_____________________________________________________________________________
PROSPECTUS September 8, 1995
GENERAL NEW YORK MUNICIPAL MONEY MARKET FUND
_____________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL NEW YORK MUNICIPAL MONEY MARKET FUND (THE "FUND") IS AN
OPEN-END, NON-DIVERSIFIED, MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY, KNOWN AS A MONEY
MARKET MUTUAL FUND. ITS GOAL IS TO MAXIMIZE CURRENT INCOME EXEMPT FROM
FEDERAL, NEW YORK STATE AND NEW YORK CITY INCOME TAXES TO THE EXTENT
CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESERVATION OF CAPITAL AND THE MAINTENANCE OF LIQUIDITY.
YOU CAN INVEST, REINVEST OR REDEEM SHARES AT ANY TIME WITHOUT CHARGE
OR PENALTY IMPOSED BY THE FUND.
THE DREYFUS CORPORATION PROFESSIONALLY MANAGES THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO.
THE FUND'S SHARES MAY BE PURCHASED ONLY BY CLIENTS OF SERVICE AGENTS
AS DESCRIBED HEREIN. BY THIS PROSPECTUS, THE FUND IS OFFERING CLASS A AND
CLASS B SHARES. CLASS A SHARES AND CLASS B SHARES ARE IDENTICAL, EXCEPT AS TO
THE SERVICES OFFERED TO AND THE EXPENSES BORNE BY EACH CLASS. CLASS B SHARES
BEAR CERTAIN COSTS PURSUANT TO A PLAN ADOPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 12B-1
UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940.
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NEITHER INSURED NOR GUARANTEED BY THE
U.S. GOVERNMENT. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE FUND WILL BE ABLE TO
MAINTAIN A STABLE NET ASSET VALUE OF $1.00 PER SHARE.
THIS PROSPECTUS SETS FORTH CONCISELY INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND THAT
YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE INVESTING. IT SHOULD BE READ AND RETAINED FOR FUTURE
REFERENCE.
THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, DATED SEPTEMBER 8, 1995,
WHICH MAY BE REVISED FROM TIME TO TIME, PROVIDES A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF
CERTAIN AREAS IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND OTHER MATTERS WHICH MAY BE OF INTEREST
TO SOME INVESTORS. IT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION AND IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. FOR A FREE COPY, WRITE TO
THE FUND AT 144 GLENN CURTISS BOULEVARD, UNIONDALE, NEW YORK 11556-0144, OR
CALL 1-800-645-6561. WHEN TELEPHONING, ASK FOR OPERATOR 144.
MUTUAL FUND SHARES ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED
OR ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK, AND ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL
DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER
AGENCY.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Annual Fund Operating Expenses.................... 3
Condensed Financial Information................... 4
Yield Information................................. 4
Description of the Fund........................... 5
Management of the Fund............................ 11
How to Buy Fund Shares............................ 12
Shareholder Services.............................. 14
How to Redeem Fund Shares......................... 17
Distribution Plan................................. 20
Shareholder Services Plans........................ 20
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes................ 20
General Information............................... 22
_______________________________________________________________________________
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS
A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
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[This Page Intentionally Left Blank]
Page 2
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(as a percentage of average daily net assets)
CLASS A CLASS B
SHARES SHARES
----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
Management Fees..................................................... .50% .50%
12b-1 Fees.......................................................... None .20%
Other Expenses...................................................... .16% .39%
Total Fund Operating Expenses....................................... .66% 1.09%
EXAMPLE:
You would pay the following
expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming
(1) 5% annual return and (2) redemption at
the end of each time period:
1 YEAR $ 7 $ 11
3 YEARS $ 21 $ 35
5 YEARS $ 37 $ 60
10 YEARS $ 82 $133
</TABLE>
______________________________________________________________________________
THE AMOUNTS LISTED IN THE EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS REPRE-
SENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE EXPENSES AND ACTUAL EXPENSES MAY BE GREATER OR
LESS THAN THOSE INDICATED. MOREOVER, WHILE THE EXAMPLE ASSUMES A 5% ANNUAL
RETURN, THE FUND'S ACTUAL PERFORMANCE WILL VARY AND MAY RESULT IN AN ACTUAL
RETURN GREATER OR LESS THAN 5%.
______________________________________________________________________________
The purpose of the foregoing table is to assist you in understanding
the costs and expenses borne by the Fund, and therefore indirectly by
investors, the payment of which will reduce investors' annual return. The
information in the foregoing table does not reflect any fee waivers or
expense reimbursement arrangements that may be in effect. Other Expenses for
Class B are based on amounts for Class A for the Fund's last fiscal year.
Certain Service Agents (as defined below) may charge their clients direct
fees for effecting transactions in Fund shares; such fees are not reflected
in the foregoing table. See "Management of the Fund," "How to Buy Fund
Shares," "Distribution Plan" and "Shareholder Services Plans."
Page 3
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The information in the following table has been audited (except where
noted) by Ernst & Young LLP, the Fund's independent auditors, whose report
thereon appears in the Statement of Additional Information. Further financial
data and related notes for Class A are included in the Statement of
Additional Information, available upon request. No financial information is
available for Class B shares, which had not been offered as of the date of
this Prospectus.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Contained below is per share operating performance data for a Class A
share of beneficial interest outstanding, total investment return, ratios to
average net assets and other supplemental data for each year indicated. This
information has been derived from the Fund's financial statements.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED NOVEMBER 30, SIX MONTHS ENDED
_________________________________________________________________ MAY 31,1995
1987(1) 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 (UNAUDITED)
------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- _______________
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE DATA:
Net asset value, beginning of period...... $1.0000 $ .9972 $ .9989 $ .9991 $ .9999 $ .9999 $1.0000 $1.0000 $ .9999
------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- _______________
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Investment income-net...................... .0419 .0426 .0523 .0561 .0436 .0275 .0198 .0232 .0167
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on investments............................. (.0028) .0017 .0002 .0008 -- .0001 -- (.0001) --
------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- _______________
TOTAL FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS........... .0391 .0443 .0525 .0569 .0436 .0276 .0198 .0231 .0167
------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- _______________
DISTRIBUTIONS:
Dividends from investment income-net (.0419) (.0426) (.0523) (.0561) (.0436) (.0275) (.0198) (.0232) (.0167)
------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- _______________
Net asset value, end of period.............$ .9972 $ .9989 $ .9991 $ .9999 $ .9999 $1.0000 $1.0000 $ .9999 $ .9999
------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- _______________
TOTAL INVESTMENT RETURN...................... 4.28%(2) 4.34% 5.36% 5.76% 4.45% 2.78% 2.00% 2.34% 3.37%(2)
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Ratio of expenses to average
net assets................................. .11% .50% .75% -- .09% .25% .32% .34% .52%(2)
Ratio of net investment income
to average net assets...................... 4.28% 4.22% 5.97% 5.58% 4.44% 2.99% 1.98% 2.33% 3.35%(2)
Decrease reflected in above expense
ratios due to undertakings by
The Dreyfus Corporation.................... .73% .27% .15% .66% .55% .38% .35% .32% .11%(2)
Net Assets, end of period
(000's omitted)............................$54,782 $62,140 $49,335 $500,947 $586,933 $630,899 $612,441 $689,918 $657,766
(1) From December 2, 1986 (commencement of operations) to November 30, 1987.
(2) Annualized.
</TABLE>
YIELD INFORMATION
From time to time, the Fund advertises its yield and effective yield.
Both yield figures are based on historical earnings and are not intended to
indicate future performance. It can be expected that these yields will
fluctuate substantially. The yield of the Fund refers to the income generated
by an investment in the Fund over a seven-day period (which period will be
stated in the advertisement). This income is then annualized. That is, the
amount of income generated by the investment during that week is assumed to
be generated each week over a 52-week period and is shown as a percentage of
the investment. The effective yield is calculated similarly, but, when
annualized, the income earned by an investment in the Fund is assumed to be
reinvested. The effective yield will be slightly higher than the yield
because of the compounding effect of this assumed reinvestment. The Fund's
yield and effective yield may reflect absorbed expenses pursuant to any
undertaking that may be in effect. See "Management of the Fund."
Tax equivalent yield is calculated by determining the pre-tax yield
which, after being taxed at a stated rate, would be equivalent to a stated
yield or effective yield calculated as described above.
Page 4
Yield information is useful in reviewing the Fund's performance, but
because yields will fluctuate, such information under certain conditions may
not provide a basis for comparison with domestic bank deposits, other
investments which pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time, or other
investment companies which may use a different method of computing yield.
Comparative performance information may be used from time to time in
advertising or marketing the Fund's shares, including data from Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc., Bank Rate Monitortrademark, N. Palm Beach, Fla.
33408, IBC/Donoghue's Money Fund ReportRegistration Mark, Morningstar, Inc.
and other industry publications.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND
GENERAL - By this Prospectus, two classes of shares of the Fund are being
offered-Class A shares and Class B shares (each such class being referred to
as a "Class"). The Classes are identical, except for the services offered to
and expenses borne by each Class. Class B shares bear certain costs pursuant
to a distribution plan adopted by the Fund's Board of Trustees. See
"Distribution Plan" and "Shareholder Services Plans." In addition, Class B
shares are charged directly for sub-accounting services provided by Service
Agents at the annual rate of .05% of the value of the average daily net
assets of Class B. The sub-accounting fee paid by Class B, together with
amounts payable pursuant to the Distribution Plan and Shareholder Services
Plan, will cause Class B to have a higher expense ratio and to pay lower
dividends than Class A. You should consult your Service Agent to determine
which Class is offered by the Service Agent.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE - The Fund's goal is to maximize current income exempt
from Federal, New York State and New York City income taxes to the extent
consistent with the preservation of capital and the maintenance of liquidity.
To accomplish this goal, the Fund invests primarily in debt securities of the
State of New York, its political subdivisions, authorities and corporations,
the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer,
exempt from Federal, New York State and New York City income taxes
(collectively, "New York Municipal Obligations"). To the extent acceptable
New York Municipal Obligations are at any time unavailable for investment by
the Fund, the Fund will invest temporarily in other debt securities the in-
terest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, exempt
from Federal, but not New York State and New York City, income tax. The Fund's
investment objective cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a
majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund's out-
standing voting shares. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment
objective will be achieved. Securities in which the Fund will invest may not
earn as high a level of current income as long-term or lower quality
securities which generally have less liquidity, greater market risk and more
fluctuation in market value.
MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS - Debt securities the interest from which is, in the
opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, exempt from Federal income tax
("Municipal Obligations") generally include debt obligations issued to obtain
funds for various public purposes as well as certain industrial development
bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities. Municipal Obligations are
classified as general obligation bonds, revenue bonds and notes. General
obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its faith, credit and
taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue bonds are
payable from the revenue derived from a particular facility or class of
facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other
specific revenue source, but not from the general taxing power. Tax exempt
industrial development bonds, in most cases, are revenue bonds that generally
do not carry the pledge of the credit of the issuing municipality, but
generally are guaranteed by the corporate entity on whose behalf they are
issued. Notes are short-term instruments which are obligations of the issuing
municipalities or agencies and are sold in anticipation of a bond sale,
collection of taxes or receipt of other revenues. Municipal Obligations
include municipal lease/purchase agreements which are similar to
Page 5
installment purchase contracts for property or equipment issued by
municipalities. Municipal Obligations bear fixed, floating or variable rates
of interest.
MANAGEMENT POLICIES - It is a fundamental policy of the Fund that it will
invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (except when maintaining a
temporary defensive position) in Municipal Obligations. Under normal
circumstances, at least 65% of the value of the Fund's net assets will be
invested in New York Municipal Obligations and the remainder may be invested
in securities that are not New York Municipal Obligations and therefore may
be subject to New York State and New York City income taxes. See "Risk
Factors_Investing in New York Municipal Obligations" below, and "Dividends,
Distributions and Taxes."
The Fund seeks to maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share for
purchases and redemptions. To do so, the Fund uses the amortized cost method
of valuing its securities pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, certain requirements of which are summarized as follows. In
accordance with Rule 2a-7, the Fund will maintain a dollar-weighted average
portfolio maturity of 90 days or less, purchase only instruments having
remaining maturities of 13 months or less and invest only in U.S. dollar
denominated securities determined in accordance with procedures established
by the Board of Trustees to present minimal credit risks and which are rated
in one of the two highest rating categories for debt obligations by at least
two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (or one rating
organization if the instrument was rated only by one such organization) or,
if unrated, are of comparable quality as determined in accordance with
procedures established by the Board of Trustees. The nationally recognized
statistical rating organizations currently rating investments of the type the
Fund may purchase are Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), Standard &
Poor's Corporation ("S&P") and Fitch Investors Service, Inc. ("Fitch") and
their rating criteria are described in Appendix B to the Fund's Statement of
Additional Information. For further information regarding the amortized cost
method of valuing securities, see "Determination of Net Asset Value" in the
Fund's Statement of Additional Information. There can be no assurance that
the Fund will be able to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per
share.
The Fund may invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in
Municipal Obligations which are related in such a way that an economic,
business or political development or change affecting one such security also
would affect the other securities; for example, securities the interest upon
which is paid from revenues of similar types of projects. As a result, the
Fund may be subject to greater risk as compared to a fund that does not
follow this practice.
From time to time, the Fund may invest more than 25% of the value of
its total assets in industrial development bonds which, although issued by
industrial development authorities, may be backed only by the assets and
revenues of the non-governmental users. Interest on Municipal Obligations
(including certain industrial development bonds) which are specified private
activity bonds, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), issued after August 7, 1986, while exempt from Federal income
tax, is a preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. Where
a regulated investment company receives such interest, a proportionate share
of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the investment company may be treated
as such a preference item to shareholders. The Fund may invest without
limitation in such Municipal Obligations if The Dreyfus Corporation
determines that their purchase is consistent with the Fund's investment
objective.
The Fund may purchase floating and variable rate demand notes and
bonds, which are tax exempt obligations ordinarily having stated maturities
in excess of 13 months, but which permit the holder to demand payment of
principal at any time or at specified intervals not exceeding 13 months, in
each case upon not more than 30 days' notice. Variable rate demand notes
include master demand notes which
Page 6
are obligations that permit the Fund to invest fluctuating amounts, at varying
rates of interest, pursuant to direct arrangements between the Fund, as lender,
and the borrower. The interest rates on these obligations fluctuate from time
to time. These obligations permit daily changes in the amounts borrowed.
Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit
support arrangements provided by banks. Use of letters of credit or other
credit support arrangements will not adversely affect the tax exempt status of
these obligations. Because these obligations are direct lending arrangements
between the lender and borrower, it is not contemplated that such instruments
generally will be traded, and there generally is no established secondary
market for these obligations, although they are redeemable at face value plus
accrued interest. Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured by
letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the Fund's right to
redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay principal and
interest on demand. Each obligation purchased by the Fund will meet the
quality criteria established for the purchase of Municipal Obligations. The
Dreyfus Corporation, on behalf of the Fund, will consider on an ongoing basis
the creditworthiness of the issuers of the floating and variable rate demand
obligations in the Fund's portfolio.
The Fund may purchase from financial institutions participation
interests in Municipal Obligations (such as industrial development bonds and
municipal lease/purchase agreements). A participation interest gives the Fund
an undivided interest in the Municipal Obligation in the proportion that the
Fund's participation interest bears to the total principal amount of the
Municipal Obligation. These instruments may have fixed, floating or variable
rates of interest, with remaining maturities of 13 months or less. If the
participation interest is unrated or has been given a rating below that which
otherwise is permissible for purchase by the Fund, it will be backed by an
irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of a bank that the Board of
Trustees has determined meets the prescribed quality standards for banks set
forth below, or the payment obligation otherwise will be collateralized by
U.S. Government securities. For certain participation interests, the Fund
will have the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days' notice,
for all or any part of the Fund's participation interest in the Municipal
Obligation, plus accrued interest. As to these instruments, the Fund intends
to exercise its right to demand payment only upon a default under the terms
of the Municipal Obligation, as needed to provide liquidity to meet
redemptions, or to maintain or improve the quality of its investment
portfolio.
The Fund may purchase tender option bonds. A tender option bond is a
Municipal Obligation (generally held pursuant to a custodial arrangement)
having a relatively long maturity and bearing interest at a fixed rate
substantially higher than prevailing short-term tax exempt rates, that has
been coupled with the agreement of a third party, such as a bank,
broker-dealer or other financial institution, pursuant to which such
institution grants the security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to
tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value
thereof. As consideration for providing the option, the financial institution
receives periodic fees equal to the difference between the Municipal
Obligation's fixed coupon rate and the rate, as determined by a remarketing
or similar agent at or near the commencement of such period, that would cause
the securities, coupled with the tender option, to trade at par on the date
of such determination. Thus, after payment of this fee, the security holder
effectively holds a demand obligation that bears interest at the prevailing
short-term tax exempt rate. The Dreyfus Corporation, on behalf of the Fund,
will consider on an ongoing basis the creditworthiness of the issuer of the
underlying Municipal Obligation, of any custodian and of the third party
provider of the tender option. In certain instances and for certain tender
option bonds, the option may be terminable in the event of a default in
payment of principal or interest on the underlying Municipal Obligations and
for other reasons.
Page 7
The Fund may acquire "stand-by commitments" with respect to Municipal
Obligations held in its portfolio. Under a stand-by commitment, the Fund
obligates a broker, dealer or bank to repurchase, at the Fund's option,
specified securities at a specified price and, in this respect, stand-by
commitments are comparable to put options. The exercise of a stand-by
commitment, therefore, is subject to the ability of the seller to make
payment on demand. The Fund will acquire stand-by commitments solely to
facilitate portfolio liquidity and does not intend to exercise its rights
thereunder for trading purposes. The Fund may pay for stand-by commitments if
such action is deemed necessary, thus increasing to a degree the cost of the
underlying Municipal Obligation and similarly decreasing such security's
yield to investors.
The Fund may invest up to 10% of the value of its net assets in
securities as to which a liquid trading market does not exist, provided such
investments are consistent with the Fund's investment objective. Such
securities may include securities that are not readily marketable, such as
certain securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on
resale, and repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven
days after notice. As to these securities, the Fund is subject to a risk that
should the Fund desire to sell them when a ready buyer is not available at a
price the Fund deems representative of their value, the value of the Fund's
net assets could be adversely affected.
From time to time, on a temporary basis other than for temporary
defensive purposes (but not to exceed 20% of the value of the Fund's net
assets) or for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest in taxable
short-term investments ("Taxable Investments") consisting of: notes of
issuers having, at the time of purchase, a quality rating within the two
highest grades of Moody's, S&P or Fitch; obligations of the U.S. Government,
its agencies or instrumentalities; commercial paper rated not lower than P-2
by Moody's, A-2 by S&P or F-2 by Fitch; certificates of deposit of U.S.
domestic banks, including foreign branches of domestic banks, with assets of
one billion dollars or more; time deposits; bankers' acceptances and other
short-term bank obligations; and repurchase agreements in respect of any of
the foregoing. Dividends paid by the Fund that are attributable to income
earned by the Fund from Taxable Investments will be taxable to investors. See
"Dividends, Distributions and Taxes." Except for temporary defensive
purposes, at no time will more than 20% of the value of the Fund's net assets
be invested in Taxable Investments. If the Fund purchases Taxable
Investments, it will value them using the amortized cost method and comply
with the provisions of Rule 2a-7 relating to purchases of taxable
instruments. When the Fund has adopted a temporary defensive position,
including when acceptable New York Municipal Obligations are unavailable for
investment by the Fund, in excess of 35% of the Fund's net assets may be
invested in securities that are not exempt from New York State and New York
City income taxes. Under normal market conditions, the Fund anticipates that
not more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in any one
category of Taxable Investments. Taxable Investments are more fully described
in the Statement of Additional Information to which reference hereby is made.
CERTAIN FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES - The Fund may (i) borrow money from banks, but
only for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes in an amount up to
15% of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the amount borrowed)
valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (not including the
amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made. While borrowings exceed
5% of the Fund's total assets, the Fund will not make any additional
investments; and (ii) invest up to 25% of its total assets in the securities
of issuers in any industry, provided that there is no such limitation on
investments in Municipal Obligations and, for temporary defensive purposes,
in securities issued by domestic banks and obligations issued or guaranteed
by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. This paragraph
describes fundamental policies that cannot be changed without approval by the
holders of a majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of
the Fund's
Page 8
outstanding voting shares. See "Investment Objective and Management Policies_
Investment Restrictions" in the Statement of Additional Information.
RISK FACTORS
INVESTING IN NEW YORK MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS - You should consider carefully
the special risks inherent in investing in New York Municipal Obligations.
These risks result from the financial condition of New York State, certain of
its public bodies and municipalities, and New York City. Beginning in early
1975, New York State, New York City and other State entities faced serious
financial difficulties which jeopardized the credit standing and impaired the
borrowing abilities of such entities and contributed to high interest rates
on, and lower market prices for, debt obligations issued by them. A
recurrence of such financial difficulties or a failure of certain financial
recovery programs could result in defaults or declines in the market values
of various New York Municipal Obligations in which the Fund may invest. If
there should be a default or other financial crisis relating to New York
State, New York City, a State or City agency, or a State municipality, the
market value and marketability of outstanding New York Municipal Obligations
in a Fund's portfolio and the interest income to the Fund could be adversely
affected. Moreover, the national recession and the significant slowdown in
the New York regional economies in the early 1990s added substantial
uncertainty to estimates of the State's tax revenues, which, in part, caused
the State to incur cash-basis operating deficits in the General Fund and
issue deficit notes during the fiscal periods 1989 through 1992. The State's
financial operations have improved, however, during recent fiscal years.
After reflecting a 1993 year-end deposit to the refund reserve account of
$671 million, reported 1993 General Fund receipts were $45 million higher
than originally projected in April 1992. The State completed the 1994 and
1995 fiscal years with operating surpluses of $914 million and $158 million,
respectively. There can be no assurance that New York will not face
substantial potential budget gaps in future years. In January 1992, Moody's
lowered from A to Baal the ratings on certain appropriation-backed debt of
New York State and its agencies. The State's general obligation, state
guaranteed and New York State Local Government Assistance Corporation bonds
continued to be rated A by Moody's. In January 1992, S&P lowered from A to A-
its ratings of New York State general obligation bonds and stated that it
continued to assess the ratings outlook as negative. The ratings of various
agency debt, state moral obligations, contractual obligations, lease purchase
obligations and state guarantees also were lowered. In February 1991, Moody's
lowered its rating on New York City's general obligation bonds from A to Baal
and in July 1995, S&P lowered its rating on such bonds from A- to BBB+. The
rating changes reflected the rating agencies' concerns about the financial
condition of New York State and City, the heavy debt load of the State and
City, and economic uncertainties in the region. You should obtain and review
a copy of the Statement of Additional Information which more fully sets forth
these and other risk factors.
OTHER INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS - Even though interest-bearing securities
are investments which promise a stable stream of income, the prices of such
securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates and,
therefore, are subject to the risk of market price fluctuations. The value of
fixed-income securities also may be affected by changes in the credit rating
or financial condition of the issuing entities.
New issues of Municipal Obligations usually are offered on a
when-issued basis, which means that delivery and payment for such Municipal
Obligations ordinarily take place within 45 days after the date of the
commitment to purchase. The payment obligation and the interest rate that
will be received on the Municipal Obligations are fixed at the time the Fund
enters into the commitment. The Fund will make commitments to purchase such
Municipal Obligations only with the intention of actually acquiring the
securities, but the Fund may sell these securities before the settlement
date if it is deemed advisable, although any gain realized on such sale would
be taxable. The Fund will not accrue income in respect of
Page 9
a when-issued security prior to its stated delivery date. No additional when-
issued commitments will be made if more than 20% of the value of the Fund's
net assets would be so committed.
Municipal Obligations purchased on a when-issued basis and the
securities held in the Fund's portfolio are subject to changes in value (both
generally changing in the same way, i.e., appreciating when interest rates
decline and depreciating when interest rates rise) based upon the public's
perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, real or
anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Municipal Obligations purchased
on a when-issued basis may expose the Fund to risk because they may experience
such fluctuations prior to their actual delivery. Purchasing Municipal
Obligations on a when-issued basis can involve the additional risk that the
yield available in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be
higher than that obtained in the transaction itself. A segregated account of
the Fund consisting of cash, cash equivalents or U.S. Government securities
or other high quality liquid debt securities at least equal at all times to
the amount of the when-issued commitments will be established and maintained
at the Fund's custodian bank. Purchasing Municipal Obligations on a
when-issued basis when the Fund is fully or almost fully invested may result
in greater potential fluctuation in the value of the Fund's net assets and
its net asset value per share.
Certain municipal lease/purchase obligations in which the Fund may
invest may contain "non-appropriation" clauses which provide that the
municipality has no obligation to make lease payments in future years unless
money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although
"non-appropriation" lease/purchase obligations are secured by the leased
property, disposition of the leased property in the event of foreclosure
might prove difficult. In evaluating the credit quality of a municipal
lease/purchase obligation that is unrated, The Dreyfus Corporation will
consider, on an ongoing basis, a number of factors including the likelihood
that the issuing municipality will discontinue appropriating funding for the
leased property.
Certain provisions in the Code relating to the issuance of Municipal
Obligations may reduce the volume of Municipal Obligations qualifying for
Federal tax exemption. One effect of these provisions could be to increase
the cost of the Municipal Obligations available for purchase by the Fund and
thus reduce available yield. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers
concerning the effect of these provisions on an investment in the Fund.
Proposals that may restrict or eliminate the income tax exemption for
interest on Municipal Obligations may be introduced in the future. If any
such proposal were enacted that would reduce the availability of Municipal
Obligations for investment by the Fund so as to adversely affect Fund
shareholders, the Fund would reevaluate its investment objective and policies
and submit possible changes in the Fund's structure to shareholders for their
consideration. If legislation were enacted that would treat a type of
Municipal Obligation as taxable, the Fund would treat such security as a
permissible Taxable Investment within the applicable limits set forth herein.
The Fund's classification as a "non-diversified" investment company
means that the proportion of the Fund's assets that may be invested in the
securities of a single issuer is not limited by the Investment Company Act of
1940. A "diversified" investment company is required by the Investment
Company Act of 1940 generally to invest, with respect to 75% of its total
assets, not more than 5% of such assets in the securities of a single issuer.
However, the Fund intends to conduct its operations so as to qualify as a
"regulated investment company" for purposes of the Code, which requires that,
at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the
market value of the Fund's total assets be invested in cash, U.S. Government
securities, the securities of other regulated investment companies and other
securities, with such other securities of any one issuer limited for the
purposes of this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of
the Fund's total assets, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total
assets be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S.
Government securities or the securities of other regulated investment
companies). Since a relatively high percentage
Page 10
of the Fund's assets may be invested in the obligations of a limited number
of issuers, the Fund's portfolio securities may be more susceptible to any
single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than the portfolio securi-
ties of a diversified investment company.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those
of other investment companies advised by The Dreyfus Corporation. However, if
such other investment companies are prepared to invest in, or desire to
dispose of, Municipal Obligations or Taxable Investments at the same time as
the Fund, available investments or opportunities for sales will be allocated
equitably to each investment company. In some cases, this procedure may
adversely affect the size of the position obtained for or disposed of by the
Fund or the price paid or received by the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The Dreyfus Corporation, located at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New
York 10166, was formed in 1947 and serves as the Fund's investment adviser.
The Dreyfus Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mellon Bank, N.A.,
which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mellon Bank Corporation ("Mellon"). As
of July 31, 1995, The Dreyfus Corporation managed or administered
approximately $79 billion in assets for more than $1.8 million investor
accounts nationwide.
The Dreyfus Corporation supervises and assists in the overall
management of the Fund's affairs under a Management Agreement with the Fund,
subject to the overall authority of the Fund's Trustees in accordance with
Massachusetts law.
Mellon is a publicly owned multibank holding company incorporated
under Pennsylvania law in 1971 and registered under the Federal Bank Holding
Company Act of 1956, as amended. Mellon provides a comprehensive range of
financial products and services in domestic and selected international
markets. Mellon is among the twenty-five largest bank holding companies in
the United States based on total assets. Mellon's principal wholly-owned
subsidiaries are Mellon Bank, N.A., Mellon Bank (DE) National Association,
Mellon Bank (MD), The Boston Company, Inc., AFCO Credit Corporation and a
number of companies known as Mellon Financial Services Corporations. Through
its subsidiaries, including The Dreyfus Corporation, Mellon managed more than
$203 billion in assets as of June 30, 1995, including approximately $73
billion in mutual fund assets. As of June 30, 1995, Mellon, through various
subsidiaries, provided non-investment services, such as custodial or
administration services, for more than $707 billion in assets, including
approximately $71 billion in mutual fund assets.
Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Fund has agreed to
pay The Dreyfus Corporation a monthly fee at the annual rate of .50 of 1% of
the value of the Fund's average daily net assets. From time to time, The
Dreyfus Corporation may waive receipt of its fees and/or voluntarily assume
certain expenses of the Fund, which would have the effect of lowering the
overall expense ratio of the Fund and increasing yield to investors at the
time such amounts are waived or assumed, as the case may be. The Fund will
not pay The Dreyfus Corporation at a later time for any amounts it may waive,
nor will the Fund reimburse The Dreyfus Corporation for any amounts it may
assume. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 1994, the Fund paid The
Dreyfus Corporation a management fee at the effective annual rate of .18 of
1% of the value of the Fund's average daily net assets pursuant to various
undertakings in effect.
The Dreyfus Corporation may pay the Fund's distributor for
shareholder services from The Dreyfus Corporation's own assets, including
past profits but not including the management fee paid by the Fund. The
Fund's distributor may use part or all of such payments to pay Service Agents
in respect of these services.
Page 11
The Fund's distributor is Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc. (the
"Distributor"), located at One Exchange Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02109.
The Distributor's ultimate parent company is Boston Institutional Group, Inc.
The Shareholder Services Group, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data
Corporation, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, is the
Fund's Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent (the "Transfer Agent"). The
Bank of New York, 90 Washington Street, New York, New York 10286, is the
Fund's Custodian.
HOW TO BUY FUND SHARES
Fund shares may be purchased only by clients of certain financial
institutions (which may include banks), securities dealers ("Selected
Dealers") and other industry professionals (collectively, "Service Agents")
that have entered into service agreements with the Distributor. For
shareholders who purchase Fund shares from the Distributor, the Distributor
will act as Service Agent. Share certificates are issued only upon your
written request. No certificates are issued for fractional shares. It is not
recommended that the Fund be used as a vehicle for Keogh, IRA or other
qualified plans. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order.
The minimum initial investment is $2,500, or $1,000 if you are a
client of a Service Agent which has made an aggregate minimum initial
purchase for its customers of $2,500. Subsequent investments must be at least
$100. The initial investment must be accompanied by the Fund's Account
Application. For full-time or part-time employees of The Dreyfus Corporation
or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries, directors of The Dreyfus
Corporation, Board members of a fund advised by TheDreyfus Corporation,
including members of the Fund's Board, or the spouse or minor child of any of
the foregoing, the minimum initial investment is $1,000. For full-time or
part-time employees of The Dreyfus Corporation or any of its affiliates or
subsidiaries who elect to have a portion of their pay directly deposited into
their Fund account, the minimum initial investment is $50. The Fund reserves
the right to vary further the initial and subsequent investment minimum
requirements at any time.
You may purchase Fund shares by check or wire or through the TELETRANS-
FER Privilege described below. Checks should be made payable to "The Dreyfus
Family of Funds." Payments to open new accounts which are mailed should be
sent to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9387, Providence, Rhode Island
02940-9387, together with your Account Application indicating which Class of
shares is being purchased. For subsequent investments, your Fund account
number should appear on the check and an investment slip should be enclosed
and sent to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 105, Newark, New Jersey
07101-0105. Neither initial nor subsequent investments should be made by
third party check. Purchase orders may be delivered in person only to the
Dreyfus Financial Center located in the lobby of 200 Park Avenue, New York,
New York. THESE ORDERS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE FUND AND WILL BE PROCESSED
ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY.
Wire payments may be made if your bank account is in a commercial
bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System or any other bank having
a correspondent bank in New York City. Immediately available funds may be
transmitted by wire to The Bank of New York, DDA #8900052171/General New York
Municipal Money Market Fund - Class A, or DDA #8900252324/General New York
Municipal Money Market Fund - Class B, for purchase of Fund shares in your
name. The wire must include your Fund account number (for new accounts, your
Taxpayer Identification Number ("TIN") should be included instead), account
registration and dealer number, if applicable. If your initial purchase of
Fund shares is by wire, please call 1-800-645-6561 after completing your wire
payment to obtain your Fund account number. Please include your Fund account
number on the Fund's Account
Page 12
Application and promptly mail the Account Application to the Fund, as no
redemptions will be permitted until the Account Application is received. You
may obtain further information about remitting funds in this manner from your
bank. All payments should be made in U.S. dollars and, to avoid fees and
delays, should be drawn only on U.S. banks. A charge will be imposed if any
check used for investment in your account does not clear. The Fund makes
available to certain large institutions the ability to issue purchase instruc-
tions through compatible computer facilities.
Fund shares also may be purchased through AUTOMATIC Asset Builder,
the Government Direct Deposit Privilege and Payroll Savings Plan described
under "Shareholder Services." These services enable you to make regularly
scheduled investments and may provide you with a convenient way to invest for
long-term financial goals. You should be aware, however, that periodic
investment plans do not guarantee a profit and will not protect an investor
against loss in a declining market.
Subsequent investments also may be made by electronic transfer of
funds from an account maintained in a bank or other domestic financial
institution that is an Automated Clearing House member. You must direct the
institution to transmit immediately available funds through the Automated
Clearing House to The Bank of New York with instructions to credit your Fund
account. The instructions must specify your Fund account registration and
your Fund account number PRECEDED BY THE DIGITS "1111."
Management understands that some Service Agents may impose certain
conditions on their clients which are different from those described in this
Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authority,
may charge their clients direct fees for servicing. These fees would be in
addition to any amounts which might be received under the Fund's Distribution
Plan. Service Agents may receive different levels of compensation for selling
different Classes of shares. Each Service Agent has agreed to transmit to its
clients a schedule of such fees. You should consult your Service Agent in
this regard.
Fund shares are sold on a continuous basis at the net asset value per
share next determined after an order in proper form and Federal Funds (monies
of member banks within the Federal Reserve System which are held on deposit
at a Federal Reserve Bank) are received by the Transfer Agent. If you do not
remit Federal Funds, your payment must be converted into Federal Funds. This
usually occurs within one business day of receipt of a bank wire and within
two business days of receipt of a check drawn on a member bank of the Federal
Reserve System. Checks drawn on banks which are not members of the Federal
Reserve System may take considerably longer to convert into Federal Funds.
Prior to receipt of Federal Funds, your money will not be invested.
The Fund's net asset value per share is determined as of 12:00 Noon,
New York time, on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for
business. Net asset value per share of each Class is computed by dividing the
value of the Fund's net assets represented by such Class (i.e., the value of
its assets less liabilities) by the total number of shares of such Class
outstanding. See "Determination of Net Asset Value" in the Statement of
Additional Information.
If your payments are received in or converted into Federal Funds by
12:00 Noon, New York time, on a business day, you will receive the dividend
declared that day. If your payments are received in or converted into Federal
Funds after 12:00 Noon, New York time, you will begin to accrue dividends on
the following business day.
Qualified institutions may telephone orders for purchase of Fund
shares. These orders will become effective at the price determined at 12:00
Noon, New York time, and the shares purchased will receive the dividend on
Fund shares declared on that day if the telephone order is placed by 12:00
Noon, New York time, and Federal Funds are received by 4:00 p.m., New York
time, on that day.
Federal regulations require that you provide a certified TIN upon
opening or reopening an account. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes" and
the Fund's Account Application for further information
Page 13
concerning this requirement. Failure to furnish a certified TIN to the Fund
could subject you to a $50 penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service
(the "IRS").
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE - You may purchase shares (minimum $500, maximum
$150,000 per day) by telephone if you have checked the appropriate box and
supplied the necessary information on the Fund's Account Application or have
filed a Shareholder Services Form with the Transfer Agent. The proceeds will
be transferred between the bank account designated in one of these documents
and your Fund account. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic financial
institution which is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated.
The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege at any time or charge a
service fee upon notice to shareholders. No such fee currently is
contemplated.
If you have selected the TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may request a
TELETRANSFER purchase of shares by telephoning 1-800-221-4060 or, if you are
calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The services and privileges described under this heading may not be
available to clients of certain Service Agents and some Service Agents may
impose certain conditions on their clients which are different from those
described in this Prospectus. You should consult your Service Agent in this
regard. In addition, use of the privileges noted below may require that the
proper forms and information be filed with and processed by the Transfer
Agent.
FUND EXCHANGES - Clients of certain Service Agents may purchase, in exchange
for shares of the Fund, shares of certain other funds managed or administered
by The Dreyfus Corporation, to the extent such shares are offered for sale in
your state of residence. These funds have different investment objectives
which may be of interest to you. If you desire to use this service, you
should consult your Service Agent or call 1-800-645-6561 to determine if it
is available and whether any conditions are imposed on its use.
To request an exchange, you or your Service Agent acting on your
behalf must give exchange instructions to the Transfer Agent in writing or by
telephone. Before any exchange, you must obtain and should review a copy of
the current prospectus of the fund into which the exchange is being made.
Prospectuses may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561. Except in the case of
personal retirement plans, the shares being exchanged must have a current
value of at least $500; furthermore, when establishing a new account by
exchange, the shares being exchanged must have a value of at least the
minimum initial investment required for the fund into which the exchange is
being made. The ability to issue exchange instructions by telephone is given
to all Fund shareholders automatically, unless you check the appropriate
"No"box on the Account Application, indicating that you specifically refuse
this Privilege. The Telephone Exchange Privilege may be established for an
existing account by written request, signed by all shareholders on the
account, or by a separate signed Shareholder Services Form, also available by
calling 1-800-645-6561. If you have established the Telephone Exchange
Privilege, you may telephone exchange instructions by calling 1-800-221-4060
or, if you are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306. See "How to Redeem
Fund Shares - Procedures." Upon an exchange into a new account, the following
shareholder services and privileges, as applicable and where available, will
be automatically carried over to the fund into which the exchange is made:
Telephone Exchange Privilege, Check Redemption Privilege, Wire Redemption
Privilege, Telephone Redemption Privilege, TELETRANSFER Privilege, and the
dividend/capital gain distribution option (except for Dividend Sweep)
selected by the investor.
Shares will be exchanged at the next determined net asset value;
however, a sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds
sold with a sales load. If you are exchanging into a fund that charges a
sales load, you may qualify for share prices which do not include the sales
load or which reflect a reduced sales load, if the shares of the fund from
which you are exchanging were: (a) purchased
Page 14
with a sales load, (b) acquired by a previous exchange from shares purchased
with a sales load, or (c) acquired through reinvestment of dividends or
distributions paid with respect to the foregoing categories of shares. To
qualify, at the time of your exchange you must notify the Transfer Agent or
your Service Agent must notify the Distributor. Any such qualification is sub-
ject to confirmation of your holdings through a check of appropriate records.
See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional Information. No fees
currently are charged shareholders directly in connection with exchanges,
although the Fund reserves the right, upon not less than 60 days' written
notice, to charge shareholders a nominal fee in accordance with rules
promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Fund reserves
the right to reject any exchange request in whole or in part. The availability
of Fund Exchanges may be modified or terminated at any time upon notice to
shareholders.
The exchange of shares of one fund for shares of another is treated
for Federal income tax purposes as a sale of the shares given in exchange by
the shareholder and, therefore, an exchanging shareholder may realize a
taxable gain or loss.
AUTO-EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE - Auto-Exchange Privilege enables you to invest
regularly (on a semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis), in
exchange for shares of the Fund, in shares of other funds in the Dreyfus
Family of Funds of which you are currently an investor. The amount you
designate, which can be expressed either in terms of a specific dollar or
share amount ($100 minimum), will be exchanged automatically on the first
and/or fifteenth of the month according to the schedule you have selected.
Shares will be exchanged at the then-current net asset value; however, a
sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds sold with a
sales load. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional
Information. The right to exercise this Privilege may be modified or
cancelled by the Fund or the Transfer Agent. You may modify or cancel your
exercise of this Privilege at any time by writing to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. The Fund may
charge a service fee for the use of this Privilege. No such fee currently is
contemplated. The exchange of shares of one fund for shares of another is
treated for Federal income tax purposes as a sale of the shares given in
exchange by the shareholder and, therefore, an exchanging shareholder may
realize a taxable gain or loss. For more information concerning this
Privilege and the funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds eligible to
participate in this Privilege, or to obtain an Auto-Exchange Authorization
Form, please call toll free 1-800-645-6561.
AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDERRegistration Mark - AUTOMATIC Asset Builder permits
you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $150,000 per
transaction) at regular intervals selected by you. Fund shares are purchased
by transferring funds from the bank account designated by you. At your
option, the bank account designated by you will be debited in the specified
amount, and Fund shares will be purchased, once a month, on either the first
or fifteenth day, or twice a month, on both days. Only an account maintained
at a domestic financial institution which is an Automated Clearing House
member may be so designated. To establish an AUTOMATIC Asset Builder account,
you must file an authorization form with the Transfer Agent. You may obtain
the necessary authorization form from your Service Agent or by calling
1-800-645-6561. You may cancel your participation in this Privilege or change
the amount of purchase at any time by mailing written notification to The
Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671,
and the notification will be effective three business days following receipt.
The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege at any time or charge a
service fee. No such fee currently is contemplated.
GOVERNMENT DIRECT DEPOSIT PRIVILEGE - Government Direct Deposit Privilege
enables you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $50,000
per transaction) by having Federal salary, Social Security, or certain
veterans', military or other payments from the Federal government
Page 15
automatically deposited into your Fund account. You may deposit as much of
such payments as you elect. To enroll in Government Direct Deposit, you must
file with the Transfer Agent a completed Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form for each
type of payment that you desire to include in the Privilege. The appropriate
form may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561. Death or legal incapacity will
terminate your participation in this Privilege. You may elect at any time to
terminate your participation by notifying in writing the appropriate Federal
agency. Further, the Fund may terminate your participation upon 30 days'
notice to you.
PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN - Payroll Savings Plan permits you to purchase Fund
shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically on a regular basis.
Depending upon your employer's direct deposit program, you may have part or
all of your paycheck transferred to your existing Dreyfus account
electronically through the Automated Clearing House system at each pay
period. To establish a Payroll Savings Plan account, you must file an
authorization form with your employer's payroll department. Your employer
must complete the reverse side of the form and return it to The Dreyfus
Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. You may
obtain the necessary authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561. You may
change the amount of purchase or cancel the authorization only by written
notification to your employer. It is the sole responsibility of your
employer, not the Distributor, The Dreyfus Corporation, the Fund, the
Transfer Agent or any other person, to arrange for transactions under the
Payroll Savings Plan. The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege at any
time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently is contemplated.
DIVIDEND OPTIONS - Dividend Sweep enables you to invest automatically
dividends or dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, paid by the
Fund in shares of another fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds of which you
are a shareholder. Shares of the other fund will be purchased at the
then-current net asset value; however, a sales load may be charged with
respect to investments in shares of a fund sold with a sales load. If you are
investing in a fund that charges a sales load, you may qualify for share
prices which do not include the sales load or which reflect a reduced sales
load. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional Information.
Dividend ACH permits you to transfer electronically dividends or dividends
and capital gain distributions, if any, from the Fund to a designated bank
account. Only an account maintained at a domestic financial institution which
is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. Banks may charge
a fee for this service.
For more information concerning these privileges or to request a
Dividend Options Form, please call toll free 1-800-645-6561. You may cancel
these privileges by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. To select a new
fund after cancellation, you must submit a new Dividend Options Form.
Enrollment in or cancellation of these privileges is effective three business
days following receipt. These privileges are available only for existing
accounts and may not be used to open new accounts. Minimum subsequent
investments do not apply for Dividend Sweep. The Fund may modify or terminate
these privileges at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently
is contemplated.
QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTION PLAN - The Quarterly Distribution Plan permits you to
receive quarterly payments from the Fund consisting of proceeds from the
redemption of shares purchased for your account through the automatic
reinvestment of dividends declared on your account during the preceding
calendar quarter. To open a Quarterly Distribution Plan, contact the Transfer
Agent. The Plan may be ended at any time by you, the Fund or the Transfer
Agent. Shares for which certificates have been issued must be presented
before redemption under the Plan.
AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN - The Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits you to
request withdrawal of a specified dollar amount (minimum of $50) on either a
monthly or quarterly basis if you have a
Page 16
$5,000 minimum account. An application for the Automatic Withdrawal Plan can
be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561. There is a service charge of 50cents
for each withdrawal check. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be ended at any
time by you, the Fund or the Transfer Agent. Shares for which certificates
have been issued may not be redeemed through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.
HOW TO REDEEM FUND SHARES
General
You may request redemption of your shares at any time. Redemption
requests should be transmitted to the Transfer Agent as described below. When
a request is received in proper form, the Fund will redeem the shares at the
next determined net asset value.
The Fund imposes no charges when shares are redeemed. Service Agents
may charge their clients a nominal fee for effecting redemptions of Fund
shares. Any certificates representing Fund shares being redeemed must be
submitted with the redemption request. The value of the shares redeemed may
be more or less than their original cost, depending upon the Fund's
then-current net asset value.
The Fund ordinarily will make payment for all shares redeemed within
seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in
proper form, except as provided by the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED FUND SHARES BY CHECK, BY
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE OR THROUGH AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER AND SUBSEQUENTLY
SUBMIT A WRITTEN REDEMPTION REQUEST TO THE TRANSFER AGENT, YOUR REDEMPTION
WILL BE EFFECTIVE AND THE REDEMPTION PROCEEDS WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO YOU
PROMPTLY UPON BANK CLEARANCE OF YOUR PURCHASE CHECK, TELETRANSFER PURCHASE OR
AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER, WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS OR
MORE. IN ADDITION, THE FUND WILL NOT HONOR REDEMPTION CHECKS UNDER THE CHECK
REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE, AND WILL REJECT REQUESTS TO REDEEM SHARES BY WIRE OR
TELEPHONE OR PURSUANT TO THE TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE, FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT
BUSINESS DAYS AFTER RECEIPT BY THE TRANSFER AGENT OF THE PURCHASE CHECK, THE
TELETRANSFER PURCHASE OR THE AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER AGAINST WHICH SUCH
REDEMPTION IS REQUESTED. THESE PROCEDURES WILL NOT APPLY IF YOUR SHARES WERE
PURCHASED BY WIRE PAYMENT, OR IF YOU OTHERWISE HAVE A SUFFICIENT COLLECTED
BALANCE IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO COVER THE REDEMPTION REQUEST. PRIOR TO THE TIME
ANY REDEMPTION IS EFFECTIVE, DIVIDENDS ON SUCH SHARES WILL ACCRUE AND BE
PAYABLE, AND YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO EXERCISE ALL OTHER RIGHTS OF BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP. Fund shares will not be redeemed until the Transfer Agent has
received your Account Application.
The Fund reserves the right to redeem your account at its option upon
not less than 30 days' written notice if your account's net asset value is
$500 or less and remains so during the notice period.
PROCEDURES
You may redeem shares by using the regular redemption procedure
through the Transfer Agent, the Check Redemption Privilege, the Wire
Redemption Privilege, the Telephone Redemption Privilege, the TELETRANSFER
Privilege or, if you are a client of a Selected Dealer, through the Selected
Dealer. If you have given your Service Agent authority to instruct the
Transfer Agent to redeem shares and to credit the proceeds of such
redemptions to a designated account at your Service Agent, you may redeem
shares only in this manner and in accordance with the regular redemption
procedure described below. If you wish to use the other redemption methods
described below, you must arrange with your Service Agent for delivery of the
required application(s) to the Transfer Agent. Other redemption procedures
may be in effect for clients of certain Service Agents. The Fund makes
available to certain large institutions the ability to issue redemption
instructions through compatible computer facilities.
Page 17
You may redeem Fund shares by telephone if you have checked the
appropriate box on the Fund's Account Application or have filed a Shareholder
Services Form with the Transfer Agent. If you select a telephone redemption
privilege or telephone exchange privilege (which is granted automatically
unless you refuse it), you authorize the Transfer Agent to act on telephone
instructions from any person representing himself or herself to be you, or a
representative of your Service Agent, and reasonably believed by the Transfer
Agent to be genuine. The Fund will require the Transfer Agent to employ
reasonable procedures, such as requiring a form of personal identification,
to confirm that instructions are genuine and, if it does not follow such
procedures, the Fund or the Transfer Agent may be liable for any losses due
to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Neither the Fund nor the Transfer
Agent will be liable for following telephone instructions reasonably believed
to be genuine.
During times of drastic economic or market conditions, you may
experience difficulty in contacting the Transfer Agent by telephone to
request a redemption or exchange of Fund shares. In such cases, you should
consider using the other redemption procedures described herein. Use of these
other redemption procedures may result in your redemption request being
processed at a later time than it would have been if telephone redemption had
been used.
REGULAR REDEMPTION - Under the regular redemption procedure, you may redeem
your shares by written request mailed to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O.
Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. Redemption requests may be
delivered in person only to the Dreyfus Financial Center located in the lobby
of 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York. THESE REQUESTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO
THE FUND AND WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. Redemption requests
must be signed by each shareholder, including each owner of a joint account,
and each signature must be guaranteed. The Transfer Agent has adopted
standards and procedures pursuant to which signature-guarantees in proper
form generally will be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit
unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations,
clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in
the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program, the Securities
Transfer Agents Medallion Program ("STAMP"), and the Stock Exchanges
Medallion Program. If you have any questions with respect to
signature-guarantees, please call one of the telephone numbers listed under
"General Information."
Redemption proceeds of at least $1,000 will be wired to any member
bank of the Federal Reserve System in accordance with a written
signature-guaranteed request.
CHECK REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE - You may request on the Account Application,
Shareholder Services Form or by later written request that the Fund provide
Redemption Checks drawn on the Fund's account. Redemption Checks may be made
payable to the order of any person in the amount of $500 or more. Redemption
Checks should not be used to close your account. Redemption Checks are free,
but the Transfer Agent will impose a fee for stopping payment of a Redemption
Check upon your request or if the Transfer Agent cannot honor the Redemption
Check due to insufficient funds or other valid reason. You should date your
Redemption Checks with the current date when you write them. Please do not
postdate your Redemption Checks. If you do, the Transfer Agent will honor,
upon presentment, even if presented before the date of the check, all
postdated Redemption Checks which are dated within six months of presentment
for payment, if they are otherwise in good order. Shares for which
certificates have been issued may not be redeemed by Redemption Check. This
Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time by the Fund or the
Transfer Agent upon notice to shareholders.
WIRE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE - You may request by wire or telephone that
redemption proceeds (minimum $1,000) be wired to your account at a bank which
is a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a correspondent bank if your
bank is not a member. To establish the Wire Redemption Privilege, you
Page 18
must check the appropriate box and supply the necessary information on the
Fund's Account Application or file a Shareholder Services Form with the Trans-
fer Agent. You may direct that redemption proceeds be paid by check (maximum
$150,000 per day) made out to the owners of record and mailed to your
address. Redemption proceeds of less than $1,000 will be paid automatically
by check. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank accounts may have
redemption proceeds of not more than $250,000 wired within any 30-day period.
You may telephone redemption requests by calling 1-800-221-4060 or, if you
are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306. The Fund reserves the right
to refuse any redemption request, including requests made shortly after a
change of address, and may limit the amount involved or the number of such
requests. This Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time by the
Transfer Agent or the Fund. The Statement of Additional Information sets
forth instructions for transmitting redemption requests by wire. Shares for
which certificates have been issued are not eligible for this Privilege.
TELEPHONE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE - You may redeem Fund shares (maximum
$150,000 per day) by telephone if you have checked the appropriate box on the
Fund's Account Application or have filed a Shareholder Services Form with the
Transfer Agent. The redemption proceeds will be paid by check and mailed to
your address. You may telephone redemption instructions by calling
1-800-221-4060 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306. The
Fund reserves the right to refuse any request made by telephone, including
requests made shortly after a change of address, and may limit the amount
involved or the number of telephone redemption requests. This Privilege may
be modified or terminated at any time by the Transfer Agent or the Fund.
Shares for which certificates have been issued are not eligible for this
Privilege.
REDEMPTION THROUGH A SELECTED DEALER - If you are a customer of a Selected
Dealer, you may make redemption requests to your Selected Dealer. If the
Selected Dealer transmits the redemption request so that it is received by
the Transfer Agent prior to 12:00 Noon, New York time, on a business day, the
proceeds of the redemption ordinarily will be transmitted in Federal Funds on
the same day and the shares will not receive the dividend declared on that
day. If a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent after 12:00
Noon, New York time, the shares will receive the dividend declared on that
day and the proceeds of redemption ordinarily will be transmitted in Federal
Funds on the next business day. It is the responsibility of the Selected
Dealer to transmit a request so that it is received in a timely manner. The
proceeds of the redemption are credited to your account with the Selected
Dealer.
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE - You may redeem shares (minimum $500 per day) by
telephone if you have checked the appropriate box and supplied the necessary
information on the Fund's Account Application or have filed a Shareholder
Services Form with the Transfer Agent. The proceeds will be transferred
between your Fund account and the bank account designated in one of these
documents. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic financial institution
which is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. Redemption
proceeds will be on deposit in your account at an Automated Clearing House
member bank ordinarily two days after receipt of the redemption request, or
at your request, paid by check (maximum $150,000 per day) and mailed to your
address. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank accounts may redeem
through the TELETRANSFER Privilege for transfer to their bank account not
more than $250,000 within any 30-day period. The Fund reserves the right to
refuse any request made by telephone, including requests made shortly after a
change of address, and may limit the amount involved or the number of such
requests. The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege at any time or
charge a service fee upon notice to shareholders. No such fee currently is
contemplated.
If you have selected the TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may request a
TELETRANSFER redemption of shares by telephoning 1-800-221-4060 or, if you are
calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306. Shares issued in certificate form
are not eligible for this Privilege.
Page 19
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
(CLASS B ONLY)
Under the Distribution Plan, adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund directly bears, with respect to
Class B, the costs of preparing, printing and distributing prospectuses and
statements of additional information and of implementing and operating the
Distribution Plan. In addition, the Fund reimburses the Distributor for
payments made to third parties for distributing (within the meaning of Rule
12b-1) Class B shares at an aggregate annual rate of up to .20 of 1% of the
value of the average daily net assets of Class B.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES PLANS
CLASS A - The Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan with respect to
Class A pursuant to which the Fund reimburses Dreyfus Service Corporation, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dreyfus Corporation, an amount not to exceed
an annual rate of .25 of 1% of the value of the average daily net assets of
Class A for certain allocated expenses of providing personal services and/or
maintaining shareholder accounts. The services provided may include personal
services relating to shareholder accounts, such as answering shareholder
inquiries regarding the Fund and providing reports and other information, and
services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts.
CLASS B - The Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan with respect to
Class B pursuant to which the Fund pays the Distributor for the provision of
certain services to the holders of Class B shares a fee at the annual rate of
.25 of 1% of the value of the average daily net assets of Class B. The
services provided may include personal services relating to shareholder
accounts, such as answering shareholder inquiries regarding the Fund and
providing reports and other information, and services related to the maintenan
ce of such shareholder accounts. Under the Shareholder Services Plan, the
Distributor may make payments to Service Agents in respect of these services.
The Distributor determines the amounts to be paid to Service Agents.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
The Fund ordinarily declares dividends from its net investment income
on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. Dividends
usually are paid on the last calendar day of each month, and are
automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value or, at
your option, paid in cash. The Fund's earnings for Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays are declared as dividends on the preceding business day. If you
redeem all shares in your account at any time during the month, all dividends
to which you are entitled will be paid to you along with the proceeds of the
redemption. If you are an omnibus accountholder and indicate in a partial
redemption request that a portion of any accrued dividends to which such
account is entitled belongs to an underlying accountholder who has redeemed
all shares in his or her account, such portion of the accrued dividends will
be paid to you along with the proceeds of the redemption. Distributions from
net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a
year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to comply
with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner
consistent with the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund
will not make distributions from net realized securities gains unless
capital loss carryovers, if any, have been utilized or have expired. You may
choose whether to receive distributions in cash or to reinvest in additional
Fund shares at net asset value. All expenses are accrued daily and deducted
before declaration of dividends to investors. Dividends paid by each Class
will be calculated at the same time and in the same manner and will be of the
same amount, except that the expenses attributable solely to a particular
Class will be borne exclusively by such Class. Class B shares will receive
lower per share dividends than Class A shares because of the higher expenses
borne by Class B. See "Annual Fund Operating Expenses."
Page 20
Except for dividends from Taxable Investments, the Fund anticipates
that substantially all dividends paid by the Fund will not be subject to
Federal, New York State and New York City personal income taxes. To the
extent that you are obligated to pay state or local taxes outside of New York
State and New York City, dividends earned by an investment in the Fund may
represent taxable income. Dividends derived from Taxable Investments,
together with distributions from any net realized short-term securities gains
and all or a portion of any gains realized from the sale or other disposition
of certain market discount bonds, paid by the Fund are subject to Federal
income tax as ordinary income whether received in cash or reinvested.
Distributions from net realized long-term securities gains of the Fund
generally are taxable as long-term capital gains for Federal income tax
purposes if you are a citizen or resident of the United States. The Code
provides that the net capital gain of an individual generally will not be
subject to Federal income tax at a rate in excess of 28%. Under the Code,
interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry Fund
shares which is deemed to relate to exempt-interest dividends is not
deductible. No dividend paid by the Fund will qualify for the dividends
received deduction allowable to certain U.S. corporations.
Although all or a substantial portion of the dividends paid by the
Fund may be excluded by Fund shareholders from their gross income for Federal
income tax purposes, the Fund may purchase specified private activity bonds,
the interest from which may be (i) a preference item for purposes of the
alternative minimum tax, (ii) a component of the "adjusted current earnings"
preference item for purposes of the corporate alternative minimum tax as well
as a component in computing the corporate environmental tax or (iii) a factor
in determining the extent to which a shareholder's Social Security benefits
are taxable. If the Fund purchases such securities, the portion of the Fund's
dividends related thereto will not necessarily be tax exempt to an investor
who is subject to the alternative minimum tax and/or the tax on Social
Security benefits and may cause an investor to be subject to such taxes.
Notice as to the tax status of your dividends and distributions will
be mailed to you annually. You also will receive periodic summaries of your
account which will include information as to dividends and distributions from
securities gains, if any, paid during the year. These statements set forth
the dollar amount of income exempt from Federal tax and the dollar amount, if
any, subject to Federal tax. These dollar amounts will vary depending on the
size and length of time of your investment in the Fund. If the Fund pays
dividends derived from taxable income, it intends to designate as taxable the
same percentage of the day's dividend as the actual taxable income earned on
that day bears to total income earned on that day. Thus, the percentage of
the dividend designated as taxable, if any, may vary from day to day.
Federal regulations generally require the Fund to withhold ("backup
withholding") and remit to the U.S. Treasury 31% of taxable dividends and
distributions from net realized securities gains of the Fund paid to a
shareholder if such shareholder fails to certify either that the TIN
furnished in connection with opening an account is correct, or that such
shareholder has not received notice from the IRS of being subject to backup
withholding as a result of a failure to properly report taxable dividend or in
terest income on a Federal income tax return. Furthermore, the IRS may notify
the Fund to institute backup withholding if the IRS determines a
shareholder's TIN is incorrect or if a shareholder has failed to properly
report taxable dividend and interest income on a Federal income tax return.
A TIN is either the Social Security number or employer identification
number of the record owner of the account. Any tax withheld as a result of
backup withholding does not constitute an additional tax imposed on the
record owner of the account, and may be claimed as a credit on the record
owner's Federal income tax return.
Management of the Fund believes that the Fund has qualified for the
fiscal year ended November 30, 1994 as a "regulated investment company" under
the Code. The Fund intends to continue to so
Page 21
qualify if such qualification is in the best interests of its shareholders.
Such qualification relieves the Fund of any liability for Federal income tax
to the extent its earnings are distributed in accordance with applicable pro-
visions of the Code. The Fund is subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax,
measured with respect to certain undistributed amounts of taxable investment
income and capital gains.
You should consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as
to Federal, state or local taxes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Fund was organized as an unincorporated business trust under the
laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts pursuant to an Agreement and
Declaration of Trust (the "Trust Agreement") dated September 19, 1986, and
commenced operations on December 2, 1986. On January 29, 1990, the Fund's
name was changed from General New York Tax Exempt Money Market Fund to
General New York Municipal Money Market Fund. The Fund is authorized to issue
an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest, par value $.001 per
share. The Fund's shares are classified into two classes - Class A and Class
B. Each share has one vote and shareholders will vote in the aggregate and
not by Class except as otherwise required by law.
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund.
However, the Trust Agreement disclaims shareholder liability for acts or
obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given
in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the
Fund or a Trustee. The Trust Agreement provides for indemnification from the
Fund's property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally
liable for the obligations of the Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder
incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to
circumstances in which the Fund itself would be unable to meet its
obligations, a possibility which management believes is remote. Upon payment
of any liability incurred by the Fund, the shareholder paying such liability
will be entitled to reimbursement from the general assets of the Fund. The
Trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Fund in such a way so as to
avoid, as far as possible, ultimate liability of the shareholders for
liabilities of the Fund. As discussed under "Management of the Fund" in the
Statement of Additional Information, the Fund ordinarily will not hold
shareholder meetings; however, shareholders under certain circumstances may
have the right to call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting to
remove Trustees.
The Transfer Agent maintains a record of your ownership and sends
confirmations and statements of account.
Shareholder inquiries may be made to your Service Agent or by writing
to the Fund at 144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11556-0144,
or by calling toll free 1-800-645-6561. In New York City, call
1-718-895-1206; outside the U.S. and Canada, call 516-794-5452.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND IN THE
FUND'S OFFICIAL SALES LITERATURE IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OF THE FUND'S
SHARES, AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH OTHER INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST
NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE FUND. THIS PROSPECTUS
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER IN ANY STATE IN WHICH, OR TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM,
SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
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Page 23
FIRST ALBANY CORPORATION
Service Agent
DREYFUS
General New York
Municipal
Money Market
Fund
Prospectus
(LION LOGO)
Registration Mark
Copy Rights 1995 Dreyfus Service Corporation
574p13090895
