Registration No. 2-91683
File No. 811-4054
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 / X /
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. ___ / /
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 23 / X /
--
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT
OF 1940 / X /
Amendment No. 22 / X /
OPPENHEIMER NEW YORK MUNICIPAL FUND
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
212-323-0200
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(Registrant's Telephone Number)
ANDREW J. DONOHUE, ESQ.
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
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(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
/ / Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
/ / On __________________, pursuant to paragraph (b)
/ / 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/ X / On January 25, 1999, pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/ / 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
/ / On _______ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) 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.
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Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
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Prospectus Dated January 25, 1999
Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund is a mutual fund. It seeks current
income exempt from Federal and New York income taxes by investing in municipal
securities, while attempting to preserve capital.
This Prospectus contains important information about the Fund's
objective, its investment policies, strategies and risks. It also contains
important information about how to buy and sell shares of the Fund and other
account features. Please read this Prospectus carefully before you invest and
keep it for future reference about your account.
67890
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not
approved or disapproved the Fund's securities nor has it determined that this
Prospectus is accurate or complete. It is a criminal offense to represent
otherwise.
<PAGE>
14
Contents
About The Fund
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The Fund's Objective and Investment Strategies
Main Risks of Investing in the Fund
The Fund's Past Performance
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
About the Fund's Investments
How the Fund is Managed
About Your Account
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How to Buy Shares
Class A Shares
Class B Shares
Class C Shares
Special Investor Services
AccountLink
PhoneLink
OppenheimerFunds Web Site
How to Sell Shares
By Mail
By Telephone
By Checkwriting
How to Exchange Shares
Shareholder Account Rules and Policies
Dividends and Tax Information
Financial Highlights
<PAGE>
About the Fund
The Fund's Objective and Investment Strategies
What Is the Fund's Investment Objective? The Fund's investment objective is to
seek as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal and New York
income taxes for individual investors as is consistent with preservation of
capital.
What Does the Fund Invest In? The Fund invests mainly in New York municipal
securities that pay interest exempt from federal and New York individual income
taxes. These primarily include municipal bonds (which are long-term
obligations), municipal notes (short-term obligations), interests in municipal
leases, and tax-exempt commercial paper. Most of the securities the Fund buys
must be "investment grade" (the four highest rated categories of national rating
organizations, such as Moody's).
The Fund does not limit its investments to securities of a particular
maturity range, and may hold both short- and long-term securities. However, it
currently focuses on longer-term securities to seek higher yields. The Fund may
also use hedging instruments and certain derivative investments to a limited
extent to try to manage investment risks. These investments are more fully
explained in "About the Fund's Investments," below.
|X| How Does the Manager Decide What Securities to Buy or Sell? In
selecting securities for the Fund, the Manager currently looks primarily
throughout New York for municipal securities using a variety of factors which
may change over time and may vary in particular cases: o Securities that provide
high income o The goal of spreading risk among a wide range of securities of
different issuers within the state,
including different agencies and municipalities
|_| Issues with favorable credit characteristics
|_| Special situations among issuers that provide
opportunities for value
Who Is the Fund Designed For? The Fund is designed for investors who are seeking
income exempt from federal and New York income taxes. It does not seek capital
gains or growth. Because it invests in tax-exempt securities, the Fund is not
appropriate for retirement plan accounts or for investors who want to pursue
capital growth.
Main Risks of Investing in the Fund
All investments carry risks to some degree. For bond funds one risk is
that the market prices of the fund's investments will fluctuate when general
interest rates change (this is known as "interest rate risk"). Another risk is
that the issuer of the bond will experience financial difficulties and may
default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal (this is referred
to as "credit risk"). These general investment risks and the special risks of
certain types of investments that the Fund may hold are described below.
These risks collectively form the risk profile of the Fund and can
affect the value of the Fund's investments, its investment performance, and the
prices of its shares. These risks mean that you can lose money by investing in
the Fund. When you redeem your shares, they may be worth more or less than what
you paid for them.
The Fund's investment Manager, OppenheimerFunds, Inc., tries to reduce
risks by selecting a wide variety of municipal investments, by carefully
researching securities before they are purchased and in some cases by using
hedging techniques. However, changes in the overall market prices of municipal
securities and the income they pay can occur at any time. The share price of the
Fund will change daily based on changes in interest rates and market conditions,
and in response to other economic events. There is no assurance that the Fund
will achieve its investment objective.
How Risky Is the Fund Overall? The value of the Fund's investments in municipal
securities will change over time due to a number of factors. They include
changes in general bond market movements, the change in value of particular
bonds because of an event affecting the issuer, or changes in interest rates
that can affect bond prices overall. The Fund focuses its investments in New
York municipal securities. It will therefore be vulnerable to the effects of
economic changes that affect New York governmental issuers. These changes can
affect the value of the Fund's investments and its price per share. The Fund may
invest in derivative investments. These have additional risks and can cause
fluctuations in the Fund's share prices. In the OppenheimerFunds spectrum, the
Fund is more conservative than some types of taxable bond funds, such as high
yield bond funds, but more aggressive than money market funds.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of any bank, and is not
insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other
government agency.
|X| Credit Risk. Municipal securities are subject to credit risk.
Credit risk relates to the ability of the issuer of a municipal security to make
interest and principal payments on the security as they become due. If the
issuer fails to pay interest, the Fund's income may be reduced and if the issuer
fails to repay principal, the value of that bond and of the Fund's shares may be
reduced. Because the Fund can invest as much as 25% of its assets in municipal
securities below investment grade to seek higher income, the Fund's credit risks
are greater than those of funds that buy only investment grade bonds.
|X| Interest Rate Risks. In addition to credit risks, municipal
securities are subject to changes in value when prevailing interest rates
change. When interest rates fall, the values of outstanding municipal securities
generally rise, and the bonds may sell for more than their face amount. When
interest rates rise, the values of outstanding municipal securities generally
decline, and the bonds may sell at a discount from their face amount. The
magnitude of these price changes is generally greater for bonds with longer
maturities. The Fund currently focuses on longer term securities to seek higher
income. When the average maturity of the Fund's portfolio is longer, its share
price may fluctuate more when interest rates change.
|X| There are Special Risks in Using Derivative Investments. The Fund
may use derivatives to seek increased returns or to try to hedge investment
risks. In general terms, a derivative investment is an investment contract whose
value depends on (or is derived from) the value of an underlying assets,
interest rate or index. Options, futures, "inverse floaters" and variable rate
obligations are examples of derivatives.
If the issuer of the derivative investment does not pay the amount due,
the Fund can lose money on its investment. Also, the underlying security or
investment on which the derivative is based, and the derivative itself, may not
perform the way the Manager expected it to perform. If that happens, the Fund
will get less income than expected or its share price could decline. To try to
preserve capital, the Fund has limits on the amount of particular types of
derivatives it can hold. However, using derivatives can cause the Fund to lose
money on its investments and/or increase the volatility of its share prices.
The Fund's Past Performance
The bar chart and table below show one measure of the risks of investing in the
Fund, by showing changes in the Fund's performance (for its Class A shares) from
year to year for the calendar years since the Fund's inception (8/16/84) and by
showing how the average annual total returns of the Fund's shares compare to
those of a broad-based market index. The Fund's past investment performance is
not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
[See Bar Chart in Appendix to the Prospectus]
For the period from 1/1/98 through 12/30/98, the cumulative return (not
annualized) for Class A shares was ____%. Sales charges are not included in the
calculations of return in this bar chart, and if those charges were included,
the returns would be less than those shown. During the period shown in the bar
chart, the highest return (not annualized) for a calendar quarter was ____%
(_____) and the lowest return for a calendar quarter was ____% (_____).
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Average Annual Total Returns
for the periods ending Past 5 Years Past 10 Years
December 31, 1998 Past 1 Year (or life of class, if (or life of class, if less)
less)
Oppenheimer New York
Municipal Fund (Class A ____% ____% ____%
Shares)
Oppenheimer New York
Municipal Fund (Class B ____% ____% ____%*
Shares)
Oppenheimer New York
Municipal Fund (Class C ____% ____%* N/A
Shares)
Lehman Brothers Municipal ____% ____% ____%*
Bond Index
</TABLE>
* Inception dates of classes: Class B: 3/1/93; Class C: 8/29/95. The index
performance is shown from 10/31/88. The Fund's average annual total returns in
the table include the applicable sales charge: for Class A, the current maximum
initial sales charge of 4.75%; for Class B, the applicable contingent deferred
sales charges of 5% (1-year), 2% (5-year) and 1% (life of class); for Class C,
the 1% contingent deferred sales charge for the 1-year period.
The returns measure the performance of a hypothetical account and assume that
all dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in additional
shares. Because the Fund invests in municipal securities, the Fund's performance
is compared to the Lehman Brothers Municipal Bond Index, an unmanaged index of a
broad range of investment grade municipal bonds that is a measure of the
performance of the general municipal bond market. However, it must be remembered
that the index includes municipal securities from many states while the Fund
focuses on New York municipal securities, and the index performance does not
consider the effects of capital gains or transaction costs.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The Fund pays a variety of expenses directly for management of its
assets, administration, distribution of its shares and other services. Those
expenses are subtracted from the Fund's assets to calculate the Fund's net asset
value per share. All shareholders therefore pay those expenses indirectly.
Shareholders pay other expenses directly, such as sales charges and account
transaction charges. The following tables are provided to help you understand
the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The
numbers below are based on the Fund's expenses during the fiscal year ended
September 30, 1998.
Shareholder Fees (charges paid directly from your investment):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Class A Shares Class B Shares Class C Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on purchases (as a 4.75% None None
% of offering price)
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as % of None1 5%2 1%3
the lower of the original offering price or
redemption proceeds)
</TABLE>
1. A 1% contingent deferred sales charge may apply to redemptions of
investments of $1 million or more of Class A shares. See "How to Buy
Shares" for details.
2. Applies to redemptions in first year after purchase. The contingent
deferred sales charge declines to 1% in the sixth year and is eliminated
after that.
3. Applies to shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (deducted from Fund assets):
(% of average daily net assets)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Class A Class B Class C
Shares Shares Shares
Management Fees ____% ____% ____%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees ____% ____% ____%
Other Expenses ____% ____% ____%
Total Annual Operating Expenses ____% ____% ____%
</TABLE>
Numbers in the table are based on the Fund's expenses in the last fiscal year,
ended 9/30//98. Expenses may vary in future years. "Other expenses" include
transfer agent fees, custodial fees, and accounting and legal expenses the Fund
pays.
Examples. These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing
in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in a class of shares of the Fund for
the time periods indicated, and reinvest your dividends and distributions. The
first example assumes that you redeem all of your shares at the end of those
periods. The second example assumes you keep your shares. Both examples also
assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the class's
operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower
because expenses will vary over time. Based on these assumptions your expenses
would be as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
If shares are redeemed: 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years1
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Class A Shares $ $ $ $
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Class B Shares $ $ $ $
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Class C Shares $ $ $ $
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If shares are not redeemed: 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years1
- -------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------ ------------------------
- -------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------ ------------------------
Class A Shares $ $ $ $
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- -------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------ ------------------------
Class B Shares $ $ $ $
- -------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------ ------------------------
- -------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------ ------------------------
Class C Shares $ $ $ $
- -------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------ ------------------------
</TABLE>
In the first example, expenses include the initial sales charge for Class A and
the applicable Class B or Class C contingent deferred sales charges. In the
second example, the Class A expenses include the sales charge, but Class B and
Class C expenses do not include contingent deferred sales charges. 1. Class B
expense for years 7 through 10 are based on Class A expenses, since Class B
shares automatically convert to Class A after 6 years.
About the Fund's Investments
The Fund's Principal Investment Policies. The Fund's goal is to seek a high
level of interest income that is exempt from federal and New York income taxes
by investing in municipal securities, while trying to preserve capital. Under
normal market conditions, the Fund:
o attempts to invest 100% of its assets in municipal securities,
o as a fundamental policy, attempts to invest at least 80% of its
assets in municipal securities, and
o invests at least 65% of its total assets in New York municipal
securities.
The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information
about the Fund's investment policies and risks.
|X| What Municipal Securities Does the Fund Invest In? The Fund buys
municipal bonds and notes, tax-exempt commercial paper, certificates of
participation in municipal leases and other debt obligations.
New York municipal securities, on which the Fund focuses its
investments, are municipal securities that are not subject (at the time they are
issued) to New York individual income tax, in the opinion of bond counsel to the
issuer. These debt obligations are issued by the State of New York and its
political subdivisions (such as cities, towns counties, agencies and
authorities). The term New York municipal securities may also include debt
securities of the governments of certain possessions, territories and
commonwealths of the United States if the interest is not subject to New York
individual income tax.
<PAGE>
The Fund may also buy other municipal securities, issued by the
governments of the District of Columbia and of other states as well as their
political subdivisions, authorities and agencies, and securities issued by any
commonwealths, territories or possessions of the United States, or their
respective agencies, instrumentalities or authorities, if the interest paid on
the security is not subject to federal individual income tax (in the opinion of
bond counsel to the issuer at the time the security is issued).
The Fund can buy both long-term and short-term municipal securities.
Long-term securities have a maturity of more than one year. The Fund generally
focuses on longer-term securities, to seek higher income. The values of
longer-term bonds are more affected by changes in interest rates than short-term
bonds. Therefore, the longer the average maturity of the Fund's portfolio, the
more its share prices generally will be affected by changes in interest rates.
Municipal securities are issued to raise money for a variety of public
or private purposes, including financing state or local governments, financing
specific projects or public facilities. The Fund can invest in municipal
securities that are "general obligations," secured by the issuer's pledge of its
full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest.
The Fund can also can buy "revenue obligations," payable only from the
revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities, or a
specific excise tax or other revenue source. Some of those revenue obligations
are private activity bonds that pay interest that may be a tax preference item
for investors subject to alternative minimum tax.
|X| Ratings of Municipal Securities the Fund Buys. Most of the
municipal securities the Fund buys are "investment grade" at the time of
purchase. The Fund limits its investments in municipal securities that at the
time of purchase are not "investment-grade" to not more than 25% of its total
assets. "Investment grade" securities are those rated within the four highest
rating categories of Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch or Duff & Phelps or
another nationally recognized rating organization, or (if unrated) judged by the
Manager to be investment grade. Rating categories are described in the Statement
of Additional Information. If the securities are not rated, the Manager will use
its judgment to assign a rating category equivalent to that of a rating agency.
A reduction in the rating of a security after its purchase by the Fund will not
automatically require the Fund to dispose of that security. However, the Manager
will evaluate those securities to determine whether to keep them in the Fund's
portfolio.
The Manager may rely to some extent on credit ratings by nationally
recognized rating agencies in evaluating the credit risk of securities selected
for the Fund's portfolio. It may also use its own research and analysis. Many
factors affect an issuer's ability to make timely payments, and the credit risks
of a particular security may change over time.
o Special Risks of Lower-Grade Securities. Lower-grade municipal
securities may be subject to greater market fluctuations and greater risks of
loss of income and principal than higher-rated municipal securities. Securities
that are (or that have fallen) below investment grade entail a greater risk that
the issuers of such securities may not meet their debt obligations. However, by
limiting its investments in non-investment grade municipal securities to not
more than 25% of its assets, the Fund may reduce the effect of some of these
risks on its share price and income.
|X| Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal leases are used by state and
local government authorities to obtain funds to acquire land, equipment or
facilities. The Fund may invest in certificates of participation that represent
a proportionate interest in payments made under municipal lease obligations. If
the government stops making payments or transfers its payment obligations to a
private entity, the obligation could lose value or become taxable.
|X| Can the Fund's Investment Objective and Policies Change? The Fund's
Board of Trustees may change non-fundamental policies without shareholder
approval, although significant changes will be described in amendments to this
Prospectus. Fundamental policies are those that cannot be changed without the
approval of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting shares. The Fund's
investment objective is a fundamental policy. An investment policy or technique
is not fundamental unless this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional
Information says that the particular policy is fundamental.
Other Investment Strategies. To seek its objective, the Fund can also use the
investment techniques and strategies described below. These techniques involve
certain risks or are designed to help reduce some of the risks.
|X| Floating Rate/Variable Rate Obligations. Some of the municipal
securities the Fund can purchase have variable or floating interest rates.
Variable rates are adjustable at stated periodic intervals. Floating rates are
automatically adjusted according to a specified market rate for such
investments, such as the percentage of the prime rate of a bank, or the 91-day
U.S. Treasury Bill rate. These obligations may be secured by bank letters of
credit or other credit support arrangements.
Certain types of variable rate bonds known as "inverse floaters" pay
interest rates that vary as the yields generally available on short-term
tax-exempt bonds change. However, the yields on inverse floaters move in the
opposite direction of yields on short-term bonds in response to market changes.
As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income, and their
market value can become volatile. Inverse floaters are a type of "derivative
security." Some have a "cap," so that if interest rates rise above the "cap,"
the security pays additional interest income. If rates do not rise above the
"cap," the Fund will have paid an additional amount for a feature that proves
worthless. The Fund anticipates that it will invest not more than 10% of its
total assets in inverse floaters.
|X| Other Derivatives. The Fund may also invest in municipal derivative
securities that pay interest that depends on an external pricing mechanism.
Examples of securities having external pricing mechanisms are interest rate
swaps, municipal bond indices or swap indices.
|X|When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may purchase
municipal securities on a "when-issued" basis and may purchase or sell such
securities on a "delayed delivery" basis. These terms refer to securities that
have been created and for which a market exists, but which are not available for
immediate delivery. The Fund does not intend to make such purchases for
speculative purposes. During the period between the purchase and settlement, no
payment is made for the security and no interest accrues to the buyer from the
investment. There is a risk of loss to the Fund if the value of the security
declines prior to the settlement date.
|X| Puts and Stand-By Commitments. The Fund may acquire "stand-by
commitments" or "puts" with respect to municipal securities. The Fund would have
the right to sell specified securities at a set price on demand to the issuing
broker-dealer or bank. However, this feature may result in a lower interest rate
on the security. The Fund will acquire stand-by commitments or puts solely to
enhance portfolio liquidity.
|X| Illiquid Securities. Under the policies and procedures established
by the Fund's Board of Trustees, the Manager determines the liquidity of the
Fund's investments. Investments may be illiquid because of the absence of an
active trading market, making it difficult to value them or dispose of them
promptly at an acceptable price. The Fund will not invest more than 10% of its
net assets in illiquid securities (the Board may increase that limit to 15%).
The Manager monitors holdings of illiquid securities on an ongoing basis to
determine whether to sell any holdings to maintain adequate liquidity. The Fund
cannot buy securities that have a restriction on resale.
|X| Hedging. The Fund may purchase and sell certain kinds of futures
contracts, put and call options, and options on futures and broadly-based
municipal bond indices, or enter into interest rate swap agreements. These are
all referred to as "hedging instruments." The Fund does not use hedging
instruments for speculative purposes, and has limits on the use of them. The
Fund does not use hedging instruments to a substantial degree and is not
required to use them in seeking its goal.
The Fund may buy and sell options and futures for a number of purposes.
It may do so to try to manage its exposure to the possibility that the prices of
its portfolio securities may decline, or to establish a position in the
securities market as a temporary substitute for purchasing individual
securities. It may do so to try to manage its exposure to changing interest
rates. Some of these strategies hedge the Fund's portfolio against price
fluctuations. Other hedging strategies, such as buying futures and call options,
tend to increase the Fund's exposure to the securities market.
If the Manager uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges
market conditions incorrectly, the strategy may reduce the Fund's return. The
Fund could also experience losses if the prices of its futures and options
positions were not correlated with its other investments or if it could not
close out a position because of an illiquid market for the future or option.
Options trading involves the payment of premiums and has special tax
effects on the Fund. There are also special risks in particular hedging
strategies. For example, interest rate swaps are subject to credit risks (if the
other party fails to meet its obligations) and also to interest rate risks. The
Fund could be obligated to pay more under its swap agreements than it receives
under them, as a result of interest rate changes. The Fund may not enter into
swaps with respect to more than 25% of its total assets.
Temporary Defensive Investments. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its total
assets in temporary defensive investments from time to time. This may happen
during periods of unusual market conditions. Generally, they would be short-term
municipal securities but could be U.S. government securities or highly-rated
corporate debt securities. The income from some of those temporary defensive
investments may not be tax-exempt, and therefore when making those investments
the Fund may not achieve its objective. The Fund may also hold these types of
temporary investments pending the investment of proceeds from the sale of Fund
shares or portfolio securities, or to meet anticipated redemptions of Fund
shares.
Year 2000 Risks. Because many computer software systems in use today cannot
distinguish the year 2000 from the year 1900, the markets for securities in
which the Fund invests could be detrimentally affected by computer failures
beginning January 1, 2000. Failure of computer systems used for securities
trading could result in settlement and liquidity problems for the Fund and other
investors. That failure could have a negative impact on handling securities
trades, pricing and accounting services. Data processing errors by government
issuers of securities could result in economic uncertainties, and those issuers
may incur substantial costs in attempting to prevent or fix such errors, all of
which could have a negative effect on the Fund's investments and returns.
The Manager, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent have been working
on necessary changes to their computer systems to deal with the year 2000 and
expect that their systems will be adapted in time for that event, although there
cannot be assurance of success. Additionally, the services they provide depend
on the interaction of their computer systems with those of brokers, information
services, the Fund's Custodian and other parties. Therefore, any failure of the
computer systems of those parties to deal with the year 2000 may also have a
negative affect on the services they provide to the Fund. The extent of that
risk cannot be ascertained at this time.
How the Fund is Managed
The Manager. The Fund's investment adviser is the Manager, OppenheimerFunds,
Inc., which is responsible for selecting the Fund's investments and handles its
day-to-day business. The Manager carries out its duties, subject to the policies
established by the Board of Trustees, under an Investment Advisory Agreement
which states the Manager's responsibilities. The Agreement sets forth the fees
paid by the Fund to the Manager and describes the expenses that the Fund is
responsible to pay to conduct its business.
The Manager has operated as an investment advisor since 1959. The
Manager (including subsidiaries) currently manages investment companies,
including other Oppenheimer funds, with assets of more than $85 billion as of
September 30, 1998, and with more than 4 million shareholder accounts. The
Manager is located at Two World Trade Center, 34th Floor, New York, New York
10048-0203.
|X| Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio manager of the Fund is Robert
Patterson, a Senior Vice President of the Manager. Mr. Patterson is the person
principally responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio,
and has had this responsibility since November, 1995. Mr. Patterson also serves
as an officer and portfolio manager for other Oppenheimer funds.
|X| Advisory Fees. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund
pays the Manager an advisory fee at an annual rate which declines on additional
assets as the Fund grows: 0.60% of the first $200 million of average annual net
assets, 0.55% of the next $100 million, 0.50% of the next $200 million, 0.45% of
the next $250 million, 0.40% of the next $250 million, and 0.35% of average
annual net assets in excess of $1 billion. The Fund's management fee for its
last fiscal year ended September 30, 1998, was ____% of average annual net
assets for Class A, Class B and Class C shares.
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About Your Account
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How to Buy Shares
How Are Shares Purchased? You can buy shares several ways -- through any dealer,
broker or financial institution that has a sales agreement with the Fund's
Distributor, directly through the Distributor, or automatically through an Asset
Builder Plan under the OppenheimerFunds AccountLink service. The Distributor may
appoint certain servicing agents to accept purchase (and redemption) orders. The
Distributor, in its sole discretion, may reject any purchase order for the
Fund's shares.
|X| Buying Shares Through Your Dealer. Your dealer will place your order
with the Distributor on your behalf.
|X| Buying Shares Through the Distributor. Complete an OppenheimerFunds
New Account Application and return it with a check payable to "OppenheimerFunds
Distributor, Inc." Mail it to P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado 80217. If you
don't list a dealer on the application, the Distributor will act as your agent
in buying the shares. However, we recommend that you discuss your investment
with a financial advisor before your make a purchase to be sure that the Fund is
appropriate for you.
|X| Buying Shares by Federal Funds Wire. Shares purchased through the
Distributor may be paid for by Federal Funds wire. The minimum investment is
$2,500. Before sending a wire, call the Distributor's Wire Department at
1-800-525-7048 to notify the Distributor of the wire, and to receive further
instructions.
|X| Buying Shares Through OppenheimerFunds AccountLink. With
AccountLink, shares are purchased for your account on the regular business day
the Distributor is instructed by you to initiate the Automated Clearing House
(ACH) transfer to buy the shares. You can provide those instructions
automatically, under an Asset Builder Plan, described below, or by telephone
instructions using OppenheimerFunds PhoneLink, also described below. Please
refer to "AccountLink," below for more details.
|X| Buying Shares Through Asset Builder Plans. You may purchase shares
of the Fund (and up to four other Oppenheimer funds) automatically each month
from your account at a bank or other financial institution under an Asset
Builder Plan with AccountLink. Details are in the Asset Builder Application and
the Statement of Additional Information.
How Much Must You Invest? You can open a Fund account with a minimum initial
investment of $1,000 and make additional investments at any time with as little
as $25. There are reduced minimum investments under special investment plans.
|_| With Asset Builder Plans, Automatic Exchange Plans and military
allotment plans, you can make initial and subsequent investments for as little
as $25. Subsequent purchases of at least $25 can be made by telephone through
AccountLink.
|_| The minimum investment requirement does not apply to reinvesting
dividends from the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds (a list of them appears in
the Statement of Additional Information, or you can ask your dealer or call the
Transfer Agent), or reinvesting distributions from unit investment trusts that
have made arrangements with the Distributor.
At What Price Are Shares Sold? Shares are sold at their offering price (the net
asset value per share plus any initial sales charge that applies). The offering
price that applies to a purchase order is based on the next calculation of the
net asset value per share that is made after the Distributor receives the
purchase order at its offices in Denver, Colorado, or after any agent appointed
by the Distributor receives the order and sends it to the Distributor.
|_| The net asset value of each class of shares is determined as of the
close of The New York Stock Exchange, on each day the Exchange is open for
trading (referred to in this Prospectus as a "regular business day"). The
Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M., New York time, but may close earlier on
some days. (All references to time in this Prospectus mean "New York time").
The net asset value per share is determined by dividing the value of
the Fund's net assets attributable to a class by the number of shares of that
class that are outstanding. To determine net asset value, the Fund's Board of
Trustees has established procedures to value the Fund's securities, in general
based on market value. The Board has adopted special procedures for valuing
illiquid securities and obligations for which market values cannot be readily
obtained.
|_| To receive the offering price for a particular day, in most cases
the Distributor or its designated agent must receive your order by the time of
day The New York Stock Exchange closes that day. If your order is received on a
day when the Exchange is closed or after it has closed, the order will receive
the next offering price that is determined after your order is received.
|_| If you buy shares through a dealer, your dealer must receive the
order by the close of The New York Stock Exchange and transmit it to the
Distributor so that it is received before the Distributor's close of business on
a regular business day (normally 5:00 P.M.) to receive that day's offering
price. Otherwise, the order will receive the next offering price that is
determined.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Classes of Shares Does the Fund Offer? The Fund offers investors three
different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent
investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to
different expenses and will likely have different share prices. When you buy
shares, be sure to specify Class A, Class B or Class C shares. If you do not
choose a class, your investment will be made in Class A shares.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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|X| Class A Shares. If you buy Class A shares, you pay an initial sales
charge (on investments up to $1 million). The amount of that sales charge will
vary depending on the amount you invest. The sales charge rates are listed in
"How Can I Buy Class A Shares?" below.
|X| Class B Shares. If you buy Class B shares, you pay no sales charge at the
time of purchase, but you will pay an annual asset-based sales charge and if you
sell your shares within six years of buying them, you will normally pay a
contingent deferred sales charge. That sales charge varies depending on how long
you own your shares, as described in "How Can I Buy Class B Shares?" below.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|X| Class C Shares. If you buy Class C shares, you pay no sales charge
at the time of purchase, but you will pay an annual asset-based sales charge if
you sell your shares within 12 months of buying them, you will normally pay a
contingent deferred sales charge of 1%, as described in "How Can I Buy Class C
Shares?" below.
Which Class of Shares Should You Choose? Once you decide that the Fund is an
appropriate investment for you, the decision as to which class of shares is best
suited to your needs depends on a number of factors that you should discuss with
your financial advisor. Some factors to consider are how much you plan to invest
and how long you plan to hold your investment. If your goals and objectives
change over time and you plan to purchase additional shares, you should
re-evaluate those factors to see if you should consider another class of shares.
The Fund's operating costs that apply to a class of shares and the effect of the
different types of sales charges on your investment will vary your investment
results over time.
The discussion below is not intended to be investment advice or a
recommendation, because each investor's financial considerations are different.
You should review these factors with your financial advisor. The discussion
below assumes that you will purchase only one class of shares, and not a
combination of shares of different classes.
|X| How Long Do You Expect to Hold Your Investment? While future
financial needs cannot be predicted with certainty, knowing how long you expect
to hold your investment will assist you in selecting the appropriate class of
shares. Because of the effect of class-based expenses, your choice will also
depend on how much you plan to invest. For example, the reduced sales charges
available for larger purchases of Class A shares may, over time, offset the
effect of paying an initial sales charge on your investment, compared to the
effect over time of higher class-based expenses on shares of Class B or Class C
.
|_| Investing for the Short Term. If you have a relatively short-term
investment horizon (that is, you plan to hold your shares for not more than six
years), you should probably consider purchasing Class A or Class C shares rather
than Class B shares. That is because of the effect of the Class B contingent
deferred sales charge if you redeem within six years, as well as the effect of
the Class B asset-based sales charge on the investment return for that class in
the short-term. Class C shares might be the appropriate choice (especially for
investments of less than $100,000), because there is no initial sales charge on
Class C shares, and the contingent deferred sales charge does not apply to
amounts you sell after holding them one year.
However, if you plan to invest more than $100,000 for the shorter term,
then as your investment horizon increases toward six years, Class C shares might
not be as advantageous as Class A shares. That is because the annual asset-based
sales charge on Class C shares will have a greater impact on your account over
the longer term than the reduced front-end sales charge available for larger
purchases of Class A shares.
And for investors who invest $1 million or more, in most cases Class A
shares will be the most advantageous choice, no matter how long you intend to
hold your shares. For that reason, the Distributor normally will not accept
purchase orders of $500,000 or more of Class B shares or $1 million or more of
Class C shares from a single investor.
|_| Investing for the Longer Term. If you are investing less than
$100,000 for the longer-term, for example for retirement, and do not expect to
need access to your money for seven years or more, Class B shares may be
appropriate.
Of course, these examples are based on approximations of the effect of
current sales charges and expenses projected over time, and do not detail all of
the considerations in selecting a class of shares. You should analyze your
options carefully with your financial advisor before making that choice.
|X| Are There Differences in Account Features That Matter to You? Some
account features (such as checkwriting) may not be available to Class B or Class
C shareholders. Other features (such as Automatic Withdrawal Plans) may not be
advisable (because of the effect of the contingent deferred sales charge) for
Class B or Class C shareholders. Therefore, you should carefully review how you
plan to use your investment account before deciding which class of shares to
buy. Additionally, the dividends payable to Class B and Class C shareholders
will be reduced by the additional expenses borne by those classes that are not
borne by Class A shares, such as the Class B and Class C asset-based sales
charge described below and in the Statement of Additional Information. Share
certificates are not available for Class B and Class C shares, and if you are
considering using your shares as collateral for a loan, that may be a factor to
consider.
|X| How Does It Affect Payments to My Broker? A salesperson, such as a
broker, may receive different compensation for selling one class of shares than
for selling another class. It is important to remember that Class B and Class C
contingent deferred sales charges and asset-based sales charges have the same
purpose as the front-end sales charge on sales of Class A shares: to compensate
the Distributor for commissions and expenses it pays to dealers and financial
institutions for selling shares. The Distributor may pay additional compensation
from its own resources to securities dealers or financial institutions based
upon the value of shares of the Fund owned by the dealer or financial
institution for its own account or for its customers.
Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers. The Statement of Additional
Information details the conditions for the waiver of sales charges that apply in
certain cases, and the special sales charge rates that apply to purchases of
shares of the Fund by certain groups, or under specified retirement plan
arrangements or in other special types of transactions.
How Can I Buy Class A Shares? Class A shares are sold at their offering price,
which is normally net asset value plus an initial sales charge. However, in some
cases, described below, purchases are not subject to an initial sales charge,
and the offering price will be the net asset value. In other cases, reduced
sales charges may be available, as described below or in the Statement of
Additional Information. Out of the amount you invest, the Fund receives the net
asset value to invest for your account.
The sales charge varies depending on the amount of your purchase. A
portion of the sales charge may be retained by the Distributor or allocated to
your dealer as commission. The Distributor reserves the right to reallow the
entire commission to dealers. The current sales charge rates and commissions
paid to dealers and brokers are as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Front-End Sales Front-End Sales Commission As a
Charge As a Charge As a Percentage of
Percentage of Percentage of Net Offering
Amount of Purchase Offering Price Amount Invested Price
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less than $50,000 4.75% 4.98% 4.00%
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$50,000 or more but 4.50% 4.71% 4.00%
less than $100,000
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$100,000 or more but 3.50% 3.63% 3.00%
less than $250,000
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$250,000 or more but 2.50% 2.56% 2.25%
less than $500,000
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$500,000 or more but 2.00% 2.04% 1.80%
less than $1 million
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
|X| Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. There is no initial sales
charge on purchases of Class A shares of any one or more of the Oppenheimer
funds aggregating $1 million or more. The Distributor pays dealers of record
commissions in an amount equal to 1.0% of purchases of $1 million or more other
than by retirement accounts. That commission will be paid only on purchases that
were not previously subject to a front-end sales charge and dealer commission.
If you redeem any of those shares within 18 months of the end of the
calendar month of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales charge (called the
"Class A contingent deferred sales charge") may be deducted from the redemption
proceeds. That sales charge will be equal to 1.0% of the lesser of (1) the
aggregate net asset value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption
(excluding shares purchased by reinvestment of dividends or capital gain
distributions) or (2) the original net asset value of the redeemed shares.
However, the Class A contingent deferred sales charge will not exceed the
aggregate amount of the commissions the Distributor paid to your dealer on all
purchases of Class A shares of all Oppenheimer funds you made that were subject
to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge.
In determining whether a contingent deferred sales charge is payable
when shares are redeemed, the Fund will first redeem shares that are not subject
to the sales charge, including shares purchased by reinvestment of dividends and
capital gains. Then the Fund will redeem other shares in the order in which you
purchased them. The Class A contingent deferred sales charge is waived in
certain cases described in "Waivers of Class A Sales Charges" in the Statement
of Additional Information.
The Class A contingent deferred sales charge is not charged on
exchanges of shares under the Fund's Exchange Privilege (described below).
However, if the shares acquired by exchange are redeemed within 18 calendar
months of the end of the calendar month in which the exchanged shares were
originally purchased, then the sales charge will apply.
How Can I Reduce Sales Charges for Class A Share Purchases? You may be eligible
to buy Class A shares at reduced sales charge rates under the Fund's "Right of
Accumulation" or a Letter of Intent, as described in "Reduced Sales Charges" in
the Statement of Additional Information:
|X| Waivers of Class A Sales Charges. The Class A initial and
contingent deferred sales charges are not imposed in the circumstances described
in "Reduced Sales Charges" in the Statement of Additional Information. In order
to receive a waiver of the Class A contingent deferred sales charge, you must
notify the Transfer Agent when purchasing shares whether any of the special
conditions apply.
How Can I Buy Class B Shares? Class B shares are sold at net asset value per
share without an initial sales charge. However, if Class B shares are redeemed
within 6 years of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales charge will be
deducted from the redemption proceeds. The Class B contingent deferred sales
charge is paid to compensate the Distributor for its expenses of providing
distribution-related services to the Fund in connection with the sale of Class B
shares.
The contingent deferred sales charge will be based on the lesser of the
net asset value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption or the original
net asset value. The contingent deferred sales charge is not imposed on:
|_| the amount of your account value represented by an increase
in net asset value over the initial purchase price or
|_| shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or capital
gains distributions.
|_| shares redeemed in the special circumstances described in the
Appendix in the Statement of Additional Information.
To determine whether the contingent deferred sales charge applies to a
redemption, the Fund redeems shares in the following order: (1) shares acquired
by reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, (2) shares held
for over 6 years, and (3) shares held the longest during the 6-year period.
The amount of the contingent deferred sales charge will depend on the
number of years since you invested and the dollar amount being redeemed,
according to the following schedule:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years Since Beginning of Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
Month in which Purchase On Redemptions in That Year
Order Was Accepted (As % of Amount Subject to Charge)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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0-1 5.0%
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1-2 4.0%
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2-3 3.0%
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3-4 3.0%
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4-5 2.0%
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5-6 1.0%
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6 and following None
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In the table, a "year" is a 12-month period. In applying the sales charge, all
purchases are considered to have been made on the first regular business day of
the month in which the purchase was made.
|X| Automatic Conversion of Class B Shares. Class B shares
automatically convert to Class A shares 72 months after you purchase them. This
conversion feature relieves Class B shareholders of the asset-based sales charge
that applies to Class B shares under the Class B Distribution and Service Plan,
described below. The conversion is based on the relative net asset value of the
two classes, and no sales load or other charge is imposed. When Class B shares
convert, any other Class B shares that were acquired by the reinvestment of
dividends and distributions on the converted shares will also convert to Class A
shares. The conversion feature is subject to the continued availability of a tax
ruling described in the Statement of Additional Information.
How Can I Buy Class C Shares? Class C shares are sold at net asset value per
share without an initial sales charge. However, if Class C shares are redeemed
within 12 months of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.0%
will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. The Class C contingent deferred
sales charge is paid to compensate the Distributor for its expenses of providing
distribution-related services to the Fund in connection with the sale of Class C
shares.
The contingent deferred sales charge will be based on the lesser of the
net asset value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption or the original
net asset value. The contingent deferred sales charge is not imposed on:
o the amount of your account value represented by the increase in net asset
value over the initial purchase price
o shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains
distributions, or
o shares redeemed in the special circumstances described in the Appendix to the
Statement of Additional Information.
To determine whether the contingent deferred sales charge applies to a
redemption, the Fund redeems shares in the following order: (1) shares acquired
by reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions, (2) shares held
for over 12 months, and (3) shares held the longest during the 12-month period.
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Plans.
|X| Service Plan for Class A Shares. The Fund has adopted a Service
Plan for Class A shares. It reimburses the Distributor for a portion of its
costs incurred for services provided to accounts that hold Class A shares.
Reimbursement is made quarterly at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average
annual net assets of Class A shares of the Fund. The Distributor currently uses
all of those fees to compensate dealers, brokers, banks and other financial
institutions quarterly for providing personal service and maintenance of
accounts of their customers that hold Class A shares.
|X| Distribution and Service Plans for Class B and Class C Shares. The
Fund has adopted Distribution and Service Plans for Class B and Class C shares
to compensate the Distributor for its services and costs in distributing Class B
and Class C shares and servicing accounts. Under the plans, the Fund pays the
Distributor an annual "asset-based sales charge" of 0.75% per year on Class B
shares and on Class C shares. The Distributor also receives a service fee of
0.25% per year under each plan.
The asset-based sales charge and service fees increase Class B and
Class C expenses by up to 1.00% of the net assets per year of the respective
class. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an on-going
basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may
cost you more than other types of sales charges.
The Distributor uses the service fees to compensate dealers for
providing personal services for accounts that hold Class B or Class C shares.
The Distributor pays the 0.25% service fees to dealers in advance for the first
year after the shares were sold by the dealer. After the shares have been held
for a year, the Distributor pays the service fees to dealers on a quarterly
basis.
The Distributor currently pays sales commission of 3.75% of the
purchase price of Class B shares to dealers from its own resources at the time
of sale. Including the advance of the service fee, the total amount paid by the
Distributor to the dealer at the time of sales of Class B shares is therefore
4.00% of the purchase price. The Distributor retains the Class B asset-based
sales charge.
The Distributor currently pays sales commissions of 0.75% of the
purchase price of Class C shares to dealers from its own resources at the time
of sale. Including the advance of the service fee, the total amount paid by the
Distributor to the dealer at the time of sale of Class C shares is therefore
1.00% of the purchase price. The Distributor plans to pay the asset-based sales
charge as an ongoing commission to the dealer on Class C shares that have been
outstanding for a year or more.
Special Investor Services
AccountLink. You can use our AccountLink feature to link your Fund account with
an account at a U.S. bank or other financial institution. It must be an
Automated Clearing House (ACH) member. AccountLink lets you:
o transmit funds electronically to purchase shares by telephone (through a
service representative or by PhoneLink) or automatically under Asset Builder
Plans, or
o have the Transfer Agent send redemption proceeds or to transmit dividends and
distributions directly to your bank account. Please call the Transfer Agent for
more information.
You can purchase shares by telephone only after your account has been
established. To purchase shares in amounts up to $250,000 through a telephone
representative, call the Distributor at 1-800-852-8457. The purchase payment
will be debited from your bank account.
AccountLink privileges should be requested on your Application or your
dealer's settlement instructions if you buy your shares through a dealer. After
your account is established, you can request AccountLink privileges by sending
signature-guaranteed instructions to the Transfer Agent. AccountLink privileges
will apply to each shareholder listed in the registration on your account as
well as to your dealer representative of record unless and until the Transfer
Agent receives written instructions terminating or changing those privileges.
After you establish AccountLink for your account, any change of bank account
information must be made by signature-guaranteed instructions to the Transfer
Agent signed by all shareholders who own the account.
PhoneLink. PhoneLink is the OppenheimerFunds automated telephone system that
enables shareholders to perform a number of account transactions automatically
using a touch-tone phone. PhoneLink may be used on already-established Fund
accounts after you obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN), by calling the
special PhoneLink number, 1-800-533-3310.
|_| Purchasing Shares. You may purchase shares in amounts up to
$100,000 by phone, by calling 1-800-533-3310. You must have established
AccountLink privileges to link your bank account with the Fund to pay for these
purchases.
|_| Exchanging Shares. With the OppenheimerFunds Exchange Privilege,
described below, you can exchange shares automatically by phone from your Fund
account to another Oppenheimer funds account you have already established by
calling the special PhoneLink number.
|_| Selling Shares. You can redeem shares by telephone automatically by
calling the PhoneLink number and the Fund will send the proceeds directly to
your AccountLink bank account. Please refer to "How to Sell Shares," below for
details.
Can I Submit Transaction Requests by Fax? You may send requests for certain
types of account transactions to the Transfer Agent by fax (telecopier). Please
call 1-800-525-7048 for information about which transactions may be handled this
way. Transaction requests submitted by fax are subject to the same rules and
restrictions as written and telephone requests described in this Prospectus.
OppenheimerFunds Internet Web Site. You can obtain information about the Fund,
as well as your account balance, on the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site, at
http://www.oppenheimerfunds.com. Additionally, shareholders listed in the
account registration (and the dealer of record) may request certain account
transactions through a special section of that web site. To perform account
transactions, you must first obtain a personal identification number (PIN) by
calling the Transfer Agent at 1-800-533-3310. If you do not want to have
Internet account transaction capability for your account, please call the
Transfer Agent at 1-800-525-7048.
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans. The Fund has several plans that enable
you to sell shares automatically or exchange them to another Oppenheimer fund
account on a regular basis. Please call the Transfer Agent or consult the
Statement of Additional Information for details.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem some or all of your Class A or Class B
shares of the Fund, you have up to 6 months to reinvest all or part of the
redemption proceeds in Class A shares of the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds
without paying a sales charge. This privilege applies only to Class A shares
that you purchased subject to an initial sales charge and to Class A or Class B
shares on which you paid a contingent deferred sales charge when you redeemed
them. This privilege does not apply to Class C shares. You must be sure to ask
the Distributor for this privilege when you send your payment.
How to Sell Shares
You can sell (redeem) some or all of your shares on any regular
business day. Your shares will be sold at the next net asset value calculated
after your order is received in proper form (which means that it must comply
with the procedures described below) and is accepted by the Transfer Agent. The
Fund lets you sell your shares by writing a letter, by using the Fund's
checkwriting privilege or by telephone. You can also set up Automatic Withdrawal
Plans to redeem shares on a regular basis. If you have questions about any of
these procedures, and especially if you are redeeming shares in a special
situation, such as due to the death of the owner, please call the Transfer Agent
first, at 1-800-525-7048, for assistance.
|X| Certain Requests Require a Signature Guarantee. To protect you and
the Fund from fraud, the following redemption requests must be in writing and
must include a signature guarantee (although there may be other situations that
also require a signature guarantee):
|_| You wish to redeem $50,000 or more and receive a check
|_| The redemption check is not payable to all shareholders listed on
the account statement |_| The redemption check is not sent to the
address of record on your account statement |_| Shares are being
transferred to a Fund account with a different owner or name |_| Shares
are being redeemed by someone (such as an Executor) other than the
owners
|X| Where Can I Have My Signature Guaranteed? The Transfer Agent will
accept a guarantee of your signature by a number of financial institutions,
including: a U.S. bank, trust company, credit union or savings association, or
by a foreign bank that has a U.S. correspondent bank, or by a U.S. registered
dealer or broker in securities, municipal securities or government securities,
or by a U.S. national securities exchange, a registered securities association
or a clearing agency. If you are signing on behalf of a corporation, partnership
or other business or as a fiduciary, you must also include your title in the
signature.
How Do I Sell Shares by Mail? Write a "letter of instructions" that includes:
|_| Your name
|_| The Fund's name
|_| Your Fund account number (from your account statement)
|_| The dollar amount or number of shares to be redeemed
|_| Any special payment instructions
|_| Any share certificates for the shares you are selling
|_| The signatures of all registered owners exactly as the account is
registered, and
|_| Any special documents requested by the Transfer Agent to assure proper
authorization of the person asking to sell the shares.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use the following address for requests by mail:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OppenheimerFunds Services
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado 80217-5270
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send courier or express mail requests to:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OppenheimerFunds Services
10200 E. Girard Avenue, Building D
Denver, Colorado 80231
How Do I Sell Shares by Telephone? You and your dealer representative of record
may also sell your shares by telephone. To receive the redemption price on a
regular business day, your call must be received by the Transfer Agent by the
close of The New York Stock Exchange that day, which is normally 4:00 P.M., but
may be earlier on some days. You may not redeem shares held under a share
certificate by telephone.
|_| To redeem shares through a service representative, call
1-800-852-8457
|_| To redeem shares automatically on PhoneLink, call 1-800-533-3310
Whichever method you use, you may have a check sent to the address on
the account statement, or, if you have linked your Fund account to your bank
account on AccountLink, you may have the proceeds sent to that bank account.
Are There Limits on Amounts Redeemed by Telephone?
|X| Telephone Redemptions Paid by Check. Up to $50,000 may be redeemed
by telephone in any 7-day period. The check must be payable to all owners of
record of the shares and must be sent to the address on the account statement.
This service is not available within 30 days of changing the address on an
account.
|X| Telephone Redemptions Through AccountLink. There are no dollar
limits on telephone redemption proceeds sent to a bank account designated when
you establish AccountLink. Normally the ACH transfer to your bank is initiated
on the business day after the redemption. You do not receive dividends on the
proceeds of the shares you redeemed while they are waiting to be transferred.
Checkwriting Against Your Account. To write checks against your Fund account,
request that privilege on your account Application, or contact the Transfer
Agent for signature cards. They must be signed (with a signature guarantee) by
all owners of the account and returned to the Transfer Agent so that checks can
be sent to you to use. Shareholders with joint accounts can elect in writing to
have checks paid over the signature of one owner. If you previously signed a
signature card to establish checkwriting in another Oppenheimer fund, simply
call 1-800-525-7048 to request checkwriting for an account in this Fund with the
same registration as the other account.
|_| Checks can be written to the order of whomever you wish, but may not be
cashed at the Fund's bank or Custodian.
|_| Checkwriting privileges are not available for accounts holding Class B
shares or Class C shares, or Class A shares that are subject to a contingent
deferred sales charge.
|_| Checks must be written for at least $100.
|_| Checks cannot be paid if they are written for more than your account
value. Remember: your shares fluctuate in value and you should not write a check
close to the total account value.
|_| You may not write a check that would require the Fund to redeem shares
that were purchased by check or Asset Builder Plan payments within the prior 10
days.
|_| Don't use your checks if you changed your Fund account number, until
you receive new checks.
Can I Sell Shares Through My Dealer? The Distributor has made arrangements to
repurchase Fund shares from dealers and brokers on behalf of their customers.
Brokers or dealers may charge for that service. If your shares are held in the
name of your dealer, you must redeem them through your dealer.
How to Exchange Shares
Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of certain Oppenheimer funds at
net asset value per share at the time of exchange, without sales charge. To
exchange shares, you must meet several conditions:
|_| Shares of the fund selected for exchange must be available for sale in
your state of residence.
|_| The prospectuses of this Fund and the fund whose shares you want to buy
must offer the exchange privilege.
|_| You must hold the shares you buy when you establish your account for at
least 7 days before you can exchange them. After the account is open 7 days, you
can exchange shares every regular business day.
|_| You must meet the minimum purchase requirements for the fund you
purchase by exchange.
|_| Before exchanging into a fund, you should obtain and read its
prospectus.
Shares of a particular class of the Fund may be exchanged only for
shares of the same class in the other Oppenheimer funds. For example, you can
exchange Class A shares of this Fund only for Class A shares of another fund. In
some cases, sales charges may be imposed on exchange transactions. For tax
purposes, exchanges of shares involve a sale of the shares of the fund you own
and a purchase of the shares of the other fund, which may result in a capital
gain or loss. Please refer to "How to Exchange Shares" in the Statement of
Additional Information for more details.
How Do I Submit Exchange Requests? Exchanges may be requested in writing or by
telephone:
|X| Written Exchange Requests. Submit an OppenheimerFunds Exchange Request
form, signed by all owners of the account. Send it to the Transfer Agent at the
address on the Back Cover.
|X| Telephone Exchange Requests. Telephone exchange requests may be made
either by calling a service representative at 1-800-852-8457, or by using
PhoneLink for automated exchanges by calling 1-800-533-3310. Telephone exchanges
may be made only between accounts that are registered with the same name(s) and
address. Shares held under certificates may not be exchanged by telephone.
You can find a list of Oppenheimer funds currently available for
exchanges in the Statement of Additional Information or obtain one by calling a
service representative at 1-800-525-7048. That list can change from time to
time.
Are There Limitations on Exchanges? There are certain exchange policies you
should be aware of:
|_| Shares are normally redeemed from one fund and purchased from the other
fund in the exchange transaction on the same regular business day on which the
Transfer Agent receives an exchange request that conforms to the policies
described above. It must be received by the close of The New York Stock Exchange
that day, which is normally 4:00 P.M. but may be earlier on some days. However,
either fund may delay the purchase of shares of the fund you are exchanging into
up to seven days if it determines it would be disadvantaged by a same-day
exchange. For example, the receipt of multiple exchange requests from a "market
timer" might require the Fund to sell securities at a disadvantageous time
and/or price.
|_| Because excessive trading can hurt fund performance and harm
shareholders, the Fund reserves the right to refuse any exchange request that it
believes will disadvantage it, or to refuse multiple exchange requests submitted
by a shareholder or dealer.
|_| The Fund may amend, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege at any
time. Although the Fund will attempt to provide you notice whenever it is
reasonably able to do so, it may impose these changes at any time.
|_| If the Transfer Agent cannot exchange all the shares you request
because of a restriction cited above, only the shares eligible for exchange will
be exchanged.
Shareholder Account Rules and Policies
|X| The offering of shares may be suspended during any period in which
the determination of net asset value is suspended, and the offering may be
suspended by the Board of Trustees at any time the Board believes it is in the
Fund's best interest to do so.
|X| Telephone Transaction Privileges for purchases, redemptions or
exchanges may be modified, suspended or terminated by the Fund at any time. If
an account has more than one owner, the Fund and the Transfer Agent may rely on
the instructions of any one owner. Telephone privileges apply to each owner of
the account and the dealer representative of record for the account unless the
Transfer Agent receives cancellation instructions from an owner of the account.
|X| The Transfer Agent will record any telephone calls to verify data
concerning transactions and has adopted other procedures to confirm that
telephone instructions are genuine, by requiring callers to provide tax
identification numbers and other account data or by using PINs, and by
confirming such transactions in writing. The Transfer Agent and the Fund will
not be liable for losses or expenses arising out of telephone instructions
reasonably believed to be genuine.
|X| Redemption or transfer requests will not be honored until the
Transfer Agent receives all required documents in proper form. From time to
time, the Transfer Agent in its discretion may waive certain of the requirements
for redemptions stated in this Prospectus.
|X| Dealers that can perform account transactions for their clients by
participating in NETWORKING through the National Securities Clearing Corporation
are responsible for obtaining their clients' permission to perform those
transactions, and are responsible to their clients who are shareholders of the
Fund if the dealer performs any transaction erroneously or improperly.
|X| The redemption price for shares will vary from day to day because
the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio fluctuates. The redemption
price, which is the net asset value per share, will normally differ for Class A,
Class B and Class C shares. The redemption value of your shares may be more or
less than their original cost.
|X| Payment for redeemed shares ordinarily is made in cash. It is
forwarded by check or through AccountLink (as elected by the shareholder) within
seven days after the Transfer Agent receives redemption instructions in proper
form. However, under unusual circumstances determined by the Securities and
Exchange Commission, payment may be delayed or suspended. For accounts
registered in the name of a broker-dealer, payment will normally be forwarded
within three business days after redemption.
|X| The Transfer Agent may delay forwarding a check or processing a
payment via AccountLink for recently purchased shares, but only until the
purchase payment has cleared. That delay may be as much as 10 days from the date
the shares were purchased. That delay may be avoided if you purchase shares by
federal funds wire or certified check, or arrange with your bank to provide
telephone or written assurance to the Transfer Agent that your purchase payment
has cleared.
|X| Involuntary redemptions of small accounts may be made by the Fund
if the account value has fallen below $200 for reasons other than the fact that
the market value of shares has dropped. In some cases involuntary redemptions
may be made to repay the Distributor for losses from the cancellation of share
purchase orders.
|X| Shares may be "redeemed in kind" under unusual circumstances (such
as a lack of liquidity in the Fund's portfolio to meet redemptions). This means
that the redemption proceeds will be paid with securities from the Fund's
portfolio.
|X| "Backup Withholding" of Federal income tax may be applied against
taxable dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds (including exchanges)
if you fail to furnish the Fund your correct, certified Social Security or
Employer Identification Number when you sign your application, or if you
under-report your income to the Internal Revenue Service.
|X| To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to households, the
Fund will mail only one copy of each annual and semi-annual report to
shareholders having the same last name and address on the Fund's records.
However, each shareholder may call the Transfer Agent at 1-800-525-7048 to ask
that copies of those materials be sent personally to that shareholder.
Dividends and Tax Information
Dividends. The Fund intends to declare dividends separately for Class A, Class B
and Class C shares from net tax-exempt income and/or net investment income each
regular business day and to pay those dividends to shareholders monthly on a
date selected by the Board of Trustees. Daily dividends will not be declared or
paid on newly purchased shares until Federal Funds are available to the Fund
from the purchase payment for such shares.
The Fund attempts to pay dividends on Class A shares at a constant
level. There is no assurance that it will be able to do so. The Board of
Trustees may change the targeted dividend level at any time, without prior
notice to shareholders. Additionally, the amount of those dividends and the
distributions paid on class B and C shares may vary over time, depending on
market conditions, the composition of the Fund's portfolio, and expenses borne
by the particular class of shares. Dividends and distributions paid on Class A
shares will generally be higher than for Class B and Class C shares, which
normally have higher expenses than Class A. The Fund cannot guarantee that it
will pay any dividends or distributions.
Capital Gains. Although the Fund does not seek capital gains, it may realize
capital gains on the sale of portfolio securities. If it does, it may make
distributions out of any net short-term or long-term capital gains in December
of each year. The Fund may make supplemental distributions of dividends and
capital gains following the end of its fiscal year. Long-term capital gains will
be separately identified in the tax information the Fund sends you after the end
of the calendar year.
What Choices Do I Have for Receiving Distributions? When you open your account,
specify on your application how you want to receive your dividends and
distributions. You have four options:
|X| Reinvest All Distributions in the Fund. You can elect to reinvest all
dividends and long-term capital gains distributions in additional shares of the
Fund.
|X| Reinvest Long-Term Capital Gains Only. You can elect to reinvest
long-term capital gains distributions in the Fund while receiving dividends by
check or having them sent to your bank account through AccountLink.
|X| Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive a check for
all dividends and long-term capital gains distributions or have them sent to
your bank through AccountLink.
|X| Reinvest Your Distributions in Another OppenheimerFunds Account. You
can reinvest all distributions in the same class of shares of another
Oppenheimer fund account you have established.
Taxes. Dividends paid from net investment income earned by the Fund on municipal
securities will be excludable from gross income for Federal income tax purposes.
A portion of a dividend that is derived from interest paid on certain "private
activity bonds" may be an item of tax preference if you are subject to the
alternative minimum tax. If the Fund earns interest on taxable investments, any
dividends derived from those earnings will be taxable as ordinary income to
shareholders.
Dividends paid by the Fund from interest on New York municipal
securities will be exempt from New York individual income taxes, if at the close
of each quarter at least 50% of the value of the Fund's assets are invested in
debt obligations that pay interest exempt from New York individual income taxes.
Dividends paid from income from municipal securities of issuers outside New York
will normally be subject to New York individual income taxes.
Dividends and capital gains distributions may be subject to state or
local taxes. Long-term capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gains when
distributed to shareholders, and may be taxable at different rates depending on
how long the Fund holds the asset. It does not matter how long you have held
your shares. Dividends paid from short-term capital gains are taxable as
ordinary income. Whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or
take them in cash, the tax treatment is the same. Every year the Fund will send
you and the IRS a statement showing the amount of any taxable distribution you
received in the previous year as well as the amount of your tax-exempt income.
|X| Remember There May be Taxes on Transactions. Even though the Fund seeks
to distribute tax-exempt income to shareholders, you may have a capital gain or
loss when you sell or exchange your shares. A capital gain or loss is the
difference between the price you paid for the shares and the price you received
when you sold them. Any capital gain is subject to capital gains tax.
|X| Returns of Capital Can Occur. In certain cases, distributions made by
the Fund may be considered a non-taxable return of capital to shareholders. If
that occurs, it will be identified in notices to shareholders.
This information is only a summary of certain federal tax information
about your investment. You should consult with your tax adviser about the effect
of an investment in the Fund on your particular tax situation.
<PAGE>
Financial Highlights
The Financial Highlights Table is presented to help you understand the Fund's
financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects
financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table
represent the rate that an investor would have earned [or lost] on an investment
in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This
information has been audited by KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, the Fund's independent
auditors, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, is included
in the Statement of Additional Information, which is available on request.
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<PAGE>
Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
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SEC File No. 811-5586
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For More Information:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The following additional information about the Fund is available without charge
upon request:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statement of Additional Information
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This document includes additional information about the Fund's investment
policies, risks, and operations. It is incorporated by reference into this
Prospectus (which means it is legally part of this Prospectus).
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional information about the Fund's investments and performance is available
in the Fund's Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders. The Annual Report
includes a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that
significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year.
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Get More Information:
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You can request the Statement of Additional Information, the Annual and
Semi-Annual Reports, and other information about the Fund or your account:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Telephone:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call OppenheimerFunds Services toll-free:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-800-525-7048
By Mail:
Write to:
OppenheimerFunds Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217-5270
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On the Internet:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can read or down-load documents on the OppenheimerFunds web site:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.oppenheimerfunds.com
You can also obtain copies of the Statement of Additional Information and other
Fund documents and reports by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington, D.C. (Phone 1-800-SEC-0330) or the SEC's Internet web site at
http://www.sec.gov. Copies may be obtained upon payment of a duplicating fee by
writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-6009.
No one has been authorized to provide any information about the Fund or to make
any representations about the Fund other than what is contained in this
Prospectus. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell shares of the Fund, nor a
solicitation of an offer to buy shares of the Fund, to any person in any state
or other jurisdiction where it is unlawful to make such an offer.
SEC File Number 811-4054 The Fund's shares are distributed by:
^&*I)
PR0360.001.0199 Printed on recycled paper.
15
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Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
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Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
1-800-525-7048
Statement of Additional Information dated January 25, 1999
This Statement of Additional Information is not a Prospectus. This
document contains additional information about the Fund and supplements
information in the Prospectus dated January 25, 1999. It should be read together
with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by writing to the Fund's Transfer
Agent, OppenheimerFunds Services, at P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado 80217 or by
calling the Transfer Agent at the toll-free number shown above or by downloading
it from the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site at www.oppenheimerfunds.com.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Contents Page
About the Fund
Additional Information About the Fund's Investment Policies and Risks..............................................
The Fund's Investment Policies..............................................................................
Municipal Securities........................................................................................
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies..................................................................
Investment Restrictions.....................................................................................
How the Fund is Managed............................................................................................
Organization and History....................................................................................
Trustees and Officers of the Fund...........................................................................
The Manager ................................................................................................
Brokerage Policies of the Fund.....................................................................................
Distribution and Service Plans.....................................................................................
Performance of the Fund............................................................................................
About Your Account
How To Buy Shares..................................................................................................
How To Sell Shares.................................................................................................
How to Exchange Shares.............................................................................................
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes.................................................................................
Additional Information About the Fund..............................................................................
Financial Information About the Fund
Independent Auditors' Report.......................................................................................
Financial Statements ..............................................................................................
Appendix A: Municipal Bond Ratings..............................................................................A-1
Appendix B: Industry Classifications............................................................................B-1
Appendix C: Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers.......................................................C-1
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</TABLE>
<PAGE>
ABOUT THE FUND
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Additional Information About the Fund's Investment Policies and Risks
The investment objective and the principal investment policies of the
Fund are described in the Prospectus. This Statement of Additional Information
contains supplemental information about those policies and the types of
securities that the Fund's investment Manager, OppenheimerFunds, Inc., will
select for the Fund. Additional explanations are also provided about the
strategies the Fund may use to try to achieve its objective.
The Fund's Investment Policies. The Fund does not make investments with the
objective of seeking capital growth, since that would generally be inconsistent
with its goal of seeking tax-exempt income. However, the value of the securities
held by the Fund may be affected by changes in general interest rates. Because
the current value of debt securities varies inversely with changes in prevailing
interest rates, if interest rates increased after a security was purchased, that
security would normally decline in value. Conversely, should interest rates
decrease after a security was purchased, normally its value would rise.
However, those fluctuations in value will not generally result in
realized gains or losses to the Fund unless the Fund sells the security prior to
maturity. A debt security held to maturity is redeemable by its issuer at full
principal value plus accrued interest. The Fund does not usually intend to
dispose of securities prior to their maturity, but may do so for liquidity, or
because of other factors affecting the issuer that cause the Manager to sell the
particular security. In that case, the Fund could experience a capital gain or
loss on the sale.
There are variations in the credit quality of municipal securities,
both within a particular rating classification and between classifications.
These variations depend on numerous factors. The yields of municipal securities
depend on a number of factors, including general conditions in the municipal
securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the
obligation and rating (if any) of the issue. These factors are discussed in
greater detail below.
Portfolio Turnover. A change in the securities held by the Fund from
buying and selling investments is known as "portfolio turnover." Short-term
trading increases the rate of portfolio turnover and could increase the Fund's
transaction costs. However, the Fund ordinarily incurs little or no brokerage
expense because most of the Fund's portfolio transactions are principal trades
that do not require payment of brokerage commissions.
The Fund ordinarily does not trade securities to achieve short-term
capital gains, because they would not be tax-exempt income. To a limited degree,
the Fund may engage in short-term trading to attempt to take advantage of
short-term market variations. It may also do so to dispose of a portfolio
security prior to its maturity. That might be done if, on the basis of a revised
credit evaluation of the issuer or other considerations, the Fund believes such
disposition advisable or it needs to generate cash to satisfy requests to redeem
Fund shares. In those cases, the Fund may realize a capital gain or loss on its
investments. The Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate normally is not expected
to exceed 100%.
Municipal Securities. The types of municipal securities in which the Fund may
invest are described in the Prospectus under "About the Fund's Investments."
Municipal securities are generally classified as general obligation bonds,
revenue bonds and notes. A discussion of the general characteristics of these
principal types of municipal securities follows below.
|X| Municipal Bonds. We have classified longer term municipal
securities as "municipal bonds." The principal classifications of long-term
municipal bonds are "general obligation" and "revenue" (including "industrial
development") bonds. They may have fixed, variable or floating rates of
interest, as described below.
Some bonds may be "callable," allowing the issuer to redeem them before
their maturity date. To protect bondholders, callable bonds may be issued with
provisions that prevent them from being called for a period of time. Typically,
that is 5 to 10 years from the issuance date. When interest rates decline, if
the call protection on a bond has expired, it is more likely that the issuer may
call the bond. If that occurs, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds of
the called bond in bonds that pay a lower rate of return.
|_| General Obligation Bonds. The basic security behind
general obligation bonds is the issuer's pledge of its full faith and credit and
taxing, if any, power for the repayment of principal and the payment of
interest. 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 rate of taxes that
can be levied for the payment of debt service on these bonds may be limited or
unlimited. Additionally, there may be limits as to the rate or amount of special
assessments that can be levied to meet these obligations.
|_| Revenue Bonds. The principal security for a revenue bond
is generally the net revenues 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. Examples include electric, gas, water and sewer systems;
highways, bridges, and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and
universities; and hospitals.
Although the principal security for these types of bonds may
vary from bond to bond, many provide additional security in the form of a debt
service reserve fund that may be used to make principal and interest payments on
the issuer's obligations. 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. Some authorities provide further security in the form of a state's
ability (without obligation) to make up deficiencies in the debt service reserve
fund.
|_| Industrial Development Bonds. Industrial development bonds
are considered municipal bonds if the interest paid is exempt from federal
income tax. They are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money
to finance various privately operated facilities for business and manufacturing,
housing, sports, and pollution control. These bonds may also be used to finance
public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports, and parking.
The payment of the principal and interest on such bonds is dependent solely on
the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the
pledge, if any, of real and personal property financed by the bond as security
for those payments.
|_| Mello-Roos Bonds. These are bonds issued under the New
York Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act. They are used to finance
infrastructure projects, such as roads or sewage treatment plants. In most cases
they are secured by real estate taxes levied on property located in the same
community as the project. This type of financing was created in response to
statutory limits on real property taxes that were enacted in New York. The bonds
do not constitute an obligation of a municipal government. Timely payment of
principal and interest depends on the ability of the developer of the project or
other property owners to pay their real estate taxes. Therefore these bonds are
subject to risks of nonpayment as a result of a general economic decline or
decline in the real estate market, as well as the credit risk that of the
developer.
|_| Private Activity Municipal Securities. The Tax Reform Act
of 1986 (the "Tax Reform Act") reorganized, as well as amended, the rules
governing tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal securities.
The Tax Reform Act generally did not change the tax treatment of bonds issued in
order to finance governmental operations. Thus, interest on general obligation
bonds issued by or on behalf of state or local governments, the proceeds of
which are used to finance the operations of such governments, continues to be
tax-exempt. However, the Tax Reform Act limited the use of tax-exempt bonds for
non-governmental (private) purposes. More stringent restrictions were placed on
the use of proceeds of such bonds. Interest on certain private activity bonds is
taxable under the revised rules. There is an exception for "qualified"
tax-exempt private activity bonds, for example, exempt facility bonds including
certain industrial development bonds, qualified mortgage bonds, qualified
Section 501(c)(3) bonds, and qualified student loan bonds.
In addition, limitations as to the amount of private activity bonds
which each state may issue were revised downward by the Tax Reform Act, which
will reduce the supply of such bonds. The value of the Fund's portfolio could be
affected if there is a reduction in the availability of such bonds.
Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986,
which continues to be tax-exempt, will be treated as a tax preference item
subject to the alternative minimum tax (discussed below) to which certain
taxpayers are subject. The Fund may hold municipal securities the interest on
which (and thus a proportionate share of the exempt-interest dividends paid by
the Fund) will be subject to the Federal alternative minimum tax on individuals
and corporations.
The Federal alternative minimum tax is designed to ensure that all
persons who receive income pay some tax, even if their regular tax is zero. This
is accomplished in part by including in taxable income certain tax preference
items that are used to calculate alternative minimum taxable income. The Tax
Reform Act made tax-exempt interest from certain private activity bonds a tax
preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax on individuals and
corporations. Any exempt-interest dividend paid by a regulated investment
company will be treated as interest on a specific private activity bond to the
extent of the proportionate relationship the interest the investment company
receives on such bonds bears to all its exempt interest dividends.
In addition, corporate taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax
may, under some circumstances, have to include exempt-interest dividends in
calculating their alternative minimum taxable income. That could occur in
situations where the "adjusted current earnings" of the corporation exceeds its
alternative minimum taxable income.
To determine whether a municipal security is treated as a taxable
private activity bond, it is subject to a test for: (a) a trade or business use
and security interest, or (b) a private loan restriction. Under the trade or
business use and security interest test, an obligation is a private activity
bond if: (i) more than 10% of the bond proceeds are used for private business
purposes and (ii) 10% or more of the payment of principal or interest on the
issue is directly or indirectly derived from such private use or is secured by
the privately used property or the payments related to the use of the property.
For certain types of uses, a 5% threshold is substituted for this 10% threshold.
The term "private business use" means any direct or indirect use in a
trade or business carried on by an individual or entity other than a state or
municipal governmental unit. Under the private loan restriction, the amount of
bond proceeds that may be used to make private loans is limited to the lesser of
5% or $5.0 million of the proceeds. Thus, certain issues of municipal securities
could lose their tax-exempt status retroactively if the issuer fails to meet
certain requirements as to the expenditure of the proceeds of that issue or the
use of the bond-financed facility. The Fund makes no independent investigation
of the users of such bonds or their use of proceeds of the bonds. If the Fund
should hold a bond that loses its tax-exempt status retroactively, there might
be an adjustment to the tax-exempt income previously distributed to
shareholders.
Additionally, a private activity bond that would otherwise be a
qualified tax-exempt private activity bond will not, under Internal Revenue Code
Section 147(a), be a qualified bond for any period during which it is held by a
person who is a "substantial user" of the facilities or by a "related person" of
such a substantial user. This "substantial user" provision applies primarily to
exempt facility bonds, including industrial development bonds. The Fund may
invest in industrial development bonds and other private activity bonds.
Therefore, the Fund may not be an appropriate investment for entities which are
"substantial users" (or persons related to "substantial users") of such exempt
facilities. Those entities and persons should consult their tax advisers before
purchasing shares of the Fund.
A "substantial user" of such facilities is defined generally as a
"non-exempt person who regularly uses part of a facility" financed from the
proceeds of exempt facility bonds. Generally, an individual will not be a
"related person" under the Internal Revenue Code unless such individual or the
individual's immediate family (spouse, brothers, sisters and immediate
descendants) own directly or indirectly in the aggregate more than 50% in value
of the equity of a corporation or partnership which is a "substantial user" of a
facility financed from the proceeds of exempt facility bonds.
|X| Municipal Notes. Municipal securities having a maturity (when the
security is issued) of less than one year are generally known as municipal
notes. Municipal notes generally are used to provide for short-term working
capital needs. Some of the types of municipal notes the Fund can invest in are
described below.
|_| Tax Anticipation Notes. These are issued to finance working capital
needs of municipalities. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various
seasonal tax revenue, such as income, sales, use or other business taxes, and
are payable from these specific future taxes.
|_| Revenue Anticipation Notes. These are notes issued in expectation of
receipt of other types of revenue, such as Federal revenues available under
Federal revenue-sharing programs.
|_| Bond Anticipation Notes. Bond anticipation notes are issued to provide
interim financing until long-term financing can be arranged. The long-term bonds
that are issued typically also provide the money for the repayment of the notes.
|_| Construction Loan Notes. These are sold to provide project construction
financing until permanent financing can be secured. After successful completion
and acceptance of the project, it may receive permanent financing through public
agencies, such as the Federal Housing Administration.
|X| Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper. This type of short-term obligation
(usually having a maturity of 270 days or less is issued by a municipality to
meet current working capital needs.
|X| Municipal Lease Obligations. The Fund's investments in municipal
lease obligations may be through certificates of participation that are offered
to investors by public entities. Municipal leases may take the form of a lease
or an installment purchase contract issued by a state or local government
authority to obtain funds to acquire a wide variety of equipment and facilities.
Some municipal lease securities may be deemed to be "illiquid"
securities. Their purchase by the Fund would be limited as described below in
"Illiquid Securities." From time to time the Fund may invest more than 5% of its
net assets in municipal lease obligations that the Manager has determined to be
liquid under guidelines set by the Board of Trustees.
Those guidelines require the Manager to evaluate:
|_| the frequency of trades and price quotations for such securities;
o the number of dealers or other potential buyers willing to purchase or
sell such securities;
o the availability of market-makers; and
|_| the nature of the trades for such securities.
While the Fund holds such securities, the Manager will also evaluate
the likelihood of a continuing market for these securities and their credit
quality.
Municipal leases have special risk considerations. Although lease
obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which
the municipality's taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is ordinarily
backed by the municipality's covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the
payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations
contain "non-appropriation" clauses which provide that the municipality has no
obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless
money is appropriated for that purpose on a yearly basis. While the obligation
might be secured by the lease, it might be difficult to dispose of that property
in case of a default.
Projects financed with certificates of participation generally are not
subject to state constitutional debt limitations or other statutory requirements
that may apply to other municipal securities. Payments by the public entity on
the obligation underlying the certificates are derived from available revenue
sources. That revenue might be diverted to the funding of other municipal
service projects. Payments of interest and/or principal with respect to the
certificates are not guaranteed and do not constitute an obligation of a state
or any of its political subdivisions.
In addition to the risk of "non-appropriation," municipal lease
securities do not have as highly liquid a market as conventional municipal
bonds. Municipal leases, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to
the risk of non-payment of interest or repayment of principal by the issuer. The
ability of issuers of municipal leases to make timely lease payments may be
adversely affected in general economic downturns and as relative governmental
cost burdens are reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units.
A default in payment of income would result in a reduction of income to the
Fund. It could also result in a reduction in the value of the municipal lease
and that, as well as a default in repayment of principal, could result in a
decrease in the net asset value of the Fund.
|X| Ratings of Municipal Securities. Ratings by ratings organizations
such as Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's Corporation and Fitch IBCA,
Inc. represent the respective rating agency's opinions of the credit quality of
the municipal securities they undertake to rate. However, their ratings are
general opinions and are not guarantees of quality. Municipal securities that
have the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields, while other
municipal securities that have the same maturity and coupon but different
ratings may have the same yield.
Lower grade securities may have a higher yield than securities rated in
the higher rating categories. In addition to having a greater risk of default
than higher-grade, securities, there may be less of a market for these
securities. As a result they may be harder to sell at an acceptable price. The
additional risks mean that the Fund may not receive the anticipated level of
income from these securities, and the Fund's net asset value may be affected by
declines in the value of lower-grade securities. However, because the added risk
of lower quality securities might not be consistent with the Fund's policy of
preservation of capital, the Fund limits its investments in lower quality
securities.
Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund, a municipal security may cease
to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase
by the Fund. Neither event requires the Fund to sell the security, but the
Manager will consider such events in determining whether the Fund should
continue to hold the security. To the extent that ratings given by Moody's,
Standard & Poor's, or Fitch change as a result of changes in those rating
organizations or their rating systems, the Fund will attempt to use comparable
ratings as standards for investments in accordance with the Fund's investment
policies.
The Fund may buy municipal securities that are "pre-refunded." The
issuer's obligation to repay the principal value of the security is generally
collateralized with U.S. government securities placed in an escrow account. This
causes the pre-refunded security to have essentially the same risks of default
as a AAA-rated security.
A list of the rating categories of Moody's, S&P and Fitch for municipal
securities is contained in Appendix A to this Statement of Additional
Information. Because the Fund may purchase securities that are unrated by
nationally recognized rating organizations, the Manager will make its own
assessment of the credit quality of unrated issues the Fund buys. The Manager
will use criteria similar to those used by the rating agencies, and assigning a
rating category to a security that is comparable to what the Manager believes a
rating agency would assign to that security. However, the Manager's rating does
not constitute a guarantee of the quality of a particular issue.
Special Investment Considerations - New York Municipal Securities. As explained
in the Prospectus, the Trust is highly sensitive to the fiscal stability of New
York State (the "State") and its subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities or
authorities, including New York City, which issue the Municipal Securities in
which the Trust concentrates its investments. The following information on risk
factors in concentrating in New York Municipal Securities is only a summary,
based on publicly available official statements relating to offerings of New
York issuers of Municipal Securities on or prior to September 29, 1997 with
respect to offerings of the State and September 30, 1997 with respect to
offerings of New York City. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such
information.
<PAGE>
During the mid-1970's the State, some of its agencies,
instrumentalities and public benefit corporations (the "Authorities"), and
certain of its municipalities faced serious financial difficulties. To address
many of these financial problems, the State developed various programs, many of
which were successful in ameliorating the financial crisis. Any further
financial problems experienced by these Authorities or municipalities could have
a direct adverse effect on the New York Municipal Securities in which the Trust
invests.
New York City
General. More than any other municipality, the fiscal health of New
York City (the "City") has a significant effect on the fiscal health of the
State. The national economic downturn which began in July 1990 adversely
affected the local economy which had been declining since late 1989. As a
result, the City experienced job losses in 1990 and 1991 and real Gross City
Product ("GCP") fell in those two years. Beginning in 1992, the improvement in
the national economy helped stabilize conditions in the City. Employment losses
moderated toward year-end and real GCP increased, boosted by strong wage gains.
After noticeable improvements in the City's economy during 1994, economic growth
slowed in 1995, and thereafter improved commencing in calendar year 1996,
reflecting improved securities industry earnings and employment in other
sectors. The City's current four-year financial plan assumes that moderate
economic growth will exist through calendar year 2001, with moderate job growth
and wage increases.
For each of the 1981 through 1996 fiscal years, the City achieved
balanced operating results as reported in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles ("GAAP"). The City has been required to close substantial
gaps between forecast revenues and forecast expenditures in order to maintain
balanced operating results. There can be no assurance that the City will
continue to maintain balanced operating results as required by State law without
additional tax or other revenue increases or additional reduction in City
services or entitlement programs, which could adversely affect the City's
economic base.
The Mayor is responsible for preparing the City's four-year financial
plan, including the City's current financial plan for the 1998 through 2001
fiscal years (the "1998-2001 Financial Plan", "Financial Plan" or "City Plan").
The City's projections set forth in the City Plan are based on various
assumptions and contingencies which are uncertain and which may not materialize.
Changes in major assumptions could significantly affect the City's ability to
balance its budget as required by State law and to meet its annual cash flow and
financing requirements. Such assumptions and contingencies include the condition
of the regional and local economies, the impact on real estate tax revenues of
the real estate market, wage increases for City employees consistent with those
assumed in the City Plan, employment growth, the ability to implement reductions
in City personnel and other cost reduction initiatives, the ability of the New
York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and the Board of Education to take
actions to offset potential budget shortfalls, the ability to complete revenue
generating transactions, provision of State and Federal aid and mandate relief
and the impact on City revenues and expenditures for Federal and State welfare
reform and any future legislation affecting Medicare or other entitlements.
<PAGE>
Implementation of the Financial Plan is also dependent upon the City's
ability to market its securities successfully. The City's financing program for
fiscal years 1998 through 2001 contemplates the issuance of $4.9 billion of
general obligation bonds and $7.1 billion of bonds to be issued by the New York
City Transitional Finance Authority (the "Finance Authority") to finance City
capital projects. The Finance Authority was created as part of the City's
efforts to assist in keeping the City's indebtedness within the forecast level
of the constitutional restrictions on the amount of debt the City is authorized
to incur. The City is involved in litigation seeking to have the New York City
Transitional Finance Authority Act declared unconstitutional. In addition, the
City issues revenue and tax anticipation notes to finance its seasonal working
capital requirements. The success of projected public sales of City bonds and
notes, New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority ("Water Authority") bonds
and Finance Authority bonds will be subject to prevailing market conditions. The
City's planned capital and operating expenditures are dependent upon the sale of
its general obligation bonds and notes, and the Water Authority and Finance
Authority bonds. Future developments concerning the City and public discussion
of such developments, as well as prevailing market conditions, may affect the
market for outstanding City general obligation bonds and notes.
The City Comptroller and other agencies and public officials have
issued reports and make public statements which, among other things, state that
projected revenues and expenditures may be different from those forecasted in
the City Plan. It is reasonable to expect that such reports and statements will
continue to be issued and to engender public comment.
1998-2001 Financial Plan. The most recent quarterly modification the
City's financial plan for the 1997 fiscal year projects a balanced budget in
accordance with GAAP for the 1997 fiscal year, after taking into account an
increase in projected tax revenues of $1.2 billion during the 1997 fiscal year
and a discretionary prepayment in the 1997 fiscal year of $1.3 billion of debt
service due in the 1998 and 1999 fiscal years. The Financial Plan projects
revenues and expenditures for the 1998 fiscal year balanced in accordance with
GAAP. The Financial Plan includes increased tax revenue projections; reduced
debt service costs; the assumed restoration of Federal funding for programs
assisting certain legal aliens; additional expenditure for textbooks, computers,
improved education programs and welfare reform, law enforcement, immigrant
naturalization, initiatives proposed by the City Council and other initiatives;
and a proposed discretionary transfer to the 1998 fiscal year of $300 million of
debt service due in the 1999 fiscal year for budget stabilization purposes. In
addition, the Financial Plan reflects the discretionary transfer to the 1997
fiscal year of $1.3 billion of debt service due in the 1998 and 1999 fiscal
years, and includes actions to eliminate a previously projected budget gap for
the 1998 fiscal year. These gap closing actions include (i) additional agency
actions totaling $621 million; (ii) the proposed sale of various assets; (iii)
additional State aid of $294 million, including a proposal that the State
accelerate a $142 million revenue sharing payment to the City from March 1999;
and (iv) entitlement savings of $128 million which would result from certain of
the reductions in Medicaid spending proposed in the Governor's 1997-1998
Executive Budget and the State making available to the City $77 million of
additional Federal block grant aid, as proposed in the Governor's 1997-1998
Executive Budget. The Financial Plan also sets forth projections for the 1999
through 2001 fiscal years and projects gaps of $1.8 billion, $2.8 billion and
$2.6 billion for the 1999 through 2001 fiscal years, respectively.
<PAGE>
The Financial Plan assumes approval by the State Legislature and the
Governor of (i) a tax reduction program proposed by the City totaling $272
million, $435 million, $465 million and $481 million in the 1998 through 2001
fiscal years, respectively, which includes a proposed elimination of the 4% City
sales tax on clothing items under $500 as of December 1, 1997, and (ii) a
proposed State tax relief program, which would reduce the City property tax and
personal income tax, and which the Financial Plan assumes will be offset by
proposed increased State aid totaling $47 million, $254 million, $472 million
and $722 million in the 1998 through 2001 fiscal years, respectively.
The Financial Plan also assumes (i) approval by the Governor and the
State Legislature of the extension of the 14% personal income tax surcharge,
which is scheduled to expire on December 31, 1999, and of the extension of the
12.5% personal income tax surcharge, which is scheduled to expire on December
31, 1998; (ii) collection of the projected rent payments for the City's
airports; and (iii) State approval of the cost containment initiatives and State
aid proposed by the City for the 1998 fiscal year, and $115 million in State aid
which is assumed in the Financial Plan but was not provided for in the
Governor's 1997-1998 Executive budget. The Financial Plan reflects the increased
costs which the City is prepared to incur as a result of welfare legislation
recently enacted by Congress. In addition, the economic and financial condition
of the City may be affected by various financial, social, economic and political
factors which could have a material effect on the City.
The City's financial plans have been the subject of extensive public
comment. On September 11, 1997, the New York State Comptroller issued a report
which noted that the ability to deal with future budget gaps could become a
significant issue in the State's 2000-2001 fiscal year, when the cost of tax
cuts increases by $1.9 billion. The report contained projections that, based on
current economic conditions and current law for taxes and spending, showed a gap
in the 2000-2001 State fiscal year of $5.6 billion and of $7.4 billion in the
2001-2002 State fiscal year. The report noted that these gaps would be smaller
if recurring spending reductions produce savings in earlier years. The State
Comptroller also stated that if Wall Street earnings moderate and the State
experiences a moderate recession, the gap for the 2001-2002 State fiscal year
could grow to nearly $12 billion.
Various actions proposed in the Financial Plan are uncertain. If these
measures cannot be implemented, the City will be required to take other actions
to decrease expenditures or increase revenues to maintain a balanced financial
plan.
The projections for the 1998 through 2001 fiscal years reflect the
costs of the settlements with the United Federation of Teachers ("UFT") and the
coalition of unions headed by District Council 37 of the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees ("District Council 37"), which together
represent approximately two-thirds of the City's workforce, and assume that the
City will reach agreement with its remaining municipal unions under terms which
are generally consistent with such settlements. The settlement provides for a
wage freeze in the first two years, followed by a cumulative effective wage
increase of 11% by the end of the five year period covered by the proposed
agreements, ending in fiscal years 2000 and 2001. Additional benefit increases
would raise the total cumulative effective increase to 13% above present costs.
Costs associated with similar settlements for all City-funded employees would
total $49 million, $459 million and $1.2 billion in the 1997, 1998 and 1999
fiscal years, respectively, and exceed $2 billion in each fiscal year after the
1999 fiscal year. Subsequently, the City reached settlements, through agreements
or statutory impasse procedures, with bargaining units which, together with the
UFT and District Council 37, represent approximately 86% of the City's
workforce.
<PAGE>
Ratings. On July 10, 1995, Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("Standard &
Poor's") revised downward its rating on City general obligation bonds from A- to
BBB+ and removed City bonds from CreditWatch. Standard & Poor's stated that
"structural budgetary balance remains elusive because of persistent softness in
the City's economy, highlighted by weak job growth and growing dependence on the
historically volatile financial services sector." Other factors identified by
Standard & Poor's in lowering its rating on City bonds included a trend of using
one-time measures, including debt refinancings, to close projected budget gaps,
dependence on unratified labor savings to help balance the Financial Plan,
optimistic projections of additional Federal and State aid or mandate relief, a
history of cash flow difficulties caused by State budget delays and continued
high debt levels. Fitch Investors Service, Inc. ("Fitch") continues to rate the
City general obligation bonds A-. On February 28, 1996 Fitch placed the City's
general obligation bonds on Fitch Alert with negative implications. Moody's
Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") rating for City general obligation bonds is
Baa1. On July 17, 1997 Moody's changed its outlook on City bonds to positive
from stable. Such ratings reflect only the views of these rating agencies, from
which an explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained. There
is no assurance that such ratings will continue for any given period of time or
that they will not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely. Any such downward
revision or withdrawal could have an adverse effect on the market prices of
bonds.
Outstanding Net Indebtedness. As of September 30, 1997, the City and
the Municipal Assistance Corporation for the City of New York had, respectively,
$26.180 billion and $3.777 billion of outstanding net long-term debt.
The City depends on the State for State aid both to enable the City to
balance its budget and to meet its cash requirements. There can be no assurance
that there will not be reductions in State aid to the City from amounts
currently projected; that State budgets in future fiscal years will be adopted
by the April 1 statutory deadline, or interim appropriations enacted; or that
any such reductions or delays will not have adverse effects on the City's cash
flow or expenditures.
Litigation. The City is a defendant in lawsuits pertaining to material
matters, including claims asserted which are incidental to performing routine
governmental and other functions. This litigation includes, but is not limited
to, actions commenced and claims asserted against the City arising out of
alleged torts, alleged breaches of contracts, alleged violations of law and
condemnation proceedings. As of June 30, 1996 and 1995, claims in excess of $380
billion and $311 billion, respectively, were outstanding against the City for
which the City estimates its potential future liability to be $2.8 billion and
$2.5 billion, respectively.
New York State
The State has historically been one of the wealthiest states in the
nation. For decades, however, the State economy has grown more slowly than that
of the nation as a whole, resulting in the gradual erosion of its relative
economic affluence. The causes of this relative decline are varied and complex,
in many cases involving national and international developments beyond the
State's control.
<PAGE>
Recent Developments. The national economy has resumed a more robust
rate of growth after a "soft landing" in 1995, with over 14 million jobs added
nationally since early 1992. The State economy has continued to expand, but
growth remains somewhat slower than in the nation. Although the State has added
approximately 300,000 jobs since late 1992, employment growth in the State has
been hindered during recent years by significant cutbacks in the computer and
instrument manufacturing, utility, defense and banking industries. Government
downsizing has also moderated these job gains.
The 1997-1998 New York State Financial Plan (the "State Plan") is
partly based on the forecast that the State's economy shows moderate expansion
during the first half of the calendar 1997 with the trend continuing through the
year. Although industries that export goods and services are expected to
continue to do well, growth is expected to be moderated by tight fiscal
constraints on the health care and social services industries. On an average
annual basis, employment growth in the State is expected to be up substantially
from the 1996 rate. Personal income is expected to record moderate gains in
1997. Bonus payments in the securities industry are expected to increase further
from last year's record level.
The State Plan is based upon forecasts of national and State economic
activity developed through both internal analysis and review of State and
national economic forecasts prepared by commercial forecasting services and
other public and private forecasters. Economic forecasts have frequently failed
to predict accurately the timing and magnitude of changes in the national and
the State economies. Many uncertainties exist in forecasts of both the national
and State economies, including consumer attitudes toward spending, the extent of
corporate and governmental restructuring, federal fiscal and monetary policies,
the level of interest rates, and the condition of the world economy, which could
have an adverse effect on the State. There can be no assurance that the State
economy will not experience results in the current fiscal year that are worse
than predicted, with corresponding material and adverse effects on the State's
projections of receipts and disbursements.
The 1997-98 Fiscal Year. The State's General Fund (the major operating
Fund of the State) was projected in the State Plan to be balanced on a cash
basis for the 1997-98 fiscal year. Total receipts and transfers from other funds
at $35.09 billion, an increase of $2.05 billion from the prior fiscal year, and
disbursements and transfers to other funds are projected to be $34.60 billion,
an increase of $1.70 billion from the total disbursed in the prior fiscal year.
Projections of total State receipts in the State Financial Plan are
based on the State tax structure in effect during the fiscal year and on
assumptions relating to basic economic factors and their historical
relationships to State tax receipts. In preparing projections of State receipts,
economic forecasts relating to personal income, wages, consumption, profits and
employment have been particularly important. The projection of receipts from
most tax or revenue sources is generally made by estimating the change in yield
of such tax or revenue source caused by economic and other factors, rather than
by estimating the total yield of such tax or revenue source from its estimated
tax base. The forecasting methodology, however, ensures that State fiscal year
estimates for taxes that are based on a computation of annual liability, such as
the business and personal income taxes, are consistent with estimates of total
liability under such taxes.
<PAGE>
Projections of total State disbursements are based on assumptions
relating to economic and demographic factors, levels of disbursements for
various services provided by local governments (where cost is partially
reimbursed by the State), and the results of various administrative and
statutory mechanisms in controlling disbursements for State operations. Factors
that may affect the level of disbursements in the fiscal year include
uncertainties relating to the economy of the nation and the State, the policies
of the federal government, and changes in the demand for and use of State
services.
In recent years, State actions affecting the level of receipts and
disbursements, the relative strength of the State and regional economy, actions
of the federal government and other factors, have created structural gaps for
the State. These gaps resulted from a significant disparity between recurring
revenues and the costs of maintaining or increasing the level of support for
State programs. To address a potential imbalance in any given fiscal year, the
State would be required to take actions to increase receipts and/or reduce
disbursements as it enacts the budget for that year, and under the State
Constitution, the Governor is required to propose a balanced budget each year.
There can be no assurance, however, that the Legislature will enact the
Governor's proposals or that the State's actions will be sufficient to preserve
budgetary balance in a given fiscal year or to align recurring receipts and
disbursements in future fiscal years.
Composition of State Governmental Funds Group. Substantially all State
non-pension financial operations are accounted for in the State's governmental
funds group. Governmental funds include the General Fund, which receives all
income not required by law to be deposited in another fund; Special Revenue
Funds, which receive the preponderance of moneys received by the State from the
Federal government and other income the use of which is legally restricted to
certain purposes; Capital Projects Funds, used to finance the acquisition and
construction of major capital facilities by the State and to aid in certain of
such projects conducted by local governments or public authorities; and Debt
Service Funds, which are used for the accumulation of moneys for the payment of
principal of and interest on long-term debt and to meet lease-purchase and other
contractual-obligation commitments.
Local Government Assistance Corporation ("LGAC"). In 1990, as part of a
State fiscal reform program, legislation was enacted creating LGAC, a public
benefit corporation empowered to issue long-term obligations to fund certain
payments to local governments traditionally funded through the State's annual
seasonal borrowing. The legislation authorized LGAC to issue its bonds and notes
in an amount not in excess of $4.7 billion (exclusive of certain refunding
bonds). Over a period of years, the issuance of these long-term obligations,
which are to be amortized over no more than 30 years, was expected to eliminate
the need for continued short-term seasonal borrowing. The legislation also
dedicated revenues equal to one-quarter of the four cent State sales and use tax
to pay debt service on these bonds. The legislation also imposed a cap on the
annual seasonal borrowing of the State at $4.7 billion, less net proceeds of
bonds issued by LGAC and bonds issued to provide for capitalized interest,
except in cases where the Governor and the legislative leaders have certified
the need for additional borrowing and provided a schedule for reducing it to the
cap. If borrowing above the cap is thus permitted in any fiscal year, it is
required by law to be reduced to the cap by the fourth fiscal year after the
limit was first exceeded. This provision capping the seasonal borrowing was
included as a covenant with LGAC's bondholders in the resolution authorizing
such bonds.
As of June 1995, LGAC had issued bonds and notes to provide net
proceeds of $4.7 billion completing the program. The impact of LGAC's borrowing
is that the State is able to meet its cash flow needs in the first quarter of
the fiscal year without relying on short-term seasonal borrowings.
<PAGE>
Authorities. The fiscal stability of the State is related to the fiscal
stability of its public Authorities. Authorities have various responsibilities,
including those which finance, construct and/or operate revenue-producing public
facilities. Authorities are not subject to the constitutional restrictions on
the incurrence of debt which apply to the State itself, and may issue bonds and
notes within the amounts, and restrictions set forth in their legislative
authorization. As of September 30, 1996, the latest available, there were 17
Authorities that had outstanding debt of $100 million or more, and the aggregate
outstanding debt, including refunding bonds, of these 17 Authorities was $75.4
billion, only a portion of which constitutes State-supported or State-related
debt.
Authorities are generally supported by revenues generated by the
projects financed or operated, such as fares, user fees on bridges or tunnels,
highway tolls, rentals for dormitory rooms and housing units and charges for
occupancy at medical care facilities. In addition, State legislation authorizes
several financing techniques for Authorities. Also, there are statutory
arrangements providing for State local assistance payments otherwise payable to
localities to be made under certain circumstances to Authorities. Although the
State has no obligation to provide additional assistance to localities whose
local assistance payments have been paid to Authorities under these
arrangements, if local assistance payments are diverted the affected localities
could seek additional State assistance. Some Authorities also receive moneys
from State appropriations to pay for the operating costs of certain of their
programs.
Ratings. On January 13, 1992, Standard & Poor's reduced its ratings on
the State's general obligation bonds from A to A- and, in addition, reduced its
ratings on the State's moral obligation, lease purchase, guaranteed and
contractual obligation debt. Standard & Poor's also continued its negative
rating outlook assessment on State general obligation debt. On April 26, 1993,
Standard & Poor's revised the rating outlook assessment to stable. On February
14, 1994, Standard & Poor's raised its outlook to positive and, on October 3,
1995, confirmed its A-rating. On August 28, 1997, Standard & Poor's revised its
ratings on the State's general obligation bonds from A- to A and, in addition
revised its ratings on the State's moral obligation, lease purchase, guaranteed
and contractual obligation debt. On January 6, 1992, Moody's reduced its ratings
on outstanding limited-liability State lease purchase and contractual
obligations from A to Baa1. On October 2, 1995, Moody's reconfirmed its A rating
on the State's general obligation long-term indebtedness. On February 10, 1997,
Moody's confirmed its A2 rating on the State's general obligation long-term
indebtedness. Ratings reflect only the respective views of such organizations,
and an explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained from the
rating agency furnishing the same. There is no assurance that a particular
rating will continue for any given period of time or that any such rating will
not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely, if in the judgment of the agency
originally establishing the rating, circumstances so warrant. A downward
revision or withdrawal of such ratings, or either of them, may have an effect on
the market price of the State Municipal Securities in which the Fund invests.
General Obligation Debt. As of March 31, 1997, the State had
approximately $5.03 billion in general obligation bonds, including $294 million
in bond anticipation notes outstanding. Principal and interest due on general
obligation bonds and interest due on bond anticipation notes were $749.6 million
for the 1996-97 fiscal year and are estimated to be $720.9 million for the
State's 1997-98 fiscal year.
<PAGE>
Litigation. The State is a defendant in numerous legal proceedings
pertaining to matters incidental to the performance of routine governmental
operations. Such litigation includes, but is not limited to, claims asserted
against the State arising from alleged torts, alleged breaches of contracts,
condemnation proceedings and other alleged violations of State and Federal laws.
These proceedings could affect adversely the financial condition of the State in
the 1997-1998 fiscal year or thereafter.
The State believes that the State Plan includes sufficient reserves for
the payment of judgments that may be required during the 1997-98 fiscal year.
There can be no assurance, however, that an adverse decision in any of these
proceedings would not exceed the amount the State Plan reserves for the payment
of judgments and, therefore, could affect the ability of the State to maintain a
balanced 1997-1998 Financial Plan. The General Purpose Financial Statements for
the 1996-1997 fiscal year report estimated probable awarded and anticipated
unfavorable judgements of $364 million, of which $134 million is expected to be
paid during the 1997-1998 fiscal year.
In addition, the State is party to other claims and litigations which
its counsel has advised are not probable of adverse court decisions. Although,
the amounts of potential losses, if any, are not presently determinable, it is
the State's opinion that its ultimate liability in these cases is not expected
to have a material adverse effect on the State's financial position in the
1997-98 fiscal year or thereafter.
Other Localities. Certain localities in addition to the City could have
financial problems leading to requests for additional State assistance during
the State's 1997-98 fiscal year and thereafter. The potential impact on the
State of such actions by localities is not included in the projections of the
State receipts and disbursements in the State's 1997-98 fiscal year.
Fiscal difficulties experienced by the City of Yonkers ("Yonkers")
resulted in the creation of the Financial Control Board for the City of Yonkers
(the "Yonkers Board") by the State in 1984. The Yonkers Board is charged with
oversight of the fiscal affairs of Yonkers. Future actions taken by the Governor
or the State Legislature to assist Yonkers could result in increased State
expenditures for extraordinary local assistance.
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies. In seeking its objective, the Fund
may from time to time employ the types of investment strategies and investments
described below.
|X| Floating Rate and Variable Rate Obligations. Variable rate demand
obligations have a demand feature that allows the Fund to tender the obligation
to the issuer or a third party prior to its maturity. The tender may be at par
value plus accrued interest, according to the terms of the obligations.
The interest rate on a floating rate demand note is based on a stated
prevailing market rate, such as a bank's prime rate, the 91-day U.S. Treasury
Bill rate, or some other standard, and is adjusted automatically each time such
rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is also based
on a stated prevailing market rate but is adjusted automatically at specified
intervals of not less than one year. Generally, the changes in the interest rate
on such securities reduce the fluctuation in their market value. As interest
rates decrease or increase, the potential for capital appreciation or
depreciation is less than that for fixed-rate obligations of the same maturity.
The Manager may determine that an unrated floating rate or variable rate demand
obligation meets the Fund's quality standards by reason of being backed by a
letter of credit or guarantee issued by a bank that meets those quality
standards.
Floating rate and variable rate demand notes that have a stated
maturity in excess of one year may have features that permit the holder to
recover the principal amount of the underlying security at specified intervals
not exceeding one year and upon no more than 30 days' notice. The issuer of that
type of note normally has a corresponding right in its discretion, after a given
period, to prepay the outstanding principal amount of the note plus accrued
interest. Generally the issuer must provide a specified number of days' notice
to the holder.
|X| Inverse Floaters and Other Derivative Investments. Inverse floaters
may offer relatively high current income, reflecting the spread between
short-term and long-term tax exempt interest rates. As long as the municipal
yield curve remains relatively steep and short term rates remain relatively low,
owners of inverse floaters will have the opportunity to earn interest at
above-market rates because they receive interest at the higher long-term rates
but have paid for bonds with lower short-term rates. If the yield curve flattens
and shifts upward, an inverse floater will lose value more quickly than a
conventional long-term bond. The Fund will invest in inverse floaters to seek
higher tax-exempt yields than are available from fixed-rate bonds that have
comparable maturities and credit ratings. In some cases, the holder of an
inverse floater may have an option to convert the floater to a fixed-rate bond,
pursuant to a "rate-lock" option.
Some inverse floaters have a feature known as an interest rate "cap" as
part of the terms of the investment. Investing in inverse floaters that have
interest rate caps might be part of a portfolio strategy to try to maintain a
high current yield for the Fund when the Fund has invested in inverse floaters
that expose the Fund to the risk of short-term interest rate fluctuations.
"Embedded" caps can be used to hedge a portion of the Fund's exposure to rising
interest rates. When interest rates exceed a pre-determined rate, the cap
generates additional cash flows that offset the decline in interest rates on the
inverse floater, and the hedge is successful. However, the Fund bears the risk
that if interest rates do not rise above the pre-determined rate, the cap (which
is purchased for additional cost) will not provide additional cash flows and
will expire worthless.
Inverse floaters are a form of derivative investment. Certain
derivatives, such as options, futures, indexed securities and entering into swap
agreements, can be used to increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to changing
security prices, interest rates or other factors that affect the value of
securities. However, these techniques could result in losses to the Fund, if the
Manager judges market conditions incorrectly or employs a strategy that does not
correlate well with the Fund's other investments. These techniques can cause
losses if the counterparty does not perform its promises. An additional risk of
investing in municipal securities that are derivative investments is that their
market value could be expected to vary to a much greater extent than the market
value of municipal securities that are not derivative investments but have
similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturities.
|X| When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund can
purchase securities on a "when-issued" basis, and may purchase or sell such
securities on a "delayed delivery" basis. "When-issued" or "delayed delivery"
refers to securities whose terms and indenture are available and for which a
market exists, but which are not available for immediate delivery.
When such transactions are negotiated the price (which is generally
expressed in yield terms) is fixed at the time the commitment is made. Delivery
and payment for the securities take place at a later date. Normally the
settlement date is within six months of the purchase of municipal bonds and
notes. However, the Fund may, from time to time, purchase municipal securities
having a settlement date more than six months and possibly as long as two years
or more after the trade date. The securities are subject to change in value from
market fluctuation during the settlement period. The value at delivery may be
less than the purchase price. For example, changes in interest rates in a
direction other than that expected by the Manager before settlement will affect
the value of such securities and may cause loss to the Fund.
The Fund will engage in when-issued transactions in order to secure
what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering
into the obligation. When the Fund engages in when-issued or delayed delivery
transactions, it relies on the buyer or seller, as the case may be, to complete
the transaction. Their failure to do so may cause the Fund to lose the
opportunity to obtain the security at a price and yield it considers
advantageous.
When the Fund engages in when-issued and delayed delivery transactions,
it does so for the purpose of acquiring or selling securities consistent with
its investment objective and policies for its portfolio or for delivery pursuant
to options contracts it has entered into, and not for the purposes of investment
leverage. Although the Fund will enter into when-issued or delayed-delivery
purchase transactions to acquire securities, the Fund may dispose of a
commitment prior to settlement. If the Fund chooses to dispose of the right to
acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition or to dispose of its
right to deliver or receive against a forward commitment, it may incur a gain or
loss.
At the time the Fund makes a commitment to purchase or sell a security
on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, it records the transaction on its
books and reflects the value of the security purchased. In a sale transaction,
it records the proceeds to be received, in determining its net asset value. The
Fund will identify to its Custodian cash, U.S. Government securities or other
high grade debt obligations at least equal to the value of purchase commitments
until the Fund pays for the investment.
When-issued transactions and forward commitments can be used by the
Fund as a defensive technique to hedge against anticipated changes in interest
rates and prices. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling
prices, the Fund might sell securities in its portfolio on a forward commitment
basis to attempt to limit its exposure to anticipated falling prices. In periods
of falling interest rates and rising prices, the Fund might sell portfolio
securities and purchase the same or similar securities on a when-issued or
forward commitment basis, to obtain the benefit of currently higher cash yields.
|X| Zero-Coupon Securities. The Fund may buy zero-coupon and delayed
interest municipal securities. Zero-coupon securities do not make periodic
interest payments and are sold at a deep discount from their face value. The
buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the
security, which is redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. This
discount depends on the time remaining until maturity, as well as prevailing
interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the credit quality of the
issuer. In the absence of threats to the issuer's credit quality, the discount
typically decreases as the maturity date approaches. Some zero-coupon securities
are convertible, in that they are zero-coupon securities until a predetermined
date, at which time they convert to a security with a specified coupon rate.
Because zero-coupon securities pay no interest and compound
semi-annually at the rate fixed at the time of their issuance, their value is
generally more volatile than the value of other debt securities. Their value may
fall more dramatically than the value of interest-bearing securities when
interest rates rise. When prevailing interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities
tend to rise more rapidly in value because they have a fixed rate of return.
The Fund's investment in zero-coupon securities may cause the Fund to
recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any
cash payments on the zero-coupon investment. To generate cash to satisfy those
distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that
it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other
sources such as the sale of Fund shares.
|X| Puts and Standby Commitments. When the Fund buys a municipal
security subject to a standby commitment to repurchase the security, the Fund is
entitled to same-day settlement from the purchaser. The Fund receives an
exercise price equal to the amortized cost of the underlying security plus any
accrued interest at the time of exercise. A put purchased in conjunction with a
municipal security enables the Fund to sell the underlying security within a
specified period of time at a fixed exercise price.
The Fund might purchase a standby commitment or put separately in cash
or it might acquire the security subject to the standby commitment or put (at a
price that reflects that additional feature). The Fund will enter into these
transactions only with banks and securities dealers that, in the Manager's
opinion, present minimal credit risks. The Fund's ability to exercise a put or
standby commitment will depend on the ability of the bank or dealer to pay for
the securities if the put or standby commitment is exercised. If the bank or
dealer should default on its obligation, the Fund might not be able to recover
all or a portion of any loss sustained from having to sell the security
elsewhere.
Puts and standby commitments are not transferable by the Fund. They
terminate if the Fund sells the underlying security to a third party. The Fund
intends to enter into these arrangements to facilitate portfolio liquidity,
although such arrangements might enable the Fund to sell a security at a
pre-arranged price that may be higher than the prevailing market price at the
time the put or standby commitment is exercised. However, the Fund might refrain
from exercising a put or standby commitment if the exercise price is
significantly higher than the prevailing market price, to avoid imposing a loss
on the seller that could jeopardize the Fund's business relationships with the
seller.
A put or standby commitment increases the cost of the security and
reduces the yield otherwise available from the security. Any consideration paid
by the Fund for the put or standby commitment will be reflected on the Fund's
books as unrealized depreciation while the put or standby commitment is held,
and a realized gain or loss when the put or commitment is exercised or expires.
Interest income received by the Fund from municipal securities subject to puts
or stand-by commitments may not qualify as tax exempt in its hands if the terms
of the put or stand-by commitment cause the Fund not to be treated as the tax
owner of the underlying municipal securities.
|X| Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may acquire securities subject to
repurchase agreements. It may do so for liquidity purposes to meet anticipated
redemptions of Fund shares, or pending the investment of the proceeds from sales
of Fund shares, or pending the settlement of portfolio securities. In a
repurchase transaction, the Fund acquires a security from, and simultaneously
resells it to an approved vendor for delivery on an agreed upon future date. The
resale price exceeds the purchase price by an amount that reflects an
agreed-upon interest rate effective for the period during which the repurchase
agreement is in effect. Approved vendors include U.S. commercial banks, U.S.
branches of foreign banks or broker-dealers that have been designated a primary
dealer in government securities, which meet the credit requirements set by the
Fund's Board of Trustees from time to time.
The majority of these transactions run from day to day. Delivery
pursuant to resale typically will occur within one to five days of the purchase.
Repurchase agreements having a maturity beyond seven days are subject to the
Fund's limits on holding illiquid investments. There is no limit on the amount
of the Fund's net assets that may be subject to repurchase agreements of seven
days or less.
Repurchase agreements, considered "loans" under the Investment Company
Act, are collateralized by the underlying security. The Fund's repurchase
agreements require that at all times while the repurchase agreement is in
effect, the collateral's value must equal or exceed the repurchase price to
fully collateralize the repayment obligation. Additionally, the Manager will
impose creditworthiness requirements to confirm that the vendor is financially
sound and will continuously monitor the collateral's value. However, if the
vendor fails to pay the resale price on the delivery date, the Fund may incur
costs in disposing of the collateral and may experience losses if there is any
delay in its ability to do so.
|X| Illiquid Securities. The Fund has percentage limitations that apply
to purchases of illiquid securities, as stated in the Prospectus. As a matter of
fundamental policy, the Fund cannot purchase any securities that are subject to
restrictions on resale.
|X| Loans of Portfolio Securities. To attempt to raise income or raise
cash for liquidity purposes, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to
brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. These loans are limited to
not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets. There are risks in
connection with securities lending. The Fund might experience a delay in
receiving additional collateral to secure a loan, or a delay in recovery of the
loaned securities. The Fund presently does not intend to engage in loans of
securities that will exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets in the
coming year. Income from securities loans does not constitute exempt-interest
income for the purpose of paying tax-exempt dividends.
The Fund must receive collateral for a loan. Under current applicable
regulatory requirements (which are subject to change), on each business day the
loan collateral must be at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. It
must consist of cash, bank letters of credit, securities of the U.S. government
or its agencies or instrumentalities, or other cash equivalents in which the
Fund is permitted to invest. To be acceptable as collateral, letters of credit
must obligate a bank to pay amounts demanded by the Fund if the demand meets the
terms of the letter. The terms of the letter of credit and the issuing bank both
must be satisfactory to the Fund.
When it lends securities, the Fund receives amounts equal to the
dividends or interest on the loaned securities, It also receives one or more of
(a) negotiated loan fees, (b) interest on securities used as collateral, and (c)
interest on short-term debt securities purchased with the loan collateral.
Either type of interest may be shared with the borrower. The Fund may pay
reasonable finder's, administrative or other fees in connection with these
loans. The terms of the Fund's loans must meet applicable tests under the
Internal Revenue Code and must permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on
five days' notice or in time to vote on any important matter.
|X| Hedging. The Fund may use hedging to attempt to protect against
declines in the market value of its portfolio, to permit the Fund to retain
unrealized gains in the value of portfolio securities that have appreciated, or
to facilitate selling securities for investment reasons. To do so the Fund may:
o sell interest rate futures or municipal bond index futures,
o buy puts on such futures or securities, or
|_| write covered calls on securities, interest rate futures or
municipal bond index futures. Covered calls may also be written on debt
securities to attempt to increase the Fund's income, but that income
would not be tax-exempt. Therefore it is unlikely that the Fund would
write covered calls for that purpose.
The Fund may also use hedging to establish a position in the debt
securities market as a temporary substitute for purchasing individual debt
securities. In that case the Fund will normally seek to purchase the securities,
and then terminate that hedging position. For this type of hedging, the Fund
may:
|_| buy interest rate futures or municipal bond index futures, or |_|
buy calls on such futures or on securities.
The Fund is not obligated to use hedging instruments, even though it is
permitted to use them in the Manager's discretion, as described below. The
Fund's strategy of hedging with futures and options on futures will be
incidental to the Fund's investment activities in the underlying cash market.
The particular hedging instruments the Fund can use are described below. The
Fund may employ new hedging instruments and strategies when they are developed,
if those investment methods are consistent with the Fund's investment objective
and are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.
|_| Futures. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts relating to
debt securities (these are called "interest rate futures") and municipal bond
indices (these are referred to as "municipal bond index futures").
An interest rate future obligates the seller to deliver (and the
purchaser to take) cash or a specific type of debt security to settle the
futures transaction. Either party could also enter into an offsetting contract
to close out the futures position.
A "municipal bond index" assigns relative values to the municipal bonds
in the index, and is used as the basis for trading long-term municipal bond
futures contracts. Municipal bond index futures are similar to interest rate
futures except that settlement is made only in cash. The obligation under the
contract may also be satisfied by entering into an offsetting contract. The
strategies which the Fund employs in using municipal bond index futures are
similar to those with regard to interest rate futures.
Upon entering into a futures transaction, the Fund will be required to
deposit an initial margin payment in cash or U.S. government securities with the
futures commission merchant (the "futures broker"). Initial margin payments will
be deposited with the Fund's Custodian in an account registered in the futures
broker's name. However, the futures broker can gain access to that account only
under certain specified conditions. As the future is marked to market (that is,
its value on the Fund's books is changed) to reflect changes in its market
value, subsequent margin payments, called variation margin, will be paid to or
by the futures broker daily.
At any time prior to the expiration of the future, the fund may elect
to close out its position by taking an opposite position at which time a final
determination of variation margin is made and additional cash is required to be
paid by or released to the Fund. Any gain or loss is then realized by the Fund
on the Future for tax purposes. Although interest rate futures by their terms
call for settlement by the delivery of debt securities, in most cases the
obligation is fulfilled without such delivery by entering into an offsetting
transaction. All futures transactions are effected through a clearing house
associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded.
The Fund may concurrently buy and sell futures contracts in a strategy
anticipating that the future the Fund purchased will perform better than the
future the Fund sold. For example, the Fund might buy municipal bond futures and
concurrently sell U.S. Treasury Bond futures (a type of interest rate future).
The Fund would benefit if municipal bonds outperform U.S. Treasury Bonds on a
duration-adjusted basis.
Duration is a volatility measure that refers to the expected percentage
change in the value of a bond resulting from a change in general interest rates
(measured by each 1% change in the rates on U.S. Treasury securities). For
example, if a bond has an effective duration of three years, a 1% increase in
general interest rates would be expected to cause the value of the bond to
decline about 3%. There are risks that this type of futures strategy will not be
successful. U.S. Treasury bonds might perform better on a duration-adjusted
basis than municipal bonds, and the assumptions about duration that were used
might be incorrect (in this case, the duration of municipal bonds relative to
U.S. Treasury Bonds might have been greater than anticipated).
|_| Put and Call Options. The Fund may buy and sell certain kinds of put
options (puts) and call options (calls). These strategies are described below.
|_| Writing Covered Call Options. The Fund may write (that is, sell) call
options. The Fund's call writing is subject to a number of restrictions:
(1) After the Fund writes a call, not more than 25% of the Fund's total assets
may be subject to calls.
(2) Calls the Fund sells must be listed on a securities or commodities exchange
or quoted on NASDAQ, the automated quotation system of The Nasdaq Stock Market,
Inc. or traded in the over-the-counter market.
(3) Each call the Fund writes must be "covered" while it is outstanding. That
means the Fund must own the investment on which the call was written.
(4) The Fund may write calls on futures contracts that it owns, but these calls
must be covered by securities or other liquid assets that the Fund owns and
segregates to enable it to satisfy its obligations if the call is exercised.
When the Fund writes a call on a security, it receives cash (a
premium).The Fund agrees to sell the underlying investment to a purchaser of a
corresponding call on the same security during the call period at a fixed
exercise price regardless of market price changes during the call period. The
call period is usually not more than nine months. The exercise price may differ
from the market price of the underlying security. The Fund has retained the risk
of loss that the price of the underlying security may decline during the call
period. That risk may be offset to some extent by the premium the Fund receives.
If the value of the investment does not rise above the call price, it is likely
that the call will lapse without being exercised. In that case the Fund would
keep the cash premium and the investment.
The Fund's Custodian, or a securities depository acting for the
Custodian, will act as the Fund's escrow agent through the facilities of the
Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), as to the investments on which the Fund
has written calls traded on exchanges, or as to other acceptable escrow
securities. In that way, no margin will be required for such transactions. OCC
will release the securities on the expiration of the calls or upon the Fund's
entering into a closing purchase transaction.
When the Fund writes an over-the-counter ("OTC") option, it will enter
into an arrangement with a primary U.S. Government securities dealer which will
establish a formula price at which the Fund will have the absolute right to
repurchase that OTC option. The formula price would generally be based on a
multiple of the premium received for the option, plus the amount by which the
option is exercisable below the market price of the underlying security (that
is, the option is "in-the-money"). When the Fund writes an OTC option, it will
treat as illiquid (for purposes of its restriction on illiquid securities) the
mark-to-market value of any OTC option held by it, unless the option is subject
to a buy-back agreement by the executing broker. The Securities and Exchange
Commission is evaluating whether OTC options should be considered liquid
securities. The procedure described above could be affected by the outcome of
that evaluation.
To terminate its obligation on a call it has written, the Fund may
purchase a corresponding call in a "closing purchase transaction." The Fund will
then realize a profit or loss, depending upon whether the net of the amount of
the option transaction costs and the premium received on the call the Fund wrote
was more or less than the price of the call the Fund purchased to close out the
transaction. A profit may also be realized if the call lapses unexercised,
because the Fund retains the underlying investment and the premium received. Any
such profits are considered short-term capital gains for Federal tax purposes,
as are premiums on lapsed calls. When distributed by the Fund they are taxable
as ordinary income.
The Fund may also write calls on futures contracts without owning the
futures contract or securities deliverable under the contract. To do so, at the
time the call is written, the Fund must cover the call by segregating in escrow
an equivalent dollar value of liquid assets. The Fund will segregate additional
liquid assets if the value of the escrowed assets drops below 100% of the
current value of the future. Because of this escrow requirement, in no
circumstances would the Fund's receipt of an exercise notice as to that future
put the Fund in a "short" futures position.
|_| Purchasing Calls and Puts. The Fund may buy calls only on
securities, broadly-based municipal bond indices, municipal bond index futures
and interest rate futures. It may also buy calls to close out a call it has
written, as discussed above. Calls the Fund buys must be listed on a securities
or commodities exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, or traded in the over-the-counter
market. A call or put option may not be purchased if the purchase would cause
the value of all the Fund's put and call options to exceed 5% of its total
assets.
When the Fund purchases a call (other than in a closing purchase
transaction), it pays a premium. For calls on securities that the Fund buys, it
has the right to buy the underlying investment from a seller of a corresponding
call on the same investment during the call period at a fixed exercise price.
The Fund benefits only if (1) the call is sold at a profit or (2) the call is
exercised when the market price of the underlying investment is above the sum of
the exercise price plus the transaction costs and premium paid for the call. If
the call is not either exercised or sold (whether or not at a profit), it will
become worthless at its expiration date. In that case the Fund will lose its
premium payment and the right to purchase the underlying investment.
Calls on municipal bond indices, interest rate futures and municipal
bond index futures are settled in cash rather than by delivering the underlying
investment. Gain or loss depends on changes in the securities included in the
index in question (and thus on price movements in the debt securities market
generally) rather than on changes in price of the individual futures contract.
The Fund may buy only those puts that relate to securities that the
Fund owns, broadly-based municipal bond indices, municipal bond index futures or
interest rate futures (whether or not the Fund owns the futures).
The Fund may not sell puts other than puts it has previously purchased.
When the Fund purchases a put, it pays a premium. The Fund then has the
right to sell the underlying investment to a seller of a corresponding put on
the same investment during the put period at a fixed exercise price. Puts on
municipal bond indices are settled in cash. Buying a put on a debt security,
interest rate future or municipal bond index future the Fund owns enables it to
protect itself during the put period against a decline in the value of the
underlying investment below the exercise price. If the market price of the
underlying investment is equal to or above the exercise price and as a result
the put is not exercised or resold, the put will become worthless at its
expiration date. In that case the Fund will lose its premium payment and the
right to sell the underlying investment. A put may be sold prior to expiration
(whether or not at a profit).
|_| Risks of Hedging with Options and Futures. The use of hedging
instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that
are different than what is required for normal portfolio management. If the
Manager uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges market conditions
incorrectly, hedging strategies may reduce the Fund's returns.
The Fund's option activities may affect its portfolio turnover rate and
brokerage commissions. The exercise of calls written by the Fund may cause the
Fund to sell related portfolio securities, thus increasing its turnover rate.
The exercise by the Fund of puts on securities will cause the sale of underlying
investments, increasing portfolio turnover. Although the decision whether to
exercise a put it holds is within the Fund's control, holding a put might cause
the Fund to sell the related investments for reasons that would not exist in the
absence of the put.
The Fund may pay a brokerage commission each time it buys a call or
put, sells a call, or buys or sells an underlying investment in connection with
the exercise of a call or put. Such commissions may be higher on a relative
basis than the commissions for direct purchases or sales of the underlying
investments. Premiums paid for options are small in relation to the market value
of the underlying investments. Consequently, put and call options offer large
amounts of leverage. The leverage offered by trading in options could result in
the Fund's net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the
underlying investment.
If a covered call written by the Fund is exercised on an investment
that has increased in value, the Fund will be required to sell the investment at
the call price. It will not be able to realize any profit if the investment has
increased in value above the call price.
There is a risk in using short hedging by selling interest rate futures
and municipal bond index futures or purchasing puts on municipal bond indices or
futures to attempt to protect against declines in the value of the Fund's
securities. The risk is that the prices of such futures or the applicable index
will correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the cash (that is, market)
prices of the Fund's securities. It is possible for example, that while the Fund
has used hedging instruments in a short hedge, the market may advance and the
value of debt securities held in the Fund's portfolio may decline. If that
occurred, the Fund would lose money on the hedging instruments and also
experience a decline in value of its debt securities. However, while this could
occur over a brief period or to a very small degree, over time the value of a
diversified portfolio of debt securities will tend to move in the same direction
as the indices upon which the hedging instruments are based.
The risk of imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the
Fund's portfolio diverges from the securities included in the applicable index.
To compensate for the imperfect correlation of movements in the price of debt
securities being hedged and movements in the price of the hedging instruments,
the Fund may use hedging instruments in a greater dollar amount than the dollar
amount of debt securities being hedged. It might do so if the historical
volatility of the prices of the debt securities being hedged is greater than the
historical volatility of the applicable index.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets are
subject to distortions due to differences in the natures of those markets. All
participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit and
maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit
requirements, investors may close out futures contracts through offsetting
transactions which could distort the normal relationship between the cash and
futures markets. From the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements
in the futures markets are less onerous than margin requirements in the
securities markets. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the
futures markets may cause temporary price distortions.
The Fund may use hedging instruments to establish a position in the
municipal securities markets as a temporary substitute for the purchase of
individual securities (long hedging). It is possible that the market may
decline. If the Fund then concludes not to invest in such securities because of
concerns that there may be further market decline or for other reasons, the Fund
will realize a loss on the hedging instruments that is not offset by a reduction
in the purchase price of the securities.
An option position may be closed out only on a market that provides
secondary trading for options of the same series. There is no assurance that a
liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option. If the Fund could
not effect a closing purchase transaction due to a lack of a market, it would
have to hold the callable investment until the call lapsed or was exercised.
|_| Interest Rate Swap Transactions. In an interest rate swap, the Fund
and another party exchange their right to receive or their obligation to pay
interest on a security. For example, they may swap a right to receive floating
rate payments for fixed rate payments. The Fund enters into swaps only on
securities it owns. The Fund may not enter into swaps with respect to more than
25% of its total assets. Also, the Fund will segregate liquid assets (such as
cash or U.S. Government securities) to cover any amounts it could owe under
swaps that exceed the amounts it is entitled to receive, and it will adjust that
amount daily, as needed. Income from interest rate swaps may be taxable.
Swap agreements entail both interest rate risk and credit risk. There
is a risk that, based on movements of interest rates in the future, the payments
made by the Fund under a swap agreement will have been greater than those
received by it. Credit risk arises from the possibility that the counterparty
will default. If the counterparty to an interest rate swap defaults, the Fund's
loss will consist of the net amount of contractual interest payments that the
Fund has not yet received. The Manager will monitor the creditworthiness of
counterparties to the Fund's interest rate swap transactions on an ongoing
basis.
The Fund will enter into swap transactions with appropriate
counterparties pursuant to master netting agreements. A master netting agreement
provides that all swaps done between the Fund and that counterparty under the
master agreement shall be regarded as parts of an integral agreement. If on any
date amounts are payable under one or more swap transactions, the net amount
payable on that date shall be paid. In addition, the master netting agreement
may provide that if one party defaults generally or on one swap, the
counterparty may terminate the swaps with that party. Under master netting
agreements, if there is a default resulting in a loss to one party, that party's
damages are calculated by reference to the average cost of a replacement swap
with respect to each swap. The gains and losses on all swaps are then netted,
and the result is the counterparty's gain or loss on termination. The
termination of all swaps and the netting of gains and losses on termination is
generally referred to as "aggregation."
|_| Regulatory Aspects of Hedging Instruments. When using futures and
options on futures, the Fund is required to operate within certain guidelines
and restrictions established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the
"CFTC"). In particular, the Fund is exempted from registration with the CFTC as
a "commodity pool operator" if the Fund complies with the requirements of Rule
4.5 adopted by the CFTC. That Rule does not limit the percentage of the Fund's
assets that may be used for Futures margin and related options premiums for a
bona fide hedging position. However, under the Rule the Fund must limit its
aggregate initial futures margin and related options premiums to no more than 5%
of the Fund's net assets for hedging strategies that are not considered bona
fide hedging strategies under the Rule. Under the Rule, the Fund also must use
short futures and options on futures positions solely for bona fide hedging
purposes within the meaning and intent of the applicable provisions of the
Commodity Exchange Act.
Transactions in options by the Fund are subject to limitations
established by the option exchanges. The exchanges limit the maximum number of
options that may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors
acting in concert. Those limits apply regardless of whether the options were
written or purchased on the same or different exchanges, or are held in one or
more accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more
brokers. Thus, the number of options that the Fund may write or hold may be
affected by options written or held by other entities, including other
investment companies having the same adviser as the Fund (or an adviser that is
an affiliate of the Fund's adviser). The exchanges also impose position limits
on futures transactions. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions
found to be in violation of those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.
Under the Investment Company Act, when the Fund purchases an interest
rate future or municipal bond index future, it must maintain cash or readily
marketable short-term debt instruments in an amount equal to the market value of
the investments underlying the future, less the margin deposit applicable to it.
The account must be a segregated account or accounts held by its custodian bank.
|X| Temporary Defensive Investments. The securities the Fund may invest in
for temporary defensive purposes include the following:
|_| short-term municipal securities;
|_| obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or
its agencies or instrumentalities;
|_| corporate debt securities rated within the three highest
grades by a nationally recognized rating agency;
|_| commercial paper rated "A-1" by S&P, or a comparable
rating by another nationally recognized rating agency; and
|_| certificates of deposit of domestic banks with assets of
$1 billion or more.
|X| Taxable Investments. While the Fund can invest up to 20% of its
total assets in investments that generate income subject to income taxes, it
does not anticipate investing substantial amounts of its assets in taxable
investments under normal market conditions or as part of its normal trading
strategies and policies. To the extent it invests in taxable securities, the
Fund would not be able to meet its objective of providing tax exempt income to
its shareholders. Taxable investments include, for example, hedging instruments,
repurchase agreements, and the types of securities it would buy for temporary
defensive purposes.
Investment Restrictions
|X| What Are "Fundamental Policies?" Fundamental policies are those
policies that the Fund has adopted to govern its investments that can be changed
only by the vote of a "majority" of the Fund's outstanding voting securities.
Under the Investment Company Act, such a "majority" vote is defined as the vote
of the holders of the lesser of:
|_| 67% or more of the shares present or represented by proxy at a
shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding
shares are present or represented by proxy, or
|_| more than 50% of the outstanding shares.
The Fund's investment objective is a fundamental policy. Other policies
described in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information are
"fundamental" only if they are identified as such. The Fund's Board of Trustees
can change non-fundamental policies without shareholder approval. However,
significant changes to investment policies will be described in supplements or
updates to the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information, as
appropriate. The Fund's most significant investment policies are described in
the Prospectus.
[-] Does the Fund Have Additional Fundamental Policies? The following
investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund:
|_| The Fund cannot invest in securities or other investments other than
municipal securities, the temporary investments described in its Prospectus,
repurchase agreements, covered calls, private activity municipal securities and
hedging instruments described in "About the Fund" in the Prospectus or this
Statement of Additional Information.
|_| The Fund cannot make loans. However, repurchase agreements and the
purchase of debt securities in accordance with the Fund's other investment
policies and restrictions are permitted. The Fund may also lend its portfolio
securities as described in "Loans of Portfolio Securities."
|_| The Fund cannot borrow money in excess of 10% of the value of its total
assets. It cannot buy any additional investments when borrowings exceed 5% of
its assets. The Fund may borrow only from banks as a temporary measure for
extraordinary or emergency purposes, and not for the purpose of leveraging its
investments.
|_| The Fund cannot pledge, mortgage or otherwise encumber, transfer or
assign its assets to secure a debt. However, the use of escrow or other
collateral arrangements in connection with hedging instruments is permitted.
|_| With respect to 75% of its assets, the Fund cannot purchase securities
issued or guaranteed by any one issuer (other than the U.S. Government or its
agencies or instrumentalities), if more than 5% of the Fund's total assets would
be invested in securities of that issuer or the Fund would then own more than
10% of that issuer's voting securities.
|_| The Fund cannot concentrate its investments to the extent of 25% of its
total assets in any industry. However, there is no limitation as to the Fund's
investments in municipal securities in general or in New York municipal
securities, or in obligations issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies or
instrumentalities.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in real estate. This restriction shall not
prevent the Fund from investing in municipal securities or other permitted
securities that are secured by real estate or interests in real estate.
|_| The Fund cannot purchase securities other than hedging instruments on
margin. However, the Fund may obtain such short-term credits that may be
necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities.
|_| The Fund cannot sell securities short.
|_| The Fund cannot underwrite securities or invest in securities that are
subject to restrictions on resale.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in or hold securities of any issuer if officers
and Trustees of the Fund or the Manager individually beneficially own more than
1/2 of 1% of the securities of that issuer and together own more than 5% of the
securities of that issuer.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in securities of any other investment company,
except in connection with a merger with another investment company.
|_| The Fund cannot buy or sell futures contracts other than interest rate
futures and municipal bond index futures.
The Fund currently has an operating policy (which is not a fundamental
policy but will not be changed without the approval of a shareholder vote) that
prohibits the Fund from issuing senior securities. However, the policy does not
prohibit certain activities that are permitted by the Fund's other policies,
including borrowing money for emergency purposes as permitted by its other
investment policies and applicable regulations, entering into delayed-delivery
and when-issued arrangements for portfolio securities transactions, and entering
into contracts to buy or sell derivatives, hedging instruments, options, futures
and the related margin, collateral or escrow arrangements permitted under its
other investment policies.
Unless the Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information states
that a percentage restriction applies on an ongoing basis, it applies only at
the time the Fund makes an investment. In that case the Fund need not sell
securities to meet the percentage limits if the value of the investment
increases in proportion to the size of the Fund.
Applying the Restriction Against Concentration. To implement its policy not to
concentrate its investments, the Fund has adopted the industry classifications
set forth in Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information. Those
industry classifications are not a fundamental policy.
In implementing the Fund's policy not to concentrate its investments,
the Manager will consider a non-governmental user of facilities financed by
industrial development bonds as being in a particular industry. That is done
even though the bonds are municipal securities, as to which the Fund has no
concentration limitation. Although this application of the concentration
restriction is not a fundamental policy of the Fund, it will not be changed
without shareholder approval.
How the Fund Is Managed
Organization and History . The Fund is an open-end, diversified management
investment company with an unlimited number of authorized shares of beneficial
interest. The Fund was organized as a Massachusetts business trust in1984.
The Fund is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for
protecting the interests of shareholders under Massachusetts law. The Trustees
meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund's activities, review
its performance, and review the actions of the Manager. Although the Fund will
not normally hold annual meetings of its shareholders, it may hold shareholder
meetings from time to time on important matters, and shareholders have the right
to call a meeting to remove a Trustee or to take other action described in the
Fund's Declaration of Trust.
|_| Classes of Shares. The Board of Trustees has the power, without
shareholder approval, to divide unissued shares of the Fund into two or more
classes. The Board has done so, and the Fund currently has three classes of
shares, Class A, Class B and Class C. All classes invest in the same investment
portfolio. Shares are freely transferable. Each share has one vote at
shareholder meetings, with fractional shares voting proportionally on matters
submitted to the vote of shareholders. Each class of shares:
o has its own dividends and distributions,
o pays certain expenses which may be different for the different
classes,
o may have a different net asset value,
o may have separate voting rights on matters in which the interests of
one class are different from the interests of another class, and
o votes as a class on matters that affect that class alone.
|_| Meetings of Shareholders. As a Massachusetts business trust, the
Fund is not required to hold, and does not plan to hold, regular annual meetings
of shareholders. The Fund will hold meetings when required to do so by the
Investment Company Act or other applicable law. It will also do so when a
shareholder meeting is called by the Trustees or upon proper request of the
shareholders.
Shareholders have the right, upon the declaration in writing or vote of
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Fund, to remove a Trustee. The
Trustees will call a meeting of shareholders to vote on the removal of a Trustee
upon the written request of the record holders of 10% of its outstanding shares.
If the Trustees receive a request from at least 10 shareholders stating that
they wish to communicate with other shareholders to request a meeting to remove
a Trustee, the Trustees will then either make the Fund's shareholder list
available to the applicants or mail their communication to all other
shareholders at the applicants' expense. The shareholders making the request
must have been shareholders for at least six months and must hold shares of the
Fund valued at $25,000 or more or constituting at least 1% of the Fund's
outstanding shares, whichever is less. The Trustees may also take other action
as permitted by the Investment Company Act.
|_| Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The Fund's Declaration of Trust
contains an express disclaimer of shareholder or Trustee liability for the
Fund's obligations. It also provides for indemnification and reimbursement of
expenses out of the Fund's property for any shareholder held personally liable
for its obligations. The Declaration of Trust also states that upon request, the
Fund shall assume the defense of any claim made against a shareholder for any
act or obligation of the Fund and shall satisfy any judgment on that claim.
Massachusetts law permits a shareholder of a business trust (such as the Fund)
to be held personally liable as a "partner" under certain circumstances.
However, the risk that a Fund shareholder will incur financial loss from being
held liable as a "partner" of the Fund is limited to the relatively remote
circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Fund's contractual arrangements state that any person doing
business with the Fund (and each shareholder of the Fund) agrees under its
Declaration of Trust to look solely to the assets of the Fund for satisfaction
of any claim or demand that may arise out of any dealings with the Fund. The
contracts further state that the Trustees shall have no personal liability to
any such person, to the extent permitted by law.
Trustees and Officers of the Fund. The Fund's Trustees and officers and their
principal occupations and business affiliations and occupations during the past
five years are listed below. Trustees denoted with an asterisk (*) below are
deemed to be "interested persons" of the Fund under the Investment Company Act.
All of the Trustees are Trustees or Directors of the following New York-based
Oppenheimer funds1:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund Oppenheimer International Small Company Fund
Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund Oppenheimer Multi-State Municipal Trust
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income Trust
Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
Oppenheimer Global Fund Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund Oppenheimer Series Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Growth Fund Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer International Growth Fund Oppenheimer World Bond Fund
</TABLE>
Ms. Macaskill and Messrs. Spiro, Donohue, Bowen, Zack, Bishop and
Farrar respectively hold the same offices with the other New York-based
Oppenheimer funds as with the Fund. As of January __, 1998, the Trustees and
officers of the Fund as a group owned of record or beneficially less than 1% of
each class of shares of the Fund. The foregoing statement does not reflect
ownership of shares of the Fund held of record by an employee benefit plan for
employees of the Manager, other than the shares beneficially owned under the
plan by the officers of the Fund listed above. Ms. Macaskill and Mr. Donohue are
trustees of that plan.
Leon Levy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Age 73
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
General Partner of Odyssey Partners, L.P. (investment partnership) (since 1982)
and Chairman of Avatar Holdings, Inc. (real estate development).
Robert G. Galli, Trustee, Age 65
19750 Beach Road, Jupiter Island, FL 33469
A Trustee or Director of other Oppenheimer funds. Formerly he held the following
positions: Vice Chairman of the Manager, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (October 1995 to
December 1997); Vice President (June 1990 to March 1994) and General Counsel of
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., the Manager's parent holding company; Executive
Vice President (December 1977 to October 1995), General Counsel and a director
(December 1975 to October 1993) of the Manager; Executive Vice President and a
director (July 1978 to October 1993) and General Counsel of the Distributor,
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.; Executive Vice President and a director
(April 1986 to October 1995) of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation; Vice
President and a director (October 1988 to October 1993) of Centennial Asset
Management Corporation, (HarbourView and Centennial are investment adviser
subsidiaries of the Manager); and an officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
Benjamin Lipstein, Trustee, Age 75
591 Breezy Hill Road, Hillsdale, N.Y. 12529
Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Stern Graduate School of Business
Administration, New York University.
Bridget A. Macaskill, President and Trustee*, Age 50
Two World Trade Center, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10048-0203
President (since June 1991), Chief Executive Officer (since September 1995) and
a Director (since December 1994) of the Manager; President and director (since
June 1991) of HarbourView Asset Management Corp.; Chairman and a director of
Shareholder Services, Inc. (since August 1994), and Shareholder Financial
Services, Inc. (since September 1995) (both are transfer agent subsidiaries of
the Manager); President (since September 1995) and a director (since October
1990) of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.; President (since September 1995) and a
director (since November 1989) of Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc., a
holding company subsidiary of the Manager; a director (since July 1996) of
Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc., an investment advisory subsidiary of
the Manager; President and a director (since October 1997) of OppenheimerFunds
International Ltd., an offshore fund management subsidiary of the Manager, and
of Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc, an offshore investment company; President
and a director or trustee of other Oppenheimer funds; a director of Hillsdown
Holdings plc (a U.K. food company); formerly an Executive Vice President of the
Manager and a director (until 1998) of NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.
Elizabeth B. Moynihan, Trustee, Age 69
801 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004
Author and architectural historian; a trustee of the Freer Gallery of Art
(Smithsonian Institution), the Institute of Fine Arts (New York University), and
the National Building Museum; a member of the Trustees Council, Preservation
League of New York State, and of the Indo-U.S. Sub-Commission on Education and
Culture.
Kenneth A. Randall, Trustee, Age 71
6 Whittaker's Mill, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
A director of Dominion Resources, Inc. (electric utility holding company),
Dominion Energy, Inc. (electric power and oil and gas producer), Texan
Cogeneration Company (cogeneration company), and Prime Retail, Inc. (real estate
investment trust); formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of The
Conference Board, Inc. (international economic and business research) and a
director of Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company, American Motorists Insurance
Company and American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Company.
Edward V. Regan, Trustee, Age 68
40 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016
Chairman of Municipal Assistance Corporation for the City of New York; Senior
Fellow of Jerome Levy Economics Institute, Bard College; a member of the U.S.
Competitiveness Policy Council; a director of River Bank America (real estate
manager); Trustee, Financial Accounting Foundation (FASB and GASB); formerly New
York State Comptroller and trustee, New York State and Local Retirement Fund.
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr., Trustee, Age 66
8 Sound Shore Drive, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
Founder Chairman of Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. (executive recruiting);
Chairman of Directorship Inc. (corporate governance consulting); a director of
Professional Staff Limited (U.K); a trustee of Mystic Seaport Museum,
International House and Greenwich Historical Society.
Donald W. Spiro, Vice Chairman and Trustee*, Age 72
Two World Trade Center, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10048-0203
Chairman Emeritus (since August 1991) and a director (since January 1969) of the
Manager; formerly Chairman of the Manager and the Distributor.
Pauline Trigere, Trustee, Age 86
498 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10018
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trigere, Inc. (design and sale of
women's fashions).
Clayton K. Yeutter, Trustee, Age 67
1325 Merrie Ridge Road, McLean, Virginia 22101
Of Counsel, Hogan & Hartson (a law firm); a director of B.A.T. Industries, Ltd.
(tobacco and financial services), Caterpillar, Inc. (machinery), ConAgra, Inc.
(food and agricultural products), Farmers Insurance Company (insurance), FMC
Corp. (chemicals and machinery) and Texas Instruments, Inc. (electronics);
formerly (in descending chronological order) Counselor to the President (Bush)
for Domestic Policy, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Secretary of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Trade Representative.
Robert E. Patterson, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Age 55
Two World Trade Center, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10048-0203
Senior Vice President of the Manager (since February 1993); an officer of other
Oppenheimer funds.
Andrew J. Donohue, Secretary, Age 48
Two World Trade Center, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10048-0203
Executive Vice President (since January 1993), General Counsel (since October
1991) and a Director (since September 1995) of the Manager; Executive Vice
President and General Counsel (since September 1993) and a director (since
January 1992) of the Distributor; Executive Vice President, General Counsel and
a director of HarbourView Asset Management Corp., Shareholder Services, Inc.,
Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. and Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc.
(since September 1995); President and a director of Centennial Asset Management
Corp. (since September 1995); President and a director of Oppenheimer Real Asset
Management, Inc. (since July 1996); General Counsel (since May 1996) and
Secretary (since April 1997) of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.; Vice President of
OppenheimerFunds International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since
October 1997); an officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
George C. Bowen, Treasurer, Age 62
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Senior Vice President (since September 1987) and Treasurer (since March 1985) of
the Manager; Vice President (since June 1983) and Treasurer (since March 1985)
of the Distributor; Vice President (since October 1989) and Treasurer (since
April 1986) of HarbourView Asset Management Corp.; Senior Vice President (since
February 1992), Treasurer (since July 1991) and a director (since December 1991)
of Centennial Asset Management Corp.; Vice President and Treasurer (since August
1978) and Secretary (since April 1981) of Shareholder Services, Inc.; Vice
President, Treasurer and Secretary of Shareholder Financial Services, Inc.
(since November 1989); Assistant Treasurer of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.
(since March 1998); Treasurer of Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc. (since
November 1989); Vice President and Treasurer of Oppenheimer Real Asset
Management, Inc. (since July 1996); Treasurer of OppenheimerFunds International
Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997); a trustee or
director and an officer of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly Treasurer of
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. (June 1990 - March 1998).
Robert G. Zack, Assistant Secretary, Age 50
Two World Trade Center, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10048-0203
Senior Vice President (since May 1985) and Associate General Counsel (since May
1981) of the Manager; Assistant Secretary of Shareholder Services, Inc. (since
May 1985), and Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. (since November 1989);
Assistant Secretary of OppenheimerFunds International Ltd. and Oppenheimer
Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997); an officer of other Oppenheimer
funds.
Robert J. Bishop, Assistant Treasurer, Age 40
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (since May 1996); an
officer of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly an Assistant Vice President of the
Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (April 1994-May 1996), and a Fund Controller for
the Manager.
Scott T. Farrar, Assistant Treasurer, Age 33
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (since May 1996); Assistant
Treasurer of OppenheimerFunds International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium
Funds plc (since October 1997); an officer of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly
an Assistant Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (April
1994-May 1996), and a Fund Controller for the Manager.
|X| Remuneration of Trustees. The officers of the Fund and certain
Trustees of the Fund (Ms. Macaskill and Mr. Spiro) who are affiliated with the
Manager receive no salary or fee from the Fund. The remaining Trustees of the
Fund received the compensation shown below. The compensation from the Fund was
paid during its fiscal year ended September 30, 1998. The compensation from all
of the New York-based Oppenheimer funds (including the Fund) was received as a
director, trustee or member of a committee of the boards of those funds during
the calendar year 1998.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Total
Retirement Compensation
Benefits from all
Aggregate Compensation Accrued as Part New York based Oppenheimer
Trustee's Name from Fund of Fund Funds (20 Funds)1
and Position Expenses
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Leon Levy $_______ $________ $________
Chairman
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Robert G. Galli $_______ $________ $________
Study Committee Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Benjamin Lipstein $_______ $________ $________
Study Committee Chairman,
Audit Committee Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Elizabeth B. Moynihan $_______ $________ $________
Study Committee
Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Kenneth A. Randall $_______ $________ $________
Audit Committee Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Edward V. Regan $_______ $________ $________
Proxy Committee Chairman, Audit
Committee Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. $_______ $________ $________
Proxy Committee
Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Pauline Trigere $_______ $________ $________
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
Clayton K. Yeutter $_______3 $________ $________
Proxy Committee
Member
- ------------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------
</TABLE>
- ----------------------------
1 For the 1998 calendar year.
2 Committee position held during a portion of the period shown. 3 Includes
$_______ deferred under Deferred Compensation Plan described below.
|X| Retirement Plan for Trustees. The Fund has adopted a retirement
plan that provides for payments to retired Trustees. Payments are up to 80% of
the average compensation paid during a Trustee's five years of service in which
the highest compensation was received. A Trustee must serve as trustee for any
of the New York-based Oppenheimer funds for at least 15 years to be eligible for
the maximum payment. Each Trustee's retirement benefits will depend on the
amount of the Trustee's future compensation and length of service. Therefore the
amount of those benefits cannot be determined at this time, nor can we estimate
the number of years of credited service that will be used to determine those
benefits.
|X| Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees. The Board of Trustees has
adopted a Deferred Compensation Plan for disinterested trustees that enables
them to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of the annual fees they are
entitled to receive from the Fund. Under the plan, the compensation deferred by
a Trustee is periodically adjusted as though an equivalent amount had been
invested in shares of one or more Oppenheimer funds selected by the Trustee. The
amount paid to the Trustee under the plan will be determined based upon the
performance of the selected funds.
Deferral of Trustees' fees under the plan will not materially affect
the Fund's assets, liabilities or net income per share. The plan will not
obligate the Fund to retain the services of any Trustee or to pay any particular
level of compensation to any Trustee. Pursuant to an Order issued by the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund may invest in the funds selected by
the Trustee under the plan without shareholder approval for the limited purpose
of determining the value of the Trustee's deferred fee account.
|X| Major Shareholders. As of January ___,1998, the only persons who
owned of record or who were known by the Fund to own beneficially 5% or more of
the Fund's outstanding Class A, Class B or Class C shares were:
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc. (which advised the Fund that
such shares were held beneficially for its customers) 4800 Deer Lake
Drive East, Floor 3, Jacksonville, Florida 32246 __________ Class C
shares (approximately _____% of the Class C shares then outstanding)
The Manager. The Manager is wholly-owned by Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., a
holding company controlled by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. The
Manager and the Fund have a Code of Ethics. It is designed to detect and prevent
improper personal trading by certain employees, including portfolio managers,
that would compete with or take advantage of the Fund's portfolio transactions.
Compliance with the Code of Ethics is carefully monitored and strictly enforced
by the Manager.
The portfolio manager of the Fund is principally responsible for the
day-to-day management of the Fund's investment portfolio. Other members of the
Manager's fixed-income portfolio department, particularly security analysts,
traders and other portfolio managers have broad experience with fixed-income
securities. They provide the Fund's portfolio manager with research and support
in managing the Fund's investments.
|X| The Investment Advisory Agreement. The Manager provides investment
advisory and management services to the Fund under an investment advisory
agreement between the Manager and the Fund. The Manager selects securities for
the Fund's portfolio and handles its day-to day business. That agreement
requires the Manager, at its expense, to provide the Fund with adequate office
space, facilities and equipment. It also requires the Manager to provide and
supervise the activities of all administrative and clerical personnel required
to provide effective corporate administration for the Fund. Those
responsibilities include the compilation and maintenance of records with respect
to the Fund's operations, the preparation and filing of specified reports, and
the composition of proxy materials and registration statements for continuous
public sale of shares of the Fund.
Expenses not expressly assumed by the Manager under the advisory
agreement are paid by the Fund. The investment advisory agreement lists examples
of expenses paid by the Fund. The major categories relate to interest, taxes,
fees to disinterested Trustees, legal and audit expenses, custodian and transfer
agent expenses, share issuance costs, certain printing and registration costs,
brokerage commissions, and non-recurring expenses, including litigation cost.
The management fees paid by the Fund to the Manager are calculated at the rates
described in the Prospectus, which are applied to the assets of the Fund as a
whole. The fees are allocated to each class of shares based upon the relative
proportion of the Fund's net assets represented by that class. The management
fees paid by the Fund to the Manager during its last three fiscal years are
listed below.
------------ --------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year Ended Management Fee Paid to
9/30 OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
1996 $
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
1997 $
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
1998 $
---------------------- ----------------------------------------------
The investment advisory agreement contains an indemnity of the Manager.
In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence in the
performance of its duties, or reckless disregard for its obligations and duties
under the investment advisory agreement, the Manager is not liable for any loss
sustained by reason of any investment of the Fund assets made with due care and
in good faith. The agreement permits the Manager to act as investment adviser
for any other person, firm or corporation and to use the name "Oppenheimer" in
connection with other investment companies for which it may act as investment
adviser or general distributor. If the Manager shall no longer act as investment
adviser to the Fund, the Manager may withdraw the Fund's right to use the name
"Oppenheimer" as part of its name.
Brokerage Policies of the Fund
Brokerage Provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreement. One of the duties of
the Manager under the investment advisory agreement is to buy and sell portfolio
securities for the Fund. The investment advisory agreement allows the Manager to
use broker-dealers to effect the Fund's portfolio transactions. Under the
agreement, the Manager may employ those broker-dealers (including "affiliated"
brokers, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) that, in the
Manager's best judgment based on all relevant factors, will implement the Fund's
policy to obtain, at reasonable expense, the "best execution" of portfolio
transactions. "Best execution" refers to prompt and reliable execution at the
most favorable price obtainable. The Manager need not seek competitive
commission bidding. However, the Manager is expected to minimize the commissions
paid to the extent consistent with the interest and policies of the Fund as
established by its Board of Trustees.
Under the investment advisory agreement, the Manager may select brokers
that provide brokerage and/or research services for the Fund and/or the other
accounts over which the Manager or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The commissions paid to such brokers may be higher than another qualified broker
would charge, if the Manager makes a good faith determination that the
commission is fair and reasonable in relation to the services provided. Subject
to those other considerations, as a factor in selecting brokers for the Fund's
portfolio transactions, the Manager may also consider sales of shares of the
Fund and other investment companies managed by the Manager or its affiliates.
Brokerage Practices Followed by the Manager. The Manager allocates brokerage for
the Fund subject to the provisions of the investment advisory agreement and the
procedures and rules described above. Generally the Manager's portfolio traders
allocate brokerage upon recommendations from the Manager's portfolio managers.
In certain instances, portfolio managers may directly place trades and allocate
brokerage. In either case, the Manager's executive officers supervise the
allocation of brokerage.
Most securities purchases made by the Fund are in principal
transactions at net prices. The Fund usually deals directly with the selling or
purchasing principal or market maker without incurring charges for the services
of a broker on its behalf unless the Manager determines that a better price or
execution may be obtained by using the services of a broker. Therefore, the Fund
does not incur substantial brokerage costs. Portfolio securities purchased from
underwriters include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the
underwriter in the price of the security. Portfolio securities purchased from
dealers include a spread between the bid and asked price.
The Fund seeks to obtain prompt execution of orders at the most
favorable net prices. In an option transaction, the Fund ordinarily uses the
same broker for the purchase or sale of the option and any transaction in the
investment to which the option relates. When possible, the Manager tries to
combine concurrent orders to purchase or sell the same security by more than one
of the accounts managed by the Manager or its affiliates. The transactions under
those combined orders are averaged as to price and allocated in accordance with
the purchase or sale orders actually placed for each account.
The investment advisory agreement permits the Manager to allocate
brokerage for research services. The research services provided by a particular
broker may be useful only to one or more of the advisory accounts of the Manager
and its affiliates. Investment research received by the Manager for the
commissions paid by those other accounts may be useful both to the Fund and one
or more of the Manager's other accounts. Investment research services may be
supplied to the Manager by a third party at the instance of a broker through
which trades are placed. Investment research services include information and
analyses on particular companies and industries as well as market or economic
trends and portfolio strategy, market quotations for portfolio evaluations,
information systems, computer hardware and similar products and services. If a
research service also assists the Manager in a non-research capacity (such as
bookkeeping or other administrative functions), then only the percentage or
component that provides assistance to the Manager in the investment
decision-making process may be paid in commission dollars.
The Board of Trustees has permitted the Manager to use concessions on
fixed-price offerings to obtain research, in the same manner as is permitted for
agency transactions. The Board has also permitted the Manager to use stated
commissions on secondary fixed-income agency trades to obtain research if the
broker represents to the Manager that: (i) the trade is not from or for the
broker's own inventory, (ii) the trade was executed by the broker on an agency
basis at the stated commission, and (iii) the trade is not a riskless principal
transaction.
The research services provided by brokers broaden the scope and
supplement the research activities of the Manager. That research provides
additional views and comparisons for consideration and helps the Manager to
obtain market information for the valuation of securities that are either held
in the Fund's portfolio or are being considered for purchase. The Manager
provides information to the Board of the Fund about the commissions paid to
brokers furnishing research services, together with the Manager's representation
that the amount of such commissions was reasonably related to the value or
benefit of such services.
Other funds advised by the Manager have investment objectives and
policies similar to those of the Fund. Those other funds may purchase or sell
the same securities as the Fund at the same time as the Fund, which could affect
the supply and price of the securities. If two or more of funds advised by the
Manager purchase the same security on the same day from the same dealer, the
Manager may average the price of the transactions and allocate the average among
the funds.
Distribution and Service Plans
The Distributor. Under its General Distributor's Agreement with the Fund, the
Distributor acts as the Fund's principal underwriter in the continuous public
offering of the Fund's Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Distributor is
not obligated to sell a specific number of shares. Expenses normally
attributable to sales are borne by the Distributor. They exclude payments under
the Distribution and Service Plans but include advertising and the cost of
printing and mailing prospectuses (other than those furnished to existing
shareholders).
The compensation paid to (or retained by) the Distributor from the sale
of shares or on the redemption of shares is discussed in the table below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Aggregate Class A Front-End Commissions on Commissions on Commissions on
Fiscal Year Front-End Sales Sales Charges Class A Shares Class B Shares Class C Shares
Ended 9/30: Charges on Class Retained by Advanced by Advanced by Advanced by
A Shares Distributor Distributor1 Distributor1 Distributor1
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
1996 $ $ $ $ $
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
1997 $ $ $ $ $
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
1998 $ $ $ $ $
------------- ------------------ ------------------- -------------------- ------------------- -------------------
1. The Distributor advances commission payments to dealers for certain sales
of Class A shares and for sales of Class B and Class C shares from its own
resources at the time of sale.
- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
Class A Contingent Class B Contingent Class C Contingent
Fiscal Year Deferred Sales Deferred Sales Deferred Sales
Ended 9/30: Charges Retained by Charges Retained by Charges Retained by
Distributor Distributor Distributor
- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
1998 $ $ $
- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
</TABLE>
For additional information about distribution of the Fund's shares,
including fees and expenses, please refer to "Distribution and Service Plans."
Distribution and Service Plans. The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for its
Class A shares and Distribution and Service Plans for its Class B and Class C
shares under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act. Under those plans, the
Fund makes payments to the Distributor in connection with the distribution
and/or servicing of the shares of the particular class.
Each plan has been approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees of the
Fund, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on that plan. Each plan has also been
approved by a vote of the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the Investment
Company Act) of the shares of each class.
Under the plans the Manager and the Distributor, in their sole
discretion, from time to time may use their own resources to make payments to
brokers, dealers or other financial institutions for distribution and
administrative services they perform at no cost to the Fund. The Manager may use
profits from the advisory fee it receives from the Fund. The Distributor and the
Manager may, in their sole discretion, increase or decrease the amount of
payments they make to plan recipients from their own resources.
Unless a plan is terminated as described below, the plan continues in
effect from year to year, but only if the Fund's Board of Trustees and its
Independent Trustees specifically vote annually to approve its continuance.
Approval must be by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on continuing the plan. A plan may be terminated at any time by the vote
of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a
"majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the outstanding shares
of that class.
The Board and the Independent Trustees must approve all material
amendments to a plan. An amendment to increase materially the amount of payments
to be made under the plan must be approved by shareholders of the class affected
by the amendment. Because Class B shares automatically convert into Class A
shares after six years, the Fund must obtain the approval of both Class A and
Class B shareholders for an amendment to the Class A plan that would materially
increase the amount to be paid under that plan. That approval must be by a
"majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the shares of each
class, voting separately by Class.
While the plans are in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall provide
separate written reports on the plans to the Fund's Board of Trustees at least
quarterly for its review. The reports shall detail the amount of all payments
made under a plan, the purpose for which the payments were made and the identity
of each recipient of a payment. The report on the Class B and Class C plans
shall also include the Distributor's distribution costs for the quarter. Those
reports are subject to the review and approval of the Independent Trustees in
the exercise of their fiduciary duty.
Each plan states that while it is in effect, the selection or
replacement and nomination of those Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested
persons" of the Fund is committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees.
This provision does not prevent the involvement of others in the selection and
nomination process as long as the final decision as to selection or nomination
is approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees.
Under the plans, no payment will be made to any recipient in any
quarter in which the aggregate net asset value of all Fund shares held by the
recipient for itself and its customers does not exceed a minimum amount, if any,
that may be set from time to time by a majority of the Fund's Independent
Trustees. Initially, the Board of Trustees has set the fees at the maximum rate
allowed under the plans and has set no minimum asset amount needed to qualify
for payments.
|_| Class A Service Plan. Under the Class A service plan, the
Distributor currently uses the fees it receives from the Fund to pay brokers,
dealers and other financial institutions (they are referred to as "recipients")
for personal services and account maintenance services they provide for their
customers who hold Class A shares. The services include, among others, answering
customer inquiries about the Fund, assisting in establishing and maintaining
accounts in the Fund, making the Fund's investment plans available and providing
other services at the request of the Fund or the Distributor. The Distributor
makes payments to plan recipients quarterly at an annual rate not to exceed
0.25% of the average annual net assets of Class A shares held in accounts of the
service providers or their customers.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 1998, payments under the Plan
for Class A shares totaled $_______, all of which was paid by the Distributor to
recipients. That included $______ paid to an affiliate of the Distributor. Any
unreimbursed expenses the Distributor incurs with respect to Class A shares for
any fiscal year may not be recovered in subsequent years. The Distributor may
not use payments received under the Class A plan to pay any of its interest
expenses, carrying charges, other financial costs, or allocation of overhead.
|_| Class B and Class C Service and Distribution Plan Fees. Under each
plan, service fees and distribution fees are computed on the average of the net
asset value of shares in the respective class, determined as of the close of
each regular business day during the period. The Class B and Class C plans
provide for the Distributor to be compensated at a flat rate, whether the
Distributor's distribution expenses are more or less than the amounts paid by
the Fund under the plans during that period. The Class B and Class C plans
permit the Distributor to retain both the asset-based sales charges and the
service fee on shares or to pay recipients the service fee on a quarterly basis,
without payment in advance.
The Distributor presently intends to pay recipients the service fee on
Class B and Class C shares in advance for the first year the shares are
outstanding. After the first year shares are outstanding, the Distributor makes
payments quarterly on those shares. The advance payment is based on the net
asset value of shares sold. Shares purchased by exchange do not qualify for an
advance service fee payment. If Class B or Class C shares are redeemed during
the first year after their purchase, the recipient of the service fees on those
shares will be obligated to repay the Distributor a pro rata portion of the
advance payment made on those shares.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class B shares.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class C shares during
the first year the shares are outstanding. It pays the asset-based sales charge
as an ongoing commission to the dealer on Class C shares outstanding for a year
or more. If a dealer has a special agreement with the Distributor, the
Distributor will pay the Class B and/or Class C service fees and the asset-based
sales charge to the dealer quarterly in lieu of paying the sales commission and
service fee in advance at the time of purchase.
The asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares allows
investors to buy shares without a front-end sales charge while allowing the
Distributor to compensate dealers that sell those shares. The Distributor's
actual expenses in selling Class B and Class C shares may be more than the
payments it receives from contingent deferred sales charges collected on
redeemed shares and from the Fund under the plans. The Fund pays the asset-based
sales charge to the Distributor for its services rendered in distributing Class
B and Class C shares. The payments are made to the Distributor in recognition
that the Distributor:
o pays sales commissions to authorized brokers and dealers at the time
of sale and pays service fees as described in the Prospectus,
o may finance payment of sales commissions and/or the advance of the
service fee payment to recipients under the plans, or may provide such financing
from its own resources or from the resources of an affiliate,
o employs personnel to support distribution of shares, and
o bears the costs of sales literature, advertising and prospectuses
(other than those furnished to current shareholders) and state "blue sky"
registration fees and certain other distribution expenses.
Payments made under the Class B plan for the fiscal year ended Septeber
30, 1998, totaled $______ (including $_____ paid to an affiliate of the
Distributor). The Distributor retained $______ of the total paid. Payments made
under the Class C Plan for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1998 totaled
$______ (including $______ paid to an affiliate of the Distributor). The
Distributor retained $______ of the total paid. At September 30, 1998, the
Distributor had incurred unreimbursed expenses under the Class B plan in the
amount of $_________ (equal to 3% of the Fund's net assets represented by Class
B shares on that date). At September 30, 1998, the Distributor had incurred
unreimbursed expenses under the Class C plan of $_______ (equal to 1% of the
Fund's net assets represented by Class C shares on that date). If either plan is
terminated by the Fund, the Board of Trustees may allow the Fund to continue
payments of the asset-based sales charge to the Distributor for distributing
shares before the plan was terminated.
All payments under the Class B and Class C plans are subject to the
limitations imposed by the Conduct Rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. on payments of asset-based sales charges and service
fees to NASD members.
Performance of the Fund
Explanation of Performance Terminology. The Fund uses a variety of terms to
illustrate its performance. These terms include "standardized yield,"
"tax-equivalent yield," "dividend yield," "average annual total return,"
"cumulative total return," "average annual total return at net asset value" and
"total return at net asset value." An explanation of how yields and total
returns are calculated is set forth below. The charts below show the Fund's
performance during its most recent fiscal year end. You can obtain current
performance information by calling the Fund's Transfer Agent at 1-800-525-7048
or by visiting the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site at
http://www.oppenheimerfunds.com.
The Fund's illustrations of its performance data in advertisements must
comply with rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those rules
describe the types of performance data that may be used and how it is to be
calculated. In general, any advertisement by the Fund of its performance data
must include the average annual total returns for the advertised class of shares
of the Fund. Those returns must be shown for the 1, 5 and 10-year periods (or
the life of the class, if less) ending as of the most recently ended calendar
quarter prior to the publication of the advertisement (or its submission for
publication). Certain types of yields may also be shown, provided that they are
accompanied by standardized average annual total returns.
Use of standardized performance calculations enables an investor to
compare the Fund's performance to the performance of other funds for the same
periods. However, a number of factors should be considered before using the
Fund's performance information as a basis for comparison with other investments:
|_| Yields and total returns measure the performance of a hypothetical
account in the Fund over various periods and do not show the performance of each
shareholder's account. Your account's performance will vary from the model
performance data if your dividends are received in cash, or you buy or sell
shares during the period, or you bought your shares at a different time and
price than the shares used in the model.
|_| The Fund's performance returns do not reflect the effect of taxes or
distributions.
|_| An investment in the Fund is not insured by the FDIC or any other
government agency.
|_| The principal value of the Fund's shares, and its yields and total
returns are not guaranteed and normally will fluctuate on a daily basis.
|_| When an investor's shares are redeemed, they may be worth more or less
than their original cost.
|_| Yields and total returns for any given past period represent historical
performance information and are not, and should not be considered, a prediction
of future yields or returns.
The performance of each class of shares is shown separately, because
the performance of each class of shares will usually be different. That is
because of the different kinds of expenses each class bears. The yields and
total returns of each class of shares of the Fund are affected by market
conditions, the quality of the Fund's investments, the maturity of those
investments, the types of investments the Fund holds, and its operating expenses
that are allocated to the particular class.
|X| Yields. The Fund uses a variety of different yields to illustrate
its current returns. Each class of shares calculates its yield separately
because of the different expenses that affect each class.
|_| Standardized Yield. The "standardized yield" (sometimes referred to
just as "yield") is shown for a class of shares for a stated 30-day period. It
is not based on actual distributions paid by the Fund to shareholders in the
30-day period, but is a hypothetical yield based upon the net investment income
from the Fund's portfolio investments for that period. It may therefore differ
from the "dividend yield" for the same class of shares, described below.
Standardized yield is calculated using the following formula set forth
in rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, designed to assure
uniformity in the way that all funds calculate their yields:
(a-b) 6
Standardized Yield = 2 ((--- + 1) - 1)
( cd)
The symbols above represent the following factors:
a = dividends and interest earned during the 30-day period.
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of any expense assumptions).
c = the average daily number of shares of that class outstanding
during the 30-day period that were entitled to receive
dividends.
d = the maximum offering price per share of that class on the last
day of the period, adjusted for undistributed net investment
income.
The standardized yield for a particular 30-day period may differ from
the yield for other periods. The SEC formula assumes that the standardized yield
for a 30-day period occurs at a constant rate for a six-month period and is
annualized at the end of the six-month period. Additionally, because each class
of shares is subject to different expenses, it is likely that the standardized
yields of the Fund's classes of shares will differ for any 30-day period.
|_| Dividend Yield. The Fund may quote a "dividend yield" for each
class of its shares. Dividend yield is based on the dividends paid on a class of
shares during the actual dividend period. To calculate dividend yield, the
dividends of a class declared during a stated period are added together, and the
sum is multiplied by 12 (to annualize the yield) and divided by the maximum
offering price on the last day of the dividend period.
The formula is shown below:
Dividend Yield = dividends paid x 12/maximum offering price (payment date)
The maximum offering price for Class A shares includes the current
maximum initial sales charge. The maximum offering price for Class B and Class C
shares is the net asset value per share, without considering the effect of
contingent deferred sales charges. The Class A dividend yield may also be quoted
without deducting the maximum initial sales charge.
|_| Tax-Equivalent Yield. The "tax-equivalent yield" of a class of
shares is the equivalent yield that would have to be earned on a taxable
investment to achieve the after-tax results represented by the Fund's
tax-equivalent yield. It adjusts the Fund's standardized yield, as calculated
above, by a stated Federal tax rate. Using different tax rates to show different
tax equivalent yields shows investors in different tax brackets the tax
equivalent yield of the Fund based on their own tax bracket.
The tax-equivalent yield is based on a 30-day period, and is
computed by dividing the tax-exempt portion of the Fund's current yield (as
calculated above) by one minus a stated income tax rate. The result is added to
the portion (if any) of the Fund's current yield that is not tax-exempt.
The tax-equivalent yield may be used to compare the tax effects of
income derived from the Fund with income from taxable investments at the tax
rates stated. Your tax bracket is determined by your Federal and state taxable
income (the net amount subject to Federal and state income tax after deductions
and exemptions). The tax-equivalent yield table assumes that the investor is
taxed at the highest bracket, regardless of whether a switch to non-taxable
investments would cause a lower bracket to apply.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund's Yields for the 30-Day Periods Ended 9/30/98
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------ --------------------------------- -------------------------------- --------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Tax-Equivalent Yield (45.22%
Standardized Yield Dividend Yield Combined Federal/New York Tax
Bracket)
Class of Shares
- ------------------ --------------------------------- -------------------------------- --------------------------------
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
Without Sales Without Sales Without Sales
Charge After Sales Charge After Sales Charge After Sales
Charge Charge Charge
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
Class A % % % % % %
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
Class B % N/A % N/A % N/A
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
Class C % N/A % N/A % N/A
- ------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------
</TABLE>
|X| Total Return Information. There are different types of "total
returns" to measure the Fund's performance. Total return is the change in value
of a hypothetical investment in the Fund over a given period, assuming that all
dividends and capital gains distributions are reinvested in additional shares
and that the investment is redeemed at the end of the period. Because of
differences in expenses for each class of shares, the total returns for each
class are separately measured. The cumulative total return measures the change
in value over the entire period (for example, ten years). An average annual
total return shows the average rate of return for each year in a period that
would produce the cumulative total return over the entire period. However,
average annual total returns do not show actual year-by-year performance. The
Fund uses standardized calculations for its total returns as prescribed by the
SEC. The methodology is discussed below.
In calculating total returns for Class A shares, the current maximum
sales charge of 4.75% (as a percentage of the offering price) is deducted from
the initial investment ("P") (unless the return is shown without sales charge,
as described below). For Class B shares, payment of the applicable contingent
deferred sales charge is applied, depending on the period for which the return
is shown: 5.0% in the first year, 4.0% in the second year, 3.0% in the third and
fourth years, 2.0% in the fifth year, 1.0% in the sixth year and none
thereafter. For Class C shares, the 1% contingent deferred sales charge is
deducted for returns for the 1-year period.
|_| Average Annual Total Return. The "average annual total return" of
each class is an average annual compounded rate of return for each year in a
specified number of years. It is the rate of return based on the change in value
of a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ("P" in the formula below) held
for a number of years ("n") to achieve an Ending Redeemable Value ("ERV" in the
formula) of that investment, according to the following formula:
1/n
(ERV)
(---) -1 = Average Annual Total Return
( P )
|_| Cumulative Total Return. The "cumulative total return" calculation
measures the change in value of a hypothetical investment of $1,000 over an
entire period of years. Its calculation uses some of the same factors as average
annual total return, but it does not average the rate of return on an annual
basis.
Cumulative total return is determined as follows:
ERV - P
------- = Total Return
P
|_| Total Returns at Net Asset Value. From time to time the Fund may
also quote a cumulative or an average annual total return "at net asset value"
(without deducting sales charges) for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Each
is based on the difference in net asset value per share at the beginning and the
end of the period for a hypothetical investment in that class of shares (without
considering front-end or contingent deferred sales charges) and takes into
consideration the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund's Total Returns for the Periods Ended 9/30/98
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Cumulative Total Average Annual Total Returns
Returns (10 years or Class of Shares
life of class)
- -------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
5-Year 10-Year
1-Year (or life of class) (or life of class)
- -------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
After Without After Without After Without After Without
Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales
Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Class A % % % % % % % %
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Class B % % % % % % %* %*
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Class C % % % % %** %** N/A N/A
- -------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
</TABLE>
Inception of Class A: 8/16/84
*Inception of Class B: 3/1/93
**Inception of Class C: 8/29/95
Other Performance Comparisons. The Fund compares its performance annually to
that of an appropriate broadly based market index in its Annual Report to
shareholders. You can obtain that information by contacting the Transfer Agent
at the addresses or telephone numbers shown on the cover of this Statement of
Additional Information. The Fund may also compare its performance to that of
other investments, including other mutual funds, or use rankings of its
performance by independent ranking entities. Examples of these performance
comparisons are set forth below.
|_| Lipper Rankings. From time to time the Fund may publish the ranking
of the performance of its Class A, Class B or Class C shares by Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc. ("Lipper"). Lipper is a widely-recognized independent
mutual fund monitoring service. Lipper monitors the performance of regulated
investment companies, including the Fund, and ranks their performance for
various periods based on categories relating to investment objectives. The
performance of the Fund is ranked by Lipper against all other bond funds, other
than money market funds, and all general municipal bond funds. The Lipper
performance rankings are based on total returns that include the reinvestment of
capital gain distributions and income dividends but do not take sales charges or
taxes into consideration. Lipper also publishes "peer-group" indices of the
performance of all mutual funds in a category that it monitors and averages of
the performance of the funds in particular categories.
|_| Morningstar Rankings. From time to time the Fund may publish the
star ranking of the performance of its Class A, Class B or Class C shares by
Morningstar, Inc., an independent mutual fund monitoring service. Morningstar
ranks mutual funds in broad investment categories: domestic stock funds,
international stock funds, taxable bond funds and municipal bond funds. The Fund
is ranked among municipal bond funds.
Morningstar star rankings are based on risk-adjusted total investment
return. Investment return measures a fund's (or class's) one, three, five and
ten-year average annual total returns (depending on the inception of the fund or
class) in excess of 90-day U.S. Treasury bill returns after considering the
fund's sales charges and expenses. Risk measures a fund's (or class's)
performance below 90-day U.S. Treasury bill returns. Risk and investment return
are combined to produce star rankings reflecting performance relative to the
average fund in a fund's category. Five stars is the "highest" ranking (top 10%
of funds in a category), four stars is "above average" (next 22.5%), three stars
is "average" (next 35%), two stars is "below average" (next 22.5%) and one star
is "lowest" (bottom 10%). The current star ranking is the fund's (or class's)
3-year ranking or its combined 3- and 5-year ranking (weighted 60%/40%
respectively), or its combined 3-, 5-, and 10-year ranking (weighted 40%, 30%
and 30%, respectively), depending on the inception date of the fund (or class).
Rankings are subject to change monthly.
The Fund may also compare its performance to that of other funds in its
Morningstar category. In addition to its star rankings, Morningstar also
categorizes and compares a fund's 3-year performance based on Morningstar's
classification of the fund's investments and investment style, rather than how a
fund defines its investment objective. Morningstar's four broad categories
(domestic equity, international equity, municipal bond and taxable bond) are
each further subdivided into categories based on types of investments and
investment styles. Those comparisons by Morningstar are based on the same risk
and return measurements as its star rankings but do not consider the effect of
sales charges.
|_| Performance Rankings and Comparisons by Other Entities and
Publications. From time to time the Fund may include in its advertisements and
sales literature performance information about the Fund cited in newspapers and
other periodicals such as The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Barron's,
or similar publications. That information may include performance quotations
from other sources, including Lipper and Morningstar. The performance of the
Fund's Class A, Class B or Class C shares may be compared in publications to the
performance of various market indices or other investments, and averages,
performance rankings or other benchmarks prepared by recognized mutual fund
statistical services.
Investors may also wish to compare the Fund's Class A, Class B or Class
C returns to the return on fixed-income investments available from banks and
thrift institutions. Those include certificates of deposit, ordinary
interest-paying checking and savings accounts, and other forms of fixed or
variable time deposits, and various other instruments such as Treasury bills.
However, the Fund's returns and share price are not guaranteed or insured by the
FDIC or any other agency and will fluctuate daily, while bank depository
obligations may be insured by the FDIC and may provide fixed rates of return.
Repayment of principal and payment of interest on Treasury securities is backed
by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
From time to time, the Fund may publish rankings or ratings of the
Manager or Transfer Agent, and of the investor services provided by them to
shareholders of the Oppenheimer funds, other than performance rankings of the
Oppenheimer funds themselves. Those ratings or rankings of shareholder and
investor services by third parties may include comparisons of their services to
those provided by other mutual fund families selected by the rating or ranking
services. They may be based upon the opinions of the rating or ranking service
itself, using its research or judgment, or based upon surveys of investors,
brokers, shareholders or others.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Buy Shares
Additional information is presented below about the methods that can be
used to buy shares of the Fund. Appendix C contains more information about the
special sales charge arrangements offered by the Fund, and the circumstances in
which sales charges may be reduced or waived for certain classes of investors.
AccountLink. When shares are purchased through AccountLink, each purchase must
be at least $25. Shares will be purchased on the regular business day the
Distributor is instructed to initiate the Automated Clearing House ("ACH")
transfer to buy the shares. Dividends will begin to accrue on shares purchased
with the proceeds of ACH transfers on the business day the Fund receives Federal
Funds for the purchase through the ACH system before the close of The New York
Stock Exchange. The Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M., but may close earlier
on certain days. If Federal Funds are received on a business day after the close
of the Exchange, the shares will be purchased and dividends will begin to accrue
on the next regular business day. The proceeds of ACH transfers are normally
received by the Fund 3 days after the transfers are initiated. The Distributor
and the Fund are not responsible for any delays in purchasing shares resulting
from delays in ACH transmissions.
Reduced Sales Charges. As discussed in the Prospectus, a reduced sales charge
rate may be obtained for Class A shares under Right of Accumulation and Letters
of Intent because of the economies of sales efforts and reduction in expenses
realized by the Distributor, dealers and brokers making such sales. No sales
charge is imposed in certain other circumstances described in Appendix C to this
Statement of Additional Information because the Distributor or dealer or broker
incurs little or no selling expenses.
|X| Right of Accumulation. To qualify for the lower sales charge rates
that apply to larger purchases of Class A shares, you and your spouse can add
together:
|_| Class A and Class B shares you purchase for your individual
accounts, or for your joint accounts, or for trust or
custodial accounts on behalf of your children who are minors,
and
|_| current purchases of Class A and Class B shares of the Fund
and other Oppenheimer funds to reduce the sales charge rate
that applies to current purchases of Class A shares, and
|_| Class A and Class B shares of Oppenheimer funds you previously
purchased subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales
charge to reduce the sales charge rate for current purchases
of Class A shares, provided that you still hold your
investment in one of the Oppenheimer funds.
A fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other
fiduciary account (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same
employer) that has multiple accounts. The Distributor will add the value, at
current offering price, of the shares you previously purchased and currently own
to the value of current purchases to determine the sales charge rate that
applies. The reduced sales charge will apply only to current purchases. You must
request it when you buy shares.
|X| The Oppenheimer Funds. The Oppenheimer funds are those mutual funds for
which the Distributor acts as the distributor or the sub-distributor and
currently include the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Limited-Term New York Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Insured Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Bond Fund Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund
Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Main Street California Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund Oppenheimer Main Street Growth & Income Fund
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund Oppenheimer MidCap Fund
Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
Oppenheimer Disciplined Allocation Fund Oppenheimer New Jersey Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Disciplined Value Fund Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value Fund
Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund Oppenheimer Quest Capital Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Florida Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Global Fund Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund Oppenheimer Quest Small Cap Value Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Growth Fund Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Intermediate Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer International Growth Fund Oppenheimer World Bond Fund
Oppenheimer International Small Company Fund Rochester Fund Municipals
and the following money market funds:
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Government Trust Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Money Market Trust Centennial America Fund, L.P.
</TABLE>
There is an initial sales charge on the purchase of Class A shares of
each of the Oppenheimer funds except the money market funds. Under certain
circumstances described in this Statement of Additional Information, redemption
proceeds of certain money market fund shares may be subject to a contingent
deferred sales charge.
Letters of Intent. Under a Letter of Intent, if you purchase Class A shares or
Class A and Class B shares of the Fund and other Oppenheimer funds during a
13-month period, you can reduce the sales charge rate that applies to your
purchases of Class A shares. The total amount of your intended purchases of both
Class A and Class B shares will determine the reduced sales charge rate for the
Class A shares purchased during that period. You can include purchases made up
to 90 days before the date of the Letter.
A Letter of Intent is an investor's statement in writing to the
Distributor of the intention to purchase Class A shares or Class A and Class B
shares of the Fund (and other Oppenheimer funds) during a 13-month period (the
"Letter of Intent period"). At the investor's request, this may include
purchases made up to 90 days prior to the date of the Letter. The Letter states
the investor's intention to make the aggregate amount of purchases of shares
which, when added to the investor's holdings of shares of those funds, will
equal or exceed the amount specified in the Letter. Purchases made by
reinvestment of dividends or distributions of capital gains and purchases made
at net asset value without sales charge do not count toward satisfying the
amount of the Letter.
A Letter enables an investor to count the Class A and Class B shares
purchased under the Letter to obtain the reduced sales charge rate on purchases
of Class A shares of the Fund (and other Oppenheimer funds) that applies under
the Right of Accumulation to current purchases of Class A shares. Each purchase
of Class A shares under the Letter will be made at the public offering price
(including the sales charge) that applies to a single lump-sum purchase of
shares in the amount intended to be purchased under the Letter.
In submitting a Letter, the investor makes no commitment to purchase
shares. However, if the investor's purchases of shares within the Letter of
Intent period, when added to the value (at offering price) of the investor's
holdings of shares on the last day of that period, do not equal or exceed the
intended purchase amount, the investor agrees to pay the additional amount of
sales charge applicable to such purchases. That amount is described in "Terms of
Escrow," below (those terms may be amended by the Distributor from time to
time). The investor agrees that shares equal in value to 5% of the intended
purchase amount will be held in escrow by the Transfer Agent subject to the
Terms of Escrow. Also, the investor agrees to be bound by the terms of the
Prospectus, this Statement of Additional Information and the Application used
for a Letter of Intent. If those terms are amended, as they may be from time to
time by the Fund, the investor agrees to be bounded by the amended terms and
that those amendments will apply automatically to existing Letters of Intent.
If the total eligible purchases made during the Letter of Intent period
do not equal or exceed the intended purchase amount, the commissions previously
paid to the dealer of record for the account and the amount of sales charge
retained by the Distributor will be adjusted to the rates applicable to actual
total purchases. If total eligible purchases during the Letter of Intent period
exceed the intended purchase amount and exceed the amount needed to qualify for
the next sales charge rate reduction set forth in the Prospectus, the sales
charges paid will be adjusted to the lower rate. That adjustment will be made
only if and when the dealer returns to the Distributor the excess of the amount
of commissions allowed or paid to the dealer over the amount of commissions that
apply to the actual amount of purchases. The excess commissions returned to the
Distributor will be used to purchase additional shares for the investor's
account at the net asset value per share in effect on the date of such purchase,
promptly after the Distributor's receipt thereof.
In determining the total amount of purchases made under a Letter,
shares redeemed by the investor prior to the termination of the Letter of Intent
period will be deducted. It is the responsibility of the dealer of record and/or
the investor to advise the Distributor about the Letter in placing any purchase
orders for the investor during the Letter of Intent period. All of such
purchases must be made through the Distributor.
|_| Terms of Escrow That Apply to Letters of Intent.
1. Out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if necessary)
made pursuant to a Letter, shares of the Fund equal in value up to 5% of the
intended purchase amount specified in the Letter shall be held in escrow by the
Transfer Agent. For example, if the intended purchase amount is $50,000, the
escrow shall be shares valued in the amount of $2,500 (computed at the public
offering price adjusted for a $50,000 purchase). Any dividends and capital gains
distributions on the escrowed shares will be credited to the investor's account.
2. If the total minimum investment specified under the Letter is
completed within the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period, the escrowed shares
will be promptly released to the investor.
3. If, at the end of the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period the
total purchases pursuant to the Letter are less than the intended purchase
amount specified in the Letter, the investor must remit to the Distributor an
amount equal to the difference between the dollar amount of sales charges
actually paid and the amount of sales charges which would have been paid if the
total amount purchased had been made at a single time. That sales charge
adjustment will apply to any shares redeemed prior to the completion of the
Letter. If the difference in sales charges is not paid within twenty days after
a request from the Distributor or the dealer, the Distributor will, within sixty
days of the expiration of the Letter, redeem the number of escrowed shares
necessary to realize such difference in sales charges. Full and fractional
shares remaining after such redemption will be released from escrow. If a
request is received to redeem escrowed shares prior to the payment of such
additional sales charge, the sales charge will be withheld from the redemption
proceeds.
4. By signing the Letter, the investor irrevocably constitutes and
appoints the Transfer Agent as attorney-in-fact to surrender for redemption any
or all escrowed shares.
5. The shares eligible for purchase under the Letter (or the holding of
which may be counted toward completion of a Letter) include:
(a) Class A shares sold with a front-end sales charge or subject to a Class
A contingent deferred sales charge,
(b) Class B shares of other Oppenheimer funds acquired subject to a
contingent deferred sales charge, and
(c) Class A or Class B shares acquired by exchange of either
(1) Class A shares of one of the other Oppenheimer funds that were
acquired subject to a Class A initial or contingent deferred sales
charge or
(2) Class B shares of one of the other Oppenheimer funds that were
acquired subject to a contingent deferred sales charge.
6. Shares held in escrow hereunder will automatically be exchanged for
shares of another fund to which an exchange is requested, as described in the
section of the Prospectus entitled "How to Exchange Shares" and the escrow will
be transferred to that other fund.
Asset Builder Plans. To establish an Asset Builder Plan to buy shares directly
from a bank account, you must enclose a check (minimum $25) for the initial
purchase with your application. Shares purchased by Asset Builder Plan payments
from bank accounts are subject to the redemption restrictions for recent
purchases described in the Prospectus. Asset Builder Plans also enable
shareholders of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves to use their fund account to make
monthly automatic purchases of shares of up to four other Oppenheimer funds.
If you make payments from your bank account to purchase shares of the
Fund, your bank account will be automatically debited, normally four to five
business days prior to the investment dates selected in the Application. Neither
the Distributor, the Transfer Agent nor the Fund shall be responsible for any
delays in purchasing shares resulting from delays in ACH transmission.
Before initiating Asset Builder payments, obtain a prospectus of the
selected fund(s) from the Distributor or your financial advisor and request an
application from the Distributor, complete it and return it. The amount of the
Asset Builder investment may be changed or the automatic investments may be
terminated at any time by writing to the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent
requires a reasonable period (approximately 15 days) after receipt of such
instructions to implement them. The Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend,
or discontinue offering Asset Builder plans at any time without prior notice.
Cancellation of Purchase Orders. Cancellation of purchase orders for the Fund's
shares (for example, when a purchase check is returned to the Fund unpaid)
causes a loss to be incurred when the net asset value of the Fund's shares on
the cancellation date is less than on the purchase date. That loss is equal to
the amount of the decline in the net asset value per share multiplied by the
number of shares in the purchase order. The investor is responsible for that
loss. If the investor fails to compensate the Fund for the loss, the Distributor
will do so. The Fund may reimburse the Distributor for that amount by redeeming
shares from any account registered in that investor's name, or the Fund or the
Distributor may seek other redress.
Classes of Shares. Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in
the same portfolio of investments of the Fund. However, each class has different
shareholder privileges and features. The net income attributable to Class B or
Class C shares and the dividends payable on Class B or Class C shares will be
reduced by incremental expenses borne solely by that class. Those expenses
include the asset-based sales charges to which Class B and Class C are subject.
The availability of three classes of shares permits an investor to
choose the method of purchasing shares that is more appropriate for the
investor. That may depend on the amount of the purchase, the length of time the
investor expects to hold shares, and other relevant circumstances. Class A
shares in general are sold subject to an initial sales charge. While Class B and
Class C shares have no initial sales charge, the purpose of the deferred sales
charge and asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares is the same as
that of the initial sales charge on Class A shares to compensate the Distributor
and brokers, dealers and financial institutions that sell shares of the Fund. A
salesperson who is entitled to receive compensation for selling Fund shares may
receive different levels of compensation for selling to one class of shares than
another.
The Distributor will not accept any order in the amount of $500,000 or
more for Class B shares or $1 million or more for Class C shares on behalf of a
single investor (not including dealer "street name" or omnibus accounts). That
is because generally it will be more advantageous for that investor to purchase
Class A shares of the Fund.
|_| Class B Conversion. The conversion of Class B shares to Class A
shares after six years is subject to the continuing availability of a private
letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or an opinion of counsel or tax
adviser, to the effect that the conversion of Class B shares does not constitute
a taxable event for the holder under Federal income tax law. If such a revenue
ruling or opinion is no longer available, the automatic conversion feature may
be suspended, in which event no further conversions of Class B shares would
occur while such suspension remained in effect. Although Class B shares could
then be exchanged for Class A shares on the basis of relative net asset value of
the two classes, without the imposition of a sales charge or fee, such exchange
could constitute a taxable event for the holder, and absent such exchange, Class
B shares might continue to be subject to the asset-based sales charge for longer
than six years.
|_| Allocation of Expenses. The Fund pays expenses related to its daily
operations, such as custodian fees, trustees' fees, transfer agency fees, legal
fees and auditing costs. Those expenses are paid out of the Fund's assets and
are not paid directly by shareholders. However, those expenses reduce the net
asset value of shares, and therefore are indirectly borne by shareholders
through their investment.
The methodology for calculating the net asset value, dividends and
distributions of the Fund's share classes recognizes two types of expenses.
General expenses that do not pertain specifically to any one class are allocated
pro rata to the shares of all classes. The allocation is based on the percentage
of the Fund's total assets that is represented by the assets of each class, and
then equally to each outstanding share within a given class. Such general
expenses include management fees, legal, bookkeeping and audit fees, printing
and mailing costs of shareholder reports, Prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information and other materials for current shareholders, fees to unaffiliated
Trustees, custodian expenses, share issuance costs, organization and start-up
costs, interest, taxes and brokerage commissions, and non-recurring expenses,
such as litigation costs.
Other expenses that are directly attributable to a particular class are
allocated equally to each outstanding share within that class. Examples of such
expenses include distribution and service plan (12b-1) fees, transfer and
shareholder servicing agent fees and expenses, share registration fees and
shareholder meeting expenses (to the extent that such expenses pertain only to a
specific class).
Determination of Net Asset Values Per Share. The net asset values per share of
each class of shares of the Fund are determined as of the close of business of
The New York Stock Exchange on each day that the Exchange is open. It is done by
dividing the value of the Fund's net assets attributable to that class by the
number of shares of that class that are outstanding. The Exchange normally
closes at 4:00 P.M., New York time, but may close earlier on some other days
(for example, in case of weather emergencies or on days falling before a
holiday). The Exchange's most recent annual announcement (which is subject to
change) states that it will close on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It may also close on other days.
Dealers other than Exchange members may conduct trading in municipal
securities on days on which the Exchange is closed (including weekends and
holidays) or after 4:00 P.M. on a regular business day. Because the Fund's net
asset values will not be calculated on those days, the Fund's net asset values
per share may be significantly affected on such days when shareholders may not
purchase or redeem shares.
|X| Securities Valuation. The Fund's Board of Trustees has established
procedures for the valuation of the Fund's securities. In general those
procedures are as follows:
|_| Long-term debt securities having a remaining maturity in excess of
60 days are valued based on the mean between the "bid" and "asked" prices
determined by a portfolio pricing service approved by the Fund's Board of
Trustees or obtained by the Manager from two active market makers in the
security on the basis of reasonable inquiry.
|_| The following securities are valued at the mean between the "bid"
and "asked" prices determined by a pricing service approved by the Fund's Board
of Trustees or obtained by the Manager from two active market makers in the
security on the basis of reasonable inquiry:
(1) debt instruments that have a maturity of more than 397 days when
issued,
(2) debt instruments that had a maturity of 397 days or less when
issued and have a remaining maturity of more than 60 days, and
(3) non-money market debt instruments that had a maturity of 397 days
or less when issued and which have a remaining maturity of 60 days or
less.
|_| The following securities are valued at cost, adjusted for amortization
of premiums and accretion of discounts: (1) money market debt securities held by
a non-money market fund that had a maturity of less than 397 days when issued
that have a remaining maturity of 60 days or less, and (2) debt instruments held
by a money market fund that have a remaining maturity of 397 days or less.
|_| Securities not having readily-available market quotations are valued at
fair value determined under the Board's procedures.
If the Manager is unable to locate two market makers willing to give
quotes, a security may be priced at the mean between the "bid" and "asked"
prices provided by a single active market maker (which in certain cases may be
the "bid" price if no "asked" price is available).
In the case of municipal securities, when last sale information is not
generally available, the Manager may use pricing services approved by the Board
of Trustees. The pricing service may use "matrix" comparisons to the prices for
comparable instruments on the basis of quality, yield, maturity. Other special
factors may be involved (such as the tax-exempt status of the interest paid by
municipal securities). The Manager will monitor the accuracy of the pricing
services. That monitoring may include comparing prices used for portfolio
valuation to actual sales prices of selected securities.
Puts, calls, interest rate futures and municipal bond index futures are
valued at the last sale price on the principal exchange on which they are traded
or on NASDAQ, as applicable, as determined by a pricing service approved by the
Board of Trustees or by the Manager. If there were no sales that day, they shall
be valued at the last sale price on the preceding trading day if it is within
the spread of the closing "bid" and "asked" prices on the principal exchange or
on NASDAQ on the valuation date. If not, the value shall be the closing bid
price on the principal exchange or on NASDAQ on the valuation date. If the put,
call or future is not traded on an exchange or on NASDAQ, it shall be valued by
the mean between "bid" and "asked" prices obtained by the Manager from two
active market makers. In certain cases that may be at the "bid" price if no
"asked" price is available.
When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the premium received
is included in the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities as an asset. An
equivalent credit is included in the liability section. The credit is adjusted
("marked-to-market") to reflect the current market value of the option. In
determining the Fund's gain on investments, if a call or put written by the Fund
is exercised, the proceeds are increased by the premium received. If a call or
put written by the Fund expires, the Fund has a gain in the amount of the
premium. If the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will have a
gain or loss, depending on whether the premium received was more or less than
the cost of the closing transaction. If the Fund exercises a put it holds, the
amount the Fund receives on its sale of the underlying investment is reduced by
the amount of premium paid by the Fund.
How to Sell Shares
The information below supplements the terms and conditions for
redeeming shares set forth in the Prospectus.
Checkwriting. When a check is presented to the Fund's bank for clearance, the
bank will ask the Fund to redeem a sufficient number of full and fractional
shares in the shareholder's account to cover the amount of the check. This
enables the shareholder to continue to receive dividends on those shares until
the check is presented to the Fund. Checks may not be presented for payment at
the offices of the bank listed on the check or at the Fund's custodian bank.
That limitation does not affect the use of checks for the payment of bills or to
obtain cash at other banks. The Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend or
discontinue offering Checkwriting privileges at any time without prior notice.
In choosing to take advantage of the Checkwriting privilege by signing
the Account Application or by completing a Checkwriting card, each individual
who signs:
(1) for individual accounts, represents that they are the
registered owner(s) of the shares of the Fund in that account;
(2) for accounts for corporations, partnerships, trusts and other
entities, represents that they are an officer, general partner,
trustee or other fiduciary or agent, as applicable, duly
authorized to act on behalf of such registered owner(s);
(3) authorizes the Fund, its Transfer Agent and any bank through which
the Fund's drafts (checks) are payable to pay all checks drawn on
the Fund account of such person(s) and to redeem a sufficient
amount of shares from that account to cover payment of each check;
(4) specifically acknowledges that if they choose to permit checks to
be honored if there is a single signature on checks drawn against
joint accounts, or accounts for corporations, partnerships, trusts
or other entities, the signature of any one signatory on a check
will be sufficient to authorize payment of that check and
redemption from the account, even if that account is registered in
the names of more than one person or more than one authorized
signature appears on the Checkwriting card or the Application, as
applicable;
(5) understands that the Checkwriting privilege may be terminated
or amended at any time by the Fund and/or the Fund's bank; and
(6) acknowledges and agrees that neither the Fund nor its bank shall
incur any liability for that amendment or termination of
checkwriting privileges or for redeeming shares to pay checks
reasonably believed by them to be genuine, or for returning or not
paying checks that have not been accepted for any reason.
Reinvestment Privilege. Within six months of a redemption, a shareholder may
reinvest all or part of the redemption proceeds of :
|_| Class A shares that you purchased subject to an initial sales
charge or Class A shares on which a contingent deferred sales charge was paid,
or
|_| Class B shares that were subject to the Class B contingent deferred
sales charge when redeemed.
The reinvestment may be made without sales charge only in Class A
shares of the Fund or any of the other Oppenheimer funds into which shares of
the Fund are exchangeable as described in "How to Exchange Shares" below.
Reinvestment will be at the net asset value next computed after the Transfer
Agent receives the reinvestment order. The shareholder must ask the Transfer
Agent for that privilege at the time of reinvestment. This privilege does not
apply to Class C shares. The Fund may amend, suspend or cease offering this
reinvestment privilege at any time as to shares redeemed after the date of such
amendment, suspension or cessation.
Any capital gain that was realized when the shares were redeemed is
taxable, and reinvestment will not alter any capital gains tax payable on that
gain. If there has been a capital loss on the redemption, some or all of the
loss may not be tax deductible, depending on the timing and amount of the
reinvestment. Under the Internal Revenue Code, if the redemption proceeds of
Fund shares on which a sales charge was paid are reinvested in shares of the
Fund or another of the Oppenheimer funds within 90 days of payment of the sales
charge, the shareholder's basis in the shares of the Fund that were redeemed may
not include the amount of the sales charge paid. That would reduce the loss or
increase the gain recognized from the redemption. However, in that case the
sales charge would be added to the basis of the shares acquired by the
reinvestment of the redemption proceeds.
Payments "In Kind". The Prospectus states that payment for shares tendered for
redemption is ordinarily made in cash. However, the Board of Trustees of the
Fund may determine that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the
remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment of a redemption order wholly
or partly in cash. In that case, the Fund may pay the redemption proceeds in
whole or in part by a distribution "in kind" of securities from the portfolio of
the Fund, in lieu of cash.
The Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment
Company Act. Under that rule, the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in
cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any
90-day period for any one shareholder. If shares are redeemed in kind, the
redeeming shareholder might incur brokerage or other costs in selling the
securities for cash. The Fund will value securities used to pay redemptions in
kind using the same method the Fund uses to value its portfolio securities
described above under "Determination of Net Asset Values Per Share." That
valuation will be made as of the time the redemption price is determined.
Involuntary Redemptions. The Fund's Board of Trustees has the right to cause the
involuntary redemption of the shares held in any account if the aggregate net
asset value of those shares is less than $200 or such lesser amount as the Board
may fix. The Board of Trustees will not cause the involuntary redemption of
shares in an account if the aggregate net asset value of such shares has fallen
below the stated minimum solely as a result of market fluctuations. If the Board
exercises this right, it may also fix the requirements for any notice to be
given to the shareholders in question (not less than 30 days). The Board may
alternatively set requirements for the shareholder to increase the investment,
or set other terms and conditions so that the shares would not be involuntarily
redeemed.
Transfers of Shares. A transfer of shares to a different registration is not an
event that triggers the payment of sales charges. Therefore, shares are not
subject to the payment of a contingent deferred sales charge of any class at the
time of transfer to the name of another person or entity. It does not matter
whether the transfer occurs by absolute assignment, gift or bequest, as long as
it does not involve, directly or indirectly, a public sale of the shares. When
shares subject to a contingent deferred sales charge are transferred, the
transferred shares will remain subject to the contingent deferred sales charge.
It will be calculated as if the transferee shareholder had acquired the
transferred shares in the same manner and at the same time as the transferring
shareholder.
If less than all shares held in an account are transferred, and some
but not all shares in the account would be subject to a contingent deferred
sales charge if redeemed at the time of transfer, the priorities described in
the Prospectus under "How to Buy Shares" for the imposition of the Class B or
Class C contingent deferred sales charge will be followed in determining the
order in which shares are transferred.
Special Arrangements for Repurchase of Shares from Dealers and Brokers. The
Distributor is the Fund's agent to repurchase its shares from authorized dealers
or brokers on behalf of their customers. Shareholders should contact their
broker or dealer to arrange this type of redemption. The repurchase price per
share will be the net asset value next computed after the Distributor receives
an order placed by the dealer or broker. However, if the Distributor receives a
repurchase order from a dealer or broker after the close of The New York Stock
Exchange on a regular business day, it will be processed at that day's net asset
value if the order was received by the dealer or broker from its customers prior
to the time the Exchange closes. Normally, the Exchange closes at 4:00 P.M., but
may do so earlier on some days. Additionally, the order must have been
transmitted to and received by the Distributor prior to its close of business
that day (normally 5:00 P.M.).
Ordinarily, for accounts redeemed by a broker-dealer under this
procedure, payment will be made within three business days after the shares have
been redeemed upon the Distributor's receipt of the required redemption
documents in proper form. The signature(s) of the registered owners on the
redemption documents must be guaranteed as described in the Prospectus.
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans. Investors owning shares of the Fund
valued at $5,000 or more can authorize the Transfer Agent to redeem shares
(having a value of at least $50) automatically on a monthly, quarterly,
semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Shares will be
redeemed three business days prior to the date requested by the shareholder for
receipt of the payment. Automatic withdrawals of up to $1,500 per month may be
requested by telephone if payments are to be made by check payable to all
shareholders of record. Payments must also be sent to the address of record for
the account and the address must not have been changed within the prior 30 days.
Required minimum distributions from OppenheimerFunds-sponsored retirement plans
may not be arranged on this basis.
Payments are normally made by check, but shareholders having
AccountLink privileges (see "How To Buy Shares") may arrange to have Automatic
Withdrawal Plan payments transferred to the bank account designated on the
Account Application or by signature-guaranteed instructions sent to the Transfer
Agent. Shares are normally redeemed pursuant to an Automatic Withdrawal Plan
three business days before the payment transmittal date you select in the
Account Application. If a contingent deferred sales charge applies to the
redemption, the amount of the check or payment will be reduced accordingly.
The Fund cannot guarantee receipt of a payment on the date requested.
The Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend or discontinue offering these
plans at any time without prior notice. Because of the sales charge assessed on
Class A share purchases, shareholders should not make regular additional Class A
share purchases while participating in an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Class B and
Class C shareholders should not establish withdrawal plans, because of the
imposition of the contingent deferred sales charge on such withdrawals (except
where the contingent deferred sales charge is waived as described in "Waivers of
Class B and Class C Sales Charges" below).
By requesting an Automatic Withdrawal or Exchange Plan, the shareholder
agrees to the terms and conditions that apply to such plans, as stated below.
These provisions may be amended from time to time by the Fund and/or the
Distributor. When adopted, any amendments will automatically apply to existing
Plans.
|X| Automatic Exchange Plans. Shareholders can authorize the Transfer
Agent to exchange a pre-determined amount of shares of the Fund for shares (of
the same class) of other Oppenheimer funds automatically on a monthly,
quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic Exchange Plan. The
minimum amount that may be exchanged to each other fund account is $25.
Instructions should be provided on the OppenheimerFunds Application or
signature-guaranteed instructions. Exchanges made under these plans are subject
to the restrictions that apply to exchanges as set forth in "How to Exchange
Shares" in the Prospectus and below in this Statement of Additional Information.
|X| Automatic Withdrawal Plans. Fund shares will be redeemed as
necessary to meet withdrawal payments. Shares acquired without a sales charge
will be redeemed first. Shares acquired with reinvested dividends and capital
gains distributions will be redeemed next, followed by shares acquired with a
sales charge, to the extent necessary to make withdrawal payments. Depending
upon the amount withdrawn, the investor's principal may be depleted. Payments
made under these plans should not be considered as a yield or income on your
investment.
The Transfer Agent will administer the investor's Automatic Withdrawal
Plan as agent for the shareholder(s) (the "Planholder") who executed the Plan
authorization and application submitted to the Transfer Agent. Neither the Fund
nor the Transfer Agent shall incur any liability to the Planholder for any
action taken or not taken by the Transfer Agent in good faith to administer the
Plan. Share certificates will not be issued for shares of the Fund purchased for
and held under the Plan, but the Transfer Agent will credit all such shares to
the account of the Planholder on the records of the Fund. Any share certificates
held by a Planholder may be surrendered unendorsed to the Transfer Agent with
the Plan application so that the shares represented by the certificate may be
held under the Plan.
For accounts subject to Automatic Withdrawal Plans, distributions of
capital gains must be reinvested in shares of the Fund, which will be done at
net asset value without a sales charge. Dividends on shares held in the account
may be paid in cash or reinvested.
Shares will be redeemed to make withdrawal payments at the net asset
value per share determined on the redemption date. Checks or AccountLink
payments representing the proceeds of Plan withdrawals will normally be
transmitted three business days prior to the date selected for receipt of the
payment, according to the choice specified in writing by the Planholder. Receipt
of payment on the date selected cannot be guaranteed.
The amount and the interval of disbursement payments and the address to
which checks are to be mailed or AccountLink payments are to be sent may be
changed at any time by the Planholder by writing to the Transfer Agent. The
Planholder should allow at least two weeks' time after mailing such notification
for the requested change to be put in effect. The Planholder may, at any time,
instruct the Transfer Agent by written notice to redeem all, or any part of, the
shares held under the Plan. That notice must be in proper form in accordance
with the requirements of the then-current Prospectus of the Fund. In that case,
the Transfer Agent will redeem the number of shares requested at the net asset
value per share in effect and will mail a check for the proceeds to the
Planholder.
The Planholder may terminate a Plan at any time by writing to the
Transfer Agent. The Fund may also give directions to the Transfer Agent to
terminate a Plan. The Transfer Agent will also terminate a Plan upon its receipt
of evidence satisfactory to it that the Planholder has died or is legally
incapacitated. Upon termination of a Plan by the Transfer Agent or the Fund,
shares that have not been redeemed will be held in uncertificated form in the
name of the Planholder. The account will continue as a dividend-reinvestment,
uncertificated account unless and until proper instructions are received from
the Planholder, his or her executor or guardian, or another authorized person.
To use shares held under the Plan as collateral for a debt, the
Planholder may request issuance of a portion of the shares in certificated form.
Upon written request from the Planholder, the Transfer Agent will determine the
number of shares for which a certificate may be issued without causing the
withdrawal checks to stop. However, should such uncertificated shares become
exhausted, Plan withdrawals will terminate.
If the Transfer Agent ceases to act as transfer agent for the Fund, the
Planholder will be deemed to have appointed any successor transfer agent to act
as agent in administering the Plan.
How to Exchange Shares
As stated in the Prospectus, shares of a particular class of
Oppenheimer funds having more than one class of shares may be exchanged only for
shares of the same class of other Oppenheimer funds. Shares of Oppenheimer funds
that have a single class without a class designation are deemed "Class A" shares
for this purpose. You can obtain a current list showing which funds offer which
classes by calling the Distributor at 1-800-525-7048.
|_| All of the Oppenheimer funds currently offer Class A, B and C shares
except Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc., Centennial Money Market Trust,
Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial Government Trust, Centennial New York
Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust, and Centennial America
Fund, L.P., which only offer Class A shares.
|_| Oppenheimer Main Street New York Municipal Fund currently offers only
Class A and Class B shares.
|_| Class B and Class C shares of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves are generally
available only by exchange from the same class of shares of other Oppenheimer
funds or through OppenheimerFunds-sponsored 401 (k) plans.
|_| Class Y shares of Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund are not exchangeable.
Class A shares of Oppenheimer funds may be exchanged at net asset value
for shares of any money market fund. Shares of any Money Market Fund purchased
without a sales charge may be exchanged for shares of Oppenheimer funds offered
with a sales charge upon payment of the sales charge. They may also be used to
purchase shares of Oppenheimer funds subject to a contingent deferred sales
charge.
Shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. purchased with the
redemption proceeds of shares of other mutual funds (other than funds managed by
the Manager or its subsidiaries) redeemed within the 30 days prior to that
purchase may subsequently be exchanged for shares of other Oppenheimer funds
without being subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales charge. To
qualify for that privilege, the investor or the investor's dealer must notify
the Distributor of eligibility for this privilege at the time the shares of
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. are purchased. If requested, they must
supply proof of entitlement to this privilege.
For accounts established on or before March 8, 1996 holding Class M
shares of Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund, Class M shares can be
exchanged only for Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds. Exchanges to Class
M shares of Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund are permitted from Class A
shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. or Oppenheimer Cash Reserves that
were acquired by exchange of Class M shares. No other exchanges may be made to
Class M shares.
Shares of the Fund acquired by reinvestment of dividends or
distributions from any of the other Oppenheimer funds or from any unit
investment trust for which reinvestment arrangements have been made with the
Distributor may be exchanged at net asset value for shares of any of the
Oppenheimer funds.
|_| How Exchanges Affect Contingent Deferred Sales Charges. No
contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on exchanges of shares of any class
purchased subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. However, when Class A
shares acquired by exchange of Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds
purchased subject to a Class A contingent deferred sales charge are redeemed
within 18 months of the end of the calendar month of the initial purchase of the
exchanged Class A shares, the Class A contingent deferred sales charge is
imposed on the redeemed shares. The Class B contingent deferred sales charge is
imposed on Class B shares acquired by exchange if they are redeemed within 6
years of the initial purchase of the exchanged Class B shares. The Class C
contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C shares acquired by
exchange if they are redeemed within 12 months of the initial purchase of the
exchanged Class C shares.
When Class B or Class C shares are redeemed to effect an exchange, the
priorities described in "How To Buy Shares" in the Prospectus for the imposition
of the Class B or the Class C contingent deferred sales charge will be followed
in determining the order in which the shares are exchanged. Before exchanging
shares, shareholders should take into account how the exchange may affect any
contingent deferred sales charge that might be imposed in the subsequent
redemption of remaining shares. Shareholders owning shares of more than one
Class must specify whether they intend to exchange Class A, Class B or Class C
shares.
|_| Limits on Multiple Exchange Orders. The Fund reserves the right to
reject telephone or written exchange requests submitted in bulk by anyone on
behalf of more than one account. The Fund may accept requests for exchanges of
up to 50 accounts per day from representatives of authorized dealers that
qualify for this privilege.
|_| Telephone Exchange Requests. When exchanging shares by telephone, a
shareholder must have an existing account in the fund to which the exchange is
to be made. Otherwise, the investors must obtain a Prospectus of that fund
before the exchange request may be submitted. For full or partial exchanges of
an account made by telephone, any special account features such as Asset Builder
Plans and Automatic Withdrawal Plans will be switched to the new account unless
the Transfer Agent is instructed otherwise. If all telephone lines are busy
(which might occur, for example, during periods of substantial market
fluctuations), shareholders might not be able to request exchanges by telephone
and would have to submit written exchange requests.
|_| Processing Exchange Requests. Shares to be exchanged are redeemed
on the regular business day the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request in
proper form (the "Redemption Date"). Normally, shares of the fund to be acquired
are purchased on the Redemption Date, but such purchases may be delayed by
either fund up to five business days if it determines that it would be
disadvantaged by an immediate transfer of the redemption proceeds. The Fund
reserves the right, in its discretion, to refuse any exchange request that may
disadvantage it. For example, if the receipt of multiple exchange requests from
a dealer might require the disposition of portfolio securities at a time or at a
price that might be disadvantageous to the Fund, the Fund may refuse the
request.
In connection with any exchange request, the number of shares exchanged
may be less than the number requested if the exchange or the number requested
would include shares subject to a restriction cited in the Prospectus or this
Statement of Additional Information, or would include shares covered by a share
certificate that is not tendered with the request. In those cases, only the
shares available for exchange without restriction will be exchanged.
The different Oppenheimer funds available for exchange have different
investment objectives, policies and risks. A shareholder should assure that the
fund selected is appropriate for his or her investment and should be aware of
the tax consequences of an exchange. For federal income tax purposes, an
exchange transaction is treated as a redemption of shares of one fund and a
purchase of shares of another. "Reinvestment Privilege," above, discusses some
of the tax consequences of reinvestment of redemption proceeds in such cases.
The Fund, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are unable to provide
investment, tax or legal advice to a shareholder in connection with an exchange
request or any other investment transaction.
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions. Dividends will be payable on shares held of record
at the time of the previous determination of net asset value, or as otherwise
described in "How to Buy Shares." Daily dividends will not be declared or paid
on newly purchased shares until such time as Federal Funds (funds credited to a
member bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank) are available from the
purchase payment for such shares. Normally, purchase checks received from
investors are converted to Federal Funds on the next business day. Shares
purchased through dealers or brokers normally are paid for by the third business
day following the placement of the purchase order.
Shares redeemed through the regular redemption procedure will be paid
dividends through and including the day on which the redemption request is
received by the Transfer Agent in proper form. Dividends will be declared on
shares repurchased by a dealer or broker for three business days following the
trade date (that is, up to and including the day prior to settlement of the
repurchase). If all shares in an account are redeemed, all dividends accrued on
shares of the same class in the account will be paid together with the
redemption proceeds.
The Fund's practice of attempting to pay dividends on Class A shares at
a constant level requires the Manager to monitor the Fund's portfolio and, if
necessary, to select higher-yielding securities when it is deemed appropriate to
seek income at the level needed to meet the target. Those securities must be
within the Fund's investment parameters, however. The Fund expects to pay
dividends at a targeted level from its net investment income and other
distributable income without any impact on the net asset values per share.
Dividends, distributions and the proceeds of the redemption of Fund
shares represented by checks returned to the Transfer Agent by the Postal
Service as undeliverable will be invested in shares of Oppenheimer Money Market
Fund, Inc. Reinvestment will be made as promptly as possible after the return of
such checks to the Transfer Agent, to enable the investor to earn a return on
otherwise idle funds. Unclaimed accounts may be subject to state escheatment
laws, and the Fund and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or
their representatives for compliance with those laws in good faith.
The amount of a distribution paid on a class of shares may vary from
time to time depending on market conditions, the composition of the Fund's
portfolio, and expenses borne by the Fund or borne separately by a class.
Dividends are calculated in the same manner, at the same time and on the same
day for shares of each class. However, dividends on Class B and Class C shares
are expected to be lower than dividends on Class A shares. That is due to the
effect of the asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares. Those
dividends will also differ in amount as a consequence of any difference in net
asset value among Class A, Class B and Class C shares.
Tax Status of the Fund's Dividends and Distributions. The Fund intends to
qualify under the Internal Revenue Code during each fiscal year to pay
"exempt-interest dividends" to its shareholders. Exempt-interest dividends that
are derived from net investment income earned by the Fund on municipal
securities will be excludable from gross income of shareholders for Federal
income tax purposes.
Net investment income includes the allocation of amounts of income from
the municipal securities in the Fund's portfolio that are free from Federal
income taxes. This allocation will be made by the use of one designated
percentage applied uniformly to all income dividends paid during the Fund's tax
year. That designation will normally be made following the end of each fiscal
year as to income dividends paid in the prior year. The percentage of income
designated as tax-exempt may substantially differ from the percentage of the
Fund's income that was tax-exempt for a given period.
A portion of the exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund may be an
item of tax preference for shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax.
The amount of any dividends attributable to tax preference items for purposes of
the alternative minimum tax will be identified when tax information is
distributed by the Fund.
A shareholder receiving a dividend from income earned by the Fund from
one or more of the following sources treats the dividend as a receipt of either
ordinary income or long-term capital gain in the computation of gross income,
regardless of whether the dividend is reinvested:
(1) certain taxable temporary investments (such as certificates of
deposit, repurchase agreements, commercial paper and obligations of
the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities);
(2) income from securities loans;
(3) income or gains from options or futures; or
(4) an excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term
capital loss from the Fund.
The Fund's dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received
deduction for corporations. Shareholders receiving Social Security benefits
should be aware that exempt-interest dividends are a factor in determining
whether such benefits are subject to Federal income tax. Losses realized by
shareholders on the redemption of Fund shares within six months of purchase
(which period may be shortened by regulation) will be disallowed for Federal
income tax purposes to the extent of exempt-interest dividends received on such
shares.
If the Fund qualifies as a "regulated investment company" under the
Internal Revenue Code, it will not be liable for Federal income taxes on amounts
paid by it as dividends and distributions. That qualification enables the Fund
to "pass through" its income and realized capital gains to shareholders without
having to pay tax on them. The Fund qualified as a regulated investment company
in its last fiscal year and intends to qualify in future years, but reserves the
right not to qualify. The Internal Revenue Code contains a number of complex
tests to determine whether the Fund qualifies. The Fund might not meet those
tests in a particular year. If it does not qualify, the Fund will be treated for
tax purposes as an ordinary corporation and will receive no tax deduction for
payments of dividends and distributions made to shareholders.
In any year in which the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment
company under the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund will also be exempt from New
York corporate income and franchise taxes. It will also be qualified under New
York law to pay exempt interest dividends that will be exempt from New York
personal income tax. That exemption applies to the extent that the Fund's
distributions are attributable to interest on New York municipal securities and
qualifying obligations of the United States government, if at least 50% of the
Fund's assets are invested in such obligations at the close of each quarter in
its tax year. Distributions from the Fund attributable to income from sources
other than New York municipal securities and U.S. government obligations will
generally be subject to New York income tax as ordinary income.
Distributions by the Fund from investment income and long- and
short-term capital gains will generally not be excludable from taxable income in
determining New York corporate franchise tax or income tax for corporate
shareholders of the Fund. Additionally, certain distributions paid to corporate
shareholders of the Fund may be includable in income subject to the New York
alternative minimum tax.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, by December 31 each year the Fund must
distribute 98% of its taxable investment income earned from January 1 through
December 31 of that year and 98% of its capital gains realized in the period
from November 1 of the prior year through October 31 of the current year. If it
does not, the Fund must pay an excise tax on the amounts not distributed. It is
presently anticipated that the Fund will meet those requirements. However, the
Fund's Board of Trustees and the Manager might determine in a particular year
that it would be in the best interest of shareholders not to make distributions
at the required levels and to pay the excise tax on the undistributed amounts.
That would reduce the amount of income or capital gains available for
distribution to shareholders.
Dividend Reinvestment in Another Fund. Shareholders of the Fund may elect to
reinvest all dividends and/or capital gains distributions in shares of the same
class of any of the other Oppenheimer funds listed above. Reinvestment will be
made at net asset value without sales charge. To elect this option, the
shareholder must notify the Transfer Agent in writing and must have an existing
account in the fund selected for reinvestment. Otherwise the shareholder must
first obtain a prospectus for that fund and an application from the Transfer
Agent to establish an account. The investment will be made at the net asset
value per share in effect at the close of business on the payable date of the
dividend or distribution. Dividends and/or distributions from certain of the
other Oppenheimer funds may be invested in shares of this Fund on the same
basis.
Additional Information About the Fund
The Transfer Agent. The Fund's Transfer Agent, OppenheimerFunds Services, is a
division of the Manager. It is responsible for maintaining the Fund's
shareholder registry and shareholder accounting records, and for paying
dividends and distributions to shareholders of the Fund. It also handles
shareholder servicing and administrative functions. It is paid on an "at-cost"
basis.
The Custodian. Citibank, N.A. is the Custodian of the Fund's assets. The
Custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund's
portfolio securities, and handling the delivery of such securities to and from
the Fund. It will be the practice of the Fund to deal with the Custodian in a
manner uninfluenced by any banking relationship the Custodian may have with the
Manager and its affiliates. The Fund's cash balances with the Custodian in
excess of $100,000 are not protected by Federal Deposit Insurance. Those
uninsured balances may at times be substantial.
Independent Auditors. KPMG Peat Marwick are the independent auditors of the
Fund. They audit the Fund's financial statements and perform other related audit
services. They also act as auditors for certain other funds advised by the
Manager and its affiliates.
<PAGE>
A-4
Appendix A
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Descriptions of Municipal Bond Ratings Categories
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of Principal Rating Agencies
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Municipal Bonds
Moody's Investor Services, Inc. The ratings of Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
("Moody's") for municipal bonds are Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, Ba, B, Caa, Ca and C. Those
bonds in the Aa, A, Baa, Ba and B groups which Moody's believes possess the
strongest investment attributes are designated Aa1, A1, Baa1, Ba1 and B1
respectively.
|_| Aaa. Municipal bonds rated "Aaa" are judged to be of the "best quality."
|_| Aa. The rating "Aa" is assigned to bonds which are judged of "high quality
by all standards," but as to which margins of protection or other elements make
long-term risks appear somewhat larger than "Aaa" rated municipal bonds. "Aaa"
and "Aa" rated bonds are generally known as "high grade bonds." |_| A. Municipal
bonds rated "A" by Moody's possess many favorable investment attributes and are
considered "upper medium grade obligations." Factors giving security to
principal and interest of A rated bonds are considered adequate, but elements
may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment at some time in the
future. |_| Baa. Municipal bonds rated "Baa" are considered "medium grade"
obligations. 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. These bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and have speculative characteristics as well. |_| Ba. Bonds
rated "Ba" are judged to have speculative elements. Their future cannot be
considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal
payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good
and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in
this class. |_| B. Bonds rated "B" generally lack characteristics of the
desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be
small. |_| Caa. Bonds rated "Caa" are in poor standing. Such issues may be in
default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or
interest. |_| Ca. Bonds rated "Ca" represent obligations which are speculative
in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked
shortcomings. |_| C. Bonds rated "C" are the lowest rated class of bonds. Issues
so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining
any real investment standing.
Municipal bonds rated by Moody's that have a demand feature that
provides the holder with the ability to periodically tender ("put") the portion
of the debt covered by the demand feature, may also have a short-term rating
assigned to such demand feature. The short-term rating uses the symbol "VMIG" to
distinguish characteristics that include payment upon periodic demand rather
than fund or scheduled maturity dates and potential reliance upon external
liquidity, as well as other factors. The highest investment quality is
designated by the VMIG 1 rating and the lowest by VMIG 4.
Standard & Poor's Corporation. Bonds rated in the top four categories (AAA, AA,
A, BBB) are commonly referred to as "investment grade." The ratings from AA to
CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative
standing within the major rating categories. Ratings of BB, B, CCC and CC are
regarded as having significant speculative characteristics.
|_| AAA. Obligors of municipal bonds rated AAA have "extremely strong capacity"
to meet financial commitments. |_| AA. The rating AA is given to obligors with
"very strong capacity" to meet financial commitments. |_| A. The rating A is
given to obligors with a "strong capacity" to meet financial commitments but is
somewhat more susceptible to adverse effects of changes in circumstances and
economic conditions than obligors in higher categories. |_| BBB. The BBB rating
is given to an obligor that has "adequate capacity" to meet its financial
commitments. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are
more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial
commitments. |_| BB. Obligors rated BB are less vulnerable in the near-term than
other lower-rated obligations to default than other speculative issues. However,
they face major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business,
financial, or economic conditions which would lead to inadequate capacity to
meet financial commitments. |_| B. Obligors rated B have a greater vulnerability
than obligors rated BB, but currently has the capacity to meet its financial
commitments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely
impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments.
|_| CCC. Obligors rated CCC are currently vulnerable and are dependent upon
favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet financial
commitments. |_| CC. Obligors rated CC are currently highly vulnerable. |_| C.
Bonds rated C typically are debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an
actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a
situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments
are continued. |_| D. Bonds rated D are in payment default. The D rating
category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on
the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P
believes that such payments will be made during the grace period. The D rating
also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service
payments are jeopardized. Fitch. The ratings of Fitch IBCA, Inc. for municipal
bonds are AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CC, C, DDD, DD, and D. Bonds rated AAA,
AA, A and BBB are considered to be of investment grade quality. Bonds rated
below BBB are considered to be of speculative quality. |_| AAA. Municipal Bonds
rated AAA are judged to be of the "highest credit quality." |_| AA. The rating
of AA is assigned to bonds of "very high credit quality." |_| A. Municipal bonds
rated A are considered to be of "high credit quality." |_| BBB. The rating BBB
is assigned to bonds of "satisfactory credit quality." A and BBB rated bonds are
more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions than bonds with higher
ratings. |_| BB. The rating BB is assigned to bonds considered to be
"speculative." |_| B. The rating B is assigned to bonds considered to be "highly
speculative." |_| CCC. Bonds rated CCC have certain identifiable characteristics
which, if not remedied, may lead to default. |_| CC. Bonds rated CC are
considered minimally protected. Default in payment of interest and/or principal
seems probable over time. |_| C. Bonds rated C are in imminent default in
payment of interest or principal. |_| DDD and below. Bonds rated DDD, DD and D
are in default on interest and/or principal payments. DDD represents the highest
potential for recovery on these bonds, and D represents the lowest potential for
recovery.
Duff & Phelps. The ratings of Duff & Phelps are as follows:
|_| AAA. These are judged to be the "highest credit quality". The risk factors
are negligible, being only slightly more than for risk-free U.S. Treasury debt.
|_| AA+, AA & AA-. High credit quality. Protection factors are strong. Risk is
modest but may vary slightly from time to time because of economic conditions.
|_| A+, A & A-. Protection factors are average but adequate. However, risk
factors are more variable and greater in periods of economic stress. |_| BBB+,
BBB & BBB-. These have below average protection factors but are still considered
sufficient for prudent investment. They have considerable variability in risk
during economic cycles. |_| BB+, BB & BB-. These are below investment grade but
are deemed to be able to meet obligations when due. Present or prospective
financial protection factors fluctuate according to industry conditions or
company fortunes. Overall quality may move up or down frequently within the
category. |_| B+, B & B-. These are below investment grade and possess risk that
obligations will not be met when due. Financial protection factors will
fluctuate widely according to economic cycles, industry conditions and/or
company fortunes. Potential exists for frequent changes in the rating within
this category or into a higher of lower rating grade. |_| CCC. Well below
investment grade securities. Considerable uncertainty exists as to timely
payment of principal interest or preferred dividends. Protection factors are
narrow and risk can be substantial with unfavorable economic industry
conditions, and/or with unfavorable company developments. |_| DD. These are
defaulted debt obligations. The issuer failed to meet scheduled principal and/or
interest payments.
Municipal Notes
Moody's. Moody's ratings for state and municipal notes and other short-term
loans are designated Moody's Investment Grade ("MIG"). Notes bearing the
designation MIG-1 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 financing. Notes bearing the designation
"MIG-2" are of high quality with ample margins of protection, although not as
large as notes rated "MIG-1." Such short-term notes that have demand features
may also carry a rating using the symbol VMIG as described above, with the
designation MIG-1/VMIG 1 denoting best quality, with superior liquidity support
in addition to those characteristics attributable to the designation MIG-1.
Standard & Poor's. S&P's ratings for municipal notes due in three years or less
are SP-1, SP-2, and SP-3. SP-1 describes issues with a very strong capacity to
pay principal and interest and compares with bonds rated A by S&P. If modified
by a plus sign, it compares with bonds rated AA or AAA by S&P. SP-2 describes
issues with a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, and compares
with bonds rated BBB by S&P. SP-3 describes issues that have a speculative
capacity to pay principal and interest.
Fitch. Fitch's rating for municipal notes due in three years or less are F-1+,
F-1, F-2, F-3, F-S and D. F-1+ describes notes with an exceptionally strong
credit quality and the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment. F-1
describes notes with a very strong credit quality and assurance of timely
payment is only slightly less in degree than issues rated F-1+. F-2 describes
notes with a good credit quality and a satisfactory assurance of timely payment,
but the margin of safety is not as great for issues assigned F-1+ or F-1
ratings. F-3 describes notes with a fair credit quality and an adequate
assurance of timely payment, but near-term adverse changes could cause such
securities to be rated below investment grade. F-S describes notes with weak
credit quality. Issues rated D are in actual or imminent payment default.
Corporate Debt
The other debt securities included in the definition of temporary defensive
investments the Fund may hold are corporate (as opposed to municipal) debt
obligations. The Moody's, S&P and Fitch corporate debt ratings do not differ
materially from those set forth above for municipal bonds. Commercial Paper
Moody's. The ratings of commercial paper by Moody's are Prime-1, Prime-2,
Prime-3 and Not Prime. Issuers rated Prime-1 have a superior capacity for
repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Issuers rated Prime-2 have a
strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Issuers
rated Prime-3 have an acceptable capacity for repayment of short-term promissory
obligations. Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating
categories.
S&P. The ratings of commercial paper by S&P are A-1, A-2, A-3, B, C, and D. A-1
indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. A-2
indicates capacity for timely payment is satisfactory. However, the relative
degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1. A-3 indicates an
adequate capacity for timely payments. These issues are, however, more
vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations
carrying the higher designations. B indicates only speculative capacity for
timely payment. C indicates a doubtful capacity for payment. D is assigned to
issues in default.
Fitch. The ratings of commercial paper by Fitch are similar to its ratings of
Municipal Notes, above.
<PAGE>
B-1
Appendix B
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Municipal Bond Industry Classifications
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electric
Resource Recovery
Gas
Water
Higher Education
Sewer
Education
Telephone
Lease Rental
Adult Living Facilities
Hospital
Non Profit Organization
General Obligation
Highways
Special Assessment
Marine/Aviation Facilities
Sales Tax
Multi Family Housing
Manufacturing, Non Durables
Single Family Housing
Manufacturing, Durables
Pollution Control
<PAGE>
C-12
Appendix C
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OppenheimerFunds Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In certain cases, the initial sales charge that applies to purchases of
Class A shares of the Oppenheimer funds or the contingent deferred sales charge
that may apply to Class A, Class B or Class C shares may be waived. That is
because of the economies of sales efforts realized by the Distributor or the
dealers or other financial institutions offering those shares to certain classes
of investors or in certain transactions.
Not all waivers apply to all funds. For example, waivers relating to
Retirement Plans do not apply to Oppenheimer municipal funds, because shares of
those funds are not available for purchase by or on behalf of retirement plans.
Other waivers apply only to shareholders of certain funds that were merged into
or became Oppenheimer funds.
For the purposes of some of the waivers described below and in the
Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information of the applicable Oppenheimer
funds, the term "Retirement Plan" refers to the following types of plans: (1)
plans qualified under Sections 401(a) or 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code,
(2) non-qualified deferred compensation plans, (3) employee benefit plans1 (4)
Group Retirement Plans2 (5) 403(b)(7) custodial plan accounts (6) SEP-IRAs,
SARSEPs or SIMPLE plans
The interpretation of these provisions as to the applicability of a
waiver in a particular case is determined solely by the Distributor or the
Transfer Agent of the fund. These waivers and special arrangements may be
amended or terminated at any time by the applicable Fund and/or the Distributor.
Waivers that apply at the time shares are redeemed must be requested by the
shareholder and/or dealer in the redemption request.
- --------------
1. An "employee benefit plan" means any plan or arrangement, whether or not it
is "qualified" under the Internal Revenue Code, under which Class A shares
of an Oppenheimer fund or funds are purchased by a fiduciary or other
administrator for the account of participants who are employees of a single
employer or of affiliated employers. These may include, for example,
medical savings accounts, payroll deduction plans or similar plans. The
fund accounts must be registered in the name of the fiduciary or
administrator purchasing the shares for the benefit of participants in the
plan.
2. The term "Group Retirement Plan" means any qualified or non-qualified
retirement plan for employees of a corporation or sole proprietorship,
members and employees of a partnership or association or other organized
group of persons (the members of which may include other groups), if the
group has made special arrangements with the Distributor and all members of
the group participating in (or who are eligible to participate in) the plan
purchase Class A shares of an Oppenheimer fund or funds through a single
investment dealer, broker or other financial institution designated by the
group. Such plans include 457 plans, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE plans and
403(b) plans other than plans for public school employees. The term "Group
Retirement Plan" also includes qualified retirement plans and non-qualified
deferred compensation plans and IRAs that purchase Class A shares of an
Oppenheimer fund or funds through a single investment dealer, broker or
other financial institution that has made special arrangements with the
Distributor enabling those plans to purchase Class A shares at net asset
value but subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge.
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicability of Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charges in Certain Cases
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Purchases of Class A Shares of Oppenheimer Funds That Are Not Subject to Initial
Sales Charge but May Be Subject to the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
(unless a waiver applies).
There is no initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares of any
of the Oppenheimer funds in the cases listed below. However, these purchases may
be subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed within 18
months of the end of the calendar month of their purchase, as described in the
Prospectus (unless a waiver described elsewhere in this Appendix applies to the
redemption). Additionally, on these purchases the Distributor will pay the
applicable commission described in the Prospectus under "Class A Contingent
Deferred Sales Charge": o Purchases of Class A shares aggregating $1 million or
more. o Purchases by a Retirement Plan that:
(1) buys shares costing $500,000 or more, or
(2) has, at the time of purchase, 100 or more eligible participants or
total plan assets of $500,000 or more, or
(3) certifies to the Distributor that it projects to have annual plan
purchases of $200,000 or more.
o Purchases by an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored Rollover IRA, if the
purchases are made:
(1) through a broker, dealer, bank or registered investment adviser
that has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those
purchases, or
(2) by a direct rollover of a distribution from a qualified Retirement
Plan if the administrator of that Plan has made special arrangements
with the Distributor for those purchases.
o Purchases of Class A shares by Retirement Plans that have any of the
following record-keeping arrangements:
(1) The record keeping is performed by Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner &
Smith, Inc. ("Merrill Lynch") on a daily valuation basis for the
Retirement Plan. On the date the plan sponsor signs the record-keeping
service agreement with Merrill Lynch, the Plan must have $3 million or
more of its assets invested in (a) mutual funds, other than those
advised or managed by Merrill Lynch Asset Management, L.P. ("MLAM"),
that are made available under a Service Agreement between Merrill
Lynch and the mutual fund's principal underwriter or distributor, and
(b) funds advised or managed by MLAM (the funds described in (a) and
(b) are referred to as "Applicable Investments").
(2) The record keeping for the Retirement Plan is performed on a daily
valuation basis by a record keeper whose services are provided under a
contract or arrangement between the Retirement Plan and Merrill Lynch.
On the date the plan sponsor signs the record keeping service
agreement with Merrill Lynch, the Plan must have $3 million or more of
its assets (excluding assets invested in money market funds) invested
in Applicable Investments.
(3) The record keeping for a Retirement Plan is handled under a
service agreement with Merrill Lynch and on the date the plan sponsor
signs that agreement, the Plan has 500 or more eligible employees (as
determined by the Merrill Lynch plan conversion manager).
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waivers of Class A Sales Charges of Oppenheimer Funds
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges for Certain Purchasers.
Class A shares purchased by the following investors are not subject to any Class
A sales charges (and no commissions are paid by the Distributor on such
purchases):
|_| The Manager or its affiliates.
|_| Present or former officers, directors, trustees and employees (and
their "immediate families") of the Fund, the Manager and its affiliates, and
retirement plans established by them for their employees. The term "immediate
family" refers to one's spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents,
parents-in-law, brothers and sisters, sons- and daughters-in-law, a sibling's
spouse, a spouse's siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews; relatives by
virtue of a remarriage (step-children, step-parents, etc.) are included.
|_| Registered management investment companies, or separate accounts of
insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or the Distributor for
that purpose.
|_| Dealers or brokers that have a sales agreement with the
Distributor, if they purchase shares for their own accounts or for retirement
plans for their employees.
|_| Employees and registered representatives (and their spouses) of
dealers or brokers described above or financial institutions that have entered
into sales arrangements with such dealers or brokers (and which are identified
as such to the Distributor) or with the Distributor. The purchaser must certify
to the Distributor at the time of purchase that the purchase is for the
purchaser's own account (or for the benefit of such employee's spouse or minor
children).
|_| Dealers, brokers, banks or registered investment advisors that have
entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically for the
use of shares of the Fund in particular investment products made available to
their clients. Those clients may be charged a transaction fee by their dealer,
broker, bank or advisor for the purchase or sale of Fund shares.
|_| Investment advisors and financial planners who have entered into an
agreement for this purpose with the Distributor and who charge an advisory,
consulting or other fee for their services and buy shares for their own accounts
or the accounts of their clients.
|_| "Rabbi trusts" that buy shares for their own accounts, if the
purchases are made through a broker or agent or other financial intermediary
that has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| Clients of investment advisors or financial planners (that have
entered into an agreement for this purpose with the Distributor) who buy shares
for their own accounts may also purchase shares without sales charge but only if
their accounts are linked to a master account of their investment advisor or
financial planner on the books and records of the broker, agent or financial
intermediary with which the Distributor has made such special arrangements .
Each of these investors may be charged a fee by the broker, agent or financial
intermediary for purchasing shares.
|_| Directors, trustees, officers or full-time employees of OpCap
Advisors or its affiliates, their relatives or any trust, pension, profit
sharing or other benefit plan which beneficially owns shares for those persons.
|_| Accounts for which Oppenheimer Capital (or its successor) is the
investment advisor (the Distributor must be advised of this arrangement) and
persons who are directors or trustees of the company or trust which is the
beneficial owner of such accounts.
|_| A unit investment trust that has entered into an appropriate
agreement with the Distributor. o Dealers, brokers, banks, or
registered investment advisers that have entered into an agreement with
the Distributor to sell shares to defined contribution employee retirement plans
for which the dealer, broker or investment adviser provides administration
services.
o Retirement plans and deferred compensation plans and trusts used to
fund those plans (including, for example, plans qualified or created under
sections 401(a), 401(k), 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code), in each
case if those purchases are made through a broker, agent or other financial
intermediary that has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those
purchases.
o A TRAC-2000 401(k) plan (sponsored by the former Quest for Value
Advisors) whose Class B or Class C shares of a Former Quest for Value Fund were
exchanged for Class A shares of that Fund due to the termination of the Class B
and Class C TRAC-2000 program on November 24, 1995.
o A qualified Retirement Plan that had agreed with the former Quest for
Value Advisors to purchase shares of any of the Former Quest for Value Funds at
net asset value, with such shares to be held through DCXchange, a sub-transfer
agency mutual fund clearinghouse, if that arrangement was consummated and share
purchases commenced by December 31, 1996.
Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges in Certain
Transactions.
Class A shares issued or purchased in the following transactions are not subject
to sales charges (and no commissions are paid by the Distributor on such
purchases):
|_| Shares issued in plans of reorganization, such as mergers, asset
acquisitions and exchange offers, to which the Fund is a party.
|_| Shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or other
distributions reinvested from the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds (other than
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves) or unit investment trusts for which reinvestment
arrangements have been made with the Distributor.
|_| Shares purchased and paid for with the proceeds of shares redeemed
in the prior 30 days from a mutual fund (other than a fund managed by the
Manager or any of its subsidiaries) on which an initial sales charge or
contingent deferred sales charge was paid. This waiver also applies to shares
purchased by exchange of shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. that were
purchased and paid for in this manner. This waiver must be requested when the
purchase order is placed for shares of the Fund, and the Distributor may require
evidence of qualification for this waiver.
|_| Shares purchased with the proceeds of maturing principal units of
any Qualified Unit Investment Liquid Trust Series.
o Shares purchased by the reinvestment of loan repayments by a
participant in a Retirement Plan for which the Manager or an affiliate acts as
sponsor.
Waivers of the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain Redemptions.
The Class A contingent deferred sales charge is also waived if shares that would
otherwise be subject to the contingent deferred sales charge are redeemed in the
following cases:
|_| To make Automatic Withdrawal Plan payments that are limited
annually to no more than 12% of the original account value.
|_| Involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law or
involuntary redemptions of small accounts (see "Shareholder Account Rules and
Policies," in the Prospectus).
o For distributions from Retirement Plans, deferred compensation plans
or other employee benefit plans for any of the following purposes:
(1) Following the death or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code)
of the participant or beneficiary. The death or disability must occur after the
participant's account was established.
(2) To return excess contributions.
(3) To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
(4) Hardship withdrawals, as defined in the plan.
(5) Under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code.
(6) To meet the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.
(7) To establish "substantially equal periodic payments" as described in Section
72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(8) For retirement distributions or loans to participants or beneficiaries.
(9) Separation from service.
(10)Participant-directed redemptions to purchase shares of a mutual fund other
than a fund managed by the Manager or a subsidiary. The fund must be one that is
offered as an investment option in a Retirement Plan in which Oppenheimer funds
are also offered as investment options under a special arrangement with the
Distributor.
(11) Plan termination or "in-service distributions," if the redemption proceeds
are rolled over directly to an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored IRA.
o For distributions from Retirement Plans having 500 or more eligible
participants, except distributions due to termination of all of the Oppenheimer
funds as an investment option under the Plan.
o For distributions from 401(k) plans sponsored by broker-dealers that
have entered into a special agreement with the Distributor allowing this waiver.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waivers of Class B and Class C Sales Charges of Oppenheimer Funds
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Class B and Class C contingent deferred sales charges will not be
applied to shares purchased in certain types of transactions or redeemed in
certain circumstances described below.
Waivers for Redemptions in Certain Cases.
The Class B and Class C contingent deferred sales charges will be waived for
redemptions of shares in the following cases:
o Shares redeemed involuntarily, as described in "Shareholder Account Rules
and Policies," in the applicable Prospectus.
o Distributions to participants or beneficiaries from Retirement Plans, if
the distributions are made:
(a) under an Automatic Withdrawal Plan after the participant reaches
age 59-1/2, as long as the payments are no more than 10% of the
account value annually (measured from the date the Transfer Agent
receives the request), or
(b) following the death or disability (as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code) of the participant or beneficiary (the death or
disability must have occurred after the account was established).
o Redemptions from accounts other than Retirement Plans following the
death or disability of the last surviving shareholder, including a trustee of a
grantor trust or revocable living trust for which the trustee is also the sole
beneficiary. The death or disability must have occurred after the account was
established, and for disability you must provide evidence of a determination of
disability by the Social Security Administration.
o Returns of excess contributions to Retirement Plans.
o Distributions from Retirement Plans to make "substantially equal
periodic payments" as permitted in Section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code
that do not exceed 10% of the account value annually, measured from the date the
Transfer Agent receives the request.
o Distributions from OppenheimerFunds prototype 401(k) plans and from
certain Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company prototype 401(k) plans:
(1) for hardship withdrawals;
(2) under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code;
(3) to meet minimum distribution requirements as defined in the Internal Revenue
Code;
(4) to make "substantially equal periodic payments" as described in Section
72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code;
(5) for separation from service; or
(6) for loans to participants or beneficiaries.
o Distributions from 401(k) plans sponsored by broker-dealers that have
entered into a special agreement with the Distributor allowing this waiver.
o Redemptions of Class B shares held by Retirement Plans whose records
are maintained on a daily valuation basis by Merrill Lynch or an independent
record keeper under a contract with Merrill Lynch.
o Redemptions of Class C shares of Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
from accounts of clients of financial institutions that have entered into a
special arrangement with the Distributor for this purpose.
Waivers for Shares Sold or Issued in Certain Transactions.
The contingent deferred sales charge is also waived on Class B and
Class C shares sold or issued in the following cases:
|_| Shares sold to the Manager or its affiliates.
|_| Shares sold to registered management investment companies or separate
accounts of insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or the
Distributor for that purpose.
|_| Shares issued in plans of reorganization to which the Fund is a party.
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Sales Charge Arrangements for Shareholders of Certain Oppenheimer Funds
Who Were Shareholders of the Former Quest for Value Funds
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The initial and contingent deferred sales charge rates and waivers for
Class A, Class B and Class C shares described in the Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information of the Oppenheimer funds are modified as described below
for certain persons who were shareholders of the former Quest for Value Funds.
To be eligible, those persons must have been shareholders on November 24, 1995,
when OppenheimerFunds, Inc. became the investment advisor to those former Quest
for Value Funds. Those funds include:
Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc., Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value
Fund, Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value Fund, Oppenheimer Quest Small
Cap Value Fund and Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund, Inc.
These arrangements also apply to shareholders of the following funds
when they merged into various Oppenheimer funds on November 24, 1995:
Quest for Value U.S. Government Income Fund, Quest for Value Investment
Quality Income Fund, Quest for Value Global Income Fund, Quest for
Value New York Tax-Exempt Fund, Quest for Value National Tax-Exempt
Fund and Quest for Value New York Tax-Exempt Fund
All of the funds listed above are referred to in this Appendix as the
"Former Quest for Value Funds." The waivers of initial and contingent deferred
sales charges described in this Appendix apply to shares of an Oppenheimer fund
that are either:
|_| acquired by such shareholder pursuant to an exchange of shares
of an Oppenheimer fund that was one of the Former Quest for Value Funds or
|_| purchased by such shareholder by exchange of shares of another
Oppenheimer fund that were acquired pursuant to the merger of any of the Former
Quest for Value Funds into that other Oppenheimer fund on November 24, 1995.
Reductions or Waivers of Class A Sales Charges.
|X| Reduced Class A Initial Sales Charge Rates for Certain Former Quest for
Value Funds Shareholders
Purchases by Groups and Associations. The following table sets forth the initial
sales charge rates for Class A shares purchased by members of "Associations"
formed for any purpose other than the purchase of securities. The rates in the
table apply if that Association purchased shares of any of the Former Quest for
Value Funds or received a proposal to purchase such shares from OCC Distributors
prior to November 24, 1995.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Number of Eligible Initial Sales Charge as a
Employees or Members Initial Sales Charge as a % % of Net Amount Invested Commission as % of
of Offering Price Offering Price
- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
9 or Fewer 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
At least 10 but not more
than 49 2.00% 2.04% 1.60%
- ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
</TABLE>
For purchases by Associations having 50 or more eligible employees or
members, there is no initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares, but
those shares are subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge
described in the applicable fund's Prospectus.
Purchases made under this arrangement qualify for the lower of either
the sales charge rate in the table based on the number of members of an
Association, or the sales charge rate that applies under the Right of
Accumulation described in the applicable fund's Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information. Individuals who qualify under this arrangement for
reduced sales charge rates as members of Associations also may purchase shares
for their individual or custodial accounts at these reduced sales charge rates,
upon request to the Distributor.
|X| Waiver of Class A Sales Charges for Certain Shareholders. Class A
shares purchased by the following investors are not subject to any Class A
initial or contingent deferred sales charges:
|_| Shareholders who were shareholders of the AMA Family of Funds on
February 28, 1991 and who acquired shares of any of the Former Quest for Value
Funds by merger of a portfolio of the AMA Family of Funds.
|_| Shareholders who acquired shares of any Former Quest for Value Fund
by merger of any of the portfolios of the Unified Funds.
|X| Waiver of Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge in Certain
Transactions. The Class A contingent deferred sales charge will not apply to
redemptions of Class A shares purchased by the following investors who were
shareholders of any Former Quest for Value Fund:
Investors who purchased Class A shares from a dealer that is or was not
permitted to receive a sales load or redemption fee imposed on a shareholder
with whom that dealer has a fiduciary relationship, under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and regulations adopted under that law.
Class A, Class B and Class C Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers
|X| Waivers for Redemptions of Shares Purchased Prior to March 6, 1995.
In the following cases, the contingent deferred sales charge will be waived for
redemptions of Class A, Class B or Class C shares of an Oppenheimer fund. The
shares must have been acquired by the merger of a Former Quest for Value Fund
into the fund or by exchange from an Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Quest
for Value Fund or into which such fund merged.
Those shares must have been purchased prior to March 6, 1995 in connection with:
o withdrawals under an automatic withdrawal plan holding only either
Class B or Class C shares if the annual withdrawal does not exceed 10% of the
initial value of the account, and
o liquidation of a shareholder's account if the aggregate net asset
value of shares held in the account is less than the required minimum value of
such accounts.
|X| Waivers for Redemptions of Shares Purchased on or After March 6,
1995 but Prior to November 24, 1995. In the following cases, the contingent
deferred sales charge will be waived for redemptions of Class A, Class B or
Class C shares of an Oppenheimer fund. The shares must have been acquired by the
merger of a Former Quest for Value Fund into the fund or by exchange from an
Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Quest For Value Fund or into which such
Former Quest for Value Fund merged. Those shares must have been purchased on or
after March 6, 1995, but prior to November 24, 1995:
o redemptions following the death or disability of the shareholder(s)
(as evidenced by a determination of total disability by the U.S. Social Security
Administration);
o withdrawals under an automatic withdrawal plan (but only for Class B
or Class C shares) where the annual withdrawals do not exceed 10% of the initial
value of the account; and
o liquidation of a shareholder's account if the aggregate net asset
value of shares held in the account is less than the required minimum account
value.
A shareholder's account will be credited with the amount of any
contingent deferred sales charge paid on the redemption of any Class A, Class B
or Class C shares of the Oppenheimer fund described in this section if the
proceeds are invested in the same Class of shares in that fund or another
Oppenheimer fund within 90 days after redemption.
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Sales Charge Arrangements for Shareholders of Certain Oppenheimer Funds
Who Were Shareholders of Connecticut Mutual Investment Accounts, Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The initial and contingent deferred sale charge rates and waivers for
Class A and Class B shares described in the Prospectus or this Appendix for
Oppenheimer U. S. Government Trust, Oppenheimer Bond Fund, Oppenheimer
Disciplined Value Fund and Oppenheimer Disciplined Allocation Fund (each is
included in the reference to "Fund" below) are modified as described below for
those shareholders who were shareholders of Connecticut Mutual Liquid Account,
Connecticut Mutual Government Securities Account, Connecticut Mutual Income
Account, Connecticut Mutual Growth Account, Connecticut Mutual Total Return
Account, CMIA LifeSpan Capital Appreciation Account, CMIA LifeSpan Balanced
Account and CMIA Diversified Income Account (the "Former Connecticut Mutual
Funds") on March 1, 1996, when OppenheimerFunds, Inc. became the investment
adviser to the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds.
Prior Class A CDSC and Class A Sales Charge Waivers
n Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Certain shareholders of a
Fund and the other Former Connecticut Mutual Funds are entitled to continue to
make additional purchases of Class A shares at net asset value without a Class A
initial sales charge, but subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales
charge that was in effect prior to March 18, 1996 (the "prior Class A CDSC").
Under the prior Class A CDSC, if any of those shares are redeemed within one
year of purchase, they will be assessed a 1% contingent deferred sales charge on
an amount equal to the current market value or the original purchase price of
the shares sold, whichever is smaller (in such redemptions, any shares not
subject to the prior Class A CDSC will be redeemed first).
Those shareholders who are eligible for the prior Class A CDSC are:
(1) persons whose purchases of Class A shares of a Fund and other
Former Connecticut Mutual Funds were $500,000 prior to March 18,
1996, as a result of direct purchases or purchases pursuant to the
Fund's policies on Combined Purchases or Rights of Accumulation,
who still hold those shares in that Fund or other Former
Connecticut Mutual Funds, and
(2) persons whose intended purchases under a Statement of Intention
entered into prior to March 18, 1996, with the former general
distributor of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds to purchase
shares valued at $500,000 or more over a 13-month period entitled
those persons to purchase shares at net asset value without being
subject to the Class A initial sales charge.
Any of the Class A shares of a Fund and the other Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds that were purchased at net asset value prior to March 18, 1996,
remain subject to the prior Class A CDSC, or if any additional shares are
purchased by those shareholders at net asset value pursuant to this arrangement
they will be subject to the prior Class A CDSC.
n Class A Sales Charge Waivers. Additional Class A shares of a Fund may
be purchased without a sales charge, by a person who was in one (or more) of the
categories below and acquired Class A shares prior to March 18, 1996, and still
holds Class A shares:
(1) any purchaser, provided the total initial amount invested in the
Fund or any one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds totaled
$500,000 or more, including investments made pursuant to the Combined
Purchases, Statement of Intention and Rights of Accumulation features
available at the time of the initial purchase and such investment is
still held in one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds or a
Fund into which such Fund merged;
(2) any participant in a qualified plan, provided that the total
initial amount invested by the plan in the Fund or any one or more of
the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds totaled $500,000 or more;
(3) Directors of the Fund or any one or more of the Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds and members of their immediate families;
(4) employee benefit plans sponsored by Connecticut Mutual Financial
Services, L.L.C. ("CMFS"), the prior distributor of the Former
Connecticut Mutual Funds, and its affiliated companies;
(5) one or more members of a group of at least 1,000 persons (and
persons who are retirees from such group) engaged in a common
business, profession, civic or charitable endeavor or other activity,
and the spouses and minor dependent children of such persons, pursuant
to a marketing program between CMFS and such group; and
(6) an institution acting as a fiduciary on behalf of an individual or
individuals, if such institution was directly compensated by the
individual(s) for recommending the purchase of the shares of the Fund
or any one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds, provided
the institution had an agreement with CMFS.
Purchases of Class A shares made pursuant to (1) and (2) above may be
subject to the Class A CDSC of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds described
above.
Additionally, Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased without a sales
charge by any holder of a variable annuity contract issued in New York State by
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company through the Panorama Separate Account
which is beyond the applicable surrender charge period and which was used to
fund a qualified plan, if that holder exchanges the variable annuity contract
proceeds to buy Class A shares of the Fund.
Class A and Class B Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers
In addition to the waivers set forth in the Prospectus and in this Appendix,
above, the contingent deferred sales charge will be waived for redemptions of
Class A and Class B shares of a Fund and exchanges of Class A or Class B shares
of a Fund into Class A or Class B shares of a Former Connecticut Mutual Fund
provided that the Class A or Class B shares of the Fund to be redeemed or
exchanged were (i) acquired prior to March 18, 1996 or (ii) were acquired by
exchange from an Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Connecticut Mutual Fund.
Additionally, the shares of such Former Connecticut Mutual Fund must have been
purchased prior to March 18, 1996:
(1) by the estate of a deceased shareholder;
(2) upon the disability of a shareholder, as defined in Section 72(m)(7) of the
Internal Revenue Code;
(3) for retirement distributions (or loans) to participants or beneficiaries
from retirement plans qualified under Sections 401(a) or 403(b)(7)of the Code,
or from IRAs, deferred compensation plans created under Section 457 of the Code,
or other employee benefit plans;
(4) as tax-free returns of excess contributions to such retirement or employee
benefit plans;
(5) in whole or in part, in connection with shares sold to any state, county, or
city, or any instrumentality, department, authority, or agency thereof, that is
prohibited by applicable investment laws from paying a sales charge or
commission in connection with the purchase of shares of any registered
investment management company;
(6) in connection with the redemption of shares of the Fund due to a combination
with another investment company by virtue of a merger, acquisition or similar
reorganization transaction;
(7) in connection with the Fund's right to involuntarily redeem or liquidate the
Fund;
(8) in connection with automatic redemptions of Class A shares and Class B
shares in certain retirement plan accounts pursuant to an Automatic Withdrawal
Plan but limited to no more than 12% of the original value annually; or (9) as
involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law, or under procedures set
forth in the Fund's Articles of Incorporation, or as adopted by the Board of
Directors of the Fund.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Reduced Sales Charge for Former Shareholders of Advance America Funds,
Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholders of Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund, Oppenheimer U.S.
Government Trust, Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund and Oppenheimer Equity
Income Fund who acquired (and still hold) shares of those funds as a result of
the reorganization of series of Advance America Funds, Inc. into those
Oppenheimer funds on October 18, 1991, and who held shares of Advance America
Funds, Inc. on March 30, 1990, may purchase Class A shares of those four
Oppenheimer funds at a maximum sales charge rate of 4.50%.
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Web Site:
www.oppenheimerfunds.com
Investment Adviser
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Distributor
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Transfer and Shareholder Servicing Agent
OppenheimerFunds Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217
1-800-525-7048
Custodian of Portfolio Securities
Citibank, N.A.
399 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10043
Independent Auditors
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
707 Seventeenth Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Legal Counsel
Gordon Altman Butowsky Weitzen Shalov & Wein
114 West 47th Street
New York, New York 10036
67890
PX790.1198
1 Ms. Macaskill is not a Director of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
OPPENHEIMER NEW YORK MUNICIPAL FUND
FORM N-1A
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 23. Exhibits
(a) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated September 16, 1996:
Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 20, (January 17,
1997) and incorporated herein by reference .
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
(b) Amended By-Laws: Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 (January 27, 1988)
refiled with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 (January 27, 1995) pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation
S-T, and incorporated herein by reference.
(c) (i) Speciman Class A Share Certificate: Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
No. 20 (January 17, 1997), and incorporated herein by reference.
(ii) Speciman Class B Share Certificate: Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
No. 20 (January 17, 1997), and incorporated herein by reference.
(iii) Speciman Class C Share Certificate: Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
No. 20 (January 17, 1997), and incorporated herein by reference.
(d) Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 22, 1990: Previously filed with
Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 (December 3, 1990), refiled with Registrant's
Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 (January 27, 1995) pursuant to Item 102 of
Regulation S-T and incorporated herein by reference.
(e) (i) General Distributor's Agreement dated December 10, 1992: Previously filed with Registrant's
Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 (November 16, 1993.
(ii) Form of Dealer Agreement of OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.: Filed with Post-Effective
Amendment No. 14 of Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. (Reg. No. 33-17850), 9/30/94, and incorporated
herein by reference.
(iii) Form of OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. Broker Agreement: Filed with Post-Effective
Amendment No. 14 of Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. (Reg. No. 33-17850), 9/30/94, and incorporated
herein by reference.
(iv) Form of OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. Agency Agreement: Filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 14
of Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. (Reg. No. 33-17850), 9/30/94, and incorporated herein by
reference.
(v) Broker Agreement between Oppenheimer Fund Management, Inc. and Newbridge Securities dated 11/1/86:
Filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 25 of Oppenheimer Growth Fund (Reg. No. 2-45272),
10/30/86, refiled with Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 of Oppenheimer Growth Fund (Reg. No.
2-45272), 8/22/94, pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T, and incorporated herein by reference.
(f) (i) Form of Deferred Compensation Agreement for Disinterested Trustees/Directors: To be Filed by
Post-Effective Amendment.
(ii) Retirement Plan for Non-Interested Trustees or Directors dated 6/7/90 - Filed with
Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to the Registration Statement of Oppenheimer Fund (File No. 2-14586)
8/30/90, refiled with Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 of Oppenheimer Growth Fund (Reg. No. 2-45272),
8/22/94, pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T, and incorporated herein by reference.
(g) Custody Agreement dated January 20, 1996: Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
No. 20 (January 17, 1997).
</TABLE>
(h) Not applicable.
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated July 3, 1984: Previously filed with
Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registrant's Registration
Statement (July 12, 1984) , refiled with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
No. 14, (January 27, 1995) pursuant to Item 102 of Regulation S-T and
incorporated herein by reference.
(j) Independent Auditors Consent: To be filed by Post-Effective Amendment.
(k) Not applicable.
(l) Investment Letter from OppenheimerFunds, Inc. to Registrant dated
January 29, 1984: Filed with Pre-Effective amendment No.1 Registrant's
Registration Statement, July 12, 1984, refiled with Registrant's
Post-Effective Amendment No. 14, January 27, 1995 pursuant to Item 102
of Regulation S-T and incorporated herein by reference.
(m) (i) Service Plan and Agreement for Class A shares dated June 10, 1993:
Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 (January 2,
1994), and incorporated herein by reference.
(ii) Distribution and Service Plan and Agreement for Class B shares dated
February 12, 1998: To be filed by Post-Effective Amendment.
(iii) Distribution and Service Plan and Agreement for Class C shares dated
February 12, 1998: To be filed by Post-Effective Amendment.
(n) (i) Financial Data Schedule for Class A Shares: To be filed by
Post-Effective Amendment
(ii) Financial Data Schedule for Class B Shares: To be filed by Post-Effective
Amendment
(iii) Financial Data Schedule for Class C Shares: To be filed by Post-Effective
Amendment
(o) Oppenheimer Funds Multiple Class Plan under Rule 18f-3 as updated through
8/25/98: Previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to the
Registration Statement of Oppenheimer Global Fund (Reg. No. 2-31661), 9/14/98,
and incorporated herein by reference.
- -- Powers of Attorney (including Certified Board resolutions): (Bridget A.
Macaskill) Previously filed with Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 18
(February 1, 1996); others previously filed (all other Trustees) with
Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 (November 26, 1993) and
incorporated herein by reference.
Item 24. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund
None.
Item 25. Indemnification
Reference is made to the provisions of Article Seventh of Registrant's
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust filed as Exhibit 23(a) to this
Registration Statement, and incorporated herein by reference.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, Registrant has
been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of
1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant
of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of
Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person, Registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
Item 26. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
Item 26. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
(a) OppenheimerFunds, Inc. is the investment adviser of the Registrant; it and
certain subsidiaries and affiliates act in the same capacity to other registered
investment companies as described in Parts A and B hereof and listed in Item
26(b) below.
(b) There is set forth below information as to any other business, profession,
vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each officer and
director of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. is, or at any time during the past two fiscal
years has been, engaged for his/her own account or in the capacity of director,
officer, employee, partner or trustee.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Name and Current Position Other Business and Connections
with OppenheimerFunds, Inc. During the Past Two Years
Charles E. Albers,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds
(since April 1998); a
Chartered Financial
Analyst; formerly, a Vice
President and portfolio
manager for Guardian
Investor Services, the
investment management
subsidiary of The Guardian
Life Insurance Company
(since
1972).
Edward Amberger,
Assistant Vice President Formerly
Assistant Vice President,
Securities Analyst for
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
(May 1997 - April 1998);
and Research Analyst (July
1996 - May 1997), Portfolio
Manager (February 1992 -
July 1996) and Department
Manager (June 1988 to
February 1992) for The Bank
of New York.
Mark J.P. Anson,
Vice President Vice President of Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc.
("ORAMI"); formerly, Vice President of Equity Derivatives at
Salomon Brothers, Inc.
Peter M. Antos,
Senior Vice President An officer and/or portfolio manager of certain Oppenheimer
funds; a Chartered Financial Analyst; Senior Vice President
of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation ("HarbourView");
prior to March, 1996 he was the senior equity portfolio
manager for the Panorama Series Fund, Inc. (the "Company")
and other mutual funds and pension funds managed by G.R.
Phelps & Co. Inc. ("G.R. Phelps"), the Company's former
investment adviser, which was a subsidiary of Connecticut
Mutual Life Insurance Company; he was also responsible for
managing the common stock department and common stock
investments of Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Lawrence Apolito,
Vice President None.
Victor Babin,
Senior Vice President None.
Bruce Bartlett,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Formerly, a Vice President
and Senior Portfolio
Manager at First of America
Investment Corp.
George Batejan,
Executive Vice President,
Chief Information Officer Formerly Senior Vice President, Group Executive, and Senior
Systems Officer for American International Group (October
1994 - May, 1998).
John R. Blomfield,
Vice President Formerly Senior
Product Manager (November,
1995 - August, 1997) of
International Home Foods
and American Home Products
(March, 1994 - October,
1996).
Kathleen Beichert,
Vice President None.
Rajeev Bhaman,
Vice President Formerly, Vice
President (January 1992 -
February, 1996) of Asian
Equities for Barclays de
Zoete Wedd, Inc.
Robert J. Bishop,
Vice President Vice President of
Mutual Fund Accounting
(since May 1996); an
officer of other
Oppenheimer funds;
formerly, an Assistant Vice
President of OFI/Mutual
Fund Accounting (April
1994-May 1996), and a Fund
Controller for OFI.
George C. Bowen,
Senior Vice President, Treasurer
and Director Vice President (since June 1983) and Treasurer (since March
1985) of OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. (the
"Distributor"); Vice President (since October 1989) and
Treasurer (since April 1986) of HarbourView; Senior Vice
President (since February 1992), Treasurer (since July
1991)and a director (since December 1991) of Centennial;
President, Treasurer and a director of Centennial Capital
Corporation (since June 1989); Vice President and Treasurer
(since August 1978) and Secretary (since April 1981) of
Shareholder Services, Inc. ("SSI"); Vice President,
Treasurer and Secretary of Shareholder Financial Services,
Inc. ("SFSI") (since November 1989); Assistant Treasurer of
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. ("OAC") (since March, 1998);
Treasurer of Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc. (since
November 1989); Vice President and Treasurer of ORAMI
(since July 1996); an officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
Scott Brooks,
Vice President None.
Susan Burton,
Vice President None.
Adele Campbell,
Assistant Vice President & Assistant
Treasurer: Rochester Division Formerly, Assistant Vice President of Rochester Fund
Services, Inc.
Michael Carbuto,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds;
Vice President of
Centennial.
John Cardillo,
Assistant Vice President None.
Erin Cawley,
Assistant Vice President None.
H.D. Digby Clements,
Assistant Vice President:
Rochester Division None.
O. Leonard Darling,
Executive Vice President Trustee (1993 - present) of Awhtolia College - Greece.
William DeJianne, None.
Assistant Vice President
Robert A. Densen,
Senior Vice President None.
Sheri Devereux,
Assistant Vice President None.
Craig P. Dinsell
Executive Vice President Formerly,
Senior Vice President of
Human Resources for
Fidelity Investments-Retail
Division (January, 1995 -
January, 1996), Fidelity
Investments FMR Co.
(January, 1996 - June,
1997) and Fidelity
Investments FTPG (June,
1997 - January, 1998).
Robert Doll, Jr.,
Executive Vice President & Director
An officer and/or portfolio
manager of certain
Oppenheimer funds.
John Doney,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Andrew J. Donohue,
Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Director Executive Vice President (since September 1993), and a
director (since January 1992) of the Distributor; Executive
Vice President, General Counsel and a director of
HarbourView, SSI, SFSI and Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings,
Inc. since (September 1995); President and a director of
Centennial (since September 1995); President and a director
of ORAMI (since July 1996); General Counsel (since May
1996) and Secretary (since April 1997) of OAC; Vice
President and Director of OppenheimerFunds International,
Ltd. ("OFIL") and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since
October 1997); an officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
Patrick Dougherty, None.
Assistant Vice President
Bruce Dunbar, None.
Vice President
Eric Edstrom,
Vice President Formerly an
Assistant Vice President
and National Account
Executive (February 1996 -
August 1998) for MBNA
America.
George Evans,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Edward Everett,
Assistant Vice President None.
Scott Farrar,
Vice President Assistant
Treasurer of Oppenheimer
Millennium Funds plc (since
October 1997); an officer
of other Oppenheimer funds;
formerly, an Assistant Vice
President of OFI/Mutual
Fund Accounting (April
1994-May 1996), and a Fund
Controller for OFI.
Leslie A. Falconio,
Assistant Vice President None.
Katherine P. Feld,
Vice President and Secretary
Vice President and
Secretary of the
Distributor; Secretary of
HarbourView, and
Centennial; Secretary, Vice
President and Director of
Centennial Capital
Corporation; Vice President
and Secretary of ORAMI.
Ronald H. Fielding,
Senior Vice President; Chairman:
Rochester Division An officer, Director and/or portfolio manager of certain
Oppenheimer funds; Presently he holds the following other
positions: Director (since 1995) of ICI Mutual Insurance
Company; Governor (since 1994) of St. John's College;
Director (since 1994 - present) of International Museum of
Photography at George Eastman House. Formerly, he held the
following positions: formerly, Chairman of the Board and
Director of Rochester Fund Distributors, Inc. ("RFD");
President and Director of Fielding Management Company, Inc.
("FMC"); President and Director of Rochester Capital
Advisors, Inc. ("RCAI"); Managing Partner of Rochester
Capital Advisors, L.P., President and Director of Rochester
Fund Services, Inc. ("RFS"); President and Director of
Rochester Tax Managed Fund, Inc.; Director (1993 - 1997) of
VehiCare Corp.; Director (1993 - 1996) of VoiceMode.
John Fortuna,
Vice President None.
Patricia Foster,
Vice President Formerly, she
held the following
positions: An officer of
certain former Rochester
funds (May, 1993 - January,
1996); Secretary of
Rochester Capital Advisors,
Inc. and General Counsel
(June, 1993 - January 1996)
of Rochester Capital
Advisors, L.P.
Jennifer Foxson,
Vice President None.
Erin Gardiner,
Assistant Vice President None.
Linda Gardner,
Vice President None.
Alan Gilston,
Vice President Formerly, Vice President (1987-1997) for Schroder Capital
Management International.
Jill Glazerman,
Assistant Vice President None.
Robyn Goldstein-Liebler
Assistant Vice President None.
Mikhail Goldverg
Assistant Vice President None.
Jeremy Griffiths,
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer Chief
Financial Officer and
Treasurer (since March,
1998) of Oppenheimer
Acquisition Corp.; a Member
and Fellow of the Institute
of Chartered Accountants;
formerly, an accountant for
Arthur Young (London,
U.K.).
Robert Grill,
Senior Vice President Formerly,
Marketing Vice President
for Bankers Trust Company
(1993-1996); Steering
Committee Member,
Subcommittee Chairman for
American Savings Education
Council (1995-1996).
Caryn Halbrecht,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Elaine T. Hamann,
Vice President Formerly, Vice President (September, 1989 - January, 1997)
of Bankers Trust Company.
Robert Haley
Assistant Vice President Formerly,
Vice President of
Information Services for
Bankers Trust Company
(January, 1991 - November,
1997).
Thomas B. Hayes,
Vice President None.
Barbara Hennigar,
Executive Vice President and
Chief Executive Officer of
OppenheimerFunds Services,
a division of the Manager President and Director of SFSI; President and Chief
executive Officer of SSI.
Dorothy Hirshman, None.
Assistant Vice President
Merryl Hoffman,
Vice President None.
Nicholas Horsley,
Vice President Formerly, a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager for
Warburg, Pincus Counsellors, Inc. (1993-1997), Co-manager of
Warburg, Pincus Emerging Markets Fund (12/94 - 10/97),
Co-manager Warburg, Pincus Institutional Emerging Markets
Fund - Emerging Markets Portfolio (8/96 - 10/97), Warburg
Pincus Japan OTC Fund, Associate Portfolio Manager of
Warburg Pincus International Equity Fund, Warburg Pincus
Institutional Fund - Intermediate Equity Portfolio, and
Warburg Pincus EAFE Fund.
Scott T. Huebl,
Assistant Vice President None.
Richard Hymes,
Vice President None.
Jane Ingalls,
Vice President None.
Kathleen T. Ives,
Vice President None.
Frank Jennings,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Thomas W. Keffer,
Senior Vice President None.
Avram Kornberg,
Vice President None.
John Kowalik,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager
for certain
OppenheimerFunds; formerly,
Managing Director and
Senior Portfolio Manager at
Prudential Global Advisors
(1989 -
1998).
Joseph Krist,
Assistant Vice President None.
Michael Levine,
Assistant Vice President None.
Shanquan Li,
Vice President None.
Stephen F. Libera,
Vice President An officer and/or portfolio manager for certain Oppenheimer
funds; a Chartered Financial Analyst; a Vice President of
HarbourView; prior to March 1996, the senior bond portfolio
manager for Panorama Series Fund Inc., other mutual funds
and pension accounts managed by G.R. Phelps; also
responsible for managing the public fixed-income securities
department at Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Mitchell J. Lindauer,
Vice President None.
Dan Loughran,
Assistant Vice President:
Rochester Division None.
David Mabry,
Assistant Vice President None.
Steve Macchia,
Assistant Vice President None.
Bridget Macaskill,
President, Chief Executive Officer
and Director Chief Executive Officer (since September 1995); President
and director (since June 1991) of HarbourView; Chairman and
a director of SSI (since August 1994), and SFSI (September
1995); President (since September 1995) and a director
(since October 1990) of OAC; President (since September
1995) and a director (since November 1989) of Oppenheimer
Partnership Holdings, Inc., a holding company subsidiary of
OFI; a director of ORAMI (since July 1996) ; President and a
director (since October 1997) of OFIL, an offshore fund
manager subsidiary of OFI and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds
plc (since October 1997); President and a director of other
Oppenheimer funds; a director of Hillsdown Holdings plc (a
U.K. food company); formerly, an Executive Vice President of
OFI.
Wesley Mayer,
Vice President Formerly, Vice President (January, 1995 - June, 1996) of
Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.
Loretta McCarthy,
Executive Vice President None.
Kelley A. McCarthy-Kane
Assistant Vice President Formerly,
Product Manager, Assistant
Vice President (June 1995-
October, 1997) of Merrill
Lynch Pierce Fenner &
Smith.
Beth Michnowski,
Assistant Vice President Formerly Senior Marketing Manager May, 1996 - June, 1997)
and Director of Product Marketing (August, 1992 - May, 1996)
with Fidelity Investments.
Lisa Migan,
Assistant Vice President None.
Denis R. Molleur,
Vice President None.
Nikolaos Monoyios,
Vice President A Vice President
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds
(since April 1998); a
Certified Financial
Analyst; formerly, a Vice
President and portfolio
manager for Guardian
Investor Services, the
management subsidiary of
The Guardian Life Insurance
Company (since 1979).
Linda Moore,
Vice President Formerly, Marketing Manager (July 1995-November 1996) for
Chase Investment Services Corp.
Kenneth Nadler,
Vice President None.
David Negri,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Barbara Niederbrach,
Assistant Vice President None.
Robert A. Nowaczyk,
Vice President None.
Ray Olson,
Assistant Vice President None.
Richard M. O'Shaugnessy,
Assistant Vice President:
Rochester Division None.
Gina M. Palmieri,
Assistant Vice President None.
Robert E. Patterson,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
James Phillips
Assistant Vice President None.
Jane Putnam,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Michael Quinn,
Assistant Vice President Formerly, Assistant Vice President (April, 1995 - January,
1998) of Van Kampen American Capital.
Russell Read,
Senior Vice President Vice President of Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc.
(since March, 1995).
Thomas Reedy,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds;
formerly, a Securities
Analyst for the Manager.
John Reinhardt,
Vice President: Rochester Division None
Ruxandra Risko,
Vice President None.
Michael S. Rosen,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Richard H. Rubinstein,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Lawrence Rudnick,
Assistant Vice President None.
James Ruff,
Executive Vice President & Director None.
Valerie Sanders,
Vice President None.
Ellen Schoenfeld,
Assistant Vice President None.
Stephanie Seminara,
Vice President None.
Michelle Simone,
Assistant Vice President None.
Richard Soper,
Vice President None.
Stuart J. Speckman
Vice President Formerly, Vice President and Wholesaler for Prudential
Securities (December, 1990 - July, 1997).
Nancy Sperte,
Executive Vice President None.
Donald W. Spiro,
Chairman Emeritus and Director Vice
Chairman and Trustee of the
New York-based Oppenheimer
Funds; formerly, Chairman
of the Manager and the
Distributor.
Richard A. Stein,
Vice President: Rochester Division Assistant Vice President (since 1995) of Rochester Capitol
Advisors, L.P.
Arthur Steinmetz,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Ralph Stellmacher,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
John Stoma,
Senior Vice President, Director
of Retirement Plans None.
Michael C. Strathearn,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds;
a Chartered Financial
Analyst; a Vice President
of HarbourView.
James C. Swain,
Vice Chairman of the Board
Chairman, CEO and Trustee,
Director or Managing
Partner of the Denver-based
Oppenheimer Funds;
formerly, President and
Director of OAMC, CAMC and
Chairman of the Board of
SSI.
Susan Switzer,
Assistant Vice President
Anthony A. Tanner,
Vice President: Rochester Division
James Tobin,
Vice President None.
Susan Torrisi,
Assistant Vice President None.
Jay Tracey,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
James Turner,
Assistant Vice President None.
Maureen VanNorstrand,
Assistant Vice President None.
Ashwin Vasan,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds.
Teresa Ward,
Assistant Vice President None.
Jerry Webman,
Senior Vice President Director of New York-based tax-exempt fixed income
Oppenheimer funds.
Christine Wells,
Vice President None.
Joseph Welsh,
Assistant Vice President None.
Kenneth B. White,
Vice President An officer and/or
portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds;
a Chartered Financial
Analyst; Vice President of
HarbourView.
William L. Wilby,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds;
Vice President of
HarbourView.
Carol Wolf,
Vice President An officer and/or portfolio manager of certain Oppenheimer
funds; Vice President of Centennial; Vice President, Finance
and Accounting; Point of Contact: Finance Supporters of
Children; Member of the Oncology Advisory Board of the
Childrens Hospital.
Caleb Wong,
Assistant Vice President None.
Robert G. Zack,
Senior Vice President and
Assistant Secretary, Associate
General Counsel Assistant Secretary
of SSI (since May 1985),
SFSI (since November 1989),
OFIL (since 1998),
Oppenheimer Millennium
Funds plc (since October
1997); an officer of other
Oppenheimer funds.
Jill Zachman,
Assistant Vice President:
Rochester Division None.
Arthur J. Zimmer,
Senior Vice President An officer
and/or portfolio manager of
certain Oppenheimer funds;
Vice President of
Centennial.
</TABLE>
The Oppenheimer Funds include the New York-based Oppenheimer Funds, the
Denver-based Oppenheimer Funds and the Oppenheimer/Quest Rochester Funds, as set
forth below:
New York-based Oppenheimer Funds
Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund
Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund
Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund
Oppenheimer Global Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund
Oppenheimer Growth Fund
Oppenheimer International Growth Fund
Oppenheimer International Small Company Fund
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income Trust
Oppenheimer Multi-State Municipal Trust
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund
Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Series Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer World Bond Fund
Quest/Rochester Funds
Limited Term New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund
Oppenheimer MidCap Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Capital Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Quest For Value Funds
Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc.
Rochester Fund Municipals
Denver-based Oppenheimer Funds
Centennial America Fund, L.P.
Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Government Trust
Centennial Money Market Trust
Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund
Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund
Oppenheimer Integrity Funds
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc.
Oppenheimer Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund
Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds
Panorama Series Fund, Inc.
The New York Tax-Exempt Income Fund, Inc.
The address of OppenheimerFunds, Inc., the New York-based Oppenheimer Funds, the
Quest Funds, OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc., HarbourView Asset Management
Corp., Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc., and Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.
is Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203.
The address of the Denver-based Oppenheimer Funds, Shareholder Financial
Services, Inc., Shareholder Services, Inc., OppenheimerFunds Services,
Centennial Asset Management Corporation, Centennial Capital Corp., and
Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc. is 6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood,
Colorado 80112.
The address of the Rochester-based funds is 350 Linden Oaks, Rochester, New York
14625-2807.
Item 27. Principal Underwriter
(a) OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. is the Distributor of the Registrant's
shares. It is also the Distributor of each of the other registered open-end
investment companies for which OppenheimerFunds, Inc. is the investment adviser,
as described in Part A and B of this Registration Statement and listed in Item
26(b) above.
(b) The directors and officers of the Registrant's principal underwriter are:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C>
Name & Principal Positions & Offices Positions & Offices
Business Address with Underwriter with Registrant
Jason Bach Vice President None
31 Racquel Drive
Marietta, GA 30364
Peter Beebe Vice President None
876 Foxdale Avenue
Winnetka, IL 60093
Douglas S. Blankenship Vice President None
17011 Woodbank
Spring, TX 77379
George C. Bowen(1) Vice President and Vice President and
Treasurer Treasurer of the
Oppenheimer funds.
Peter W. Brennan Vice President None
1940 Cotswold Drive
Orlando, FL 32825
Robert Coli Vice President None
12 White Tail Lane
Bedminster, NJ 07921
Ronald T. Collins Vice President None
710-3 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030
William Coughlin Vice President None
542 West Surf - #2N
Chicago, IL 60657
Mary Crooks(1)
Daniel Deckman Vice President None
12252 Rockledge Circle
Boca Raton, FL 33428
Christopher DeSimone Vice President None
5105 Aldrich Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Rhonda Dixon-Gunner(1) Assistant Vice President None
Andrew John Donohue(2) Executive Vice Secretary of the
President & Director Oppenheimer funds.
And General Counsel
John Donovan Vice President None
868 Washington Road
Woodbury, CT 06798
Kenneth Dorris Vice President None
4104 Harlanwood Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76109
Wendy H. Ehrlich Vice President None
4 Craig Street
Jericho, NY 11753
Kent Elwell Vice President None
35 Crown Terrace
Yardley, PA 19067
Todd Ermenio Vice President None
11011 South Darlington
Tulsa, OK 74137
John Ewalt Vice President None
2301 Overview Dr. NE
Tacoma, WA 98422
George Fahey Vice President None
412 Commons Way
Doylestown, PA 18901
Patrice Falagrady(1) Senior Vice President None
Eric Fallon Vice President None
10 Worth Circle
Newton, MA 02158
Katherine P. Feld(2) Vice President None
& Secretary
Mark Ferro Vice President None
43 Market Street
Breezy Point, NY 11697
Ronald H. Fielding(3) Vice President None
Ronald R. Foster Senior Vice President None
11339 Avant Lane
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Patricia Gadecki-Wells Vice President None
950 First St., S.
Suite 204
Winter Haven, FL 33880
Luiggino Galleto Vice President None
10239 Rougemont Lane
Charlotte, NC 28277
Michelle Gans Vice President None
8327 Kimball Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
L. Daniel Garrity Vice President None
2120 Brookhaven View, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30319
Mark Giles Vice President None
5506 Bryn Mawr
Dallas, TX 75209
Ralph Grant(2) Vice President/National None
Sales Manager
Michael Guman Vice President None
3913 Pleasent Avenue
Allentown, PA 18103
Allen Hamilton Vice President None
5 Giovanni
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
C. Webb Heidinger Vice President None
138 Gales Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Byron Ingram(1) Assistant Vice President None
Kathleen T. Ives(1) Vice President None
Eric K. Johnson Vice President None
3665 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
Mark D. Johnson Vice President None
409 Sundowner Ridge Court
Wildwood, MO 63011
Elyse Jurman Vice President None
1194 Hillsboro Mile, #51
Hillsboro Beach, FL 33062
Michael Keogh(2) Vice President None
Brian Kelly Vice President None
60 Larkspur Road
Fairfield, CT 06430
John Kennedy Vice President None
799 Paine Drive
Westchester, PA 19382
Richard Klein Vice President None
4820 Fremont Avenue So.
Minneapolis, MN 55409
Daniel Krause Vice President None
560 Beacon Hill Drive
Orange Village, OH 44022
Ilene Kutno(2) Vice President/ None
Director of Sales
Oren Lane Vice President None
5286 Timber Bend Drive
Brighton, MI 48116
Todd Lawson Vice President None
3333 E. Bayaud Avenue
Unit 714
Denver, CO 80209
Wayne A. LeBlang Senior Vice President None
54511 Southern Hills
LaQuinta, CA 92253
Dawn Lind Vice President None
7 Maize Court
Melville, NY 11747
James Loehle Vice President None
2714 Orchard Terrace
Linden, NJ 07036
Steve Manns Vice President None
1941 W. Wolfram Street
Chicago, IL 60657
Todd Marion Vice President None
39 Coleman Avenue
Chatham, N.J. 07928
Marie Masters Vice President None
8384 Glen Eagle Drive
Manlius, NY 13104
LuAnn Mascia(2) Assistant Vice President None
Theresa-Marie Maynier Vice President None
2421 Charlotte Drive
Charlotte, NC 28203
Anthony Mazzariello Vice President None
100 Anderson Street, #427
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
John McDonough Vice President None
3812 Leland Street
Chevey Chase, MD 20815
Wayne Meyer Vice President None
2617 Sun Meadow Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63005
Tanya Mrva(2) Assistant Vice President None
Laura Mulhall(2) Senior Vice President None
Charles Murray Vice President None
18 Spring Lake Drive
Far Hills, NJ 07931
Wendy Murray Vice President None
32 Carolin Road
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
Denise-Marke Nakamura Vice President None
2870 White Ridge Place, #24
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Chad V. Noel Vice President None
2408 Eagleridge Dr.
Henderson, NV 89014
Joseph Norton Vice President None
2518 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Kevin Parchinski Vice President None
8409 West 116th Terrace
Overland Park, KS 66210
Gayle Pereira Vice President None
2707 Via Arboleda
San Clemente, CA 92672
Charles K. Pettit Vice President None
22 Fall Meadow Dr.
Pittsford, NY 14534
Bill Presutti Vice President None
130 E. 63rd Street, #10E
New York, NY 10021
Steve Puckett Vice President None
5297 Soledad Mountain Road
San Diego, CA 92109
Elaine Puleo(2) Senior Vice President None
Minnie Ra Vice President None
100 Delores Street, #203
Carmel, CA 93923
Dustin Raring Vice President None
378 Elm Street
Denver, CO 80220
Michael Raso Vice President None
16 N. Chatsworth Ave.
Apt. 301
Larchmont, NY 10538
John C. Reinhardt(3) Vice President None
Douglas Rentschler Vice President None
677 Middlesex Road
Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230
Ian Robertson Vice President None
4204 Summit Wa
Marietta, GA 30066
Michael S. Rosen(2) Vice President None
Kenneth Rosenson Vice President None
3505 Malibu Country Drive
Malibu, CA 90265
James Ruff(2) President None
Timothy Schoeffler Vice President None
1717 Fox Hall Road
Washington, DC 77479
Michael Sciortino Vice President None
785 Beau Chene Drive
Mandeville, LA 70471
Eric Sharp Vice President None
862 McNeill Circle
Woodland, CA 95695
Robert Shore Vice President None
26 Baroness Lane
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Timothy Stegner Vice President None
794 Jackson Street
Denver, CO 80206
Peter Sullivan Vice President None
21445 S. E 35th Street
Issaquah, WA 98029
David Sturgis Vice President None
44 Abington Road
Danvers, MA 0923
Brian Summe Vice President None
239 N. Colony Drive
Edgewood, KY 41017
George Sweeney Vice President None
5 Smokehouse Lane
Hummelstown, PA 17036
Andrew Sweeny Vice President None
5967 Bayberry Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Scott McGregor Tatum Vice President None
704 Inwood
Southlake, TX 76092
David G. Thomas Vice President None
7009 Metropolitan Place, #300
Falls Church, VA 22043
Sarah Turpin Vice President None
2201 Wolf Street, #5202
Dallas, TX 75201
Andrea Walsh(1) Vice President None
Suzanne Walters(1) Assistant Vice President None
Mark Stephen Vandehey(1) Vice President None
James Wiaduck Vice President None
29900 Meridian Place
#22303
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
Marjorie Williams Vice President None
6930 East Ranch Road
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
</TABLE>
(1) 6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, CO 80112
(2) Two World Trade Center, New York, NY 10048
(3) 350 Linden Oaks, Rochester, NY 14623
(c) Not applicable.
Item 28. Location of Accounts and Records
The accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Registrant
pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and rules
promulgated thereunder are in the possession of OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
at its offices at 6803 South Tuscon Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112.
Item 29. Management Services
Not applicable
Item 30. Undertakings
Not applicable.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment
Company Act of 1940, the Registration certifies that it has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of New York and State of New York on the 20th day
of November, 1998.
OPPENHEIMER NEW YORK MUNICIPAL FUND
/s/ Bridget A. Macaskill
--------------------------------------
Bridget A. Macaskill, 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 on
the dates indicated:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C>
Signatures Title Date
- ---------- ----- ----
/s/ Leon Levy* Chairman of the November 20, 1998
- -------------- Board of Trustees
Leon Levy
/s/ Donald W. Spiro* Vice Chairman and November 20, 1998
- ------------------ Trustee
Donald W. Spiro
/s/ George Bowen* Treasurer and November 20, 1998
- ----------------- Principal Financial
George Bowen and Accounting
Officer
/s/ Robert G. Galli* Trustee November 20, 1998
- -------------------
Robert G. Galli
/s/ Benjamin Lipstein* Trustee November 20, 1998
- ----------------------
Benjamin Lipstein
Signatures Title Date
- ---------- ----- ----
/s/ Bridget A. Macaskill* President, November 20, 1998
- ------------------------ Principal Executive
Bridget A. Macaskill Officer, Trustee
/s/ Elizabeth B. Moynihan* Trustee November 20, 1998
- --------------------------
Elizabeth B. Moynihan
/s/ Kenneth A. Randall* Trustee November 20, 1998
- -----------------------
Kenneth A. Randall
/s/ Edward V. Regan* Trustee November 20, 1998
- ------------------
Edward V. Regan
/s/ Russell S. Reynolds, Jr.* Trustee November 20, 1998
- -----------------------------
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr.
/s/ Pauline Trigere* Trustee November 20, 1998
- --------------------
Pauline Trigere
/s/ Clayton K. Yeutter* Trustee November 20, 1998
- -----------------------
Clayton K. Yeutter
*By: /s/ Robert G. Zack
- --------------------------------
Robert G. Zack, Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>
