File Nos. 2-95553
811-4215
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. 21 [ X ]
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [ X ]
Amendment No. 21 [ X ]
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
c/o The Dreyfus Corporation
200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code: (212) 922-6000
Mark N. Jacobs, Esq.
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10166
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate
box)
immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
----
X on September 1, 1998 pursuant to paragraph (b)
----
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
----
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
----
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii)
----
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of Rule 485
----
If appropriate, check the following box:
this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date
for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
----
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
Cross-Reference Sheet Pursuant to Rule 495(a)
Items in
Part A of
Form N-1A Caption Page
_________ _______ ____
1 Cover Page Cover
2 Synopsis 3
3 Condensed Financial Information 4
4 General Description of Registrant 5
5 Management of the Fund 6
5(a) Management's Discussion of Fund's Performance *
6 Capital Stock and Other Securities 17
7 Purchase of Securities Being Offered 7
8 Redemption or Repurchase 12
9 Pending Legal Proceedings *
Items in
Part B of
Form N-1A
- ---------
10 Cover Page Cover
11 Table of Contents Cover
12 General Information and History B-29
13 Investment Objectives and Policies B-2
14 Management of the Fund B-12
15 Control Persons and Principal B-15
Holders of Securities
16 Investment Advisory and Other B-15
Services
_____________________________
NOTE: * Omitted since answer is negative or inapplicable.
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
Cross-Reference Sheet Pursuant to Rule 495(a) (continued)
Items in
Part B of
Form N-1A Caption Page
_________ _______ _____
17 Brokerage Allocation B-20
18 Capital Stock and Other Securities B-22
19 Purchase, Redemption and Pricing B-18, B-20
of Securities Being Offered B-25
20 Tax Status *
21 Underwriters B-18
22 Calculations of Performance Data B-28
23 Financial Statements B-30
Items in
Part C of
Form N-1A
_________
24 Financial Statements and Exhibits C-1
25 Persons Controlled by or Under C-3
Common Control with Registrant
26 Number of Holders of Securities C-3
27 Indemnification C-3
28 Business and Other Connections of C-6
Investment Adviser
29 Principal Underwriters C-10
30 Location of Accounts and Records C-13
31 Management Services C-13
32 Undertakings C-13
_____________________________________
NOTE: * Omitted since answer is negative or inapplicable.
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PROSPECTUS SEPTEMBER 1, 1998
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
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DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC. (THE "FUND") IS AN OPEN-END, DIVERSIFIED,
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY, KNOWN AS A MUTUAL FUND. THE FUND'S INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AS HIGH A LEVEL OF CURRENT INCOME AS IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESERVATION OF CAPITAL. THE FUND INVESTS PRINCIPALLY IN
INSTRUMENTS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION.
YOU CAN INVEST, REINVEST OR REDEEM SHARES AT ANY TIME WITHOUT CHARGE
OR PENALTY IMPOSED BY THE FUND.
THE FUND PROVIDES FREE REDEMPTION CHECKS, WHICH YOU CAN USE IN
AMOUNTS OF $500 OR MORE FOR CASH OR TO PAY BILLS. YOU CONTINUE TO EARN INCOME
ON THE AMOUNT OF THE CHECK UNTIL IT CLEARS. YOU CAN PURCHASE OR REDEEM SHARES
BY TELEPHONE USING DREYFUS TELETRANSFER.
THE DREYFUS CORPORATION PROFESSIONALLY MANAGES THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO.
THIS PROSPECTUS SETS FORTH CONCISELY INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND THAT
YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE INVESTING. IT SHOULD BE READ AND RETAINED FOR FUTURE
REFERENCE.
THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, DATED SEPTEMBER 1, 1998,
WHICH MAY BE REVISED FROM TIME TO TIME, PROVIDES A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF
CERTAIN AREAS IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND OTHER MATTERS WHICH MAY BE OF INTEREST
TO SOME INVESTORS. IT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION AND IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION MAINTAINS A WEB SITE (HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV) THAT CONTAINS
THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, MATERIAL INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE,
AND OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE FUND. FOR A FREE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WRITE TO THE FUND AT 144 GLENN CURTISS BOULEVARD,
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK 11556-0144, OR CALL 1-800-645-6561. WHEN TELEPHONING, ASK
FOR OPERATOR 144.
MUTUAL FUND SHARES ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED
OR ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK, AND ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL
DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER
AGENCY. THE NET ASSET VALUE OF FUNDS OF THIS TYPE WILL FLUCTUATE FROM TIME TO
TIME.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Annual Fund Operating Expenses.................... 3
Condensed Financial Information................... 4
Description of the Fund........................... 5
Management of the Fund............................ 7
How to Buy Shares................................. 8
Shareholder Services.............................. 10
How to Redeem Shares.............................. 13
Service Plan...................................... 16
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes................ 16
Performance Information........................... 18
General Information............................... 19
Appendix.......................................... 20
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THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES
COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE
SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS
PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
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[This Page Intentionally Left Blank]
[Page 2]
<TABLE>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(as a percentage of average daily net assets)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Management Fees............................................................................. .60%
12b-1 Fees (distribution and servicing)..................................................... .20%
Other Expenses.............................................................................. .16%
Total Fund Operating Expenses............................................................... .96%
EXAMPLE: 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
You would pay the following
expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming
(1) 5% annual return and (2) redemption at
the end of each time period: $10 $31 $53 $118
</TABLE>
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THE AMOUNTS LISTED IN THE EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS
REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE EXPENSES AND ACTUAL
EXPENSES MAY BE GREATER OR LESS THAN THOSE INDICATED. MOREOVER, WHILE THE
EXAMPLE ASSUMES A 5% ANNUAL RETURN, THE FUND'S ACTUAL PERFORMANCE WILL VARY
AND MAY RESULT IN AN ACTUAL RETURN GREATER OR LESS THAN 5%.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of the foregoing table is to assist you in understanding
the costs and expenses borne by the Fund and investors, the payment of which
will reduce investors' annual return. Long-term investors could pay more in
12b-1 fees than the economic equivalent of paying a front-end sales charge.
Certain Service Agents (as defined below) may charge their clients direct
fees for effecting transactions in Fund shares; such fees are not reflected
in the foregoing table. See "Management of the Fund," "How to Buy Shares" and
"Service Plan."
[Page 3]
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The information in the following table has been audited by Ernst &
Young LLP, the Fund's independent auditors. Further financial data, related
notes and report of independent auditors accompany the Statement of
Additional Information, available upon request.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Contained below is per share operating performance data for a share
of Common Stock outstanding, total investment return, ratios to average net
assets and other supplemental data for each year
indicated. This information has been derived from the Fund's financial
statements.
<TABLE>
YEAR ENDED APRIL 30,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________-
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
PER SHARE DATA:
Net asset value,
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
beginning of year.. $14.75 $14.18 $14.07 $14.74 $14.90 $15.35 $14.48 $14.32 $14.50 $14.44
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Investment income_net 1.28 1.29 1.27 1.20 1.10 .99 .98 .96 .92 .91
Net realized and
unrealized
gain (loss)
on investment (.57) (.10) .68 .17 .46 (.87) (.18) .18 (.05) .55
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
TOTAL FROM INVESTMENT
Operations....... .71 1.19 1.95 1.37 1.56 .12 .80 1.14 .87 1.46
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
DISTRIBUTIONS:
Dividends from
investment
income-net (1.28) (1.30) (1.28) (1.21) (1.11) (.99) (.96) (.96) (.93) (.91)
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
Net asset value,
end of year $14.18 $14.07 $14.74 $14.90 $15.35 $14.48 $14.32 $14.50 $14.44 $14.99
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
Total Investment Return 5.06% 8.56% 14.44% 9.65% 10.80% .71% 5.81% 8.11% 6.17% 10.38%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Ratio of expenses to
average net assets .99% .97% .97% .95% .94% .95% .97% .96% .96% .96%
Ratio of net
investment income
to average net assets 8.89% 8.98% 8.81% 8.05% 7.20% 6.54% 6.90% 6.57% 6.38% 6.16%
Portfolio Turnover
Rate 473.01% 272.40% 25.85% 61.00% 155.90% 211.40% 362.70% 144.43% 323.99% 342.71%
Net Assets,
end of year
(000's omitted) $1,616,280 $1,496,469 $1,583,793 $1,756,776 $1,857,468 $1,601,947 $1,435,873 $1,373,618 $1,240,459 $1,172,792
</TABLE>
Further information about the Fund's performance is contained in the
Fund's annual report, which may be obtained without charge by writing to the
address or calling the number set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus.
[Page 4]
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund's investment objective is to provide you with as high a
level of current income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. It
cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority (as defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act")) of the
Fund's outstanding voting shares. There can be no assurance that the Fund's
investment objective will be achieved.
MANAGEMENT POLICIES
It is a fundamental policy of the Fund that it will invest at least
65% of the value of its net assets (except when maintaining a temporary
defensive position) in "GNMA Certificates" (popularly called "Ginnie Maes"). G
NMA Certificates also may include other securities that in the future are
guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"). The Fund
also may invest in other mortgage-related securities, including those issued
by government-related organizations such as the Federal National Mortgage
Association ("FNMA") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
("FHLMC"), private mortgage pass-through securities, stripped mortgage-backed
securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations, including real estate
mortgage investment conduits or REMICs. The mortgage-related securities in
which the Fund may invest include those with fixed, floating or variable
interest rates, those with interest rates that change based on multiples of
changes in a specified index of interest rates and those with interest rates
that change inversely to changes in interest rates, as well as those that do
not bear interest. The Fund also may invest in asset-backed securities. See
"Appendix."
Ginnie Maes are backed by the full faith and credit of the United
States. Ginnie Maes are mortgage-backed securities representing part
ownership of a pool of mortgage loans which are insured by the Federal
Housing Administration or Farmers' Home Administration or guaranteed by the
Veterans' Administration. The Fund invests in Ginnie Maes only of the "fully
modified pass-through" type which are guaranteed as to timely payment of
principal and interest by GNMA, a U.S. Government corporation. The Fund may
purchase Ginnie Maes and certain other mortgage-related securities on a
forward commitment basis.
The Fund may purchase other securities issued or guaranteed by, or
exchangeable for securities issued or guaranteed by, the U.S. Government or
issued by its agencies or instrumentalities that are backed by the full faith
and credit of the U.S. Government, and may enter into repurchase agreements
with respect to securities of the type in which the Fund may invest. For
temporary defensive purposes, the entire portfolio may be so invested. A
security guaranteed by the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to principal
and interest, and there is no guarantee of the security's market value. The
value of Fund shares is not guaranteed.
The Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate for the current fiscal year
is not expected to exceed 500%. A turnover rate of 100% is equivalent to the
Fund buying and selling all of the securities in its portfolio once in the
course of a year. Higher portfolio turnover rates usually generate additional
brokerage commissions and transaction costs and the short-term gains realized
from these transactions are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In
addition, the Fund may engage in various investment techniques, such as
transactions in options and futures, leveraging, lending portfolio
securities, and short-selling. For a discussion of the investment techniques
and their related risks, see "Investment Considerations and Risks" and
"Appendix _ Investment Techniques"below and "Investment Objective and
Management Policies _ Management Policies"in the Statement of Additional
Information.
[Page 5]
INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
GENERAL _ The Fund's net asset value per share should be expected to
fluctuate. Investors should consider the Fund as a supplement to an overall
investment program and should invest only if they are willing to undertake
the risks involved. See "Investment Objective and Management Policies" in the
Statement of Additional Information for further discussion of certain risks.
FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES _ Even though interest-bearing securities are
investments which promise a stable stream of income, the prices of such
securities generally are inversely affected by changes in interest rates and,
therefore, are subject to the risk of market price fluctuations. The values
of fixed-income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit
rating or financial condition of the issuer. Mortgage-related securities
issued by non-governmental entities will be purchased only if rated
investment grade by a rating agency or, if unrated, deemed to be of
comparable quality by The Dreyfus Corporation. The Fund currently intends,
however, to purchase such securities only if rated "A" or better, without
reference to rating subcategories, or, if unrated, determined by The Dreyfus
Corporation to be of comparable quality. Once the rating of a portfolio
security has been changed, the Fund will consider all circumstances deemed
relevant in determining whether to continue to hold the security. See
"Appendix _ Certain Portfolio Securities _ Ratings" and "Appendix" in the
Statement of Additional Information.
Mortgage-Related Securities _ Mortgage-related securities are complex
derivative instruments, subject to both credit and prepayment risk, and may
be more volatile and less liquid than more traditional debt securities.
Mortgage-related securities are subject to credit risks associated with the
performance of the underlying mortgage properties. Adverse changes in
economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to have an adverse
impact on mortgage-related securities secured by loans on certain types of
commercial properties than on those secured by loans on residential
properties. In addition, these securities are subject to prepayment risk,
although commercial mortgages typically have shorter maturities than
residential mortgages and prepayment protection features. Some mortgage-relate
d securities have structures that make their reactions to interest rate
changes and other factors difficult to predict, making their value highly
volatile. See "Appendix-Certain Portfolio Securities_Mortgage-Related
Securities."
USE OF DERIVATIVES _ In addition to mortgage-related securities and
asset-backed securities, the Fund may invest in, or enter into, other
derivatives ("Derivatives"), such as options and futures. These are financial
instruments which derive their value, at least in part, from the performance
of an underlying asset, index or interest rate. While Derivatives can be used
effectively in furtherance of the Fund's investment objective, under certain
market conditions, they can increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset va
lue, decrease the liquidity of the Fund's portfolio and make more difficult
the accurate pricing of the Fund's portfolio. See "Appendix _ Investment
Techniques _ Use of Derivatives" below and "Investment Objective and
Management Policies _ Management Policies _ Derivatives" in the Statement
of Additional Information.
SIMULTANEOUS INVESTMENTS _ Investment decisions for the Fund are made
independently from those of other investment companies advised by The Dreyfus
Corporation. If, however, such other investment companies desire to invest
in, or dispose of, the same securities as the Fund, available investments or
opportunities for sales will be allocated equitably to each investment
company. In some cases, this procedure may adversely affect the size of the
position obtained for or disposed of by the Fund or the price paid or
received by the Fund.
YEAR 2000 RISKS _ Like other mutual funds, financial and business
organizations and individuals around the world, the Fund could be adversely
affected if the computer systems used by The Dreyfus
[Page 6]
Corporation and the Fund's other service providers do not properly process
and calculate date-related information and data from and after January 1,
2000. This is commonly known as the "Year 2000 Problem." The Dreyfus
Corporation is taking steps to address the Year 2000 Problem with respect to
the computer systems that it uses and to obtain assurances that comparable
steps are being taken by the Fund's other major service providers. At this
time, however, there can be no assurance that these steps will be sufficient
to avoid any adverse impact on the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISER _ The Dreyfus Corporation, located at 200 Park Avenue,
New York, New York 10166, was formed in 1947 and serves as the Fund's
investment adviser. The Dreyfus Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Mellon Bank, N.A., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mellon Bank
Corporation ("Mellon"). As of July 31, 1998, The Dreyfus Corporation managed
or administered approximately $110 billion in assets for approximately 1.7
million investor accounts nationwide.
The Dreyfus Corporation supervises and assists in the overall
management of the Fund's affairs under a Management Agreement with the Fund,
subject to the authority of the Fund's Board in accordance with Maryland
law. The Fund's primary portfolio manager is Michael Hoeh. He has held that
position since March 1997 and has been employed by The Dreyfus Corporation
since October 1996. Prior to joining The Dreyfus Corporation, Mr. Hoeh was
Senior Vice President of the Portfolio Management division of ARM Capital
Advisors, Inc. and, from 1993 to 1994, he was Vice President of the Risk
Management division of Blackrock Financial Management, where he was employed
since January 1992. The Fund's other portfolio managers are identified in the
Statement of Additional Information. The Dreyfus Corporation also provides
research services for the Fund and for other funds advised by The Dreyfus
Corporation through a professional staff of portfolio managers and securities
analysts.
Mellon is a publicly owned multibank holding company incorporated
under Pennsylvania law in 1971 and registered under the Federal Bank Holding
Company Act of 1956, as amended. Mellon provides a comprehensive range of
financial products and services in domestic and selected international
markets. Mellon is among the twenty-five largest bank holding companies in
the United States based on total assets. Mellon's principal wholly-owned
subsidiaries are Mellon Bank, N.A., Mellon Bank (DE) National Association,
Mellon Bank (MD), The Boston Company, Inc., AFCOCredit Corporation and a
number of companies known as Mellon Financial Services Corporations. Through
its subsidiaries, including The Dreyfus Corporation, Mellon managed more than
$350 billion in assets as of June 30, 1998, including approximately $125
billion in proprietary mutual fund assets. As of June 30, 1998, Mellon,
through various subsidiaries, provided non-investment services, such as
custodial or administration services, for more than $1.791 trillion in
assets, including approximately $54 billion in mutual fund assets.
For the fiscal year ended April 30, 1998, the Fund paid The Dreyfus
Corporation a monthly management fee at the annual rate of .60 of 1% of the
value of the Fund's average daily net assets. From time to time, The Dreyfus
Corporation may waive receipt of its fees and/or voluntarily assume certain
expenses of the Fund, which would have the effect of lowering the expense
ratio of the Fund and increasing yield to investors. The Fund will not pay
The Dreyfus Corporation at a later time for any amounts it may waive, nor
will the Fund reimburse The Dreyfus Corporation for any amounts it may
assume.
In allocating brokerage transactions, The Dreyfus Corporation seeks
to obtain the best execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
Subject to this determination, TheDreyfus Corporation may consider, among
other things, the receipt of research services and/or the sale of shares of
the Fund or
[Page 7]
other funds managed, advised or administered by The Dreyfus Corporation or
its affilitates as factors in the selection of broker-dealers to execute
portfolio transactions for the Fund. See "Portfolio Transactions" in the
Statement of Additional Information.
The Dreyfus Corporation may pay the Fund's distributor for
shareholder services from The Dreyfus Corporation's own assets, including
past profits but not including the management fee paid by the Fund. The
Fund's distributor may use part or all of such payments to pay Service Agents
in respect of these services.
DISTRIBUTOR _ The Fund's distributor is Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc.
(the "Distributor"), located at 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109.
The Distributor's ultimate parent is Boston Institutional Group, Inc.
TRANSFER AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT AND CUSTODIAN _ Dreyfus Transfer,
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dreyfus Corporation, P.O. Box 9671,
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, is the Fund's Transfer and Dividend
Disbursing Agent (the "Transfer Agent"). Mellon Bank, N.A., One Mellon Bank
Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15258, is the Fund's Custodian.
HOW TO BUY SHARES
You can purchase Fund shares directly from the Distributor or certain
financial institutions (which may include banks), selected dealers and other
industry professionals (collectively, "Service Agents") that have entered
into service agreements with the Distributor. Share certificates are issued
only upon your written request. No certificates are issued for fractional
shares. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order. See
"Appendix _ Additional Information About Purchases, Exchanges and
Redemptions."
The minimum initial investment is $2,500, or $1,000 if you are a
client of a Service Agent which maintains an omnibus account in the Fund and
has made an aggregate minimum initial purchase for its customers of $2,500.
Subsequent investments must be at least $100. However, the minimum initial
investment is $750 for Dreyfus-sponsored Keogh Plans, IRAs (including regular
IRAs, spousal IRAs for a non-working spouse, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs and rollover
IRAs) and 403(b)(7) Plans with only one participant and $500 for
Dreyfus-sponsored Education IRAs, with no minimum for subsequent purchases.
The initial investment must be accompanied by the Account Application. For
full-time or part-time employees of The Dreyfus Corporation or any of its
affiliates or subsidiaries, directors of The Dreyfus Corporation, Board
members of a fund advised by The Dreyfus Corporation, including members of
the Fund's Board, or the spouse or minor child of any of the foregoing, the
minimum initial investment is $1,000. For full-time or part-time employees of
The Dreyfus Corporation or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries who elect to
have a portion of their pay directly deposited into their Fund accounts, the
minimum initial investment is $50. The Fund reserves the right to offer Fund
shares without regard to minimum purchase requirements to employees
participating in certain qualified or non-qualified employee benefit plans or
other programs where contributions or account information can be transmitted
in a manner and form acceptable to the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to
vary further the initial and subsequent investment minimum requirements at
any time. Fund shares also are offered without regard to the minimum initial
investment requirements through Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset BuilderRegistration
Mark, Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings
Plan pursuant to the Dreyfus Step Program described under "Shareholder
Services." These services enable you to make regularly scheduled investments
and may provide you with a convenient way to invest for long-term financial
goals. You should be aware, however, that periodic investment plans do not
guarantee a profit and will not protect an investor against loss in a
declining market.
[Page 8]
You may purchase Fund shares by check or wire, or through the Dreyfus
TELETRANSFER Privilege described below. Checks
should be made payable to "The Dreyfus Family of Funds," or, if for Dreyfus
retirement plan accounts, to "The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian." Payments
to open new accounts which are mailed should be sent to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9387, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9387, together with your
Account Application. For subsequent investments, your Fund account number
should appear on the check and an investment slip should be enclosed and sent
to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 105, Newark, New Jersey 07101-0105.
For Dreyfus retirement plan accounts, both initial and subsequent investments
should be sent to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427,
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-6427. Neither initial nor subsequent
investments should be made by third party check. Purchase orders may be
delivered in person only to a Dreyfus Financial Center. THESE ORDERS WILL BE
FORWARDED TO THE FUND AND WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. For
the location of the nearest Dreyfus Financial Center, please call one of the
telephone numbers listed under "General Information."
Wire payments may be made if your bank account is in a commercial
bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System or any other bank having
a correspondent bank in New York City. Immediately available funds may be
transmitted by wire to The Bank of New York, DDA #8900051973/Dreyfus GNMA
Fund, Inc., for purchase of Fund shares in your name. The wire must include
your Fund account number (for new accounts, your Taxpayer Identification
Number ("TIN") should be included instead), account registration and dealer
number, if applicable. If your initial purchase of Fund shares is by wire,
please call 1-800-645-6561 after completing your wire payment to obtain your
Fund account number. Please include your Fund account number on the Account
Application and promptly mail the Account Application to the Fund, as no
redemptions will be permitted until the Account Application is received. You
may obtain further information about remitting funds in this manner from your
bank. All payments should be made in U.S. dollars and, to avoid fees and
delays, should be drawn only on U.S. banks. A charge will be imposed if any
check used for investment in your account does not clear. The Fund makes
available to certain large institutions the ability to issue purchase
instructions through compatible computer facilities.
Subsequent investments also may be made by electronic transfer of
funds from an account maintained in a bank or other domestic financial
institution that is an Automated Clearing House member. You must direct the
institution to transmit immediately available funds through the Automated
Clearing House to The Bank of New York with instructions to credit your Fund
account. The instructions must specify your Fund account registration and
your Fund account number PRECEDED BY THE DIGITS "1111."
Management understands that some Service Agents may impose certain
conditions on their clients which are different from those described in this
Prospectus, and, to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authority,
may charge their clients direct fees. You should consult your Service Agent
in this regard.
Fund shares are sold on a continuous basis at the net asset value per
share next determined after an order in proper form is received by the
Transfer Agent or other entity authorized to receive orders on behalf of the
Fund. Net asset value per share is determined as of the close of trading on
the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m., New York
time), on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. For
purposes of determining net asset value per share, options and future
contracts will be valued 15 minutes after the close of trading on the floor
of the New York Stock Exchange. Net asset value per share is computed by
dividing the value of the Fund's net assets (i.e., the
[Page 9]
value of its assets less liabilities) by the total number of shares
outstanding. The Fund's investments are valued generally by using available
market quotations or at fair value which may be determined by one or more
independent pricing services approved by the Fund's Board. Each pricing
service's procedures are reviewed under the general supervision of the Board.
For further information regarding the methods employed in valuing the Fund's
investments, see "Determination of Net Asset Value" in the Statement of
Additional Information.
For certain institutions that have entered into agreements with the
Distributor payment for the purchase of Fund shares may be transmitted, and
must be received by the Transfer Agent, within three business days after the
order is placed. If such payment is not received within three business days
after the order is placed, the order may be canceled and the institution
could be held liable for resulting fees and/or losses.
Federal regulations require that you provide a certified TIN upon
opening or reopening an account. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes" and
the Account Application for further information concerning this requirement.
Failure to furnish a certified TIN to the Fund could subject you to a $50
penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS").
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE _ You may purchase Fund shares (minimum $500,
maximum $150,000 per day) by telephone if you have checked the appropriate
box and supplied the necessary information on the Account Application or have
filed a Shareholder Services Form with the Transfer Agent. The proceeds will
be transferred between the bank account designated in one of these documents
and your Fund account. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic financial
institution which is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated.
The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege at any time or charge a
service fee upon notice to shareholders. No such fee currently is
contemplated.
If you have selected the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may
request a Dreyfus TELETRANSFER purchase of shares by calling 1-800-645-6561
or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The services and privileges described under this heading may not be
available to clients of certain Service Agents and some Service Agents may
impose certain conditions on their clients which are different from those
described in this Prospectus. You should consult your Service Agent in this
regard.
FUND EXCHANGES_ You may purchase, in exchange for shares of the Fund, shares
of certain other funds managed or administered by The Dreyfus Corporation, to
the extent such shares are offered for sale in your state of residence. These
funds have different investment objectives which may be of interest to you.
If you desire to use this service, please consult your Service Agent or call
1-800-645-6561 to determine if it is available and whether any conditions are
imposed on its use. If you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452.
To request an exchange, you or your Service Agent acting on your
behalf must give exchange instructions to the Transfer Agent in writing or by
telephone. Before any exchange, you must obtain and should review a copy of
the current prospectus of the fund into which the exchange is being made.
Prospectuses may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561. Except in the case of
personal retirement plans, the shares being exchanged must have a current
value of at least $500; furthermore, when establishing a new account by
exchange, the shares being exchanged must have a value of at least the
minimum initial investment required for the fund into which the exchange is
being made. The ability to issue exchange instructions by telephone is given
to all Fund shareholders automatically, unless you check the applicable "No"
box on the Account Application, indicating that you specifically refuse this
Privilege. The Telephone Exchange Privilege may be established for an
existing account by written request signed
[Page 10]
by all shareholders on the account, by a separate signed Shareholder Services
Form, or by oral request from any of the authorized signatories on the
account. If you have established the Telephone Exchange Privilege, you may
telephone exchange instructions (including over The Dreyfus TouchRegistration
Mark automated telephone system) by calling one of the telephone numbers set
forth above. See "How to Redeem Shares_Procedures." Upon an exchange into a
new account, the following shareholder services and privileges, as applicable
and where available, will be automatically carried over to the fund into
which the exchange is made: Telephone Exchange Privilege, Check Redemption
Privilege, Wire Redemption Privilege, Telephone Redemption Privilege, Dreyfus
TELETRANSFER Privilege and the dividend/capital gain distribution option
(except for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep) selected by the investor.
Shares will be exchanged at the next determined net asset value;
however, a sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds
sold with a sales load. If you are exchanging into a fund that charges a
sales load, you may qualify for share prices which do not include the sales
load or which reflect a reduced sales load, if the shares you are exchanging
were: (a) purchased with a sales load, (b) acquired by a previous exchange
from shares purchased with a sales load, or (c) acquired through reinvestment
of dividends or distributions paid with respect to the foregoing categories
of shares. To qualify, at the time of the exchange you must notify the
Transfer Agent or your Service Agent must notify the Distributor. Any such
qualification is subject to confirmation of your holdings through a check of
appropriate records. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of
Additional Information. No fees currently are charged shareholders directly
in connection with exchanges, although the Fund reserves the right, upon not
less than 60 days' written notice, to charge shareholders a nominal
administrative fee in accordance with rules promulgated by the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange
request in whole or in part. See "Appendix _ Additional Information About
Purchases, Exchanges and Redemptions." The availability of Fund Exchanges may
be modified or terminated at any time upon notice to shareholders. See
"Dividends, Distributions and Taxes."
DREYFUS AUTO-EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE _ Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege enables
you to invest regularly (on a semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly or annual
basis), in exchange for shares of the Fund, in shares of certain other funds
in the Dreyfus Family of Funds of which you are a shareholder. The amount you
designate, which can be expressed either in terms of a specific dollar or
share amount ($100 minimum), will be exchanged automatically on the first
and/or fifteenth day of the month according to the schedule you have
selected. Shares will be exchanged at the then-current net asset value;
however, a sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds
sold with a sales load. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of
Additional Information. The right to exercise this Privilege may be modified
or cancelled by the Fund or the Transfer Agent. You may modify or cancel your
exercise of this Privilege at any time by mailing written notification to The
Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671.
The Fund may charge a service fee for the use of this Privilege. No such fee
currently is contemplated. For more information concerning this Privilege and
the funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds eligible to participate in this
Privilege, or to obtain a Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Authorization Form, please
call toll free 1-800-645-6561. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes."
DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDERRegistration Mark _ Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset
Builder permits you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of
$150,000 per transaction) at regular intervals selected by you. Fund shares
are purchased by transferring funds from the bank account designated by you.
Only an account maintained at a domestic financial institution which is an
Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. To establish a Dreyfus-A
UTOMATIC Asset Builder account, you must file
[Page 11]
an authorization form with the Transfer Agent. You may obtain the necessary
authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561. You may cancel your
participation in this Privilege or change the amount of purchase at any time
by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box
9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, or, if for Dreyfus retirement plan
accounts, to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427, Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-6427, and the notification will be effective three
business days following receipt. The Fund may modify or terminate this
Privilege at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently is
contemplated.
DREYFUS GOVERNMENT DIRECT DEPOSIT PRIVILEGE _ Dreyfus Government Direct
Deposit Privilege enables you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and
maximum of $50,000 per transaction) by having Federal salary, Social
Security, or certain veterans', military or other payments from the Federal
government automatically deposited into your Fund account. You may deposit as
much of such payments as you elect. To enroll in Dreyfus Government Direct
Deposit, you must file with the Transfer Agent a completed Direct Deposit
Sign-Up Form for each type of payment that you desire to include in this
Privilege. The appropriate form may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561.
Death or legal incapacity will terminate your participation in this
Privilege. You may elect at any time to terminate your participation by
notifying in writing the appropriate Federal agency. The Fund may terminate
your participation upon 30 days' notice to you.
DREYFUS PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN _ Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan permits you to
purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically on a
regular basis. Depending upon your employer's direct deposit program, you may
have part or all of your paycheck transferred to your existing Dreyfus
account electronically through the Automated Clearing House system at each
pay period. To establish a Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan account, you must
file an authorization form with your employer's payroll department. Your
employer must complete the reverse side of the form and return it to The
Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671.
You may obtain the necessary authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561.
You may change the amount of purchase or cancel the authorization only by
written notification to your employer. It is the sole responsibility of your
employer, not the Distributor, The Dreyfus Corporation, the Fund, the
Transfer Agent or any other person, to arrange for transactions under the
Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege
at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently is contemplated.
DREYFUS STEP PROGRAM _ Dreyfus Step Program enables you to purchase Fund
shares without regard to the Fund's minimum initial investment requirements
through Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset Builder, Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit
Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. To establish a Dreyfus Step
Program account, you must supply the necessary information on the Account
Application and file the required authorization form(s) with the Transfer
Agent. For more information concerning this Program, or to request the
necessary authorization form(s), please call toll free 1-800-782-6620. You
may terminate your participation in this Program at any time by discontinuing
your participation in Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset Builder, Dreyfus Government
Direct Deposit Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan, as the case may be,
as provided under the terms of such Privilege(s). The Fund may modify or
terminate this Program at any time. Investors who wish to purchase Fund
shares through the Dreyfus Step Program in conjunction with a
Dreyfus-sponsored retirement plan may do so only for IRAs, SEP-IRAs and IRA
"Rollover Accounts."
[Page 12]
DREYFUS DIVIDEND OPTIONS _ Dreyfus Dividend Sweep enables you to invest
automatically dividends or dividends and capital gain distributions, if any,
paid by the Fund in shares of another fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds of
which you are a shareholder. Shares of the other fund will be purchased at
the then-current net asset value; however, a sales load may be charged with
respect to investments in shares of a fund sold with a sales load. If you are
investing in a fund that charges a sales load, you may qualify for share
prices which do not include the sales load or which reflect a reduced sales
load. If you are investing in a fund that charges a contingent deferred sales
charge, the shares purchased will be subject on redemption to the contingent
deferred sales charge, if any, applicable to the purchased shares. See
"Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional Information. Dreyfus
Dividend ACH permits you to transfer electronically dividends or dividends
and capital gain distributions, if any, from the Fund to a designated bank
account. Only an account maintained at a domestic financial institution which
is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. Banks may charge
a fee for this service.
For more information concerning these privileges or to request a
Dividend Options Form, please call toll free 1-800-645-6561. You may cancel
these privileges by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. To select a new
fund after cancellation, you must submit a new Dividend Options Form.
Enrollment in or cancellation of these privileges is effective three business
days following receipt. These privileges are available only for existing
accounts and may not be used to open new accounts. Minimum subsequent
investments do not apply for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep. The Fund may modify or
terminate these privileges at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee
currently is contemplated. Shares held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other
retirement plans are not eligible for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep.
AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN _ The Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits you to
request withdrawal of a specified dollar amount (minimum of $50) on either a
monthly or quarterly basis if you have a $5,000 minimum account. An Automatic
Withdrawal Plan may be established by filing an Automatic Withdrawal Plan
application with the Transfer Agent or by oral request from any of the
authorized signatories on the account by calling 1-800-645-6561. The
Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be ended at any time by you, the Fund or the
Transfer Agent. Shares for which certificates have been issued may not be
redeemed through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.
RETIREMENT PLANS _ The Fund offers a variety of pension and profit-sharing
plans, including Keogh Plans, IRAs (including regular IRAs, spousal IRAs for
a non-working spouse, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, Rollover IRAs and Education
IRAs), 401(k) Salary Reduction Plans and 403(b)(7) Plans. Plan support
services also are available. You can obtain details on the various plans by
calling the following numbers toll free: for Keogh Plans, please call
1-800-358-5566; for IRAs (except SEP-IRAs), please call 1-800-645-6561; or
for SEP-IRAs, 401(k) Salary Reduction Plans and 403(b)(7) Plans, please call
1-800-322-7880.
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES
GENERAL
You may request redemption of your shares at any time. Redemption
requests should be transmitted to the Transfer Agent as described below. See
"Appendix _ Additional Information About Purchases, Exchanges and
Redemptions." When a request is received in proper form by the Transfer Agent
or other entity authorized to receive orders on behalf of the Fund, the Fund
will redeem the shares at the next determined net asset value.
[Page 13]
The Fund imposes no charges when shares are redeemed. Service Agents
may charge their clients a fee for effecting
redemptions of Fund shares. Any certificates representing Fund shares being
redeemed must be submitted with the redemption request. The value of the
shares redeemed may be more or less than their original cost, depending upon
the Fund's then-current net asset value.
The Fund ordinarily will make payment for all shares redeemed within
seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in
proper form, except as provided by the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED FUND SHARES BY CHECK, BY DREYFUS
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE OR THROUGH DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDERRegistration
Mark AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMIT A WRITTEN REDEMPTION REQUEST TO THE TRANSFER
AGENT, THE REDEMPTION PROCEEDS WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO YOU PROMPTLY UPON BANK
CLEARANCE OF YOUR PURCHASE CHECK, DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PURCHASE OR DREYFUS-
AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER, WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS OR
MORE. IN ADDITION, THE FUND WILL NOT HONOR REDEMPTION CHECKS UNDER THE CHECK
REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE, AND WILL REJECT REQUESTS TO REDEEM SHARES BY WIRE OR
TELEPHONE OR PURSUANT TO THE DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE, FOR A PERIOD OF
EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS AFTER RECEIPT BY THE TRANSFER AGENT OF THE PURCHASE
CHECK, THE DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PURCHASE OR THE DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET
BUILDER ORDER AGAINST WHICH SUCH REDEMPTION IS REQUESTED. THESE PROCEDURES
WILL NOT APPLY IF YOUR SHARES WERE PURCHASED BY WIRE PAYMENT, OR IF YOU
OTHERWISE HAVE A SUFFICIENT COLLECTED BALANCE IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO COVER THE
REDEMPTION REQUEST. PRIOR TO THE TIME ANY REDEMPTION IS EFFECTIVE, DIVIDENDS
ON SUCH SHARES WILL ACCRUE AND BE PAYABLE, AND YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO
EXERCISE ALL OTHER RIGHTS OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Fund shares will not be
redeemed until the Transfer Agent has received your Account Application.
The Fund reserves the right to redeem your account at its option upon
not less than 45 days' written notice if your account's net asset value is
$500 or less and remains so during the notice period.
PROCEDURES
You may redeem Fund shares by using the regular redemption procedure
through the Transfer Agent, or through the Check Redemption Privilege or the
Telephone Redemption Privilege, which are granted automatically unless you
specifically refuse them by checking the applicable "No" box on the Account
Application. The Check Redemption Privilege and Telephone Redemption
Privilege may be established for an existing account by a separate signed
Shareholder Services Form or, with respect to the Telephone Redemption
Privilege, by oral request from any of the authorized signatories on the
account by calling 1-800-645-6561. You also may redeem shares through the
Wire Redemption Privilege or the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, if you have
checked the appropriate box and supplied the necessary information on the
Account Application or have filed a Shareholder Services Form with the
Transfer Agent. Other redemption procedures may be in effect for clients of
certain Service Agents. The Fund makes available to certain large
institutions the ability to issue redemption instructions through compatible
computer facilities. The Fund reserves the right to refuse any request made
by wire or telephone, including requests made shortly after a change of
address, and may limit the amount involved or the number of such requests.
The Fund may modify or terminate any redemption Privilege at any time or
charge a service fee upon notice to shareholders. No such fee currently is
contemplated. Shares held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other retirement plans,
and shares for which certificates have been issued, are not eligible for the
Check Redemption, Wire Redemption, Telephone Redemption or Dreyfus
TELETRANSFER Privilege.
The Telephone Redemption Privilege or Telephone Exchange Privilege
authorizes the Transfer Agent to act on telephone instructions (including
over The Dreyfus TouchRegistration Mark automated telephone system) from any
person representing himself or herself to be you, or a representative of your
Service Agent, and rea
[Page 14]
sonably believed by the Transfer Agent to be genuine. The Fund will require
the Transfer Agent to employ reasonable procedures, such as requiring a form
of personal identification, to confirm that instructions are genuine and, if
it does not follow such procedures, the Fund or the Transfer Agent may be
liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Neither
the Fund nor the Transfer Agent will be liable for following telephone
instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.
During times of drastic economic or market conditions, you may
experience difficulty in contacting the Transfer Agent by telephone to
request a redemption or exchange of Fund shares. In such cases, you should
consider using the other redemption procedures described herein. Use of these
other redemption procedures may result in your redemption request being
processed at a later time than it would have been if telephone redemption had
been used. During the delay, the Fund's net asset value may fluctuate.
REGULAR REDEMPTION _ Under the regular redemption procedure, you may redeem
shares by written request mailed to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box
9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, or, if for Dreyfus retirement plan
accounts, to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427, Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-6427. Redemption requests may be delivered in person only
to a Dreyfus Financial Center. THESE REQUESTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE FUND
AND WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. For the location of the
nearest Dreyfus Financial Center, please call one of the telephone numbers
listed under "General Information." Redemption requests must be signed by
each shareholder, including each owner of a joint account, and each signature
must be guaranteed. The Transfer Agent has adopted standards and procedures
pursuant to which signature-guarantees in proper form generally will be
accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national
securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies
and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock
Exchange Medallion Signature Program, the Securities Transfer Agents
Medallion Program ("STAMP"), and the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program. If
you have any questions with respect to signature-guarantees, please call one
of the telephone numbers listed under "General Information."
Redemption proceeds of at least $1,000 will be wired to any member
bank of the Federal Reserve System in accordance with a written
signature-guaranteed request.
CHECK REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE _ You may write Redemption Checks drawn on your
Fund account. Redemption Checks may be made payable to the order of any
person in the amount of $500 or more. Potential fluctuations in the net asset
value of the Fund's shares should be considered in determining the amount of
the check. Redemption Checks should not be used to close your account.
Redemption Checks are free, but the Transfer Agent will impose a fee for
stopping payment of a Redemption Check upon your request or if the Transfer
Agent cannot honor the Redemption Check due to insufficient funds or other
valid reason. You should date your Redemption Checks with the current date
when you write them. Please do not postdate your Redemption Checks. If you
do, the Transfer Agent will honor, upon presentment, even if presented before
the date of the check, all postdated Redemption Checks which are dated within
six months of presentment for payment, if they are otherwise in good order.
This Privilege will be terminated immediately, without notice, with respect
to any account which is, or becomes, subject to backup withholding on
redemptions (see "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes"). Any Redemption Check
written on an account which has become subject to backup withholding on
redemptions will not be honored by the Transfer Agent. If you hold shares in
a Dreyfus-sponsored IRA account, you may be permitted to make withdrawals
from your IRA account using checks furnished to you by The Dreyfus Trust
Company. The Check Redemption Privilege is granted automatically unless you
refuse it.
[Page 15]
WIRE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE _ You may request by wire, telephone or letter
that redemption proceeds (minimum $1,000) be wired to your account at a bank
which is a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a correspondent bank if
your bank is not a member. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank
accounts may have redemption proceeds of not more than $250,000 wired within
any 30-day period. You may telephone redemption requests by calling
1-800-645-6561 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452. The
Statement of Additional Information sets forth instructions for transmitting
redemption requests by wire.
TELEPHONE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE _ You may request by telephone that
redemption proceeds (maximum $150,000 per day) be paid by check and mailed to
your address. You may telephone redemption instructions by calling
1-800-645-6561 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452. The
Telephone Redemption Privilege is granted automatically unless you refuse it.
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE _ You may request by telephone that
redemption proceeds (minimum $500 per day) be transferred between your Fund
account and your bank account. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic
financial institution which is an Automated Clearing House member may be
designated. Redemption proceeds will be on deposit in your account at an
Automated Clearing House member bank ordinarily two days after receipt of the
redemption request. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank accounts may
redeem through the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege for transfer to their bank
account not more than $250,000 within any 30-day period.
If you have selected the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may
request a Dreyfus TELETRANSFER redemption of shares by calling 1-800-645-6561
or, if you are calling from overseas, call 516-794-5452.
SERVICE PLAN
Under the Service Plan, adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940
Act, the Fund (a) reimburses the Distributor for payments to certain Service
Agents for distributing Fund shares and servicing shareholder accounts
("Servicing") and (b) pays The Dreyfus Corporation, Dreyfus Service
Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dreyfus Corporation, and any
affiliate of either of them (collectively, "Dreyfus") for advertising and
marketing relating to the Fund and for Servicing, at an aggregate annual rate
of .20 of 1% of the value of the Fund's average daily net assets. Both of the
Distributor and Dreyfus may pay one or more Service Agents a fee in respect
of Fund shares owned by shareholders with whom the Service Agent has a
servicing relationship or for whom the Service Agent is the dealer or holder
of record. The Distributor and Dreyfus determine the amounts, if any, to be
paid to Service Agents under the Service Plan and the basis on which such
payments are made. The fees payable under the Service Plan are payable
without regard to actual expenses incurred.
The Fund also bears the costs of preparing and printing prospectuses
and statements of additional information used for regulatory purposes and for
distribution to existing shareholders. Under the Service Plan, the Fund bears
(a) the costs of preparing, printing and distributing prospectuses and
statements of additional information used for other purposes, and (b) the
costs associated with implementing and operating the Service Plan (such as
costs of printing and mailing service agreements), the aggregate of such
amounts not to exceed in any fiscal year of the Fund the greater of $100,000
or .005 of 1% of the value of the Fund's average daily net assets for such
fiscal year.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
The Fund ordinarily declares and pays dividends from its net
investment income monthly. Distributions from net realized securities gains,
if any, are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make
distributions on a more frequent basis to comply with distribution
requirements of the Internal
[Page 16]
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), in all events in a manner
consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act. The Fund will not make
distributions from net realized securities gains unless capital loss
carryovers, if any, have been utilized or have expired. You may choose
whether to receive dividends and distributions in cash or to reinvest in
additional shares at net asset value. If you elect to receive dividends and
distributions in cash, and your dividend or distribution check is returned to
the Fund as undeliverable or remains uncashed for six months, the Fund
reserves the right to reinvest such dividend or distribution and all future
dividends and distributions payable to you in additional Fund shares at net
asset value. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed
distribution or redemption checks. All expenses are accrued daily and
deducted before declaration of dividends to investors.
Dividends derived from net investment income, together with
distributions from net realized short-term securities gains and all or a
portion of any gain realized from the sale or other disposition of certain
market discount bonds, paid by the Fund will be taxable to U.S. shareholders
as ordinary income whether received in cash or reinvested in Fund shares. No
dividend paid by the Fund will qualify for the dividends received deduction
allowable to certain U.S. corporations. Distributions from net realized long-t
erm securities gains of the Fund generally will be subject to Federal income
tax as long-term capital gains for Federal income tax purposes, regardless of
how long shareholders have held their Fund shares and whether such
distributions are received in cash or reinvested in Fund shares. The Code
provides that an individual generally will be taxed on his or her net capital
gain at a maximum rate of 20% with respect to capital gains from securities
held for more than 12 months. Dividends and distributions may be subject to
state and local taxes.
Dividends derived from net investment income, together with
distributions from net realized short-term securities gains and all or a
portion of any gain realized from the the sale or other disposition of
certain market discount bonds, paid by the Fund to a foreign investor
generally are subject to U.S. nonresident withholding taxes at the rate of
30%, unless the foreign investor claims the benefit of a lower rate specified
in a tax treaty. Distributions from net realized long-term securities gains
paid by the Fund to a foreign investor as well as the proceeds of any
redemptions from a foreign investor's account, regardless of the extent to
which gain or loss may be realized, generally will not be subject to U.S.
nonresident withholding tax. However, such distributions may be subject to
backup withholding, as described below, unless the foreign investor certifies
his non-U.S. residency status.
The exchange of shares of one fund for shares of another is treated
for Federal income tax purposes as a sale of the shares given in exchange by
the shareholder and, therefore, an exchanging shareholder may realize a
taxable gain or loss.
Notice as to the tax status of your dividends and distributions will
be mailed to you annually. You also will receive periodic summaries of your
account which will include information as to dividends and distributions from
securities gains, if any, paid during the year.
Federal regulations generally require the Fund to withhold ("backup
withholding") and remit to the U.S. Treasury 31% of dividends, distributions
from net realized securities gains and the proceeds of any redemption,
regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized, paid to a
shareholder if such shareholder fails to certify either that the TIN
furnished in connection with opening an account is correct, or that such
shareholder has not received notice from the IRS of being subject to backup wi
thholding as a result of a failure to properly report taxable dividend or
interest income on a Federal income tax return. Furthermore, the IRS may
notify the Fund to institute backup withholding if the IRS determines a
shareholder's TIN is incorrect or if a shareholder has failed to properly
report taxable dividend and interest income on a Federal income tax return.
[Page 17]
A TIN is either the Social Security number, IRS individual taxpayer
identification number, or employer identification
number of the record owner of the account. Any tax withheld as a result of
backup withholding does not constitute an additional tax imposed on the
record owner of the account, and may be claimed as a credit on the record
owner's Federal income tax return.
Management of the Fund believes that the Fund has qualified for the
fiscal year ended April 30, 1998 as a "regulated investment company" under
the Code. The Fund intends to continue to so qualify if such qualification is
in the best interests of its shareholders. Such qualification relieves the
Fund of any liability for Federal income taxes to the extent its earnings are
distributed in accordance with applicable provisions of the Code. The Fund is
subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax, measured with respect to certain
undistributed amounts of taxable investment income and capital gains.
You should consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as
to Federal, state or local taxes.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
For purposes of advertising, performance may be calculated on several
bases, including current yield, average annual total return and/or total
return.
Current yield refers to the Fund's annualized net investment income
per share over a 30-day period, expressed as a percentage of the net asset
value per share at the end of the period. For purposes of calculating current
yield, the amount of net investment income per share during that 30-day
period, computed in accordance with regulatory requirements, is compounded by
assuming that it is reinvested at a constant rate over a six-month period. An
identical result is then assumed to have occurred during a second six-month
period which, when added to the result for the first six months, provides an
"annualized" yield for an entire one-year period. Calculations of the Fund's
current yield may reflect absorbed expenses pursuant to any undertaking that
may be in effect. See "Management of the Fund."
Average annual total return is calculated pursuant to a standardized
formula which assumes that an investment in the Fund was purchased with an
initial payment of $1,000 and that the investment was redeemed at the end of
a stated period of time, after giving effect to the reinvestment of dividends
and distributions during the period. The return is expressed as a percentage
rate which, if applied on a compounded annual basis, would result in the
redeemable value of the investment at the end of the period. Advertisements
of the Fund's performance will include the Fund's average annual total return
for one, five and ten year periods.
Total return is computed on a per share basis and assumes the
reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Total return generally is
expressed as a percentage rate which is calculated by combining the income
and principal changes for a specified period and dividing by the net asset
value per share at the beginning of the period. Advertisements may include
the percentage rate of total return or may include the value of a
hypothetical investment at the end of the period which assumes the
application of the percentage rate of total return.
Performance will vary from time to time and past results are not
necessarily representative of future results. You should remember that
performance is a function of portfolio management in selecting the type and
quality of portfolio securities and is affected by operating expenses.
Performance information, such as that described above, may not provide a
basis for comparison with other investments or other investment companies
using a different method of calculating performance.
Comparative performance information may be used from time to time in
advertising or marketing the Fund's shares, including data from broad-based
securities market indexes and industry reporting services and publications.
[Page 18]
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Fund was incorporated under Maryland law on January 24, 1985, and
commenced operations on May 29, 1985. The Fund is authorized to issue 1.1
billion shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share. Each share has one
vote.
Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act, ordinarily it will not be
necessary for the Fund to hold annual meetings of shareholders. As a result,
Fund shareholders may not consider each year the election of Board members or
the appointment of auditors. However, the holders of at least 10% of the
shares outstanding and entitled to vote may require the Fund to hold a
special meeting of shareholders for purposes of removing a Board member from
office. Fund shareholders may remove a Board member by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting shares. In addition, the
Fund's Board will call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing
Board members if, at any time, less than a majority of the Board members then
holding office have been elected by shareholders.
The Transfer Agent maintains a record of your ownership and sends
confirmations and statements of account.
Shareholder inquiries may be made to your Service Agent or by writing
to the Fund at 144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11556-0144,
or by calling toll free 1-800-645-6561; in New York City, call
1-718-895-1206; outside the U.S., call 516-794-5452.
[Page 19]
APPENDIX
INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES
LEVERAGE _ Leveraging exaggerates the effect on net asset value of any
increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund's portfolio. Money
borrowed for leveraging will be limited to 331/3% of the value of the Fund's
total assets. These borrowings would be subject to interest costs which may
or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased; in
certain cases, interest costs may exceed the return received on the securities
purchased.
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with banks,
brokers or dealers. This form of borrowing involves the transfer by the Fund
of an underlying debt instrument in return for cash proceeds based on a
percentage of the value of the security. The Fund retains the right to
receive interest and principal payments on the security. At an agreed upon
future date, the Fund repurchases the security at principal plus accrued
interest. Except for these transactions, the Fund's borrowings generally will
be unsecured.
FORWARD ROLL TRANSACTIONS _ To enhance current income, the Fund may enter
into forward roll transactions with respect to Ginnie Maes and other
mortgage-related securities. In a forward roll transaction, the Fund sells a
mortgage-related security to a financial institution, such as a bank or
broker-dealer, and simultaneously agrees to purchase a similar security from
the institution at a later date at an agreed upon price. The securities that
are purchased will bear the same interest rate as those sold, but generally
will be collateralized by different pools of mortgages with different
pre-payment histories than those sold. During the period between the sale and
purchase, the Fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal
payments on the securities sold. Proceeds of the sale typically will be
invested in short-term instruments, particularly repurchase agreements, and
the income from these investments, together with any additional fee income
received on the sale, will generate income for the Fund exceeding the yield on
the securities sold. Forward roll transactions involve the risk that the
market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the
purchase price of those securities. The Fund will set aside in a segregated
account permissible liquid assets at least equal to the amount of the
repurchase price (including accrued interest).
FORWARD COMMITMENTS _ The Fund may purchase or sell Ginnie Maes and other
mortgage-related securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed
delivery basis, which means that delivery and payment take place a number of
days after the date of the commitment to purchase or sell the securities at a
predetermined price and/or yield. Typically, no interest accrues to the
purchaser until the security is delivered. When purchasing a security on a
forward commitment basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership
of the security, including the risk of price fluctuations, and takes such
fluctuations into account when determining its net asset value. Because the
Fund is not required to pay for these securities until the delivery date,
these risks are in addition to the risks associated with the Fund's other
investments. If the Fund is fully or almost fully invested when forward
commitment purchases are outstanding, such purchases may result in a form of
leverage. The Fund intends to engage in forward commitments to increase its
portfolio's financial exposure to the types of securities in which it
invests. Leveraging the portfolio in this manner will increase the Fund's
exposure to changes in interest rates and will increase the volatility of its
returns. The Fund will set aside in a segregated account permissible liquid
assets at least equal at all times to the amount of the Fund's purchase
commitments. At no time will the Fund have more than 331\3% of its assets
committed to purchase securities on a forward commitment basis.
SHORT-SELLING _ In these transactions, the Fund sells a security it does not
own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the security. To
complete the transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make
[Page 20]
delivery to the buyer. The Fund is obligated to replace the security borrowed
by purchasing it subsequently at the market price at the time of replacement.
The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the
security was sold by the Fund, which would result in a loss or gain,
respectively.
Securities will not be sold short if, after effect is given to any
such short sale, the total market value of all securities sold short would
exceed 25% of the value of the Fund's net assets. The Fund may not make a
short sale which results in the Fund having sold short in the aggregate more
than 5% of the outstanding securities of any class of an issuer.
The Fund also may make short sales "against the box," in which the
Fund enters into a short sale of a security it owns. At no time will more
than 15% of the value of the Fund's net assets be in deposits on short sales
against the box.
LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES _ The Fund may lend securities from its
portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions needing to
borrow securities to complete certain transactions. The Fund continues to be
entitled to payments in amounts equal to the interest or other distributions
payable on the loaned securities which affords the Fund an opportunity to
earn interest on the amount of the loan and on the loaned securities'
collateral. Loans of portfolio securities may not exceed 331/3% of the value
of the Fund's total assets, and the Fund will receive collateral consisting
of cash, U.S. Government securities or irrevocable letters of credit which
will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the
current market value of the loaned securities. Such loans are terminable by
the Fund at any time upon specified notice. TheFund might experience risk of
loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan
transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund.
USE OF DERIVATIVES _ The Fund may invest in, or enter into, Derivatives,
such as futures and options. These instruments and certain related risks are
described more specifically under "Investment Objective and Management
Policies _ Management Policies _ Derivatives" in the Statement of
Additional Information.
Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of
risk, depending upon the characteristics of the particular Derivative and the
portfolio as a whole. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the
level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is
exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level
of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making
investments in specific securities.
Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than
their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in Derivatives
could have a large potential impact on the Fund's performance.
If the Fund invests in Derivatives at inopportune times or judges
market conditions incorrectly, such investments may lower the Fund's return
or result in a loss. The Fund also could experience losses if its Derivatives
were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if the Fund were unable
to liquidate its position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market
for many Derivatives is, or suddenly could become, illiquid. Changes in
liquidity may result in significant rapid and unpredictable changes in the
prices for Derivatives.
Although the Fund will not be a commodity pool, certain Derivatives
subject the Fund to the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
which limit the extent to which the Fund can invest in such Derivatives. The
Fund may invest in futures contracts and options with respect thereto for
hedging purposes without limit. However, the Fund may not invest in such
contracts and options for other purposes if the sum of the amount of initial
margin deposits and premiums paid for unexpired options with respect to such
contracts, other than for bona fide hedging purposes, exceeds 5% of the
liquidation value of the Fund's assets, after taking into account unrealized
profits and unrealized losses on such
[Page 21]
contracts and options; provided, however, that in the case of an option that
is in-the-money at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be
excluded in calculating the 5% limitation.
The Fund may purchase call and put options and write (i.e., sell)
covered call and put option contracts. When required by the Securities and
Exchange Commission, the Fund will set aside permissible liquid assets in a
segregated account to cover its obligations relating to its transactions in
Derivatives. To maintain this required cover, the Fund may have to sell
portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices or times since it may not be
possible to liquidate a Derivative position at a reasonable price.
CERTAIN PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
Mortgage-Related Securities _ Mortgage-related securities are a form of
Derivative collateralized by pools of commercial or residential mortgages.
Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by
various governmental, government-related and private organizations. These
securities may include complex instruments such as collateralized mortgage
obligations, stripped mortgage-backed securities, mortgage pass-through
securities, interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs"),
adjustable rate mortgages, as well as other real estate-related securities.
In certain instances, the credit risk associated with
mortgage-related securities can be reduced by third party guarantees or other
forms of credit support. Improved credit risk does not reduce prepayment risk
which is unrelated to the rating assigned to the mortgage-related security.
Prepayment risk can lead to fluctuations in value of the mortgage-related
security which may be pronounced. If a mortgage-related security is purchased
at a premium, all or part of the premium may be lost if there is a decline in
the market value of the security, whether resulting from changes in interest
rates or prepayments on the underlying mortgage collateral. Certain
mortgage-related securities that may be purchased by the Fund, such as
inverse floating rate collateralized mortgage obligations, have coupons that
move inversely to a multiple of a specific index which may result in a form
of leverage. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of certain
mortgage-related securities are inversely affected by changes in interest
rates. However, although the value of a mortgage-related security may decline
when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in
periods of declining interest rates the mortgages underlying the security are
more likely to be prepaid. For this and other reasons, a mortgage-related
security's stated maturity may be shortened by unscheduled prepayments on the
underlying mortgages, and, therefore, it is not possible to predict
accurately the security's return to the Fund. Moreover, with respect to
certain stripped mortgage-backed securities, if the underlying mortgage
securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the
Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment even if the securities
are rated in the highest rating category by a nationally recognized
statistical rating organization. During periods of rapidly rising interest
rates, prepayments of mortgage-related securities may occur at slower than
expected rates. Slower prepayments effectively may lengthen a
mortgage-related security's expected maturity which generally would cause the
value of such security to fluctuate more widely in response to changes in
interest rates. Were the prepayments on the Fund's mortgage-related securities
to decrease broadly, the Fund's effective duration, and thus sensitivity to
interest rate fluctuations, would increase.
RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in
mortgage-related securities representing participation interests in pools of
one- to four-family residential mortgage loans issued or guaranteed by
governmental agencies or instrumentalities, such as GNMA, FNMA, and FHLMC, or
issued by private entities. Similar to commercial mortgage-related
securities, residential mortgage-related securities have been issued using a
variety of structures, including multi-class structures featuring senior and
subordinated classes.
[Page 22]
COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE-RELATED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in
commercial mortgage-related securities, which generally
are multi-class debt or pass-through certificates secured by mortgage loans
on commercial properties. These mortgage-related securities generally are
structured to provide protection to the senior classes investors against
potential losses on the underlying mortgage loans. This protection is
generally provided by having the holders of subordinated classes of
securities ("Subordinated Securities") take the first loss if there are
defaults on the underlying commercial mortgage loans. Other protection, which
may benefit all of the classes or particular classes, may include issuer
guarantees, reserve funds, additional Subordinated Securities,
cross-collateralization and over-collateralization.
SUBORDINATED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in Subordinated
Securities issued or sponsored by commercial banks, savings and loan
institutions, mortgage bankers, private mortgage insurance companies and
other non-governmental issuers. Subordinated Securities have no governmental
guarantee, and are subordinated in some manner as to the payment of principal
and/or interest to the holders of more senior mortgage-related securities
arising out of the same pool of mortgages. The holders of Subordinated
Securities typically are compensated with a higher stated yield than are the
holders of more senior mortgage-related securities. On the other hand,
Subordinated Securities typically subject the holder to greater risk than
senior mortgage-related securities and tend to be rated in a lower rating
category, and frequently a substantially lower rating category, than the
senior mortgage-related securities issued in respect of the same pool of
mortgage. Subordinated Securities generally are likely to be more sensitive
to changes in prepayment and interest rates and the market for such
securities may be less liquid than is the case for traditional fixed-income
securities and senior mortgage-related securities.
COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS AND MULTI-CLASS PASS-THROUGH
SECURITIES. Collateralized mortgage obligations or "CMOs" are multiclass
bonds backed by pools of mortgage pass-through certificates or mortgage
loans. CMOs may be collateralized by (a) pass-through certificates issued or
guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC, (b) unsecuritized mortgage loans insured
by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Department of
Veterans' Affairs, (c) unsecuritized conventional mortgages, (d) other
mortgage-related securities or (e) any combination thereof.
Each class of CMOs, often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a
specific coupon rate and has a stated maturity or final distribution date.
Principal prepayments on collateral underlying a CMO may cause it to be
retired substantially earlier than the stated maturities or final
distribution dates. The principal and interest on the underlying mortgages
may be allocated among the several classes of a series of a CMO in many ways.
One or more tranches of a CMO may have coupon rates which reset periodically
at a specified increment over an index, such as the London Interbank Offered
Rate ("LIBOR") (or sometimes more than one index). These floating rate CMOs
typically are issued with lifetime caps on the coupon rate thereon. The Fund
also may invest in inverse floating rate CMOs. Inverse floating rate CMOs
constitute a tranche of a CMO with a coupon rate that moves in the reverse
direction to an applicable index such as the LIBOR. Accordingly, the coupon
rate thereon will increase as interest rates decrease. Inverse floating rate
CMOs are typically more volatile than fixed or floating rate tranches of
CMOs.
STRIPPED MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. The Fund also may invest in
stripped mortgage-backed securities which are created by segregating the cash
flows from underlying mortgage loans or mortgage securities to create two or
more new securities, each with a specified percentage of the underlying
security's principal or interest payments. Mortgage securities may be
partially stripped so that each investor class received some interest and
some principal. When securities are completely stripped, however, all of the
interest is distributed to holders of one type of security, known as an
interest-only security, or IO,
[Page 23]
and all of the principal is distributed to holders of another type of
security known as a principal-only security, or PO. Strips can be created in
a pass-through structure or as tranches of a CMO. The yields to maturity on
IOs and POs are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including
prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets. If the underlying
mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal,
the Fund may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if
the underlying mortgage assets experience less than anticipated prepayments
of principal, the yield on POs could be materially and adversely affected.
PRIVATE ENTITY SECURITIES. These mortgage-related securities are
issued by commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers,
private mortgage insurance companies and other non-governmental issuers.
Timely payment of principal and interest on mortgage-related securities
backed by pools created by non-governmental issuers often is supported
partially by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual
loan, title, pool and hazard insurance.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES _ Asset-backed securities are a form of Derivative.
The securitization techniques used for asset-backed securities are similar to
those used for mortgage-related securities. These securities include debt
securities and securities with debt-like characteristics. The collateral for
these securities has included home equity loans, automobile and credit card
receivables, boat loans, computer leases, airplane leases, mobile home loans,
recreational vehicle loans and hospital account receivables. The Fund may inve
st in these and other types of asset-backed securities that may be developed
in the future.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented
by mortgage-related securities. Primarily, these securities may provide the
Fund with a less effective security interest in the related collateral than
do mortgage-related securities. Therefore, there is the possibility that
recoveries on the underlying collateral may not, in some cases, be available
to support payments on these securities.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS _ In a repurchase agreement, the Fund buys, and the
seller agrees to repurchase, a security at a mutually agreed upon time and
price (usually within seven days). The repurchase agreement thereby
determines the yield during the purchaser's holding period, while the
seller's obligation to repurchase is secured by the value of the underlying
security. Repurchase agreements could involve risks in the event of a default
or insolvency of the other party to the agreement, including possible delays
or restrictions upon the Fund's ability to dispose of the underlying
securities. TheFund may enter into repurchase agreements with certain banks
or non-bank dealers.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES _ The Fund may invest up to 15% of the value of its net
assets in securities as to which a liquid trading market does not exist,
provided such investments are consistent with the Fund's investment
objective. Such securities may include securities that are not readily
marketable, such as certain securities that are subject to legal or
contractual restrictions on resale, and repurchase agreements providing for
settlement in more than seven days after notice, and certain privately
negotiated, non-exchange traded options and securities used to cover such
options. As to these securities, the Fund is subject to a risk that should
the Fund desire to sell them when a ready buyer is not available at a price
the Fund deems representative of their value, the value of the Fund's net
assets could be adversely affected.
Ratings_The rating assigned by a rating agency to a mortgage-related security
issued by non-governmental entities is based on many factors, including the
structure of the security, the level of subordination, the quality and
adequacy of the collateral, and the past performance of the originators and
servicing companies. The rating of any commercial mortgage-related security
is determined to a substantial degree by the debt service coverage ratio
(i.e., the ratio of the current net operating
[Page 24]
income from the commercial properties, in the aggregate, to the current debt
service obligations on the properties) and the loan-to-value ratio of the
pooled properties. Loan-to-value ratios may be particularly important in the
case of commercial mortgages because most commercial mortgage loans provide
that the lender's sole remedy in the event of a default is against the
mortgaged property, and the lender is not permitted to pursue remedies with
respect to other assets of the borrower. Accordingly, loan-to-value ratios,
in certain circumstances, may determine the amount realized by the holder of
the commercial mortgage-related security in the event of a default. See
"Appendix" in the Statement of Additional Information for a general
description of securities ratings.
The ratings of the rating agencies represent their opinions as to the
quality of the obligations which they undertake to rate. Ratings are relative
and subjective and, although ratings may be useful in evaluating the safety
of interest and principal payments, they do not evaluate the market value
risk of such obligations. Although these ratings may be an initial criterion
for selection of portfolio investments, The Dreyfus Corporation also will
evaluate these securities and the ability of the issuers of such securities
to pay interest and principal.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES, EXCHANGES AND REDEMPTIONS. The Fund
is intended to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not designed to
provide investors with a means of speculation on short-term market movements.
A pattern of frequent purchases and exchanges can be disruptive to efficient
portfolio management and, consequently, can be detrimental to the Fund's
performance and its shareholders. Accordingly, if the Fund's management
determines that an investor is engaged in excessive trading, the Fund, with
or without prior notice, may temporarily or permanently terminate the
availability of Fund Exchanges, or reject in whole or part any purchase or
exchange request, with respect to such investor's account. Such investors
also may be barred from purchasing other funds in the Dreyfus Family of
Funds. Generally, an investor who makes more than four exchanges out of the
Fund during any calendar year or who makes exchanges that appear to coincide
with an active market-timing strategy may be deemed to be engaged in
excessive trading. Accounts under common ownership or control will be
considered as one account for purposes of determining a pattern of excessive
trading. In addition, the Fund may refuse or restrict purchase or exchange
requests by any person or group if, in the judgment of the Fund's management,
the Fund would be unable to invest the money effectively in accordance with
its investment objective and policies or could otherwise be adversely
affected or if the Fund receives or anticipates receiving simultaneous orders
that may significantly affect the Fund (e.g., amounts equal to 1% or more of
the Fund's total assets). If an exchange request is refused, the Fund will
take no other action with respect to the shares until it receives further
instructions from the investor. The Fund may delay forwarding redemption
proceeds for up to seven days if the investor redeeming shares is engaged in
excessive trading or if the amount of the redemption request otherwise would
be disruptive to efficient portfolio management or would adversely affect the
Fund. The Fund's policy on excessive trading applies to investors who invest
in the Fund directly or through financial intermediaries, but does not apply
to the Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege, to any automatic investment or
withdrawal privilege described herein, or to participants in
employer-sponsored retirement plans.
During times of drastic economic or market conditions, the Fund may
suspend the Fund Exchanges temporarily without notice and treat exchange
requests based on their separate components _ redemption orders with a
simultaneous request to purchase the other fund's shares. In such a case, the
redemption request would be processed at the Fund's next determined net asset
value but the purchase order would be effective only at the net asset value
next determined after the fund being purchased receives the proceeds of the
redemption, which may result in the purchase being delayed.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS
PROSPECTUS AND IN THE FUND'S OFFICIAL SALES LITERATURE IN CONNECTION WITH THE
OFFER OF THE FUND'S SHARES, AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH OTHER INFORMATION OR
REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE
FUND. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER IN ANY STATE IN WHICH, OR
TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM, SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
[Page 25]
[This Page Intentionally Left Blank]
[Page 26]
Dreyfus GNMA
Fund, Inc.
Prospectus
Copy Rights 1998 Dreyfus Service Corporation
265p0998
[Page 27]
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
PART B
(STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
SEPTEMBER 1, 1998
This Statement of Additional Information, which is not a prospectus,
supplements and should be read in conjunction with the current Prospectus of
Dreyfus GNMA Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"), dated September 1, 1998, as it may be
revised from time to time. To obtain a copy of the Fund's Prospectus,
please write to the Fund at 144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard, Uniondale, New York
11556-0144, or call the following numbers:
Call Toll Free 1-800-645-6561
In New York City -- Call 1-718-895-1206
Outside the U.S. -- Call 516-794-5452
The Dreyfus Corporation (the "Manager") serves as the Fund's investment
adviser.
Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc. (the "Distributor") is the
distributor of the Fund's shares.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Investment Objective and Management Policies B-2
Management of the Fund B-12
Management Agreement B-17
Purchase of Shares B-18
Service Plan B-19
Redemption of Shares B-20
Shareholder Services B-22
Determination of Net Asset Value B-25
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes B-26
Portfolio Transactions B-28
Performance Information B-28
Information About the Fund B-29
Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent, Custodian,
Counsel and Independent Auditors B-30
Financial Statements and Report of Independent Auditors B-30
Appendix B-31
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND MANAGEMENT POLICIES
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the sections in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Description of the Fund
and "Appendix."
Portfolio Securities
Mortgage-Related Securities. Mortgage-related securities are a form of
Derivative collateralized by pools of commercial or residential mortgages.
Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by
various governmental, government-related and private organizations. These
securities may include complex instruments such as collateralized mortgage
obligations and stripped mortgage-backed securities, mortgage pass-through
securities, interests in REMICs or other kinds of mortgage-backed
securities, including those with fixed, floating and variable interest
rates, those with interest rates that change based on multiples of changes
in a specified index of interest rates and those with interest rates that
change inversely to changes in interest rates.
Government-Agency Securities--Mortgage-related securities issued by the
Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") include GNMA Mortgage Pass-
Through Certificates (also known as "Ginnie Maes") which are guaranteed as
to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such guarantee
is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. GNMA is a
wholly-owned U.S. government corporation within the Department of Housing
and Urban Development. GNMA certificates also are supported by the
authority of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments
under its guarantee.
Ginnie Maes are created by an "issuer," which is a Federal Housing
Administration ("FHA") approved mortgagee that also meets criteria imposed
by GNMA. The issuer assembles a pool of FHA, Farmers' Home Administration
or Veterans' Administration ("VA") insured or guaranteed mortgages which are
homogeneous as to interest rate, maturity and type of dwelling. Upon
application by the issuer, and after approval by GNMA of the pool, GNMA
provides its commitment to guarantee timely payment of principal and
interest on the Ginnie Maes backed by the mortgages included in the pool.
The Ginnie Maes, endorsed by GNMA, then are sold by the issuer through
securities dealers.
When mortgages in the pool underlying a Ginnie Mae are prepaid by
mortgagors or by result of foreclosure, such principal payments are passed
through to the certificate holders. Accordingly, the life of the Ginnie Mae
is likely to be substantially shorter than the stated maturity of the
mortgages in the underlying pool. Because of such variation in prepayment
rates, it is not possible to predict the life of a particular Ginnie Mae,
but FHA statistics indicate that 25- to 30-year single family dwelling
mortgages have an average life of approximately 12 years. The majority of
Ginnie Maes are backed by mortgages of this type, and, accordingly, the
generally accepted practice treats Ginnie Maes as 30-year securities which
prepay fully in the 12th year.
Ginnie Maes bear a stated "coupon rate" which represents the effective
FHA-VA mortgage rate at the time of issuance, less 0.5%, which constitutes
GNMA's and the issuer's fees. For providing its guarantee, GNMA receives an
annual fee of 0.06% of the outstanding principal on certificates backed by
single family dwelling mortgages, and the issuer receives an annual fee of
0.44% for assembling the pool and for passing through monthly payments of
interest and principal.
Payments to holders of Ginnie Maes consist of the monthly distributions
of interest and principal less GNMA's and the issuer's fees. The actual
yield to be earned by a holder of a Ginnie Mae is calculated by dividing
interest payments by the purchase price paid for the Ginnie Mae (which may
be at a premium or a discount from the face value of the certificate).
Monthly distributions of interest, as contrasted to semi-annual
distributions which are common for other fixed interest investments, have
the effect of compounding and thereby raising the effective annual yield
earned on Ginnie Maes. Because of the variation in the life of the pools of
mortgages which back various Ginnie Maes, and because it is impossible to
anticipate the rate of interest at which future principal payments may be
reinvested, the actual yield earned from a portfolio of Ginnie Maes will
differ significantly from the yield estimated by using an assumption of a
12-year life for each Ginnie Mae included in such a portfolio as described
above.
Government-Related Mortgage-Backed Securities--Mortgage-related securities
issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA") include FNMA
Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as "Fannie Maes")
which are solely the obligations of FNMA and are not backed by or entitled
to the full faith and credit of the United States. FNMA is a government-
sponsored organization owned entirely by private stockholders. Fannie Maes
are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA.
Mortgage-related securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation ("FHLMC") include FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates
(also known as "Freddie Macs" or "PCs"). FHLMC is a corporate
instrumentality of the United States created pursuant to an Act of Congress,
which is owned entirely by Federal Home Loan Banks. Freddie Macs are not
guaranteed by the United States or by any Federal Home Loan Bank and do not
constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home
Loan Bank. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest,
which is guaranteed by FHLMC. FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection
or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage
loans. When FHLMC does not guarantee timely payment of principal, FHLMC may
remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of ultimate payment of
principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no
event later than one year after it becomes payable.
Private Entity Securities--These mortgage-related securities are issued by
commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, private
mortgage insurance companies and other non-governmental issuers. Timely
payment of principal and interest on mortgage-related securities backed by
pools created by non-governmental issuers often is supported partially by
various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title,
pool and hazard insurance. The insurance and guarantees are issued by
government entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers. There can
be no assurance that the private insurers or mortgage poolers can meet their
obligations under the policies, so that if the issuers default on their
obligations the holders of the security could sustain a loss. No insurance
or guarantee covers the Fund or the price of the Fund's shares. Mortgage-
related securities issued by non-governmental issuers generally offer a
higher rate of interest than government-agency and government-related
securities because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of
payment.
Commercial Mortgage-Related Securities--Commercial mortgage-related
securities generally are multi-class debt or pass-through certificates
secured by mortgage loans on commercial properties. These mortgage-related
securities generally are structured to provide protection to the senior
classes investors against potential losses on the underlying mortgage loans.
This protection generally is provided by having the holders of subordinated
classes of securities ("Subordinated Securities") take the first loss if
there are defaults on the underlying commercial mortgage loans. Other
protection, which may benefit all of the classes or particular classes, may
include issuer guarantees, reserve funds, additional Subordinated
Securities, cross-collateralization and over-collateralization.
The Fund may invest in Subordinated Securities issued or sponsored by
commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, private
mortgage insurance companies and other non-governmental issuers.
Subordinated Securities have no governmental guarantee, and are subordinated
in some manner as to the payment of principal and/or interest to the holders
of more senior mortgage-related securities arising out of the same pool of
mortgages. The holders of Subordinated Securities typically are compensated
with a higher stated yield than are the holders of more senior mortgage-
related securities. On the other hand, Subordinated Securities typically
subject the holder to greater risk than senior mortgage-related securities
and tend to be rated in a lower rating category, and frequently a
substantially lower rating category, than the senior mortgage-related
securities issued in respect of the same pool of mortgage. Subordinated
Securities generally are likely to be more sensitive to changes in
prepayment and interest rates and the market for such securities may be less
liquid than is the case for traditional fixed-income securities and senior
mortgage-related securities.
The market for commercial mortgage-related securities developed more
recently and in terms of total outstanding principal amount of issues is
relatively small compared to the market for residential single-family
mortgage-related securities. In addition, commercial lending generally is
viewed as exposing the lender to a greater risk of loss than one- to four-
family residential lending. Commercial lending, for example, typically
involves larger loans to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers
than residential one- to four-family mortgage loans. In addition, the
repayment of loans secured by income producing properties typically is
dependent upon the successful operation of the related real estate project
and the cash flow generated therefrom. Consequently, adverse changes in
economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to have an adverse
impact on mortgage-related securities secured by loans on commercial
properties than on those secured by loans on residential properties.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs")--A CMO is a multiclass bond
backed by a pool of mortgage pass-through certificates or mortgage loans.
CMOs may be collateralized by (a) Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac
pass-through certificates, (b) unsecuritized mortgage loans insured by the
Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans'
Affairs, (c) unsecuritized conventional mortgages, (d) other mortgage-
related securities, or (e) any combination thereof. Each class of CMOs,
often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specific coupon rate and
has a stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal prepayments on
collateral underlying a CMO may cause it to be retired substantially earlier
than the stated maturities or final distribution dates. The principal and
interest on the underlying mortgages may be allocated among the several
classes of a series of a CMO in many ways. One or more tranches of a CMO
may have coupon rates which reset periodically at a specified increment over
an index, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") (or sometimes
more than one index). These floating rate CMOs typically are issued with
lifetime caps on the coupon rate thereon. The Fund also may invest in
inverse floating rate CMOs. Inverse floating rate CMOs constitute a tranche
of a CMO with a coupon rate that moves in the reverse direction to an
applicable index such a LIBOR. Accordingly, the coupon rate thereon will
increase as interest rates decrease. Inverse floating rate CMOs are
typically more volatile than fixed or floating rate tranches of CMOs.
Many inverse floating rate CMOs have coupons that move inversely to a
multiple of the applicable indexes. The effect of the coupon varying
inversely to a multiple of an applicable index creates a leverage factor.
Inverse floaters based on multiples of a stated index are designed to be
highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders
thereof to extreme reductions of yield and loss of principal. The markets
for inverse floating rate CMOs with highly leveraged characteristics at
times may be very thin. The Fund's ability to dispose of its positions in
such securities will depend on the degree of liquidity in the markets for
such securities. It is impossible to predict the amount of trading interest
that may exist in such securities, and therefore the future degree of
liquidity.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities--The Fund also may invest in stripped
mortgage-backed securities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are created
by segregating the cash flows from underlying mortgage loans or mortgage
securities to create two or more new securities, each with a specified
percentage of the underlying security's principal or interest payments.
Mortgage securities may be partially stripped so that each investor class
receives some interest and some principal. When securities are completely
stripped, however, all of the interest is distributed to holders of one type
of security, known as an interest-only security, or IO, and all of the
principal is distributed to holders of another type of security known as a
principal-only security, or PO. Strips can be created in a pass-through
structure or as tranches of a CMO. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs
are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments)
on the related underlying mortgage assets. If the underlying mortgage
assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the
Fund may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the
underlying mortgage assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of
principal, the yield on POs could be materially and adversely affected.
Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Loans ("ARMs")--ARMs eligible for inclusion in a
mortgage pool will generally provide for a fixed initial mortgage interest
rate for a specified period of time, generally for either the first three,
six, twelve, thirteen, thirty-six, or sixty scheduled monthly payments.
Thereafter, the interest rates are subject to periodic adjustment based on
changes in an index. ARMs typically have minimum and maximum rates beyond
which the mortgage interest rate may not vary over the lifetime of the
loans. Certain ARMs provide for additional limitations on the maximum
amount by which the mortgage interest rate may adjust for any single
adjustment period. Negatively amortizing ARMs may provide limitations on
changes in the required monthly payment. Limitations on monthly payments
can result in monthly payments that are greater or less than the amount
necessary to amortize a negatively amortizing ARM by its maturity at the
interest rate in effect during any particular month.
Other Mortgage-Related Securities--Other mortgage-related securities include
securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly
represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage
loans on real property, including CMO residuals. Other mortgage-related
securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or
instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or
investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations,
homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks,
partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities. Variable and floating rate
securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on
the obligations. The terms of such obligations must provide that interest
rates are adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index
as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be
regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event based, such as
based on a change in the prime rate.
The Fund may invest in floating rate debt instruments ("floaters").
The interest rate on a floater is a variable rate which is tied to another
interest rate, such as a money-market index or Treasury bill rate. The
interest rate on a floater resets periodically, typically every six months.
Because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters provide the Fund with a
certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates, although the
Fund will participate in any declines in interest rates as well.
The Fund also may invest in inverse floating rate debt instruments
("inverse floaters"). The interest rate on an inverse floater resets in the
opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse
floater is indexed or inversely to a multiple of the applicable index. An
inverse floating rate security may exhibit greater price volatility than a
fixed rate obligation of similar credit quality.
Illiquid Securities. Where a substantial market of qualified
institutional buyers develops for certain restricted securities purchased by
the Fund pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Fund intends to treat such securities as liquid securities in accordance
with procedures approved by the Fund's Board. Because it is not possible to
predict with assurance how the market for restricted securities pursuant to
Rule 144A will develop, the Fund's Board has directed the Manager to monitor
carefully the Fund's investments in such securities with particular regard
to trading activity, availability of reliable price information and other
relevant information. To the extent that, for a period of time, qualified
institutional buyers cease purchasing restricted securities pursuant to Rule
144A, the Fund's investing in such securities may have the effect of
increasing the level of illiquidity in the Fund's portfolio during such
period.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund's custodian or sub-custodian will have
custody of, and will hold in a segregated account, securities acquired by
the Fund under a repurchase agreement. Repurchase agreements are considered
by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission to be loans by the
Fund. In an attempt to reduce the risk of incurring a loss on a repurchase
agreement, the Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with domestic
banks with total assets in excess of $1 billion, or primary government
securities dealers reporting to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, with
respect to securities of the type in which the Fund may invest, and will
require that additional securities be deposited with it if the value of the
securities purchased should decrease below resale price.
Management Policies
Leverage Through Borrowing. For borrowings for investment purposes,
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), requires
the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets
including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of
the amount borrowed. If the required coverage should decline as a result of
market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some
of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore
the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an
investment standpoint to sell at that time. The Fund also may be required
to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to
pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of those
requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest
rate. To the extent the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement,
the Fund will maintain in a segregated account permissible liquid assets at
least equal to the aggregate amount of its reverse repurchase obligations,
plus accrued interest, in certain cases, in accordance with releases
promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Securities and
Exchange Commission views reverse repurchase transactions as collateralized
borrowings by the Fund.
Lending Portfolio Securities. In connection with its securities
lending transactions, the Fund may return to the borrower or a third party
which is unaffiliated with the Fund, and which is acting as a "placing
broker," a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral
received for securities loaned.
The Securities and Exchange Commission currently requires that the
following conditions must be met whenever portfolio securities are loaned:
(1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower;
(2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of
the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must
be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive
reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other
distributions payable on the loaned securities, and any increase in market
value; and (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection
with the loan.
Short-Selling. The Fund may engage in short-selling. Until the Fund
closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will:
(a) maintain a segregated account, containing permissible liquid assets, at
such a level that the amount deposited in the account plus the amount
deposited with the broker as collateral always equals the current value of
the security sold short, or (b) otherwise cover its short position.
Derivatives. The Fund may invest in, or enter into, Derivatives (as
defined in the Prospectus) for a variety of reasons, including to hedge
certain market risks, to manage the interest rate sensitivity (sometimes
called duration) of fixed-income securities, to provide a substitute for
purchasing or selling particular securities or to increase potential income
gain. Derivatives may provide a cheaper, quicker or more specifically
focused way for the Fund to invest than "traditional" securities would.
Derivatives may be purchased on established exchanges or through
privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter
Derivatives. Exchange-traded Derivatives generally are guaranteed by the
clearing agency which is the issuer or counterparty to such Derivatives.
This guarantee usually is supported by a daily payment system (i.e.,
variation margin requirements) operated by the clearing agency in order to
reduce overall credit risk. As a result, unless the clearing agency
defaults, there is relatively little counterparty credit risk associated
with Derivatives purchased on an exchange. By contrast, no clearing agency
guarantees over-the-counter Derivatives. Therefore, each party to an over-
the-counter Derivative bears the risk that the counterparty will default.
Accordingly, the Manager will consider the creditworthiness of
counterparties to over-the-counter Derivatives in the same manner as it
would review the credit quality of a security to be purchased by the Fund.
Over-the-counter Derivatives are less liquid than exchange-traded
Derivatives since the other party to the transaction may be the only
investor with sufficient understanding of the Derivative to be interested in
bidding for it.
Futures Transactions. The Fund may enter into futures contracts in U.S.
domestic markets. Engaging in these transactions involves risk of loss to
the Fund which could adversely affect the value of the Fund's net assets.
Although the Fund intends to purchase or sell futures contracts only if
there is an active market for such contracts, no assurance can be given that
a liquid market will exist for any particular contract at any particular
time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of
fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading
day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no
trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be
suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract
prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with
little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures
positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses.
Successful use of futures by the Fund also is subject to the Manager's
ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant
market and, to the extent the transaction is entered into for hedging
purposes, to ascertain the appropriate correlation between the transaction
being hedged and the price movements of the futures contract. For example,
if the Fund uses futures to hedge against the possibility of a decline in
the market value of securities held in its portfolio and the prices of such
securities instead increase, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit
of the increased value of securities which it has hedged because it will
have offsetting losses in its futures positions. Furthermore, if in such
circumstances the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities
to meet daily variation margin requirements. The Fund may have to sell such
securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Pursuant to regulations and/or published positions of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, the Fund may be required to segregate permissible
liquid assets in connection with its commodities transactions in an amount
generally equal to the value of the underlying commodity. The segregation
of such assets will have the effect of limiting the Fund's ability otherwise
to invest those assets.
The Fund may purchase and sell interest rate futures contracts. An
interest rate future obligates the Fund to purchase or sell an amount of a
specific debt security at a future date at a specific price.
Options. The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) call or put options
with respect to specific securities. A call option gives the purchaser of
the option the right to buy, and obligates the writer to sell, the
underlying security or securities at the exercise price at any time during
the option period, or at a specific date. Conversely, a put option gives
the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to
buy, the underlying security or securities at the exercise price at any time
during the option period, or at a specific date.
A covered call option written by the Fund is a call option with respect
to which the Fund owns the underlying security or otherwise covers the
transaction by segregating cash or other securities. A put option written
by the Fund is covered when, among other things, cash or liquid securities
having a value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option are
placed in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian to fulfill the
obligation undertaken. The principal reason for writing covered call and
put options is to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return
than would be realized on the underlying securities alone. The Fund
receives a premium from writing covered call or put options which it retains
whether or not the option is exercised.
There is no assurance that sufficient trading interest to create a
liquid secondary market on a securities exchange will exist for any
particular option or any particular time, and for some options no such
secondary market may exist. A liquid secondary market in an option may
cease to exist for a variety of reasons. In the past, for example, higher
than anticipated trading activity or order flow, or other unforeseen events,
at times have rendered certain of the clearing facilities inadequate and
resulted in the institution of special procedures, such as trading
rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders or trading halts or
suspensions in one or more options. There can be no assurance that similar
events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the timely execution of
customers' orders, will not recur. In such event, it might not be possible
to effect closing transactions in particular options. If, as a covered call
option writer, the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction
in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying security
until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security upon
exercise or it otherwise covers its position.
The Fund may purchase cash-settled options on interest rate swaps in
pursuit of its investment objective. A cash-settled option on a swap gives
the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for the premium
paid, to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the underlying swap
as of the exercise date. These options typically are purchased in privately
negotiated transactions from financial institutions, including securities
brokerage firms.
Successful use by the Fund of options will be subject to the Manager's
ability to predict correctly movements in interest rates and prices of
securities underlying options. To the extent the Manager's predictions are
incorrect, the Fund may incur losses.
Future Developments. The Fund may take advantage of opportunities in
the area of options and futures contracts and options on futures contracts
and any other Derivatives which are not presently contemplated for use by
the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to
the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund's investment
objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before entering into such
transactions or making any such investment, the Fund will provide
appropriate disclosure in its Prospectus or Statement of Additional
Information.
Forward Commitments. Securities purchased on a forward commitment or
when-issued basis are subject to changes in value (generally changing in the
same way, i.e., appreciating when interest rates decline and depreciating
when interest rates rise) based upon the public's perception of the
creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, real or anticipated, in the
level of interest rates. Securities purchased on a forward commitment or
when-issued basis may expose the Fund to risks because they may experience
such fluctuations prior to their actual delivery. Purchasing securities on
a when-issued basis can involve the additional risk that the yield available
in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be higher than that
obtained in the transaction itself. Purchasing securities on a forward
commitment or when-issued basis when the Fund is fully or almost fully
invested may result in greater potential fluctuation in the value of the
Fund's net assets and its net asset value per share.
Investment Restrictions
The Fund has adopted investment restrictions numbered 1 through 7 as
fundamental policies, which cannot be changed without approval by the
holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund's outstanding
voting shares. Investment restrictions numbered 8 through 11 are not
fundamental policies and may be changed by vote of a majority of the Fund's
Board members at any time. The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act
(which currently limits borrowing to no more than 33-1/3% of the value of
the Fund's total assets). For purposes of this Investment Restriction, the
entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those
relating to indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes shall not
constitute borrowing.
2. Purchase securities on margin, but the Fund may make margin
deposits in connection with transactions in options, forward contracts,
futures contracts, including those related to indexes, and options on
futures contracts or indexes.
3. Underwrite the securities of other issuers, except to the extent
the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, by virtue of disposing of portfolio securities.
4. Purchase or sell real estate, real estate investment trust
securities, commodities, or oil and gas interests, provided that the Fund
may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or issued
by companies that invest or deal in real estate or acquire real estate as a
result of ownership of such securities or instruments, and provided further
that the Fund may purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures
contracts, including those relating to indexes, and options on futures
contracts or indexes.
5. Make loans to others, except through the purchase of debt
obligations referred to in the Prospectus or the entry into repurchase
agreements. However, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an
amount not to exceed 33-1/3% of the value of its total assets. Any loans of
portfolio securities will be made according to guidelines established by the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the Fund's Board.
6. Invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in the
securities of issuers in any single industry, provided that there shall be
no limitation on the purchase of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. For purposes of this
Investment Restriction, securities and instruments backed directly or
indirectly by real estate and real estate mortgages and securities of
companies engaged in the real estate business are not considered an
industry.
7. Issue any senior security (as such term is defined in Section
18(f) of the 1940 Act), except to the extent that the activities permitted
in Investment Restriction Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 9 may be deemed to give rise to a
senior security.
8. Invest in securities of other investment companies, except to the
extent permitted under the 1940 Act.
9. Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets,
except to the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and to the
extent related to the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with the
purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis and
collateral and initial or variation margin arrangements with respect to
options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those related to
indexes, and options on futures contracts or indexes.
10. Enter into repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more
than seven days after notice or purchase securities which are illiquid if,
in the aggregate, more than 15% of the value of the Fund's net assets would
be so invested.
11. Purchase common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants or other equity
securities, or purchase corporate bonds or debentures, state bonds,
municipal bonds or industrial revenue bonds.
If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a
later increase in percentage resulting from a change in values or assets
will not constitute a violation of that restriction.
The Fund may make commitments more restrictive than the restrictions
listed above so as to permit the sale of Fund shares in certain states.
Should the Fund determine that a commitment is no longer in the best
interests of the Fund and its shareholders, the Fund reserves the right to
revoke the commitment by terminating the sale of Fund shares in the state
involved.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Board members and officers of the Fund, together with information as to
their principal business occupations during at least the last five years,
are shown below.
Board Members of the Fund
JOSEPH S. DiMARTINO, Chairman of the Board. Since January 1995, Chairman of
the Board of various funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. He is also
director of The Noel Group, Inc., a venture capital company (for which,
from February 1995 until November 1997, he was Chairman of the Board),
The Muscular Dystrophy Association, HealthPlan Services Corporation, a
provider of marketing, administrative and risk management services to
health and other benefit programs, Carlyle Industries, Inc. (formerly,
Belding Heminway Company, Inc.), a button packager and distributor,
Century Business Services, Inc., a provider of various outsourcing
functions for small and medium size companies, and Career Blazers Inc.
(formerly, Staffing Resources Inc.), a temporary placement agency. For
more than five years prior to January 1995, he was President, a
director and, until August 1994, Chief Operating Officer of the Manager
and Executive Vice President and a director of Dreyfus Service
Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manager and, until August
24, 1994, the Fund's distributor. From August 1994 to December 31,
1994, he was a director of Mellon Bank Corporation. He is 54 years old
and his address is 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166.
DAVID W. BURKE, Board Member. Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of
Governors, an independent board within the United States Information
Agency, since August 1995. From August 1994 to December 31, 1994, Mr.
Burke was a consultant to the Manager and from October 1990 to August
1994, he was Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the
Manager. From 1977 to 1990, Mr. Burke was involved in the management
of national television news, as Vice President and Executive Vice
President of ABC News, and subsequently as President of CBS News. He
is 62 years old and his address is Box 654, Eastham, Massachusetts
02642.
SAMUEL CHASE, Board Member. From 1982 through 1996, Mr. Chase has been
President of Samuel Chase & Company, Ltd., an economic consulting firm.
He is 65 years old and his address is 10380 Springhill Road, Belgrade,
Montana 59714.
GORDON J. DAVIS, Board Member. Senior partner with the firm of LeBoeuf,
Lamb, Greene & MacRae, since October 1994. From 1983 to September
1994, Mr. Davis was a senior partner with the law firm of Lord Day &
Lord, Barrett Smith. He was Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for
the City of New York from 1978 to 1983. He is also a director of
Consolidated Edison, a utility company, and Phoenix Home Life Insurance
Company and a member of various other corporate and not-for-profit
boards. He is 56 years old and his address is 241 Central Park West,
New York, New York 10023.
JONI EVANS, Board Member. Senior Vice President of the William Morris
Agency, since September 1993. From September 1987 to May 1993,
Executive Vice President of Random House, Inc.; from January 1991 to
May 1993, President and Publisher of Turtle Bay Books; from January
1987 to December 1990, Publisher of Random House-Adult Trade Division;
and from September 1985 to September 1987, President of Simon and
Schuster-Trade Division. She is 55 years old and her address is 1325
Avenue of the Americas, 33rd floor, New York, New York 10019.
ARNOLD S. HIATT, Board Member. Chairman of The Stride Rite Foundation.
From 1969 to June 1992, Mr. Hiatt was Chairman of the Board, President
or Chief Executive Officer of The Stride Rite Corporation, a
multi-divisional footwear manufacturing and retailing company. Mr.
Hiatt is also a director of the Cabot Corporation. He is 69 years old
and his address is 5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142.
BURTON N. WALLACK, Board Member. President and co-owner of Wallack
Management Company, a real estate management company managing real
estate in the New York City area. He is 47 years old and his address
is 18 East 64th Street, New York, New York 10021.
For so long as the Fund's plan described in the section captioned
"Service Plan" remains in effect, the Board members of the Fund who are not
"interested persons" of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, will be
selected and nominated by the Board members who are not "interested persons"
of the Fund.
The Fund typically pays its Board members an annual retainer and a per
meeting fee and reimbursement for their expenses. The Chairman of the Board
receives an additional 25% of such compensation. Emeritus Board members are
entitled to receive an annual retainer and a per meeting fee of one-half the
amount paid to them as Board members. The aggregate amount of compensation
payable to each Board member by the Fund for the fiscal year ended April 30,
1998, and by all other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds for which such
person is a Board member (the number of which is set forth in parenthesis
next to each Board member's total compensation) for the year ended December
31, 1997, were as follows:
Total Compensation
Aggregate From Fund and
Name of Board Compensation From Fund Complex
Member Fund* Paid to Board Member
Joseph S. DiMartino $8,750 $597,128 (94)
David W. Burke $7,000 $239,000 (51)
Samuel Chase $7,000 $ 55,000 (12)
Gordon J. Davis $7,000 $ 97,375 (24)
Joni Evans $7,000 $ 51,750 (12)
Arnold S. Hiatt $6,500 $ 53,750 (12)
Burton N. Wallack $7,000 $ 55,000 (12)
_____________________
* Amount does not include reimbursed expenses for attending Board meetings,
which amounted to $420 for all Board Members as a group.
Officers of the Fund
MARIE E. CONNOLLY, President and Treasurer. President, Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and a director of the Distributor and
Funds Distributor, Inc., the ultimate parent of which is Boston
Institutional Group, Inc., and an officer of other investment companies
advised or administered by the Manager. She is 40 years old.
MARGARET W. CHAMBERS, Vice President and Secretary. Senior Vice President
and General Counsel of Funds Distributor, Inc., and an officer of other
investment companies advised or administered by the Manager. From
August 1996 to March 1998, she was Vice President and Assistant General
Counsel for Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. From January 1986 to July
1996, she was an associate with the law firm of Ropes & Gray. She is
38 years old.
MICHAEL S. PETRUCELLI, Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Assistant
Secretary. Senior Vice President of Funds Distributor, Inc., and an
officer of certain other investment companies advised or administered
by the Manager. From December 1989 through November 1996, he was
employed by GE Investment Services where he held various financial,
business development and compliance positions. He also served as
Treasurer of the GE Funds and as a Director of GE Investment Services.
He is 36 years old.
STEPHANIE D. PIERCE, Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Assistant
Secretary . Vice President and Client Development Manager of Funds
Distributor, Inc., and an officer of other investment companies advised
or administered by the Manager. From April 1997 to March 1998, she was
employed as a Relationship Manager with Citibank, N.A. She is 29 years
old.
MARY A. NELSON, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer. Vice President of
the Distributor and Funds Distributor, Inc., and an officer of other
investment companies advised or administered by the Manager. From
September 1989 to July 1994, she was an Assistant Vice President and
Client Manager for The Boston Company, Inc. She is 34 years old.
GEORGE A. RIO, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer. Executive Vice
President and Client Service Director of Funds Distributor Inc., and an
officer of other investment companies advised or administered by the
Manager. From June 1995 to March 1998, he was Senior Vice President
and Senior Key Account Manager for Putnam Mutual Funds. From May 1994
to June 1995, he was Director of Business Development for First Data
Corporation. From September 1983 to May 1994, he was Senior Vice
President and Manager of Client Services and Director of Internal Audit
at The Boston Company. He is 43 years old.
JOSEPH F. TOWER, III, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer. Senior Vice
President, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and a director of the
Distributor and Funds Distributor, Inc., and an officer of other
investment companies advised or administered by the Manager. From July
1988 to August 1994, he was employed by The Boston Company, Inc. where
he held various management positions in the Corporate Finance and
Treasury areas. He is 35 years old.
DOUGLAS C. CONROY, Vice President and Assistant Secretary. Assistant Vice
President of Funds Distributor, Inc., and an officer of other
investment companies advised or administered by the Manager. From
April 1993 to January 1995, he was a Senior Fund Accountant for
Investors Bank & Trust Company. From December 1991 to March 1993, he
was employed as a Fund Accountant at The Boston Company, Inc. He is 29
years old.
CHRISTOPHER J. KELLEY, Vice President and Assistant Secretary. Vice
President and Senior Associate General Counsel of Funds Distributor,
Inc., and an officer of other investment companies advised or
administered by the Manager. From April 1994 to July 1996, he was
Assistant Counsel at Forum Financial Group. From October 1992 to March
1994, he was employed by Putnam Investments in legal and compliance
capacities. He is 33 years old.
KATHLEEN K. MORRISEY, Vice President and Assistant Secretary. Manager of
Treasury Services Administration of Funds Distributor, Inc., and an
officer of other investment companies advised or administered by the
Manager. From July 1994 to November 1995, she was a Fund Accountant
for Investors Bank & Trust Company. She is 25 years old.
ELBA VASQUEZ, Vice President and Assistant Secretary. Assistant Vice
President of Funds Distributor, Inc., and an officer of other
investment companies advised or administered by the Manager. From
March 1990 to May 1996, she was employed by U.S. Trust Company of New
York where she held various sales and marketing positions. She is 36
years old.
The address of each officer of the Fund is 200 Park Avenue, New York,
New York 10166.
The Fund's Board members and officers, as a group, owned less than 1%
of the Fund's shares outstanding on August 21, 1998.
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Management of the Fund."
The Manager provides management services pursuant to the Management
Agreement (the "Agreement") dated April 24, 1994 with the Fund, which is
subject to annual approval by (i) the Fund's Board or (ii) vote of a
majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund, provided that in either event its continuance also is approved
by a majority of the Board members who are not "interested persons" (as
defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the Manager, by vote cast in person
at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The
Agreement was approved by shareholders on August 2, 1994, and was last
approved by the Fund's Board, including a majority of the Board members who
are not "interested persons" of any party to the Agreement, at a meeting
held on April 15, 1998. The Agreement is terminable without penalty, on not
more than 60 days' notice, by the Fund's Board or by vote of the holders of
a majority of the Fund's shares, or, upon not less than 90 days' notice, by
the Manager. The Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its
assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
The following persons are officers and/or directors of the Manager: W.
Keith Smith, Chairman of the Board; Christopher M. Condron, President, Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and a director; Stephen E.
Canter, Vice Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and a director; Lawrence S.
Kash, Vice Chairman--Distribution and a director; J. David Officer, Vice
Chairman and director; Ronald P. O'Hanley III, Vice Chairman; William T.
Sandalls, Jr., Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Mark N.
Jacobs, Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary; Patrice M.
Kozlowski, Vice President--Corporate Communication; Andrew S. Wasser, Vice
President--Information Services; Mary Beth Leibig, Vice President--Human
Resources; James Bitetto, Assistant Secretary; Steven F. Newman, Assistant
Secretary; and Mandell L. Berman, Burton C. Borgelt, Frank V. Cahouet and
Richard F. Syron, directors.
The Manager manages the Fund's portfolio of investments in accordance
with the stated policies of the Fund, subject to the approval of the Fund's
Board. The Manager is responsible for investment decisions and provides the
Fund with portfolio managers who are authorized by the Board to execute
purchases and sales of securities. The Fund's portfolio managers are Roger
King, Kevin McClintock, Michael Hoeh, Matthew Olson, and Gerald E.
Thunelius. The Manager also maintains a research department with a
professional staff of portfolio managers and securities analysts who provide
research services for the Fund and for other funds advised by the Manager.
The Manager maintains office facilities on behalf of the Fund, and
furnishes statistical and research data, clerical help, accounting, data
processing, bookkeeping and internal auditing and certain other required
services to the Fund. The Manager also may make such advertising and
promotional expenditures, using its own resources, as it from time to time
deems appropriate.
All expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund are borne by the
Fund, except to the extent specifically assumed by the Manager. The
expenses borne by the Fund include: taxes, interest, brokerage fees and
commissions, if any, fees of Board members who are not officers, directors,
employees or holders of 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of
the Manager, Securities and Exchange Commission and state Blue Sky
qualification fees, advisory fees, charges of custodians, transfer and
dividend disbursing agents' fees, certain insurance premiums, industry
association fees, outside auditing and legal expenses, costs of independent
pricing services, costs of maintaining corporate existence, costs
attributable to investor services (including, without limitation, telephone
and personnel expenses), costs of shareholders' reports and corporate
meetings, and any extraordinary expenses. The Fund bears certain servicing
expenses in accordance with a written plan and also bears certain costs
associated with implementing and operating such plan and costs of preparing
and printing prospectuses and statements of additional information. See
"Service Plan."
As compensation for the Manager's services, the Fund has agreed to pay
the Manager a monthly management fee at the annual rate of .60 of 1% of the
value of the Fund's average daily net assets. The management fees for the
fiscal years ended April 30, 1996, 1997 and 1998 amounted to $8,616,559,
$7,906,732 and $7,273,135, respectively.
The Manager has agreed that if in any fiscal year the aggregate
expenses of the Fund, exclusive of taxes, brokerage fees, interest on
borrowings and (with the prior written consent of the necessary state
securities commissions) extraordinary expenses, but including the management
fee, exceed 1-1/2% of the average value of the net assets of the Fund for the
fiscal year, the Fund may deduct from the payment to be made to the Manager
under the Agreement, or the Manager will bear, such excess expense. Such
deduction or payment, if any, will be estimated, reconciled and effected or
paid, as the case may be, on a monthly basis.
The aggregate of the fees payable to the Manager is not subject to
reduction as the value of the Fund's net assets increases.
PURCHASE OF SHARES
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "How to Buy Shares."
The Distributor. The Distributor serves as the Fund's distributor on a
best efforts basis pursuant to an agreement which is renewable annually.
The Distributor also acts as distributor for the other funds in the Dreyfus
Family of Funds and for certain other investment companies.
Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. Dreyfus TeleTransfer purchase orders
may be made at any time. Purchase orders received by 4:00 p.m., New York
time, on any business day that Dreyfus Transfer, Inc., the Fund's transfer
and dividend disbursing agent (the "Transfer Agent"), and the New York Stock
Exchange are open for business will be credited to the shareholder's Fund
account on the next bank business day following such purchase order.
Purchase orders made after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on any business day the
Transfer Agent and the New York Stock Exchange are open for business, or
orders made on Saturday, Sunday or any Fund holiday (e.g., when the New York
Stock Exchange is not open for business), will be credited to the
shareholder's Fund account on the second bank business day following such
purchase order. To qualify to use the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege, the
initial payment for purchase of Fund shares must be drawn on, and redemption
proceeds paid to, the same bank and account as are designated on the Account
Application or Shareholder Services Form on file. If the proceeds of a
particular redemption are to be wired to an account at any other bank, the
request must be in writing and signature-guaranteed. See "Redemption of
Shares--TeleTransfer Privilege."
Reopening an Account. An investor may reopen an account with a minimum
investment of $100 without filing a new Account Application during the
calendar year in which the account is closed or during the following
calendar year, provided the information on the old Account Application is
still applicable.
SERVICE PLAN
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Service Plan."
Rule 12b-1 (the "Rule"), adopted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission under the 1940 Act, provides, among other things, that an
investment company may bear expenses of distributing its shares only
pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with the Rule. The Fund's Board
has adopted such a plan (the "Plan"), pursuant to which the Fund (a)
reimburses the Distributor for payments to certain financial institutions
(which may include banks), securities dealers and other financial industry
professionals (collectively, "Service Agents") for distributing Fund shares
and servicing shareholder accounts ("Servicing") and (b) pays the Manager,
Dreyfus Service Corporation and any affiliates of either of them
(collectively, "Dreyfus") for advertising and marketing relating to the Fund
and for Servicing. The Fund's Board believes that there is a reasonable
likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders.
A quarterly report of the amounts expended under the Plan, and the
purposes for which such expenditures were incurred, must be made to the
Fund's Board for its review. In addition, the Plan provides that it may not
be amended to increase materially the costs which the Fund may bear for
distribution pursuant to the Plan without shareholder approval and that
other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the Fund's Board,
and by the Board members who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the
1940 Act) of the Fund and have no direct or indirect financial interest in
the operation of the Plan or in the related service agreements, by vote cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such
amendments. The Plan and the related service agreements are subject to
annual approval by such vote cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan was approved by shareholders on
August 2, 1994, and was last approved by Board members at a meeting held on
April 15, 1998. The Plan is terminable at any time by vote of a majority of
the Board members who are not "interested persons" and have no direct or
indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any of the
related service agreements or by vote of a majority of the Fund's shares.
Any service agreement is terminable without penalty, at any time, by such
vote of the Board members or, upon not more than 60 days' written notice to
the Service Agent, by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's
shares, or, upon 15 days' notice, by the Distributor. Each service
agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as
defined in the 1940 Act).
For the fiscal year ended April 30, 1998, the total amount payable by
the Fund was $2,456,732, of which $2,162,983 was payable to Dreyfus for
advertising and marketing, and for shareholder servicing, $261,395 was
reimbursed to the Distributor for payments made to Service Agents and
$32,354 was payable by the Fund for preparing, printing and distributing
prospectuses and statements of additional information and for costs
associated with implementing and operating the Plan.
REDEMPTION OF SHARES
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "How to Redeem Shares."
Check Redemption Privilege. The Fund provides Redemption Checks
("Checks") automatically upon opening an account, unless the investor
specifically refuses the Check Redemption Privilege by checking the
applicable "No" box on the Account Application. Checks will be sent only to
the registered owner(s) of the account and only to the address of record.
The Check Redemption Privilege may be established for an existing account by
a separate signed Shareholder Services Form. The Account Application or
Shareholder Services Form must be manually signed by the registered
owners(s). Checks are drawn on the investor's Fund account and may be made
payable to the order of any person in an amount of $500 or more. When a
Check is presented to the Transfer Agent for payment, the Transfer Agent, as
the investor's agent, will cause the Fund to redeem a sufficient number of
full or fractional shares in the investor's account to cover the amount of
the Check. Dividends are earned until the Check clears. After clearance, a
copy of the Check will be returned to the investor. Investors generally
will be subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to checking
accounts, although the election of this Privilege creates only a
shareholder-transfer agent relationship with the Transfer Agent.
If the amount of the Check is greater than the value of the shares in
an investor's account, the Check will be returned marked insufficient funds.
Checks should not be used to close an account.
Wire Redemption Privilege. By using this Privilege, the investor
authorizes the Transfer Agent to act on wire, telephone or letter redemption
instructions from any person representing himself or herself to be the
investor or a representative of the investor's Service Agent acting on the
investor's behalf, and reasonably believed by the Transfer Agent to be
genuine. Ordinarily, the Fund will initiate payment for shares redeemed
pursuant to this Privilege on the next business day after receipt by the
Transfer Agent of a redemption request in proper form. Redemption proceeds
($1,000 minimum) will be transferred by Federal Reserve wire only to the
commercial bank account specified by the investor on the Account Application
or Shareholder Services Form or to a correspondent bank if the investor's
bank is not a member of the Federal Reserve System. Fees ordinarily are
imposed by such bank and borne by the investor. Immediate notification by
the correspondent bank to the investor's bank is necessary to avoid a delay
in crediting the funds to the investor's bank account.
Investors with access to telegraphic equipment may wire redemption
requests to the Transfer Agent by employing the following transmittal code
which may be used for domestic or overseas transmissions:
Transfer Agent's
Transmittal Code Answer Back Sign
144295 144295 TSSG PREP
Investors who do not have direct access to telegraphic equipment may
have the wire transmitted by contacting a TRT Cables operator at
1-800-654-7171, toll free. Investors should advise the operator that the
above transmittal code must be used and should also inform the operator of
the Transfer Agent's answer back sign.
To change the commercial bank or account designated to receive
redemption proceeds, a written request must be sent to the Transfer Agent.
This request must be signed by each shareholder, with each signature
guaranteed as described below under "Stock Certificates; Signatures."
Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. Investors should be aware that if they
have selected the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege, any request for a wire
redemption will be effected as a Dreyfus TeleTransfer transaction through
the Automated Clearing House ("ACH") system unless more prompt transmittal
specifically is requested. Redemption proceeds will be on deposit in the
investor's account at an ACH member bank ordinarily two business days after
receipt of the redemption request. See "Purchase of Shares--Dreyfus
TeleTransfer Privilege."
Stock Certificates; Signatures. Any certificates representing Fund
shares to be redeemed must be submitted with the redemption request.
Written redemption requests must be signed by each shareholder, including
each holder of a joint account, and each signature must be guaranteed.
Signatures on endorsed certificates submitted for redemption also must be
guaranteed. The Transfer Agent has adopted standards and procedures
pursuant to which signature-guarantees in proper form generally will be
accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national
securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies
and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock
Exchange Medallion Signature Program, the Securities Transfer Agents
Medallion Program ("STAMP"), and the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program.
Guarantees must be signed by an authorized signatory of the guarantor and
"Signature-Guaranteed" must appear with the signature. The Transfer Agent
may request additional documentation from corporations, executors,
administrators, trustees or guardians, and may accept other suitable
verification arrangements from foreign investors, such as consular
verification. For more information with respect to signature-guarantees,
please call one of the telephone numbers listed on the cover.
Redemption Commitment. The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash
all redemption requests by any shareholder of record, limited in amount
during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of the
Fund's net assets at the beginning of such period. Such commitment is
irrevocable without the prior approval of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. In the case of requests for redemption in excess of such
amount, the Fund's Board reserves the right to make payments in whole or
part in securities or other assets of the Fund in case of an emergency or
any time a cash distribution would impair the liquidity of the Fund to the
detriment of the existing shareholders. In such event, the securities would
be valued in the same manner as the Fund's portfolio is valued. If the
recipient sold such securities, brokerage charges might be incurred.
Suspension of Redemptions. The right of redemption may be suspended or
the date of payment postponed (a) during any period when the New York Stock
Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b)
when trading in the markets the Fund ordinarily utilizes is restricted, or
when an emergency exists as determined by the Securities and Exchange
Commission so that disposal of the Fund's investments or determination of
its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for such other
periods as the Securities and Exchange Commission by order may permit to
protect the Fund's shareholders.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Services."
Fund Exchanges. Shares of other funds purchased by exchange will be
purchased on the basis of relative net asset value per share as follows:
A. Exchanges for shares of funds that are offered without a
sales load will be made without a sales load.
B. Shares of funds purchased without a sales load may be
exchanged for shares of other funds sold with a sales load, and
the applicable sales load will be deducted.
C. Shares of funds purchased with a sales load may be exchanged
without a sales load for shares of other funds sold without a
sales load.
D. Shares of funds purchased with a sales load, shares of funds
acquired by a previous exchange from shares purchased with a sales
load, and additional shares acquired through reinvestment of
dividends or distributions of any such funds (collectively
referred to herein as "Purchased Shares") may be exchanged for
shares of other funds sold with a sales load (referred to herein
as "Offered Shares"), provided that, if the sales load applicable
to the Offered Shares exceeds the maximum sales load that could
have been imposed in connection with the Purchased Shares (at the
time the Purchased Shares were acquired), without giving effect to
any reduced loads, the difference will be deducted.
To accomplish an exchange under item D above, shareholders must notify
the Transfer Agent of their prior ownership of the fund shares and their
account number.
To request an exchange, an investor, or the investor's Service Agent
acting on the investor's behalf, must give exchange instructions to the
Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone. The ability to issue exchange
instructions by telephone is given to all Fund shareholders automatically,
unless the investor checks the applicable "No" box on the Account
Application, indicating that the investor specifically refuses this
privilege. By using the Telephone Exchange Privilege, the investor
authorizes the Transfer Agent to act on telephonic instructions (including
over The Dreyfus Touchr automated telephone system) from any person
representing himself or herself to be the investor and reasonably believed
by the Transfer Agent to be genuine. Telephone exchanges may be subject to
limitations as to the amount involved or the number of telephone exchanges
permitted. Shares issued in certificate form are not eligible for telephone
exchange.
To establish a personal retirement plan by exchange, shares of the fund
being exchanged must have a value of at least the minimum initial investment
required for the fund into which the exchange is being made.
Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege. Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege
permits an investor to purchase, in exchange for shares of the Fund, shares
of another fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. This Privilege is available
only for existing accounts. Shares will be exchanged on the basis of
relative net asset value as described above under "Fund Exchanges."
Enrollment in or modification or cancellation of this Privilege is effective
three business days following notification by the investor. An investor
will be notified if his account falls below the amount designated to be
exchanged under this Privilege. In this case, the investor's account will
fall to zero unless additional investments are made in excess of the
designated amount prior to the next Auto-Exchange transaction. Shares held
under IRA and other retirement plans are eligible for this Privilege.
Exchanges of IRA shares may be made between IRA accounts and from regular
accounts to IRA accounts, but not from IRA accounts to regular accounts.
With respect to all other retirement accounts, exchanges may be made only
among those accounts.
Fund Exchanges and the Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege are available to
shareholders resident in any state in which shares of the fund being
acquired may legally be sold. Shares may be exchanged only between accounts
having identical names and other identifying designations.
Shareholder Services Forms and prospectuses of the other funds may be
obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561. The Fund reserves the right to reject
any exchange request in whole or in part. The Fund Exchanges service or
Dreyfus-Auto Exchange Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time
upon notice to shareholders.
Automatic Withdrawal Plan. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits an
investor with a $5,000 minimum account to request withdrawal of a specified
dollar amount (minimum of $50) on either a monthly or quarterly basis.
Withdrawal payments are the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, not the
yield on the shares. If withdrawal payments exceed reinvested dividends and
distributions, the investor's shares will be reduced and eventually may be
depleted. Automatic Withdrawal may be terminated at any time by the
investor, the Fund or the Transfer Agent. Shares for which certificates
have been issued may not be redeemed through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.
Dreyfus Dividend Sweep. Dreyfus Dividend Sweep allows investors to
invest automatically their dividends or dividends and capital gain
distributions, if any, from the Fund in shares of another fund in the
Dreyfus Family of Funds of which the investor is a shareholder. Shares of
other funds purchased pursuant to the privilege will be purchased on the
basis of relative net asset value per share as follows:
A. Dividends and distributions paid by a fund may be invested
without imposition of sales load in shares of other funds that are
offered without a sales load.
B. Dividends and distributions paid by a fund which does not
charge a sales load may be invested in shares of other funds sold
with a sales load, and the applicable sales load will be deducted.
C. Dividends and distributions paid by a fund which charges a
sales load may be invested in shares of other funds sold with a
sales load (referred to herein as "Offered Shares"), provided
that, if the sales load applicable to the Offered Shares exceeds
the maximum sales load charged by the fund from which dividends or
distributions are being swept, without giving effect to any
reduced loads, the difference will be deducted.
D. Dividends and distributions paid by a fund may be invested in
shares of other funds that impose a contingent deferred sales
charge ("CDSC") and the applicable CDSC, if any, will be imposed
upon redemption of such shares.
Corporate Pension/Profit-Sharing and Personal Retirement Plans. The
Fund makes available to corporations a variety of prototype pension and
profit-sharing plans including a 401(k) Salary Reduction Plan. In addition,
the Fund makes available Keogh Plans, IRAs, (including regular IRAs, spousal
IRAs for a non-working spouse, Roth IRAs, IRAs set up under a Simplified
Employee Pension Plan ("SEP-IRA"), Education IRAs and IRA "Rollover
Accounts") and 403(b)(7) Plans. Plan support services are also available.
Investors who wish to purchase Fund shares in conjunction with a Keogh
Plan, a 403(b)(7) Plan or an IRA, including a SEP-IRA, may request from the
Distributor forms for adoption of such plans.
A fee may be charged by the entity acting as custodian for Keogh Plans,
403(b)(7) Plans or IRAs, payment of which could require the liquidation of
shares. All fees charged are described in the appropriate form.
Shares may be purchased in connection with these plans only by direct
remittance to the entity which acts as custodian. Purchases for these plans
may not be made in advance of receipt of funds.
The minimum initial investment for Corporate Plans, Salary Reduction
Plans, 403(b)(7) Plans, and SEP-IRAs, with more than one participant and
$500 for Dreyfus sponsored Education IRAs , is $2,500, with no minimum for
subsequent purchases. The minimum initial investment is $750 for
Dreyfus-sponsored Keogh Plans (including regular IRAs, spousal IRAs for a
non-working spouse, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs and Rollover IRAs) and 403(b)(7)
Plans with only one participant, with no minimum for subsequent purchases.
The investor should read the prototype retirement plan and the
appropriate form of custodial agreement for further details as to
eligibility, service fees and tax implications, and should consult a tax
adviser.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "How to Buy Shares."
Valuation of Portfolio Securities. The Fund's investments are valued
each business day using available market quotations or at fair value as
determined by one or more independent pricing services (collectively, the
"Service") approved by the Fund's Board. The Service may use available
market quotations, employ electronic data processing techniques and/or a
matrix system to determine valuations. The Service's procedures are
reviewed by the Fund's officers under the general supervision of the Fund's
Board. Expenses and fees, including the management fee (reduced by the
expense limitation, if any) and the fees under the Service Plan, are accrued
daily and are taken into account for the purpose of determining the net
asset value of Fund shares.
New York Stock Exchange Closings. The holidays (as observed) on which
the New York Stock Exchange is closed currently are: New Year's Day, Martin
Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Dividends, Distributions
and Taxes."
Management believes that the Fund qualified as a "regulated investment
company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"),
for the fiscal year ended April 30, 1998. The Fund intends to continue to
so qualify if such qualification is in the best interests of its
shareholders. To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must
distribute at least 90% of its net income (consisting of net investment
income from taxable obligations and net short-term capital gains) to its
shareholders, and must meet certain asset diversification and other
requirements. The term "regulated investment company" does not imply the
supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any
government agency.
Any dividend or distribution paid shortly after a shareholder's
purchase may have the effect of reducing the aggregate net asset value of
his shares below the cost of his investment. Such a distribution would be a
return on investment in an economic sense although taxable as stated in the
Prospectus. In addition, the Code provides that if a shareholder has not
held his shares for more than six months (or shorter period as the Internal
Revenue Service may prescribe by regulator) and has received a capital gain
distribution with respect to such shares, any loss incurred on the sale of
such shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the
capital gain distribution.
Ordinarily, gains and losses realized from portfolio transactions will
be treated as capital gain or loss. However, all or a portion of any gain
realized from the sale or other disposition of certain market discount bonds
will be treated as ordinary income under Section 1276 of the Code. In
addition, all or a portion of the gain realized from engaging in "conversion
transaction" may be treated as ordinary income under Section 1258 of the
Code. "Conversion transactions" are defined to include certain forward,
futures, option and "straddle" transactions, transactions marketed or sold
to produce capital gains, or transactions described in Treasury regulations
to be issued in the future.
Under Section 1256 of the Code, any gain or loss the Fund realizes from
certain futures and options transactions will be treated as 60% long-term
capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Gain or loss
will arise upon exercise or lapse of such futures contracts and options as
well as from closing purchase transactions. In addition, any such futures
contracts and options remaining unexercised at the end of the Fund's taxable
year will be treated as sold for their then fair market value, resulting in
additional gain or loss to the Fund characterized in the manner described
above.
Offsetting positions held by the Fund involving certain futures
contracts or options may constitute "straddles." "Straddles" are defined to
include "offsetting positions" in actively traded personal property. The
tax treatment of "straddles" is governed by Sections 1092 and 1258 of the
Code, which, in certain circumstances, override or modify the provisions of
Section 1256 of the Code.
If the Fund were treated as entering into "straddles" by reason of its
futures or options transactions, such "straddles" would be characterized as
"mixed straddles" if the futures or options transactions comprising a part
of such "straddles" were governed by Section 1256 of the Code. The Fund may
make one or more elections with respect to "mixed straddles." Depending on
which election is made, if any, the results to the Fund may differ. If no
election is made to the extent the "straddle" rules apply to positions
established by the Fund, losses realized by the Fund will be deferred to the
extent of unrealized gain in the offsetting position. Moreover, as a result
of the "straddle" and conversion transaction rules, short-term capital loss
on "straddle" positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss,
and long-term capital gain on "straddle" positions may be recharacterized as
short-term capital gain or ordinary income.
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 included constructive sale provisions
that generally apply if the Fund either (1) holds an appreciated financial
position with respect to stock, certain debt obligations, or partnership
interests ("appreciated financial position") and then enters into a short
sale, futures, forward, or offsetting notional principal contract
(collectively, a "Contract") respecting the same or substantially identical
property or (2) holds and appreciated financial position that is a Contract
and then acquires property that is the same as, or substantially identical
to, the underlying property. In each instance, with certain exceptions, the
Fund generally will be taxed as if the appreciated financial position were
sold at its fair market value on the date the Fund enters into the financial
position or acquires the property, respectively. Transactions that are
identified hedging or straddle transactions under other provisions of the
Code can be subject to the constructive sale provisions.
Investment by the Fund in securities issued at a discount or providing
for deferred interest or for payment of interest in the form of additional
obligations could cause the Fund to recognize income prior to the receipt of
cash payments. For example, the Fund could be required to accrue as income
each year a portion of the discount (or deemed discount) at which such
securities were issued. A portion of such income would be allocable to an
investor even though no corresponding distribution were made to the
investor, thus causing the investor's income to exceed distributions to him.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Portfolio securities ordinarily are purchased from and sold to parties
acting as either principal or agent. Newly-issued securities ordinarily are
purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter; other purchases
and sales usually are placed with those dealers from whom it appears that
the best price or execution will be obtained. Usually no brokerage
commissions, as such, are paid by the Fund for such purchases and sales, al
though the price paid usually includes an undisclosed compensation to the
dealer acting as agent. The prices paid to underwriters of newly-issued
securities usually include a concession paid by the issuer to the
underwriter, and purchases of after-market securities from dealers normally
are executed at a price between the bid and asked price. No brokerage
commissions have been paid by the Fund to date.
Transactions are allocated to various dealers by the Fund's portfolio
managers in their best judgment. The primary consideration is prompt and
effective execution of orders at the most favorable price. Subject to that
primary consideration, dealers may be selected for research, statistical or
other services to enable the Manager to supplement its own research and
analysis with the views and information of other securities firms.
Research services furnished by brokers through which the Fund effects
securities transactions may be used by the Manager in advising other funds
it advises and, conversely, research services furnished to the Manager by
brokers in connection with other funds the Manager advises may be used by
the Manager in advising the Fund. Although it is not possible to place a
dollar value on these services, it is the opinion of the Manager that the
receipt and study of such services should not reduce the overall expenses of
its research department.
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a
year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater
brokerage expenses. The portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal years ended
April 30, 1997 and 1998 were 323.99% and 342.71%, respectively. The
significant increase in the Fund's turnover rate for the fiscal year ended
April 30, 1998 was principally attributable to the Fund's increased
participation in forward roll transactions.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Performance
Information."
The Fund's current yield for the 30-day period ended April 30, 1998,
was 6.21%. Current yield is computed pursuant to a formula which operates
as follows: The amount of the Fund's expenses accrued for the 30-day period
(net of reimbursements) is subtracted from the amount of the dividends and
interest earned (computed in accordance with regulatory requirements) by the
Fund during the period. That result is then divided by the product of: (a)
the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were
entitled to receive dividends and (b) the net asset value per share on the
last day of the period less any undistributed earned income per share
reasonably expected to be declared as a dividend shortly thereafter. The
quotient is then added to 1, and that sum is raised to the 6th power, after
which 1 is subtracted. The current yield is then arrived at by multiplying
the result by 2.
The Fund's average annual total return for the 1-, 5- and 10- year
periods ended April 30, 1998, was 10.38%, 6.19% and 7.91%, respectively.
Average annual total return is calculated by determining the ending
redeemable value of an investment purchased with a hypothetical $1,000
payment made at the beginning of the period (assuming the reinvestment of
dividends and distributions), dividing by the amount of the initial
investment, taking the "n"th root of the quotient (where "n" is the number
of years in the period) and subtracting 1 from the result.
The Fund's total return for the period May 29, 1985 (commencement of
operations) through April 30, 1998, was 184.22%. Total return is calculated
by subtracting the amount of the Fund's net asset value per share at the
beginning of a stated period from the net asset value per share at the end
of the period (after giving effect to the reinvestment of dividends and
distributions during the period), and dividing the result by the net asset
value per share at the beginning of the period.
From time to time, advertising materials for the Fund may refer to or
discuss then- current or past economic conditions, developments and/or
events, and actual or proposed tax legislation. From time to time,
advertising materials for the Fund also may refer to statistical or other
information concerning trends relating to investment companies, as compiled
by industry associations such as the Investment Company Institute. From
time to time, advertising materials for the Fund also may refer to Lipper
rankings, or to Morningstar ratings and related analyses supporting the
rating.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Fund's Prospectus entitled "General Information."
Each Fund share has one vote and, when issued and paid for in
accordance with the terms of the offering, is fully paid and nonassessable.
Fund shares are of one class and have equal rights as to dividends and in
liquidation. Shares have no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights
and are freely transferable.
The Fund sends annual and semi-annual financial statements to all its
shareholders.
TRANSFER AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT, CUSTODIAN,
COUNSEL AND INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Dreyfus Transfer, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manager, P.O.
Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, is the Fund's transfer and
dividend disbursing agent. Under a transfer agency agreement with the Fund,
the Transfer Agent arranges for the maintenance of shareholder account
records for the Fund, the handling of certain communications between
shareholders and the Fund and the payment of dividends and distributions
payable by the Fund. For these services, the Transfer Agent receives a
monthly fee computed on the basis of the number of shareholder accounts it
maintains for the Fund during the month, and is reimbursed for certain out-
of-pocket expenses. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 1998, the Fund paid
the Transfer Agent $770,464.
Mellon Bank, N.A. (the "Custodian"), the Manager's parent, One Mellon
Bank Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15258, serves as custodian of the
Fund's investments. Under a custody agreement with the Fund, the Custodian
holds the Fund's securities and keeps all necessary accounts and records.
For its custody services, the Custodian receives a monthly fee based on the
market value of the Fund's assets held in custody and receives certain
securities transactions charges. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 1998,
the Fund paid the Custodian $267,071.
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, 180 Maiden Lane, New York, New York
10038-4982, as counsel for the Fund, has rendered its opinion as to certain
legal matters regarding the due authorization and valid issuance of the
shares being sold pursuant to the Fund's Prospectus.
Ernst & Young LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019,
independent auditors, have been selected as independent auditors of the
Fund.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Fund's Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended
April 30, 1998 is a separate document supplied with this Statement of
Additional Information, and the financial statements, accompanying notes and
report of independent auditors appearing therein are incorporated by
reference into this Statement of Additional Information.
APPENDIX
Description of certain Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P"), Moody's
Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), Fitch IBCA, Inc. ("Fitch") and Duff &
Phelps Credit Rating Co. ("Duff") ratings:
S&P
Bond Ratings
AAA
Bonds rated AAA have the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to
pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.
AA
Bonds rated AA have a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal and differ from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
A
Bonds rated A have a strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal although they are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects
of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in
higher rated categories.
BBB
Bonds rated BBB are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
interest and repay principal. Whereas they normally exhibit adequate
protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances
are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay
principal for bonds in this category than for bonds in higher rated
categories.
S&P's letter ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or a
minus (-) sign designation, which is used to show relative standing within
the major rating categories, except in the AAA (Prime Grade) category.
Moody's
Bond Ratings
Aaa
Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They
carry the smallest degree of investment risk and generally are referred to
as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized
are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such
issues.
Aa
Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all
standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what generally are
known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because
margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or
fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may
be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat
larger than in Aaa securities.
A
Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes
and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving
security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may
be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the
future.
Baa
Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations,
i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest
payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain
protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable
over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Moody's applies the numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to show relative
standing within the major rating categories, except in the Aaa category.
The modifier 1 indicates a ranking for the security in the higher end of a
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the
modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of a rating category.
Fitch
Bond Ratings
The ratings represent Fitch's assessment of the issuer's ability to
meet the obligations of a specific debt issue or class of debt. The ratings
take into consideration special features of the issue, its relationship to
other obligations of the issuer, the current financial condition and
operative performance of the issuer and of any guarantor, as well as the
political and economic environment that might affect the issuer's future
financial strength and credit quality.
AAA
Bonds rated AAA are considered to be investment grade and of the
highest credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to
pay interest and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by
reasonably foreseeable events.
AA
Bonds rated AA are considered to be investment grade and of very high
credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal
is very strong, although not quite as strong as bonds rated AAA. Because
bonds rated in the AAA and AA categories are not significantly vulnerable to
foreseeable future developments, short-term debt of these issuers is
generally rated F-1+.
A
Bonds rated A are considered to be investment grade and of high credit
quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal is
considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in
economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.
BBB
Bonds rated BBB are considered to be investment grade and of
satisfactory credit quality. The obligor's ability to pay interest and
repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic
conditions and circumstances, however, are more likely to have an adverse
impact on these bonds and, therefore, impair timely payment. The likelihood
that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher
than for bonds with higher ratings.
Plus (+) and minus (-) signs are used with a rating symbol to indicate
the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Plus and
minus signs, however, are not used in the AAA category covering 12-36
months.
Duff
Bond Ratings
AAA
Bonds rated AAA are considered highest credit quality. The risk
factors are negligible, being only slightly more than for risk-free U.S.
Treasury debt.
AA
Bonds rated AA are considered high credit quality. Protection factors
are strong. Risk is modest but may vary slightly from time to time because
of economic conditions.
A
Bonds rated A have protection factors which are average but adequate.
However, risk factors are more variable and greater in periods of economic
stress.
BBB
Bonds rated BBB are considered to have below average protection factors
but still considered sufficient for prudent investment. There may be
considerable variability in risk for bonds in this category during economic
cycles.
Plus (+) and minus (-) signs are used with a rating symbol (except AAA)
to indicate the relative position of a credit within the rating category.
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
_________________________
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits. - List
_______ _________________________________________
(a) Financial Statements:
Included in Part A of the Registration Statement
Condensed Financial Information for each of the ten years in
the period ended April 30, 1998.
Incorporated by reference in Part B of the Registration
Statement:
Statement of Investments--April 30, 1998.
Statement of Financial Futures--April 30, 1998.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities--April 30, 1998.
Statement of Operations--year ended April 30, 1998.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets--for the years ended
April 30, 1997 and 1998.
Financial Highlights--for each of the years ended April
30, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Notes to Financial Statements.
Report of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors, dated
June 19, 1998.
All Schedules and other financial statement information, for which provision
is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, are either omitted because they are not required under
the related instructions, they are inapplicable, or the required information
is presented in the financial statements or notes thereto which are
incorporated by reference to in Part B of the Registration Statement.
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits. - List (continued)
_______ _____________________________________________________
(b) Exhibits:
(1) Registrant's Articles of Incorporation are incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (1)(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to
the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on June 24, 1994.
(2) Registrant's By-Laws are incoroporated by reference to Exhibit (2)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registration Statement
on Form N-1A, filed on July 12, 1995.
(4) Specimen certificate for the Registrant's securities is
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (4) of Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed
on May 24, 1985.
(5) Management Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit
(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registration
Statement on Form N-1A, filed on July 12, 1995.
(6)(a) Distribution Agreement is incorporated by reference to
Exhibit (6)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the
Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on July 12, 1995.
(8)(a) Custody Agreement is incorporated by reference to
Exhibit (8)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to the
Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on August 29, 1996.
(10) Opinion and consent of Registrant's counsel is incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10) of Post Effective Amendment No. 19 to
the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on August 29, 1996.
(11) Consent of Independent Auditors.
(14) Model Retirement Plan is incorporated by reference to Exhibit
(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to the Registration
Statement on Form N-1A, filed on August 29, 1996.
(15) Service Plan is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (15) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registration Statement on
Form N-1A filed on July 12. 1995.
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits. - List (continued)
_______ _____________________________________________________
(16) Schedules of Computation of Performance Data is incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to
the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 24, 1994.
(17) Financial Data Schedule.
Other Exhibits
______________
(a) Powers of Attorney of Directors are incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
19 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on
August 29, 1996.
(b) Power of Attorney of Officer is incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
19 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on
August 29, 1996.
(c) Certificate of Assistant Secretary is incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (c) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
19 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on
August 29, 1996.
Item 25. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant.
_______ ______________________________________________________________
Not Applicable
Item 26. Number of Holders of Securities.
_______ ________________________________
(1) (2)
Number of Record
Title of Class Holders as of August 21, 1998
______________ _____________________________
Common Stock 51,534
(Par value $.01)
Item 27. Indemnification
_______ _______________
Reference is made to Article VIII of the Registrant's
Articles of Incorporation incorporated by reference to Exhibit
(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the Registration
Statement on Form N-1A, filed on June 24, 1994. The
application of these provisions is limited by Article 10 of
the Registrant's By-Laws incorporated by reference to Exhibit
(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registration
Statement on Form N-1A, filed on July 12, 1995, and by the
following undertaking set forth in the rules promulgated by
the Securities and Exchange Commission:
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under
the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,
officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to
the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has
been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in such Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
is against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer
or controlling person of the registrant in the successful
defense of any such action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by
such director, officer or controlling person in connection
with the securities being registered, the registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
such Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
Reference is also made to the Distribution Agreement attached
as Exhibit (6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the
Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on July 12, 1995.
Item 28. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser.
_______ ____________________________________________________
The Dreyfus Corporation ("Dreyfus") and subsidiary
companies comprise a financial service organization whose
business consists primarily of providing investment management
services as the investment adviser, manager and distributor for
sponsored investment companies registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 and as an investment adviser to
institutional and individual accounts. Dreyfus also serves as
sub-investment adviser to and/or administrator of other
investment companies. Dreyfus Service Corporation, a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Dreyfus, serves primarily as a registered
broker-dealer of shares of investment companies sponsored by
Dreyfus and of other investment companies for which Dreyfus
acts as investment adviser, sub-investment adviser or
administrator. Dreyfus Management, Inc., another wholly-owned
subsidiary, provides investment management services to various
pension plans, institutions and individuals.
Item 28. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser (continued)
________ ________________________________________________________________
Officers and Directors of Investment Adviser
____________________________________________
Name and Position
with Dreyfus Other Businesses
_________________ ________________
W. KEITH SMITH Senior Vice Chairman:
Chairman of the Mellon Bank, N.A.*;
Board President and Director:
The Bridgewater Land Co., Inc.**;
Mellon Preferred Capital Corporation**;
TBC Securities Co., Inc.**;
Wellington-Medford II Properties, Inc.**;
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer:
Shearson Summit Euromanagement, Inc.*;
Shearson Summit EuroPartners, Inc.*;
Shearson Summit Management, Inc.*;
Shearson Summit Partners, Inc.*;
Shearson Venture Capital, Inc.*;
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer:
The Boston Company, Inc.**;
Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company**;
Boston Group Holdings, Inc.**;
Director:
Dentsply International, Inc.
570 West College Avenue
York, Pennsylvania 17405;
The Boston Company Asset Management, Inc.**;
Mellon Europe Limited
London, England;
Mellon Global Investing Corp.*;
Mellon Accounting Services, Inc.*;
MGIC-UK Ltd.;
Mellon Capital Management Corporation***;
Chairman:
Mellon Financial Company*;
Buck Consultants, Inc.
1 Pennsylvania Plaza, 29th Floor
New York, New York 10019;
Director and Vice Chairman:
Mellon Financial Services Corporation*;
Mellon Bank Corporation*;
Trustee:
Laurel Capital Advisors, LLP*;
Mellon Equity Associates, LLP*;
Mellon Bond Associates, LLP*;
Past Director:
Access Capital Strategies Corp.
124 Mount Auburn Street
Suite 200 North
Cambridge, MA 02138
W. KEITH SMITH Past Trustee:
Chairman of the Board Franklin Portfolio Associates Trust
(continued) 2 International Place, 22nd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
MANDELL L. BERMAN Real estate consultant and private investor
Director 29100 Northwestern Highway, Suite 370
Southfield, Michigan 48034
BURTON C. BORGELT Director:
Director Dentsply
International, Inc.
570 West College Avenue
York, Pennsylvania 17405;
DeVlieg-Bullard, Inc.
1 Gorham Island
Westport, Connecticut 06880;
Mellon Bank Corporation*;
Mellon Bank, N.A.*
FRANK V. CAHOUET Chairman of the Board, President and
Director Chief Executive Officer:
Mellon Bank Corporation*;
Director:
Avery Dennison Corporation
150 North Orange Grove Boulevard
Pasadena, California 91103;
Saint-Gobain Corporation
750 East Swedesford Road
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19482;
Alleghany Teledyne, Inc.
1901 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, California 90067;
Past Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer:
Mellon Bank, N.A.*
STEPHEN E. CANTER Chairman and President:
Vice Chairman, Dreyfus Investment Advisors, Inc.****
Chief Investment Officer,Director:
and a Director The Dreyfus Trust Company+
CHRISTOPHER M. CONDRON President and Chief Operating Officer:
President, Chief Mellon Bank, N.A.*;
Executive Officer, President and Director:
Chief Operating Boston Safe Advisors, Inc.**;
Officer and a Vice-Chairman and Director:
Director Mellon Bank Corporation*;
The Boston Company, Inc.**;
Director:
Certus Asset Advisors Corporation++;
Mellon Capital Management Corporation***;
Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company**;
Past President and Director:
The Boston Company Financial Services, Inc.**;
Past President:
The Boston Company Financial Strategies, Inc.**;
CHRISTOPHER M. CONDRON Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company**;
President, Chief Past Director:
Executive Officer, Mellon Preferred Capital Corporation**;
Chief Operating Access Capital Strategies Corp.
Officer and a Director 124 Mount Auburn Street
(continued) Suite 200 North
Cambridge, MA 02138;
Past Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer:
The Boston Company Asset Management, Inc.**;
Past Partner Representative:
Pareto Partners
271 Regent Street
London, England W1R 8PP;
Past Trustee:
Franklin Portfolio Associates Trust
2 International Place, 22nd Floor
Boston, MA. 02710;
Mellon Bond Associates, LLP*;
Mellon Equity Associates, LLP*;
LAWRENCE S. KASH Executive Vice President:
Vice Chairman-Distribution Mellon Bank, N.A.*;
and a Director Chairman, President and Director:
The Dreyfus Consumer Credit Corporation****;
Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer:
Laurel Capital Advisors, LLP*;
Director:
Dreyfus Investment Advisors, Inc.****;
Seven Six Seven Agency, Inc.****;
President and Director:
Dreyfus Service Corporation+;
Dreyfus Precious Metals, Inc.+;
Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.****;
The Boston Company, Inc.**;
Boston Group Holdings, Inc.**;
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer:
Dreyfus Brokerage Services, Inc.
401 North Maple Avenue
Beverly Hills, CA 90210;
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer:
The Dreyfus Trust Company+;
The Boston Company Advisors, Inc.
Wilmington, DE.
J. DAVID OFFICER Director:
Vice Chairman Dreyfus Financial Services Corporation*****;
and a Director Dreyfus Investment Services Corporation*****;
Mellon Trust of Florida
2875 Northeast 191st Street
North Miami Beach, Florida 33180;
Mellon Preferred Capital Corporation**;
Boston Group Holdings, Inc.**;
Mellon Trust of New York
1301 Avenue of the Americas - 41st Floor
New York, New York 10019;
J. DAVID OFFICER Mellon Trust of California
Vice Chairman 400 South Hope Street
and a Director Los Angeles, California 90071-2806;
(continued) Dreyfus Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, Inc.
53 State Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109;
Executive Vice President:
Dreyfus Service Corporation****;
Mellon Bank, N.A.*;
Vice Chairman and Director:
The Boston Company, Inc.**;
President and Director:
RECO, Inc.**;
The Boston Company Financial Services, Inc.**;
Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company**;
RICHARD F. SYRON Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer:
Director American Stock Exchange
86 Trinity Place
New York, New York 10006;
Director:
John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company
John Hancock Place, Box 111
Boston, Massachusetts 02117;
Thermo Electron Corporation
81 Wyman Street, Box 9046
Waltham, Massachusetts 02254-9046;
American Business Conference
1730 K Street, NW, Suite 120
Washington, D.C. 20006;
Trustee:
Boston College - Board of Trustees
140 Commonwealth Ave.
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167-3934
RONALD P. O'HANLEY III Director:
Vice Chairman The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC**;
TBCAM Holding, Inc.**;
Franklin Portfolio Holdings, Inc.
Two International Place - 22nd Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02110;
Mellon Capital Management Corporation***;
Certus Asset Advisors Corporation++;
Mellon-France Corporation***;
Chairman and Director:
Boston Safe Advisors, Inc.**;
Partner Representative:
Pareto Partners
271 Regent Street
London, England W1R 8PP;
Chairman and Trustee:
Mellon Bond Associates, LLP*;
Mellon Equity Associates, LLP*;
Trustee:
Laurel Capital Advisors, LLP*;
RONALD P. O'HANLEY III Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer:
Vice Chairman Mellon Global Investing Corp.*;
(continued) Partner:
McKinsey & Company, Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts
WILLIAM T. SANDALLS, JR. Chairman and Director:
Senior Vice President and Dreyfus Transfer, Inc.
Chief Financial Officer One American Express Plaza
Providence, Rhode Island 02903;
President and Director:
Dreyfus-Lincoln, Inc.
4500 New Linden Hill Rd.
Wilmington, DE 19808;
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer:
Dreyfus Service Corporation****;
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director:
Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.****;
Director and Treasurer:
Dreyfus Investment Advisors, Inc.****;
Seven Six Seven Agency, Inc.****;
Dreyfus Precious Metals, Inc.+;
Director, Vice President and Treasurer:
The Dreyfus Consumer Credit Corporation****;
The TruePenny Corporation****
Director, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer:
The Dreyfus Trust Company+;
Past Director and President:
Lion Management, Inc.****;
Dreyfus Partnership Management, Inc.****;
Past Director and Executive Vice President:
Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.****;
Past Director and Treasurer:
Dreyfus Personal Management, Inc.****
MARK N. JACOBS Director:
Vice President, Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.****;
General Counsel The Dreyfus Trust Company+;
and Secretary Dreyfus Investment Advisors, Inc.****;
Director and Secretary:
The TruePenny Corporation****;
Past Director, Vice President and Secretary:
Lion Management, Inc.****
PATRICE M. KOZLOWSKI None
Vice President-
Corporate Communications
MARY BETH LEIBIG None
Vice President-
Human Resources
ANDREW S. WASSER Vice President:
Vice President-Information Mellon Bank Corporation*
Services
JAMES BITETTO Assistant Secretary:
Assistant Secretary Dreyfus Service Corporation****;
Dreyfus Investment Advisers, Inc.****;
Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.****
STEVEN F. NEWMAN Vice President, Secretary and Director:
Assistant Secretary Dreyfus Transfer, Inc.
One American Express Plaza
Providence, Rhode Island 02903;
Secretary:
Dreyfus Service Organization, Inc.****
______________________________________
* The address of the business so indicated is One Mellon Bank Center,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15258.
** The address of the business so indicated is One Mellon Bank Place, Boston,
Massachusetts, 02108.
*** The address of the business so indicated is 595 Market Street, Suite 3000,
San Francisco CA 94105.
**** The address of the business so indicated is 200 Park Avenue, New York, New
York 10166.
*****The address of the business so indicated is Union Trust Building, 501
Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15259.
+ The address of the business so indicated is 144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard,
Uniondale, New York, 11556-0144.
++ The address of the business so indicated is One Bush Street, Suite 450,
San Francisco, CA. 94104.
Item 29. Principal Underwriters
________ ______________________
(a) Other investment companies for which Registrant's principal
underwriter (exclusive distributor) acts as principal underwriter or
exclusive distributor:
1) Comstock Partners Funds, Inc.
2) Dreyfus A Bonds Plus, Inc.
3) Dreyfus Appreciation Fund, Inc.
4) Dreyfus Asset Allocation Fund, Inc.
5) Dreyfus Balanced Fund, Inc.
6) Dreyfus BASIC GNMA Fund
7) Dreyfus BASIC Money Market Fund, Inc.
8) Dreyfus BASIC Municipal Fund, Inc.
9) Dreyfus BASIC U.S. Government Money Market Fund
10) Dreyfus California Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
11) Dreyfus California Tax Exempt Bond Fund, Inc.
12) Dreyfus California Tax Exempt Money Market Fund
13) Dreyfus Cash Management
14) Dreyfus Cash Management Plus, Inc.
15) Dreyfus Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
16) Dreyfus Connecticut Municipal Money Market Fund, Inc.
17) Dreyfus Florida Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
18) Dreyfus Florida Municipal Money Market Fund
19) The Dreyfus Fund Incorporated
20) Dreyfus Global Bond Fund, Inc.
21) Dreyfus Global Growth Fund
22) Dreyfus GNMA Fund, Inc.
23) Dreyfus Government Cash Management Funds
24) Dreyfus Growth and Income Fund, Inc.
25) Dreyfus Growth and Value Funds, Inc.
26) Dreyfus Growth Opportunity Fund, Inc.
27) Dreyfus Income Funds
28) Dreyfus Index Funds, Inc.
29) Dreyfus Institutional Money Market Fund
30) Dreyfus Institutional Preferred Money Market Fund
31) Dreyfus Institutional Short Term Treasury Fund
32) Dreyfus Insured Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
33) Dreyfus Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
34) Dreyfus International Funds, Inc.
35) Dreyfus Investment Grade Bond Funds, Inc.
36) Dreyfus Investment Portfolios
37) The Dreyfus/Laurel Funds, Inc.
38) The Dreyfus/Laurel Funds Trust
39) The Dreyfus/Laurel Tax-Free Municipal Funds
40) Dreyfus LifeTime Portfolios, Inc.
41) Dreyfus Liquid Assets, Inc.
42) Dreyfus Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
43) Dreyfus Massachusetts Municipal Money Market Fund
44) Dreyfus Massachusetts Tax Exempt Bond Fund
45) Dreyfus MidCap Index Fund
46) Dreyfus Money Market Instruments, Inc.
47) Dreyfus Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
48) Dreyfus Municipal Cash Management Plus
49) Dreyfus Municipal Money Market Fund, Inc.
50) Dreyfus New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
51) Dreyfus New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
52) Dreyfus New Jersey Municipal Money Market Fund, Inc.
53) Dreyfus New Leaders Fund, Inc.
54) Dreyfus New York Insured Tax Exempt Bond Fund
55) Dreyfus New York Municipal Cash Management
56) Dreyfus New York Tax Exempt Bond Fund, Inc.
57) Dreyfus New York Tax Exempt Intermediate Bond Fund
58) Dreyfus New York Tax Exempt Money Market Fund
59) Dreyfus 100% U.S. Treasury Intermediate Term Fund
60) Dreyfus 100% U.S. Treasury Long Term Fund
61) Dreyfus 100% U.S. Treasury Money Market Fund
62) Dreyfus 100% U.S. Treasury Short Term Fund
63) Dreyfus Pennsylvania Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
64) Dreyfus Pennsylvania Municipal Money Market Fund
65) Dreyfus Premier California Municipal Bond Fund
66) Dreyfus Premier Equity Funds, Inc.
67) Dreyfus Premier International Funds, Inc.
68) Dreyfus Premier GNMA Fund
69) Dreyfus Premier Worldwide Growth Fund, Inc.
70) Dreyfus Premier Insured Municipal Bond Fund
71) Dreyfus Premier Municipal Bond Fund
72) Dreyfus Premier New York Municipal Bond Fund
73) Dreyfus Premier State Municipal Bond Fund
74) Dreyfus Premier Value Fund
75) Dreyfus Short-Intermediate Government Fund
76) Dreyfus Short-Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
77) The Dreyfus Socially Responsible Growth Fund, Inc.
78) Dreyfus Stock Index Fund, Inc.
79) Dreyfus Tax Exempt Cash Management
80) The Dreyfus Third Century Fund, Inc.
81) Dreyfus Treasury Cash Management
82) Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management
83) Dreyfus Variable Investment Fund
84) Dreyfus Worldwide Dollar Money Market Fund, Inc.
85) General California Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
86) General California Municipal Money Market Fund
87) General Government Securities Money Market Fund, Inc.
88) General Money Market Fund, Inc.
89) General Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
90) General Municipal Money Market Fund, Inc.
91) General New York Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
92) General New York Municipal Money Market Fund
(b)
Positions and
Name and principal Positions and offices with offices with
business address the Distributor Registrant
__________________ ___________________________ _____________
Marie E. Connolly+ Director, President, Chief President and
Executive Officer and Compliance Treasurer
Officer
Joseph F. Tower, III+ Director, Senior Vice President, Vice President
Treasurer and Chief Financial and Assistant
Officer Treasurer
Mary A. Nelson+ Vice President Vice President
and Assistant
Treasurer
Paul Prescott+ Vice President None
Jean M. O'Leary+ Assistant Secretary and None
Assistant Clerk
John W. Gomez+ Director None
William J. Nutt+ Director None
________________________________
+ Principal business address is 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts
02109.
++ Principal business address is 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166.
Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records
________________________________
1. First Data Investor Services Group, Inc.,
a subsidiary of First Data Corporation
P.O. Box 9671
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671
2. Mellon Bank, N.A.
One Mellon Bank Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15258
3. Dreyfus Transfer, Inc.
P.O. Box 9671
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671
4. The Dreyfus Corporation
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10166
Item 31. Management Services
_______ ___________________
Not Applicable
Item 32. Undertakings
________ ____________
(1) To file a post-effective amendment, using financial statements
which need not be certified, within four to six months, from the
effective date of Registrant's 1933 Act Registration Statement
with respect to the Registrant's Dreyfus Technology Growth Fund.
(2) To call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon
the question of removal of a Board member or Board members when
requested in writing to do so by the holders of at least 10% of
the Registrant's outstanding shares and in connection with such
meeting to comply with the provisions of Section 16(c) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 relating to shareholder
communications.
(3) To furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered with a
copy of the Fund's latest Annual Report to Shareholders, upon
request and without charge.
SIGNATURES
---------------
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all
of
the requirements for effectiveness of this Amendment to the Registration
Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has
duly caused this Amendment to the 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 28 day of August, 1998.
DREYFUS GNMA FUND, INC.
BY: /s/Marie E. Connolly*
__________________________________
MARIE E. CONNOLLY, PRESIDENT
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signatures Title Date
___________________________ _____________________________ _________
/s/Marie E. Connolly* President and Treasurer 8/28/98
____________________________ (Principal Executive, Financial
Marie E Connolly and Accounting Officer)
/s/Samuel Chase* Director 8/28/98
____________________________
Samuel Chase
/s/Gordon J. Davis* Director 8/28/98
____________________________
Gordon J. Davis
/s/Joseph S. DiMartino* Director 8/28/98
____________________________
Joseph S. DiMartino
/s/Joni Evans* Director 8/28/98
____________________________
Joni Evans
/s/Arnold S. Hiatt* Director 8/28/98
____________________________
Arnold S. Hiatt
/s/Burton Wallack* Director 8/28/98
____________________________
Burton Wallack
*BY: /s/Michael Petrucelli
__________________________
Michael Petrucelli,
Attorney-in-Fact
INDEX OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit No.
24 (b)(11) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
24 (b)(17) Financial Data Schedule
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
We consent to the reference to our firm under the captions "Condensed
Financial Information" and "Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent, Custodian,
Counsel and Independent Auditors" and to the incorporation by reference of
our report dated June 19, 1998, which is incorporated by reference, in this
Registration Statement (Form N-1A No. 2-95553) of Dreyfus GNMA Fund, Inc.
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
New York, New York
August 28, 1998
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