<PAGE>
Three fund families come together
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This summer, the Boards of Directors for Firstar Funds and Mercantile Funds, and
the Board of Trustees for Firstar Stellar Funds approved a plan to combine the
three fund families together to form Firstar Funds. For shareholders, the
proposed consolidation would provide several benefits:
. A larger group of funds with a wider spectrum of investment styles to
choose from
. Enhanced research capabilities thanks to pooled resources
. Investors would need to look to only one name when searching for
information on their investments--Firstar Funds
If approved by shareholders of the fund families involved, the reorganization is
scheduled to take place over the next few months. Under the proposed plan, some
of the funds with similar objectives will be combined with existing Firstar
Funds, while other funds will be reorganized into a Firstar fund specifically
created to continue the fund under the Firstar name.
While the names may change, rest assured that each fund will continue to be
expertly managed with the same disciplined approach you've come to rely on. The
portfolio managers are the investment professionals from Firstar Investment
Research & Management Company, L.L.C., Firstar Bank N.A.'s Capital Management
department and Mississippi Valley Advisors, Inc., which have already been
combined under the Firstar name.
The new Firstar Funds family will offer 32 portfolios with varying investment
objectives and styles. You'll find the entire suggested lineup of funds listed
in the charts featured in this brochure.
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For more complete information about the Firstar Family of Funds,
including fees and expenses, contact your financial professional,
call the Firstar Funds Center at 1-800-677-FUND,
or e-mail us at [email protected] to request a prospectus.
Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.
Firstar Funds and Firstar Stellar Funds are distributed by
Firstar affiliate Quasar Distributors, L.L.C.
Mercantile Funds are distributed by BISYS Fund Services, Inc.
[LOGO OF FIRSTAR]
Not FDIC Insured No Bank Guarantee May Lose Value
[LOGO OF FIRSTAR]
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Firstar Funds
Proposed fund combinations
The following chart lists all Mercantile, Firstar Stellar (Stellar) and Firstar
fund names, and the new corresponding name under the Firstar Funds family. Names
of funds that would retain their original name have also been included.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
. Equity
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
combines with to create
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Mercantile Growth Equity Firstar Growth Firstar Large Cap Core Equity
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Growth & Income Equity Firstar Growth and Income Firstar Growth & Income
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Equity Index Firstar Equity Index Firstar Equity Index
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stellar Capital Appreciation Firstar MidCap Index Firstar MidCap Index
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firstar Emerging Growth Mercantile Small Cap Equity Firstar Small Cap Core Equity
<CAPTION>
. Balanced
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
combines with to create
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Stellar Fund Firstar Balanced Income Firstar Balanced Income
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Balanced Firstar Balanced Growth Firstar Balanced Growth
<CAPTION>
. International
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
combines with to create
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Firstar Core International Mercantile International Equity Firstar International Growth
<CAPTION>
. Taxable bond
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
combines with to create
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Mercantile Bond Index Mercantile Government & Corp. Bond Firstar Aggregate Bond
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Interm. Corp. Bond Firstar Intermediate Bond Market Firstar Intermediate Bond
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stellar U.S. Government Income Mercantile U.S. Government Securities Firstar U.S. Government Securities
<CAPTION>
. Tax-exempt bond
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
combines with to create
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Stellar Insured Tax-Free Bond Mercantile National Municipal Bond Firstar National Municipal Bond
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Short-Interm. Muni. Firstar Tax-Exempt Intermediate Bond Firstar Tax-Exempt Intermediate Bond
<CAPTION>
. Money market
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
combine(s) with to create
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Stellar Treasury and
Mercantile Treasury Money Market Firstar U.S. Treasury Money Market Firstar U.S. Treasury Money Market
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stellar Tax-Free Money Market and
Mercantile Tax-Exempt Money Market Firstar Tax-Exempt Money Market Firstar Tax-Exempt Money Market
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Money Market Firstar Money Market Firstar Money Market
</TABLE>
Current name
------------
New name
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The funds listed below are either existing Firstar funds that would not be
combined with any other portfolios, or Mercantile or Stellar funds that would be
reorganized into new Firstar funds, which would continue the Mercantile or
Stellar funds' operations. Also listed are funds that would simply adopt a new
Firstar name.
Stellar Relative Value
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Relative Value
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Stellar Growth Equity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Large Cap Growth
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Stellar Science & Technology
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Science & Technology
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Stellar International Equity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Global Equity
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Stellar Strategic Income
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. Firstar Strategic Income
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Stellar Ohio Tax-Free Money Market
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. Firstar Ohio Tax-Exempt Money Market
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Mercantile Small Cap Equity Index
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Small Cap Index
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Equity Income
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Equity Income
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercantile Missouri Tax-Exempt Bond
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Firstar Missouri Tax-Exempt Bond
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Firstar MicroCap
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. no name change
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Firstar International Equity
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. Firstar International Value
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firstar Bond IMMDEX(TM)
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. no name change
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Firstar Short-Term Bond Market
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. Firstar Short Term Bond
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Firstar Special Growth
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. Firstar MidCap Core Equity
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Firstar Institutional Money Market
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. no name change
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Firstar U.S. Government Money Market
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. no name change
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