Dreyfus
Emerging
Markets Fund
Investing in emerging markets for long-term capital growth
PROSPECTUS October 1, 1999
As revised, April 14, 2000
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not
approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this
prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Contents
THE FUND
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What every investor
should know about the fund
2 Goal/Approach
3 Main Risks
4 Past Performance
5 Expenses
6 Management
7 Financial Highlights
YOUR INVESTMENT
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Information for managing
your fund account
8 Account Policies
11 Distributions and Taxes
12 Services for Fund Investors
14 Instructions for Regular Accounts
16 Instructions for IRAs
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Where to learn more about
this and other Dreyfus funds
INFORMATION ON THE FUND'S RECENT STRATEGIES
AND HOLDINGS CAN BE FOUND IN THE CURRENT
NNUAL/ SEMIANNUAL REPORT (SEE BACK COVER).
The Fund
Dreyfus Emerging Markets Fund
--------------------------------
Ticker Symbol: DRFMX
GOAL/APPROACH
The fund seeks long-term capital growth. To pursue this goal, the fund invests
primarily in the stocks of companies organized, or with a majority of assets or
business, in emerging market countries. "Emerging market" countries consist of
all countries represented by the Morgan Stanley Capital International Emerging
Markets Free Index or any other country Dreyfus believes has an emerging economy
or market. Normally, the fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets
in the securities of companies in any one emerging market country.
In choosing stocks, the fund uses a value-oriented, research-driven approach. In
selecting stocks, the portfolio manager identifies potential investments through
extensive quantitative and fundamental research. Emphasizing individual stock
selection rather than economic and industry trends, the fund focuses on three
key factors:
* VALUE, or how a stock is valued relative to its intrinsic worth based on
traditional value measures
* BUSINESS HEALTH, or overall efficiency and profitability as measured by
return on assets and return on equity
* BUSINESS MOMENTUM, or the presence of a catalyst (such as corporate
restructuring, change in management or spin-off) that potentially will
trigger a price increase near term or midterm
The fund typically sells a stock when it is no longer considered a value
company, appears less likely to benefit from the current market and economic
environment, shows deteriorating fundamentals or declining momentum, or falls
short of the manager's expectations.
Concepts to understand
VALUE COMPANIES: companies that appear underpriced according to certain
financial measurements of their intrinsic worth or business prospects (such as
price-to-earnings or price-to-book ratios). For international investing, "value"
is determined relative to a company's home market. Because a stock can remain
undervalued for years, value investors often look for factors that could trigger
a rise in price.
[Page 2]
MAIN RISKS
The stock markets of emerging market countries can be extremely volatile. The
value of your investment in the fund will go up and down, sometimes
dramatically, which means that you could lose money.
The fund' s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic
factors affecting companies in emerging market countries. These risks include
changes in currency exchange rates, a lack of comprehensive company information,
political instability, differing auditing and legal standards, less diverse and
less mature economic structures, and less liquidity.
Value stocks involve the risk that they may never reach what the manager
believes is their full market value either because the market fails to recognize
the stock' s intrinsic worth or the manager misgauged that worth. They also may
decline in price, even though in theory they are already underpriced. Because
different types of stocks tend to shift in and out of favor depending on market
and economic conditions, the fund's performance may sometimes be lower or higher
than that of other types of funds (such as those emphasizing growth stocks).
The fund may invest in companies of any size. Investments in smaller companies
carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their
share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more
established companies.
Under adverse market conditions, the fund could invest some or all of its assets
in money market securities. Although the fund would do this to avoid losses, it
could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market.
Other potential risks
The fund, at times, may invest some of its assets in derivative securities, such
as options and futures, and in foreign currencies. It may also sell short. When
employed, these practices are used primarily to hedge the fund's portfolio, but
may be used to increase returns; however, such practices may lower returns or
increase volatility. Derivatives can be illiquid, and a small investment in
certain derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the fund's
performance.
At times, the fund may engage in short-term trading. This could increase the
fund's transaction costs and taxable distributions, lowering its after-tax
performance accordingly.
[Page 3]
PAST PERFORMANCE
The tables below show some of the risks of investing in the fund. The first
table shows the changes in the fund's performance from year to year. The second
table compares the fund's performance over time to that of the Morgan Stanley
Capital International Emerging Markets Free Index (MSCI EMF Index), a widely
recognized unmanaged index of foreign stock performance. Both tables assume
reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Of course, past performance is no
guarantee of future results.
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Year-by-year total return AS OF 12/31 EACH YEAR (%)
-1.53 -18.01
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98
BEST QUARTER: Q4 '98 +17.72%
WORST QUARTER: Q3 '98 -19.47%
THE FUND'S YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL RETURN AS OF 6/30/99 WAS 47.74%.
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<TABLE>
Average annual total return AS OF 12/31/98
Since
inception
1 Year (6/28/96)
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<S> <C> <C>
FUND -18.01% -8.28%
MSCI EMF -25.34% -16.74%*
* FOR COMPARATIVE PURPOSES, THE VALUE OF THE INDEX ON 6/30/96
IS USED AS THE BEGINNING VALUE ON 6/28/96.
</TABLE>
What this fund is --
and isn't
This fund is a mutual fund: a pooled investment that is professionally
managed and gives you the opportunity to participate in financial markets. It
strives to reach its stated goal, although as with all mutual funds, it cannot
offer guaranteed results.
An investment in this fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or
guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is not a complete
investment program. You could lose money in this fund, but you also have the
potential to make money.
[Page 4]
EXPENSES
As an investor, you pay certain fees and expenses in connection with the fund,
which are described in the table below. Shareholder transaction fees are paid
from your account. Annual fund operating expenses are paid out of fund assets,
so their effect is included in the share price. The fund has no sales charge
(load) or Rule 12b-1 distribution fees.
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Fee table
SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION FEES
% OF TRANSACTION AMOUNT
Maximum redemption fee 1.00%
CHARGED ONLY WHEN SELLING SHARES YOU
HAVE OWNED FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS
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ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
% OF AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS
Management fees 1.25%
Shareholder services fee 0.25%
Other expenses 0.38%
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TOTAL 1.88%
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Expense example
<TABLE>
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
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<S> <C> <C> <C>
$191 $591 $1,016 $2,201
</TABLE>
This example shows what you could pay in expenses over
time. It uses the same hypothetical conditions other
funds use in their prospectuses: $10,000 initial
investment, 5% total return each year and no changes in
expenses. The figures shown would be the same whether
you sold your shares at the end of a period or kept
them. Because actual return and expenses will be
different, the example is for comparison only.
Concepts to understand
MANAGEMENT FEE: the fee paid to the investment adviser for managing the fund's
portfolio and assisting in all aspects of the fund's operations.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES FEE: a fee paid to the fund's distributor for shareholder
account service and maintenance.
OTHER EXPENSES: fees paid by the fund for miscellaneous items such as transfer
agency, custody, professional and registration fees.
The Fund
[Page 5]
MANAGEMENT
The investment adviser for the fund is The Dreyfus Corporation, 200 Park Avenue,
New York, New York 10166. Founded in 1947, Dreyfus manages more than $120
billion in over 160 mutual fund portfolios. For the past fiscal year, the fund
paid Dreyfus a management fee at the annual rate of 1.25% of the fund's average
daily net assets. Dreyfus is the primary mutual fund business of Mellon Bank
Corporation, a broad-based financial services company with a bank at its core.
With more than $426 billion of assets under management and $2.0 trillion of
assets under administration and custody, Mellon provides a full range of
banking, investment and trust products and services to individuals, businesses
and institutions. Mellon is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The fund, Dreyfus and Dreyfus Service Corporation (the fund's distributor) each
have adopted a code of ethics that permits its personnel, subject to such code,
to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by
the fund. The Dreyfus code of ethics restricts the personal securities
transactions of its employees, and requires portfolio managers and other
investment personnel to comply with the code's preclearance and disclosure
procedures. Its primary purpose is to ensure that personal trading by Dreyfus
employees does not disadvantage any Dreyfus-managed fund.
Portfolio manager
D. Kirk Henry has managed the fund since June 1996 and has been employed by
Dreyfus since May 1996. He is also vice president and international equity
portfolio manager of The Boston Company Asset Management, an affiliate of
Dreyfus. He has held that position since May 1994.
[Page 6]
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
This table describes the fund's performance for the fiscal periods indicated.
" Total return" shows how much your investment in the fund would have increased
(or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and
distributions. These figures have been independently audited by Ernst & Young
LLP, whose report, along with the fund's financial statements, is included in
the annual report.
<TABLE>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
1999 1998 1997(1)
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<S> <C> <C> <C>
PER-SHARE DATA ($)
Net asset value, beginning of period 11.18 14.21 12.50
Investment operations:
Investment income -- net .14 .04 .05
Net realized and unrealized gain
(loss) on investments 1.33 (2.62) 1.70
Total from investment operations 1.47 (2.58) 1.75
Distributions:
Dividends from investment
income -- net (.09) (.02) (.02)
Dividends from net realized gain on investments (.02) (.24) (.02)
Dividends in excess of net realized gain
on investments -- (.20) --
Total distributions (.11) (.46) (.04)
Redemption fee added to paid-in capital .01 .01 --
Net asset value, end of period 12.55 11.18 14.21
Total return (%) 13.56 (18.11) 14.07(2)
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RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) 1.88 1.94 1.85(2)
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (%) 1.42 .54 .70(2)
Decrease reflected in above expense ratios
due to actions by Dreyfus (%) -- .00(3) .36(2)
Portfolio turnover rate (%) 87.81 87.46 52.52(2)
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Net assets, end of period ($ x 1,000) 94,354 74,828 50,382
(1) FROM JUNE 28, 1996 (COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS) TO MAY 31, 1997.
(2) NOT ANNUALIZED.
(3) AMOUNT REPRESENTS LESS THAN .01%.
</TABLE>
The Fund
[Page 7]
Your Investment
ACCOUNT POLICIES
Buying shares
YOU PAY NO SALES CHARGES to invest in this fund. Your price for fund shares is
the fund's net asset value per share (NAV), which is generally calculated as of
the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern
time) every day the exchange is open. Your order will be priced at the next NAV
calculated after your order is accepted by the fund's transfer agent or other
authorized entity. The fund's investments are generally valued based on market
value or, where market quotations are not readily available, based on fair value
as determined in good faith by the fund's board.
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Minimum investments
Initial Additional
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REGULAR ACCOUNTS $2,500 $100
$500 FOR
TELETRANSFER
INVESTMENTS
TRADITIONAL IRAS $750 NO MINIMUM
SPOUSAL IRAS $750 NO MINIMUM
ROTH IRAS $750 NO MINIMUM
EDUCATION IRAS $500 NO MINIMUM
AFTER THE FIRST
YEAR
DREYFUS AUTOMATIC $100 $100
INVESTMENT PLANS
All investments must be in U.S. dollars. Third-party checks cannot be accepted.
You may be charged a fee for any check that does not clear. Maximum TeleTransfer
purchase is $150,000 per day.
Third-party investments
If you invest through a third party (rather than directly with Dreyfus), the
policies and fees may be different than those described here. Banks, brokers,
401(k) plans, financial advisers and financial supermarkets may charge
transaction fees and may set different minimum investments or limitations on
buying or selling shares. Consult a representative of your plan or financial
institution if in doubt.
[Page 8]
Selling shares
YOU MAY SELL (REDEEM) SHARES AT ANY TIME. Your shares will be sold at the next
NAV calculated after your order is accepted by the fund's transfer agent or
other authorized entity. Any certificates representing fund shares being sold
must be returned with your redemption request. Your order will be processed
promptly and you will generally receive the proceeds within a week.
BEFORE SELLING RECENTLY PURCHASED SHARES, please note that:
* if the fund has not yet collected payment for the shares you are selling,
it may delay sending the proceeds for up to eight business days or until it
has collected payment
* if you are selling or exchanging shares you have owned for less than six
months, the fund may deduct a 1% redemption fee (not charged on shares sold
through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan or Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege,
or on shares acquired through dividend reinvestment)
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Limitations on selling shares by phone
Proceeds
sent by Minimum Maximum
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CHECK NO MINIMUM $150,000 PER DAY
WIRE $1,000 $250,000 FOR JOINT
ACCOUNTS
EVERY 30 DAYS
TELETRANSFER $500 $250,000 FOR JOINT
ACCOUNTS
EVERY 30 DAYS
Written sell orders
Some circumstances require written sell orders along with signature guarantees.
These include:
* amounts of $1,000 or more on accounts whose address has been changed within
the last 30 days
* requests to send the proceeds to a different payee or address
Written sell orders of $100,000 or more must also be signature guaranteed.
A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE helps protect against fraud. You can obtain one from most
banks or securities dealers, but not from a notary public. For joint accounts,
each signature must be guaranteed. Please call us to ensure that your signature
guarantee will be processed correctly.
Your Investment
[Page 9]
ACCOUNT POLICIES (CONTINUED)
General policies
UNLESS YOU DECLINE TELEPHONE PRIVILEGES on your application, you may be
responsible for any fraudulent telephone order as long as Dreyfus takes
reasonable measures to verify the order.
THE FUND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO:
* refuse any purchase or exchange request that could adversely affect the
fund or its operations, including those from any individual or group who,
in the fund' s view, is likely to engage in excessive trading (usually
defined as more than four exchanges out of the fund within a calendar year)
* refuse any purchase or exchange request in excess of 1% of the fund's total
assets
* change or discontinue its exchange privilege, or temporarily suspend this
privilege during unusual market conditions
* change its minimum investment amounts
* delay sending out redemption proceeds for up to seven days (generally
applies only in cases of very large redemptions, excessive trading or
during unusual market conditions)
The fund also reserves the right to make a "redemption in kind" -- payment in
portfolio securities rather than cash -- if the amount you are redeeming is
large enough to affect fund operations (for example, if it represents more than
1% of the fund's assets).
Small account policies
To offset the relatively higher costs of servicing smaller accounts, the fund
charges regular accounts with balances below $2,000 an annual fee of $12. The
fee will be imposed during the fourth quarter of each calendar year.
The fee will be waived for: any investor whose aggregate Dreyfus mutual fund
investments total at least $25,000; IRA accounts; accounts participating in
automatic investment programs; accounts opened through a financial institution.
If your account falls below $500, the fund may ask you to increase your balance.
If it is still below $500 after 45 days, the fund may close your account and
send you the proceeds.
[Page 10]
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
THE FUND USUALLY PAYS ITS SHAREHOLDERS DIVIDENDS from its net investment income,
and distributes any net capital gains it has realized once a year. Your
distributions will be reinvested in the fund unless you instruct the fund
otherwise. There are no fees or sales charges on reinvestments.
FUND DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS ARE TAXABLE to most investors (unless your
investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account). The tax status of any
distribution is the same regardless of how long you have been in the fund and
whether you reinvest your distributions or take them in cash. In general,
distributions are federally taxable as follows:
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Taxability of distributions
Type of Tax rate for Tax rate for
distribution 15% bracket 28% bracket or above
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INCOME ORDINARY ORDINARY
DIVIDENDS INCOME RATE INCOME RATE
SHORT-TERM ORDINARY ORDINARY
CAPITAL GAINS INCOME RATE INCOME RATE
LONG-TERM
CAPITAL GAINS 10% 20%
The tax status of your dividends and distributions will be detailed in your
annual tax statement from the fund.
Because everyone's tax situation is unique, always consult your tax professional
about federal, state and local tax consequences.
Taxes on transactions
Except in tax-advantaged accounts, any sale or exchange of fund shares may
generate a tax liability.
The table at right also can provide a guide for your potential tax liability
when selling or exchanging fund shares. "Short-term capital gains" applies to
fund shares sold or exchanged up to 12 months after buying them. "Long-term
capital gains" applies to shares sold or exchanged after 12 months.
Your Investment
[Page 11]
SERVICES FOR FUND INVESTORS
Automatic services
BUYING OR SELLING SHARES AUTOMATICALLY is easy with the services described
below. With each service, you select a schedule and amount, subject to certain
restrictions. You can set up most of these services with your application or by
calling 1-800-645-6561.
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For investing
DREYFUS AUTOMATIC For making automatic investments
ASSET BUILDER((reg.tm)) from a designated bank account.
DREYFUS PAYROLL For making automatic investments
SAVINGS PLAN through a payroll deduction.
DREYFUS GOVERNMENT For making automatic investments
DIRECT DEPOSIT from your federal employment,
PRIVILEGE Social Security or other regular
federal government check.
DREYFUS DIVIDEND For automatically reinvesting the
SWEEP dividends and distributions from
one Dreyfus fund into another
(not available for IRAs).
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For exchanging shares
DREYFUS AUTO- For making regular exchanges
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE from one Dreyfus fund into
another.
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For selling shares
DREYFUS AUTOMATIC For making regular withdrawals
WITHDRAWAL PLAN from most Dreyfus funds.
Dreyfus Financial Centers
Through a nationwide network of Dreyfus Financial Centers, Dreyfus offers a full
array of investment services and products. This includes information on mutual
funds, brokerage services, tax-advantaged products and retirement planning.
Experienced financial consultants can help you make informed choices and provide
you with personalized attention in handling account transactions. The Financial
Centers also offer informative seminars and events. To find the Financial Center
nearest you, call 1-800-499-3327.
[Page 12]
Exchange privilege
YOU CAN EXCHANGE SHARES WORTH $500 OR MORE from one Dreyfus fund into another
(no minimum for retirement accounts). You can request your exchange in writing
or by phone. Be sure to read the current prospectus for any fund into which you
are exchanging. Any new account established through an exchange will have the
same privileges as your original account (as long as they are available). There
is currently no fee for exchanges, although you may be charged a sales load when
exchanging into any fund that has one.
Dreyfus TeleTransfer privilege
TO MOVE MONEY BETWEEN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT and your Dreyfus fund account with a
phone call, use the Dreyfus TeleTransfer privilege. You can set up TeleTransfer
on your account by providing bank account information and following the
instructions on your application.
24-hour automated account access
YOU CAN EASILY MANAGE YOUR DREYFUS ACCOUNTS, check your account balances,
transfer money between your Dreyfus funds, get price and yield information and
much more -- when it's convenient for you.
Retirement plans
Dreyfus offers a variety of retirement plans, including traditional, Roth and
Education IRAs. Here's where you call for information:
* for traditional, rollover, Roth and Education IRAs, call 1-800-645-6561
* for SEP-IRAs, Keogh accounts, 401(k) and 403(b) accounts, call
1-800-358-0910
Your Investment
[Page 13]
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGULAR ACCOUNTS
TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT
In Writing
Complete the application.
Mail your application and a check to:
The Dreyfus Family of Funds
P.O. Box 9387, Providence, RI 02940-9387
By Telephone
WIRE Have your bank send your
investment to The Bank of New York,
with these instructions:
* ABA# 021000018
* DDA# 8900284188
* the fund name
* your Social Security or tax ID number
* name(s) of investor(s)
Call us to obtain an account number.
Return your application.
Automatically
WITH AN INITIAL INVESTMENT Indicate
on your application which automatic
service(s) you want. Return your application
with your investment.
WITHOUT ANY INITIAL INVESTMENT Check the
reyfus Step Program option on your
application. Return your application,
then complete the additional materials
when they are sent to you.
Via the Internet
COMPUTER Visit the Dreyfus Web site
http://www.dreyfus.com and follow the
instructions to download an account application.
TO ADD TO AN ACCOUNT
Fill out an investment slip, and write your
account number on your check.
Mail the slip and the check to:
The Dreyfus Family of Funds
P.O. Box 105,
Newark, NJ 07101-0105
WIRE Have your bank send your
investment to The Bank of New York,
with these instructions:
* ABA# 021000018
* DDA# 8900284188
* the fund name
* your account number
* name(s) of investor(s)
ELECTRONIC CHECK Same as wire, but insert
"1111" before your account number.
TELETRANSFER Request TeleTransfer on
your application. Call us to request your
transaction.
ALL SERVICES Call us to request a form to add any automatic investing service
(see "Services for Fund Investors"). Complete and return the forms along with
any other required materials.
[Page 14]
TO SELL SHARES
Write a letter of instruction that includes:
* your name(s) and signature(s)
* your account number
* the fund name
* the dollar amount you want to sell
* how and where to send the proceeds
Obtain a signature guarantee or other
documentation, if required (see "Account
Policies -- Selling Shares").
Mail your request to:
The Dreyfus Family of Funds
P.O. Box 9671, Providence, RI 02940-9671
WIRE Be sure the fund has your bank account information on file. Call us to
request your transaction. Proceeds will be wired to your bank.
TELETRANSFER Be sure the fund has your bank account information on file. Call
us to request your transaction. Proceeds will be sent to your bank by electronic
check.
CHECK Call us to request your transaction. A check will be sent to the address
of record.
DREYFUS AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN Call us to request a form to add the plan.
Complete the form, specifying the amount and frequency of withdrawals you would
like.
Be sure to maintain an account balance of $5,000 or more.
To reach Dreyfus, call toll free in the U.S.
1-800-645-6561
Outside the U.S. 516-794-5452
Make checks payable to:
THE DREYFUS FAMILY OF FUNDS
You also can deliver requests to any Dreyfus Financial Center. Because
processing time may vary, please ask the representative when your account will
be credited or debited.
Concepts to understand
WIRE TRANSFER: for transferring money from one financial institution to another.
Wiring is the fastest way to move money, although your bank may charge a fee to
send or receive wire transfers. Wire redemptions from the fund are subject to a
$1,000 minimum.
ELECTRONIC CHECK: for transferring money out of a bank account. Your transaction
is entered electronically, but may take up to eight business days to clear.
Electronic checks usually are available without a fee at all Automated Clearing
House (ACH) banks.
Your Investment
[Page 15]
INSTRUCTIONS FOR IRAS
TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT
In Writing
Complete an IRA application, making sure to specify the fund name and to
indicate the year the contribution is for.
Mail your application and a check to:
The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian
P.O. Box 6427, Providence, RI 02940-6427
By Telephone
Automatically
WITHOUT ANY INITIAL INVESTMENT Call us
to request a Dreyfus Step Program form.
Complete and return the form along with
your application.
Via the Internet
COMPUTER Visit the Dreyfus Web site
http://www.dreyfus.com and follow the
instructions to download an account
application.
TO ADD TO AN ACCOUNT
Fill out an investment slip, and write
your account number on your check.
Indicate the year the contribution is for.
Mail in the slip and the check (see "To Open
an Account" at left).
WIRE Have your bank send your
investment to The Bank of New York,
with these instructions:
* ABA# 021000018
* DDA# 8900284188
* the fund name
* your account number
* name of investor
* the contribution year
ELECTRONIC CHECK Same as wire, but insert
"1111" before your account number.
TELEPHONE CONTRIBUTION Call to request us
to move money from a regular Dreyfus
account to an IRA (both accounts must be
held in the same shareholder name).
ALL SERVICES Call us to request a form to add an automatic investing service
(see "Services for Fund Investors"). Complete and return the form along with any
other required materials.
All contributions will count as current year.
[Page 16]
TO SELL SHARES
Write a letter of instruction that includes:
* your name and signature
* your account number
* the fund name
* the dollar amount you want to sell
* how and where to send the proceeds
* whether the distribution is qualified or premature
* whether the 10% TEFRA should be withheld
Obtain a signature guarantee or other
documentation, if required.
Mail in your request (see "To Open an Account"
at left).
DREYFUS AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN Call us
to request instructions to establish the plan.
To reach Dreyfus, call toll free in the U.S.
1-800-645-6561
Outside the U.S. 516-794-5452
Make checks payable to:
THE DREYFUS TRUST COMPANY, CUSTODIAN
You also can deliver requests to any Dreyfus Financial Center. Because
processing time may vary, please ask the representative when your account will
be credited or debited.
Concepts to understand
WIRE TRANSFER: for transferring money from one financial institution to another.
Wiring is the fastest way to move money, although your bank may charge a fee to
send or receive wire transfers. Wire redemptions from the fund are subject to a
$1,000 minimum.
ELECTRONIC CHECK: for transferring money out of a bank account. Your transaction
is entered electronically, but may take up to eight business days to clear.
Electronic checks usually are available without a fee at all Automated Clearing
House (ACH) banks.
Your Investment
[Page 17]
For More Information
Dreyfus Emerging Markets Fund
-----------------------------
SEC file number: 811-7502
More information on this fund is available free upon
request, including the following:
Annual/Semiannual Report
Describes the fund' s performance, lists portfolio
holdings and contains a letter from the fund's manager
discussing recent market conditions, economic trends and
fund strategies that significantly affected the fund's
performance during the last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
Provides more details about the fund and its policies. A
current SAI is on file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) and is incorporated by reference (is
legally considered part of this prospectus).
To obtain information:
BY TELEPHONE
Call 1-800-645-6561
BY MAIL Write to:
The Dreyfus Family of Funds
144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard
Uniondale, NY 11556-0144
BY E-MAIL Send your request
to [email protected]
ON THE INTERNET Text-only
versions of fund documents
can be viewed online or
downloaded from:
SEC
http://www.sec.gov
DREYFUS
http://www.dreyfus.com
You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington, DC (phone 1-800-SEC-0330) or by sending your request and a
duplicating fee to the SEC's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC
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