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Supplement to the Statement of Additional Information
John Hancock Balanced Fund John Hancock Sovereign Investors Fund
John Hancock Core Equity Fund John Hancock Large Cap Value Fund
The "SALES COMPENSATION" chart has been changed as follows:
Maximum
Sales charge reallowance First year service Maximum total
paid by investors or commission fee (% of net compensation (1)
Class A investments (% of offering price) (% of offering price) investment) (3) (% of offering price)
- ------------------- --------------------- --------------------- --------------- ---------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Up to $49,999 5.00% 4.01% 0.25% 4.25%
$50,000 - $99,999 4.50% 3.51% 0.25% 3.75%
$100,000 - $249,999 3.50% 2.61% 0.25% 2.85%
$250,000 - $499,999 2.50% 1.86% 0.25% 2.10%
$500,000 - $999,999 2.00% 1.36% 0.25% 1.60%
Regular investments
of Class A shares of
$1 million or more (4)
- ----------------------
First $1M - $4,999,999 -- 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
Next $1 - $5M above that -- 0.25% 0.25% 0.50% (2)
Next $1 or more above that -- 0.00% 0.25% 0.25% (2)
Retirement investments
of Class A shares of
$1 million or more*
- -------------------
First $1M - $24,999,999 -- 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
Next $25M -$49,999,999 -- 0.25% 0.25% 0.50%
Next $1 or more above that -- 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
Maximum
reallowance First year service Maximum total
or commission fee (% of net compensation (1)
Class B investments (% of offering price) investment) (3) (% of offering price)
- ------------------- --------------------- --------------- ---------------------
All amounts 3.75% 0.25% 4.00%
Maximum
reallowance First year service Maximum total
or commission fee (% of net compensation (1)
Class C investments (% of offering price) investment) (3) (% of offering price)
- ------------------- --------------------- --------------- ---------------------
All amounts 0.75% 0.25% 1.00%
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(1) Reallowance/commission percentages and service fee percentages are
calculated from different amounts, and therefore may not equal total
compensation percentages if combined using simple addition.
(2) For Group Investment Programs sales, the maximum total compensation for
investments of $1 million or more is 1.00% of the offering price (one year CDSC
of 1.00% applies for each sale).
(3) After first year subsequent service fees are paid quarterly in arrears.
(4) Includes new investments aggregated with investments since the last annual
reset. John Hancock Funds may take recent redemptions into account in
determining if an investment qualifies as a new investment.
CDSC revenues collected by John Hancock Funds may be used to pay commissions
when there is no initial sales charge.
* Retirement investments only. These include traditional, Roth and Education
IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SIMPLE 401(k), Rollover IRA, TSA, 457, 403(b), 401(k), Money
Purchase Pension Plan, profit-sharing plan and other retirement plans as
described in the Internal Revenue Code.
August 2, 1999
GINSAIS 8/99
