OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
Supplement dated February 16, 2000 to the
Prospectus dated January 28, 2000
The Prospectus is changed as follows:
1. The paragraph titled "Illiquid and Restricted Securities" within the section
"Other Investment Strategies " on page eleven is deleted and replaced with the
following:
Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Investments may be illiquid because
they do not have an active trading market, making it difficult to value
them or dispose of them promptly at an acceptable price. Restricted
securities may have terms that limit their resale to other investors or
may require registration under federal securities laws before they can be
sold publicly. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in
illiquid or restricted securities. Certain restricted securities that are
eligible for resale to qualified institutional purchasers may not be
subject to that limit. The Manager monitors holdings of illiquid
securities on an ongoing basis to determine whether to sell any holdings
to maintain adequate liquidity.
February 16, 2000 865ps.012
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Oppenheimer Insured Municipal Fund
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6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
1-800-525-7048
Statement of Additional Information dated January 28, 2000, Revised as of
February 16, 2000
This Statement of Additional Information is not a Prospectus. This
document contains additional information about the Fund and supplements
information in the Prospectus dated January 28, 2000. It should be read together
with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by writing to the Fund's Transfer
Agent, OppenheimerFunds Services, at P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado 80217 or by
calling the Transfer Agent at the toll-free number shown above or by downloading
it from the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site at www.oppenheimerfunds.com.
Contents Page
About the Fund
Additional Information About the Fund's Investment Policies and Risks........2
The Fund's Investment Policies..........................................2
Municipal Securities....................................................3
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies.............................10
Investment Restrictions................................................22
How the Fund is Managed.....................................................25
Organization and History...............................................25
Trustees and Officers of the Fund......................................26
The Manager ...........................................................31
Brokerage Policies of the Fund..............................................33
Distribution and Service Plans..............................................35
Performance of the Fund.....................................................38
About Your Account
How To Buy Shares...........................................................44
How To Sell Shares..........................................................51
How to Exchange Shares......................................................55
Dividends and Taxes.........................................................58
Additional Information About the Fund.......................................60
Financial Information About the Fund
Independent Auditors' Report................................................62
Financial Statements .......................................................63
Appendix A: Municipal Bond Ratings Definitions.............................A-1
Appendix B: Industry Classifications.......................................B-1
Appendix C: Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers..................C-1
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ABOUT THE FUND
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Additional Information About the Fund's Investment Policies and Risks
The investment objective and the principal investment policies of the Fund are
described in the Prospectus. This Statement of Additional Information contains
supplemental information about those policies and the types of securities that
the Fund's investment Manager, OppenheimerFunds, Inc., can select for the Fund.
Additional explanations are also provided about the strategies the Fund may use
to try to achieve its objective.
The Fund's Investment Policies. The composition of the Fund's portfolio and the
techniques and strategies that the Fund's Manager may use in selecting portfolio
securities will vary over time. The Fund is not required to use all of the
investment techniques and strategies described below at all times in seeking its
goal. It may use some of the special investment techniques and strategies at
some times or not at all. The Fund does not make investments with the objective
of seeking capital growth. However, the values of the securities held by the
Fund may be affected by changes in general interest rates and other factors,
prior to their maturity. Because the current values of debt securities vary
inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates, if interest rates increase
after a security is purchased, that security will normally fall in value.
Conversely, should interest rates decrease after a security is purchased,
normally its value will rise.
However, those fluctuations in value will not generally result in realized
gains or losses to the Fund unless the Fund sells the security prior to the
security's maturity. A debt security held to maturity is redeemable by its
issuer at full principal value plus accrued interest. The Fund does not usually
intend to dispose of securities prior to their maturity, but may do so for
liquidity purposes, or because of other factors affecting the issuer that cause
the Manager to sell the particular security. In that case, the Fund could
realize a capital gain or loss on the sale.
There are variations in the credit quality of municipal securities, both
within a particular rating classification and between classifications. These
variations depend on numerous factors. The yields of municipal securities depend
on a number of factors, including general conditions in the municipal securities
market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and
rating (if any) of the issue. These factors are discussed in greater detail
below.
|X| Portfolio Turnover. A change in the securities held by the Fund from
buying and selling investments is known as "portfolio turnover." Short-term
trading increases the rate of portfolio turnover and could increase the Fund's
transaction costs. However, the Fund ordinarily incurs little or no brokerage
expense because most of the Fund's portfolio transactions are principal trades
that do not require payment of brokerage commissions.
The Fund ordinarily does not trade securities to achieve capital gains,
because they would not be tax-exempt income. To a limited degree, the Fund may
engage in short-term trading to attempt to take advantage of short-term market
variations. It may also do so to dispose of a portfolio security prior to its
maturity. That might be done if, on the basis of a revised credit evaluation of
the issuer or other considerations, the Manager believes such disposition is
advisable or the Fund needs to generate cash to satisfy requests to redeem Fund
shares. In those cases, the Fund may realize a capital gain or loss on its
investments. The Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate normally is not expected
to exceed 100%.
Municipal Securities. The types of municipal securities in which the Fund may
invest are described in the Prospectus under "About the Fund's Investments."
Municipal securities are generally classified as general obligation bonds,
revenue bonds and notes. A discussion of the general characteristics of these
principal types of municipal securities follows below.
|X| Municipal Bonds. We have classified municipal securities having a
maturity (when-issued) of more than one year as "municipal bonds." The principal
classifications of long-term municipal bonds are "general obligation" and
"revenue" (including "industrial development") bonds. They may have fixed,
variable or floating rates of interest, as described below.
Some bonds may be "callable," allowing the issuer to redeem them before
their maturity date. To protect bondholders, callable bonds may be issued with
provisions that prevent them from being called for a period of time. Typically,
that is 5 to 10 years from the issuance date. When interest rates decline, if
the call protection on a bond has expired, it is more likely that the issuer may
call the bond. If that occurs, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds of
the called bond in bonds that pay a lower rate of return.
|_| General Obligation Bonds. The basic security behind general
obligation bonds is the issuer's pledge of its full faith and credit and taxing
power, if any, for the repayment of principal and the payment of interest.
Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns, and
regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide
range of public projects, including construction or improvement of schools,
highways and roads, and water and sewer systems. The rate of taxes that can be
levied for the payment of debt service on these bonds may be limited or
unlimited. Additionally, there may be limits as to the rate or amount of special
assessments that can be levied to meet these obligations.
|_| Revenue Bonds. The principal security for a revenue bond is
generally the net revenues derived from a particular facility, group of
facilities, or, in some cases, the proceeds of a special excise tax or other
specific revenue source. Revenue bonds are issued to finance a wide variety of
capital projects. Examples include electric, gas, water and sewer systems;
highways, bridges, and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and
universities; and hospitals.
Although the principal security for these types of bonds may vary from
bond to bond, many provide additional security in the form of a debt service
reserve fund that may be used to make principal and interest payments on the
issuer's obligations. Housing finance authorities have a wide range of security,
including partially or fully insured mortgages, rent subsidized and/or
collateralized mortgages, and/or the net revenues from housing or other public
projects. Some authorities provide further security in the form of a state's
ability (without obligation) to make up deficiencies in the debt service reserve
fund.
|_| Industrial Development Bonds. Industrial development bonds are
considered municipal bonds if the interest paid is exempt from federal income
tax. They are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money to
finance various privately operated facilities for business and manufacturing,
housing, sports, and pollution control. These bonds may also be used to finance
public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports, and parking.
The payment of the principal and interest on such bonds is dependent solely on
the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the
pledge, if any, of real and personal property financed by the bond as security
for those payments.
|_| Private Activity Municipal Securities. The Tax Reform Act of 1986
(the "Tax Reform Act") reorganized, as well as amended, the rules governing tax
exemption for interest on certain types of municipal securities. The Tax Reform
Act generally did not change the tax treatment of bonds issued in order to
finance governmental operations. Thus, interest on general obligation bonds
issued by or on behalf of state or local governments, the proceeds of which are
used to finance the operations of such governments, continues to be tax-exempt.
However, the Tax Reform Act limited the use of tax-exempt bonds for
non-governmental (private) purposes. More stringent restrictions were placed on
the use of proceeds of such bonds. Interest on certain private activity bonds is
taxable under the revised rules. There is an exception for "qualified"
tax-exempt private activity bonds, for example, exempt facility bonds including
certain industrial development bonds, qualified mortgage bonds, qualified
Section 501(c)(3) bonds, and qualified student loan bonds.
In addition, limitations as to the amount of private activity bonds which
each state may issue were revised downward by the Tax Reform Act, which will
reduce the supply of such bonds. The value of the Fund's portfolio could be
affected if there is a reduction in the availability of such bonds.
Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986,
which continues to be tax-exempt, will be treated as a tax preference item
subject to the alternative minimum tax (discussed below) to which certain
taxpayers are subject. The Fund may hold municipal securities the interest on
which (and thus a proportionate share of the exempt-interest dividends paid by
the Fund) will be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax on individuals
and corporations.
The federal alternative minimum tax is designed to ensure that all persons
who receive income pay some tax, even if their regular tax is zero. This is
accomplished in part by including in taxable income certain tax preference items
that are used to calculate alternative minimum taxable income. The Tax Reform
Act made tax-exempt interest from certain private activity bonds a tax
preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax on individuals and
corporations. Any exempt-interest dividend paid by a regulated investment
company will be treated as interest on a specific private activity bond to the
extent of the proportionate relationship the interest the investment company
receives on such bonds bears to all its exempt interest dividends.
In addition, corporate taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax
may, under some circumstances, have to include exempt-interest dividends in
calculating their alternative minimum taxable income. That could occur in
situations where the "adjusted current earnings" of the corporation exceeds its
alternative minimum taxable income.
To determine whether a municipal security is treated as a taxable private
activity bond, it is subject to a test for: (a) a trade or business use and
security interest, or (b) a private loan restriction. Under the trade or
business use and security interest test, an obligation is a private activity
bond if: (i) more than 10% of the bond proceeds are used for private business
purposes and (ii) 10% or more of the payment of principal or interest on the
issue is directly or indirectly derived from such private use or is secured by
the privately used property or the payments related to the use of the property.
For certain types of uses, a 5% threshold is substituted for this 10% threshold.
The term "private business use" means any direct or indirect use in a
trade or business carried on by an individual or entity other than a state or
municipal governmental unit. Under the private loan restriction, the amount of
bond proceeds that may be used to make private loans is limited to the lesser of
5% or $5.0 million of the proceeds. Thus, certain issues of municipal securities
could lose their tax-exempt status retroactively if the issuer fails to meet
certain requirements as to the expenditure of the proceeds of that issue or the
use of the bond-financed facility. The Fund makes no independent investigation
of the users of such bonds or their use of proceeds of the bonds. If the Fund
should hold a bond that loses its tax-exempt status retroactively, there might
be an adjustment to the tax-exempt income previously distributed to
shareholders.
Additionally, a private activity bond that would otherwise be a qualified
tax-exempt private activity bond will not, under Internal Revenue Code Section
147(a), be a qualified bond for any period during which it is held by a person
who is a "substantial user" of the facilities or by a "related person" of such a
substantial user. This "substantial user" provision applies primarily to exempt
facility bonds, including industrial development bonds. The Fund may invest in
industrial development bonds and other private activity bonds. Therefore, the
Fund may not be an appropriate investment for entities which are "substantial
users" (or persons related to "substantial users") of such exempt facilities.
Those entities and persons should consult their tax advisers before purchasing
shares of the Fund.
A "substantial user" of such facilities is defined generally as a
"non-exempt person who regularly uses part of a facility" financed from the
proceeds of exempt facility bonds. Generally, an individual will not be a
"related person" under the Internal Revenue Code unless such individual or the
individual's immediate family (spouse, brothers, sisters and immediate
descendants) own directly or indirectly in the aggregate more than 50% in value
of the equity of a corporation or partnership which is a "substantial user" of a
facility financed from the proceeds of exempt facility bonds.
|X| Municipal Notes. Municipal securities having a maturity (when the
security is issued) of less than one year are generally known as municipal
notes. Municipal notes generally are used to provide for short-term working
capital needs. Some of the types of municipal notes the Fund can invest in are
described below.
|_| Tax Anticipation Notes. These are issued to finance working capital
needs of municipalities. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various
seasonal tax revenue, such as income, sales, use or other business taxes, and
are payable from these specific future taxes.
|_| Revenue Anticipation Notes. These are notes issued in expectation of
receipt of other types of revenue, such as federal revenues available under
federal revenue-sharing programs.
|_| Bond Anticipation Notes. Bond anticipation notes are issued to
provide interim financing until long-term financing can be arranged. The
long-term bonds that are issued typically also provide the money for the
repayment of the notes.
|_| Construction Loan Notes. These are sold to provide project
construction financing until permanent financing can be secured. After
successful completion and acceptance of the project, it may receive permanent
financing through public agencies, such as the federal Housing Administration.
|X| Tax Exempt Commercial Paper. This type of short-term obligation
(usually having a maturity of 270 days or less) is issued by a municipality to
meet current working capital needs.
|X| Municipal Lease Obligations. The Fund's investments in municipal lease
obligations may be through certificates of participation that are offered to
investors by public entities. Municipal leases may take the form of a lease or
an installment purchase contract issued by a state or local government authority
to obtain funds to acquire a wide variety of equipment and facilities.
Some municipal lease securities may be deemed to be "illiquid" securities.
Their purchase by the Fund would be limited as described below in "Illiquid
Securities." From time to time the Fund may invest more than 5% of its net
assets in municipal lease obligations that the Manager has determined to be
liquid under guidelines set by the Board of Trustees. Those guidelines require
the Manager to evaluate:
|_| the frequency of trades and price quotations for such securities; |_|
the number of dealers or other potential buyers willing to purchase or
sell such securities; |_| the availability of market-makers; and |_| the
nature of the trades for such securities.
Municipal leases have special risk considerations. Although lease
obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which
the municipality's taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is ordinarily
backed by the municipality's covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the
payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations
contain "non-appropriation" clauses which provide that the municipality has no
obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless
money is appropriated for that purpose on a yearly basis. While the obligation
might be secured by the lease, it might be difficult to dispose of that property
in case of a default.
Projects financed with certificates of participation generally are not
subject to state constitutional debt limitations or other statutory requirements
that may apply to other municipal securities. Payments by the public entity on
the obligation underlying the certificates are derived from available revenue
sources. That revenue might be diverted to the funding of other municipal
service projects. Payments of interest and/or principal with respect to the
certificates are not guaranteed and do not constitute an obligation of a state
or any of its political subdivisions.
In addition to the risk of "non-appropriation," municipal lease securities
do not have as highly liquid a market as conventional municipal bonds. Municipal
leases, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of
non-payment of interest or repayment of principal by the issuer. The ability of
issuers of municipal leases to make timely lease payments may be adversely
affected in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens
are reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. A default in
payment of income would result in a reduction of income to the Fund. It could
also result in a reduction in the value of the municipal lease and that, as well
as a default in repayment of principal, could result in a decrease in the net
asset value of the Fund. While the Fund holds such securities, the Manager will
also evaluate the likelihood of a continuing market for these securities and
their credit quality.
|X| Ratings of Municipal Securities. Ratings by ratings organizations such
as Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's Ratings Service and Fitch IBCA,
Inc. represent the respective rating agency's opinions of the credit quality of
the municipal securities they undertake to rate. However, their ratings are
general opinions and are not guarantees of quality. Municipal securities that
have the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields, while other
municipal securities that have the same maturity and coupon but different
ratings may have the same yield.
Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund, a municipal security may cease to
be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by
the Fund. Neither event requires the Fund to sell the security, but the Manager
will consider such events in determining whether the Fund should continue to
hold the security. To the extent that ratings given by Moody's, Standard &
Poor's, or Fitch change as a result of changes in those rating organizations or
their rating systems, the Fund will attempt to use comparable ratings as
standards for investments in accordance with the Fund's investment policies.
The Fund can buy municipal securities that are "pre-refunded." The
issuer's obligation to repay the principal value of the security is generally
collateralized with U.S. Government securities placed in an escrow account. This
causes the pre-refunded security to have essentially the same risks of default
as a AAA-rated security.
The rating definitions of Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Duff & Phelps and
Fitch for municipal securities are contained in Appendix A to this Statement of
Additional Information. The Fund can purchase securities that are unrated by
nationally recognized rating organizations, the Manager will make its own
assessment of the credit quality of unrated issues the Fund buys. The Manager
will use criteria similar to those used by the rating agencies, and assign a
rating category to a security that is comparable to what the Manager believes a
rating agency would assign to that security. However, the Manager's rating does
not constitute a guarantee of the quality of a particular issue.
|_| Special Risks of Lower-Grade Securities. Lower grade securities may
have a higher yield than securities rated in the higher rating categories. In
addition to having a greater risk of default than higher-grade securities, there
may be less of a market for these securities. As a result they may be harder to
sell at an acceptable price. The additional risks mean that the Fund may not
receive the anticipated level of income from these securities, and the Fund's
net asset value may be affected by declines in the value of lower-grade
securities. However, because the added risk of lower quality securities might
not be consistent with the Fund's policy of preservation of capital, the Fund
limits its investments in lower quality securities.
While securities rate "Baa" by Moody's or "BBB" by Standard & Poor's or
Duff & Phelps are investment grade, they may be subject to special risks and
have some speculative characteristics.
|X| Insured Municipal Securities. Not all of the Fund's holdings of
municipal securities are insured. As noted in the Prospectus, within the
category of "insured" municipal securities, the Fund includes "pre-refunded"
municipal securities, because of the additional credit security offered by the
U.S. Government securities that collateralize the issuer's obligation to pay its
debt. To the extent that municipal securities in the Fund's portfolio are rated
insured, they will at all times be fully insured as to the scheduled payment of
all installments of interest and principal. This insurance substantially reduces
the risks to the Fund and its shareholders from defaults in the payment of
principal and interest on portfolio securities owned by the Fund.
Insurance coverage can be in one of three methods:
|_| a mutual fund "Portfolio Insurance Policy" issued by Financial Guaranty
Insurance Company,
|_| a "Secondary Market Insurance Policy," or
|_| a "New Issue Insurance Policy" obtained by the issuer or the
underwriter of the security at the time of its original issuance.
If a municipal security is already covered by a New Issue Insurance Policy
or Secondary Market Insurance Policy, then that security typically will not be
additionally insured under a Portfolio Insurance Policy issued by Financial
Guaranty Insurance Company. New Issue Insurance Policies or Secondary Market
Insurance Policies may be issued by Financial Guaranty Insurance Company or by
other insurers.
The insurance policies discussed above insure the scheduled payments of
all principal and interest on the covered municipal securities as those payments
fall due. The insurance does not guarantee the market value of the municipal
securities or the value of the shares of the Fund. Except as described below,
insurance of municipal securities the Fund buys has no effect on the net asset
value or redemption price of the shares of the Fund.
The insurance of principal refers to the face or par value of the
security, and is not affected by the price paid therefor by the Fund or the
market value of the security. Payment of a claim under an insurance policy
depends on the claims-paying ability of the insurer and by the Fund makes no
representations that any insurer will be able to meet its commitments.
|_| New Issue Insurance Policies. A New Issue Insurance Policy, on a
municipal security is obtained by the issuer or underwriters of that security.
All premiums on the insurance for a security is paid in advance by the issuer or
underwriter. Those policies are non-cancelable and continue in force so long as
the security is outstanding and the insurer remains in business. Since New Issue
Insurance remains in effect as long as the security insured by the policy is
outstanding, the insurance may have an effect on the resale value of the
security by the Fund. Therefore, New Issue Insurance may be considered to
represent an element of market value for a security insured by that policy, but
the exact effect, if any, of that insurance on the security's market value
cannot be estimated. The Fund will acquire a municipal security subject to New
Issue Insurance Policies only if the claims-paying ability of the insurer under
the policy is rated "AAA" by S&P, or has a comparable rating from another rating
organization on the date the Fund buys the security.
|_| Portfolio Insurance Policies. A Portfolio Insurance Policy obtained
by the Fund from Financial Guaranty Insurance Company will be effective only so
long as the Fund is in existence, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company is in
business, and the municipal security covered by the policy continues to be held
by the Fund. If the Fund sells the insured municipal security or if the security
is called or redeemed prior to its stated maturity the Portfolio Insurance
Policy terminates on the security.
A Portfolio Insurance Policy obtained by the Fund is non-cancellable
except for the Fund's failure to pay the premium. Nonpayment of premiums on a
Portfolio Insurance Policy obtained by the Fund will, under certain
circumstances, result in the cancellation of the Portfolio Insurance Policy and
also will permit Financial Guaranty Insurance Company to take action against the
Fund to recover premium payments that are due. The premium rate for a security
covered by a Portfolio Insurance Policy is fixed for the life of the security at
the time the Fund buys it. The insurance premiums are payable monthly by the
Fund and are adjusted for purchases, sales and payments prior to maturity of
covered securities during the month. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company cannot
cancel coverage already in force with respect to municipal securities owned by
the Fund and covered by the Portfolio Insurance Policy except for non-payment of
premiums. If any insurance for a municipal security is canceled, the Manager
will then determine as promptly as possible whether the Fund should sell that
security.
In determining whether to insure a municipal security, Financial Guaranty
Insurance Company applies its own standards, which are not necessarily the same
as the criteria used by the Manager when selecting securities for the Fund's
portfolio. The decision whether to insure a security is made prior to the Fund's
purchase of that security. A contract to purchase a security is not covered by
the Portfolio Insurance Policy for that security although securities underlying
such contracts are covered by the insurance upon physical delivery of the
securities to the Fund or the Fund's custodian bank. The Fund does not obtain
insurance on investments made for temporary liquidity and defensive purposes and
pending investment in longer term municipal securities.
Premiums are paid from the Fund's assets, and will therefore reduce the
Fund's current yield. When the Fund purchases a Secondary Market Insurance
Policy, the single premium is added to the cost basis of the municipal security
and is not considered an item of expense for the Fund.
|_| Secondary Market Insurance. The Fund might decide to purchase from
Financial Guaranty Insurance Company a Secondary Market Insurance Policy on any
municipal security can purchased by the Fund owns that is already covered by a
Portfolio Insurance Policy. The Fund obtain a Secondary Market Insurance Policy
on a security even if it is covered by a Portfolio Insurance Policy. However,
the coverage (and obligation to pay monthly premiums) under the Portfolio
Insurance Policy with respect to that security would cease when the purchases a
Secondary Market Insurance Policy on that security.
When purchasing a Secondary Market Insurance Policy, the Fund pays a
single pre-determined premium. The Fund thereby obtains insurance against
non-payment of scheduled principal and interest for the remaining term of the
security, regardless of whether the Fund owns the security. That insurance
coverage will be non-cancellable and will continue in force so long as the
insured security is outstanding. Acquiring that type of policy enables the Fund
to sell the municipal security to a third party as an "AAA"-rated insured
security at a market price higher than what otherwise might be obtainable if the
security were sold without the insurance coverage. That rating is not automatic,
however, and must specifically be requested from Standard & Poor's for a
security. This type of policy likely would be purchased if, the Manager, thinks
that the market value or net proceeds of a sale of the insured security would
exceed the current value of the security (without insurance) plus the cost of
the policy. Any difference between a security's market value as an "AAA"-rated
security and its market value without that rating, including the cost of the
insurance single premium, would inure to the Fund in determining its net
realized capital gain or loss the sale of the security.
The Fund can purchase insurance under a Secondary Market Insurance Policy
in lieu of a Portfolio Insurance Policy at any time, regardless of the effect on
the market value of the underlying municipal security, if the Manager believes
such insurance would best serve the Fund's interests in meeting its objectives
and policies. The Fund can purchase a Secondary Market Insurance Policy on a
security that is currently in default as to payments by the issuer to enable the
Fund to sell the security on an insured basis rather than be obligated to hold
the defaulted security in its portfolio in order to continue in force a
Portfolio Insurance Policy on that security.
|_| Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. The information below about
Financial Guaranty Insurance Company is derived from publicly-available sources
believed reliable by the Manager. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company is a New
York stock insurance company, with principal offices at 115 Broadway, New York,
New York, 10006. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, domiciled in the State of
New York, commenced its business of providing insurance and financial guaranties
for a variety of investment instruments in January, 1984. Financial Guaranty
Insurance Company is a subsidiary of FGIC Corporation, a Delaware holding
company. FGIC Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric
Capital Corporation. Neither FGIC Corporation nor General Electric Capital
Corporation are obligated to pay the debts of or the claims against Financial
Guaranty Insurance Company.
In addition to providing insurance for the payment of interest on and
principal of municipal bonds and notes held in unit investment trust and mutual
fund portfolios, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company provides insurance for new
issues and secondary market issues of municipal bonds and notes and for portions
of those issues. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company also provides credit
enhancements for asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities.
Financial Guaranty Insurance Company is currently authorized to write
insurance in 50 states and the District of Columbia, files reports with state
insurance regulatory agencies and is subject to audit and review by such
authorities. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company is also subject to regulation
by the State of New York Insurance Department. That regulation is no guarantee
that Financial Guaranty Insurance Company will be able to perform on its
commitments or contracts of insurance if a claim under them at some time in the
future.
Under the provisions of a Portfolio Insurance Policy, Financial Guaranty
Insurance Company unconditionally and irrevocably agrees to pay to State Street
Bank and Trust Company or its successor, as its agent, that portion of the
principal of and interest on the security that becomes due for payment but is
unpaid because of nonpayment by the issuer. Financial Guaranty Insurance Company
will make those payments to the agent on the date the principal or interest
becomes due for payment or on the business day next following the day on which
Financial Guaranty Insurance Company receives notice of nonpayment, whichever is
later.
The agent will disburse to the Fund the face amount of principal and
interest which is then due for payment but is unpaid by reason of nonpayment by
the issuer. However it will do so only upon receipt by the agent of (i) evidence
of the Fund's right to receive payment of the principal or interest due for
payment and (ii) evidence, including any appropriate instruments of assignment,
that all of the rights to payment of the principal or interest due for payment
thereupon shall vest in Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. The proceeds
attributable to interest payments will be tax-exempt. Upon such payment by the
agent, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company will be fully subrogated to all of
the Fund's rights under the defaulted obligation, which includes the right of
Financial Guaranty Insurance Company to obtain payment from the issuer to the
extent of amounts paid by Financial Guaranty Insurance Company to the Fund.
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies. In seeking its objective, the Fund
may from time to time employ the types of investment strategies and investments
described below. It is not required to use all of the strategies at all times
and at times may not use them.
|X| Floating Rate and Variable Rate Obligations. Variable rate demand
obligations have a demand feature that allows the Fund to tender the obligation
to the issuer or a third party prior to its maturity. The tender may be at par
value plus accrued interest, according to the terms of the obligation.
The interest rate on a floating rate demand note is based on a stated
prevailing market rate, such as a bank's prime rate, the 91-day U.S. Treasury
Bill rate, or some other standard, and is adjusted automatically each time such
rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is also based
on a stated prevailing market rate but is adjusted automatically at specified
intervals of not less than one year. Generally, the changes in the interest rate
on such securities reduce the fluctuation in their market value. As interest
rates decrease or increase, the potential for capital appreciation or
depreciation is less than that for fixed-rate obligations of the same maturity.
The Manager may determine that an unrated floating rate or variable rate demand
obligation meets the Fund's quality standards by reason of being backed by a
letter of credit or guarantee issued by a bank that meets those quality
standards.
Floating rate and variable rate demand notes that have a stated maturity
in excess of one year may have features that permit the holder to recover the
principal amount of the underlying security at specified intervals not exceeding
one year and upon not more than 30 days' notice. The issuer of that type of note
normally has a corresponding right in its discretion, after a given period, to
prepay the outstanding principal amount of the note plus accrued interest.
Generally the issuer must provide a specified number of days' notice to the
holder.
|X| Inverse Floaters and Other Derivative Investments. Inverse floaters
may offer relatively high current income, reflecting the spread between
long-term and short-term tax exempt interest rates. As long as the municipal
yield curve remains relatively steep and short-term rates remain relatively low,
owners of inverse floaters will have the opportunity to earn interest at
above-market rates because they receive interest at the higher long-term rates
but have paid for bonds with lower short-term rates. If the yield curve flattens
and shifts upward, an inverse floater will lose value more quickly than a
conventional long-term bond. The Fund will invest in inverse floaters to seek
higher tax-exempt yields than are available from fixed-rate bonds that have
comparable maturities and credit ratings. In some cases the holder of an inverse
floater may have an option to convert the floater to a fixed-rate bond, pursuant
to a "rate-lock option."
Some inverse floaters have a feature known as an interest rate "cap" as
part of the terms of the investment. Investing in inverse floaters that have
interest rate caps might be part of a portfolio strategy to try to maintain a
high current yield for the Fund when the Fund has invested in inverse floaters
that expose the Fund to the risk of short-term interest rate fluctuations.
"Embedded" caps can be used to hedge a portion of the Fund's exposure to rising
interest rates. When interest rates exceed a pre-determined rate, the cap
generates additional cash flows that offset the decline in interest rates on the
inverse floater, and the hedge is successful. However, the Fund bears the risk
that if interest rates do not rise above the pre-determined rate, the cap (which
is purchased for additional cost) will not provide additional cash flows and
will expire worthless.
Inverse floaters are a form of derivative investment. Certain derivatives,
such as options, futures, indexed securities and entering into swap agreements,
can be used to increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to changing security
prices, interest rates or other factors that affect the value of securities.
However, these techniques could result in losses to the Fund, if the Manager
judges market conditions incorrectly or employs a strategy that does not
correlate well with the Fund's other investments. These techniques can cause
losses if the counterparty does not perform its promises. An additional risk of
investing in municipal securities that are derivative investments is that their
market value could be expected to vary to a much greater extent than the market
value of municipal securities that are not derivative investments but have
similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturities.
|X| "When-Issued" and "Delayed-Delivery" Transactions. The Fund can
purchase securities on a "when-issued" basis, and may purchase or sell such
securities on a "delayed-delivery" (or "forward commitment") basis.
"When-issued" or "delayed-delivery" refers to securities whose terms and
indenture are available and for which a market exists, but which are not
available for immediate delivery.
When such transactions are negotiated the price (which is generally
expressed in yield terms) is fixed at the time the commitment is made. Delivery
and payment for the securities take place at a later date. Normally the
settlement date is within six months of the purchase of municipal bonds and
notes. However, the Fund may, from time to time, purchase municipal securities
having a settlement date more than six months and possibly as long as two years
or more after the trade date. The securities are subject to change in value from
market fluctuation during the settlement period. The value at delivery may be
less than the purchase price. For example, changes in interest rates in a
direction other than that expected by the Manager before settlement will affect
the value of such securities and may cause loss to the Fund. No income begins to
accrue to the Fund on a when issued security until the Fund receives the
security at settlement of the trade.
The Fund will engage in when-issued transactions in order to secure what
is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into
the obligation. When the Fund engages in when-issued or delayed-delivery
transactions, it relies on the buyer or seller, as the case may be, to complete
the transaction. Its failure to do so may cause the Fund to lose the opportunity
to obtain the security at a price and yield it considers advantageous.
When the Fund engages in when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions, it
does so for the purpose of acquiring or selling securities consistent with its
investment objective and policies or for delivery pursuant to options contracts
it has entered into, and not for the purposes of investment leverage. Although
the Fund will enter into when-issued or delayed-delivery purchase transactions
to acquire securities, the Fund may dispose of a commitment prior to settlement.
If the Fund chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security
prior to its acquisition or to dispose of its right to deliver or receive
against a forward commitment, it may incur a gain or loss.
At the time the Fund makes a commitment to purchase or sell a security on
a when-issued or forward commitment basis, it records the transaction on its
books and reflects the value of the security purchased. In a sale transaction,
it records the proceeds to be received, in determining its net asset value. The
Fund will identify on its books liquid assets at least equal to the value of
purchase commitments until the Fund pays for the investment.
When-issued transactions and forward commitments can be used by the Fund
as a defensive technique to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates
and prices. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling
prices, the Fund might sell securities in its portfolio on a forward commitment
basis to attempt to limit its exposure to anticipated falling prices. In periods
of falling interest rates and rising prices, the Fund might sell portfolio
securities and purchase the same or similar securities on a when-issued or
forward commitment basis, to obtain the benefit of currently higher cash yields.
|X| Puts and Standby Commitments. When the Fund buys a municipal security
subject to a standby commitment to repurchase the security, the Fund is entitled
to same-day settlement from the purchaser. The Fund receives an exercise price
equal to the amortized cost of the underlying security plus any accrued interest
at the time of exercise. A put purchased in conjunction with a municipal
security enables the Fund to sell the underlying security within a specified
period of time at a fixed exercise price.
The Fund might purchase a standby commitment or put separately in cash or
it might acquire the security subject to the standby commitment or put (at a
price that reflects that additional feature). The Fund will enter into these
transactions only with banks and securities dealers that, in the Manager's
opinion, present minimal credit risks. The Fund's ability to exercise a put or
standby commitment will depend on the ability of the bank or dealer to pay for
the securities if the put or standby commitment is exercised. If the bank or
dealer should default on its obligation, the Fund might not be able to recover
all or a portion of any loss sustained from having to sell the security
elsewhere.
Puts and standby commitments are not transferable by the Fund. They
terminate if the Fund sells the underlying security to a third party. The Fund
intends to enter into these arrangements to facilitate portfolio liquidity,
although such arrangements might enable the Fund to sell a security at a
pre-arranged price that may be higher than the prevailing market price at the
time the put or standby commitment is exercised. However, the Fund might refrain
from exercising a put or standby commitment if the exercise price is
significantly higher than the prevailing market price, to avoid imposing a loss
on the seller that could jeopardize the Fund's business relationships with the
seller.
A put or standby commitment increases the cost of the security and reduces
the yield otherwise available from the security. Any consideration paid by the
Fund for the put or standby commitment will be reflected on the Fund's books as
unrealized depreciation while the put or standby commitment is held, and a
realized gain or loss when the put or commitment is exercised or expires.
Interest income received by the Fund from municipal securities subject to puts
or stand-by commitments may not qualify as tax exempt in its hands if the terms
of the put or stand-by commitment cause the Fund not to be treated as the tax
owner of the underlying municipal securities.
|X| Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may acquire securities subject to
repurchase agreements. It may do so for liquidity purposes to meet anticipated
redemptions of Fund shares, or pending the investment of the proceeds from sales
of Fund shares, or pending the settlement of portfolio securities transactions.
In a repurchase transaction, the Fund acquires a security from, and
simultaneously resells it to an approved vendor for delivery on an agreed upon
future date. The resale price exceeds the purchase price by an amount that
reflects an agreed-upon interest rate effective for the period during which the
repurchase agreement is in effect. Approved vendors include U.S. commercial
banks, U.S. branches of foreign banks or broker-dealers that have been
designated a primary dealer in government securities, which meet the credit
requirements set by the Manager from time to time.
The majority of these transactions run from day to day. Delivery pursuant
to resale typically will occur within one to five days of the purchase.
Repurchase agreements having a maturity beyond seven days are subject to the
Fund's limits on holding illiquid investments. The Fund will not enter into
transactions that will cause more than 25% of the Fund's net assets to be
subject to repurchase agreements.
Repurchase agreements, considered "loans" under the Investment Company
Act, are collateralized by the underlying security. The Fund's repurchase
agreements require that at all times while the repurchase agreement is in
effect, the collateral's value must equal or exceed the repurchase price to
fully collateralize the repayment obligation. However, if the vendor fails to
pay the resale price on the delivery date, the Fund may incur costs in disposing
of the collateral and may experience losses if there is any delay in its ability
to do so. The Manager will monitor the vendor's creditworthiness to confirm that
the vendor is financially sound and will continuously monitor the collateral's
value.
|X| Illiquid and Restricted Securities. To enable the Fund to sell its
holdings of a restricted security not registered under the Securities Act of
1933, the Fund might have to cause those securities to be registered. The
expenses of registering restricted securities may be negotiated by the Fund with
the issuer at the time the Fund buys the securities. When the Fund must arrange
registration because the Fund wishes to sell the security, a considerable period
may elapse between the time the decision is made to sell the security and the
time the security is registered so that the Fund could sell it. The Fund would
bear the risks of any downward price fluctuation during that period.
The Fund has percentage limitations that apply to purchases of restricted
and illiquid securities, as stated in the Prospectus. Those percentage
restrictions do not limit purchases of restricted securities that are eligible
for resale to qualified institutional purchasers pursuant to Rule 144A under the
Securities Act of 1933, provided that those securities have been determined to
be liquid by the Board of Trustees of the Fund or by the Manager. Those
guidelines take into account the trading activity for such securities and the
availability of reliable pricing information, among other factors. If there is a
lack of trading interest in a particular Rule 144A security, the Fund's holding
of that security may be deemed to be illiquid.
The Fund can also acquire restricted securities through private
placements. Those securities have contractual restrictions on their public
resale. Those restrictions might limit the Fund's ability to dispose of the
securities and might lower the amount the Fund could realize upon the sale.
|X| Loans of Portfolio Securities. To attempt to raise income or raise
cash for liquidity purposes, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to
brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. These loans cannot exceed 5%
of the value of the Fund's total assets. The Fund currently does not intend to
lend securities. There are risks in connection with securities lending. The Fund
might experience a delay in receiving additional collateral to secure a loan, or
a delay in recovery of the loaned securities. Income from securities loans does
not constitute exempt-interest income for the purpose of paying tax-exempt
dividends.
The Fund must receive collateral for a loan. Under current applicable
regulatory requirements (which are subject to change), on each business day the
loan collateral must be at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. It
must consist of cash, bank letters of credit, securities of the U.S. Government
or its agencies or instrumentalities, or other cash equivalents in which the
Fund is permitted to invest. To be acceptable as collateral, letters of credit
must obligate a bank to pay amounts demanded by the Fund if the demand meets the
terms of the letter. The terms of the letter of credit and the issuing bank both
must be satisfactory to the Fund.
When it lends securities, the Fund receives amounts equal to the dividends
or interest on the loaned securities. It also receives one or more of (a)
negotiated loan fees, (b) interest on securities used as collateral, and (c)
interest on short-term debt securities purchased with the loan collateral.
Either type of interest may be shared with the borrower. The Fund may pay
reasonable finder's, administrative or other fees in connection with these
loans. The terms of the Fund's loans must meet applicable tests under the
Internal Revenue Code and must permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on
five days' notice or in time to vote on any important matter.
|X| Hedging. The Fund can use hedging to attempt to protect against
declines in the market value of its portfolio, to permit the Fund to retain
unrealized gains in the value of portfolio securities that have appreciated, or
to facilitate selling securities for investment reasons. To do so the Fund
could:
|_| sell interest rate futures or municipal bond index futures, |_| buy
puts on such futures or securities, or
|_| write covered calls on securities, interest rate futures or
municipal bond index futures. The Fund can also write covered calls on
debt securities to attempt to increase the Fund's income, but that income
would not be tax-exempt. Therefore it is unlikely that the Fund would
write covered calls for that purpose.
The Fund can also use hedging to establish a position in the debt
securities market as a temporary substitute for purchasing individual debt
securities. In that case the Fund would normally seek to purchase the
securities, and then terminate that hedging position. For this type of hedging,
the Fund could:
|_| buy interest rate futures or municipal bond index futures, or |_| buy
calls on such futures or on securities.
The Fund is not obligated to use hedging instruments, even though it is
permitted to use them in the Manager's discretion, as described below. The
Fund's strategy of hedging with futures and options on futures will be
incidental to the Fund's investment activities in the underlying cash market.
The particular hedging instruments the Fund can use are described below. The
Fund may employ new hedging instruments and strategies when they are developed,
if those investment methods are consistent with the Fund's investment objective,
are approved by its Board, and are permissible under the Fund's investment
restrictions and applicable regulations.
|_| Futures. The Fund can buy and sell futures contracts relating to
debt securities (these are called "interest rate futures") and municipal bond
indices (these are referred to as "municipal bond index futures"), but only as a
hedge against interest rate changes.
An interest rate future obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser
to take) cash or a specific type of debt security to settle the futures
transaction. Either party could also enter into an offsetting contract to close
out the futures position.
A "municipal bond index" assigns relative values to the municipal bonds in
the index, and is used as the basis for trading long-term municipal bond futures
contracts. Municipal bond index futures are similar to interest rate futures
except that settlement is made only in cash. The obligation under the contract
may also be satisfied by entering into an offsetting contract. The strategies
which the Fund employs in using municipal bond index futures are similar to
those with regard to interest rate futures.
No money is paid by or received by the Fund on the purchase or sale of a
futures contract. Upon entering into a futures transaction, the Fund will be
required to deposit an initial margin payment in cash or U.S. Government
securities with the futures commission merchant (the "futures broker"). Initial
margin payments will be deposited with the Fund's custodian in an account
registered in the futures broker's name. However, the futures broker can gain
access to that account only under certain specified conditions. As the future is
marked to market (that is, its value on the Fund's books is changed) to reflect
changes in its market value, subsequent margin payments, called variation
margin, will be paid to or by the futures broker daily.
At any time prior to the expiration of the future, the Fund may elect to
close out its position by taking an opposite position at which time a final
determination of variation margin is made and additional cash is required to be
paid by or released to the Fund. Any gain or loss is then realized by the Fund
on the future for tax purposes. Although interest rate futures by their terms
call for settlement by the delivery of debt securities, in most cases the
obligation is fulfilled without such delivery by entering into an offsetting
transaction. All futures transactions are effected through a clearing house
associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded.
The Fund may concurrently buy and sell futures contracts in a strategy
anticipating that the future the Fund purchased will perform better than the
future the Fund sold. For example, the Fund might buy municipal bond futures and
concurrently sell U.S. Treasury Bond futures (a type of interest rate future).
The Fund would benefit if municipal bonds outperform U.S. Treasury Bonds on a
duration-adjusted basis.
Duration is a volatility measure that refers to the expected percentage
change in the value of a debt security resulting from a change in general
interest rates (measured by each 1% change in the rates on U.S. Treasury
securities). For example, if a bond has an effective duration of three years, a
1% increase in general interest rates would be expected to cause the value of
the bond to fall about 3%. There are risks that this type of futures strategy
will not be successful. U.S. Treasury bonds might perform better on a
duration-adjusted basis than municipal bonds, and the assumptions about duration
that were used might be incorrect (for example, the duration of municipal bonds
relative to U.S. Treasury Bonds might turn out to be greater than anticipated).
|_| Put and Call Options. The Fund can buy and sell certain kinds of put
options (puts) and call options (calls), including exchange-traded and
over-the-counter put and call options. These can include index options,
securities options and futures options. These strategies are described below.
|_| Writing Covered Call Options. The Fund can write (that is, sell)
call options. After the Fund writes a call, not more than 20% of the fund's
total assets may be subject to calls. Each call the Fund writes must be
"covered" while it is outstanding. That means the Fund must own the investment
on which the call was written. The Fund may write calls on futures contracts,
but if it does not own the futures contract or delivery securities, these calls
must be covered by securities or other liquid assets that the Fund owns and
segregates to enable it to satisfy its obligations if the call is exercised.
When the Fund writes a call on a security, it receives cash (a premium).
The Fund agrees to sell the underlying investment to a purchaser of a
corresponding call on the same security during the call period at a fixed
exercise price regardless of market price changes during the call period. The
call period is usually not more than nine months. The exercise price may differ
from the market price of the underlying security. The Fund has retained the risk
of loss that the price of the underlying security may decline during the call
period. That risk may be offset to some extent by the premium the Fund receives.
If the value of the investment does not rise above the call price, it is likely
that the call will lapse without being exercised. In that case the Fund would
keep the cash premium and the investment.
When the Fund writes a call on an index, it receives cash (a premium). If
the buyer of the call exercises it, the Fund will pay an amount of cash equal to
the difference between the closing price of the call and the exercise price,
multiplied by the specified multiple that determines the total value of the call
for each point of difference. If the value of the underlying investment does not
rise above the call price, it is likely that the call will lapse without being
exercised. In that case the Fund would keep the cash premium.
The Fund's custodian, or a securities depository acting for the custodian,
will act as the Fund's escrow agent through the facilities of the Options
Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), as to the investments on which the Fund has
written calls traded on exchanges, or as to other acceptable escrow securities.
In that way, no margin will be required for such transactions. OCC will release
the securities on the expiration of the calls or upon the Fund's entering into a
closing purchase transaction.
When the Fund writes an over-the-counter ("OTC") option, it will enter
into an arrangement with a primary U.S. Government securities dealer which will
establish a formula price at which the Fund will have the absolute right to
repurchase that OTC option. The formula price would generally be based on a
multiple of the premium received for the option, plus the amount by which the
option is exercisable below the market price of the underlying security (that
is, the option is "in-the-money"). When the Fund writes an OTC option, it will
treat as illiquid (for purposes of its restriction on illiquid securities) the
mark-to-market value of any OTC option held by it, unless the option is subject
to a buy-back agreement by the executing broker. The Securities and Exchange
Commission is evaluating whether OTC options should be considered liquid
securities. The procedure described above could be affected by the outcome of
that evaluation.
To terminate its obligation on a call it has written, the Fund may
purchase a corresponding call in a "closing purchase transaction." The Fund will
then realize a profit or loss, depending upon whether the net of the amount of
the option transaction costs and the premium received on the call the Fund wrote
was more or less than the price of the call the Fund purchased to close out the
transaction. A profit may also be realized if the call lapses unexercised,
because the Fund retains the underlying investment and the premium received. Any
such profits are considered short-term capital gains for federal tax purposes,
as are premiums on lapsed calls. When distributed by the Fund they are taxable
as ordinary income.
The Fund may also write calls on futures contracts without owning the
futures contract or securities deliverable under the contract. To do so, at the
time the call is written, the Fund must cover the call by segregating in escrow
an equivalent dollar value of liquid assets. The Fund will segregate additional
liquid assets if the value of the escrowed assets drops below 100% of the
current value of the future. Because of this escrow requirement, in no
circumstances would the Fund's receipt of an exercise notice as to that future
put the Fund in a "short" futures position.
|_| Writing Put Options. The Fund can sell put options. A put option on
securities gives the purchaser the right to sell, and the writer the obligation
to buy, the underlying investment at the exercise price during the option
period. The Fund will not write puts if, as a result, more than 20% of the
Fund's total assets would be required to be segregated to cover such put
options.
If the Fund writes a put, the put must be covered by liquid assets
identified on the Fund's books. The premium the Fund receives from writing a put
represents a profit, as long as the price of the underlying investment remains
equal to or above the exercise price of the put. However, the Fund also assumes
the obligation during the option period to buy the underlying investment from
the buyer of the put at the exercise price, even if the value of the investment
falls below the exercise price. If a put the Fund has written expires
unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain in the amount of the premium less the
transaction costs incurred. If the put is exercised, the Fund must fulfill its
obligation to purchase the underlying investment at the exercise price. That
price will usually exceed the market value of the investment at that time. In
that case, the Fund may incur a loss if it sells the underlying investment. That
loss will be equal to the sum of the sale price of the underlying investment and
the premium received minus the sum of the exercise price and any transaction
costs the Fund incurred.
When writing a put option on a security, to secure its obligation to pay
for the underlying security the Fund will deposit in escrow liquid assets with a
value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the underlying securities.
The Fund therefore forgoes the opportunity of investing the segregated assets or
writing calls against those assets.
As long as the Fund's obligation as the put writer continues, it may be
assigned an exercise notice by the broker-dealer through which the put was sold.
That notice will require the Fund to take delivery of the underlying security
and pay the exercise price. The Fund has no control over when it may be required
to purchase the underlying security, since it may be assigned an exercise notice
at any time prior to the termination of its obligation as the writer of the put.
That obligation terminates upon expiration of the put. It may also terminate if,
before it receives an exercise notice, the Fund effects a closing purchase
transaction by purchasing a put of the same series as it sold. Once the Fund has
been assigned an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase
transaction.
The Fund may decide to effect a closing purchase transaction to realize a
profit on an outstanding put option it has written or to prevent the underlying
security from being put. Effecting a closing purchase transaction will also
permit the Fund to write another put option on the security, or to sell the
security and use the proceeds from the sale for other investments. The Fund will
realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction depending on
whether the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received
from writing the put option. Any profits from writing puts are considered
short-term capital gains for federal tax purposes, and when distributed by the
Fund, are taxable as ordinary income.
|_| Purchasing Calls and Puts. The Fund can buy calls on securities,
broadly-based municipal bond indices, municipal bond index futures and interest
rate futures. It can also buy calls to close out a call it has written, as
discussed above. Calls the Fund buys must be listed on a securities or
commodities exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, or traded in the over-the-counter
market. A call or put option may not be purchased if the purchase would cause
the value of all the Fund's put and call options to exceed 5% of its total
assets.
When the Fund purchases a call (other than in a closing purchase
transaction), it pays a premium. For calls on securities that the Fund buys, it
has the right to buy the underlying investment from a seller of a corresponding
call on the same investment during the call period at a fixed exercise price.
The Fund benefits only if (1) the call is sold at a profit or (2) the call is
exercised when the market price of the underlying investment is above the sum of
the exercise price plus the transaction costs and premium paid for the call. If
the call is not either exercised or sold (whether or not at a profit), it will
become worthless at its expiration date. In that case the Fund will lose its
premium payment and the right to purchase the underlying investment.
The Fund may buy puts on debt securities, municipal bond indices, and
interest rate or municipal bond index futures, whether or not it owns the
underlying investment. When the Fund purchases a put, it pays a premium and,
except as to puts on indices, has the right to sell the underlying investment to
a seller of a put on a corresponding investment during the put period at a fixed
exercise price. Puts on municipal bond indices are settled in cash.
Buying a put on an investment the Fund does not own (such as an index or
future) permits the Fund either to resell the put or to buy the underlying
investment and sell it at the exercise price. The resale price will vary
inversely to the price of the underlying investment. If the market price of the
underlying investment is above the exercise price and, as a result, the put is
not exercised, the put will become worthless on its expiration date.
Buying a put on a debt security, interest rate future or municipal bond
index future the Fund owns enables the Fund to protect itself during the put
period against a decline in the value of the underlying investment below the
exercise price by selling the investment at the exercise price to a seller of a
corresponding put. If the market price of the underlying investment is equal to
or above the exercise price and, as a result, the put is not exercised or
resold, the put will become worthless at its expiration date. In that case the
Fund will have paid the premium but lost the right to sell the underlying
investment. However, the Fund may sell the put prior to its expiration. That
sale may or may not be at a profit
|_| Risks of Hedging with Options and Futures. The use of hedging
instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that
are different than what is required for normal portfolio management. If the
Manager uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges market conditions
incorrectly, hedging strategies may reduce the Fund's returns.
The Fund's option activities could affect its portfolio turnover rate and
brokerage commissions. The exercise of calls written by the Fund may cause the
Fund to sell related portfolio securities, thus increasing its turnover rate.
The exercise by the Fund of puts on securities will cause the sale of underlying
investments, increasing portfolio turnover. Although the decision whether to
exercise a put it holds is within the Fund's control, holding a put might cause
the Fund to sell the related investments for reasons that would not exist in the
absence of the put.
The Fund could pay a brokerage commission each time it buys a call or put,
sells a call, or buys or sells an underlying investment in connection with the
exercise of a call or put. Such commissions might be higher on a relative basis
than the commissions for direct purchases or sales of the underlying
investments. Premiums paid for options are small in relation to the market value
of the underlying investments. Consequently, put and call options offer large
amounts of leverage. The leverage offered by trading in options could result in
the Fund's net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the
underlying investment.
If a covered call written by the Fund is exercised on an investment that
has increased in value, the Fund will be required to sell the investment at the
call price. It will not be able to realize any profit if the investment has
increased in value above the call price.
There is a risk in using short hedging by selling interest rate futures
and municipal bond index futures or purchasing puts on municipal bond indices or
futures to attempt to protect against declines in the value of the Fund's
securities. The risk is that the prices of such futures or the applicable index
will correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the cash (that is, market)
prices of the Fund's securities. It is possible for example, that while the Fund
has used hedging instruments in a short hedge, the market might advance and the
value of debt securities held in the Fund's portfolio might decline. If that
occurred, the Fund would lose money on the hedging instruments and also
experience a decline in value of its debt securities. However, while this could
occur over a brief period or to a very small degree, over time the value of a
diversified portfolio of debt securities will tend to move in the same direction
as the indices upon which the hedging instruments are based.
The risk of imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the
Fund's portfolio diverges from the securities included in the applicable index.
To compensate for the imperfect correlation of movements in the price of debt
securities being hedged and movements in the price of the hedging instruments,
the Fund might use hedging instruments in a greater dollar amount than the
dollar amount of debt securities being hedged. It might do so if the historical
volatility of the prices of the debt securities being hedged is greater than the
historical volatility of the applicable index.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets are
subject to distortions due to differences in the natures of those markets. All
participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit and
maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit
requirements, investors may close out futures contracts through offsetting
transactions which could distort the normal relationship between the cash and
futures markets. From the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements
in the futures markets are less onerous than margin requirements in the
securities markets. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the
futures markets may cause temporary price distortions.
The Fund can use hedging instruments to establish a position in the
municipal securities markets as a temporary substitute for the purchase of
individual securities (long hedging). It is possible that the market might
decline. If the Fund then concludes not to invest in such securities because of
concerns that there might be further market decline or for other reasons, the
Fund will realize a loss on the hedging instruments that is not offset by a
reduction in the purchase price of the securities.
An option position may be closed out only on a market that provides
secondary trading for options of the same series. There is no assurance that a
liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option. If the Fund could
not effect a closing purchase transaction due to a lack of a market, it would
have to hold the callable investment until the call lapsed or was exercised and
could incur losses.
|_| Interest Rate Swap Transactions. In an interest rate swap, the Fund
and another party exchange their right to receive or their obligation to pay
interest on a security. For example, they may swap a right to receive floating
rate payments for fixed rate payments. The Fund enters into swaps only on
securities it owns. The Fund may not enter into swaps with respect to more than
25% of its total assets. Also, the Fund will segregate liquid assets (such as
cash or U.S. Government securities) to cover any amounts it could owe under
swaps that exceed the amounts it is entitled to receive, and it will adjust that
amount daily, as needed. Income from interest rate swaps may be taxable.
Swap agreements entail both interest rate risk and credit risk. There is a
risk that, based on movements of interest rates in the future, the payments made
by the Fund under a swap agreement will have been greater than those received by
it. Credit risk arises from the possibility that the counterparty will default.
If the counterparty to an interest rate swap defaults, the Fund's loss will
consist of the net amount of contractual interest payments that the Fund has not
yet received. The Manager will monitor the creditworthiness of counterparties to
the Fund's interest rate swap transactions on an ongoing basis.
The Fund can enter into swap transactions with appropriate counterparties
pursuant to master netting agreements. A master netting agreement provides that
all swaps done between the Fund and that counterparty under the master agreement
shall be regarded as parts of an integral agreement. If on any date amounts are
payable under one or more swap transactions, the net amount payable on that date
shall be paid. In addition, the master netting agreement may provide that if one
party defaults generally or on one swap, the counterparty can terminate the
swaps with that party. Under master netting agreements, if there is a default
resulting in a loss to one party, that party's damages are calculated by
reference to the average cost of a replacement swap with respect to each swap.
The gains and losses on all swaps are then netted, and the result is the
counterparty's gain or loss on termination. The termination of all swaps and the
netting of gains and losses on termination is generally referred to as
"aggregation."
|_| Regulatory Aspects of Hedging Instruments. When using futures and
options on futures, the Fund is required to operate within certain guidelines
and restrictions established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the
"CFTC"). In particular, the Fund is exempted from registration with the CFTC as
a "commodity pool operator" if the Fund complies with the requirements of Rule
4.5 adopted by the CFTC. That Rule does not limit the percentage of the Fund's
assets that may be used for Futures margin and related options premiums for a
bona fide hedging position. However, under the Rule the Fund must limit its
aggregate initial futures margin and related options premiums to no more than 5%
of the Fund's net assets for hedging strategies that are not considered bona
fide hedging strategies under the Rule. Under the Rule, the Fund also must use
short futures and options on futures positions solely for bona fide hedging
purposes within the meaning and intent of the applicable provisions of the
Commodity Exchange Act.
Transactions in options by the Fund are subject to limitations established
by the option exchanges. The exchanges limit the maximum number of options that
may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in
concert. Those limits apply regardless of whether the options were written or
purchased on the same or different exchanges, or are held in one or more
accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more
brokers. Thus, the number of options that the Fund may write or hold may be
affected by options written or held by other entities, including other
investment companies having the same adviser as the Fund (or an adviser that is
an affiliate of the Fund's adviser). The exchanges also impose position limits
on futures transactions. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions
found to be in violation of those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.
Under the Investment Company Act, when the Fund purchases an interest rate
future or municipal bond index future, it must maintain cash or readily
marketable short-term debt instruments in an amount equal to the market value of
the investments underlying the future, less the margin deposit applicable to it.
|X| Temporary Defensive Investments. The securities the Fund can
invest in for temporary defensive purposes include the following:
|_| short-term municipal securities;
|_| obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its
agencies or instrumentalities;
|_| corporate debt securities rated within the three highest grades
by a nationally recognized rating agency;
|_| commercial paper rated "A-1" by S&P, or a comparable rating by
another nationally recognized rating agency; and
|_| certificates of deposit of domestic banks with assets of $1 billion or
more.
|X| Taxable Investments. While the Fund can invest up to 20% of its total
assets in investments that generate income subject to income taxes, it does not
anticipate investing substantial amounts of its assets in taxable investments
under normal market conditions or as part of its normal trading strategies and
policies. To the extent it invests in taxable securities, the Fund would not be
able to meet its objective of providing tax exempt income to its shareholders.
Taxable investments include, for example, hedging instruments, repurchase
agreements, and some of the types of securities the Fund could buy for temporary
defensive purposes.
Investment Restrictions
|X| What Are "Fundamental Policies?" Fundamental policies are those
policies that the Fund has adopted to govern its investments that can be changed
only by the vote of a "majority" of the Fund's outstanding voting securities.
Under the Investment Company Act, such a "majority" vote is defined as the vote
of the holders of the lesser of:
|_| 67% or more of the shares present or represented by proxy at a
shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding
shares are present or represented by proxy, or |_| more than 50% of the
outstanding shares.
The Fund's investment objective is a fundamental policy. Other policies
described in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information are
"fundamental" only if they are identified as such. The Fund's Board of Trustees
can change non-fundamental policies without shareholder approval. However,
significant changes to investment policies will be described in supplements or
updates to the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information, as
appropriate. The Fund's most significant investment policies are described in
the Prospectus.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in real estate. However, the Fund can invest in
municipal securities or other permissible securities or instruments secured by
real estate or interests in real estate.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in interests in oil, gas, or other mineral
exploration or development programs.
|_| The Fund cannot purchase securities, or other instruments, on margin.
However, the Fund can invest in options, futures, options on futures and similar
instruments and may make margin deposits and payments in connection with those
investments.
|_| The Fund cannot make short sales of securities.
|_| The Fund cannot underwrite securities. A permitted exception is in the
case it is deemed to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 when
reselling securities held in its portfolio.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in securities of other investment companies,
except if they are acquired as part of a merger, consolidation or other
acquisition.
|_| The Fund cannot borrow money, except from banks for temporary purposes
in amounts not in excess of 5% of the value of the Fund's assets. No assets of
the Fund may be pledged, mortgaged or hypothecated except to secure a borrowing,
and in that case no more than 10% of the Fund's total assets may be pledged,
mortgaged or hypothecated. Borrowings may not be made for leverage, but only for
liquidity purposes to satisfy redemption requests when the liquidation of
portfolio securities is considered inconvenient or disadvantageous. However, the
Fund can enter into when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions as described
in this Statement of Additional Information.
|_| The Fund cannot make loans. However, the Fund can purchase or hold
debt obligations, repurchase agreements and other instruments and securities it
is permitted to own and may lend its portfolio securities and other investments
it owns.
|_| With respect to 75% of its total assets, the Fund cannot buy
securities issued or guaranteed by any one issuer (except the U.S. Government or
any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if more than 5% of the Fund's total
assets would be invested in securities of that issuer or the Fund would then own
more than 10% of that issuer's voting securities.
|_| The Fund cannot invest more than 25% of its total assets in a single
industry. As an operating policy, the Fund applies this restriction to 25% or
more of its total assets. However, the Fund can invest more than 25% of its
assets in a particular segment of the municipal bond market, but it will not
invest more than 25% of its total assets in industrial development bonds in a
single industry.
|_| The Fund cannot make investments for the purpose of exercising control
of management.
|_| The Fund cannot purchase securities of any issuer if, officers,
trustees and directors of the Fund or the Manager individually beneficially own
more than .5% of the securities of that issuer and together own beneficially
more than 5% of the outstanding securities of that issuer.
|_| The Fund cannot issue "senior securities," but this does not prohibit
certain investment activities for which assets of the Fund are designated as
segregated or margin collateral or escrow arrangements are established to cover
the related obligations. Examples of those activities include borrowing money,
reverse repurchase agreements, delayed-delivery and when-issued arrangements for
portfolio securities transactions, and contracts to buy or sell derivatives,
hedging instruments, options or futures.
The Fund will not purchase or retain securities if, as a result, the Fund
would have more than 5% of its total assets invested in securities of private
issuers having a record of less than three years' continuous operation, or in
industrial development bonds if the private entity on whose credit the security
is based, directly or indirectly, is less than three years old, unless the
security is rated by a nationally-recognized rating service. In each case, that
period may include the operation of predecessor companies or enterprises.
Additionally, the Fund will not invest in common stock or any warrants related
to common stocks. These operating policies are not fundamental policies.
Unless the Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information states that a
percentage restriction applies on an ongoing basis, it applies only at the time
the Fund makes an investment. In that case the Fund need not sell securities to
meet the percentage limits if the value of the investment increases in
proportion to the size of the Fund.
Diversification. The Fund intends to be "diversified" as defined in the
Investment Company Act and to satisfy the restrictions against investing too
much of its assets in any "issuer" as set forth in the restrictions above. In
implementing this policy, the identification of the issuer of a municipal
security depends on the terms and conditions of the security. When the assets
and revenues of an agency, authority, instrumentality or other political
subdivision are separate from those of the government creating it and the
security is backed only by the assets and revenues of the subdivision, agency,
authority or instrumentality, the latter would be deemed to be the sole issuer.
Similarly, if an industrial development bond is backed only by the assets and
revenues of the non-governmental user, then that user would be deemed to be the
sole issuer. However, if in either case the creating government or some other
entity guarantees a security, the guarantee would be considered a separate
security and would be treated as an issue of such government or other entity.
Applying the Restriction Against Concentration. To implement its policy not to
concentrate its investments, the Fund has adopted the industry classifications
set forth in Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information. Those
industry classifications are not a fundamental policy.
In implementing the Fund's policy not to concentrate its investments, the
Manager will consider a non-governmental user of facilities financed by
industrial development bonds as being in a particular industry. That is done
even though the bonds are municipal securities, as to which the Fund has no
concentration limitation. Although this application of the concentration
restriction is not a fundamental policy of the Fund, it will not be changed
without shareholder approval.
How the Fund Is Managed
Organization and History. The Fund is one of two diversified investment
portfolios or "series" of Oppenheimer Municipal Fund, an open-end, diversified
management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust in
1986, with an unlimited number of authorized shares of beneficial interest.
Oppenheimer Municipal Fund (and therefore, the Fund, as one of its series)
is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for protecting the
interests of shareholders under Massachusetts law. The Trustees meet
periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund's activities, review its
performance, and review the actions of the Manager. Although the Fund will not
normally hold annual meetings of its shareholders, it may hold shareholder
meetings from time to time on important matters. Shareholders of Oppenheimer
Municipal Fund have the right to call a meeting to remove a Trustee or to take
other action described in the Declaration of Trust.
|X| Classes of Shares. The Board of Trustees has the power, without
shareholder approval, to divide unissued shares of the Fund into two or more
classes. The Board has done so, and the Fund currently has three classes of
shares, Class A, Class B and Class C. All classes invest in the same investment
portfolio. Shares are freely transferable. Each share has one vote at
shareholder meetings, with fractional shares voting proportionally on matters
submitted to the vote of shareholders. Each class of shares:
|_| has its own dividends and distributions,
|_| pays certain expenses which may be different for
the different classes,
|_| may have a different net asset value,
|_| may have separate voting rights on matters in which
the interests of one class are different from the interests of
another class, and
|_| votes as a class on matters that affect that class
alone.
|X| Meetings of Shareholders. As a series of a Massachusetts business
trust, the Fund is not required to hold, and does not plan to hold, regular
annual meetings of shareholders. The Fund will hold meetings when required to do
so by the Investment Company Act or other applicable law. It will also do so
when a shareholder meeting is called by the Trustees or upon proper request of
the shareholders.
Shareholders have the right, upon the declaration in writing or vote of
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Oppenheimer Municipal Fund, to remove a
Trustee. The Trustees will call a meeting of shareholders to vote on the removal
of a Trustee upon the written request of the record holders of 10% of the
outstanding shares of Oppenheimer Municipal Fund. If the Trustees receive a
request from at least 10 shareholders stating that they wish to communicate with
other shareholders to request a meeting to remove a Trustee, the Trustees will
then either make the shareholder lists of a series of Oppenheimer Municipal Fund
available to the applicants or mail their communication to all other
shareholders at the applicants' expense. The shareholders making the request
must have been shareholders for at least six months and must hold shares of a
series of Oppenheimer Municipal Fund valued at $25,000 or more or constituting
at least 1% of the outstanding shares of Oppenheimer Municipal Fund, whichever
is less. The Trustees may also take other action as permitted by the Investment
Company Act.
|X| Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The Declaration of Trust contains
an express disclaimer of shareholder or Trustee liability for the Fund's
obligations. It also provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses
out of the Fund's property for any shareholder held personally liable for its
obligations. The Declaration of Trust also states that upon request, the Fund
shall assume the defense of any claim made against a shareholder for any act or
obligation of the Fund and shall satisfy any judgment on that claim.
Massachusetts law permits a shareholder of a business trust to be held
personally liable as a "partner" under certain circumstances. However, the risk
that a Fund shareholder will incur financial loss from being held liable as a
"partner" of the Fund is limited to the relatively remote circumstances in which
the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Fund's contractual arrangements state that any person doing business
with the Fund (and each shareholder of the Fund) agrees under the Declaration of
Trust to look solely to the assets of the Fund for satisfaction of any claim or
demand that may arise out of any dealings with the Fund. The contracts further
state that the Trustees shall have no personal liability to any such person, to
the extent permitted by law.
Trustees and Officers of the Fund. The Fund's Trustees and officers and their
principal occupations and business affiliations during the past five years are
listed below. Trustees denoted with an asterisk (*) below are deemed to be
"interested persons" of the Fund under the Investment Company Act. All of the
Trustees are also trustees, directors or managing general partners of the
following Denver-based Oppenheimer funds1:
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Income Fund Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund Panorama Series Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Integrity Funds Centennial America Fund, L. P.
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government
Fund Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. Centennial Government Trust
Oppenheimer Main Street Small Cap
Fund. Centennial Money Market Trust
Oppenheimer Municipal Fund Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Ms. Macaskill and Messrs. Swain, Bishop, Wixted, Donohue, Farrar and Zack,
who are officers of the Fund, respectively hold the same offices with the other
Denver-based Oppenheimer funds. As of December 28, 1999, the Trustees and
officers of the Fund as a group owned 1.2% of the Class A shares of the Fund.
The foregoing statement does not reflect shares held of record by an employee
benefit plan for employees of the Manager other than shares beneficially owned
under that plan by the officers of the Fund listed below. Ms. Macaskill and Mr.
Donohue are trustees of that plan.
William L. Armstrong, Trustee,2 Age: 62.
11 Carriage Lane, Littleton, Colorado 80121
Chairman of the following private mortgage banking companies: Cherry Creek
Mortgage Company (since 1991), Centennial State Mortgage Company (since 1994),
The El Paso Mortgage Company (since 1993), Transland Financial Services, Inc.
(since 1997), and Ambassador Media Corporation (since 1984); Chairman of the
following private companies: Frontier Real Estate, Inc. (residential real estate
brokerage) (since 1994), Frontier Title (title insurance agency) (since 1995)
and Great Frontier Insurance (insurance agency) (since 1995); Director of the
following public companies: Storage Technology Corporation (computer equipment
company) (since 1991), Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (oil and gas drilling/production
company) (since 1992), UNUMProvident (insurance company) (since 1991); formerly
Director of the following public companies: International Family Entertainment
(television channel) (1991 - 1997) and Natec Resources, Inc. (air pollution
control equipment and services company) (1991 - 1995); formerly U.S. Senator
(January 1979 - January 1991).
Robert G. Avis*, Trustee, Age: 68
One North Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63103
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of A.G. Edwards Capital, Inc.
(general partnership of private equity funds), Director of A.G. Edwards &
Sons, Inc. (a broker-dealer) and Director of A.G. Edwards Trust Companies
(trust companies), formerly, Vice Chairman of A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. and
A.G. Edwards, Inc. (its parent holding company) and Chairman of A.G.E. Asset
Management (an investment advisor).
William A. Baker, Trustee, Age: 84
197 Desert Lakes Drive, Palm Springs, California 92264
Management Consultant.
George C. Bowen, Trustee, Age: 633
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Formerly (until April 1999) Mr. Bowen held the following positions: Senior
Vice President (since September 1987) and Treasurer (since March 1985) of the
Manager; Vice President (since June 1983) and Treasurer (since March 1985) of
the Distributor; Vice President (since October 1989) and Treasurer (since
April 1986) of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation; Senior Vice
President (since February 1992), Treasurer (since July 1991) Assistant
Secretary and a director (since December 1991) of Centennial Asset Management
Corporation; President, Treasurer and a director of Centennial Capital
Corporation (since June 1989); Vice President and Treasurer (since August
1978) and Secretary (since April 1981) of Shareholder Services, Inc.; Vice
President, Treasurer and Secretary of Shareholder Financial Services, Inc.
(since November 1989); Assistant Treasurer of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.
(since March 1998); Treasurer of Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc.
(since November 1989); Vice President and Treasurer of Oppenheimer Real Asset
Management, Inc. (since July 1996); Treasurer of OppenheimerFunds
International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997).
Jon S. Fossel, Trustee, Age: 57 4
P.O. Box 44, Mead Street, Waccabuc, New York 10597
Formerly Chairman and a director of the Manager, President and a director of
Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., the Manager's parent holding company, and
Shareholder Services, Inc. and Shareholder Financial Services, Inc., transfer
agent subsidiaries of the Manager.
Sam Freedman, Trustee, Age:59
4975 Lakeshore Drive, Littleton, Colorado 80123
Formerly Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OppenheimerFunds Services,
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Shareholder Services,
Inc., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and director of Shareholder Financial
Services, Inc., Vice President and director of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp.
and a director of OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Raymond J. Kalinowski, Trustee, Age: 70
44 Portland Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63131
Director of Wave Technologies International, Inc. (a computer products
training company), self-employed consultant (securities matters).
C. Howard Kast, Trustee, Age: 78
2552 East Alameda, Denver, Colorado 80209
Formerly Managing Partner of Deloitte, Haskins & Sells (an accounting firm).
Robert M. Kirchner, Trustee, Age: 78
7500 E. Arapahoe Road, Englewood, Colorado 80112
President of The Kirchner Company (management consultants).
Bridget A. Macaskill*, President and Trustee, Age: 515
-
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
President (since June 1991), Chief Executive Officer (since September 1995) and
a Director (since December 1994) of the Manager; President and director (since
June 1991) of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation, an investment adviser
subsidiary of the Manager; Chairman and a director of Shareholder Services, Inc.
(since August 1994) and Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. (since September
1995), transfer agent subsidiaries of the Manager; President (since September
1995) and a director (since October 1990) of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., the
Manager's parent holding company; President (since September 1995) and a
director (since November 1989) of Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc., a
holding company subsidiary of the Manager; a director of Oppenheimer Real Asset
Management, Inc. (since July 1996); President and a director (since October
1997) of OppenheimerFunds International Ltd., an offshore fund management
subsidiary of the Manager and of Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc; President and
a director of other Oppenheimer funds; a director of Prudential Corporation plc
(a U.K. financial service company).
Ned M. Steel, Trustee, Age: 84
3416 South Race Street, Englewood, Colorado 80110
Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter; a director of Visiting Nurse
Corporation of Colorado.
James C. Swain*, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee, Age: 66 6803
South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112 Vice Chairman of the Manager (since
September 1988); formerly President and a director of Centennial Asset
Management Corporation, an investment adviser subsidiary of the Manager and
Chairman of the Board of Shareholder Services, Inc.
Andrew J. Donohue, Vice President and Secretary, Age: 49
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
Executive Vice President (since January 1993), General Counsel (since October
1991) and a Director (since September 1995) of the Manager; Executive Vice
President and General Counsel (since September 1993) and a director (since
January 1992) of the Distributor; Executive Vice President, General Counsel and
a director of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation, Shareholder Services,
Inc., Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. and (since September 1995)
Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc.; President and a director of Centennial
Asset Management Corporation (since September 1995); President, General Counsel
and a director of Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc. (since July 1996);
General Counsel (since May 1996) and Secretary (since April 1997) of Oppenheimer
Acquisition Corp.; Vice President and a director of OppenheimerFunds
International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997); an
officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
Robert J. Bishop, Assistant Treasurer, Age: 41
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (since May 1996); an
officer of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly an Assistant Vice President of the
Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (April 1994 - May 1996), and a Fund Controller
for the Manager.
Scott T. Farrar, Assistant Treasurer, Age: 34
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (since May 1996); Assistant
Treasurer of Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997); an officer
of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly an Assistant Vice President of the
Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (April 1994 - May 1996), and a Fund Controller
for the Manager.
Brian W. Wixted, Treasurer, Age: 40
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Senior Vice President and Treasurer (since April 1999) of the Manager; Treasurer
of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation, Shareholder Services, Inc.,
Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. and Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc.
(since April 1999); Assistant Treasurer of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. (since
April 1999); Assistant Secretary of Centennial Asset Management Corporation
(since April 1999); formerly Principal and Chief Operating Officer, Bankers
Trust Company - Mutual Fund Services Division (March 1995 - March 1999); Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of CS First Boston Investment Management
Corp. (September 1991 - March 1995); and Vice President and Accounting Manager,
Merrill Lynch Asset Management (November 1987 - September 1991).
Robert G. Zack, Assistant Secretary, Age: 51
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
Senior Vice President (since May 1985) and Associate General Counsel (since
May 1981) of the Manager, Assistant Secretary of Shareholder Services, Inc.
(since May 1985), and Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. (since November
1989); Assistant Secretary of OppenheimerFunds International Ltd. and
Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997); an officer of other
Oppenheimer funds.
Christian D. Smith, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Age: 38. Two World
Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203 Senior Vice President of the Manager
(since October 11, 1999); an officer of other Oppenheimer funds. From January
1999 to September 1999 he was Co-Head of the Municipal Portfolio Management Team
of Prudential Global Asset Management (an investment adviser), prior to which he
was a portfolio manager for that firm (January 1990 to January 1999).
Remuneration of Trustees. The officers of the Fund and two Trustees
of the Fund (Ms. Macaskill and Mr. Swain) are affiliated with the Manager and
receive no salary or fee from the Fund. The remaining Trustees of the Fund
received the compensation shown below. The compensation from the Fund was paid
during its fiscal year ended September 30, 1999. The compensation from all of
the Denver-based Oppenheimer funds includes the compensation from the Fund and
represents compensation received as a director, trustee, managing general
partner or member of a committee of the Board during the calendar year 1999.
<PAGE>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aggregate Total Compensation
Trustee's Name Compensation from all Denver-Based
and Other Positions from Fund Oppenheimer Funds1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
William L. Armstrong $65 None 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert G. Avis $422 $67,998.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
William A. Baker $431 $69,998.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
George C. Bowen $70 None 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John S. Fossel $428 $67,496.00
Audit Committee Member
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam Freedman $459 $73,998.00
Audit Committee Member
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raymond J. Kalinowski $455 $73,998.00
Audit Committee Member
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Howard Kast $485 $76,998.00
Audit Committee Chairman
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert M. Kirchner $427 $67,998.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ned M. Steel $422 $67,998.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. For the 1999 calendar year.
2. Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Bowen were not Trustees or Directors of the
Denver-based Oppenheimer funds during 1998.
|X| Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees. The Board of Trustees has
adopted a Deferred Compensation Plan for disinterested trustees that enables
them to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of the annual fees they are
entitled to receive from the Fund. Under the plan, the compensation deferred by
a Trustee is periodically adjusted as though an equivalent amount had been
invested in shares of one or more Oppenheimer funds selected by the Trustee. The
amount paid to the Trustee under the plan will be determined based upon the
performance of the selected funds.
Deferral of Trustees' fees under the plan will not materially affect the
Fund's assets, liabilities or net income per share. The plan will not obligate
the Fund to retain the services of any Trustee or to pay any particular level of
compensation to any Trustee. Pursuant to an Order issued by the Securities and
Exchange Commission, the Fund may invest in the funds selected by the Trustee
under the plan without shareholder approval for the limited purpose of
determining the value of the Trustee's deferred fee account.
|X| Major Shareholders. As of December 28, 1999, the only persons who
owned of record or who were known by the Fund to own beneficially 5% or more of
the Fund's outstanding shares were:
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., 4800 Deer Lake Drive East,
Floor 3, Jacksonville, Florida, 32246-6484, which owned 680.935 Class B
shares, representing 6.99% of the Class B shares then outstanding.
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., 4800 Deer Lake Drive East,
Floor 3, Jacksonville, Florida, 32246-6484, which owned 63,879.633 Class C
shares, representing 21.68% of the Class C shares then outstanding.
Margie H. Madak Trust, 8619 W. Sunnyside Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
60656-4149, which owned 29,762.828 of the Class C shares, representing
10.10% of the Class C shares then outstanding.
The Manager. The Manager is wholly-owned by Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., a
holding company controlled by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.
|X| Code of Ethics. The Fund, the Manager and the Distributor have a Code
of Ethics. It is designed to detect and prevent improper personal trading by
certain employees, including portfolio managers, that would compete with or
take advantage of the Fund's portfolio transactions. Covered persons include
persons with knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of the Fund
and other funds advised by the Manager. The Code of Ethics does permit
personnel subject to the Code to invest in securities, including securities
that may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to a number of restrictions
and controls. Compliance with the Code of Ethics is carefully monitored and
enforced by the Manager.
The Code of Ethics is an exhibit to the Fund's registration statement
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and can be reviewed and
copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You can obtain
information about the hours of operation of the Public Reference Room by
calling the SEC at 1-202-942-8090. The Code of Ethics can also be viewed as
part of the Fund's registration statement on the SEC's EDGAR database at the
SEC's Internet web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may be obtained, after
paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail
address: [email protected]., or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference
Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.
|X| The Investment Advisory Agreement. The Manager provides investment
advisory and management services to the Fund under an investment advisory
agreement between the Manager and the Fund. The Manager selects securities for
the Fund's portfolio and handles its day-to day business. The portfolio manager
of the Fund is employed by the Manager and is the person who is principally
responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's investment portfolio.
Other members of the Manager's Fixed-Income Portfolio Team provide the portfolio
manager with research and counsel in managing the Fund's investments. The
agreement requires the Manager, at its expense, to provide the Fund with
adequate office space, facilities and equipment. It also requires the Manager to
provide and supervise the activities of all administrative and clerical
personnel required to provide effective corporate administration for the Fund.
Those responsibilities include the compilation and maintenance of records with
respect to the Fund's operations, the preparation and filing of specified
reports, and the composition of proxy materials and registration statements for
continuous public sale of shares of the Fund.
The Fund pays expenses not expressly assumed by the Manager under the
advisory agreement. The advisory agreement lists examples of expenses paid by
the Fund. The major categories relate to interest, taxes, fees to disinterested
Trustees, legal and audit expenses, custodian and transfer agent expenses, share
issuance costs, certain printing and registration costs, brokerage commissions,
and non-recurring expenses, including litigation costs. The management fees paid
by the Fund to the Manager are calculated at the rates described in the
Prospectus, which are applied to the assets of the Fund as a whole. The fees are
allocated to each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of the
Fund's net assets represented by that class. The management fees paid by the
Fund to the Manager during its last three fiscal years are listed below.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year Ending 9/30 Management Fee Paid to
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997 $471,703
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 $545,563
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $601,513
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The investment advisory agreement states that in the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or
reckless disregard for its obligations and duties under the investment advisory
agreement, the Manager is not liable for any loss sustained by reason of any
investment of the Fund assets made with due care and in good faith.
The agreement permits the Manager to act as investment adviser for any
other person, firm or corporation. The Manager uses the name "Oppenheimer" in
connection with other investment companies for which it or an affiliate is the
investment adviser or general distributor. If the Manager shall no longer act as
investment adviser to the Fund, the Manager can withdraw its permission to the
Fund (and to Oppenheimer Municipal Fund) to use the name "Oppenheimer" as part
of its name.
Brokerage Policies of the Fund
Brokerage Provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreement. One of the duties of
the Manager under the investment advisory agreement is to buy and sell portfolio
securities for the Fund. The investment advisory agreement allows the Manager to
use broker-dealers to effect the Fund's portfolio transactions. Under the
agreement, the Manager may employ those broker-dealers (including "affiliated"
brokers, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) that, in the
Manager's best judgment based on all relevant factors, will implement the Fund's
policy to obtain, at reasonable expense, the "best execution" of portfolio
transactions. "Best execution" refers to prompt and reliable execution at the
most favorable price obtainable. The Manager need not seek competitive
commission bidding. However, the Manager is expected to minimize the commissions
paid to the extent consistent with the interest and policies of the Fund as
established by its Board of Trustees.
Under the investment advisory agreement, the Manager may select brokers
that provide brokerage and/or research services for the Fund and/or the other
accounts over which the Manager or its affiliates have investment discretion.
The commissions paid to such brokers may be higher than another qualified broker
would charge, if the Manager makes a good faith determination that the
commission is fair and reasonable in relation to the services provided. Subject
to those other considerations, as a factor in selecting brokers for the Fund's
portfolio transactions, the Manager may also consider sales of shares of the
Fund and other investment companies managed by the Manager or its affiliates.
Brokerage Practices Followed by the Manager. The Manager allocates brokerage for
the Fund subject to the provisions of the investment advisory agreement and the
procedures and rules described above. Generally the Manager's portfolio traders
allocate brokerage upon recommendations from the Manager's portfolio managers.
In certain instances, portfolio managers may directly place trades and allocate
brokerage. In either case, the Manager's executive officers supervise the
allocation of brokerage.
Most securities purchases made by the Fund are in principal transactions
at net prices. The Fund usually deals directly with the selling or purchasing
principal or market maker without incurring charges for the services of a broker
on its behalf unless the Manager determines that a better price or execution may
be obtained by using the services of a broker. Therefore, the Fund does not
incur substantial brokerage costs. Portfolio securities purchased from
underwriters include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the
underwriter in the price of the security. Portfolio securities purchased from
dealers include a spread between the bid and asked price.
The Fund seeks to obtain prompt execution of orders at the most favorable
net prices. In an option transaction, the Fund ordinarily uses the same broker
for the purchase or sale of the option and any transaction in the investment to
which the option relates. Other funds advised by the Manager have investment
objectives and policies similar to those of the Fund. Those other funds may
purchase or sell the same securities as the Fund at the same time as the Fund,
which could affect the supply and price of the securities. When possible, the
Manager tries to combine concurrent orders to purchase or sell the same security
by more than one of the accounts managed by the Manager or its affiliates. The
transactions under those combined orders are averaged as to price and allocated
in accordance with the purchase or sale orders actually placed for each account.
The investment advisory agreement permits the Manager to allocate
brokerage for research services. The research services provided by a particular
broker may be useful only to one or more of the advisory accounts of the Manager
and its affiliates. Investment research received by the Manager for the
commissions paid by those other accounts may be useful both to the Fund and one
or more of the Manager's other accounts. Investment research services may be
supplied to the Manager by a third party at the instance of a broker through
which trades are placed. Investment research services include information and
analyses on particular companies and industries as well as market or economic
trends and portfolio strategy, market quotations for portfolio evaluations,
information systems, computer hardware and similar products and services. If a
research service also assists the Manager in a non-research capacity (such as
bookkeeping or other administrative functions), then only the percentage or
component that provides assistance to the Manager in the investment
decision-making process may be paid in commission dollars.
The Board of Trustees permits the Manager to use stated commissions on
secondary fixed-income agency trades to obtain research if the broker represents
to the Manager that: (i) the trade is not from or for the broker's own
inventory, (ii) the trade was executed by the broker on an agency basis at the
stated commission, and (iii) the trade is not a riskless principal transaction.
The Board of Trustees has permits the Manager to use concessions on fixed-price
offerings to obtain research, in the same manner as is permitted for agency
transactions.
The research services provided by brokers broaden the scope and supplement
the research activities of the Manager. That research provides additional views
and comparisons for consideration and helps the Manager to obtain market
information for the valuation of securities that are either held in the Fund's
portfolio or are being considered for purchase. The Manager provides information
to the Board of the Fund about the commissions paid to brokers furnishing
research services, together with the Manager's representation that the amount of
such commissions was reasonably related to the value or benefit of such
services.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year Ended 9/30 Total Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Fund1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997 None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 $73,0592
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $89,180
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Amounts do not include spreads or concessions on principal amounts on a
net trade basis.
2. In the fiscal year ended 9/30/99, no transactions directed to brokers
for research services.
Distribution and Service Plans
The Distributor. Under its General Distributor's Agreement with the Fund, the
Distributor acts as the Fund's principal underwriter in the continuous public
offering of the different classes of shares of the Fund. The Distributor is not
obligated to sell a specific number of shares. Expenses normally attributable to
sales are borne by the Distributor.
The compensation paid to (or retained by) the Distributor from the sale of
shares or on the redemption of shares is discussed in the table below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aggregate Class A Commissions Commissions Commissions
Fiscal Front-End Front-End on Class A on Class B on Class C
Year Sales Sales Shares Shares Shares
Ended Charges Charges Advanced by Advanced by Advanced by
9/30: on Class A Retained by Distributor1 Distributor1 Distributor1
Shares Distributor
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997 $164,201 $35,272 $ 5,001 $222,466 $18,115
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 $197,201 $47,360 $ 1,663 $350,427 $27,494
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $214,856 $36,028 $13,460 $274,507 $21,836
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The Distributor advances commission payments to dealers for certain sales of
Class A shares and for sales of Class B and Class C shares from its own
resources at the time of sale.
* Includes amount retained by a broker-dealer that is an affiliate or parent of
the distributor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Class A Contingent Class B Contingent Class C Contingent
Year Deferred Sales Deferred Sales Deferred Sales
Ended Charges Retained by Charges Retained by Charges Retained by
9/30: Distributor Distributor Distributor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $0 $96,005 $4,312
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution and Service Plans. The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for its
Class A shares and Distribution and Service Plans for its Class B and Class C
shares under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act. Under those plans, the
Fund makes payments to the Distributor in connection with the distribution
and/or servicing of the shares of the particular class.
Each plan has been approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees of the
Fund, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, 6 cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on that plan.
Under the plans the Manager and the Distributor, in their sole discretion,
from time to time may use their own resources (at no direct cost to the Fund) to
make payments to brokers, dealers or other financial institutions for
distribution and administrative services they perform. The Manager may use
profits from the advisory fee it receives from the Fund. The Distributor and the
Manager may, in their sole discretion, increase or decrease the amount of
payments they make to plan recipients from their own resources.
Unless a plan is terminated as described below, the plan continues in
effect from year to year, but only if the Fund's Board of Trustees and its
Independent Trustees specifically vote annually to approve its continuance.
Approval must be by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on continuing the plan. A plan may be terminated at any time by the vote
of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a
"majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the outstanding shares
of that class.
The Board and the Independent Trustees must approve all material
amendments to a plan. An amendment to increase materially the amount of payments
to be made under the plan must be approved by shareholders of the class affected
by the amendment. Because Class B shares automatically convert into Class A
shares after six years, the Fund must obtain the approval of both Class A and
Class B shareholders for an amendment to the Class A plan that would materially
increase the amount to be paid under that plan. That approval must be by a
"majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the shares of each
class, voting separately by Class.
While the plans are in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall provide
separate written reports on the plans to the Fund's Board of Trustees at least
quarterly for its review. The reports shall detail the amount of all payments
made under a plan and the purpose for which the payments were made. Those
reports are subject to the review and approval of the Independent Trustees in
the exercise of their fiduciary duty.
Each plan states that while it is in effect, the selection or replacement
and nomination of those Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" of
the Fund is committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees. This
provision does not prevent the involvement of others in the selection and
nomination process as long as the final decision as to selection or nomination
is approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees.
Under the plan for a class, no payment will be made to any recipient in
any quarter in which the aggregate net asset value of all Fund shares held by
the recipient for itself and its customers does not exceed a minimum amount, if
any, that may be set from time to time by a majority of the Fund's Independent
Trustees. The Board of Trustees has set the fees at the maximum rate allowed
under the plans and has set no minimum asset amount needed to qualify for
payments.
|X| Class A Service Plan. Under the Class A service plan, the Distributor
currently uses the fees it receives from the Fund to pay brokers, dealers and
other financial institutions (they are referred to as "recipients") for personal
services and account maintenance services they provide for their customers who
hold Class A shares. The services include, among others, answering customer
inquiries about the Fund, assisting in establishing and maintaining accounts in
the Fund, making the Fund's investment plans available and providing other
services at the request of the Fund or the Distributor. The Distributor makes
payments to plan recipients quarterly at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of
the average annual net assets of Class A shares held in accounts of the service
provider or their customers.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, payments under the Plan for
Class A shares totaled $245,096, all of which was paid by the Distributor to
recipients. That included $12,398 paid to an affiliate of the Distributor. Any
unreimbursed expenses the Distributor incurs with respect to Class A shares for
any fiscal year may not be recovered in subsequent years. The Distributor may
not use payments received under the Class A plan to pay any of its interest
expenses, carrying charges, other financial costs, or allocation of overhead.
|X| Class B and Class C Service and Distribution Plans. Under each plan,
service fees and distribution fees are computed on the average of the net asset
value of shares in the respective class, determined as of the close of each
regular business day during the period. The Class B and Class C plans provide
for the Distributor to be compensated at a flat rate, whether the Distributor's
distribution expenses are more or less than the amounts paid by the Fund under
the plans during that period. The Class B and Class C plans permit the
Distributor to retain both the asset-based sales charges and the service fee on
shares or to pay recipients the service fee on a quarterly basis, without
payment in advance. The types of services that recipients provide for the
service fee are similar to the services provided under the Class A plan,
described above.
The Distributor presently intends to pay recipients the service fee on
Class B and Class C shares in advance for the first year the shares are
outstanding. After the first year shares are outstanding, the Distributor makes
payments quarterly on those shares. The advance payment is based on the net
asset value of shares sold. Shares purchased by exchange do not qualify for an
advance service fee payment. If Class B or Class C shares are redeemed during
the first year after their purchase, the recipient of the service fees on those
shares will be obligated to repay the Distributor a pro rata portion of the
advance payment made on those shares.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class B shares.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class C shares during
the first year the shares are outstanding. It pays the asset-based sales charge
as an ongoing commission to the dealer on Class C shares outstanding for a year
or more. If a dealer has a special agreement with the Distributor, the
Distributor will pay the Class B and/or Class C service fees and the asset-based
sales charge to the dealer quarterly in lieu of paying the sales commission and
service fee in advance at the time of purchase.
The asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares allows
investors to buy shares without a front-end sales charge while allowing the
Distributor to compensate dealers that sell those shares. The Distributor's
actual expenses in selling Class B and Class C shares may be more than the
payments it receives from contingent deferred sales charges collected on
redeemed shares and from the Fund under the plans. The Fund pays the asset-based
sales charge to the Distributor for its services rendered in distributing Class
B and Class C shares. The payments are made to the Distributor in recognition
that the Distributor:
|_|pays sales commissions to authorized brokers and dealers at the time
of sale and pays service fees as described in the Prospectus,
|_|may finance payment of sales commissions and/or the advance of the
service fee payment to recipients under the plans, or may provide such
financing from its own resources or from the resources of an affiliate,
|_| employs personnel to support distribution of shares, and
|_| bears the costs of sales literature, advertising and prospectuses
(other than those furnished to current shareholders) and state "blue
sky" registration fees and certain other distribution expenses.
The Distributor's actual expenses in selling Class B and Class C shares
may be more than the payments it receives from the contingent deferred sales
charges collected on redeemed shares and from the Fund under the plans. If
either the Class B or Class C plan is terminated by the Fund, the Board of
Trustees may allow the Fund to continue payments of the asset-based sales charge
to the Distributor for distributing shares before the plan was terminated. The
Class B and Class C plans allow for the carry-forward of distribution expenses,
to be recovered from asset based sales charges in subsequent fiscal periods.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution Fees Paid to the Distributor in the Fiscal Year Ended 9/30/99
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributor's Distributor's
Aggregate Unreimbursed
Unreimbursed Expenses as %
Total Payments Amount Retained Expenses Under of Net Assets
Class: Under Plan by Distributor Plan of Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B $ 285,641 $ 233,634 $ 938,638 3.55%
Plan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C $ 57,731 $ 33,511 $ 789,916 1.41%
Plan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All payments under the Class B and Class C plans are subject to the
limitations imposed by the Conduct Rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. on payments of asset-based sales charges and service
fees to NASD members.
Performance of the Fund
Explanation of Performance Terminology. The Fund uses a variety of terms to
illustrate its performance. These terms include "standardized yield,"
"tax-equivalent yield," "dividend yield," "average annual total return,"
"cumulative total return," "average annual total return at net asset value" and
"total return at net asset value." An explanation of how yields and total
returns are calculated is set forth below. The charts below show the Fund's
performance as of its most recent fiscal year end. You can obtain current
performance information by calling the Fund's Transfer Agent at 1-800-525-7048
or by visiting the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site at
http://www.oppenheimerfunds.com.
The Fund's illustrations of its performance data in advertisements must
comply with rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those rules
describe the types of performance data that may be used and how it is to be
calculated. In general, any advertisement by the Fund of its performance data
must include the average annual total returns for the advertised class of shares
of the Fund. Those returns must be shown for the 1, 5 and 10-year periods (or
the life of the class, if less) ending as of the most recently ended calendar
quarter prior to the publication of the advertisement (or its submission for
publication). Certain types of yields may also be shown, provided that they are
accompanied by standardized average annual total returns.
Use of standardized performance calculations enables an investor to
compare the Fund's performance to the performance of other funds for the same
periods. However, a number of factors should be considered before using the
Fund's performance information as a basis for comparison with other investments:
|_| Yields and total returns measure the performance of a hypothetical
account in the Fund over various periods and do not show the performance of each
shareholder's account. Your account's performance will vary from the model
performance data if your dividends are received in cash, or you buy or sell
shares during the period, or you bought your shares at a different time and
price than the shares used in the model.
|_| The Fund's performance returns do not reflect the effect of taxes on
distributions.
|_| An investment in the Fund is not insured by the FDIC or any other
government agency.
|_| The principal value of the Fund's shares, and its yields and total
returns are not guaranteed and normally will fluctuate on a daily basis.
|_| When an investor's shares are redeemed, they may be worth more or less
than their original cost.
|_| Yields and total returns for any given past period represent
historical performance information and are not, and should not be considered, a
prediction of future yields or returns.
The performance of each class of shares is shown separately, because the
performance of each class of shares will usually be different. That is because
of the different kinds of expenses each class bears. The yields and total
returns of each class of shares of the Fund are affected by market conditions,
the quality of the Fund's investments, the maturity of those investments, the
types of investments the Fund holds, and its operating expenses that are
allocated to the particular class.
|X| Yields. The Fund uses a variety of different yields to illustrate its
current returns. Each class of shares calculates its yield separately because of
the different expenses that affect each class.
|_| Standardized Yield. The "standardized yield" (sometimes referred to
just as "yield") is shown for a class of shares for a stated 30-day period. It
is not based on actual distributions paid by the Fund to shareholders in the
30-day period, but is a hypothetical yield based upon the net investment income
from the Fund's portfolio investments for that period. It may therefore differ
from the "dividend yield" for the same class of shares, described below.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[OBJECT OMITTED]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standardized yield is calculated using the following formula set forth in
rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, designed to assure
uniformity in the way that all funds calculate their yields:
The symbols above represent the following factors:
a = dividends and interest earned during the 30-day period.
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of any expense assumptions).
c = the average daily number of shares of that class outstanding during
the 30-day period that were entitled to receive dividends.
d = the maximum offering price per share of that class on the last day
of the period, adjusted for undistributed net investment income.
The standardized yield for a particular 30-day period may differ from the
yield for other periods. The SEC formula assumes that the standardized yield for
a 30-day period occurs at a constant rate for a six-month period and is
annualized at the end of the six-month period. Additionally, because each class
of shares is subject to different expenses, it is likely that the standardized
yields of the Fund's classes of shares will differ for any 30-day period.
|_| Dividend Yield. The Fund may quote a "dividend yield" for each class
of its shares. Dividend yield is based on the dividends paid on a class of
shares during the actual dividend period. To calculate dividend yield, the
dividends of a class declared during a stated period are added together, and the
sum is multiplied by 12 (to annualize the yield) and divided by the maximum
offering price on the last day of the dividend period. The formula is shown
below:
Dividend Yield = dividends paid x 12/maximum offering price (payment date)
The maximum offering price for Class A shares includes the current maximum
initial sales charge. The maximum offering price for Class B and Class C shares
is the net asset value per share, without considering the effect of contingent
deferred sales charges. The Class A dividend yield may also be quoted without
deducting the maximum initial sales charge.
|_| Tax-Equivalent Yield. The "tax-equivalent yield" of a class of
shares is the equivalent yield that would have to be earned on a taxable
investment to achieve the after-tax results represented by the Fund's
tax-equivalent yield. It adjusts the Fund's standardized yield, as calculated
above, by a stated federal tax rate. Using different tax rates to show different
tax equivalent yields shows investors in different tax brackets the tax
equivalent yield of the Fund based on their own tax bracket.
The tax-equivalent yield is based on a 30-day period, and is computed by
dividing the tax-exempt portion of the Fund's current yield (as calculated
above) by one minus a stated income tax rate. The result is added to the portion
(if any) of the Fund's current yield that is not tax-exempt.
The tax-equivalent yield may be used to compare the tax effects of income
derived from the Fund with income from taxable investments at the tax rates
stated. Your tax bracket is determined by your federal taxable income (the net
amount subject to federal income tax after deductions and exemptions). The
tax-equivalent yield table assumes that the investor is taxed at the highest
bracket, regardless of whether a switch to non-taxable investments would cause a
lower bracket to apply.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund's Yields for the 30-Day Periods Ended 9/30/99
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax-Equivalent Yield
Standardized Yield Dividend Yield (39.6% Fed. Tax
Bracket)
Class of
Shares
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without After Without After Without After
Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales
Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A 5.12% 4.88% 4.93% 4.69% 8.48% 8.08%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B 4.35% N/A 4.10% N/A 7.20% N/A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C 4.35% N/A 4.11% N/A 7.20% N/A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|X| Total Return Information. There are different types of "total returns"
to measure the Fund's performance. Total return is the change in value of a
hypothetical investment in the Fund over a given period, assuming that all
dividends and capital gains distributions are reinvested in additional shares
and that the investment is redeemed at the end of the period. Because of
differences in expenses for each class of shares, the total returns for each
class are separately measured. The cumulative total return measures the change
in value over the entire period (for example, ten years). An average annual
total return shows the average rate of return for each year in a period that
would produce the cumulative total return over the entire period. However,
average annual total returns do not show actual year-by-year performance. The
Fund uses standardized calculations for its total returns as prescribed by the
SEC. The methodology is discussed below.
In calculating total returns for Class A shares, the current maximum sales
charge of 4.75% (as a percentage of the offering price) is deducted from the
initial investment ("P") (unless the return is shown without sales charge, as
described below). For Class B shares, payment of the applicable contingent
deferred sales charge is applied, depending on the period for which the return
is shown: 5.0% in the first year, 4.0% in the second year, 3.0% in the third and
fourth years, 2.0% in the fifth year, 1.0% in the sixth year and none
thereafter. For Class C shares, the 1% contingent deferred sales charge is
deducted for returns for the 1-year period.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[OBJECT OMITTED]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|_| Average Annual Total Return. The "average annual total return" of
each class is an average annual compounded rate of return for each year in a
specified number of years. It is the rate of return based on the change in value
of a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ("P" in the formula below) held
for a number of years ("n") to achieve an Ending Redeemable Value ("ERV" in the
formula) of that investment, according to the following formula:
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[OBJECT OMITTED]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|_| Cumulative Total Return. The "cumulative total return" calculation
measures the change in value of a hypothetical investment of $1,000 over an
entire period of years. Its calculation uses some of the same factors as average
annual total return, but it does not average the rate of return on an annual
basis. Cumulative total return is determined as follows: |_| Total Returns at
Net Asset Value. From time to time the Fund may also quote a cumulative or an
average annual total return "at net asset value" (without deducting sales
charges) for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Each is based on the difference
in net asset value per share at the beginning and the end of the period for a
hypothetical investment in that class of shares (without considering front-end
or contingent deferred sales charges) and takes into consideration the
reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund's Total Returns for the Periods Ended 9/30/99
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cumulative Average Annual Total Returns
Total Returns
(10 years or
life of class)
Class of
Shares
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5-Year 10-Year
1-Year (or life of (or life of
class) class)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Without After Without After Without After Without
Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales
Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A 81.60% 90.66% -9.28% -4.76% 4.92% 5.94% 6.15% 6.67%
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Class B 28.24% 27.85% -9.98% -5.47% 4.81% 5.14% 3.96%(2) 3.96%(2)
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Class C 18.85%(3) 18.85% -6.38% -5.48% 4.32%(3) 4.32%(3) N/A N/A
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1. Inception of Class A: 11/11/86
2. Inception of Class B: 05/03/93
3. Inception of Class C: 08/29/95
Other Performance Comparisons. The Fund compares its performance annually to
that of an appropriate broadly based market index in its Annual Report to
shareholders. You can obtain that information by contacting the Transfer Agent
at the addresses or telephone numbers shown on the cover of this Statement of
Additional Information. The Fund may also compare its performance to that of
other investments, including other mutual funds, or use rankings of its
performance by independent ranking entities. Examples of these performance
comparisons are set forth below.
|X| Lipper Rankings. From time to time the Fund may publish the ranking of
the performance of its Class A, Class B or Class C shares by Lipper Analytical
Services, Inc. ("Lipper"). Lipper is a widely-recognized independent mutual fund
monitoring service. Lipper monitors the performance of regulated investment
companies, including the Fund, and ranks their performance for various periods
based on categories relating to investment objectives. The performance of the
Fund is ranked by Lipper against all other insured municipal debt funds. The
Lipper performance rankings are based on total returns that include the
reinvestment of capital gain distributions and income dividends but do not take
sales charges or taxes into consideration. Lipper also publishes "peer-group"
indices of the performance of all mutual funds in a category that it monitors
and averages of the performance of the funds in particular categories.
|X| Morningstar Rankings. From time to time the Fund may publish the
ranking and/or star rating of the performance of its classes of shares by
Morningstar, Inc., an independent mutual fund monitoring service. Morningstar
rates and ranks mutual funds in broad investment categories: domestic stock
funds, international stock funds, taxable bond funds and municipal bond funds.
The Fund is ranked among municipal bond funds.
Morningstar proprietary star ratings reflect historical risk-adjusted
total investment return. Investment return measures a fund's (or class's) one,
three, five and ten-year average annual total returns (depending on the
inception of the fund or class) in excess of 90-day U.S. Treasury bill returns
after considering the fund's sales charges and expenses. Risk measures a fund's
(or class's) performance below 90-day U.S. Treasury bill returns. Risk and
investment return are combined to produce star rankings reflecting performance
relative to the average fund in a fund's category. Five stars is the "highest"
ranking (top 10% of funds in a category), four stars is "above average" (next
22.5%), three stars is "average" (next 35%), two stars is "below average" (next
22.5%) and one star is "lowest" (bottom 10%). The current star ranking is the
fund's (or class's) 3-year ranking or its combined 3- and 5-year ranking
(weighted 60%/40% respectively), or its combined 3-, 5-, and 10-year ranking
(weighted 40%, 30% and 30%, respectively), depending on the inception date of
the fund (or class). Rankings are subject to change monthly.
The Fund may also compare its total return ranking to that of other funds
in its Morningstar category, in addition to its star rankings. Those total
return rankings are percentages from one percent to one hundred percent and are
not risk adjusted. For example, if a fund is in the 94th percentile, that means
that 94% of the funds in the same category performed better than it did.
|X| Performance Rankings and Comparisons by Other Entities and Publications.
From time to time the Fund may include in its advertisements and sales
literature performance information about the Fund cited in newspapers and other
periodicals such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, or
similar publications. That information may include performance quotations from
other sources, including Lipper and Morningstar. The performance of the Fund's
Class A, Class B or Class C shares may be compared in publications to the
performance of various market indices or other investments, and averages,
performance rankings or other benchmarks prepared by recognized mutual fund
statistical services.
Investors may also wish to compare the Fund's Class A, Class B or Class C
returns to the return on fixed-income investments available from banks and
thrift institutions. Those include certificates of deposit, ordinary
interest-paying checking and savings accounts, and other forms of fixed or
variable time deposits, and various other instruments such as Treasury bills.
However, the Fund's returns and share price are not guaranteed or insured by the
FDIC or any other agency and will fluctuate daily, while bank depository
obligations may be insured by the FDIC and may provide fixed rates of return.
Repayment of principal and payment of interest on Treasury securities is backed
by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
From time to time, the Fund may publish rankings or ratings of the Manager
or Transfer Agent, and of the investor services provided by them to shareholders
of the Oppenheimer funds, other than performance rankings of the Oppenheimer
funds themselves. Those ratings or rankings of shareholder and investor services
by third parties may include comparisons of their services to those provided by
other mutual fund families selected by the rating or ranking services. They may
be based upon the opinions of the rating or ranking service itself, using its
research or judgment, or based upon surveys of investors, brokers, shareholders
or others.
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ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
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How to Buy Shares
Additional information is presented below about the methods that can be used to
buy shares of the Fund. Appendix C contains more information about the special
sales charge arrangements offered by the Fund, and the circumstances in which
sales charges may be reduced or waived for certain classes of investors.
AccountLink. When shares are purchased through AccountLink, each purchase must
be at least $25. Shares will be purchased on the regular business day the
Distributor is instructed to initiate the Automated Clearing House ("ACH")
transfer to buy the shares. Dividends will begin to accrue on shares purchased
with the proceeds of ACH transfers on the business day the Fund receives federal
Funds for the purchase through the ACH system before the close of The New York
Stock Exchange. The Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M., but may close earlier
on certain days. If federal Funds are received on a business day after the close
of the Exchange, the shares will be purchased and dividends will begin to accrue
on the next regular business day. The proceeds of ACH transfers are normally
received by the Fund 3 days after the transfers are initiated. The Distributor
and the Fund are not responsible for any delays in purchasing shares resulting
from delays in ACH transmissions.
Reduced Sales Charges. As discussed in the Prospectus, a reduced sales charge
rate may be obtained for Class A shares under Right of Accumulation and Letters
of Intent because of the economies of sales efforts and reduction in expenses
realized by the Distributor, dealers and brokers making such sales. No sales
charge is imposed in certain other circumstances described in Appendix C to this
Statement of Additional Information because the Distributor or dealer or broker
incurs little or no selling expenses.
|X| Right of Accumulation. To qualify for the lower sales charge rates
that apply to larger purchases of Class A shares, you and your spouse can add
together:
|_|Class A and Class B shares you purchase for your individual accounts,
or for your joint accounts, or for trust or custodial accounts on
behalf of your children who are minors, and
|_|Current purchases of Class A and Class B shares of the Fund and other
Oppenheimer funds to reduce the sales charge rate that applies to
current purchases of Class A shares, and
|_|Class A and Class B shares of Oppenheimer funds you previously
purchased subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales charge to
reduce the sales charge rate for current purchases of Class A shares,
provided that you still hold your investment in one of the Oppenheimer
funds.
A fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other
fiduciary account (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same
employer) that has multiple accounts. The Distributor will add the value, at
current offering price, of the shares you previously purchased and currently own
to the value of current purchases to determine the sales charge rate that
applies. The reduced sales charge will apply only to current purchases. You must
request it when you buy shares.
|X| The Oppenheimer Funds. The Oppenheimer funds are those mutual funds
for which the Distributor acts as the distributor or the sub-distributor and
currently include the following:
Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Large Cap Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income
Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund Trust
Oppenheimer Multi-State Municipal
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund Trust
Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Europe Fund Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Global Fund Oppenheimer Series Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Core Fund
Oppenheimer Growth Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Growth Fund
Oppenheimer International Growth Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Value Fund
Oppenheimer International Small Company
Fund Oppenheimer World Bond Fund
Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves Fund
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Income Fund Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund Panorama Series Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Integrity Funds Centennial America Fund, L. P.
Centennial California Tax Exempt
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund Trust
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc. Centennial Government Trust
Oppenheimer Main Street Small Cap Fund. Centennial Money Market Trust
Oppenheimer Municipal Fund Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Rochester Portfolio Series, a series
Oppenheimer Quest For Value Funds, a series fund having one series:
fund having the following series: Limited-Term New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Small Cap Value Fund,
Bond Fund Series, a series fund
having one series:
Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value Fund and Oppenheimer Convertible Securities
Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value Fund Rochester Fund Municipals
Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund, Inc. Oppenheimer MidCap Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Capital Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc.
There is an initial sales charge on the purchase of Class A shares of each
of the Oppenheimer funds except the money market funds. Under certain
circumstances described in this Statement of Additional Information, redemption
proceeds of certain money market fund shares may be subject to a contingent
deferred sales charge.
Letters of Intent. Under a Letter of Intent, if you purchase Class A shares or
Class A and Class B shares of the Fund and other Oppenheimer funds during a
13-month period, you can reduce the sales charge rate that applies to your
purchases of Class A shares. The total amount of your intended purchases of both
Class A and Class B shares will determine the reduced sales charge rate for the
Class A shares purchased during that period. You can include purchases made up
to 90 days before the date of the Letter.
A Letter of Intent is an investor's statement in writing to the
Distributor of the intention to purchase Class A shares or Class A and Class B
shares of the Fund (and other Oppenheimer funds) during a 13-month period (the
"Letter of Intent period"). At the investor's request, this may include
purchases made up to 90 days prior to the date of the Letter. The Letter states
the investor's intention to make the aggregate amount of purchases of shares
which, when added to the investor's holdings of shares of those funds, will
equal or exceed the amount specified in the Letter. Purchases made by
reinvestment of dividends or distributions of capital gains and purchases made
at net asset value without sales charge do not count toward satisfying the
amount of the Letter.
A Letter enables an investor to count the Class A and Class B shares
purchased under the Letter to obtain the reduced sales charge rate on purchases
of Class A shares of the Fund (and other Oppenheimer funds) that applies under
the Right of Accumulation to current purchases of Class A shares. Each purchase
of Class A shares under the Letter will be made at the offering price (including
the sales charge) that applies to a single lump-sum purchase of shares in the
amount intended to be purchased under the Letter.
In submitting a Letter, the investor makes no commitment to purchase
shares. However, if the investor's purchases of shares within the Letter of
Intent period, when added to the value (at offering price) of the investor's
holdings of shares on the last day of that period, do not equal or exceed the
intended purchase amount, the investor agrees to pay the additional amount of
sales charge applicable to such purchases. That amount is described in "Terms of
Escrow," below (those terms may be amended by the Distributor from time to
time). The investor agrees that shares equal in value to 5% of the intended
purchase amount will be held in escrow by the Transfer Agent subject to the
Terms of Escrow. Also, the investor agrees to be bound by the terms of the
Prospectus, this Statement of Additional Information and the Application used
for a Letter of Intent. If those terms are amended, as they may be from time to
time by the Fund, the investor agrees to be bounded by the amended terms and
that those amendments will apply automatically to existing Letters of Intent.
If the total eligible purchases made during the Letter of Intent period do
not equal or exceed the intended purchase amount, the commissions previously
paid to the dealer of record for the account and the amount of sales charge
retained by the Distributor will be adjusted to the rates applicable to actual
total purchases. If total eligible purchases during the Letter of Intent period
exceed the intended purchase amount and exceed the amount needed to qualify for
the next sales charge rate reduction set forth in the Prospectus, the sales
charges paid will be adjusted to the lower rate. That adjustment will be made
only if and when the dealer returns to the Distributor the excess of the amount
of commissions allowed or paid to the dealer over the amount of commissions that
apply to the actual amount of purchases. The excess commissions returned to the
Distributor will be used to purchase additional shares for the investor's
account at the net asset value per share in effect on the date of such purchase,
promptly after the Distributor's receipt thereof.
In determining the total amount of purchases made under a Letter, shares
redeemed by the investor prior to the termination of the Letter of Intent period
will be deducted. It is the responsibility of the dealer of record and/or the
investor to advise the Distributor about the Letter in placing any purchase
orders for the investor during the Letter of Intent period. All of such
purchases must be made through the Distributor.
|X| Terms of Escrow That Apply to Letters of Intent.
1. Out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if necessary) made
pursuant to a Letter, shares of the Fund equal in value up to 5% of the intended
purchase amount specified in the Letter shall be held in escrow by the Transfer
Agent. For example, if the intended purchase amount is $50,000, the escrow shall
be shares valued in the amount of $2,500 (computed at the public offering price
adjusted for a $50,000 purchase). Any dividends and capital gains distributions
on the escrowed shares will be credited to the investor's account.
2. If the total minimum investment specified under the Letter is completed
within the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period, the escrowed shares will be
promptly released to the investor.
3. If, at the end of the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period the total
purchases pursuant to the Letter are less than the intended purchase amount
specified in the Letter, the investor must remit to the Distributor an amount
equal to the difference between the dollar amount of sales charges actually paid
and the amount of sales charges which would have been paid if the total amount
purchased had been made at a single time. That sales charge adjustment will
apply to any shares redeemed prior to the completion of the Letter. If the
difference in sales charges is not paid within twenty days after a request from
the Distributor or the dealer, the Distributor will, within sixty days of the
expiration of the Letter, redeem the number of escrowed shares necessary to
realize such difference in sales charges. Full and fractional shares remaining
after such redemption will be released from escrow. If a request is received to
redeem escrowed shares prior to the payment of such additional sales charge, the
sales charge will be withheld from the redemption proceeds.
4. By signing the Letter, the investor irrevocably constitutes and
appoints the Transfer Agent as attorney-in-fact to surrender for redemption any
or all escrowed shares.
5. The shares eligible for purchase under the Letter (or the holding of
which may be counted toward completion of a Letter) include:
(a) Class A shares sold with a front-end sales charge or subject to a Class
A contingent deferred sales charge,
(b) Class B shares of other Oppenheimer funds acquired subject to a
contingent deferred sales charge, and
(c) Class A or Class B shares acquired by exchange of either (1) Class A
shares of one of the other Oppenheimer funds that were acquired subject
to a Class A initial or contingent deferred sales charge or (2) Class B
shares of one of the other Oppenheimer funds that were acquired subject
to a contingent deferred sales charge.
6. Shares held in escrow hereunder will automatically be exchanged for
shares of another fund to which an exchange is requested, as described in the
section of the Prospectus entitled "How to Exchange Shares" and the escrow will
be transferred to that other fund.
Asset Builder Plans. To establish an Asset Builder Plan to buy shares directly
from a bank account, you must enclose a check (the minimum is $25) for the
initial purchase with your application. Shares purchased by Asset Builder Plan
payments from bank accounts are subject to the redemption restrictions for
recent purchases described in the Prospectus. Asset Builder Plans are available
only if your bank is an ACH member. Asset Builder Plans may not be used to buy
shares of OppenheimerFunds employer-sponsored qualified retirement accounts.
Asset Builder Plans also enable shareholders of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves to use
their fund account to make monthly automatic purchases of shares of up to four
other Oppenheimer funds.
If you make payments from your bank account to purchase shares of the
Fund, your bank account will be debited automatically. Normally the debit will
be made two business days prior to the investment dates you selected on your
Application. Neither the Distributor, the Transfer Agent nor the Fund shall be
responsible for any delays in purchasing shares that result from delays in ACH
transmissions.
Before you establish Asset Builder payments, you should obtain a
prospectus of the selected fund(s) from your financial advisor (or the
Distributor) and request an application from the Distributor. Complete the
application and return it. You may change the amount of your Asset Builder
payment or you can terminate these automatic investments at any time by writing
to the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent requires a reasonable period
(approximately 10 days) after receipt of your instructions to implement them.
The Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend, or discontinue offering Asset
Builder plans at any time without prior notice.
Cancellation of Purchase Orders. Cancellation of purchase orders for the Fund's
shares (for example, when a purchase check is returned to the Fund unpaid)
causes a loss to be incurred when the net asset value of the Fund's shares on
the cancellation date is less than on the purchase date. That loss is equal to
the amount of the decline in the net asset value per share multiplied by the
number of shares in the purchase order. The investor is responsible for that
loss. If the investor fails to compensate the Fund for the loss, the Distributor
will do so. The Fund may reimburse the Distributor for that amount by redeeming
shares from any account registered in that investor's name, or the Fund or the
Distributor may seek other redress.
Classes of Shares. Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in
the same portfolio of investments of the Fund. However, each class has different
shareholder privileges and features. The net income attributable to Class B or
Class C shares and the dividends payable on Class B or Class C shares will be
reduced by incremental expenses borne solely by that class. Those expenses
include the asset-based sales charges to which Class B and Class C are subject.
The availability of three classes of shares permits an investor to choose
the method of purchasing shares that is more appropriate for the investor. That
may depend on the amount of the purchase, the length of time the investor
expects to hold shares, and other relevant circumstances. Class A shares
normally are sold subject to an initial sales charge. While Class B and Class C
shares have no initial sales charge, the purpose of the deferred sales charge
and asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares is the same as that
of the initial sales charge on Class A shares - to compensate the Distributor
and brokers, dealers and financial institutions that sell shares of the Fund. A
salesperson who is entitled to receive compensation for from his or her firm
selling Fund shares may receive different levels of compensation for selling one
class of shares rather than another.
The Distributor will not accept any order in the amount of $500,000 or
more for Class B shares or $1 million or more for Class C shares on behalf of a
single investor (not including dealer "street name" or omnibus accounts). That
is because generally it will be more advantageous for that investor to purchase
Class A shares of the Fund.
|X| Class B Conversion. The conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares
after six years is subject to the continuing availability of a private letter
ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or an opinion of counsel or tax
adviser, to the effect that the conversion of Class B shares does not constitute
a taxable event for the holder under federal income tax law. If such a revenue
ruling or opinion is no longer available, the automatic conversion feature may
be suspended, in which event no further conversions of Class B shares would
occur while such suspension remained in effect. Although Class B shares could
then be exchanged for Class A shares on the basis of relative net asset value of
the two classes, without the imposition of a sales charge or fee, such exchange
could constitute a taxable event for the holder, and absent such exchange, Class
B shares might continue to be subject to the asset-based sales charge for longer
than six years.
|X| Allocation of Expenses. The Fund pays expenses related to its daily
operations, such as custodian fees, trustees' fees, transfer agency fees, legal
fees and auditing costs. Those expenses are paid out of the Fund's assets and
are not paid directly by shareholders. However, those expenses reduce the net
asset value of shares, and therefore are indirectly borne by shareholders
through their investment.
The methodology for calculating the net asset value, dividends and
distributions of the Fund's share classes recognizes two types of expenses.
General expenses that do not pertain specifically to any one class are allocated
pro rata to the shares of all classes. The allocation is based on the percentage
of the Fund's total assets that is represented by the assets of each class, and
then equally to each outstanding share within a given class. Such general
expenses include management fees, legal, bookkeeping and audit fees, printing
and mailing costs of shareholder reports, Prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information and other materials for current shareholders, fees to unaffiliated
Trustees, custodian expenses, share issuance costs, organization and start-up
costs, interest, taxes and brokerage commissions, and non-recurring expenses,
such as litigation costs.
Other expenses that are directly attributable to a particular class are
allocated equally to each outstanding share within that class. Examples of such
expenses include distribution and service plan (12b-1) fees, transfer and
shareholder servicing agent fees and expenses, and shareholder meeting expenses
(to the extent that such expenses pertain only to a specific class).
Determination of Net Asset Values Per Share. The net asset values per share of
each class of shares of the Fund are determined as of the close of business of
The New York Stock Exchange on each day that the Exchange is open. It is done by
dividing the value of the Fund's net assets attributable to that class by the
number of shares of that class that are outstanding. The Exchange normally
closes at 4:00 P.M., New York time, but may close earlier on some other days
(for example, in case of weather emergencies or on days falling before a U.S.
holiday). The Exchange's most recent annual announcement (which is subject to
change) states that it will close on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It may also close on other days.
Dealers other than Exchange members may conduct trading in municipal
securities on days on which the Exchange is closed (including weekends and U.S.
holidays) or after 4:00 P.M. on a regular business day. The Fund's net asset
values will not be calculated on those days, and the values of some of Fund's
portfolio securities may change significantly on those days, when shareholders
cannot purchase or redeem shares.
|X| Securities Valuation. The Fund's Board of Trustees has
established procedures for the valuation of the Fund's securities. In general
those procedures are as follows:
|_| Long-term debt securities having a remaining maturity in excess of 60
days are valued based on the mean between the "bid" and "asked" prices
determined by a portfolio pricing service approved by the Fund's Board of
Trustees or obtained by the Manager from two active market makers in the
security on the basis of reasonable inquiry.
|_| The following securities are valued at the mean between the "bid" and
"asked" prices determined by a pricing service approved by the Fund's Board of
Trustees or obtained by the Manager from two active market makers in the
security on the basis of reasonable inquiry:
(1) debt instruments that have a maturity of more than 397 days
when-issued,
(2) debt instruments that had a maturity of 397 days or less when-issued
and have a remaining maturity of more than 60 days, and
(3) non-money market debt instruments that had a maturity of 397 days or
less when-issued and which have a remaining maturity of 60 days or
less.
|_| The following securities are valued at cost, adjusted for amortization
of premiums and accretion of discounts:
(1) money market debt securities held by a non-money market fund that had a
maturity of less than 397 days when-issued that have a remaining
maturity of 60 days or less, and
(2) debt instruments held by a money market fund that have a remaining
maturity of 397 days or less.
|_| Securities not having readily-available market quotations are valued
at fair value determined under the Board's procedures.
If the Manager is unable to locate two market makers willing to give
quotes, a security may be priced at the mean between the "bid" and "asked"
prices provided by a single active market maker (which in certain cases may be
the "bid" price if no "asked" price is available).
In the case of municipal securities, when last sale information is not
generally available, the Manager may use pricing services approved by the Board
of Trustees. The pricing service may use "matrix" comparisons to the prices for
comparable instruments on the basis of quality, yield, maturity. Other special
factors may be involved (such as the tax-exempt status of the interest paid by
municipal securities). The Manager will monitor the accuracy of the pricing
services. That monitoring may include comparing prices used for portfolio
valuation to actual sales prices of selected securities.
Puts, calls, interest rate futures and municipal bond index futures are
valued at the last sale price on the principal exchange on which they are traded
or on NASDAQ, as applicable, as determined by a pricing service approved by the
Board of Trustees or by the Manager. If there were no sales that day, they shall
be valued at the last sale price on the preceding trading day if it is within
the spread of the closing "bid" and "asked" prices on the principal exchange or
on NASDAQ on the valuation date. If not, the value shall be the closing bid
price on the principal exchange or on NASDAQ on the valuation date. If the put,
call or future is not traded on an exchange or on NASDAQ, it shall be valued by
the mean between "bid" and "asked" prices obtained by the Manager from two
active market makers. In certain cases that may be at the "bid" price if no
"asked" price is available.
When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the premium received is
included in the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities as an asset. An
equivalent credit is included in the liability section. The credit is adjusted
("marked-to-market") to reflect the current market value of the option. In
determining the Fund's gain on investments, if a call or put written by the Fund
is exercised, the proceeds are increased by the premium received. If a call or
put written by the Fund expires, the Fund has a gain in the amount of the
premium. If the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will have a
gain or loss, depending on whether the premium received was more or less than
the cost of the closing transaction. If the Fund exercises a put it holds, the
amount the Fund receives on its sale of the underlying investment is reduced by
the amount of premium paid by the Fund.
How to Sell Shares
The information below supplements the terms and conditions for redeeming shares
set forth in the Prospectus.
Checkwriting. When a check is presented to the Fund's bank for clearance, the
bank will ask the Fund to redeem a sufficient number of full and fractional
shares in the shareholder's account to cover the amount of the check. This
enables the shareholder to continue to receive dividends on those shares until
the check is presented to the Fund. Checks may not be presented for payment at
the offices of the bank listed on the check or at the Fund's custodian bank.
That limitation does not affect the use of checks for the payment of bills or to
obtain cash at other banks. The Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend or
discontinue offering Checkwriting privileges at any time without prior notice.
In choosing to take advantage of the Checkwriting privilege by signing the
Account Application or by completing a Checkwriting card, each individual who
signs:
(1) for individual accounts, represents that they are the registered
owner(s) of the shares of the Fund in that account;
(2) for accounts for corporations, partnerships, trusts and other entities,
represents that they are an officer, general partner, trustee or other
fiduciary or agent, as applicable, duly authorized to act on behalf of
such registered owner(s);
(3) authorizes the Fund, its Transfer Agent and any bank through which the
Fund's drafts (checks) are payable to pay all checks drawn on the Fund
account of such person(s) and to redeem a sufficient amount of shares
from that account to cover payment of each check;
(4) specifically acknowledges that if they choose to permit checks to be
honored if there is a single signature on checks drawn against joint
accounts, or accounts for corporations, partnerships, trusts or other
entities, the signature of any one signatory on a check will be
sufficient to authorize payment of that check and redemption from the
account, even if that account is registered in the names of more than
one person or more than one authorized signature appears on the
Checkwriting card or the Application, as applicable;
(5) understands that the Checkwriting privilege may be terminated or
amended at any time by the Fund and/or the Fund's bank; and
(6) acknowledges and agrees that neither the Fund nor its bank shall incur
any liability for that amendment or termination of checkwriting
privileges or for redeeming shares to pay checks reasonably believed by
them to be genuine, or for returning or not paying checks that have not
been accepted for any reason.
Reinvestment Privilege. Within six months of a redemption, a shareholder may
reinvest all or part of the redemption proceeds of:
|_| Class A shares purchased subject to an initial sales charge or Class A
shares on which a contingent deferred sales charge was paid, or
|_| Class B shares that were subject to the Class B contingent deferred
sales charge when redeemed.
The reinvestment may be made without sales charge only in Class A shares
of the Fund or any of the other Oppenheimer funds into which shares of the Fund
are exchangeable as described in "How to Exchange Shares" below. Reinvestment
will be at the net asset value next computed after the Transfer Agent receives
the reinvestment order. The shareholder must ask the Transfer Agent for that
privilege at the time of reinvestment. This privilege does not apply to Class C
shares. The Fund may amend, suspend or cease offering this reinvestment
privilege at any time as to shares redeemed after the date of such amendment,
suspension or cessation.
Any capital gain that was realized when the shares were redeemed is
taxable, and reinvestment will not alter any capital gains tax payable on that
gain. If there has been a capital loss on the redemption, some or all of the
loss may not be tax deductible, depending on the timing and amount of the
reinvestment. Under the Internal Revenue Code, if the redemption proceeds of
Fund shares on which a sales charge was paid are reinvested in shares of the
Fund or another of the Oppenheimer funds within 90 days of payment of the sales
charge, the shareholder's basis in the shares of the Fund that were redeemed may
not include the amount of the sales charge paid. That would reduce the loss or
increase the gain recognized from the redemption. However, in that case the
sales charge would be added to the basis of the shares acquired by the
reinvestment of the redemption proceeds.
Payments "In Kind." The Prospectus states that payment for shares tendered for
redemption is ordinarily made in cash. However, the Board of Trustees of the
Fund may determine that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the
remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment of a redemption order wholly
or partly in cash. In that case, the Fund may pay the redemption proceeds in
whole or in part by a distribution "in kind" of liquid securities from the
portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash.
The Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment
Company Act. Under that rule, the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in
cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any
90-day period for any one shareholder. If shares are redeemed in kind, the
redeeming shareholder might incur brokerage or other costs in selling the
securities for cash. The Fund will value securities used to pay redemptions in
kind using the same method the Fund uses to value its portfolio securities
described above under "Determination of Net Asset Values Per Share." That
valuation will be made as of the time the redemption price is determined.
Involuntary Redemptions. The Fund's Board of Trustees has the right to cause the
involuntary redemption of the shares held in any account if the aggregate net
asset value of those shares is less than $200 or such lesser amount as the Board
may fix. The Board of Trustees will not cause the involuntary redemption of
shares in an account if the aggregate net asset value of such shares has fallen
below the stated minimum solely as a result of market fluctuations. If the Board
exercises this right, it may also fix the requirements for any notice to be
given to the shareholders in question (not less than 30 days). The Board may
alternatively set requirements for the shareholder to increase the investment,
or set other terms and conditions so that the shares would not be involuntarily
redeemed.
Transfers of Shares. A transfer of shares to a different registration is not an
event that triggers the payment of sales charges. Therefore, shares are not
subject to the payment of a contingent deferred sales charge of any class at the
time of transfer to the name of another person or entity. It does not matter
whether the transfer occurs by absolute assignment, gift or bequest, as long as
it does not involve, directly or indirectly, a public sale of the shares. When
shares subject to a contingent deferred sales charge are transferred, the
transferred shares will remain subject to the contingent deferred sales charge.
It will be calculated as if the transferee shareholder had acquired the
transferred shares in the same manner and at the same time as the transferring
shareholder.
If less than all shares held in an account are transferred, and some but
not all shares in the account would be subject to a contingent deferred sales
charge if redeemed at the time of transfer, the priorities described in the
Prospectus under "How to Buy Shares" for the imposition of the Class B or Class
C contingent deferred sales charge will be followed in determining the order in
which shares are transferred.
Special Arrangements for Repurchase of Shares from Dealers and Brokers. The
Distributor is the Fund's agent to repurchase its shares from authorized dealers
or brokers on behalf of their customers. Shareholders should contact their
broker or dealer to arrange this type of redemption. The repurchase price per
share will be the net asset value next computed after the Distributor receives
an order placed by the dealer or broker. However, if the Distributor receives a
repurchase order from a dealer or broker after the close of The New York Stock
Exchange on a regular business day, it will be processed at that day's net asset
value if the order was received by the dealer or broker from its customers prior
to the time the Exchange closes. Normally, the Exchange closes at 4:00 P.M., but
may do so earlier on some days. Additionally, the order must have been
transmitted to and received by the Distributor prior to its close of business
that day (normally 5:00 P.M.).
Ordinarily, for accounts redeemed by a broker-dealer under this procedure,
payment will be made within three business days after the shares have been
redeemed upon the Distributor's receipt of the required redemption documents in
proper form. The signature(s) of the registered owners on the redemption
documents must be guaranteed as described in the Prospectus.
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans. Investors owning shares of the
Fund valued at $5,000 or more can authorize the Transfer Agent to redeem shares
(having a value of at least $50) automatically on a monthly, quarterly,
semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Shares will be
redeemed three business days prior to the date requested by the shareholder for
receipt of the payment. Automatic withdrawals of up to $1,500 per month may be
requested by telephone if payments are to be made by check payable to all
shareholders of record. Payments must also be sent to the address of record for
the account and the address must not have been changed within the prior 30 days.
Required minimum distributions from OppenheimerFunds-sponsored retirement plans
may not be arranged on this basis.
Payments are normally made by check, but shareholders having AccountLink
privileges (see "How To Buy Shares") may arrange to have Automatic Withdrawal
Plan payments transferred to the bank account designated on the Account
Application or by signature-guaranteed instructions sent to the Transfer Agent.
Shares are normally redeemed pursuant to an Automatic Withdrawal Plan three
business days before the payment transmittal date you select in the Account
Application. If a contingent deferred sales charge applies to the redemption,
the amount of the check or payment will be reduced accordingly.
The Fund cannot guarantee receipt of a payment on the date requested. The
Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend or discontinue offering these plans at
any time without prior notice. Because of the sales charge assessed on Class A
share purchases, shareholders should not make regular additional Class A share
purchases while participating in an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Class B and Class
C shareholders should not establish withdrawal plans, because of the imposition
of the contingent deferred sales charge on such withdrawals (except where the
contingent deferred sales charge is waived as described in Appendix C below).
By requesting an Automatic Withdrawal or Exchange Plan, the shareholder
agrees to the terms and conditions that apply to such plans, as stated below.
These provisions may be amended from time to time by the Fund and/or the
Distributor. When adopted, any amendments will automatically apply to existing
Plans.
|X| Automatic Exchange Plans. Shareholders can authorize the Transfer
Agent to exchange a pre-determined amount of shares of the Fund for shares (of
the same class) of other Oppenheimer funds automatically on a monthly,
quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic Exchange Plan. The
minimum amount that may be exchanged to each other fund account is $25.
Instructions should be provided on the OppenheimerFunds Application or
signature-guaranteed instructions. Exchanges made under these plans are subject
to the restrictions that apply to exchanges as set forth in "How to Exchange
Shares" in the Prospectus and below in this Statement of Additional Information.
|X| Automatic Withdrawal Plans. Fund shares will be redeemed as necessary
to meet withdrawal payments. Shares acquired without a sales charge will be
redeemed first. Shares acquired with reinvested dividends and capital gains
distributions will be redeemed next, followed by shares acquired with a sales
charge, to the extent necessary to make withdrawal payments. Depending upon the
amount withdrawn, the investor's principal may be depleted. Payments made under
these plans should not be considered as a yield or income on your investment.
The Transfer Agent will administer the investor's Automatic Withdrawal
Plan as agent for the shareholder(s) (the "Planholder") who executed the Plan
authorization and application submitted to the Transfer Agent. Neither the Fund
nor the Transfer Agent shall incur any liability to the Planholder for any
action taken or not taken by the Transfer Agent in good faith to administer the
Plan. Share certificates will not be issued for shares of the Fund purchased for
and held under the Plan, but the Transfer Agent will credit all such shares to
the account of the Planholder on the records of the Fund. Any share certificates
held by a Planholder may be surrendered unendorsed to the Transfer Agent with
the Plan application so that the shares represented by the certificate may be
held under the Plan.
For accounts subject to Automatic Withdrawal Plans, distributions of
capital gains must be reinvested in shares of the Fund, which will be done at
net asset value without a sales charge. Dividends on shares held in the account
may be paid in cash or reinvested.
Shares will be redeemed to make withdrawal payments at the net asset value
per share determined on the redemption date. Checks or AccountLink payments
representing the proceeds of Plan withdrawals will normally be transmitted three
business days prior to the date selected for receipt of the payment, according
to the choice specified in writing by the Planholder. Receipt of payment on the
date selected cannot be guaranteed.
The amount and the interval of disbursement payments and the address to
which checks are to be mailed or AccountLink payments are to be sent may be
changed at any time by the Planholder by writing to the Transfer Agent. The
Planholder should allow at least two weeks' time after mailing such notification
for the requested change to be put in effect. The Planholder may, at any time,
instruct the Transfer Agent by written notice to redeem all, or any part of, the
shares held under the Plan. That notice must be in proper form in accordance
with the requirements of the then-current Prospectus of the Fund. In that case,
the Transfer Agent will redeem the number of shares requested at the net asset
value per share in effect and will mail a check for the proceeds to the
Planholder.
The Planholder may terminate a Plan at any time by writing to the Transfer
Agent. The Fund may also give directions to the Transfer Agent to terminate a
Plan. The Transfer Agent will also terminate a Plan upon its receipt of evidence
satisfactory to it that the Planholder has died or is legally incapacitated.
Upon termination of a Plan by the Transfer Agent or the Fund, shares that have
not been redeemed will be held in uncertificated form in the name of the
Planholder. The account will continue as a dividend-reinvestment, uncertificated
account unless and until proper instructions are received from the Planholder,
his or her executor or guardian, or another authorized person.
To use shares held under the Plan as collateral for a debt, the Planholder
may request issuance of a portion of the shares in certificated form. Upon
written request from the Planholder, the Transfer Agent will determine the
number of shares for which a certificate may be issued without causing the
withdrawal checks to stop. However, should such uncertificated shares become
exhausted, Plan withdrawals will terminate.
If the Transfer Agent ceases to act as transfer agent for the Fund, the
Planholder will be deemed to have appointed any successor transfer agent to act
as agent in administering the Plan.
How to Exchange Shares
As stated in the Prospectus, shares of a particular class of Oppenheimer funds
having more than one class of shares may be exchanged only for shares of the
same class of other Oppenheimer funds. Shares of Oppenheimer funds that have a
single class without a class designation are deemed "Class A" shares for this
purpose. You can obtain a current list showing which funds offer which classes
by calling the Distributor at 1-800-525-7048.
o All of the Oppenheimer funds currently offer Class A, B and C shares
except Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc., Centennial Money Market Trust,
Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial Government Trust, Centennial New
York Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust, and
Centennial America Fund, L.P., which only offer Class A shares.
o Oppenheimer Main Street California Municipal Fund currently offers only
Class A and Class B shares.
o Class B and Class C shares of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves are generally
available only by exchange from the same class of shares of other
Oppenheimer funds or through OppenheimerFunds-sponsored 401(k) plans.
o Only certain Oppenheimer funds currently offer Class Y shares. Class Y
shares of Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund may not be exchanged for shares of
any other fund.
o Class M shares of Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund may be exchanged
only for Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds. They may not be
acquired by exchange of shares of any class of any other Oppenheimer funds
except Class A shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund or Oppenheimer Cash
Reserves acquired by exchange of Class M shares.
o Class A shares of Senior Floating Rate Fund are not available by exchange
of Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds. Class A shares of Senior
Floating Rate Fund that are exchanged for shares of the other Oppenheimer
funds may not be exchanged back for Class A shares of Senior Floating Rate
Fund.
o Class X shares of Limited Term New York Municipal Fund can be exchanged
only for Class B shares of other Oppenheimer funds and no exchanges may be
made to Class X shares.
o Shares of Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund may not be exchanged for
shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc., Oppenheimer Cash Reserves
or Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund. Only participants in certain
retirement plans may purchase shares of Oppenheimer Capital Preservation
Fund, and only those participants may exchange shares of other Oppenheimer
funds for shares of Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund.
Class A shares of Oppenheimer funds may be exchanged at net asset value
for shares of any money market fund offered by the Distributor. Shares of any
money market fund purchased without a sales charge may be exchanged for shares
of Oppenheimer funds offered with a sales charge upon payment of the sales
charge. They may also be used to purchase shares of Oppenheimer funds subject to
a contingent deferred sales charge.
Shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. purchased with the
redemption proceeds of shares of other mutual funds (other than funds managed by
the Manager or its subsidiaries) redeemed within the 30 days prior to that
purchase may subsequently be exchanged for shares of other Oppenheimer funds
without being subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales charge. To
qualify for that privilege, the investor or the investor's dealer must notify
the Distributor of eligibility for this privilege at the time the shares of
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. are purchased. If requested, they must
supply proof of entitlement to this privilege.
Shares of the Fund acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions
from any of the other Oppenheimer funds or from any unit investment trust for
which reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor may be
exchanged at net asset value for shares of any of the Oppenheimer funds.
|X| How Exchanges Affect Contingent Deferred Sales Charges. No contingent
deferred sales charge is imposed on exchanges of shares of any class purchased
subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. However, when Class A shares
acquired by exchange of Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds purchased
subject to a Class A contingent deferred sales charge are redeemed within 18
months of the end of the calendar month of the initial purchase of the exchanged
Class A shares, the Class A contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on the
redeemed shares. The Class B contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on
Class B shares acquired by exchange if they are redeemed within 6 years of the
initial purchase of the exchanged Class B shares. The Class C contingent
deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C shares acquired by exchange if they
are redeemed within 12 months of the initial purchase of the exchanged Class C
shares.
When Class B or Class C shares are redeemed to effect an exchange, the
priorities described in "How To Buy Shares" in the Prospectus for the imposition
of the Class B or the Class C contingent deferred sales charge will be followed
in determining the order in which the shares are exchanged. Before exchanging
shares, shareholders should take into account how the exchange may affect any
contingent deferred sales charge that might be imposed in the subsequent
redemption of remaining shares. Shareholders owning shares of more than one
class must specify which class of shares they wish to exchange.
|X| Limits on Multiple Exchange Orders . The Fund reserves the right to
reject telephone or written exchange requests submitted in bulk by anyone on
behalf of more than one account. The Fund may accept requests for exchanges of
up to 50 accounts per day from representatives of authorized dealers that
qualify for this privilege.
|X| Telephone Exchange Requests. When exchanging shares by telephone, a
shareholder must have an existing account in the fund to which the exchange is
to be made. Otherwise, the investors must obtain a Prospectus of that fund
before the exchange request may be submitted. If all telephone lines are busy
(which might occur, for example, during periods of substantial market
fluctuations), shareholders might not be able to request exchanges by telephone
and would have to submit written exchange requests. For full or partial
exchanges of an account made by telephone, any special account features such as
Asset Builder Plans and Automatic Withdrawal Plans will be switched to the new
account unless the Transfer Agent is instructed otherwise.
|X| Processing Exchange Requests. Shares to be exchanged are redeemed on
the regular business day the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request in
proper form (the "Redemption Date"). Normally, shares of the fund to be acquired
are purchased on the Redemption Date, but such purchases may be delayed by
either fund up to five business days if it determines that it would be
disadvantaged by an immediate transfer of the redemption proceeds. The Fund
reserves the right, in its discretion, to refuse any exchange request that may
disadvantage it. For example, if the receipt of multiple exchange requests from
a dealer might require the disposition of portfolio securities at a time or at a
price that might be disadvantageous to the Fund, the Fund may refuse the
request. When your exchange some or all of your shares from one fund to another,
any special account feature such as an Asset Builder Plan or Automatic
Withdrawal Plan, will be switched to the new fund account unless you tell the
Transfer Agent not to do so. However, special redemption and exchange features
such as Automatic Exchange Plans and Automatic Withdrawal Plans cannot be
switched to an account in Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund.
In connection with any exchange request, the number of shares exchanged
may be less than the number requested if the exchange or the number requested
would include shares subject to a restriction cited in the Prospectus or this
Statement of Additional Information, or would include shares covered by a share
certificate that is not tendered with the request. In those cases, only the
shares available for exchange without restriction will be exchanged.
The different Oppenheimer funds available for exchange have different
investment objectives, policies and risks. A shareholder should assure that the
fund selected is appropriate for his or her investment and should be aware of
the tax consequences of an exchange. For federal income tax purposes, an
exchange transaction is treated as a redemption of shares of one fund and a
purchase of shares of another. "Reinvestment Privilege," above, discusses some
of the tax consequences of reinvestment of redemption proceeds in such cases.
The Fund, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are unable to provide
investment, tax or legal advice to a shareholder in connection with an exchange
request or any other investment transaction.
Dividends and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions. Dividends will be payable on shares held of record
at the time of the previous determination of net asset value, or as otherwise
described in "How to Buy Shares." Daily dividends will not be declared or paid
on newly purchased shares until such time as federal Funds (funds credited to a
member bank's account at the federal Reserve Bank) are available from the
purchase payment for such shares. Normally, purchase checks received from
investors are converted to federal Funds on the next business day. Shares
purchased through dealers or brokers normally are paid for by the third business
day following the placement of the purchase order.
Shares redeemed through the regular redemption procedure will be paid
dividends through and including the day on which the redemption request is
received by the Transfer Agent in proper form. Dividends will be declared on
shares repurchased by a dealer or broker for three business days following the
trade date (that is, up to and including the day prior to settlement of the
repurchase). If all shares in an account are redeemed, all dividends accrued on
shares of the same class in the account will be paid together with the
redemption proceeds.
The Fund's practice of attempting to pay dividends on Class A shares at a
constant level requires the Manager to monitor the Fund's portfolio and, if
necessary, to select higher-yielding securities when it is deemed appropriate to
seek income at the level needed to meet the target. Those securities must be
within the Fund's investment parameters, however. The Fund expects to pay
dividends at a targeted level from its net investment income and other
distributable income without any impact on the net asset values per share.
Dividends, distributions and the proceeds of the redemption of Fund shares
represented by checks returned to the Transfer Agent by the Postal Service as
undeliverable will be invested in shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Reinvestment will be made as promptly as possible after the return of such
checks to the Transfer Agent, to enable the investor to earn a return on
otherwise idle funds. Unclaimed accounts may be subject to state escheatment
laws, and the Fund and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or
their representatives for compliance with those laws in good faith.
The amount of a distribution paid on a class of shares may vary from time
to time depending on market conditions, the composition of the Fund's portfolio,
and expenses borne by the Fund or borne separately by a class. Dividends are
calculated in the same manner, at the same time and on the same day for shares
of each class. However, dividends on Class B and Class C shares are expected to
be lower than dividends on Class A shares. That is due to the effect of the
asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class C shares. Those dividends will
also differ in amount as a consequence of any difference in net asset value
among the different classes of shares.
Tax Status of the Fund's Dividends and Distributions. The Fund intends to
qualify under the Internal Revenue Code during each fiscal year to pay
"exempt-interest dividends" to its shareholders. Exempt-interest dividends that
are derived from net investment income earned by the Fund on municipal
securities will be excludable from gross income of shareholders for federal
income tax purposes.
Net investment income includes the allocation of amounts of income from
the municipal securities in the Fund's portfolio that are free from federal
income taxes. This allocation will be made by the use of one designated
percentage applied uniformly to all income dividends paid during the Fund's tax
year. That designation will normally be made following the end of each fiscal
year as to income dividends paid in the prior year. The percentage of income
designated as tax-exempt may substantially differ from the percentage of the
Fund's income that was tax-exempt for a given period.
A portion of the exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund may be an item
of tax preference for shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax. The
amount of any dividends attributable to tax preference items for purposes of the
alternative minimum tax will be identified when tax information is distributed
by the Fund.
A shareholder receiving a dividend from income earned by the Fund from one
or more of the following sources treats the dividend as a receipt of either
ordinary income or long-term capital gain in the computation of gross income,
regardless of whether the dividend is reinvested:
(1) certain taxable temporary investments (such as certificates of deposit,
repurchase agreements, commercial paper and obligations of the U.S.
Government, its agencies and instrumentalities);
(2) income from securities loans; or
(3) an excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital
loss from the Fund.
The Fund's dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received
deduction for corporations. Shareholders receiving Social Security benefits
should be aware that exempt-interest dividends are a factor in determining
whether such benefits are subject to federal income tax. Losses realized by
shareholders on the redemption of Fund shares within six months of purchase
(which period may be shortened by regulation) will be disallowed for federal
income tax purposes to the extent of exempt-interest dividends received on such
shares.
If the Fund qualifies as a "regulated investment company" under the
Internal Revenue Code, it will not be liable for federal income taxes on amounts
paid by it as dividends and distributions. That qualification enables the Fund
to "pass through" its income and realized capital gains to shareholders without
having to pay tax on them. The Fund qualified as a regulated investment company
in its last fiscal year and intends to qualify in future years, but reserves the
right not to qualify. The Internal Revenue Code contains a number of complex
tests to determine whether the Fund qualifies. The Fund might not meet those
tests in a particular year. If it does not qualify, the Fund will be treated for
tax purposes as an ordinary corporation and will receive no tax deduction for
payments of dividends and distributions made to shareholders.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, by December 31 each year the Fund must
distribute 98% of its taxable investment income earned from January 1 through
December 31 of that year and 98% of its capital gains realized in the period
from November 1 of the prior year through October 31 of the current year. If it
does not, the Fund must pay an excise tax on the amounts not distributed. It is
presently anticipated that the Fund will meet those requirements. However, the
Fund's Board of Trustees and the Manager might determine in a particular year
that it would be in the best interest of shareholders not to make distributions
at the required levels and to pay the excise tax on the undistributed amounts.
That would reduce the amount of income or capital gains available for
distribution to shareholders.
Dividend Reinvestment in Another Fund. Shareholders of the Fund may elect to
reinvest all dividends and/or capital gains distributions in shares of the same
class of any of the other Oppenheimer funds listed above. Reinvestment will be
made at net asset value without sales charge. To elect this option, the
shareholder must notify the Transfer Agent in writing and must have an existing
account in the fund selected for reinvestment. Otherwise the shareholder must
first obtain a prospectus for that fund and an application from the Transfer
Agent to establish an account. The investment will be made at the net asset
value per share in effect at the close of business on the payable date of the
dividend or distribution. Dividends and/or distributions from certain of the
other Oppenheimer funds may be invested in shares of this Fund on the same
basis.
Additional Information About the Fund
The Distributor. The Fund's shares are sold through dealers, brokers and other
financial institutions that have a sales agreement with OppenheimerFunds
Distributor, Inc. a subsidiary of the Manager that acts as the Fund's
Distributor. The Distributor also distributes shares of the other Oppenheimer
funds and is sub-distributor for funds managed by a subsidiary of the Manager.
The Transfer Agent. OppenheimerFunds Services, the Fund's Transfer Agent, is a
division of the Manager. It is responsible for maintaining the Fund's
shareholder registry and shareholder accounting records, and for paying
dividends and distributions to shareholders. It also handles shareholder
servicing and administrative functions. It acts on an "at-cost" basis. It also
acts as shareholder servicing agent for the other Oppenheimer funds.
Shareholders should direct inquiries about their accounts to the Transfer Agent
at the address and toll-free numbers shown on the back cover.
The Custodian. The Bank of New York is the custodian bank of the Fund's assets.
The custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund's
portfolio securities and handling the delivery of such securities to and from
the Fund. It will be the practice of the Fund to deal with the custodian in a
manner uninfluenced by any banking relationship the custodian may have with the
Manager and its affiliates. The Fund's cash balances with the custodian in
excess of $100,000 are not protected by federal Deposit Insurance. Those
uninsured balances may at times be substantial.
Independent Auditors. Deloitte & Touche LLP are the independent auditors of the
Fund. They audit the Fund's financial statements and perform other related audit
services. They also act as auditors for certain other funds advised by the
Manager and its affiliates.
<PAGE>
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SHAREHOLDERS OF
OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including
the statement of investments, of Oppenheimer Insured Municipal Fund as of
September 30, 1999, the related statement of operations for the year then ended,
the statements of changes in net assets for the years ended September 30, 1999
and 1998, and the financial highlights for the period October 1, 1994 to
September 30, 1999. These financial statements and financial highlights are the
responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our
audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial
highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. Our procedures included confirma-tion of securities owned as of
September 30, 1999, by correspondence with the custodian. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, such financial statements and financial highlights present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Oppenheimer Insured
Municipal Fund as of September 30, 1999, the results of its operations, the
changes in its net assets, and the financial highlights for the respective
stated periods, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
- -------------------------
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Denver, Colorado
October 21, 1999
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS September 30, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
RATINGS:
MOODY'S/
S&P/FITCH FACE MARKET VALUE
(UNAUDITED) AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
MUNICIPAL BONDS AND NOTES--99.3%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALABAMA--1.8%
Lauderdale Cnty. & Florence AL Health Care
Authority RB, Coffee Health Group, Series A,
5.25%, 7/1/19 NR/AAA/AAA $2,500,000 $2,315,800
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALASKA--3.3%
AK Export & IDAU RB, Snettisham Hydroelectric
Power, First Series, AMBAC Insured, 5.50%, 1/1/16 NR/AAA/AAA 1,145,000 1,098,009
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK Export & IDAU RB, Snettisham Hydroelectric
Power, First Series, AMBAC Insured, 5.50%, 1/1/17 NR/AAA/AAA 1,265,000 1,203,331
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK Student Loan Corp. RRB, Series A, AMBAC
Insured, 5.30%, 7/1/15 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,165,000 2,044,388
-----------
4,345,728
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARIZONA--0.9%
AZ Educational LMC RRB, Series B, 7%, 3/1/05 Aa2/NR 1,090,000 1,141,099
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALIFORNIA--3.9%
CA SCDAU Revenue Refunding COP, Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center, MBIA Insured, 6.50%, 8/1/12 Aaa/AAA 1,000,000 1,103,060
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pomona, CA USD GORB, Series A, MBIA Insured,
6.15%, 8/1/15 Aaa/AAA 1,000,000 1,073,150
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redding, CA Electric System Revenue COP,
MBIA Insured, Inverse Floater, 9.004%, 7/8/22(1) Aaa/AAA 1,500,000 1,725,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacramento, CA MUD Electric RRB, Series G, MBIA
Insured, 6.50%, 9/1/13 Aaa/AAA/A 1,000,000 1,130,250
-----------
5,031,460
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COLORADO--4.0%
CO Housing FAU MH RB, Series B-2, 5.90%, 10/1/38 Aa2/AA+ 1,000,000 989,450
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CO Housing FAU SFM CAP RB, Series C-1, Zero Coupon,
5.63%, 11/1/29(2) Aa2/NR 5,000,000 834,550
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CO Housing FAU SFM RB, Sr. Lien, Series C-2, 6.875%,
11/1/28 Aa2/NR 2,000,000 2,144,180
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas & Elbert Cntys., CO SDI No. RE-1,
Improvement GOB, Series A, MBIA Insured,
8%, 12/15/09 Aaa/AAA 1,000,000 1,237,010
-----------
5,205,190
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONNECTICUT--3.0%
CT Housing FAU RB, Series A, Subseries A-2, 6.20%,
11/15/22 Aa2/AA 855,000 872,656
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CT Housing FAU RRB, Series A, Subseries D-2, 6.20%,
11/15/27 Aa2/AA 995,000 1,012,850
</TABLE>
12 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
RATINGS:
MOODY'S/
S&P/FITCH FACE MARKET VALUE
(UNAUDITED) AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
CONNECTICUT Continued
CT Housing FAU RRB, Subseries C-2, 5.85%,
11/15/28 Aa2/AA $1,980,000 $ 1,955,290
-----------
3,840,796
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLORIDA--3.3%
FL HFA MH RRB, Series C, 6%, 8/1/11 NR/AAA 1,000,000 1,042,350
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Cnty., FL Hospital Board of Directors RRB,
MBIA Insured, Inverse Floater, 8.887%, 3/26/20(1) Aaa/AAA 1,000,000 1,102,500
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miami-Dade Cnty., FL Aviation RB, Series C,
MBIA Insured, 5.25%, 10/1/18 NR/AAA/AAA 1,000,000 924,710
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miami-Dade Cnty., FL SPO RRB, Sub. Lien, Series A,
MBIA Insured, Zero Coupon, 5.45%, 10/1/15(2) Aaa/AAA/AAA 3,000,000 1,194,150
-----------
4,263,710
GEORGIA--2.5%
Dalton, GA DAU RB, MBIA Insured, 5.50%, 8/15/26 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,000,000 966,590
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GA MEAU RRB, Project One, Sub. Lien, Series A,
AMBAC Insured, 5.375%, 1/1/13 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,285,000 2,259,225
----------
3,225,815
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ILLINOIS--13.2%
Chicago, IL BOE GOB, Chicago School Reform
Project, Series A, AMBAC Insured, 5.25%, 12/1/22 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,000,000 1,833,240
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago, IL GOB, Inverse Floater, 7.255%, 1/1/28(1,3) NR/AAA 5,000,000 4,040,800
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago, IL O'Hare International Airport RRB,
General Airport, Second Lien, Series A,
AMBAC Insured, 5.50%, 1/1/16 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,500,000 2,417,675
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago, IL SFM RB, Series B, 6.95%, 9/1/28 Aaa/NR 1,890,000 2,005,970
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cook Cnty., IL Community College District No. 508
Chicago COP, FGIC Insured, 8.75%, 1/1/05 Aaa/AAA/AAA 500,000 590,935
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cook Cnty., IL Community College District No. 508
Lease COP, Series C, MBIA Insured, 7.70%, 12/1/07 Aaa/AAA 1,500,000 1,776,165
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cook Cnty., IL SDI No. 99 Cicero GOB, FGIC Insured,
8.50%, 12/1/05 Aaa/NR 1,170,000 1,399,718
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IL Development FAU Retirement Housing RB,
Regency Park, Escrowed to Maturity, Series A,
Zero Coupon, 5.85%, 7/15/23(2) NR/AAA 8,750,000 1,817,900
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IL HFAU RRB, Methodist Medical Center,
MBIA Insured, 5.125%, 11/15/18 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,500,000 1,354,125
-----------
17,236,528
</TABLE>
13 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (CONTINUED)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
RATINGS:
MOODY'S/
S&P/FITCH FACE MARKET VALUE
(UNAUDITED) AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
INDIANA--4.2%
Hamilton Southeastern, IN Consolidated School
Building Corp. RRB, First Mtg., AMBAC Insured,
7%, 7/1/11 Aaa/AAA/AAA $ 500,000 $ 524,975
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN HFFAU Hospital RB, Clarian Health Partners, Inc.,
Series A, 6%, 2/15/21 Aa3/AA/AA 2,000,000 1,993,860
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN Office Building Commission Capital Complex RB,
Series B, MBIA Insured, 7.40%, 7/1/15 Aaa/AAA 2,500,000 2,993,275
-----------
5,512,110
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MASSACHUSETTS--3.7%
MA Health & Educational FA RB, Mt. Auburn
Hospital Issue, Series B-1, MBIA Insured, 6.25%, 8/15/14 Aaa/AAA 1,000,000 1,060,860
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MA HFA RB, Series A, AMBAC Insured, 6.60%, 7/1/14 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,905,000 1,998,688
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MA POAU RB, Series E, FGIC-TCRS Insured, 5%, 7/1/28 Aaa/AAA 2,000,000 1,718,880
-----------
4,778,428
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEVADA--1.6%
Clark Cnty., NV Passenger Facility Charge RB,
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport Project,
Series B, MBIA Insured, 6.50%, 7/1/12 Aaa/AAA 2,000,000 2,119,760
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW HAMPSHIRE--0.4%
NH Turnpike System RRB, Series A, FGIC Insured,
6.75%, 11/1/11 Aaa/AAA/AAA 500,000 552,840
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK--8.1%
L.I., NY PAU Electric System RRB,
Series A, 5%, 12/1/18 Aaa/AAA/AAA 4,000,000 3,621,600
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NYC MWFAU WSS RRB, Series D, FGIC Insured,
4.75%, 6/15/25 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,000,000 1,689,280
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NYC RB, Series J, MBIA-IBC Insured, 5%, 5/15/17 Aaa/AAA/AAA 3,000,000 2,723,190
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NYS United Nations Development Corp. RRB,
Sr. Lien, Series B, 5.60%, 7/1/26 A2/NR/A 2,590,000 2,487,514
-----------
10,521,584
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OHIO--4.1%
Cleveland, OH PPS RRB, First Mtg., Subseries 1,
MBIA Insured, 5.125%, 11/15/18 Aaa/AAA 3,000,000 2,795,850
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OH HFA Mtg. RB, 6.10%, 9/1/28 NR/AAA 1,990,000 1,989,881
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streetsboro, OH SDI GOB, AMBAC Insured,
7.125%, 12/1/10 Aaa/AAA/AAA 500,000 572,670
-----------
5,358,401
</TABLE>
14 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
RATINGS:
MOODY'S/
S&P/FITCH FACE MARKET VALUE
(UNAUDITED) AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
OKLAHOMA--1.7%
OK Industrial Authority Health Systems RB,
Baptist Medical Center, Series C, AMBAC Insured,
7%, 8/15/05 Aaa/AAA/AAA $2,000,000 $ 2,219,020
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PENNSYLVANIA--10.0%
Berks Cnty., PA GOB, Prerefunded, FGIC Insured,
Inverse Floater, 8.63%, 11/10/20(1) Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,000,000 1,147,500
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chester Cnty., PA Education & HFAU RRB,
Series B, 5.375%, 5/15/27 A1/AA-/AA- 3,575,000 3,210,922
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delaware Valley, PA Regional FAU Local
Government RB, Series B, AMBAC Insured,
5.70%, 7/1/27 Aaa/AAA 2,000,000 1,998,420
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PA HEAA Student Loan RB, Series B,
AMBAC Insured, Inverse Floater, 8.209%, 3/1/22(1) Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,250,000 1,328,125
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PA HEFAU RRB, Thomas Jefferson University,
AMBAC Insured, 5%, 7/1/19 Aaa/AAA 2,000,000 1,807,680
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philadelphia, PA Airport RB, Series 387A,
Inverse Floater, 8.303%, 6/15/12(1) NR/NR 1,565,000 1,519,458
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philadelphia, PA Regional POAU Lease RB,
MBIA Insured, Inverse Floater, 8.50%, 9/1/20(1) Aaa/AAA 1,900,000 1,985,500
-----------
12,997,605
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEXAS--19.2%
Cedar Hill, TX ISD CAP RRB, Zero Coupon,
6.10%, 8/15/11(2) Aaa/NR/AAA 1,585,000 836,991
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fort Worth, TX Higher Education Finance Corp. RB,
AMBAC-TCRS Insured, 5%, 3/15/27 Aaa/AAA 3,000,000 2,614,860
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Prairie, TX HFDC RRB, Dallas/Ft. Worth Medical
Center Project, AMBAC Insured, 6.875%, 11/1/10 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,800,000 1,984,662
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harris Cnty., TX Hospital District RRB, AMBAC
Insured, 7.40%, 2/15/10 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,000,000 2,296,880
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harris Cnty., TX Houston Sports Authority Special
CAP RB, Jr. Lien, Series B, MBIA Insured,
Zero Coupon, 5.33%, 11/15/13(2) Aaa/AAA/AAA 4,360,000 1,946,914
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston, TX Airport System RRB, Sub. Lien,
Series B, FGIC Insured, 5%, 7/1/17 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,750,000 2,458,802
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lower Neches Valley, TX IDAU Corp. RRB,
Mobil Oil Refining Corp., 5.55%, 3/1/33 Aa2/AA 3,000,000 2,812,170
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lower Neches Valley, TX IDAU Corp. Sewer Facilities
RB, Mobil Oil Refining Corp. Project, 6.40%, 3/1/30 Aa2/AA 1,000,000 1,031,150
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rio Grande Valley, TX HFDC Retirement Facilities RB,
Golden Palms, Series B, MBIA Insured, 6.40%, 8/1/12 Aaa/AAA 2,000,000 2,120,800
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tarrant Cnty., TX HFDC RB, Texas Health Resources
System, Series A, MBIA Insured, 5.75%, 2/15/11 Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,130,000 2,189,321
</TABLE>
15 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (CONTINUED)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
RATINGS:
MOODY'S/
S&P/FITCH FACE MARKET VALUE
(UNAUDITED) AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
TEXAS Continued
TX A&M RB, Series 556, Inverse Floater,
7.252%, 5/15/20(1) NR/NR $5,000,000 $ 4,682,000
-----------
24,974,550
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON--4.3%
Chelan Cnty., WA Public Utilities District No. 1 RB,
Chelan Hydroelectric Conservation System-Division III,
Series A, 5.60%, 7/1/32 Aa3/AA/AA- 2,000,000 1,927,360
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tacoma, WA Electric Systems RB, Prerefunded,
AMBAC Insured, Inverse Floater, 9.043%, 1/2/15(1) Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,000,000 1,088,750
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WA PP Supply System RRB, Nuclear Project No. 1,
Series A, 5%, 7/1/13 Aa1/AA-/AA- 1,500,000 1,404,090
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WA PP Supply System RRB, Nuclear Project No. 2,
Series A, FGIC Insured, Zero Coupon, 5.50%, 7/1/09(2) Aaa/AAA/AAA 2,000,000 1,203,080
-----------
5,623,280
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEST VIRGINIA--0.7%
WV GOB, Capital Appreciation-Infracture, Series A,
FGIC Insured, Zero Coupon, 5.20%, 11/1/14(2) Aa3/AAA/AAA 2,100,000 912,765
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WISCONSIN--1.1%
WI Health & Educational FA RB, Aurora Medical
Group, Inc. Project, FSA Insured, 6%, 11/15/11 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,370,000 1,470,764
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA--4.3%
DC Convention Center Authority Dedicated Tax RB,
Sr. Lien, AMBAC Insured, 4.75%, 10/1/28 Aaa/AAA/AAA 3,000,000 2,464,530
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC Hospital RRB, Medlantic Healthcare Group,
Series A, MBIA Insured, 5.25%, 8/15/12 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,000,000 993,360
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC RRB, Prerefunded, Series A-1, MBIA Insured,
6%, 6/1/11 Aaa/AAA/AAA 100,000 107,242
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC RRB, Unrefunded Balance, Series A-1,
MBIA Insured, 6%, 6/1/11 Aaa/AAA/AAA 1,900,000 2,008,547
-----------
5,573,679
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL INVESTMENTS, AT VALUE (COST $131,990,570) 99.3% 129,220,912
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER ASSETS NET OF LIABILITIES 0.7 888,825
-----------------------------
NET ASSETS 100.0% $130,109,737
-----------------------------
</TABLE>
16 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
FOOTNOTES to statement of investments
To simplify the listings of securities, abbreviations are used per the table
below:
BOE Board of Education
CAP Capital Appreciation
COP Certificates of Participation
DAU Development Authority
FA Facilities Authority
FAU Finance Authority
GOB General Obligation Bonds
GORB General Obligation Refunding Bonds
HEAA Higher Education Assistance Agency
HEFAU Higher Educational Facilities Authority
HFA Housing Finance Agency
HFAU Health Facilities Authority
HFDC Health Facilities Development Corp.
HFFAU Health Facilities Finance Authority
IDAU Industrial Development Authority
ISD Independent School District L.I. Long Island
LMC Loan Marketing Corp.
MEAU Municipal Electric Authority
MH Multifamily Housing
MUD Municipal Utility District
MWFAU Municipal Water Finance Authority
NYC New York City NYS New York State
PAU Power Authority
POAU Port Authority
PP Public Power
PPS Public Power System
RB Revenue Bonds
RRB Revenue Refunding Bonds
SCDAU Statewide Communities Development Authority
SDI School District
SFM Single Family Mtg.
SPO Special Obligations
USD Unified School District
WSS Water & Sewer System
1. Represents the current interest rate for a variable rate bond known as an
"inverse floater" which pays interest at a rate that varies inversely with
short-term interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less
current income. Their price may be more volatile than the price of a comparable
fixed-rate security. Inverse floaters amount to $18,619,633 or 14.31% of the
Fund's net assets as of September 30, 1999.
2. For zero coupon bonds, the interest rate shown is the effective yield on the
date of purchase.
3. Represents securities sold under Rule 144A, which are exempt from
registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities have
been determined to be liquid under guidelines established by the Board of
Trustees. These securities amount to $4,040,800 or 3.11% of the Fund's net
assets as of September 30, 1999.
AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1999, SECURITIES SUBJECT TO THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX
AMOUNT TO $37,548,433 OR 28.86% OF THE FUND'S NET ASSETS.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
17 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES September 30, 1999
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
ASSETS
Investments, at value (cost $131,990,570)--see accompanying statement $ 129,220,912
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash 117,917
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Receivables and other assets:
Interest 1,784,284
Shares of beneficial interest sold 370,513
Other 26,083
------------
Total assets 131,519,709
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIABILITIES
Payables and other liabilities:
Notes payable to bank (interest rate at 5.975% at September 30, 1999)--Note 6 800,000
Dividends 333,586
Shares of beneficial interest redeemed 124,294
Distribution and service plan fees 80,096
Shareholder reports 43,764
Transfer and shareholder servicing agent fees 12,350
Trustees' compensation 200
Other 15,682
Total liabilities 1,409,972
------------
NET ASSETS $130,109,737
============
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS
Paid-in capital $ 133,588,693
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overdistributed net investment income (82,803)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accumulated net realized loss on investment transactions (626,495)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net unrealized depreciation on investments--Note 3 (2,769,658)
------------
Net assets $130,109,737
============
</TABLE>
18 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE
Class A Shares:
Net asset value and redemption price per share (based on net assets of
$98,030,062 and 5,948,043 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) $16.48
Maximum offering price per share (net asset value plus sales charge
of 4.75% of offering price) $17.30
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B Shares:
Net asset value, redemption price (excludes applicable contingent deferred
sales charge) and offering price per share (based on net assets of $26,468,484
and 1,605,517 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) $16.49
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C Shares:
Net asset value, redemption price (excludes applicable contingent deferred
sales charge) and offering price per share (based on net assets of $5,611,191
and 340,547 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) $16.48
</TABLE>
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
19 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS For the Year Ended September 30, 1999
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
INVESTMENT INCOME
Interest $ 7,778,347
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXPENSES
Management fees--Note 4 601,513
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution and service plan fees--Note 4:
Class A 245,096
Class B 285,641
Class C 57,731
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfer and shareholder servicing agent fees--Note 4 118,665
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholder reports 74,074
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Registration and filing fees 39,275
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Custodian fees and expenses 22,200
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legal, auditing and other professional fees 12,876
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accounting service fees--Note 4 12,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trustees' compensation 3,984
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other 14,801
------------
Total expenses 1,487,856
Less expenses paid indirectly--Note 1 (15,619)
------------
Net expenses 1,472,237
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NET INVESTMENT INCOME 6,306,110
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)
Net realized gain (loss) on:
Investments (1,138,896)
Closing of futures contracts 786,788
------------
Net realized loss (352,108)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments (12,885,535)
Net realized and unrealized loss (13,237,643)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS $ (6,931,533)
============
</TABLE>
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
20 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
OPERATIONS
Net investment income $ 6,306,110 $ 5,368,369
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net realized gain (loss) (352,108) 1,181,782
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation (12,885,535) 3,993,214
--------------------------------
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations (6,931,533) 10,543,365
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIVIDENDS AND/OR DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS
Dividends from net investment
income:
Class A (4,716,753) (4,498,622)
Class B (1,078,468) (921,805)
Class C (218,878) (140,882)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributions from net realized gain:
Class A (1,141,094) (646,115)
Class B (310,557) (149,337)
Class C (60,365) (19,416)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS
Net increase in net assets resulting from
beneficial interest transactions--Note 2:
Class A 6,192,573 8,417,042
Class B 2,067,306 6,601,026
Class C 1,305,323 2,237,718
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NET ASSETS
Total increase (decrease) (4,892,446) 21,422,974
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beginning of period 135,002,183 113,579,209
--------------------------------
End of period (including overdistributed net investment
income of $82,803 and $297,350, respectively) $130,109,737 $135,002,183
================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
21 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
CLASS A YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE OPERATING DATA
Net asset value, beginning of period $18.31 $17.72 $17.07 $16.86 $16.14
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .84 .80 .91 .90 .90
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (1.67) .75 .63 .20 .71
------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations (.83) 1.55 1.54 1.10 1.61
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.80) (.84) (.89) (.89) (.89)
Distributions from net realized gain (.20) (.12) -- -- --
------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and distributions
to shareholders (1.00) (.96) (.89) (.89) (.89)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $16.48 $18.31 $17.72 $17.07 $16.86
============================================================
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL RETURN, AT NET ASSET VALUE(1) (4.76)% 9.01% 9.25% 6.67% 10.29%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) $ 98,030 $102,687 $91,051 $83,516 $76,691
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $103,527 $ 96,458 $86,511 $81,233 $70,650
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:(2)
Net investment income 4.77% 4.49% 5.25% 5.27% 5.52%
Expenses 0.89% 0.89%(3) 0.95%(3) 1.02%(3) 0.95%(3)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate(4) 108% 73% 77% 93% 58%
</TABLE>
1. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before
the first day of the fiscal period (or inception of offering), with all
dividends and distributions reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment
date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day
of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected in the total returns.
Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year.
2. Annualized for periods of less than one full year.
3. Expense ratio reflects the effect of expenses paid indirectly by the Fund.
4. The lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for a period,
divided by the monthly average of the market value of portfolio securities owned
during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of
acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and
sales of investment securities (excluding short-term securities) for the period
ended September 30, 1999 were $153,837,549 and $147,711,836, respectively.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
22 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CLASS B YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE OPERATING DATA
Net asset value, beginning of period $18.32 $17.73 $17.08 $16.87 $16.15
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .71 .67 .76 .77 .78
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (1.67) .74 .65 .20 .71
------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations (.96) 1.41 1.41 .97 1.49
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.67) (.70) (.76) (.76) (.77)
Distributions from net realized gain (.20) (.12) -- -- --
------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and distributions
to shareholders (.87) (.82) (.76) (.76) (.77)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $16.49 $18.32 $17.73 $17.08 $16.87
============================================================
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL RETURN, AT NET ASSET VALUE(1) (5.47)% 8.18% 8.43% 5.87% 9.47%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) $26,468 $27,392 $19,974 $15,983 $13,341
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $28,562 $23,817 $17,309 $14,822 $11,987
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:(2)
Net investment income 4.00% 3.76% 4.48% 4.50% 4.75%
Expenses 1.65% 1.64%(3) 1.71%(3) 1.77%(3) 1.71%(3)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate(4) 108% 73% 77% 93% 58%
</TABLE>
1. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before
the first day of the fiscal period (or inception of offering), with all
dividends and distributions reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment
date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day
of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected in the total returns.
Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year.
2. Annualized for periods of less than one full year.
3. Expense ratio reflects the effect of expenses paid indirectly by the Fund.
4. The lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for a period,
divided by the monthly average of the market value of portfolio securities owned
during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of
acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and
sales of investment securities (excluding short-term securities) for the period
ended September 30, 1999, were $153,837,549 and $147,711,836, respectively.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
23 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Continued
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CLASS C YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 1998 1997(5) 1996 1995(6)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE OPERATING DATA
Net asset value, beginning of period $18.31 $17.72 $17.06 $16.86 $16.72
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .71 .70 .76 .75 .08
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (1.67) .71 .65 .21 .14
------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations (.96) 1.41 1.41 .96 .22
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.67) (.70) (.75) (.76) (.08)
Distributions from net realized gain (.20) (.12) -- -- --
------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and distributions
to shareholders (.87) (.82) (.75) (.76) (.08)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $16.48 $18.31 $17.72 $17.06 $16.86
============================================================
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL RETURN, AT NET ASSET VALUE(1) (5.48)% 8.18% 8.48% 5.77% 1.30%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) $5,611 $4,923 $2,554 $924 $211
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $5,775 $3,661 $1,720 $618 $ 1
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:(2)
Net investment income 4.01% 3.82% 4.45% 4.38% 4.89%
Expenses 1.65% 1.64%(3) 1.72%(3) 1.81%(3) 1.07%(3)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate(4) 108% 73% 77% 93% 58%
</TABLE>
1. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before
the first day of the fiscal period (or inception of offering), with all
dividends and distributions reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment
date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day
of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected in the total returns.
Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year.
2. Annualized for periods of less than one full year.
3. Expense ratio reflects the effect of expenses paid indirectly by the Fund.
4. The lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for a period,
divided by the monthly average of the market value of portfolio securities owned
during the period. Securities with a maturity or expiration date at the time of
acquisition of one year or less are excluded from the calculation. Purchases and
sales of investment securities (excluding short-term securities) for the period
ended September 30, 1999, were $153,837,549 and $147,711,836, respectively.
5. Per share amounts calculated based on the average shares outstanding during
the period.
6. For the period from August 29, 1995 (inception of offering) to September 30,
1995.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
<PAGE>
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Oppenheimer Insured Municipal Fund (the Fund) is a separate series of
Oppenheimer Municipal Fund, a diversified, open-end management investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The
Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of current income exempt
from Federal income tax. The Fund's investment advisor is OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
(the Manager). The Fund offers Class A, Class B and Class C shares. Class A
shares are sold with a front-end sales charge on investments up to $1 million.
Class B and Class C shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge
(CDSC). All classes of shares have identical rights to earnings, assets and
voting privileges, except that each class has its own expenses directly
attributable to that class and exclusive voting rights with respect to matters
affecting that class. Classes A, B and C have separate distribution and/or
service plans. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares six
years after the date of purchase. The following is a summary of significant
accounting policies consistently followed by the Fund.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES VALUATION. Portfolio securities are valued at the close of the New
York Stock Exchange on each trading day. Listed and unlisted securities for
which such information is regularly reported are valued at the last sale price
of the day or, in the absence of sales, at values based on the closing bid or
the last sale price on the prior trading day. Long-term and short-term
"non-money market" debt securities are valued by a portfolio pricing service
approved by the Board of Trustees. Such securities which cannot be valued by an
approved portfolio pricing service are valued using dealer-supplied valuations
provided the Manager is satisfied that the firm rendering the quotes is reliable
and that the quotes reflect current market value, or are valued under
consistently applied procedures established by the Board of Trustees to
determine fair value in good faith. Short-term "money market type" debt
securities having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued at cost (or
last determined market value) adjusted for amortization to maturity of any
premium or discount. Options are valued based upon the last sale price on the
principal exchange on which the option is traded or, in the absence of any
transactions that day, the value is based upon the last sale price on the prior
trading date if it is within the spread between the closing bid and asked
prices. If the last sale price is outside the spread, the closing bid is used.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALLOCATION OF INCOME, EXPENSES, GAINS AND LOSSES. Income, expenses (other than
those attributable to a specific class), gains and losses are allocated daily to
each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets
represented by such class. Operating expenses directly attributable to a
specific class are charged against the operations of that class.
<PAGE>
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Continued
FEDERAL TAXES. The Fund intends to continue to comply with provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to
distribute all of its taxable income to shareholders. Therefore, no federal
income or excise tax provision is required.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS. Dividends and distributions to
shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations,
are recorded on the ex-dividend date.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASSIFICATION OF DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS. Net investment income (loss)
and net realized gain (loss) may differ for financial statement and tax
purposes. The character of distributions made during the year from net
investment income or net realized gains may differ from its ultimate
characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to timing of
dividend distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed may
differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain was recorded by
the Fund. The Fund adjusts the classification of distributions to shareholders
to reflect the differences between financial statement amounts and distributions
determined in accordance with income tax regulations. Accordingly, during the
year ended September 30, 1999, amounts have been reclassified to reflect a
decrease in paid-in capital of $28,550, an increase in overdistributed net
investment income of $77,464, and a decrease in accumulated net realized loss on
investments of $106,014.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXPENSE OFFSET ARRANGEMENTS. Expenses paid indirectly represent a reduction of
custodian fees for earnings on cash balances maintained by the Fund.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER. Investment transactions are accounted for as of trade date. Original
issue discount is accreted and premium is amortized in accordance with federal
income tax requirements. For municipal bonds acquired after April 30, 1993, on
disposition or maturity, taxable ordinary income is recognized to the extent of
the lesser of gain or market discount that would have accrued over the holding
period. Realized gains and losses on investments and unrealized appreciation and
depreciation are determined on an identified cost basis, which is the same basis
used for federal income tax purposes.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting
period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
26 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
The Fund has authorized an unlimited number of no par value shares of
beneficial interest of each class. Transactions in shares of beneficial
interest were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS A
Sold 1,139,629 $20,168,330 955,728 $17,118,675
Dividends and/or distributions reinvested 246,492 4,359,639 212,388 3,794,412
Redeemed (1,046,047) (18,335,396) (698,348) (12,496,045)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Net increase 340,074 $6,192,573 469,768 $8,417,042
======================================================================
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS B
Sold 483,752 $8,559,831 543,004 $9,724,208
Dividends and/or distributions reinvested 50,736 898,692 39,547 706,671
Redeemed (424,380) (7,391,217) (213,910) (3,829,853)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Net increase 110,108 $2,067,306 368,641 $6,601,026
======================================================================
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS C
Sold 140,475 $2,501,020 156,606 $2,808,699
Dividends and/or distributions reinvested 11,966 211,869 7,178 128,230
Redeemed (80,811) (1,407,566) (39,038) (699,211)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Net increase 71,630 $1,305,323 124,746 $2,237,718
======================================================================
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
3. UNREALIZED GAINS AND LOSSES ON SECURITIES
As of September 30, 1999, net unrealized depreciation on securities of
$2,769,658 was composed of gross appreciation of $2,457,956, and gross
depreciation of $5,227,614.
27 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. MANAGEMENT FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES MANAGEMENT FEES.
Management fees paid to the Manager were in accordance with the investment
advisory agreement with the Fund which provides for a fee of 0.45% of the first
$100 million of average annual net assets, 0.40% of the next $150 million,
0.375% of the next $250 million and 0.35% of average annual net assets in excess
of $500 million. The Fund's management fee for year ended September 30, 1999 was
0.44% of average annual net assets for each class of shares.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACCOUNTING FEES. The Manager acts as the accounting agent for the Fund at an
annual fee of $12,000, plus out-of-pocket costs and expenses reasonably
incurred.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSFER AGENT FEES. OppenheimerFunds Services (OFS), a division of the Manager,
is the transfer and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund and other
Oppenheimer funds. OFS's total costs of providing such services are allocated
ratably to these funds.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN FEES. Under its General Distributor's Agreement
with the Manager, the Distributor acts as the Fund's principal underwriter in
the continuous public offering of the different classes of shares of the Fund.
The compensation paid to (or retained by) the Distributor from the sale of
shares or on the redemption of shares is shown in the table below for the period
indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AGGREGATE CLASS A COMMISSIONS COMMISSIONS COMMISSIONS
FRONT-END FRONT-END ON CLASS A ON CLASS B ON CLASS C
SALES CHARGES SALES CHARGES SHARES SHARES SHARES
ON CLASS A RETAINED BY ADVANCED BY ADVANCED BY ADVANCED BY
YEAR ENDED SHARES DISTRIBUTOR DISTRIBUTOR(1) DISTRIBUTOR(1) DISTRIBUTOR(1)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
September 30, 1999 $214,856 $36,028 $13,460 $274,507 $21,836
</TABLE>
1. The Distributor advances commission payments to dealers for certain sales of
Class A shares and for sales of Class B and Class C shares from its own
resources at the time of sale.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CLASS A CLASS B CLASS C
CONTINGENT DEFERRED CONTINGENT DEFERRED CONTINGENT DEFERRED
SALES CHARGES SALES CHARGES SALES CHARGES
YEAR ENDED RETAINED BY DISTRIBUTOR RETAINED BY DISTRIBUTOR RETAINED BY DISTRIBUTOR
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
September 30, 1999 $-- $96,005 $4,312
</TABLE>
The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for Class A shares and Distribution and
Service Plans for Class B and Class C shares under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment
Company Act. Under those plans the Fund pays the Distributor for all or a
portion of its costs incurred in connection with the distribution and/or
servicing of the shares of the particular class.
28 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS A SERVICE PLAN FEES. Under the Class A service plan, the Distributor
currently uses the fees it receives from the Fund to pay brokers, dealers and
other financial institutions. The Class A service plan permits reimbursements to
the Distributor at a rate of up to 0.25% of average annual net assets of Class A
shares. The Distributor makes payments to plan recipients quarterly at an annual
rate not to exceed 0.25% of the average annual net assets consisting of Class A
shares of the Fund. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, payments under
the Class A Plan totaled $245,096, all of which was paid by the Distributor to
recipients. That included $12,398 paid to an affiliate of the Distributor's
parent company. Any unreimbursed expenses the Distributor incurs with respect to
Class A shares in any fiscal year cannot be recovered in subsequent years.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS B AND CLASS C DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN FEES. Under each plan, service
fees and distribution fees are computed on the average of the net asset value of
shares in the respective class, determined as of the close of each regular
business day during the period. The Class B and Class C plans provide for the
Distributor to be compensated at a flat rate, whether the Distributor's
distribution expenses are more or less than the amounts paid by the Fund under
the plan during the period for which the fee is paid.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class B shares. The
Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class C shares during the
first year the shares are outstanding. The asset-based sales charges on Class B
and Class C shares allow investors to buy shares without a front-end sales
charge while allowing the Distributor to compensate dealers that sell those
shares.
The Distributor's actual expenses in selling Class B and Class C shares may
be more than the payments it receives from the contingent deferred sales charges
collected on redeemed shares and from the Fund under the plans. If either the
Class B or the Class C plan is terminated by the Fund, the Board of Trustees may
allow the Fund to continue payments of the asset-based sales charge to the
Distributor for distributing shares before the plan was terminated. The plans
allow for the carry-forward of distribution expenses, to be recovered from
asset-based sales charges in subsequent fiscal periods.
Distribution fees paid to the Distributor for the year ended September 30,
1999, were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DISTRIBUTOR'S DISTRIBUTOR'S
AGGREGATE UNREIMBURSED
UNREIMBURSED EXPENSES AS %
TOTAL PAYMENTS AMOUNT RETAINED EXPENSES OF NET ASSETS
UNDER PLAN BY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER PLAN OF CLASS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Class B Plan $285,641 $233,634 $938,638 3.55%
Class C Plan 57,731 33,511 78,916 1.41
</TABLE>
29 OPPENHEIMER INSURED MUNICIPAL FUND
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. FUTURES CONTRACTS
The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts in order to gain exposure to or to
seek to protect against changes in interest rates. The Fund may also buy or
write put or call options on these futures contracts.
The Fund generally sells futures contracts to hedge against increases in
interest rates and the resulting negative effect on the value of fixed rate
portfolio securities. The Fund may also purchase futures contracts to gain
exposure to changes in interest rates as it may be more efficient or cost
effective than actually buying fixed income securities.
Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund is required to deposit
either cash or securities (initial margin) in an amount equal to a certain
percentage of the contract value. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are
made or received by the Fund each day. The variation margin payments are equal
to the daily changes in the contract value and are recorded as unrealized gains
and losses. The Fund may recognize a realized gain or loss when the contract is
closed or expires.
Securities held in collateralized accounts to cover initial margin
requirements on open futures contracts are noted in the Statement of
Investments. The Statement of Assets and Liabilities reflects a receivable
and/or payable for the daily mark to market for variation margin.
Risks of entering into futures contracts (and related options) include the
possibility that there may be an illiquid market and that a change in the value
of the contract or option may not correlate with changes in the value of the
underlying securities.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. BANK BORROWINGS
The Fund may borrow from a bank for temporary or emergency purposes including,
without limitation, funding of shareholder redemptions provided asset coverage
for borrowings exceeds 300%. The Fund has entered into an agreement which
enables it to participate with other Oppenheimer funds in an unsecured line of
credit with a bank, which permits borrowings up to $400 million, collectively.
Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at a rate equal to
the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.35%. Borrowings are payable 30 days after such
loan is executed. The Fund also pays a commitment fee equal to its pro rata
share of the average unutilized amount of the credit facility at a rate of
0.0575% per annum.
The Fund had borrowings outstanding of $800,000 at September 30, 1999.
<PAGE>
Appendix A
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MUNICIPAL BOND RATINGS DEFINITIONS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below are summaries of the rating definitions used by the nationally-recognized
rating agencies listed below for municipal securities. Those ratings represent
the opinion of the agency as to the credit quality of issues that they rate. The
summaries below are based upon publicly-available information provided by the
rating organizations.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term Bond Ratings
Aaa: Bonds rated Aaa are judged to be the best quality. They carry the smallest
degree of investment risk. 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, the changes that can be expected are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together
with the Aaa group, they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds.
They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not
be as large as with 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 those of Aaa securities.
A: Bonds 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 rated Baa are considered medium grade obligations; that is, 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 have speculative
characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements. Their future cannot
be considered well-assured. Often the protection of interest and principal
payments may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during both good and bad
times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this
class.
B: Bonds rated B generally lack characteristics of desirable investment.
Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of
the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds rated Caa are of poor standing and may be in default or there may
be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca: Bonds rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high
degree and are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds rated C are the lowest class of rated bonds and can be regarded as
having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Con. (...): Bonds for which the security depends on the completion of some act
or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These bonds are
secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects
unseasoned in operating experience, (c) rentals that begin when facilities are
completed, or (d) payments to which some other limitation attaches.
Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of
construction or elimination of basis of condition. Moody's applies numerical
modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa.
The modifier "1" indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its
category; the modifier "2" indicates a mid-range ranking and the modifier "3"
indicates a ranking in the lower end of the category. Advanced refunded issues
that are secured by certain assets are identified with a # symbol.
Short-Term Ratings - U.S. Tax-Exempt Municipals
There are four ratings below for short-term obligations that are investment
grade. Short-term speculative obligations are designated SG. For variable rate
demand obligations, a two-component rating is assigned. The first (MIG) element
represents an evaluation by Moody's of the degree of risk associated with
scheduled principal and interest payments, and the other (VMIG) represents an
evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the demand feature.
MIG 1/VMIG 1: Denotes best quality. There is strong protection by established
cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the
market for refinancing..
MIG 2/VMIG 2: Denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not
as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3/VMIG 3: Denotes favorable quality. All security elements are accounted for
but there is lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity
and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is
likely to be less well established.
MIG 4/VMIG 4: Denotes adequate quality. Protection commonly regarded as required
of an investment security is present and although not distinctly or
predominantly speculative, there is specific risk.
SG: Denotes speculative quality. Debt instruments in this category lack
margins of protection.
Standard & Poor's Rating Services
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term Credit Ratings
AAA: Bonds rated "AAA" have the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is
extremely strong.
AA: Bonds rated "AA" differ from the highest rated obligations only in small
degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation is very strong.
A: Bonds rated "A" are somewhat more susceptible to adverse effects of changes
in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated
categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation is still strong.
BBB: Bonds rated BBB exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse
economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a
weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation.
Bonds rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C are regarded as having significant speculative
characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest.
While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective
characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major
exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: Bonds rated BB are less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative
issues. However, these face major uncertainties or exposure to adverse business,
financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: A bond rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than an obligation rated BB,
but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation.
CCC: A bond rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent
upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse
business, financial or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have
the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: The C rating may used where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar
action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.
D: Bonds rated D are in default. Payments on the obligation are not being
made on the date due.
The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or
minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. The
"r" symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit
risks.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1: Rated in the highest category. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, a plus (+) sign
designation indicates the issuer's capacity to meet its financial obligation is
very strong.
A-2: Obligation is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes
in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating
categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: Exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened
capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: Regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor
currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's
inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: Currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable
business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its
financial commitment on the obligation.
D: In payment default. Payments on the obligation have not been made on the
due date. The rating may also be used if a bankruptcy petition has been filed
or similar actions jeopardize payments on the obligation.
Fitch IBCA, Inc.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Long-Term Credit Ratings
Investment Grade:
AAA: Highest Credit Quality. "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of
credit risk. They are assigned only in the case of exceptionally strong
capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly
unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality. "AA" ratings denote a very low expectation of
credit risk. They indicate a very strong capacity for timely payment of
financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to
foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality. "A" ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk.
The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered
strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in
circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality. "BBB" ratings indicate that there is currently a
low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial
commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and
in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the
lowest investment-grade category.
Speculative Grade:
BB: Speculative. "BB" ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit
risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over
time. However, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow
financial commitments to be met.
B: Highly Speculative. "B" ratings indicate that significant credit risk is
present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are
currently being met. However, capacity for continued payment is contingent
upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
CCC, CC C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for
meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable
business or economic developments. A "CC" rating indicates that default of
some kind appears probable. "C" ratings signal imminent default.
DDD, DD, and D: Default. Securities are not meeting current obligations and
are extremely speculative. "DDD" designates the highest potential for
recovery of amounts outstanding on any securities involved.
Plus (+) and minus (-) signs may be appended to a rating symbol to denote
relative status within the rating category. Plus and minus signs are not added
to the "AAA" category or to categories below "CCC."
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Short-Term Credit Ratings
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F1: Highest credit quality. Strongest capacity for timely payment. May have
an added "+" to denote exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment, but
the margin of safety is not as great as in higher ratings.
F3: Fair credit quality. Capacity for timely payment is adequate. However,
near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.
B: Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment, plus vulnerability to
near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High default risk. Default is a real possibility, Capacity for
meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable
business and economic environment.
D: Default. Denotes actual or imminent payment default.
<PAGE>
Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. Ratings
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term Debt and Preferred Stock
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AAA: Highest credit quality. The risk factors are negligible, being only
slightly more than for risk-free U.S. Treasury debt.
AA+, AA, AA-: High credit quality. Protection factors are strong. Risk is
modest but may vary slightly from time to time because of economic conditions.
A+, A & A-: Protection factors are average but adequate. However, risk
factors are more variable in periods of greater economic stress.
BBB+, BBB & BBB-: Below average protection factors but still considered
sufficient for prudent investment. Considerable variability in risk during
economic cycles.
BB+, BB & BB-: Below investment grade but deemed likely to meet obligations when
due. Present or prospective financial protection factors fluctuate according to
industry conditions. Overall quality may move up or down frequently within the
category.
B+, B & B-: Below investment grade and possessing risk that obligations will not
be met when due. Financial protection factors will fluctuate widely according to
economic cycles, industry conditions and/or company fortunes. Potential exists
for frequent changes in the rating within this category or into a higher of
lower rating grade.
CCC: Well below investment-grade securities. Considerable uncertainty exists as
to timely payment of principal, interest or preferred dividends. Protection
factors are narrow and risk can be substantial with unfavorable
economic/industry conditions, and/or with unfavorable company developments.
DD: Defaulted debt obligations. Issuer failed to meet scheduled principal
and/or interest payments.
DP: Preferred stock with dividend arrearages.
Short-Term Debt:
High Grade:
D-1+: Highest certainty of timely payment. Safety is just below risk-free
U.S. Treasury short-term debt.
D-1: Very high certainty of timely payment. Risk factors are minor.
D-1-: High certainty of timely payment. Risk factors are very small.
Good Grade:
D-2: Good certainty of timely payment. Risk factors are small.
Satisfactory Grade:
D-3: Satisfactory liquidity and other protection factors qualify issues as to
investment grade. Risk factors are larger and subject to more variation.
Nevertheless, timely payment is expected.
Non-Investment Grade:
D-4: Speculative investment characteristics. Liquidity is not sufficient to
insure against disruption in debt service.
Default:
D-5: Issuer failed to meet scheduled principal and/or interest payments.
<PAGE>
B-1
<PAGE>
Appendix B
Industry Classification
Aerospace/Defense Food and Drug Retailers
Air Transportation Gas Utilities
Asset-Backed Health Care/Drugs
Auto Parts and Equipment Health Care/Supplies & Services
Automotive Homebuilders/Real Estate
Bank Holding Companies Hotel/Gaming
Banks Industrial Services
Beverages Information Technology
Broadcasting Insurance
Broker-Dealers Leasing & Factoring
Building Materials Leisure
Cable Television Manufacturing
Chemicals Metals/Mining
Commercial Finance Nondurable Household Goods
Communication Equipment Office Equipment
Computer Hardware Oil - Domestic
Computer Software Oil - International
Conglomerates Paper
Consumer Finance Photography
Consumer Services Publishing
Containers Railroads & Truckers
Convenience Stores Restaurants
Department Stores Savings & Loans
Diversified Financial Shipping
Diversified Media Special Purpose Financial
Drug Wholesalers Specialty Printing
Durable Household Goods Specialty Retailing
Education Steel
Electric Utilities Telecommunications - Long Distance
Electrical Equipment Telephone - Utility
Electronics Textile, Apparel & Home Furnishings
Energy Services Tobacco
Entertainment/Film Trucks and Parts
Environmental Wireless Services
Food
<PAGE>
C-16
Appendix C
OppenheimerFunds Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers
In certain cases, the initial sales charge that applies to purchases of Class A
shares1 of the Oppenheimer funds or the contingent deferred sales charge that
may apply to Class A, Class B or Class C shares may be waived.2 That is because
of the economies of sales efforts realized by OppenheimerFunds Distributor,
Inc., (referred to in this document as the "Distributor"), or by dealers or
other financial institutions that offer those shares to certain classes of
investors.
Not all waivers apply to all funds. For example, waivers relating to Retirement
Plans do not apply to Oppenheimer municipal funds, because shares of those funds
are not available for purchase by or on behalf of retirement plans. Other
waivers apply only to shareholders of certain funds.
For the purposes of some of the waivers described below and in the Prospectus
and Statement of Additional Information of the applicable Oppenheimer funds, the
term "Retirement Plan" refers to the following types of plans: (1) plans
qualified under Sections 401(a) or 401(k) of the Internal
Revenue Code,
(2) non-qualified deferred compensation plans, (3) employee benefit plans3 (4)
Group Retirement Plans4 (5) 403(b)(7) custodial plan accounts (6) Individual
Retirement Accounts ("IRAs"), including traditional IRAs,
Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs or SIMPLE plans
The interpretation of these provisions as to the applicability of a special
arrangement or waiver in a particular case is in the sole discretion of the
Distributor or the transfer agent (referred to in this document as the "Transfer
Agent") of the particular Oppenheimer fund. These waivers and special
arrangements may be amended or terminated at any time by a particular fund, the
Distributor, and/or OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (referred to in this document as the
"Manager").
Waivers that apply at the time shares are redeemed must be requested by the
shareholder and/or dealer in the redemption request.
- --------------
1. Certain waivers also apply to Class M shares of Oppenheimer Convertible
Securities Fund.
2. In the case of Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund, a continuously-offered
closed-end fund, references to contingent deferred sales charges mean the
Fund's Early Withdrawal Charges and references to "redemptions" mean
"repurchases" of shares.
3. An "employee benefit plan" means any plan or arrangement, whether or not it
is "qualified" under the Internal Revenue Code, under which Class A shares of
an Oppenheimer fund or funds are purchased by a fiduciary or other
administrator for the account of participants who are employees of a single
employer or of affiliated employers. These may include, for example, medical
savings accounts, payroll deduction plans or similar plans. The fund accounts
must be registered in the name of the fiduciary or administrator purchasing
the shares for the benefit of participants in the plan.
4. The term "Group Retirement Plan" means any qualified or non-qualified
retirement plan for employees of a corporation or sole proprietorship,
members and employees of a partnership or association or other organized
group of persons (the members of which may include other groups), if the
group has made special arrangements with the Distributor and all members of
the group participating in (or who are eligible to participate in) the plan
purchase Class A shares of an Oppenheimer fund or funds through a single
investment dealer, broker or other financial institution designated by the
group. Such plans include 457 plans, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE plans and
403(b) plans other than plans for public school employees. The term "Group
Retirement Plan" also includes qualified retirement plans and non-qualified
deferred compensation plans and IRAs that purchase Class A shares of an
Oppenheimer fund or funds through a single investment dealer, broker or other
financial institution that has made special arrangements with the Distributor
enabling those plans to purchase Class A shares at net asset value but
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge.
I. Applicability of Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charges in Certain Cases
Purchases of Class A Shares of Oppenheimer Funds That Are Not Subject to Initial
Sales Charge but May Be Subject to the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
(unless a waiver applies).
There is no initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares of any of
the Oppenheimer funds in the cases listed below. However, these purchases may be
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed within 18
months of the end of the calendar month of their purchase, as described in the
Prospectus (unless a waiver described elsewhere in this Appendix applies to the
redemption). Additionally, on shares purchased under these waivers that are
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge, the Distributor will
pay the applicable commission described in the Prospectus under "Class A
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge."7 This waiver provision applies to:
|_| Purchases of Class A shares aggregating $1 million or more. |_| Purchases by
a Retirement Plan (other than an IRA or 403(b)(7)
custodial plan) that:
(1) buys shares costing $500,000 or more, or
(2) has, at the time of purchase, 100 or more eligible employees or total
plan assets of $500,000 or more, or
(3) certifies to the Distributor that it projects to have annual plan
purchases of $200,000 or more.
|_| Purchases by an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored Rollover IRA, if the
purchases are made:
(1) through a broker, dealer, bank or registered investment adviser that
has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those
purchases, or
(2) by a direct rollover of a distribution from a qualified Retirement
Plan if the administrator of that Plan has made special arrangements
with the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| Purchases of Class A shares by Retirement Plans that have any of the
following record-keeping arrangements:
(1) The record keeping is performed by Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith,
Inc. ("Merrill Lynch") on a daily valuation basis for the
Retirement Plan. On the date the plan sponsor signs the
record-keeping service agreement with Merrill Lynch, the Plan
must have $3 million or more of its assets invested in (a) mutual
funds, other than those advised or managed by Merrill Lynch Asset
Management, L.P. ("MLAM"), that are made available under a
Service Agreement between Merrill Lynch and the mutual fund's
principal underwriter or distributor, and (b) funds advised or
managed by MLAM (the funds described in (a) and (b) are referred
to as "Applicable Investments").
(2) The record keeping for the Retirement Plan is performed on a daily
valuation basis by a record keeper whose services are provided
under a contract or arrangement between the Retirement Plan and
Merrill Lynch. On the date the plan sponsor signs the record
keeping service agreement with Merrill Lynch, the Plan must have
$3 million or more of its assets (excluding assets invested in
money market funds) invested in Applicable Investments.
(3) The record keeping for a Retirement Plan is handled under a service
agreement with Merrill Lynch and on the date the plan sponsor signs
that agreement, the Plan has 500 or more eligible employees (as
determined by the Merrill Lynch plan conversion manager).
|_| Purchases by a Retirement Plan whose record keeper had a
cost-allocation agreement with the Transfer Agent on or before May 1,
1999.
II. Waivers of Class A Sales Charges of Oppenheimer Funds
A. Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges for Certain
Purchasers.
Class A shares purchased by the following investors are not subject to any Class
A sales charges (and no commissions are paid by the Distributor on such
purchases):
|_| The Manager or its affiliates.
|_| Present or former officers, directors, trustees and employees (and
their "immediate families") of the Fund, the Manager and its
affiliates, and retirement plans established by them for their
employees. The term "immediate family" refers to one's spouse,
children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, parents-in-law,
brothers and sisters, sons- and daughters-in-law, a sibling's
spouse, a spouse's siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews;
relatives by virtue of a remarriage (step-children, step-parents,
etc.) are included.
|_| Registered management investment companies, or separate accounts of
insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or the
Distributor for that purpose.
|_| Dealers or brokers that have a sales agreement with the Distributor, if
they purchase shares for their own accounts or for retirement plans for
their employees.
|_| Employees and registered representatives (and their spouses) of dealers
or brokers described above or financial institutions that have
entered into sales arrangements with such dealers or brokers (and
which are identified as such to the Distributor) or with the
Distributor. The purchaser must certify to the Distributor at the
time of purchase that the purchase is for the purchaser's own
account (or for the benefit of such employee's spouse or minor
children).
|_| Dealers, brokers, banks or registered investment advisors that have
entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically
for the use of shares of the Fund in particular investment products
made available to their clients. Those clients may be charged a
transaction fee by their dealer, broker, bank or advisor for the
purchase or sale of Fund shares.
|_| Investment advisors and financial planners who have entered into an
agreement for this purpose with the Distributor and who charge an
advisory, consulting or other fee for their services and buy shares for
their own accounts or the accounts of their clients.
|_| "Rabbi trusts" that buy shares for their own accounts, if the purchases
are made through a broker or agent or other financial intermediary that
has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| Clients of investment advisors or financial planners (that have entered
into an agreement for this purpose with the Distributor) who buy
shares for their own accounts may also purchase shares without sales
charge but only if their accounts are linked to a master account of
their investment advisor or financial planner on the books and
records of the broker, agent or financial intermediary with which
the Distributor has made such special arrangements . Each of these
investors may be charged a fee by the broker, agent or financial
intermediary for purchasing shares.
|_| Directors, trustees, officers or full-time employees of OpCap Advisors
or its affiliates, their relatives or any trust, pension, profit
sharing or other benefit plan which beneficially owns shares for those
persons.
|_| Accounts for which Oppenheimer Capital (or its successor) is the
investment advisor (the Distributor must be advised of this
arrangement) and persons who are directors or trustees of the company
or trust which is the beneficial owner of such accounts.
|_| A unit investment trust that has entered into an appropriate agreement
with the Distributor.
|_| Dealers, brokers, banks, or registered investment advisers that have
entered into an agreement with the Distributor to sell shares to
defined contribution employee retirement plans for which the dealer,
broker or investment adviser provides administration services.
|_| Retirement Plans and deferred compensation plans and trusts used to
fund those plans (including, for example, plans qualified or created
under sections 401(a), 401(k), 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue
Code), in each case if those purchases are made through a broker, agent
or other financial intermediary that has made special arrangements with
the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| A TRAC-2000 401(k) plan (sponsored by the former Quest for Value
Advisors) whose Class B or Class C shares of a Former Quest for Value
Fund were exchanged for Class A shares of that Fund due to the
termination of the Class B and Class C TRAC-2000 program on November
24, 1995.
|_| A qualified Retirement Plan that had agreed with the former Quest for
Value Advisors to purchase shares of any of the Former Quest for Value
Funds at net asset value, with such shares to be held through
DCXchange, a sub-transfer agency mutual fund clearinghouse, if that
arrangement was consummated and share purchases commenced by December
31, 1996.
B. Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges in Certain
Transactions.
Class A shares issued or purchased in the following transactions are not subject
to sales charges (and no commissions are paid by the Distributor on such
purchases):
|_| Shares issued in plans of reorganization, such as mergers, asset
acquisitions and exchange offers, to which the Fund is a party.
|_| Shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or other
distributions reinvested from the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds
(other than Oppenheimer Cash Reserves) or unit investment trusts for
which reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor.
|_| Shares purchased through a broker-dealer that has entered into a
special agreement with the Distributor to allow the broker's
customers to purchase and pay for shares of Oppenheimer funds using
the proceeds of shares redeemed in the prior 30 days from a mutual
fund (other than a fund managed by the Manager or any of its
subsidiaries) on which an initial sales charge or contingent
deferred sales charge was paid. This waiver also applies to shares
purchased by exchange of shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund,
Inc. that were purchased and paid for in this manner. This waiver
must be requested when the purchase order is placed for shares of
the Fund, and the Distributor may require evidence of qualification
for this waiver.
|_| Shares purchased with the proceeds of maturing principal units of any
Qualified Unit Investment Liquid Trust Series.
|_| Shares purchased by the reinvestment of loan repayments by a
participant in a Retirement Plan for which the Manager or an affiliate
acts as sponsor.
C. Waivers of the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain
Redemptions.
The Class A contingent deferred sales charge is also waived if shares that would
otherwise be subject to the contingent deferred sales charge are redeemed in the
following cases:
|_| To make Automatic Withdrawal Plan payments that are limited annually to
no more than 12% of the account value measured at the time the Plan is
established, adjusted annually.
|_| Involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law or involuntary
redemptions of small accounts (please refer to "Shareholder Account
Rules and Policies," in the applicable fund Prospectus).
|_| For distributions from Retirement Plans, deferred compensation plans or
other employee benefit plans for any of the following purposes:
(1) Following the death or disability (as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code) of the participant or beneficiary. The death or
disability must occur after the participant's account was
established.
(2) To return excess contributions.
(3) To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
(4) Hardship withdrawals, as defined in the plan.8
(5) Under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code, or, in the case of an IRA, a divorce or separation
agreement described in Section 71(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(6) To meet the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue
Code.
(7) To make "substantially equal periodic payments" as described in
Section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(8) For loans to participants or beneficiaries.
(9) Separation from service.9
(10)Participant-directed redemptions to purchase shares of a mutual
fund (other than a fund managed by the Manager or a subsidiary of the
Manager) if the plan has made special arrangements with the
Distributor.
(11) Plan termination or "in-service distributions," if the redemption
proceeds are rolled over directly to an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored IRA.
|_| For distributions from Retirement Plans having 500 or more eligible
employees, except distributions due to termination of all of the
Oppenheimer funds as an investment option under the Plan.
|_| For distributions from 401(k) plans sponsored by broker-dealers that
have entered into a special agreement with the Distributor allowing
this waiver.
III. Waivers of Class B and Class C Sales Charges of Oppenheimer Funds
The Class B and Class C contingent deferred sales charges will not be applied to
shares purchased in certain types of transactions or redeemed in certain
circumstances described below.
A. Waivers for Redemptions in Certain Cases.
The Class B and Class C contingent deferred sales charges will be waived for
redemptions of shares in the following cases: |_| Shares redeemed involuntarily,
as described in "Shareholder Account
Rules and Policies," in the applicable Prospectus.
|_| Redemptions from accounts other than Retirement Plans following the
death or disability of the last surviving shareholder, including a
trustee of a grantor trust or revocable living trust for which the
trustee is also the sole beneficiary. The death or disability must have
occurred after the account was established, and for disability you must
provide evidence of a determination of disability by the Social
Security Administration.
|_| Distributions from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has
entered into a special agreement with the Distributor allowing this
waiver.
|_| Redemptions of Class B shares held by Retirement Plans whose records
are maintained on a daily valuation basis by Merrill Lynch or an
independent record keeper under a contract with Merrill Lynch.
|_| Redemptions of Class C shares of Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust from
accounts of clients of financial institutions that have entered into a
special arrangement with the Distributor for this purpose.
|_| Redemptions requested in writing by a Retirement Plan sponsor of Class
C shares of an Oppenheimer fund in amounts of $1 million or more held
by the Retirement Plan for more than one year, if the redemption
proceeds are invested in Class A shares of one or more Oppenheimer
funds.
|_| Distributions from Retirement Plans or other employee benefit plans for
any of the following purposes:
(1) Following the death or disability (as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code) of the participant or beneficiary. The death or
disability must occur after the participant's account was
established in an Oppenheimer fund.
(2) To return excess contributions made to a participant's account.
(3) To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
(4) To make hardship withdrawals, as defined in the plan.10
(5) To make distributions required under a Qualified Domestic Relations
Order or, in the case of an IRA, a divorce or separation
agreement described in Section 71(b) of the Internal Revenue
Code.
(6) To meet the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue
Code.
(7) To make "substantially equal periodic payments" as described in
Section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(8) For loans to participants or beneficiaries.11 (9) On account of the
participant's separation from service.12 (10) Participant-directed redemptions
to purchase shares of a mutual fund
(other than a fund managed by the Manager or a subsidiary of the
Manager) offered as an investment option in a Retirement Plan if
the plan has made special arrangements with the Distributor.
(11) Distributions made on account of a plan termination or
"in-service" distributions," if the redemption proceeds are
rolled over directly to an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored IRA.
(12) Distributions from Retirement Plans having 500 or more eligible
employees, but excluding distributions made because of the
Plan's elimination as investment options under the Plan of all
of the Oppenheimer funds that had been offered.
(13) For distributions from a participant's account under an
Automatic Withdrawal Plan after the participant reaches age 59
1/2, as long as the aggregate value of the distributions does
not exceed 10% of the account's value annually (measured from
the establishment of the Automatic Withdrawal Plan).
|_|Redemptions of Class B shares or Class C shares under an Automatic
Withdrawal Plan from an account other than a Retirement Plan if the
aggregate value of the redeemed shares does not exceed 10% of the
account's value annually.
B. Waivers for Shares Sold or Issued in Certain Transactions.
The contingent deferred sales charge is also waived on Class B and Class C
shares sold or issued in the following cases: |_| Shares sold to the Manager or
its affiliates.
|_| Shares sold to registered management investment companies or separate
accounts of insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or
the Distributor for that purpose.
|_| Shares issued in plans of reorganization to which the Fund is a party. |_|
Shares sold to present or former officers, directors, trustees or
employees (and their "immediate families" as defined above in
Section I.A.) of the Fund, the Manager and its affiliates and
retirement plans established by them for their employees.
IV. Special Sales Charge Arrangements for Shareholders of Certain Oppenheimer
Funds Who Were Shareholders of Former
Quest for Value Funds
The initial and contingent deferred sales charge rates and waivers for Class A,
Class B and Class C shares described in the Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information of the Oppenheimer funds are modified as described below
for certain persons who were shareholders of the former Quest for Value Funds.
To be eligible, those persons must have been shareholders on November 24, 1995,
when OppenheimerFunds, Inc. became the investment advisor to those former Quest
for Value Funds. Those funds include:
<PAGE>
Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc. Oppenheimer Quest Small Cap
Value Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value Fund Oppenheimer Quest Global Value
Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value
Fund
These arrangements also apply to shareholders of the following funds when
they merged (were reorganized) into various Oppenheimer funds on November 24,
1995:
Quest for Value U.S. Government Quest for Value New York Tax-Exempt
Income Fund Fund
Quest for Value Investment Quality Quest for Value National Tax-Exempt
Income Fund Fund
Quest for Value Global Income Fund Quest for Value California Tax-Exempt
Fund
All of the funds listed above are referred to in this Appendix as the
"Former Quest for Value Funds." The waivers of initial and contingent deferred
sales charges described in this Appendix apply to shares of an Oppenheimer fund
that are either:
|_| acquired by such shareholder pursuant to an exchange of shares of an
Oppenheimer fund that was one of the Former Quest for Value Funds or
|_| purchased by such shareholder by exchange of shares of another
Oppenheimer fund that were acquired pursuant to the merger of any of
the Former Quest for Value Funds into that other Oppenheimer fund on
November 24, 1995.
A. Reductions or Waivers of Class A Sales Charges.
|X| Reduced Class A Initial Sales Charge Rates for Certain Former Quest
for Value Funds Shareholders.
Purchases by Groups and Associations. The following table sets forth the initial
sales charge rates for Class A shares purchased by members of "Associations"
formed for any purpose other than the purchase of securities. The rates in the
table apply if that Association purchased shares of any of the Former Quest for
Value Funds or received a proposal to purchase such shares from OCC Distributors
prior to November 24, 1995.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Sales Initial Sales
Number of Eligible Charge as a % of Charge as a % of Commission as %
Employees or Members Offering Price Net Amount Invested of Offering Price
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 or Fewer 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least 10 but not 2.00% 2.04% 1.60%
more than 49
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For purchases by Associations having 50 or more eligible employees or
members, there is no initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares, but
those shares are subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge
described in the applicable fund's Prospectus.
Purchases made under this arrangement qualify for the lower of either the
sales charge rate in the table based on the number of members of an Association,
or the sales charge rate that applies under the Right of Accumulation described
in the applicable fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
Individuals who qualify under this arrangement for reduced sales charge rates as
members of Associations also may purchase shares for their individual or
custodial accounts at these reduced sales charge rates, upon request to the
Distributor.
|X| Waiver of Class A Sales Charges for Certain Shareholders. Class A
shares purchased by the following investors are not subject to any Class A
initial or contingent deferred sales charges:
|_| Shareholders who were shareholders of the AMA Family of Funds on
February 28, 1991 and who acquired shares of any of the Former Quest
for Value Funds by merger of a portfolio of the AMA Family of Funds.
|_| Shareholders who acquired shares of any Former Quest for Value Fund by
merger of any of the portfolios of the Unified Funds.
|X| Waiver of Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge in Certain
Transactions. The Class A contingent deferred sales charge will not apply to
redemptions of Class A shares purchased by the following investors who were
shareholders of any Former Quest for Value Fund:
Investors who purchased Class A shares from a dealer that is or was not
permitted to receive a sales load or redemption fee imposed on a shareholder
with whom that dealer has a fiduciary relationship, under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and regulations adopted under that law.
B. Class A, Class B and Class C Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers.
|X| Waivers for Redemptions of Shares Purchased Prior to March 6, 1995. In
the following cases, the contingent deferred sales charge will be waived for
redemptions of Class A, Class B or Class C shares of an Oppenheimer fund. The
shares must have been acquired by the merger of a Former Quest for Value Fund
into the fund or by exchange from an Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Quest
for Value Fund or into which such fund merged. Those shares must have been
purchased prior to March 6, 1995 in connection with:
|_| withdrawals under an automatic withdrawal plan holding only either
Class B or Class C shares if the annual withdrawal does not exceed 10%
of the initial value of the account, and
|_| liquidation of a shareholder's account if the aggregate net asset value
of shares held in the account is less than the required minimum value
of such accounts.
|X| Waivers for Redemptions of Shares Purchased on or After March 6, 1995
but Prior to November 24, 1995. In the following cases, the contingent deferred
sales charge will be waived for redemptions of Class A, Class B or Class C
shares of an Oppenheimer fund. The shares must have been acquired by the merger
of a Former Quest for Value Fund into the fund or by exchange from an
Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Quest For Value Fund or into which such
Former Quest for Value Fund merged. Those shares must have been purchased on or
after March 6, 1995, but prior to November 24, 1995: |_| redemptions following
the death or disability of the shareholder(s) (as
evidenced by a determination of total disability by the U.S. Social
Security Administration);
|_| withdrawals under an automatic withdrawal plan (but only for Class B or
Class C shares) where the annual withdrawals do not exceed 10% of the
initial value of the account; and
|_| liquidation of a shareholder's account if the aggregate net asset value
of shares held in the account is less than the required minimum account
value.
A shareholder's account will be credited with the amount of any contingent
deferred sales charge paid on the redemption of any Class A, Class B or Class C
shares of the Oppenheimer fund described in this section if the proceeds are
invested in the same Class of shares in that fund or another Oppenheimerfund
within 90 days after redemption.
V. Special Sales Charge Arrangements for Shareholders of Certain
Oppenheimer Funds Who Were Shareholders of Connecticut Mutual Investment
Accounts, Inc.
The initial and contingent deferred sale charge rates and waivers for Class A
and Class B shares described in the respective Prospectus (or this Appendix) of
the following Oppenheimer funds (each is referred to as a "Fund" in this
section):
o Oppenheimer U. S. Government Trust,
o Oppenheimer Bond Fund,
o Oppenheimer Disciplined Value Fund and
o Oppenheimer Disciplined Allocation Fund
are modified as described below for those Fund shareholders who were
shareholders of the following funds (referred to as the "Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds") on March 1, 1996, when OppenheimerFunds, Inc. became the
investment adviser to the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds:
Connecticut Mutual Liquid Account Connecticut Mutual Total Return
Account
Connecticut Mutual Government Securities CMIA LifeSpan Capital Appreciation
Account Account
Connecticut Mutual Income Account CMIA LifeSpan Balanced Account
Connecticut Mutual Growth Account CMIA Diversified Income Account
A. Prior Class A CDSC and Class A Sales Charge Waivers.
|X| Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Certain shareholders of a
Fund and the other Former Connecticut Mutual Funds are entitled to continue to
make additional purchases of Class A shares at net asset value without a Class A
initial sales charge, but subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales
charge that was in effect prior to March 18, 1996 (the "prior Class A CDSC").
Under the prior Class A CDSC, if any of those shares are redeemed within one
year of purchase, they will be assessed a 1% contingent deferred sales charge on
an amount equal to the current market value or the original purchase price of
the shares sold, whichever is smaller (in such redemptions, any shares not
subject to the prior Class A CDSC will be redeemed first).
Those shareholders who are eligible for the prior Class A CDSC are: (1)
persons whose purchases of Class A shares of a Fund and other Former
Connecticut Mutual Funds were $500,000 prior to March 18, 1996, as a
result of direct purchases or purchases pursuant to the Fund's policies
on Combined Purchases or Rights of Accumulation, who still hold those
shares in that Fund or other Former Connecticut Mutual Funds, and
(2) persons whose intended purchases under a Statement of Intention entered
into prior to March 18, 1996, with the former general distributor of
the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds to purchase shares valued at
$500,000 or more over a 13-month period entitled those persons to
purchase shares at net asset value without being subject to the Class A
initial sales charge.
Any of the Class A shares of a Fund and the other Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds that were purchased at net asset value prior to March 18,
1996, remain subject to the prior Class A CDSC, or if any additional
shares are purchased by those shareholders at net asset value pursuant to
this arrangement they will be subject to the prior Class A CDSC.
|X| Class A Sales Charge Waivers. Additional Class A shares of a Fund may
be purchased without a sales charge, by a person who was in one (or
more) of the categories below and acquired Class A shares prior to
March 18, 1996, and still holds Class A shares:
any purchaser, provided the total initial amount invested in the Fund or
any one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds totaled $500,000 or
more, including investments made pursuant to the Combined Purchases,
Statement of Intention and Rights of Accumulation features available at
the time of the initial purchase and such investment is still held in one
or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds or a Fund into which such
Fund merged;
(1) any participant in a qualified plan, provided that the total initial
amount invested by the plan in the Fund or any one or more of the
Former Connecticut Mutual Funds totaled $500,000 or more;
(2) Directors of the Fund or any one or more of the Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds and members of their immediate families;
(3) employee benefit plans sponsored by Connecticut Mutual Financial
Services, L.L.C. ("CMFS"), the prior distributor of the Former
Connecticut Mutual Funds, and its affiliated companies;
(4) one or more members of a group of at least 1,000 persons (and persons
who are retirees from such group) engaged in a common business,
profession, civic or charitable endeavor or other activity, and the
spouses and minor dependent children of such persons, pursuant to a
marketing program between CMFS and such group; and
(5) an institution acting as a fiduciary on behalf of an individual or
individuals, if such institution was directly compensated by the
individual(s) for recommending the purchase of the shares of the Fund
or any one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds, provided the
institution had an agreement with CMFS.
Purchases of Class A shares made pursuant to (1) and (2) above may be
subject to the Class A CDSC of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds described
above.
Additionally, Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased without a sales
charge by any holder of a variable annuity contract issued in New York State by
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company through the Panorama Separate Account
which is beyond the applicable surrender charge period and which was used to
fund a qualified plan, if that holder exchanges the variable annuity contract
proceeds to buy Class A shares of the Fund.
B. Class A and Class B Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers.
In addition to the waivers set forth in the Prospectus and in this Appendix,
above, the contingent deferred sales charge will be waived for redemptions of
Class A and Class B shares of a Fund and exchanges of Class A or Class B shares
of a Fund into Class A or Class B shares of a Former Connecticut Mutual Fund
provided that the Class A or Class B shares of the Fund to be redeemed or
exchanged were (i) acquired prior to March 18, 1996 or (ii) were acquired by
exchange from an Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Connecticut Mutual Fund.
Additionally, the shares of such Former Connecticut Mutual Fund must have been
purchased prior to March 18, 1996:
(1) by the estate of a deceased shareholder;
(2) upon the disability of a shareholder, as defined in Section 72(m)(7) of
the Internal Revenue Code;
(3) for retirement distributions (or loans) to participants or
beneficiaries from retirement plans qualified under Sections 401(a) or
403(b)(7)of the Code, or from IRAs, deferred compensation plans created
under Section 457 of the Code, or other employee benefit plans;
(4) as tax-free returns of excess contributions to such retirement or
employee benefit plans;
(5) in whole or in part, in connection with shares sold to any state,
county, or city, or any instrumentality, department, authority, or
agency thereof, that is prohibited by applicable investment laws from
paying a sales charge or commission in connection with the purchase of
shares of any registered investment management company;
(6) in connection with the redemption of shares of the Fund due to a
combination with another investment company by virtue of a merger,
acquisition or similar reorganization transaction;
(7) in connection with the Fund's right to involuntarily redeem or
liquidate the Fund;
(8) in connection with automatic redemptions of Class A shares and Class B
shares in certain retirement plan accounts pursuant to an Automatic
Withdrawal Plan but limited to no more than 12% of the original value
annually; or
(9) as involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law, or under
procedures set forth in the Fund's Articles of Incorporation, or as
adopted by the Board of Directors of the Fund.
VI. Special Reduced Sales Charge for Former Shareholders of
Advance America Funds, Inc.
Shareholders of Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund, Oppenheimer U.S. Government
Trust, Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund and Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund who
acquired (and still hold) shares of those funds as a result of the
reorganization of series of Advance America Funds, Inc. into those Oppenheimer
funds on October 18, 1991, and who held shares of Advance America Funds, Inc. on
March 30, 1990, may purchase Class A shares of those four Oppenheimer funds at a
maximum sales charge rate of 4.50%.
VII. Sales Charge Waivers on Purchases of Class M Shares of
Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund
Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund (referred to as the "Fund" in this
section) may sell Class M shares at net asset value without any initial sales
charge to the classes of investors listed below who, prior to March 11, 1996,
owned shares of the Fund's then-existing Class A and were permitted to purchase
those shares at net asset value without sales charge:
|_| the Manager and its affiliates,
|_| present or former officers, directors, trustees and employees (and
their "immediate families" as defined in the Fund's Statement of
Additional Information) of the Fund, the Manager and its affiliates,
and retirement plans established by them or the prior investment
advisor of the Fund for their employees,
|_| registered management investment companies or separate accounts of
insurance companies that had an agreement with the Fund's prior
investment advisor or distributor for that purpose,
|_| dealers or brokers that have a sales agreement with the Distributor, if
they purchase shares for their own accounts or for retirement plans for
their employees,
|_| employees and registered representatives (and their spouses) of dealers
or brokers described in the preceding section or financial institutions
that have entered into sales arrangements with those dealers or brokers
(and whose identity is made known to the Distributor) or with the
Distributor, but only if the purchaser certifies to the Distributor at
the time of purchase that the purchaser meets these qualifications,
|_| dealers, brokers, or registered investment advisors that had entered
into an agreement with the Distributor or the prior distributor of the
Fund specifically providing for the use of Class M shares of the Fund
in specific investment products made available to their clients, and
|_| dealers, brokers or registered investment advisors that had entered
into an agreement with the Distributor or prior distributor of the
Fund's shares to sell shares to defined contribution employee
retirement plans for which the dealer, broker, or investment advisor
provides administrative services.
<PAGE>
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Oppenheimer Insured Municipal Fund
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Internet Web Site:
www.oppenheimerfunds.com
Investment Adviser
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Distributor
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Transfer Agent
OppenheimerFunds Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217-5270
1-800-525-7048
Custodian Bank
Citibank, N.A.
399 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10043
Independent Auditors
Deloitte & Touche LLP
555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3600
Denver, Colorado 80202-3942
Legal Counsel
Myer, Swanson, Adams & Wolf, P.C.
1600 Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80202
67890
PX0865.00
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1Ms. Macaskill and Mr. Bowen are not Trustees or Directors of Oppenheimer
Integrity Funds, Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund, Panorama Series Fund,
Inc. or Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds. Mr. Fossel and Mr. Bowen are not
Trustees of Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust or Managing General Partners
of Centennial America Fund, L.P.
2 Not a Trustee of Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial New York Tax
Exempt Trust, Centennial Money Market Trust, Centennial Government Trust,
Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial America Fund, L.P.,
Oppenheimer Main Street Funds, Inc., Oppenheimer Cash Reserves, or
Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund.
3 Not a Trustee of Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund, Oppenheimer Integrity
Fund, Oppenheimer Variable Account Funds, Centennial New York Tax-Exempt Trust,
or a director of Panorama Series Fund, Inc. nor a Managing General Partner of
Centennial America Fund, L.P. In bios for these funds, George Bowen is a
"trustee or director and an officer of other Oppenheimer funds."
*Trustee who is an "interested person" of the Fund and of the Manager.
4Not a Trustee of Centennial New York Tax-Exempt Trust nor a Managing General
Partner of Centennial America Fund, L.P.
5Not a Trustee of Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund, Oppenheimer Variable
Account Funds, Oppenheimer Integrity Funds, or a director of Panorama Series
Fund, Inc.
*Trustee who is an "interested person" of the Fund and of the Manager. 6In
accordance with Rule 126-1 of the Investment Company Act, the term "Independent
Trustees" in this Statement of Additional Information refers to the Trustees who
are not "interested persons" of the Fund (or its parent trust) and who do not
have any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the
distribution plan or any agreement under the plan. 7 However, that commission
will not be paid on purchases of shares in amounts of $1 million or more
(including any right of accumulation) by a Retirement Plan that pays for the
purchase with the redemption proceeds of Class C shares of one or more
Oppenheimer funds held by the Plan for more than one year.
8 This provision does not apply to IRAs.
9 This provision does not apply to 403(b)(7) custodial plans if the
participant is less than age 55, nor to IRAs.
10 This provision does not apply to IRAs.
11 This provision does not apply to loans from 403(b)(7) custodial plans. 12
This provision does not apply to 403(b)(7) custodial plans if the participant is
less than age 55, nor to IRAs.
<PAGE>
OPPENHEIMER INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL FUND
Supplement dated February 16, 2000 to the
Prospectus dated January 28, 2000
The Prospectus is changed as follows:
1. The paragraph titled "Illiquid and Restricted Securities" within the section
"Other Investment Strategies " on page eleven is deleted and replaced with the
following:
Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Investments may be illiquid because
they do not have an active trading market, making it difficult to value
them or dispose of them promptly at an acceptable price. Restricted
securities may have terms that limit their resale to other investors or
may require registration under federal securities laws before they can be
sold publicly. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in
illiquid or restricted securities. Certain restricted securities that are
eligible for resale to qualified institutional purchasers may not be
subject to that limit. The Manager monitors holdings of illiquid
securities on an ongoing basis to determine whether to sell any holdings
to maintain adequate liquidity.
February 16, 2000 860ps.013
