purpose, and naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such securities
shall be made.
3.3 Registration of Securities. Securities held by the Custodian, a
Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian (other than bearer Securities) shall be
registered in the name or nominee name of the appropriate Fund, in the name or
nominee name of the Custodian or in the name or nominee name of any Subcustodian
or Foreign Custodian. Each Fund agrees to hold the Custodian, any such nominee,
Subcustodian or Foreign Custodian harmless from any liability as a holder of
record of such Securities.
3.4 Bank Accounts. The Custodian shall open and maintain a separate
bank account or accounts for each Fund, subject only to draft or order by the
Custodian acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall hold in such
account or accounts, subject to the provisions hereof, all cash received by it
hereunder from or for the account of each Fund, other than cash maintained by a
Fund in a bank account established and used in accordance with Rule 17f-3 under
the Fund Act. Funds held by the Custodian for a Fund may be deposited by it to
its credit as Custodian in the banking departments of the Custodian, a
Subcustodian or a Foreign Custodian. Such funds shall be deposited by the
Custodian in its capacity as Custodian and shall be withdrawable by the
Custodian only in that capacity. In the event a Fund's account for any reason
becomes overdrawn, or in the event an action requested in Proper Instructions
would cause such an account to become overdrawn, the Custodian shall immediately
notify the affected Fund.
3.5 Collection of Income; Trade Settlement; Crediting of Accounts.
The Custodian shall collect income payable with respect to Securities owned by
each Fund, settle Securities trades for the account of each Fund and credit and
debit each Fund's account with the Custodian in connection therewith as stated
in this Subsection 3.5. This Subsection shall not apply to repurchase
agreements, which are treated in Subsection 3.2(b), above.
(a) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall
effect the purchase of a Security by charging the account of the Fund on the
contractual settlement date, and by making payment against delivery. If the
seller or selling broker fails to deliver the Security within a reasonable
period of time, the Custodian shall notify the Fund and credit the transaction
amount to the account of the Fund, but the Custodian shall have no further
liability or responsibility for the transaction.
(b) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall
effect the sale of a Security by withdrawing a certificate or other indicia of
ownership from the account of the Fund and by making delivery against payment,
and shall credit the account of the Fund with the amount of such proceeds on the
contractual settlement date. If the purchaser or the purchasing broker fails to
make payment within a reasonable period of time, the Custodian shall notify the
Fund, debit the Fund's account for any amounts previously credited to it by the
Custodian as proceeds of the transaction and, if delivery has not been made,
redeposit the Security into the account of the Fund.
(c) The Fund is responsible for ensuring that the Custodian
receives timely and accurate Proper Instructions to enable the Custodian to
effect settlement of any purchase or sale. If the Custodian does not receive
such instructions within the required time period, the Custodian shall have no
liability of any kind to any person, including the Fund, for failing to effect
settlement on the contractual settlement date. However, the Custodian shall use
its best reasonable efforts to effect settlement as soon as possible after
receipt of Proper Instructions.
(d) The Custodian shall credit the account of the Fund with
interest income payable on interest bearing Securities on payable date.
Dividends and other amounts payable with respect to Domestic Securities and
Foreign Securities shall be credited to the account of the Fund when received by
the Custodian. The Custodian shall not be required to commence suit or
collection proceedings or resort to any extraordinary means to collect such
income and other amounts payable with respect to Securities owned by the Fund.
The collection of income due the Fund on Domestic Securities loaned pursuant to
the provisions of Subsection 3.2(j) shall be the responsibility of the Fund. The
Custodian will have no duty or responsibility in connection therewith, other
than to provide the Fund with such information or data as may be necessary to
assist the Fund in arranging for the timely delivery to the Custodian of the
income to which the Fund is entitled. The Custodian shall have no liability to
any person, including the Fund, if the Custodian credits the account of the Fund
with such income or other amounts payable with respect to Securities owned by
the Fund (other than Securities loaned by the Fund pursuant to Subsection 3.2(j)
hereof) and the Custodian subsequently is unable to collect such income or other
amounts from the payors thereof within a reasonable time period, as determined
by the Custodian in its sole discretion. In such event, the Custodian shall be
entitled to reimbursement of the amount so credited to the account of the Fund.
3.6 Payment of Fund Monies. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions
the Custodian shall pay out monies of a Fund in the following cases or as
otherwise directed in Proper Instructions:
(a) upon the purchase of Securities, futures contracts or
options on futures contracts for the account of the Fund but only, except as
otherwise provided herein, (i) against the delivery of such securities, or
evidence of title to futures contracts or options on futures contracts, to the
Custodian or a Subcustodian registered pursuant to Subsection 3.3 hereof or in
proper form for transfer; (ii) in the case of a purchase effected through a
Securities System, in accordance with the conditions set forth in Subsection 3.8
hereof; or (iii) in the case of repurchase agreements entered into between the
Fund and the Custodian, another bank or a broker-dealer (A) against delivery of
the Securities either in certificated form to the Custodian or a Subcustodian or
through an entry crediting the Custodian's account at the appropriate Federal
Reserve Bank with such Securities or (B) against delivery of the confirmation
evidencing purchase by the Fund of Securities owned by the Custodian or such
broker-dealer or other bank along with written evidence of the agreement by the
Custodian or such broker-dealer or other bank to repurchase such Securities from
the Fund;
(b) in connection with conversion, exchange or surrender of
Securities owned by the Fund
as set forth in Subsection 3.2 hereof;
(c) for the redemption or repurchase of Shares issued by the
Fund;
(d) for the payment of any expense or liability incurred by
the Fund, including but not limited to the following payments for the account of
the Fund: custodian fees, interest, taxes, management, accounting, transfer
agent and legal fees and operating expenses of the Fund whether or not such
expenses are to be in whole or part capitalized or treated as deferred expenses;
and
(e) for the payment of any dividends or distributions
declared by the Board with respect to the Shares.
3.7 Appointment of Subcustodians. The Custodian may appoint BNY
Western Trust Company or, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, another bank or
trust company, which is itself qualified under the Investment Company Act to act
as a custodian (a "Subcustodian"), as the agent of the Custodian to carry out
such of the duties of the Custodian hereunder as a Custodian may from time to
time direct; provided, however, that the appointment of any Subcustodian shall
not relieve the Custodian of its responsibilities or liabilities hereunder.
3.8 Deposit of Securities in Securities Systems. The Custodian may
deposit and/or maintain Domestic Securities owned by a Fund in a Securities
System in accordance with applicable Federal Reserve Board and Securities and
Exchange Commission rules and regulations, if any, and subject to the following
provisions:
(a) the Custodian may hold Domestic Securities of the Fund in
the Depository Trust Company or the Federal Reserve's book entry system or, upon
receipt of Proper Instructions, in another Securities System provided that such
securities are held in an account of the Custodian in the Securities System
("Securities System Account") which shall not include any assets of the
Custodian other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for
customers;
(b) the records of the Custodian with respect to Domestic
Securities of the Fund which are maintained in a Securities System shall
identify by book-entry those Domestic Securities belonging to the Fund;
(c) the Custodian shall pay for Domestic Securities purchased
for the account of the Fund upon (i) receipt of advice from the Securities
System that such securities have been transferred to the Securities System
Account, and (ii) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to
reflect such payment and transfer for the account of the Fund. The Custodian
shall transfer Domestic Securities sold for the account of the Fund upon (A)
receipt of advice from the Securities System that payment for such securities
has been transferred to the Securities System Account, and (B) the making of an
entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for
the account of the Fund. Copies of all advices from the Securities System of
transfers of Domestic Securities for the account of the Fund shall be maintained
for the Fund by the Custodian and be provided to the Fund at its request. Upon
request, the Custodian shall furnish the Fund confirmation of the transfer to or
from the account of the Fund in the form of a written advice or notice; and
(d) upon request, the Custodian shall provide the Fund with
any report obtained by the Custodian on the Securities System's accounting
system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding domestic
securities deposited in the Securities System.
3.9 Segregated Account. The Custodian shall upon receipt of Proper
Instructions establish and maintain a segregated account or accounts for and on
behalf of a Fund, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or
Securities, including Securities maintained in an account by the Custodian
pursuant to Section 3.8 hereof, (i) in accordance with the provisions of any
agreement among the Fund, the Custodian and a broker-dealer or futures
commission merchant, relating to compliance with the rules of registered
clearing corporations and of any national securities exchange (or the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission or any registered contract market), or of any similar
organization or organizations, regarding escrow or other arrangements in
connection with transactions by the Fund, (ii) for purposes of segregating cash
or securities in connection with options purchased, sold or written by the Fund
or commodity futures contracts or options thereon purchased or sold by the Fund,
and (iii) for other proper corporate purposes, but only, in the case of this
clause (iii), upon receipt of, in addition to Proper Instructions, a certified
copy of a resolution of the Board or of the Executive Committee certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, setting forth the purpose or purposes of
such segregated account and declaring such purposes to be proper corporate
purposes.
3.10 Ownership Certificates for Tax Purposes. The Custodian shall
execute ownership and other certificates and affidavits for all federal and
state tax purposes in connection with receipt of income or other payments with
respect to domestic securities of each Fund held by it and in connection with
transfers of such securities.
3.11 Proxies. The Custodian shall, with respect to the Securities
held hereunder, promptly deliver to each Fund all proxies, all proxy soliciting
materials and all notices relating to such Securities. If the Securities are
registered otherwise than in the name of a Fund or a nominee of a Fund, the
Custodian shall use its best reasonable efforts, consistent with applicable law,
to cause all proxies to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such
Securities in accordance with Proper Instructions.
3.12 Communications Relating to Fund Portfolio Securities. The
Custodian shall transmit promptly to each Fund all written information
(including, without limitation, pendency of calls and maturities of Securities
and expirations of rights in connection therewith and notices of exercise of put
and call options written by the Fund and the maturity of futures contracts
purchased or sold by the Fund) received by the Custodian from issuers of
Securities being held for the Fund. With respect to tender or exchange offers,
the Custodian shall transmit promptly to each Fund all written information
received by the Custodian from issuers of the Securities whose tender or
exchange is sought and from the party (or its agents) making the tender or
exchange offer. If a Fund desires to take action with respect to any tender
offer, exchange offer or any other similar transaction, the Fund shall notify
the Custodian at least three Business Days prior to the date of which the
Custodian is to take such action.
3.13 Reports by Custodian. The Custodian shall each business day
furnish each Fund with a statement summarizing all transactions and entries for
the account of the Fund for the preceding day. At the end of every month, the
Custodian shall furnish each Fund with a list of the cash and portfolio
securities showing the quantity of the issue owned, the cost of each issue and
the market value of each issue at the end of each month. Such monthly report
shall also contain separate listings of (a) unsettled trades and (b) when-issued
securities. The Custodian shall furnish such other reports as may be mutually
agreed upon from time-to-time.
Section 4. CERTAIN DUTIES OF THE CUSTODIAN WITH RESPECT TO ASSETS OF THE
FUNDS HELD OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
4.1 Custody Outside the United States. Each Fund authorizes the
Custodian to hold Foreign Securities and cash in custody accounts which have
been established by the Custodian with (i) its foreign branches, (ii) foreign
banking institutions, foreign branches of United States banks and subsidiaries
of United States banks or bank holding companies (each a "Foreign Custodian")
and (iii) Foreign Securities depositories or clearing agencies (each a "Foreign
Securities Depository"); provided, however, that the appropriate Board or
Executive Committee has approved in advance the use of each such Foreign
Custodian and Foreign Securities Depository and the contract between the
Custodian and each Foreign Custodian and that such approval is set forth in
Proper Instructions and a certified copy of a resolution of the Board or of the
Executive Committee certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
appropriate Investment Company. Unless expressly provided to the contrary in
this Section 4, custody of Foreign Securities and assets held outside the United
States by the Custodian, a Foreign Custodian or through a Foreign Securities
Depository shall be governed by this Agreement, including Section 3 hereof.
4.2 Assets to be Held. The Custodian shall limit the securities and
other assets maintained in the custody of its foreign branches, Foreign
Custodians and Foreign Securities Depositories to: (i) "foreign securities", as
defined in paragraph (c) (1) of Rule 17f-5 under the Fund Act, and (ii) cash and
cash equivalents in such amounts as the Custodian or an affected Fund may
determine to be reasonably necessary to effect the Fund's Foreign Securities
transactions.
4.3 Omitted.
4.4 Segregation of Securities. The Custodian shall identify on its
books and records as belonging to the appropriate Fund, the Foreign Securities
of each Fund held by each Foreign Custodian.
4.5 Agreements with Foreign Custodians. Each agreement between the
Custodian and a Foreign Custodian shall be substantially in the form as
delivered to the Investment Companies for their Boards' review, and shall not be
amended in a way that materially adversely affects any Fund without the prior
written consent of the Fund. Upon request, the Custodian shall certify to the
Funds that an agreement between the Custodian and a Foreign Custodian meets the
requirements of Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act.
4.6 Access of Independent Accountants of the Funds. Upon request of
a Fund, the Custodian will use its best reasonable efforts to arrange for the
independent accountants or auditors of the Fund to be afforded access to the
books and records of any Foreign Custodian insofar as such books and records
relate to the custody by any such Foreign Custodian of assets of the Fund.
4.7 Transactions in Foreign Custody Accounts. Upon receipt of Proper
Instructions, the Custodian shall instruct the appropriate Foreign Custodian to
transfer, exchange or deliver Foreign Securities owned by a Fund, but, except to
the extent explicitly provided herein, only in any of the cases specified in
Subsection 3.2. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall pay out
or instruct the appropriate Foreign Custodian to pay out monies of a Fund in any
of the cases specified in Subsection 3.6. Notwithstanding anything herein to the
contrary, settlement and payment for Foreign Securities received for the account
of a Fund and delivery of Foreign Securities maintained for the account of a
Fund may be effected in accordance with the customary or established securities
trading or securities processing practices and procedures in the jurisdiction or
market in which the transaction occurs, including, without limitation,
delivering securities to the purchaser thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an
agent for such purchaser or dealer) against a receipt with the expectation of
receiving later payment for such securities from such purchaser or dealer.
Foreign Securities maintained in the custody of a Foreign Custodian may be
maintained in the name of such entity or its nominee name to the same extent as
set forth in Section 3.3 of this Agreement and each Fund agrees to hold any
Foreign Custodian and its nominee harmless from any liability as a holder of
record of such securities.
4.8 Liability of Foreign Custodian. Each agreement between the
Custodian and a Foreign Custodian shall, unless otherwise mutually agreed to by
the Custodian and a Fund, require the Foreign Custodian to exercise reasonable
care or, alternatively, impose a contractual liability for breach of contract
without an exception based upon a standard of care in the performance of its
duties and to indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian from and against any
loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim arising out of or in connection
with the Foreign Custodian's performance of such obligations, excepting,
however, Citibank, N.A., and its subsidiaries and branches, where the
indemnification is limited to direct money damages and requires that the claim
be promptly asserted. At the election of a Fund, it shall be entitled to be
subrogated to the rights of the Custodian with respect to any claims against a
Foreign Custodian as a consequence of any such loss, damage, cost, expense,
liability or claim if and to the extent that the Fund has not been made whole
for any such loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim, unless such
subrogation is prohibited by local law.
4.9 Monitoring Responsibilities.
(a) The Custodian will promptly inform each Fund in the event
that the Custodian learns of a material adverse change in the financial
condition of a Foreign Custodian or learns that a Foreign Custodian's financial
condition has declined or is likely to decline below the minimum levels required
by Rule 17f-5 of the 1940 Act.
(b) The custodian will furnish such information as may be
reasonably necessary to assist each Investment Company's Board in its annual
review and approval of the continuance of all contracts or arrangements with
Foreign Subcustodians.
Section 5. PROPER INSTRUCTIONS
As used in this Agreement, the term "Proper Instructions" means
instructions of a Fund received by the Custodian via telephone or in Writing
which the Custodian believes in good faith to have been given by Authorized
Persons (as defined below) or which are transmitted with proper testing or
authentication pursuant to terms and conditions which the Custodian may specify.
Any Proper Instructions delivered to the Custodian by telephone shall promptly
thereafter be confirmed in accordance with procedures, and limited in subject
matter, as mutually agreed upon by the parties. Unless otherwise expressly
provided, all Proper Instructions shall continue in full force and effect until
canceled or superseded. If the Custodian requires test arrangements,
authentication methods or other security devices to be used with respect to
Proper Instructions, any Proper Instructions given by the Funds thereafter shall
be given and processed in accordance with such terms and conditions for the use
of such arrangements, methods or devices as the Custodian may put into effect
and modify from time to time. The Funds shall safeguard any testkeys,
identification codes or other security devices which the Custodian shall make
available to them. The Custodian may electronically record any Proper
Instructions given by telephone, and any other telephone discussions, with
respect to its activities hereunder. As used in this Agreement, the term
"Authorized Persons" means such officers or such agents of a Fund as have been
properly appointed pursuant to a resolution of the appropriate Board or
Executive Committee, a certified copy of which has been provided to the
Custodian, to act on behalf of the Fund under this Agreement. Each of such
persons shall continue to be an Authorized Person until such time as the
Custodian receives Proper Instructions that any such officer or agent is no
longer an Authorized Person.
Section 6. ACTIONS PERMITTED WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY
The Custodian may in its discretion, without express authority from
a Fund:
(a) make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of
handling Securities or other similar items relating to its duties under this
Agreement, provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Fund;
(b) endorse for collection, in the name of the Fund, checks,
drafts and other negotiable instruments; and
(c) in general, attend to all non-discretionary details in
connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other
dealings with the Securities and property of the Fund except as otherwise
provided in Proper Instructions.
Section 7. EVIDENCE OF AUTHORITY
The Custodian shall be protected in acting upon any instructions
(conveyed by telephone or in Writing), notice, request, consent, certificate or
other instrument or paper believed by it to be genuine and to have been properly
given or executed by or on behalf of a Fund. The Custodian may receive and
accept a certified copy of a resolution of a Board or Executive Committee as
conclusive evidence (a) of the authority of any person to act in accordance with
such resolution or (b) of any determination or of any action by the Board or
Executive Committee as described in such resolution, and such resolution may be
considered as in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of written
notice by an Authorized Person to the contrary.
Section 8. DUTY OF CUSTODIAN TO SUPPLY INFORMATION
The Custodian shall cooperate with and supply necessary information
in its possession (to the extent permissible under applicable law) to the entity
or entities appointed by the appropriate Board to keep the books of account of a
Fund and/or compute the net asset value per Share of the outstanding Shares of a
Fund.
Section 9. RECORDS
The Custodian shall create and maintain all records relating to its
activities under this Agreement which are required with respect to such
activities under Section 31 of the Investment Company Act and Rules 31a-1 and
31a-2 thereunder. All such records shall be the property of the appropriate
Investment Company and shall at all times during the regular business hours of
the Custodian be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or
agents of the Investment Company and employees and agents of the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Custodian shall, at a Fund's request, supply the Fund
with a tabulation of Securities and Cash owned by the Fund and held by the
Custodian and shall, when requested to do so by the Fund and for such
compensation as shall be agreed upon between the Fund and the Custodian, include
certificate numbers in such tabulations.
Section 10. COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN
The Custodian shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for its
services and expenses as Custodian, as agreed upon from time to time between
each Investment Company, on behalf of each Fund, and the Custodian. In addition,
should the Custodian in its discretion advance funds (to include overdrafts) to
or on behalf of a Fund pursuant to Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall be
entitled to prompt reimbursement of any amounts advanced. In the event of such
an advance, and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and the Fund's policies,
the Custodian shall have a continuing lien and security interest in and to the
property of the Fund in the possession or control of the Custodian or of a third
party acting in the Custodian's behalf, until the advance is reimbursed. Nothing
in this Agreement shall obligate the Custodian to advance funds to or on behalf
of a Fund, or to permit any borrowing by a Fund except for borrowings for
temporary purposes, to the extent permitted by the Fund's policies.
Section 11. RESPONSIBILITY OF CUSTODIAN
The Custodian shall be responsible for the performance of only such
duties as are set forth herein or contained in Proper Instructions and shall use
reasonable care in carrying out such duties. The Custodian shall be liable to a
Fund for any loss which shall occur as the result of the failure of a Foreign
Custodian engaged directly or indirectly by the Custodian to exercise reasonable
care with respect to the safekeeping of securities and other assets of the Fund
to the same extent that the Custodian would be liable to the Fund if the
Custodian itself were holding such securities and other assets. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be read to limit the responsibility or liability of the
Custodian or a Foreign Custodian for their failure to exercise reasonable care
with regard to any decision or recommendation made by the Custodian or
Subcustodian regarding the use or continued use of a Foreign Securities
Depository. In the event of any loss to a Fund by reason of the failure of the
Custodian or a Foreign Custodian engaged by such Foreign Custodian or the
Custodian to utilize reasonable care, the Custodian shall be liable to the Fund
to the extent of the Fund's damages, to be determined based on the market value
of the property which is the subject of the loss at the date of discovery of
such loss and without reference to any special conditions or circumstances. The
Custodian shall be held to the exercise of reasonable care in carrying out this
Agreement, and shall not be liable for acts or omissions unless the same
constitute negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Custodian or any
Foreign Custodian engaged directly or indirectly by the Custodian. Each Fund
agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian and its nominees from all
taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims and liabilities (including legal
fees and expenses) incurred by the Custodian or its nominess in connection with
the performance of this Agreement with respect to such Fund, except such as may
arise from any negligent action, negligent failure to act or willful misconduct
on the part of the indemnified entity or any Foreign Custodian. The Custodian
shall be entitled to rely, and may act, on advice of counsel (who may be counsel
for a Fund) on all matters and shall be without liability for any action
reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such advice. The Custodian need not
maintain any insurance for the benefit of any Fund.
All collections of funds or other property paid or distributed in
respect of Securities held by the Custodian, agent, Subcustodian or Foreign
Custodian hereunder shall be made at the risk of the Funds. The Custodian shall
have no liability for any loss occasioned by delay in the actual receipt of
notice by the Custodian, agent, Subcustodian or by a Foreign Custodian of any
payment, redemption or other transaction regarding securities in respect of
which the Custodian has agreed to take action as provided in Section 3 hereof.
The Custodian shall not be liable for any action taken in good faith upon Proper
Instructions or upon any certified copy of any resolution of the Board and may
rely on the genuineness of any such documents which it may in good faith believe
to be validly executed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Custodian shall not
be liable for any loss resulting from, or caused by, the direction of a Fund to
maintain custody of any Securities or cash in a foreign country including, but
not limited to, losses resulting from nationalization, expropriation, currency
restrictions, civil disturbance, acts of war or terrorism, insurrection,
revolution, nuclear fusion, fission or radiation or other similar occurrences,
or events beyond the control of the Custodian. Finally, the Custodian shall not
be liable for any taxes, including interest and penalties with respect thereto,
that may be levied or assessed upon or in respect of any assets of any Fund held
by the Custodian.
Section 12. LIMITED LIABILITY OF EACH INVESTMENT COMPANY
The Custodian acknowledges that it has received notice of and
accepts the limitations of liability as set forth in each Investment Company's
Agreement and Declaration of Trust, Articles of Incorporation, or Agreement of
Limited Partnership. The Custodian agrees that each Fund's obligation hereunder
shall be limited to the assets of the Fund, and that the Custodian shall not
seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders of the Fund nor
from any Board Member, officer, employee, or agent of the Fund or the Investment
Company on behalf of the Fund.
Section 13. EFFECTIVE PERIOD; TERMINATION
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date of its
execution and shall continue in full force and effect until terminated as
hereinafter provided. This Agreement may be terminated by each Investment
Company, on behalf of a Fund, or by the Custodian by 90 days notice in Writing
to the other provided that any termination by an Investment Company shall be
authorized by a resolution of the Board, a certified copy of which shall
accompany such notice of termination, and provided further, that such resolution
shall specify the names of the persons to whom the Custodian shall deliver the
assets of the affected Funds held by the Custodian. If notice of termination is
given by the Custodian, the affected Investment Companies shall, within 90 days
following the giving of such notice, deliver to the Custodian a certified copy
of a resolution of the Boards specifying the names of the persons to whom the
Custodian shall deliver assets of the affected Funds held by the Custodian. In
either case the Custodian will deliver such assets to the persons so specified,
after deducting therefrom any amounts which the Custodian determines to be owed
to it hereunder (including all costs and expenses of delivery or transfer of
Fund assets to the persons so specified). If within 90 days following the giving
of a notice of termination by the Custodian, the Custodian does not receive from
the affected Investment Companies certified copies of resolutions of the Boards
specifying the names of the persons to whom the Custodian shall deliver the
assets of the Funds held by the Custodian, the Custodian, at its election, may
deliver such assets to a bank or trust company doing business in the State of
California to be held and disposed of pursuant to the provisions of this
Agreement or may continue to hold such assets until a certified copy of one or
more resolutions as aforesaid is delivered to the Custodian. The obligations of
the parties hereto regarding the use of reasonable care, indemnities and payment
of fees and expenses shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Section 14. MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 Relationship. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall (i)
create any fiduciary, joint venture or partnership relationship between the
Custodian and any Fund or (ii) be construed as or constitute a prohibition
against the provision by the Custodian or any of its affiliates to any Fund of
investment banking, securities dealing or brokerages services or any other
banking or financial services.
14.2 Further Assurances. Each party hereto shall furnish to the
other party hereto such instruments and other documents as such other party may
reasonably request for the purpose of carrying out or evidencing the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
14.3 Attorneys' Fees. If any lawsuit or other action or proceeding
relating to this Agreement is brought by a party hereto against the other party
hereto, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorneys'
fees, costs and disbursements (including allocated costs and disbursements of
in-house counsel), in addition to any other relief to which the prevailing party
may be entitled.
14.4 Notices. Except as otherwise specified herein, each notice or
other communication hereunder shall be in Writing and shall be delivered to the
intended recipient at the following address (or at such other address as the
intended recipient shall have specified in a written notice given to the other
parties hereto):
if to a Fund or Investment Company: if to the Custodian:
[Fund or Investment Company] The Bank of New York
c/o Franklin Resources, Inc. Mutual Fund Custody Manager
777 Mariners Island Blvd. BNY Western Trust Co.
San Mateo, CA 94404 550 Kearney St., Suite 60
Attention: Chief Legal Officer San Francisco, CA 94108
14.5 Headings. The underlined headings contained herein are for
convenience of reference only, shall not be deemed to be a part of this
Agreement and shall not be referred to in connection with the interpretation
hereof.
14.6 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts,
each of which shall constitute an original and both of which, when taken
together, shall constitute one agreement.
14.7 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance
with, and governed in all respects by, the laws of the State of New York
(without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws).
14.8 Force Majeure. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11
hereof regarding the Custodian's general standard of care, no failure, delay or
default in performance of any obligation hereunder shall constitute an event of
default or a breach of this agreement, or give rise to any liability whatsoever
on the part of one party hereto to the other, to the extent that such failure to
perform, delay or default arises out of a cause beyond the control and without
negligence of the party otherwise chargeable with failure, delay or default;
including, but not limited to: action or inaction of governmental, civil or
military authority; fire; strike; lockout or other labor dispute; flood; war;
riot; theft; earthquake; natural disaster; breakdown of public or common carrier
communications facilities; computer malfunction; or act, negligence or default
of the other party. This paragraph shall in no way limit the right of either
party to this Agreement to make any claim against third parties for any damages
suffered due to such causes.
14.9 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon,
and shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns, if any.
14.10 Waiver. No failure on the part of any person to exercise any
power, right, privilege or remedy hereunder, and no delay on the part of any
person in the exercise of any power, right, privilege or remedy hereunder, shall
operate as a waiver thereof; and no single or partial exercise of any such
power, right, privilege or remedy shall preclude any other or further exercise
thereof or of any other power, right, privilege or remedy.
14.11 Amendments. This Agreement may not be amended, modified,
altered or supplemented other than by means of an agreement or instrument
executed on behalf of each of the parties hereto.
14.12 Severability. In the event that any provision of this
Agreement, or the application of any such provision to any person or set of
circumstances, shall be determined to be invalid, unlawful, void or
unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement, and the
application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to
which it is determined to be invalid, unlawful, void or unenforceable, shall not
be impaired or otherwise affected and shall continue to be valid and enforceable
to the fullest extent permitted by law.
14.13 Parties in Interest. None of the provisions of this Agreement
is intended to provide any rights or remedies to any person other than the
Investment Companies, for themselves and for the Funds, and the Custodian and
their respective successors and assigns, if any.
14.14 Pre-Emption of Other Agreements. In the event of any conflict
between this Agreement, including without limitation any amendments hereto, and
any other agreement which may now or in the future exist between the parties,
the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail.
14.15 Variations of Pronouns. Whenever required by the context
hereof, the singular number shall include the plural, and vice versa; the
masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders; and the neuter
gender shall include the masculine and feminine genders.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed and delivered as of the date first above written.
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
By: /s/ illegible
Its: Senior Vice President
THE INVESTMENT COMPANIES LISTED ON EXHIBIT A
By: /s/ Harmon E. Burns
Harmon E. Burns
Their: Vice President
By: /s/ Deborah R. Gatzek
Deborah R. Gatzek
Their: Vice President & Secretary
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
MASTER CUSTODY AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT A
The following is a list of the Investment Companies and their respective Series
for which the Custodian shall serve under the Master Custody Agreement dated as
of February 16, 1996.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Adjustable Rate Securities Delaware Business Trust U.S. Government Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Portfolios Portfolio
Adjustable Rate Securities Portfolio
AGE High Income Fund, Inc. Colorado Corporation
Franklin California Tax-Free Income Maryland Corporation
Fund, Inc.
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin California Insured Tax-Free Income
Trust Fund
Franklin California Tax-Exempt Money Fund
Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free
Income Fund
Franklin Custodian Funds, Inc. Maryland Corporation Growth Series
Utilities Series
Dynatech Series
Income Series
U.S. Government Securities Series
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Equity Fund California Corporation
Franklin Federal Money Fund California Corporation
Franklin Federal Tax- Free Income California Corporation
Fund
Franklin Gold Fund California Corporation
Franklin Government Securities Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
Franklin Templeton International Delaware Business Trust Templeton Pacific Growth Fund
Trust Franklin International Equity Fund
Franklin Investors Securities Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Global Government Income Fund
Trust Franklin Short-Intermediate U.S. Gov't
Securities Fund
Franklin Convertible Securities Fund
Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities
Fund
Franklin Equity Income Fund
Franklin Adjustable Rate Securities Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Managed Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Corporate Qualified Dividend Fund
Trust Franklin Rising Dividends Fund
Franklin Investment Grade Income Fund
Franklin Institutional Rising Dividends Fund
Franklin Money Fund California Corporation
Franklin Municipal Securities Trust Delaware Business Trust Franklin Hawaii Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin California High Yield Municipal Fund
Franklin Washington Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin Arkansas Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin New York Tax-Free Income New York Corporation
Fund, Inc.
Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin New York Tax-Exempt Money Fund
Trust Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free
Income Fund
Franklin New York Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Tax-Advantaged California Limited
International Bond Fund Partnership
Franklin Tax-Advantaged U.S. California Limited
Government Securities Fund Partnership
Franklin Tax-Advantaged High Yield California Limited
Securities Fund. Partnership
Franklin Premier Return Fund California Corporation
Franklin Real Estate Securities Delaware Business Trust Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund
Trust
Franklin Strategic Mortgage Delaware Business Trust
Portfolio
Franklin Strategic Series Delaware Business Trust Franklin California Growth Fund
Franklin Strategic Income Fund
Franklin MidCap Growth Fund
Franklin Institutional MidCap Growth Fund
Franklin Global Utilities Fund
Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund
Franklin Global Health Care Fund
Franklin Natural Resources Fund
Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund California Corporation
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Massachusetts Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Michigan Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Minnesota Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Ohio Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Puerto Rico Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Texas Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Florida Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Indiana Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund
(cont.) Trust Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free
Income Fund
Franklin Arizona Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Florida Insured Tax-Free Income fund
Franklin Templeton Global Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Templeton German Government Bond Fund
Trust Franklin Templeton Global Currency Fund
Franklin Templeton Hard Currency Fund
Franklin Templeton High Income Currency Fund
Franklin Templeton Money Fund Trust Delaware Business Trust Franklin Templeton Money Fund II
Franklin Value Investors Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund
Trust Franklin MicroCap Value Fund
Franklin Value Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Valuemark Funds Massachusetts Business Money Market Fund
Trust Growth and Income Fund
Precious Metals
Fund Real Estate
Securities Fund
Utility Equity Fund
High Income Fund
Templeton Global
Income Securities
Fund Investment
Grade Intermediate
Bond Fund Income
Securities Fund
U.S. Government
Securities Fund
Zero Coupon Fund -
2000 Zero Coupon
Fund - 2005 Zero
Coupon Fund - 2010
Adjustable U.S.
Government Fund
Rising Dividends
Fund Templeton
Pacific Growth Fund
Templeton
International
Equity Fund
Templeton
Developing Markets
Equity Fund
Templeton Global
Growth Fund
Templeton Global
Asset Allocation
Fund Small Cap Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institutional Fiduciary Trust Massachusetts Business Money Market Portfolio
Trust Franklin Late Day Money Market Portfolio
Franklin U.S. Government Securities Money
Market
Portfolio
Franklin U.S. Treasury Money Market Portfolio
Franklin Institutional Adjustable U.S.
Government
Securities Fund
Franklin Institutional Adjustable Rate
Securities Fund
Franklin U.S. Government Agency Money Market
Fund
Franklin Cash Reserves Fund
MidCap Growth Portfolio Delaware Business Trust
The Money Market Portfolios Delaware Business Trust The Money Market Portfolio
The U.S. Government Securities Money Market
Portfolio
CLOSED END FUNDS:
Franklin Multi-Income Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
Franklin Principal Maturity Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
Franklin Universal Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
TERMINAL LINK AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of February 16, 1996 between The Bank of New York as custodian
(the "Custodian") and each Investment Company listed on Exhibit A, for itself
and for each of Series listed on Exhibit A (each, a "Fund").
WHEREAS, the parties have entered into a Master Custody Agreement dated
as of February 16, 1996;
WHEREAS, the parties desire to provide for the electronic transmission
of instructions from each Fund to the Custodian, as and to the extent permitted
by the Master Custody Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors, Trustees or Managing General Partners,
as applicable, of each Investment Company have previously authorized each
Investment Company to enter into the Master Custody Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration for the mutual promises set forth, the parties
agree as follows:
A. Except as otherwise provided herein, all terms shall have the same meaning as
in the Master Custody Agreement.
B. The term "Certificate" shall mean any Proper Instruction by a Fund to the
Custodian communicated by the Terminal Link.
C . The term "Officer" shall mean an Authorized Person as defined in section 5
of the Master Custody Agreement.
D. The term "Terminal Link" shall mean an electronic data transmission link
between a Fund, Franklin Templeton Investor Services, Inc. acting as agent for
the Fund ("FTISI"), and the Custodian requiring in connection with each use of
the Terminal Link by or on behalf of the Fund use of an authorization code
provided by the Custodian and at least two access codes established by the Fund.
Each Fund represents that FTISI will maintain a transmission line to the
Custodian and has been selected by the Fund to receive electronic data
transmissions from the Custodian or the Fund and forward the same to the Fund or
the Custodian, respectively.
E. Terminal Link
1. The Terminal Link shall be utilized by a Fund only for the purpose of the
Fund providing Certificates to the Custodian with respect to transactions
involving Securities or for the transfer of money to be applied to the payment
of dividends, distributions or redemptions of Fund Shares, and shall be utilized
by the Custodian only for the purpose of providing notices to the Fund. Such use
shall commence only after a Fund shall have established access codes and
safekeeping procedures to safeguard and protect the confidentiality and
availability of such access codes, and shall have reviewed the safekeeping
procedures established by FTISI to assure that transmissions inputted by the
Fund, and only such transmissions, are forwarded by FTISI to the Custodian
without any alteration or omission. Each use of the Terminal Link by a Fund
shall constitute a representation and warranty that the Terminal Link is being
used only for the purposes permitted hereby, that at least two Officers have
each utilized an access code, that such safekeeping procedures have been
established by the Fund, that FTISI has safekeeping procedures reviewed by the
Fund to assure that all transmissions inputted by the Fund, and only such
transmissions, are forwarded by FTISI to the Custodian without any alteration or
omission by FTISI, and that such use does not, to the Fund's knowledge,
contravene the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the rules or
regulations thereunder.
2. Each Fund shall obtain and maintain at its own cost and expense all equipment
and services, including, but not limited to communications services, necessary
for it to utilize the Terminal Link, and the Custodian shall not be responsible
for the reliability or availability of any such equipment or services.
3. Each Fund acknowledges that any data bases made available as part of, or
through the Terminal Link and any proprietary data, software, processes,
information and documentation (other than which are or become part of the public
domain or are legally required to be made available to the public)
(collectively, the "Information"), are the exclusive and confidential property
of the Custodian. Each Fund shall, and shall cause others to which it discloses
the Information, including without limitation FTISI, to keep the Information
confidential, by using the same care and discretion it uses with respect to its
own confidential property and trade secrets, and shall neither make nor permit
any disclosure without the express prior written consent of the Custodian.
4. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Fund shall return to
the Custodian any and all copies of the Information which are in the Fund's
possession or under its control, or which the Fund distributed to third parties,
including without limitation FTISI. The provisions of this Article shall not
affect the copyright status of any of the Information which may be copyrighted
and shall apply to all information whether or not copyrighted.
5. The Custodian reserves the right to modify the Terminal Link from time to
time without notice to the Funds or FTISI, except that the Custodian shall give
the Funds notice not less than 75 days in advance of any modification which
would materially adversely affect the Funds' operation. The Funds agree that
neither the Funds nor FTISI shall modify or attempt to modify the Terminal Link
without the Custodian's prior written consent. Each Fund acknowledges that any
software or procedures provided the Fund or FTISI as part of the Terminal Link
are the property of the Custodian and, accordingly, agrees that any
modifications to the Terminal Link, whether by the Fund, FTISI or the Custodian
and whether with or without the Custodian's consent, shall become the property
of the Custodian.
6. The Custodian, the Funds, FTISI and any manufacturers and suppliers utilized
by the Custodian, the Funds or FTISI in connection with the Terminal Link, make
no warranties or representations to any other party, express or implied, in fact
or in law, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose.
7. Each Fund will cause its officers and employees to treat the authorization
codes and the access codes applicable to Terminal Link with extreme care, and
irrevocably authorizes the Custodian to act in accordance with and rely on
Certificates received by it through the Terminal Link. Each Fund acknowledges
that it is its responsibility to assure that only its officers and authorized
persons of FTISI use the Terminal Link on its behalf, and that the Custodian
shall not be responsible nor liable for any action taken in good faith in
reliance upon a Certificate, nor for any alteration, omission, or failure to
promptly forward by FTISI.
8. (a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in Section 8(b) of this
Article, the Custodian shall have no liability for any losses, damages,
injuries, claims, costs or expenses arising out of or in connection with any
failure, malfunction or other problem relating to the Terminal Link except for
money damages suffered as the result of the negligence of the Custodian,
provided however, that the Custodian shall have no liability under this Section
8 if the Fund fails to comply with the provisions of section 10.
(b) The Custodian's liability for its negligence in executing or failing
to act in accordance with a Certificate received through Terminal Link shall be
only with respect to a transfer of funds or assets which is not made in
accordance with such Certificate, and shall be subject to Section 11 of this
Article and contingent upon the Fund complying with the provisions of Section 10
of this Article, and shall be limited to the extent of the Fund's damages,
without reference to any special conditions or circumstances.
9. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in no event shall the
Custodian or any manufacturer or supplier of its computer equipment, software or
services relating to the Terminal Link be responsible for any special, indirect,
incidental or consequential damages which a Fund or FTISI may incur or
experience by reason of any malfunction of such equipment or software, even if
the Custodian or any manufacturer or supplier has been advised of the
possibility of such damages, nor with respect to the use of the Terminal Link
shall the Custodian or any such manufacturer or supplier be liable for acts of
God, or with respect to the following to the extent beyond such person's
reasonable control: machine or computer breakdown or malfunction, interruption
or malfunction of communication facilities, labor difficulties or any other
similar or dissimilar cause.
10. Each Fund shall notify the Custodian of any errors, omissions or
interruptions in, or delay or unavailability of, the Terminal Link as promptly
as practicable, and in any event within 24 hours after the earliest of (i)
discovery thereof, or (ii) the business day on which discovery should have
occurred through the exercise of reasonable care. The Custodian shall promptly
advise the Fund or FTISI whenever the Custodian learns of any errors, omissions
or interruption in, or delay or unavailability of, the Terminal Link.
11. The Custodian shall acknowledge to each affected Fund or to FTISI, by use of
the Terminal Link, receipt of each Certificate the Custodian receives through
the Terminal Link, and in the absence of such acknowledgment the Custodian shall
not be liable for any failure to act in accordance with such Certificate and the
Funds may not claim that such Certificate was received by the Custodian. Such
acknowledgment, which may occur after the Custodian has acted upon such
Certificate, shall be given on the same day on which such Certificate is
received.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed
by their respective officers, thereunto duly authorized and their respective
seals to be hereto affixed as of the day and year first above written.
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
By: /s/ illegible
Title: Senior Vice President
THE INVESTMENT COMPANIES LISTED ON EXHIBIT A
By: /s/ Harmon E. Burns
Harmon E. Burns
Title: Vice President
By: /s/ Deborah R. Gatzek
Deborah R. Garzek
Title: Vice President & Secretary
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
MASTER CUSTODY AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT A
The following is a list of the Investment Companies and their respective Series
for which the Custodian shall serve under the Master Custody Agreement dated as
of February 16, 1996.
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Adjustable Rate Securities Portfolios Delaware Business Trust U.S. Government Adjustable Rate Mortgage Portfolio
Adjustable Rate Securities Portfolio
AGE High Income Fund, Inc. Colorado Corporation
Franklin California Tax-Free Income Maryland Corporation
Fund, Inc.
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin California Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Trust Franklin California Tax-Exempt Money Fund
Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free
Income Fund
Franklin Custodian Funds, Inc. Maryland Corporation Growth Series
Utilities Series
Dynatech Series
Income Series
U.S. Government Securities Series
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Equity Fund California Corporation
Franklin Federal Money Fund California Corporation
Franklin Federal Tax- Free Income Fund California Corporation
Franklin Gold Fund California Corporation
Franklin Government Securities Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
Franklin Templeton International Trust Delaware Business Trust Templeton Pacific Growth Fund
Franklin International Equity Fund
Franklin Investors Securities Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Global Government Income Fund
Trust Franklin Short-Intermediate U.S. Gov't Securities Fund
Franklin Convertible Securities Fund
Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund
Franklin Equity Income Fund
Franklin Adjustable Rate Securities Fund
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Managed Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Corporate Qualified Dividend Fund
Trust Franklin Rising Dividends Fund
Franklin Investment Grade Income Fund
Franklin Institutional Rising Dividends Fund
Franklin Money Fund California Corporation
Franklin Municipal Securities Trust Delaware Business Trust Franklin Hawaii Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin California High Yield Municipal Fund
Franklin Washington Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin Arkansas Municipal Bond Fund
Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund, New York Corporation
Inc.
Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin New York Tax-Exempt Money Fund
Trust Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free
Income Fund
Franklin New York Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Tax-Advantaged International Bond California Limited
Fund Partnership
Franklin Tax-Advantaged U.S. Government California Limited
Securities Fund Partnership
Franklin Tax-Advantaged High Yield California Limited
Securities Fund. Partnership
Franklin Premier Return Fund California Corporation
Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust Delaware Business Trust Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund
Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio Delaware Business Trust
Franklin Strategic Series Delaware Business Trust Franklin California Growth Fund
Franklin Strategic Income Fund
Franklin MidCap Growth Fund
Franklin Institutional MidCap Growth Fund
Franklin Global Utilities Fund
Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund
Franklin Global Health Care Fund
Franklin Natural Resources Fund
Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund California Corporation
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Massachusetts Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Trust Franklin Michigan Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Minnesota Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Ohio Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Puerto Rico Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Texas Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Florida Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Indiana Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Tax-Free Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund
(cont.) Trust Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Arizona Insured Tax-Free Income Fund
Franklin Florida Insured Tax-Free Income fund
Franklin Templeton Global Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Templeton German Government Bond Fund
Trust Franklin Templeton Global Currency Fund
Franklin Templeton Hard Currency Fund
Franklin Templeton High Income Currency Fund
Franklin Templeton Money Fund Trust Delaware Business Trust Franklin Templeton Money Fund II
Franklin Value Investors Trust Massachusetts Business Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund
Trust Franklin MicroCap Value Fund
Franklin Value Fund
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Franklin Valuemark Funds Massachusetts Business Money Market Fund
Trust Growth and Income Fund
Precious Metals Fund
Real Estate Securities Fund
Utility Equity Fund
High Income Fund
Templeton Global Income
Securities Fund Investment
Grade Intermediate Bond
Fund Income Securities
Fund U.S. Government
Securities Fund Zero
Coupon Fund -2000 Zero
Coupon Fund -2005 Zero Coupon
Fund -2010 Adjustable U.S. Government
Fund Rising Dividends Fund
Templeton Pacific Growth Fund
Templeton International Equity
Fund Templeton Developing
Markets Equity Fund Templeton
Global Growth Fund Global
Asset Allocation Fund Small
Cap Fund
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT COMPANY ORGANIZATION SERIES ---(IF APPLICABLE)
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Institutional Fiduciary Trust Massachusetts Business Money Market Portfolio
Trust Franklin Late Day Money Market Portfolio
Franklin U.S. Government Securities Money Market
Portfolio
Franklin U.S. Treasury Money Market Portfolio
Franklin Institutional Adjustable U.S. Government
Securities Fund
Franklin Institutional Adjustable Rate Securities Fund
Franklin U.S. Government Agency Money Market Fund
Franklin Cash Reserves Fund
MidCap Growth Portfolio Delaware Business Trust
The Money Market Portfolios Delaware Business Trust The Money Market Portfolio
The U.S. Government Securities Money Market Portfolio
CLOSED END FUNDS:
Franklin Multi-Income Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
Franklin Principal Maturity Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
Franklin Universal Trust Massachusetts Business
Trust
- -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
STRADLEY, RONON., STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP
2600 ONE COMMERCE SQUARE
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19103-7098
(215) 564-8000
Fax: (215) 564-8120
Direct Dial:
(215) 564-8101
November 20, 1996
Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, California 94404
Re: FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
Gentlemen:
We have examined the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of
Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund ("Fund"), a California corporation, and the
various pertinent records, documents and proceedings we deem material. We have
also examined the Notification of Registration and the Registration Statements
filed under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("Investment Company Act") and
the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), all as amended to date, as well
as other items we deem material to this opinion.
You have indicated that, pursuant to Section 24(e) (1) of the
Investment Company Act, the Fund intends to file Post-Effective Amendment No. 16
to its registration statement under the Securities Act to register 6,699,170
additional shares of common stock for sale pursuant to its currently effective
registration statement under the Securities Act.
Based upon the foregoing information and examination, it is our
opinion that the Fund is a valid and subsisting corporation organized under the
laws of the state of California and that the proposed registration of the
6,699,170 shares of common stock is proper and such shares of common stock, when
issued will be legally outstanding, fully-paid and non-assessable shares of
common stock, and the holders of such shares of common stock will have all the
rights provided for with respect to such holding by the Articles of
Incorporation and the laws of the state of California.
We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to
Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to be filed by the Fund, covering the
registration of the said shares under the Securities Act, and we further consent
to reference in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the
Fund to the fact that this opinion concerning the legality of the issue has been
rendered by us.
Very truly yours,
STRADLEY, RONON, STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP
BY: /s/ Audrey C. Talley
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
We consent to the incorporation by reference in Post-Effective Amendment No. 16
to the Registration Statement of Franklin Tax-Exempt Money Fund on Form N-1A
(File No.2-72614) of our report dated September 5, 1996 on our audit of the
financial statements and financial highlights of the Fund, which report is
included in the Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended July 31, 1996,
which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
/s/ COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
San Francisco, California
November 26, 1996
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THE SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE FRANKLIN
TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND JULY 31, 1996, ANNUAL REPORT AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS
ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000353316
<NAME> FRANKLIN TAX-EXEMPT MONEY FUND
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUL-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> JUL-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 168,148,196
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 168,148,196
<RECEIVABLES> 1,072,319
<ASSETS-OTHER> 173,859
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 169,394,374
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 2,490,196
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 190,731
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 2,680,927
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 0
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 166,713,447
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 173,122,616
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 0
<NET-ASSETS> 166,713,447
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 5,957,667
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (1,097,520)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 4,860,147
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (688)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 0
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 4,859,459
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (4,859,459)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 264,699,526
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (275,981,641)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 4,872,946
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (6,409,169)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,016,591
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1,469,728
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 168,647,360
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 1.000
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.029
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 0.000
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.029)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0.000
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.000
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 1.000
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .650
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0.000
</TABLE>
