BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST
485APOS, 2000-01-28
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<PAGE>


   AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 28, 2000

                                                     1933 Act File No. 33-69460
                                                     1940 Act File No. 811-8046

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

/ /               Pre-Effective Amendment No.

/ /               Post-Effective Amendment No. 24

                                     and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

/X/               Amendment No. 26

                        (Check appropriate box or boxes)

BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, Colorado                     80206
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code:  (303) 329-0200
                                                     --------------------------

Jack R. Thompson, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:  As soon as practicable after
this post-effective amendment becomes effective.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

               immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
               on January 31, 2000 pursuant to paragraph (b)
      XX       60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
               on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
               75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
               on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
               on January 31, 2000, pursuant to paragraph (a)(3)

If appropriate, check the following box:


               this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date
               for a previously filed post-effective amendment.



Title of Securities Being Registered: Shares of Beneficial Interest of the
Berger Information Technology Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger Information
Technology Fund -- Institutional Shares, Berger New Generation Fund -- Investor
Shares, Berger New Generation Fund -- Institutional Shares, Berger Select Fund,
Berger Small Company Growth Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger Small Company Growth
Fund -- Institutional Shares, Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, Berger Mid Cap Value
Fund, and Berger Balanced Fund.



<PAGE>


                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

         This amendment to the Registration Statement of the Berger Investment
Portfolio Trust contains the following:


Four Prospectuses:
         One for the combined retail Berger Funds, including the Berger
         Information Technology Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger New Generation
         Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger Select Fund, Berger Small Company
         Growth Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, Berger Mid
         Cap Value Fund, and Berger Balanced Fund.
         One for the Berger Information Technology Fund -- Institutional Shares
         One for the Berger New Generation Fund - Institutional Shares class
         One for the Berger Small Company Growth Fund - Institutional Shares
         class

Four Statements of Additional Information:
         One for the combined retail Berger Funds including the Berger
         Information Technology Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger New Generation
         Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger Select Fund, Berger Small Company
         Growth Fund -- Investor Shares, Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, Berger Mid
         Cap Value Fund, and Berger Balanced Fund.
         One for the Berger Information Technology Fund -- Institutional Shares
         One for the Berger New Generation Fund - Institutional Shares class
         One for the BergerSmall Company Growth Fund - Institutional Shares
         class


One Part C

The purpose of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 is to amend the Registration
Statement of the Berger Investment Portfolio Trust (the "Trust") and to extend
the effective date of the Trust's Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 (filed on
November 30, 1999) so that both Post-Effective Amendments are effective January
31, 2000 pursuant to a request for accelerated approval of this filing.

This Post-Effective Amendment has no effect on the Trust's Post-Effective
Amendment No. 23 (filed on December 15, 1999), which was filed to add a new
series to the Trust, the Berger Large Cap Value Fund.


<PAGE>

BERGER FUNDS                      PROSPECTUS

                                                                January 31, 2000


          BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES

          BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES

          BERGER SELECT FUND

          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES

          BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES

          BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND

          BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND

          BERGER GROWTH FUND

          BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND

          BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

          BERGER BALANCED FUND



          The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved
          any shares offered in this prospectus, or determined whether this
          prospectus is accurate or complete. Anyone who tells you otherwise is
          committing a crime. Like all mutual funds, an investment in the Berger
          Funds is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the
          FDIC or any other government agency. There is no guarantee that the
          Funds will meet their investment goals, and although you have the
          potential to make money, you could also lose money in the Funds.

<PAGE>




























BERGER FUNDS, BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND, BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND,
BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND, BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND, BERGER GROWTH AND
INCOME FUND, BERGER BALANCED FUND and THE BERGER MOUNTAIN LOGO are registered
trademarks of Berger LLC; BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND, BERGER SELECT
FUND, BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND, BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND and BERGER GROWTH
FUND are trademarks of Berger LLC; and other marks referred to herein are the
trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners thereof.

<PAGE>

CONTENTS

BERGER FUNDS-Registered Trademark- are a no-load family of mutual funds. A
mutual fund pools money from shareholders and invests in a portfolio of
securities. Each of the following sections introduces a Fund, its goal(s),
principal investment strategies and principal risks. They also contain expense
and performance information.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>    <C>
2      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND-TM- ~ INVESTOR SHARES
4      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND-Registered Trademark- ~ INVESTOR SHARES
6      BERGER SELECT FUND-TM-
8      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND-Registered Trademark- ~ INVESTOR SHARES
10     BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND-Registered Trademark- ~ INVESTOR SHARES
12     BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND-TM-
14     BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND-TM-
16     BERGER GROWTH FUND-TM-
18     BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND-Registered Trademark-
20     BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND-Registered Trademark-
22     BERGER BALANCED FUND-Registered Trademark-

<CAPTION>
                       <S>  <C>
                       24   INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS
                            24   Risk and Investment Table
                            26   Risk and Investment Glossary

                       28   BUYING SHARES

                       29   SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES
                            30   Exchanging Shares
                            30   Signature Guarantees/Special Documentation
                            31   Your Share Price
                            31   Other Information About Your Account
                            32   Distributions and Taxes
                            33   Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans

                       34   ORGANIZATION OF THE BERGER FUNDS FAMILY
                            34   Investment Managers
                            36   12b-1 Arrangements
                            36   Special Fund Structures

                       37   FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE BERGER FUNDS FAMILY
                            37   Berger Information Technology Fund ~ Investor Shares
                            39   Berger New Generation Fund ~ Investor Shares
                            39   Berger Select Fund
                            40   Berger Small Company Growth Fund ~ Investor Shares
                            40   Berger Small Cap Value Fund ~ Investor Shares
                            42   Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund
                            42   Berger Mid Cap Value Fund
                            43   Berger Growth Fund
                            43   Berger/BIAM International Fund
                            45   Berger Growth and Income Fund
                            45   Berger Balanced Fund
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

2

          ---------------------
           BERGER INFORMATION
            TECHNOLOGY FUND ~
              INVESTOR SHARES  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BINVX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES -
The Fund aims for capital appreciation. In pursuing its goal, the Fund invests
at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of companies in the information
technology group of industries, such as software, hardware, computer consulting
services, communications and Internet services and products. The Fund's
investment manager analyzes trends in information technology spending and
demand, then identifies companies it believes are best positioned to benefit
from those trends. The Fund generally invests the remainder of its assets in
information technology-related companies whose stock price the investment
manager believes is undervalued relative to their assets, earnings, cash flow or
business franchise.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies:

- -   That dominate their industries or a particular market segment

- -   That have or are developing products or services that represent significant
technological advancements or improvements

- -   That have strong fundamentals, strong management and strong product
positioning.

The Fund primarily invests in common stocks. The Fund is free to invest in
companies of any size market capitalization. The Fund's investment manager will
generally sell a security when it no longer meets the manager's investment
criteria or when it has met the manager's expectations for appreciation.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and unanticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

Given the Fund's concentration in industries that are rapidly changing, its
share price may fluctuate more than that of funds invested in more stable
industries. Companies in the information technology industries may have narrow
product lines and their products and services are often subject to intense
competition and rapid obsolescence.

Because the Fund's investments are focused in the information technology sector,
the Fund is more susceptible to adverse events and market pressures impacting
the industries included in that sector.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These returns
include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and
reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does not
guarantee future results.

Year-by-year returns show how the Fund's performance has varied by illustrating
the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31(1)




                       [CHART]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   '98        '99
                  <S>        <C>
                  62.72%     161.40%

<CAPTION>

<S>               <C>        <C>
BEST QUARTER:     12/31/99   97.35%

WORST QUARTER:    9/30/98    -9.95%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Wilshire 5000 Index
(Wilshire 5000). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the
Wilshire 5000, this index is a good indicator of general stock market
performance. You may not invest in the Wilshire 5000 and unlike the Fund, it
does not incur fees or charges.


<PAGE>

                                                                               3

                                                              ------------------
                                                              BERGER INFORMATION
                                                               TECHNOLOGY FUND ~
                                                                 INVESTOR SHARES


AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999(1)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                     LIFE OF THE FUND
                             1 YEAR   (APRIL 8, 1997)
- -----------------------------------------------------
<S>                         <C>      <C>
The Fund                    161.40%        88.81%
Wilshire 5000                23.56%        27.99%
</TABLE>


(1) Returns for periods before July 2, 1999 do not include the .25% 12b-1 fee
which has been paid by the Investor Shares class since the inception of the
class in connection with the Fund's reorganization on that date. This would have
reduced the Fund's return.

[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales
loads, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating Expenses, which vary
from year to year.

<TABLE>
<S>                                                       <C>
SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES                              %
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed
or exchanged if shares are held less than 6 months)          1%
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Exchange Fee*                                              None
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Management fee(1)                                          .85%
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                   .25%
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses(2)                                          .86%
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                      1.96%
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


* The 1% redemption fee referenced in the table will be imposed on shares
exchanged if held less than 6 months, since an exchange is treated as a
redemption followed by a purchase.

(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the
first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


(2) "Other expenses" are based on estimated expenses of the Investor Shares
class and include transfer agency fees, shareholder report expenses,
registration fees and custodian fees. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC
eliminated the administrative fee charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown
reflects the restated expenses.





UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                              $
- ----------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>
One                                              199
- ----------------------------------------------------
Three                                            615
- ----------------------------------------------------
Five                                           1,057
- ----------------------------------------------------
Ten                                            2,285
- ----------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

4

          ---------------------
                   BERGER NEW
            GENERATION FUND ~
              INVESTOR SHARES  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BENGX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims
for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily invests in
the common stocks of companies with potential for significant earnings growth.

The Fund focuses on leading-edge companies with new ideas, technologies or
methods of doing business. Its investment manager seeks companies it believes
have the potential to change the direction or dynamics of the industries in
which they operate or significantly influence the way businesses or consumers
conduct their affairs.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies:

- -  In business sectors characterized by rapid change, regardless of the
company's size

- -  With favorable long-term growth potential due to their new or innovative
products or services

- -  With management and financial strength to fulfill their vision and grow their
business.

The Fund invests in common stocks, both domestic and foreign, and other
securities with equity features, such as convertible securities and preferred
stocks. Due to the Fund's focus on companies with the characteristics described
above, the Fund generally is weighted toward small market capitalization
companies, although it is free to invest in companies with larger market
capitalizations as well. The Fund's investment manager will generally sell a
security when it no longer meets the manager's investment criteria or when it
has met the manager's expectations for appreciation. The Fund's investment
manager may actively trade the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's goal.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

Given the Fund's weighting toward small companies in rapidly changing
industries, its share price may fluctuate more than that of funds invested in
larger companies or more stable industries. Small companies may pose greater
risk due to narrow product lines, limited financial resources, less depth in
management or a limited trading market for their stocks. In addition, products
and services in rapidly changing industries may be subject to intense
competition and rapid obsolescence and may require regulatory approvals prior to
their use. The Fund's investments are often focused in a small number of
business sectors. In addition, the Fund's active trading will cause the Fund to
have an increased portfolio turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in
higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an
investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These returns
include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and
reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does not
guarantee future results.

Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31




                       [CHART]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   '97        '98        '99
                  <S>        <C>        <C>
                  24.22%     23.00%     144.20%

<CAPTION>

<S>               <C>             <C>
BEST QUARTER:     12/31/99         52.95%

WORST QUARTER:    9/30/98         -18.43%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Standard & Poor's 500
Index (S&P 500). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the S&P
500, this index is a good indicator of general stock market performance. You may
not invest in the S&P 500 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                               5

                                                              ------------------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                NEW GENERATION ~
                                                                 INVESTOR SHARES

   AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                     LIFE OF THE FUND
                        1 YEAR       (MARCH 29, 1996)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                     <C>          <C>
The Fund                144.20%           47.50%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S&P 500                  21.03%           26.52%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales
loads, redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund
Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                                             %
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                        <C>
Management fee(1)                                                           .85
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                                    .25
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses(2)                                                           .38
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                                       1.48
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the
first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.



(2) Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.


UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                                                         $
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                       <C>
One                                                                         151
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three                                                                       468
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five                                                                        808
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten                                                                       1,768
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

6

          ---------------------
                       BERGER
                  SELECT FUND
                               -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BESLX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims
for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily invests in
the common stocks of companies with superior potential for strong earnings
growth.

This nondiversified Fund normally invests in a core portfolio of 20-30 common
stocks selected by the Fund's three co-portfolio managers. The stock selection
focuses on companies of any size whose growth potential is not yet fully
reflected in the company's stock price.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- -  Solid fundamental growth opportunities and that are market share leaders in
their industries or have the potential to develop a large market for their
products and services

- -  Strong, capable management teams with clearly defined strategies for revenue
and earnings growth

- -  A catalyst for positive earnings developments such as evolving product
cycles, special situations or changing economic conditions.

The Fund's investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer
meets the manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's
expectations for appreciation. The Fund's investment manager may actively trade
the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's goal. Due to this and the Fund's
relatively small number of holdings, the annual portfolio turnover rate may be
higher than other mutual funds.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

The Fund's share price may fluctuate more than the market in general and most
equity funds due to its ability as a nondiversified fund to take larger
positions in a smaller number of companies. As a result, the gains or losses on
a single stock will have a greater impact on the Fund's share price. The Fund's
investments are often focused in a small number of business sectors. In
addition, the Fund's active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased
portfolio turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in higher brokerage
costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the
Fund's performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These
returns include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions
and reflects Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does
not guarantee future results.


Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.


YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31


                       [CHART]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   '98        '99
<S>               <C>        <C>
                  72.26%     81.68%

<CAPTION>

<S>               <C>             <C>
BEST QUARTER:     12/31/99         54.19%

WORST QUARTER:    9/30/98          -6.75%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Standard & Poor's 500
Index (S&P 500). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the S&P
500, this index is a good indicator of general stock market performance. You may
not invest in the S&P 500 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                               7

                                                              ------------------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                     SELECT FUND

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                              LIFE OF THE FUND
                                   1 YEAR    (DECEMBER 31, 1997)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>       <C>
The Fund                           81.68%           76.90%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
S&P 500                            21.03%           24.76%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales
loads, redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund
Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                                              %
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                        <C>
Management fee(1)                                                           .75%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                                    .25%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses(2)                                                           .28%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                                       1.28%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.75% of the
first $500 million; 0.70% of the next $500 million and 0.65% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


(2) Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                                                         $
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                       <C>
One                                                                         130
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three                                                                       406
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five                                                                        702
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten                                                                       1,545
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

8

          ---------------------
         BERGER SMALL COMPANY
                GROWTH FUND ~
              INVESTOR SHARES  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BESCK
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims
for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily invests in
the common stocks of small companies with the potential for rapid earnings
growth.

The Fund's stock selection focuses on companies that either occupy a dominant
position in an emerging industry or have a growing market share in a larger,
fragmented industry.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- -  A proprietary technology, product or service that may enable the company to
be a market share leader

- -  Strong entrepreneurial management with clearly defined strategies for growth

- -  Relatively strong balance sheets.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 65% of its assets in
equity securities of companies whose market capitalization, at the time of
initial purchase, is less than the 12-month average of the maximum market
capitalization for companies included in the Russell 2000 Index (Russell 2000).
This average is updated monthly. The Fund's investment manager will generally
sell a security when it no longer meets the manager's investment criteria or
when it has met the manager's expectations for appreciation. The Fund's
investment manager may actively trade the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's
goal.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

The Fund's share price may fluctuate more than that of funds primarily invested
in stocks of mid-sized and large companies. Small company securities may
underperform as compared to the securities of larger companies. They may also
pose greater risk due to narrow product lines, limited financial resources, less
depth in management or a limited trading market for their stocks. The Fund's
investments are often focused in a small number of business sectors. In
addition, the Fund's active trading will cause the fund to have an increased
portfolio turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in higher brokerage
costs to the fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These returns
include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and
reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does not
guarantee future results.

Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.

[GRAPHIC] YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31




                       [CHART]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   '94        '95        '96        '97        '98        '99
<S>               <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>       <C>
                  13.73%     33.80%      16.77%    16.16%      3.17%     104.39%

<CAPTION>

<S>               <C>             <C>
BEST QUARTER:     12/31/99         58.97%

WORST QUARTER:    9/30/98         -29.22%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Russell 2000. While the
Fund does not seek to match the returns of the Russell 2000, this index is a
good indicator of small company stock market performance. You may not invest in
the Russell 2000 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                               9

                                                                 ---------------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                   SMALL COMPANY
                                                                   GROWTH FUND ~
                                                                 INVESTOR SHARES

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                       LIFE OF THE FUND
                1 YEAR     5 YEARS    (DECEMBER 30, 1993)
- ----------------------------------------------------------
<S>             <C>        <C>        <C>
The Fund        104.39%     30.79%          27.78%
- ----------------------------------------------------------
Russell 2000     21.26%     16.69%          13.38%
- ----------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales
loads, redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund
Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.


<TABLE>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                                             %
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                        <C>
Management fee(1)                                                           .84
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                                    .25
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses(2)                                                           .44
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                                       1.53
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the
first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


(2) Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                                                         $
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                       <C>
One                                                                         156
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three                                                                       483
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five                                                                        834
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten                                                                       1,824
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

10

          ---------------------
             BERGER SMALL CAP
                 VALUE FUND ~
              INVESTOR SHARES  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BSCVX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[GRAPHIC]
THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund aims for capital
appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily invests in the common
stocks of small companies whose stock prices are believed to be undervalued.

The Fund's securities selection focuses on companies that are out of favor with
markets or have not yet been discovered by the broader investment community.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- -  A low price relative to their assets, earnings, cash flow or business
franchise

- -  Products and services that give them a competitive advantage

- -  Quality balance sheets and strong management.

The investment manager's philosophy is to weigh a security's downside risk
before considering its upside potential, which may help provide an element of
capital preservation. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 65%
of its assets in equity securities of small companies whose market
capitalization, at the time of initial purchase, is less than the 12-month
average of the maximum market capitalization for companies included in the
Russell 2000 Index (Russell 2000). This average is updated monthly. The Fund's
investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer meets the
manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's expectations for
appreciation.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

The Fund's share price may fluctuate more than that of funds primarily invested
in stocks of mid-sized and large companies. Small company securities may
underperform as compared to the securities of larger companies. They may also
pose greater risk due to narrow product lines, limited financial resources, less
depth in management or a limited trading market for their stocks. The Fund's
investments are often focused in a small number of business sectors. In
addition, the Fund may invest in certain securities with unique risks, such as
special situations.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance for the ten-year period through December 31, 1999. These returns
include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and
reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does not
guarantee future results.

Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year for the past ten years.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31(1)




                        [GRAPH]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
      '90     '91     '92     '93     '94    '95     '96    '97     '98    '99
    <S>      <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>    <C>     <C>    <C>     <C>    <C>
    -21.92%  24.97%  19.61%  16.27%  6.70%  26.06%  25.60  36.51%  1.43%  14.31%
</TABLE>



<TABLE>
<S>                    <C>              <C>
BEST QUARTER:          6/30/99           22.00%

WORST QUARTER:         9/30/90          -17.29%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Russell 2000. While the
Fund does not seek to match the returns of the Russell 2000, this index is a
good indicator of small company stock market performance. You may not invest in
the Russell 2000 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                              11

                                                           -------------------
                                                             BERGER SMALL CAP
                                                                VALUE FUND -
                                                              INVESTOR SHARES

INVESTOR SHARES

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999(1)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                             1 YEAR     5 YEARS     10 YEARS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                          <C>        <C>         <C>
The Fund                     14.31%      20.17%      13.76%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russell 2000                 21.26%      16.69%      13.40%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Returns for periods before February 14, 1997, do not include the .25% 12b-1
fee which has been paid by the Investor Shares class since the Fund adopted
share classes on that date. This would have reduced the Fund's return.

[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any
sales loads, redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual
Fund Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                                             %
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                        <C>
Management fee(1)                                                           .85
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                                    .25
Other expenses(2)                                                           .21
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                                       1.31
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the
first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


(2) Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.


UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                                                         $
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                       <C>
One                                                                         133
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three                                                                       415
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five                                                                        718
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten                                                                       1,579
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

12

          ---------------------
                       BERGER
               MID CAP GROWTH
                         FUND  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BEMGX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims
for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily invests in
the common stocks of mid-sized companies with the potential for strong earnings
growth.

Stock selection focuses on companies that commit their resources to innovative
products or services for unique, changing or rapidly growing markets.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- -  Strong revenue and earnings growth fundamentals and dominant market share in
their industry or business sector

- -  Strong management teams with established organizational structures

- -  Solid balance sheets and the ability to efficiently finance their growth
through sufficient resources and access to capital

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 65% of its assets in
equity securities of companies whose market capitalization falls, at the time of
initial purchase, within a range of $1 billion to the 12-month average of the
maximum market capitalization for companies included in the Standard & Poor's
Mid Cap 400 Index (S&P 400). This average is updated monthly. The Fund's
investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer meets the
manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's expectations for
appreciation. The Fund's investment manager may actively trade the portfolio in
pursuit of the Fund's goal.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

The Fund's share price may fluctuate more than that of funds primarily invested
in stocks of large companies. Mid-sized companies may pose greater risk due to
narrow product lines, limited financial resources, less depth in management or a
limited trading market for their stocks. The Fund's investments are often
focused in a small number of business sectors. In addition, the Fund's active
trading will cause the Fund to have an increased portfolio turnover rate. Higher
turnover rates may result in higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher
net taxable gains for you as an investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.


[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the
Fund's performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These
returns include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions
and reflects Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does
not guarantee future results.



Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.


YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31




                        [GRAPH]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
'98        '99
<S>       <C>
54.38%    151.46%

<CAPTION>

<S>                   <C>               <C>
BEST QUARTER:         12/31/99           75.17%

WORST QUARTER:         9/30/98          -17.76%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the S&P 400. While the Fund
does not seek to match the returns of the S&P 400, this index is a good
indicator of general stock market performance for mid-sized companies. You may
not invest in the S&P 400 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                              13

                                                                 ---------------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                  MID CAP GROWTH
                                                                            FUND


AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                        LIFE OF THE FUND
                           1 YEAR      (DECEMBER 31, 1997)
- ------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>         <C>
The Fund                   151.46%           97.03%
- ------------------------------------------------------------
S&P 400                     14.72%           16.90%
- ------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales
loads, redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund
Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                                             %
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                        <C>
Management fee(1)                                                           .75
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                                    .25
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses(2)                                                           .77
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                                       1.77
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.75% of the
first $500 million; 0.70% of the next $500 million and 0.65% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


(2) Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                                                         $
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                     <C>
One                                                                         180
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three                                                                       557
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five                                                                        959
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten                                                                       2,084
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

14

          ---------------------
                       BERGER
                      MID CAP
                   VALUE FUND  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BEMVX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims
for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily invests in
the common stocks of mid-sized companies whose stock prices are believed to be
undervalued.

Investment selection focuses on companies that have fallen out of favor with the
market or are temporarily misunderstood by the investment community. To a lesser
degree, the Fund also invests in companies that demonstrate special situations
or turnarounds, meaning companies that have experienced significant business
problems but are believed to have favorable prospects for recovery.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- -  a low price relative to their assets, earnings, cash flow or business
franchise

- -  Products and services that give them a competitive advantage

- -  Quality balance sheets and strong management.

The investment manager's philosophy is to weigh a security's downside risk
before considering its upside potential, which may help provide an element of
capital preservation. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 65%
of its assets in equity securities of mid-sized companies whose market
capitalization falls, at the time of initial purchase, within a range of $1
billion to the 12-month average of the maximum market capitalization for
companies included in the Standard & Poor's Mid Cap 400 Index (S&P 400). This
average is updated monthly. The Fund's investment manager will generally sell a
security when it no longer meets the manager's investment criteria or when it
has met the manager's expectations for appreciation. The Fund's investment
manager may actively trade the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's goal.

[GRAPHIC] PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are
comfortable with above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

The Fund's share price may fluctuate more than that of funds primarily invested
in large companies. Mid-sized companies may pose greater risk due to narrow
product lines, limited financial resources, less depth in management or a
limited trading market for their stocks. The Fund's investments are often
focused in a small number of business sectors. In addition, the Fund may invest
in certain securities with unique risks, such as special situations. The Fund's
active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased portfolio turnover rate.
Higher turnover rates may result in higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in
higher net taxable gains for you as an investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[GRAPHIC] THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These returns
include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and
reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does not
guarantee future results.


Total return shows you the Fund's performance for the one full calendar year
since the Fund began.

TOTAL RETURN FROM DECEMBER 31, 1998
THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1999


                       [CHART]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                   '99
<S><C>
                  21.56%

<CAPTION>

<S>                    <C>               <C>
BEST QUARTER:          6/30/99           20.79%

WORST QUARTER:         9/30/99           -9.72%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the S&P 400. While the Fund
does not seek to match the returns of the S&P 400, this index is a good
indicator of general stock market performance for mid-sized companies. You may
not invest in the S&P 400 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                              15

                                                                  --------------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                         MID CAP
                                                                      VALUE FUND

   AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                        LIFE OF THE FUND
                           1 YEAR      (AUGUST 12, 1998)
- ---------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>         <C>
The Fund                   21.56%           26.77%
- ---------------------------------------------------------
S&P 400                    14.72%           21.40%
- ---------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


[GRAPHIC] FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales
loads, redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund
Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                                             %
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                        <C>
Management fee(1)                                                           .75
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                                    .25
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses(2)                                                           .61
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                                       1.61
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.75% of the
first $500 million; 0.70% of the next $500 million and 0.65% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


(2) Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund.
As a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management
fees, 12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping
and reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -  $10,000 initial investment

- -  5% total return for each year

- -  Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -  Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                                                         $
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                     <C>
One                                                                         164
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three                                                                       508
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Five                                                                        876
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten                                                                       1,911
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

16

          ---------------------
                       BERGER
                       GROWTH
                         FUND  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BEONX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[icon: profile of head with mountain peak in background]

THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims for
long-term capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily
invests in the common stocks of established companies with the potential for
growth.


Stock selection by the Fund's investment manager focuses on companies believed
to have strong growth potential regardless of the company's size.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- - Opportunities for rapid revenue and earnings growth


- - Large market potential for their products and services




- - Strong, capable management teams that have the vision necessary to increase
their market share in growing industries.

The Fund's investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer
meets the manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's
expectations for appreciation. The Fund's investment manager may actively trade
the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's goal.

[icon - left facing profile of head with lightning bolt; right facing profile of
head with sunshine]

PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
the risks of equity investing and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment.

The Fund's investments may focus in a small number of business sectors. In
addition, the Fund's active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased
portfolio turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in higher brokerage
costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[icon - profile of head with scrolled paper in background]

THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These
returns include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions
and reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does
not guarantee future results.


Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year for the past ten
years(1).

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31

[GRAPH]

<TABLE>
     <S>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>
     '90     '91     '92     '93     '94     '95     '96     '97     '98     '99
   -5.59%  88.81%   8.53%  21.20%  -6.66%  21.34%  13.73%  13.57%  16.23%  52.28%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                   <C>               <C>
BEST QUARTER:         12/31/99           42.88%
WORST QUARTER:         9/30/90          -20.60%
</TABLE>

Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Standard & Poor's 500
Index (S&P 500). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the S&P
500, this index is a good indicator of general stock market performance. You may
not invest in the S&P 500 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                              17

                                                                     -----------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                     GROWTH FUND


AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
          1 YEAR  5 YEARS  10 YEARS     LIFE OF THE FUND
                                      (SEPTEMBER 30, 1974)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
<S>       <C>     <C>      <C>        <C>
The Fund  52.28%   22.64%   19.76%           16.35%
S&P 500   21.03%   28.54%   18.19%           17.48%
</TABLE>

[icon - two coins]

FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads,
redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating
Expenses, which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                 %
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>
Management fee(1)                               .70
Distribution (12b-1) fee                        .25
Other expenses(2)                               .35
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES           1.30
</TABLE>

1. Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.75% of the
first $500 million; 0.70% of the next $500 million and 0.65% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


2. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- -    $10,000 initial investment

- -    5% total return for each year

- -    Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- -    Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                             $
- -----------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                           <C>
One                                             132
Three                                           412
Five                                            713
Ten                                           1,568
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

18

          ---------------------
                  BERGER/BIAM
                INTERNATIONAL
                         FUND  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BBINX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ticker Symbol: BBINX

[icon - profile of head with mountain peak in background]

THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims for
long-term capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund primarily
invests in a portfolio consisting of common stocks of well-established foreign
companies.

The portfolio's investment manager first identifies economic and business themes
that it believes provide a favorable framework for selecting stocks. Using
fundamental analysis, the investment manager then selects individual companies
best positioned to take advantage of opportunities presented by these themes.

The portfolio's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- - Securities that are fundamentally undervalued relative to their long-term
prospective earnings growth rates, their historic valuation levels and their
competitors

- - Business operations predominantly in well-regulated and more stable foreign
markets

- - Substantial size and liquidity, strong balance sheets, proven management and
diversified earnings.

The Fund invests all of its assets in the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio
(Portfolio), which has the same goals and policies as the Fund. The Portfolio
invests primarily in common stocks with 65% of its total assets in securities of
companies located in at least five different countries outside the United
States. Recently, the Portfolio has been weighted toward countries in Western
Europe, Australia and the Far East. However, it may also invest in other foreign
countries, including developing countries. A majority of the Portfolio's assets
are invested in mid-sized to large capitalization companies. The Portfolio's
investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer meets the
manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's expectations for
appreciation.

See "Organization of the Berger Funds Family--Special Fund
Structures--Master/Feeder" later in this prospectus for more information on
the Fund's investment in the Portfolio.

[icon - left facing profile of head with lightning bolt; right facing profile of
head with sunshine]

PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
the risks of international investing and intend to make a long-term investment
commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment
manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In
addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to corporate
earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated
events. As a result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you
could lose money on your investment. There are additional risks with investing
in foreign countries, especially in developing countries--specifically,
economic, currency, information, political and transaction risks. As a result of
these additional risks, the Fund may be more volatile than a domestic stock
fund. In addition, foreign stocks may not move in concert with the U.S. markets.
The Fund's investments are often focused in a small number of business sectors.
In addition, the Fund may invest in certain securities with unique risks, such
as forward foreign currency contracts.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[icon - profile of head with scrolled paper in background]

THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's performance
since it began operations(1) through December 31, 1999. These returns include
reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains and reflect Fund expenses. As
with all mutual funds, past performance does not guarantee future results.

Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year for the past ten
years.(1)

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31(1)

[GRAPH]

<TABLE>
     <S>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>
     '90     '91     '92     '93     '94     '95     '96     '97     '98     '99
   -4.11%  13.18%  10.21%  36.38%  -7.80%  18.78%  18.51%   2.90%  14.92%  30.90%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                   <C>               <C>
BEST QUARTER:         12/31/99           20.54%
WORST QUARTER:         9/30/98          -16.79%
</TABLE>

Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Morgan Stanley Capital
International Europe, Australasia and the Far East Index (EAFE Index). While the
Fund does not seek to match the returns of the EAFE Index, this index is a good
indicator of foreign stock markets. You may not invest in the EAFE Index and
unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                              19

                                                                   -------------
                                                                     BERGER/BIAM
                                                                   INTERNATIONAL
                                                                            FUND

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999(1)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                        LIFE OF THE FUND
             1 YEAR  5 YEARS  10 YEARS   (JULY 31, 1989)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>          <C>     <C>      <C>       <C>
The Fund     30.90%  16.86%    12.60%         14.21%
EAFE Index   27.30%  13.15%     7.33%          7.48%
</TABLE>


1. Predecessor Performance: performance figures covering periods prior to
October 11, 1996, include the performance of a pool of assets advised by the
Portfolio's investment manager for periods before the Portfolio began
operations. This performance has been adjusted to reflect the increased expenses
expected in operating the Fund, net of fee waivers. The asset pool was not
registered with the SEC and was not subject to the investment restrictions
imposed on mutual funds. If the pool had been registered, its performance might
have been adversely affected.

[icon - two coins]

FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads,
redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating
Expenses, which vary from year to year.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES(1)
(deducted directly from the Fund)                            %
- --------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                       <C>
Management fee                                             .90
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                   .25
Other expenses                                             .62
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                     1 .77
FEE WAIVER(2)                                             (.01)
NET EXPENSES                                              1.76
</TABLE>

1. Annual fund operating expenses consist of the Fund's expenses plus the Fund's
share of the expenses of the Portfolio.
2. Under a written contract, the Portfolio's investment advisor waives its fee
to the extent that, at any time during the life of the Portfolio, the
Portfolio's annual operating expenses exceed 1.00%. The contract may not be
terminated or amended except by a vote of the Portfolio's Board of Trustees.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are borne by the Fund.
As a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include the Fund's
share of the Portfolio's expenses, 12b-1 fees, an administrative fee and
registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- - $10,000 initial investment

- - 5% total return for each year

- - Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- - Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                              $
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>
One                                              179
Three                                            554
Five                                             954
Ten                                            2,073
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

20

          ---------------------
                       BERGER
                   GROWTH AND
                  INCOME FUND  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BEOOX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[icon - profile of head with mountain peak in background]

THE FUND'S GOALS AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims for capital
appreciation and has a secondary goal of investing in securities that produce
current income for the portfolio. In pursuing these goals, the Fund primarily
invests in the securities of well-established, growing companies. The Fund's
secondary goal may be changed at any time without a shareholder vote.

Security selection focuses on the common stocks, convertible securities and
preferred stocks of companies that have demonstrated a pattern of growth and
stability and are also expected to provide current income.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- - Opportunities for good revenue and earnings growth


- - Strong market positions for their products and services


- - Strong, seasoned management teams with well-established and clearly defined
strategies.


Common stock of companies with mid-sized to large market capitalizations usually
constitutes a majority of the Fund's investments. The Fund primarily invests in
income producing securities to provide a level of protection from price
volatility that may not be present when income is not a consideration. The Fund
may invest up to 20% of its assets in convertible securities rated below
investment grade (BB or lower by S&P, Ba or lower by Moody's). The Fund's
investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer meets the
manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's expectations for
appreciation. The Fund's investment manager may actively trade the portfolio in
pursuit of the Fund's goal.

[icon - left facing profile of head with lightning bolt; right facing profile of
head with sunshine]

PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
the risks of equity and fixed-income investing and intend to make a long-term
investment commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the
investment manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired
results. In addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to
corporate earnings and developments, interest rate movements, economic and
market conditions and anticipated events. As a result, the price of the Fund's
investments may go down and you could lose money on your investment.

To the extent the Fund invests in fixed-income securities it takes on different
risks, including movements in interest rates and default on payment of principal
or interest. In addition, the Fund may invest in convertible securities rated
below investment grade. These issuers are less financially secure, and are more
likely to be hurt by interest rate movements. When dividend yields and interest
rates are low, the Fund's income distributions to you may be reduced or
eliminated. In addition, the Fund's active trading will cause the Fund to have
an increased portfolio turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in higher
brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an
investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[icon - profile of head with scrolled paper in background]

THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's
performance since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These
returns include reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions
and reflect Fund expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does
not guarantee future results.

Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year for the past ten years.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31

[GRAPH]

<TABLE>
     <S>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>     <C>
     '90     '91     '92     '93     '94     '95     '96     '97     '98     '99
   -7.99%  60.97%   4.82%  23.57%  -9.07%  23.92%  15.61%  22.70%  22.49%  61.32%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                   <C>               <C>
BEST QUARTER:         12/31/99           40.64%
WORST QUARTER:         9/30/90          -17.76%
</TABLE>

Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Standard & Poor's 500
Index (S&P 500). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the S&P
500, this index is a good indicator of general stock market performance. You may
not invest in the S&P 500 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

<PAGE>

                                                                              21

                                                                     -----------
                                                                          BERGER
                                                                      GROWTH AND
                                                                     INCOME FUND

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                       LIFE OF THE FUND
          1 YEAR  5 YEARS  10 YEARS  (SEPTEMBER 30, 1974)
- -------------------------------------------------------------
<S>       <C>     <C>      <C>       <C>
The Fund  61.32%   28.28%   19.74%         15.99%
S&P 500   21.03%   28.54%   18.19%         17.48%
</TABLE>

[icon - two coins]

FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads,
redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating
Expenses, which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                            %
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                       <C>
Management fee(1)                                          .75
Distribution (12b-1) fee                                   .25
Other expenses(2)                                          .34
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                      1.34
</TABLE>

1. Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.75% of the
first $500 million; 0.70% of the next $500 million and 0.65% in excess of $1
billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.


2. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as share holder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- - $10,000 initial investment

- - 5% total return for each year

- - Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- - Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                              $
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>
One                                              136
Three                                            425
Five                                             734
Ten                                            1,613
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

22

          ---------------------
                       BERGER
                     BALANCED
                         FUND  -------------------------------------------------
                               - Ticker Symbol:                     BEBAX
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ticker Symbol:  BEBAX

[icon - profile of head with mountain peak in background]

THE FUND'S GOALS AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES - The Fund aims for capital
appreciation and current income. In pursuing these goals, the Fund primarily
invests in a diversified group of domestic equity and fixed-income securities.

The allocation between equity and fixed-income securities is based upon the
investment manager's assessment of available investment opportunities and
relevant market, economic and financial factors.

The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

- - Reasonably priced equity securities with strong, consistent and predictable
earnings growth rates

- - Strong, seasoned management teams and competitive products or services

- - Well-capitalized balance sheets.

The Fund's equity investments consist primarily of common stocks of companies
with mid-sized to large market capitalizations. The Fund's fixed-income
investments are a variety of income-producing securities, such as short- to
long-term corporate and government debt securities, convertible securities,
preferred stocks and mortgage-backed securities. The investment manager believes
its investment style emphasizing equity securities offers shareholders the
opportunity for capital appreciation along with a reasonable level of capital
preservation. Normally, equity securities are expected to range from 45% to 65%
of the Fund's total assets. However, it is the Fund's policy to invest at least
25% of its total assets in fixed-income senior securities and at least 25% in
equity securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in convertible
securities rated below investment grade (BB or lower by S&P, Ba or lower by
Moody's).

The Fund's investment manager will generally sell a security when it no longer
meets the manager's investment criteria or when it has met the manager's
expectations for appreciation. The Fund's investment manager may actively trade
the equity portion of the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's goal. When this
occurs, the annual portfolio turnover rate may be higher than other comparable
funds.

[icon - left facing profile of head with lightning bolt; right facing profile of
head with sunshine]

PRINCIPAL RISKS - You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
the risks of equity and fixed-income investing and intend to make a long-term
investment commitment. Like all managed funds, there is a risk that the
investment manager's strategy for managing the Fund may not achieve the desired
results. In addition, the price of common stock moves up and down in response to
corporate earnings and developments, interest rate movements, economic and
market conditions and anticipated events. As a result, the price of the Fund's
investments may go down and you could lose money on your investment. The Fund
may be riskier than other balanced funds that invest more heavily in
fixed-income securities. In addition, the Fund may invest in certain securities
with unique risks, such as small company securities and mortgage-backed
securities.

To the extent the Fund invests in fixed-income securities it takes on different
risks, including movements in interest rates and default on payment of principal
or interest. In addition, the Fund may invest in convertible securities rated
below investment grade. These issuers are less financially secure, and are more
likely to be hurt by interest rate movements. When interest rates are low, the
Fund's income distributions to you may be reduced or eliminated. In addition,
the Fund's active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased portfolio
turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in higher brokerage costs to the
Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an investor.

See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[icon - profile of head with scrolled paper in background]

THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE - The information below shows the Fund's performance
since it began operations through December 31, 1999. These returns include
reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions and reflect Fund
expenses. As with all mutual funds, past performance does not guarantee future
results.



Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31

[GRAPH]

<TABLE>
     <S>     <C>
     '98     '99
   34.38%  44.58%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                   <C>                <C>
BEST QUARTER:         12/31/99           22.59%
WORST QUARTER:         9/30/98           -4.86%
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

                                                                             23

                                                                       --------
                                                                         BERGER
                                                                       BALANCED
                                                                           FUND

Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Standard & Poor's 500
Index (S&P 500). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the S&P
500, this index is a good indicator of general stock market performance. You may
not invest in the S&P 500 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                    LIFE OF THE FUND
                          1 YEAR  (SEPTEMBER 30, 1997)
- ------------------------------------------------------
<S>                       <C>     <C>
The Fund                  44.58%        54.96%(1)
S&P 500                   21.03%        23.27%
</TABLE>

1. Includes returns for the last quarter of 1997, which reflect a higher than
normal level of trading activity undertaken to pursue equity opportunities
available as the advisor was beginning to implement the Fund's long-term
approach to equity management.

[icon - two coins]

FUND EXPENSES - As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads,
redemption or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating
Expenses, which vary from year to year.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(deducted directly from the Fund)                %
- ------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>
Management fee(1)                              .70
Distribution (12b-1) fee                       .25
Other expenses(2)                              .27
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES          1.22
</TABLE>


1. Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.70% of the
first $1 billion and 0.65% in excess of $1 billion. The amount shown reflects
the restated advisory fees.


2. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee
charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES - Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As
a result, they reduce the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees,
12b-1 fees and administrative costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and
reports, custodian and pricing services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the
cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be over
time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their prospectuses:

- - $10,000 initial investment

- - 5% total return for each year

- - Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

- - Redemption after the end of each period

Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS                                              $
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>
One                                              124
Three                                            387
Five                                             670
Ten                                            1,477
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

24


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS
RISK AND INVESTMENT TABLE
                                                                                         BERGER  BERGER
                                                           BERGER      BERGER            SMALL   SMALL  BERGER  BERGER
                                                           INFORMATION NEW        BERGER COMPANY CAP    MID CAP MID CAP BERGER
                                                           TECHNOLOGY  GENERATION SELECT GROWTH  VALUE  GROWTH  VALUE   GROWTH
                                                           FUND        FUND       FUND   FUND    FUND   FUND    FUND    FUND
<S>                                                        <C>         <C>        <C>    <C>     <C>    <C>     <C>     <C>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  DIVERSIFICATION                                             *         *           N*     *       *      *       *      *
- -----------------------------------------------------------
  SMALL AND MID-SIZED COMPANY SECURITIES                      Y        [Y]           Y    [Y]     [Y]    [Y]     [Y]      Y
  Market, liquidity and information risk

  FOREIGN SECURITIES                                          Y         Y            Y     Y       Y      Y       Y       Y
  Market, currency, transaction, liquidity, information
  and political risk

  SECTOR FOCUS                                               [Y]       [Y]          [Y]   [Y]     [Y]    [Y]     [Y]     [Y]
  Market and liquidity risk

  CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES(1)                                   Y         Y            Y     Y       Y      Y       Y       Y
  Market, interest rate, prepayment and credit risk

  INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS (NONCONVERTIBLE)                     Y         Y            Y     Y       Y      Y       Y       Y
  Interest rate, market, call and credit risk

  COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES                  Y         Y            Y     Y     5A*      Y       Y     5A*
  Market, liquidity and information risk

  ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES(2)                      15        15           15    15     10*     15      15      15
  Market, liquidity and transaction risk

  SPECIAL SITUATIONS                                          Y         Y            Y     Y      [Y]     Y      [Y]      Y
  Market and information risk

  INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (IPOS)                             Y(3)      Y(3)         Y(3)  Y       Y      Y(3)    Y       Y
  Market, liquidity and information risk

  MORTGAGE-BACKED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES(4)              N         N            N     N       N      N       N       N
  Interest rate, prepayment, extension, market
  and credit risk

  TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES                                N         Y            Y     Y       Y      Y       Y       Y
  Opportunity risk

  LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES                              33 1/3A   33 1/3A     33 1/3A 33 1/3A  N*  33 1/3A  33 1/3A    N*
  Credit risk

  BORROWING                                                 25A*      25A*        25A*    25A*    5A*   25A*    25A*     5A*
  Leverage risk
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  HEDGING STRATEGIES
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  FINANCIAL FUTURES(5)                                        5         5            5     5      N*     5       5       5
  Hedging, correlation, opportunity and leverage risk

  FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS(5)                       Y         Y            Y     Y      N*     Y       Y       Y
  Hedging, credit, correlation, opportunity and
  leverage risk

  OPTIONS(5) (EXCHANGE-TRADED AND OVER-THE-COUNTER)           5         5            5     5       5      5       5       5
  Hedging, credit, correlation and leverage risk

  WRITING (SELLING) COVERED CALL OPTIONS(5)                 25A       25A          25A   25A     10     25A     25A     25A
  (EXCHANGE-TRADED AND
  OVER-THE-COUNTER) Opportunity, credit and leverage risk

<CAPTION>

                                                                         BERGER
                                                           BERGER/BIAM   GROWTH AND BERGER
                                                           INTERNATIONAL INCOME     BALANCED
                                                           FUND          FUND       FUND

<S>                                                        <C>           <C>        <C>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  DIVERSIFICATION                                             *             *           *
- -----------------------------------------------------------
  SMALL AND MID-SIZED COMPANY SECURITIES                      Y             Y           Y
  Market, liquidity and information risk

  FOREIGN SECURITIES                                         [Y]            Y           Y
  Market, currency, transaction, liquidity, information
  and political risk

  SECTOR FOCUS                                               [Y]            Y           Y
  Market and liquidity risk

  CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES(1)                                   Y            [Y]         [Y]
  Market, interest rate, prepayment and credit risk

  INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS (NONCONVERTIBLE)                     Y             Y          [Y]
  Interest rate, market call and credit risk

  COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES                  Y           5A*           Y
  Market, liquidity and information risk

  ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES(2)                      15            15          15
  Market, liquidity and transaction risk

  SPECIAL SITUATIONS                                          Y             Y           Y
  Market and information risk

  INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (IPOS)                             Y             Y           Y(3)
  Market, liquidity and information risk

  MORTGAGE-BACKED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES(4)              N             N          [Y]
  Interest rate, prepayment, extension, market
  and credit risk

  TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES                                N             Y           Y
  Opportunity risk

  LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES                             33 1/3A         N*       33 1/3A
  Credit risk

  BORROWING                                                 25A*          5A*        25A*
  Leverage risk
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  HEDGING STRATEGIES
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  FINANCIAL FUTURES(5)                                        N             5           5
  Hedging, correlation, opportunity and leverage risk

  FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS(5)                      [Y]            Y           Y
  Hedging, credit, correlation, opportunity and
  leverage risk

  OPTIONS(5) (EXCHANGE-TRADED AND OVER-THE-COUNTER)           N             5           5
  Hedging, credit, correlation and leverage risk

  WRITING (SELLING) COVERED CALL OPTIONS(5)                   N            25A         25A
  (EXCHANGE-TRADED AND
  OVER-THE-COUNTER) Opportunity, credit and leverage risk

</TABLE>


<PAGE>

                                                                            25

BEFORE YOU INVEST... in any of the Berger Funds, make sure you understand the
risks involved. All investments involve risk. Generally, the greater the
risk, the greater the potential for return. The reverse is also generally
true, the lower the risk, the lower the potential for return.

LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, AN INVESTMENT IN THE BERGER FUNDS IS NOT A BANK DEPOSIT
AND IS NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FDIC OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY. THE
FUNDS ARE NOT A COMPLETE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, BUT MAY SERVE TO DIVERSIFY OTHER
TYPES OF INVESTMENTS IN YOUR PORTFOLIO. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FUNDS
WILL MEET THEIR INVESTMENT GOALS, AND ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE
MONEY, YOU COULD ALSO LOSE MONEY BY INVESTING IN THE FUNDS.

The table on the opposite page will help you further understand the risks the
Funds take by investing in certain securities and the investment techniques used
by the Berger Funds. A glossary follows this page. You may get more detailed
information about the risks of investing in the Berger Funds in the Statement of
Additional Information (SAI), including a discussion of debt security ratings in
Appendix A to the SAI.

KEY TO TABLE
Follow down the columns under the name of the Fund in which you are interested.
The boxes will tell you:

[Y]      Yes, the security or technique is permitted by a Fund and is emphasized
         by a Fund.

Y        Yes, the security or technique is permitted by a Fund.

N        No, the security or technique is not permitted by a Fund.

*      The restriction is fundamental to a Fund. (Fundamental restrictions
         cannot be changed without a shareholder vote.)

5A       Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 5% of total assets.

10A      Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 10% of total assets.

25A      Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 25% of total assets.

33 1/3A  Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 331U3% of total assets.

5        Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 5% of net assets.

10       Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 10% of net assets.

15       Use of a security or technique is permitted, but subject to a
         restriction of up to 15% of net assets.

NOTES TO TABLE

1. The Funds have no minimum quality standards for convertible securities,
although they will not invest in defaulted securities. They also will not invest
20% or more of their assets in convertible securities rated below investment
grade or in unrated convertible securities that the advisor considers to be
below investment grade.
2. The Berger Small Cap Value Fund may invest in illiquid securities, but not
restricted securities.
3. IPOs constituted a significant portion of the Fund's performance during the
last fiscal year. However, there can be no assurance that IPOs will continue to
have such a significant impact, if the quality or number of available IPOs
diminishes or if the Fund grows in size and IPOs become an insignificant part of
the Fund's total portfolio.
4. The Berger Balanced Fund may invest only in mortgage-backed securities that
are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or
instrumentalities, or in privately issued mortgage-backed or asset-backed
securities that are rated AA/Aa (S&P/Moody's) or above.
5. The Funds may use futures, forwards and options only for hedging. Not more
than 5% of a Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures and
premiums for options, although a Fund may have more at risk under these
contracts than the initial margin or premium. However, a Fund's aggregate
obligations under these contracts may not exceed the total market value of the
assets being hedged, such as some or all of the value of the Fund's equity
securities.

<PAGE>

26

RISK AND INVESTMENT GLOSSARY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BORROWING refers to a loan of money from a bank or other financial institution
undertaken by a Fund for temporary or emergency reasons only.

CALL RISK is the possibility that an issuer may redeem or "call" a fixed-income
security before maturity at a price below its current market price. An increased
likelihood of a call may reduce the security's price.

COMMON STOCK is a share of ownership (equity) interest in a company.

COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES are securities issued by companies
that have been in continuous operation for less than three years. Sometimes
called "unseasoned" issuers.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES are debt or equity securities which may be converted on
specified terms into stock of the issuer.

CORRELATION RISK occurs when a Fund "hedges" ~ uses one investment to offset the
Fund's position in another. If the two investments do not behave in relation to
one another the way Fund managers expect them to, then unexpected results may
occur.

CREDIT RISK means that the issuer of a security or the counterparty to an
investment contract may default or become unable to pay its obligations when
due.

CURRENCY RISK happens when a Fund buys or sells a security denominated in
foreign currency. Foreign currencies "float" in value against the U.S. dollar.
Adverse changes in foreign currency values can cause investment losses when a
Fund's investments are converted to U.S. dollars.

EXTENSION RISK is the risk that, as interest rates rise, borrowers are less
likely to refinance their mortgages or other
debts. As a result, the principal on mortgage-backed or asset-backed
securities may be paid later than expected, which could cause the value of the
securities to go down.

DIVERSIFICATION means a diversified fund may not, with respect to at least 75%
of its assets, invest more than 5% in the securities of one company. A
nondiversified fund may be more volatile than a diversified fund because it
invests more of its assets in a smaller number of companies and the gains or
losses on a single stock will therefore have a greater impact on the Fund's
share price. All of the Berger Funds are diversified funds, except the Berger
Select Fund.

FINANCIAL FUTURES are exchange-traded contracts on securities, securities
indexes or foreign currencies that obligate the holder to take or make future
delivery of a specified quantity of those underlying securities or currencies on
a predetermined future date at a predetermined price.

FOREIGN SECURITIES are issued by companies located outside of the United States.
A Fund considers a company to be located outside the United States if the
principal securities trading market for its equity securities is located outside
the U.S. or it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal office in, a
country other than the U.S.

FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS are privately negotiated contracts committing
the holder to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a foreign currency on a
predetermined future date at a predetermined price.

HEDGING RISK comes into play when a Fund uses a security whose value is based on
an underlying security or index to "offset" the Fund's position in another
security or currency. The objective of hedging is to offset potential losses in
one security with gains in the hedge. But a hedge can eliminate or reduce gains
as well as offset losses. (Also see "Correlation risk.")

ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES are securities which, by rules of their
issue or by their nature, cannot be sold readily. These do not include liquid
Rule 144A securities.

INFORMATION RISK means that information about a security or issuer might not
be available, complete, accurate or comparable.

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING (IPO) is the sale of a company's securities to the
public for the first time. IPO companies can be small and have limited operating
histories. The price of IPO securities can be highly unstable due to prevailing
market psychology and the small number of shares available. In addition, the
quality and number of IPOs available for purchase may diminish in the future,
and their contribution to Fund performance may be less significant as a Fund
grows in size.

INTEREST RATE RISK is the risk that changes in interest rates will adversely
affect the value of an investor's securities. When interest rates rise, the
value of fixed-income securities will generally fall. Conversely, a drop in
interest rates will generally cause an increase in the value of fixed-income
securities. Longer-term securities are subject to greater interest rate risk.

<PAGE>

                                                                             27

INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS are rated BBB (Standard & Poor's) or Baa (Moody's) or
above. Bonds rated below investment grade are subject to greater credit risk
than investment grade bonds.

LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES to qualified financial institutions is undertaken
in order to earn income. The Funds lend securities only on a fully
collateralized basis.

LEVERAGE RISK occurs in some securities or techniques that tend to magnify the
effect of small changes in an index or a market. This can result in a loss that
exceeds the amount that was invested in the contract.

LIQUIDITY RISK occurs when investments cannot be sold readily. A Fund may have
to accept a less-than-desirable price to complete the sale of an illiquid
security or may not be able to sell it at all.

MARKET CAPITALIZATION is the total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock.

MARKET RISK exists in all mutual funds and means the risk that the prices of
securities in a market, a sector, or an industry will fluctuate, and that such
movements might reduce an investment's value.

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES are securities that represent interests in "pools" of
mortgages or that are backed by mortgages where the interest and principal
payments on the mortgages are "passed-through" to the security holder.
Mortgage-backed securities may be issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government.
They may also be privately issued and backed by U.S. Government guaranteed
securities or by private arrangements to make them more secure. ASSET-BACKED
SECURITIES are similar, except backed by assets such as car loans or credit card
receivables rather than mortgages.

OPPORTUNITY RISK means missing out on an investment opportunity because the
assets necessary to take advantage of it are committed to less advantageous
investments or strategies.

OPTIONS are contracts giving the holder the right but not the obligation to
purchase or sell a security on or before a predetermined future date at a fixed
price. Options on securities indexes are similar, but settle in cash.

POLITICAL RISK comes into play with investments, particularly foreign
investments, which may be adversely affected by nationalization, taxation, war,
government instability or other economic or political actions or factors.

PREPAYMENT RISK is the risk that, as interest rates fall, borrowers are more
likely to refinance their debts. As a result, the principal on certain
fixed-income securities may be paid earlier than expected, which could cause
investment losses and cause prepaid amounts to have to be reinvested at a
relatively lower interest rate.

SECTOR FOCUS occurs when a significant portion of a Fund's assets are invested
in a relatively small number of related industries. The Funds will not
concentrate more than 25% of their total assets in any one industry. Sector
focus may increase both market and liquidity risk.

SMALL AND MID-SIZED COMPANY SECURITIES are securities issued by small or
mid-sized companies, as measured by their market capitalization. The market
capitalization range targeted by each of the Funds investing primarily in small
or mid-sized companies varies by Fund and appears in the description for those
Funds under the heading "The Fund's Goal and Principal Investment Strategies."
In general, the smaller the company, the greater its risks.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS are companies about to undergo a structural, financial or
management change which may significantly affect the value of their securities.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES may be taken when a Fund's investment manager
believes they are warranted due to market conditions. When this happens, the
Fund may increase its investment in government securities and other short-term
securities without regard to the Fund's investment restrictions, policies or
normal investment emphasis.

TRANSACTION RISK means that a Fund may be delayed or unable to settle a
transaction or that commissions and settlement expenses may be higher than
usual.

WRITING (SELLING) COVERED CALL OPTIONS is the selling of a contract to another
party which gives them the right but not the obligation to buy a particular
security from you. A Fund will write call options only if it already owns the
security (if it is "covered").

<PAGE>

28

BUYING
SHARES

- - MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENTS:        - MINIMUM SUBSEQUENT INVESTMENTS:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- - Regular investment          $ 2,000 - Regular investment               $    50

                                      - Regular automatic investment     $    50

- - Low Minimum Investment Plan $   100 - Low Minimum Investment Plan
                                        (required monthly automatic
                                        investments)                     $   100


  SEND NEW ACCOUNT                      OR FOR OVERNIGHT, CERTIFIED
  APPLICATIONS TO:                      OR REGISTERED MAIL ONLY
  Berger Funds                          Berger Funds
  P.O. Box 219958                       330 West 9th Street, 1st Floor
  Kansas City, MO 64121-9958            Kansas City, MO 64105

BY MAIL
[GRAPHIC]
Read this prospectus.

Fill out the application if you are opening a new account.

Make out a check to BERGER FUNDS for the amount you want to invest.

Send the application and check to the Berger Funds in the envelope provided.

To add to an existing account, be sure to include your account number on your
check and mail it to the appropriate address above.

BY TELEPHONE
[GRAPHIC]

If you already have a Berger Funds account, you may purchase additional shares
by telephone order.

You must pay for them within three business days by wire, electronic funds
transfer or overnight delivery of a check.

Call (800) 551-5849 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY ONLINE ACCESS
[GRAPHIC]

If you have established a Berger Funds account with electronic funds transfer
privileges you may purchase additional shares via online access.

You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.

BY SYSTEMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN
[GRAPHIC]

To automatically purchase more shares on a regular basis for a regular minimum
or Low Minimum Investment Plan account, fill out the Systematic Investment Plan
section of the application. Investments are transferred automatically from your
bank account.

The Low Minimum Investment Plan is designed for investors who would like to
begin a regular investment program but are reluctant to commit to higher lump
sum initial investments. In order to qualify for the Low Minimum Investment
Plan, an investor must commit to automatic monthly investments totaling no less
than $100 per month per account. Automatic monthly investments must be made
until the value of each account opened under the Plan is at least $2,000 or the
account will be assessed an annual charge.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All shareholders are automatically granted telephone and online transaction
privileges unless they decline them explicitly in writing, either on the account
application or by writing to the Berger Funds at the address above.

You may give up some level of security by choosing to buy and sell shares by
telephone or online rather than by mail.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYING FOR YOUR SHARES

Your check must be made payable to BERGER FUNDS.

You may NOT purchase shares by cash, credit card, third-party checks or checks
drawn on foreign banks.

Telephone and online purchase orders may not exceed $100,000 on the date the
order is placed. Shares previously bought by telephone or online access are
included in calculating account size only if payment has been received for
those shares.

Orders not paid for on time will be canceled and shares will be redeemed from
your account to compensate for any decline in price of the shares canceled.

The Funds reserve the right to reject any order and to waive or reduce
minimums, or increase minimums following notice.

<PAGE>

                                                                             29

                                                                    -----------
                                                                        SELLING
                                                                    (REDEEMING)
                                                                         SHARES

By mail
[GRAPHIC]

Send a written request indicating your account number and the dollar amount or
number of shares you are redeeming to the appropriate address shown under
"Buying Shares."

Your request must be signed by each registered shareholder, with the
signature(s) appearing exactly as they do on your account registration.

By telephone
[GRAPHIC]

Call (800) 551-5849.

By online access
[GRAPHIC]

You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.

By systematic withdrawal plan
[GRAPHIC]

Shares may be redeemed automatically ($50 minimum) monthly, quarterly,
semi-annually or annually.

A systematic withdrawal plan may be established if you own shares in a Fund
worth at least $5,000.

Call (800) 551-5849 for more information and forms.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For limitations on telephone and online redemptions see "Signature
Guarantees / Special Documentation" below.

Telephone and online redemptions are not available for shares held in
retirement accounts sponsored by the Funds.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT NOTES
ABOUT PAYMENT
FOR YOUR
REDEEMED SHARES

IN TIMES OF EXTREME ECONOMIC OR MARKET CONDITIONS, TRANSACTIONS BY TELEPHONE
OR ONLINE MAY BE DIFFICULT.

Generally, payment for your redeemed shares will be sent to you within three
business days after receipt of your redemption request in good order.

You may receive payment for redeemed shares via wire or electronic funds
transfer. You may elect these services on the account application or send to the
Berger Funds a written request providing your bank information with your
signature guaranteed. (See "Signature Guarantees / Special Documentation"
below.)

Wire and electronic funds transfers are subject to a $1,000 minimum and $100,000
maximum.

You will be charged $10 if you request a wire transfer. There is no charge for
an electronic funds transfer.

A wire transfer will be sent the next business day after receipt of your order,
and an electronic funds transfer will be sent the second business day after
receipt of your order.

Proceeds from the redemption of shares purchased by check may be delayed until
full payment for the shares has been received and cleared, which may take up to
15 days from the purchase date.

The Berger Information Technology Fund will deduct a 1% redemption fee from your
redemption proceeds if you redeem shares of that Fund held less than 6 months.
This fee is intended to discourage investors from short-term trading of Fund
shares and to offset the cost to the Fund of excess brokerage and other costs
incurred as a result of such trading. This fee will not be charged to retirement
plan accounts or in the case of redemptions resulting from the death of the
shareholder.

<PAGE>

30


          ---------------------
            INFORMATION ABOUT
                 YOUR ACCOUNT


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXCHANGING    Shares of the Funds described in this prospectus may be exchanged
SHARES        for shares of any other Berger Fund or for shares in the Cash
              Account Trust Portfolios (the CAT Portfolios). The CAT Portfolios
              are three separately managed, unaffiliated money market funds: the
              Money Market Portfolio, the Government Securities Portfolio and
              the Tax-Exempt Portfolio.

              The exchange privilege with the CAT Portfolios does not constitute
              an offering or recommendation of the shares of these portfolios by
              the Berger Funds or Berger LLC. Berger LLC is compensated for
              administrative services it performs with respect to the CAT
              Portfolios.

              When exchanging shares:

              - Each account must be registered identically -- have the same
              signatures and addresses.

              - Each Fund or CAT Portfolio must be legally eligible for sale in
              your state of residence.

              - You may exchange out of each of the Berger Funds up to four
              times per calendar year. At this time, there is no limit on the
              number of exchanges permitted out of the CAT Portfolios.

              - You may exchange by telephone, online access or mail.

              - You are responsible for obtaining and reading the prospectus for
              the Fund or CAT Portfolio into which you are exchanging.

              - An exchange out of a Berger Fund results in the sale of that
              Fund's shares and the purchase of another, normally resulting in a
              taxable event for you.

              - Exchanges into any new Fund or CAT Portfolio are subject to that
              Fund's or Portfolio's initial and subsequent investment minimums.

              - The Berger Information Technology Fund will deduct a 1%
              redemption fee from the amount you exchange if you exchange shares
              of that Fund held less than 6 months. This fee is intended to
              discourage investors from short-term trading of Fund shares and to
              offset the cost to the Fund of excess brokerage and other costs
              incurred as a result of such trading. This fee will not be charged
              to retirement plan accounts.

              The Funds may terminate or modify the exchange privilege in the
              future.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SIGNATURE     The Funds use Signature Guarantees to protect you and the Funds
GUARANTEES/   from possible fraudulent requests for redeemed shares. Your
SPECIAL       redemption request must be in writing and accompanied by a
DOCUMENTATION Signature Guarantee if:

              - Your request exceeds $100,000.

              - You request that payment be made to a name other than the one on
              your account registration.

              - You request that payment be mailed to an address which has been
              changed within 30 days of your redemption request or to an address
              other than the one of record.

              - You change or add information relating to your designated bank.

              Berger Funds reserve the right to require Signature Guarantees
              under other certain circumstances.

              You can get a Signature Guarantee from most broker-dealers,
              national or state banks, credit unions, federal savings and loan
              associations or other eligible institutions. YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A
              SIGNATURE GUARANTEE FROM A NOTARY PUBLIC.

              Make sure the Signature Guarantee appears:

              - Together with the signature(s) of all registered owner(s) of the
              redeemed shares on the written redemption request.

              - On any share certificates you hold for the redeemed shares or on
              a separate statement of assignment (stock power) which may be
              obtained from a bank or broker.

              Additional documents are required for redemptions by corporations,
              executors, administrators, trustees and guardians. For
              instructions, call (800) 551-5849 or write to the Berger Funds,
              P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121-9958.

<PAGE>

                                                                              31

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YOUR          The price at which you buy, sell or exchange Fund shares is the
SHARE         share price or net asset value (NAV). The share price for each
PRICE         Fund is determined by adding the value of that Fund's investments,
              cash and other assets, deducting liabilities, and then dividing
              that value by the total number of that Fund's shares outstanding.
              For Funds offering more than one class of shares, share price is
              calculated separately for each class.

              Each Fund's share price is calculated at the close of the regular
              trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m.
              New York time) each day that the Exchange is open. Share price is
              not calculated on the days that the Exchange is closed.

              FOR A PURCHASE, REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES, YOUR PRICE
              IS THE SHARE PRICE NEXT CALCULATED AFTER YOUR REQUEST IS RECEIVED
              IN GOOD ORDER AND ACCEPTED BY THE FUND, ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT OR
              DESIGNEE. TO RECEIVE A SPECIFIC DAY'S PRICE, YOUR REQUEST MUST BE
              RECEIVED BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ON THAT
              DAY.

              When the Funds calculate their share price, they value the
              securities they hold at market value. Sometimes market quotes for
              some securities are not available or are not representative of
              market value. Examples would be when events occur that materially
              affect the value of a security at a time when the security is not
              trading or when the securities are illiquid. In that case,
              securities may be valued in good faith at fair value, using
              consistently applied procedures decided on by the trustees or
              directors. Money market instruments maturing within 60 days are
              valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Assets
              and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted into
              U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates quoted by one or more
              banks or dealers shortly before the close of the Exchange.

              A Fund's foreign securities may trade on days that the Exchange is
              closed and the Fund's daily share price is not calculated. As a
              result, the Fund's daily share price may be affected and you will
              not be able to purchase or redeem shares.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OTHER         SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
INFORMATION   You may give up some level of security by choosing to buy or sell
ABOUT YOUR    shares by telephone or online, rather than by mail. The Funds use
ACCOUNT       procedures designed to give reasonable assurance that telephone
              and online instructions are genuine, including recording the
              transactions, testing the identity of the shareholder placing the
              order and sending prompt written confirmation of transactions to
              the shareholder of record. The Funds, and their service providers,
              are not liable for acting upon instructions communicated by
              telephone or online that they believe to be genuine if these
              procedures are followed.


              CONFIRMATION OF YOUR PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
              After any transaction, you will receive written confirmation
              including the share price and the dollar amount and number of
              shares bought or redeemed. Exception: Shares purchased under
              Systematic Investment Plans or redeemed under Systematic
              Withdrawal Plans will be confirmed quarterly. Partial shares
              will be calculated to three decimal places.


              SHAREHOLDER REPORTS
              To reduce expenses, a Fund may mail only one copy of most
              financial reports, prospectuses and proxies to your household,
              even if you have more than one account in the Fund. Call (800)
              551-5849 if you need additional copies of financial reports or
              prospectuses.


              SHARE CERTIFICATES
              To assist in minimizing administrative costs, share certificates
              will not be issued. Records of share ownership are maintained by
              the Fund's transfer agent in book entry form. If you are selling
              shares previously issued in certificate form, you need to include
              the certificate along with your redemption or exchange request. If
              you have lost your certificate, please call us at (800) 551-5849.

              PURCHASES THROUGH BROKER-DEALERS
              You may buy Fund shares through certain broker-dealers or other
              financial organizations, but these organizations may charge you a
              fee or may have different minimums for first-time or additional
              investments which are not applicable if you buy shares directly
              from the Funds.

              THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATORS
              Certain brokerage firms and other companies may provide
              administrative services (such as sub-transfer agency,
              recordkeeping or shareholder communications services) to investors
              purchasing shares of the Funds through those companies. A Fund's
              advisor or a Fund (if approved by its directors or trustees) may
              pay

<PAGE>

32

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              fees to these companies for their services. These companies may
              also be appointed as agents for or authorized by the Funds to
              accept on their behalf purchase and redemption requests that are
              received in good order. Subject to Fund approval, certain of these
              companies may be authorized to designate other entities to accept
              purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds.

              DATE-RELATED INFORMATION
              Mutual funds and businesses around the world could be adversely
              affected if computers do not properly process date-related
              information. The Funds' advisors are addressing these issues for
              their computers and are getting reasonable assurances from the
              Funds' other major service providers that they too are addressing
              these issues to preserve smooth functioning of the Funds' trading,
              pricing, shareholder account, custodial and other operations.
              There can be no assurances, however, that all problems will be
              avoided.

              These computer problems could also adversely affect the Funds'
              investments. Improperly functioning computers may disrupt
              securities markets generally or result in overall economic
              uncertainty. Individual companies may also be adversely affected
              by the cost of fixing their computers, which could be substantial.
              The Funds' investment managers consider these issues when
              evaluating investments for the Funds.

              REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND
              Each Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although in
              order to protect the interest of remaining shareholders, it
              retains the right to redeem its shares in-kind under unusual
              circumstances. In-kind payment means payment will be made to you
              in portfolio securities rather than cash. If this occurs, you will
              incur transaction costs if you sell the securities for cash. You
              may have difficulty selling the securities and recovering the
              amount of your redemption if the securities are illiquid.

              ACCOUNT MINIMUMS
              The Funds will charge all shareholder accounts with a balance of
              less than $2,000 an annual fee of $10 unless the shareholder
              account is making automatic monthly investments. This charge is
              designed to help offset the proportionately higher costs of
              maintaining small accounts.

              This charge will apply to accounts that have been over $2,000 at
              some point in time only if the balance has dropped below this
              amount because shares were redeemed, not because the share value
              declined.

              Shares in accounts that do not meet the minimum balance
              requirement applicable to them as described below may also be
              subject to involuntary redemption by the Funds.

              REDEMPTIONS BY THE FUNDS OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS
              To reduce their expenses, all Funds other than the Berger Growth
              Fund may involuntarily redeem the shares in your account if your
              balance drops below $2,000 -- but only if it drops below this
              amount because you have redeemed shares, not because the share
              value has declined. You will be given 60 days' notice before a
              Fund undertakes any involuntary redemption. During that time, you
              may buy more shares to bring your account above the minimum.
              Existing shareholders of the following Funds have lower minimum
              balance requirements and must maintain these minimum balances to
              avoid involuntary redemption:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 IF YOUR SHARES WERE         YOUR MINIMUM   IF YOUR SHARES WERE         YOUR MINIMUM
              FUND                               PURCHASED BEFORE...   ACCOUNT BALANCE IS   PURCHASED BEFORE...   ACCOUNT BALANCE IS
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              <S>                                <C>                   <C>                  <C>                   <C>
              Berger Growth and Income Fund         January 26, 1996                 $250     November 28, 1996                 $500
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Small Company Growth Fund      January 26, 1996                 $250     November 28, 1996                 $500
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger New Generation Fund                                                      November 28, 1996               $1,000
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISTRIBUTIONS DISTRIBUTIONS OF INCOME AND GAINS
AND TAXES     Unless you tell us that you want to receive your distributions in
              cash, they will be reinvested automatically in Fund shares. The
              Funds generally make two different kinds of distributions:

              - Capital gains from the sale of portfolio securities held by a
              fund. Each Fund will distribute any net realized capital gains
              annually, normally in December.

<PAGE>

                                                                              33

              - Net investment income from interest or dividends received on
              securities held by a fund. The Funds will distribute their
              investment income as follows:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 DISTRIBUTIONS OF
              FUND                                               NET INVESTMENT INCOME
              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              <S>                                                <C>
              Berger Growth and Income Fund                                          QUARTERLY
                                                                     (normally in March, June,
                                                                       September and December)
              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Balanced Fund                                                   QUARTERLY
                                                                     (normally in March, June,
                                                                       September and December)
              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              All other Berger Funds                                                  ANNUALLY
                                                                        (normally in December)
              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


              YOUR TAXES
              You generally will owe tax on amounts distributed to you by the
              Funds in any non-retirement account whether you reinvest them in
              additional shares or receive them in cash. Distributions of gains
              from the sale of assets held by a Fund for more than one year
              generally are taxable to you at the applicable long-term capital
              gains rate, regardless of how long you have owned your Fund
              shares. Distributions from other sources generally are taxed as
              ordinary income.

              Distributions made by the Funds to you will normally be capital
              gains. A portion of those gains may be net short-term capital
              gains, which are taxed as ordinary income. The Berger Growth and
              Income Fund and the Berger Balanced Fund normally will also
              distribute net investment income, which is taxed as ordinary
              income. The other Berger Funds generally will not distribute net
              investment income, although any net investment income that is
              generated as a by-product of managing their portfolios will be
              distributed to you.

              If you redeem Fund shares that have appreciated in value, you will
              have a taxable gain upon redemption. Exchanges are treated as a
              redemption and purchase for tax purposes. Therefore, you will also
              have a taxable gain if you exchange shares that have appreciated
              in value.

              ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
              You should consult your own tax advisor about your particular
              situation. For more information about other tax matters, including
              backup withholding for certain taxpayers and other tax aspects of
              redemptions, see the SAI.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAX-SHELTERED The Funds offer several tax-qualified retirement plans for
RETIREMENT    individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. For
PLANS         information about establishing an IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or
              money purchase pension plan, 403(b) Custodial Account, SEP-IRA,
              SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans, please call (800)
              551-5849 or write to the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas
              City, MO 64121-9958. Trustees for existing 401(k) or other plans
              interested in using Fund shares as an investment or investment
              alternative in their plans are invited to call the Funds at
              (800) 259-2820.

<PAGE>

34

          ---------------------
                 ORGANIZATION
                OF THE BERGER
                 FUNDS FAMILY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INVESTMENT    The following companies provide investment management and
MANAGERS      administrative services to the Funds. The advisory fees paid to
              them for the most recent fiscal year are shown in the following
              table as a percentage of each Fund's average daily net assets.


              Effective October 1, 1999, the advisory fee for certain Funds was
              reduced and the administrative fee charged to these Funds was
              eliminated. These fee reductions are reflected earlier in this
              prospectus in the expense information for each Fund.

              BERGER LLC (210 University Blvd., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206)
              serves as investment advisor, sub-advisor, administrator or
              sub-administrator to mutual funds and institutional investors.
              Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25
              years. When acting as investment advisor, Berger LLC is
              responsible for managing the investment operations of the Funds.
              Berger LLC also provides administrative services to the Funds.

              BBOI WORLDWIDE LLC (210 University Blvd., Suite 700, Denver, CO
              80206) was formed in 1996 as a joint venture between Berger LLC
              and Bank of Ireland Asset Management (U.S.) Limited (BIAM). As
              investment advisor, BBOI oversees, evaluates and monitors the
              investment advisory services provided by BIAM as sub-advisor.
              BBOI also provides administrative services to the Berger/BIAM
              International Fund.


              Berger LLC and BIAM entered into an agreement to dissolve BBOI
              Worldwide. The dissolution of BBOI will have no effect on the
              investment advisory services provided to the Fund or on the
              fees borne by the Fund for advisory services. Contingent upon
              shareholder approval, when BBOI Worldwide is dissolved, Berger
              LLC will become the Fund's advisor and BIAM will continue to be
              responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio as
              sub-advisor. If approved by shareholders, these advisory changes
              are expected to take place in the first half of this year.


              BANK OF IRELAND ASSET MANAGEMENT (U.S.) LIMITED (BIAM) (20
              Horseneck Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830 [representative office];
              26 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland [main office]) serves as
              investment advisor or sub-advisor to pension and profit-sharing
              plans and other institutional investors and mutual funds. Bank
              of Ireland's investment management group was founded in 1966. As
              sub-advisor, BIAM provides day-to-day management of the
              investment operations of the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio.


              PERKINS, WOLF, MCDONNELL & COMPANY (PWM) (53 West Jackson
              Boulevard, Suite 722, Chicago, IL 60604) served as investment
              advisor to the Berger Small Cap Value Fund (then known as The Omni
              Investment Fund) from 1987 to February 1997, when PWM became the
              sub-advisor to the Fund. As sub-advisor, PWM provides
              day-to-day management of the investment operations of the Berger
              Small Cap Value Fund and the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund.


              BAY ISLE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (Bay Isle) (160 Sansome Street,
              17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104) has been in the investment
              advisory business since 1987. Bay Isle served as investment
              advisor to the Berger Information Technology Fund (then known as
              the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund) from its
              inception in April 1997 until July 1999, when Bay Isle became
              sub-advisor to the Fund. As sub-advisor, Bay Isle provides
              day-to-day management of the Fund's investment operations.

<PAGE>

                                                                              35


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              FUND                  ADVISORY FEE      THE FUND'S INVESTMENT MANAGER
                                    PAID BY FUND
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              <S>                   <C>               <C>
              BERGER INFORMATION    0.90% paid to     WILLIAM F. K. SCHAFF, co-founder, co-owner and Chief Investment Officer
              TECHNOLOGY FUND       Berger LLC(1)     of Bay Isle, has been the investment manager for the Berger Information
                                                      Technology Fund since its inception in April 1997. Mr. Schaff has been
                                                      managing accounts of Bay Isle clients since 1987.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER NEW GENERATION 0.90% paid to     MARK S. SUNDERHUSE, Senior Vice President of Berger LLC, is the
              FUND                  Berger LLC        investment manager of the Berger New Generation Fund. Mr. Sunderhuse
                                                      joined Berger LLC in January 1998 and assumed management of the Fund in
                                                      January 1999. Mr. Sunderhuse has more than eleven years of experience in
                                                      the investment management industry.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER SELECT FUND    0.75% paid to     TINO R. SELLITTO (see Berger Growth Fund), AMY K. SELNER (see Berger
                                    Berger LLC        Small Company Growth Fund) and MARK S. SUNDERHUSE (see Berger New
                                                      Generation Fund) assumed co-management of the Berger Select Fund in
                                                      May 1999.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER SMALL COMPANY  0.90% paid to     AMY K. SELNER, Vice President of Berger LLC, is the investment manager
              GROWTH FUND           Berger LLC        of the Berger Small Company Growth Fund. Ms. Selner joined Berger LLC as
                                                      a senior technology analyst in April 1996 and assumed management of the
                                                      Fund in November 1998. Ms. Selner has more than eight years of
                                                      experience in the investment industry.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER SMALL CAP      0.90% paid to     ROBERT H. PERKINS has been the investment manager for the Berger Small
              VALUE FUND            Berger LLC        Cap Value Fund since its inception in October 1987. Mr. Perkins has been
                                                      an investment manager since 1970 and serves as President and a director
                                                      of Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company. THOMAS M. PERKINS has been an
                                                      investment manager since 1974 and joined PWM as a portfolio manager in
                                                      1998. Thomas Perkins assumed co-management of the Fund in January 1999.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER MID CAP GROWTH 0.75% paid to     AMY K. SELNER assumed management of the Fund at its inception in
              FUND                  Berger LLC        December 1997.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER MID CAP VALUE  0.75% paid to     THOMAS M. PERKINS AND ROBERT H. PERKINS have served as co-investment
              FUND                  Berger LLC        managers of the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund since its inception in August
                                                      1998.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER GROWTH FUND    0.75% paid to     TINO R. SELLITTO, Vice President of Berger LLC, is the investment
                                    Berger LLC        manager of the Berger Growth Fund. Mr. Sellitto joined Berger as a
                                                      senior equity analyst in January 1998 and assumed co-management of the
                                                      Fund in May 1999 and sole management of the Fund in January 2000.
                                                      Mr. Sellitto has more than five years of experience in the investment
                                                      industry.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER/BIAM           0.90% paid to     BIAM, using a team approach, has been the investment manager for the
              INTERNATIONAL FUND    BBOI Worldwide    Portfolio, in which the Fund is invested, since its inception in 1996.
                                    LLC(1)            BIAM is the sub-advisor to the Portfolio and is part of Bank of
                                                      Ireland's asset management group, established in 1966. Most of the team
                                                      of investment professionals have been with the group for at least ten
                                                      years.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER GROWTH AND     0.75% paid to     TINO R. SELLITTO assumed management of the Fund in November 1998.
              INCOME FUND           Berger LLC
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              BERGER BALANCED FUND  0.70% paid to     TINO R. SELLITTO (see Berger Growth Fund), AMY K. SELNER (see Berger
                                    Berger LLC        Small Company Growth Fund, and MARK S. SUNDERHUSE (See Berger New
                                                      Generation Fund), are interim co-investment managers of the Berger
                                                      Balanced Fund, assuming management of the Fund in January 2000.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) After waivers, advisory fees paid were: Berger Information Technology Fund
 .43%; and Berger/BIAM International Fund .89% for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 1999.

<PAGE>

36

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
              Portfolio changes are made whenever the Fund's investment manager
              believes that the Fund's goal could be better achieved by
              investment in another security, regardless of portfolio turnover.
              At times, portfolio turnover for a Fund may exceed 100% per year.
              A turnover rate of 100% means the securities owned by a Fund were
              replaced once during the year. Higher turnover rates may result in
              higher brokerage costs to the Funds and in higher net taxable
              gains for you as an investor. Each Fund's portfolio turnover rate
              can be found under the heading "Financial Highlights for the
              Berger Funds Family."

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12b-1         The Funds are "no-load" funds, meaning that you pay no sales
ARRANGEMENTS  charge or commissions when you buy or sell Fund shares. However,
              each Fund has adopted a 12b-1 plan permitting it to pay a fee in
              connection with distribution of its shares. Berger LLC is entitled
              to be paid a fee under each plan of 0.25% of each Fund's average
              daily net assets. Because this fee is paid on an ongoing basis,
              this may result in the cost of your investment increasing and over
              time may cost you more than other types of sales charges. The fee
              may be used for such things as marketing and promotion,
              compensation to dealers and others who provide distribution and
              administrative services, and shareholder support services (such as
              routine requests for information).

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL FUND  MULTI-CLASS
STRUCTURES    The Berger Information Technology Fund, the Berger New Generation
              Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund and the Berger Small
              Cap Value Fund each currently has two classes of shares. The
              Investor Shares offered in this prospectus are available to the
              general public. The other class of shares, Institutional Shares,
              are offered through a separate prospectus and are designed for
              investors who maintain a minimum account balance of $250,000. Each
              class of shares has its own expenses so that share price,
              performance and distributions will differ between classes. The
              12b-1 plans adopted by these Funds apply only to the Investor
              Shares. For more information on Institutional Shares, please call
              (800) 259-2820.

              MASTER/FEEDER
              The Berger/BIAM International Fund is organized as a "feeder" fund
              in a "master/feeder" structure. This means that the Fund's assets
              are all invested in a larger "master" portfolio of securities, the
              Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, which has investment goals
              and policies identical to those of the Fund. The other feeders
              investing in the Portfolio are the International Equity Fund and
              the Berger/BIAM International CORE Fund, each of which has a
              minimum balance requirement of $1,000,000 and its own expenses so
              that share price, performance and distributions will differ among
              feeders. For more information on these feeders, please call (800)
              259-2820.

              The Fund may withdraw its investment in the Portfolio at any time,
              if the Trustees determine that it is in the best interests of the
              Fund to do so. In that event, the Fund might transfer to another
              master fund or hire its own investment advisor. A withdrawal could
              result in the Fund receiving an in-kind distribution of portfolio
              securities from the Portfolio. In that case, the Fund could incur
              brokerage, tax or other charges if it converted the securities to
              cash. In addition, an in-kind distribution could adversely affect
              the liquidity of the Fund.

              For more information on multi-class and master/feeder fund
              structures, see the SAI.
<PAGE>

                                                                              37

                                                            --------------------
                                                            FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                                                            FOR THE BERGER FUNDS
                                                                          FAMILY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The financial highlights will help you understand each Fund's financial
performance for the periods indicated. Certain information reflects financial
results for a single Fund share. Total return shows how much your investment in
the Fund increased or decreased during each period, assuming you reinvested all
dividends and distributions. Except as otherwise noted, PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP, independent accountants, audited this information. Their report is included
in the Funds' annual report, which is available without charge upon request.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                     PERIOD FROM JULY 2, 1999(1)
                                                                         TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1999
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                  <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                                                    $53.47
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                                                          (0.00)(5)
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
      and foreign currency transactions                                                   3.99
Total from investment operations                                                          3.99
Net asset value, end of period                                                          $57.46
Total Return(2)                                                                           7.46%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                                                $4,811
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)                                                1.83%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets                                         (1.58)%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                                                 2.16%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                                                  31%
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations for Investor Shares.
2. Not annualized.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
   reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Annualized.
5. Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.


<PAGE>

38

- --------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
FOR THE BERGER
FUNDS FAMILY


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The following financial highlights are for the Fund for periods ending
February 28, 1998 and 1999, and for the period from March 1, 1999 to July 1,
1999, prior to the Fund's reorganization. Prior to the Fund's reorganization
on July 2, 1999, the Fund was known as the InformationTech 100 -Registered
Trademark-  Fund. At the time of the reorganization, the Fund adopted share
classes and first began offering the Investor Shares. Therefore, the 0.25%
12b-1 fee paid by the Investor Shares is not reflected in the data on the
table. Unless otherwise noted, this information was audited by the Fund's
prior independent accountants. Their report appears in the 1999 Annual Report
to Shareholders of the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund and
is available from the Fund without charge upon request. The information for
the period March 1, 1999 to July 1, 1999 is unaudited.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         PERIOD FROM
                                                        MARCH 1, 1999                                PERIOD FROM
                                                      TO JULY 1, 1999         YEAR ENDED           APRIL 8, 1997(1)
                                                          (UNAUDITED)      FEBRUARY 28, 1999     TO FEBRUARY 28, 1998
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                   <C>                  <C>                   <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                           $44.36                 $30.15                   $20.00
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                                 (0.19)                 (0.31)                   (0.10)
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on
       investments and foreign currency transactions            10.02                  14.52                    10.25
Total from investment operations                                 9.83                  14.21                    10.15

Less dividends and distributions
   Distributions (from capital gains)                           (0.72)                  --                        --
Total dividends and distributions                               (0.72)                  --                        --
Net asset value, end of period                                 $53.47                 $44.36                   $30.15
Total Return(2)                                                 20.54%                 47.13%                  50.75%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                      $18,101                $12,446                   $2,674
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)                       1.48%(4)               1.50%                    1.50%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets                (1.22)%(4)             (1.19)%                  (1.01)%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                        2.03%(4)               2.67%                   12.17%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                         11%                    35%                      33%
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations for the Fund.
2. Not annualized
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Annualized.


<PAGE>

                                                                              39

                                                            --------------------
                                                            FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                                                                  FOR THE BERGER
                                                                    FUNDS FAMILY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                          PERIOD FROM MARCH 29,
                                                         YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,     1996(1) TO SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                        1999       1998       1997                        1996
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                   <C>        <C>         <C>                     <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                  $12.66     $14.72      $11.82                     $10.00
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                        (0.00)(6)    --        (0.13)                      0.56
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
      and foreign currency transactions                13.61      (2.06)       3.64                       1.26
Total from investment operations                       13.61      (2.06)       3.51                       1.82

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)                --        --         (0.61)                        --
   Distributions (from capital gains)                  (0.50)       --          --                          --
Total dividends and distributions                      (0.50)       --        (0.61)                        --
Net asset value, end of period                        $25.77     $12.66      $14.72                     $11.82
Total Return(2)                                       110.82%    (13.99)%     31.53%                     18.20%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)            $330,938   $113,693    $190,164                   $116,912
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)              1.54%      1.72%       1.89%                      1.90%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets       (1.29)%    (1.37)%     (1.51)%                    12.35%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets               1.54%      1.72%       1.89%                      2.09%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                               168%       243%        184%                       474%(5)
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations for Investor Shares.
2. Not annualized.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Annualized.
5. Portfolio turnover was greater than anticipated during this period due to
active trading undertaken in response to market conditions at a time when the
Fund's assets were still relatively small and before the Fund was fully
invested.
6. Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER SELECT FUND
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                 PERIOD FROM
                                                             YEAR ENDED                 DECEMBER 31, 1997(1)
                                                     SEPTEMBER 30, 1999                TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1998

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                  <C>                               <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                             $13.26                               $10.00
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                                    0.01                                 0.07
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
      and foreign currency transactions                            6.80                                 3.19
Total from investment operations                                   6.81                                 3.26

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)                         (0.05)                                 --
   Dividends (in excess of net investment income)                 (0.01)                                 --
   Distributions (from capital gains)                             (0.84)                                 --
Total dividends and distributions                                 (0.90)
Net asset value, end of period                                   $19.17                               $13.26
Total Return(2)                                                   53.06%                               32.60%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                       $101,352                              $41,571
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)                         1.29%                                1.48%(5)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets                   0.27%                                1.13%(5)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                          1.29%                                1.48%(5)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                          696%                                1486%(4)
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations.
2. Not annualized.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Portfolio turnover was greater than expected during this period due to active
trading undertaken in response to market conditions at a time when the Fund's
assets were still relatively small and before the Fund was fully invested.
5. Annualized.


<PAGE>

40

- --------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
FOR THE BERGER
FUNDS FAMILY


- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                    YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                        1999       1998        1997        1996         1995
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                 <C>        <C>         <C>         <C>          <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                   $3.61      $5.33       $4.74       $3.61        $2.74
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                        (0.00)(1)     --       (0.05)      (0.03)       (0.02)
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on
      investments and foreign currency transactions     1.95      (1.24)       0.84        1.16         0.89
Total from investment operations                        1.95      (1.24)       0.79        1.13         0.87

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)                 --         --          --          --        (0.00)(1)
   Distributions (from capital gains)                  (0.70)     (0.48)      (0.20)         --           --
Total dividends and distributions                      (0.70)     (0.48)      (0.20)         --           --
Net asset value, end of period                         $4.86      $3.61       $5.33       $4.74        $3.61
Total Return                                           62.78%    (24.70)%     17.68%      31.30%       31.90%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)            $675,637   $561,741    $902,685    $871,467     $522,667
Net expense ratio to average net assets(2)              1.60%      1.48%       1.67%       1.68%        1.89%
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets       (1.21)%    (1.01)%     (1.09)%     (0.97)%      (0.74)%
Gross expense ratio to average net assets               1.60%      1.59%       1.67%       1.68%        1.89%
Portfolio turnover rate                                  128%        97%        111%         91%         109%
</TABLE>


1. Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.
2. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND ~ INVESTOR SHARES
  For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                                   PERIOD FROM
                                                        YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,         FEBRUARY 14, 1997(1)
                                                       1999                   1998       TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                   <C>                    <C>         <C>
  Net asset value, beginning of period                  $17.58                 $22.28                   $17.24
  From investment operations
     Net investment income (loss)                        (0.02)                  0.42                     0.03
     Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
        and foreign currency transactions                 4.26                  (2.58)                    5.01
  Total from investment operations                        4.24                  (2.16)                    5.04

  Less dividends and distributions
     Dividends (from net investment income)              (0.07)                 (0.17)                      --
     Distributions (from capital gains)                  (0.81)                 (2.37)                      --
  Total dividends and distributions                      (0.88)                 (2.54)                      --
  Net asset value, end of period                        $20.94                 $17.58                   $22.28
  Total Return(2)                                        24.69%                (10.98)%                  29.23%

  Ratios/Supplemental Data:
  Net assets, end of period (in thousands)            $374,063               $108,465                  $55,211
  Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)              1.37%                  1.56%                    1.66%(4)
  Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets        1.36%                  0.87%                    0.60%(4)
  Gross expense ratio to average net assets               1.37%                  1.56%                    1.66%(4)
  Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                66%                    69%                      81%
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations for Investor Shares.
2. Not annualized.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Annualized.


<PAGE>

                                                                              41

                                                            --------------------
                                                            FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                                                                  FOR THE BERGER
                                                                    FUNDS FAMILY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following supplemental financial highlights are for the Berger Small Cap
Value Fund for periods before February 14, 1997, when the Fund first adopted
share classes and began offering the Investor Shares. Therefore, the 0.25% 12b-1
fee paid by the Investor Shares is not reflected in the data on the table.

Except for information for the period January 1, 1997, through February 14,
1997, the information in the table was audited by the Fund's prior independent
accountants. The information for the period January 1, 1997, through February
14, 1997, is unaudited.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                        PERIOD FROM
                         JANUARY 1,
                            1997 TO
                       FEBRUARY 14,
                            1997(2)                                   YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,
                        (UNAUDITED)         1996     1995     1994      1993     1992     1991    1990     1989    1988    1987(1)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                    <C>               <C>      <C>      <C>       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>     <C>      <C>     <C>
Per Share Data:(3)
Net asset value, beginning
   of period                 $16.48       $14.57   $12.75   $13.99    $13.39   $11.39    $9.23  $12.19   $11.21  $10.06  $11.33
From investment operations
   Net investment income
   (loss)                     (0.02)        0.12     0.09    (0.01)     0.03     0.09     0.14    0.28     0.23    0.24    0.21
   Net realized and
      unrealized gains
      (losses) on
      investments              0.78         3.62     3.23     0.91      2.14     2.14     2.16   (2.95)    2.71    1.77   (0.29)
Total from investment
   operations                  0.76         3.74     3.32     0.90      2.17     2.23     2.30   (2.67)    2.94    2.01   (0.08)

Less dividends and
   distributions
   Dividends (from net
      Investment income)       0.00        (0.11)   (0.09)    0.00     (0.03)   (0.10)   (0.14)  (0.29)   (0.22)  (0.24)  (0.20)
   Distributions (from
      capital gains)           0.00        (1.72)   (1.41)   (2.14)    (1.54)   (0.13)    0.00    0.00    (1.74)  (0.62)  (0.99)
Total dividends and
   distributions               0.00        (1.83)   (1.50)   (2.14)    (1.57)   (0.23)   (0.14)  (0.29)   (1.96)  (0.86)  (1.19)
Net asset value, end of
   period                    $17.24       $16.48   $14.57   $12.75    $13.99   $13.39   $11.39   $9.23   $12.19  $11.21  $10.06
Total Return(4)                4.61%       25.58%   26.07%    6.74%    16.25%   19.59%   25.01% (21.94)%  26.44%  20.09%  (0.68)%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period
   (in thousands)           $38,622      $36,041  $31,833  $18,270   $16,309  $14,007  $11,940  $9,839  $13,576  $9,976  $6,748
Ratio of net income (loss)
   to average net assets      (0.87)%(5)    0.69%    0.64%   (0.04)%    0.18%    0.73%    1.24%   2.34%    1.85%   2.33%   1.87%(5)
Gross expenses to average
   net assets                  2.04%(5)     1.48%    1.64%    1.43%     1.31%    1.41%    1.52%   1.84%    1.78%   1.44%   1.69%(5)
Portfolio turnover rate          27%          69%      90%     125%      108%     105%     130%    146%     118%    103%    189%
</TABLE>


1. Covers the period from February 1, 1987 to December 31, 1987. Effective
October 20, 1987, the Fund became publicly registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940. Prior thereto, its shares were not publicly offered.
2. Commencement of Investor Shares class.
3. All per share amounts prior to December 31, 1994 have been adjusted for a 10
for 1 share split which occurred September 30, 1994.
4. Not annualized for periods of less than one full year.
5. Annualized.

<PAGE>

42

- --------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
FOR THE BERGER
FUNDS FAMILY


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                 PERIOD FROM
                                                                        YEAR ENDED       DECEMBER 31,1997(1)
                                                                 SEPTEMBER 30,1999     TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                              <C>                   <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                                        $10.93                    $10.00
From investment operations                                                                               --
   Net investment income (loss)                                              (0.00)(5)
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
      and foreign currency transactions                                      11.10                      0.93
Total from investment operations                                             11.10                      0.93

Less dividends and distributions
   Distributions (from capital gains)                                        (0.21)                       --
Total dividends and distributions                                            (0.21)                       --
Net asset value, end of period                                              $21.82                    $10.93
Total Return(2)                                                             102.76%                     9.30%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                                   $25,550                    $4,283
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)                                    1.78%                     2.00%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets                             (1.03)%                   (0.82)%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                                     1.78%                     2.46(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                                     178%                      262%
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations.
2. Not annualized.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Annualized.
5. Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                              PERIOD FROM
                                                                     YEAR ENDED          AUGUST 12, 1998(1)
                                                             SEPTEMBER 30, 1999     TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                          <C>                    <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                                      $9.33                    $10.00
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                                            0.07                      0.03
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments
       and foreign currency transactions                                   2.83                     (0.70)
Total from investment operations                                           2.90                     (0.67)

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)                                 (0.06)                       --
Total dividends and distributions                                         (0.06)                       --
Net asset value, end of period                                           $12.17                     $9.33
Total Return(2)                                                           31.12%                    (6.70)%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                                $22,918                   $19,710
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)                                 1.62%                     1.68%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets                           0.54%                     2.30%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                                  1.62%                     1.68%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                                  154%                       25%
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations.
2. Not annualized.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
4. Annualized.


<PAGE>

                                                                              43

                                                            --------------------
                                                            FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
                                                                  FOR THE BERGER
                                                                    FUNDS FAMILY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BERGER GROWTH FUND
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                     1999        1998      1997(1)     1996(1)      1995(1)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>            <C>         <C>         <C>          <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period               $11.99         $21.51      $19.64      $18.89       $15.96
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                     (0.00)(2)         --        (0.09)      (0.08)       (0.04)
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on
      investments and foreign currency transactions  4.55          (2.57)       4.73        1.76         2.97
Total from investment operations                     4.55          (2.57)       4.64        1.68         2.93

Less dividends and distributions
   Distributions (from capital gains)               (0.98)         (6.95)      (2.77)      (0.93)          --
Total dividends and distributions                   (0.98)         (6.95)      (2.77)      (0.93)          --
Net asset value, end of period                     $15.56         $11.99      $21.51      $19.64       $18.89
Total Return                                        38.96%        (16.08)%     26.50%       9.36%       18.36%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)       $1,333,794     $1,286,828  $1,889,048  $2,012,706   $2,205,678
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)           1.36%          1.38%       1.41%       1.42%        1.49%
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets    (0.38)%       (0.38)%     (0.40)%     (0.43)%      (0.28)%
Gross expense ratio to average net assets            1.36%          1.38%       1.41%       1.42%        1.49%
Portfolio turnover rate                               274%           280%        200%        122%         114%
</TABLE>


1. Per share calculations for the period were based on average shares
outstanding.
2. Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.
3. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND
  For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                   PERIOD FROM
                                                                        YEARS ENDED        NOVEMBER 7, 1996(1)
                                                        1999     SEPTEMBER 30, 1998      TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                    <C>         <C>                     <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                  $10.06                 $11.46                     $10.00
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                        (0.07)                 0.50(2)                     0.05
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on
      investments and foreign currency transactions     3.01                  (1.46)(2)                   1.41
Total from investment operations                        2.94                  (0.96)                      1.46

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)              (0.47)                 (0.06)                        --
   Distributions (in excess of capital gains)          (0.02)                 (0.38)                        --
Total dividends and distributions                      (0.49)                 (0.44)                        --
Net asset value, end of period                        $12.51                 $10.06                     $11.46
Total Return(3)                                        29.64%                 (8.46)%                    14.60%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)             $23,014                $16,515                    $18,673
Net expense ratio to average net assets(4,5)            1.76%                  1.80%                      1.90%(6)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets       (0.01)%                 2.20%                      0.61%(6)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets(5)             1.77%                  1.83%                      1.99%(6)
Portfolio turnover rate(3,7)                              16%                    17%                        17%
</TABLE>


1. Commencement of investment operations.
2. Restated.
3. Not annualized.
4. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Portfolio's Advisor.
5. Reflects the Fund's expenses plus the Fund's pro rata share of the
Portfolio's expenses.
6. Annualized.
7. Represents the portfolio turnover rate of the Portfolio. All of the
investable assets of the Fund are invested in the Portfolio.


<PAGE>

44

- --------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
      FOR THE BERGER
        FUNDS FAMILY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table is based on the historical financial statements of the pool
of assets that was, in a practical sense, the predecessor to the Portfolio in
which the Berger/BIAM International Fund is invested. The total return, expense
ratios and per share data on the table have been adjusted to reflect the
increase in Fund operating expenses that was expected to occur when the pool's
assets were transferred to the Portfolio over the pool's actual operating
expenses for each period shown.

The table covers the period from the beginning of the pool through October 11,
1996, when the pool's assets were transferred to the Portfolio. The pool was not
registered with the SEC and was not subject to the investment restrictions
imposed on mutual funds. If the pool had been registered, the pool's financial
results might have been adversely affected.



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL EQUITY POOL
ADJUSTED SELECTED DATA (UNAUDITED)
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                PERIOD FROM                                                        PERIOD FROM
                                 JANUARY 1,                                                           JULY 31,
                                    1996 TO                                                           1989(1) TO
                                 OCTOBER 11                 YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,               DECEMBER 31,
                                    1996(2)     1995     1994    1993     1992     1991     1990          1989
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                             <C>            <C>      <C>     <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>     <C>
Per Share Data:(3)
Net asset value, beginning of
   period                            $8.94      $7.52    $8.16   $5.98    $5.43    $4.80    $5.00         $4.11
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)       0.11       0.12     0.06    0.10     0.08     0.08     0.06          0.02
Net realized and unrealized
   gain (loss) on
   investments                        0.95       1.30    (0.70)   2.08     0.47     0.55    (0.26)         0.87
Total from investment operations      1.06       1.42    (0.64)   2.18     0.55     0.63    (0.20)         0.89
Net asset value, end of period      $10.00      $8.94    $7.52   $8.16    $5.98    $5.43    $4.80         $5.00
Total Return(3)                      11.91%     18.78%   (7.80)% 36.38%   10.21%   13.18%   (4.11)%       21.80%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period
 (in thousands)                     $4,482     $5,662   $6,215  $5,495   $3,016   $2,364   $1,201          $916
Net expense ratio to average net
   assets(3,4)                        1.78%(5)   1.78%    1.78%   1.78%    1.78%    1.78%    1.78%         1.78%(5)
Ratio of net income (loss) to
   average net assets(3)              1.11%(5)   1.03%    0.42%   0.92%    0.78%    1.26%    0.79%        (0.47)%(5)
Gross expense ratio to
   average net assets(3)              1.83%(5)   1.83%    1.83%   1.83%    1.83%    1.83%    1.83%         1.83%(5)
Portfolio turnover rate                 30%        34%      62%     41%      36%      27%      31%          413%
</TABLE>

1. Commencement of operations of the pool.
2. Commencement of operations of the Portfolio in which the Fund is invested.
3. Adjusted to reflect the increase in expenses expected in operating the Fund,
including the Fund's pro rata share of the Portfolio's expenses, net of fee
waivers. Additionally, total return is not annualized for periods of less than
one full year.
4. Net expenses represent gross expenses less fees that would have been waived
by the Advisor of the Portfolio if the fee waiver in effect for the Portfolio
had been in effect for the pool.
5. Annualized.

<PAGE>

                                                                              45

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                     1999       1998        1997        1996         1995
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                 <C>        <C>         <C>         <C>          <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                  $13.60     $16.72      $14.06      $12.89       $11.48
From investment operations
   Net investment income (loss)                        (0.00)(3)   0.04        0.14        0.20         0.16
   Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on
      investments and foreign currency transactions     4.53      (0.30)       4.28        1.17         1.43
Total from investment operations                        4.53      (0.26)       4.42        1.37         1.59

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)                         (0.03)      (0.13)      (0.20)       (0.18)
   Dividends (in excess of net investment income)      (0.01)     (0.01)         --          --           --
   Distributions (from capital gains)                  (2.80)     (2.82)      (1.63)         --           --
Total dividends and distributions                      (2.81)     (2.86)      (1.76)      (0.20)       (0.18)
Net asset value, end of period                        $15.32     $13.60      $16.72      $14.06       $12.89
Total Return                                           38.67%     (1.60)%     34.56%      10.66%       14.05%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)            $379,356   $301,330    $357,023    $315,538     $354,396
Net expense ratio to average net assets(1)              1.35%      1.44%       1.51%       1.56%        1.64%
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets       (0.22)%     0.25%       0.87%       1.39%        1.33%
Gross expense ratio to average net assets               1.35%      1.44%       1.51%       1.56%        1.64%
Portfolio turnover rate                                  173%       417%(2)     173%        112%          85%
</TABLE>


1. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
2. Portfolio turnover was greater than anticipated during this period due to
higher than normal trading activity undertaken in response to market conditions
that existed at that time.
3. Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER BALANCED FUND
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                             1999                     1998(1)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                          <C>                      <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period                           $13.28                   $10.00
From investment operations
   Net investment income                                         0.23                     0.22
   Net realized and unrealized gains on investments
      and foreign currency transactions                          4.69                     5.17
Total from investment operations                                 4.92                     5.39

Less dividends and distributions
   Dividends (from net investment income)                       (0.23)                   (0.21)
   Distributions (from capital gains)                           (1.35)                   (1.90)
Total dividends and distributions                               (1.58)                   (2.11)
Net asset value, end of period                                 $16.62                   $13.28
Total Return                                                    39.41%                   56.77%

Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                     $122,766                  $30,721
Net expense ratio to average net assets(2)                       1.23%                    1.50%
Ratio of net income to average net assets                        1.63%                    1.81%
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                        1.23%                    1.57%
Portfolio turnover rate                                           227%                     658%(3)
</TABLE>


1. The Fund had no financial highlights for the one day of operations during
the period ended September 30, 1997.
2. Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
reimbursed by the Advisor.
3. Portfolio turnover was greater than expected during this period due to higher
than normal trading activity undertaken in response to market conditions at a
time when the Fund's assets were still relatively small and before the Fund was
fully invested.

<PAGE>

[LOGO]
Berger-Registered Trademark-


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the Funds'
semi-annual and annual reports to shareholders. The Fund's annual report
contains a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that
affected the Funds' performance over the past year.

You may wish to read the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) for more
information on the Funds and the securities they invest in. The SAI is
incorporated into this prospectus by reference, which means that it is
considered to be part of the prospectus.

You can get free copies of the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI,
request other information or get answers to your questions about the Funds by
writing or calling the Funds at:
Berger Funds P.O. Box 219958 Kansas City, MO 64121-9958
(800) 333-1001
bergerfunds.com


Text-only versions of Fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from the
EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at sec.gov.


You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington DC. For information on the operation of the Public Reference Room,
call (202) 942-8090. Copies of documents may also be obtained, after paying a
duplicating fee, by sending your request to the following e-mail address:
[email protected], or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section,
Washington, DC 20549-6009.

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NUMBERS:

<TABLE>
<S>                                     <C>         <C>                                     <C>
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust       811-8046    Berger Omni Investment Trust            811-4273
- -  Berger Information Technology                    -  Berger Small Cap Value Fund -
   Fund - Investor Shares                              Investor Shares
- -  Berger New Generation Fund -                     Berger Growth Fund, Inc.                811-1382
   Investor Shares                                  -  Berger Growth Fund
- -  Berger Select Fund                               Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust       811-07669
- -  Berger Small Company Growth Fund -               -  Berger/BIAM International Fund
   Investor Shares                                  Berger Growth and Income Fund, Inc.     811-1383
- -  Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund                       -  Berger Growth and Income Fund
- -  Berger Mid Cap Value Fund
- -  Berger Balanced Fund
</TABLE>




                                                                         COMPROS
<PAGE>

                                                    BERGER INFORMATION
                                                    TECHNOLOGY FUND -
                                                    INSTITUTIONAL SHARES






                                                    PROSPECTUS January 31, 2000









                                 [LOGO]








The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved any
shares offered in this prospectus or determined whether this prospectus is
accurate or complete. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a crime.
Like all mutual funds, an investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is
not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment goal, and although you
have the potential to make money, you could also lose money in the Fund.



<PAGE>


















BERGER FUNDS and THE BERGER MOUNTAIN LOGO are registered trademarks of Berger
LLC; BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND is a trademark of Berger LLC; and
other marks referred to herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
the respective owners thereof.

<PAGE>
                                                                               i
                    BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

                                    CONTENTS


   BERGER FUNDS-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- are a no-load family of mutual funds. A
mutual fund pools money from shareholders and invests in a portfolio of
securities. This prospectus offers the class of shares designated as
Institutional Shares of the Berger Information Technology Fund. These shares are
designed for pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts,
endowments, foundations and corporations, as well as high net worth individuals
and financial intermediaries, who are willing to maintain a minimum account
balance of $250,000. Institutional Shares are also made available for purchase
and dividend reinvestment in the account of all holders of Institutional Shares
who received their shares in the Fund's reorganization on July 2, 1999.



<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND-TM- -- INSTITUTIONAL
SHARES......................................................    1
The Fund's Goal and Principal Investment Strategies.........    1
Principal Risks.............................................    1
The Fund's Past Performance.................................    2
Fund Expenses...............................................    3

INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS......    4
Risk and Investment Glossary................................    4

BUYING SHARES...............................................    9
SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES..................................   10
Exchanging Shares...........................................   12
Signature Guarantees/Special Documentation..................   12
Your Share Price............................................   13
Other Information About Your Account........................   14
Distributions and Taxes.....................................   16
Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans..............................   16

ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND....................................   17
Investment Managers.........................................   17
Special Fund Structure......................................   17

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FUND...........................   19
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
                                    1
     Berger Information Technology Fund Institutional Shares

                                                            TICKER SYMBOL: BINFX

[ICON]  THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

        The Fund aims for capital appreciation. In pursuing its goal, the Fund
invests at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of companies in the
information technology group of industries, such as software, hardware, computer
consulting services, communications and Internet services and products. The
Fund's investment manager analyzes trends in information technology spending and
demand, then identifies companies it believes are best positioned to benefit
from those trends. The Fund generally invests the remainder of its assets in
information technology-related companies whose stock price the investment
manager believes is undervalued relative to their assets, earnings, cash flow or
business franchise.

   The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies:

    - That dominate their industries or a particular market segment

    - That have or are developing products or services that represent
      significant technological advancements or improvements

    - That have strong fundamentals, strong management and strong product
      positioning.

   The Fund primarily invests in common stocks. The Fund is free to invest in
companies of any size market capitalization. The Fund's investment manager will
generally sell a security when it no longer meets the manager's investment
criteria or when it has met the manager's expectations for appreciation.

[ICON]  PRINCIPAL RISKS

        You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment commitment. Like
all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment manager's strategy for
managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In addition, the price of
common stock moves up and down in response to corporate earnings and
developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated events. As a
result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you could lose money
on your investment.

   Given the Fund's concentration in industries that are rapidly changing, its
share price may fluctuate more than that of funds invested in more stable
industries. Companies in the information technology industries may have narrow
product lines and their products and services are often subject to intense
competition and rapid obsolescence.

   Because the Fund's investments are focused in the information technology
sector, the Fund is more susceptible to adverse events and market pressures
impacting the industries included in that sector.
<PAGE>
                                                                               2
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[ICON]  THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE


        The information below shows the Fund's performance since it began
operations through December 31, 1999. These returns include reinvestment of all
dividends and capital gains distributions and reflect Fund expenses. As with all
mutual funds, past performance does not guarantee future results.



   Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.



YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31


EDGAR REPRESENTATION OF DATA POINTS USED IN PRINTED GRAPHIC

<TABLE>
<S>   <C>
1998   62.72%
1999  165.53%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<S>                            <C>                  <C>
Best quarter:                   12/31/99                    97.76%

Worst quarter:                  9/30/98                     -9.95%
</TABLE>


Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Wilshire 5000 Index
(Wilshire 5000). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the
Wilshire 5000, this index is an indicator of general stock market performance.
You may not invest in the Wilshire 5000 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur
fees or charges.


AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999



<TABLE>
                                                           LIFE OF THE
                                                             FUND
                                                           (APRIL 8,
                                                1 YEAR       1997)
<S>                                             <C>        <C>
The Fund                                        165.53%       89.90%
Wilshire 5000                                    23.56%       27.99%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


<PAGE>
                                    3
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

[ICON]  FUND EXPENSES


        As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads, but you do
bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating Expenses, which vary from year to year.



<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed or
exchanged if shares held less than 6 months)                      1%
Exchange Fee*                                                   None

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (DEDUCTED DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND)

Management fee(1)                                               .85%
Other expenses(2)                                               .83%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                           1.68%
FEE WAIVER(3)                                                 (.18)%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
NET EXPENSES                                                   1.50%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


*   The 1% redemption fee referenced in the table will be imposed on shares
    exchanged if held less than 6 months, since an exchange is treated as a
    redemption followed by a purchase.


1.  Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
    was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the
    first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and; 0.75% in excess of
    $1 billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.



2.  "Other expenses" are estimated expenses for the Institutional Shares class
    for the first full year of operations of that class, restated as if those
    expenses had been in effect during the previous fiscal year. Effective
    October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the administrative fee charged to the
    Fund. The fee amount shown reflects the restated expenses.


3.  Under a written contract, the Fund's investment advisor waives its fee or
    reimburses the Fund for expenses to the extent that, at any time during the
    life of the Fund, the annual operating expenses for the Institutional Shares
    class of the Fund in any fiscal year, including the investment advisory fee,
    but excluding brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary
    expenses, exceed 1.50% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable
    to the Institutional Shares for that fiscal year. The contract may not be
    terminated or amended except by a vote of the Fund's Board of Trustees.

UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES

Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As a result, they reduce
the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees and administrative
costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and reports, custodian and pricing
services and registration fees.
<PAGE>
                                                                               4
                                        Berger Information Technology Fund
                                                      Institutional Shares

EXAMPLE COSTS

   The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to
the cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be
over time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their
prospectuses:

    - $10,000 initial investment

    - 5% total return for each year

    - Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

    - Redemption after the end of each period

   Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:


<TABLE>
                                             THREE       FIVE        TEN
                                  ONE YEAR   YEARS      YEARS       YEARS
<S>                               <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>
Berger Information Technology
Fund
Institutional Shares                $153       $474       $818      $1,791
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS

BEFORE YOU INVEST...

   in the Fund, make sure you understand the risks involved. All investments
involve risk. Generally, the greater the risk, the greater the potential for
return. The reverse is also generally true, the lower the risk, the lower the
potential for return.

   LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NOT A BANK DEPOSIT AND IS
NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FDIC OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY. THE FUND
IS NOT A COMPLETE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, BUT MAY SERVE TO DIVERSIFY OTHER TYPES OF
INVESTMENTS IN YOUR PORTFOLIO. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FUND WILL MEET ITS
INVESTMENT GOAL, AND ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE MONEY, YOU COULD
ALSO LOSE MONEY BY INVESTING IN THE FUND.

   The following glossary will help you further understand the risks the Fund
takes by investing in certain securities and the investment techniques used by
the Fund. You may get more detailed information about the risks of investing in
the Fund in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI), including a
discussion of debt security ratings in Appendix A to the SAI.


RISK AND INVESTMENT GLOSSARY


   BORROWING refers to a loan of money from a bank or other financial
institution undertaken by the Fund for temporary or emergency reasons only. The
Fund will not borrow more than 25% of its total assets. LEVERAGE RISK
<PAGE>
                                    5
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


   CALL RISK is the possibility that an issuer may redeem or "call" a fixed
income security before maturity at a price below its current market price. An
increase in the likelihood of a call may reduce the security's price.


   COMMON STOCK is a share of ownership (equity) interest in a company.

   COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES are securities issued by companies
that have been in continuous operation for less than three years. Sometimes
called "unseasoned" issuers. MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES(1) are debt or equity securities which may be
converted on specified terms into stock of the issuer. MARKET, INTEREST RATE,
PREPAYMENT AND CREDIT RISKS


   CORRELATION RISK occurs when the Fund "hedges" -- uses one investment to
offset the Fund's position in another. If the two investments do not behave in
relation to one another the way Fund managers expect them to, then unexpected
results may occur.

   CREDIT RISK means that the issuer of a security or the counterparty to an
investment contract may default or become unable to pay its obligations when
due.

   CURRENCY RISK happens when the Fund buys or sells a security denominated in
foreign currency. Foreign currencies "float" in value against the U.S. dollar.
Adverse changes in foreign currency value can cause investment losses when the
Fund's investments are converted to U.S. dollars.

   DIVERSIFICATION means a diversified fund may not, with respect to at least
75% of its assets, invest more than 5% in the securities of one company. A
nondiversified fund may be more volatile than a diversified fund because it
invests more of its assets in a smaller number of companies and the gains or
losses on a single stock will therefore have a greater impact on the fund's
share price. The Fund is a diversified fund.


   FINANCIAL FUTURES(2) are exchange-traded contracts on securities, securities
indexes or foreign currencies that obligate the holder to take or make future
delivery of a specified quantity of those underlying securities or currencies on
a predetermined future date at a predetermined price. Not more than 5% of the
Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures and premiums for
options. HEDGING, CORRELATION, OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE RISKS


   FOREIGN SECURITIES are issued by companies located outside of the United
States. The Fund considers a company to be located outside the United States if
the principal securities trading market for its equity securities is located
outside the U.S. or it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal
office in, a country other than the U.S. MARKET, CURRENCY, TRANSACTION,
LIQUIDITY, INFORMATION AND POLITICAL RISKS
<PAGE>
                                                                               6
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


   FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS(2) are privately negotiated contracts
committing the holder to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a foreign
currency on a predetermined future date at a predetermined price. HEDGING,
CREDIT, CORRELATION, OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE RISKS


   HEDGING RISK comes into play when the Fund uses a security whose value is
based on an underlying security or index to "offset" the Fund's position in
another security or currency. The objective of hedging is to offset potential
losses in one security with gains in the hedge. But a hedge can eliminate or
reduce gains as well as offset losses. (Also see "Correlation risk.")


   ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES are securities which, by rules of their
issue or by their nature, cannot be sold readily. These do not include liquid
Rule 144A securities. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets
in illiquid securities, including restricted securities not deemed to be liquid.
MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND TRANSACTION RISKS


   INFORMATION RISK means that information about a security or issuer might not
be available, complete, accurate or comparable.


   INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING (IPO)(3) is the sale of a company's securities to the
public for the first time. IPO companies can be small and have limited operating
histories. The price of IPO securities can be highly unstable due to prevailing
market psychology and the small number of shares available. In addition, the
quality and number of IPOs available for purchase may diminish in the future,
and their contribution to Fund performance may be less significant as a Fund
grows in size. MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   INTEREST RATE RISK is the risk that changes in interest rates will adversely
affect the value of an investor's securities. When interest rates rise, the
value of fixed-income securities will generally fall. Conversely, a drop in
interest rates will generally cause an increase in the value of fixed-income
securities. Longer-term securities are subject to greater interest rate risk.


   INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS are rated BBB (STANDARD & POOR'S) or Baa (MOODY'S) or
above. Bonds rated below investment grade are subject to greater credit risk
than investment grade bonds. INTEREST RATE, MARKET, CALL AND CREDIT RISKS



   LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES to qualified financial institutions is
undertaken in order to earn income. The Fund lends securities only on a fully
collateralized basis. The Fund may lend portfolio securities only up to 33 1/3%
of its total assets. CREDIT RISK


   LEVERAGE RISK occurs in some securities or techniques that tend to magnify
the effect of small changes in an index or a market. This can result in a loss
that exceeds the amount that was invested in the contract.
<PAGE>
                                    7
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   LIQUIDITY RISK occurs when investments cannot be sold readily. The Fund may
have to accept a less-than-desirable price to complete the sale of an illiquid
security or may not be able to sell it at all.

   MARKET CAPITALIZATION is the total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock.

   MARKET RISK exists in all mutual funds and means the risk that the prices of
securities in a market, a sector, or an industry will fluctuate, and that such
movements might reduce an investment's value.

   OPPORTUNITY RISK means missing out on an investment opportunity because the
assets necessary to take advantage of it are committed to less advantageous
investments or strategies.

   OPTIONS(2) are contracts giving the holder the right but not the obligation
to purchase or sell a security on or before a predetermined future date for a
fixed price. Options on securities indexes are similar, but settle in cash. Not
more than 5% of the Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for
futures and premiums for options. HEDGING, CREDIT, CORRELATION AND LEVERAGE
RISKS

   POLITICAL RISK comes into play with investments, particularly foreign
investments, which may be adversely affected by nationalization, taxation, war,
government instability or other economic or political actions or factors.


   PREPAYMENT RISK is the risk that, as interest rates fall, borrowers are more
likely to refinance their debts. As a result, the principal on certain
fixed-income securities may be paid earlier than expected, which could cause
investment losses and cause prepaid amounts to have to be reinvested at a
relatively lower interest rate.



   SECTOR FOCUS(4) occurs when a significant portion of the Fund's assets are
invested in a relatively small number of related industries. The Fund will not
concentrate more than 25% of its total assets in any one industry. Sector focus
may increase both market and liquidity risk. MARKET AND LIQUIDITY RISKS


   SMALL AND MID-SIZED COMPANY SECURITIES are securities issued by small or mid-
sized companies, as measured by their market capitalization. The market
capitalization range targeted by funds investing in small or mid-sized companies
varies by fund. In general, the smaller the company, the greater its risks.
MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   SPECIAL SITUATIONS are companies about to undergo a structural, financial or
management change which may significantly affect the value of their securities.
MARKET AND INFORMATION RISKS

<PAGE>
                                                                               8
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   TRANSACTION RISK means that the Fund may be delayed or unable to settle a
transaction or that commissions and settlement expenses may be higher than
usual.

   WRITING (SELLING) COVERED CALL OPTIONS(2) is the selling of a contract to
another party which gives them the right but not the obligation to buy a
particular security from you. The Fund will write call options only if it
already owns the security (if it is "covered"). The Fund may only write call
options up to 25% of its total assets. OPPORTUNITY, CREDIT AND LEVERAGE RISKS

1.  The Fund has no minimum quality standards for convertible securities,
    although it will not invest in defaulted securities. It also will not invest
    20% or more of its assets in convertible securities rated below investment
    grade or in unrated convertible securities that the sub-advisor considers to
    be below investment grade.
2.  The Fund may use futures, forwards and options only for hedging. Not more
    than 5% of the Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures
    and premiums for options, although the Fund may have more at risk under
    these contracts than the initial margin or premium. However, the Fund's
    aggregate obligations under these contracts may not exceed the total market
    value of the assets being hedged, such as some or all of the value of the
    Fund's equity securities.

3.  IPOs constituted a significant portion of the Fund's performance during the
    last fiscal year. However, there can be no assurance that IPOs will continue
    to have such a significant impact, if the quality or number of available
    IPOs diminishes or if the Fund grows in size and IPOs become an
    insignificant part of the Fund's total portfolio.


4.  The security or technique is emphasized by the Fund.

<PAGE>
                                    9
      Berger Information Technology Fund
      Institutional Shares

BUYING SHARES


   SEND NEW ACCOUNT APPLICATIONS TO
   Berger Funds
   P.O. Box 219958
   Kansas City, MO 64121-9958


   OR FOR OVERNIGHT, CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL ONLY
   Berger Funds
   330 West 9th Street, 1st Floor
   Kansas City, MO 64105

<TABLE>
<S>                         <C>
Minimums:
Initial investment          $250,000
Subsequent investments      No minimum
</TABLE>

BY MAIL

   Read this prospectus.

   Fill out the application if you are opening a new account.

   Make out a check to BERGER FUNDS for the amount you want to invest.


   Send the application and check to the Berger Funds in the envelope provided.


   To add to an existing account, be sure to include your account number on your
check and mail it to the appropriate address above.

BY WIRE OR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER

   Payment may be made from your bank to the Berger Funds.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY TELEPHONE

   If you already have a Berger Funds account, you may purchase additional
shares by telephone order.

   You must pay for them within three business days by wire, electronic funds
transfer or overnight delivery of a check.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY ONLINE ACCESS

   If you have established a Berger Funds account with electronic funds transfer
privileges, you may purchase additional shares via online access.

   You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.
<PAGE>
                                                                              10
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

BY AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN

   To automatically purchase more shares on a regular basis, fill out the
Automatic Investment Plan section of the application.

   Investments are transferred automatically from your bank account.

   See details on the application.

   ALL SHAREHOLDERS ARE AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED TELEPHONE AND ONLINE TRANSACTION
PRIVILEGES UNLESS THEY DECLINE THEM EXPLICITLY IN WRITING, EITHER ON THE ACCOUNT
APPLICATION OR BY WRITING TO THE BERGER FUNDS AT THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

   YOU MAY GIVE UP SOME LEVEL OF SECURITY BY CHOOSING TO BUY AND SELL SHARES BY
TELEPHONE OR ONLINE RATHER THAN BY MAIL. IN TIMES OF EXTREME ECONOMIC OR MARKET
CONDITIONS, TRANSACTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR ONLINE MAY BE DIFFICULT.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYING FOR YOUR SHARES

   Your check must be made payable to BERGER FUNDS.

   You may NOT purchase shares by cash, credit card, third-party checks or
checks drawn on foreign banks.

   Subject to approval by the Fund, you may purchase Fund shares with liquid
securities that the Fund is eligible to purchase. These securities must have a
value that can be readily determined in accordance with the Fund's valuation
policies. You may pay for Fund shares with securities only if it is the
investment manager's intention to retain them in the Fund's portfolio. The Fund
may amend or terminate this practice at any time.

   Orders not paid for on time will be canceled and shares will be redeemed from
your account to compensate for any decline in price of the shares canceled.


   The Fund reserves the right to reject any order and to waive or reduce
minimums or increase minimums following notice.


SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES

BY MAIL

   Send a written request indicating your account number and the dollar amount
or number of shares you are redeeming to the appropriate address shown under
"Buying Shares."

   Your request must be signed by each registered shareholder, with the
signature(s) appearing exactly as they do on your account registration.

   Include any necessary Signature Guarantees. See "Signature Guarantees /
Special Documentation" below.
<PAGE>
                                    11
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

BY TELEPHONE

   Call (800) 960-8427.

BY ONLINE ACCESS

   You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.

   FOR LIMITATIONS ON TELEPHONE AND ONLINE REDEMPTIONS SEE "SIGNATURE GUARANTEES
/ SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION" BELOW.

   TELEPHONE AND ONLINE REDEMPTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR SHARES HELD IN
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS SPONSORED BY THE FUND.

BY SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN


   A systematic withdrawal plan may be established.


   Shares may be redeemed automatically ($50 minimum) monthly, quarterly, semi-
annually or annually.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for more information and forms.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYMENT FOR YOUR REDEEMED SHARES

   The Fund is intended as a long-term investment, and not as a short-term
trading vehicle. Therefore, the Fund will deduct a 1% redemption fee from your
redemption proceeds if you redeem Fund shares held less than 6 months. This fee
is intended to discourage investors from short-term trading of Fund shares and
to offset the cost to the Fund of excess brokerage and other costs incurred as a
result of such trading. This fee will not be charged to retirement plan accounts
or in the case of redemptions resulting from the death of the shareholder.

   Generally, payment for your redeemed shares will be sent to you within three
business days after receipt of your redemption request in good order.

   You may receive payment for redeemed shares via wire or electronic funds
transfer. You may elect these services on the account application or send to the
Berger Funds a written request providing your bank information with your
signature guaranteed. (See "Signature Guarantees / Special Documentation"
below.)

   A wire transfer will be sent the next business day after receipt of your
order, and an electronic funds transfer will be sent the second business day
after receipt of your order.

   Proceeds from the redemption of shares purchased by check may be delayed
until full payment for the shares has been received and cleared, which may take
up to 15 days from the purchase date.
<PAGE>
                                                                              12
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT

EXCHANGING SHARES

   Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of any other publicly
available Berger Funds by calling (800) 960-8427. When exchanging shares:

    - Each account must be registered identically -- have the same signatures
      and addresses.

    - Each Fund must be legally eligible for sale in your state of residence.

    - You may exchange out of each of the Berger Funds up to four times per
      calendar year.

    - You may exchange by telephone, online access or mail.


    - You are responsible for obtaining and reading the prospectus for the Fund
      into which you are exchanging.


    - An exchange out of a Berger Fund results in the sale of that Fund's shares
      and the purchase of another, normally resulting in a taxable event for
      you.


    - Exchanges into any new Fund are subject to that Fund's initial and
      subsequent investment minimums.


    - The Fund will deduct a 1% redemption fee from the amount you exchange if
      you exchange Fund shares held less than 6 months. This fee is intended to
      discourage investors from short-term trading of Fund shares and to offset
      the cost to the Fund of excess brokerage and other costs incurred as a
      result of such trading. This fee will not be charged to retirement plan
      accounts.

   The Fund may terminate or modify the exchange privilege in the future.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEES / SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION

   The Fund uses Signature Guarantees to protect you and the Fund from possible
fraudulent requests for redeemed shares. Your redemption request must be in
writing and accompanied by a Signature Guarantee if:

    - You request that payment be made to a name other than the one on your
      account registration.

    - You request that payment be mailed to an address which has been changed
      within 30 days of your redemption request or to an address other than the
      one of record.

    - You change or add information relating to your designated bank.

   The Berger Funds reserve the right to require Signature Guarantees under
other certain circumstances.
<PAGE>
                                    13
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   You can get a Signature Guarantee from most broker-dealers, national or state
banks, credit unions, federal savings and loan associations or other eligible
institutions. YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE FROM A NOTARY PUBLIC.

   Make sure the Signature Guarantee appears:

    - Together with the signature(s) of all registered owner(s) of the redeemed
      shares on the written redemption request.

    - On any share certificates you hold for the redeemed shares or on a
      separate statement of assignment (stock power) which may be obtained from
      a bank or broker.


   Additional documents are required for redemptions by corporations, executors,
administrators, trustees and guardians. For instructions, call (800) 960-8427 or
write to the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121-9958.


YOUR SHARE PRICE

   The price at which you buy, sell or exchange Fund shares is the share price
or net asset value (NAV). The share price for the Institutional Shares of the
Fund is determined by adding the Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the
total value of the Fund's investments, cash and other assets, deducting the
Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the Fund's liabilities and the
liabilities attributable directly to the Institutional Shares, and then dividing
that value by the total number of the Institutional Shares outstanding. Share
price is calculated separately for each class of Fund shares.

   The Fund's share price is calculated at the close of the regular trading
session of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each
day that the Exchange is open. Share price is not calculated on the days that
the Exchange is closed.

   FOR A PURCHASE, REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES, YOUR PRICE IS THE
SHARE PRICE NEXT CALCULATED AFTER YOUR REQUEST IS RECEIVED IN GOOD ORDER BY THE
FUND, ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT OR DESIGNEE. TO RECEIVE A SPECIFIC DAY'S PRICE, YOUR
REQUEST MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ON THAT
DAY.

   When the Fund calculates its share price, it values the securities it holds
at market value. Sometimes market quotes for some securities are not available
or are not representative of market value. Examples would be when events occur
that materially affect the value of a security at a time when the security is
not trading or when the securities are illiquid. In that case, securities may be
valued in good faith at fair value, using consistently applied procedures
decided on by the trustees. Money market instruments maturing within 60 days are
valued at amortized cost, which approximates
<PAGE>
                                                                              14
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

market value. Assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are
converted into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates quoted by one or more
banks or dealers shortly before the close of the Exchange.

   The Fund's foreign securities may trade on days that the Exchange is closed
and the Fund's daily share price is not calculated. As a result, the Fund's
daily share price may be affected and you will not be able to purchase or redeem
shares.


OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT


SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

   You may give up some level of security by choosing to buy or sell shares by
telephone or online, rather than by mail. The Fund uses procedures designed to
give reasonable assurance that telephone and online instructions are genuine,
including recording the transactions, testing the identity of the shareholder
placing the order and sending prompt written confirmation of transactions to the
shareholder of record. The Fund, and its service providers, are not liable for
acting upon instructions communicated by telephone or online that they believe
to be genuine if these procedures are followed.

CONFIRMATION OF YOUR PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS

   After any transaction, you will receive written confirmation including the
share price and the dollar amount and number of shares bought or redeemed.
Exception: Shares purchased under Automatic Investment Plans or redeemed under
Systematic Withdrawal Plans will be confirmed quarterly. Partial shares will be
calculated to three decimal places.


SHAREHOLDER REPORTS



   To reduce expenses, the Fund may mail only one copy of most financial
reports, prospectuses and proxies to your household, even if you have more than
one account in the Fund. Call (800) 960-8427 if you need additional copies of
financial reports or prospectuses.



SHARE CERTIFICATES



   To assist in minimizing administrative costs, share certificates will not be
issued. Records of share ownership are maintained by the Fund's transfer agent
in book entry form.


PURCHASES THROUGH BROKER-DEALERS

   You may buy Fund shares through certain broker-dealers or other financial
organizations, but these organizations may charge you a fee or may have
different minimums for first-time or additional investments which are not
applicable if you buy shares directly from the Fund.
<PAGE>
                                    15
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATORS

   Certain brokerage firms and other companies may provide administrative
services (such as sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping or shareholder
communications services) to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through
those companies. The Fund's advisor or the Fund (if approved by its trustees)
may pay fees to these companies for their services. These companies may also be
appointed as agents for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf
purchase and redemption requests that are received in good order. Subject to
Fund approval, certain of these companies may be authorized to designate other
entities to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.


DATE-RELATED INFORMATION



   Mutual funds and businesses around the world could be adversely affected if
computers do not properly process date-related information. The Fund's advisor
is addressing these issues for its computers and is getting reasonable
assurances from the Fund's other major service providers that they too are
addressing these issues to preserve smooth functioning of the Fund's trading,
pricing, shareholder account, custodial and other operations. There can be no
assurances, however, that all problems will be avoided.



   These computer problems could also adversely affect the Fund's investments.
Improperly functioning computers may disrupt securities markets generally or
result in overall economic uncertainty. Individual companies may also be
adversely affected by the cost of fixing their computers, which could be
substantial. The Fund's investment manager considers these issues when
evaluating investments for the Fund.



REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND


   The Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although in order to
protect the interest of remaining shareholders, it retains the right to redeem
its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances. In-kind payment means payment
will be made to you in portfolio securities rather than cash. If this occurs,
you will incur transaction costs if you sell the securities for cash. You may
have difficulty selling the securities and recovering the amount of your
redemption if the securities are illiquid.


REDEMPTIONS BY THE FUND OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS


   To reduce its expenses, the Fund may involuntarily redeem the shares in your
account if your balance drops below $250,000 -- but only if it drops below this
amount because you have redeemed shares, not because the share value has
declined. You will be given 60 days' notice before the Fund undertakes any
involuntary redemption. During that time, you may buy more shares to bring your
account above the minimum.
<PAGE>
                                                                              16
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   Holders of Institutional Shares who received their shares in the Fund's
reorganization in July 1999, will not be subject to this minimum account balance
requirement in their existing accounts, but instead will be subject to the
regular Berger Funds retail minimum account balance requirement of $2,000.

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES


DISTRIBUTIONS OF INCOME AND GAINS


   Unless you tell us that you want to receive your distributions in cash, they
will be reinvested automatically in Fund shares. The Fund generally makes two
different kinds of distributions, capital gains from the sale of portfolio
securities held by the Fund and net investment income from interest or dividends
received on securities held by the Fund. The Fund will distribute any net
realized capital gains or investment income annually, normally in December.


YOUR TAXES


   You generally will owe tax on amounts distributed to you by the Fund in any
non-retirement account whether you reinvest them in additional shares or receive
them in cash. Distributions of gains from the sale of assets held by the Fund
for more than one year generally are taxable to you at the applicable long-term
capital gains rate, regardless of how long you have owned your Fund shares.
Distributions from other sources generally are taxed as ordinary income.

   Distributions made by the Fund to you will normally be capital gains. A
portion of those gains may be net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as
ordinary income. The Fund generally will not distribute net investment income,
although any net investment income that is generated as a by-product of managing
its portfolio will be distributed to you.


   If you redeem Fund shares that have appreciated in value, you will have a
taxable gain upon redemption. Exchanges are treated as a redemption and purchase
for tax purposes. Therefore, you will also have a taxable gain if you exchange
shares that have appreciated in value.



ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION


   You should consult your own tax advisor about your particular situation. For
more information about other tax matters, including backup withholding for
certain taxpayers and other tax aspects of redemptions, see the SAI.

TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS

   The Fund offers several tax-qualified retirement plans for individuals,
businesses and nonprofit organizations. For information about establishing a
IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or money purchase pension plan, 403(b) Custodial
Account, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans, please call
(800) 259-2820 or write to
<PAGE>
                                    17
      BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121. Trustees for existing
401(k) or other plans interested in using Fund shares as an investment or
investment alternative in their plans are invited to call the Fund at
(800) 960-8427.

ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND

INVESTMENT MANAGERS


   The following companies provide investment management and administrative
services to the Fund. During the last fiscal year, the Fund paid Berger LLC an
advisory fee at the annual rate of 0.90% of the Fund's average daily net assets
per year. Effective October 1, 1999, the advisory fee for the Fund was reduced
and the administrative fee charged to the Fund was eliminated. These fee
reductions are reflected earlier in this prospectus under "Fund Expenses."


   BERGER LLC (210 University Blvd., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206) is the Fund's
investment advisor. Berger LLC serves as investment advisor, sub-advisor,
administrator or sub-administrator to mutual funds and institutional investors.
Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25 years. When
acting as investment advisor, Berger LLC is responsible for managing the
investment operations of the Fund. Berger LLC also provides administrative
services to the Fund.

   BAY ISLE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (160 Sansome Street, 17th Floor, San
Francisco, CA 94104) is the Fund's sub-advisor. Bay Isle has been in the
investment advisory business since 1987. Bay Isle served as investment advisor
to the Fund (then known as the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund)
from its inception in April 1997 until July 1999, when Bay Isle became
sub-advisor to the Fund. As sub-advisor, Bay Isle provides day-to-day management
of the Fund's investment operations. William F. K. Schaff has been the
investment manager for the Fund since its inception. Mr. Schaff is a co-founder
and co-owner of Bay Isle and serves as its Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Schaff
has been managing accounts of Bay Isle clients since 1987.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

   Portfolio changes are made whenever the Fund's investment manager believes
that the Fund's goal could be better achieved by investment in another security,
regardless of portfolio turnover. At times, portfolio turnover for the Fund may
exceed 100% per year. A turnover rate of 100% means the securities owned by the
Fund were replaced once during the year. Higher turnover rates may result in
higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an
investor. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate can be found under the heading
"Financial Highlights for the Fund."


SPECIAL FUND STRUCTURE



   On July 2, 1999, the Fund began offering two classes of shares. The
Institutional Shares offered in this prospectus are designed for investors who
maintain a minimum account balance of $250,000. Institutional Shares are also
made available for purchase

<PAGE>
                                                                              18
                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

and dividend reinvestment to all holders of Institutional Shares who received
their shares in the Fund's reorganization on July 2, 1999. The other class of
shares, Investor Shares, are offered through a separate prospectus and are
available to the general public with a minimum account balance of $2,000. Each
class of shares has its own expenses so that share price, performance and
distributions will differ between classes. The 12b-1 plan adopted by the Fund
applies only to the Investor Shares. For more information on Investor Shares,
please call (800) 333-1001.

   For more information on the multi-class fund structure, see the SAI.
<PAGE>
                                    19
      Berger Information Technology Fund
      Institutional Shares

                       FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FUND


   These financial highlights are intended to help you understand the Fund's
financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects
financial results for a single Fund share. Total return shows you how much an
investment in the Fund increased or decreased during each period.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, independent accountants, audited the information
for the period ended September 30, 1999. Their report appears in the 1999 Annual
Report to Shareholders of the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (made a
part of) the Statement of Additional Information. That Annual Report is
available from the Fund without charge upon request. Information for the periods
ended February 28, 1999 and 1998, was audited by other independent accountants.



BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND -- INSTITUTIONAL SHARES
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                        PERIOD FROM                             PERIOD FROM
                                     MARCH 1, 1999 TO     YEAR ENDED        APRIL 8, 1997(1) TO
                                       SEPTEMBER 30,     FEBRUARY 28,           FEBRUARY 28,
                                           1999              1999                   1998
<S>                                  <C>                <C>              <C>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, beginning of
 period                              $          44.36   $         30.15  $                    20.00
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From investment operations:
  Net investment income (loss)                  (0.00)(5)          (0.31)                      (0.10)
  Net realized and unrealized gains
   (losses) from investments and
   foreign currency transactions                13.83             14.52                       10.25
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total from investment
     operations                                 13.83             14.21                       10.15
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less dividends and distributions
 (from capital gains)                           (0.72)               --                          --
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total dividends and
     distributions                              (0.72)               --                          --
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period       $          57.47   $         44.36  $                    30.15
===================================================================================================
    Total Return(2)                             31.30%            47.13%                      50.75%
===================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in
 thousands)                          $         20,094   $        12,446  $                    2,674
Net expense ratio to average net
 assets(3)                                       1.49%(4)            1.50%                       1.50%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to
 average net assets                             (1.22)%(4)           (1.19)%                      (1.01)%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net
 assets                                          1.94%(4)            2.67%                      12.17%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate                            31%               35%                         33%
</TABLE>



 1.  Commencement of operations for Institutional Shares.

 2.  Not annualized.

 3.  Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
     reimbursed by the Advisor.

 4.  Annualized.

 5.  Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.


<PAGE>










FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the Fund's
semi-annual and annual reports to shareholders. The Fund's annual report
contains a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that
affected the Fund's performance over the past year.

You may wish to read the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) for
more information on the Fund and the securities it invests in. The SAI is
incorporated into this prospectus by reference, which means that it is
considered to be part of the prospectus.

You can get free copies of the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI,
request other information or get answers to your questions about the Fund by
writing or calling the Fund at:
Berger Funds P.O. Box 219958 Kansas City, MO 64121-9958
(800) 259-2820
bergerfunds.com


Text-only versions of Fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from
the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at sec.gov.


You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington DC. For information on the operation of the Public Reference Room,
call 1-202-942-8090. Copies of documents may also be obtained, after paying a
duplicate fee, by sending your request to the following e-mail address:
[email protected], or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Section,
Washington, DC 20549-6009.


INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NUMBER:

Berger Investment Portfolio Trust  811-8046
(Berger Information Technology Fund - Institutional Shares)          TECHIPROS

<PAGE>

                                                    BERGER NEW
                                                    GENERATION FUND -
                                                    INSTITUTIONAL SHARES





                                                    PROSPECTUS January 31, 2000








                                 [LOGO]








The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved any
shares offered in this prospectus or determined whether this prospectus is
accurate or complete. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a crime.
Like all mutual funds, an investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is
not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment goal, and although you
have the potential to make money, you could also lose money in the Fund.


<PAGE>


















BERGER FUNDS, BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND and THE BERGER MOUNTAIN LOGO are
registered trademarks of Berger LLC; and other marks referred to herein are
the trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners thereof.


<PAGE>
                                                                               i
                            BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

                                    CONTENTS


   BERGER FUNDS-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- are a no-load family of mutual funds. A
mutual fund pools money from shareholders and invests in a portfolio of
securities. This prospectus offers the class of shares designated as
Institutional Shares of the Berger New Generation Fund. These shares are
designed for pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts,
endowments, foundations and corporations, as well as high net worth individuals
and financial intermediaries, who are willing to maintain a minimum account
balance of $250,000.



<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- --
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES........................................    1
The Fund's Goal and Principal Investment Strategies.........    1
Principal Risks.............................................    1
The Fund's Past Performance.................................    2
Fund Expenses...............................................    3

INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS......    4
Risk and Investment Glossary................................    4

BUYING SHARES...............................................    8
SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES..................................    9
Exchanging Shares...........................................   10
Signature Guarantees/Special Documentation..................   11
Your Share Price............................................   12
Other Information About Your Account........................   12
Distributions and Taxes.....................................   14
Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans..............................   15

ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND....................................   15
Investment Manager..........................................   15
Special Fund Structure......................................   16

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FUND...........................   17
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
                                    1
     Berger New Generation Fund Institutional Shares

                                                    TICKER SYMBOL: NOT AVAILABLE

[ICON]  THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

        The Fund aims for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund
primarily invests in the common stocks of companies with potential for
significant earnings growth.

   The Fund focuses on leading-edge companies with new ideas, technologies or
methods of doing business. Its investment manager seeks companies it believes
have the potential to change the direction or dynamics of the industries in
which they operate or significantly influence the way businesses or consumers
conduct their affairs.

   The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies:

    - In business sectors characterized by rapid change, regardless of the
      company's size

    - With favorable long-term growth potential due to their new or innovative
      products or services

    - With management and financial strength to fulfill their vision and grow
      their business.

   The Fund invests in common stocks, both domestic and foreign, and other
securities with equity features, such as convertible securities and preferred
stocks. Due to the Fund's focus on companies with the characteristics described
above, the Fund generally is weighted toward small market capitalization
companies, although it is free to invest in companies with larger market
capitalizations as well. The Fund's investment manager will generally sell a
security when it no longer meets the manager's investment criteria or when it
has met the manager's expectations for appreciation. The Fund's investment
manager may actively trade the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's goal.

[ICON]  PRINCIPAL RISKS

        You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment commitment. Like
all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment manager's strategy for
managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In addition, the price of
common stock moves up and down in response to corporate earnings and
developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated events. As a
result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you could lose money
on your investment.

   Given the Fund's weighting toward small companies in rapidly changing
industries, its share price may fluctuate more than that of funds invested in
larger companies or more stable industries. Small companies may pose greater
risk due to narrow product lines, limited financial resources, less depth in
management or a limited trading market for their stocks. In addition, products
and services in rapidly changing industries may be subject to intense
competition and rapid obsolescence and may require
<PAGE>
                                                                               2
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

regulatory approvals prior to their use. The Fund's investments are often
focused in a small number of business sectors. In addition, the Fund's active
trading will cause the Fund to have an increased portfolio turnover rate. Higher
turnover rates may result in higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher
net taxable gains for you as an investor.

   See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[ICON]  THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE

        The information below shows the Fund's performance since it began
operations through December 31, 1999. These returns include reinvestment of all
dividends and capital gains distributions and reflect Fund expenses. As with all
mutual funds, past performance does not guarantee future results.

   Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31(1)

EDGAR REPRESENTATION OF DATA POINTS USED IN PRINTED GRAPHIC

<TABLE>
<S>   <C>
1997   24.22%
1998   23.00%
1999  142.38%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<S>                                               <C>
Best quarter:              12/31/99                        51.69%

Worst quarter:              9/30/98                       -18.43%
</TABLE>


   Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Standard & Poor's 500
Index (S&P 500). While the Fund does not seek to match the returns of the S&P
500, this index is a good indicator of general stock market performance. You may
not invest in the S&P 500 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or
charges.

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999(1)


<TABLE>
                                                          LIFE OF THE
                                                            FUND
                                                          (MARCH 29,
                                               1 YEAR       1996)
<S>                                            <C>        <C>
The Fund                                       142.38%       47.20%
S&P 500                                         21.03%       26.52%
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



1.  Fund returns include periods prior to the Fund's adoption of share classes
    and therefore reflect a 0.25% 12b-1 fee which has not been paid by the
    Institutional Shares since the inception of that class on August 16, 1999.

<PAGE>
                                    3
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

[ICON]  FUND EXPENSES

        As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads, redemption
or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating Expenses,
which vary from year to year.

<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (DEDUCTED DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND)

Management fee(1)                                              .85%
Other expenses(2)                                              .30%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                          1.15%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


1.  Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
    was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the
    first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of
    $1 billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.



2.  "Other expenses" are based on estimated expenses for the Institutional
    Shares class and include transfer agency fees, shareholder report expenses,
    registration fees and custodian fees. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC
    eliminated the administrative fee charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown
    reflects the restated expenses.


UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES

Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As a result, they reduce
the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees and administrative
costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and reports, custodian and pricing
services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

   The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to
the cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be
over time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their
prospectuses:

    - $10,000 initial investment

    - 5% total return for each year

    - Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

    - Redemption after the end of each period

   Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:

<TABLE>
                                             THREE       FIVE        TEN
                                  ONE YEAR   YEARS      YEARS       YEARS
<S>                               <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>
Berger New Generation Fund
Institutional Shares                $117       $365       $633      $1,398
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
                                                                               4
                                                Berger New Generation Fund
                                                      Institutional Shares

INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS

BEFORE YOU INVEST...

   in the Fund, make sure you understand the risks involved. All investments
involve risk. Generally, the greater the risk, the greater the potential for
return. The reverse is also generally true, the lower the risk, the lower the
potential for return.

   LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NOT A BANK DEPOSIT AND IS
NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FDIC OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY. THE FUND
IS NOT A COMPLETE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, BUT MAY SERVE TO DIVERSIFY OTHER TYPES OF
INVESTMENTS IN YOUR PORTFOLIO. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FUND WILL MEET ITS
INVESTMENT GOAL, AND ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE MONEY, YOU COULD
ALSO LOSE MONEY BY INVESTING IN THE FUND.

   The following glossary will help you further understand the risks the Fund
takes by investing in certain securities and the investment techniques used by
the Fund. You may get more detailed information about the risks of investing in
the Fund in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI), including a
discussion of debt security ratings in Appendix A to the SAI.


RISK AND INVESTMENT GLOSSARY


   BORROWING refers to a loan of money from a bank or other financial
institution undertaken by the Fund for temporary or emergency reasons only. The
Fund will not borrow more than 25% of its total assets. LEVERAGE RISK


   CALL RISK is the possibility that an issuer may redeem or "call" a fixed
income security before maturity at a price below its current market price. An
increase in the likelihood of a call may reduce the security's price.


   COMMON STOCK is a share of ownership (equity) interest in a company.

   COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES are securities issued by companies
that have been in continuous operation for less than three years. Sometimes
called "unseasoned" issuers. MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES(1) are debt or equity securities which may be
converted on specified terms into stock of the issuer. MARKET, INTEREST RATE,
PREPAYMENT AND CREDIT RISKS


   CORRELATION RISK occurs when the Fund "hedges" -- uses one investment to
offset the Fund's position in another. If the two investments do not behave in
relation to one another the way Fund managers expect them to, then unexpected
results may occur.

   CREDIT RISK means that the issuer of a security or the counterparty to an
investment contract may default or become unable to pay its obligations when
due.
<PAGE>
                                    5
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   CURRENCY RISK happens when the Fund buys or sells a security denominated in
foreign currency. Foreign currencies "float" in value against the U.S. dollar.
Adverse changes in foreign currency value can cause investment losses when the
Fund's investments are converted to U.S. dollars.

   DIVERSIFICATION means a diversified fund may not, with respect to at least
75% of its assets, invest more than 5% in the securities of one company. A
nondiversified fund may be more volatile than a diversified fund because it
invests more of its assets in a smaller number of companies and the gains or
losses on a single stock will therefore have a greater impact on the fund's
share price. The Fund is a diversified fund.


   FINANCIAL FUTURES(2) are exchange-traded contracts on securities, securities
indexes or foreign currencies that obligate the holder to take or make future
delivery of a specified quantity of those underlying securities or currencies on
a predetermined future date at a predetermined price. Not more than 5% of the
Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures and premiums for
options. HEDGING, CORRELATION, OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE RISKS


   FOREIGN SECURITIES are issued by companies located outside of the United
States. The Fund considers a company to be located outside the United States if
the principal securities trading market for its equity securities is located
outside the U.S. or it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal
office in, a country other than the U.S. MARKET, CURRENCY, TRANSACTION,
LIQUIDITY, INFORMATION AND POLITICAL RISKS


   FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS(2) are privately negotiated contracts
committing the holder to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a foreign
currency on a predetermined future date at a predetermined price. HEDGING,
CREDIT, CORRELATION, OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE RISKS


   HEDGING RISK comes into play when the Fund uses a security whose value is
based on an underlying security or index to "offset" the Fund's position in
another security or currency. The objective of hedging is to offset potential
losses in one security with gains in the hedge. But a hedge can eliminate or
reduce gains as well as offset losses. (Also see "Correlation risk.")


   ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES are securities which, by rules of their
issue or by their nature, cannot be sold readily. These do not include liquid
Rule 144A securities. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets
in illiquid securities, including restricted securities not deemed to be liquid.
MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND TRANSACTION RISKS


   INFORMATION RISK means that information about a security or issuer might not
be available, complete, accurate or comparable.


   INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING (IPO)(4) is the sale of a company's securities to the
public for the first time. IPO companies can be small and have limited operating
histories. The price of IPO securities can be highly unstable due to prevailing
market psychology

<PAGE>
                                                                               6
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

and the small number of shares available. In addition, the quality and number of
IPOs available for purchase may diminish in the future, and their contribution
to Fund performance may be less significant as the Fund grows in size. MARKET,
LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS

   INTEREST RATE RISK is the risk that changes in interest rates will adversely
affect the value of an investor's securities. When interest rates rise, the
value of fixed-income securities will generally fall. Conversely, a drop in
interest rates will generally cause an increase in the value of fixed-income
securities. Longer-term securities are subject to greater interest rate risk.


   INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS are rated BBB (STANDARD & POOR'S) or Baa (MOODY'S) or
above. Bonds rated below investment grade are subject to greater credit risk
than investment grade bonds. INTEREST RATE, MARKET, CALL AND CREDIT RISKS



   LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES to qualified financial institutions is
undertaken in order to earn income. The Fund lends securities only on a fully
collateralized basis. The Fund may lend portfolio securities only up to 33 1/3%
of its total assets. CREDIT RISK


   LEVERAGE RISK occurs in some securities or techniques that tend to magnify
the effect of small changes in an index or a market. This can result in a loss
that exceeds the amount that was invested in the contract.

   LIQUIDITY RISK occurs when investments cannot be sold readily. The Fund may
have to accept a less-than-desirable price to complete the sale of an illiquid
security or may not be able to sell it at all.

   MARKET CAPITALIZATION is the total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock.

   MARKET RISK exists in all mutual funds and means the risk that the prices of
securities in a market, a sector, or an industry will fluctuate, and that such
movements might reduce an investment's value.

   OPPORTUNITY RISK means missing out on an investment opportunity because the
assets necessary to take advantage of it are committed to less advantageous
investments or strategies.

   OPTIONS(2) are contracts giving the holder the right but not the obligation
to purchase or sell a security on or before a predetermined future date for a
fixed price. Options on securities indexes are similar, but settle in cash. Not
more than 5% of the Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for
futures and premiums for options. HEDGING, CREDIT, CORRELATION AND LEVERAGE
RISKS

   POLITICAL RISK comes into play with investments, particularly foreign
investments, which may be adversely affected by nationalization, taxation, war,
government instability or other economic or political actions or factors.
<PAGE>
                                    7
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


   PREPAYMENT RISK is the risk that, as interest rates fall, borrowers are more
likely to refinance their debts. As a result, the principal on certain
fixed-income securities may be paid earlier than expected, which could cause
investment losses and cause prepaid amounts to have to be reinvested at a
relatively lower interest rate.



   SECTOR FOCUS(3) occurs when a significant portion of the Fund's assets are
invested in a relatively small number of related industries. The Fund will not
concentrate more than 25% of its total assets in any one industry. Sector focus
may increase both market and liquidity risk. MARKET AND LIQUIDITY RISKS



   SMALL AND MID-SIZED COMPANY SECURITIES(3) are securities issued by small or
mid-sized companies, as measured by their market capitalization. The market
capitalization range targeted by funds investing in small or mid-sized companies
varies by fund. In general, the smaller the company, the greater its risks.
MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   SPECIAL SITUATIONS are companies about to undergo a structural, financial or
management change which may significantly affect the value of their securities.
MARKET AND INFORMATION RISKS

   TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES increase a fund's investment in government
securities and other short-term securities when warranted due to market
conditions, without regard to the fund's investment restrictions, policies or
normal investment emphasis. OPPORTUNITY RISK

   TRANSACTION RISK means that the Fund may be delayed or unable to settle a
transaction or that commissions and settlement expenses may be higher than
usual.

   WRITING (SELLING) COVERED CALL OPTIONS(2) is the selling of a contract to
another party which gives them the right but not the obligation to buy a
particular security from you. The Fund will write call options only if it
already owns the security (if it is "covered"). The Fund may only write call
options up to 25% of its total assets. OPPORTUNITY, CREDIT AND LEVERAGE RISKS


1.  The Fund has no minimum quality standards for convertible securities,
    although it will not invest in defaulted securities. It also will not invest
    20% or more of its assets in convertible securities rated below investment
    grade or in unrated convertible securities that the sub-advisor considers to
    be below investment grade.


2.  The Fund may use futures, forwards and options only for hedging. Not more
    than 5% of the Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures
    and premiums for options, although the Fund may have more at risk under
    these contracts than the initial margin or premium. However, the Fund's
    aggregate obligations under these contracts may not exceed the total market
    value of the assets being hedged, such as some or all of the value of the
    Fund's equity securities.


3.  The security or technique is emphasized by the Fund.


4.  IPOs constituted a significant portion of the Fund's performance during the
    last fiscal year. However, there can be no assurance that IPOs will continue
    to have such a significant impact, if the quality of number of available
    IPOs diminishes or if the Fund grows in size and IPOs become an
    insignificant part of the Fund's total portfolio.

<PAGE>
                                                                               8
                                                Berger New Generation Fund
                                                      Institutional Shares

BUYING SHARES


   SEND NEW ACCOUNT APPLICATIONS TO
   Berger Funds
   P.O. Box 219958
   Kansas City, MO 64121-9958


   OR FOR OVERNIGHT, CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL ONLY
   Berger Funds
   330 West 9th Street, 1st Floor
   Kansas City, MO 64105

<TABLE>
<S>                         <C>
Minimums:
Initial investment          $250,000
Subsequent investments      No minimum
</TABLE>

BY MAIL

   Read this prospectus.

   Fill out the application if you are opening a new account.

   Make out a check to BERGER FUNDS for the amount you want to invest.


   Send the application and check to the Berger Funds in the envelope provided.


   To add to an existing account, be sure to include your account number on your
check and mail it to the appropriate address above.

BY WIRE OR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER

   Payment may be made from your bank to the Berger Funds.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY TELEPHONE

   If you already have a Berger Funds account, you may purchase additional
shares by telephone order.

   You must pay for them within three business days by wire, electronic funds
transfer or overnight delivery of a check.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY ONLINE ACCESS

   If you have established a Berger Funds account with electronic funds transfer
privileges, you may purchase additional shares via online access.

   You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.
<PAGE>
                                    9
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


BY AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN



   To automatically purchase more shares on a regular basis, fill out the
Automatic Investment Plan section of the application.


   Investments are transferred automatically from your bank account.

   See details on the application.

   ALL SHAREHOLDERS ARE AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED TELEPHONE AND ONLINE TRANSACTION
PRIVILEGES UNLESS THEY DECLINE THEM EXPLICITLY IN WRITING, EITHER ON THE ACCOUNT
APPLICATION OR BY WRITING TO THE BERGER FUNDS AT THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

   YOU MAY GIVE UP SOME LEVEL OF SECURITY BY CHOOSING TO BUY AND SELL SHARES BY
TELEPHONE OR ONLINE RATHER THAN BY MAIL. IN TIMES OF EXTREME ECONOMIC OR MARKET
CONDITIONS, TRANSACTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR ONLINE MAY BE DIFFICULT.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYING FOR YOUR SHARES

   Your check must be made payable to BERGER FUNDS.

   You may NOT purchase shares by cash, credit card, third-party checks or
checks drawn on foreign banks.

   Subject to approval by the Fund, you may purchase Fund shares with liquid
securities that the Fund is eligible to purchase. These securities must have a
value that can be readily determined in accordance with the Fund's valuation
policies. You may pay for Fund shares with securities only if it is the
investment manager's intention to retain them in the Fund's portfolio. The Fund
may amend or terminate this practice at any time.

   Orders not paid for on time will be canceled and shares will be redeemed from
your account to compensate for any decline in price of the shares canceled.


   The Fund reserves the right to reject any order and to waive or reduce
minimums, or increase minimums following notice.


SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES

BY MAIL

   Send a written request indicating your account number and the dollar amount
or number of shares you are redeeming to the appropriate address shown under
"Buying Shares."

   Your request must be signed by each registered shareholder, with the
signature(s) appearing exactly as they do on your account registration.

   Include any necessary Signature Guarantees. See "Signature Guarantees /
Special Documentation" below.
<PAGE>
                                                                              10
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

BY TELEPHONE

   Call (800) 960-8427.

BY ONLINE ACCESS

   You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.

   FOR LIMITATIONS ON TELEPHONE AND ONLINE REDEMPTIONS SEE "SIGNATURE
GUARANTEES / SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION" BELOW.

   TELEPHONE AND ONLINE REDEMPTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR SHARES HELD IN
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS SPONSORED BY THE FUND.

BY SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN


   A systematic withdrawal plan may be established.


   Shares may be redeemed automatically ($50 minimum) monthly, quarterly, semi-
annually or annually.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for more information and forms.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYMENT FOR YOUR REDEEMED SHARES

   Generally, payment for your redeemed shares will be sent to you within three
business days after receipt of your redemption request in good order.

   You may receive payment for redeemed shares via wire or electronic funds
transfer. You may elect these services on the account application or send to the
Berger Funds a written request providing your bank information with your
signature guaranteed. (See "Signature Guarantees / Special Documentation"
below.)

   A wire transfer will be sent the next business day after receipt of your
order, and an electronic funds transfer will be sent the second business day
after receipt of your order.

   Proceeds from the redemption of shares purchased by check may be delayed
until full payment for the shares has been received and cleared, which may take
up to 15 days from the purchase date.

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT

EXCHANGING SHARES

   Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of any other publicly
available Berger Funds by calling (800) 960-8427. When exchanging shares:

    - Each account must be registered identically -- have the same signatures
      and addresses.

    - Each Fund must be legally eligible for sale in your state of residence.
<PAGE>
                                    11
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

    - You may exchange out of each of the Berger Funds up to four times per
      calendar year.

    - You may exchange by telephone, online access or mail.


    - You are responsible for obtaining and reading the prospectus for the Fund
      into which you are exchanging.



    - An exchange out of a Berger Fund results in the sale of that Fund's shares
      and the purchase of another, normally resulting in a taxable event for
      you.



    - Exchanges into any new Fund are subject to that Fund's initial and
      subsequent investment minimums.


   The Fund may terminate or modify the exchange privilege in the future.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEES / SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION

   The Fund uses Signature Guarantees to protect you and the Fund from possible
fraudulent requests for redeemed shares. Your redemption request must be in
writing and accompanied by a Signature Guarantee if:

    - You request that payment be made to a name other than the one on your
      account registration.

    - You request that payment be mailed to an address which has been changed
      within 30 days of your redemption request or to an address other than the
      one of record.

    - You change or add information relating to your designated bank.


   Berger Funds reserve the right to require Signature Guarantees under other
certain circumstances.


   You can get a Signature Guarantee from most broker-dealers, national or state
banks, credit unions, federal savings and loan associations or other eligible
institutions. YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE FROM A NOTARY PUBLIC.

   Make sure the Signature Guarantee appears:

    - Together with the signature(s) of all registered owner(s) of the redeemed
      shares on the written redemption request.

    - On any share certificates you hold for the redeemed shares or on a
      separate statement of assignment (stock power) which may be obtained from
      a bank or broker.

   Additional documents are required for redemptions by corporations, executors,
administrators, trustees and guardians. For instructions, call (800) 960-8427 or
write to the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121.
<PAGE>
                                                                              12
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

YOUR SHARE PRICE

   The price at which you buy, sell or exchange Fund shares is the share price
or net asset value (NAV). The share price for the Institutional Shares of the
Fund is determined by adding the Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the
total value of the Fund's investments, cash and other assets, deducting the
Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the Fund's liabilities and the
liabilities attributable directly to the Institutional Shares, and then dividing
that value by the total number of the Institutional Shares outstanding. Share
price is calculated separately for each class of Fund shares.

   The Fund's share price is calculated at the close of the regular trading
session of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each
day that the Exchange is open. Share price is not calculated on the days that
the Exchange is closed.

   FOR A PURCHASE, REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES, YOUR PRICE IS THE
SHARE PRICE NEXT CALCULATED AFTER YOUR REQUEST IS RECEIVED IN GOOD ORDER BY THE
FUND, ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT OR DESIGNEE. TO RECEIVE A SPECIFIC DAY'S PRICE, YOUR
REQUEST MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ON THAT
DAY.

   When the Fund calculates its share price, it values the securities it holds
at market value. Sometimes market quotes for some securities are not available
or are not representative of market value. Examples would be when events occur
that materially affect the value of a security at a time when the security is
not trading or when the securities are illiquid. In that case, securities may be
valued in good faith at fair value, using consistently applied procedures
decided on by the trustees. Money market instruments maturing within 60 days are
valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Assets and
liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars at
the prevailing market rates quoted by one or more banks or dealers shortly
before the close of the Exchange.

   The Fund's foreign securities may trade on days that the Exchange is closed
and the Fund's daily share price is not calculated. As a result, the Fund's
daily share price may be affected and you will not be able to purchase or redeem
shares.

OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT

SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS


   You may give up some level of security by choosing to buy or sell shares by
telephone or online, rather than by mail. The Fund uses procedures designed to
give reasonable assurance that telephone and online instructions are genuine,
including recording the transactions, testing the identity of the shareholder
placing the order and sending prompt written confirmation of transactions to the
shareholder of record.

<PAGE>
                                    13
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


The Fund, and its service providers, are not liable for acting upon instructions
communicated by telephone or online that they believe to be genuine if these
procedures are followed.


CONFIRMATION OF YOUR PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS

   After any transaction, you will receive written confirmation including the
share price and the dollar amount and number of shares bought or redeemed.
Exception: Shares purchased under Automatic Investment Plans or redeemed under
Systematic Withdrawal Plans will be confirmed quarterly. Partial shares will be
calculated to three decimal places.


SHAREHOLDER REPORTS



   To reduce expenses, the Fund may mail only one copy of most financial
reports, prospectuses and proxies to your household, even if you have more than
one account in the Fund. Call (800) 960-8427 if you need additional copies of
financial reports or prospectuses.


SHARE CERTIFICATES

   To assist in minimizing administrative costs, share certificates will not be
issued. Records of share ownership are maintained by the Fund's transfer agent
in book entry form.

PURCHASES THROUGH BROKER-DEALERS

   You may buy Fund shares through certain broker-dealers or other financial
organizations, but these organizations may charge you a fee or may have
different minimums for first-time or additional investments which are not
applicable if you buy shares directly from the Fund.

THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATORS

   Certain brokerage firms and other companies may provide administrative
services (such as sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping or shareholder
communications services) to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through
those companies. The Fund's advisor or the Fund (if approved by its trustees)
may pay fees to these companies for their services. These companies may also be
appointed as agents for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf
purchase and redemption requests that are received in good order. Subject to
Fund approval, certain of these companies may be authorized to designate other
entities to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.


DATE-RELATED INFORMATION



   Mutual funds and businesses around the world could be adversely affected if
computers do not properly process date-related information. The Fund's advisor
is addressing these issues for its computers and is getting reasonable
assurances from the Fund's other major service providers that they too are
addressing these issues to

<PAGE>
                                                                              14
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


preserve smooth functioning of the Fund's trading, pricing, shareholder account,
custodial and other operations. There can be no assurances, however, that all
problems will be avoided.



   These computer problems could also adversely affect the Fund's investments.
Improperly functioning computers may disrupt securities markets generally or
result in overall economic uncertainty. Individual companies may also be
adversely affected by the cost of fixing their computers, which could be
substantial. The Fund's investment manager considers these issues when
evaluating investments for the Fund.



REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND


   The Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although in order to
protect the interest of remaining shareholders, it retains the right to redeem
its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances. In-kind payment means payment
will be made to you in portfolio securities rather than cash. If this occurs,
you will incur transaction costs if you sell the securities for cash. You may
have difficulty selling the securities and recovering the amount of your
redemption if the securities are illiquid.


REDEMPTIONS BY THE FUND OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS


   To reduce its expenses, the Fund may involuntarily redeem the shares in your
account if your balance drops below $250,000 -- but only if it drops below this
amount because you have redeemed shares, not because the share value has
declined. You will be given 60 days' notice before the Fund undertakes any
involuntary redemption. During that time, you may buy more shares to bring your
account above the minimum.

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES


DISTRIBUTIONS OF INCOME AND GAINS


   Unless you tell us that you want to receive your distributions in cash, they
will be reinvested automatically in Fund shares. The Fund generally makes two
different kinds of distributions, capital gains from the sale of portfolio
securities held by the Fund and net investment income from interest or dividends
received on securities held by the Fund. The Fund will distribute any net
realized capital gains or investment income annually, normally in December.


YOUR TAXES


   You generally will owe tax on amounts distributed to you by the Fund in any
non-retirement account whether you reinvest them in additional shares or receive
them in cash. Distributions of gains from the sale of assets held by the Fund
for more than one year generally are taxable to you at the applicable long-term
capital gains rate, regardless of how long you have owned your Fund shares.
Distributions from other sources generally are taxed as ordinary income.
<PAGE>
                                    15
      BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   Distributions made by the Fund to you will normally be capital gains. A
portion of those gains may be net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as
ordinary income. The Fund generally will not distribute net investment income,
although any net investment income that is generated as a by-product of managing
its portfolio will be distributed to you.


   If you redeem Fund shares that have appreciated in value, you will have a
taxable gain upon redemption. Exchanges are treated as a redemption and purchase
for tax purposes. Therefore, you will also have a taxable gain if you exchange
shares that have appreciated in value.



ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION


   You should consult your own tax advisor about your particular situation. For
more information about other tax matters, including backup withholding for
certain taxpayers and other tax aspects of redemptions, see the SAI.

TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS

   The Fund offers several tax-qualified retirement plans for individuals,
businesses and nonprofit organizations. For information about establishing an
IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or money purchase pension plan, 403(b) Custodial
Account, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans, please call
(800) 259-2820 or write to the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO
64121. Trustees for existing 401(k) or other plans interested in using Fund
shares as an investment or investment alternative in their plans are invited to
call the Fund at (800) 259-2820.

ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND

INVESTMENT MANAGER


   BERGER LLC (210 University Blvd., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206) is the Fund's
investment advisor. Berger LLC serves as investment advisor, sub-advisor,
administrator or sub-administrator to mutual funds and institutional investors.
Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25 years. When
acting as investment advisor, Berger LLC is responsible for managing the
investment operations of the Fund. During the last fiscal year, the Fund paid
Berger LLC an investment advisory fee at the annual rate of 0.90% of the Fund's
average daily net assets. Berger LLC also provides administrative services to
the Fund.



   Effective October 1, 1999, the advisory fee for the Fund was reduced and the
administrative fee charged to the Fund was eliminated. These fee reductions are
reflected earlier in this prospectus under "Fund Expenses."



   MARK S. SUNDERHUSE, Senior Vice President of Berger LLC, is the investment
manager of the Fund. Mr. Sunderhuse joined Berger LLC in January 1998 and
assumed management of the Fund in January 1999. Mr. Sunderhuse has more than
eleven years of experience in the investment management industry.

<PAGE>
                                                                              16
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

   Portfolio changes are made whenever the Fund's investment manager believes
that the Fund's goal could be better achieved by investment in another security,
regardless of portfolio turnover. At times, portfolio turnover for the Fund may
exceed 100% per year. A turnover rate of 100% means the securities owned by the
Fund were replaced once during the year. Higher turnover rates may result in
higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an
investor. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate can be found under the heading
"Financial Highlights for the Fund."


SPECIAL FUND STRUCTURE



   The Fund offers two classes of shares. The Institutional Shares offered in
this prospectus are designed for investors who maintain a minimum account
balance of $250,000. The other class of shares, Investor Shares, are offered
through a separate prospectus and are available to the general public with a
minimum account balance of $2,000. Each class of shares has its own expenses so
that share price, performance and distributions will differ between classes. The
12b-1 plan adopted by the Fund applies only to the Investor Shares. For more
information on Investor Shares, please call (800) 333-1001.


   For more information on the multi-class fund structure, see the SAI.
<PAGE>
                                    17
      Berger New Generation Fund
      Institutional Shares


                       FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FUND



   The financial highlights will help you understand the Fund's financial
performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects financial
results for a single Fund share. Total return shows you how much your investment
in the Fund increased or decreased during each period, assuming you reinvested
all dividends and distributions. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent
accountants, audited this information. Their report is included in the Fund's
annual report, which is available without charge upon request.



BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND -- INSTITUTIONAL SHARES
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                       PERIOD FROM AUGUST 16, 1999(1)
                                                            TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1999
<S>                                                 <C>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, beginning of period                             $    23.29
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From investment operations
  Net investment income (loss)                                        (0.00)(5)
  Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on
   investments and foreign currency transactions                       2.50
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total from investment operations                                   2.50
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period                                   $    25.79
=========================================================================================
    Total Return(2)                                                  10.73%
=========================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in thousands)                         $      347
Net expense ratio to average net assets(3)                            1.02%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to average net assets                    (0.85)%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average net assets                             1.02%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)                                             168%
</TABLE>



 1.  Commencement of investment operations for Institutional Shares.

 2.  Not annualized.

 3.  Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
      reimbursed by the Advisor.

 4.  Annualized.

 5.  Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

<PAGE>
                                                                              18
                                                BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES


   The following supplemental financial highlights are for the Berger New
Generation Fund for periods before August 16, 1999, when the Fund first adopted
share classes and began offering Institutional Shares. Therefore, the data on
the table reflect a 0.25% 12b-1 fee not paid by the Institutional Shares. The
information in the table for the years ended September 30, 1998, 1997 and 1996
was audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Fund's independent accountants.
The information for the period ended August 15, 1999, is unaudited.



BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                PERIOD FROM
                                OCTOBER 1,
                                  1998 TO
                                AUGUST 15,       YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                   1999      ----------------------------------
                                (UNAUDITED)    1998       1997       1996(1)
<S>                             <C>          <C>        <C>        <C>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, beginning of
 period                         $     12.66  $   14.72  $   11.82  $   10.00
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From investment operations
  Net investment income (loss)        (0.16)        --      (0.13)      0.56
  Net realized and unrealized
   gains (losses) on
   investments and foreign
   currency transactions              11.29      (2.06)      3.64       1.26
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total from investment
     operations                       11.13      (2.06)      3.51       1.82
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less dividends and
 distributions
  Dividends (from net
   investment income)                    --         --      (0.61)        --
  Distributions (from capital
   gains)                             (0.50)        --         --         --
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total dividends and
     distributions                    (0.50)        --      (0.61)        --
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period  $     23.29  $   12.66  $   14.72  $   11.82
===============================================================================
    Total Return(2)                  90.53%   (13.99)%     31.53%     18.20%
===============================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period (in
 thousands)                     $   536,791  $ 113,693  $ 190,164  $ 116,912
Net expense ratio to average
 net assets(3)                        1.54%(4)     1.72%     1.89%     1.90%(4)
Ratio of net income (loss) to
 average net assets                 (1.26)%(4)   (1.37)%   (1.51)%    12.35%(4)
Gross expense ratio to average
 net assets                           1.54%(4)     1.72%     1.89%     2.09%(4)
Portfolio turnover rate(2)             151%       243%       184%       474%(5)
</TABLE>



 1.  Period from March 29, 1996 (commencement of investment operations for the
     Investor Shares) to September 30, 1996.

 2.  Not annualized.

 3.  Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
     reimbursed by the Advisor.

 4.  Annualized.

 5.  Portfolio turnover was greater than expected during this period due to
     active trading undertaken in response to market conditions at a time when
     the Fund's assets were still relatively small and before the Fund was fully
     invested.

<PAGE>











FOR MORE INFORMATION:


Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the
Fund's semi-annual and annual reports to shareholders. The Fund's annual
report contains a discussion of the market conditions and investment
strategies that affected the Fund's performance over the past year.

You may wish to read the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) for more
information on the Fund and the securities it invests in. The SAI is
incorporated into this prospectus by reference, which means that it is
considered to be part of the prospectus.

You can get free copies of the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI,
request other information or get answers to your questions about the Fund by
writing or calling the Fund at:
Berger Funds
P.O. Box 219958 Kansas City, MO 64121
(800) 259-2820
bergerfunds.com


Text-only versions of Fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from
the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at sec.gov.


You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington DC. For information on the operation of the Public Reference Room,
call (202) 942-8090. Copies of documents may also be obtained, after paying a
duplicating fee, by sending your request to the following e-mail address:
[email protected], or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section,
Washington, DC 20549-6009.


INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NUMBER:

Berger Investment Portfolio Trust 811-8046
Berger New Generation Fund Institutional Shares                         NGNIPROS

<PAGE>


                                                    BERGER SMALL COMPANY
                                                    GROWTH FUND -
                                                    INSTITUTIONAL SHARES





                                                    PROSPECTUS January 31, 2000










                                 [LOGO]







The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved any
shares offered in this prospectus or determined whether this prospectus is
accurate or complete. Anyone who tells you otherwise is committing a crime.
Like all mutual funds, an investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is
not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. There
is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment goal, and although you
have the potential to make money, you could also lose money in the Fund.


<PAGE>


















BERGER FUNDS, THE BERGER MOUNTAIN LOGO and BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
are registered trademarks of Berger LLC; and other marks referred to herein
are the trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners thereof.


<PAGE>
                                                                               i
                      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

                                    CONTENTS


   BERGER FUNDS-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- are a no-load family of mutual funds. A
mutual fund pools money from shareholders and invests in a portfolio of
securities. This prospectus offers the class of shares designated as
Institutional Shares of the Berger Small Company Growth Fund. These shares are
designed for pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts,
endowments, foundations and corporations, as well as high net worth individuals
and financial intermediaries, who are willing to maintain a minimum account
balance of $250,000.



<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- --
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES........................................    1
The Fund's Goal and Principal Investment Strategies.........    1
Principal Risks.............................................    1
The Fund's Past Performance.................................    2
Fund Expenses...............................................    3

INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS......    4
Risk and Investment Glossary................................    4

BUYING SHARES...............................................    8
SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES..................................    9
Exchanging Shares...........................................   10
Signature Guarantees/Special Documentation..................   11
Your Share Price............................................   12
Other Information About Your Account........................   12
Distributions and Taxes.....................................   14
Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans..............................   15

ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND....................................   15
Investment Manager..........................................   15
Special Fund Structure......................................   16

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FUND...........................   17
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
                                    1
     Berger Small Company Growth Fund Institutional Shares

                                                    TICKER SYMBOL: NOT AVAILABLE

[ICON]  THE FUND'S GOAL AND PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

        The Fund aims for capital appreciation. In pursuing that goal, the Fund
primarily invests in the common stocks of small companies with the potential for
rapid earnings growth.

   The Fund's stock selection focuses on companies that either occupy a dominant
position in an emerging industry or have a growing market share in a larger,
fragmented industry.

   The Fund's investment manager generally looks for companies with:

    - A proprietary technology, product or service that may enable the company
      to be a market share leader

    - Strong entrepreneurial management with clearly defined strategies for
      growth

    - Relatively strong balance sheets

   Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 65% of its assets in
equity securities of companies whose market capitalization, at the time of
initial purchase, is less than the 12-month average of the maximum market
capitalization for companies included in the Russell 2000 Index (Russell 2000).
This average is updated monthly. The Fund's investment manager will generally
sell a security when it no longer meets the manager's investment criteria or
when it has met the manager's expectations for appreciation. The Fund's
investment manager may actively trade the portfolio in pursuit of the Fund's
goal.

[ICON]  PRINCIPAL RISKS

        You may be interested in the Fund if you are comfortable with
above-average risk and intend to make a long-term investment commitment. Like
all managed funds, there is a risk that the investment manager's strategy for
managing the Fund may not achieve the desired results. In addition, the price of
common stock moves up and down in response to corporate earnings and
developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated events. As a
result, the price of the Fund's investments may go down and you could lose money
on your investment.


   The Fund's share price may fluctuate more than that of funds primarily
invested in stocks of mid-sized and large companies. Small company securities
may underperform as compared to the securities of larger companies. They may
also pose greater risk due to narrow product lines, limited financial resources,
less depth in management or a limited trading market for their stocks. The
Fund's investments are often focused in a small number of business sectors. In
addition the Fund's active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased
portfolio turnover rate. Higher turnover rates may result in higher brokerage
costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an investor.

<PAGE>
                                                                               2
                                          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   See "Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks" later in this
prospectus for more information on principal risks and other risks.

[ICON]  THE FUND'S PAST PERFORMANCE

        The information below shows the Fund's performance since it began
operations through December 31, 1999. These returns include reinvestment of all
dividends and capital gains distributions and reflect Fund expenses. As with all
mutual funds, past performance does not guarantee future results.

   Year-by-year returns show you how the Fund's performance has varied by
illustrating the differences for each full calendar year since the Fund began.

YEAR-BY-YEAR TOTAL RETURN AS OF DECEMBER 31(1)

EDGAR REPRESENTATION OF DATA POINTS USED IN PRINTED GRAPHIC

<TABLE>
<S>   <C>
1994   13.73%
1995   33.80%
1996   16.77%
1997   16.16%
1998    3.17%
1999  102.59%
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<S>                                               <C>
Best quarter:              12/31/99                       57.57%

Worst quarter:              9/30/98                      -29.22%
</TABLE>


   Average annual total return is a measure of the Fund's performance over time.
The Fund's average annual return is compared with the Russell 2000. While the
Fund does not seek to match the returns of the Russell 2000, this index is a
good indicator of small company stock market performance. You may not invest in
the Russell 2000 and unlike the Fund, it does not incur fees or charges.

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999(1)


<TABLE>
                                                         LIFE OF THE FUND
                                                         (DECEMBER 30,
                                   1 YEAR     5 YEARS       1993)
<S>                                <C>        <C>        <C>
The Fund                           102.59%     30.56%         27.59%
Russell 2000                        21.26%     16.69%         13.38%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



1.  Fund returns include periods prior to the Fund's adoption of share classes
    and therefore reflect a 0.25% 12b-1 fee which has not been paid by the
    Institutional Shares since that class commenced investment operations on
    October 16, 1999.

<PAGE>
                                    3
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

[ICON]  FUND EXPENSES


        As a shareholder in the Fund, you do not pay any sales loads, redemption
or exchange fees, but you do bear indirectly Annual Fund Operating Expenses,
which vary from year to year.



<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (DEDUCTED DIRECTLY FROM THE FUND)

Management fee(1)                                              .84%
Other expenses(2)                                              .26%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES                          1.10%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



1. Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund
   was reduced to the following rates of average daily net assets: 0.85% of the
   first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of
   $1 billion. The amount shown reflects the restated advisory fees.



2.  "Other expenses" are based on estimated expenses for the Institutional
    Shares class and include transfer agency fees, shareholder report expenses,
    registration fees and custodian fees. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC
    eliminated the administrative fee charged to the Fund. The fee amount shown
    reflects the restated expenses.


UNDERSTANDING EXPENSES

Annual Fund operating expenses are paid by the Fund. As a result, they reduce
the Fund's return. Fund expenses include management fees and administrative
costs such as shareholder recordkeeping and reports, custodian and pricing
services and registration fees.

EXAMPLE COSTS

   The following example helps you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to
the cost of investing in other mutual funds by showing what your costs may be
over time. It uses the same assumptions that other funds use in their
prospectuses:

    - $10,000 initial investment

    - 5% total return for each year

    - Fund operating expenses remain the same for each period

    - Redemption after the end of each period

   Your actual costs may be higher or lower, so this example should be used for
comparison only. Based on these assumptions your costs at the end of each period
would be:


<TABLE>
                                             THREE       FIVE        TEN
                                  ONE YEAR   YEARS      YEARS       YEARS
<S>                               <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>
Berger Small Company Growth Fund
Institutional Shares                $112       $350       $606      $1,340
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
                                                                               4
                                          Berger Small Company Growth Fund
                                                      Institutional Shares

INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, SECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS

BEFORE YOU INVEST...

   in the Fund, make sure you understand the risks involved. All investments
involve risk. Generally, the greater the risk, the greater the potential for
return. The reverse is also generally true, the lower the risk, the lower the
potential for return.

   LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NOT A BANK DEPOSIT AND IS
NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FDIC OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY. THE FUND
IS NOT A COMPLETE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, BUT MAY SERVE TO DIVERSIFY OTHER TYPES OF
INVESTMENTS IN YOUR PORTFOLIO. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FUND WILL MEET ITS
INVESTMENT GOAL, AND ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE MONEY, YOU COULD
ALSO LOSE MONEY BY INVESTING IN THE FUND.

   The following glossary will help you further understand the risks the Fund
takes by investing in certain securities and the investment techniques used by
the Fund. You may get more detailed information about the risks of investing in
the Fund in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI), including a
discussion of debt security ratings in Appendix A to the SAI.


RISK AND INVESTMENT GLOSSARY


   BORROWING refers to a loan of money from a bank or other financial
institution undertaken by the Fund for temporary or emergency reasons only. The
Fund will not borrow more than 25% of its total assets. LEVERAGE RISK


   CALL RISK is the possibility that an issuer may redeem or "call" a fixed
income security before maturity at a price below its current market price. An
increase in the likelihood of a call may reduce the security's price.


   COMMON STOCK is a share of ownership (equity) interest in a company.

   COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES are securities issued by companies
that have been in continuous operation for less than three years. Sometimes
called "unseasoned" issuers. MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES(1) are debt or equity securities which may be
converted on specified terms into stock of the issuer. MARKET, INTEREST RATE,
PREPAYMENT AND CREDIT RISKS


   CORRELATION RISK occurs when the Fund "hedges" -- uses one investment to
offset the Fund's position in another. If the two investments do not behave in
relation to one another the way Fund managers expect them to, then unexpected
results may occur.

   CREDIT RISK means that the issuer of a security or the counterparty to an
investment contract may default or become unable to pay its obligations when
due.
<PAGE>
                                    5
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   CURRENCY RISK happens when the Fund buys or sells a security denominated in
foreign currency. Foreign currencies "float" in value against the U.S. dollar.
Adverse changes in foreign currency value can cause investment losses when the
Fund's investments are converted to U.S. dollars.

   DIVERSIFICATION means a diversified fund may not, with respect to at least
75% of its assets, invest more than 5% in the securities of one company. A
nondiversified fund may be more volatile than a diversified fund because it
invests more of its assets in a smaller number of companies and the gains or
losses on a single stock will therefore have a greater impact on the fund's
share price. The Fund is a diversified fund.


   FINANCIAL FUTURES(2) are exchange-traded contracts on securities, securities
indexes or foreign currencies that obligate the holder to take or make future
delivery of a specified quantity of those underlying securities or currencies on
a predetermined future date at a predetermined price. Not more than 5% of the
Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures and premiums for
options. HEDGING, CORRELATION, OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE RISKS


   FOREIGN SECURITIES are issued by companies located outside of the United
States. The Fund considers a company to be located outside the United States if
the principal securities trading market for its equity securities is located
outside the U.S. or it is organized under the laws of, and has a principal
office in, a country other than the U.S. MARKET, CURRENCY, TRANSACTION,
LIQUIDITY, INFORMATION AND POLITICAL RISKS


   FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS(2) are privately negotiated contracts
committing the holder to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a foreign
currency on a predetermined future date at a predetermined price. HEDGING,
CREDIT, CORRELATION, OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE RISKS


   HEDGING RISK comes into play when the Fund uses a security whose value is
based on an underlying security or index to "offset" the Fund's position in
another security or currency. The objective of hedging is to offset potential
losses in one security with gains in the hedge. But a hedge can eliminate or
reduce gains as well as offset losses. (Also see "Correlation risk.")


   ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES are securities which, by rules of their
issue or by their nature, cannot be sold readily. These do not include liquid
Rule 144A securities. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets
in illiquid securities, including restricted securities not deemed to be liquid.
MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND TRANSACTION RISKS


   INFORMATION RISK means that information about a security or issuer might not
be available, complete, accurate or comparable.


   INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING (IPO) is the sale of a company's securities to the
public for the first time. IPO companies can be small and have limited operating
histories. The

<PAGE>
                                                                               6
                                          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

price of IPO securities can be highly unstable due to prevailing market
psychology and the small number of shares available. In addition, the quality
and number of IPOs available for purchase may diminish in the future, and their
contribution to Fund performance may be less significant as the Fund grows in
size. MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS

   INTEREST RATE RISK is the risk that changes in interest rates will adversely
affect the value of an investor's securities. When interest rates rise, the
value of fixed-income securities will generally fall. Conversely, a drop in
interest rates will generally cause an increase in the value of fixed-income
securities. Longer-term securities are subject to greater interest rate risk.


   INVESTMENT GRADE BONDS are rated BBB (STANDARD & POOR'S) or Baa (MOODY'S) or
above. Bonds rated below investment grade are subject to greater credit risk
than investment grade bonds. INTEREST RATE, MARKET, CALL AND CREDIT RISKS


   LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES to qualified financial institutions is
undertaken in order to earn income. The Fund lends securities only on a fully
collateralized basis. The Fund may lend portfolio securities only up to 33 1/3%
of its total assets. CREDIT RISK

   LEVERAGE RISK occurs in some securities or techniques that tend to magnify
the effect of small changes in an index or a market. This can result in a loss
that exceeds the amount that was invested in the contract.

   LIQUIDITY RISK occurs when investments cannot be sold readily. The Fund may
have to accept a less-than-desirable price to complete the sale of an illiquid
security or may not be able to sell it at all.

   MARKET CAPITALIZATION is the total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock.

   MARKET RISK exists in all mutual funds and means the risk that the prices of
securities in a market, a sector, or an industry will fluctuate, and that such
movements might reduce an investment's value.

   OPPORTUNITY RISK means missing out on an investment opportunity because the
assets necessary to take advantage of it are committed to less advantageous
investments or strategies.

   OPTIONS(2) are contracts giving the holder the right but not the obligation
to purchase or sell a security on or before a predetermined future date for a
fixed price. Options on securities indexes are similar, but settle in cash. Not
more than 5% of the Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for
futures and premiums for options. HEDGING, CREDIT, CORRELATION AND LEVERAGE
RISKS
<PAGE>
                                    7
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   POLITICAL RISK comes into play with investments, particularly foreign
investments, which may be adversely affected by nationalization, taxation, war,
government instability or other economic or political actions or factors.


   PREPAYMENT RISK is the risk that, as interest rates fall, borrowers are more
likely to refinance their debts. As a result, the principal on certain
fixed-income securities may be paid earlier than expected, which could cause
investment losses and cause prepaid amounts to have to be reinvested at a
relatively lower interest rate.


   SECTOR FOCUS(3) occurs when a significant portion of the Fund's assets are
invested in a relatively small number of related industries. The Fund will not
concentrate more than 25% of its total assets in any one industry. Sector focus
may increase both market and liquidity risk. MARKET AND LIQUIDITY RISKS


   SMALL COMPANY SECURITIES(3) are securities issued by small companies, as
measured by their market capitalization. The market capitalization range
targeted by the Fund appears under the heading "The Fund's Goal and Principal
Investment Strategies." In general, the smaller the company, the greater its
risks. MARKET, LIQUIDITY AND INFORMATION RISKS


   SPECIAL SITUATIONS are companies about to undergo a structural, financial or
management change which may significantly affect the value of their securities.
MARKET AND INFORMATION RISKS

   TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES increase a fund's investment in government
securities and other short-term securities when warranted due to market
conditions, without regard to the fund's investment restrictions, policies or
normal investment emphasis. OPPORTUNITY RISK

   TRANSACTION RISK means that the Fund may be delayed or unable to settle a
transaction or that commissions and settlement expenses may be higher than
usual.

   WRITING (SELLING) COVERED CALL OPTIONS(2) is the selling of a contract to
another party which gives them the right but not the obligation to buy a
particular security from you. The Fund will write call options only if it
already owns the security (if it is "covered"). The Fund may only write call
options up to 25% of its total assets. OPPORTUNITY, CREDIT AND LEVERAGE RISKS

1.  The Fund has no minimum quality standards for convertible securities,
    although it will not invest in defaulted securities. It also will not invest
    20% or more of its assets in convertible securities rated below investment
    grade or in unrated convertible securities that the sub-advisor considers to
    be below investment grade.

2.  The Fund may use futures, forwards and options only for hedging. Not more
    than 5% of the Fund's net assets may be used for initial margins for futures
    and premiums for options, although the Fund may have more at risk under
    these contracts than the initial margin or premium. However, the Fund's
    aggregate obligations under these contracts may not exceed the total market
    value of the assets being hedged, such as some or all of the value of the
    Fund's equity securities.


3.  The security or technique is emphasized by the Fund.

<PAGE>
                                                                               8
                                          Berger Small Company Growth Fund
                                                      Institutional Shares

BUYING SHARES


   SEND NEW ACCOUNT APPLICATIONS TO
   Berger Funds
   P.O. Box 219958
   Kansas City, MO 64121-9958


   OR FOR OVERNIGHT, CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL ONLY
   Berger Funds
   330 West 9th Street, 1st Floor
   Kansas City, MO 64105

<TABLE>
<S>                         <C>
Minimums:
Initial investment          $250,000
Subsequent investments      No minimum
</TABLE>

BY MAIL

   Read this prospectus.

   Fill out the application if you are opening a new account.

   Make out a check to BERGER FUNDS for the amount you want to invest.

   Send the application and a check to the Berger Funds in the envelope
provided.

   To add to an existing account, be sure to include your account number on your
check and mail it to the appropriate address above.

BY WIRE OR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER

   Payment may be made from your bank to the Berger Funds.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY TELEPHONE

   If you already have a Berger Funds account, you may purchase additional
shares by telephone order.

   You must pay for them within three business days by wire, electronic funds
transfer or overnight delivery of a check.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for current wire or electronic funds transfer
instructions.

BY ONLINE ACCESS

   If you have established a Berger Funds account with electronic funds transfer
privileges, you may purchase additional shares via online access.

   You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.
<PAGE>
                                    9
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

BY AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN

   To automatically purchase more shares on a regular basis, fill out the
Automatic Investment Plan section of the application.

   Investments are transferred automatically from your bank account.

   See details on the application.

   ALL SHAREHOLDERS ARE AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED TELEPHONE AND ONLINE TRANSACTION
PRIVILEGES UNLESS THEY DECLINE THEM EXPLICITLY IN WRITING, EITHER ON THE ACCOUNT
APPLICATION OR BY WRITING TO THE BERGER FUNDS AT THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

   YOU MAY GIVE UP SOME LEVEL OF SECURITY BY CHOOSING TO BUY AND SELL SHARES BY
TELEPHONE OR ONLINE RATHER THAN BY MAIL. IN TIMES OF EXTREME ECONOMIC OR MARKET
CONDITIONS, TRANSACTIONS BY TELEPHONE OR ONLINE MAY BE DIFFICULT.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYING FOR YOUR SHARES

   Your check must be made payable to BERGER FUNDS.

   You may NOT purchase shares by cash, credit card, third-party checks or
checks drawn on foreign banks.

   Subject to approval by the Fund, you may purchase Fund shares with liquid
securities that the Fund is eligible to purchase. These securities must have a
value that can be readily determined in accordance with the Fund's valuation
policies. You may pay for Fund shares with securities only if it is the
investment manager's intention to retain them in the Fund's portfolio. The Fund
may amend or terminate this practice at any time.

   Orders not paid for on time will be canceled and shares will be redeemed from
your account to compensate for any decline in price of the shares canceled.


   The Fund reserves the right to reject any order and to waive or reduce
minimums, or increase minimums following notice.


SELLING (REDEEMING) SHARES

BY MAIL

   Send a written request indicating your account number and the dollar amount
or number of shares you are redeeming to the appropriate address shown under
"Buying Shares."

   Your request must be signed by each registered shareholder, with the
signature(s) appearing exactly as they do on your account registration.

   Include any necessary Signature Guarantees. See "Signature Guarantees /
Special Documentation" below.
<PAGE>
                                                                              10
                                          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

BY TELEPHONE

   Call (800) 960-8427.

BY ONLINE ACCESS

   You will find us online at bergerfunds.com.

   FOR LIMITATIONS ON TELEPHONE AND ONLINE REDEMPTIONS SEE "SIGNATURE GUARANTEES
/ SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION" BELOW.

   TELEPHONE AND ONLINE REDEMPTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR SHARES HELD IN
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS SPONSORED BY THE FUND.

BY SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN


   A systematic withdrawal plan may be established.


   Shares may be redeemed automatically ($50 minimum) monthly, quarterly, semi-
annually or annually.

   Call (800) 960-8427 for more information and forms.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT PAYMENT FOR YOUR REDEEMED SHARES


   IN TIMES OF EXTREME ECONOMIC OR MARKET CONDITIONS, TRANSACTIONS BY TELEPHONE
OR ONLINE MAY BE DIFFICULT.


   Generally, payment for your redeemed shares will be sent to you within three
business days after receipt of your redemption request in good order.

   You may receive payment for redeemed shares via wire or electronic funds
transfer. You may elect these services on the account application or send to the
Berger Funds a written request providing your bank information with your
signature guaranteed. (See "Signature Guarantees / Special Documentation"
below.)

   A wire transfer will be sent the next business day after receipt of your
order, and an electronic funds transfer will be sent the second business day
after receipt of your order.

   Proceeds from the redemption of shares purchased by check may be delayed
until full payment for the shares has been received and cleared, which may take
up to 15 days from the purchase date.

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT

EXCHANGING SHARES

   Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of any other publicly
available Berger Funds by calling (800) 960-8427. When exchanging shares:

    - Each account must be registered identically -- have the same signatures
      and addresses.

    - Each Fund must be legally eligible for sale in your state of residence.
<PAGE>
                                    11
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

    - You may exchange out of each of the Berger Funds up to four times per
      calendar year.

    - You may exchange by telephone, online access or mail.


    - You are responsible for obtaining and reading the prospectus for the Fund
      into which you are exchanging.



    - An exchange out of a Berger Fund results in the sale of that Fund's shares
      and the purchase of another, normally resulting in a taxable event for
      you.



    - Exchanges into any new Fund are subject to that Fund's initial and
      subsequent investment minimums.


   The Fund may terminate or modify the exchange privilege in the future.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEES / SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION

   The Fund uses Signature Guarantees to protect you and the Fund from possible
fraudulent requests for redeemed shares. Your redemption request must be in
writing and accompanied by a Signature Guarantee if:

    - You request that payment be made to a name other than the one on your
      account registration.

    - You request that payment be mailed to an address which has been changed
      within 30 days of your redemption request or to an address other than the
      one of record.

    - You change or add information relating to your designated bank.

   The Berger Funds reserve the right to require Signature Guarantees under
other certain circumstances.

   You can get a Signature Guarantee from most broker-dealers, national or state
banks, credit unions, federal savings and loan associations or other eligible
institutions. YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A SIGNATURE GUARANTEE FROM A NOTARY PUBLIC.

   Make sure the Signature Guarantee appears:

    - Together with the signature(s) of all registered owner(s) of the redeemed
      shares on the written redemption request.

    - On any share certificates you hold for the redeemed shares or on a
      separate statement of assignment (stock power) which may be obtained from
      a bank or broker.

   Additional documents are required for redemptions by corporations, executors,
administrators, trustees and guardians. For instructions, call (800) 960-8427 or
write to the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121.
<PAGE>
                                                                              12
                                          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

YOUR SHARE PRICE

   The price at which you buy, sell or exchange Fund shares is the share price
or net asset value (NAV). The share price for the Institutional Shares of the
Fund is determined by adding the Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the
total value of the Fund's investments, cash and other assets, deducting the
Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the Fund's liabilities and the
liabilities attributable directly to the Institutional Shares, and then dividing
that value by the total number of the Institutional Shares outstanding. Share
price is calculated separately for each class of Fund shares.

   The Fund's share price is calculated at the close of the regular trading
session of the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each
day that the Exchange is open. Share price is not calculated on the days that
the Exchange is closed.

   FOR A PURCHASE, REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES, YOUR PRICE IS THE
SHARE PRICE NEXT CALCULATED AFTER YOUR REQUEST IS RECEIVED IN GOOD ORDER BY THE
FUND, ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT OR DESIGNEE. TO RECEIVE A SPECIFIC DAY'S PRICE, YOUR
REQUEST MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ON THAT
DAY.

   When the Fund calculates its share price, it values the securities it holds
at market value. Sometimes market quotes for some securities are not available
or are not representative of market value. Examples would be when events occur
that materially affect the value of a security at a time when the security is
not trading or when the securities are illiquid. In that case, securities may be
valued in good faith at fair value, using consistently applied procedures
decided on by the trustees. Money market instruments maturing within 60 days are
valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Assets and
liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars at
the prevailing market rates quoted by one or more banks or dealers shortly
before the close of the Exchange.

   The Fund's foreign securities may trade on days that the Exchange is closed
and the Fund's daily share price is not calculated. As a result, the Fund's
daily share price may be affected and you will not be able to purchase or redeem
shares.


OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT


SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

   You may give up some level of security by choosing to buy or sell shares by
telephone or online, rather than by mail. The Fund uses procedures designed to
give reasonable assurance that telephone and online instructions are genuine,
including recording the transactions, testing the identity of the shareholder
placing the order and sending prompt written confirmation of transactions to the
shareholder of record.
<PAGE>
                                    13
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

The Fund, and its service providers, are not liable for acting upon instructions
communicated by telephone or online that they believe to be genuine if these
procedures are followed.

CONFIRMATION OF YOUR PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS

   After any transaction, you will receive written confirmation including the
share price and the dollar amount and number of shares bought or redeemed.
Exception: Shares purchased under Automatic Investment Plans or redeemed under
Systematic Withdrawal Plans will be confirmed quarterly. Partial shares will be
calculated to three decimal places.


SHAREHOLDER REPORTS



   To reduce expenses, the Fund may mail only one copy of most financial
reports, prospectuses and proxies to your household, even if you have more than
one account in the Fund. Call (800) 960-8427 if you need additional copies of
financial reports or prospectuses.


SHARE CERTIFICATES

   To assist in minimizing administrative costs, share certificates will not be
issued. Records of share ownership are maintained by the Fund's transfer agent
in book entry form.

PURCHASES THROUGH BROKER-DEALERS

   You may buy Fund shares through certain broker-dealers or other financial
organizations, but these organizations may charge you a fee or may have
different minimums for first-time or additional investments which are not
applicable if you buy shares directly from the Fund.

THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATORS

   Certain brokerage firms and other companies may provide administrative
services (such as sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping or shareholder
communications services) to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through
those companies. The Fund's advisor or the Fund (if approved by its trustees)
may pay fees to these companies for their services. These companies may also be
appointed as agents for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf
purchase and redemption requests that are received in good order. Subject to
Fund approval, certain of these companies may be authorized to designate other
entities to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.


DATE-RELATED INFORMATION



   Mutual funds and businesses around the world could be adversely affected if
computers do not properly process date-related information. The Fund's advisor
is addressing these issues for its computers and is getting reasonable
assurances from the Fund's other major service providers that they too are
addressing these issues to

<PAGE>
                                                                              14
                                          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

preserve smooth functioning of the Fund's trading, pricing, shareholder account,
custodial and other operations. There can be no assurances, however, that all
problems will be avoided.


   These computer problems could also adversely affect the Fund's investments.
Improperly functioning computers may disrupt securities markets generally or
result in overall economic uncertainty. Individual companies may also be
adversely affected by the cost of fixing their computers, which could be
substantial. The Fund's investment manager considers these issues when
evaluating investments for the Fund.



REDEMPTIONS IN-KIND


   The Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although in order to
protect the interest of remaining shareholders, it retains the right to redeem
its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances. In-kind payment means payment
will be made to you in portfolio securities rather than cash. If this occurs,
you will incur transaction costs if you sell the securities for cash. You may
have difficulty selling the securities and recovering the amount of your
redemption if the securities are illiquid.


REDEMPTIONS BY THE FUND OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS


   To reduce its expenses, the Fund may involuntarily redeem the shares in your
account if your balance drops below $250,000 -- but only if it drops below this
amount because you have redeemed shares, not because the share value has
declined. You will be given 60 days' notice before the Fund undertakes any
involuntary redemption. During that time, you may buy more shares to bring your
account above the minimum.

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES


DISTRIBUTIONS OF INCOME AND GAINS


   Unless you tell us that you want to receive your distributions in cash, they
will be reinvested automatically in Fund shares. The Fund generally makes two
different kinds of distributions, capital gains from the sale of portfolio
securities held by the Fund and net investment income from interest or dividends
received on securities held by the Fund. The Fund will distribute any net
realized capital gains or investment income annually, normally in December.


YOUR TAXES


   You generally will owe tax on amounts distributed to you by the Fund in any
non-retirement account whether you reinvest them in additional shares or receive
them in cash. Distributions of gains from the sale of assets held by the Fund
for more than one year generally are taxable to you at the applicable long-term
capital gains rate, regardless of how long you have owned your Fund shares.
Distributions from other sources generally are taxed as ordinary income.
<PAGE>
                                    15
      BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

   Distributions made by the Fund to you will normally be capital gains. A
portion of those gains may be net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as
ordinary income. The Fund generally will not distribute net investment income,
although any net investment income that is generated as a by-product of managing
its portfolio will be distributed to you.


   If you redeem Fund shares that have appreciated in value, you will have a
taxable gain upon redemption. Exchanges are treated as a redemption and purchase
for tax purposes. Therefore, you will also have a taxable gain if you exchange
shares that have appreciated in value.



ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION


   You should consult your own tax advisor about your particular situation. For
more information about other tax matters, including backup withholding for
certain taxpayers and other tax aspects of redemptions, see the SAI.

TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS

   The Fund offers several tax-qualified retirement plans for individuals,
businesses and nonprofit organizations. For information about establishing an
IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or money purchase pension plan, 403(b) Custodial
Account, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans, please call
(800) 259-2820 or write to the Berger Funds, P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO
64121. Trustees for existing 401(k) or other plans interested in using Fund
shares as an investment or investment alternative in their plans are invited to
call the Fund at (800) 259-2820.

ORGANIZATION OF THE FUND

INVESTMENT MANAGER


   BERGER LLC (210 University Blvd., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206) is the Fund's
investment advisor. Berger LLC serves as investment advisor, sub-advisor,
administrator or sub-administrator to mutual funds and institutional investors.
Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25 years. When
acting as investment advisor, Berger LLC is responsible for managing the
investment operations of the Fund. During the last fiscal year, the Fund paid
Berger LLC an investment advisory fee at the annual rate of 0.90% of the Fund's
average daily net assets. Berger LLC also provides administrative services to
the Fund.



   Effective October 1, 1999, the advisory fee for the Fund was reduced and the
administrative fee charged to the Fund was eliminated. These fee reductions are
reflected earlier in this prospectus under "Fund Expenses."



   AMY K. SELNER, Vice President of Berger LLC, is the Fund's investment
manager. Ms. Selner joined Berger LLC as a senior technology analyst in
April 1996 and assumed management of the Fund in November 1998. Ms. Selner has
more than eight years of experience in the investment industry.

<PAGE>
                                                                              16
                                          BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                                                      INSTITUTIONAL SHARES

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

   Portfolio changes are made whenever the Fund's investment manager believes
that the Fund's goal could be better achieved by investment in another security,
regardless of portfolio turnover. At times, portfolio turnover for the Fund may
exceed 100% per year. A turnover rate of 100% means the securities owned by the
Fund were replaced once during the year. Higher turnover rates may result in
higher brokerage costs to the Fund and in higher net taxable gains for you as an
investor. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate can be found under the heading
"Financial Highlights for the Fund."

SPECIAL FUND STRUCTURE


   The Fund offers two classes of shares. The Institutional Shares offered in
this prospectus are designed for investors who maintain a minimum account
balance of $250,000. The other class of shares, Investor Shares, are offered
through a separate prospectus and are available to the general public with a
minimum account balance of $2,000. Each class of shares has its own expenses so
that share price, performance and distributions will differ between classes. The
12b-1 plan adopted by the Fund applies only to the Investor Shares. For more
information on Investor Shares, please call (800) 333-1001.


   For more information on the multi-class fund structure, see the SAI.
<PAGE>
                                    17
      Berger Small Company Growth Fund
      Institutional Shares

                       FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FUND


   The Institutional Shares class of the Fund did not commence investment
operations before the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999. Therefore, financial
highlights for that class of shares are not shown. The following supplemental
financial highlights are for the Fund for periods before the Fund first began
selling Institutional Shares. Therefore, the data on the table reflect a 0.25%
12b-1 fee not paid by the Institutional Shares. Unless otherwise noted, the
information in the table was audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Fund's
independent accountants.



BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                          YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                           -------------------------------------------------------
                            1999     1998     1997     1996     1995     1994(1)
<S>                        <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value,
 beginning of period       $  3.61  $  5.33  $  4.74  $  3.61  $  2.74  $  2.50
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From investment
 operations
  Net investment income
   (loss)                    (0.00)(2)      --   (0.05)   (0.03)   (0.02)      --
  Net realized and
   unrealized gains
   (losses) on
   investments and
   foreign currency
   transactions               1.95    (1.24)    0.84     1.16     0.89     0.24
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total from investment
     operations               1.95    (1.24)    0.79     1.13     0.87     0.24
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less dividends and
 distributions
  Dividends (from net
   investment income)           --       --       --       --    (0.00)(2)      --
  Distributions (from
   capital gains)            (0.70)   (0.48)   (0.20)      --       --       --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total dividends and
     distributions           (0.70)   (0.48)   (0.20)      --       --       --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of
 period                    $  4.86  $  3.61  $  5.33  $  4.74  $  3.61  $  2.74
==================================================================================
    Total Return(3)         62.78%  (24.70)%  17.68%   31.30%   31.90%    9.60%
==================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data:
Net assets, end of period
 (in thousands)            $675,637 $561,741 $902,685 $871,467 $522,667 $211,852
Net expense ratio to
 average net assets(4)       1.60%    1.48%    1.67%    1.68%    1.89%    2.10%(5)
Ratio of net income
 (loss) to average net
 assets                    (1.21)%  (1.01)%  (1.09)%  (0.97)%  (0.74)%    0.32%(5)
Gross expense ratio to
 average net assets          1.60%    1.59%    1.67%    1.68%    1.89%    2.10%(5)
Portfolio turnover
 rate(3)                      128%      97%     111%      91%     109%     108%
</TABLE>



 1.  Period from December 30, 1993 (commencement of investment operations) to
     September 30, 1994. Other independent accountants audited this
     information.

 2.  Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

 3.  Not annualized.

 4.  Net expenses represent gross expenses reduced by fees waived and/or
     reimbursed by the Advisor.

 5.  Annualized.

<PAGE>











FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the
Fund's semi-annual and annual reports to shareholders. The Fund's annual
report contains a discussion of the market conditions and investment
strategies that affected the Fund's performance over the past year.


You may wish to read the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) for more
information on the Fund and the securities it invests in.  The SAI is
incorporated into this prospectus by reference, which means that it is
considered to be part of the prospectus.


You can get free copies of the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI,
request other information or get answers to your questions about the Fund by
writing or calling the Fund at: Berger Funds P.O. Box 219958 Kansas City, MO
64121 (800) 259-2820 bergerfunds.com



Text-only versions of Fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from
the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at sec.gov.


You can also obtain copies by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington DC. For information on the operation of the Public Reference Room,
call (202) 942-8090. Copies of documents may also be obtained, after paying a
duplicating fee, by sending your request to the following e-mail address:
[email protected], or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Section,
Washington, DC 20549-6009.


INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NUMBER:

Berger Investment Portfolio Trust  811-8046
Berger Small Company Growth Fund Institutional Shares                   SCGIPROS






<PAGE>

              BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND - INVESTOR SHARES
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

                  BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND - INVESTOR SHARES
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

                               BERGER SELECT FUND
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

               BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND - INVESTOR SHARES
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

                  BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND - INVESTOR SHARES
                    A SERIES OF BERGER OMNI INVESTMENT TRUST

                           BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

                            BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

                               BERGER GROWTH FUND

                         BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND
                  A SERIES OF BERGER/BIAM WORLDWIDE FUNDS TRUST

                          BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

                              BERGER BALANCED FUND
                  A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST


                       STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
                      SHAREHOLDER SERVICES: 1-800-551-5849


                  This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a
prospectus. It relates to the Prospectus for the Berger Funds listed above (the
"Funds"), dated January 31, 2000, as it may be amended or supplemented from time
to time, which may be obtained by writing the Funds at P.O. Box 5005, Denver,
Colorado 80217, or calling 1-800-333-1001.


                  The Funds are all "no-load" mutual funds, meaning that a buyer
pays no commissions or sales loads when buying or redeeming shares of the Funds,
although each Fund pays certain costs of distributing its shares. See "Section
5. Expenses of the Funds -- 12b-1 Plans" below. This SAI describes each of these
Funds which have many features in common, but may have different investment
objectives and different investment emphases.

                  The following financial statements of the Funds are
incorporated herein by reference:


                  The audited financial statements of each of the Funds for the
fiscal year or period ended September 30, 1999, from the Funds' 1999 Annual
report to Shareholders, dated September 30, 1999.



                  Copies of the Annual Report are available, without charge,
upon request, by calling 1-800-333-1001.




                             DATED JANUARY 31, 2000


<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                 &
                                                   CROSS-REFERENCES TO PROSPECTUS

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION                                                        PAGE     CROSS-REFERENCES TO
                                                               NO.      RELATED DISCLOSURES
                                                                        IN PROSPECTUS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                            <C>      <C>
Introduction                                                   1        Table of Contents
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Investment Strategies and Risks of the Funds.               1        Berger Funds; Investment Techniques,
                                                                        Securities and the Associated Risks
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Investment Restrictions                                     16       Berger Funds; Investment Techniques,
                                                                        Securities and the Associated Risks
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Management of the Funds                                     22       Organization of the Berger Funds Family
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Investment Advisors and Sub-Advisors                        27       Organization of the Berger Funds Family
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Expenses of the Funds                                       33       Berger Funds; Organization of the Berger Funds
                                                                        Family; Financial Highlights for the Berger
                                                                        Funds Family
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Brokerage Policy                                            40       Organization of the Berger Funds Family
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. How to Purchase and Redeem Shares in the Funds              44       Buying Shares; Selling (Redeeming) Shares
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. How the Net Asset Value is Determined                       45       Your Share Price
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Income  Dividends,  Capital  Gains  Distributions  and Tax  45       Distributions and Taxes
   Treatment
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Suspension of Redemption Rights                            47       Other Information About Your Account
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans                             47       Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Exchange Privilege and Systematic Withdrawal               49       Exchanging Shares
    Plan
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Performance Information                                    50       Financial Highlights for the Berger Funds
                                                                        Family
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Additional Information                                     53       Organization of the Berger Funds Family;
                                                                        Special Fund Structures
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Information                                          59       Financial Highlights
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                      -i-
<PAGE>

                                  INTRODUCTION

                  The Funds described in this SAI are all mutual funds, or
open-end, management investment companies. All of the Funds are diversified
funds, except the Berger Select Fund. See below under "Non-Diversification" in
Section 1 for further information concerning the Berger Select Fund. Although
each Fund is offering only its own shares and is not participating in the sale
of the shares of the other Funds, it is possible that a Fund might become liable
for any misstatement, inaccuracy or incomplete disclosure in the Prospectus or
SAI concerning the other Funds.

1.                INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS OF THE FUNDS

                  The Prospectus describes the investment objective of each of
the Funds and the principal investment policies and strategies used to achieve
that objective. It also describes the principal risks of investing in each Fund.

                  This section contains supplemental information concerning the
types of securities and other instruments in which the Funds may invest, the
investment policies and portfolio strategies that the Funds may utilize and
certain risks attendant to those investments, policies and strategies. For the
Berger/BIAM International Fund, the term "Fund" in this Section 1 should be read
to mean the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio (the "Portfolio"), in which all
the investable assets of the Fund are invested.

                  COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS. Stocks represent shares of
ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and
ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend
payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are
satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata
basis. Profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help
it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a
company's stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation
and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred
stocks pay dividends, any of the Funds may purchase preferred stock where the
issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividends. Such
investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential.
All investments in stocks are subject to market risk, meaning that their prices
may move up and down with the general stock market, and that such movements
might reduce their value.

                  DEBT SECURITIES. Debt securities (such as bonds or debentures)
are fixed-income securities which bear interest and are issued by corporations
or governments. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a
stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal on a specific maturity
date. In addition to market risk, debt securities are generally subject to two
other kinds of risk: credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to
the ability of the issuer to meet interest or principal payments as they come
due. The lower the rating given a security by a rating service (such as Moody's
Investor Service ("Moody's") and Standard & Poor's ("S&P")), the greater the
credit risk the rating service perceives with respect to that security. None of
the Funds will purchase any nonconvertible securities rated below investment
grade (Ba or lower by Moody's, BB or lower by S&P). In cases where the ratings
assigned by more than one rating agency differ, the Funds will consider the
security as rated in the higher category. If nonconvertible securities purchased
by a Fund are downgraded to below investment grade following purchase, the
directors or trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor or
sub-advisor, will determine what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all
relevant circumstances. For a further discussion of debt security ratings, see
Appendix A to this SAI.

                  Interest rate risk refers to the fact that the value of
fixed-income securities (like debt securities) generally fluctuates in response
to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result
in an increase in the price of fixed-income securities held by a Fund.
Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of fixed-income
securities held by a Fund will generally decline. Longer-term securities are
generally more sensitive to interest rate changes and are more volatile than
shorter-term securities, but they generally offer higher yields to compensate
investors for the associated risks.

                  Certain debt securities can also present prepayment risk. For
example, a security may contain redemption and call provisions. If an issuer
exercises these provisions when interest rates are declining, the Fund could
sustain investment losses as well as have to reinvest the proceeds from the
security at lower interest rates, resulting in a decreased return for the Fund.


                                      -1-
<PAGE>

                  CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Funds may also purchase debt or
equity securities which are convertible into common stock when the Fund's
advisor or sub-advisor believes they offer the potential for a higher total
return than nonconvertible securities. While fixed-income securities generally
have a priority claim on a corporation's assets over that of common stock, some
of the convertible securities which the Funds may hold are high-yield/high-risk
securities that are subject to special risks, including the risk of default in
interest or principal payments which could result in a loss of income to the
Fund or a decline in the market value of the securities. Convertible securities
often display a degree of market price volatility that is comparable to common
stocks. The credit risk associated with convertible securities generally is
reflected by their ratings by organizations such as Moody's or S&P or a similar
determination of creditworthiness by the Fund's advisor or sub-advisor. The
Funds have no pre-established minimum quality standards for convertible
securities and may invest in convertible securities of any quality, including
lower rated or unrated securities. However, the Funds will not invest in any
security in default at the time of purchase, and each of the Funds will invest
less than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time of purchase in
convertible securities rated below investment grade. If convertible securities
purchased by a Fund are downgraded following purchase, or if other circumstances
cause 20% or more of a Fund's assets to be invested in convertible securities
rated below investment grade, the directors or trustees of the Fund, in
consultation with the Fund's advisor or sub-advisor, will determine what action,
if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances. For a further
discussion of debt security ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI. Convertible
securities will be included in the 25% of total assets the Berger Balanced Fund
will keep in fixed-income senior securities. However, only that portion of their
value attributable to their fixed-income characteristics will be used in
calculating the 25%.

                  ZEROS/STRIPS. Each of the Funds, except the Berger New
Generation Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund, the Berger Small Cap
Value Fund and the Berger/BIAM International Fund, may invest in zero coupon
bonds or in "strips." Zero coupon bonds do not make regular interest payments;
rather, they are sold at a discount from face value. Principal and accreted
discount (representing interest accrued but not paid) are paid at maturity.
"Strips" are debt securities that are stripped of their interest coupon after
the securities are issued, but otherwise are comparable to zero coupon bonds.
The market values of "strips" and zero coupon bonds generally fluctuate in
response to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do
interest-paying securities of comparable term and quality.

                  SECURITIES OF SMALLER COMPANIES. Each of the Funds may invest
in securities of companies with small or mid-sized market capitalizations.
Market capitalization is defined as total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock. Investments in companies with smaller market
capitalizations may involve greater risks and price volatility (that is, more
abrupt or erratic price movements) than investments in larger, more mature
companies since smaller companies may be at an earlier stage of development and
may have limited product lines, reduced market liquidity for their shares,
limited financial resources or less depth in management than larger or more
established companies. Smaller companies also may be less significant factors
within their industries and may have difficulty withstanding competition from
larger companies. While smaller companies may be subject to these additional
risks, they may also realize more substantial growth than larger or more
established companies.

                  SECURITIES OF COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES. Each
of the Funds may invest in securities of companies with limited operating
histories. The Funds consider these to be securities of companies with a record
of less than three years' continuous operation, even including the operations of
any predecessors and parents. (These are sometimes referred to as "unseasoned
issuers.") These companies by their nature have only a limited operating history
which can be used for evaluating the company's growth prospects. As a result,
investment decisions for these securities may place a greater emphasis on
current or planned product lines and the reputation and experience of the
company's management and less emphasis on fundamental valuation factors than
would be the case for more mature companies. In addition, many of these
companies may also be small companies and involve the risks and price volatility
associated with smaller companies.

                  INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS. The Funds may invest in a company's
securities at the time the company first offers securities to the public, that
is, at the time of the company's initial public offering or IPO. Although
companies can be any age or size at the time of their IPOs, they are often
smaller and have a limited operating history, which involve a greater potential
for the value of their securities to be impaired following the IPO. See
"Securities of Smaller Companies" and "Securities of Companies with Limited
Operating Histories" above.

                  Investors in IPOs can be adversely affected by substantial
dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by
concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders. In
addition, all of the factors that affect stock market performance may have a
greater impact on the shares of IPO companies.


                                      -2-
<PAGE>

                  The price of a company's securities may be highly unstable at
the time of its IPO and for a period thereafter due to market psychology
prevailing at the time of the IPO, the absence of a prior public market, the
small number of shares available and limited availability of investor
information. As a result of this or other factors, a Fund's advisor or
sub-advisor might decide to sell an IPO security more quickly than it would
otherwise, which may result in a significant gain or loss and greater
transaction costs to the Fund. Any gains from shares held for 12 months or less
will be treated as short-term gains, taxable as ordinary income to the Fund's
shareholders. In addition, IPO securities may be subject to varying patterns of
trading volume and may, at times, be difficult to sell without an unfavorable
impact on prevailing prices.

                  The effect of an IPO investment can have a magnified impact on
a Fund's performance when the Fund's asset base is small. Consequently, IPOs may
constitute a significant portion of a Fund's returns particularly when the Fund
is small. Since the number of securities issued in an IPO is limited, it is
likely that IPO securities will represent a smaller component of a Fund's assets
as it increases in size, and therefore have a more limited effect on the Fund's
performance.

                  There can be no assurance that IPOs will continue to be
available for any of the Funds to purchase. The number or quality of IPOs
available for purchase by a Fund may vary, decrease or entirely disappear. In
some cases, a Fund may not be able to purchase IPOs at the offering price, but
may have to purchase the shares in the aftermarket at a price greatly exceeding
the offering price, making it more difficult for the Fund to realize a profit.

                  The advisor's or sub-advisor's IPO trade allocation procedures
govern which Funds and other advised accounts participate in the allocation of
any IPO. See the heading "Trade Allocations" under Section 4 below. Under the
IPO allocation procedures of Berger LLC, a Fund generally will not participate
in an IPO if the securities available for allocation to the Fund are
insignificant relative to the Fund's net assets. As a result, any Fund or
account whose assets are very large (such as the Berger Growth Fund) is not
likely to participate in the allocation of many IPOs.

                  FOREIGN SECURITIES. Each Fund may invest in foreign
securities, which may be traded in foreign markets and denominated in foreign
currency. The Funds' investments may also include American Depositary Receipts
(ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) which are similar to ADRs, in bearer
form, designed for use in the European securities markets, and in Global
Depositary Receipts (GDRs).

                  Investments in foreign securities involve some risks that are
different from the risks of investing in securities of U.S. issuers, such as the
risk of adverse political, social, diplomatic and economic developments and,
with respect to certain countries, the possibility of expropriation, taxes
imposed by foreign countries or limitations on the removal of monies or other
assets of the Funds. Moreover, the economies of individual foreign countries
will vary in comparison to the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross
domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources,
self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Securities of some foreign
companies, particularly those in developing countries, are less liquid and more
volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. A developing country
generally is considered to be in the initial stages of its industrialization
cycle. Investing in the securities of developing countries may involve exposure
to economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and to political
systems that can be expected to have less stability than developed countries.

                  There also may be less publicly available information about
foreign issuers and securities than domestic issuers and securities, and foreign
issuers generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial
reporting standards, requirements and practices comparable to those applicable
to domestic issuers. Also, there is generally less government supervision and
regulation of exchanges, brokers, financial institutions and issuers in foreign
countries than there is in the U.S. Foreign financial markets typically have
substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Foreign markets also have different
clearance and settlement procedures and, in certain markets, delays or other
factors could make it difficult to effect transactions, potentially causing a
Fund to experience losses or miss investment opportunities.

                  Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are
generally higher than with transactions in U.S. securities. A Fund will incur
greater costs in maintaining assets in foreign jurisdictions and in buying and
selling foreign securities generally, resulting in part from converting foreign
currencies into U.S. dollars. In addition, a Fund might have greater difficulty
taking appropriate legal action with respect to foreign investments in non-U.S.
courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts, which may heighten
the risk of possible losses through the holding of securities by custodians and
securities depositories in foreign countries.


                                      -3-
<PAGE>

                  For any Fund invested in securities denominated or quoted in
currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange
rates will affect the value of the investments in its portfolio and the
unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments insofar as U.S. investors
are concerned. If the foreign currency in which a security is denominated
appreciates against the U.S. dollar, the dollar value of the security will
increase. Conversely, a decline in the exchange rate of the foreign currency
against the U.S. dollar would adversely affect the dollar value of the foreign
securities. Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply
and demand on the foreign exchange markets, which are in turn affected by the
international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions,
government intervention, speculation and other factors.

                  PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICs). The Funds may
purchase the securities of certain companies considered Passive Foreign
Investment Companies (PFICs) under U.S. tax laws. For certain types of PFICs, in
addition to bearing their proportionate share of a Fund's expenses (management
fees and operating expenses), shareholders will also indirectly bear similar
expenses of such PFIC. PFIC investments also may be subject to less favorable
U.S. tax treatment, as discussed in Section 9 below.

                  ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES. Each of the Funds (except
the Berger Small Cap Value Fund) is authorized to invest in securities which are
illiquid or not readily marketable because they are subject to restrictions on
their resale ("restricted securities") or because, based upon their nature or
the market for such securities, no ready market is available. The Berger Small
Cap Value Fund is authorized to invest in illiquid securities, but not in
restricted securities. However, none of the Funds will purchase any such
security, the purchase of which would cause the Fund to invest more than 15%
(10% in the case of the Berger Small Cap Value Fund) of its net assets, measured
at the time of purchase, in illiquid securities. Investments in illiquid
securities involve certain risks to the extent that a Fund may be unable to
dispose of such a security at the time desired or at a reasonable price or, in
some cases, may be unable to dispose of it at all. In addition, in order to
resell a restricted security, a Fund might have to incur the potentially
substantial expense and delay associated with effecting registration. If
securities become illiquid following purchase or other circumstances cause more
than 15% (10% in the case of the Berger Small Cap Value Fund) of a Fund's net
assets to be invested in illiquid securities, the directors or trustees of that
Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine what action, if
any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances.

                  Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days will be
considered as illiquid for purposes of this restriction. Pursuant to guidelines
established by the directors or trustees, a Fund's advisor or sub-advisor will
determine whether securities eligible for resale to qualified institutional
buyers pursuant to SEC Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 should be
treated as illiquid investments considering, among other things, the following
factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number
of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other
potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security;
and (4) the nature of the security and the marketplace trades (e.g., the time
needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the
mechanics of the transfer). The liquidity of a Fund's investments in Rule 144A
securities could be impaired if qualified institutional buyers become
uninterested in purchasing these securities.

                  REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. Each Fund may invest in repurchase
agreements with various financial organizations, including commercial banks,
registered broker-dealers and registered government securities dealers. A
repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a debt security
(generally a debt security issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or an
agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a
commercial bank, broker or dealer, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed
upon price and date (normally, the next business day). A repurchase agreement
may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects
an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by
a Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument. In
these transactions, the securities acquired by a Fund (including accrued
interest earned thereon) must have a total value equal to or in excess of the
value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Fund's custodian bank
until repurchased. In addition, the directors or trustees will establish
guidelines and standards for review by the investment advisor of the
creditworthiness of any bank, broker or dealer party to a repurchase agreement
with a Fund. None of the Funds will enter into a repurchase agreement maturing
in more than seven days if as a result more than 15% of the Fund's net assets
would be invested in such repurchase agreements and other illiquid securities.

                  These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times
by debt securities (generally a security issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of
deposit), but involve certain risks, such as credit risk to the Fund if the
other party defaults on its obligation and the Fund is delayed or prevented from


                                      -4-
<PAGE>

liquidating the collateral. For example, if the other party to the agreement
defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when
the value of the security has declined, a Fund may incur a loss upon disposition
of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and
subject to liquidation or reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code or other
laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a
loan by a Fund not within the control of the Fund and therefore the realization
by the Fund on such collateral may automatically be stayed and delayed. Further,
it is possible that a Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the
underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party
to the agreement. The Funds expect that these risks can be controlled through
careful monitoring procedures.

                  WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES. Each Fund may
purchase and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis.
However, none of the Funds currently intends to purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities. When-issued or delayed delivery transactions arise when securities
(normally, obligations of issuers eligible for investment by a Fund) are
purchased or sold by the Fund with payment and delivery taking place in the
future in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or
yield. However, the yield available on a comparable security when delivery takes
place may vary from the yield on the security at the time that the when-issued
or delayed delivery transaction was entered into. Any failure to consummate a
when-issued or delayed delivery transaction may result in a Fund missing the
opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous.
When-issued and delayed delivery transactions may generally be expected to
settle within one month from the date the transactions are entered into, but in
no event later than 90 days. However, no payment or delivery is made by a Fund
until it receives delivery or payment from the other party to the transaction.

                  When a Fund purchases securities on a when-issued basis, it
will maintain in a segregated account with its custodian cash, U.S. government
securities or other liquid assets having an aggregate value equal to the amount
of such purchase commitments, until payment is made. If necessary, additional
assets will be placed in the account daily so that the value of the account will
equal or exceed the amount of the Fund's purchase commitments.

                  LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Each of the Funds, except the
Berger Small Cap Value Fund, the Berger Growth Fund and the Berger Growth and
Income Fund, may lend their securities to qualified institutional investors
(such as brokers, dealers or other financial organizations) who need to borrow
securities in order to complete certain transactions, such as covering short
sales, avoiding failures to deliver securities or completing arbitrage
operations. Loans of securities by a Fund will be collateralized by cash,
letters of credit, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or
its agencies. The collateral will equal at least 100% of the current market
value of the loaned securities, marked-to-market on a daily basis. By lending
its securities, a Fund will be attempting to generate income through the receipt
of interest on the loan which, in turn, can be invested in additional securities
to pursue the Fund's investment objective. Any gain or loss in the market price
of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be
for the account of the Fund.

                  Each Fund permitted to lend its portfolio securities may lend
to qualified brokers, dealers, banks or other financial institutions, so long as
the terms, the structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not
inconsistent with the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Rules and
Regulations or interpretations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") thereunder, which currently require that (a) the borrower pledge
and maintain with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter
of credit or securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government
having a value at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities
loaned, (b) the borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the
securities loaned rises (i.e., the borrower "marks to the market" on a daily
basis), (c) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time and
(d) the Fund receives reasonable interest on the loan, which interest may
include the Fund's investing cash collateral in interest bearing short-term
investments, and (e) the Fund receives all dividends and distributions on the
loaned securities and any increase in the market value of the loaned securities.

                  A Fund lending securities bears risk of loss in the event that
the other party to a securities lending transaction defaults on its obligations
and the Fund is delayed in or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of
the collateral, including the risk of a possible decline in the value of the
collateral securities during the period in which the Fund seeks to assert these
rights, the risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting these rights
and the risk of losing all or a part of the income from the transaction. None of
the Funds will lend its portfolio securities if, as a result, the aggregate
value of such loans would exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets
(including the value of the collateral received to secure the loan). Loan
arrangements made by a Fund will comply with all other applicable regulatory
requirements, including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which rules
presently require the borrower, after notice, to redeliver the securities within
the


                                      -5-
<PAGE>

normal settlement time of three business days. All relevant facts and
circumstances, including creditworthiness of the broker, dealer or institution,
will be considered in making decisions with respect to the lending of
securities, subject to review by the Fund's trustees.

                  Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass
to the borrower, lending Funds retain the right to recall a security (or
terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the security's voting rights.
Efforts to recall loaned securities in time to exercise voting rights may be
unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. In
addition, it is expected that loaned securities will be recalled for voting only
when the items being voted on are, in the judgment of the lending Fund's
advisor, either material to the economic value of the security or threaten to
materially impact the issuing company's corporate governance policies or
structure.

                  SHORT SALES. Each Fund (other than the Berger Small Cap Value
Fund and the Berger/BIAM International Fund) currently is only permitted to
engage in short sales if, at the time of the short sale, the Fund owns or has
the right to acquire an equivalent kind and amount of the security being sold
short at no additional cost (i.e., short sales "against the box"). The Berger
Small Cap Value Fund and the Berger/BIAM International Fund are not permitted to
engage in short sales at all.

                  In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the
securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until
delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows
the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short
position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the
securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus
an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve. If a Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral account will be
maintained by the Fund's custodian. While the short sale is open, the Fund will
maintain in a segregated custodial account an amount of securities convertible
into or exchangeable for such equivalent securities at no additional cost. These
securities would constitute the Fund's long position.

                  In the past, a Fund could have made a short sale, as described
above, when it wanted to sell a security it owned at a current attractive price,
but also wished to defer recognition of gain or loss for Federal income tax
purposes and for purposes of satisfying certain tests applicable to regulated
investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code. However, federal tax
legislation has since eliminated the ability to defer recognition of gain or
loss in short sales against the box and accordingly, it is not anticipated that
any of the Funds will be engaging in these transactions unless there are further
legislative changes.

                  SPECIAL SITUATIONS. Each Fund may also invest in "special
situations." Special situations are companies that have recently experienced or
are anticipated to experience a significant change in structure, management,
products or services which may significantly affect the value of their
securities. Examples of special situations are companies being reorganized or
merged, companies emerging from bankruptcy, companies introducing unusual new
products or which enjoy particular tax advantages. Other examples are companies
experiencing changes in senior management, extraordinary corporate events,
significant changes in cost or capital structure or which are believed to be
probable takeover candidates. The opportunity to invest in special situations,
however, is limited and depends in part on the market's assessment of these
companies and their circumstances. By its nature, a "special situation" company
involves to some degree a break with the company's past experience. This creates
greater uncertainty and potential risk of loss than if the company were
operating according to long-established patterns. In addition, stocks of
companies in special situations may decline or not appreciate as expected if an
anticipated change or development does not occur or is not assessed by the
market as favorably as expected.

                  HEDGING TRANSACTIONS. Each Fund is authorized to make limited
use of certain types of futures, forwards and/or options, but only for the
purpose of hedging, that is, protecting against market risk due to market
movements that may adversely affect the value of a Fund's securities or the
price of securities that a Fund is considering purchasing. The utilization of
futures, forwards and options is also subject to policies and procedures which
may be established by the directors or trustees from time to time. In addition,
none of the Funds is required to hedge. Decisions regarding hedging are subject
to the advisor's or sub-advisor's judgment of the cost of the hedge, its
potential effectiveness and other factors the advisor or sub-advisor considers
pertinent.

                  A hedging transaction may partially protect a Fund from a
decline in the value of a particular security or its portfolio generally,
although hedging may also limit a Fund's opportunity to profit from favorable
price movements, and the cost of the transaction will reduce the potential
return on the security or the portfolio. Use of these instruments by a Fund
involves the potential for a loss that may exceed the amount of initial margin
the Fund would be permitted to commit to the contracts


                                      -6-
<PAGE>

under its investment limitation, or in the case of a call option written by the
Fund, may exceed the premium received for the option. However, a Fund is
permitted to use such instruments for hedging purposes only, and only if the
aggregate amount of its obligations under these contracts does not exceed the
total market value of the assets the Fund is attempting to hedge, such as a
portion or all of its exposure to equity securities or its holding in a specific
foreign currency. To help ensure that the Fund will be able to meet its
obligations under its futures and forward contracts and its obligations under
options written by that Fund, the Fund will be required to maintain liquid
assets in a segregated account with its custodian bank or to set aside portfolio
securities to "cover" its position in these contracts.

                  The principal risks of a Fund utilizing futures transactions,
forward contracts and options are: (a) losses resulting from market movements
not anticipated by the Fund; (b) possible imperfect correlation between
movements in the prices of futures, forwards and options and movements in the
prices of the securities or currencies hedged or used to cover such positions;
(c) lack of assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any
particular futures or options at any particular time, and possible
exchange-imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult
or impossible to close a position when so desired; (d) lack of assurance that
the counterparty to a forward contract would be willing to negotiate an offset
or termination of the contract when so desired; and (e) the need for additional
information and skills beyond those required for the management of a portfolio
of traditional securities. In addition, when the Fund enters into an
over-the-counter contract with a counterparty, the Fund will assume counterparty
credit risk, that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its
obligations, in which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had
not been entered into.

                  Following is additional information concerning the futures,
forwards and options which the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Select
Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, the
Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger Growth and Income
Fund and the Berger Balanced Fund may utilize, provided that no more than 5% of
the Fund's net assets at the time the contract is entered into may be used for
initial margins for financial futures transactions and premiums paid for the
purchase of options. In addition, those Funds may only write call options that
are covered and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  Currently, the Berger/BIAM International Fund is authorized to
utilize only forward contracts for hedging purposes and is not permitted to
utilize futures or options. Consequently, the following additional information
should be read as applicable to that Fund only to the extent it discusses
forwards. If the trustees ever authorize that Fund to utilize futures or
options, such investments would be permitted solely for hedging purposes, and
the Fund would not be permitted to invest more than 5% of its net assets at the
time of purchase in initial margins for financial futures transactions and
premiums for options. In addition, the Fund's advisor or sub-advisor may be
required to obtain bank regulatory approval before that Fund engages in futures
and options transactions.

                  Currently, the Berger Small Cap Value Fund is authorized to
utilize only options for hedging purposes and is not permitted to utilize
futures or forwards. Consequently, the following additional information should
be read as applicable to that Fund only to the extent it discusses options. If
the trustees ever authorize that Fund to utilize futures or forwards, such
investments would be permitted solely for hedging purposes, and the Fund would
not be permitted to invest more than 5% of its net assets at the time of
purchase in initial margins for financial futures transactions and premiums for
options.

                  FUTURES CONTRACTS. Financial futures contracts are
exchange-traded contracts on financial instruments (such as securities and
foreign currencies) and securities indices that obligate the holder to take or
make delivery of a specified quantity of the underlying financial instrument, or
the cash value of an index, at a future date. Although futures contracts by
their terms call for the delivery or acquisition of the underlying instruments
or a cash payment based on the mark-to-market value of the underlying
instruments, in most cases the contractual obligation will be offset before the
delivery date by buying (in the case of an obligation to sell) or selling (in
the case of an obligation to buy) an identical futures contract. Such a
transaction cancels the original obligation to make or take delivery of the
instruments.

                  Certain Funds may enter into contracts for the purchase or
sale for future delivery of financial instruments, such as securities and
foreign currencies, or contracts based on financial indices including indices of
U.S. Government securities, foreign government securities or equity securities.
U.S. futures contracts are traded on exchanges which have been designated
"contract markets" by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and must
be executed through a futures commission merchant (an "FCM"), or brokerage firm,
which is a member of the relevant contract market. Through their clearing
corporations, the exchanges guarantee performance of the contracts as between
the clearing members of the exchange.


                                      -7-
<PAGE>

                  Both the buyer and seller are required to deposit "initial
margin" for the benefit of the FCM when a futures contract is entered into.
Initial margin deposits are equal to a percentage of the contract's value, as
set by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be maintained in
cash or other liquid assets. If the value of either party's position declines,
that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to
the other party to settle the change in value on a daily basis. Initial and
variation margin payments are similar to good faith deposits or performance
bonds or party-to-party payments resulting from daily changes in the value of
the contract, unlike margin extended by a securities broker, and would be
released or credited to the Funds upon termination of the futures contract,
assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Unlike margin extended
by a securities broker, initial and variation margin payments do not constitute
purchasing securities on margin for purposes of a Fund's investment limitations.
A Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts.


                  In the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM that holds margin on
behalf of a Fund, the Fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to the Fund
only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM's other customers. A Fund
will attempt to minimize this risk by careful monitoring of the creditworthiness
of the FCMs with which the Fund does business and by depositing margin payments
in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian for the benefit of the FCM
when practical or otherwise required by law.


                  Where applicable, each Fund intends to comply with guidelines
of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool
operator" with the CFTC and the National Futures Association, which regulate
trading in the futures markets. Accordingly, a Fund will not enter into any
futures contract or option on a futures contract if, as a result, the aggregate
initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions would exceed 5%
of the Fund's net assets.


                  Although a Fund will hold cash and liquid assets in a
segregated account with a mark-to-market value sufficient to cover the Fund's
open futures obligations, the segregated assets will be available to the Fund
immediately upon closing out the futures position.


                  The acquisition or sale of a futures contract may occur, for
example, when a Fund is considering purchasing or holds equity securities and
seeks to protect itself from fluctuations in prices without buying or selling
those securities. For example, if prices were expected to decrease, the Fund
might sell equity index futures contracts, thereby hoping to offset a potential
decline in the value of equity securities in the portfolio by a corresponding
increase in the value of the futures contract position held by the Fund and
thereby preventing the Fund's net asset value from declining as much as it
otherwise would have. A Fund also could protect against potential price declines
by selling portfolio securities and investing in money market instruments.
However, the use of futures contracts as a hedging technique allows a Fund to
maintain a defensive position without having to sell portfolio securities.

                  Similarly, when prices of equity securities are expected to
increase, futures contracts may be bought to attempt to hedge against the
possibility of having to buy equity securities at higher prices. This technique
is sometimes known as an anticipatory hedge. Since the fluctuations in the value
of futures contracts should be similar to those of equity securities, a Fund
could take advantage of the potential rise in the value of equity securities
without buying them until the market has stabilized. At that time, the futures
contracts could be liquidated and the Fund could buy equity securities on the
cash market.




                  The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures
markets, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to
distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to
initial margin and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional
variation margin requirements, investors may close out futures contracts through
offsetting transactions which could distort the normal price relationship
between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures
market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than
making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take
delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced and prices in the
futures market distorted. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the
margin deposit requirements in the futures market are less than margin
requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by
speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to
the possibility of the foregoing distortions, a correct forecast of general
price trends by a Fund still may not result in a successful use of futures.

                  Futures contracts entail additional risks. Although a Fund
will only utilize futures contracts when it believes that use of such contracts
will benefit the Fund, if the Fund's investment judgment is incorrect, the
Fund's overall performance could be worse than if the Fund had not entered into
futures contracts. For example, if the Fund has hedged against the effects of a
possible decrease in prices of securities held in the Fund's portfolio and
prices increase instead, the Fund will lose


                                      -8-
<PAGE>

part or all of the benefit of the increased value of these securities because of
offsetting losses in the Fund's futures positions. In addition, if the Fund has
insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet
daily variation margin requirements. Those sales may be, but will not
necessarily be, at increased prices which reflect the rising market and may
occur at a time when the sales are disadvantageous to the Fund. Although the
buyer of an option cannot lose more than the amount of the premium plus related
transaction costs, a buyer or seller of futures contracts could lose amounts
substantially in excess of any initial margin deposits made, due to the
potential for adverse price movements resulting in additional variation margin
being required by such positions. However, each Fund utilizing futures contracts
intends to monitor its investments closely and will attempt to close its
positions when the risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

                  The prices of futures contracts depend primarily on the value
of their underlying instruments. Because there are a limited number of types of
futures contracts, it is possible that the standardized futures contracts
available to a Fund will not match exactly the Fund's current or potential
investments. A Fund may buy and sell futures contracts based on underlying
instruments with different characteristics from the securities in which it
typically invests -- for example, by hedging investments in portfolio securities
with a futures contract based on a broad index of securities -- which involves a
risk that the futures position will not correlate precisely with the performance
of the Fund's investments.

                  Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their
underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments closely correlate
with a Fund's investments. Futures prices are affected by such factors as
current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the
underlying instruments and the time remaining until expiration of the contract.
Those factors may affect securities prices differently from futures prices.
Imperfect correlations between a Fund's investments and its futures positions
may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the
securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities
are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits for futures
contracts. A Fund may buy or sell futures contracts with a value less than or
equal to the securities it wishes to hedge or is considering purchasing. If
price changes in a Fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other
investments, its futures positions may fail to produce desired gains or result
in losses that are not offset by the gains in the Fund's other investments.

                  Because futures contracts are generally settled within a day
from the date they are closed out, compared with a longer settlement period for
most types of securities, the futures markets can provide superior liquidity to
the securities markets. Nevertheless, there is no assurance a liquid secondary
market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. In
addition, futures exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for
futures contracts and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or
downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the
price fluctuation limit is reached, it may be impossible for a Fund to enter
into new positions or close out existing positions. If the secondary market for
a futures contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or
otherwise, a Fund may not be able to promptly liquidate unfavorable futures
positions and potentially could be required to continue to hold a futures
position until the delivery date, regardless of changes in its value. As a
result, a Fund's access to other assets held to cover its futures positions also
could be impaired.

                  OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS. Certain Funds may buy and write
options on futures contracts for hedging purposes. An option on a futures
contract gives a Fund the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell a
futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified date. The
purchase of a call option on a futures contract is similar in some respects to
the purchase of a call option on an individual security. Depending on the
pricing of the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon
which it is based or the price of the underlying instrument, ownership of the
option may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or
the underlying instrument. As with the purchase of futures contracts, a Fund may
buy a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance, and a
Fund might buy a put option on a futures contract to hedge against a market
decline.

                  The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes
a partial hedge against declining prices of the security or foreign currency
which is deliverable under, or of the index comprising, the futures contract. If
the futures price at the expiration of the call option is below the exercise
price, a Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a
partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund's portfolio
holdings. If a call option a Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will incur
a loss which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it received. Depending
on the degree of correlation between change in the value of its portfolio
securities and changes in the value of the futures positions, a Fund's losses
from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or increased by
changes in the value of portfolio securities.


                                      -9-
<PAGE>

                  The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is similar
in some respects to the purchase of protective put options on portfolio
securities. For example, a Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract to
hedge the Fund's portfolio against the risk of falling prices.

                  The amount of risk a Fund assumes when it buys an option on a
futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction
costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of an
option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures
contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the options bought.

                  FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS. A forward
contract is a privately negotiated agreement between two parties in which one
party is obligated to deliver a stated amount of a stated asset at a specified
time in the future and the other party is obligated to pay a specified invoice
amount for the assets at the time of delivery. The Funds authorized to utilize
forward contracts currently intend that they will only use forward contracts or
commitments for hedging purposes and will only use forward foreign currency
exchange contracts, although a Fund may enter into additional forms of forward
contracts or commitments in the future if they become available and advisable in
light of the Funds' objectives and investment policies. Forward contracts
generally are negotiated in an interbank market conducted directly between
traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Unlike futures
contracts, which are standardized exchange-traded contracts, forward contracts
can be specifically drawn to meet the needs of the parties that enter into them.
The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract
before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the
contemplated exchange.

                  The following discussion summarizes the relevant Funds'
principal uses of forward foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward currency
contracts"). A Fund may enter into forward currency contracts with stated
contract values of up to the value of the Fund's assets. A forward currency
contract is an obligation to buy or sell an amount of a specified currency for
an agreed price (which may be in U.S. dollars or a foreign currency) on a
specified date. A Fund will exchange foreign currencies for U.S. dollars and for
other foreign currencies in the normal course of business and may buy and sell
currencies through forward currency contracts in order to fix a price (in terms
of a specified currency) for securities it has agreed to buy or sell
("transaction hedge"). A Fund also may hedge some or all of its investments
denominated in foreign currency against a decline in the value of that currency
(or a proxy currency whose price movements are expected to have a high degree of
correlation with the currency being hedged) relative to the U.S. dollar by
entering into forward currency contracts to sell an amount of that currency
approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated
in that currency ("position hedge") or by participating in futures contracts (or
options on such futures) with respect to the currency. A Fund also may enter
into a forward currency contract with respect to a currency where the Fund is
considering the purchase or sale of investments denominated in that currency but
has not yet selected the specific investments ("anticipatory hedge").

                  These types of hedging minimize the effect of currency
appreciation as well as depreciation, but do not eliminate fluctuations in the
underlying U.S. dollar equivalent value of the proceeds of or rates of return on
a Fund's foreign currency denominated portfolio securities. The matching of the
increase in value of a forward contract and the decline in the U.S. dollar
equivalent value of the foreign currency denominated asset that is the subject
of the hedge generally will not be precise. Shifting a Fund's currency exposure
from one foreign currency to another limits that Fund's opportunity to profit
from increases in the value of the original currency and involves a risk of
increased losses to such Fund if its investment manager's projection of future
exchange rates is inaccurate. Unforeseen changes in currency prices may result
in poorer overall performance for a Fund than if it had not entered into such
contracts.

                  A Fund will cover outstanding forward currency contracts by
maintaining liquid portfolio securities denominated in the currency underlying
the forward contract or the currency being hedged. To the extent that a Fund is
not able to cover its forward currency positions with underlying portfolio
securities, the Funds' custodian will segregate cash or liquid assets having a
value equal to the aggregate amount of such Fund's commitments under forward
contracts entered into. If the value of the securities used to cover a position
or the value of segregated assets declines, the Fund must find alternative cover
or segregate additional cash or liquid assets on a daily basis so that the value
of the covered and segregated assets will be equal to the amount of a Fund's
commitments with respect to such contracts.

                  While forward contracts are not currently regulated by the
CFTC, the CFTC may in the future assert authority to regulate forward contracts.
In such event, the Funds' ability to utilize forward contracts may be
restricted. A Fund may not always be able to enter into forward contracts at
attractive prices and may be limited in its ability to use these contracts to
hedge Fund assets. In addition, when a Fund enters into a privately negotiated
forward contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk,
that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund


                                      -10-
<PAGE>

could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered into. Unlike many
exchange-traded futures contracts and options on futures, there are no daily
price fluctuation limits with respect to forward contracts and other negotiated
or over-the-counter instruments, and with respect to those contracts, adverse
market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over a period
of time. However, each Fund utilizing forward contracts intends to monitor its
investments closely and will attempt to renegotiate or close its positions when
the risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

                  OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDICES. Certain Funds
may buy or sell put or call options and write covered call options on securities
that are traded on United States or foreign securities exchanges or
over-the-counter. Buying an option involves the risk that, during the option
period, the price of the underlying security will not increase (in the case of a
call) to above the exercise price, or will not decrease (in the case of a put)
to below the exercise price, in which case the option will expire without being
exercised and the holder would lose the amount of the premium. Writing a call
option involves the risk of an increase in the market value of the underlying
security, in which case the option could be exercised and the underlying
security would then be sold by a Fund to the option holder at a lower price than
its current market value and the Fund's potential for capital appreciation on
the security would be limited to the exercise price. Moreover, when a Fund
writes a call option on a securities index, the Fund bears the risk of loss
resulting from imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the index
and the price of the securities set aside to cover such position. Although they
entitle the holder to buy equity securities, call options to purchase equity
securities do not entitle the holder to dividends or voting rights with respect
to the underlying securities, nor do they represent any rights in the assets of
the issuer of those securities.

                  A call option written by a Fund is "covered" if the Fund owns
the underlying security covered by the call or has an absolute and immediate
right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or for
additional cash consideration held in a segregated account by its custodian)
upon conversion or exchange of other securities held in its portfolio. A call
option is also deemed to be covered if a Fund holds a call on the same security
and in the same principal amount as the call written and the exercise price of
the call held (i) is equal to or less than the exercise price of the call
written or (ii) is greater than the exercise price of the call written if the
difference is maintained by the Fund in liquid assets in a segregated account
with its custodian.

                  The writer of a call option may have no control when the
underlying securities must be sold. Whether or not an option expires
unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. This amount, of
course, may, in the case of a covered call option, be offset by a decline in the
market value of the underlying security during the option period.

                  The writer of an exchange-traded call option that wishes to
terminate its obligation may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is
accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously
written. The effect of the purchase is that the writer's position will be
cancelled by the clearing corporation. If a Fund desires to sell a particular
security from the Fund's portfolio on which the Fund has written a call option,
the Fund will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale
of the security. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction
after being notified of the exercise of an option. An investor who is the holder
of an exchange-traded option may liquidate its position by effecting a "closing
sale transaction." This is accomplished by selling an option of the same series
as the option previously bought. There is no guarantee that either a closing
purchase or a closing sale transaction can be effected.

                  A Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the
price of the purchase transaction is less than the premium received from writing
the option or the price received from a sale transaction is more than the
premium paid to buy the option; the Fund will realize a loss from a closing
transaction if the price of the purchase transaction is more than the premium
received from writing the option or the price received from a sale transaction
is less than the premium paid to buy the option. Because increases in the market
price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of
the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option
is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying
security owned by the Fund.

                  An option position may be closed out only where there exists a
secondary market for an option of the same series. If a secondary market does
not exist, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular
options with the result that a Fund would have to exercise the options in order
to realize any profit. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying
security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the underlying security
upon exercise. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market may include
the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain
options, (ii) restrictions may be imposed by a national securities exchange on
which the option is traded ("Exchange") on opening or closing transactions or
both, (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities,
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
Exchange, (v) the facilities of an Exchange or of the


                                      -11-
<PAGE>

Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC") may not at all times be adequate to handle
current trading volume, or (vi) one or more Exchanges could, for economic or
other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the
trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event
the secondary market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options)
would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that Exchange that had
been issued by the OCC as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to
be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

                  In addition, when a Fund enters into an over-the-counter
option contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk,
that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered
into.

                  An option on a securities index is similar to an option on a
security except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of a
security at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder
the right to receive, on exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the
closing level of the securities index on which the option is based is greater
than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise
price of the option.

                  A Fund may buy call options on securities or securities
indices to hedge against an increase in the price of a security or securities
that the Fund may buy in the future. The premium paid for the call option plus
any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by a Fund upon
exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security or
index rises sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless to the
Fund. A Fund may buy put options to hedge against a decline in the value of a
security or its portfolio. The premium paid for the put option plus any
transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by a Fund upon
exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security or
index declines sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless to the
Fund.

                  An example of a hedging transaction using an index option
would be if a Fund were to purchase a put on a stock index, in order to protect
the Fund against a decline in the value of all securities held by it to the
extent that the stock index moves in a similar pattern to the prices of the
securities held. While the correlation between stock indices and price movements
of the stocks in which the Funds will generally invest may be imperfect, the
Funds utilizing put options expect, nonetheless, that the use of put options
that relate to such indices will, in certain circumstances, protect against
declines in values of specific portfolio securities or the Fund's portfolio
generally. Although the purchase of a put option may partially protect a Fund
from a decline in the value of a particular security or its portfolio generally,
the cost of a put will reduce the potential return on the security or the
portfolio.

                  MORTGAGE-BACKED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. The Berger
Balanced Fund may invest in certain mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities.
Mortgage-backed securities are securities that directly or indirectly represent
a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans secured
by real property. Asset-backed securities are similar, except that they are
backed by assets other than mortgages, such as motor vehicle installment sales
contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and
personal property and receivables from revolving credit agreements (credit
cards).

                  The primary risk of any mortgage-backed or asset-backed
security is the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows from the assets
underlying the securities. See the subheading "Special Risks of Mortgage-Backed
Securities" below for more information about prepayment and extension risks.
Also, see the subheading "Asset-Backed Securities" below for more information
about asset-backed securities.

                  There are currently three basic types of mortgage-backed
securities: (i) those issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or
one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National
Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA)
and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); (ii) those issued by
private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by
mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government
or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; and (iii) those issued by private
issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by whole mortgage
loans or mortgage-backed securities without a government guarantee but usually
having some form of private credit enhancement.

                  U.S. GOVERNMENT MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. The Fund may
invest in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA and
FHLMC. GNMA certificates are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United
States. FNMA and FHLMC certificates are not backed by the full faith and credit
of the United States, but the issuing agency or instrumentality has the right to
borrow, to meet its obligations, from an existing line of credit with the U.S.
Treasury. The U.S. Treasury has no legal obligation to provide such line of
credit and may choose not to do so. Each of GNMA, FNMA and


                                      -12-
<PAGE>

FHLMC guarantee timely distribution of interest to certificate holders. GNMA and
FNMA also guarantee timely distribution of scheduled principal payments. FHLMC
generally guarantees only the ultimate collection of principal of the underlying
mortgage loans.

                  COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS AND MULTICLASS
PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES. The Berger Balanced Fund may also invest in
collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs). CMOs are debt obligations
collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities. Typically,
CMOs are collateralized by GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC certificates, but also may be
collateralized by whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities (such
collateral is referred to in this section as Mortgage Assets). Multiclass
pass-through securities are equity interests in a trust composed of Mortgage
Assets. Payments of principal of and interest on the Mortgage Assets, and any
reinvestment income thereon, provide the funds to pay debt service on the CMOs
or make scheduled distributions on the multiclass pass-through securities. CMOs
may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U. S. Government, or by
private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and
loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and
special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. The Fund may invest in CMOs
issued by private entities only if the CMOs are rated at least investment grade
(at least BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody's) or, if unrated, are determined to be of
comparable quality.

                  In a CMO, a series of bonds or certificates is issued in
multiple classes. Each class of CMOs, often referred to as a "tranche," is
issued at a specific fixed or floating coupon rate and has a stated maturity or
final distribution date. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs
on a monthly, quarterly or semiannual basis. Certain CMOs may have variable or
floating interest rates. The principal of and interest on the Mortgage Assets
may be allocated among the several classes of a CMO series in a number of
different ways.

                  Generally, the purpose of the allocation of the cash flow of a
CMO to the various classes is to obtain a more predictable cash flow to the
individual tranches than exists with the underlying collateral of the CMO. As a
general rule, the more predictable the cash flow is on a CMO tranche, the lower
the anticipated yield will be on that tranche at the time of issuance relative
to prevailing market yields on mortgage-backed securities. As part of the
process of creating more predictable cash flows on most of the tranches in a
series of CMOs, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most
of the volatility in the cash flows on the underlying mortgage loans. The yields
on these tranches may be higher than prevailing market yields on mortgage-backed
securities with similar maturities. As a result of the uncertainty of the cash
flows of these tranches, the market prices of and yield on these tranches
generally are more volatile.

                  The Fund also may invest in parallel pay CMOs and Planned
Amortization Class CMOs (PAC Bonds). Parallel pay CMOs are structured to provide
payments of principal on each payment date to more than one class. These
simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the stated maturity
date or final distribution date of each class, which, as with other CMO
structures, must be retired by its stated maturity date or final distribution
date but may be retired earlier. PAC Bonds generally require payments of a
specified amount of principal on each payment date. PAC Bonds always are
parallel pay CMOs with the required principal payment on such securities having
the highest priority after interest has been paid to all classes.

                  The Fund may not invest in "stripped" mortgage-backed
securities (interest-only securities (IOs) or principal-only securities (POs))
or in mortgage-backed securities known as "inverse floaters."

                  ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES. The Berger Balanced Fund may also
invest in adjustable rate mortgage securities (ARMs), which are pass-through
mortgage securities collateralized by mortgages with adjustable rather than
fixed rates. ARMs, like fixed rate mortgages, have a specified maturity date,
and the principal amount of the mortgage is repaid over the life of the
mortgage. Unlike fixed rate mortgages, the interest rate on ARMs is adjusted at
regular intervals based on a specified, published interest rate "index" such as
a Treasury rate index. The new rate is determined by adding a specific interest
amount, the "margin," to the interest rate of the index. Investment in ARM
securities allows the Fund to participate in changing interest rate levels
through regular adjustments in the coupons of the underlying mortgages,
resulting in more variable current income and lower price volatility than
longer-term fixed rate mortgage securities. ARM securities are a less effective
means of locking in long-term rates than fixed rate mortgages since the income
from adjustable rate mortgages will increase during periods of rising interest
rates and decline during periods of falling rates.

                  PRIVATE MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES. Private mortgage
pass-through securities are structured similarly to the GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC
mortgage pass-through securities and are issued by originators of and investors
in mortgage loans, including depository institutions, mortgage banks, investment
banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. These securities
usually are backed by a pool of conventional fixed rate or adjustable rate
mortgage loans. Since private


                                      -13-
<PAGE>

mortgage pass-through securities typically are not guaranteed by an entity
having the credit status of GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC, these securities generally are
structured with one or more types of credit enhancement to make them more
secure, which may be through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit
obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, through various means of
structuring the transaction or through a combination of those approaches. The
Fund may invest in private mortgage pass-through securities only if they are
rated AA/Aa (S&P/Moody's) or above.

                  SPECIAL RISKS OF MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES. Mortgage-backed
securities have certain different characteristics than traditional debt
securities. As a result of the risks associated with these securities, the Fund
could realize a loss by investing in them, regardless of their rating or their
credit enhancement features.

                  Among the major differences between mortgage-backed securities
and traditional debt securities are that on mortgage-backed securities, interest
and principal payments are made more frequently, usually monthly, and principal
may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans or other assets
generally may be prepaid at any time, usually without penalty. Changes in the
rate of prepayments will generally affect the yield to maturity of the security.
Moreover, when the holder of the security attempts to reinvest prepayments of
principal and interest, it may receive a rate of interest which is higher or
lower than the rate on the mortgage-backed securities originally held. To the
extent that mortgage-backed securities are purchased at a premium, mortgage
foreclosures and principal prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the
premium paid. If such securities are bought at a discount, both scheduled
payments of principal and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and
total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income which, when
distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.

                  Mortgage-backed securities, like all fixed-income securities,
generally decrease in value as a result of increases in interest rates. In
addition, although generally the value of fixed-income securities increases
during periods of falling interest rates and decreases during periods of rising
interest rates, as a result of prepayments and other factors, this is not always
the case with respect to mortgage-backed securities.

                  Although the extent of prepayments on a pool of mortgage loans
depends on various economic and other factors, as a general rule, prepayments on
fixed rate mortgage loans will increase during a period of falling interest
rates and decrease during a period of rising interest rates. Accordingly, during
a period of declining rates, the Fund is likely to have greater amounts to
reinvest as a result of prepayments and is likely to have to reinvest those
amounts at lower interest rates than during a period of rising interest rates.
Mortgage-backed securities generally decrease in value as a result of increases
in interest rates and may benefit less than other fixed-income securities from
declining interest rates because of the risk of prepayment.

                  The Fund may invest in mortgage derivative securities, such as
CMOs, the average life of which is determined using mathematical models that
incorporate prepayment assumptions and other factors that involve estimates of
future economic and market conditions. These estimates may vary from actual
future results, particularly during periods of extreme market volatility. In
addition, under certain market conditions, the average weighted life of mortgage
derivative securities may not accurately reflect the price volatility of such
securities. For example, in periods of supply and demand imbalances in the
market for such securities and/or in periods of sharp interest rate movements,
the prices of mortgage derivative securities may fluctuate to a greater extent
than would be expected from interest rate movements alone.

                  The Fund's investments in mortgage derivative securities also
subject the Fund to extension risk. Extension risk is the possibility that
rising interest rates may cause prepayments to occur at a slower than expected
rate. This particular risk may effectively change a security which was
considered short or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term
security. Long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to
changes in interest rates than short or intermediate-term securities.

                  In addition, CMOs and other mortgage-backed securities issued
by private entities are not U.S. government securities and are not guaranteed by
any government agency, although the pool of securities underlying a privately
issued mortgage-backed security may be subject to a guarantee. Therefore, if the
collateral securing a privately issued mortgage-backed security held by the
Fund, in addition to any third party credit support or guarantees, is
insufficient to make payment, the Fund could sustain a loss on its investment in
that security. However, as stated above, the Fund will invest in CMOs and other
mortgage-backed securities issued by private entities only if they are rated
AA/Aa (S&P/Moody's) or above.


                                      -14-
<PAGE>




                  ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. The Berger Balanced Fund may also
invest in asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities are securities that
represent direct or indirect participation in, or are secured by and payable
from, assets other than mortgage-backed assets, such as motor vehicle
installment sales contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types
of real and personal property and receivables from revolving credit agreements
(credit cards). Asset-backed securities have yield characteristics similar to
those of mortgage-backed securities and are subject to many of the same risks.
See the subheading "Special Risks of Mortgage-Backed Securities" above for a
discussion of those risks. In addition, asset-backed securities involve certain
risks that are not posed by mortgage-backed securities, since asset-backed
securities do not usually contain the complete benefit of a security interest in
the related collateral. For example, credit card receivables generally are
unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state
and federal consumer credit laws, including the bankruptcy laws, some of which
may reduce the ability to obtain full payment. In the case of automobile
receivables, due to various legal and economic factors, proceeds for repossessed
collateral may not always be sufficient to support payments on these securities.

                  New instruments and variations of existing mortgage-backed
securities and asset-backed securities continue to be developed. The Fund may
invest in any such instruments or variations as may be developed, to the extent
consistent with its investment objective and policies and applicable legal
requirements.

                  TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES. Each of the Funds (except the
Berger/BIAM International Fund) may increase its investment in government
securities, and other short-term, interest-bearing securities without regard to
the Fund's otherwise applicable percentage limits, policies or its normal
investment emphasis, when its advisor or sub-advisor believes market conditions
warrant a temporary defensive position. Taking larger positions in such
short-term investments may serve as a means of preserving capital in unfavorable
market conditions. When in a defensive position, a Fund could miss the
opportunity to participate in any stock or bond market advances that occur
during those periods, which the Fund might have been able to participate in if
it had remained more fully invested.

                  NON-DIVERSIFICATION. The Berger Select Fund is classified as a
"non-diversified" Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which means
that the Fund is not limited by that Act in the proportion of its assets that it
may invest in the securities of a single issuer. The Fund's net asset value may
be more volatile than that of a more-widely diversified fund because the Fund
invests more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers. Consequently, the
Fund may be more vulnerable to any single economic, political or regulatory
occurrence, and the gains or losses on a single stock will have a greater impact
on the Fund's net asset value.

                  However, the Fund intends to conduct its operations so as to
qualify to be taxed as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal
Revenue Code, which will generally relieve the Fund of any liability for federal
income tax to the extent its earnings are distributed to shareholders. See
Section 9--Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions and Tax Treatment
below. To qualify as a regulated investment company, among other requirements,
the Fund will limit its investments so that, at the close of each quarter of the
taxable year, (i) not more than 25% of the market value of the Fund's total
assets will be invested in securities of a single issuer, and (ii) with respect
to 50% of the market value of its total assets, not more than 5% of the market
value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of a single issuer
and the Fund will not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of
a single issuer. These limitations do not apply to U.S. government securities.

                  PORTFOLIO TURNOVER. The portfolio turnover rates of each of
the Funds are shown in the Financial Highlights tables included in the
Prospectus. The annual portfolio turnover rates of some of the Funds at times
have exceeded 100%. A 100% annual turnover rate results, for example, if the
equivalent of all of the securities in the Fund's portfolio are replaced in a
period of one year. The Funds anticipate that their portfolio turnover rates in
future years may exceed 100%, and investment changes will be made whenever
management deems them appropriate even if this results in a higher portfolio
turnover rate. In addition, portfolio turnover for all the Funds may increase as
a result of large amounts of purchases and redemptions of shares of the Funds
due to economic, market or other factors that are not within the control of
management.

                  Higher portfolio turnover will necessarily result in
correspondingly higher brokerage costs for the Funds. The existence of a high
portfolio turnover rate has no direct relationship to the tax liability of a
Fund, although sales of certain stocks will lead to realization of gains, and,
possibly, increased taxable distributions to shareholders. The Funds' brokerage
policy is discussed further below under Section 6--Brokerage Policy, and
additional information concerning income taxes is located under Section
9--Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions and Tax Treatment.


                                      -15-
<PAGE>


                  The variation in the portfolio turnover rate for the Berger
Select Fund's two most recently completed fiscal years is due to the increased
size of the Fund and a portfolio manager change.


2.                INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

                  As indicated in the Prospectus, the investment objective of
each of the Funds is as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              FUND                                    INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              <S>                                     <C>
              Berger Information Technology Fund      Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger New Generation Fund              Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Select Fund                      Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Small Company Growth Fund        Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Small Cap Value Fund             Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund              Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Mid Cap Value Fund               Capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Growth Fund                      Long-term capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger/BIAM International Fund          Long-term capital appreciation
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Primary investment objective:
                                                      Capital appreciation
              Berger Growth and Income Fund           Secondary investment objective:
                                                      Investing in securities that produce
                                                      current income for the portfolio
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Berger Balanced Fund                    Capital appreciation and current income
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                  The investment objective of the Berger Information Technology
Fund, the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Select Fund, the Berger Small
Company Growth Fund, the Berger Small Cap Value Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Growth
Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger/BIAM
International Fund and the Berger Balanced Fund, and the primary investment
objective of the Berger Growth and Income Fund, are considered fundamental,
meaning that they cannot be changed without a shareholders' vote. The secondary
investment objective of the Berger Growth and Income Fund is not considered
fundamental, and therefore may be changed in the future by action of the
directors without shareholder vote. However, the Berger Growth and Income Fund
will not change its secondary investment objective without giving its
shareholders such notice as may be required by law. If the Berger Growth and
Income Fund changes its secondary


                                      -16-
<PAGE>

investment objective, shareholders should consider whether the Fund remains an
appropriate investment in light of their then current financial position and
needs. There can be no assurance that any of the Funds' investment objectives
will be realized.

                  Each Fund has also adopted certain investment policies,
strategies, guidelines and procedures in pursuing its objective. These may be
changed without a shareholder vote. The principal policies and strategies used
by the Funds are described in the Prospectus.

                  In addition, each Fund has adopted certain fundamental and
non-fundamental restrictions on its investments and other activities, which are
listed below. Fundamental restrictions may not be changed without the approval
of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at a meeting of
shareholders thereof if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting
securities are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Non-fundamental restrictions may be
changed in the future by action of the directors or trustees without shareholder
vote.

BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND, BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND, BERGER SELECT
FUND, BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND-REGISTERED TRADEMARK-, BERGER MID CAP
GROWTH FUND, THE BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND AND BERGER BALANCED FUND

                  Except as noted, the following fundamental restrictions apply
to each of the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Select Fund, the Berger
Small Company Growth Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, the Berger Mid Cap
Value Fund and the Berger Balanced Fund. The Fund may not:

                  1. (Does not apply to the Berger Select Fund) With respect to
75% of the Fund's total assets, purchase the securities of any one issuer
(except U.S. government securities) if immediately after and as a result of such
purchase (a) the value of the holdings of the Fund in the securities of such
issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets or (b) the Fund owns
more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.

                  2. Invest in any one industry (other than U.S. government
securities) 25% or more (more than 25%, in the case of the Berger Small Company
Growth Fund) of the value of its total assets at the time of such investment.

                  3. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency
purposes in amounts not to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets (including the
amount borrowed) taken at market value, nor pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its
assets, except to secure permitted indebtedness and then only if such pledging,
mortgaging or hypothecating does not exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets taken
at market value. When borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets, the Fund
will not purchase portfolio securities.




                  4. Act as a securities underwriter (except to the extent the
Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in disposing
of a security), issue senior securities (except to the extent permitted under
the Investment Company Act of 1940), invest in real estate (although it may
purchase shares of a real estate investment trust), or invest in commodities or
commodity contracts except financial futures transactions, futures contracts on
securities and securities indices and options on such futures, forward foreign
currency exchange contracts, forward commitments or securities index put or call
options.

                  5. Make loans, except that the Fund may enter into repurchase
agreements and may lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Fund's
investment policies. The Fund does not, for this purpose, consider the purchase
of all or a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, bank loan
participation agreements, bank certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances,
debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the
original issuance of the securities, to be the making of a loan.

                  In applying the industry concentration investment restriction
(no. 2 above), each Fund uses the industry groups used in the Data Monitor
Portfolio Monitoring System of William O'Neil & Co. Incorporated. Further, in
implementing that restriction, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund intends not
to invest in any one industry 25% or more of the value of its total assets at
the time of such investment.

                  The trustees have adopted additional non-fundamental
investment restrictions for the Berger Information Technology Fund, the Berger
New Generation Fund, the Berger Select Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth
Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund and the
Berger Balanced Fund. These limitations may be changed by the trustees without a
shareholder vote. The non-fundamental investment restrictions include the
following:


                                      -17-
<PAGE>




                  1. The Fund may not purchase securities on margin from a
broker or dealer, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may
be necessary for the clearance of transactions, and may not make short sales of
securities, except that the Fund may make short sales if, at the time of the
short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire an equivalent kind and
amount of the security being sold short at no additional cost (i.e., short sales
"against the box"). This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict the Fund from
entering into futures, forwards and options contracts or from making margin
payments and other deposits in connection therewith.

                  2. The Fund may not purchase the securities of any other
investment company, except by purchase in the open market involving no
commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer (other than the customary broker's
commission).

                  3. The Fund may not invest in companies for the purposes of
exercising control of management.

                  4. The Fund may not purchase any security, including any
repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days, which is not readily
marketable, if more than 15% of the net assets of the Fund, taken at market
value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.

                  5. Only for the purpose of hedging, the Fund may purchase and
sell financial futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and put and
call options, but no more than 5% of the Fund's net assets at the time of
purchase may be invested in initial margins for financial futures transactions
and premiums for options. The Fund may only write call options that are covered
and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  6. The Fund may not purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities.

BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND

                  The following fundamental restrictions apply to the Berger
Small Cap Value Fund. The Fund may not:

                  1. Issue senior securities as defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940.

                  2. Invest in companies for the purpose of acquiring control or
management thereof.

                  3. Invest or hold securities of any issuer if the officers and
trustees of the Fund and its advisor own individually more than one-half (1/2)
of 1% of the securities of such issuer or together own more than 5% of the
securities of such issuer.

                  4. Invest in other investment companies, except in connection
with a plan of merger, consolidation, reorganization or acquisition of assets,
or in the open market involving no commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer
(other than a customary broker's commission).

                  5. Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any
trading account in securities.

                  6. Purchase securities of any company with a record of less
than three (3) years continuous operation (including that of predecessors) if
such purchase would cause the cost of the Fund's investments in all such
companies to exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets.

                  7. Invest in securities (except those of the U.S. government
or its agencies) of any issuer if immediately thereafter the Fund would then own
more than 10% of that issuer's voting securities.

                  8. Loan cash or portfolio securities, except in connection
with the acquisition of debt securities which the Fund's investment policies and
restrictions permit it to purchase.

                  9. Borrow money in excess of 5% of the value of its assets
and, then, only as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes.

                  10. Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any of its assets to
secure a debt.


                                      -18-
<PAGE>

                  11. Purchase or sell real estate or any other interests in
real estate (including real estate limited partnership interests).

                  12. Purchase securities on margin or sell short.

                  13. Invest in commodities or commodity contracts.

                  14. Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers or
invest in portfolio securities which the Fund might not be free to sell to the
public without registration of such securities under the Securities Act of 1933
("Restricted Securities").

                  15. Invest more than 10% of the value of its net assets in
illiquid securities, including Restricted Securities, securities which are not
readily marketable, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven (7) days,
written over-the-counter ("OTC") options and securities used as cover for
written OTC options.

                  16. Invest in oil, gas or mineral leases.

                  17. Invest more than 5% of the value of its net assets in
warrants or more than 2% of its net assets in warrants that are not listed on
the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, or the NASDAQ National
Market System.

                  18. Invest more than 25% of the value of its assets, at the
time of purchase, in securities of companies principally engaged in a particular
industry, although the Fund may as a temporary defensive measure invest up to
100% of its total assets in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government or its agencies.

                  19. With respect to 75% of the Fund's total assets, purchase
the securities of any one issuer (except U.S. government securities) if
immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a) the value of the holdings
of the Fund in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the
Fund's total assets or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of such issuer.

                  In applying the Fund's industry concentration restriction
(number (18) above), the Fund uses the industry groups used in the Data Monitor
Portfolio Monitoring System of William O'Neil & Co. Incorporated.

                  The trustees have adopted additional non-fundamental
investment restrictions for the Berger Small Cap Value Fund. These limitations
may be changed by the trustees without a shareholder vote. The non-fundamental
investment restrictions include the following:

                  1. Only for the purpose of hedging, the Fund may purchase and
sell put and call options, but no more than 5% of the Fund's net assets at the
time of purchase may be invested in premiums for options. The Fund may only
write call options that are covered and only up to 10% of the Fund's net assets.

                  2. The Fund may not purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities.

                  Investment restrictions that involve a maximum percentage of
securities or assets will not be considered to be violated unless an excess over
the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition or
encumbrance of securities or assets of the Berger Small Cap Value Fund.


                                      -19-
<PAGE>




BERGER GROWTH FUND-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- AND BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

                  The following fundamental restrictions apply to each of the
Berger Growth Fund and the Berger Growth and Income Fund. The Fund may not:

                  1. Purchase the securities of any one issuer (except U.S.
Government securities) if immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a)
the value of the holdings of the Fund in the securities of such issuer exceeds
5% of the value of the Fund's total assets or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of
the outstanding voting securities or of any class of securities of such issuer.

                  2. Purchase securities of any company with a record of less
than three years' continuous operation (including that of predecessors) if such
purchase would cause the Fund's investments in all such companies taken at cost
to exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets.

                  3. Invest in any one industry more than 25% of the value of
its total assets at the time of such investment.

                  4. Make loans, except that the Fund may enter into repurchase
agreements in accordance with the Fund's investment policies. The Fund does not,
for this purpose, consider the purchase of all or a portion of an issue of
publicly distributed bonds, bank loan participation agreements, bank
certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, debentures or other securities,
whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of the
securities, to be the making of a loan.

                  5. Borrow in excess of 5% of the value of its total assets, or
pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets taken at market value to an extent
greater than 10% of the Fund's total assets taken at cost (and no borrowing may
be undertaken except from banks as a temporary measure for extraordinary or
emergency purposes). This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict short sales
or deposits of assets to margin or guarantee positions in futures, options or
forward contracts, or the segregation of assets in connection with any of such
transactions.

                  6. Purchase or retain the securities of any issuer if those
officers and directors of the Fund or its investment advisor owning individually
more than 1/2 of 1% of the securities of such issuer together own more than 5%
of the securities of such issuer.

                  7. Purchase the securities of any other investment company,
except by purchase in the open market involving no commission or profit to a
sponsor or dealer (other than the customary broker's commission).

                  8. Act as a securities underwriter (except to the extent the
Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in disposing
of a security) or invest in real estate (although it may purchase shares of a
real estate investment trust), or invest in commodities or commodity contracts
except, only for the purpose of hedging, (i) financial futures transactions,
including futures contracts on securities, securities indices and foreign
currencies, and options on any such futures, (ii) forward foreign currency
exchange contracts and other forward commitments and (iii) securities index put
or call options.

                  9. Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any
securities trading account.

                  10. Invest in companies for the purposes of exercising control
of management.

                  In applying the industry concentration investment restriction
(no. 3 above), the Funds use the industry groups used in the Data Monitor
Portfolio Monitoring System of William O'Neil & Co. Incorporated. Further, in
implementing that restriction, each Fund intends not to invest in any one
industry 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of such
investment.

                  The directors have adopted additional non-fundamental
investment restrictions for the Berger Growth Fund and the Berger Growth and
Income Fund. These limitations may be changed by the directors without a
shareholder vote. The non-fundamental investment restrictions include the
following:


                                      -20-
<PAGE>

                  1. Only for the purpose of hedging, the Fund may purchase and
sell financial futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and put and
call options, but no more than 5% of the Fund's net assets at the time of
purchase may be invested in initial margins for financial futures transactions
and premiums for options. The Fund may only write call options that are covered
and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  2. The Fund may not purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities.

                  3. The Fund may not purchase any security, including any
repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days, which is not readily
marketable, if more than 15% of the net assets of the Fund, taken at market
value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.

                  4. The Fund may not purchase securities on margin from a
broker or dealer, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may
be necessary for the clearance of transactions, and may not make short sales of
securities, except that the Fund may make short sales if, at the time of the
short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire an equivalent kind and
amount of the security being sold short at no additional cost (i.e., short sales
"against the box"). This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict the Fund from
entering into futures, forwards and options contracts or from making margin
payments and other deposits in connection therewith.

BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND

                  The Fund has adopted the investment policy that it may,
notwithstanding any other fundamental or non-fundamental investment policy or
restriction, invest all of its investable assets in the securities of another
open-end investment company or series thereof with substantially the same
investment objective, policies and limitations as the Fund. This arrangement is
commonly referred to as a master/feeder.

                  All other fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies
and restrictions of the Berger/BIAM International Fund and the Berger/BIAM
International Portfolio (the "Portfolio") are identical. Therefore, although the
following investment restrictions refer to the Portfolio, they apply equally to
the Fund.

                  The Portfolio has adopted certain fundamental restrictions on
its investments and other activities, and none of these restrictions may be
changed without the approval of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the
Portfolio present at a meeting of shareholders thereof if the holders of more
than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by
proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the
Portfolio. Whenever the Fund is requested to vote on a change in the investment
restrictions of the Portfolio, the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders
and will cast its votes as instructed by the shareholders.

                  The following fundamental restrictions apply to the Portfolio.
The Portfolio may not:

                  1. With respect to 75% of the Portfolio's total assets,
purchase the securities of any one issuer (except U.S. government securities) if
immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a) the value of the holdings
of the Portfolio in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the
Portfolio's total assets or (b) the Portfolio owns more than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer.

                  2. Invest in any one industry (other than U.S. government
securities) 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of such
investment.

                  3. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency
purposes in amounts not to exceed 25% of the Portfolio's total assets (including
the amount borrowed) taken at market value, nor pledge, mortgage or hypothecate
its assets, except to secure permitted indebtedness and then only if such
pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating does not exceed 25% of the Portfolio's
total assets taken at market value. When borrowings exceed 5% of the Portfolio's
total assets, the Portfolio will not purchase portfolio securities.

                  4. Act as a securities underwriter (except to the extent the
Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in
disposing of a security), issue senior securities (except to the extent
permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940), invest in real estate
(although it may purchase shares of a real estate investment trust),


                                      -21-
<PAGE>

or invest in commodities or commodity contracts except financial futures
transactions, futures contracts on securities and securities indices and options
on such futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, forward
commitments or securities index put or call options.

                  5. Make loans, except that the Portfolio may enter into
repurchase agreements and may lend portfolio securities in accordance with the
Portfolio's investment policies. The Portfolio does not, for this purpose,
consider the purchase of all or a portion of an issue of publicly distributed
bonds, bank loan participation agreements, bank certificates of deposit,
bankers' acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the
purchase is made upon the original issuance of the securities, to be the making
of a loan.

                  In applying the industry concentration investment restriction
(no. 2 above), the Portfolio uses the industry groups designated by the
Financial Times World Index Service.

                  The trustees have adopted additional non-fundamental
investment restrictions for the Portfolio. These limitations may be changed by
the trustees without a shareholder vote. The non-fundamental investment
restrictions include the following:

                  1. With respect to 100% of the Portfolio's total assets, the
Portfolio may not purchase the securities of any one issuer (except U.S.
government securities) if immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a)
the value of the holdings of the Portfolio in the securities of such issuer
exceeds 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets or (b) the Portfolio
owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.

                  2. The Portfolio may not purchase securities on margin from a
broker or dealer, except that the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits
as may be necessary for the clearance of transactions, and may not make short
sales of securities. This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict the
Portfolio from entering into futures, forwards and options contracts or from
making margin payments and other deposits in connection therewith.

                  3. The Portfolio may not purchase the securities of any other
investment company, except by purchase in the open market involving no
commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer (other than the customary broker's
commission).

                  4. The Portfolio may not invest in companies for the purposes
of exercising control of management.

                  5. The Portfolio may not purchase any security, including any
repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days, which is not readily
marketable, if more than 15% of the net assets of the Portfolio, taken at market
value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.

                  6. The Portfolio may not enter into any futures, forwards or
options, except that only for the purpose of hedging, the Portfolio may enter
into forward foreign currency exchange contracts with stated contract values of
up to the value of the Portfolio's assets.

                  7. The Portfolio may not purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its net
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities.

3.                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

                  Each Fund is supervised by a board of directors or trustees
who are responsible for major decisions about the Funds' policies and overall
Fund oversight. Each Fund's board hires the companies that run day-to-day Fund
operations, such as the investment advisor, administrator, transfer agent and
custodian.

                  The directors or trustees and executive officers of each of
the Funds are listed below, together with information which includes their
principal occupations during the past five years and other principal business
affiliations.


      MICHAEL OWEN, 114 A Gallatin Dr., Bozeman, MT 59718, DOB: 1937.
           Self-employed as a financial and management consultant, and in real
           estate development. From 1993 to June 1999, Dean, and from 1989 to
           1993, a member of the Finance faculty, of the College of Business,
           Montana State University. Formerly (1976-1989), Chairman and Chief
           Executive Officer of Royal Gold, Inc. (mining). Chairman of the Board
           of Berger Growth Fund and Berger


                                      -22-
<PAGE>

          Growth and Income Fund. Chairman of the Trustees of Berger Investment
          Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM
          Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and
          Berger Omni Investment Trust.


*    JACK R. THOMPSON, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
          DOB: 1949. President and a director since May 1999 (Executive Vice
          President from February 1999 to May 1999) of Berger Growth Fund and
          Berger Growth and Income Fund. President and a trustee since May 1999
          (Executive Vice President from February 1999 to May 1999) of Berger
          Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust,
          Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios
          Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust. President and Director since
          June, 1999 (Executive Vice President from February 1999 to June 1999)
          of Berger LLC. Audit Committee Member of the Public Employees'
          Retirement Association of Colorado (pension plan) since November 1997.
          Self-employed as a consultant from July 1995 through February 1999.
          Director of Wasatch Advisors (investment management) from February
          1997 to February 1999. Director of Janus Capital Corporation
          (investment management) from June 1984 through June 1995, and
          Executive Vice President of the Corporation from April 1989 through
          June 1995. Treasurer of Janus Capital Corporation from November 1983
          through October 1989. Trustee of the Janus Investment Funds from
          December 1990 through June 1995, and Senior Vice President of the
          Trust from May 1993 through June 1995. President and a director of
          Janus Service Corporation (transfer agent) from January 1987 through
          June 1995. President and a director of Fillmore Agency, Inc.
          (advertising agency), from January 1990 through June 1995. Executive
          Vice President and a director of Janus Capital International, Ltd.
          (investment advisor) from September 1994 through June 1995. President
          and a director of Janus Distributors, Inc. (broker/dealer), from May
          1991 through June 1995. Director of IDEX Management, Inc. (investment
          management), from January 1985 through June 1995. Trustee and Senior
          Vice President of the of the Janus Aspen Funds from May 1993 through
          June 1995.

     DENNIS E. BALDWIN, 3481 South Race Street, Englewood, CO 80110, DOB: 1928.
          President, Baldwin Financial Counseling. Formerly (1978-1990), Vice
          President and Denver Office Manager of Merrill Lynch Capital Markets.
          Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
          Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional
          Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM
          Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.

     LOUIS R. BINDNER, 1075 South Fox, Denver, CO 80223, DOB: 1925. President,
          Climate Engineering, Inc. (building environmental systems). Director
          of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of
          Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
          Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
          Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.

     KATHERINE A. CATTANACH, 672 South Gaylord, Denver, CO 80209, DOB: 1945.
          Managing Principal, Sovereign Financial Services, Inc. (investment
          consulting firm). Formerly (1981-1988), Executive Vice President,
          Captiva Corporation, Denver, Colorado (private investment management
          firm). Ph.D. in Finance (Arizona State University); Chartered
          Financial Analyst (CFA). Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger
          Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust,
          Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
          Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni
          Investment Trust.

*    DENIS CURRAN, 20 Horseneck Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830, DOB: 1947. President
          and a director since December 1994, and Senior Vice President and a
          director from September 1991 to December 1994, of Bank of Ireland
          Asset Management (U.S.) Limited (investment advisory firm). Member of
          the Board of Managers and Chief Executive Officer on the Management
          Committee of BBOI Worldwide LLC since November 1996. Trustee of
          Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios
          Trust since November 1996.


     PAUL R. KNAPP, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60602, DOB:
          1945. Since 1991, Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and a
          director of Catalyst Institute (international public policy research
          organization focused primarily on financial markets and institutions).
          Since September 1997, President, Chief Executive Officer and a
          director of DST Catalyst, Inc. (international financial markets
          consulting, software and computer services company), an 81% owned
          subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc. Director (since February 1998) and a
          Vice President (February 1998 - November 1998) of West Side
          Investments, Inc. (investments), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DST
          Systems, Inc. Previously (1991 - September 1997), Chairman, President,
          Chief Executive Officer and a director of Catalyst Consulting
          (international financial institutions business consulting firm). Prior
          thereto (1988-1991), President, Chief



                                      -23-
<PAGE>

          Executive Officer and a director of Kessler Asher Group (brokerage,
          clearing and trading firm). Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger
          Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust,
          Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
          Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni
          Investment Trust.

     HARRY T. LEWIS, JR., 370 17th Street, Suite 3560, Denver, CO 80202, DOB:
          1933. Self-employed as a private investor. Formerly (1981-1988),
          Senior Vice President, Rocky Mountain Region, of Dain Bosworth
          Incorporated and member of that firm's Management Committee. Director
          of J.D. Edwards & Co. (computer software company) since 1995. Director
          of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of
          Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
          Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
          Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.


     WILLIAM SINCLAIRE, 3049 S. Perry Park Road, Sedalia, CO 80135, DOB: 1928.
          President, Santa Clara LLC (privately owned agriculture company).
          Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
          Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional
          Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM
          Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.






*    ANTHONY (TINO) R. SELLITTO III, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900,
          Denver, CO 80206, DOB: 1964. Vice President and portfolio manager
          since January 2000 of the Berger Growth Fund and the Berger IPT-
          Growth Fund (co-portfolio manager May 1999 to January 2000), and Vice
          President and co-portfolio manager of the Berger Select Fund since May
          1999. Vice President and portfolio manager of the Berger Growth and
          Income Fund and the Berger IPT - Growth and Income Fund since November
          1998. Interim co-portfolio manager since January 2000 of the Berger
          Balanced Fund. Vice President (since September 1998) and senior equity
          analyst (January 1998 to September 1998) with Berger LLC. Formerly,
          Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager at Crestone Capital
          Management, Inc. (August 1995 to January 1998), Portfolio Manager at
          Hawaiian Trust Company (September 1994 to August 1995) and Account
          Executive at W.W. Grainger Inc. (distributor of industrial equipment)
          (October 1991 to September 1994).



*    AMY K. SELNER, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206, DOB:
          1968. Vice President and portfolio manager of the Berger Mid Cap
          Growth Fund since its inception in December 1997. Vice President and
          portfolio manager of the Berger Small Company Growth Fund and the
          Berger IPT - Small Company Growth Fund since November 1998. Vice
          President and co-portfolio manager since May 1999 of the Berger Select
          Fund. Interim co-portfolio manager since January 2000 of the Berger
          Balanced Fund. Vice President (since December 1997) and senior
          research analyst (April 1996 through December 1997) with Berger LLC.
          Formerly, Assistant Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst with
          INVESCO Trust Company from March 1991 through March 1996.



*    MARK S. SUNDERHUSE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
          DOB: 1961. Vice President (since February 1999) and portfolio manager
          (since January 1999) of the Berger New Generation Fund. Vice President
          and co-portfolio manager since May 1999 of the Berger Select Fund.
          Interim co-portfolio manager since January 2000 of the Berger Balanced
          Fund. Senior Vice President (since January 1998) and portfolio manager
          (since January 1999) with Berger LLC. Formerly, Senior Vice President
          and Assistant Portfolio Manager with Crestone Capital Management, Inc.
          (from January 1991 through January 1998); Investment Officer with
          United Bank of Denver (from April 1989 through January 1991); and
          officer and registered representative with Boettcher & Company, Inc.
          (investment banking) (from May 1985 through April 1989).


*    JANICE M. TEAGUE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
          DOB: 1954. Vice President and Secretary (since November 1998) and
          Assistant Secretary (October 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
          Funds. Vice President (since October 1997), Secretary (since November
          1998) and Assistant Secretary (October 1996 through November 1998)
          with Berger LLC. Vice President and Secretary with Berger Distributors
          LLC, since August 1998. Formerly, self-employed as a business
          consultant from June 1995 through September 1996, Secretary of the
          Janus Funds from January 1990 to May 1995 and Assistant Secretary of
          Janus Capital Corporation from October 1989 to May 1995.


*    DAVID J. SCHULTZ, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
          DOB: 1950. Vice President and Treasurer (since November 1998) and
          Assistant Treasurer (September 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
          Funds. Vice President (since February 1997) and Controller (since
          August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Financial Officer and


                                      -24-
<PAGE>

          Treasurer (since May 1996), Assistant Secretary (since August 1998)
          and Secretary (May 1996 to August 1998) with Berger Distributors LLC.
          Formerly, Partner with Smith, Brock & Gwinn (accounting firm) from
          January 1984 to August 1994.


*    BRIAN S. FERRIE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
          DOB: 1958. Vice President of the Berger Funds since November 1998.
          Vice President (since February 1997) and Chief Compliance Officer
          (since August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Compliance Officer with
          Berger Distributors LLC, since May 1996. Formerly, Compliance Officer
          with United Services Advisor, Inc., from January 1988 to July 1994,
          and Director of Internal Audit of United Services Funds from January
          1987 to July 1994.


*    JOHN PAGANELLI, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206, DOB:
          1967. Assistant Treasurer of the Berger Funds since November 1998.
          Vice President (since November 1998) and Manager of Accounting
          (January 1997 through November 1998) with Berger LLC. Formerly,
          Manager of Accounting (December 1994 through October 1996) and Senior
          Accountant (November 1991 through December 1994) with Palmeri Fund
          Administrators, Inc.


- ----------------

* Interested person (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of one or
more of the Funds and/or of the Funds' advisors or sub-advisors.

                  The directors or trustees of the Funds have adopted a
director/trustee retirement age of 75 years.

DIRECTOR/TRUSTEE COMPENSATION


                   The officers of the Funds received no compensation from the
Funds during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999. However, directors and
trustees of the Funds who are not "interested persons" of the Funds or their
advisors or sub-advisors are compensated for their services according to a fee
schedule, allocated among the Funds. Neither the officers of the Funds nor the
directors or trustees receive any form of pension or retirement benefit
compensation from the Funds.



                   The following table sets forth information regarding
compensation paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999,
for each director or trustee of the Funds:



                                      -25-
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION           AGGREGATE COMPENSATION FROM
WITH BERGER FUNDS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   BERGER        BERGER        BERGER     BERGER       BERGER     BERGER
                   INFORMATION   NEW           SELECT     SMALL        SMALL      MID CAP
                   TECHNOLOGY    GENERATION    FUND       COMPANY      CAP        GROWTH
                   FUND(1)       FUND                     GROWTH       VALUE      FUND
                                                          FUND         FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                <C>           <C>           <C>        <C>          <C>        <C>
Dennis E.          $  49         $2,441        $1,340     $8,432       $3,075     $147
Baldwin(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis R.           $   49        $2,441        $1,340     $8,432       $5,747     $147
Bindner(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katherine A.       $   49        $2,441        $1,340     $8,432       $5,747     $147
Cattanach(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Denis Curran(6)    $   0         N/A           N/A        N/A          N/A        N/A
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul R. Knapp(4)   $   49        $2,415        $1,323     $8,342       $5,682     $145
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harry T. Lewis(4)  $   49        $2,441        $1,340     $8,432       $5,747     $147
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Owen(4)    $    60       $2,955        $1,621     $10,206      $6,955     $178
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William            $   49        $2,441        $1,340     $8,432       $5,747     $147
Sinclaire(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack R.  Thompson  $   0         $   0         $   0      $   0        $   0      $   0
(4),(5),(6),(7)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION           AGGREGATE COMPENSATION FROM
WITH BERGER FUNDS
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   BERGER     BERGER     BERGER/         BERGER     BERGER      ALL
                   MID CAP    GROWTH     BIAM            GROWTH     BALANCED    BERGER
                   VALUE      FUND       INTERNATIONAL   AND        FUND        FUNDS(3)
                   FUND                  FUND(2)         INCOME
                                                         FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                <C>        <C>        <C>             <C>        <C>         <C>
Dennis E.          $319       $19,673    $2,966          $7,639     $1,175      $47,600
Baldwin(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis R.           $319       $19,673    $2,966          $4,968     $1,175      $47,600
Bindner(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katherine A.       $319       $19,673    $2,966          $4,968     $1,175      $47,600
Cattanach(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Denis Curran(6)    N/A        N/A        $   0           N/A        N/A         $   0
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul R. Knapp(4)   $316       $19,454    $2,931          $4,908     $1,158      $47,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harry T. Lewis(4)  $319       $19,673    $2,966          $4,968     $1,175      $47,600
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Owen(4)    $386       $23,812    $3,590          $6,012     $1,421      $57,600
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William            $319       $19,673    $2,966          $4,968     $1,175      $47,600
Sinclaire(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack R.  Thompson  $   0      $   0      $   0           $   0      $   0       $   0
(4),(5),(6),(7)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


                                      -26-
<PAGE>

NOTES TO TABLE


(1) The Fund was not added as an operating series of the Trust until July 1999.
Figures are from the period of the reorganization to September 30, 1999.



(2) Comprised of the portion of the trustee compensation paid by Berger/BIAM
Worldwide Portfolios to its trustees and allocated to the Fund.



(3) Includes the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger Growth and Income Fund, the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust (including the Berger Small Company Growth
Fund, the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Balanced Fund, the Berger
Select Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund and
the Berger Information Technology Fund), the Berger Institutional Products Trust
(four series), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust (three series, including
the Berger/BIAM International Fund), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust
(one series) and the Berger Omni Investment Trust (including the Berger Small
Cap Value Fund). Aggregate compensation figures do not include first-year
estimates for any Fund in existence for less than one year. Of the aggregate
amounts shown for each director/trustee, the following amounts were deferred
under applicable deferred compensation plans: Dennis E. Baldwin $24,316; Louis
R. Bindner $15,333; Katherine A. Cattanach $47,393; Michael Owen $6,651; William
Sinclaire $40,423.



(4) Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund and trustee
of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust,
Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and
Berger Omni Investment Trust.



(5) Interested person of Berger LLC.



(6) Interested person of BBOI Worldwide LLC. Trustee of Berger/BIAM Worldwide
Funds Trust and Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust.



(7)      President of Berger Growth Fund, Berger Growth and Income Fund, Berger
Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM
Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and Berger Omni
Investment Trust.



                  Directors or trustees may elect to defer receipt of all or a
portion of their fees pursuant to a fee deferral plan adopted by each of the
Funds. Under the plan, deferred fees are credited to an account and adjusted
thereafter to reflect the investment experience of whichever of the Berger Funds
(or approved money market funds) is designated by the director or trustee for
this purpose. Pursuant to an SEC exemptive order, the Funds are permitted to
purchase shares of the designated funds in order to offset their obligation to
the directors/trustees participating in the plan. Purchases made pursuant to the
plan are excepted from any otherwise applicable investment restriction limiting
the purchase of securities of any other investment company. A Fund's obligation
to make payments of deferred fees under the plan is a general obligation of the
Fund.


                  As of January 4, 2000, the officers and directors/trustees of
the Funds as a group owned of record or beneficially an aggregate of
less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each of the Funds.


4.                INVESTMENT ADVISORS AND SUB-ADVISORS

BERGER LLC - INVESTMENT ADVISOR

                  Berger LLC ("Berger LLC"), 210 University Boulevard, Suite
900, Denver, CO 80206, is the investment advisor to all the Berger Funds except
the Berger/BIAM International Fund. Berger LLC is responsible for managing the
investment operations of these Funds and the composition of their investment
portfolios. Berger LLC also acts as each Funds' administrator and is responsible
for such functions as monitoring compliance with all applicable federal and
state laws.


                   Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for
25 years. It serves as investment advisor or sub-advisor to mutual funds and
institutional investors and had assets under management of approximately $6.1
billion as of December 31, 1999. Berger LLC is a subsidiary of Stilwell
Management Inc. ("Stilwell"), which owns more than 80% of Berger LLC, and is an
indirect subsidiary of Stilwell Financial, Inc. ("Stilwell Financial"), which in
turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.
("KCSI"). KCSI is a publicly traded holding company with principal operations in
rail transportation, through its subsidiary The Kansas City Southern Railway
Company, and financial asset management businesses. Stilwell also owns
approximately 32% of the outstanding shares of DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), a
publicly traded information and transaction processing company which acts as the
Funds' sub-transfer agent. DST, in turn, owns 100% of DST Securities, a
registered broker-dealer, which executes portfolio trades for the Funds.



                  KCSI announced its intention to separate the transportation
and financial services segments through a proposed dividend of the stock of
Stilwell Financial. On July 12, 1999, KCSI announced that the Internal Revenue
Service issued a favorable tax ruling permitting KCSI to separate its financial
services segment from its transportation segment. Completion of this separation
is expected to occur in the year 2000.



                                      -27-
<PAGE>

BBOI WORLDWIDE LLC - INVESTMENT ADVISOR

                  BBOI Worldwide LLC ("BBOI Worldwide"), 210 University
Boulevard, Denver, CO 80206, is the investment advisor to the Berger/BIAM
International Portfolio (the "Portfolio"), in which all the investable assets of
the Berger/BIAM International Fund are invested. BBOI Worldwide oversees,
evaluates and monitors the investment advisory services provided to the
Portfolio by the Portfolio's sub-advisor and is responsible for furnishing
general business management and administrative services to the Portfolio.

                  BBOI Worldwide is a Delaware limited liability company formed
in 1996. BBOI Worldwide is a joint venture between Berger LLC and Bank of
Ireland Asset Management (U.S.) Limited ("BIAM"), the sub-advisor to the
Portfolio, which have both been in the investment advisory business for many
years.

                  Berger LLC and BIAM each own a 50% membership interest in BBOI
Worldwide and each have an equal number of representatives on BBOI Worldwide's
Board of Managers. Berger LLC's role in the joint venture is to provide
administrative services, and BIAM's role is to provide international and global
investment management expertise. Agreement of representatives of both Berger LLC
and BIAM is required for all significant management decisions.


                  On January 19, 2000, Berger LLC and BIAM entered into an
agreement to dissolve BBOI Worldwide. The dissolution of BBOI will have no
effect on the investment advisory services provided to the Fund or on the fees
borne by the Fund for advisory services. Contingent upon shareholder approval,
when BBOI Worldwide is dissolved, Berger LLC will become the Fund's advisor and
BIAM will continue to be responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund's
portfolio as sub-advisor. If approved by shareholders, these advisory changes
are expected to take place in the first half of this year.


BANK OF IRELAND ASSET MANAGEMENT (U.S.) LIMITED - SUB-ADVISOR


                  As permitted in its Investment Advisory Agreement with the
Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, BBOI Worldwide has delegated day-to-day
investment management responsibility for the Portfolio to BIAM. As sub-advisor,
BIAM manages the investments in the Portfolio and determines what securities and
other investments will be purchased, retained, sold or loaned, consistent with
the investment objective and policies established by the trustees. BIAM's main
offices are at 26 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. BIAM maintains a
representative office at 20 Horseneck Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830. BIAM is an
indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Ireland, a publicly traded,
diversified financial services group with business operations worldwide. Bank of
Ireland provides investment management services through a network of related
companies, including BIAM which serves primarily institutional clients in the
United States and Canada. Bank of Ireland and its affiliates managed assets for
clients worldwide in excess of $42.9 billion as of September 30, 1999.


                  Bank of Ireland or its affiliates may have deposit, loan or
other commercial or investment banking relationships with the issuers of
securities which may be purchased by the Portfolio, including outstanding loans
to such issuers which could be repaid in whole or in part with the proceeds of
securities purchased by the Portfolio. Federal law prohibits BIAM, in making
investment decisions, from using material non-public information in its
possession or in the possession of any of its affiliates. In addition, in making
investment decisions for the Portfolio, BIAM will not take into consideration
whether an issuer of securities proposed for purchase or sale by the Portfolio
is a customer of Bank of Ireland or its affiliates.




PERKINS, WOLF, MCDONNELL & COMPANY - SUB-ADVISOR

                  Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company ("PWM"), 53 West Jackson
Boulevard, Suite 818, Chicago, Illinois 60604, has been engaged as the
investment sub-advisor for the Berger Small Cap Value Fund and the Berger Mid
Cap Value Fund. PWM was organized in 1980 under the name Mac-Per-Wolf Co. to
operate as a securities broker-dealer. In September 1983, it changed its name to
Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company. PWM is a member of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") and, in 1984, became registered as an
investment advisor with the SEC.

                  PWM was the investment advisor of the Berger Small Cap Value
Fund from the date the Fund commenced operations in 1985 to February 1997. PWM
became the investment sub-advisor to the Fund on February 14, 1997, following
shareholder approval of a new Sub-Advisory Agreement between Berger LLC as
advisor and PWM as sub-advisor. PWM has been the investment sub-adviser to the
Berger Mid Cap Value Fund since it commenced operations in August 1998.


                                      -28-
<PAGE>

                  Thomas M. Perkins and Robert H. Perkins, as co-investment
managers, are responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Berger
Small Cap Value Fund and the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund. Robert Perkins has been
an investment manager since 1970 and serves as President and a director of PWM.
Thomas Perkins has been an investment manager since 1974 and joined PWM as a
portfolio manager in 1998. Robert Perkins owns 49% of PWM. Robert Perkins and
Thomas Perkins are brothers. Gregory E. Wolf owns 20% of PWM and serves as its
Treasurer and a director.

BAY ISLE FINANCIAL CORPORATION - SUB-ADVISOR

                  Bay Isle Financial Corporation ("Bay Isle"), 160 Sansome
Street, 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, is the investment sub-advisor for
the Berger Information Technology Fund. Bay Isle has been in the investment
advisory business since 1986. Bay Isle serves as investment advisor or
sub-advisor to mutual funds, institutional investors and individual separate
accounts.


                  Bay Isle served as investment advisor to the Berger
Information Technology Fund (originally known as the InformationTech
100-Registered Trademark- Fund) from its inception in April 1997 until July
1999, when the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund was reorganized
into the Information Technology Fund with shareholder approval. At that time,
Bay Isle became the investment sub-advisor to the Fund under a Sub-Advisory
Agreement between Berger LLC as advisor and Bay Isle as sub-advisor. As
sub-advisor, Bay Isle provides day-to-day management of the Fund's investment
operations.


                  William F. K. Schaff is primarily responsible for the
day-to-day investment decisions for the Berger Information Technology Fund. Mr.
Schaff is a co-founder and controlling person of Bay Isle and serves as its
Chief Investment Officer and a director. Mr. Schaff has been managing accounts
of Bay Isle clients since 1987. Gary G. Pollock is also a co-founder and
controlling person of Bay Isle and serves as its President and a director.

                  In addition to its other activities, Bay Isle maintains the
INFORMATIONWEEK-Registered Trademark- 100 Index, an unmanaged index of the
stocks of 100 companies in the information technology industries.
INFORMATIONWEEK-Registered Trademark- is a registered trademark of CMP Media,
which is not affiliated with Bay Isle or the Fund. Mr. Schaff also writes
articles on investments for INFORMATIONWEEK magazine, a publication of CMP Media
covering information technology-related topics. CMP Media compensates Bay Isle
for managing the Index and for Mr. Schaff's articles.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENTS

                  Under the Investment Advisory Agreements between each Fund and
its advisor, the advisor is generally responsible for furnishing continuous
advice and making investment decisions as to the acquisition, holding or
disposition of securities or other assets which each Fund may own or contemplate
acquiring from time to time. Each Investment Advisory Agreement provides that
the investment advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake
of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission
taken with respect to the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or
gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder and except to the extent
otherwise provided by law.


                  Under each Investment Advisory Agreement in effect, the
advisor is compensated for its services by the payment of a fee at an annual
rate, calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.



                  The following schedule reflects the advisory fees charged to
the Funds for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      FUND                             ADVISOR               INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                         <C>                              <C>
Berger Information Technology Fund          Berger LLC(1)                             0.90%(1)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger New Generation Fund                  Berger LLC                                0.90%(2)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Select Fund                          Berger LLC                                0.75%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Small Company Growth Fund            Berger LLC                                0.90%(3)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                      -29-
<PAGE>

<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      FUND                             ADVISOR               INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                         <C>                              <C>
Berger Small Cap Value Fund                 Berger LLC (4)                            0.90% (4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund                  Berger LLC                                0.75% (2)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Mid Cap Value Fund                   Berger LLC (4)                            0.75% (4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Growth Fund                          Berger LLC                                0.75% (3)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger/BIAM International Fund (6)          BBOI Worldwide LLC (5)                    0.90% (5)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Growth and Income Fund               Berger LLC                                0.75% (3)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Balanced Fund                        Berger LLC                                0.70% (2)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1)  Fund is sub-advised by Bay Isle. See text preceding and following table.
     Under a written contract, the Fund's investment advisor waives its fee or
     reimburses the Fund for expenses to the extent that, at any time during the
     life of the Fund, the annual operating expenses for the Investor Shares
     class of the Fund in any fiscal year, including the investment advisory fee
     and the 12b-1 fee, but excluding brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and
     extraordinary expenses, exceed 2.00% of the Fund's average daily net assets
     attributable to the Investor Shares for that fiscal year. The contract also
     provides that the advisor will waive an additional amount of its fees or
     reimburse an additional amount of expenses to the extent necessary to keep
     its fee waiver and reimbursement for the Investor Shares class
     proportionate to its fee waiver and reimbursement for the Fund's other
     outstanding share class. The contract may not be terminated or amended
     except by a vote of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The investment advisory
     fee is allocated among the Investor Shares and the other class of the Fund
     on the basis of net assets attributable to each such class.



(2)  Under a written contract, the Fund's investment advisor waives its fee to
     the extent that, at any time during the life of the Fund, the Fund's annual
     operating expenses (or, if applicable, for the Investor Shares class of the
     Fund) in any fiscal year, including the investment advisory fee and the
     12b-1 fee, but excluding brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and
     extraordinary expenses, exceed 1.90% in the case of the Investor Shares
     class of the Berger New Generation Fund, 2.00% in the case of the Berger
     Mid Cap Growth Fund, and 1.50% in the case of the Berger Balanced Fund, of
     the average daily net assets of the Fund (or applicable class) for that
     fiscal year. The advisor's contract with the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund and
     the Berger Balanced Fund may not be terminated or amended except by a vote
     of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The agreement with the Berger New
     Generation Fund may be terminated by the advisor upon 90 days' prior
     written notice to the Fund. For the Berger New Generation Fund, the
     investment advisory fee is allocated among the Investor Shares and the
     other class of the Fund on the basis of net assets attributable to each
     such class.



(3)  Under a written agreement, the Fund's investment advisor waives its fee to
     the extent that the annual operating expenses for the Investor Shares class
     of the Fund in any fiscal year, including the investment advisory fee, but
     excluding the 12b-1 fee, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and
     extraordinary expenses, exceed 2-1/2% of the first $30,000,000 of average
     daily net assets, plus 2% of the next $70,000,000, plus 1-1/2% of the
     balance of the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to the
     Investor Shares for that fiscal year. The agreement may be terminated by
     the advisor upon 90 days' prior written notice to the Fund. The investment
     advisory fee is allocated among the Investor Shares and the other class of
     the Fund on the basis of net assets attributable to each such class.



(4)  Fund is sub-advised by PWM. See text preceding and following table. For the
     Berger Small Cap Value Fund, the investment advisory fee is allocated among
     the Investor Shares and the other class of the Fund on the basis of net
     assets attributable to each such class.



(5)  The Berger/BIAM International Fund bears its pro rata portion of the fee
     paid by the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio to BBOI Worldwide as the
     advisor. The Portfolio is sub-advised by BIAM. See text preceding and
     following table. Under a written contract, the Portfolio's investment
     advisor waives its investment advisory fee to the extent that, at any time
     during the life of the Portfolio, the Portfolio's annual operating expenses
     in any fiscal year, including the investment advisory fee and custodian
     fees, but excluding brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and
     extraordinary expenses, exceed 1.00% of the Portfolio's average daily net
     assets for that fiscal year. The contract may not be terminated or amended
     except by a vote of the Portfolio's Board of Trustees. Any such reduction
     in the advisory fee paid by the Portfolio will also reduce the pro rata
     share of the advisory fee borne indirectly by the Berger/BIAM International
     Fund.


Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Funds was
reduced according to the following schedule:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                Fund                         Average Daily Net Assets              Annual Rate
        <S>                                  <C>                                   <C>
        Berger Select Fund                      First $500 million                        .75%
        Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund               Next $500 million                        .70%
        Berger Mid Cap Value Fund                 Over $1 billion                         .65%
        Berger Growth Fund
        Berger Growth and Income Fund
        -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Berger Information Technology Fund      First $500 million                        .85%
        Berger New Generation Fund               Next $500 million                        .80%
        Berger Small Company Growth Fund          Over $1 billion                         .75%
        Berger Small Cap Value Fund


                                      -30-
<PAGE>

<CAPTION>
                Fund                         Average Daily Net Assets              Annual Rate
        -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        <S>                                  <C>                                   <C>
        Berger Balanced Fund                      First $1 billion                        .70%
                                                   Over $1 billion                        .65%
</TABLE>


                  Each Fund's current Investment Advisory Agreement will
continue in effect until the last day of April 2000 or 2001, and thereafter from
year to year if such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by
the directors or trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of
the Fund and in either case by vote of a majority of the directors or trustees
who are not "interested persons" (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) of
the Fund or the advisor. Each Agreement is subject to termination by the Fund or
the advisor on 60 days' written notice, and terminates automatically in the
event of its assignment.

                  Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the advisors and the
sub-advisors for the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, the Berger Small Cap
Value Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund and the Berger Information Technology
Fund, the sub-advisor is responsible for day-to-day investment management. The
sub-advisor manages the investments and determines what securities and other
investments will be acquired, held or disposed of, consistent with the
investment objective and policies established by the trustees. Each Sub-Advisory
Agreement provides that the sub-advisor shall not be liable for any error of
judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for
any act or omission taken with respect to the Fund, except for willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or
by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder and
except to the extent otherwise provided by law.


                  No fees are paid directly to the sub-advisors by the Funds.
PWM, as the sub-advisor of the Berger Small Cap Value Fund, receives from the
advisor a fee at the annual rate of 0.425% of the first $500 million of average
daily net assets of the Fund, 0.40% of the next $500 million, and 0.375% of any
amount in excess of $1 billion. As the sub-advisor of the Berger Mid Cap Value
Fund, PWM receives from the advisor a fee at the annual rate of 0.75% of the
first $50 million of average daily net assets of the Fund, 0.375% of the next
$50 million and 0.20% of any amount in excess of $100 million, subject to a
minimum of $400,000 per year for the first 2-1/2 years. BIAM, as the sub-advisor
of the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, receives from the advisor a fee at
the annual rate of 0.45% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio.
During certain periods, BIAM may voluntarily waive all or a portion of its fee
under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, which will not affect the fee paid by the
Portfolio to the advisor. Bay Isle, as the sub-advisor of the Berger Information
Technology Fund, receives from the advisor a fee at the annual rate of 0.45% of
the average daily net assets of the Fund.


                  The Sub-Advisory Agreements will continue in effect until
April 2000 or 2001, and thereafter from year to year if such continuation is
specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or by vote of a majority
of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case by vote of a majority
of the trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" (as that term is
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the advisor or the
sub-advisor. The Sub-Advisory Agreements are subject to termination by the Fund
or the sub-advisor on 60 days' written notice, and terminate automatically in
the event of their assignment and in the event of termination of the related
Investment Advisory Agreement.

OTHER ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN BERGER LLC AND PWM


                  Berger LLC and PWM entered into an Agreement, dated November
18, 1996, as amended January 27, 1997, April 8, 1998 and November 17, 1999 (the
"November 18 Agreement"), under which, among other things, PWM agreed that, so
long as Berger LLC acts as the advisor to the Berger Small Cap Value Fund, and
PWM provides sub-advisory or other services in connection with the Fund, PWM
will not manage or provide advisory services to any registered investment
company that is in direct competition with the Fund. PWM has agreed to the same
restriction with respect to the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund.



                  The November 18 Agreement also provides that if the
Sub-Advisory Agreement for the Berger Small Cap Value Fund is terminated before
February 14, 2005 (other than for cause), and provided Berger LLC remains as the
Fund's Advisor, Berger LLC and PWM will enter into a consulting agreement for
PWM to provide consulting services to Berger LLC with respect to the Fund,
subject to any requisite approvals under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Under the Consulting Agreement, PWM would provide training and assistance to
Berger LLC analysts and marketing support appropriate to the Fund and would be
paid a fee at an annual rate of 0.10% of the first $100 million of average daily
net assets of the Fund, 0.05% of the next $100 million and 0.02% on any part in
excess of $200 million. No part of the consulting fee would be borne by the
Fund.






OTHER ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN BERGER LLC AND BAY ISLE


                                      -31-
<PAGE>

                  Berger LLC and Bay Isle have formed a joint venture to provide
asset management services to certain private accounts. In connection with the
formation of that joint venture, Berger LLC purchased from Bay Isle owners
William F. K. Schaff and Gary G. Pollock the right that, if either Mr. Schaff or
Mr. Pollock ever desires to sell any of his Bay Isle shares in the future, they
will together first offer to sell shares to Berger LLC aggregating at least 80%
of the total outstanding shares of Bay Isle at an agreed price. If Berger LLC
elects to purchase the Bay Isle shares offered, the parties have agreed to use
their best efforts to have 5-year employment agreements entered into between Bay
Isle and Messrs. Schaff and Pollock. Consummation of any such purchase of Bay
Isle shares by Berger LLC would be subject to a number of conditions, including
any required approval by Fund shareholders under the Investment Company Act of
1940. Bay Isle and Messrs. Schaff and Pollock are also compensated by Berger LLC
for providing administrative or consulting services relating to their joint
venture private account business.

TRADE ALLOCATIONS

                  While investment decisions for the Funds are made
independently by the advisor or sub-advisor, the same investment decision may be
made for a Fund and one or more accounts advised by the advisor or sub-advisor.
In this circumstance, should purchase and sell orders of the same class of
security be in effect on the same day, the orders for such transactions may be
combined by the advisor or sub-advisor in order to seek the best combination of
net price and execution for each. Client orders partially filled will, as a
general matter, be allocated pro rata in proportion to each client's original
order, although exceptions may be made to avoid, among other things, odd lots
and de minimis allocations. Execution prices for a combined order will be
averaged so that each participating client receives the average price paid or
received. While in some cases, this policy might adversely affect the price paid
or received by a Fund or other participating accounts, or the size of the
position obtained or liquidated, the advisor or sub-advisor will aggregate
orders if it believes that coordination of orders and the ability to participate
in volume transactions will result in the best overall combination of net price
and execution.

RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING

                  Berger LLC permits its directors, officers and employees to
purchase and sell securities for their own accounts in accordance with a policy
regarding personal investing in Berger LLC's Code of Ethics. The policy requires
all covered persons to conduct their personal securities transactions in a
manner which does not operate adversely to the interests of the Fund or Berger
LLC's other advisory clients. Directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment
personnel and other designated persons deemed to have access to current trading
information ("access persons") are required to pre-clear all transactions in
securities not otherwise exempt under the policy. Requests for authority to
trade will be denied pre-clearance when, among other reasons, the proposed
personal transaction would be contrary to the provisions of the policy or would
be deemed to adversely affect any transaction then known to be under
consideration for or currently being effected on behalf of any client account,
including the Funds.


                  In addition to the pre-clearance requirements described above,
the policy subjects directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment personnel
and other access persons to various trading restrictions and reporting
obligations. All reportable transactions are reviewed for compliance with the
policy. The policy is administered by Berger LLC and the provisions of the
policy are subject to interpretation by and exceptions authorized by its board
of directors.

                  PWM has adopted a Code of Ethics which is substantially
similar to the Code adopted by Berger LLC. BBOI Worldwide has also adopted a
Code of Ethics substantially similar to the Code adopted by Berger LLC covering
all board members, officers, employees and other access persons (as defined
below) of BBOI Worldwide who are not also covered by an approved Code of Ethics
of an affiliated person who is an investment advisor ("covered persons"). At
present, there are no persons who would be covered by BBOI Worldwide's Code of
Ethics who are not also covered by the Code of Ethics of Berger LLC or BIAM,
which are both investment advisors affiliated with BBOI Worldwide.

                  BIAM has adopted a Code of Ethics which restricts its
officers, employees and other staff from personal trading in specified
circumstances, including among others prohibiting participation in initial
public offerings, prohibiting dealing in a security for the seven days before
and after any trade in that security on behalf of clients, prohibiting trading
in a security while an order is pending for any client on that same security,
and requiring profits from short-term trading in securities (purchase and sale
within a 60-day period) to be forfeited. In addition, staff of BIAM must report
all of their personal holdings in securities annually and must disclose their
holdings in any private company if an investment in that same company is being
considered for clients. Staff of BIAM are required to pre-clear all transactions
in securities not otherwise exempt under the Code of Ethics and must instruct
their broker to provide BIAM with duplicate confirmations of all such personal
trades.


                                      -32-
<PAGE>

                  Bay Isle permits its officers, directors, employees and
consultants to purchase and sell securities for their own accounts and accounts
of related persons in accordance with provisions governing personal securities
trading in Bay Isle's code of ethics and related internal policies. Employees
must wait 3 days between the time a new recommendation or opinion change is made
and the time the employee may trade in those securities in their own or related
accounts, or alternatively may ask that their transaction be added to a "block"
trade that will be made for a group of clients. Any employee trade not included
in a "block" trade made must be pre-cleared if the trade exceeds certain
specified volume limits. Volume limits are set with the intent of requiring
prior approval of any trade that could potentially cause changes in the market
price of the security in question. In addition, no employee may sell (or buy)
any security which he or she has bought (or sold) within the past 5 trading days
unless a loss is realized on closing the position. No employee, officer or
director of Bay Isle may acquire any security in an initial public offering or
in a private placement without prior written approval from Bay Isle's President.
Any Bay Isle employee who is an "access person" of the Fund will also be subject
to the provisions of Berger LLC's Code of Ethics, if those provisions are more
restrictive than the provisions of Bay Isle's own code. Each employee must
acknowledge quarterly that they are in compliance with the Bay Isle code of
ethics and related policies.

5.                EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS

ALL FUNDS EXCEPT THE BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND

                  In addition to paying an investment advisory fee to its
advisor, each Fund (other than the Berger/BIAM International Fund) pays all of
its expenses not assumed by its advisor, including, but not limited to,
custodian and transfer agent fees, legal and accounting expenses, administrative
and record keeping expenses, interest charges, federal and state taxes, costs of
share certificates, expenses of shareholders' meetings, compensation of
directors or trustees who are not interested persons of Berger LLC, expenses of
printing and distributing reports to shareholders and federal and state
administrative agencies, and all expenses incurred in connection with the
execution of its portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions on
purchases and sales of portfolio securities, which are considered a cost of
securities of each Fund. Each Fund also pays all expenses incurred in complying
with all federal and state laws and the laws of any foreign country applicable
to the issue, offer or sale of shares of the Fund, including, but not limited
to, all costs involved in preparing and printing prospectuses for shareholders
of the Fund.


                  Under a separate Administrative Services Agreement with
respect to each of such Funds, Berger LLC performs certain administrative and
recordkeeping services not otherwise performed by the Fund's custodian and
recordkeeper, including the preparation of financial statements and reports to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulatory
authorities. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, each Fund paid Berger
LLC a fee, before any waivers, at an annual rate of 0.01% of its average daily
net assets for such services. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated
the 0.01% administrative fee charged to the Funds. The administrative services
fees may be changed by the directors or trustees without shareholder approval.
In addition, Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to
certain funds was reduced. The advisory fee reductions are reflected earlier
under Investment Advisory Agreements.


                  The following tables show the total dollar amounts of advisory
fees and administrative services fees paid by each of such Funds for the periods
indicated and the amount of such fees waived on account of excess expenses under
applicable expense limitations. Except where noted, these amounts were paid to
Berger LLC.

                       BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Advisory Fee
  Fiscal Year            Investment            Administrative        Waiver and Expense           TOTAL
    Ended(1)           Advisory Fee(2)         Service Fee(3)         Reimbursement(4)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>                    <C>                    <C>                     <C>
Sept. 30, 1999           $ 97,000               $ 11,000               $ (47,000)              $ 61,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb. 28, 1999            $ 68,000               $ 30,000               $ (84,000)              $ 14,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb. 28, 1998(5)         $  8,000               $ 27,000               $ (35,000)              $ 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 1999.


(2) Under the advisory agreement in effect prior to the reorganization
referenced in note (1), the Fund's predecessor paid an advisory fee at an annual
rate of 0.95% of its average daily net assets to Bay Isle. As part of the
reorganization, the investment advisory fee of 0.90% payable to Berger LLC came
into effect.


                                      -33-
<PAGE>


Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was
reduced to 0.85% of the first $500 million of average net assets; 0.80% on the
next $500 million of average net assets; and 0.75% of average net assets
exceeding $1 billion.



(3) Under the administrative service agreement in effect prior to the
reorganization referenced in note (1), the Fund's predecessor paid to a third
party administrator an administrative services fee at the annual rate of 0.20%
of average net assets, subject to a $30,000 annual minimum. As part of the
reorganization, the administrative service fee of 0.01% payable to Berger LLC
came into effect. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the 0.01%
administrative fee charged to the Funds.


(4) Prior to the reorganization referenced in note (1), the Fund's prior advisor
had voluntarily agreed to reduce its fees and/or pay expenses of the Fund to
ensure that the Fund's expenses did not exceed 1.50%. During 1998, in addition
to waiving its entire advisory fee and reimbursing the Fund for the entire
administrative service fee, the Fund's prior advisor reimbursed the Fund for
$59,000 of additional expenses in order to meet the applicable expense
limitation. As part of the reorganization, the current expense limitation
arrangements came into effect with Berger LLC, which are described in note (2)
to the table appearing above under the heading "Investment Advisory Agreements."

(5) The Fund was the accounting survivor in the reorganization referenced in
note (1). Accordingly, this covers the period April 8, 1997 (commencement of
operations of the predecessor) to February 28, 1998, of the Fund's predecessor.

                                                     BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                 $1,714,000              $19,000                  $ 0                $1,733,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1998                 $1,229,000              $14,000                  $ 0                $1,243,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1997                 $ 962,000               $20,000                  $ 0                $ 982,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



                                                       BERGER SELECT FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                  $740,000               $10,000                  $ 0                 $750,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         1998*                  $143,000                $2,000                  $ 0                 $145,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

* Covers period from December 31, 1997 (commencement of operations) through the
end of the Fund's first fiscal year on September 30, 1998.

                                                BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver                 TOTAL
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                 $5,582,000              $ 62,000                 $ 0                $5,644,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1998                 $6,984,000              $ 78,000                 $ 0                $7,062,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1997                 $6,831,000              $ 78,000                 $ 0                $6,909,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                                  BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                 $3,996,000              $44,000                  $ 0                $4,040,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1998                 $1,515,000              $17,000                  $ 0                $1,532,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         1997*^                $ 418,000               $ 4,000                  $ 0                $ 422,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

* On February 14, 1997, new fee arrangements came into effect for the Fund with
shareholder approval, at which time Berger LLC became the Fund's advisor and
administrator and PWM, the Fund's former investment advisor, became the Fund's
sub-advisor.


                                      -34-
<PAGE>


^ Under the Investment Advisory Agreement in effect for the Fund until February
14, 1997, the Fund paid an advisory fee to PWM at an annual rate of 1.00% of the
Fund's average daily net assets. The Fund's fiscal year end was changed from
December 31 to September 30 during 1997. Accordingly, the amounts shown for 1997
cover the period January 1, 1997, through September 30, 1997.


                                                     BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                  $88,000                 $1,000                  $ 0                 $89,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         1998*                  $20,000                  $ 0                 $(12,000)              $ 8,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

* Covers period from December 31, 1997 (commencement of operations) through the
end of the Fund's first fiscal year on September 30, 1998.

                                                     BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                  $176,000                $2,000                  $ 0                 $178,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         1998*                  $20,000                  $ 0                    $ 0                 $20,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

* Covers period from August 12, 1998 (commencement of operations) through the
end of the Fund's first fiscal year on September 30, 1998.

                                                         BERGER GROWTH FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                    <C>
          1999                $10,835,000              $144,000                 $ 0               $10,979,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1998                $12,939,000              $173,000                 $ 0               $13,112,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1997                $14,424,000              $192,000                 $ 0               $14,616,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                                 BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                 $2,740,000              $37,000                  $ 0                $2,777,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1998                 $2,539,000              $ 34,000                 $ 0                $2,573,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1997                 $2,442,000              $ 32,000                 $ 0                $2,474,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                                      BERGER BALANCED FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Fiscal Year Ended           Investment           Administrative         Advisory Fee              TOTAL
     September 30,            Advisory Fee           Service Fee              Waiver
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                   <C>                    <C>                     <C>
          1999                  $616,000               $ 9,000                  $ 0                 $625,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1998                  $168,000               $ 2,000               $(16,000)              $154,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


                                      -35-
<PAGE>


                  Each of the Funds has appointed Investors Fiduciary Trust
Company ("IFTC"), 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105, as its recordkeeping
and pricing agent. In addition, IFTC also serves as the Funds' custodian,
transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent. IFTC has engaged DST Systems, Inc.
("DST"), P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121, as sub-agent to provide
transfer agency and dividend disbursing services for the Funds. Approximately
32% of the outstanding shares of DST are owned by Stilwell.


                  As recordkeeping and pricing agent, IFTC calculates the daily
net asset value of each Fund and performs certain accounting and recordkeeping
functions required by the Funds. The Funds pay IFTC a monthly base fee plus an
asset-based fee. IFTC is also reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

                  IFTC, as custodian, and its subcustodians have custody and
provide for the safekeeping of the Funds' securities and cash, and receive and
remit the income thereon as directed by the management of the Funds. The
custodian and subcustodians do not perform any managerial or policy-making
functions for the Funds. For its services as custodian, IFTC receives an
asset-based fee plus certain transaction fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

                  As transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, IFTC (through
DST, as sub-agent) maintains all shareholder accounts of record; assists in
mailing all reports, proxies and other information to the Funds' shareholders;
calculates the amount of, and delivers to the Funds' shareholders, proceeds
representing all dividends and distributions; and performs other related
services. For these services, IFTC receives a fee from the Funds at an annual
rate of $14.00 per open Fund shareholder account, subject to preset volume
discounts, plus certain transaction fees and fees for closed accounts, and is
reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, which fees in turn are passed through to
DST as sub-agent.

                  All of IFTC's fees are subject to reduction pursuant to an
agreed formula for certain earnings credits on the cash balances of the Funds.
Earnings credits received by each Fund can be found on the Fund's Statement of
Operations in the Annual Report incorporated by reference into this Statement of
Additional Information.

BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND

                  The Berger/BIAM International Fund is allocated and bears
indirectly its pro rata share of the aggregate annual operating expenses of the
Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, since all of the investable assets of the
Fund are invested in the Portfolio.

                  Expenses of the Portfolio include, among others, its pro rata
share of the expenses of Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, of which the
Portfolio is a series, such as: expenses of registering the Trust with
securities authorities; the compensation of its independent trustees; expenses
of preparing reports to investors and to governmental offices and commissions;
expenses of meetings of investors and trustees of the Trust; legal fees; and
insurance premiums of the Trust. Expenses of the Portfolio also include, among
others, the fees payable to the advisor under the Investment Advisory Agreement;
expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, including
brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of portfolio securities (which are
considered a cost of securities of the Portfolio); custodian fees; auditors'
fees; interest and taxes imposed on the Portfolio; transfer agent, recordkeeping
and pricing agent fees; and such other non-recurring and extraordinary items as
may arise from time to time.

                  Expenses of the Berger/BIAM International Fund include, among
others, its pro rata share of the expenses of the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
Trust, of which the Fund is a series, such as: expenses of registering the Trust
with securities authorities; expenses of meetings of the shareholders of the
Trust; and legal fees. Expenses of the Fund also include, among others,
registration and filing fees incurred in registering shares of the Fund with
securities authorities; 12b-1 fees; taxes imposed on the Fund; the fee payable
to the Advisor under the Administrative Services Agreement; and such other
non-recurring and extraordinary items as may arise from time to time.

                  SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUND. Under an Administrative
Services Agreement with the Berger/BIAM International Fund, BBOI Worldwide
serves as the administrator of the Fund. In this capacity, it is responsible for
administering and managing all aspects of the Fund's day-to-day operations,
subject to the oversight of the trustees of the Fund. BBOI Worldwide is
responsible, at its expense, for furnishing (or procuring other parties to
furnish) all administrative services reasonably necessary for the operation of
the Fund, including recordkeeping and pricing services, custodian services,
transfer agency and dividend disbursing services, tax and audit services,
insurance, printing and mailing to shareholders of prospectuses and other
required communications, and certain other administrative and recordkeeping
services, such as coordinating matters


                                      -36-
<PAGE>

relating to the operations of the Fund, monitoring the Fund's status as a
"regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code, coordinating
registration of sufficient Fund shares under federal and state securities laws,
arranging for and supervising the preparation of registration statements, tax
returns, proxy materials, financial statements and reports for filing with
regulatory authorities and distribution to shareholders of the Fund. Under the
Administrative Services Agreement, the Fund pays BBOI Worldwide a fee at an
annual rate equal to the lesser of (i) 0.45% of its average daily net assets, or
(ii) BBOI Worldwide's annual cost to provide or procure these services
(including the fees of any services providers whose services are procured by
BBOI Worldwide), plus an additional 0.02% of the Fund's average daily net
assets. The trustees of the Fund regularly review amounts paid to and
expenditures incurred by BBOI Worldwide pursuant to the Administrative Services
Agreement. In addition, in the event that BBOI Worldwide's duties under the
Administrative Services Agreement are delegated to another party, BBOI Worldwide
may take into account, in calculating the cost of such services, only the costs
incurred by such other party in discharging the delegated duties.

                  Under a Sub-Administration Agreement between BBOI Worldwide
and Berger LLC, Berger LLC has been delegated the responsibility to perform
certain of the administrative and recordkeeping services required under the
Administrative Services Agreement and to procure, at BBOI Worldwide's expense,
third parties to provide the services not provided by Berger LLC. Under the
Sub-Administration Agreement, Berger LLC is paid a fee by BBOI Worldwide of
0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets for its services. During certain
periods, Berger LLC may voluntarily waive all or a portion of its fee from BBOI
Worldwide, which will not affect the fee paid by the Fund to BBOI Worldwide
under the Administrative Services Agreement.


                  IFTC has been appointed to provide recordkeeping and pricing
services to the Fund, including calculating the daily net asset value of the
Fund, and to perform certain accounting and recordkeeping functions that it
requires. In addition, IFTC has been appointed to serve as the Fund's custodian,
transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent. IFTC has engaged DST as
sub-transfer agent to provide transfer agency and dividend disbursing services
for the Funds. The fees of Berger LLC, IFTC and DST are all paid by BBOI
Worldwide. Approximately 32% of the outstanding shares of DST are owned by
Stilwell.


                  SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PORTFOLIO. Under the Investment
Advisory Agreement between BBOI Worldwide and the Berger/BIAM International
Portfolio, in addition to providing investment advisory services, BBOI Worldwide
is responsible for providing or arranging for all managerial and administrative
services necessary for the operations of the Portfolio. BBOI Worldwide is
responsible for providing certain of these services at its own expense, such as
compliance monitoring and preparing investor communications, which have been
delegated to Berger LLC as part of the Sub-Administration Agreement discussed
above. Other services are procured from third party service providers at the
Portfolio's own expense, such as custody, recordkeeping and pricing services.

                  The Portfolio has appointed IFTC as recordkeeping and pricing
agent to calculate the daily net asset value of the Portfolio and to perform
certain accounting and recordkeeping functions required by the Portfolio. In
addition, the Portfolio has appointed IFTC as its custodian and transfer agent.
IFTC has engaged State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"), P.O. Box
351, Boston, MA 02101, as sub-custodian for the Portfolio. For custodian,
recordkeeping and pricing services, the Portfolio pays fees directly to IFTC
based on a percentage of its net assets, subject to certain minimums, and
reimburses IFTC for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

                  The following table shows the total dollar amounts of advisory
fees paid by the Portfolio to BBOI Worldwide for the periods indicated and the
amount of such fees waived on account of excess expenses under applicable
expense limitations. The investment advisory fee is paid by the Portfolio and is
borne indirectly pro rata by the Fund and the other mutual funds invested in the
Portfolio.

                                           BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year Ended              Investment                   Advisory Fee                TOTAL
September 30,                  Advisory Fee                 Waiver
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                            <C>                          <C>                         <C>
         1999                  $2,010,000                   $(17,000)                   $1,993,000
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         1998                  $1,531,000                   $(61,000)                   $1,470,000
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        1997*                  $  560,000                   $(61,000)                   $  499,000
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


                                      -37-
<PAGE>


       * Covers period from October 11, 1996 (commencement of investment
       operations of the Portfolio) through the end of the Portfolio's first
       fiscal year on September 30, 1997.


                  In addition, the Fund paid BBOI Worldwide the following
amounts for its services under the Administrative Services Agreement.

BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year Ended September 30,                       Administrative Service Fee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                   <C>
                   1999                               $ 87,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   1998                               $ 85,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   1997*                              $ 63,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


         * Covers period from November 7, 1996 (commencement of investment
         operations of the Fund) through the end of the Fund's first fiscal year
         on September 30, 1997.


                  As noted above with respect to the other Berger Funds, all of
IFTC's fees are subject to reduction pursuant to an agreed formula for certain
earnings credits on the cash balances maintained with it as custodian. Earnings
credits received by the Portfolio can be found on the Portfolio's Statement of
Operations in the Annual Report incorporated by reference into this Statement of
Additional Information.

12b-1 PLANS

         Each of the Funds has adopted a 12b-1 plan (the "Plan") pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which provides for the
payment to Berger LLC of a 12b-1 fee of 0.25% per annum of the Fund's average
daily net assets to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale
of Fund shares. The Plans are intended to benefit the Funds by attracting new
assets into the Funds and thereby affording potential cost reductions due to
economies of scale.

         The expenses paid by Berger LLC may include, but are not limited to:

- --       payments made to, and costs incurred by, a Fund's principal underwriter
         in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, including payments
         made to and expenses of officers and registered representatives of the
         Distributor;

- --       payments made to and expenses of other persons (including employees of
         Berger LLC) who are engaged in, or provide support services in
         connection with, the distribution of Fund shares, such as answering
         routine telephone inquiries and processing shareholder requests for
         information;

- --       compensation (including incentive compensation and/or continuing
         compensation based on the amount of customer assets maintained in a
         Fund) paid to securities dealers, financial institutions and other
         organizations which render distribution and administrative services in
         connection with the distribution of Fund shares, including services to
         holders of Fund shares and prospective investors;

- --       costs related to the formulation and implementation of marketing and
         promotional activities, including direct mail promotions and
         television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass media
         advertising;

- --       costs of printing and distributing prospectuses and reports to
         prospective shareholders of Fund shares;

- --       costs involved in preparing, printing and distributing sales literature
         for Fund shares;

- --       costs involved in obtaining whatever information, analyses and reports
         with respect to market and promotional activities on behalf of a Fund
         relating to Fund shares that Berger LLC deems advisable;

- --       and such other costs relating to Fund shares as the Fund may from time
         to time reasonably deem necessary or appropriate in order to finance
         activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares.

                    Such 12b-1 fee payments are to be made by each Fund to
Berger LLC with respect to each fiscal year of the Fund without regard to the
actual distribution expenses incurred by Berger LLC in such year; that is, if
the distribution


                                      -38-
<PAGE>

expenditures incurred by Berger LLC are less than the total of such payments in
such year, the difference is not to be reimbursed to the Fund by Berger LLC, and
if the distribution expenditures incurred by Berger LLC are more than the total
of such payments, the excess is not to be reimbursed to Berger LLC by the Fund.

                    From time to time a Fund may engage in activities which
jointly promote the sale of Fund shares and other funds that are or may in the
future be advised or administered by Berger LLC, which costs are not readily
identifiable as related to any one fund. In such cases, a Fund's 12b-1 fees may
be used to finance the joint promotion of the shares of that Fund, along with
the shares of the other fund. Berger LLC allocates the cost of such joint
promotional activity among the funds involved on the basis of their respective
net assets, unless otherwise directed by the directors or trustees.

                    The current 12b-1 Plans will continue in effect until the
end of April 2000, and from year to year thereafter if approved at least
annually by each Fund's directors or trustees and those directors or trustees
who are not interested persons of the Fund and have no direct or indirect
financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any related agreements by
votes cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. The Plans may not be
amended to increase materially the amount to be spent on distribution of Fund
shares without shareholder approval.


                    Following are the payments made to Berger LLC pursuant to
the Plans for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          FUND                                               12b-1 PAYMENTS
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          <S>                                                <C>
          Berger Information Technology Fund(1)(2)           $2,000 (1)
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger New Generation Fund(2)                      $  476,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Select Fund                                 $  247,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Small Company Growth Fund(2)                $1,551,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Small Cap Value Fund(2)                     $  545,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund                         $   29,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Mid Cap Value Fund                          $   59,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Growth Fund                                 $3,612,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger/BIAM International Fund                     $   50,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Growth and Income Fund                      $  913,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
          Berger Balanced Fund                               $  220,000
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


         (1) The Fund did not start offering the Investor Shares class of shares
         bearing a 12b-1 fee until July 1999.









         (2) The Berger Information Technology Fund, the Berger New Generation
         Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund and the Berger Small Cap
         Value Fund have adopted a 12b-1 Plan only with respect to the Investor
         Shares class of shares, which is the class of shares of those Funds
         covered by this SAI.





OTHER EXPENSE INFORMATION

                    The directors or trustees of each of the Funds have
authorized portfolio transactions to be placed on an agency basis through DST
Securities, Inc. ("DSTS"), a wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When
transactions are effected through DSTS, the commission received by DSTS is
credited against, and thereby reduces, certain operating expenses that the Fund
would otherwise be obligated to pay. No portion of the commission is retained by
DSTS. See Section 6--Brokerage Policy for further information concerning the
expenses reduced as a result of these arrangements. DSTS may be considered an
affiliate of Berger LLC due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST
and Berger LLC.

                    The Funds and/or their advisors have entered into
arrangements with certain brokerage firms and other companies(such as
recordkeepers and administrators) to provide administrative services (such as
sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping, shareholder communications, sub-accounting
and/or other services) to investors purchasing shares of the Funds through those
firms or companies. A Fund's advisor or a Fund (if approved by its directors or
trustees) may pay fees to these companies for their services. These companies
may also be appointed as agents for or authorized by the Funds to accept on


                                      -39-
<PAGE>

their behalf purchase and redemption requests that are received in good order.
Subject to Fund approval, certain of these companies may be authorized to
designate other entities to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of
the Funds.

                    The Fund's advisor may also enter into arrangements with
organizations that solicit clients for the advisor, which may include clients
who purchase shares of the Funds. While the specific terms of each arrangement
may differ, generally, the fee paid by the advisor under such arrangements is
based on the value of the referred client's assets managed by the advisor.
None of the fees paid to such organizations will be borne by the Funds.

DISTRIBUTOR

                    The distributor (principal underwriter) of each Fund's
shares is Berger Distributors LLC (the "Distributor"), 210 University Boulevard,
Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206. The Distributor may be reimbursed by Berger LLC for
its costs in distributing the Funds' shares.

6.                  BROKERAGE POLICY

                    Although each Fund retains full control over its own
investment policies, under the terms of its Investment Advisory Agreement, the
advisor is directed to place the portfolio transactions of the Fund. Where
applicable, the advisor may delegate placement of brokerage to a Fund's
sub-advisor. A report on the placement of brokerage business is given to the
directors or trustees of each Fund every quarter, indicating the brokers with
whom Fund portfolio business was placed and the basis for such placement. The
brokerage commissions paid by the Funds during the past three fiscal years were
as follows:

                                                       BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  FOR THE YEAR/PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  1999                   1998                  1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                               <C>                <C>                   <C>
BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND                $ 4,000(1)         $10,000(1)            $6,000(1)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND                        $349,000           $340,000              $165,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER SELECT FUND                                $972,000           $536,000(2)           N/A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND                  $807,000           $890,000              $1,044,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND                       $1,870,000         $567,000              $306,000(3)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND                        $  27,000          $ 15,000(2)           N/A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND                         $ 129,000          $ 33,000(4)           N/A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER GROWTH FUND                                $6,010,000         $9,258,000            $6,671,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND (5)                $155,000           $225,000              $234,000(5)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND                     $805,000           $2,397,000            $1,124,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BERGER BALANCED FUND                              $291,000           $207,000              N/A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 1999. Accordingly, the brokerage commissions shown
for 1997 were paid by the Fund's predecessor during the period April 8, 1997
(commencement of operations of the predecessor) to February 28, 1998, and the
brokerage commissions shown for 1998 were paid by the Fund's predecessor during
its fiscal year ended February 28, 1999. Brokerage commissions shown for 1999
were paid by the Fund for the period from March 1, 1999 through September 30,
1999.



(2) Covers period from December 31, 1997 (commencement of operations) through
the end of the Fund's first fiscal year on September 30, 1998.



                                      -40-
<PAGE>


(3) The Fund's fiscal year end was changed from December 31 to September 30
during 1997. Accordingly, the brokerage commissions shown for 1997 cover the
period January 1, 1997, through September 30, 1997.



(4) Covers period from August 12, 1998 (commencement of operations) through the
end of the Fund's first fiscal year on September 30, 1998.



(5) These are brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio in which all the
Fund's investable assets are invested. Commissions paid by the Portfolio are
borne indirectly pro rata by the Fund and the other mutual funds invested in the
Portfolio. The brokerage commissions shown for 1997 cover the period November 7,
1996 (commencement of Fund investment operations) through the end of the
Portfolio's first fiscal year on September 30, 1997.


                    The Investment Advisory Agreement each Fund has with its
advisor authorizes and directs the advisor to place portfolio transactions for
the Fund only with brokers and dealers who render satisfactory service in the
execution of orders at the most favorable prices and at reasonable commission
rates. Where applicable, the Sub-Advisory Agreement for each sub-advised Fund
similarly directs the sub-advisor. However, each Agreement specifically
authorizes the advisor or sub-advisor to place such transactions with a broker
with whom it has negotiated a commission that is in excess of the commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if
the advisor or sub-advisor determines in good faith that such amount of
commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research
services provided by such broker viewed in terms of either that particular
transaction or the overall responsibilities of the advisor or sub-advisor.
Accordingly, the advisor or sub-advisor does not have an obligation to seek the
lowest available commission.

                    In accordance with this provision of the Agreement,
portfolio brokerage business of each Fund may be placed with brokers who provide
useful brokerage and research services to the advisor or, where applicable, the
sub-advisor. The Fund's advisor or sub-advisor may consider the value of
research provided as a factor in the choice of brokers. "Research" includes
computerized on-line stock quotation systems and related data feeds from stock
exchanges, computerized trade order entry, execution and confirmation systems,
fundamental and technical analysis data and software, computerized stock market
and business news services, economic research, account performance data and
computer hardware used for the receipt of electronic research services and
broker and other third-party equity research, such as publications or writings
which furnish advice as to the value of securities and advisability of
investing, and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities,
market trends, and portfolio strategies. Research may be provided orally, in
print, or electronically. These include a service used by the independent
directors or trustees of the Funds in reviewing the Investment Advisory
Agreements.

                    In some cases, a product or services termed "research" may
serve other functions unrelated to the making of investment decisions. When a
product has such a mixed use, the advisor or sub-advisor will make a good faith
allocation of the cost of the product according to the use made of it. The
portion of the product that assists the advisor or sub-advisor in the investment
decision-making process may be paid for with a Fund's commission dollars. The
advisor or sub-advisor pays for the portion of the product that is not
"research" with its own funds. Accordingly, the decision whether and how to
allocate the costs of such a product presents a conflict of interest for the
advisor or sub-advisor.


                    The Funds' advisors and sub-advisors do not enter into
formal agreements with any brokers regarding the placement of securities
transactions because of any such brokerage or research services that they
provide. An advisor or sub-advisor may, however, make arrangements with and
maintain internal procedures for allocating transactions to brokers who provide
such services to encourage them to provide services expected to be useful to the
advisor's or sub-advisor's clients, including the Funds. Brokers may suggest a
level of business they would like to receive in return for the brokerage and
research they provide. The advisor or sub-advisor then determines whether to
continue receiving the research and brokerage provided and the approximate
amount of commissions it is willing to pay to continue the brokerage and
research arrangement with each broker. The actual amount of commissions a broker
may receive may be more or less than a broker's suggested allocations, depending
on the advisor's or sub-advisor's level of business, market conditions and other
relevant factors. Even under these arrangements, however, the placement of all
Fund transactions, must be consistent with the Funds' brokerage placement and
execution policies, and must be directed to a broker who renders satisfactory
service in the execution of orders at the most favorable prices and at
reasonable commission rates.



                    During the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, of the
brokerage commissions paid by the Funds, the following amounts were paid to
brokers who provided to the Funds selected brokerage or research services
prepared by the broker or subscribed or paid for by the broker on behalf of the
Funds:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  FUND                                               AMOUNT OF TRANSACTIONS              AMOUNT OF COMMISSIONS
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <S>                                                <C>                                 <C>


                                      -41-
<PAGE>

<CAPTION>
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  FUND                                               AMOUNT OF TRANSACTIONS              AMOUNT OF COMMISSIONS
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <S>                                                <C>                                 <C>
  Berger Information Technology Fund                        $298,000(1)                        $   2,000 (1)
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger New Generation Fund                               $ 22,354,000                        $  34,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Select Fund                                       $ 122,151,000                       $ 133,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Small Company Growth Fund                         $ 39,444,000                        $  98,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Small Cap Value Fund                               $33,733,000                        $  98,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund                                $ 6,002,000                        $  11,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Mid Cap Value Fund                                $ 33,336,000                        $  78,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Growth Fund                                       $713,737,000                        $ 912,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger/BIAM International Fund                                $ 0                            $       0
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Growth and Income Fund                            $126,947,000                        $ 155,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Berger Balanced Fund                                      $73,542,000                        $  95,000
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 1999. Accordingly, the amounts shown cover the
period from March 1, 1999 through September 30, 1999.


                    These brokerage and research services received from brokers
are often helpful to the advisor or sub-advisor in performing its investment
advisory responsibilities to the Funds, and the availability of such services
from brokers does not reduce the responsibility of the advisor's or
sub-advisor's advisory personnel to analyze and evaluate the securities in which
the Funds invest. The brokerage and research services obtained as a result of
the Funds' brokerage business also will be useful to the advisor or sub-advisor
in making investment decisions for its other advisory accounts, and, conversely,
information obtained by reason of placement of brokerage business of such other
accounts may be used by the advisor or sub-advisor in rendering investment
advice to the Funds. Although such brokerage and research services may be deemed
to be of value to the advisor or sub-advisor, they are not expected to decrease
the expenses that the advisor or sub-advisor would otherwise incur in performing
its investment advisory services for the Funds nor will the advisory fees that
are received by the advisor or sub-advisor from the Funds be reduced as a result
of the availability of such brokerage and research services from brokers.

                    The directors or trustees of each of the Funds have
authorized portfolio transactions to be placed on an agency basis through DSTS,
a wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When transactions are effected
through DSTS, the commission received by DSTS is credited against, and thereby
reduces, certain operating expenses that the Fund would otherwise be obligated
to pay. No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. DSTS may be considered
an affiliate of Berger LLC due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST
and Berger LLC.

                    Included in the brokerage commissions paid by the Funds
during the last three fiscal years, as stated in the preceding Brokerage
Commissions table, are the following amounts paid to DSTS, which served to
reduce each Fund's out-of-pocket expenses as follows:

                                 DSTS COMMISSIONS AND RELATED EXPENSE REDUCTIONS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                DSTS            Reduction     DSTS           Reduction     DSTS           Reduction
                                Commissions     in Expenses   Commissions    in Expenses   Commissions    in Expenses
                                Paid            FYE           Paid           FYE           Paid           FYE
                                FYE 9/30/99     9/30/99(1)    FYE 9/30/98    9/30/98(1)    FYE 9/30/97    9/30/97(1)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                             <C>             <C>           <C>            <C>           <C>            <C>
Berger Information Technology   $ 0(2)          $ 0           $ 0(2)         $ 0               $ 0(2)     $  0
Fund
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger New Generation Fund      $6,000(3)       $4,500        $2,000         $1,500            $ 0        $  0
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Select Fund              $61,000(4)      $46,000       $9,000(5)      $7,000(5)        N/A          N/A
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Small Company Growth     $ 6,000(6)      $ 4,500       $ 0            $ 0             $42,000       $31,000
Fund
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                      -42-
<PAGE>

<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                DSTS            Reduction     DSTS           Reduction     DSTS           Reduction
                                Commissions     in Expenses   Commissions    in Expenses   Commissions    in Expenses
                                Paid            FYE           Paid           FYE           Paid           FYE
                                FYE 9/30/99     9/30/99(1)    FYE 9/30/98    9/30/98(1)    FYE 9/30/97    9/30/97(1)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                             <C>             <C>           <C>            <C>           <C>            <C>
Berger Small Cap Value Fund     $ 0             $ 0           $ 0            $ 0           $10,000        $7,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund      $ 0             $ 0           $ 0(7)         $ 0(7)        N/A            N/A
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Mid Cap Value Fund       $ 0             $ 0           $ 0(8)         $ 0(8)        N/A            N/A
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Growth Fund              $399,000(9)     $299,000      $390,000       $293,000      $527,000       $396,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger/BIAM International Fund  $ 0             $ 0           $ 0            $ 0           $ 0            $ 0
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Growth and Income Fund   $32,000(10)     $ 24,000      $ 28,000       $ 21,000      $35,000        $26,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Balanced Fund            $ 1,500(11)     $  1,000      $ 0            $ 0           N/A            N/A
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. Difference between
commissions paid through DSTS and reduction in expenses constitute commissions
paid to an unaffiliated clearing broker.

(2) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 2, 1999. Accordingly, the amounts shown for FYE
9/30/97 were paid by the Fund's predecessor during the period April 8, 1997
(commencement of operations of the predecessor) to February 28, 1998, and the
amounts shown for FYE 9/30/98 were paid by the Fund's predecessor during its
fiscal year ended February 28, 1999. Amounts shown for FYE 9/30/99 cover the
period for March 1, 1999 to September 30, 1999.



(3) Constitutes 2% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Berger New
Generation Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions
placed by the Berger New Generation Fund.



(4) Constitutes 6% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Berger
Select Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions
placed by the Berger Select Fund.



(5) Covers the period from December 31, 1997 (commencement of operations)
through September 30, 1998.



(6) Constitutes 1% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by Berger Small
Company Growth Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of
transaction placed by Berger Small Company Growth Fund.



(7) Covers the period from December 31, 1997 (commencement of operations)
through September 30, 1998.



(8) Covers the period from August 12, 1998 (commencement of operations) through
September 30, 1998.



(9) Constitutes 7% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Berger
Growth Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions
placed by the Berger Growth Fund.



(10) Constitutes 4% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Berger
Growth and Income Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of
transactions placed by the Berger Growth and Income Fund.



(11) Constitutes less than 1% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the
Berger Balanced Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of
transactions placed by Berger Balanced Fund.



                    Under the Investment Advisory Agreement in effect until
February 14, 1997, for the Berger Small Cap Value Fund, the Fund's then advisor
was permitted to place the Fund's brokerage with affiliated brokers, subject to
adhering to certain procedures adopted by the trustees and subject to obtaining
prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price. Of the brokerage
commissions shown on the Brokerage Commissions table above for periods prior to
February 14, 1997, $138,000 was paid by the Fund to PWM, then the Fund's
advisor, now the Fund's sub-advisor, which is also a registered broker-dealer.





                    On February 14, 1997, new arrangements for the Berger Small
Cap Value Fund came into effect with shareholder approval and since that time,
the trustees have not authorized the Fund's brokerage to be placed with any
broker or dealer affiliated with the advisor or sub-advisor, except through DSTS
under the circumstances described above.

                    Each Fund's advisor or sub-advisor places securities orders
with a limited number of major institutional brokerage firms chosen for the
reliability and quality of execution; commission rates; quality of research
coverage of major U.S. companies, the U.S. economy and the securities markets;
promptness; back office capabilities; capital strength and financial stability;
prior performance in serving the advisor and its clients; and knowledge of other
buyers and sellers. The advisor or sub-advisor selects the broker for each order
based on the factors above, as well as the size, difficulty and other
characteristics of the order. The directors or trustees of the Funds have also
authorized sales of shares of the Funds by a broker-dealer and the
recommendations of a broker-dealer to its customers that they purchase Fund
shares to be considered as factors in the selection of broker-dealers to execute
portfolio transactions for the Funds. In addition, the advisor or sub-advisor
may also consider payments made by brokers to a Fund or to other persons on
behalf of a Fund for services provided to the Fund for which it would otherwise
be obligated to pay, such as transfer agency fees. In placing portfolio business
with any such broker or dealer, the advisor will seek the best execution of each
transaction.


                                      -43-
<PAGE>


                    During the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, Berger
Growth and Income Fund, Berger Balanced Fund and Berger Mid Cap Value Fund
acquired securities of the Funds' regular broker dealers. As of September 30,
1999, these Funds owned the following securities of its regular broker-dealers
with the following values:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     FUND                               BROKER/DEALER              VALUE           SECURITY
       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       <S>                               <C>                                   <C>            <C>
       Berger Growth and Income Fund     Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.      $ 4,272,081    Common Stock
                                         The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.           2,555,900    Common Stock
       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Berger Balanced Fund              Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.          981,062    Common Stock
                                         Merrill Lynch & Co.                     1,985,580    Bonds
                                         Bear Stearns                            1,036,305    Bonds
       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Berger Mid Cap Value Fund         Merrill Lynch & Co.                       147,812    Common Stock
       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


7.                HOW TO PURCHASE AND REDEEM SHARES IN THE FUNDS

<TABLE>
                  <S>                                                   <C>
                  MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENTS:
                           Regular investment                           $2,000
                           Low Minimum Investment Plan                  $  100
                  MINIMUM SUBSEQUENT INVESTMENTS:
                           Regular investment                           $   50
                           Regular automatic investment                 $   50
                           Low Minimum Investment Plan
                           (required monthly automatic investments)     $  100
</TABLE>

                  To purchase shares in any of the Funds, simply complete the
application form enclosed with the Prospectus. Then mail it with a check payable
to "Berger Funds" to the following address:

                  Berger Funds
                  P.O. Box 219958
                  Kansas City, MO  64121

                  If a shareholder is adding to an existing account, shares may
also be purchased by placing an order by telephone call to the Funds at
1-800-551-5849 or via on-line access, and remitting payment to DST Systems, Inc.
Payment for shares ordered on-line must be made by electronic funds transfer. In
order to make sure that payment for telephone purchases is received on time,
shareholders are encouraged to remit payment by electronic funds transfer.
Shareholders may also remit payment for telephone purchases by wire or by
overnight delivery.

                  In addition, Fund shares may be purchased through certain
broker-dealers that have established mutual fund programs and certain other
organizations connected with pension and retirement plans. These broker-dealers
and other organizations may charge investors a transaction or other fee for
their services, may require different minimum initial and subsequent investments
than the Funds and may impose other charges or restrictions different from those
applicable to shareholders who invest in the Funds directly. Fees charged by
these organizations will have the effect of reducing a shareholder's total
return on an investment in Fund shares. No such charge will apply to an investor
who purchases Fund shares directly from a Fund as described above.

                  Procedures for purchasing, selling (redeeming) and exchanging
Fund shares by telephone and on-line are described in the Prospectus. The Funds
may terminate or modify those procedures and related requirements at any time,
although shareholders of the Funds will be given notice of any termination or
material modification. Berger LLC may, at its own risk, waive certain of those
procedures and related requirements.

                  As described in the Prospectus, the Berger Information
Technology Fund will deduct a 1% redemption fee from a shareholder's redemption
proceeds if the shareholder redeems shares of that Fund held less than 6 months.
Because an exchange involves a redemption of shares followed by a purchase, this
redemption fee will also apply to exchanges of Fund shares held less than 6
months. This fee is intended to discourage investors from short-term trading of
Fund shares and to offset the cost to the Fund of excess brokerage and other
costs incurred as a result of such trading. This fee will not be charged


                                      -44-
<PAGE>

to retirement plan accounts (such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s) or in the case of
redemptions resulting from the death of the shareholder. This fee will also not
be charged on the redemption of shares obtained through the reinvestment of
dividends paid on Fund shares. If some but not all of the shares in an account
are redeemed, shares are treated as redeemed in an order determined by and
applied uniformly to all accounts by the Fund's sub-transfer agent.

8.                HOW THE NET ASSET VALUE IS DETERMINED

                  The net asset value of each Fund is determined once daily, at
the close of the regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange") (normally 4:00 p.m., New York time, Monday through Friday) each day
that the Exchange is open. The Exchange is closed and the net asset value of the
Funds is not determined on weekends and on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day each year. The per share net asset value
of each Fund is determined by dividing the total value of its securities and
other assets, less liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding.

                  For those Funds offering classes of shares, net asset value is
calculated by class, and since the Investor Shares and each other class of those
Funds has its own expenses, the per share net asset value of those Funds will
vary by class.

                  Since the Berger/BIAM International Fund invests all of its
investable assets in the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, the value of the
Fund's investable assets will be equal to the value of its beneficial interest
in the Portfolio. The value of securities held in the Portfolio are determined
as described below for the Funds.

                  In determining net asset value for each of the Funds,
securities listed or traded primarily on national exchanges, The Nasdaq Stock
Market and foreign exchanges are valued at the last sale price on such markets,
or, if such a price is lacking for the trading period immediately preceding the
time of determination, such securities are valued at the mean of their current
bid and asked prices. Securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market
are valued at the mean between their current bid and asked prices. The market
value of individual securities held by each Fund will be determined by using
prices provided by pricing services which provide market prices to other mutual
funds or, as needed, by obtaining market quotations from independent
broker/dealers. Short-term money market securities maturing within 60 days are
valued on the amortized cost basis, which approximates market value. All assets
and liabilities initially expressed in terms of non-U.S. dollar currencies are
translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates as quoted by one or
more banks or dealers shortly before the close of the Exchange. Securities and
assets for which quotations are not readily available or are not representative
of market value may be valued at their fair value determined in good faith
pursuant to consistently applied procedures established by the directors or
trustees. Examples would be when events occur that materially affect the value
of a security at a time when the security is not trading or when the securities
are illiquid.

                  Generally, trading in foreign securities markets is
substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the
Exchange. The values of foreign securities used in computing the net asset value
of the shares of a Fund are determined as of the earlier of such market close or
the closing time of the Exchange. Occasionally, events affecting the value of
such securities may occur between the times at which they are determined and the
close of the Exchange, or when the foreign market on which such securities trade
is closed but the Exchange is open, which will not be reflected in the
computation of net asset value. If during such periods, events occur which
materially affect the value of such securities, the securities may be valued at
their fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied
procedures established by the directors or trustees.

                  A Fund's securities may be listed primarily on foreign
exchanges or over-the-counter dealer markets which may trade on days when the
Exchange is closed (such as a customary U.S. holiday) and on which the Fund's
net asset value is not calculated. As a result, the net asset value of a Fund
may be significantly affected by such trading on days when shareholders cannot
purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.

9.                INCOME DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS
                  DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX TREATMENT

                  This discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax
issues relating to the Funds. As a summary, it is not an exhaustive discussion
of all possible tax ramifications. Accordingly, shareholders are urged to
consult with their tax advisors with respect to their particular tax
consequences.


                                      -45-
<PAGE>

                  TAX STATUS OF THE FUNDS. If a Fund meets certain investment
and distribution requirements, it will be treated as a "regulated investment
company" (a "RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to
federal income tax on earnings that it distributes in a timely manner to
shareholders. It also may be subject to an excise tax on undistributed income if
it does not meet certain timing requirements for distributions. Each of the
Funds intends to qualify as a RIC annually and to make timely distributions in
order to avoid income and excise tax liabilities.

                  TAX ON FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. With certain exceptions provided by
law, the Funds will report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each
shareholder information about the tax treatment of the shareholder's
distributions. Dividends paid by a Fund, whether received in cash or reinvested
in additional Fund shares, will be treated as ordinary income to the
shareholders. Distributions of net capital gain, whether received in cash or
reinvested in Fund shares, will be taxable to the shareholders, but the rate of
tax will vary depending upon the Fund's holding periods in the assets whose sale
resulted in the capital gain. Dividends and distributions that are declared in
October, November or December but not distributed until the following January
will be considered to be received by the shareholders on December 31.

                  In general, net capital gains from assets held by a Fund for
more than 12 months will be subject to a maximum tax rate of 20% and net capital
gains from assets held for 12 months or less will be taxed as ordinary income.
Distributions will be subject to these capital gains rates, regardless of how
long a shareholder has held Fund shares. Assets contributed to a Fund in an
in-kind purchase of Fund shares may generate more gain upon their sale than if
the assets had been purchased by the Fund with cash contributed to the Fund in a
cash purchase of Fund shares.


                  If a Fund's distributions for a taxable year exceeds its tax
earnings and profits available for distribution, all or a portion of its
distributions may be treated as a return of capital. To the extent a
distribution is treated as a return of capital, a shareholder's basis in his or
her Fund shares will be reduced by that amount.


                  If a shareholder has elected to receive dividends and/or
capital gain distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service is unable to
deliver checks to the shareholder's address of record, or if a shareholder's
checks remain uncashed for six months, the Funds reserve the right to reinvest
the amount distributed in additional Fund shares at the then-current NAV and to
convert the shareholder's distribution option from receiving cash to having all
dividend and other distributions reinvested in additional shares. In addition,
no interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or
redemption checks.

                  TAX ON REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES. Shareholders may be subject
to tax on the redemption of their Fund shares. In general, redemptions may give
rise to a capital gain or loss, the treatment of which will depend on the
shareholder's holding period in the Fund shares. Tax laws may prevent the
deduction of a loss on the sale of Fund shares if the shareholder reinvests in
the Fund shortly before or after the sale giving rise to the loss. Any loss on
the redemption or other sale or exchange of Fund shares held for six months or
less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term
capital gain distribution received on the shares.


                  INCOME FROM FOREIGN SOURCES. Dividends and interest received
by the Funds on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes
imposed by foreign countries, although these taxes may be reduced by applicable
tax treaties. Foreign taxes will generally be treated as expenses of the Funds,
unless a Fund has more than 50% of its assets invested in foreign corporate
securities at the end of the Fund's taxable year. In that case, for the Funds
that make an election, shareholders of the Fund may be able to deduct (as an
itemized deduction) or claim a foreign tax credit for their share of foreign
taxes, subject to limitations prescribed in the tax law.


                  If a Fund invests in a foreign corporation that is a passive
foreign investment company (a "PFIC"), special rules apply that may affect the
tax treatment of gains from the sale of the stock and may cause a Fund to incur
IRS tax and interest charges. However, the Fund may be eligible to elect one of
two alternative tax treatments with respect to PFIC shares which would avoid
these taxes and charges, but also may affect, among other things, the amount and
character of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of income with
respect to PFIC shares. Accordingly, the amounts, character and timing of income
distributed to shareholders of a Fund holding PFIC shares may differ
substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC shares.


                  INCOME FROM CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS. Some or all of the Funds'
investments may include transactions that are subject to special tax rules.
Transactions involving foreign currencies may give rise to a gain or loss that
could affect a Fund's ability to make ordinary dividend distributions.
Investment in certain financial instruments, such as options, futures contracts


                                      -46-
<PAGE>

and forward contracts, may require annual recognition of unrealized gains and
losses. Transactions that are treated as "straddles" may affect the character
and/or timing of other gains and losses of the Fund. If a Fund enters into a
transaction (such as a "short sale against the box") that reduces the risk of
loss on an appreciated financial position that it already holds, the entry into
the transaction may constitute a constructive sale and require immediate
recognition of gain.

                  BACKUP WITHHOLDING. In general, if a shareholder is subject to
backup withholding, a Fund will be required to withhold federal income tax at a
rate of 31% from distributions to that shareholder. These payments are
creditable against the shareholder's federal income tax liability.

                  FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS. Foreign shareholders of a Fund generally
will be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax on dividends paid by a Fund from
ordinary income and short-term capital gain, although the rate may be reduced by
a tax treaty. If a foreign shareholder dies while owning Fund shares, those
shares may be subject to U.S. estate taxes.


                  TAX STATUS OF THE BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO. The
Berger/BIAM International Portfolio, in which the Berger/BIAM International Fund
invests all of its investable assets, has in previous years been classified as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and it intends to retain that
classification. The Berger/BIAM International Fund is treated for various
federal tax purposes as owning an allocable share of the Portfolio's assets and
will be allocated a share of the Portfolio's income, gain and loss.


10.               SUSPENSION OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS

                  The right of redemption may be suspended for any period during
which the New York Stock Exchange is closed or the Securities and Exchange
Commission determines that trading on the Exchange is restricted, or when there
is an emergency as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a
result of which it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund to dispose of
securities owned by it or to determine the value of its net assets, or for such
other period as the Securities and Exchange Commission may by order permit for
the protection of shareholders of a Fund.

                  Each Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although
it retains the right to redeem its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances,
in order to protect the interests of the remaining shareholders, by the delivery
of securities selected from its assets at its discretion. Each Fund is, however,
governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 pursuant to
which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of
$250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any 90-day period for any
one shareholder. For purposes of this threshold, each underlying account holder
whose shares are held of record in certain omnibus accounts is treated as one
shareholder. Should redemptions by any shareholder during any 90-day period
exceed such limitation, the Fund will have the option of redeeming the excess in
cash or in-kind. If shares are redeemed in-kind, the redeeming shareholder
generally will incur brokerage costs in converting the assets to cash. The
redeeming shareholder may have difficulty selling the securities and recovering
the amount of the redemption if the securities are illiquid. The method of
valuing securities used to make redemption in-kind will be the same as the
method of valuing portfolio securities described under Section 8.

11.               TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS

                  The Funds offer several tax-qualified retirement plans for
individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations, including a Profit-Sharing
Plan, a Money Purchase Pension Plan, an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), a
Roth IRA and a 403(b) Custodial Account for adoption by employers and
individuals who wish to participate in such Plans. For information on other
types of retirement plans offered by the Funds, please call 1-800-333-1001 or
write to the Funds c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box 5005, Denver, CO 80217.

PROFIT-SHARING AND MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLANS

                  Employers, self-employed individuals and partnerships may make
tax-deductible contributions to the tax-qualified retirement plans offered by
the Funds. All income and capital gains accumulated in the Plans are tax free
until withdrawn. The amounts that are deductible depend upon the type of Plan or
Plans adopted.

                  If you, as an employer, self-employed person or partnership,
adopt the Profit-Sharing Plan, you may vary the amount of your contributions
from year to year and may elect to make no contribution at all for some years.
If you adopt the Money Purchase Pension Plan, you must commit yourself to make a
contribution each year according to a formula in the Plan


                                      -47-
<PAGE>

that is based upon your employees' compensation or your earned income. By
adopting both the Profit-Sharing and the Money Purchase Pension Plan, you can
increase the amount of contributions that you may deduct in any one year.

                  If you wish to purchase shares of any Fund in conjunction with
one or both of these tax-qualified plans, you may use an Internal Revenue
Service approved prototype Trust Agreement and Retirement Plan available from
the Funds. IFTC serves as trustee of the Plan, for which it charges an annual
trustee's fee for each Fund or Cash Account Trust Money Portfolio (discussed
below) in which the participant's account is invested. Contributions under the
Plans are invested exclusively in shares of the Funds or the Cash Account Trust
Money Market Portfolios, which are then held by the trustee under the terms of
the Plans to create a retirement fund in accordance with the tax code.

                  Distributions from the Profit-Sharing and Money Purchase
Pension Plans generally may not be made without penalty until the participant
reaches age 59 1/2 and must begin no later than April 1 of the calendar year
following the year in which the participant attains age 70 1/2. A participant
who is not a 5% owner of the employer may postpone such distributions to April 1
of the calendar year following the year of retirement. This exception does not
apply to distributions from an individual retirement account (IRA). Except for
required distributions after age 70 1/2, periodic distributions over more than
10 years and the distribution of any after-tax contributions, distributions are
subject to 20% Federal income tax withholding unless those distributions are
rolled directly to another qualified plan or an IRA. Participants may not be
able to receive distributions immediately upon request because of certain
requirements under federal tax law. Since distributions which do not satisfy
these requirements can result in adverse tax consequences, consultation with an
attorney or tax advisor regarding the Plans is recommended. You should also
consult with your tax advisor regarding state tax law implications of
participation in the Plans.


                  In order to receive the necessary materials to create a
Profit-Sharing or Money Purchase Pension Plan, please write to the Berger Funds,
c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box 5005, Denver, Colorado 80217, or call 1-800-333-1001.
Trustees for 401(k) or other existing plans interested in utilizing Fund shares
as an investment or investment alternative in their plans should contact the
Berger Funds at 1-800-333-1001.


INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT (IRA)

                  If you are an individual with compensation or earned income,
whether or not you are actively participating in an existing qualified
retirement plan, you can provide for your own retirement by adopting an IRA.
Under an IRA, you can contribute each year up to the lesser of 100% of your
compensation or $2,000. If you are married and you file a joint return, you and
your spouse together may make contributions totaling up to $4,000 to two IRAs
(with no more than $2,000 being contributed to either account) if your joint
income is $4,000 or more, even if one spouse has no earned income. If neither
you nor your spouse are active participants in an existing qualified retirement
plan, or if your income does not exceed certain amounts, the amounts contributed
to your IRA can be deducted for Federal income tax purposes whether or not your
deductions are itemized. If you or your spouse are covered by an existing
qualified retirement plan, the deductibility of your IRA contributions will be
phased out for federal income tax purposes if your income exceeds specified
amounts, although the income level at which your IRA contributions will no
longer be deductible is higher if only your spouse (but not you) is an active
participant. However, whether your contributions are deductible or not, the
income and capital gains accumulated in your IRA are not taxed until the account
is distributed.

                  If you wish to create an IRA to invest in shares of any Fund,
you may use the Fund's IRA custodial agreement form which is an adaptation of
the form provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Under the IRA custodial
agreement, IFTC will serve as custodian, for which it will charge an annual
custodian fee for each Fund or Cash Account Trust Money Market Portfolio in
which the IRA is invested.

                  Distributions from an IRA generally may not be made without
penalty until you reach age 59 1/2 and must begin no later than April 1 of the
calendar year following the year in which you attain age 70 1/2. Since
distributions which do not satisfy these requirements can result in adverse tax
consequences, consultation with an attorney or tax advisor is recommended. You
should also consult with your tax advisor about state taxation of your account.


                  In order to receive the necessary materials to create an IRA
account, please write to the Berger Funds, c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box 5005,
Denver, Colorado 80217, or call 1-800-333-1001.



                                      -48-
<PAGE>

ROTH IRA


                  If you are an individual with compensation or earned income,
you may contribute up to the lesser of $2,000 or 100% of your compensation to a
Roth IRA, as long as your income does not exceed a specified income level
($95,000 for single individuals, $150,000 for married individuals filing
jointly). A Roth IRA is similar in many respects to a traditional IRA, as
described above. However, the maximum amount you may contribute to a Roth IRA is
phased out between that income level and a maximum income amount ($110,000 and
$160,000, respectively), and you may not make any contribution at all to a Roth
IRA if your income exceeds the maximum income amount. Also, you can make
contributions to a Roth IRA even after you reach age 70 1/2, and you are not
required to take distributions from a Roth IRA prior to your death.


                  Contributions to a Roth IRA are not deductible for federal
income tax purposes. However, the income and capital gains accumulated in a Roth
IRA are not taxed while held in the IRA, and distributions can be taken tax-free
if the Roth IRA has been established for a minimum of five years and the
distribution is after age 59-1/2, for a first time home purchase, or upon death
or disability.


                  An individual with an income of less than $100,000 who is not
married filing separately can roll his or her existing IRA into a Roth IRA.
However, the individual must pay taxes on the fair market value of the existing
IRA on the date of the rollover. Please consult your tax advisor concerning Roth
IRA rollovers.


403(b) CUSTODIAL ACCOUNTS

                  If you are employed by a public school system or certain
federally tax-exempt private schools, colleges, universities, hospitals,
religious and charitable or other nonprofit organizations, you may establish a
403(b) Custodial Account.
Your employer must participate in the establishment of the account.

                  If your employer participates, it will automatically deduct
the amount you designate from your gross salary and contribute it to your 403(b)
Custodial Account. The amount which you may contribute annually under a salary
reduction agreement is generally the lesser of $9,500 or your exclusion
allowance, which is based upon a specified formula, and other Internal Revenue
Code limits apply. There is a $50 minimum investment in the 403(b) Custodial
Account. Contributions made to the account reduce the amount of your current
income subject to Federal income tax. Federal income tax is not paid on your
contribution until you begin making withdrawals. In addition, all income and
capital gains accumulated in the account are tax-free until withdrawn.


                  Withdrawals from your 403(b) Custodial Agreement may begin as
soon as you reach age 59 1/2 and must begin no later than April 1 of the year
following the later of the calendar year in which you attain age 70 1/2 or the
calendar year in which you retire. Except for required distributions after age
70 1/2 and periodic distributions over more than 10 years, distributions are
subject to 20% Federal income tax withholding unless those distributions are
rolled directly to another 403(b) account or annuity or an individual retirement
account (IRA). You may not be able to receive distributions immediately upon
request because of certain notice requirements under federal tax law. Since
distributions which do not satisfy these requirements can result in adverse tax
consequences, consultation with an attorney or tax advisor regarding the 403(b)
Custodial Account is recommended. You should also consult with your tax advisor
about state taxation of your account.


                  Individuals who wish to purchase shares of a Fund in
conjunction with a 403(b) Custodial Account may use a Custodian Account
Agreement and related forms available from the Funds. IFTC serves as custodian
of the 403(b) Custodial Account, for which it charges an annual custodian fee
for each Fund or Cash Account Trust Money Market Portfolio in which the
participant's account is invested.


                  In order to receive the necessary materials to create a 403(b)
Custodial Account, please write to the Berger Funds, c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box
5005, Denver, Colorado 80217, or call 1-800-333-1001.


12.               EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE AND SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN

                  A shareholder who owns shares of any of the Funds worth at
least $5,000 at the current net asset value may establish a Systematic
Withdrawal account from which a fixed sum will be paid to the shareholder at
regular intervals by the Fund in which the shareholder is invested.


                                      -49-
<PAGE>

                  To establish a Systematic Withdrawal account, the shareholder
deposits Fund shares with the Fund and appoints the Fund as agent to redeem
shares in the shareholder's account in order to make monthly, quarterly,
semi-annual or annual withdrawal payments to the shareholder of a fixed amount.
The minimum withdrawal payment is $50.00. These payments generally will be made
on the 25th day of the month.

                  Withdrawal payments are not yield or income on the
shareholder's investment, since portions of each payment will normally consist
of a return of the shareholder's investment. Depending on the size of the
disbursements requested and the fluctuation in value of the Fund's portfolio,
redemptions for the purpose of making such disbursements may reduce or even
exhaust the shareholder's account.

                  The shareholder may vary the amount or frequency of withdrawal
payments, temporarily discontinue them, or change the designated payee or
payee's address, by notifying the Fund. The shareholder may, of course, make
additional deposits of Fund shares in the shareholder's account at any time.

                  Since redemption of shares to make withdrawal payments is a
taxable event, each investor should consult a tax advisor concerning proper tax
treatment of the redemption.

                  Any shareholder may exchange any or all of the shareholder's
shares in any of the Funds for shares of any of the other available Berger Funds
or for shares of the Money Market Portfolio, the Government Securities Portfolio
or the Tax-Exempt Portfolio of the Cash Account Trust ("CAT Portfolios"),
separately managed, unaffiliated money market funds, without charge, after
receiving a current prospectus of the other Fund or CAT Portfolio. The exchange
privilege with the CAT Portfolios does not constitute an offering or
recommendation of the shares of any such CAT Portfolio by any of the Funds or
Berger LLC. Berger LLC is compensated for administrative services it performs
with respect to the CAT Portfolios.

                  Exchanges into or out of the Funds are made at the net asset
value per share next determined after the exchange request is received. Each
exchange represents the sale of shares from one Fund and the purchase of shares
in another, which may produce a gain or loss for income tax purposes. In
addition, exchanges out of the Berger Information Technology Fund will be
subject to a redemption fee of 1% if shares are exchanged within 6 months of
purchase.

                  An exchange of shares may be made by written request directed
to DST Systems, Inc., via on-line access, or simply by telephoning the Berger
Funds at 1-800-551-5849. This privilege may be terminated or amended by any of
the Funds, and is not available in any state in which the shares of the Fund or
CAT Portfolio being acquired in the exchange are not eligible for sale.
Shareholders automatically have telephone and on-line privileges to authorize
exchanges unless they specifically decline this service in the account
application or in writing.

13.               PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

                  From time to time in advertisements, the Funds may discuss
their performance ratings as published by recognized mutual fund statistical
services, such as Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies,
Inc., Morningstar, Inc., or Value Line Investment Survey or by publications of
general interest such as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY,
MONEY, BARRON'S, FINANCIAL WORLD or KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE. In
addition, the Funds may compare their performance to that of recognized
broad-based securities market indices, including the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock
Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Wilshire 5000 Index, the Russell
2000 Stock Index, the Standard & Poor's 400 Mid-Cap Index, the Standard & Poor's
600 Small Cap Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International EAFE (Europe,
Australasia, Far East) Index, the Dow Jones World Index, the Standard &
Poor's/BARRA Value Index, the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Lehman Brothers
Intermediate Term Government/Corporate Bond Index or the INFORMATIONWEEK 100
Index, or more narrowly-based or blended indices which reflect the market
sectors in which that Fund invests.

                  The total return of each Fund is calculated for any specified
period of time by assuming the purchase of shares of the Fund at the net asset
value at the beginning of the period. Each dividend or other distribution paid
by the Fund is assumed to have been reinvested at the net asset value on the
reinvestment date. The total number of shares then owned as a result of this
process is valued at the net asset value at the end of the period. The
percentage increase is determined by subtracting the initial value of the
investment from the ending value and dividing the remainder by the initial
value.

                  Each Fund's total return reflects the Fund's performance over
a stated period of time. An average annual total return reflects the
hypothetical annually compounded return that would have produced the same total
return if the Fund's


                                      -50-
<PAGE>

performance had been constant over the entire period. Total return figures are
based on the overall change in value of a hypothetical investment in each Fund.
Because average annual total returns for more than one year tend to smooth out
variations in a Fund's return, investors should recognize that such figures are
not the same as actual year-by-year results.

                  All performance figures for the Funds are based upon
historical results and do not assure future performance. The investment return
and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's
shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.


                  Quotations of average annual total return for the Funds will
be expressed in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of a
hypothetical investment in the Fund over periods of 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, or for
the life of the Fund, if shorter. These are the rates of return that would
equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value. These rates
of return are calculated pursuant to the following formula: P(1 + T) TO THE
POWER OF n = ERV (where P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000, T = the
average annual total return, n = the number of years and ERV = the ending
redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the
period). All total return figures reflect the deduction of a proportional share
of Fund expenses on an annual basis, and assume that all dividends and
distributions are reinvested when paid.


PREDECESSOR PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS

                  BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND. The Berger/BIAM International
Portfolio (in which all the investable assets of the Berger/BIAM International
Fund are invested) commenced operations upon the transfer to the Portfolio of
assets held in a pooled trust (the "Pool") maintained by Citizens Bank New
Hampshire, for which BIAM had provided day-to-day portfolio management as
sub-advisor since the inception of the Pool. At that time, BIAM's bank holding
company parent indirectly owned a 23.5% interest in the parent of Citizens Bank
New Hampshire. The investment objective, policies, limitations, guidelines and
strategies of the Pool were materially equivalent to those of the Berger/BIAM
International Fund and the Portfolio. Assets from the Pool were transferred on
October 11, 1996, to a separate "feeder" fund investing in the Portfolio which,
in turn, transferred those assets to the Portfolio in exchange for an interest
in the Portfolio. As a result of this transaction, the investment holdings in
the Portfolio were the same as the investment holdings in the portfolio of the
Pool immediately prior to the transfer, except for the seed capital provided by
Berger LLC.

                  The Pool was not a registered investment company since it was
exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940
Act"). Since, in a practical sense, the Pool constitutes the "predecessor" of
the Portfolio, the Fund calculates its performance for periods commencing prior
to the transfer of the Pool's assets to the Portfolio by including the Pool's
total return, adjusted at that time to reflect any increase in fees and expenses
applicable in operating the Fund, including the Fund's pro rata share of the
aggregate annual operating expenses, net of fee waivers, of the Portfolio. Those
fees and expenses included 12b-1 fees.

                  Performance data quoted for the Berger/BIAM International Fund
for periods prior to October 1996 include the performance of the Pool and
include periods before the Fund's and the Portfolio's registration statements
became effective. As noted above, the Pool was not registered under the 1940 Act
and thus was not subject to certain investment restrictions that are imposed on
the Fund and the Portfolio by the 1940 Act. If the Pool had been registered
under the 1940 Act, the Pool's performance might have been adversely affected.

                  BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND. Shares of the Berger Small Cap
Value Fund had no class designations until February 14, 1997, when all of the
then-existing shares were designated as Institutional Shares and the Fund
commenced offering the Investor Shares covered in this Statement of Additional
Information. Performance data for the Investor Shares include periods prior to
the adoption of class designations on February 14, 1997, and therefore do not
reflect the 0.25% per year 12b-1 fee applicable to the Investor Shares. Total
return of the Investor Shares and other classes of shares of the Fund will be
calculated separately. Because each class of shares is subject to different
expenses, the performance of each class for the same period will differ.

                  BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND. The Berger Information
Technology Fund is the accounting survivor and successor of a fund previously
known as the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund, which was
reorganized into the Fund effective July 2, 1999. As part of the reorganization,
all of the then-existing shares of the predecessor fund were exchanged for
Institutional Shares of the Fund, and the Fund commenced offering the Investor
Shares covered in this Statement of Additional Information.


                                      -51-
<PAGE>

                  The Fund quotes its historical performance track record for
both of its classes of shares based on its predecessor's only shares outstanding
prior to the reorganization. Accordingly, performance data for the Investor
Shares for periods prior to the date of the reorganization do not reflect the
0.25% per year 12b-1 fee currently borne by the Investor Shares. Total return of
the Investor Shares and other classes of shares of the Fund will be calculated
separately. Because each class of shares is subject to different expenses, the
performance of each class for the same period will differ.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS


                  The average annual total return for each of the Funds for
various periods ending September 30, 1999, are shown on the following table:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUND                               1-YEAR        3-YEAR       5-YEAR        10-YEAR      LIFE OF FUND
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>           <C>          <C>           <C>          <C>
Berger Information Technology      84.49%        N/A          N/A           N/A          53.03%
Fund - Investor Shares(1)                                                                (since 4/8/97)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger New Generation Fund -       110.82%       33.61%       N/A           N/A          34.35%
Investor Shares                                                                          (since 3/29/96)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Select Fund                 53.06%        N/A          N/A           N/A          49.85%
                                                                                         (since 12/31/97)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Small Company Growth Fund   62.78%        12.99%       20.10%        N/A          19.15%
- - Investor Shares                                                                        (since 12/30/93)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Small Cap Value Fund -      24.69%        18.08%       17.39%        13.15%       14.75%
Investor Shares(2)                                                                       (since 10/21/87)(3)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund         102.76%       N/A          N/A           N/A          57.57%
                                                                                         (since 12/31/97)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Mid Cap Value  Fund         31.12%        N/A          N/A           N/A          19.34%
                                                                                         (since 8/12/98)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Growth Fund                 38.96%        13.82%       13.80%        15.51%       14.88%
                                                                                         (since 9/30/74)(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger/BIAM International Fund(5)  29.64%        11.14%       11.74%        12.68%       12.50%
                                                                                         (since 7/31/89)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Growth and Income Fund      38.67%        22.45%       18.30%        15.93%       14.58%
                                                                                         (since 9/30/74)(4)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berger Balanced Fund               39.41%        N/A          N/A           N/A          47.88%
                                                                                         (since 9/30/97)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>




(1) Performance data for the Investor Shares include periods prior to the Fund's
adoption of share classes as part of its reorganization on July 2, 1999, and
therefore, for those periods, do not reflect the 0.25% per year 12b-1 fee which
has been paid by the Investor Shares since the inception of the class on that
date.




(2) Performance data for the Investor Shares include periods prior to the Fund's
adoption of class designations on February 14, 1997, and therefore, for those
periods, do not reflect the 0.25% per year 12b-1 fee applicable to the Investor
Shares, which came into effect on that date.



(3) Covers the period from October 21, 1987 (date of the Fund's first public
offering) through September 30, 1999.



(4) Life of Fund covers the period from September 30, 1974 (immediately prior to
Berger LLC assuming the duties as the investment advisor for those Funds)
through September 30, 1999. Since the 12b-1 fees for the Berger Growth Fund and
the Berger Growth and Income Fund did not take effect until June 19, 1990, the
performance figures on the table do not reflect the deduction of the 12b-1 fees
for the full length of the 10-year and longer periods.



(5) Data for the Berger/BIAM International Fund covering periods prior to
October 11, 1996, reflect the performance of the pool of assets transferred on
that date into the Berger/BIAM International Portfolio in which all of the
Fund's assets are invested, adjusted at that time to reflect any increase in
expenses expected in operating the Fund, including the Fund's pro rata share of
the aggregate annual operating expenses, of the Portfolio net of fee waivers.



                                      -52-
<PAGE>

14.               ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FUND ORGANIZATION


                  BERGER GROWTH FUND AND BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND. The
Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund are separate corporations
which were incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland on March 10,
1966, as "The One Hundred Fund, Inc." and "The One Hundred and One Fund, Inc.",
respectively. The names "Berger One Hundred Fund-Registered Trademark-", "Berger
100 Fund-TM-", "Berger One Hundred and One Fund-Registered Trademark-" and
"Berger 101 Fund-Registered Trademark-" were adopted by the respective Funds as
service marks and trade names in November 1989 and were registered as service
marks in December 1991. In 1990, the shareholders of the Berger Growth and
Income Fund approved changing its formal corporate name to "Berger One Hundred
and One Fund, Inc." and the Fund began doing business under the trade name
"Berger Growth and Income Fund, Inc." in January 1996. The name "Berger Growth
and Income Fund-Registered Trademark-" was registered as a service mark in
August 1998. In January 2000, The One Hundred Fund, Inc. and the Berger One
Hundred and One Fund, Inc. formally changed their corporate names to the "Berger
Growth Fund" and the "Berger Growth and Income Fund" respectively and the name
"Berger Growth Fund-TM-" was adopted as a trade name.


                  Each of the Berger Growth Fund and the Berger Growth and
Income Fund has only one class of securities, its Capital Stock, with a par
value of one cent per share, of which 200,000,000 shares are authorized for
issue by the Berger Growth Fund and 100,000,000 shares are authorized for issue
by the Berger Growth and Income Fund. Shares of the Funds are fully paid and
nonassessable when issued. All shares issued by a Fund participate equally in
dividends and other distributions by the Fund, and in the residual assets of the
Fund in the event of its liquidation.


                  BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND, BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND,
BERGER BALANCED FUND, BERGER SELECT FUND, BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND, BERGER MID
CAP VALUE FUND AND BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND. The Berger Small Company
Growth Fund is a separate series established on August 23, 1993, under the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, a Delaware business trust established under
the Delaware Business Trust Act. The name "Berger Small Company Growth
Fund-Registered Trademark-" was registered as a service mark in September 1995.
The Berger Small Company Growth Fund had no class designations until July 6,
1999, when all of the then-existing shares were designated as Investor Shares,
which are covered in this Statement of Additional Information, and the Fund
commenced offering a separate class known as Institutional Shares covered in a
separate Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.



                  The Berger New Generation Fund was the second series created
under the Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, established on December 21, 1995.
The name "Berger New Generation Fund-Registered Trademark-" was registered as a
service mark in December 1996. The Berger Balanced Fund was the third series
created under the Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, established on August 22,
1997. The name "Berger Balanced Fund-Registered Trademark-" was registered as a
service mark in September 1998. The Berger New Generation Fund had no class
designations until July 6, 1999, when all of the then-existing shares were
designated as Investor Shares, which are covered in this Statement of Additional
Information, and the Fund commenced offering a separate class known as
Institutional Shares covered in a separate Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information.


                  The Berger Select Fund and the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund were
the fourth and fifth series created under the Trust, established on November 13,
1997. The Berger Mid Cap Value Fund was the sixth series created under the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, established on May 21, 1998.

                  The Berger Information Technology Fund was the seventh series
created under the Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, established on February 18,
1999. The Fund is the successor to the fund formerly known as the
InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund. The InformationTech
100-Registered Trademark- Fund commenced operations on April 8, 1997, as a
separate series of the Advisors Series Trust, a Delaware business trust. The
InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund was then reorganized into the
Fund in a transaction that became effective in July 1999. As part of the
reorganization, all of the then-existing shares of the predecessor fund were
exchanged for Institutional Shares of the Fund, and the Fund commenced offering
the Investor Shares covered in this Statement of Additional Information.

                  The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares
of beneficial interest in series or portfolios. Currently, the Funds named above
are the only series established under the Trust, although others may be added in
the future. The Trust is also authorized to establish multiple classes of shares
representing differing interests in an existing or new series. Shares of the
Funds are fully paid and nonassessable when issued. Each share has a par value
of $.01. All shares issued by


                                      -53-
<PAGE>

each Fund participate equally in dividends and other distributions by the Fund,
and in the residual assets of the Fund in the event of its liquidation.

                  BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND. The Berger/BIAM Worldwide
Funds Trust is a Delaware business trust organized on May 31, 1996. The
Berger/BIAM International Fund was established on May 31, 1996, as a series of
the Trust. The name "Berger/BIAM International Fund-Registered Trademark-" was
registered as a service mark in September 1998. The Trust is authorized to issue
an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest in series or portfolios.
Currently, the series comprising the Fund is one of three series established
under the Trust, although others may be added in the future. The Trust is also
authorized to establish multiple classes of shares representing differing
interests in an existing or new series. Shares of the Fund are fully paid and
non-assessable when issued. Each share has a par value of $.01. All shares
issued by the Fund participate equally in dividends and other distributions by
the Fund, and in the residual assets of the Fund in the event of its
liquidation.


                  Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust is also a Delaware
business trust organized on May 31, 1996. The Berger/BIAM International
Portfolio (in which all of the investable assets of the Berger/BIAM
International Fund are invested) was established on May 31, 1996, as a series of
that Trust. Like the Berger/BIAM International Fund, the Portfolio is a
diversified, open-end management investment company. The Portfolio commenced
operations upon the transfer to the Portfolio of assets held in a pooled trust.
See "Performance Information -- Predecessor Performance Data -- Berger/BIAM
International Fund" in Section 13 above for additional information on the asset
transfer. The Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust is authorized to sell
unlimited interests in series or portfolios. Interests may be divided into
classes. Currently, the series comprising the Portfolio is the only series
established under that Trust, although others may be added in the future.


                  Each investor in the Portfolio, including the Fund, is
entitled to a vote in proportion to the amount of its investment in the
Portfolio. Whenever the Fund is requested to vote as an investor in the
Portfolio on matters pertaining to the Portfolio (other than a vote by the Fund
to continue the operation of the Portfolio upon the withdrawal of another
investor in the Portfolio), the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders and
will cast all of its votes as an investor in the Portfolio in the same
proportion as directed by the votes of the Fund's shareholders. Fund
shareholders who do not vote will not affect the votes cast by the Fund at the
meeting of the Portfolio investors. The percentage of the votes representing the
Fund's shareholders who do not vote will be voted by the Fund in the same
proportion as the Fund's shareholders who do, in fact, vote.

                  BERGER SMALL CAP VALUE FUND. The Berger Small Cap Value Fund
was originally organized in November 1984 as a Delaware corporation. In May
1990, the Fund was reorganized from a Delaware corporation into a Massachusetts
business trust known as The Omni Investment Fund. Pursuant to the Fund's
reorganization, the Fund as a series of the Trust assumed all of the assets and
liabilities of the Fund as a Delaware corporation, and Fund shareholders
received shares of the Massachusetts business trust equal both in number and net
asset value to their shares of the Delaware corporation. All references in this
Statement of Additional Information to the Fund and all financial and other
information about the Fund prior to such reorganization are to the Fund as a
Delaware corporation. All references after such reorganization are to the Fund
as a series of the Trust. On February 14, 1997, the name of the Trust was
changed to Berger Omni Investment Trust and the name of the Fund was changed to
the Berger Small Cap Value Fund. The name "Berger Small Cap Value
Fund-Registered Trademark-" was registered as a service mark in September 1998.

                  The Trust is authorized to issue an indefinite number of
shares of beneficial interest having a par value of $0.01 per share, which may
be issued in any number of series. Currently, the Fund is the only series
established under the Trust, although others may be added in the future. The
shares of each series of the Trust are permitted to be divided into classes.
Currently, the Fund issues two classes of shares, although others may be added
in the future.

                  Under the Fund's Declaration of Trust, each trustee will
continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his or her earlier
death, resignation, incapacity, retirement or removal. Vacancies will be filled
by a majority vote of the remaining trustees, subject to the provisions of the
Investment Company Act of 1940. Shareholders have the power to vote for the
election and removal of trustees, to terminate or reorganize the Trust, to amend
the Declaration of Trust, and on any other matters on which a shareholder vote
is required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Declaration of Trust, the
Trust's bylaws or the trustees.

                  DELAWARE BUSINESS TRUST INFORMATION. Under Delaware law,
shareholders of the Funds organized as series of Delaware Business Trusts will
enjoy the same limitations on personal liability as extended to stockholders of
a Delaware corporation. Further, the Trust Instruments of those Trusts provides
that no shareholder shall be personally liable for the debts, liabilities,
obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for or otherwise existing with
respect to, the Trusts or any particular


                                      -54-
<PAGE>

series (fund) of the Trusts. However, the principles of law governing the
limitations of liability of beneficiaries of a business trust have not been
authoritatively established as to business trusts organized under the laws of
one jurisdiction but operating or owning property in other jurisdictions. In
states that have adopted legislation containing provisions comparable to the
Delaware Business Trust Act, it is believed that the limitation of liability of
beneficial owners provided by Delaware law should be respected. In those
jurisdictions that have not adopted similar legislative provisions, it is
possible that a court might hold that the shareholders of the Trusts are not
entitled to the limitations of liability set forth in Delaware law or the Trust
Instruments and, accordingly, that they may be personally liable for the
obligations of the Trusts.

                  In order to protect shareholders from such potential
liability, the Trust Instruments require that every written obligation of the
Trusts or any series thereof contain a statement to the effect that such
obligation may only be enforced against the assets of the Trusts or such series.
The Trust Instruments also provides for indemnification from the assets of the
relevant series for all losses and expenses incurred by any shareholder by
reason of being or having been a shareholder, and that the Trusts shall, upon
request, assume the defense of any such claim made against such shareholder for
any act or obligation of the relevant series and satisfy any judgment thereon
from the assets of that series.

                  As a result, the risk of a shareholder of the Funds in those
Trusts incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited
to circumstances in which the Fund itself would be unable to meet its
obligations. The Trusts believe that the risk of personal liability to
shareholders of the Fund is therefore remote. The trustees intend to conduct the
operations of the Trusts and the Funds so as to avoid, to the extent possible,
liability of shareholders for liabilities of the Trusts or the Funds.

                  MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESS TRUST INFORMATION. Under Massachusetts
law, shareholders of the Berger Small Cap Value Fund could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund.
However, the Declaration of Trust of the Berger Omni Investment Trust, of which
the Fund is a series, 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 the trustees.
The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of the property of the
Fund for all loss and expense of any shareholder of the Fund held personally
liable for the obligations of the Fund. Accordingly, the risk of a shareholder
incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to
circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The
Trust believes that the risk of personal liability to shareholders of the Fund
is therefore remote. The trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Fund
to avoid, to the extent possible, liability of shareholders for liabilities of
the Fund.


                  CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND OTHER INFORMATION PERTAINING TO ALL
FUNDS. None of the Funds is required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless
required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or other applicable law or unless
called by the directors or trustees. If shareholders owning at least 10% of the
outstanding shares of the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger Growth and Income Fund
or any of the Trusts so request, a special shareholders' meeting of that Fund or
Trust will be held for the purpose of considering the removal of a director or
trustee, as the case may be. Special meetings will be held for other purposes if
the holders of at least 25% of the outstanding shares of any of those Funds or
Trusts so request. Subject to certain limitations, the Funds/Trusts will
facilitate appropriate communications by shareholders desiring to call a special
meeting for the purpose of considering the removal of a director or trustee.


                  Shareholders of the Funds and, where applicable, the other
series/classes of the same business trust, generally vote separately on matters
relating to those respective series/classes, although they vote together and
with the holders of any other series/classes of the same business trust in the
election of trustees of the trust and on all matters relating to the trust as a
whole. Each full share of each Fund has one vote.

                  Shares of the Funds have non-cumulative voting rights, which
means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of
directors or trustees can elect 100% of the directors or trustees if they choose
to do so and, in such event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the
shares voting for the election of directors or trustees will not be able to
elect any person or persons as directors or trustees.

                  Shares of the Funds have no preemptive rights. There are no
sinking funds or arrearage provisions which may affect the rights of the Fund
shares. Fund shares have no subscription rights or conversion rights, except
that shareholders of any class of the Berger Small Cap Value Fund and the Berger
Information Technology Fund may convert their shares into shares of any other
class of the Fund in the event and only in the event the shareholder ceases to
be eligible to purchase or hold shares of the original class, or becomes
eligible to purchase shares of a different class, by reason of a change in the
shareholder's


                                      -55-
<PAGE>

status under the conditions of eligibility in effect for such class at that
time. Shares of the Funds may be transferred by endorsement, or other customary
methods, but none of the Funds is bound to recognize any transfer until it is
recorded on its books.

                  Under governing corporate law, each Fund may enter into a
variety of corporate transactions, such as reorganizations, conversions, mergers
and asset transfers, or may be liquidated. Any such transaction would be subject
to a determination from the directors or trustees that the transaction was in
the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, and may require obtaining
shareholder approval.

MORE INFORMATION ON SPECIAL FUND STRUCTURES


                  MULTI-CLASS. All of the Funds are permitted to divide their
shares into classes. However, currently only the Berger Information Technology
Fund, the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund and
the Berger Small Cap Value Fund have divided their shares into classes and have
two classes of shares outstanding, the Investor Shares covered by this SAI and
the Institutional Shares offered through a separate Prospectus and SAI. These
Funds implemented their multi-class structure by adopting Rule 18f-3 Plans under
the 1940 Act permitting them to issue shares in classes. The Rule 18f-3 Plans
govern such matters as class features, dividends, voting, allocation of income
and expenses between classes, exchange and trustee monitoring of the Plan. Each
class is subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of eligibility
as are set forth in the relevant prospectus for the class, as it may be amended
from time to time. Institutional Shares are designed for institutional,
individual and other investors willing to maintain a higher minimum account
balance, currently set at $250,000. Information concerning Institutional Shares
is available from the Funds at 1-800-259-2820.


                  Subject to the relevant Declaration of Trust or Trust
Instrument and any other applicable provisions, the trustees of those Funds have
the authority to create additional classes, or change existing classes, from
time to time, in accordance with Rule 18f-3 under the Act.

                  MASTER/FEEDER. Unlike other mutual funds that directly acquire
and manage their own portfolios of securities, the Berger/BIAM International
Fund (referred to as a feeder fund) seeks to achieve its investment objective by
investing all of its investable assets in the Berger/BIAM International
Portfolio (referred to as a master fund). This two-tier structure is commonly
known as a master/feeder. The Fund has the same investment objective and
policies as the Portfolio. The Fund will invest only in the Portfolio, and the
Fund's shareholders will therefore acquire only an indirect interest in the
investments of the Portfolio. The master/feeder fund structure is still
relatively new and lacks a substantial history.

                  In addition to selling a beneficial interest to the Fund, the
Portfolio may sell beneficial interests to other mutual funds or institutional
investors (that is, other feeder funds). Such investors will invest in the
Portfolio on the same terms and conditions and will pay their proportionate
share of the Portfolio's expenses. However, the other investors investing in the
Portfolio are not required to issue their shares at the same public offering
price as the Fund due to potential differences in expense structures.
Accordingly, investors in the Fund should be aware that these differences may
result in differences in returns experienced by investors in the different funds
that invest in the Portfolio. Such differences in returns are common in this
type of mutual fund structure and are also present in other mutual fund
structures. Information concerning other investors in the Portfolio (for
example, other feeder funds) is available from the Fund at 1-800-706-0539.
Currently, there are two other feeder funds that also invest all of their
investable assets in the Portfolio: the International Equity Fund (designed for
eligible trusts or bank trust departments), and the Berger/BIAM International
CORE Fund, both of which have a minimum balance requirement of $1,000,000.

                  The investment objective of the Fund may not be changed
without the approval of the Fund's shareholders. The investment objective of the
Portfolio may not be changed without the approval of the investors in the
Portfolio, including the Fund. If the objective of the Portfolio changes and the
shareholders of the Fund do not approve a parallel change in the Fund's
investment objective, the trustees of the Trust will consider other
alternatives, including seeking an alternative investment vehicle or directly
retaining the Fund's own investment advisor.

                  Smaller funds investing in the Portfolio may be materially
affected by the actions of larger funds investing in the Portfolio. For example,
if a larger fund invests or withdraws from the Portfolio, the remaining funds
may experience lower or higher pro rata operating expenses. Lower returns could
possibly result from a large withdrawal. However, this possibility also exists
for traditionally structured funds which have large or institutional investors.
Also, a fund with a greater pro rata ownership in the Portfolio could have
effective voting control over the operations of the Portfolio.



                                      -56-
<PAGE>

                  Whenever the Fund is requested to vote as an investor in the
Portfolio on matters pertaining to the Portfolio (other than a vote by the Fund
to continue the operation of the Portfolio upon the withdrawal of another
investor in the Portfolio), the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders and
will cast all of its votes as an investor in the Portfolio in the same
proportion as directed by the votes of the Fund's shareholders. Fund
shareholders who do not vote will not affect the votes cast by the Fund at the
meeting of the Portfolio investors. The percentage of the votes representing the
Fund's shareholders who do not vote will be voted by the Fund in the same
proportion as the Fund's shareholders who do, in fact, vote.

                  The Fund may withdraw its investment in the Portfolio at any
time, if the trustees of the Trust determine that it is in the best interests of
the Fund to do so. Certain changes in the Portfolio's investment objective,
policies and limitations may require the Fund to withdraw its investment in the
Portfolio. Upon any such withdrawal, the trustees would consider what action
might be taken, including investing the Fund's assets in another pooled
investment entity having the same investment objective and policies as the Fund
or retaining an investment advisor to manage the Fund's assets in accordance
with the investment policies described above with respect to the Portfolio. Any
such withdrawal could result in a distribution in-kind of portfolio securities
(as opposed to a cash distribution) from the Portfolio. If securities are
distributed, the Fund could incur brokerage, tax or other charges in converting
the securities to cash. In addition, a distribution in-kind may adversely affect
the liquidity of the Fund.

                  The trustees of the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and the
Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust are the same individuals. A majority of
the trustees of each of those Trusts who are not "interested persons" (as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of either Trust have adopted
written procedures reasonably appropriate to deal with potential conflicts of
interest arising from the fact that the same individuals are trustees of both
Trusts, up to and including creating a new board of trustees for one or the
other of the Trusts.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS


                  Insofar as the management of the Funds is aware, as of January
4, 2000, no person owned, beneficially or of record, more than 5% of the
outstanding shares of any of the Funds, except for the following:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OWNER                                    FUND                                                    PERCENTAGE
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                      <C>                                                     <C>
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. ("Schwab")     Berger Information Technology Fund (Investor Shares)    11.11%
101 Montgomery Street                    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Francisco, CA 94104                  Berger New Generation Fund (Investor Shares)            21.71%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Select Fund                                      45.81%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Small Company Growth Fund (Investor Shares)      24.80%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Small Cap Value Fund (Investor Shares)           20.14%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund                              40.23%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Mid Cap Value Fund                               45.86%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Growth Fund                                      20.99%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger/BIAM International Fund                          25.51%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Growth and Income Fund                           27.19%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Balanced Fund                                    36.83%
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                      <C>                                                     <C>
National Financial Services              Berger New Generation Fund (Investor Shares)            13.90%
Corporation ("Fidelity")
200 Liberty St.
One World Financial Center
New York, NY  10281-1003

                                      -57-
<PAGE>

<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                      <C>                                                     <C>
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Select Fund                                      12.01%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Small Company Growth Fund (Investor Shares)       7.68%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Small Cap Value Fund (Investor Shares)           28.90%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund                              17.87%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Growth and Income Fund                            5.77%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Balanced Fund                                    12.65%
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette              Berger Small Cap Value Fund (Investor Shares)            5.19%
("DLJ")                                  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEC Corp Pershing Division               Berger Balanced Fund                                    5.42%
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National   Investor  Services  Corp.     Berger Information Technology Fund (Investor Shares)    12.97%
55 Water Street, 32nd Floor              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York, NY  10041-3299                 Berger New Generation Fund (Investor Shares)            5.32%
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Berger Balanced Fund                                    6.11%
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merrill Lynch                            Berger Small Cap Value (Investor Shares)                6.03%
4800 Deer lake Dr.
Jacksonville, FL  32246-6484
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Trust Company                   Berger Small Cap Value (Investor Shares)                6.71%
P.O. Box 92956
Chicago, IL  60675-2956
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


                  Any person owning more than 25% of the oustanding securities
of a Fund may be deemed to control it. Schwab and Fidelity are believed to
hold their shares of the Funds as nominees for the benefit of their client.



                  In addition, Schwab owned of record 26.08%, and Fidelity owned
of record 8.52% of all the outstanding shares of the Berger Investment Portfolio
Trust, of which the Berger Information Technology Fund, Berger New Generation
Fund, Berger Select Fund, Berger Small Company Growth Fund, Berger Mid Cap
Growth Fund, Berger Mid Cap Value Fund and the Berger Balanced Fund are
outstanding series. Schwab also owned of record 18.65%, Fidelity owned of record
16.88% and DLJ owned of record 10.26% of all the outstanding shares of the
Berger Omni Investment Trust, of which the Berger Small Cap Value Fund -
Investor Shares class is one of two outstanding classes in the only outstanding
series. In addition, Schwab also owned of record 18.37% of the outstanding
shares of the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, of which the Berger/BIAM
International Fund is one of three outstanding series.



                  As of January 4, 2000, Schwab owned of record 57.28% of the
outstanding shares of the Berger Information Technology Fund, a series of the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, when Schwab's record ownership of the Fund's
Trust shares is added together with record ownership of Institutional Shares of
the Fund. In addition, Bay Isle has advised the Trust that, as January 4, 2000,
it had voting discretion over approximately 27.60% of that fund's outstanding
shares in accounts beneficially owned by various Bay Isle advisory clients. Bay
Isle may be deemed to beneficially own those shares as a result of its voting
discretion.




                                      -58-
<PAGE>

DISTRIBUTION

                  Berger Distributors LLC, as the Funds' Distributor, is the
principal underwriter of all the Funds' shares. The Distributor is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Berger LLC. The Distributor is a registered
broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. The Distributor acts as the
agent of a Fund in connection with the sale of the Fund's shares in all states
in which the shares are eligible for sale and in which the Distributor is
qualified as a broker-dealer. David J. Schultz, Chief Financial Officer,
Assistant Secretary and Treasurer of the Distributor, is also Vice President and
Treasurer of the Funds. Janice M. Teague, Vice President and Secretary of the
Distributor, is also Vice President and Secretary of the Funds. Brian Ferrie,
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Distributor, is also Vice
President of the Funds.

                  Each of the Funds and the Distributor are parties to a
Distribution Agreement that continues through April 2000 or 2001, and thereafter
from year to year if such continuation is specifically approved at least
annually by the directors or trustees or by vote of a majority of the
outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case by vote of a majority of the
directors or trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that term is defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the Distributor. The
Distribution Agreement is subject to termination by the Fund or the Distributor
on 60 days' prior written notice, and terminates automatically in the event of
its assignment. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor continuously
offers shares of the Funds and solicits orders to purchase Fund shares at net
asset value. The Distributor is not compensated for its services under the
Distribution Agreement, but may be reimbursed by Berger LLC for its costs in
distributing Fund shares.

OTHER INFORMATION

                  The Funds have each filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Washington, D.C., a Registration Statement under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, with respect to the securities of the Funds of which this
Statement of Additional Information is a part. If further information is desired
with respect to any of the Funds or such securities, reference is made to the
Registration Statements and the exhibits filed as a part thereof.

                  Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, 370 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acts as counsel to the Funds.

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS


                  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 950 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acted as independent accountants for each of the Funds for the fiscal
year ended September 30, 1999. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
audited the financial statements of the Funds referenced below under "Financial
Information" and assisted the Funds in connection with the preparation of their
1998 income tax returns.



                  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has been appointed to act as
independent accountants for the Funds for the fiscal year ended September 30,
2000. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will audit the financial
statements of the Funds and assist the Funds in connection with the preparation
of their 1999 income tax returns.


FINANCIAL INFORMATION


                  A copy of the Annual Report referenced below is enclosed with
this SAI. Additional copies of that Report may be obtained upon request without
charge by calling the Funds at 1-800-333-1001.



YEAR-END FINANCIAL STATEMENTS



                  The following financial statements for each of the named Funds
are incorporated herein by reference from the Annual Report to Shareholders of
the Berger Funds dated September 30, 1999, in each case along with the Report of
Independent Accountants thereon of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, dated November 4,
1999:



FOR THE BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND, BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND, THE
BERGER SELECT FUND, THE BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND, THE BERGER SMALL CAP
VALUE FUND, THE BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND, THE BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND, THE
BERGER 100 FUND (N/K/A BERGER GROWTH FUND), THE BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL FUND,
THE BERGER GROWTH AND INCOME FUND AND THE BERGER BALANCED FUND:



         Schedule of Investments as of September 30, 1999



                                      -59-
<PAGE>


         Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 1999



         Statement of Operations for the Fiscal Year/Period Ended
         September 30, 1999



         Statement of Changes in Net Assets for each of the periods indicated



         Notes to Financial Statements, September 30, 1999



         Financial Highlights for each of the periods indicated.



FOR THE BERGER/BIAM INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO:



         Schedule of Investments as of September 30, 1999



         Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 1999



         Statement of Operations for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 1999



         Statement of Changes in Net Assets for the Fiscal Years Ended
         September 30, 1999 and 1998



         Ratios/Supplementary Data for each of the periods indicated



         Notes to Financial Statements, September 30, 1999.





                                      -60-
<PAGE>

                                   APPENDIX A

HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES

         Each of the Funds may invest in convertible securities of any quality,
including unrated securities or securities rated below investment grade (Ba or
lower by Moody's, BB or lower by S&P). However, a Fund will not purchase any
security in default at the time of purchase. None of the Funds will invest more
than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time of purchase in
convertible securities rated below investment grade.

         Securities rated below investment grade are subject to greater risk
that adverse changes in the financial condition of their issuers or in general
economic conditions, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the
ability of their issuers to make payments of interest and principal or
dividends. The market prices of lower grade securities are generally less
sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more
sensitive to economic changes or individual corporate developments. Periods of
economic uncertainty and change can be expected to result in volatility of
prices of these securities. Lower rated securities also may have less liquid
markets than higher rated securities, and their liquidity as well as their value
may be adversely affected by poor economic conditions. Adverse publicity and
investor perceptions as well as new or proposed laws may also have a negative
impact on the market for high-yield/high-risk bonds. In the event of an
unanticipated default, a Fund will experience a reduction in its income and
could expect a decline in the market value of the securities affected. The
prices of these securities may be more volatile and the markets for them may be
less liquid than those for higher-rated securities.

         Unrated securities, while not necessarily of lower quality than rated
securities, may not have as broad a market. Unrated securities will be included
in a Fund's percentage limits for investments rated below investment grade,
unless the Fund's advisor deems such securities to be the equivalent of
investment grade. If securities purchased by a Fund are downgraded following
purchase, or if other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its percentage
limits on assets invested in securities rated below investment grade, the
director or trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will
determine what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant
circumstances.

         Relying in part on ratings assigned by credit agencies in making
investments will not protect a Fund from the risk that the securities will
decline in value, since credit ratings represent evaluations of the safety of
principal, dividend and/or interest payments, and not the market values of such
securities. Moreover, such ratings may not be changed on a timely basis to
reflect subsequent events.

         Although the market for high-yield debt securities has been in
existence for many years and from time to time has experienced economic
downturns, this market has involved a significant increase in the use of
high-yield debt securities to fund highly leverage corporate acquisitions and
restructurings. Past experience may not, therefore, provide an accurate
indication of future performance of the high-yield debt securities market,
particularly during periods of economic recession.

         Expenses incurred in recovering an investment in a defaulted security
may adversely affect a Fund's net asset value. Moreover, the reduced liquidity
of the secondary market for such securities may adversely affect the market
price of, and the ability of a Fund to value, particular securities at certain
times, thereby making it difficult to make specific valuation determinations.

CORPORATE BOND RATINGS

         The ratings of fixed-income securities by Moody's and Standard & Poor's
are a generally accepted measurement of credit risk. However, they are subject
to certain limitations. Ratings are generally based upon historical events and
do not necessarily reflect the future. In addition, there is a period of time
between the issuance of a rating and the update of the rating, during which time
a published rating may be inaccurate.

KEY TO MOODY'S CORPORATE RATINGS

         Aaa-Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality.
They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to
as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

         Aa-Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all
standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as
high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of


                                      -61-
<PAGE>

protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective
elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present
which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

         A-Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes
and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving
security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be
present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

         Baa-Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade
obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but
certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically
unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

         Ba-Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements;
their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of
interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well
safeguarded during good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position
characterizes bonds of this class.

         B-Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the
desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be
small.

         Caa-Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be
in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal
or interest.

         Ca-Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative
in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked
shortcomings.

         C-Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and
issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever
attaining any real investment standing.

         Note: Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2 and 3 in each generic
rating classification from Aa through B in its corporate bond rating system. The
modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier
3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic category.

KEY TO STANDARD & POOR'S CORPORATE RATINGS

         AAA-Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard &
Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

         AA-Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal and differs from the higher rated issues only in a small degree.

         A-Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of
changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated
categories.

         BBB-Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection
parameters, adverse economic conditions, or changing circumstances are more
likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for
debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

         BB, B, CCC, CC AND C-Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded, on
balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB indicates
the lowest degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While
such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these
are out-weighed by the large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse
conditions.

         C1-The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is
being paid.

         D-Debt rated D is in default, and payment of interest and/or repayment
of principal is in arrears.

         PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-)-The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by
the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major
rating categories.


                                      -62-

<PAGE>

                       BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

                              INSTITUTIONAL SHARES



                       STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
                      SHAREHOLDER SERVICES: 1-800-960-8427




                  This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a
prospectus. It relates to the Prospectus for the Berger Information Technology
Fund (the "Fund") -- Institutional Shares, dated January 31, 2000, as it may be
amended or supplemented from time to time, which may be obtained by writing the
Fund at P.O. Box 5005, Denver, Colorado 80217, or calling 1-800-259-2820.


                  This SAI is about the class of shares of the Fund
designated as Institutional Shares. Institutional Shares are designed for
pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments,
foundations and corporations, as well as high net worth individuals, who are
willing to maintain a minimum account balance of $250,000. Shares of the Fund
may be offered through certain financial intermediaries that may charge their
customers transaction or other fees with respect to the customers' investment
in the Fund. Institutional Shares are also made available for purchase and
dividend reinvestment in the account of all holders of Institutional Shares
who received their shares in the Fund's reorganization in July 1999.


                  The Fund is the successor to the InformationTech
100-Registered Trademark-Fund, which was reorganized into the Fund effective
July 2, 1999.



                  The following financial statements of the Fund are
incorporated herein by reference:



                  The audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal
year ended September 30, 1999, from the Fund's 1999 Annual Report to
Shareholders, dated September 30, 1999.



                  Copies of that Annual Report are available, without charge,
upon request, by calling the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.




                             DATED JANUARY 31, 2000


<PAGE>

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                        &
                         CROSS-REFERENCES TO PROSPECTUS



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

SECTION                                                        PAGE     CROSS-REFERENCES TO
                                                               NO.      RELATED DISCLOSURES
                                                                        IN PROSPECTUS
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

<S>                                                            <C>      <C>
Introduction                                                   1        Contents
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

1. Investment Strategies and Risks of the Funds.               1        Berger Information Technology Fund; The Fund's
                                                                        Goal and Principal Investment Strategies;
                                                                        Principal Risks; Investment Techniques,
                                                                        Securities and Associated Risks
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

2. Investment Restrictions                                     8        Berger Funds; Investment Techniques,
                                                                        Securities and the Associated Risks
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

3. Management of the Fund                                      22       Berger Information Technology Fund;
                                                                        Organization of the Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

4. Investment Advisors and Sub-Advisor                         27       Berger Information Technology Fund;
                                                                        Organization of the Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

5. Expenses of the Fund                                        33       Berger Information Technology Fund; Financial
                                                                        Highlights for the Fund; Organization of the
                                                                        Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

6. Brokerage Policy                                            40       Berger Information Technology Fund;
                                                                        Organization of the Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

7. How to Purchase and Redeem Shares in the Funds              44       Buying Shares, Selling (Redeeming) Shares
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

8. How the Net Asset Value is Determined                       45       Your Share Price
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

9. Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions and Tax       45       Distributions and Taxes
   Treatment
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

10. Suspension of Redemption Rights                            47       Other Information About Your Account
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

11. Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans                             47       Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

12. Exchange Privilege                                         49       Exchanging Shares
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

13. Performance Information                                    50       Berger Information Technology Fund; Financial
                                                                        Highlights for the Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

14. Additional Information                                     53       Organization of the Fund; Special Fund
                                                                        Structures
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------

Financial Information                                          59       Financial Highlights for the Fund
- -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



                                      -1-
<PAGE>




                                  INTRODUCTION

                  The Fund described in this SAI is a mutual fund, or open-end,
management investment company. The Fund is a diversified fund.

1.                INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS OF THE FUND

                  The Prospectus describes the investment objective of the Fund
and the principal investment policies and strategies used to achieve that
objective. It also describes the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

                  This section contains supplemental information concerning the
types of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may invest, the
investment policies and portfolio strategies that the Fund may utilize and
certain risks attendant to those investments, policies and strategies.

                  COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS. Stocks represent shares of
ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and
ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend
payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are
satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata
basis. Profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help
it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a
company's stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation
and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred
stocks pay dividends, the Fund may purchase preferred stock where the issuer has
omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividends. Such investments
would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. All
investments in stocks are subject to market risk, meaning that their prices may
move up and down with the general stock market, and that such movements might
reduce their value.

                  DEBT SECURITIES. Debt securities (such as bonds or debentures)
are fixed-income securities which bear interest and are issued by corporations
or governments. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a
stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal on a specific maturity
date. In addition to market risk, debt securities are generally subject to two
other kinds of risk: credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to
the ability of the issuer to meet interest or principal payments as they come
due. The lower the rating given a security by a rating service (such as Moody's
Investor Service ("Moody's") and Standard & Poor's ("S&P")), the greater the
credit risk the rating service perceives with respect to that security. The Fund
will not purchase any nonconvertible securities rated below investment grade (Ba
or lower by Moody's, BB or lower by S&P). In cases where the ratings assigned by
more than one rating agency differ, the Fund will consider the security as rated
in the higher category. If nonconvertible securities purchased by the Fund are
downgraded to below investment grade following purchase, the trustees of the
Fund, in consultation with the Fund's sub-advisor, will determine what action,
if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances. For a further
discussion of debt security ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.

                  Interest rate risk refers to the fact that the value of
fixed-income securities (like debt securities) generally fluctuates in response
to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result
in an increase in the price of fixed-income securities held by the Fund.
Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of fixed-income
securities held by the Fund will generally decline. Longer-term securities are
generally more sensitive to interest rate changes and are more volatile than
shorter-term securities, but they generally offer higher yields to compensate
investors for the associated risks.

                  Certain debt securities can also present prepayment risk. For
example, a security may contain redemption and call provisions. If an issuer
exercises these provisions when interest rates are declining, the Fund could
sustain investment losses as well as have to reinvest the proceeds from the
security at lower interest rates, resulting in a decreased return for the Fund.


                                      -2-
<PAGE>


                  CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Fund may also purchase debt or
equity securities which are convertible into common stock when the Fund's
sub-advisor believes they offer the potential for a higher total return than
nonconvertible securities. While fixed-income securities generally have a
priority claim on a corporation's assets over that of common stock, some of the
convertible securities which the Fund may hold are high-yield/high-risk
securities that are subject to special risks, including the risk of default in
interest or principal payments which could result in a loss of income to the
Fund or a decline in the market value of the securities. Convertible securities
often display a degree of market price volatility that is comparable to common
stocks. The credit risk associated with convertible securities generally is
reflected by their ratings by organizations such as Moody's or S&P or a similar
determination of creditworthiness by the Fund's sub-advisor. The Fund has no
pre-established minimum quality standards for convertible securities and may
invest in convertible securities of any quality, including lower rated or
unrated securities. However, the Fund will not invest in any security in default
at the time of purchase, and the Fund will invest less than 20% of the market
value of its assets at the time of purchase in convertible securities rated
below investment grade. If convertible securities purchased by the Fund are
downgraded following purchase, or if other circumstances cause 20% or more of
the Fund's assets to be invested in convertible securities rated below
investment grade, the trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's
sub-advisor, will determine what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all
relevant circumstances. For a further discussion of debt security ratings, see
Appendix A to this SAI.


                  SPECIAL SITUATIONS. The Fund may also invest in "special
situations." Special situations are companies that have recently experienced or
are anticipated to experience a significant change in structure, management,
products or services which may significantly affect the value of their
securities. Examples of special situations are companies being reorganized or
merged, companies emerging from bankruptcy, companies introducing unusual new
products or which enjoy particular tax advantages. Other examples are companies
experiencing changes in senior management, extraordinary corporate events,
significant changes in cost or capital structure or which are believed to be
probable takeover candidates. The opportunity to invest in special situations,
however, is limited and depends in part on the market's assessment of these
companies and their circumstances. By its nature, a "special situation" company
involves to some degree a break with the company's past experience. This creates
greater uncertainty and potential risk of loss than if the company were
operating according to long-established patterns. In addition, stocks of
companies in special situations may decline or not appreciate as expected if an
anticipated change or development does not occur or is not assessed by the
market as favorably as expected.


                  ZEROS/STRIPS. The Fund may invest also in zero coupon bonds or
in "strips." Zero coupon bonds do not make regular interest payments; rather,
they are sold at a discount from face value. Principal and accreted discount
(representing interest accrued but not paid) are paid at maturity. "Strips" are
debt securities that are stripped of their interest coupon after the securities
are issued, but otherwise are comparable to zero coupon bonds. The market values
of "strips" and zero coupon bonds generally fluctuate in response to changes in
interest rates to a greater degree than do interest-paying securities of
comparable term and quality. The Fund will not invest in mortgage-backed or
other asset-backed securities.


                  SECURITIES OF SMALLER COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in
securities of companies with small or mid-sized market capitalizations. Market
capitalization is defined as total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock. Investments in companies with smaller market
capitalizations may involve greater risks and price volatility (that is, more
abrupt or erratic price movements) than investments in larger, more mature
companies since smaller companies may be at an earlier stage of development and
may have limited product lines, reduced market liquidity for their shares,
limited financial resources or less depth in management than larger or more
established companies. Smaller companies also may be less significant factors
within their industries and may have difficulty withstanding competition from
larger companies. While smaller companies may be subject to these additional
risks, they may also realize more substantial growth than larger or more
established companies.

                  SECURITIES OF COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES. The
Fund may invest in securities of companies with limited operating histories. The
Fund considers these to be securities of


                                      -3-
<PAGE>

companies with a record of less than three years' continuous operation, even
including the operations of any predecessors and parents. (These are sometimes
referred to as "unseasoned issuers.") These companies by their nature have only
a limited operating history which can be used for evaluating the company's
growth prospects. As a result, investment decisions for these securities may
place a greater emphasis on current or planned product lines and the reputation
and experience of the company's management and less emphasis on fundamental
valuation factors than would be the case for more mature companies. In addition,
many of these companies may also be small companies and involve the risks and
price volatility associated with smaller companies.


                  INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS. The Fund may invest in a company's
securities at the time the company first offers securities to the public, that
is, at the time of the company's initial public offering or IPO. Although
companies can be any age or size at the time of their IPOs, they are often
smaller and have a limited operating history, which involve a greater potential
for the value of their securities to be impaired following the IPO. See
"Securities of Smaller Companies" and "Securities of Companies with Limited
Operating Histories" above.



                  Investors in IPOs can be adversely affected by substantial
dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by
concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders. In
addition, all of the factors that affect stock market performance may have a
greater impact on the shares of IPO companies.



                  The price of a company's securities may be highly unstable
at the time of its IPO and for a period thereafter due to market psychology
prevailing at the time of the IPO, the absence of a prior public market, the
small number of shares available and limited availability of investor
information. As a result of this or other factors, the Fund's sub-advisor
might decide to sell an IPO security more quickly than it would otherwise,
which may result in a significant gain or loss and greater transaction costs
to the Fund. Any gains from shares held for 12 months or less will be treated
as short-term gains, taxable as ordinary income to the Fund's shareholders.
In addition, IPO securities may be subject to varying patterns of trading
volume and may, at times, be difficult to sell without an unfavorable impact
on prevailing prices.



                  The effect of an IPO investment can have a magnified impact
on the Fund's performance when the Fund's asset base is small. Consequently,
IPOs may constitute a significant portion of the Fund's returns particularly
when the Fund is small. Since the number of securities issued in an IPO is
limited, it is likely that IPO securities will represent a smaller component
of the Fund's assets as it increases in size, and therefore have a more limited
effect on the Fund's performance.



                  There can be no assurance that IPOs will continue to be
available for the Fund to purchase. The number or quality of IPOs available
for purchase by the Fund may vary, decrease or entirely disappear. In some
cases, the Fund may not be able to purchase IPOs at the offering price, but
may have to purchase the shares in the aftermarket at a price greatly
exceeding the offering price, making it more difficult for the Fund to
realize a profit.



                  The advisor's IPO trade allocation procedures govern
which funds and other advised accounts participate in the allocation of any
IPO. See the heading "Trade Allocations" under Section 4 below. Under the IPO
allocation procedures of Berger LLC, the Fund generally will not participate
in an IPO if the securities available for allocation to the fund are
insignificant relative to the Fund's net assets. As a result, any fund or
account whose assets are very large is not likely to participate in the
allocation of many IPOs.


                  FOREIGN SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in foreign securities,
which may be traded in foreign markets and denominated in foreign currency. The
Fund's investments may also include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs),
European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) which are similar to ADRs, in bearer form,
designed for use in the European securities markets, and in Global Depositary
Receipts (GDRs).


                                      -4-
<PAGE>

                  Investments in foreign securities involve some risks that are
different from the risks of investing in securities of U.S. issuers, such as the
risk of adverse political, social, diplomatic and economic developments and,
with respect to certain countries, the possibility of expropriation, taxes
imposed by foreign countries or limitations on the removal of monies or other
assets of the Fund. Moreover, the economies of individual foreign countries will
vary in comparison to the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross
domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources,
self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Securities of some foreign
companies, particularly those in developing countries, are less liquid and more
volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. A developing country
generally is considered to be in the initial stages of its industrialization
cycle. Investing in the securities of developing countries may involve exposure
to economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and to political
systems that can be expected to have less stability than developed countries.

                  There also may be less publicly available information about
foreign issuers and securities than domestic issuers and securities, and foreign
issuers generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial
reporting standards, requirements and practices comparable to those applicable
to domestic issuers. Also, there is generally less government supervision and
regulation of exchanges, brokers, financial institutions and issuers in foreign
countries than there is in the U.S. Foreign financial markets typically have
substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Foreign markets also have different
clearance and settlement procedures and, in certain markets, delays or other
factors could make it difficult to effect transactions, potentially causing the
Fund to experience losses or miss investment opportunities.

                  Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are
generally higher than with transactions in U.S. securities. The Fund will incur
greater costs in maintaining assets in foreign jurisdictions and in buying and
selling foreign securities generally, resulting in part from converting foreign
currencies into U.S. dollars. In addition, the Fund might have greater
difficulty taking appropriate legal action with respect to foreign investments
in non-U.S. courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts, which
may heighten the risk of possible losses through the holding of securities by
custodians and securities depositories in foreign countries.

                  If the Fund is invested in securities denominated or quoted in
currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange
rates will affect the value of the investments in its portfolio and the
unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments insofar as U.S. investors
are concerned. If the foreign currency in which a security is denominated
appreciates against the U.S. dollar, the dollar value of the security will
increase. Conversely, a decline in the exchange rate of the foreign currency
against the U.S. dollar would adversely affect the dollar value of the foreign
securities. Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply
and demand on the foreign exchange markets, which are in turn affected by the
international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions,
government intervention, speculation and other factors.

                  PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICS). The Fund may
purchase the securities of certain companies considered Passive Foreign
Investment Companies (PFICs) under U.S. tax laws. For certain types of PFICs, in
addition to bearing their proportionate share of the Fund's expenses (management
fees and operating expenses), shareholders will also indirectly bear similar
expenses of such PFIC. PFIC investments also may be subject to less favorable
U.S. tax treatment, as discussed in Section 9 below.

                  ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES. The Fund is authorized to
invest in securities which are illiquid or not readily marketable because they
are subject to restrictions on their resale ("restricted securities") or
because, based upon their nature or the market for such securities, no ready
market is available. However, the Fund will not purchase any such security, the
purchase of which would cause the Fund to invest more than 15% of its net
assets, measured at the time of purchase, in illiquid securities. Investments in
illiquid securities involve certain risks to the extent that the Fund may be
unable to dispose of such a security at the time desired or at a reasonable
price or, in some cases, may be unable to dispose of it at all. In addition, in
order to resell a restricted security, the Fund might have to incur the
potentially substantial expense and delay associated with effecting
registration. If securities become


                                      -5-
<PAGE>

illiquid following purchase or other circumstances cause more than 15% of the
Fund's net assets to be invested in illiquid securities, the trustees of the
Fund, in consultation with the Fund's sub-advisor, will determine what action,
if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances.

                  Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days will be
considered as illiquid for purposes of this restriction. Pursuant to guidelines
established by the trustees, the Fund's sub-advisor will determine whether
securities eligible for resale to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to SEC
Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 should be treated as illiquid
investments considering, among other things, the following factors: (1) the
frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers
willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential
purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4)
the nature of the security and the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to
dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of
the transfer). The liquidity of the Fund's investments in Rule 144A securities
could be impaired if qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in
purchasing these securities.

                  REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may invest in repurchase
agreements with various financial organizations, including commercial banks,
registered broker-dealers and registered government securities dealers. A
repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a debt
security (generally a debt security issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government
or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a
commercial bank, broker or dealer, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed
upon price and date (normally, the next business day). A repurchase agreement
may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects
an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by
the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument. In
these transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued
interest earned thereon) must have a total value equal to or in excess of the
value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Fund's custodian bank
until repurchased. In addition, the trustees will establish guidelines and
standards for review by the investment sub-advisor of the creditworthiness of
any bank, broker or dealer party to a repurchase agreement with the Fund. The
Fund will not enter into a repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days
if as a result more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be invested in such
repurchase agreements and other illiquid securities.

                  These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times
by debt securities (generally a security issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of
deposit), but involve certain risks, such as credit risk to the Fund if the
other party defaults on its obligation and the Fund is delayed or prevented from
liquidating the collateral. For example, if the other party to the agreement
defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when
the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon
disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes
insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code
or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral
for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and therefore the
realization by the Fund on such collateral may automatically be stayed and
delayed. Further, it is possible that the Fund may not be able to substantiate
its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor
of the other party to the agreement. The Fund expects that these risks can be
controlled through careful monitoring procedures.

                  WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES. The Fund may
purchase and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis.
However, the Fund currently does not intend to purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities. When-issued or delayed delivery transactions arise when securities
(normally, obligations of issuers eligible for investment by the Fund) are
purchased or sold by the Fund with payment and delivery taking place in the
future in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or
yield. However, the yield available on a comparable security when delivery takes
place may vary from the yield on the security at the time that the when-issued
or delayed delivery transaction was entered into. Any failure to consummate a
when-issued or delayed delivery transaction may result in the Fund missing the
opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous.
When-issued and delayed delivery


                                      -6-
<PAGE>

transactions may generally be expected to settle within one month from the date
the transactions are entered into, but in no event later than 90 days. However,
no payment or delivery is made by the Fund until it receives delivery or payment
from the other party to the transaction.

                  When the Fund purchases securities on a when-issued basis, it
will maintain in a segregated account with its custodian cash, U.S. government
securities or other liquid assets having an aggregate value equal to the amount
of such purchase commitments, until payment is made. If necessary, additional
assets will be placed in the account daily so that the value of the account will
equal or exceed the amount of the Fund's purchase commitments.

                  LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. The Fund may lend its
securities to qualified institutional investors (such as brokers, dealers or
other financial organizations) who need to borrow securities in order to
complete certain transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures
to deliver securities or completing arbitrage operations. Loans of securities by
the Fund will be collateralized by cash, letters of credit, or securities issued
or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. The collateral will equal
at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities,
marked-to-market on a daily basis. By lending its securities, the Fund will be
attempting to generate income through the receipt of interest on the loan which,
in turn, can be invested in additional securities to pursue the Fund's
investment objective. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities
loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of
the Fund.

                  The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to qualified
brokers, dealers, banks or other financial institutions, so long as the terms,
the structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not inconsistent with
the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Rules and Regulations or
interpretations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")
thereunder, which currently require that (a) the borrower pledge and maintain
with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit or
securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government having a value
at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned, (b) the
borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the securities loaned
rises (i.e., the borrower "marks to the market" on a daily basis), (c) the loan
be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time and (d) the Fund receives
reasonable interest on the loan, which interest may include the Fund's investing
cash collateral in interest bearing short-term investments, and (e) the Fund
receives all dividends and distributions on the loaned securities and any
increase in the market value of the loaned securities.

                  The Fund bears risk of loss in the event that the other party
to a securities lending transaction defaults on its obligations and the Fund is
delayed in or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral,
including the risk of a possible decline in the value of the collateral
securities during the period in which the Fund seeks to assert these rights, the
risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting these rights and the risk
of losing all or a part of the income from the transaction. The Fund will not
lend its portfolio securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of such loans
would exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the
value of the collateral received to secure the loan). Loan arrangements made by
the Fund will comply with all other applicable regulatory requirements,
including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which rules presently
require the borrower, after notice, to redeliver the securities within the
normal settlement time of three business days. All relevant facts and
circumstances, including creditworthiness of the broker, dealer or institution,
will be considered in making decisions with respect to the lending of
securities, subject to review by the Fund's trustees.

                  Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass
to the borrower, the Fund retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a
loan) for the purpose of exercising the security's voting rights. Efforts to
recall loaned securities in time to exercise voting rights may be unsuccessful,
especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. In addition, it
is expected that loaned securities will be recalled for voting only when the
items being voted on are, in the judgment of the Fund's sub-advisor, either
material to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact
the issuing company's corporate governance policies or structure.


                                      -7-
<PAGE>

                  SHORT SALES. The Fund currently is only permitted to engage in
short sales if, at the time of the short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to
acquire an equivalent kind and amount of the security being sold short at no
additional cost (i.e., short sales "against the box").

                  In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the
securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until
delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows
the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short
position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the
securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus
an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral account will be
maintained by the Fund's custodian. While the short sale is open, the Fund will
maintain in a segregated custodial account an amount of securities convertible
into or exchangeable for such equivalent securities at no additional cost. These
securities would constitute the Fund's long position.

                  Under prior law, the Fund could have made a short sale, as
described above, when it wanted to sell a security it owned at a current
attractive price, but also wished to defer recognition of gain or loss for
Federal income tax purposes and for purposes of satisfying certain tests
applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code.
However, federal tax legislation has eliminated the ability to defer recognition
of gain or loss in short sales against the box and accordingly, it is not
anticipated that the Fund will be engaging in these transactions unless there
are further legislative changes.

                  HEDGING TRANSACTIONS. Although it has historically not done
so, the Fund is authorized to make limited use of certain types of futures,
forwards and/or options, but only for the purpose of hedging, that is,
protecting against market risk due to market movements that may adversely affect
the value of the Fund's securities or the price of securities that the Fund is
considering purchasing. The utilization of futures, forwards and options is also
subject to policies and procedures which may be established by the trustees from
time to time. In addition, the Fund is not required to hedge. Decisions
regarding hedging are subject to the sub-advisor's judgment of the cost of the
hedge, its potential effectiveness and other factors the sub-advisor considers
pertinent.

                  A hedging transaction may partially protect the Fund from a
decline in the value of a particular security or its portfolio generally,
although hedging may also limit the Fund's opportunity to profit from favorable
price movements, and the cost of the transaction will reduce the potential
return on the security or the portfolio. Use of these instruments by the Fund
involves the potential for a loss that may exceed the amount of initial margin
the Fund would be permitted to commit to the contracts under its investment
limitation, or in the case of a call option written by the Fund, may exceed the
premium received for the option. However, the Fund is permitted to use such
instruments for hedging purposes only, and only if the aggregate amount of its
obligations under these contracts does not exceed the total market value of the
assets the Fund is attempting to hedge, such as a portion or all of its exposure
to equity securities or its holding in a specific foreign currency. To help
ensure that the Fund will be able to meet its obligations under its futures and
forward contracts and its obligations under options written by the Fund, the
Fund will be required to maintain liquid assets in a segregated account with its
custodian bank or to set aside portfolio securities to "cover" its position in
these contracts.

                  The principal risks of the Fund utilizing futures
transactions, forward contracts and options are: (a) losses resulting from
market movements not anticipated by the Fund; (b) possible imperfect correlation
between movements in the prices of futures, forwards and options and movements
in the prices of the securities or currencies hedged or used to cover such
positions; (c) lack of assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for
any particular futures or options at any particular time, and possible
exchange-imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult
or impossible to close a position when so desired; (d) lack of assurance that
the counterparty to a forward contract would be willing to negotiate an offset
or termination of the contract when so desired; and (e) the need for additional
information and skills beyond those required for the management of a portfolio
of traditional securities. In addition, when the Fund enters into an
over-the-counter contract with a counterparty, the Fund will


                                      -8-
<PAGE>

assume counterparty credit risk, that is, the risk that the counterparty will
fail to perform its obligations, in which case the Fund could be worse off than
if the contract had not been entered into.

                  Following is additional information concerning the futures,
forwards and options which the Fund may utilize, provided that no more than 5%
of the Fund's net assets at the time the contract is entered into may be used
for initial margins for financial futures transactions and premiums paid for the
purchase of options. In addition, the Fund may only write call options that are
covered and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  FUTURES CONTRACTS. Financial futures contracts are
exchange-traded contracts on financial instruments (such as securities and
foreign currencies) and securities indices that obligate the holder to take or
make delivery of a specified quantity of the underlying financial instrument, or
the cash value of an index, at a future date. Although futures contracts by
their terms call for the delivery or acquisition of the underlying instruments
or a cash payment based on the mark-to-market value of the underlying
instruments, in most cases the contractual obligation will be offset before the
delivery date by buying (in the case of an obligation to sell) or selling (in
the case of an obligation to buy) an identical futures contract. Such a
transaction cancels the original obligation to make or take delivery of the
instruments.

                  The Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale for
future delivery of financial instruments, such as securities and foreign
currencies, or contracts based on financial indices including indices of U.S.
Government securities, foreign government securities or equity securities. U.S.
futures contracts are traded on exchanges which have been designated "contract
markets" by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and must be
executed through a futures commission merchant (an "FCM"), or brokerage firm,
which is a member of the relevant contract market. Through their clearing
corporations, the exchanges guarantee performance of the contracts as between
the clearing members of the exchange.

                  Both the buyer and seller are required to deposit "initial
margin" for the benefit of the FCM when a futures contract is entered into.
Initial margin deposits are equal to a percentage of the contract's value, as
set by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be maintained in
cash or other liquid assets. If the value of either party's position declines,
that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to
the other party to settle the change in value on a daily basis. Initial and
variation margin payments are similar to good faith deposits or performance
bonds or party-to-party payments resulting from daily changes in the value of
the contract, unlike margin extended by a securities broker, and would be
released or credited to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract,
assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Unlike margin extended
by a securities broker, initial and variation margin payments do not constitute
purchasing securities on margin for purposes of the Fund's investment
limitations. The Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures
contracts.

                  In the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM that holds margin on
behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to the
Fund only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM's other customers. The
Fund will attempt to minimize the risk by careful monitoring of the
creditworthiness of the FCMs with which the Fund does business and by depositing
margin payments in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian for the
benefit of the FCM when practical or otherwise required by law.

                  The Fund intends to comply with guidelines of eligibility for
exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" with the
CFTC and the National Futures Association, which regulate trading in the futures
markets. Accordingly, the Fund will not enter into any futures contract or
option on a futures contract if, as a result, the aggregate initial margin and
premiums required to establish such positions would exceed 5% of the Fund's net
assets.

                  Although the Fund would hold cash and liquid assets in a
segregated account with a mark-to-market value sufficient to cover the Fund's
open futures obligations, the segregated assets would be available to the Fund
immediately upon closing out the futures position.


                                      -9-
<PAGE>

                  The acquisition or sale of a futures contract may occur, for
example, when the Fund is considering purchasing or holds equity securities and
seeks to protect itself from fluctuations in prices without buying or selling
those securities. For example, if prices were expected to decrease, the Fund
might sell equity index futures contracts, thereby hoping to offset a potential
decline in the value of equity securities in the portfolio by a corresponding
increase in the value of the futures contract position held by the Fund and
thereby preventing the Fund's net asset value from declining as much as it
otherwise would have. The Fund also could protect against potential price
declines by selling portfolio securities and investing in money market
instruments. However, the use of futures contracts as a hedging technique allows
the Fund to maintain a defensive position without having to sell portfolio
securities.

                  Similarly, when prices of equity securities are expected to
increase, futures contracts may be bought to attempt to hedge against the
possibility of having to buy equity securities at higher prices. This technique
is sometimes known as an anticipatory hedge. Since the fluctuations in the value
of futures contracts should be similar to those of equity securities, the Fund
could take advantage of the potential rise in the value of equity securities
without buying them until the market has stabilized. At that time, the futures
contracts could be liquidated and the Fund could buy equity securities on the
cash market.

                  The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures
markets, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to
distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to
initial margin and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional
variation margin requirements, investors may close out futures contracts through
offsetting transactions which could distort the normal price relationship
between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures
market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than
making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take
delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced and prices in the
futures market distorted. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the
margin deposit requirements in the futures market are less than margin
requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by
speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to
the possibility of the foregoing distortions, a correct forecast of general
price trends by the Fund still may not result in a successful use of futures.

                  Futures contracts entail additional risks. Although the Fund
will only utilize futures contracts when it believes that use of such contracts
will benefit the Fund, if the Fund's investment judgment is incorrect, the
Fund's overall performance could be worse than if the Fund had not entered into
futures contracts. For example, if the Fund has hedged against the effects of a
possible decrease in prices of securities held in the Fund's portfolio and
prices increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the
increased value of these securities because of offsetting losses in the Fund's
futures positions. In addition, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have
to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin
requirements. Those sales may be, but will not necessarily be, at increased
prices which reflect the rising market and may occur at a time when the sales
are disadvantageous to the Fund. Although the buyer of an option cannot lose
more than the amount of the premium plus related transaction costs, a buyer or
seller of futures contracts could lose amounts substantially in excess of any
initial margin deposits made, due to the potential for adverse price movements
resulting in additional variation margin being required by such positions.
However, the Fund intends to monitor its investments closely and will attempt to
close its positions when the risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

                  The prices of futures contracts depend primarily on the value
of their underlying instruments. Because there are a limited number of types of
futures contracts, it is possible that the standardized futures contracts
available to the Fund will not match exactly the Fund's current or potential
investments. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts based on underlying
instruments with different characteristics from the securities in which it
typically invests -- for example, by hedging investments in portfolio securities
with a futures contract based on a broad index of securities -- which involves a
risk that the futures position will not correlate precisely with the performance
of the Fund's investments.


                                      -10-
<PAGE>

                  Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their
underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments closely correlate
with the Fund's investments. Futures prices are affected by such factors as
current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the
underlying instruments and the time remaining until expiration of the contract.
Those factors may affect securities prices differently from futures prices.
Imperfect correlations between the Fund's investments and its futures positions
may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the
securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities
are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits for futures
contracts. The Fund may buy or sell futures contracts with a value less than or
equal to the securities it wishes to hedge or is considering purchasing. If
price changes in the Fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its
other investments, its futures positions may fail to produce desired gains or
result in losses that are not offset by the gains in the Fund's other
investments.

                  Because futures contracts are generally settled within a day
from the date they are closed out, compared with a longer settlement period for
most types of securities, the futures markets can provide superior liquidity to
the securities markets. Nevertheless, there is no assurance a liquid secondary
market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. In
addition, futures exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for
futures contracts and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or
downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the
price fluctuation limit is reached, it may be impossible for the Fund to enter
into new positions or close out existing positions. If the secondary market for
a futures contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or
otherwise, the Fund may not be able to promptly liquidate unfavorable futures
positions and potentially could be required to continue to hold a futures
position until the delivery date, regardless of changes in its value. As a
result, the Fund's access to other assets held to cover its futures positions
also could be impaired.

                  OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS. The Fund may buy and write
options on futures contracts for hedging purposes. An option on a futures
contract gives the Fund the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell a
futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified date. The
purchase of a call option on a futures contract is similar in some respects to
the purchase of a call option on an individual security. Depending on the
pricing of the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon
which it is based or the price of the underlying instrument, ownership of the
option may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or
the underlying instrument. As with the purchase of futures contracts, the Fund
may buy a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance,
and the Fund might buy a put option on a futures contract to hedge against a
market decline.

                  The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes
a partial hedge against declining prices of the security or foreign currency
which is deliverable under, or of the index comprising, the futures contract. If
the futures price at the expiration of the call option is below the exercise
price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides
a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund's
portfolio holdings. If a call option the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund
will incur a loss which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it
received. Depending on the degree of correlation between change in the value of
its portfolio securities and changes in the value of the futures positions, the
Fund's losses from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or
increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities.

                  The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is similar
in some respects to the purchase of protective put options on portfolio
securities. For example, the Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract to
hedge the Fund's portfolio against the risk of falling prices.

                  The amount of risk the Fund assumes when it buys an option on
a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction
costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of an
option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures
contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the options bought.

                  FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS. A forward
contract is a privately negotiated agreement between two parties in which one
party is obligated to deliver a stated amount of a


                                      -11-
<PAGE>

stated asset at a specified time in the future and the other party is obligated
to pay a specified invoice amount for the assets at the time of delivery. The
Fund currently intends that it will only use forward contracts or commitments
for hedging purposes and will only use forward foreign currency exchange
contracts, although the Fund may enter into additional forms of forward
contracts or commitments in the future if they become available and advisable in
light of the Fund's objectives and investment policies. Forward contracts
generally are negotiated in an interbank market conducted directly between
traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Unlike futures
contracts, which are standardized exchange-traded contracts, forward contracts
can be specifically drawn to meet the needs of the parties that enter into them.
The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or terminate the contract
before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity and complete the
contemplated exchange.

                  The following discussion summarizes the Fund's principal uses
of forward foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward currency contracts").
The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts with stated contract values
of up to the value of the Fund's assets. A forward currency contract is an
obligation to buy or sell an amount of a specified currency for an agreed price
(which may be in U.S. dollars or a foreign currency) on a specified date. The
Fund will exchange foreign currencies for U.S. dollars and for other foreign
currencies in the normal course of business and may buy and sell currencies
through forward currency contracts in order to fix a price (in terms of a
specified currency) for securities it has agreed to buy or sell ("transaction
hedge"). The Fund also may hedge some or all of its investments denominated in
foreign currency against a decline in the value of that currency (or a proxy
currency whose price movements are expected to have a high degree of correlation
with the currency being hedged) relative to the U.S. dollar by entering into
forward currency contracts to sell an amount of that currency approximating the
value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in that currency
("position hedge") or by participating in futures contracts (or options on such
futures) with respect to the currency. The Fund also may enter into a forward
currency contract with respect to a currency where the Fund is considering the
purchase or sale of investments denominated in that currency but has not yet
selected the specific investments ("anticipatory hedge").

                  These types of hedging minimize the effect of currency
appreciation as well as depreciation, but do not eliminate fluctuations in the
underlying U.S. dollar equivalent value of the proceeds of or rates of return on
the Fund's foreign currency denominated portfolio securities. The matching of
the increase in value of a forward contract and the decline in the U.S. dollar
equivalent value of the foreign currency denominated asset that is the subject
of the hedge generally will not be precise. Shifting the Fund's currency
exposure from one foreign currency to another limits the Fund's opportunity to
profit from increases in the value of the original currency and involves a risk
of increased losses to the Fund if its investment manager's projection of future
exchange rates is inaccurate. Unforeseen changes in currency prices may result
in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such
contracts.

                  The Fund will cover outstanding forward currency contracts by
maintaining liquid portfolio securities denominated in the currency underlying
the forward contract or the currency being hedged. To the extent that the Fund
is not able to cover its forward currency positions with underlying portfolio
securities, the Fund's custodian will segregate cash or liquid assets having a
value equal to the aggregate amount of the Fund's commitments under forward
contracts entered into. If the value of the securities used to cover a position
or the value of segregated assets declines, the Fund must find alternative cover
or segregate additional cash or liquid assets on a daily basis so that the value
of the covered and segregated assets will be equal to the amount of the Fund's
commitments with respect to such contracts.

                  While forward contracts are not currently regulated by the
CFTC, the CFTC may in the future assert authority to regulate forward contracts.
In such event, the Fund's ability to utilize forward contracts may be
restricted. The Fund may not always be able to enter into forward contracts at
attractive prices and may be limited in its ability to use these contracts to
hedge Fund assets. In addition, when the Fund enters into a privately negotiated
forward contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk,
that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered
into. Unlike many exchange-traded futures contracts and options on futures,
there are no daily price fluctuation limits with respect to


                                      -12-
<PAGE>

forward contracts and other negotiated or over-the-counter instruments, and with
respect to those contracts, adverse market movements could therefore continue to
an unlimited extent over a period of time. However, the Fund intends to monitor
its investments closely and will attempt to renegotiate or close its positions
when the risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

                  OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDICES. The Fund may buy
or sell put or call options and write covered call options on securities that
are traded on United States or foreign securities exchanges or over-the-counter.
Buying an option involves the risk that, during the option period, the price of
the underlying security will not increase (in the case of a call) to above the
exercise price, or will not decrease (in the case of a put) to below the
exercise price, in which case the option will expire without being exercised and
the holder would lose the amount of the premium. Writing a call option involves
the risk of an increase in the market value of the underlying security, in which
case the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be
sold by the Fund to the option holder at a lower price than its current market
value and the Fund's potential for capital appreciation on the security would be
limited to the exercise price. Moreover, when the Fund writes a call option on a
securities index, the Fund bears the risk of loss resulting from imperfect
correlation between movements in the price of the index and the price of the
securities set aside to cover such position. Although they entitle the holder to
buy equity securities, call options to purchase equity securities do not entitle
the holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying
securities, nor do they represent any rights in the assets of the issuer of
those securities.

                  A call option written by the Fund is "covered" if the Fund
owns the underlying security covered by the call or has an absolute and
immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration
(or for additional cash consideration held in a segregated account by its
custodian) upon conversion or exchange of other securities held in its
portfolio. A call option is also deemed to be covered if the Fund holds a call
on the same security and in the same principal amount as the call written and
the exercise price of the call held (i) is equal to or less than the exercise
price of the call written or (ii) is greater than the exercise price of the call
written if the difference is maintained by the Fund in liquid assets in a
segregated account with its custodian.

                  The writer of a call option may have no control when the
underlying securities must be sold. Whether or not an option expires
unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. This amount, of
course, may, in the case of a covered call option, be offset by a decline in the
market value of the underlying security during the option period.

                  The writer of an exchange-traded call option that wishes to
terminate its obligation may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is
accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously
written. The effect of the purchase is that the writer's position will be
canceled by the clearing corporation. If the Fund desires to sell a particular
security from the Fund's portfolio on which the Fund has written a call option,
the Fund will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale
of the security. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction
after being notified of the exercise of an option. An investor who is the holder
of an exchange-traded option may liquidate its position by effecting a "closing
sale transaction." This is accomplished by selling an option of the same series
as the option previously bought. There is no guarantee that either a closing
purchase or a closing sale transaction can be effected.

                  The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if
the price of the purchase transaction is less than the premium received from
writing the option or the price received from a sale transaction is more than
the premium paid to buy the option; the Fund will realize a loss from a closing
transaction if the price of the purchase transaction is more than the premium
received from writing the option or the price received from a sale transaction
is less than the premium paid to buy the option. Because increases in the market
price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of
the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option
is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying
security owned by the Fund.


                                      -13-
<PAGE>

                  An option position may be closed out only where there exists a
secondary market for an option of the same series. If a secondary market does
not exist, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular
options with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the options in
order to realize any profit. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying
security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the underlying security
upon exercise. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market may include
the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain
options, (ii) restrictions may be imposed by a national securities exchange on
which the option is traded ("Exchange") on opening or closing transactions or
both, (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities,
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
Exchange, (v) the facilities of an Exchange or of the Options Clearing
Corporation ("OCC") may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading
volume, or (vi) one or more Exchanges could, for economic or other reasons,
decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options
(or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary
market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to
exist, although outstanding options on that Exchange that had been issued by the
OCC as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to be exercisable in
accordance with their terms.

                  In addition, when the Fund enters into an over-the-counter
option contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk,
that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered
into.

                  An option on a securities index is similar to an option on a
security except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of a
security at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder
the right to receive, on exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the
closing level of the securities index on which the option is based is greater
than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise
price of the option.

                  The Fund may buy call options on securities or securities
indices to hedge against an increase in the price of a security or securities
that the Fund may buy in the future. The premium paid for the call option plus
any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon
exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security or
index rises sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless to the
Fund. The Fund may buy put options to hedge against a decline in the value of a
security or its portfolio. The premium paid for the put option plus any
transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon
exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security or
index declines sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless to the
Fund.


                  An example of a hedging transaction using an index option
would be if the Fund were to purchase a put on a stock index, in order to
protect the Fund against a decline in the value of all securities held by it to
the extent that the stock index moves in a similar pattern to the prices of the
securities held. While the correlation between stock indices and price movements
of the stocks in which the Fund will generally invest may be imperfect, the Fund
expects, nonetheless, that the use of put options that relate to such indices
will, in certain circumstances, protect against declines in values of specific
portfolio securities or the Fund's portfolio generally. Although the purchase of
a put option may partially protect the Fund from a decline in the value of a
particular security or its portfolio generally, the cost of a put will reduce
the potential return on the security or the portfolio.


                  PORTFOLIO TURNOVER. The portfolio turnover rates of the
Fund are shown in the Financial Highlights table included in the Prospectus.
Investment changes in the Fund will be made whenever management deems them
appropriate even if this results in a higher portfolio turnover rate. A 100%
annual turnover rate results, for example, if the equivalent of all of the
securities in the Fund's portfolio are replaced in a period of one year. In
addition, portfolio turnover for the Fund may increase as a result of large
amounts of purchases and redemptions of shares of the Fund due to economic,
market or other factors that are not within the control of management.


                                      -14-
<PAGE>

                  Higher portfolio turnover will necessarily result in
correspondingly higher brokerage costs for the Fund. The existence of a high
portfolio turnover rate has no direct relationship to the tax liability of the
Fund, although sales of certain stocks will lead to realization of gains, and,
possibly, increased taxable distributions to shareholders. The Fund's brokerage
policy is discussed further below under Section 6--Brokerage Policy, and
additional information concerning income taxes is located under
Section 9--Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions and Tax Treatment.

2.                INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

                  The investment objective of the Fund is capital appreciation.
The investment objective of the Fund is considered fundamental, meaning that it
cannot be changed without a shareholders' vote. There can be no assurance that
the Fund's investment objective will be realized.

                  The Fund has also adopted certain investment policies,
strategies, guidelines and procedures in pursuing its objective. These may be
changed without a shareholder vote. The principal policies and strategies used
by the Fund are described in the Prospectus.

                  In addition, the Fund has adopted certain fundamental and
non-fundamental restrictions on its investments and other activities, which are
listed below. Fundamental restrictions may not be changed without the approval
of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at a meeting of
shareholders thereof if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting
securities are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Non-fundamental restrictions may be
changed in the future by action of the trustees without shareholder vote.

BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND

                  The following fundamental restrictions apply to the Berger
Information Technology Fund. The Fund may not:

                  1.    With respect to 75% of the Fund's total assets, purchase
the securities of any one issuer (except U.S. government securities) if
immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a) the value of the holdings
of the Fund in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the
Fund's total assets or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of such issuer.

                  2.    Invest in any one industry (other than U.S. government
securities) 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of such
investment.

                  3.    Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or
emergency purposes in amounts not to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets
(including the amount borrowed) taken at market value, nor pledge, mortgage or
hypothecate its assets, except to secure permitted indebtedness and then only if
such pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating does not exceed 25% of the Fund's
total assets taken at market value. When borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's
total assets, the Fund will not purchase portfolio securities.

                  4.    Act as a securities underwriter (except to the extent
the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in
disposing of a security), issue senior securities (except to the extent
permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940), invest in real estate
(although it may purchase shares of a real estate investment trust), or invest
in commodities or commodity contracts except financial futures transactions,
futures contracts on securities and securities indices and options on such
futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, forward commitments or
securities index put or call options.

                  5.    Make loans, except that the Fund may enter into
repurchase agreements and may lend portfolio securities in accordance with the
Fund's investment policies. The Fund does not, for this purpose, consider the
purchase of all or a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, bank
loan participation agreements, bank certificates of deposit, bankers'
acceptances, debentures or other


                                      -15-
<PAGE>

securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of
the securities, to be the making of a loan.

                  In applying the industry concentration investment restriction
(no. 2 above), the Fund uses the industry groups used in the Data Monitor
Portfolio Monitoring System of William O'Neil & Co. Incorporated.

                  The trustees have adopted additional non-fundamental
investment restrictions for the Fund. These limitations may be changed by the
trustees without a shareholder vote. The non-fundamental investment restrictions
include the following:

                  1.    The Fund may not purchase securities on margin from a
broker or dealer, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may
be necessary for the clearance of transactions, and may not make short sales of
securities, except that the Fund may make short sales if, at the time of the
short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire an equivalent kind and
amount of the security being sold short at no additional cost (i.e., short sales
"against the box"). This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict the Fund from
entering into futures, forwards and options contracts or from making margin
payments and other deposits in connection therewith.

                  2.    The Fund may not purchase the securities of any other
investment company, except by purchase in the open market involving no
commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer (other than the customary broker's
commission).

                  3.    The Fund may not invest in companies for the purposes of
exercising control of management.

                  4.    The Fund may not purchase any security, including any
repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days, which is not readily
marketable, if more than 15% of the net assets of the Fund, taken at market
value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.

                  5.    Only for the purpose of hedging, the Fund may purchase
and sell financial futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and put
and call options, but no more than 5% of the Fund's net assets at the time of
purchase may be invested in initial margins for financial futures transactions
and premiums for options. The Fund may only write call options that are covered
and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  6.    The Fund may not purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities.

3.                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

                  The Fund is supervised by trustees who are responsible for
major decisions about the Fund's policies and overall Fund oversight. The Fund's
trustees hire the companies that run day-to-day Fund operations, such as the
investment advisor, administrator, transfer agent and custodian.

                  The trustees and executive officers of the Fund are listed
below, together with information which includes their principal occupations
during the past five years and other principal business affiliations.


      MICHAEL OWEN, 114 A Gallatin Dr., Bozeman, MT 59718, DOB: 1937.
           Self-employed as a financial and management consultant, and in real
           estate development. From 1993 to June 1999, Dean, and from 1989 to
           1993, a member of the Finance faculty, of the College of Business,
           Montana State University. Formerly (1976-1989), Chairman and Chief
           Executive Officer of Royal Gold, Inc. (mining). Chairman of the Board
           of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund. Chairman of
           the Trustees of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger



                                      -16-
<PAGE>

           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.

*     JACK R. THOMPSON, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO  80206,
           DOB: 1949.  President and a director since May 1999 (Executive Vice
           President from February 1999 to May 1999) of Berger Growth Fund and
           Berger Growth and Income Fund. President and a trustee since May
           1999 (Executive Vice President from February 1999 to May 1999) of
           Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
           Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
           Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust. President and
           Director since June, 1999 (Executive Vice President from February
           1999 to June 1999) of Berger LLC. Audit Committee Member of the
           Public Employees' Retirement Association of Colorado (pension plan)
           since November 1997. Self-employed as a consultant from July 1995
           through February 1999. Director of Wasatch Advisors (investment
           management) from February 1997 to February 1999. Director of Janus
           Capital Corporation (investment management) from June 1984 through
           June 1995, and Executive Vice President of the Corporation from
           April 1989 through June 1995. Treasurer of Janus Capital Corporation
           from November 1983 through October 1989. Trustee of the Janus
           Investment Funds from December 1990 through June 1995, and Senior
           Vice President of the Trust from May 1993 through June 1995.
           President and a director of Janus Service Corporation (transfer
           agent) from January 1987 through June 1995. President and a director
           of Fillmore Agency, Inc. (advertising agency), from January 1990
           through June 1995. Executive Vice President and a director of Janus
           Capital International, Ltd. (investment advisor) from September 1994
           through June 1995. President and a director of Janus Distributors,
           Inc. (broker/dealer), from May 1991 through June 1995. Director of
           IDEX Management, Inc. (investment management), from January 1985
           through June 1995. Trustee and Senior Vice President of the of the
           Janus Aspen Funds from May 1993 through June 1995.

      DENNIS E. BALDWIN, 3481 South Race Street, Englewood, CO  80110, DOB:
           1928.  President, Baldwin Financial Counseling. Formerly (1978-1990),
           Vice President and Denver Office Manager of Merrill Lynch Capital
           Markets. Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income
           Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.

      LOUIS R. BINDNER, 1075 South Fox, Denver, CO  80223, DOB: 1925.
           President, Climate Engineering, Inc. (building environmental
           systems).  Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and
           Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.

      KATHERINE A. CATTANACH, 672 South Gaylord, Denver, CO 80209, DOB: 1945.
           Managing Principal, Sovereign Financial Services, Inc. (investment
           consulting firm). Formerly (1981-1988), Executive Vice President,
           Captiva Corporation, Denver, Colorado (private investment management
           firm). Ph.D. in Finance (Arizona State University); Chartered
           Financial Analyst (CFA). Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger
           Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio
           Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
           Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni
           Investment Trust.


      PAUL R. KNAPP, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60602,
           DOB: 1945. Since 1991, Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer
           and a director of Catalyst Institute (international public policy
           research organization focused primarily on financial markets and
           institutions). Since September 1997, President, Chief Executive
           Officer and a director of DST Catalyst, Inc. (international financial
           markets consulting, software and computer services company, an 81%
           owned subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc.) Director (since February 1998)
           and a Vice President (February 1998 - November 1998) of West Side
           Investments, Inc. (investments), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DST
           Systems, Inc. Previously (1991 - September 1997), Chairman,
           President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Catalyst
           Consulting (international financial institutions business consulting
           firm). Prior thereto (1988-1991), President, Chief Executive Officer
           and a director of Kessler Asher Group (brokerage, clearing and
           trading firm). Director of



                                      -17-
<PAGE>

           Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of
           Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
           Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
           Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.

      HARRY T. LEWIS, JR., 370 17th Street, Suite 3560, Denver, CO  80202, DOB:
           1933. Self-employed as a private investor. Formerly (1981-1988),
           Senior Vice President, Rocky Mountain Region, of Dain Bosworth
           Incorporated and member of that firm's Management Committee.
           Director of J.D. Edwards & Co. (computer software company) since
           1995. Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income
           Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.

      WILLIAM SINCLAIRE, 3049 S. Perry Park Road, Sedalia, CO  80135, DOB: 1928.
           President, Santa Clara LLC (privately owned agriculture company).
           Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
           Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional
           Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM
           Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.

*     JANICE M. TEAGUE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1954. Vice President and Secretary (since November 1998) and
           Assistant Secretary (October 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
           Funds. Vice President (since October 1997), Secretary (since
           November 1998) and Assistant Secretary (October 1996 through
           November 1998) with Berger LLC. Vice President and Secretary with
           Berger Distributors LLC, since August 1998. Formerly, self-employed
           as a business consultant from June 1995 through September 1996,
           Secretary of the Janus Funds from January 1990 to May 1995 and
           Assistant Secretary of Janus Capital Corporation from October 1989
           to May 1995.

*     DAVID J. SCHULTZ, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1950. Vice President and Treasurer (since November 1998) and
           Assistant Treasurer (September 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
           Funds. Vice President (since February 1997) and Controller (since
           August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
           (since May 1996), Assistant Secretary (since August 1998) and
           Secretary (May 1996 to August 1998) with Berger Distributors LLC
           Formerly, Partner with Smith, Brock & Gwinn (accounting firm) from
           January 1984 to August 1994.

*     BRIAN S. FERRIE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO  80206,
           DOB: 1958. Vice President of the Berger Funds since November 1998.
           Vice President (since February 1997) and Chief Compliance Officer
           (since August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Compliance Officer with
           Berger Distributors LLC, since May 1996. Formerly, Compliance
           Officer with United Services Advisor, Inc., from January 1988 to
           July 1994, and Director of Internal Audit of United Services Funds
           from January 1987 to July 1994.


*     JOHN PAGANELLI, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1967. Assistant Treasurer of the Berger Funds since November
           1998. Vice President (since November 1998) and Manager of Accounting
           (January 1997 through November 1998) with Berger LLC. Formerly,
           Manager of Accounting (December 1994 through October 1996) and
           Senior Accountant (November 1991 through December 1994) with Palmeri
           Fund Administrators, Inc.


- ----------------

* Interested person (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the
Fund and/or of the Fund's advisor or sub-advisor.

   The trustees of the Fund have adopted a trustee retirement age of 75 years.


                                      -18-
<PAGE>

TRUSTEE COMPENSATION

                  The officers of the Fund received no compensation from the
Fund during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1998. However, trustees of the
Fund who are not "interested persons" of the Fund or its advisor or sub-advisor
are compensated for their services according to a fee schedule, allocated among
the Berger Funds. Neither the officers of the Fund nor the trustees receive any
form of pension or retirement benefit compensation from the Fund.


                  The following table sets forth information regarding
compensation paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999,
for each trustee of the Fund:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

         NAME AND POSITION                                   AGGREGATE COMPENSATION FROM
         WITH BERGER FUNDS
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                        BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND(1)         ALL BERGER FUNDS(2)

- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

<S>                                     <C>                                     <C>
Dennis E. Baldwin(3)                                     $ 49                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis R. Bindner(3)                                      $ 49                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Katherine A. Cattanach(3)                                $ 49                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Paul R. Knapp(3)                                         $ 49                              $47,000
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry T. Lewis(3)                                        $ 49                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Owen(3)                                          $ 60                              $57,600
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

William Sinclaire(3)                                     $ 49                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack R. Thompson(3),(4),(5)                              $ 0                                 $ 0
- --------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


NOTES TO TABLE


(1)   The Fund was not added as an operating series of the Trust until July 2,
      1999. Figures are from the period of the reorganization to September 30,
      1999.



(2)   Includes the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger Growth and Income Fund, the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust (including the Berger Information Technology
Fund, the Berger Small Company Growth Fund, the Berger New Generation Fund, the
Berger Balanced Fund, the Berger Select Fund, Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, and the
Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund), the Berger Institutional Products Trust (four
series), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust (three series, including the
Berger/BIAM International Fund), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust (one
series) and the Berger Omni Investment Trust (including the Berger Small Cap
Value Fund). Aggregate compensation figures do not include first-year estimates
for any Fund in existence for less than one year. Of the aggregate amounts shown
for each trustee, the following amounts were deferred under applicable deferred
compensation plans: Dennis E. Baldwin $24,316; Louis R. Bindner $15,333;
Katherine A. Cattanach $47,393; Michael Owen $6,651; William Sinclaire $40,423.



(3)   Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund and
trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust
and Berger Omni Investment Trust.



(4)   Interested person of Berger LLC.



(5)   President of Berger Growth Fund, Berger Growth and Income Fund, Berger
Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM
Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and Berger Omni
Investment Trust.





                  Trustees may elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of
their fees pursuant to a fee deferral plan adopted by the Fund. Under the plan,
deferred fees are credited to an account and adjusted thereafter to reflect the
investment experience of whichever of the Berger Funds (or approved money market
funds) is designated by the trustee for this purpose. Pursuant to an SEC
exemptive order, the Fund is permitted to purchase shares of the designated
funds in order to offset its obligation to the trustees participating in the
plan. Purchases made pursuant to the plan are excepted from any otherwise
applicable investment restriction limiting the purchase of securities of any
other investment company. The Fund's obligation to make payments of deferred
fees under the plan is a general obligation of the Fund.


                                      -19-
<PAGE>


                  As of January 4, 2000, the officers and trustees of the Fund
as a group owned of record or beneficially no shares of the Fund.


4.                INVESTMENT ADVISOR AND SUB-ADVISOR

BERGER LLC - INVESTMENT ADVISOR

                  Berger LLC, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO
80206, is the investment advisor to the Fund. Berger LLC is responsible for
managing the investment operations of the Fund and the composition of its
investment portfolio. Berger LLC also acts as the Fund's administrator and is
responsible for such functions as monitoring compliance with all applicable
federal and state laws.


                  Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25
years. It serves as investment advisor or sub-advisor to mutual funds and
institutional investors and had assets under management of approximately $6.1
billion as of December 31, 1999. Berger LLC is a subsidiary of Stilwell
Management Inc. ("Stilwell"), which owns more than 80% of Berger LLC, and is an
indirect subsidiary of Stilwell Financial, Inc. ("Stilwell Financial"), which in
turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.
("KCSI"). KCSI is a publicly traded holding company with principal operations in
rail transportation, through its subsidiary The Kansas City Southern Railway
Company, and financial asset management businesses. Stilwell also owns
approximately 32% of the outstanding shares of DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), a
publicly traded information and transaction processing company which acts as the
Funds' sub-transfer agent. DST, in turn, owns 100% of DST Securities, a
registered broker-dealer, which executes portfolio trades for the Funds.



                  KCSI announced its intention to separate the transportation
and financial services segments through a proposed dividend of the stock of
Stilwell Financial. On July 12, 1999, KCSI announced that the Internal Revenue
Service issued a favorable tax ruling permitting KCSI to separate its financial
services segment from its transportation segment. Completion of this separation
is expected to occur in the year 2000.


BAY ISLE FINANCIAL CORPORATION - SUB-ADVISOR

                  Bay Isle Financial Corporation ("Bay Isle"), 160 Sansome
Street, 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, is the investment sub-advisor for
the Fund. Bay Isle has been in the investment advisory business since 1986. Bay
Isle serves as investment advisor or sub-advisor to mutual funds, institutional
investors and individual separate accounts.

                  Bay Isle served as investment advisor to the Fund (originally
known as the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund) from its inception
in April 1997 until July 1999, when the InformationTech 100-Registered
Trademark- Fund was reorganized into the Fund with shareholder approval. At that
time, Bay Isle became the investment sub-advisor to the Fund under a
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Berger LLC as advisor and Bay Isle as
sub-advisor. As sub-advisor, Bay Isle provides day-to-day management of the
Fund's investment operations.

                  William F. K. Schaff is primarily responsible for the
day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. Mr. Schaff is a co-founder and
controlling person of Bay Isle and serves as its Chief Investment Officer and a
director. Mr. Schaff has been managing accounts of Bay Isle clients since 1987.
Gary G. Pollock is also a co-founder and controlling person of Bay Isle and
serves as its President and a director.

                  In addition to its other activities, Bay Isle maintains the
INFORMATIONWEEK-Registered Trademark- 100 Index, an unmanaged index of the
stocks of 100 companies in the information technology industries.
INFORMATIONWEEK-Registered Trademark- is a registered trademark of CMP Media,
which is not affiliated with Bay Isle or the Fund. Mr. Schaff also writes
articles on investments for INFORMATIONWEEK magazine, a publication of CMP Media
covering information technology-related topics. CMP Media compensates Bay Isle
for managing the Index and for Mr. Schaff's articles.


                                      -20-
<PAGE>

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENTS


                  Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund and
its advisor, the advisor is generally responsible for furnishing continuous
advice and making investment decisions as to the acquisition, holding or
disposition of securities or other assets which the Fund may own or contemplate
acquiring from time to time. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the
investment advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of
law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission
taken with respect to the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or
gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder and except to the extent
otherwise provided by law.


                  Under the Agreement the advisor is compensated for its
services by the payment of a fee at an annual rate, calculated as a percentage
of the average daily net assets of the Fund.



                  The following schedule reflects the advisory fees charged to
the Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

                      FUND                                 ADVISOR                  INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE

- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

<S>                                               <C>                                       <C>
Berger Information Technology Fund                Berger LLC(1)                             0.90%(2)

- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1)   Fund is sub-advised by Bay Isle. See text preceding and following this
table.

(2)   Under a written contract, the Fund's investment advisor waives its fee or
reimburses the Fund for expenses to the extent that, at any time during the life
of the Fund, the annual operating expenses for the Institutional Shares class of
the Fund in any fiscal year, including the investment advisory fee, but
excluding brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses,
exceed 1.50% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to the
Institutional Shares for that fiscal year. The contract also provides that the
advisor will waive an additional amount of its fees or reimburse an additional
amount of expenses to the extent necessary to keep its fee waiver and
reimbursement for the Institutional Shares class proportionate to its fee waiver
and reimbursement for the Fund's other outstanding share class. The contract may
not be terminated or amended except by a vote of the Fund's Board of Trustees.
The investment advisory fee is allocated among the Institutional Shares and the
other class of the Fund on the basis of net assets attributable to each such
class.

                  Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged
to the Fund was reduced according to the following schedule:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

                      FUND                        AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS                ANNUAL RATE

- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

<S>                                               <C>                                         <C>
Berger Information Technology Fund                First $500 million                          .85%
                                                  Next $500 million                           .80%
                                                  Over $1 billion                             .75%
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------
</TABLE>


                  The Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in
effect until the last day of April 2001, and thereafter from year to year if
such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or
by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case
by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that
term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the advisor. The Agreement is
subject to termination by the Fund or the advisor on 60 days' written notice,
and terminates automatically in the event of its assignment.

                  Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the advisor and the
sub-advisor for the Fund, the sub-advisor is responsible for day-to-day
investment management. The sub-advisor manages the investments and determines
what securities and other investments will be acquired, held or disposed of,
consistent with the investment objective and policies established by the
trustees. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the sub-advisor shall not be
liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or


                                      -21-
<PAGE>

for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission taken with
respect to the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross
negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard
of its obligations and duties thereunder and except to the extent otherwise
provided by law.

                  No fees are paid directly to the sub-advisor by the Fund. Bay
Isle, as the sub-advisor of the Fund, receives from the advisor a fee at the
annual rate of 0.45% of the average daily net asset of the Fund. The
Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect until April 2001, and thereafter
from year to year if such continuation is specifically approved at least
annually by the trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of
the Fund and in either case by vote of a majority of the trustees of the Fund
who are not "interested persons" (as that term is defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the advisor or the sub-advisor. The
Sub-Advisory Agreement is subject to termination by the Fund or the sub-advisor
on 60 days' written notice, and terminates automatically in the event of its
assignment and in the event of termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement.

OTHER ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN BERGER LLC AND BAY ISLE

                  Berger LLC and Bay Isle have formed a joint venture to provide
asset management services to certain private accounts. In connection with the
formation of that joint venture, Berger LLC purchased from Bay Isle owners
William F. K. Schaff and Gary G. Pollock the right that, if either Mr. Schaff or
Mr. Pollock ever desires to sell any of his Bay Isle shares in the future, they
will together first offer to sell shares to Berger LLC aggregating at least 80%
of the total outstanding shares of Bay Isle at an agreed price. If Berger elects
to purchase the Bay Isle shares offered, the parties have agreed to use their
best efforts to have 5-year employment agreements entered into between Bay Isle
and Messrs. Schaff and Pollock. Consummation of any such purchase of Bay Isle
shares by Berger LLC would be subject to a number of conditions, including any
required approval by Fund shareholders under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Bay Isle and Messrs. Schaff and Pollock are also compensated by Berger LLC for
providing administrative or consulting services relating to their joint venture
private account business.

TRADE ALLOCATIONS

                  While investment decisions for the Fund are made independently
by the sub-advisor, the same investment decision may be made for the Fund and
one or more accounts advised by the advisor. In this circumstance, should
purchase and sell orders of the same class of security be in effect on the same
day, the orders for such transactions may be combined by the advisor in order to
seek the best combination of net price and execution for each. Client orders
partially filled will, as a general matter, be allocated pro rata in proportion
to each client's original order, although exceptions may be made to avoid, among
other things, odd lots and de minimus allocations. Execution prices for a
combined order will be averaged so that each participating client receives the
average price paid or received. While in some cases, this policy might adversely
affect the price paid or received by the Fund or other participating accounts,
or the size of the position obtained or liquidated, the advisor will aggregate
orders if it believes that coordination of orders and the ability to participate
in volume transactions will result in the best overall combination of net price
and execution.

RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING

                  Berger LLC permits its directors, officers and employees to
purchase and sell securities for their own accounts in accordance with a policy
regarding personal investing in Berger LLC's Code of Ethics. The policy requires
all covered persons to conduct their personal securities transactions in a
manner which does not operate adversely to the interests of the Fund or Berger
LLC's other advisory clients. Directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment
personnel and other designated persons deemed to have access to current trading
information ("access persons") are required to pre-clear all transactions in
securities not otherwise exempt under the policy. Requests for authority to
trade will be denied pre-clearance when, among other reasons, the proposed
personal transaction would be contrary to the provisions of the policy or would
be deemed to adversely affect any transaction then known to be under
consideration for or currently being effected on behalf of any client account,
including the Fund.


                                      -22-
<PAGE>

                  In addition to the pre-clearance requirements described above,
the policy subjects directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment personnel
and other access persons to various trading restrictions and reporting
obligations. All reportable transactions are reviewed for compliance with the
policy. The policy is administered by Berger LLC and the provisions of the
policy are subject to interpretation by and exceptions authorized by its board
of directors.

                  Bay Isle permits its officers, directors, employees and
consultants to purchase and sell securities for their own accounts and accounts
of related persons in accordance with provisions governing personal securities
trading in Bay Isle's code of ethics and related internal policies. Employees
must wait 3 days between the time a new recommendation or opinion change is made
and the time the employee may trade in those securities in their own or related
accounts, or alternatively may ask that their transaction be added to a "block"
trade that will be made for a group of clients. Any employee trade not included
in a "block" trade made must be pre-cleared if the trade exceeds certain
specified volume limits. Volume limits are set with the intent of requiring
prior approval of any trade that could potentially cause changes in the market
price of the security in question. In addition, no employee may sell (or buy)
any security which he or she has bought (or sold) within the past 5 trading days
unless a loss is realized on closing the position. No employee, officer or
director of Bay Isle may acquire any security in an initial public offering or
in a private placement without prior written approval from Bay Isle's President.
Any Bay Isle employee who is an "access person" of the Fund will also be subject
to the provisions of Berger LLC's Code of Ethics, if those provisions are more
restrictive than the provisions of Bay Isle's own code. Each employee must
acknowledge quarterly that they are in compliance with the Bay Isle code of
ethics and related policies.

5.                EXPENSES OF THE FUND

                  In addition to paying an investment advisory fee to its
advisor, the Fund pays all of its expenses not assumed by its advisor,
including, but not limited to, custodian and transfer agent fees, legal and
accounting expenses, administrative and record keeping expenses, interest
charges, federal and state taxes, costs of share certificates, expenses of
shareholders' meetings, compensation of trustees who are not interested persons
of Berger LLC, expenses of printing and distributing reports to shareholders and
federal and state administrative agencies, and all expenses incurred in
connection with the execution of its portfolio transactions, including brokerage
commissions on purchases and sales of portfolio securities, which are considered
a cost of securities of the Fund. The Fund also pays all expenses incurred in
complying with all federal and state laws and the laws of any foreign country
applicable to the issue, offer or sale of shares of the Fund, including, but not
limited to, all costs involved in preparing and printing prospectuses for
shareholders of the Fund.


                  Under a separate Administrative Services Agreement with
respect to the Fund, Berger LLC performs certain administrative and
recordkeeping services not otherwise performed by the Fund's custodian and
recordkeeper, including the preparation of financial statements and reports to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulatory
authorities. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC agreed to eliminate the 0.01%
administrative fee charged to the Funds. The administrative services fee may be
changed by the trustees without shareholder approval. In addition, effective
October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was reduced.
The advisory fee reductions are reflected earlier under Investment Advisory
Agreement.


                  The following table shows the cost to the Fund of the
previously applicable advisory fee and administrative services fee for the years
shown and the amount of such fees waived on account of excess expenses under
applicable expense limitations.

                                         BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                                         ----------------------------------


                                      -23-
<PAGE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ --------------------

Fiscal Year Ended(1)     Investment             Administrative         Advisory Fee             TOTAL
                         Advisory Fee(2)        Service Fee(3)         Waiver and Expense
                                                                       Reimbursement(4)
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ --------------------
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ --------------------

<S>                      <C>                    <C>                    <C>                      <C>
Sept. 30, 1999           $ 97,000               $ 11,000               $ (47,000)               $ 61,000
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ --------------------

Feb. 28, 1999            $ 68,000               $ 30,000               $ (84,000)               $ 14,000
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ --------------------

Feb. 28, 1998(5)         $  8,000               $ 27,000               $ (35,000)               $ 0
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ --------------------
</TABLE>


(1)   The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of
      a reorganization effective July 1999.


(2)   Under the advisory agreement in effect prior to the reorganization
      referenced in note (1), the Fund's predecessor paid an advisory fee at an
      annual rate of 0.95% of its average daily net assets to Bay Isle. As part
      of the reorganization, the current investment advisory fee of 0.90%
      payable to Berger LLC came into effect. Effective October 1, 1999, the
      investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was reduced to the following
      rates of average daily net assets; 0.85% of the first $500 million; 0.80%
      of the next $500 million and; 0.75% in excess of $1 billion.
(3)   Under the administrative service agreement in effect prior to the
      reorganization referenced in note (1), the Fund's predecessor paid to a
      third party administrator an administrative services fee at the annual
      rate of 0.20% of average net assets, subject to a $30,000 annual minimum.
      Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC eliminated the 0.01% administrative
      fee charged to the Fund.
(4)   Prior to the reorganization referenced in note (1), the Fund's prior
      advisor had voluntarily agreed to reduce its fees and/or pay expenses of
      the Fund to ensure that the Fund's expenses did not exceed 1.50%. During
      1998, in addition to waiving its entire advisory fee and reimbursing the
      Fund for the entire administrative service fee, the Fund's prior advisor
      reimbursed the Fund for $59,000 of additional expenses in order to meet
      the applicable expense limitation. As part of the reorganization, the
      current expense limitation arrangements came into effect with Berger LLC,
      which are described in note (2) to the table appearing above under the
      heading "Investment Advisory Agreements."
(5)   The Fund was the accounting survivor in the reorganization referenced in
      note (1). Accordingly, this covers the period April 8, 1997 (commencement
      of operations of the predecessor) to February 28, 1998, of the Fund's
      predecessor.



                  The Fund has appointed Investors Fiduciary Trust Company
("IFTC"), 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105, as its recordkeeping and
pricing agent. In addition, IFTC also serves as the Fund's custodian, transfer
agent and dividend disbursing agent. IFTC has engaged DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"),
P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121, as sub-agent to provide transfer agency
and dividend disbursing services for the Fund. Approximately 32% of the
outstanding shares of DST are owned by Stilwell.


                  As recordkeeping and pricing agent, IFTC calculates the daily
net asset value of the Fund and performs certain accounting and recordkeeping
functions required by the Fund. The Fund pays IFTC a monthly base fee plus an
asset-based fee. IFTC is also reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

                  IFTC, as custodian, and its subcustodians have custody and
provide for the safekeeping of the Fund's securities and cash, and receive and
remit the income thereon as directed by the management of the Fund. The
custodian and subcustodians do not perform any managerial or policy-making
functions for the Fund. For its services as custodian, IFTC receives an
asset-based fee plus certain transaction fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

                  As transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, IFTC (through
DST, as sub-agent) maintains all shareholder accounts of record; assists in
mailing all reports, proxies and other information to the Fund's shareholders;
calculates the amount of, and delivers to the Fund's shareholders, proceeds
representing all dividends and distributions; and performs other related
services. For these services, IFTC receives a fee from the Fund at an annual
rate of $14.00 per open Fund shareholder account, subject to preset volume
discounts, plus certain transaction fees and fees for closed accounts, and is
reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, which fees in turn are passed through to
DST as sub-agent.

                  All of IFTC's fees are subject to reduction pursuant to an
agreed formula for certain earnings credits on the cash balances of the Fund.

OTHER EXPENSE INFORMATION


                  The trustees of the Fund have authorized portfolio
transactions to be placed on an agency basis through DST Securities, Inc.
("DSTS"), a wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When transactions are
effected through DSTS, the commission received by DSTS is credited against, and
thereby reduces, certain operating expenses that the Fund would otherwise be
obligated to pay. No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. See Section
6--Brokerage Policy for further information


                                      -24-
<PAGE>

concerning the expenses reduced as a result of these arrangements. DSTS may be
considered an affiliate of Berger LLC due to the ownership interest of Stilwell
in both DST and Berger LLC.

                  The Fund and/or its advisor have entered into arrangements
with certain brokerage firms and other companies (such as recordkeepers and
administrators) to provide administrative services (such as sub-transfer agency,
recordkeeping, shareholder communications, sub-accounting and/or other services)
to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through those firms or companies. The
Fund's advisor or the Fund (if approved by its trustees) may pay fees to these
companies for their services. These companies may also be appointed as agents
for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption
requests that are received in good order. Subject to Fund approval, certain of
these companies may be authorized to designate other entities to accept purchase
and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.

                  The Fund's advisor may also enter into arrangements with
organizations that solicit clients for the advisor, which may include clients
who purchase shares of the Fund. While the specific terms of each arrangement
may differ, generally, the fee paid by the advisor under such arrangements is
based on the value of the referred client's assets managed by the advisor. None
of the fees paid to such organizations will be borne by the Fund.

DISTRIBUTOR

                  The distributor (principal underwriter) of the Fund's shares
is Berger Distributors LLC (the "Distributor"), 210 University Boulevard, Suite
900, Denver, CO 80206. The Distributor may be reimbursed by Berger LLC for its
costs in distributing the Fund's Institutional Shares.

6.                 BROKERAGE POLICY

                  Although the Fund retains full control over its own investment
policies, under the terms of its Investment Advisory Agreement, Berger LLC as
the Fund's advisor is directed to place the portfolio transactions of the Fund.
A report on the placement of brokerage business is given to the trustees of the
Fund every quarter, indicating the brokers with whom Fund portfolio business was
placed and the basis for such placement.

                  The brokerage commissions paid by the Fund were as follows:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------

Fiscal Year (period ended)                                  Brokerage Commissions
- ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                         <C>

1999                                                        $ 4,000(1)
- ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------

1998                                                        $10,000(1)
- ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------

1997                                                        $ 6,000(1)
- ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



(1) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 1999. Accordingly, the brokerage commissions for
1997 were paid by the Fund's predecessor during the period April 8, 1997
(commencement of operations of the predecessor) to February 28, 1998, and the
brokerage commissions for 1998 were paid by the Fund's predecessor for the
fiscal year ended February 28, 1999. Brokerage commissions for 1999 were paid by
the Fund for the period March 1, 1999 to September 30, 1999.


                  The Investment Advisory Agreement authorizes and directs the
advisor to place portfolio transactions for the Fund only with brokers and
dealers who render satisfactory service in the execution of orders at the most
favorable prices and at reasonable commission rates. However, the Agreement
specifically authorizes the advisor to place such transactions with a broker
with whom it has negotiated a commission that is in excess of the commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if
the advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was
reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or
the overall responsibilities of the advisor. Accordingly, the advisor does not
have an obligation to seek the lowest available commission.


                                      -25-
<PAGE>

                  In accordance with this provision of the Agreement, portfolio
brokerage business of the Fund may be placed with brokers who provide useful
brokerage and research services to the advisor. During the Fund's fiscal year
ended February 28, 1999, brokerage was placed by the Fund's then advisor, now
sub-advisor, Bay Isle Financial Corporation, and none of the brokerage
commissions paid by the Fund were paid to brokers who provided to the Fund such
brokerage or research services. Currently, however, the Fund's brokerage is
placed by Berger LLC, the Fund's advisor, which may consider the value of
research provided as a factor in the choice of brokers. "Research" includes
computerized on-line stock quotation systems and related data feeds from stock
exchanges, computerized trade order entry, execution and confirmation systems,
fundamental and technical analysis data and software, computerized stock market
and business news services, economic research, account performance data and
computer hardware used for the receipt of electronic research services and
broker and other third-party equity research, such as publications or writings
which furnish advice as to the value of securities and advisability of
investing, and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities,
market trends, and portfolio strategies. Research may be provided orally, in
print, or electronically. These include a service used by the independent
trustees of the Fund in reviewing the Investment Advisory Agreement.

                  In some cases, a product or services termed "research" may
serve other functions unrelated to the making of investment decisions. When a
product has such a mixed use, the advisor will make a good faith allocation of
the cost of the product according to the use made of it. The portion of the
product that assists the advisor in the investment decision-making process may
be paid for with the Fund's commission dollars. The advisor pays for the portion
of the product that is not "research" with its own funds. Accordingly, the
decision whether and how to allocate the costs of such a product presents a
conflict of interest for Berger LLC.

                  Berger LLC does not enter into formal agreements with any
brokers regarding the placement of securities transactions because of any such
brokerage or research services that they provide. Berger LLC may, however, make
arrangements with and maintain internal procedures for allocating transactions
to brokers who provide such services to encourage them to provide services
expected to be useful to Berger LLC's clients, including the Fund. Brokers may
suggest a level of business they would like to receive in return for the
brokerage and research they provide. Berger LLC then determines whether to
continue receiving the research and brokerage provided and the approximate
amount of commissions it is willing to pay to continue the brokerage and
research arrangement with each broker. The actual amount of commissions a broker
may receive may be more or less than a broker's suggested allocations, depending
on Berger LLC's level of business, market conditions and other relevant factors.
Even under these arrangements, however, the placement of all Fund transactions,
must be consistent with the Fund's brokerage placement and execution policies,
and must be directed to a broker who renders satisfactory service in the
execution of orders at the most favorable prices and at reasonable commission
rates.


                  During the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, of the
brokerage commissions paid by the Fund, the following amounts were paid to
brokers who provided to the Fund selected brokerage or research services
prepared by the broker or subscribed or paid for by the broker on behalf of the
Fund:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
  ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------

  FUND                                             Amount of Transactions              Amount of Commissions
  ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------

<S>                                               <C>                                <C>
  Berger Information Technology Fund                        $ 298,000(1)                     $2,000(1)
  ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------
</TABLE>



(1) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 1999. Accordingly the amounts shown cover the
period from March 1, 1999 through September 30, 1999.


                  These brokerage and research services received from brokers
are often helpful to Berger LLC in performing its investment advisory
responsibilities to the Fund, and the availability of such services from brokers
does not reduce the responsibility of Berger LLC's advisory personnel to analyze
and evaluate the securities in which the Fund invests. The brokerage and
research services obtained as a


                                      -26-
<PAGE>

result of the Fund's brokerage business also will be useful to Berger LLC in
making investment decisions for its other advisory accounts, and, conversely,
information obtained by reason of placement of brokerage business of such other
accounts may be used by Berger LLC in rendering investment advice to the Fund.
Although such brokerage and research services may be deemed to be of value to
Berger LLC, they are not expected to decrease the expenses that Berger LLC would
otherwise incur in performing its investment advisory services for the Fund nor
will the advisory fees that are received by Berger LLC from the Fund be reduced
as a result of the availability of such brokerage and research services from
brokers.


                  The trustees of the Fund have authorized portfolio
transactions to be placed on an agency basis through DSTS, a wholly-owned
broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When transactions are effected through DSTS,
the commission received by DSTS is credited against, and thereby reduces,
certain operating expenses that the Fund would otherwise be obligated to pay. No
portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. DSTS may be considered an
affiliate of Berger LLC due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST
and Berger LLC.


                  The Fund's advisor places securities orders with a limited
number of major institutional brokerage firms chosen for the reliability and
quality of execution; commission rates; quality of research coverage of major
U.S. companies, the U.S. economy and the securities markets; promptness; back
office capabilities; capital strength and financial stability; prior performance
in serving the advisor and its clients; and knowledge of other buyers and
sellers. The advisor selects the broker for each order based on the factors
above, as well as the size, difficulty and other characteristics of the order.
The trustees of the Fund have also authorized sales of shares of the Fund by a
broker-dealer and the recommendations of a broker-dealer to its customers that
they purchase Fund shares to be considered as factors in the selection of
broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund. In addition, the
advisor may also consider payments made by brokers to the Fund or to other
persons on behalf of the Fund for services provided to the Fund for which it
would otherwise be obligated to pay, such as transfer agency fees. In placing
portfolio business with any such broker or dealer, the advisor of the Fund will
seek the best execution of each transaction.

7.                HOW TO PURCHASE AND REDEEM SHARES IN THE FUND

                  Minimum Initial Investment                            $250,000

                  Institutional Shares in the Fund may be purchased at the
relevant net asset value without a sales charge. The minimum initial investment
for Institutional Shares of the Fund is $250,000. (This requirement is not
applicable to shareholder accounts opened prior to the Fund's reorganization in
July 1999, since those accounts met the initial investment minimum in effect for
the Fund at the time those accounts were opened.)

                  To purchase shares in the Fund, simply complete the
application form enclosed with the Prospectus. Then mail it with a check payable
to "Berger Funds" to the following address:

                  Berger Funds
                  P.O. Box 219958
                  Kansas City, MO  64121

                  Payment for shares purchased may be made by wire, electronic
funds transfer or mail. All purchase orders are effected at the relevant net
asset value per share of the Fund next determined after receipt of the purchase
order, completed application and payment. A purchase order, together with
payment in proper form, received by the Fund, its authorized agent or designee
prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on a day the
Fund is open for business will be effected at that day's net asset value. An
order received after that time will be effected at the net asset value
determined on the next business day.

                  Additional investments may be made at any time by mail,
telephone (1-800-960-8427) or online (bergerfunds.com) at the relevant net asset
value by calling or writing the Fund and making payment by wire or electronic
funds transfer as outlined above.


                                      -27-
<PAGE>

                  In addition, Fund shares may be purchased through certain
broker-dealers that have established mutual fund programs and certain other
organizations connected with pension and retirement plans. These broker-dealers
and other organizations may charge investors a transaction or other fee for
their services, may require different minimum initial and subsequent investments
than the Fund and may impose other charges or restrictions different from those
applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. Fees charged by
these organizations will have the effect of reducing a shareholder's total
return on an investment in Fund shares. No such charge will apply to an investor
who purchases Fund shares directly from the Fund as described above.

                  Procedures for purchasing, selling (redeeming) and exchanging
Fund shares by telephone and online are described in the Prospectus. The Fund
may terminate or modify those procedures and related requirements at any time,
although shareholders of the Fund will be given notice of any termination or
material modification. Berger LLC may, at its own risk, waive certain of those
procedures and related requirements.

                  As described in the Prospectus, the Fund is intended as a
long-term investment, and not as a short-term trading vehicle. Therefore, the
Fund will deduct a 1% redemption fee from a shareholder's redemption proceeds if
the shareholder redeems Fund shares held less than 6 months. Because an exchange
involves a redemption of shares followed by a purchase, this redemption fee will
also apply to exchanges of Fund shares held less than 6 months. This fee is
intended to discourage investors from short-term trading of Fund shares and to
offset the cost to the Fund of excess brokerage and other costs incurred as a
result of such trading. This fee will not be charged to retirement plan accounts
(such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s) or in the case of redemptions resulting from the
death of the shareholder. This fee will also not be charged on the redemption of
shares obtained through the reinvestment of dividends paid on Fund shares. If
some but not all of the shares in an account are redeemed, shares are treated as
redeemed in an order determined by and applied uniformly to all accounts by the
Fund's sub-transfer agent.

8.                HOW THE NET ASSET VALUE IS DETERMINED

                  The net asset value of the Fund is determined once daily, at
the close of the regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange") (normally 4:00 p.m., New York time, Monday through Friday) each day
that the Exchange is open. The Exchange is closed and the net asset value of the
Fund is not determined on weekends and on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day each year.

                  The per share net asset value of the Institutional Shares is
determined by dividing the Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the total
value of the Fund's securities and other assets, less the Institutional Shares'
pro rata portion of the Fund's liabilities and the liabilities attributable to
the Institutional Shares, by the total number of Institutional Shares
outstanding. Since net asset value for the Fund is calculated by class, and
since the Institutional Shares and each other class of the Fund has its own
expenses, the per share net asset value of the Fund will vary by class.

                  In determining net asset value, securities listed or traded
primarily on national exchanges, The Nasdaq Stock Market and foreign exchanges
are valued at the last sale price on such markets, or, if such a price is
lacking for the trading period immediately preceding the time of determination,
such securities are valued at the mean of their current bid and asked prices.
Securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the mean
between their current bid and asked prices. The market value of individual
securities held by the Fund will be determined by using prices provided by
pricing services which provide market prices to other mutual funds or, as
needed, by obtaining market quotations from independent broker/dealers.
Short-term money market securities maturing within 60 days are valued on the
amortized cost basis, which approximates market value. All assets and
liabilities initially expressed in terms of non-U.S. dollar currencies are
translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates as quoted by one or
more banks or dealers shortly before the close of the Exchange. Securities and
assets for which quotations are not readily available or are not representative
of market value may be valued at their fair value determined in good faith
pursuant to consistently applied


                                      -28-
<PAGE>

procedures established by the trustees. Examples would be when events occur that
materially affect the value of a security at a time when the security is not
trading or when the securities are illiquid.




                  Generally, trading in foreign securities markets is
substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the
Exchange. The values of foreign securities used in computing the net asset value
of the shares of the Fund are determined as of the earlier of such market close
or the closing time of the Exchange. Occasionally, events affecting the value of
such securities may occur between the times at which they are determined and the
close of the Exchange, or when the foreign market on which such securities trade
is closed but the Exchange is open, which will not be reflected in the
computation of net asset value. If during such periods, events occur which
materially affect the value of such securities, the securities may be valued at
their fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied
procedures established by the trustees.

                  The Fund's securities may be listed primarily on foreign
exchanges or over-the-counter dealer markets which may trade on days when the
Exchange is closed (such as a customary U.S. holiday) and on which the Fund's
net asset value is not calculated. As a result, the net asset value of the Fund
may be significantly affected by such trading on days when shareholders cannot
purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.

9.                INCOME DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS
                  DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX TREATMENT

                  This discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax
issues relating to the Fund. As a summary, it is not an exhaustive discussion of
all possible tax ramifications. Accordingly, shareholders are urged to consult
with their tax advisors with respect to their particular tax consequences.

                  TAX STATUS OF THE FUND. If the Fund meets certain investment
and distribution requirements, it will be treated as a "regulated investment
company" (a "RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to
federal income tax on earnings that it distributes in a timely manner to
shareholders. It also may be subject to an excise tax on undistributed income if
it does not meet certain timing requirements for distributions. The Fund intends
to qualify as a RIC annually and to make timely distributions in order to avoid
income and excise tax liabilities.

                  TAX ON FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. With certain exceptions provided by
law, the Fund will report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each
shareholder information about the tax treatment of the shareholder's
distributions. Dividends paid by the Fund, whether received in cash or
reinvested in additional Fund shares, will be treated as ordinary income to the
shareholders. Distributions of net capital gain, whether received in cash or
reinvested in Fund shares, will be taxable to the shareholders, but the rate of
tax will vary depending upon the Fund's holding periods in the assets whose sale
resulted in the capital gain. Dividends and distributions that are declared in
October, November or December but not distributed until the following January
will be considered to be received by the shareholders on December 31.

                  In general, net capital gains from assets held by the Fund for
more than 12 months will be subject to a maximum tax rate of 20% and net capital
gains from assets held for 12 months or less will be taxed as ordinary income.
Distributions will be subject to these capital gains rates, regardless of how
long a shareholder has held Fund shares. Assets contributed to the Fund in an
in-kind purchase of Fund shares may generate more gain upon their sale than if
the assets had been purchased by the Fund with cash contributed to the Fund in a
cash purchase of Fund shares.


                  If the Fund's distributions for a taxable year exceeds its tax
earnings and profits available for distribution, all or a portion of its
distributions may be treated as a return of capital. To the extent a
distribution is treated as a return of capital, a shareholder's basis in his or
her Fund shares will be reduced by that amount.


                  If a shareholder has elected to receive dividends and/or
capital gain distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service is unable to
deliver checks to the shareholder's address of record, or if a shareholder's
checks remain uncashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest
the amount


                                      -29-
<PAGE>

distributed in additional Fund shares at the then-current NAV and to convert the
shareholder's distribution option from receiving cash to having all dividend and
other distributions reinvested in additional shares. In addition, no interest
will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption
checks.

                  TAX ON REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES. Shareholders may be subject
to tax on the redemption of their Fund shares. In general, such redemptions may
give rise to a capital gain or loss, the treatment of which will depend on the
shareholder's holding period in the Fund shares. Tax laws may prevent the
deduction of a loss on the sale of Fund shares if the shareholder reinvests in
the Fund shortly before or after the sale giving rise to the loss. Any loss on
the redemption or other sale or exchange of Fund shares held for six months or
less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term
capital gain distribution received on the shares.


                  INCOME FROM FOREIGN SOURCES. Dividends and interest received
by the Fund on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes
imposed by foreign countries, although these taxes may be reduced by applicable
tax treaties. Foreign taxes will generally be treated as expenses of the Fund,
unless the Fund has more than 50% of its assets invested in foreign corporate
securities at the end of the Fund's taxable year. In that case, if the fund
makes an election, shareholders of the Fund may be able to deduct (as an
itemized deduction) or claim a foreign tax credit for their share of foreign
taxes, subject to limitations prescribed in the tax law.


                  If the Fund invests in a foreign corporation that is a passive
foreign investment company (a "PFIC"), special rules apply that may affect the
tax treatment of gains from the sale of the stock and may cause the Fund to
incur IRS tax and interest charges. However, the Fund may be eligible to elect
one of two alternative tax treatments with respect to PFIC shares which would
avoid these taxes and charges, but also may affect, among other things, the
amount and character of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of income
with respect to PFIC shares. Accordingly, the amounts, character and timing of
income distributed to shareholders of the Fund holding PFIC shares may differ
substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC shares.

                  INCOME FROM CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS. Some or all of the Fund's
investments may include transactions that are subject to special tax rules.
Transactions involving foreign currencies may give rise to gain or loss that
could affect the Fund's ability to make ordinary dividend distributions.
Investment in certain financial instruments, such as options, futures contracts
and forward contracts, may require annual recognition of unrealized gains and
losses. Transactions that are treated as "straddles" may affect the character
and/or timing of other gains and losses of the Fund. If the Fund enters into a
transaction (such as a "short sale against the box") that reduces the risk of
loss on an appreciated financial position that it already holds, the entry into
the transaction may constitute a constructive sale and require immediate
recognition of gain.

                  BACKUP WITHHOLDING. In general, if a shareholder is subject to
backup withholding, the Fund will be required to withhold federal income tax at
a rate of 31% from distributions to that shareholder. These payments are
creditable against the shareholder's federal income tax liability.

                  FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS. Foreign shareholders of the Fund
generally will be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax on dividends paid by the
Fund from ordinary income and short-term capital gain, although the rate may be
reduced by a tax treaty. If a foreign shareholder dies while owning Fund shares,
those shares may be subject to U.S. estate taxes.

10.               SUSPENSION OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS

                  The right of redemption may be suspended for any period during
which the New York Stock Exchange is closed or the Securities and Exchange
Commission determines that trading on the Exchange is restricted, or when there
is an emergency as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a
result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of
securities owned by it or to determine the value of its net assets, or for such
other period as the Securities and Exchange Commission may by order permit for
the protection of shareholders of the Fund.


                                      -30-
<PAGE>

                  The Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although
it retains the right to redeem its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances,
in order to protect the interests of the remaining shareholders, by the delivery
of securities selected from its assets at its discretion. The Fund is, however,
governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 pursuant to
which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of
$250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any 90-day period for any
one shareholder. For purposes of this threshold, each underlying account holder
whose shares are held of record in certain omnibus accounts is treated as one
shareholder. Should redemptions by any shareholder during any 90-day period
exceed such limitation, the Fund will have the option of redeeming the excess in
cash or in-kind. If shares are redeemed in-kind, the redeeming shareholder
generally will incur brokerage costs in converting the assets to cash. The
redeeming shareholder may have difficulty selling the securities and recovering
the amount of the redemption if the securities are illiquid. The method of
valuing securities used to make redemption in-kind will be the same as the
method of valuing portfolio securities described under Section 8.

11.               TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS

                  The Fund offers several tax-qualified retirement plans for
individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. For information about
establishing an IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or money purchase pension plan,
403(b) Custodial Account, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans,
please call 1-800-259-2820 or write to The Berger Funds c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box
5005, Denver, CO 80217. Trustees for existing 401(k) or other plans interested
in using Fund shares as an investment or investment alternative in their plans
are invited to call the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.


                  The Fund also offers an Automatic Investment Plan (minimum $50
per month) and a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (minimum of $50 withdrawn monthly,
quarterly, semiannually or annually). Forms for these plans may be obtained by
writing to the Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO
64121, or call 1-800-960-8427.


12.               EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE

                  Any shareholder may exchange any or all of the shareholder's
shares in the Fund, subject to stated minimums, for shares of any of the other
available Berger Funds, without charge, after receiving a current prospectus of
the other fund. Exchanges into or out of the Fund are made at the net asset
value per share next determined after the exchange request is received. Each
exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the purchase of shares
in another, which may produce a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. An
exchange of shares may be made by written request directed to DST Systems, Inc.,
by telephoning the Fund at 1-800-960-8427 or by contacting the Fund online at
bergerfunds.com. This privilege may be terminated or amended by the Fund, and is
not available in any state in which the shares of the Berger Fund being acquired
in the exchange are not eligible for sale. Shareholders automatically have
telephone and online transaction privileges to authorize exchanges unless they
specifically decline this service in the account application or in writing.

13.               PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

                  From time to time in advertisements, the Fund may discuss its
performance ratings as published by recognized mutual fund statistical services,
such as Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc.,
Morningstar, Inc., or Value Line Investment Survey or by publications of general
interest such as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, MONEY,
BARRON'S, FINANCIAL WORLD or KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE. In addition,
the Fund may compare its performance to that of recognized broad-based
securities market indices, including the Wilshire 5000 Index, the Standard &
Poor's 500 Stock Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Russell 2000 Stock
Index, the Standard & Poor's 400 Mid-Cap Index, the Standard & Poor's 600 Small
Cap Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far
East) Index, the Dow Jones World Index, the Standard & Poor's/BARRA Value Index,
the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Lehman Brothers Intermediate Term
Government/Corporate Bond Index or the InformationWeek 100 Index, or more
narrowly-based or blended indices which reflect the market sectors in which the
Fund invests.


                                      -31-
<PAGE>

                  The total return of the Fund is calculated for any specified
period of time by assuming the purchase of shares of the Fund at the net asset
value at the beginning of the period. Each dividend or other distribution paid
by the Fund is assumed to have been reinvested at the net asset value on the
reinvestment date. The total number of shares then owned as a result of this
process is valued at the net asset value at the end of the period. The
percentage increase is determined by subtracting the initial value of the
investment from the ending value and dividing the remainder by the initial
value.

                  The Fund's total return reflects the Fund's performance over a
stated period of time. An average annual total return reflects the hypothetical
annually compounded return that would have produced the same total return if the
Fund's performance had been constant over the entire period. Total return
figures are based on the overall change in value of a hypothetical investment in
the Fund. Because average annual total returns for more than one year tend to
smooth out variations in the Fund's return, investors should recognize that such
figures are not the same as actual year-by-year results.

                  All performance figures for the Fund are based upon historical
results and do not assure future performance. The investment return and
principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares,
when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

                  Quotations of average annual total return for the Fund
will be expressed in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of
a hypothetical investment in the Fund over periods of 1, 3, 5 and 10 years,
or for the life of the Fund, if shorter. These are the rates of return that
would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value.
These rates of return are calculated pursuant to the following formula: P(1 +
T)to the power of n = ERV (where P = a hypothetical initial payment of
$1,000, T = the average annual total return, n = the number of years and ERV
= the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the
beginning of the period). All total return figures reflect the deduction of a
proportional share of Fund expenses on an annual basis, and assume that all
dividends and distributions are reinvested when paid.


PREDECESSOR PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS

                  The Fund is the accounting survivor and successor of a fund
previously known as the InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund, which
was reorganized into the Fund effective July 2, 1999. As part of the
reorganization, all of the then-existing shares of the predecessor fund were
exchanged for Institutional Shares of the Fund. The Fund quotes its historical
performance track record for both of its classes of shares based on its
predecessor's only shares outstanding prior to the reorganization.

                  Total return of the Institutional Shares and other classes of
shares of the Fund will be calculated separately. Because each class of shares
is subject to different expenses, the performance of each class for the same
period will differ.


                  The average annual total returns for the Fund for the periods
shown ending September 30, 1999 are as follows:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- -------------------------------------

                                         1-YEAR                                LIFE OF FUND
                                                                               (APRIL 8, 1997)
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- -------------------------------------

<S>                                      <C>                                   <C>
Berger Information Technology Fund -     87.05%                                53.88%
Institutional Shares(1)
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
</TABLE>



(1) The Fund's fiscal year changed from February 28 to September 30 as part of a
reorganization effective July 1999. Accordingly, these figures are for the
periods ended September 30, 1999.


14.               ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FUND ORGANIZATION

                                      -32-
<PAGE>


                  The Fund is a separate series of the Berger Investment
Portfolio Trust (the "Trust"), a Delaware business trust established under the
Delaware Business Trust Act. The Fund was established on February 18, 1999. The
Fund is the successor to the fund formerly known as the InformationTech
100-Registered Trademark- Fund. The InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark-
Fund commenced operations on April 8, 1997, as a separate series of the Advisors
Series Trust, a Delaware business trust. The InformationTech 100-Registered
Trademark- Fund was then reorganized into the Fund in a transaction that became
effective on July 2, 1999. As part of the reorganization, all of the
then-existing shares of the predecessor fund were exchanged for Institutional
Shares of the Fund.

                  The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares
of beneficial interest in series or portfolios. Currently, the Fund is one of
seven series established under the Trust, although others may be added in the
future. The Trust is also authorized to establish multiple classes of shares
representing differing interests in an existing or new series. The Fund
currently has two classes of shares, although others may be added in the future.

                  Shares of the Fund are fully paid and nonassessable when
issued. Each share has a par value of $.01. All shares issued by the Fund
participate equally in dividends and other distributions by the Fund, and in the
residual assets of the Fund in the event of its liquidation.

                  DELAWARE BUSINESS TRUST INFORMATION. Under Delaware law,
shareholders of the Fund will enjoy the same limitations on personal liability
as extended to stockholders of a Delaware corporation. Further, the Trust
Instrument of the Trust provides that no shareholder shall be personally liable
for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for
or otherwise existing with respect to, the Trust or any particular series (fund)
of the Trust. However, the principles of law governing the limitations of
liability of beneficiaries of a business trust have not been authoritatively
established as to business trusts organized under the laws of one jurisdiction
but operating or owning property in other jurisdictions. In states that have
adopted legislation containing provisions comparable to the Delaware Business
Trust Act, it is believed that the limitation of liability of beneficial owners
provided by Delaware law should be respected. In those jurisdictions that have
not adopted similar legislative provisions, it is possible that a court might
hold that the shareholders of the Trust are not entitled to the limitations of
liability set forth in Delaware law or the Trust Instrument and, accordingly,
that they may be personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.

                  In order to protect shareholders from such potential
liability, the Trust Instrument requires that every written obligation of the
Trust or any series thereof contain a statement to the effect that such
obligation may only be enforced against the assets of the Trust or such series.
The Trust Instrument also provides for indemnification from the assets of the
relevant series for all losses and expenses incurred by any shareholder by
reason of being or having been a shareholder, and that the Trust shall, upon
request, assume the defense of any such claim made against such shareholder for
any act or obligation of the relevant series and satisfy any judgment thereon
from the assets of that series.

                  As a result, the risk of a shareholder of the Fund incurring
financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances
in which the Fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. The Trust
believes that the risk of personal liability to shareholders of the Fund is
therefore remote. The trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Trust and
the Fund so as to avoid, to the extent possible, liability of shareholders for
liabilities of the Trust or the Fund.

                  CORPORATE GOVERNANCE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE FUND. The
Fund is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless required by the
Investment Company Act of 1940 or other applicable law or unless called by the
trustees. If shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the
Trust so request, a special shareholders' meeting of the Trust will be held for
the purpose of considering the removal of a trustee. Special meetings will be
held for other purposes if the holders of at least 25% of the outstanding shares
of the Trust so request. Subject to certain limitations, the Trust will
facilitate appropriate communications by shareholders desiring to call a special
meeting for the purpose of considering the removal of a trustee.

                  Shareholders of the Fund and, where applicable, the other
series/classes of the Trust, generally vote separately on matters relating to
those respective series/classes, although they vote


                                      -33-
<PAGE>

together and with the holders of any other series/classes of the Trust in the
election of trustees of the Trust and on all matters relating to the Trust as a
whole. Each full share of the Fund has one vote.

                  Shares of the Fund have non-cumulative voting rights, which
means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of
trustees can elect 100% of the trustees if they choose to do so and, in such
event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting for the
election of trustees will not be able to elect any person or persons as
trustees.

                  Shares of the Fund have no preemptive rights. There are no
sinking funds or arrearage provisions which may affect the rights of the Fund
shares. Fund shares have no subscription rights or conversion rights, except
that shareholders of any class of the Fund may convert their shares into shares
of any other class of the Fund in the event and only in the event the
shareholder ceases to be eligible to purchase or hold shares of the original
class, or becomes eligible to purchase shares of a different class, by reason of
a change in the shareholder's status under the conditions of eligibility in
effect for such class at that time. Shares of the Fund may be transferred by
endorsement, or other customary methods, but the Fund is not bound to recognize
any transfer until it is recorded on its books.


                  Under governing corporate law, the Fund may enter into a
variety of corporate transactions, such as reorganizations, conversions, mergers
and asset transfers, or may be liquidated. Any such transaction would be subject
to a determination from the trustees that the transaction was in the best
interests of the Fund and its shareholders, and may require obtaining
shareholder approval.


MORE INFORMATION ON SPECIAL MULTI-CLASS FUND STRUCTURE

                  The Fund currently has divided its shares into two classes of
shares, the Institutional Shares covered by this SAI and the Investor Shares
offered through a separate Prospectus and SAI. The Fund implemented its
multi-class structure by adopting a Rule 18f-3 Plan under the 1940 Act
permitting it to issue its shares in classes. The Fund's Rule 18f-3 Plan governs
such matters as class features, dividends, voting, allocation of income and
expenses between classes, exchange and trustee monitoring of the Plan. Each
class is subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of eligibility
as are set forth in the relevant prospectus for the class, as it may be amended
from time to time. Investor Shares are available to the general public and bear
a 0.25% 12b-1 fee. Information concerning Investor Shares is available from the
Fund at 1-800-333-1001.

                  Subject to the Trust's Trust Instrument and any other
applicable provisions, the trustees of the Trust have the authority to create
additional classes, or change existing classes, from time to time, in accordance
with Rule 18f-3 under the Act.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS


                  Insofar as the management of the Fund is aware, as of January
4, 2000, no person owned, beneficially or of record, more than 5% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund, except for the following:




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------

OWNER                                                   PERCENTAGE HELD(1)
- ------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------

<S>                                                     <C>
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.                              79.94%
101 Montgomery Street                                   (owned of record)
San Francisco,  CA 94104
- ------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------

Du Bain 1991 Trust                                      5.44%
Myron Du Bain TTEE                                      (owned of record)
160 Sansome Street, 17th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
- ------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



(1) All shares appearing on this table are of the Fund's Institutional Shares
class.



                                      -34-
<PAGE>


                  In addition, as of that date, Schwab owned of record 11.11% of
the Investor Shares class of the Fund, which together with its Institutional
Shares, constitute 57.28% of the Fund's total outstanding shares.



                  In addition, Bay Isle has advised the Trust that, as of
January 4, 2000, it had voting discretion over approximately 27.60% of the
Fund's outstanding shares in accounts beneficially owned by various Bay Isle
advisory clients. Bay Isle may be deemed to beneficially own those shares as a
result of its voting discretion.



                  Any person owning more than 25% of the outstanding
securities of the Fund may be deemed to control it. Schwab is believed to
hold its shares of the Fund as nominee for the benefit of its clients or
customers.


DISTRIBUTION

                  Berger Distributors LLC, as the Fund's Distributor, is the
principal underwriter of the Fund's shares. The Distributor is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Berger LLC. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. The Distributor acts as the agent of the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Fund's shares in all states in which the shares
are eligible for sale and in which the Distributor is qualified as a
broker-dealer. David J. Schultz, Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Secretary
and Treasurer of the Distributor, is also Vice President and Treasurer of the
Fund. Janice M. Teague, Vice President and Secretary of the Distributor, is also
Vice President and Secretary of the Fund. Brian Ferrie, Vice President and Chief
Compliance Officer of the Distributor, is also Vice President of the Fund.




                  The Fund and the Distributor are parties to a Distribution
Agreement that continues through April 2001, and thereafter from year to year if
such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or
by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case
by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that
term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the
Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is subject to termination by the Fund or
the Distributor on 60 days' prior written notice, and terminates automatically
in the event of its assignment. Under the Distribution Agreement, the
Distributor continuously offers shares of the Fund and solicits orders to
purchase Fund shares at net asset value. The Distributor is not compensated for
its services under the Distribution Agreement, but may be reimbursed by Berger
LLC for its costs in distributing Fund shares.

OTHER INFORMATION

                  The Trust has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Washington, D.C., a Registration Statement under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, with respect to the securities of the Fund of which this
Statement of Additional Information is a part. If further information is desired
with respect to the Fund or such securities, reference is made to the
Registration Statement and the exhibits filed as a part thereof.

                  Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, 370 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acts as counsel to the Fund.

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

                  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 950 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acted as independent accountants for the Fund for the fiscal year
ended September 30, 1999. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audited
the financial statements of the Fund referenced below under "Financial
Information" and assisted the Fund in connection with the preparation of its
1998 income tax return.


                  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has been appointed to act as
independent accountants for the Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30,
2000. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will audit


                                      -35-
<PAGE>

the financial statements of the Fund and assist the Fund in connection with the
preparation of its 1999 income tax return.



FINANCIAL INFORMATION



                  The following financial statements for the Fund are
incorporated herein by reference from the Annual Report to Shareholders of the
Fund dated September 30, 1999, along with the Report of Independent Accountants
thereon dated November 4, 1999:



                  Schedule of Investments as of September 30, 1999



                  Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 1999



                  Statement of Operations for each of the periods indicated



                  Statement of Changes in Net Assets for each of the periods
                  indicated



                  Notes to Financial Statements, September 30, 1999



                  Financial Highlights for each of the periods indicated



                  That Annual Report is enclosed with this Statement of
Additional Information. Additional copies may be obtained upon request without
charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.


                                      -36-
<PAGE>

                                   APPENDIX A

HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES

         The Fund may invest in convertible securities of any quality, including
unrated securities or securities rated below investment grade (Ba or lower by
Moody's, BB or lower by S&P) (sometimes referred to as "junk bonds"). However,
the Fund will not purchase any security in default at the time of purchase. The
Fund will not invest more than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time
of purchase in convertible securities rated below investment grade.

         Securities rated below investment grade are subject to greater risk
that adverse changes in the financial condition of their issuers or in general
economic conditions, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the
ability of their issuers to make payments of interest and principal or
dividends. The market prices of lower grade securities are generally less
sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more
sensitive to economic changes or individual corporate developments. Periods of
economic uncertainty and change can be expected to result in volatility of
prices of these securities. Lower rated securities also may have less liquid
markets than higher rated securities, and their liquidity as well as their value
may be adversely affected by poor economic conditions. Adverse publicity and
investor perceptions as well as new or proposed laws may also have a negative
impact on the market for high-yield/high-risk bonds. In the event of an
unanticipated default, the Fund will experience a reduction in its income and
could expect a decline in the market value of the securities affected. The
prices of these securities may be more volatile and the markets for them may be
less liquid than those for higher-rated securities.

         Unrated securities, while not necessarily of lower quality than rated
securities, may not have as broad a market. Unrated securities will be included
in the Fund's percentage limits for investments rated below investment grade,
unless the Fund's sub-advisor deems such securities to be the equivalent of
investment grade. If securities purchased by the Fund are downgraded following
purchase, or if other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its percentage
limits on assets invested in securities rated below investment grade, the
trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's sub-advisor, will
determine what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant
circumstances.

         Relying in part on ratings assigned by credit agencies in making
investments will not protect the Fund from the risk that the securities will
decline in value, since credit ratings represent evaluations of the safety of
principal, dividend and/or interest payments, and not the market values of such
securities. Moreover, such ratings may not be changed on a timely basis to
reflect subsequent events.

         Although the market for high-yield debt securities has been in
existence for many years and from time to time has experienced economic
downturns, this market has involved a significant increase in the use of
high-yield debt securities to fund highly leverage corporate acquisitions and
restructurings. Past experience may not, therefore, provide an accurate
indication of future performance of the high-yield debt securities market,
particularly during periods of economic recession.

         Expenses incurred in recovering an investment in a defaulted security
may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value. Moreover, the reduced liquidity
of the secondary market for such securities may adversely affect the market
price of, and the ability of the Fund to value, particular securities at certain
times, thereby making it difficult to make specific valuation determinations.

CORPORATE BOND RATINGS

         The ratings of fixed-income securities by Moody's and Standard & Poor's
are a generally accepted measurement of credit risk. However, they are subject
to certain limitations. Ratings are generally based upon historical events and
do not necessarily reflect the future. In addition, there is a period of time
between the issuance of a rating and the update of the rating, during which time
a published rating may be inaccurate.

KEY TO MOODY'S CORPORATE RATINGS


                                      -37-
<PAGE>

         Aaa-Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality.
They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to
as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

         Aa-Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all
standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as
high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of
protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective
elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present
which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

         A-Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes
and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving
security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be
present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

         Baa-Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade
obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but
certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically
unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

         Ba-Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements;
their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of
interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well
safeguarded during good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position
characterizes bonds of this class.

         B-Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the
desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be
small.

         Caa-Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be
in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal
or interest.

         Ca-Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative
in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked
shortcomings.

         C-Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and
issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever
attaining any real investment standing.

         Note: Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2 and 3 in each generic
rating classification from Aa through B in its corporate bond rating system. The
modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier
3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic category.

KEY TO STANDARD & POOR'S CORPORATE RATINGS

         AAA-Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard &
Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

         AA-Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal and differs from the higher rated issues only in small degree.


                                      -38-
<PAGE>

         A-Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of
changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated
categories.

         BBB-Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection
parameters, adverse economic conditions, or changing circumstances are more
likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for
debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

         BB, B, CCC, CC AND C-Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded, on
balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB indicates
the lowest degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While
such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these
are outweighed by the large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse
conditions.

         C1-The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is
being paid.

         D-Debt rated D is in default, and payment of interest and/or repayment
of principal is in arrears.

         PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-)-The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by
the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major
rating categories.


                                      -39-
<PAGE>

                           BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

                              INSTITUTIONAL SHARES



                       STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
                      SHAREHOLDER SERVICES: 1-800-960-8427



                  This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a
prospectus. It relates to the Prospectus for the Berger New Generation Fund (the
"Fund") -- Institutional Shares, dated January 31, 2000, as it may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, which may be obtained by writing the Fund at
P.O. Box 5005, Denver, Colorado 80217, or calling 1-800-259-2820.


                  This SAI is about the class of shares of the Fund designated
as Institutional Shares. Institutional Shares are designed for pension and
profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations and
corporations, as well as high net worth individuals, who are willing to maintain
a minimum account balance of $250,000. Shares of the Fund may be offered through
certain financial intermediaries that may charge their customers transaction or
other fees with respect to the customers' investment in the Fund.

                  The following financial statements of the Fund are
incorporated herein by reference:


                  The audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal
year ended September 30, 1999, from the Fund's 1999 Annual Report to
Shareholders, dated September 30, 1999.



                  Copies of that Annual Report are available, without charge,
upon request, by calling 1-800-259-2820.





                             DATED JANUARY 31, 2000



<PAGE>


                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                        &
                         CROSS-REFERENCES TO PROSPECTUS


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

SECTION                                                    PAGE NO.       CROSS-REFERENCES TO
                                                                          RELATED DISCLOSURES
                                                                          IN PROSPECTUS
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

<S>                                                        <C>            <C>
Introduction                                                    -i-       Table of Contents
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

1. Investment Strategies and Risks of the Fund                            Berger New Generation Fund;
                                                                 1.       Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

2. Investment Restrictions                                                Berger New Generation Fund;
                                                                13.       Investment Techniques, Securities and Associated Risks
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

3. Management of the Fund                                                 Berger New Generation Fund;
                                                                15.       Organization of the Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

4. Investment Advisor                                                     Berger New Generation Fund;
                                                                19.       Organization of the Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

5. Expenses of the Fund                                                   Berger New Generation Fund; Financial Highlights for the
                                                                20.       Fund; Organization of the Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

6. Brokerage Policy                                                       Berger New Generation Fund;
                                                                22.       Organization of the Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

7. How to Purchase and Redeem Shares in the                     24.       Buying Shares; Exchanging Shares
Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

8. How the Net Asset Value is Determined                        25.       Your Share Price
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

9. Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions
and TaxTreatment                                                26.       Distributions and Taxes
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

10. Suspension of Redemption Rights                             27.       Other Information About Your Account
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

11. Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans                              28.       Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

12. Exchange Privilege                                          28.       Exchanging Shares
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

13. Performance Information                                               Berger New Generation Fund; Financial Highlights for the
                                                                28.       Fund;
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

14. Additional Information                                      29.       Organization of the Fund; Special Fund Structure
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------

Financial Information                                           33.       Financial Highlights for the Fund
- ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- ----------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

                                  INTRODUCTION

                  The Fund described in this SAI is a mutual fund, or open-end,
management investment company. The Fund is a diversified fund.

1.                INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS OF THE FUND

                  The Prospectus describes the investment objective of the Fund
and the principal investment policies and strategies used to achieve that
objective. It also describes the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

                  This section contains supplemental information concerning the
types of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may invest, the
investment policies and portfolio strategies that the Fund may utilize and
certain risks attendant to those investments, policies and strategies.

                  COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS. Stocks represent shares of
ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and
ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend
payments and on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are
satisfied, common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata
basis. Profits may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help
it grow. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a
company's stock price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation
and depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred
stocks pay dividends, the Fund may purchase preferred stock where the issuer has
omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividends. Such investments
would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. All
investments in stocks are subject to market risk, meaning that their prices may
move up and down with the general stock market, and that such movements might
reduce their value.

                  DEBT SECURITIES. Debt securities (such as bonds or
debentures) are fixed-income securities which bear interest and are issued by
corporations or governments. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay
interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal on a
specific maturity date. In addition to market risk, debt securities are
generally subject to two other kinds of risk: credit risk and interest rate
risk. Credit risk refers to the ability of the issuer to meet interest or
principal payments as they come due. The lower the rating given a security by
a rating service (such as Moody's Investor Service ("Moody's") and Standard &
Poor's ("S&P")), the greater the credit risk the rating service perceives
with respect to that security. The Fund will not purchase any nonconvertible
securities rated below investment grade (Ba or lower by Moody's, BB or lower
by S&P). In cases where the ratings assigned by more than one rating agency
differ, the Fund will consider the security as rated in the higher category.
If nonconvertible securities purchased by the Fund are downgraded to below
investment grade following purchase, the trustees of the Fund, in
consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine what action, if any, is
appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances. For a further discussion
of debt security ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.

                  Interest rate risk refers to the fact that the value of
fixed-income securities (like debt securities) generally fluctuates in response
to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result
in an increase in the price of fixed-income securities held by the Fund.
Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of fixed-income
securities held by the Fund will generally decline. Longer-term securities are
generally more sensitive to interest rate changes and are more volatile than
shorter-term securities, but they generally offer higher yields to compensate
investors for the associated risks.

                  Certain debt securities can also present prepayment risk. For
example, a security may contain redemption and call provisions. If an issuer
exercises these provisions when interest rates are declining, the Fund could
sustain investment losses as well as have to reinvest the proceeds from the
security at lower interest rates, resulting in a decreased return for the Fund.


                  CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Fund may also purchase debt or
equity securities which are convertible into common stock when the Fund's
advisor believes they offer the potential for a higher total return than
nonconvertible securities. While fixed-income securities generally have a
priority claim on a


                                      -1-
<PAGE>

corporation's assets over that of common stock, some of the convertible
securities which the Fund may hold are high-yield/high-risk securities that are
subject to special risks, including the risk of default in interest or principal
payments which could result in a loss of income to the Fund or a decline in the
market value of the securities. Convertible securities often display a degree of
market price volatility that is comparable to common stocks. The credit risk
associated with convertible securities generally is reflected by their ratings
by organizations such as Moody's or S&P or a similar determination of
creditworthiness by the Fund's advisor. The Fund has no pre-established minimum
quality standards for convertible securities and may invest in convertible
securities of any quality, including lower rated or unrated securities. However,
the Fund will not invest in any security in default at the time of purchase, and
the Fund will invest less than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time
of purchase in convertible securities rated below investment grade. If
convertible securities purchased by the Fund are downgraded following purchase,
or if other circumstances cause 20% or more of the Fund's assets to be invested
in convertible securities rated below investment grade, the trustees of the
Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine what action, if
any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances. For a further
discussion of debt security ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.

                  SPECIAL SITUATIONS. The Fund may also invest in "special
situations." Special situations are companies that have recently experienced or
are anticipated to experience a significant change in structure, management,
products or services which may significantly affect the value of their
securities. Examples of special situations are companies being reorganized or
merged, companies emerging from bankruptcy, companies introducing unusual new
products or which enjoy particular tax advantages. Other examples are companies
experiencing changes in senior management, extraordinary corporate events,
significant changes in cost or capital structure or which are believed to be
probable takeover candidates. The opportunity to invest in special situations,
however, is limited and depends in part on the market's assessment of these
companies and their circumstances. By its nature, a "special situation" company
involves to some degree a break with the company's past experience. This creates
greater uncertainty and potential risk of loss than if the company were
operating according to long-established patterns. In addition, stocks of
companies in special situations may decline or not appreciate as expected if an
anticipated change or development does not occur or is not assessed by the
market as favorably as expected.

                  SECURITIES OF SMALLER COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in
securities of companies with small or mid-sized market capitalizations. Market
capitalization is defined as total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock. Investments in companies with smaller market
capitalizations may involve greater risks and price volatility (that is, more
abrupt or erratic price movements) than investments in larger, more mature
companies since smaller companies may be at an earlier stage of development and
may have limited product lines, reduced market liquidity for their shares,
limited financial resources or less depth in management than larger or more
established companies. Smaller companies also may be less significant factors
within their industries and may have difficulty withstanding competition from
larger companies. While smaller companies may be subject to these additional
risks, they may also realize more substantial growth than larger or more
established companies.

                  SECURITIES OF COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES. The
Fund may invest in securities of companies with limited operating histories. The
Fund considers these to be securities of companies with a record of less than
three years' continuous operation, even including the operations of any
predecessors and parents. (These are sometimes referred to as "unseasoned
issuers.") These companies by their nature have only a limited operating history
which can be used for evaluating the company's growth prospects. As a result,
investment decisions for these securities may place a greater emphasis on
current or planned product lines and the reputation and experience of the
company's management and less emphasis on fundamental valuation factors than
would be the case for more mature companies. In addition, many of these
companies may also be small companies and involve the risks and price volatility
associated with smaller companies.

                  INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS. The Fund may invest in a company's
securities at the time the company first offers securities to the public, that
is, at the time of the company's initial public offering or IPO. Although
companies can be any age or size at the time of their IPOs, they are often
smaller and have a limited operating history, which involve a greater potential
for the value of their securities to be impaired


                                      -2-
<PAGE>

following the IPO. See "Securities of Smaller Companies" and "Securities of
Companies with Limited Operating Histories" above.

                  Investors in IPOs can be adversely affected by substantial
dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by
concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders. In
addition, all of the factors that affect stock market performance may have a
greater impact on the shares of IPO companies.


                  The price of a company's securities may be highly unstable at
the time of its IPO and for a period thereafter due to market psychology
prevailing at the time of the IPO, the absence of a prior public market, the
small number of shares available and limited availability of investor
information. As a result of this or other factors, the Fund's advisor might
decide to sell an IPO security more quickly than it would otherwise, which may
result in a significant gain or loss and greater transaction costs to the Fund.
Any gains from shares held for 12 months or less will be treated as short-term
gains, taxable as ordinary income to the Fund's shareholders. In addition, IPO
securities may be subject to varying patterns of trading volume and may, at
times, be difficult to sell without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices.


                  The effect of an IPO investment can have a magnified impact on
the Fund's performance when the Fund's asset base is small. Consequently, IPOs
may constitute a significant portion of the Fund's returns particularly when the
Fund is small. Since the number of securities issued in an IPO is limited, it is
likely that IPO securities will represent a smaller component of the Fund's
assets as it increases in size, and therefore have a more limited effect on the
Fund's performance.

                  There can be no assurance that IPOs will continue to be
available for the Fund to purchase. The number or quality of IPOs available for
purchase by the Fund may vary, decrease or entirely disappear. In some cases,
the Fund may not be able to purchase IPOs at the offering price, but may have to
purchase the shares in the aftermarket at a price greatly exceeding the offering
price, making it more difficult for the Fund to realize a profit.


                  The advisor's IPO trade allocation procedures govern which
funds and other advised accounts participate in the allocation of any IPO.
See the heading "Trade Allocations" under Section 4 below. Under the IPO
allocation procedures of Berger LLC, the Fund generally will not participate
in an IPO if the securities available for allocation to the Fund are
insignificant relative to the Fund's net assets. As a result, any fund or
account whose assets are very large is not likely to participate in the
allocation of many IPO's.




                  FOREIGN SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in foreign securities,
which may be traded in foreign markets and denominated in foreign currency. The
Fund's investments may also include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs),
European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) which are similar to ADRs, in bearer form,
designed for use in the European securities markets, and in Global Depositary
Receipts (GDRs).

                  Investments in foreign securities involve some risks that are
different from the risks of investing in securities of U.S. issuers, such as the
risk of adverse political, social, diplomatic and economic developments and,
with respect to certain countries, the possibility of expropriation, taxes
imposed by foreign countries or limitations on the removal of monies or other
assets of the Fund. Moreover, the economies of individual foreign countries will
vary in comparison to the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross
domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources,
self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Securities of some foreign
companies, particularly those in developing countries, are less liquid and more
volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. A developing country
generally is considered to be in the initial stages of its industrialization
cycle. Investing in the securities of developing countries may involve exposure
to economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and to political
systems that can be expected to have less stability than developed countries.

                  There also may be less publicly available information about
foreign issuers and securities than domestic issuers and securities, and foreign
issuers generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial
reporting standards, requirements and practices comparable to those applicable
to domestic issuers.


                                      -3-
<PAGE>

Also, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of
exchanges, brokers, financial institutions and issuers in foreign countries than
there is in the U.S. Foreign financial markets typically have substantially less
volume than U.S. markets. Foreign markets also have different clearance and
settlement procedures and, in certain markets, delays or other factors could
make it difficult to effect transactions, potentially causing the Fund to
experience losses or miss investment opportunities.

                  Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are
generally higher than with transactions in U.S. securities. The Fund will incur
greater costs in maintaining assets in foreign jurisdictions and in buying and
selling foreign securities generally, resulting in part from converting foreign
currencies into U.S. dollars. In addition, the Fund might have greater
difficulty taking appropriate legal action with respect to foreign investments
in non-U.S. courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts, which
may heighten the risk of possible losses through the holding of securities by
custodians and securities depositories in foreign countries.

                  If the Fund is invested in securities denominated or quoted in
currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange
rates will affect the value of the investments in its portfolio and the
unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments insofar as U.S. investors
are concerned. If the foreign currency in which a security is denominated
appreciates against the U.S. dollar, the dollar value of the security will
increase. Conversely, a decline in the exchange rate of the foreign currency
against the U.S. dollar would adversely affect the dollar value of the foreign
securities. Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply
and demand on the foreign exchange markets, which are in turn affected by the
international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions,
government intervention, speculation and other factors.

                  PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICs). The Fund may
purchase the securities of certain companies considered Passive Foreign
Investment Companies (PFICs) under U.S. tax laws. For certain types of PFICs, in
addition to bearing their proportionate share of the Fund's expenses (management
fees and operating expenses), shareholders will also indirectly bear similar
expenses of such PFIC. PFIC investments also may be subject to less favorable
U.S. tax treatment, as discussed in Section 9 below.

                  ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES. The Fund is authorized to
invest in securities which are illiquid or not readily marketable because they
are subject to restrictions on their resale ("restricted securities") or
because, based upon their nature or the market for such securities, no ready
market is available. However, the Fund will not purchase any such security, the
purchase of which would cause the Fund to invest more than 15% of its net
assets, measured at the time of purchase, in illiquid securities. Investments in
illiquid securities involve certain risks to the extent that the Fund may be
unable to dispose of such a security at the time desired or at a reasonable
price or, in some cases, may be unable to dispose of it at all. In addition, in
order to resell a restricted security, the Fund might have to incur the
potentially substantial expense and delay associated with effecting
registration. If securities become illiquid following purchase or other
circumstances cause more than 15% of the Fund's net assets to be invested in
illiquid securities, the trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's
advisor, will determine what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all
relevant circumstances.

                  Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days will be
considered as illiquid for purposes of this restriction. Pursuant to guidelines
established by the trustees, the Fund's advisor will determine whether
securities eligible for resale to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to SEC
Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 should be treated as illiquid
investments considering, among other things, the following factors: (1) the
frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers
willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential
purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4)
the nature of the security and the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to
dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of
the transfer). The liquidity of the Fund's investments in Rule 144A securities
could be impaired if qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in
purchasing these securities.

                  REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may invest in repurchase
agreements with various financial organizations, including commercial banks,
registered broker-dealers and registered government


                                      -4-
<PAGE>

securities dealers. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund
acquires a debt security (generally a debt security issued or guaranteed by the
U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of
deposit) from a commercial bank, broker or dealer, subject to resale to the
seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day). A
repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The
resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the
instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the
underlying instrument. In these transactions, the securities acquired by the
Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value equal
to or in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the
Fund's custodian bank until repurchased. In addition, the trustees will
establish guidelines and standards for review by the investment advisor of the
creditworthiness of any bank, broker or dealer party to a repurchase agreement
with the Fund. The Fund will not enter into a repurchase agreement maturing in
more than seven days if as a result more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would
be invested in such repurchase agreements and other illiquid securities.

                  These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times
by debt securities (generally a security issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of
deposit), but involve certain risks, such as credit risk to the Fund if the
other party defaults on its obligation and the Fund is delayed or prevented from
liquidating the collateral. For example, if the other party to the agreement
defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when
the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon
disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes
insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code
or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral
for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and therefore the
realization by the Fund on such collateral may automatically be stayed and
delayed. Further, it is possible that the Fund may not be able to substantiate
its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor
of the other party to the agreement. The Fund expects that these risks can be
controlled through careful monitoring procedures.

                  WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES. The Fund may
purchase and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis.
However, the Fund currently does not intend to purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities. When-issued or delayed delivery transactions arise when securities
(normally, obligations of issuers eligible for investment by the Fund) are
purchased or sold by the Fund with payment and delivery taking place in the
future in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or
yield. However, the yield available on a comparable security when delivery takes
place may vary from the yield on the security at the time that the when-issued
or delayed delivery transaction was entered into. Any failure to consummate a
when-issued or delayed delivery transaction may result in the Fund missing the
opportunity of obtaining a price or yield considered to be advantageous.
When-issued and delayed delivery transactions may generally be expected to
settle within one month from the date the transactions are entered into, but in
no event later than 90 days. However, no payment or delivery is made by the Fund
until it receives delivery or payment from the other party to the transaction.

                  When the Fund purchases securities on a when-issued basis, it
will maintain in a segregated account with its custodian cash, U.S. government
securities or other liquid assets having an aggregate value equal to the amount
of such purchase commitments, until payment is made. If necessary, additional
assets will be placed in the account daily so that the value of the account will
equal or exceed the amount of the Fund's purchase commitments.




                  LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. The Fund may lend its
securities to qualified institutional investors (such as brokers, dealers or
other financial organizations) who need to borrow securities in order to
complete certain transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures
to deliver securities or completing arbitrage operations. Loans of securities by
the Fund will be collateralized by cash, letters of credit, or securities issued
or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. The collateral will equal
at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities,
marked-to-market on a daily basis. By lending its securities, the Fund will be
attempting to generate income through the receipt of interest on the loan which,
in turn, can be invested in additional securities to pursue the Fund's
investment objective. Any gain


                                      -5-
<PAGE>

or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the
term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund.

                  The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to qualified
brokers, dealers, banks or other financial institutions, so long as the terms,
the structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not inconsistent with
the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Rules and Regulations or
interpretations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")
thereunder, which currently require that (a) the borrower pledge and maintain
with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit or
securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government having a value
at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned, (b) the
borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the securities loaned
rises (i.e., the borrower "marks to the market" on a daily basis), (c) the loan
be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time and (d) the Fund receives
reasonable interest on the loan, which interest may include the Fund's investing
cash collateral in interest bearing short-term investments, and (e) the Fund
receives all dividends and distributions on the loaned securities and any
increase in the market value of the loaned securities.

                  The Fund bears risk of loss in the event that the other party
to a securities lending transaction defaults on its obligations and the Fund is
delayed in or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral,
including the risk of a possible decline in the value of the collateral
securities during the period in which the Fund seeks to assert these rights, the
risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting these rights and the risk
of losing all or a part of the income from the transaction. The Fund will not
lend its portfolio securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of such loans
would exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the
value of the collateral received to secure the loan). Loan arrangements made by
the Fund will comply with all other applicable regulatory requirements,
including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which rules presently
require the borrower, after notice, to redeliver the securities within the
normal settlement time of three business days. All relevant facts and
circumstances, including creditworthiness of the broker, dealer or institution,
will be considered in making decisions with respect to the lending of
securities, subject to review by the Fund's trustees.

                  Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass
to the borrower, the Fund retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a
loan) for the purpose of exercising the security's voting rights. Efforts to
recall loaned securities in time to exercise voting rights may be unsuccessful,
especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. In addition, it
is expected that loaned securities will be recalled for voting only when the
items being voted on are, in the judgment of the Fund's advisor, either material
to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the
issuing company's corporate governance policies or structure.

                  SHORT SALES. The Fund currently is only permitted to engage in
short sales if, at the time of the short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to
acquire an equivalent kind and amount of the security being sold short at no
additional cost (i.e., short sales "against the box").

                  In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the
securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until
delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows
the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short
position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the
securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus
an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral account will be
maintained by the Fund's custodian. While the short sale is open, the Fund will
maintain in a segregated custodial account an amount of securities convertible
into or exchangeable for such equivalent securities at no additional cost. These
securities would constitute the Fund's long position.

                  Under prior law, the Fund could have made a short sale, as
described above, when it wanted to sell a security it owned at a current
attractive price, but also wished to defer recognition of gain or loss for
Federal income tax purposes and for purposes of satisfying certain tests
applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code.
However, federal tax legislation has eliminated the ability to


                                      -6-
<PAGE>

defer recognition of gain or loss in short sales against the box and
accordingly, it is not anticipated that the Fund will be engaging in these
transactions unless there are further legislative changes.

                  HEDGING TRANSACTIONS. The Fund is authorized to make limited
use of certain types of futures, forwards and/or options, but only for the
purpose of hedging, that is, protecting against market risk due to market
movements that may adversely affect the value of the Fund's securities or the
price of securities that the Fund is considering purchasing. The utilization of
futures, forwards and options is also subject to policies and procedures which
may be established by the trustees from time to time. In addition, the Fund is
not required to hedge. Decisions regarding hedging are subject to the advisor's
judgment of the cost of the hedge, its potential effectiveness and other factors
the advisor considers pertinent.

                  A hedging transaction may partially protect the Fund from a
decline in the value of a particular security or its portfolio generally,
although hedging may also limit the Fund's opportunity to profit from favorable
price movements, and the cost of the transaction will reduce the potential
return on the security or the portfolio. Use of these instruments by the Fund
involves the potential for a loss that may exceed the amount of initial margin
the Fund would be permitted to commit to the contracts under its investment
limitation, or in the case of a call option written by the Fund, may exceed the
premium received for the option. However, the Fund is permitted to use such
instruments for hedging purposes only, and only if the aggregate amount of its
obligations under these contracts does not exceed the total market value of the
assets the Fund is attempting to hedge, such as a portion or all of its exposure
to equity securities or its holding in a specific foreign currency. To help
ensure that the Fund will be able to meet its obligations under its futures and
forward contracts and its obligations under options written by the Fund, the
Fund will be required to maintain liquid assets in a segregated account with its
custodian bank or to set aside portfolio securities to "cover" its position in
these contracts.


                  The principal risks of the Fund utilizing futures
transactions, forward contracts and options are: (a) losses resulting from
market movements not anticipated by the Fund; (b) possible imperfect correlation
between movements in the prices of futures, forwards and options and movements
in the prices of the securities or currencies hedged or used to cover such
positions; (c) lack of assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for
any particular futures or options at any particular time, and possible
exchange-imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult
or impossible to close a position when so desired; (d) lack of assurance that
the counterparty to a forward contract would be willing to negotiate an offset
or termination of the contract when so desired; and (e) the need for additional
information and skills beyond those required for the management of a portfolio
of traditional securities. In addition, when the Fund enters into an
over-the-counter contract with a counterparty, the Fund will assume counterparty
credit risk, that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its
obligations, in which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had
not been entered into.


                  Following is additional information concerning the futures,
forwards and options which the Fund may utilize, provided that no more than 5%
of the Fund's net assets at the time the contract is entered into may be used
for initial margins for financial futures transactions and premiums paid for the
purchase of options. In addition, the Fund may only write call options that are
covered and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  FUTURES CONTRACTS. Financial futures contracts are
exchange-traded contracts on financial instruments (such as securities and
foreign currencies) and securities indices that obligate the holder to take or
make delivery of a specified quantity of the underlying financial instrument, or
the cash value of an index, at a future date. Although futures contracts by
their terms call for the delivery or acquisition of the underlying instruments
or a cash payment based on the mark-to-market value of the underlying
instruments, in most cases the contractual obligation will be offset before the
delivery date by buying (in the case of an obligation to sell) or selling (in
the case of an obligation to buy) an identical futures contract. Such a
transaction cancels the original obligation to make or take delivery of the
instruments.

                  The Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale for
future delivery of financial instruments, such as securities and foreign
currencies, or contracts based on financial indices including indices of U.S.
Government securities, foreign government securities or equity securities. U.S.
futures


                                      -7-
<PAGE>

contracts are traded on exchanges which have been designated "contract markets"
by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and must be executed
through a futures commission merchant (an "FCM"), or brokerage firm, which is a
member of the relevant contract market. Through their clearing corporations, the
exchanges guarantee performance of the contracts as between the clearing members
of the exchange.

                  Both the buyer and seller are required to deposit "initial
margin" for the benefit of the FCM when a futures contract is entered into.
Initial margin deposits are equal to a percentage of the contract's value, as
set by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be maintained in
cash or other liquid assets. If the value of either party's position declines,
that party will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to
the other party to settle the change in value on a daily basis. Initial and
variation margin payments are similar to good faith deposits or performance
bonds or party-to-party payments resulting from daily changes in the value of
the contract, unlike margin extended by a securities broker, and would be
released or credited to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract,
assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Unlike margin extended
by a securities broker, initial and variation margin payments do not constitute
purchasing securities on margin for purposes of the Fund's investment
limitations.  The Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures
contracts.

                  In the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM that holds margin on
behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to the
Fund only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM's other customers. The
Fund will attempt to minimize the risk by careful monitoring of the
creditworthiness of the FCMs with which the Fund does business and by depositing
margin payments in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian for the
benefit of the FCM when practical or otherwise required by law.

                  The Fund intends to comply with guidelines of eligibility for
exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" with the
CFTC and the National Futures Association, which regulate trading in the futures
markets. Accordingly, the Fund will not enter into any futures contract or
option on a futures contract if, as a result, the aggregate initial margin and
premiums required to establish such positions would exceed 5% of the Fund's net
assets.

                  Although the Fund would hold cash and liquid assets in a
segregated account with a mark-to-market value sufficient to cover the Fund's
open futures obligations, the segregated assets would be available to the Fund
immediately upon closing out the futures position.

                  The acquisition or sale of a futures contract may occur, for
example, when the Fund is considering purchasing or holds equity securities and
seeks to protect itself from fluctuations in prices without buying or selling
those securities. For example, if prices were expected to decrease, the Fund
might sell equity index futures contracts, thereby hoping to offset a potential
decline in the value of equity securities in the portfolio by a corresponding
increase in the value of the futures contract position held by the Fund and
thereby preventing the Fund's net asset value from declining as much as it
otherwise would have. The Fund also could protect against potential price
declines by selling portfolio securities and investing in money market
instruments. However, the use of futures contracts as a hedging technique allows
the Fund to maintain a defensive position without having to sell portfolio
securities.

                  Similarly, when prices of equity securities are expected to
increase, futures contracts may be bought to attempt to hedge against the
possibility of having to buy equity securities at higher prices. This technique
is sometimes known as an anticipatory hedge. Since the fluctuations in the value
of futures contracts should be similar to those of equity securities, the Fund
could take advantage of the potential rise in the value of equity securities
without buying them until the market has stabilized. At that time, the futures
contracts could be liquidated and the Fund could buy equity securities on the
cash market.

                  The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures
markets, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to
distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to
initial margin and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional
variation margin requirements, investors may close out futures contracts through
offsetting transactions which could distort the normal price relationship
between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures
market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than
making or taking delivery. To the


                                      -8-
<PAGE>

extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures
market could be reduced and prices in the futures market distorted. Third, from
the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements in the futures
market are less than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore,
increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary
price distortions. Due to the possibility of the foregoing distortions, a
correct forecast of general price trends by the Fund still may not result in a
successful use of futures.

                  Futures contracts entail additional risks. Although the Fund
will only utilize futures contracts when it believes that use of such contracts
will benefit the Fund, if the Fund's investment judgment is incorrect, the
Fund's overall performance could be worse than if the Fund had not entered into
futures contracts. For example, if the Fund has hedged against the effects of a
possible decrease in prices of securities held in the Fund's portfolio and
prices increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the
increased value of these securities because of offsetting losses in the Fund's
futures positions. In addition, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have
to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin
requirements. Those sales may be, but will not necessarily be, at increased
prices which reflect the rising market and may occur at a time when the sales
are disadvantageous to the Fund. Although the buyer of an option cannot lose
more than the amount of the premium plus related transaction costs, a buyer or
seller of futures contracts could lose amounts substantially in excess of any
initial margin deposits made, due to the potential for adverse price movements
resulting in additional variation margin being required by such positions.
However, the Fund intends to monitor its investments closely and will attempt to
close its positions when the risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

                  The prices of futures contracts depend primarily on the value
of their underlying instruments. Because there are a limited number of types of
futures contracts, it is possible that the standardized futures contracts
available to the Fund will not match exactly the Fund's current or potential
investments. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts based on underlying
instruments with different characteristics from the securities in which it
typically invests -- for example, by hedging investments in portfolio securities
with a futures contract based on a broad index of securities -- which involves a
risk that the futures position will not correlate precisely with the performance
of the Fund's investments.

                  Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their
underlying instruments, even if the underlying instruments closely correlate
with the Fund's investments. Futures prices are affected by such factors as
current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the
underlying instruments and the time remaining until expiration of the contract.
Those factors may affect securities prices differently from futures prices.
Imperfect correlations between the Fund's investments and its futures positions
may also result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the
securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities
are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits for futures
contracts. The Fund may buy or sell futures contracts with a value less than or
equal to the securities it wishes to hedge or is considering purchasing. If
price changes in the Fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its
other investments, its futures positions may fail to produce desired gains or
result in losses that are not offset by the gains in the Fund's other
investments.

                  Because futures contracts are generally settled within a day
from the date they are closed out, compared with a longer settlement period for
most types of securities, the futures markets can provide superior liquidity to
the securities markets. Nevertheless, there is no assurance a liquid secondary
market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. In
addition, futures exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for
futures contracts and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or
downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the
price fluctuation limit is reached, it may be impossible for the Fund to enter
into new positions or close out existing positions. If the secondary market for
a futures contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or
otherwise, the Fund may not be able to promptly liquidate unfavorable futures
positions and potentially could be required to continue to hold a futures
position until the delivery date, regardless of changes in its value. As a
result, the Fund's access to other assets held to cover its futures positions
also could be impaired.

                  OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS. The Fund may buy and write
options on futures contracts for hedging purposes. An option on a futures
contract gives the Fund the right (but not the obligation) to buy or


                                      -9-
<PAGE>

sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified date. The
purchase of a call option on a futures contract is similar in some respects to
the purchase of a call option on an individual security. Depending on the
pricing of the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon
which it is based or the price of the underlying instrument, ownership of the
option may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or
the underlying instrument. As with the purchase of futures contracts, the Fund
may buy a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance,
and the Fund might buy a put option on a futures contract to hedge against a
market decline.

                  The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes
a partial hedge against declining prices of the security or foreign currency
which is deliverable under, or of the index comprising, the futures contract. If
the futures price at the expiration of the call option is below the exercise
price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides
a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund's
portfolio holdings. If a call option the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund
will incur a loss which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it
received. Depending on the degree of correlation between change in the value of
its portfolio securities and changes in the value of the futures positions, the
Fund's losses from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or
increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities.

                  The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is similar
in some respects to the purchase of protective put options on portfolio
securities. For example, the Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract to
hedge the Fund's portfolio against the risk of falling prices.

                  The amount of risk the Fund assumes when it buys an option on
a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction
costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of an
option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures
contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the options bought.

                  FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS. A forward
contract is a privately negotiated agreement between two parties in which one
party is obligated to deliver a stated amount of a stated asset at a specified
time in the future and the other party is obligated to pay a specified invoice
amount for the assets at the time of delivery. The Fund currently intends that
it will only use forward contracts or commitments for hedging purposes and will
only use forward foreign currency exchange contracts, although the Fund may
enter into additional forms of forward contracts or commitments in the future if
they become available and advisable in light of the Fund's objectives and
investment policies. Forward contracts generally are negotiated in an interbank
market conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and
their customers. Unlike futures contracts, which are standardized
exchange-traded contracts, forward contracts can be specifically drawn to meet
the needs of the parties that enter into them. The parties to a forward contract
may agree to offset or terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold
the contract to maturity and complete the contemplated exchange.

                  The following discussion summarizes the Fund's principal uses
of forward foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward currency contracts").
The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts with stated contract values
of up to the value of the Fund's assets. A forward currency contract is an
obligation to buy or sell an amount of a specified currency for an agreed price
(which may be in U.S. dollars or a foreign currency) on a specified date. The
Fund will exchange foreign currencies for U.S. dollars and for other foreign
currencies in the normal course of business and may buy and sell currencies
through forward currency contracts in order to fix a price (in terms of a
specified currency) for securities it has agreed to buy or sell ("transaction
hedge"). The Fund also may hedge some or all of its investments denominated in
foreign currency against a decline in the value of that currency (or a proxy
currency whose price movements are expected to have a high degree of correlation
with the currency being hedged) relative to the U.S. dollar by entering into
forward currency contracts to sell an amount of that currency approximating the
value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in that currency
("position hedge") or by participating in futures contracts (or options on such
futures) with respect to the currency. The Fund also may enter into a forward
currency contract with respect to a currency where the Fund is considering the
purchase or sale of investments denominated in that currency but has not yet
selected the specific investments ("anticipatory hedge").


                                      -10-
<PAGE>

                  These types of hedging minimize the effect of currency
appreciation as well as depreciation, but do not eliminate fluctuations in the
underlying U.S. dollar equivalent value of the proceeds of or rates of return on
the Fund's foreign currency denominated portfolio securities. The matching of
the increase in value of a forward contract and the decline in the U.S. dollar
equivalent value of the foreign currency denominated asset that is the subject
of the hedge generally will not be precise. Shifting the Fund's currency
exposure from one foreign currency to another limits the Fund's opportunity to
profit from increases in the value of the original currency and involves a risk
of increased losses to the Fund if its investment manager's projection of future
exchange rates is inaccurate. Unforeseen changes in currency prices may result
in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such
contracts.

                  The Fund will cover outstanding forward currency contracts by
maintaining liquid portfolio securities denominated in the currency underlying
the forward contract or the currency being hedged. To the extent that the Fund
is not able to cover its forward currency positions with underlying portfolio
securities, the Fund's custodian will segregate cash or liquid assets having a
value equal to the aggregate amount of the Fund's commitments under forward
contracts entered into. If the value of the securities used to cover a position
or the value of segregated assets declines, the Fund must find alternative cover
or segregate additional cash or liquid assets on a daily basis so that the value
of the covered and segregated assets will be equal to the amount of the Fund's
commitments with respect to such contracts.

                  While forward contracts are not currently regulated by the
CFTC, the CFTC may in the future assert authority to regulate forward contracts.
In such event, the Fund's ability to utilize forward contracts may be
restricted. The Fund may not always be able to enter into forward contracts at
attractive prices and may be limited in its ability to use these contracts to
hedge Fund assets. In addition, when the Fund enters into a privately negotiated
forward contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk,
that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered
into. Unlike many exchange-traded futures contracts and options on futures,
there are no daily price fluctuation limits with respect to forward contracts
and other negotiated or over-the-counter instruments, and with respect to those
contracts, adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited
extent over a period of time. However, the Fund intends to monitor its
investments closely and will attempt to renegotiate or close its positions when
the risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

                  OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDICES. The Fund may buy
or sell put or call options and write covered call options on securities that
are traded on United States or foreign securities exchanges or over-the-counter.
Buying an option involves the risk that, during the option period, the price of
the underlying security will not increase (in the case of a call) to above the
exercise price, or will not decrease (in the case of a put) to below the
exercise price, in which case the option will expire without being exercised and
the holder would lose the amount of the premium. Writing a call option involves
the risk of an increase in the market value of the underlying security, in which
case the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be
sold by the Fund to the option holder at a lower price than its current market
value and the Fund's potential for capital appreciation on the security would be
limited to the exercise price. Moreover, when the Fund writes a call option on a
securities index, the Fund bears the risk of loss resulting from imperfect
correlation between movements in the price of the index and the price of the
securities set aside to cover such position. Although they entitle the holder to
buy equity securities, call options to purchase equity securities do not entitle
the holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying
securities, nor do they represent any rights in the assets of the issuer of
those securities.

                  A call option written by the Fund is "covered" if the Fund
owns the underlying security covered by the call or has an absolute and
immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration
(or for additional cash consideration held in a segregated account by its
custodian) upon conversion or exchange of other securities held in its
portfolio. A call option is also deemed to be covered if the Fund holds a call
on the same security and in the same principal amount as the call written and
the exercise price of the call held (i) is equal to or less than the exercise
price of the call written or (ii) is greater than the exercise price of the call
written if the difference is maintained by the Fund in liquid assets in a
segregated account with its custodian.


                                      -11-
<PAGE>

                  The writer of a call option may have no control when the
underlying securities must be sold. Whether or not an option expires
unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. This amount, of
course, may, in the case of a covered call option, be offset by a decline in the
market value of the underlying security during the option period.

                  The writer of an exchange-traded call option that wishes to
terminate its obligation may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is
accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously
written. The effect of the purchase is that the writer's position will be
canceled by the clearing corporation. If the Fund desires to sell a particular
security from the Fund's portfolio on which the Fund has written a call option,
the Fund will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale
of the security. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction
after being notified of the exercise of an option. An investor who is the holder
of an exchange-traded option may liquidate its position by effecting a "closing
sale transaction." This is accomplished by selling an option of the same series
as the option previously bought. There is no guarantee that either a closing
purchase or a closing sale transaction can be effected.

                  The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if
the price of the purchase transaction is less than the premium received from
writing the option or the price received from a sale transaction is more than
the premium paid to buy the option; the Fund will realize a loss from a closing
transaction if the price of the purchase transaction is more than the premium
received from writing the option or the price received from a sale transaction
is less than the premium paid to buy the option. Because increases in the market
price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of
the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option
is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying
security owned by the Fund.

                  An option position may be closed out only where there exists a
secondary market for an option of the same series. If a secondary market does
not exist, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular
options with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the options in
order to realize any profit. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying
security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the underlying security
upon exercise. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market may include
the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain
options, (ii) restrictions may be imposed by a national securities exchange on
which the option is traded ("Exchange") on opening or closing transactions or
both, (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities,
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
Exchange, (v) the facilities of an Exchange or of the Options Clearing
Corporation ("OCC") may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading
volume, or (vi) one or more Exchanges could, for economic or other reasons,
decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options
(or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary
market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to
exist, although outstanding options on that Exchange that had been issued by the
OCC as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to be exercisable in
accordance with their terms.

                  In addition, when the Fund enters into an over-the-counter
option contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk,
that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered
into.

                  An option on a securities index is similar to an option on a
security except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of a
security at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder
the right to receive, on exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the
closing level of the securities index on which the option is based is greater
than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise
price of the option.

                  The Fund may buy call options on securities or securities
indices to hedge against an increase in the price of a security or securities
that the Fund may buy in the future. The premium paid for the


                                      -12-
<PAGE>

call option plus any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized
by the Fund upon exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying
security or index rises sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless
to the Fund. The Fund may buy put options to hedge against a decline in the
value of a security or its portfolio. The premium paid for the put option plus
any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon
exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security or
index declines sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless to the
Fund.

                  An example of a hedging transaction using an index option
would be if the Fund were to purchase a put on a stock index, in order to
protect the Fund against a decline in the value of all securities held by it to
the extent that the stock index moves in a similar pattern to the prices of the
securities held. While the correlation between stock indices and price movements
of the stocks in which the Fund will generally invest may be imperfect, the Fund
expects, nonetheless, that the use of put options that relate to such indices
will, in certain circumstances, protect against declines in values of specific
portfolio securities or the Fund's portfolio generally. Although the purchase of
a put option may partially protect the Fund from a decline in the value of a
particular security or its portfolio generally, the cost of a put will reduce
the potential return on the security or the portfolio.

                  TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES. The Fund may increase its
investment in government securities, and other short-term, interest-bearing
securities without regard to the Fund's otherwise applicable percentage limits,
policies or its normal investment emphasis, when its advisor believes market
conditions warrant a temporary defensive position. Taking larger positions in
such short-term investments may serve as a means of preserving capital in
unfavorable market conditions. When in a defensive position, the Fund could miss
the opportunity to participate in any stock or bond market advances that occur
during those periods, which the Fund might have been able to participate in if
it had remained more fully invested.


                  PORTFOLIO TURNOVER. The portfolio turnover rates of the Fund
are shown in the Financial Highlights table included in the Prospectus. The
annual portfolio turnover rates of the Fund have exceeded 100%. A 100% annual
turnover rate results, for example, if the equivalent of all of the securities
in the Fund's portfolio are replaced in a period of one year. The Fund
anticipates that its portfolio turnover rate may exceed 100%, and investment
changes will be made whenever the investment manager deems them appropriate even
if this results in a higher portfolio turnover rate. In addition, portfolio
turnover for the Fund may increase as a result of large amounts of purchases and
redemptions of shares of the Fund due to economic, market or other factors that
are not within the control of management.


                  Higher portfolio turnover will necessarily result in
correspondingly higher brokerage costs for the Fund. The existence of a high
portfolio turnover rate has no direct relationship to the tax liability of the
Fund, although sales of certain stocks will lead to realization of gains, and,
possibly, increased taxable distributions to shareholders. The Fund's brokerage
policy is discussed further below under Section 6--Brokerage Policy, and
additional information concerning income taxes is located under Section
9--Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions and Tax Treatment.

2.                INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

                  The investment objective of the Fund is capital appreciation.
The investment objective of the Fund is considered fundamental, meaning that it
cannot be changed without a shareholders' vote. There can be no assurance that
the Fund's investment objective will be realized.

                  The Fund has also adopted certain investment policies,
strategies, guidelines and procedures in pursuing its objective. These may be
changed without a shareholder vote. The principal policies and strategies used
by the Fund are described in the Prospectus.

                  In addition, the Fund has adopted certain fundamental and
non-fundamental restrictions on its investments and other activities, which are
listed below. Fundamental restrictions may not be changed without the approval
of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at a meeting of
shareholders thereof if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting
securities are present or


                                      -13-
<PAGE>

represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund. Non-fundamental restrictions may be changed in the future by action
of the trustees without shareholder vote.

BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND

                  The following fundamental restrictions apply to the Berger New
Generation Fund. The Fund may not:

                  1.    With respect to 75% of the Fund's total assets, purchase
the securities of any one issuer (except U.S. government securities) if
immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a) the value of the holdings
of the Fund in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the
Fund's total assets or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of such issuer.

                  2.    Invest in any one industry (other than U.S. government
securities) 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of such
investment.

                  3.    Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or
emergency purposes in amounts not to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets
(including the amount borrowed) taken at market value, nor pledge, mortgage or
hypothecate its assets, except to secure permitted indebtedness and then only if
such pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating does not exceed 25% of the Fund's
total assets taken at market value. When borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's
total assets, the Fund will not purchase portfolio securities.

                  4.    Act as a securities underwriter (except to the extent
the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in
disposing of a security), issue senior securities (except to the extent
permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940), invest in real estate
(although it may purchase shares of a real estate investment trust), or invest
in commodities or commodity contracts except financial futures transactions,
futures contracts on securities and securities indices and options on such
futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, forward commitments or
securities index put or call options.

                  5.    Make loans, except that the Fund may enter into
repurchase agreements and may lend portfolio securities in accordance with the
Fund's investment policies. The Fund does not, for this purpose, consider the
purchase of all or a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, bank
loan participation agreements, bank certificates of deposit, bankers'
acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made
upon the original issuance of the securities, to be the making of a loan.

                  In applying the industry concentration investment restriction
(no. 2 above), the Fund uses the industry groups used in the Data Monitor
Portfolio Monitoring System of William O'Neil & Co. Incorporated.




                  The trustees have adopted additional non-fundamental
investment restrictions for the Fund. These limitations may be changed by the
trustees without a shareholder vote. The non-fundamental investment restrictions
include the following:

                  1.    The Fund may not purchase securities on margin from a
broker or dealer, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may
be necessary for the clearance of transactions, and may not make short sales of
securities, except that the Fund may make short sales if, at the time of the
short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire an equivalent kind and
amount of the security being sold short at no additional cost (i.e., short sales
"against the box"). This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict the Fund from
entering into futures, forwards and options contracts or from making margin
payments and other deposits in connection therewith.

                  2.    The Fund may not purchase the securities of any other
investment company, except by purchase in the open market involving no
commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer (other than the customary broker's
commission).

                  3.    The Fund may not invest in companies for the purposes of
exercising control of management.


                                      -14-
<PAGE>

                  4.    The Fund may not purchase any security, including any
repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days, which is not readily
marketable, if more than 15% of the net assets of the Fund, taken at market
value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.

                  5.    Only for the purpose of hedging, the Fund may purchase
and sell financial futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and put
and call options, but no more than 5% of the Fund's net assets at the time of
purchase may be invested in initial margins for financial futures transactions
and premiums for options. The Fund may only write call options that are covered
and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

                  6.    The Fund may not purchase or sell securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total
assets taken at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such
securities.

3.                MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

                  The Fund is supervised by trustees who are responsible for
major decisions about the Fund's policies and overall Fund oversight. The Fund's
trustees hire the companies that run day-to-day Fund operations, such as the
investment advisor, administrator, transfer agent and custodian.

                  The trustees and executive officers of the Fund are listed
below, together with information which includes their principal occupations
during the past five years and other principal business affiliations.


      MICHAEL OWEN, 114A Gallatin Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718, DOB: 1937.
           Self-employed as a financial and management consultant, and in real
           estate development. From 1993 to June 1999, Dean, and from 1989 to
           1993, a member of the Finance faculty, of the College of Business,
           Montana State University. Formerly (1976-1989), Chairman and Chief
           Executive Officer of Royal Gold, Inc. (mining). Chairman of the Board
           of Berger 100 Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund. Chairman of the
           Trustees of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional
           Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM
           Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.


*     JACK R. THOMPSON, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1949. President and a director since May 1999 (Executive Vice
           President from February 1999 to May 1999) of Berger 100 Fund and
           Berger Growth and Income Fund. President and a trustee since May
           1999 (Executive Vice President from February 1999 to May 1999) of
           Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
           Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
           Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust. President and
           Director since June 1999 (Executive Vice President from February
           1999 to June 1999) of Berger LLC Audit Committee Member of the
           Public Employees' Retirement Association of Colorado (pension plan)
           since November 1997. Self-employed as a consultant from July 1995
           through February 1999. Director of Wasatch Advisors (investment
           management) from February 1997 to February 1999. Director of Janus
           Capital Corporation (investment management) from June 1984 through
           June 1995, and Executive Vice President of the Corporation from
           April 1989 through June 1995. Treasurer of Janus Capital Corporation
           from November 1983 through October 1989. Trustee of the Janus
           Investment Funds from December 1990 through June 1995, and Senior
           Vice President of the Trust from May 1993 through June 1995.
           President and a director of Janus Service Corporation (transfer
           agent) from January 1987 through June 1995. President and a director
           of Fillmore Agency, Inc. (advertising agency), from January 1990
           through June 1995. Executive Vice President and a director of Janus
           Capital International, Ltd. (investment advisor) from September 1994
           through June 1995. President and a director of Janus Distributors,
           Inc. (broker/dealer), from May 1991 through June 1995. Director of
           IDEX Management, Inc. (investment management), from January 1985
           through June 1995. Trustee and Senior Vice President of the of the
           Janus Aspen Funds from May 1993 through June 1995.


                                      -15-
<PAGE>




      DENNIS E. BALDWIN, 3481 South Race Street, Englewood, CO 80110, DOB: 1928.
           President, Baldwin Financial Counseling. Formerly (1978-1990), Vice
           President and Denver Office Manager of Merrill Lynch Capital
           Markets. Director of Berger 100 Fund and Berger Growth and Income
           Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.




      LOUIS R.  BINDNER,  1075 South Fox,  Denver,  CO 80223,  DOB:  1925.
           President, Climate Engineering, Inc. (building environmental
           systems). Director of Berger 100 Fund and Berger Growth and Income
           Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.

      KATHERINE A. CATTANACH, 672 South Gaylord, Denver, CO 80209, DOB: 1945.
           Managing Principal, Sovereign Financial Services, Inc. (investment
           consulting firm). Formerly (1981-1988), Executive Vice President,
           Captiva Corporation, Denver, Colorado (private investment management
           firm). Ph.D. in Finance (Arizona State University); Chartered
           Financial Analyst (CFA). Director of Berger 100 Fund and Berger
           Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust,
           Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
           Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni
           Investment Trust.


      PAUL R. KNAPP, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60602,
           DOB: 1945. Since 1991, Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer
           and a director of Catalyst Institute (international public policy
           research organization focused primarily on financial markets and
           institutions). Since September 1997, President, Chief Executive
           Officer and a director of DST Catalyst, Inc. (international financial
           markets consulting, software and computer services company, an 81%
           owned subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc.) Director (since February 1998)
           and a Vice President (February 1998 - November 1998) of West Side
           Investments, Inc. (investments), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DST
           Systems, Inc. Previously (1991 - September 1997), Chairman,
           President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Catalyst
           Consulting (international financial institutions business consulting
           firm). Prior thereto (1988-1991), President, Chief Executive Officer
           and a director of Kessler Asher Group (brokerage, clearing and
           trading firm). Director of Berger 100 Fund and Berger Growth and
           Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
           Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
           Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
           Trust.


      HARRY T. LEWIS, JR., 370 17th Street, Suite 3560, Denver, CO 80202,
           DOB: 1933. Self-employed as a private investor. Formerly (1981-1988),
           Senior Vice President, Rocky Mountain Region, of Dain Bosworth
           Incorporated and member of that firm's Management Committee. Director
           of J.D. Edwards & Co. (computer software company) since 1995.
           Director of Berger 100 Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
           Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional
           Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM
           Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.

      WILLIAM SINCLAIRE, 3049 S. Perry Park Road, Sedalia, CO 80135, DOB: 1928.
           President, Santa Clara LLC (privately owned agriculture company).
           Director of Berger 100 Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
           Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional
           Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM
           Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.


*     MARK S. SUNDERHUSE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO
           80206, DOB: 1961. Vice President (since February 1999) and portfolio
           manager (since January 1999) of the Berger New Generation Fund. Vice
           President and co-portfolio manager since May 1999 of the Berger
           Select Fund. Interim co-portfolio manager since January 2000 of the
           Berger Balanced Fund. Senior Vice President (since January 1998) and
           portfolio manager (since January 1999) with Berger LLC. Formerly,
           Senior Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager with Crestone
           Capital Management, Inc. (from January 1991 through January 1998);
           Investment Officer with United Bank


                                      -16-
<PAGE>

           of Denver (from April 1989 through January 1991); and officer and
           registered representative with Boettcher & Company, Inc. (investment
           banking) (from May 1985 through April 1989).





*     JANICE M. TEAGUE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206
           DOB: 1954. Vice President and Secretary (since November 1998) and
           Assistant Secretary (September 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
           Funds. Vice President (since October 1997), Secretary (since November
           1998) and Assistant Secretary (September 1996 through November 1998)
           with Berger LLC. Vice President and Secretary with Berger
           Distributors LLC, since August 1998. Formerly, self-employed as a
           business consultant from June 1995 through September 1996, Secretary
           of the Janus Funds from January 1990 to May 1995 and Assistant
           Secretary of Janus Capital Corporation from October 1989 to May 1995.

*     DAVID J. SCHULTZ, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1950. Vice President and Treasurer (since November 1998) and
           Assistant Treasurer (September 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
           Funds. Vice President (since February 1997) and Controller (since
           August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
           (since May 1996), Assistant Secretary (since August 1998) and
           Secretary (May 1996 to August 1998) with Berger Distributors LLC
           Formerly, Partner with Smith, Brock & Gwinn (accounting firm) from
           January 1984 to August 1994.

*     BRIAN S. FERRIE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1958. Vice President of the Berger Funds since November 1998.
           Vice President (since February 1997) and Chief Compliance Officer
           (since August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Compliance Officer with
           Berger Distributors LLC, since May 1996. Formerly, Compliance Officer
           with United Services Advisor, Inc., from January 1988 to July 1994,
           and Director of Internal Audit of United Services Funds from January
           1987 to July 1994.


*     JOHN PAGANELLI, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
           DOB: 1967. Assistant Treasurer of the Berger Funds since November
           1998. Vice President (since November 1998) and Manager of Accounting
           (January 1997 through November 1998) with Berger LLC. Formerly,
           Manager of Accounting (December 1994 through October 1996) and Senior
           Accountant (November 1991 through December 1994) with Palmeri Fund
           Administrators, Inc.


- ----------------

* Interested person (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the
Fund and/or of the Fund's advisor.

     The trustees of the Fund have adopted a trustee retirement age of 75 years.


                                      -17-
<PAGE>

TRUSTEE COMPENSATION


                  The officers of the Fund received no compensation from the
Fund during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999. However, trustees of the
Fund who are not "interested persons" of the Fund or its advisor are compensated
for their services according to a fee schedule, allocated among the Berger
Funds. Neither the officers of the Fund nor the trustees receive any form of
pension or retirement benefit compensation from the Fund.



                  The following table sets forth information regarding
compensation paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999,
for each trustee of the Fund:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

         NAME AND POSITION                                    AGGREGATE COMPENSATION FROM
         WITH BERGER FUNDS

- --------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                              BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND               ALL BERGER FUNDS(1)
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

<S>                                     <C>                                     <C>
Dennis E. Baldwin(2)                                    $2,441                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

Louis R. Bindner(2)                                     $2,441                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

Katherine A. Cattanach(2)                               $2,441                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

Paul R. Knapp(2)                                        $2,415                              $47,000
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

Harry T. Lewis(2)                                       $2,441                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

Michael Owen(2)                                         $2,955                              $57,600
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

William Sinclaire(2)                                    $2,441                              $47,600
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

Jack R. Thompson(2),(3),(4)                              $ 0                                  $ 0
- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
</TABLE>


NOTES TO TABLE


(1)      Includes the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger Growth and Income Fund, the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust (including the Berger Small Company Growth
Fund, the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Balanced Fund, the Berger Mid
Cap Value Fund, the Berger Select Fund, the Berger Information Technology Fund
and the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund), the Berger Institutional Products Trust
(four series), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust (three series, including
the Berger/BIAM International Fund), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust
(one series) and the Berger Omni Investment Trust (including the Berger Small
Cap Value Fund). Aggregate compensation figures do not include first-year
estimates for any Fund in existence for less than one year. Of the aggregate
amounts shown for each trustee, the following amounts were deferred under
applicable deferred compensation plans: Dennis E. Baldwin $24,316; Louis R.
Bindner $15,333; Katherine A. Cattanach $47,393; Michael Owen $6,651; William
Sinclaire $40,423.



(2)      Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund and
trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.


(3)      Interested person of Berger LLC.





(4)      President of Berger Growth Fund, Berger Growth and Income Fund, Berger
         Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust,
         Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
         Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust.


                  Trustees may elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of
their fees pursuant to a fee deferral plan adopted by the Fund. Under the plan,
deferred fees are credited to an account and adjusted thereafter to reflect the
investment experience of whichever of the Berger Funds (or approved money market
funds) is designated by the trustee for this purpose. Pursuant to an SEC
exemptive order, the Fund is permitted to purchase shares of the designated
funds in order to offset its obligation to the trustees participating in the
plan. Purchases made pursuant to the plan are excepted from any otherwise
applicable investment restriction limiting the purchase of securities of any
other investment company. The Fund's obligation to make payments of deferred
fees under the plan is a general obligation of the Fund.


                                      -18-
<PAGE>


                  As of January 4, 2000, the officers and trustees of the Fund
as a group owned of record or beneficially an aggregate of less than 1% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund.


4.                INVESTMENT ADVISOR

BERGER LLC - INVESTMENT ADVISOR

                  Berger LLC, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO
80206, is the investment advisor to the Fund. Berger LLC is responsible for
managing the investment operations of the Fund and the composition of its
investment portfolio. Berger LLC also acts as the Fund's administrator and is
responsible for such functions as monitoring compliance with all applicable
federal and state laws.


                  Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25
years. It serves as investment advisor or sub-advisor to mutual funds and
institutional investors and had assets under management of approximately $6.1
billion as of December 31, 1999. Berger LLC is a subsidiary of Stilwell
Management Inc. ("Stilwell"), which owns more than 80% of Berger LLC, and is an
indirect subsidiary of Stilwell Financial, Inc. ("Stilwell Financial"), which in
turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.
("KCSI"). KCSI is a publicly traded holding company with principal operations in
rail transportation, through its subsidiary The Kansas City Southern Railway
Company, and financial asset management businesses. Stilwell also owns
approximately 32% of the outstanding shares of DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), a
publicly traded information and transaction processing company which acts as the
Funds' sub-transfer agent. DST, in turn, owns 100% of DST Securities, a
registered broker-dealer, which executes portfolio trades for the Funds.



                  KCSI announced its intention to separate the transportation
and financial services segments through a proposed dividend of the stock of
Stilwell Financial. On July 12, 1999 KCSI announced that the Internal Revenue
Service issued a favorable tax ruling permitting KCSI to separate its financial
services segment from its transportation segment. Completion of this separation
is expected to occur in the year 2000.


INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                  Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund and
its advisor, the advisor is generally responsible for furnishing continuous
advice and making investment decisions as to the acquisition, holding or
disposition of securities or other assets which the Fund may own or contemplate
acquiring from time to time. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the
investment advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of
law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission
taken with respect to the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or
gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless
disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder and except to the extent
otherwise provided by law.


                  Under the Agreement in effect through September 30, 1999, the
advisor was compensated for its services by the payment of a fee at the
following annual rate, calculated as a percentage of the average daily net
assets of the Fund:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

                      FUND                                 ADVISOR                  INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE

- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

<S>                                               <C>                        <C>
Berger New Generation Fund                        Berger LLC                                 0.90%
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------
</TABLE>



                                      -19-
<PAGE>


                  Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged
to the Fund was reduced according to the following schedule:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

                      FUND                                 ADVISOR                  INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE

- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------

<S>                                               <C>                        <C>
Berger New Generation Fund                        Berger LLC                 0.85% of the first $500 million(1)
                                                                              0.80% of the next $500 million
                                                                               0.75% in excess of $1 billion
- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------------
</TABLE>



                  The Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in
effect until the last day of April 2000, and thereafter from year to year if
such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or
by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case
by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that
term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the advisor. The Agreement is
subject to termination by the Fund or the advisor on 60 days' written notice,
and terminates automatically in the event of its assignment.

TRADE ALLOCATIONS

                  While investment decisions for the Fund are made independently
by the advisor, the same investment decision may be made for the Fund and one or
more accounts advised by the advisor. In this circumstance, should purchase and
sell orders of the same class of security be in effect on the same day, the
orders for such transactions may be combined by the advisor in order to seek the
best combination of net price and execution for each. Client orders partially
filled will, as a general matter, be allocated pro rata in proportion to each
client's original order, although exceptions may be made to avoid, among other
things, odd lots and de minimus allocations. Execution prices for a combined
order will be averaged so that each participating client receives the average
price paid or received. While in some cases, this policy might adversely affect
the price paid or received by the Fund or other participating accounts, or the
size of the position obtained or liquidated, the advisor will aggregate orders
if it believes that coordination of orders and the ability to participate in
volume transactions will result in the best overall combination of net price and
execution.

RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING

                  Berger LLC permits its directors, officers and employees to
purchase and sell securities for their own accounts in accordance with a policy
regarding personal investing in Berger LLC's Code of Ethics. The policy requires
all covered persons to conduct their personal securities transactions in a
manner which does not operate adversely to the interests of the Fund or Berger
LLC's other advisory clients. Directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment
personnel and other designated persons deemed to have access to current trading
information ("access persons") are required to pre-clear all transactions in
securities not otherwise exempt under the policy. Requests for authority to
trade will be denied pre-clearance when, among other reasons, the proposed
personal transaction would be contrary to the provisions of the policy or would
be deemed to adversely affect any transaction then known to be under
consideration for or currently being effected on behalf of any client account,
including the Fund.

                  In addition to the pre-clearance requirements described above,
the policy subjects directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment personnel
and other access persons to various trading restrictions and reporting
obligations. All reportable transactions are reviewed for compliance with the
policy. The policy is administered by Berger LLC and the provisions of the
policy are subject to interpretation by and exceptions authorized by its board
of directors.

5.                EXPENSES OF THE FUND

                  In addition to paying an investment advisory fee to its
advisor, the Fund pays all of its expenses not assumed by its advisor,
including, but not limited to, custodian and transfer agent fees, legal and
accounting expenses, administrative and record keeping expenses, interest
charges, federal and state


                                      -20-
<PAGE>

taxes, costs of share certificates, expenses of shareholders' meetings,
compensation of trustees who are not interested persons of Berger LLC, expenses
of printing and distributing reports to shareholders and federal and state
administrative agencies, and all expenses incurred in connection with the
execution of its portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions on
purchases and sales of portfolio securities, which are considered a cost of
securities of the Fund. The Fund also pays all expenses incurred in complying
with all federal and state laws and the laws of any foreign country applicable
to the issue, offer or sale of shares of the Fund, including, but not limited
to, all costs involved in preparing and printing prospectuses for shareholders
of the Fund.


                  Under a separate Administrative Services Agreement with
respect to the Fund, Berger LLC performs certain administrative and
recordkeeping services not otherwise performed by the Fund's custodian and
recordkeeper, including the preparation of financial statements and reports to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulatory
authorities. Effective October 1, 1999, Berger LLC agreed to eliminate the 0.01%
administrative services fee charged to the Funds. The administrative services
fee may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval. In addition,
effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was
reduced. The advisory fee reduction is reflected earlier under Investment
Advisory Agreement.


                  The following table shows the total dollar amounts of advisory
fees and administrative services fees paid by the Fund to Berger LLC for the
periods indicated and the amount of such fees waived on account of excess
expenses under applicable expense limitations.

                           BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------

Fiscal Year Ended        Investment             Administrative         Advisory Fee           TOTAL
September 30,            Advisory Fee*          Service Fee**          Waiver
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------
<S>                      <C>                    <C>                    <C>                    <C>
1999                     $1,714,000             $19,000                $          0           $1,733,000
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------

1998                     $1,229,000             $14,000                $          0           $1,243,000
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------

1997                     $   962,000            $20,000                $          0           $   982,000
- ------------------------ ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------
</TABLE>



* Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was
reduced from .90% to the following rates of average daily net assets: 0.85% of
the first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of $1
billion.
** Effective October 1, 1999, the 0.01% administrative services fee was
eliminated.



                  The Fund has appointed Investors Fiduciary Trust Company
("IFTC"), 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105, as its recordkeeping and
pricing agent. In addition, IFTC also serves as the Fund's custodian, transfer
agent and dividend disbursing agent. IFTC has engaged DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"),
P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO 64121, as sub-agent to provide transfer agency
and dividend disbursing services for the Fund. Approximately 32% of the
outstanding shares of DST are owned by Stilwell.


                  As recordkeeping and pricing agent, IFTC calculates the daily
net asset value of the Fund and performs certain accounting and recordkeeping
functions required by the Fund. The Fund pays IFTC a monthly base fee plus an
asset-based fee. IFTC is also reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

                  IFTC, as custodian, and its subcustodians have custody and
provide for the safekeeping of the Fund's securities and cash, and receive and
remit the income thereon as directed by the management of the Fund. The
custodian and subcustodians do not perform any managerial or policy-making
functions for the Fund. For its services as custodian, IFTC receives an
asset-based fee plus certain transaction fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

                  As transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, IFTC (through
DST, as sub-agent) maintains all shareholder accounts of record; assists in
mailing all reports, proxies and other information to the Fund's shareholders;
calculates the amount of, and delivers to the Fund's shareholders, proceeds
representing all dividends and distributions; and performs other related
services. For these services, IFTC receives a fee from the Fund at an annual
rate of $14.00 per open Fund shareholder account, subject to preset volume


                                      -21-
<PAGE>

discounts, plus certain transaction fees and fees for closed accounts, and is
reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, which fees in turn are passed through to
DST as sub-agent.

                  All of IFTC's fees are subject to reduction pursuant to an
agreed formula for certain earnings credits on the cash balances of the Fund.
Earnings credits received by the Fund can be found on the Fund's Statement of
Operations in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports incorporated by reference into
this Statement of Additional Information.

OTHER EXPENSE INFORMATION


                  The trustees of the Fund have authorized portfolio
transactions to be placed on an agency basis through DST Securities, Inc.
("DSTS"), a wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When transactions are
effected through DSTS, the commission received by DSTS is credited against, and
thereby reduces, certain operating expenses that the Fund would otherwise be
obligated to pay. No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. See Section
6--Brokerage Policy for further information concerning the expenses reduced as a
result of these arrangements. DSTS may be considered an affiliate of Berger LLC
due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST and Berger LLC.


                  The Fund and/or its advisor have entered into arrangements
with certain brokerage firms and other companies (such as recordkeepers and
administrators) to provide administrative services (such as sub-transfer agency,
recordkeeping, shareholder communications, sub-accounting and/or other services)
to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through those firms or companies. The
Fund's advisor or the Fund (if approved by its trustees) may pay fees to these
companies for their services. These companies may also be appointed as agents
for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption
requests that are received in good order. Subject to Fund approval, certain of
these companies may be authorized to designate other entities to accept purchase
and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.

                  The Fund's advisor may also enter into arrangements with
organizations that solicit clients for the advisor, which may include clients
who purchase shares of the Fund. While the specific terms of each arrangement
may differ, generally, the fee paid by the advisor under such arrangements is
based on the value of the referred client's assets managed by the advisor. None
of the fees paid to such organizations will be borne by the Fund.

DISTRIBUTOR

                  The distributor (principal underwriter) of the Fund's shares
is Berger Distributors LLC (the "Distributor"), 210 University Boulevard, Suite
900, Denver, CO 80206. The Distributor may be reimbursed by Berger LLC for its
costs in distributing the Fund's Institutional Shares.





6.                BROKERAGE POLICY

                  Although the Fund retains full control over its own investment
policies, under the terms of its Investment Advisory Agreement, Berger LLC as
the Fund's advisor is directed to place the portfolio transactions of the Fund.
A report on the placement of brokerage business is given to the trustees of the
Fund every quarter, indicating the brokers with whom Fund portfolio business was
placed and the basis for such placement. The brokerage commissions paid by the
Fund during the past three fiscal years were as follows:

                              BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                               FOR THE YEAR/PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  ------------------ --------------------- -------------------------

                                                         1999               1998                   1997
- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------ --------------------- -------------------------

<S>                                               <C>                <C>                   <C>
BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND                            $349,000             $340,000                $165,000
- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------ --------------------- -------------------------
</TABLE>






                                      -22-
<PAGE>


                  The Investment Advisory Agreement authorizes and directs the
advisor to place portfolio transactions for the Fund only with brokers and
dealers who render satisfactory service in the execution of orders at the most
favorable prices and at reasonable commission rates. However, the Agreement
specifically authorizes the advisor to place such transactions with a broker
with whom it has negotiated a commission that is in excess of the commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if
the advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was
reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or
the overall responsibilities of the advisor. Accordingly, the advisor does not
have an obligation to seek the lowest available commission.


                  In accordance with this provision of the Agreement, portfolio
brokerage business of the Fund may be placed with brokers who provide useful
brokerage and research services to the advisor. The Fund's advisor may consider
the value of research provided as a factor in the choice of brokers. "Research"
includes computerized on-line stock quotation systems and related data feeds
from stock exchanges, computerized trade order entry, execution and confirmation
systems, fundamental and technical analysis data and software, computerized
stock market and business news services, economic research, account performance
data and computer hardware used for the receipt of electronic research services
and broker and other third-party equity research, such as publications or
writings which furnish advice as to the value of securities and advisability of
investing, and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities,
market trends, and portfolio strategies. Research may be provided orally, in
print, or electronically. These include a service used by the independent
trustees of the Fund in reviewing the Investment Advisory Agreement.

                  In some cases, a product or services termed "research" may
serve other functions unrelated to the making of investment decisions. When a
product has such a mixed use, the advisor will make a good faith allocation of
the cost of the product according to the use made of it. The portion of the
product that assists the advisor in the investment decision-making process may
be paid for with the Fund's commission dollars. The advisor pays for the portion
of the product that is not "research" with its own funds. Accordingly, the
decision whether and how to allocate the costs of such a product presents a
conflict of interest for Berger LLC.

                  Berger LLC does not enter into formal agreements with any
brokers regarding the placement of securities transactions because of any such
brokerage or research services that they provide. Berger LLC may, however, make
arrangements with and maintain internal procedures for allocating transactions
to brokers who provide such services to encourage them to provide services
expected to be useful to Berger LLC's clients, including the Fund. Brokers may
suggest a level of business they would like to receive in return for the
brokerage and research they provide. Berger LLC then determines whether to
continue receiving the research and brokerage provided and the approximate
amount of commissions it is willing to pay to continue the brokerage and
research arrangement with each broker. The actual amount of commissions a broker
may receive may be more or less than a broker's suggested allocations, depending
on Berger LLC's level of business, market conditions and other relevant factors.
Even under these arrangements, however, the placement of all Fund transactions,
must be consistent with the Fund's brokerage placement and execution policies,
and must be directed to a broker who renders satisfactory service in the
execution of orders at the most favorable prices and at reasonable commission
rates.


                  During the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, of the
brokerage commissions paid by the Fund, the following amounts were paid to
brokers who provided to the Fund selected brokerage or research services
prepared by the broker or subscribed or paid for by the broker on behalf of the
Fund:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------

FUND                                             AMOUNT OF TRANSACTIONS              AMOUNT OF COMMISSIONS
- ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------

<S>                                             <C>                                <C>
Berger New Generation Fund                                $ 22,354,000                      $34,000
- ----------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------
</TABLE>


                  These brokerage and research services received from brokers
are often helpful to Berger LLC in performing its investment advisory
responsibilities to the Fund, and the availability of such services from brokers
does not reduce the responsibility of Berger LLC's advisory personnel to analyze
and evaluate


                                      -23-
<PAGE>

the securities in which the Fund invests. The brokerage and research services
obtained as a result of the Fund's brokerage business also will be useful to
Berger LLC in making investment decisions for its other advisory accounts, and,
conversely, information obtained by reason of placement of brokerage business of
such other accounts may be used by Berger LLC in rendering investment advice to
the Fund. Although such brokerage and research services may be deemed to be of
value to Berger LLC, they are not expected to decrease the expenses that Berger
LLC would otherwise incur in performing its investment advisory services for the
Fund nor will the advisory fees that are received by Berger LLC from the Fund be
reduced as a result of the availability of such brokerage and research services
from brokers.


                  The trustees of the Fund have authorized portfolio
transactions to be placed on an agency basis through DSTS, a wholly-owned
broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When transactions are effected through DSTS,
the commission received by DSTS is credited against, and thereby reduces,
certain operating expenses that the Fund would otherwise be obligated to pay. No
portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. DSTS may be considered an
affiliate of Berger LLC due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST
and Berger LLC.


                  Included in the brokerage commissions paid by the Fund during
the last three fiscal years, as stated in the preceding Brokerage Commissions
table, are the following amounts paid to DSTS, which served to reduce the Fund's
out-of-pocket expenses as follows:

                 DSTS COMMISSIONS AND RELATED EXPENSE REDUCTIONS


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------- --------------- ------------ --------------- ------------- -------------- -------------

                                  DSTS        Reduction        DSTS        Reduction        DSTS        Reduction
                              Commissions        in        Commissions    in Expenses    Commissions        in
                                  Paid        Expenses         Paid           FYE           Paid         Expenses
                              FYE 9/30/99        FYE       FYE 9/30/98     9/30/98(1)    FYE 9/30/97       FYE
                                             9/30/99(1)                                                 9/30/97(1)
- ---------------------------- --------------- ------------ --------------- ------------- -------------- -------------

<S>                          <C>             <C>          <C>             <C>           <C>            <C>
Berger New Generation Fund     $6,000(2)       $4,500        $2,000          $1,500           $ 0          $ 0
- ---------------------------- --------------- ------------ --------------- ------------- -------------- -------------
</TABLE>


(1) No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. Difference between
commissions paid through DSTS and reduction in expenses constitute commissions
paid to an unaffiliated clearing broker.


(2) Constitutes 2% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Berger New
Generation Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions
placed by the Berger New Generation Fund.


                  The Fund's advisor places securities orders with a limited
number of major institutional brokerage firms chosen for the reliability and
quality of execution; commission rates; quality of research coverage of major
U.S. companies, the U.S. economy and the securities markets; promptness; back
office capabilities; capital strength and financial stability; prior performance
in serving the advisor and its clients; and knowledge of other buyers and
sellers. The advisor selects the broker for each order based on the factors
above, as well as the size, difficulty and other characteristics of the order.
The trustees of the Fund have also authorized sales of shares of the Fund by a
broker-dealer and the recommendations of a broker-dealer to its customers that
they purchase Fund shares to be considered as factors in the selection of
broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund. In addition, the
advisor may also consider payments made by brokers to the Fund or to other
persons on behalf of the Fund for services provided to the Fund for which it
would otherwise be obligated to pay, such as transfer agency fees. In placing
portfolio business with any such broker or dealer, the advisor of the Fund will
seek the best execution of each transaction.





7.                HOW TO PURCHASE AND REDEEM SHARES IN THE FUND

                  Minimum Initial Investment                            $250,000

                  Institutional Shares in the Fund may be purchased at the
relevant net asset value without a sales charge. The minimum initial investment
for Institutional Shares of the Fund is $250,000.


                                      -24-
<PAGE>

                  To purchase shares in the Fund, simply complete the
application form enclosed with the Prospectus. Then mail it with a check payable
to "Berger Funds" to the following address:

                  Berger Funds
                  P.O. Box 219958
                  Kansas City, MO  64121

                  Payment for shares purchased may be made by wire, electronic
funds transfer or mail. All purchase orders are effected at the relevant net
asset value per share of the Fund next determined after receipt of the purchase
order, completed application and payment. A purchase order, together with
payment in proper form, received by the Fund, its authorized agent or designee
prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on a day the
Fund is open for business will be effected at that day's net asset value. An
order received after that time will be effected at the net asset value
determined on the next business day.

                  Additional investments may be made at any time by mail,
telephone (1-800-960-8427) or online (bergerfunds.com) at the relevant net asset
value by calling or writing the Fund and making payment by wire or electronic
funds transfer as outlined above.

                  In addition, Fund shares may be purchased through certain
broker-dealers that have established mutual fund programs and certain other
organizations connected with pension and retirement plans. These broker-dealers
and other organizations may charge investors a transaction or other fee for
their services, may require different minimum initial and subsequent investments
than the Fund and may impose other charges or restrictions different from those
applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. Fees charged by
these organizations will have the effect of reducing a shareholder's total
return on an investment in Fund shares. No such charge will apply to an investor
who purchases Fund shares directly from the Fund as described above.

                  Procedures for purchasing, selling (redeeming) and exchanging
Fund shares by telephone and online are described in the Prospectus. The Fund
may terminate or modify those procedures and related requirements at any time,
although shareholders of the Fund will be given notice of any termination or
material modification. Berger LLC may, at its own risk, waive certain of those
procedures and related requirements.

8.                HOW THE NET ASSET VALUE IS DETERMINED


                  The net asset value of the Fund is determined once daily, at
the close of the regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange") (normally 4:00 p.m., New York time, Monday through Friday) each day
that the Exchange is open. The Exchange is closed and the net asset value of the
Fund is not determined on weekends and on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day each year.


                   The per share net asset value of the Institutional Shares is
determined by dividing the Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the total
value of the Fund's securities and other assets, less the Institutional Shares'
pro rata portion of the Fund's liabilities and the liabilities attributable to
the Institutional Shares, by the total number of Institutional Shares
outstanding. Since net asset value for the Fund is calculated by class, and
since the Institutional Shares and each other class of the Fund has its own
expenses, the per share net asset value of the Fund will vary by class.

                  In determining net asset value, securities listed or traded
primarily on national exchanges, The Nasdaq Stock Market and foreign exchanges
are valued at the last sale price on such markets, or, if such a price is
lacking for the trading period immediately preceding the time of determination,
such securities are valued at the mean of their current bid and asked prices.
Securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the mean
between their current bid and asked prices. The market value of individual
securities held by the Fund will be determined by using prices provided by
pricing services which provide market prices to other mutual funds or, as
needed, by obtaining market quotations from independent broker/dealers.
Short-term money market securities maturing within 60 days are valued on the
amortized cost basis, which approximates market value. All assets and
liabilities initially expressed in terms of non-U.S. dollar currencies are
translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates as quoted by one or
more


                                      -25-
<PAGE>

banks or dealers shortly before the close of the Exchange. Securities and assets
for which quotations are not readily available or are not representative of
market value may be valued at their fair value determined in good faith pursuant
to consistently applied procedures established by the trustees. Examples would
be when events occur that materially affect the value of a security at a time
when the security is not trading or when the securities are illiquid.

                  Generally, trading in foreign securities markets is
substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of the
Exchange. The values of foreign securities used in computing the net asset value
of the shares of the Fund are determined as of the earlier of such market close
or the closing time of the Exchange. Occasionally, events affecting the value of
such securities may occur between the times at which they are determined and the
close of the Exchange, or when the foreign market on which such securities trade
is closed but the Exchange is open, which will not be reflected in the
computation of net asset value. If during such periods, events occur which
materially affect the value of such securities, the securities may be valued at
their fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied
procedures established by the trustees.

                  The Fund's securities may be listed primarily on foreign
exchanges or over-the-counter dealer markets which may trade on days when the
Exchange is closed (such as a customary U.S. holiday) and on which the Fund's
net asset value is not calculated. As a result, the net asset value of the Fund
may be significantly affected by such trading on days when shareholders cannot
purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.

9.                INCOME DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS
                  DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX TREATMENT

                  This discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax
issues relating to the Fund. As a summary, it is not an exhaustive discussion of
all possible tax ramifications. Accordingly, shareholders are urged to consult
with their tax advisors with respect to their particular tax consequences.

                  TAX STATUS OF THE FUND. If the Fund meets certain investment
and distribution requirements, it will be treated as a "regulated investment
company" (a "RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to
federal income tax on earnings that it distributes in a timely manner to
shareholders. It also may be subject to an excise tax on undistributed income if
it does not meet certain timing requirements for distributions. The Fund intends
to qualify as a RIC annually and to make timely distributions in order to avoid
income and excise tax liabilities.

                  TAX ON FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. With certain exceptions provided by
law, the Fund will report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each
shareholder information about the tax treatment of the shareholder's
distributions. Dividends paid by the Fund, whether received in cash or
reinvested in additional Fund shares, will be treated as ordinary income to the
shareholders. Distributions of net capital gain, whether received in cash or
reinvested in Fund shares, will be taxable to the shareholders, but the rate of
tax will vary depending upon the Fund's holding periods in the assets whose sale
resulted in the capital gain. Dividends and distributions that are declared in
October, November or December but not distributed until the following January
will be considered to be received by the shareholders on December 31.

                  In general, net capital gains from assets held by the Fund for
more than 12 months will be subject to a maximum tax rate of 20% and net capital
gains from assets held for 12 months or less will be taxed as ordinary income.
Distributions will be subject to these capital gains rates, regardless of how
long a shareholder has held Fund shares. Assets contributed to the Fund in an
in-kind purchase of Fund shares may generate more gain upon their sale than if
the assets had been purchased by the Fund with cash contributed to the Fund in a
cash purchase of Fund shares.


                  If the Fund's distributions for a taxable year exceeds its tax
earnings and profits available for distribution, all or a portion of its
distributions may be treated as a return of capital. To the extent a
distribution is treated as a return of capital, a shareholder's basis in his or
her Fund shares will be reduced by that amount.



                                      -26-
<PAGE>

                  If a shareholder has elected to receive dividends and/or
capital gain distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service is unable to
deliver checks to the shareholder's address of record, or if a shareholder's
checks remain uncashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest
the amount distributed in additional Fund shares at the then-current NAV and to
convert the shareholder's distribution option from receiving cash to having all
dividend and other distributions reinvested in additional shares. In addition,
no interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or
redemption checks.

                  TAX ON REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES. Shareholders may be subject
to tax on the redemption of their Fund shares. In general, such redemptions may
give rise to a capital gain or loss, the treatment of which will depend on the
shareholder's holding period in the Fund shares. Tax laws may prevent the
deduction of a loss on the sale of Fund shares if the shareholder reinvests in
the Fund shortly before or after the sale giving rise to the loss. Any loss on
the redemption or other sale or exchange of Fund shares held for six months or
less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term
capital gain distribution received on the shares.


                  INCOME FROM FOREIGN SOURCES. Dividends and interest received
by the Fund on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes
imposed by foreign countries, although these taxes may be reduced by applicable
tax treaties. Foreign taxes will generally be treated as expenses of the Fund,
unless the Fund has more than 50% of its assets invested in foreign corporate
securities at the end of the Fund's taxable year. In that case, if the Fund
makes an election, shareholders of the Fund may be able to deduct (as an
itemized deduction) or claim a foreign tax credit for their share of foreign
taxes, subject to limitations prescribed in the tax law.


                  If the Fund invests in a foreign corporation that is a passive
foreign investment company (a "PFIC"), special rules apply that may affect the
tax treatment of gains from the sale of the stock and may cause the Fund to
incur IRS tax and interest charges. However, the Fund may be eligible to elect
one of two alternative tax treatments with respect to PFIC shares which would
avoid these taxes and charges, but also may affect, among other things, the
amount and character of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of income
with respect to PFIC shares. Accordingly, the amounts, character and timing of
income distributed to shareholders of the Fund holding PFIC shares may differ
substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC shares.

                  INCOME FROM CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS. Some or all of the Fund's
investments may include transactions that are subject to special tax rules.
Transactions involving foreign currencies may give rise to gain or loss that
could affect the Fund's ability to make ordinary dividend distributions.
Investment in certain financial instruments, such as options, futures contracts
and forward contracts, may require annual recognition of unrealized gains and
losses. Transactions that are treated as "straddles" may affect the character
and/or timing of other gains and losses of the Fund. If the Fund enters into a
transaction (such as a "short sale against the box") that reduces the risk of
loss on an appreciated financial position that it already holds, the entry into
the transaction may constitute a constructive sale and require immediate
recognition of gain.

                  BACKUP WITHHOLDING. In general, if a shareholder is subject to
backup withholding, the Fund will be required to withhold federal income tax at
a rate of 31% from distributions to that shareholder. These payments are
creditable against the shareholder's federal income tax liability.

                  FOREIGN SHAREHOLDERS. Foreign shareholders of the Fund
generally will be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax on dividends paid by the
Fund from ordinary income and short-term capital gain, although the rate may be
reduced by a tax treaty. If a foreign shareholder dies while owning Fund shares,
those shares may be subject to U.S. estate taxes.

10.               SUSPENSION OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS

                  The right of redemption may be suspended for any period during
which the New York Stock Exchange is closed or the Securities and Exchange
Commission determines that trading on the Exchange is restricted, or when there
is an emergency as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a
result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of
securities owned by it or to


                                      -27-
<PAGE>

determine the value of its net assets, or for such other period as the
Securities and Exchange Commission may by order permit for the protection of
shareholders of the Fund.

                  The Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although
it retains the right to redeem its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances,
in order to protect the interests of the remaining shareholders, by the delivery
of securities selected from its assets at its discretion. The Fund is, however,
governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 pursuant to
which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of
$250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any 90-day period for any
one shareholder. For purposes of this threshold, each underlying account holder
whose shares are held of record in certain omnibus accounts is treated as one
shareholder. Should redemptions by any shareholder during any 90-day period
exceed such limitation, the Fund will have the option of redeeming the excess in
cash or in-kind. If shares are redeemed in-kind, the redeeming shareholder
generally will incur brokerage costs in converting the assets to cash. The
redeeming shareholder may have difficulty selling the securities and recovering
the amount of the redemption if the securities are illiquid. The method of
valuing securities used to make redemption in-kind will be the same as the
method of valuing portfolio securities described under Section 8.

11.               TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS


                  The Fund offers several tax-qualified retirement plans for
individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. For information about
establishing an IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or money purchase pension plan,
403(b) Custodial Account, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans,
please call 1-800-259-2820 or write to the Berger Funds c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box
5005, Denver, CO 80217. Trustees for existing 401(k) or other plans interested
in using Fund shares as an investment or investment alternative in their plans
are invited to call the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.



                  The Fund also offers an Automatic Investment Plan (minimum $50
per month) and a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (minimum of $50 withdrawn monthly,
quarterly, semiannually or annually). Forms for these plans may be obtained by
writing to the Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO
64121, or call 1-800-960-8427.


12.               EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE

                  Any shareholder may exchange any or all of the shareholder's
shares in the Fund, subject to stated minimums, for shares of any of the other
available Berger Funds, without charge, after receiving a current prospectus of
the other fund. Exchanges into or out of the Fund are made at the net asset
value per share next determined after the exchange request is received. Each
exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the purchase of shares
in another, which may produce a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. An
exchange of shares may be made by written request directed to DST Systems, Inc.,
by telephoning the Fund at 1-800-960-8427 or by contacting the Fund online at
bergerfunds.com. This privilege may be terminated or amended by the Fund, and is
not available in any state in which the shares of the Berger Fund being acquired
in the exchange are not eligible for sale. Shareholders automatically have
telephone and online transaction privileges to authorize exchanges unless they
specifically decline this service in the account application or in writing.

13.               PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

                  From time to time in advertisements, the Fund may discuss its
performance ratings as published by recognized mutual fund statistical services,
such as Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc.,
Morningstar, Inc., or Value Line Investment Survey or by publications of general
interest such as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, MONEY,
BARRON'S, FINANCIAL WORLD or KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE. In addition,
the Fund may compare its performance to that of recognized broad-based
securities market indices, including the Wilshire 5000 Index, the Standard &
Poor's 500 Stock Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Russell 1000 Value
Index, the Russell 2000 Stock


                                      -28-
<PAGE>

Index, the Standard & Poor's 400 Mid-Cap Index, the Standard & Poor's 600 Small
Cap Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far
East) Index, the Dow Jones World Index, the Standard & Poor's/BARRA Value Index,
the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Lehman Brothers Intermediate Term
Government/Corporate Bond Index or the InformationWeek 100 Index, or more
narrowly-based or blended indices which reflect the market sectors in which the
Fund invests.

                  The total return of the Fund is calculated for any specified
period of time by assuming the purchase of shares of the Fund at the net asset
value at the beginning of the period. Each dividend or other distribution paid
by the Fund is assumed to have been reinvested at the net asset value on the
reinvestment date. The total number of shares then owned as a result of this
process is valued at the net asset value at the end of the period. The
percentage increase is determined by subtracting the initial value of the
investment from the ending value and dividing the remainder by the initial
value.

                  The Fund's total return reflects the Fund's performance over a
stated period of time. An average annual total return reflects the hypothetical
annually compounded return that would have produced the same total return if the
Fund's performance had been constant over the entire period. Total return
figures are based on the overall change in value of a hypothetical investment in
the Fund. Because average annual total returns for more than one year tend to
smooth out variations in the Fund's return, investors should recognize that such
figures are not the same as actual year-by-year results.

                  All performance figures for the Fund are based upon historical
results and do not assure future performance. The investment return and
principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares,
when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.


                  Quotations of average annual total return for the Fund
will be expressed in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of
a hypothetical investment in the Fund over periods of 1, 3, 5 and 10 years,
or for the life of the Fund, if shorter. These are the rates of return that
would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value.
These rates of return are calculated pursuant to the following formula:
P(1 + T) TO THE POWER OF n = ERV (where P = a hypothetical initial
payment of $1,000, T = the average annual total return, n = the number of years
and ERV = the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at
the beginning of the period). All total return figures reflect the deduction
of a proportional share of Fund expenses on an annual basis, and assume that
all dividends and distributions are reinvested when paid.


PREDECESSOR PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS

                  Shares of the Fund had no class designations until July 6,
1999, when all of the then-existing shares were designated as Investor Shares
and the Institutional Shares class of the Fund covered in this Statement of
Additional Information was established. The Fund commenced offering
Institutional Shares on August 16, 1999. Performance data for the Institutional
Shares include periods prior to the inception of the Institutional Shares class
on August 16, 1999, and therefore reflect a 0.25% per year 12b-1 fee applicable
to the Investor Shares that is not paid by the Institutional Shares. Total
return of the Institutional Shares and other classes of shares of the Fund will
be calculated separately. Because each class of shares is subject to different
expenses, the performance of each class for the same period will differ.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS


                  The average annual total return for the Fund for various
periods ending September 30, 1999, are shown on the following table:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------- --------------- ------------ ------------- ------------ --------------------------

FUND                              1-YEAR          3-YEAR       5-YEAR        10-YEAR      LIFE OF FUND
- --------------------------------- --------------- ------------ ------------- ------------ --------------------------

<S>                               <C>             <C>          <C>           <C>          <C>
Berger New Generation Fund -      110.98%         33.64%       N/A           N/A          34.38%
Institutional Shares(1)                                                                   (since 3/29/96)
- --------------------------------- --------------- ------------ ------------- ------------ --------------------------
</TABLE>



                                      -29-
<PAGE>


1. Performance data for periods prior to the Fund's adoption of class
designations on August 16, 1999, reflect a 0.25% 12b-1 fee not paid by the
Institutional Shares.



14.               ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FUND ORGANIZATION

                  The Fund is a separate series of the Berger Investment
Portfolio Trust (the "Trust"), a Delaware business trust established under the
Delaware Business Trust Act. The Fund was established on December 21, 1995. The
name "Berger New Generation Fund-Registered Trademark-" was registered as a
service mark in December 1996. The Berger New Generation Fund had no class
designations until July 6, 1999, when all of the then-existing shares were
designated as Investor Shares, which are covered in a separate Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information, and the Fund commenced offering the class
known as Institutional Shares covered in this Statement of Additional
Information.

                  The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares
of beneficial interest in series or portfolios. Currently, the Fund is one of
seven series established under the Trust, although others may be added in the
future. The Trust is also authorized to establish multiple classes of shares
representing differing interests in an existing or new series. The Fund
currently has two classes of shares, although others may be added in the future.

                  Shares of the Fund are fully paid and nonassessable when
issued. Each share has a par value of $.01. All shares issued by the Fund
participate equally in dividends and other distributions by the Fund, and in the
residual assets of the Fund in the event of its liquidation.

                  DELAWARE BUSINESS TRUST INFORMATION. Under Delaware law,
shareholders of the Fund will enjoy the same limitations on personal liability
as extended to stockholders of a Delaware corporation. Further, the Trust
Instrument of the Trust provides that no shareholder shall be personally liable
for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for
or otherwise existing with respect to, the Trust or any particular series (fund)
of the Trust. However, the principles of law governing the limitations of
liability of beneficiaries of a business trust have not been authoritatively
established as to business trusts organized under the laws of one jurisdiction
but operating or owning property in other jurisdictions. In states that have
adopted legislation containing provisions comparable to the Delaware Business
Trust Act, it is believed that the limitation of liability of beneficial owners
provided by Delaware law should be respected. In those jurisdictions that have
not adopted similar legislative provisions, it is possible that a court might
hold that the shareholders of the Trust are not entitled to the limitations of
liability set forth in Delaware law or the Trust Instrument and, accordingly,
that they may be personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.

                  In order to protect shareholders from such potential
liability, the Trust Instrument requires that every written obligation of the
Trust or any series thereof contain a statement to the effect that such
obligation may only be enforced against the assets of the Trust or such series.
The Trust Instrument also provides for indemnification from the assets of the
relevant series for all losses and expenses incurred by any shareholder by
reason of being or having been a shareholder, and that the Trust shall, upon
request, assume the defense of any such claim made against such shareholder for
any act or obligation of the relevant series and satisfy any judgment thereon
from the assets of that series.

                  As a result, the risk of a shareholder of the Fund incurring
financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances
in which the Fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. The Trust
believes that the risk of personal liability to shareholders of the Fund is
therefore remote. The trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Trust and
the Fund so as to avoid, to the extent possible, liability of shareholders for
liabilities of the Trust or the Fund.


                  CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND OTHER INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE
FUND. The Fund is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless
required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or other applicable law or unless
called by the trustees. If shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding
shares of the Trust so request, a special shareholders' meeting of the Trust
will be held for the purpose of considering the removal of a trustee. Special
meetings will be held for other purposes if the holders of at least


                                      -30-
<PAGE>

25% of the outstanding shares of the Trust so request. Subject to certain
limitations, the Trust will facilitate appropriate communications by
shareholders desiring to call a special meeting for the purpose of considering
the removal of a trustee.

                  Shareholders of the Fund and, where applicable, the other
series/classes of the Trust, generally vote separately on matters relating to
those respective series/classes, although they vote together and with the
holders of any other series/classes of the Trust in the election of trustees
of the Trust and on all matters relating to the Trust as a whole. Each full
share of the Fund has one vote.

                  Shares of the Fund have non-cumulative voting rights, which
means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of
trustees can elect 100% of the trustees if they choose to do so and, in such
event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting for the
election of trustees will not be able to elect any person or persons as
trustees.

                   Shares of the Fund have no preemptive rights. There are no
sinking funds or arrearage provisions which may affect the rights of the Fund
shares. Fund shares have no subscription rights or conversion rights, except
that shareholders of any class of the Fund may convert their shares into shares
of any other class of the Fund in the event and only in the event the
shareholder ceases to be eligible to purchase or hold shares of the original
class, or becomes eligible to purchase shares of a different class, by reason of
a change in the shareholder's status under the conditions of eligibility in
effect for such class at that time. Shares of the Fund may be transferred by
endorsement, or other customary methods, but the Fund is not bound to recognize
any transfer until it is recorded on its books.


                   Under governing corporate law, the Fund may enter into a
variety of corporate transactions, such as reorganizations, conversions, mergers
and asset transfers, or may be liquidated. Any such transaction would be subject
to a determination from the trustees that the transaction was in the best
interests of the Fund and its shareholders, and may require obtaining
shareholder approval.


MORE INFORMATION ON SPECIAL MULTI-CLASS FUND STRUCTURE

                   The Fund currently has divided its shares into two classes of
shares, the Institutional Shares covered by this SAI and the Investor Shares
offered through a separate Prospectus and SAI. The Fund implemented its
multi-class structure by adopting a Rule 18f-3 Plan under the 1940 Act
permitting it to issue its shares in classes. The Fund's Rule 18f-3 Plan governs
such matters as class features, dividends, voting, allocation of income and
expenses between classes, exchange and trustee monitoring of the Plan. Each
class is subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of eligibility
as are set forth in the relevant prospectus for the class, as it may be amended
from time to time. Investor Shares are available to the general public and bear
a 0.25% 12b-1 fee. Information concerning Investor Shares is available from the
Fund at 1-800-333-1001.

                  Subject to the Trust's Trust Instrument and any other
applicable provisions, the trustees of the Trust have the authority to create
additional classes, or change existing classes, from time to time, in accordance
with Rule 18f-3 under the Act.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS


                  Insofar as the management of the Fund is aware, as of
January 4, 2000, no person owned, beneficially or of record, more than 5% of
the outstanding shares of the Fund, except for the following:



                                      -31-
<PAGE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ --------------------

OWNER                                    FUND                                                   PERCENTAGE
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ --------------------

<S>                                      <C>                                                    <C>
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. ("Schwab")     Berger New Generation Fund                             78.92%
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ --------------------

John D. Swift                            Berger New Generation Fund                             20.70%
1085 Chestnut Hill Cir. SW
Marietta, GA  30064-4607
- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ --------------------
</TABLE>



                  In addition, as of that date, Schwab owned of record 26.08%,
of all outstanding shares of the Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, of which the
Fund is one outstanding series. Also as of that date, Schwab owned of record
21.71% of the Investor Shares class of the Fund, which together with its
Institutional Shares constitutes 21.84% of the Fund's total outstanding shares.



                  Any person owning more than 25% of the outstanding securities
of the Fund may be deemed to control it. Schwab is believed to hold its shares
of the Fund as nominee for the benefit of its clients or customers.


DISTRIBUTION

                  Berger Distributors LLC, as the Fund's Distributor, is the
principal underwriter of the Fund's shares. The Distributor is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Berger LLC. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. The Distributor acts as the agent of the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Fund's shares in all states in which the shares
are eligible for sale and in which the Distributor is qualified as a
broker-dealer. David J. Schultz, Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Secretary
and Treasurer of the Distributor, is also Vice President and Treasurer of the
Fund. Janice M. Teague, Vice President and Secretary of the Distributor, is also
Vice President and Secretary of the Fund. Brian Ferrie, Vice President and Chief
Compliance Officer of the Distributor, is also Vice President of the Fund.

                  The Fund and the Distributor are parties to a Distribution
Agreement that continues through April 2000, and thereafter from year to year if
such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or
by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case
by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that
term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the
Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is subject to termination by the Fund or
the Distributor on 60 days' prior written notice, and terminates automatically
in the event of its assignment. Under the Distribution Agreement, the
Distributor continuously offers shares of the Fund and solicits orders to
purchase Fund shares at net asset value. The Distributor is not compensated for
its services under the Distribution Agreement, but may be reimbursed by Berger
LLC for its costs in distributing Fund shares.

OTHER INFORMATION

                  The Trust has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Washington, D.C., a Registration Statement under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, with respect to the securities of the Fund of which this
Statement of Additional Information is a part. If further information is desired
with respect to the Fund or such securities, reference is made to the
Registration Statement and the exhibits filed as a part thereof.

                  Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, 370 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acts as counsel to the Fund.


                                      -32-
<PAGE>




INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS


                  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 950 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acted as independent accountants for the Fund for the fiscal year
ended September 30, 1999. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will
audit the financial statements of the Fund and assist the Fund in connection
with the preparation of its 1998 income tax return.



                  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has been appointed to act as
independent accountants for the Funds for the fiscal year ended September 30,
2000. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will audit the financial
statements of the Fund and assist the Funds in connection with the preparation
of their 1999 income tax returns.


FINANCIAL INFORMATION


                  The following financial statements for the Fund are
incorporated herein by reference from the Annual Report to Shareholders of the
Fund dated September 30, 1999, along with the Report of Independent Accountants
thereon dated November 4, 1999:



                  Schedule of Investments as of September 30, 1999



                  Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 1999



                  Statement of Operations for the Fiscal Year Ended
                  September 30, 1999



                  Statement of Changes in Net Assets for each of the Fiscal
                  Years Ended September 30, 1999 and 1998



                  Notes to Financial Statements, September 30, 1999



                  Financial Highlights for the period indicated



                  The above-referenced Annual Report is enclosed with a copy of
this SAI. Additional copies of that Report may be obtained upon request without
charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.



                                      -33-
<PAGE>

                                   APPENDIX A

HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES

         The Fund may invest in convertible securities of any quality, including
unrated securities or securities rated below investment grade (Ba or lower by
Moody's, BB or lower by S&P) (sometimes referred to as "junk bonds"). However,
the Fund will not purchase any security in default at the time of purchase. The
Fund will not invest more than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time
of purchase in convertible securities rated below investment grade.

         Securities rated below investment grade are subject to greater risk
that adverse changes in the financial condition of their issuers or in general
economic conditions, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the
ability of their issuers to make payments of interest and principal or
dividends. The market prices of lower grade securities are generally less
sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more
sensitive to economic changes or individual corporate developments. Periods of
economic uncertainty and change can be expected to result in volatility of
prices of these securities. Lower rated securities also may have less liquid
markets than higher rated securities, and their liquidity as well as their value
may be adversely affected by poor economic conditions. Adverse publicity and
investor perceptions as well as new or proposed laws may also have a negative
impact on the market for high-yield/high-risk bonds. In the event of an
unanticipated default, the Fund will experience a reduction in its income and
could expect a decline in the market value of the securities affected. The
prices of these securities may be more volatile and the markets for them may be
less liquid than those for higher-rated securities.

         Unrated securities, while not necessarily of lower quality than rated
securities, may not have as broad a market. Unrated securities will be included
in the Fund's percentage limits for investments rated below investment grade,
unless the Fund's advisor deems such securities to be the equivalent of
investment grade. If securities purchased by the Fund are downgraded following
purchase, or if other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its percentage
limits on assets invested in securities rated below investment grade, the
trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine
what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances.

         Relying in part on ratings assigned by credit agencies in making
investments will not protect the Fund from the risk that the securities will
decline in value, since credit ratings represent evaluations of the safety of
principal, dividend and/or interest payments, and not the market values of such
securities. Moreover, such ratings may not be changed on a timely basis to
reflect subsequent events.

         Although the market for high-yield debt securities has been in
existence for many years and from time to time has experienced economic
downturns, this market has involved a significant increase in the use of
high-yield debt securities to fund highly leverage corporate acquisitions and
restructurings. Past experience may not, therefore, provide an accurate
indication of future performance of the high-yield debt securities market,
particularly during periods of economic recession.

         Expenses incurred in recovering an investment in a defaulted security
may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value. Moreover, the reduced liquidity
of the secondary market for such securities may adversely affect the market
price of, and the ability of the Fund to value, particular securities at certain
times, thereby making it difficult to make specific valuation determinations.

CORPORATE BOND RATINGS

         The ratings of fixed-income securities by Moody's and Standard & Poor's
are a generally accepted measurement of credit risk. However, they are subject
to certain limitations. Ratings are generally based upon historical events and
do not necessarily reflect the future. In addition, there is a period of time
between the issuance of a rating and the update of the rating, during which time
a published rating may be inaccurate.




                                      -34-
<PAGE>

KEY TO MOODY'S CORPORATE RATINGS

         Aaa-Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality.
They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to
as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an
exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

         Aa-Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all
standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as
high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of
protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective
elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present
which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

         A-Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes
and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving
security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be
present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

         Baa-Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade
obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured.
Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but
certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically
unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment
characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

         Ba-Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements;
their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of
interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well
safeguarded during good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position
characterizes bonds of this class.

         B-Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the
desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of
maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be
small.

         Caa-Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be
in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal
or interest.

         Ca-Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative
in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked
shortcomings.

         C-Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and
issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever
attaining any real investment standing.

         Note: Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2 and 3 in each generic
rating classification from Aa through B in its corporate bond rating system. The
modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier
3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic category.

KEY TO STANDARD & POOR'S CORPORATE RATINGS

         AAA-Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard &
Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

         AA-Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal and differs from the higher rated issues only in small degree.


                                      -35-
<PAGE>

         A-Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of
changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated
categories.

         BBB-Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection
parameters, adverse economic conditions, or changing circumstances are more
likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for
debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

         BB, B, CCC, CC AND C-Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded, on
balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB indicates
the lowest degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While
such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these
are out-weighed by the large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse
conditions.

         C1-The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is
being paid.

         D-Debt rated D is in default, and payment of interest and/or repayment
of principal is in arrears.

         PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-)-The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by
the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major
rating categories.
<PAGE>



                       BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
               (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

                             INSTITUTIONAL SHARES



                      STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
                     SHAREHOLDER SERVICES: 1-800-960-8427



            This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a
prospectus. It relates to the Prospectus for the Berger Small Company Growth
Fund (the "Fund") -- Institutional Shares, dated January 31, 2000, as it may be
amended or supplemented from time to time, which may be obtained by writing the
Fund at P.O. Box 5005, Denver, Colorado 80217, or calling 1-800-259-2820.

            This SAI is about the class of shares of the Fund designated as
Institutional Shares. Institutional Shares are designed for pension and
profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations and
corporations, as well as high net worth individuals, who are willing to maintain
a minimum account balance of $250,000. Shares of the Fund may be offered through
certain financial intermediaries that may charge their customers transaction or
other fees with respect to the customers' investment in the Fund.

            The following financial statements of the Fund are incorporated
herein by reference:


- -           The audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year
            ended September 30, 1999, from the Fund's 1999 Annual Report to
            Shareholders, dated September 30, 1999.


            Copies of that Annual report are available, without charge, upon
request, by calling 1-800-259-2820.



                             DATED JANUARY 31, 2000


<PAGE>

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                        &
                         CROSS-REFERENCES TO PROSPECTUS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 TABLE OF CONTENTS                              CROSS-REFERENCES TO
                                         PAGE   RELATED DISCLOSURES
                                         NO.    IN PROSPECTUS
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                      <C>    <C>
 Introduction                              i    Contents
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. Investment Strategies and Risks of     1.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund; The
 the Fund                                       Fund's Goal and Principal Investment
                                                Strategies; Principal Risks; Investment
                                                Techniques, Securities and Associated
                                                Risks
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Investment Restrictions               15.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund;
                                                Investment Techniques, Securities and
                                                Associated Risks
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3. Management of the Fund                17.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund;
                                                Organization of the Fund
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4. Investment Advisor                    21.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund;
                                                Organization of the Fund
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 5. Expenses of the Fund                  23.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund;
                                                Financial Highlights for the Fund;
                                                Organization of the Fund
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 6. Brokerage Policy                      25.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund;
                                                Organization of the Fund
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 7. How to Purchase and Redeem Shares     27.   Buying Shares; Selling (Redeeming)
 in the Fund                                    Exchanging Shares
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 8. How the Net Asset Value is            28.   Your Share Price
 Determined
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9. Income Dividends, Capital Gains       29.   Distributions and Taxes
 Distributions and Tax Treatment
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10. Suspension of Redemption Rights      30.   Other Information About Your Account
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11. Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans       31.   Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12. Exchange Privilege                   31.   Exchanging Shares
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 13. Performance Information              31.   Berger Small Company Growth Fund;
                                                Financial Highlights for the Fund;
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 14. Additional Information               33.   Organization of the Fund; Special Fund
                                                Structure
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Financial Information                    36.    Financial Highlights for the Fund
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>



                                      -i-
<PAGE>

                                 INTRODUCTION

            The Fund described in this SAI is a mutual fund, or open-end,
management investment company. The Fund is a diversified fund.

1.          INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS OF THE FUND

            The Prospectus describes the investment objective of the Fund and
the principal investment policies and strategies used to achieve that objective.
It also describes the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

            This section contains supplemental information concerning the types
of securities and other instruments in which the Fund may invest, the investment
policies and portfolio strategies that the Fund may utilize and certain risks
attendant to those investments, policies and strategies.

            COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCKS. Stocks represent shares of ownership in
a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after
bonds and before common stocks in its claim on income for dividend payments and
on assets should the company be liquidated. After other claims are satisfied,
common stockholders participate in company profits on a pro-rata basis. Profits
may be paid out in dividends or reinvested in the company to help it grow.
Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's stock
price, so common stocks generally have the greatest appreciation and
depreciation potential of all corporate securities. While most preferred stocks
pay dividends, the Fund may purchase preferred stock where the issuer has
omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividends. Such investments
would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. All
investments in stocks are subject to market risk, meaning that their prices may
move up and down with the general stock market, and that such movements might
reduce their value.

            DEBT SECURITIES. Debt securities (such as bonds or debentures) are
fixed-income securities which bear interest and are issued by corporations or
governments. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated
rate on specific dates and to repay principal on a specific maturity date. In
addition to market risk, debt securities are generally subject to two other
kinds of risk: credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the
ability of the issuer to meet interest or principal payments as they come due.
The lower the rating given a security by a rating service (such as Moody's
Investor Service ("Moody's") and Standard & Poor's ("S&P")), the greater the
credit risk the rating service perceives with respect to that security. The Fund
will not purchase any nonconvertible securities rated below investment grade (Ba
or lower by Moody's, BB or lower by S&P). In cases where the ratings assigned by
more than one rating agency differ, the Fund will consider the security as rated
in the higher category. If nonconvertible securities purchased by the Fund are
downgraded to below investment grade following purchase, the trustees of the
Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine what action, if
any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances. For a further
discussion of debt security ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.

            Interest rate risk refers to the fact that the value of fixed-income
securities (like debt securities) generally fluctuates in response to changes in
interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result in an
increase in the price of fixed-income securities held by the Fund. Conversely,
during periods of rising interest rates, the value of fixed-income securities
held by the Fund will generally decline. Longer-term securities are generally
more sensitive to interest rate changes and are more volatile than shorter-term
securities, but they generally offer higher yields to compensate investors for
the associated risks.

            Certain debt securities can also present prepayment risk. For
example, a security may contain redemption and call provisions. If an issuer
exercises these provisions when interest


                                      -1-
<PAGE>

rates are declining, the Fund could sustain investment losses as well as have to
reinvest the proceeds from the security at lower interest rates, resulting in a
decreased return for the Fund.

            CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. The Fund may also purchase debt or equity
securities which are convertible into common stock when the Fund's advisor
believes they offer the potential for a higher total return than nonconvertible
securities. While fixed-income securities generally have a priority claim on a
corporation's assets over that of common stock, some of the convertible
securities which the Fund may hold are high-yield/high-risk securities that are
subject to special risks, including the risk of default in interest or principal
payments which could result in a loss of income to the Fund or a decline in the
market value of the securities. Convertible securities often display a degree of
market price volatility that is comparable to common stocks. The credit risk
associated with convertible securities generally is reflected by their ratings
by organizations such as Moody's or S&P or a similar determination of
creditworthiness by the Fund's advisor. The Fund has no pre-established minimum
quality standards for convertible securities and may invest in convertible
securities of any quality, including lower rated or unrated securities. However,
the Fund will not invest in any security in default at the time of purchase, and
the Fund will invest less than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time
of purchase in convertible securities rated below investment grade. If
convertible securities purchased by the Fund are downgraded following purchase,
or if other circumstances cause 20% or more of the Fund's assets to be invested
in convertible securities rated below investment grade, the trustees of the
Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine what action, if
any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances. For a further
discussion of debt security ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI.

            SPECIAL SITUATIONS. The Fund may also invest in "special
situations." Special situations are companies that have recently experienced or
are anticipated to experience a significant change in structure, management,
products or services which may significantly affect the value of their
securities. Examples of special situations are companies being reorganized or
merged, companies emerging from bankruptcy, companies introducing unusual new
products or which enjoy particular tax advantages. Other examples are companies
experiencing changes in senior management, extraordinary corporate events,
significant changes in cost or capital structure or which are believed to be
probable takeover candidates. The opportunity to invest in special situations,
however, is limited and depends in part on the market's assessment of these
companies and their circumstances. By its nature, a "special situation" company
involves to some degree a break with the company's past experience. This creates
greater uncertainty and potential risk of loss than if the company were
operating according to long-established patterns. In addition, stocks of
companies in special situations may decline or not appreciate as expected if an
anticipated change or development does not occur or is not assessed by the
market as favorably as expected.

            SECURITIES OF SMALLER COMPANIES. The Fund may invest in securities
of companies with small or mid-sized market capitalizations. Market
capitalization is defined as total current market value of a company's
outstanding common stock. Investments in companies with smaller market
capitalizations may involve greater risks and price volatility (that is, more
abrupt or erratic price movements) than investments in larger, more mature
companies since smaller companies may be at an earlier stage of development and
may have limited product lines, reduced market liquidity for their shares,
limited financial resources or less depth in management than larger or more
established companies. Smaller companies also may be less significant factors
within their industries and may have difficulty withstanding competition from
larger companies. While smaller companies may be subject to these additional
risks, they may also realize more substantial growth than larger or more
established companies.

            SECURITIES OF COMPANIES WITH LIMITED OPERATING HISTORIES. The Fund
may invest in securities of companies with limited operating histories. The Fund
considers these to be securities of companies with a record of less than three
years' continuous operation, even including the


                                      -2-
<PAGE>

operations of any predecessors and parents. (These are sometimes referred to as
"unseasoned issuers.") These companies by their nature have only a limited
operating history which can be used for evaluating the company's growth
prospects. As a result, investment decisions for these securities may place a
greater emphasis on current or planned product lines and the reputation and
experience of the company's management and less emphasis on fundamental
valuation factors than would be the case for more mature companies. In addition,
many of these companies may also be small companies and involve the risks and
price volatility associated with smaller companies.

            INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS. The Fund may invest in a company's
securities at the time the company first offers securities to the public, that
is, at the time of the company's initial public offering or IPO. Although
companies can be any age or size at the time of their IPOs, they are often
smaller and have a limited operating history, which involve a greater potential
for the value of their securities to be impaired following the IPO. See
"Securities of Smaller Companies" and "Securities of Companies with Limited
Operating Histories" above.

            Investors in IPOs can be adversely affected by substantial dilution
in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration
of control in existing management and principal shareholders. In addition, all
of the factors that affect stock market performance may have a greater impact on
the shares of IPO companies.

            The price of a company's securities may be highly unstable at the
time of its IPO and for a period thereafter due to market psychology prevailing
at the time of the IPO, the absence of a prior public market, the small number
of shares available and limited availability of investor information. As a
result of this or other factors, the Fund's advisor might decide to sell an
IPO security more quickly than it would otherwise, which may result in a
significant gain or loss and greater transaction costs to the Fund. Any gains
from shares held for 12 months or less will be treated as short-term gains,
taxable as ordinary income to the Fund's shareholders. In addition, IPO
securities may be subject to varying patterns of trading volume and may, at
times, be difficult to sell without an unfavorable impact on prevailing
prices.


            The effect of an IPO investment can have a magnified impact on the
Fund's performance when the Fund's asset base is small. Consequently, IPOs may
constitute a significant portion of the Fund's returns particularly when the
Fund is small. Since the number of securities issued in an IPO is limited, it
is likely that IPO securities will represent a smaller component of the
Fund's assets as it increases in size, and therefore have a more limited
effect on the Fund's performance.


            There can be no assurance that IPOs will continue to be available
for the Fund to purchase. The number or quality of IPOs available for purchase
by the Fund may vary, decrease or entirely disappear. In some cases, the Fund
may not be able to purchase IPOs at the offering price, but may have to purchase
the shares in the aftermarket at a price greatly exceeding the offering price,
making it more difficult for the Fund to realize a profit.


            The advisor's IPO trade allocation procedures govern which funds
and other advised accounts participate in the allocation of any IPO. See the
heading "Trade Allocations" under Section 4 below. Under the IPO allocation
procedures of Berger LLC, the Fund generally will not participate in an IPO
if the securities available for allocation to the Fund are insignificant
relative to the Fund's net assets. As a result, any fund or account whose
assets are very large is not likely to participate in the allocation of many
IPOs.

            FOREIGN SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, which
may be traded in foreign markets and denominated in foreign currency. The Fund's
investments may also include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European
Depositary Receipts (EDRs) which are similar to

                                      -3-


<PAGE>

ADRs, in bearer form, designed for use in the European securities markets,
and in Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs).

            Investments in foreign securities involve some risks that are
different from the risks of investing in securities of U.S. issuers, such as the
risk of adverse political, social, diplomatic and economic developments and,
with respect to certain countries, the possibility of expropriation, taxes
imposed by foreign countries or limitations on the removal of monies or other
assets of the Fund. Moreover, the economies of individual foreign countries will
vary in comparison to the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross
domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources,
self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Securities of some foreign
companies, particularly those in developing countries, are less liquid and more
volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. A developing country
generally is considered to be in the initial stages of its industrialization
cycle. Investing in the securities of developing countries may involve exposure
to economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and to political
systems that can be expected to have less stability than developed countries.

            There also may be less publicly available information about foreign
issuers and securities than domestic issuers and securities, and foreign issuers
generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting
standards, requirements and practices comparable to those applicable to domestic
issuers. Also, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of
exchanges, brokers, financial institutions and issuers in foreign countries than
there is in the U.S. Foreign financial markets typically have substantially less
volume than U.S. markets. Foreign markets also have different clearance and
settlement procedures and, in certain markets, delays or other factors could
make it difficult to effect transactions, potentially causing the Fund to
experience losses or miss investment opportunities.

            Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are
generally higher than with transactions in U.S. securities. The Fund will incur
greater costs in maintaining assets in foreign jurisdictions and in buying and
selling foreign securities generally, resulting in part from converting foreign
currencies into U.S. dollars. In addition, the Fund might have greater
difficulty taking appropriate legal action with respect to foreign investments
in non-U.S. courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts, which
may heighten the risk of possible losses through the holding of securities by
custodians and securities depositories in foreign countries.

            If the Fund is invested in securities denominated or quoted in
currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange
rates will affect the value of the investments in its portfolio and the
unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments insofar as U.S. investors
are concerned. If the foreign currency in which a security is denominated
appreciates against the U.S. dollar, the dollar value of the security will
increase. Conversely, a decline in the exchange rate of the foreign currency
against the U.S. dollar would adversely affect the dollar value of the foreign
securities. Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply
and demand on the foreign exchange markets, which are in turn affected by the
international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions,
government intervention, speculation and other factors.

            PASSIVE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMPANIES (PFICS). The Fund may purchase
the securities of certain companies considered Passive Foreign Investment
Companies (PFICs) under U.S. tax laws. For certain types of PFICs, in addition
to bearing their proportionate share of the Fund's expenses (management fees and
operating expenses), shareholders will also indirectly bear similar expenses of
such PFIC. PFIC investments also may be subject to less favorable U.S. tax
treatment, as discussed in Section 9 below.

            ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES. The Fund is authorized to invest
in securities which are illiquid or not readily marketable because they are
subject to restrictions on their resale


                                      -4-
<PAGE>

("restricted securities") or because, based upon their nature or the market for
such securities, no ready market is available. However, the Fund will not
purchase any such security, the purchase of which would cause the Fund to invest
more than 15% of its net assets, measured at the time of purchase, in illiquid
securities. Investments in illiquid securities involve certain risks to the
extent that the Fund may be unable to dispose of such a security at the time
desired or at a reasonable price or, in some cases, may be unable to dispose of
it at all. In addition, in order to resell a restricted security, the Fund might
have to incur the potentially substantial expense and delay associated with
effecting registration. If securities become illiquid following purchase or
other circumstances cause more than 15% of the Fund's net assets to be invested
in illiquid securities, the trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the
Fund's advisor, will determine what action, if any, is appropriate in light of
all relevant circumstances.

            Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days will be
considered as illiquid for purposes of this restriction. Pursuant to guidelines
established by the trustees, the Fund's advisor will determine whether
securities eligible for resale to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to SEC
Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 should be treated as illiquid
investments considering, among other things, the following factors: (1) the
frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers
willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential
purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4)
the nature of the security and the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to
dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of
the transfer). The liquidity of the Fund's investments in Rule 144A securities
could be impaired if qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in
purchasing these securities.

            REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements
with various financial organizations, including commercial banks, registered
broker-dealers and registered government securities dealers. A repurchase
agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a debt security
(generally a debt security issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or an
agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a
commercial bank, broker or dealer, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed
upon price and date (normally, the next business day). A repurchase agreement
may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects
an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by
the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument. In
these transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued
interest earned thereon) must have a total value equal to or in excess of the
value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Fund's custodian bank
until repurchased. In addition, the trustees will establish guidelines and
standards for review by the investment advisor of the creditworthiness of any
bank, broker or dealer party to a repurchase agreement with the Fund. The Fund
will not enter into a repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days if
as a result more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be invested in such
repurchase agreements and other illiquid securities.

            These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times by debt
securities (generally a security issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or
an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit), but
involve certain risks, such as credit risk to the Fund if the other party
defaults on its obligation and the Fund is delayed or prevented from liquidating
the collateral. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its
obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the
security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the
security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to
liquidation or reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court
may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund
not within the control of the Fund and therefore the realization by the Fund on
such collateral may automatically be stayed and delayed. Further, it is possible
that the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the


                                      -5-
<PAGE>

underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party
to the agreement. The Fund expects that these risks can be controlled through
careful monitoring procedures.

            WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES. The Fund may purchase
and sell securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis. However, the
Fund currently does not intend to purchase or sell securities on a when-issued
or delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total assets taken
at market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.
When-issued or delayed delivery transactions arise when securities (normally,
obligations of issuers eligible for investment by the Fund) are purchased or
sold by the Fund with payment and delivery taking place in the future in order
to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or yield. However, the
yield available on a comparable security when delivery takes place may vary from
the yield on the security at the time that the when-issued or delayed delivery
transaction was entered into. Any failure to consummate a when-issued or delayed
delivery transaction may result in the Fund missing the opportunity of obtaining
a price or yield considered to be advantageous. When-issued and delayed delivery
transactions may generally be expected to settle within one month from the date
the transactions are entered into, but in no event later than 90 days. However,
no payment or delivery is made by the Fund until it receives delivery or payment
from the other party to the transaction.

            When the Fund purchases securities on a when-issued basis, it will
maintain in a segregated account with its custodian cash, U.S. government
securities or other liquid assets having an aggregate value equal to the amount
of such purchase commitments, until payment is made. If necessary, additional
assets will be placed in the account daily so that the value of the account will
equal or exceed the amount of the Fund's purchase commitments.

            LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. The Fund may lend its securities to
qualified institutional investors (such as brokers, dealers or other financial
organizations) who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain
transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures to deliver
securities or completing arbitrage operations. Loans of securities by the Fund
will be collateralized by cash, letters of credit, or securities issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. The collateral will equal at
least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities,
marked-to-market on a daily basis. By lending its securities, the Fund will be
attempting to generate income through the receipt of interest on the loan which,
in turn, can be invested in additional securities to pursue the Fund's
investment objective. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities
loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of
the Fund.

            The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to qualified brokers,
dealers, banks or other financial institutions, so long as the terms, the
structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not inconsistent with the
Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Rules and Regulations or interpretations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") thereunder, which
currently require that (a) the borrower pledge and maintain with the Fund
collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit or securities
issued or guaranteed by the United States government having a value at all times
not less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned, (b) the borrower add
to such collateral whenever the price of the securities loaned rises (i.e., the
borrower "marks to the market" on a daily basis), (c) the loan be made subject
to termination by the Fund at any time and (d) the Fund receives reasonable
interest on the loan, which interest may include the Fund's investing cash
collateral in interest bearing short-term investments, and (e) the Fund receives
all dividends and distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in the
market value of the loaned securities.


                                      -6-
<PAGE>

            The Fund bears risk of loss in the event that the other party to a
securities lending transaction defaults on its obligations and the Fund is
delayed in or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral,
including the risk of a possible decline in the value of the collateral
securities during the period in which the Fund seeks to assert these rights, the
risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting these rights and the risk
of losing all or a part of the income from the transaction. The Fund will not
lend its portfolio securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of such loans
would exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the
value of the collateral received to secure the loan). Loan arrangements made by
the Fund will comply with all other applicable regulatory requirements,
including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which rules presently
require the borrower, after notice, to redeliver the securities within the
normal settlement time of three business days. All relevant facts and
circumstances, including creditworthiness of the broker, dealer or institution,
will be considered in making decisions with respect to the lending of
securities, subject to review by the Fund's trustees.

            Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass to the
borrower, the Fund retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan)
for the purpose of exercising the security's voting rights. Efforts to recall
loaned securities in time to exercise voting rights may be unsuccessful,
especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities. In addition, it
is expected that loaned securities will be recalled for voting only when the
items being voted on are, in the judgment of the Fund's advisor, either material
to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the
issuing company's corporate governance policies or structure.

            SHORT SALES. The Fund currently is only permitted to engage in short
sales if, at the time of the short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to
acquire an equivalent kind and amount of the security being sold short at no
additional cost (i.e., short sales "against the box").

            In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the
securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until
delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows
the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short
position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the
securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus
an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral account will be
maintained by the Fund's custodian. While the short sale is open, the Fund will
maintain in a segregated custodial account an amount of securities convertible
into or exchangeable for such equivalent securities at no additional cost. These
securities would constitute the Fund's long position.

            Under prior law, the Fund could have made a short sale, as described
above, when it wanted to sell a security it owned at a current attractive price,
but also wished to defer recognition of gain or loss for Federal income tax
purposes and for purposes of satisfying certain tests applicable to regulated
investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code. However, federal tax
legislation has eliminated the ability to defer recognition of gain or loss in
short sales against the box and accordingly, it is not anticipated that the Fund
will be engaging in these transactions unless there are further legislative
changes.

            HEDGING TRANSACTIONS. The Fund is authorized to make limited use of
certain types of futures, forwards and/or options, but only for the purpose of
hedging, that is, protecting against market risk due to market movements that
may adversely affect the value of the Fund's securities or the price of
securities that the Fund is considering purchasing. The utilization of futures,
forwards and options is also subject to policies and procedures which may be
established by the trustees from time to time. In addition, the Fund is not
required to hedge. Decisions regarding hedging are subject to the advisor's
judgment of the cost of the hedge, its potential effectiveness and other factors
the advisor considers pertinent.


                                      -7-
<PAGE>

            A hedging transaction may partially protect the Fund from a decline
in the value of a particular security or its portfolio generally, although
hedging may also limit the Fund's opportunity to profit from favorable price
movements, and the cost of the transaction will reduce the potential return on
the security or the portfolio. Use of these instruments by the Fund involves the
potential for a loss that may exceed the amount of initial margin the Fund would
be permitted to commit to the contracts under its investment limitation, or in
the case of a call option written by the Fund, may exceed the premium received
for the option. However, the Fund is permitted to use such instruments for
hedging purposes only, and only if the aggregate amount of its obligations under
these contracts does not exceed the total market value of the assets the Fund is
attempting to hedge, such as a portion or all of its exposure to equity
securities or its holding in a specific foreign currency. To help ensure that
the Fund will be able to meet its obligations under its futures and forward
contracts and its obligations under options written by the Fund, the Fund will
be required to maintain liquid assets in a segregated account with its custodian
bank or to set aside portfolio securities to "cover" its position in these
contracts.

            The principal risks of the Fund utilizing futures transactions,
forward contracts and options are: (a) losses resulting from market movements
not anticipated by the Fund; (b) possible imperfect correlation between
movements in the prices of futures, forwards and options and movements in the
prices of the securities or currencies hedged or used to cover such positions;
(c) lack of assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any
particular futures or options at any particular time, and possible
exchange-imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult
or impossible to close a position when so desired; (d) lack of assurance that
the counterparty to a forward contract would be willing to negotiate an offset
or termination of the contract when so desired; and (e) the need for additional
information and skills beyond those required for the management of a portfolio
of traditional securities. In addition, when the Fund enters into an
over-the-counter contract with a counterparty, the Fund will assume counterparty
credit risk, that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its
obligations, in which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had
not been entered into.

            Following is additional information concerning the futures, forwards
and options which the Fund may utilize, provided that no more than 5% of the
Fund's net assets at the time the contract is entered into may be used for
initial margins for financial futures transactions and premiums paid for the
purchase of options. In addition, the Fund may only write call options that are
covered and only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

            FUTURES CONTRACTS. Financial futures contracts are exchange-traded
contracts on financial instruments (such as securities and foreign currencies)
and securities indices that obligate the holder to take or make delivery of a
specified quantity of the underlying financial instrument, or the cash value of
an index, at a future date. Although futures contracts by their terms call for
the delivery or acquisition of the underlying instruments or a cash payment
based on the mark-to-market value of the underlying instruments, in most cases
the contractual obligation will be offset before the delivery date by buying (in
the case of an obligation to sell) or selling (in the case of an obligation to
buy) an identical futures contract. Such a transaction cancels the original
obligation to make or take delivery of the instruments.

            The Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale for
future delivery of financial instruments, such as securities and foreign
currencies, or contracts based on financial indices including indices of U.S.
Government securities, foreign government securities or equity securities. U.S.
futures contracts are traded on exchanges which have been designated "contract
markets" by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and must be
executed through a futures commission merchant (an "FCM"), or brokerage firm,
which is a member of the relevant


                                      -8-
<PAGE>

contract market. Through their clearing corporations, the exchanges guarantee
performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange.

            Both the buyer and seller are required to deposit "initial margin"
for the benefit of the FCM when a futures contract is entered into. Initial
margin deposits are equal to a percentage of the contract's value, as set by the
exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be maintained in cash or other
liquid assets. If the value of either party's position declines, that party will
be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to the other party to
settle the change in value on a daily basis. Initial and variation margin
payments are similar to good faith deposits or performance bonds or
party-to-party payments resulting from daily changes in the value of the
contract, unlike margin extended by a securities broker, and would be released
or credited to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all
contractual obligations have been satisfied. Unlike margin extended by a
securities broker, initial and variation margin payments do not constitute
purchasing securities on margin for purposes of the Fund's investment
limitations. The Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures
contracts.

            In the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM that holds margin on
behalf of the Fund, the Fund may be entitled to return of margin owed to the
Fund only in proportion to the amount received by the FCM's other customers. The
Fund will attempt to minimize the risk by careful monitoring of the
creditworthiness of the FCMs with which the Fund does business and by depositing
margin payments in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian for the
benefit of the FCM when practical or otherwise required by law.

            The Fund intends to comply with guidelines of eligibility for
exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" with the
CFTC and the National Futures Association, which regulate trading in the futures
markets. Accordingly, the Fund will not enter into any futures contract or
option on a futures contract if, as a result, the aggregate initial margin and
premiums required to establish such positions would exceed 5% of the Fund's net
assets.

            Although the Fund would hold cash and liquid assets in a segregated
account with a mark-to-market value sufficient to cover the Fund's open futures
obligations, the segregated assets would be available to the Fund immediately
upon closing out the futures position.

            The acquisition or sale of a futures contract may occur, for
example, when the Fund is considering purchasing or holds equity securities and
seeks to protect itself from fluctuations in prices without buying or selling
those securities. For example, if prices were expected to decrease, the Fund
might sell equity index futures contracts, thereby hoping to offset a potential
decline in the value of equity securities in the portfolio by a corresponding
increase in the value of the futures contract position held by the Fund and
thereby preventing the Fund's net asset value from declining as much as it
otherwise would have. The Fund also could protect against potential price
declines by selling portfolio securities and investing in money market
instruments. However, the use of futures contracts as a hedging technique allows
the Fund to maintain a defensive position without having to sell portfolio
securities.

            Similarly, when prices of equity securities are expected to
increase, futures contracts may be bought to attempt to hedge against the
possibility of having to buy equity securities at higher prices. This technique
is sometimes known as an anticipatory hedge. Since the fluctuations in the value
of futures contracts should be similar to those of equity securities, the Fund
could take advantage of the potential rise in the value of equity securities
without buying them until the market has stabilized. At that time, the futures
contracts could be liquidated and the Fund could buy equity securities on the
cash market.


                                      -9-
<PAGE>

            The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets,
due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to distortions.
First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial margin and
variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin
requirements, investors may close out futures contracts through offsetting
transactions which could distort the normal price relationship between the cash
and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on
participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking
delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity
in the futures market could be reduced and prices in the futures market
distorted. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit
requirements in the futures market are less than margin requirements in the
securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the
futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of
the foregoing distortions, a correct forecast of general price trends by the
Fund still may not result in a successful use of futures.

            Futures contracts entail additional risks. Although the Fund will
only utilize futures contracts when it believes that use of such contracts will
benefit the Fund, if the Fund's investment judgment is incorrect, the Fund's
overall performance could be worse than if the Fund had not entered into futures
contracts. For example, if the Fund has hedged against the effects of a possible
decrease in prices of securities held in the Fund's portfolio and prices
increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased
value of these securities because of offsetting losses in the Fund's futures
positions. In addition, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell
securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements. Those
sales may be, but will not necessarily be, at increased prices which reflect the
rising market and may occur at a time when the sales are disadvantageous to the
Fund. Although the buyer of an option cannot lose more than the amount of the
premium plus related transaction costs, a buyer or seller of futures contracts
could lose amounts substantially in excess of any initial margin deposits made,
due to the potential for adverse price movements resulting in additional
variation margin being required by such positions. However, the Fund intends to
monitor its investments closely and will attempt to close its positions when the
risk of loss to the Fund becomes unacceptably high.

            The prices of futures contracts depend primarily on the value of
their underlying instruments. Because there are a limited number of types of
futures contracts, it is possible that the standardized futures contracts
available to the Fund will not match exactly the Fund's current or potential
investments. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts based on underlying
instruments with different characteristics from the securities in which it
typically invests -- for example, by hedging investments in portfolio securities
with a futures contract based on a broad index of securities --which involves a
risk that the futures position will not correlate precisely with the performance
of the Fund's investments.

            Futures prices can also diverge from the prices of their underlying
instruments, even if the underlying instruments closely correlate with the
Fund's investments. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and
anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying
instruments and the time remaining until expiration of the contract. Those
factors may affect securities prices differently from futures prices. Imperfect
correlations between the Fund's investments and its futures positions may also
result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities
markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded,
and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits for futures contracts. The
Fund may buy or sell futures contracts with a value less than or equal to the
securities it wishes to hedge or is considering purchasing. If price changes in
the Fund's futures positions are poorly correlated with its other investments,
its futures positions may fail to produce desired gains or result in losses that
are not offset by the gains in the Fund's other investments.


                                      -10-
<PAGE>

            Because futures contracts are generally settled within a day from
the date they are closed out, compared with a longer settlement period for most
types of securities, the futures markets can provide superior liquidity to the
securities markets. Nevertheless, there is no assurance a liquid secondary
market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. In
addition, futures exchanges may establish daily price fluctuation limits for
futures contracts and may halt trading if a contract's price moves upward or
downward more than the limit in a given day. On volatile trading days when the
price fluctuation limit is reached, it may be impossible for the Fund to enter
into new positions or close out existing positions. If the secondary market for
a futures contract is not liquid because of price fluctuation limits or
otherwise, the Fund may not be able to promptly liquidate unfavorable futures
positions and potentially could be required to continue to hold a futures
position until the delivery date, regardless of changes in its value. As a
result, the Fund's access to other assets held to cover its futures positions
also could be impaired.

            OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS. The Fund may buy and write options on
futures contracts for hedging purposes. An option on a futures contract gives
the Fund the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell a futures contract at
a specified price on or before a specified date. The purchase of a call option
on a futures contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call
option on an individual security. Depending on the pricing of the option
compared to either the price of the futures contract upon which it is based or
the price of the underlying instrument, ownership of the option may or may not
be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or the underlying
instrument. As with the purchase of futures contracts, the Fund may buy a call
option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance, and the Fund
might buy a put option on a futures contract to hedge against a market decline.

            The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a
partial hedge against declining prices of the security or foreign currency which
is deliverable under, or of the index comprising, the futures contract. If the
futures price at the expiration of the call option is below the exercise price,
the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a
partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund's portfolio
holdings. If a call option the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will
incur a loss which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it received.
Depending on the degree of correlation between change in the value of its
portfolio securities and changes in the value of the futures positions, the
Fund's losses from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or
increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities.

            The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is similar in
some respects to the purchase of protective put options on portfolio securities.
For example, the Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract to hedge the
Fund's portfolio against the risk of falling prices.

            The amount of risk the Fund assumes when it buys an option on a
futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction
costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of an
option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures
contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the options bought.

            FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS. A forward contract is a
privately negotiated agreement between two parties in which one party is
obligated to deliver a stated amount of a stated asset at a specified time in
the future and the other party is obligated to pay a specified invoice amount
for the assets at the time of delivery. The Fund currently intends that it will
only use forward contracts or commitments for hedging purposes and will only use
forward foreign currency exchange contracts, although the Fund may enter into
additional forms of forward contracts or commitments in the future if they
become available and advisable in light of the Fund's objectives and investment
policies. Forward contracts generally are negotiated in an interbank market
conducted directly between traders (usually large commercial banks) and their
customers.


                                      -11-
<PAGE>

Unlike futures contracts, which are standardized exchange-traded contracts,
forward contracts can be specifically drawn to meet the needs of the parties
that enter into them. The parties to a forward contract may agree to offset or
terminate the contract before its maturity, or may hold the contract to maturity
and complete the contemplated exchange.

            The following discussion summarizes the Fund's principal uses of
forward foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward currency contracts"). The
Fund may enter into forward currency contracts with stated contract values of up
to the value of the Fund's assets. A forward currency contract is an obligation
to buy or sell an amount of a specified currency for an agreed price (which may
be in U.S. dollars or a foreign currency) on a specified date. The Fund will
exchange foreign currencies for U.S. dollars and for other foreign currencies in
the normal course of business and may buy and sell currencies through forward
currency contracts in order to fix a price (in terms of a specified currency)
for securities it has agreed to buy or sell ("transaction hedge"). The Fund also
may hedge some or all of its investments denominated in foreign currency against
a decline in the value of that currency (or a proxy currency whose price
movements are expected to have a high degree of correlation with the currency
being hedged) relative to the U.S. dollar by entering into forward currency
contracts to sell an amount of that currency approximating the value of some or
all of its portfolio securities denominated in that currency ("position hedge")
or by participating in futures contracts (or options on such futures) with
respect to the currency. The Fund also may enter into a forward currency
contract with respect to a currency where the Fund is considering the purchase
or sale of investments denominated in that currency but has not yet selected the
specific investments ("anticipatory hedge").

            These types of hedging minimize the effect of currency appreciation
as well as depreciation, but do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying
U.S. dollar equivalent value of the proceeds of or rates of return on the Fund's
foreign currency denominated portfolio securities. The matching of the increase
in value of a forward contract and the decline in the U.S. dollar equivalent
value of the foreign currency denominated asset that is the subject of the hedge
generally will not be precise. Shifting the Fund's currency exposure from one
foreign currency to another limits the Fund's opportunity to profit from
increases in the value of the original currency and involves a risk of increased
losses to the Fund if its investment manager's projection of future exchange
rates is inaccurate. Unforeseen changes in currency prices may result in poorer
overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts.

            The Fund will cover outstanding forward currency contracts by
maintaining liquid portfolio securities denominated in the currency underlying
the forward contract or the currency being hedged. To the extent that the Fund
is not able to cover its forward currency positions with underlying portfolio
securities, the Fund's custodian will segregate cash or liquid assets having a
value equal to the aggregate amount of the Fund's commitments under forward
contracts entered into. If the value of the securities used to cover a position
or the value of segregated assets declines, the Fund must find alternative cover
or segregate additional cash or liquid assets on a daily basis so that the value
of the covered and segregated assets will be equal to the amount of the Fund's
commitments with respect to such contracts.

            While forward contracts are not currently regulated by the CFTC, the
CFTC may in the future assert authority to regulate forward contracts. In such
event, the Fund's ability to utilize forward contracts may be restricted. The
Fund may not always be able to enter into forward contracts at attractive prices
and may be limited in its ability to use these contracts to hedge Fund assets.
In addition, when the Fund enters into a privately negotiated forward contract
with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk, that is, the
risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in which case
the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered into.
Unlike many exchange-traded futures contracts and options on futures, there are
no daily price fluctuation limits with respect to forward contracts and other
negotiated or over-


                                      -12-
<PAGE>

the-counter instruments, and with respect to those contracts, adverse market
movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over a period of time.
However, the Fund intends to monitor its investments closely and will attempt to
renegotiate or close its positions when the risk of loss to the Fund becomes
unacceptably high.

            OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDICES. The Fund may buy or
sell put or call options and write covered call options on securities that are
traded on United States or foreign securities exchanges or over-the-counter.
Buying an option involves the risk that, during the option period, the price of
the underlying security will not increase (in the case of a call) to above the
exercise price, or will not decrease (in the case of a put) to below the
exercise price, in which case the option will expire without being exercised and
the holder would lose the amount of the premium. Writing a call option involves
the risk of an increase in the market value of the underlying security, in which
case the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be
sold by the Fund to the option holder at a lower price than its current market
value and the Fund's potential for capital appreciation on the security would be
limited to the exercise price. Moreover, when the Fund writes a call option on a
securities index, the Fund bears the risk of loss resulting from imperfect
correlation between movements in the price of the index and the price of the
securities set aside to cover such position. Although they entitle the holder to
buy equity securities, call options to purchase equity securities do not entitle
the holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying
securities, nor do they represent any rights in the assets of the issuer of
those securities.

            A call option written by the Fund is "covered" if the Fund owns the
underlying security covered by the call or has an absolute and immediate right
to acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or for
additional cash consideration held in a segregated account by its custodian)
upon conversion or exchange of other securities held in its portfolio. A call
option is also deemed to be covered if the Fund holds a call on the same
security and in the same principal amount as the call written and the exercise
price of the call held (i) is equal to or less than the exercise price of the
call written or (ii) is greater than the exercise price of the call written if
the difference is maintained by the Fund in liquid assets in a segregated
account with its custodian.

            The writer of a call option may have no control when the underlying
securities must be sold. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the
writer retains the amount of the premium. This amount, of course, may, in the
case of a covered call option, be offset by a decline in the market value of the
underlying security during the option period.

            The writer of an exchange-traded call option that wishes to
terminate its obligation may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is
accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously
written. The effect of the purchase is that the writer's position will be
canceled by the clearing corporation. If the Fund desires to sell a particular
security from the Fund's portfolio on which the Fund has written a call option,
the Fund will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale
of the security. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction
after being notified of the exercise of an option. An investor who is the holder
of an exchange-traded option may liquidate its position by effecting a "closing
sale transaction." This is accomplished by selling an option of the same series
as the option previously bought. There is no guarantee that either a closing
purchase or a closing sale transaction can be effected.

            The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the
price of the purchase transaction is less than the premium received from writing
the option or the price received from a sale transaction is more than the
premium paid to buy the option; the Fund will realize a loss from a closing
transaction if the price of the purchase transaction is more than the premium
received from writing the option or the price received from a sale transaction
is less than the premium paid to buy the option. Because increases in the market
price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of
the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a


                                      -13-
<PAGE>

call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the
underlying security owned by the Fund.

            An option position may be closed out only where there exists a
secondary market for an option of the same series. If a secondary market does
not exist, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular
options with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the options in
order to realize any profit. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying
security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the underlying security
upon exercise. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market may include
the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain
options, (ii) restrictions may be imposed by a national securities exchange on
which the option is traded ("Exchange") on opening or closing transactions or
both, (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with
respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities,
(iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an
Exchange, (v) the facilities of an Exchange or of the Options Clearing
Corporation ("OCC") may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading
volume, or (vi) one or more Exchanges could, for economic or other reasons,
decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options
(or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary
market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to
exist, although outstanding options on that Exchange that had been issued by the
OCC as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to be exercisable in
accordance with their terms.

            In addition, when the Fund enters into an over-the-counter option
contract with a counterparty, the Fund assumes counterparty credit risk, that
is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform its obligations, in
which case the Fund could be worse off than if the contract had not been entered
into.

            An option on a securities index is similar to an option on a
security except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of a
security at a specified price, an option on a securities index gives the holder
the right to receive, on exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the
closing level of the securities index on which the option is based is greater
than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise
price of the option.

            The Fund may buy call options on securities or securities indices to
hedge against an increase in the price of a security or securities that the Fund
may buy in the future. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction
costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon exercise of the
option, and, unless the price of the underlying security or index rises
sufficiently, the option may expire and become worthless to the Fund. The Fund
may buy put options to hedge against a decline in the value of a security or its
portfolio. The premium paid for the put option plus any transaction costs will
reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon exercise of the option,
and, unless the price of the underlying security or index declines sufficiently,
the option may expire and become worthless to the Fund.

            An example of a hedging transaction using an index option would
be if the Fund were to purchase a put on a stock index, in order to protect
the Fund against a decline in the value of all securities held by it to the
extent that the stock index moves in a similar pattern to the prices of the
securities held. While the correlation between stock indices and price
movements of the stocks in which the Fund will generally invest may be
imperfect, the Fund expects, nonetheless, that the use of put options that
relate to such indices will, in certain circumstances, protect against
declines in values of specific portfolio securities or the Fund's portfolio
generally. Although the purchase of a put option may partially protect the
Fund from a decline in the value of a particular security or its portfolio
generally, the cost of a put will reduce the potential return on the security
or the portfolio.


                                      -14-
<PAGE>

            TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE MEASURES. The Fund may increase its investment
in government securities, and other short-term, interest-bearing securities
without regard to the Fund's otherwise applicable percentage limits, policies or
its normal investment emphasis, when its advisor believes market conditions
warrant a temporary defensive position. Taking larger positions in such
short-term investments may serve as a means of preserving capital in unfavorable
market conditions. When in a defensive position, the Fund could miss the
opportunity to participate in any stock or bond market advances that occur
during those periods, which the Fund might have been able to participate in if
it had remained more fully invested.

            PORTFOLIO TURNOVER. The portfolio turnover rates of the Fund are
shown in the Financial Highlights table included in the Prospectus. The annual
portfolio turnover rates of the Fund have exceeded 100%. A 100% annual turnover
rate results, for example, if the equivalent of all of the securities in the
Fund's portfolio are replaced in a period of one year. The Fund anticipates that
its portfolio turnover rate may exceed 100%, and investment changes in the Fund
will be made whenever the investment manager deems them appropriate even if this
results in a higher portfolio turnover rate. In addition, portfolio turnover for
the Fund may increase as a result of large amounts of purchases and redemptions
of shares of the Fund due to economic, market or other factors that are not
within the control of management.

            Higher portfolio turnover will necessarily result in correspondingly
higher brokerage costs for the Fund. The existence of a high portfolio turnover
rate has no direct relationship to the tax liability of the Fund, although sales
of certain stocks will lead to realization of gains, and, possibly, increased
taxable distributions to shareholders. The Fund's brokerage policy is discussed
further below under Section 6--Brokerage Policy, and additional information
concerning income taxes is located under Section 9--Income Dividends, Capital
Gains Distributions and Tax Treatment.

2.          INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

            The investment objective of the Fund is capital appreciation. The
investment objective of the Fund is considered fundamental, meaning that it
cannot be changed without a shareholders' vote. There can be no assurance that
the Fund's investment objective will be realized.

            The Fund has also adopted certain investment policies, strategies,
guidelines and procedures in pursuing its objective. These may be changed
without a shareholder vote. The principal policies and strategies used by the
Fund are described in the Prospectus.

            In addition, the Fund has adopted certain fundamental and
non-fundamental restrictions on its investments and other activities, which are
listed below. Fundamental restrictions may not be changed without the approval
of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at a meeting of
shareholders thereof if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting
securities are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Non-fundamental restrictions may be
changed in the future by action of the trustees without shareholder vote.

BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND

            The following fundamental restrictions apply to the Berger Small
Company Growth Fund. The Fund may not:

            1. With respect to 75% of the Fund's total assets, purchase the
securities of any one issuer (except U.S. government securities) if
immediately after and as a result of such purchase (a) the value of the
holdings of the Fund in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value
of

                                      -15-
<PAGE>

the Fund's total assets or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer.

            2. Invest in any one industry (other than U.S. government
securities) 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of such
investment.

            3. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency
purposes in amounts not to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets (including the
amount borrowed) taken at market value, nor pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its
assets, except to secure permitted indebtedness and then only if such pledging,
mortgaging or hypothecating does not exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets taken
at market value. When borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets, the Fund
will not purchase portfolio securities.

            1. Act as a securities underwriter (except to the extent the Fund
may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in disposing of a
security), issue senior securities (except to the extent permitted under the
Investment Company Act of 1940), invest in real estate (although it may purchase
shares of a real estate investment trust), or invest in commodities or commodity
contracts except financial futures transactions, futures contracts on securities
and securities indices and options on such futures, forward foreign currency
exchange contracts, forward commitments or securities index put or call options.

            2. Make loans, except that the Fund may enter into repurchase
agreements and may lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Fund's
investment policies. The Fund does not, for this purpose, consider the purchase
of all or a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, bank loan
participation agreements, bank certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances,
debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the
original issuance of the securities, to be the making of a loan.

            In applying the industry concentration investment restriction (no. 2
above), the Fund uses the industry groups used in the Data Monitor Portfolio
Monitoring System of William O'Neil & Co. Incorporated.

            The trustees have adopted additional non-fundamental investment
restrictions for the Fund. These limitations may be changed by the trustees
without a shareholder vote. The non-fundamental investment restrictions include
the following:

            1. The Fund may not purchase securities on margin from a broker or
dealer, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be
necessary for the clearance of transactions, and may not make short sales of
securities, except that the Fund may make short sales if, at the time of the
short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire an equivalent kind and
amount of the security being sold short at no additional cost (i.e., short sales
"against the box"). This limitation shall not prohibit or restrict the Fund from
entering into futures, forwards and options contracts or from making margin
payments and other deposits in connection therewith.

            2. The Fund may not purchase the securities of any other investment
company, except by purchase in the open market involving no commission or profit
to a sponsor or dealer (other than the customary broker's commission).

            3. The Fund may not invest in companies for the purposes of
exercising control of management.

            4. The Fund may not purchase any security, including any repurchase
agreement maturing in more than seven days, which is not readily marketable, if
more than 15% of


                                      -16-
<PAGE>

the net assets of the Fund, taken at market value at the time of purchase would
be invested in such securities.

            5. Only for the purpose of hedging, the Fund may purchase and sell
financial futures, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and put and call
options, but no more than 5% of the Fund's net assets at the time of purchase
may be invested in initial margins for financial futures transactions and
premiums for options. The Fund may only write call options that are covered and
only up to 25% of the Fund's total assets.

            6. The Fund may not purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or
delayed delivery basis, if as a result more than 5% of its total assets taken at
market value at the time of purchase would be invested in such securities.

3.          MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

            The Fund is supervised by trustees who are responsible for major
decisions about the Fund's policies and overall Fund oversight. The Fund's
trustees hire the companies that run day-to-day Fund operations, such as the
investment advisor, administrator, transfer agent and custodian.

            The trustees and executive officers of the Fund are listed below,
together with information which includes their principal occupations during the
past five years and other principal business affiliations.


    MICHAEL OWEN, 114A Gallatin Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718, DOB: 1937.
            Self-employed as a financial and management consultant, and in real
            estate development. From 1993 to June 1999, Dean, and from 1989 to
            1993, a member of the Finance faculty, of the College of Business,
            Montana State University. Formerly (1976-1989), Chairman and Chief
            Executive Officer of Royal Gold, Inc. (mining). Chairman of the
            Board of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
            Chairman of the Trustees of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust,
            Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds
            Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni
            Investment Trust.

*   JACK R.THOMPSON, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
            DOB: 1949. President and a director since May 1999 (Executive Vice
            President from February 1999 to May 1999) of Berger Growth Fund and
            Berger Growth and Income Fund. President and a trustee since May
            1999 (Executive Vice President from February 1999 to May 1999) of
            Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products
            Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
            Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment Trust. President and
            Director since June 1999 (Executive Vice President from February
            1999 to June 1999) of Berger LLC Audit Committee Member of the
            Public Employees' Retirement Association of Colorado (pension plan)
            since November 1997. Self-employed as a consultant from July 1995
            through February 1999. Director of Wasatch Advisors (investment
            management) from February 1997 to February 1999. Director of Janus
            Capital Corporation (investment management) from June 1984 through
            June 1995, and Executive Vice President of the Corporation from
            April 1989 through June 1995. Treasurer of Janus Capital Corporation
            from November 1983 through October 1989. Trustee of the Janus
            Investment Funds from December 1990 through June 1995, and Senior
            Vice President of the Trust from May 1993 through June 1995.
            President and a director of Janus Service Corporation (transfer
            agent) from January 1987 through June 1995. President and a director
            of Fillmore Agency, Inc. (advertising agency), from January 1990
            through June 1995. Executive Vice President and a director of Janus
            Capital International, Ltd. (investment advisor) from September 1994
            through June 1995. President and a director of Janus Distributors,
            Inc. (broker/dealer), from


                                      -17-
<PAGE>

            May 1991 through June 1995. Director of IDEX Management, Inc.
            (investment management), from January 1985 through June 1995.
            Trustee and Senior Vice President of the of the Janus Aspen Funds
            from May 1993 through June 1995.

     DENNIS E. BALDWIN, 3481 South Race Street, Englewood, CO 80110, DOB:
            1928. President, Baldwin Financial Counseling. Formerly (1978-1990),
            Vice President and Denver Office Manager of Merrill Lynch Capital
            Markets. Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income
            Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
            Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
            Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
            Trust.

     LOUIS R. BINDNER, 1075 South Fox, Denver, CO 80223, DOB: 1925.
            President, Climate Engineering, Inc. (building environmental
            systems). Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and
            Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
            Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
            Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
            Trust.

     KATHERINE A. CATTANACH, 672 South Gaylord, Denver, CO 80209, DOB: 1945.
            Managing Principal, Sovereign Financial Services, Inc. (investment
            consulting firm). Formerly (1981-1988), Executive Vice President,
            Captiva Corporation, Denver, Colorado (private investment management
            firm). Ph.D. in Finance (Arizona State University); Chartered
            Financial Analyst (CFA). Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger
            Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio
            Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide
            Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni
            Investment Trust.

     PAUL R. KNAPP, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60602, DOB:
            1945. Since 1991, Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and a
            director of Catalyst Institute (international public policy research
            organization focused primarily on financial markets and
            institutions). Since September 1997, President, Chief Executive
            Officer and a director of DST Catalyst, Inc. (international
            financial markets consulting, software and computer services
            company), an 81% owned subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc. Director
            (since February 1998) and a Vice President (February 1998 - November
            1998) of West Side Investments, Inc. (investments), a wholly-owned
            subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc. Previously (1991 - September 1997),
            Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of
            Catalyst Consulting (international financial institutions business
            consulting firm). Prior thereto (1988-1991), President, Chief
            Executive Officer and a director of Kessler Asher Group (brokerage,
            clearing and trading firm). Director of Berger Growth Fund and
            Berger Growth and Income Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment
            Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM
            Worldwide Funds Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and
            Berger Omni Investment Trust.

     HARRY T. LEWIS, JR., 370 17th Street, Suite 3560, Denver, CO 80202, DOB:
            1933. Self-employed as a private investor. Formerly (1981-1988),
            Senior Vice President, Rocky Mountain Region, of Dain Bosworth
            Incorporated and member of that firm's Management Committee.
            Director of J.D. Edwards & Co. (computer software company) since
            1995. Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income
            Fund. Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger
            Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
            Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
            Trust.

     WILLIAM SINCLAIRE, 3049 S. Perry Park Road, Sedalia, CO 80135, DOB:  1928.
            President, Santa Clara LLC (privately owned agriculture company).
            Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund.
            Trustee of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger

                                      -18-
<PAGE>


            Institutional Products Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust,
            Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust and Berger Omni Investment
            Trust.

     * AMY K. SELNER, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
            DOB: 1968. Vice President and portfolio manager of the Berger Mid
            Cap Growth Fund since its inception in December 1997. Vice President
            and portfolio manager of the Berger Small Company Growth Fund and
            the Berger IPT - Small Company Growth Fund since November 1998. Vice
            President and co-portfolio manager since May 1999 of the Berger
            Select Fund. Vice President (since December 1997) and senior
            research analyst (April 1996 through December 1997) with Berger LLC.
            Formerly, Assistant Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst with
            INVESCO Trust Company from March 1991 through March 1996.

     * JANICE M. TEAGUE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
            DOB: 1954. Vice President and Secretary (since November 1998) and
            Assistant Secretary (October 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
            Funds. Vice President (since October 1997), Secretary (since
            November 1998) and Assistant Secretary (September 1996 through
            November 1998) with Berger LLC. Vice President and Secretary with
            Berger Distributors LLC, since August 1998. Formerly, self-employed
            as a business consultant from June 1995 through September 1996,
            Secretary of the Janus Funds from January 1990 to May 1995 and
            Assistant Secretary of Janus Capital Corporation from October 1989
            to May 1995.

     * DAVID J. SCHULTZ, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
            DOB: 1950. Vice President and Treasurer (since November 1998) and
            Assistant Treasurer (September 1996 to November 1998) of the Berger
            Funds. Vice President (since February 1997) and Controller (since
            August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
            (since May 1996), Assistant Secretary (since August 1998) and
            Secretary (May 1996 to August 1998) with Berger Distributors LLC
            Formerly, Partner with Smith, Brock & Gwinn (accounting firm) from
            January 1984 to August 1994.

     * BRIAN S. FERRIE, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
            DOB: 1958. Vice President of the Berger Funds since November 1998.
            Vice President (since February 1997) and Chief Compliance Officer
            (since August 1994) with Berger LLC. Chief Compliance Officer with
            Berger Distributors LLC, since May 1996. Formerly, Compliance
            Officer with United Services Advisor, Inc., from January 1988 to
            July 1994, and Director of Internal Audit of United Services Funds
            from January 1987 to July 1994.


     * JOHN PAGANELLI, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
            DOB: 1967. Assistant Treasurer of the Berger Funds since November
            1998. Vice President (since November 1998) and Manager of
            Accounting (January 1997 through November 1998) with Berger LLC.
            Formerly, Manager of Accounting (December 1994 through October
            1996) and Senior Accountant (November 1991 through December 1994)
            with Palmeri Fund Administrators, Inc.

            ----------------

     * Interested person (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of
the Fund and/or of the Fund's advisor.

            The trustees of the Fund have adopted a trustee retirement age of 75
years.


                                      -19-
<PAGE>

TRUSTEE COMPENSATION

             The officers of the Fund received no compensation from the Fund
during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999. However, trustees of the Fund
who are not "interested persons" of the Fund or its advisor are compensated for
their services according to a fee schedule, allocated among the Berger Funds.
Neither the officers of the Fund nor the trustees receive any form of pension or
retirement benefit compensation from the Fund.


             The following table sets forth information regarding compensation
paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, for each
trustee of the Fund:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------- --------------------------------------------------

    NAME AND POSITION                  AGGREGATE COMPENSATION FROM
    WITH BERGER FUNDS

- --------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
                            BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH   ALL BERGER FUNDS(1)
                            FUND
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
<S>                         <C>                         <C>
Dennis E. Baldwin(2)                 $ 8,432                   $47,600
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Louis R. Bindner(2)                  $ 8,432                   $47,600
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Katherine A. Cattanach(2)            $ 8,432                   $47,600
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Paul R. Knapp(2)                     $ 8,342                   $47,000
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Harry T. Lewis(2)                    $ 8,432                   $47,600
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Michael Owen(2)                      $10,206                   $57,600
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
William Sinclaire(2)                 $ 8,432                   $47,600
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
Jack R. Thompson(2),(3),(4)           $ 0                       $ 0
- --------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------
</TABLE>


NOTES TO TABLE

(1) Includes the Berger Growth Fund, the Berger Growth and Income Fund, the
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust (including the Berger Small Company Growth
Fund, the Berger New Generation Fund, the Berger Balanced Fund, the Berger
Select Fund, the Berger Information Technology Fund, the Berger Mid Cap Value
Fund and the Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund), the Berger Institutional Products
Trust (four series), the Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust (three series), the
Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust (one series) and the Berger Omni
Investment Trust (including the Berger Small Cap Value Fund). Aggregate
compensation figures do not include first-year estimates for any Fund in
existence for less than one year. Of the aggregate amounts shown for each
trustee, the following amounts were deferred under applicable deferred
compensation plans: Dennis E. Baldwin $24,316; Louis R. Bindner $15,333;
Katherine A. Cattanach $47,393; Michael Owen $6,651; William Sinclaire $40,423.


(2) Director of Berger Growth Fund and Berger Growth and Income Fund and trustee
of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products Trust,
Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and
Berger Omni Investment Trust.


(3) Interested person of Berger LLC.




(4) President of Berger Growth Fund, Berger Growth and Income Fund, Berger
Investment Portfolio Trust, Berger Institutional Products ,Trust Berger/BIAM
Worldwide Portfolios Trust, Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust and Berger Omni
Investment Trust.

             Trustees may elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of their
fees pursuant to a fee deferral plan adopted by the Fund. Under the plan,
deferred fees are credited to an account and adjusted thereafter to reflect the
investment experience of whichever of the Berger Funds (or approved money market
funds) is designated by the trustee for this purpose. Pursuant to an SEC
exemptive order, the Fund is permitted to purchase shares of the designated
funds in order to offset


                                      -20-
<PAGE>

its obligation to the trustees participating in the plan. Purchases made
pursuant to the plan are excepted from any otherwise applicable investment
restriction limiting the purchase of securities of any other investment company.
The Fund's obligation to make payments of deferred fees under the plan is a
general obligation of the Fund.

             As of December 31, 1999, the officers and trustees of the Fund as a
group owned of record or beneficially an aggregate of less than 1% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund.

4.           INVESTMENT ADVISOR

BERGER LLC - INVESTMENT ADVISOR

             Berger LLC, 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206,
is the investment advisor to the Fund. Berger LLC is responsible for managing
the investment operations of the Fund and the composition of its investment
portfolio. Berger LLC also acts as the Fund's administrator and is responsible
for such functions as monitoring compliance with all applicable federal and
state laws.

            Berger LLC has been in the investment advisory business for 25
years. It serves as investment advisor or sub-advisor to mutual funds and
institutional investors and had assets under management of approximately $6.1
billion as of December 31, 1999. Berger LLC is a subsidiary of Stilwell
Management Inc. ("Stilwell"), which owns more than 80% of Berger LLC, and is an
indirect subsidiary of Stilwell Financial, Inc. ("Stilwell Financial"), which in
turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.
("KCSI"). KCSI is a publicly traded holding company with principal operations in
rail transportation, through its subsidiary The Kansas City Southern Railway
Company, and financial asset management businesses. Stilwell also owns
approximately 32% of the outstanding shares of DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), a
publicly traded information and transaction processing company which acts as the
Funds' sub-transfer agent. DST, in turn, owns 100% of DST Securities, a
registered broker-dealer, which executes portfolio trades for the Funds.


             KCSI announced its intention to separate the transportation and
financial services segments through a proposed dividend of the stock of Stilwell
Financial. On July 12, 1999 KCSI announced that the Internal Revenue Service
issued a favorable tax ruling permitting KCSI to separate its financial services
segment from its transportation segment. Completion of this separation is
expected to occur in the year 2000.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

             Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Fund and its
advisor, the advisor is generally responsible for furnishing continuous advice
and making investment decisions as to the acquisition, holding or disposition of
securities or other assets which the Fund may own or contemplate acquiring from
time to time. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the investment
advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for
any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission taken with
respect to the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross
negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard
of its obligations and duties thereunder and except to the extent otherwise
provided by law.

             Under the Agreement the advisor is compensated for its services by
the payment of a fee at an annual rate, calculated as a percentage of the
average daily net assets of the Fund.


             The following schedule reflects the advisory fees charged to the
Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999:



                                      -21-
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              FUND                     ADVISOR       INVESTMENT ADVISORY FEE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                               <C>                <C>
Berger Small Company Growth Fund  Berger LLC                  0.90%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


             Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to
the Fund was reduced according to the following schedule:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               FUND                   AVERAGE DAILY          ANNUAL RATE
                                        NET ASSETS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>                       <C>
                                   First $500 million           .85%
Berger Small Company Growth Fund   Next $500 million            .80%
                                   Over $1 billion              .75%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

             The Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect
until the last day of April 2000, and thereafter from year to year if such
continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case by
vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that
term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or the advisor. The Agreement is
subject to termination by the Fund or the advisor on 60 days' written notice,
and terminates automatically in the event of its assignment.

TRADE ALLOCATIONS

             While investment decisions for the Fund are made independently by
the advisor, the same investment decision may be made for the Fund and one or
more accounts advised by the advisor. In this circumstance, should purchase and
sell orders of the same class of security be in effect on the same day, the
orders for such transactions may be combined by the advisor in order to seek the
best combination of net price and execution for each. Client orders partially
filled will, as a general matter, be allocated pro rata in proportion to each
client's original order, although exceptions may be made to avoid, among other
things, odd lots and de minimus allocations. Execution prices for a combined
order will be averaged so that each participating client receives the average
price paid or received. While in some cases, this policy might adversely affect
the price paid or received by the Fund or other participating accounts, or the
size of the position obtained or liquidated, the advisor will aggregate orders
if it believes that coordination of orders and the ability to participate in
volume transactions will result in the best overall combination of net price and
execution.

RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL TRADING

             Berger LLC permits its directors, officers and employees to
purchase and sell securities for their own accounts in accordance with a policy
regarding personal investing in Berger LLC's Code of Ethics. The policy requires
all covered persons to conduct their personal securities transactions in a
manner which does not operate adversely to the interests of the Fund or Berger
LLC's other advisory clients. Directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment
personnel and other designated persons deemed to have access to current trading
information ("access persons") are required to pre-clear all transactions in
securities not otherwise exempt under the policy. Requests for authority to
trade will be denied pre-clearance when, among other reasons, the proposed
personal transaction would be contrary to the provisions of the policy or would
be deemed to adversely affect any transaction then known to be under
consideration for or currently being effected on behalf of any client account,
including the Fund.


                                      -22-
<PAGE>

             In addition to the pre-clearance requirements described above, the
policy subjects directors and officers of Berger LLC, investment personnel and
other access persons to various trading restrictions and reporting obligations.
All reportable transactions are reviewed for compliance with the policy. The
policy is administered by Berger LLC and the provisions of the policy are
subject to interpretation by and exceptions authorized by its board of
directors.

5.           EXPENSES OF THE FUND

             In addition to paying an investment advisory fee to its advisor,
the Fund pays all of its expenses not assumed by its advisor, including, but not
limited to, custodian and transfer agent fees, legal and accounting expenses,
administrative and record keeping expenses, interest charges, federal and state
taxes, costs of share certificates, expenses of shareholders' meetings,
compensation of trustees who are not interested persons of Berger LLC, expenses
of printing and distributing reports to shareholders and federal and state
administrative agencies, and all expenses incurred in connection with the
execution of its portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions on
purchases and sales of portfolio securities, which are considered a cost of
securities of the Fund. The Fund also pays all expenses incurred in complying
with all federal and state laws and the laws of any foreign country applicable
to the issue, offer or sale of shares of the Fund, including, but not limited
to, all costs involved in preparing and printing prospectuses for shareholders
of the Fund.

             Under a separate Administrative Services Agreement with respect to
the Fund, Berger LLC performs certain administrative and recordkeeping services
not otherwise performed by the Fund's custodian and recordkeeper, including the
preparation of financial statements and reports to be filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission and state regulatory authorities. Effective October 1,
1999, Berger LLC agreed to eliminate the 0.01% administrative fee charged to the
Fund. The administrative services fees may be changed by the directors or
trustees without shareholder approval. In addition, effective October 1, 1999,
the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was reduced. The advisory fee
reduction is reflected earlier under Investment Advisory Agreement.

             The following table shows the total dollar amounts of advisory fees
and administrative services fees paid by the Fund to Berger LLC for the periods
indicated and the amount of such fees waived on account of excess expenses under
applicable expense limitations.


                       Berger Small Company Growth Fund

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year      Investment      Administrative   Advisory Fee    TOTAL
Ended            Advisory Fee*   Service Fee**    Waiver
September 30,
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>              <C>            <C>             <C>               <C>
1999             $5,582,000      $ 62,000         $    0          $5,644,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998             $6,984,000      $ 78,000         $    0          $7,062,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997             $6,831,000      $ 78,000         $    0          $6,909,000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


* Effective October 1, 1999, the investment advisory fee charged to the Fund was
reduced from .90% to the following rates of average daily net assets: 0.85% of
the first $500 million; 0.80% of the next $500 million and 0.75% in excess of $1
billion.
** Effective October 1, 1999, the 0.01% administrative services fee was
eliminated.


             The Fund has appointed Investors Fiduciary Trust Company ("IFTC"),
801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105, as its recordkeeping and pricing agent.
In addition, IFTC also serves as the Fund's custodian, transfer agent and
dividend disbursing agent. IFTC has engaged DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), P.O. Box
219958, Kansas City, MO 64121, as sub-agent to provide transfer


                                      -23-
<PAGE>

agency and dividend disbursing services for the Fund. Approximately 32% of the
outstanding shares of DST are owned by Stilwell.

             As recordkeeping and pricing agent, IFTC calculates the daily net
asset value of the Fund and performs certain accounting and recordkeeping
functions required by the Fund. The Fund pays IFTC a monthly base fee plus an
asset-based fee. IFTC is also reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

             IFTC, as custodian, and its subcustodians have custody and provide
for the safekeeping of the Fund's securities and cash, and receive and remit the
income thereon as directed by the management of the Fund. The custodian and
subcustodians do not perform any managerial or policy-making functions for the
Fund. For its services as custodian, IFTC receives an asset-based fee plus
certain transaction fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

             As transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, IFTC (through DST,
as sub-agent) maintains all shareholder accounts of record; assists in mailing
all reports, proxies and other information to the Fund's shareholders;
calculates the amount of, and delivers to the Fund's shareholders, proceeds
representing all dividends and distributions; and performs other related
services. For these services, IFTC receives a fee from the Fund at an annual
rate of $14.00 per open Fund shareholder account, subject to preset volume
discounts, plus certain transaction fees and fees for closed accounts, and is
reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, which fees in turn are passed through to
DST as sub-agent.

             All of IFTC's fees are subject to reduction pursuant to an agreed
formula for certain earnings credits on the cash balances of the Fund. Earnings
credits received by the Fund can be found on the Fund's Statement of Operations
in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports incorporated by reference into this
Statement of Additional Information.

OTHER EXPENSE INFORMATION

             The trustees of the Fund have authorized portfolio transactions to
be placed on an agency basis through DST Securities, Inc. ("DSTS"), a
wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary of DST. When transactions are effected
through DSTS, the commission received by DSTS is credited against, and thereby
reduces, certain operating expenses that the Fund would otherwise be obligated
to pay. No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. See Section
6--Brokerage Policy for further information concerning the expenses reduced as a
result of these arrangements. DSTS may be considered an affiliate of Berger LLC
due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST and Berger LLC.

             The Fund and/or its advisor have entered into arrangements with
certain brokerage firms and other companies (such as recordkeepers and
administrators) to provide administrative services (such as sub-transfer agency,
recordkeeping, shareholder communications, sub-accounting and/or other services)
to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through those firms or companies. The
Fund's advisor or the Fund (if approved by its trustees) may pay fees to these
companies for their services. These companies may also be appointed as agents
for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption
requests that are received in good order. Subject to Fund approval, certain of
these companies may be authorized to designate other entities to accept purchase
and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.

             The Fund's advisor may also enter into arrangements with
organizations that solicit clients for the advisor, which may include clients
who purchase shares of the Fund. While the specific terms of each arrangement
may differ, generally, the fee paid by the advisor under such arrangements is
based on the value of the referred client's assets managed by the advisor. None
of the fees paid to such organizations will be borne by the Fund.


                                      -24-
<PAGE>

DISTRIBUTOR

             The distributor (principal underwriter) of the Fund's shares is
Berger Distributors LLC (the "Distributor"), 210 University Boulevard, Suite
900, Denver, CO 80206. The Distributor may be reimbursed by Berger LLC for its
costs in distributing the Fund's Institutional Shares.

6.           BROKERAGE POLICY

             Although the Fund retains full control over its own investment
policies, under the terms of its Investment Advisory Agreement, Berger LLC as
the Fund's advisor is directed to place the portfolio transactions of the Fund.
A report on the placement of brokerage business is given to the trustees of the
Fund every quarter, indicating the brokers with whom Fund portfolio business was
placed and the basis for such placement. The brokerage commissions paid by the
Fund during the past three fiscal years were as follows:

                             BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
                                        FOR THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                       1999          1998            1997
- ---------------------------------- ------------ -------------- -----------------
<S>                                <C>          <C>            <C>
BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND    $807,000      $890,000       $1,044,000
- ---------------------------------- ------------ -------------- -----------------
</TABLE>

             The Investment Advisory Agreement authorizes and directs the
advisor to place portfolio transactions for the Fund only with brokers and
dealers who render satisfactory service in the execution of orders at the most
favorable prices and at reasonable commission rates. However, the Agreement
specifically authorizes the advisor to place such transactions with a broker
with whom it has negotiated a commission that is in excess of the commission
another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if
the advisor determines in good faith that such amount of commission was
reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such broker viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or
the overall responsibilities of the advisor. Accordingly, the advisor does not
have an obligation to seek the lowest available commission.

             In accordance with this provision of the Agreement, portfolio
brokerage business of the Fund may be placed with brokers who provide useful
brokerage and research services to the advisor. The Fund's advisor may consider
the value of research provided as a factor in the choice of brokers. "Research"
includes computerized on-line stock quotation systems and related data feeds
from stock exchanges, computerized trade order entry, execution and confirmation
systems, fundamental and technical analysis data and software, computerized
stock market and business news services, economic research, account performance
data and computer hardware used for the receipt of electronic research services
and broker and other third-party equity research, such as publications or
writings which furnish advice as to the value of securities and advisability of
investing, and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities,
market trends, and portfolio strategies. Research may be provided orally, in
print, or electronically. These include a service used by the independent
trustees of the Fund in reviewing the Investment Advisory Agreement.

             In some cases, a product or services termed "research" may serve
other functions unrelated to the making of investment decisions. When a product
has such a mixed use, the advisor will make a good faith allocation of the cost
of the product according to the use made of it. The portion of the product that
assists the advisor in the investment decision-making process may be paid for
with the Fund's commission dollars. The advisor pays for the portion of the
product that is


                                      -25-
<PAGE>

not "research" with its own funds. Accordingly, the decision whether and how to
allocate the costs of such a product presents a conflict of interest for Berger
LLC.

             Berger LLC does not enter into formal agreements with any brokers
regarding the placement of securities transactions because of any such brokerage
or research services that they provide. Berger LLC may, however, make
arrangements with and maintain internal procedures for allocating transactions
to brokers who provide such services to encourage them to provide services
expected to be useful to Berger LLC's clients, including the Fund. Brokers may
suggest a level of business they would like to receive in return for the
brokerage and research they provide. Berger LLC then determines whether to
continue receiving the research and brokerage provided and the approximate
amount of commissions it is willing to pay to continue the brokerage and
research arrangement with each broker. The actual amount of commissions a broker
may receive may be more or less than a broker's suggested allocations, depending
on Berger LLC's level of business, market conditions and other relevant factors.
Even under these arrangements, however, the placement of all Fund transactions,
must be consistent with the Fund's brokerage placement and execution policies,
and must be directed to a broker who renders satisfactory service in the
execution of orders at the most favorable prices and at reasonable commission
rates.

             During the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, of the brokerage
commissions paid by the Fund, the following amounts were paid to brokers who
provided to the Fund selected brokerage or research services prepared by the
broker or subscribed or paid for by the broker on behalf of the Fund:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------
FUND                                     Amount of             Amount of
                                       Transactions          Commissions
- --------------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------
<S>                               <C>                     <C>
Berger Small Company Growth Fund       $ 39,444,000            $98,000
- --------------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------
</TABLE>


             These brokerage and research services received from brokers are
often helpful to Berger LLC in performing its investment advisory
responsibilities to the Fund, and the availability of such services from brokers
does not reduce the responsibility of Berger LLC's advisory personnel to analyze
and evaluate the securities in which the Fund invests. The brokerage and
research services obtained as a result of the Fund's brokerage business also
will be useful to Berger LLC in making investment decisions for its other
advisory accounts, and, conversely, information obtained by reason of placement
of brokerage business of such other accounts may be used by Berger LLC in
rendering investment advice to the Fund. Although such brokerage and research
services may be deemed to be of value to Berger LLC, they are not expected to
decrease the expenses that Berger LLC would otherwise incur in performing its
investment advisory services for the Fund nor will the advisory fees that are
received by Berger LLC from the Fund be reduced as a result of the availability
of such brokerage and research services from brokers.

             The trustees of the Fund have authorized portfolio transactions to
be placed on an agency basis through DSTS, a wholly-owned broker-dealer
subsidiary of DST. When transactions are effected through DSTS, the commission
received by DSTS is credited against, and thereby reduces, certain operating
expenses that the Fund would otherwise be obligated to pay. No portion of the
commission is retained by DSTS. DSTS may be considered an affiliate of Berger
LLC due to the ownership interest of Stilwell in both DST and Berger LLC.

             Included in the brokerage commissions paid by the Fund during the
last three fiscal years, as stated in the preceding Brokerage Commissions table,
are the following amounts paid to DSTS, which served to reduce the Fund's
out-of-pocket expenses as follows:


                                      -26-
<PAGE>

               DSTS COMMISSIONS AND RELATED EXPENSE REDUCTIONS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ------------  ----------- -------------
                       DSTS     Reduction      DSTS      Reduction        DSTS      Reduction
                    Commissions    in      Commission        in        Commissions     in
                       Paid     Expenses       Paid       Expenses        Paid       Expenses
                        FYE        FYE         FYE          FYE            FYE        FYE
                     9/30/99    9/30/99(1)   9/30/98     9/30/98(1)      9/30/97    9/30/97(1)
- ------------------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ------------  ----------- -------------
<S>                  <C>        <C>        <C>          <C>           <C>         <C>
Berger Small        $ 6,000(2)  $ 4,500      $ 0         $ 0            $42,000     $31,000
Company Growth
Fund
- ------------------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ------------  ----------- -------------
</TABLE>


(1) No portion of the commission is retained by DSTS. Difference between
commissions paid through DSTS and reduction in expenses constitute commissions
paid to an unaffiliated clearing broker.

(2) Constitutes 1% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by Berger Small
Company Growth Fund and less than 1% of the aggregate dollar amount of
transactions placed by Berger Small Company Growth Fund.

             The Fund's advisor places securities orders with a limited number
of major institutional brokerage firms chosen for the reliability and quality of
execution; commission rates; quality of research coverage of major U.S.
companies, the U.S. economy and the securities markets; promptness; back office
capabilities; capital strength and financial stability; prior performance in
serving the advisor and its clients; and knowledge of other buyers and sellers.
The advisor selects the broker for each order based on the factors above, as
well as the size, difficulty and other characteristics of the order. The
trustees of the Fund have also authorized sales of shares of the Fund by a
broker-dealer and the recommendations of a broker-dealer to its customers that
they purchase Fund shares to be considered as factors in the selection of
broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund. In addition, the
advisor may also consider payments made by brokers to the Fund or to other
persons on behalf of the Fund for services provided to the Fund for which it
would otherwise be obligated to pay, such as transfer agency fees. In placing
portfolio business with any such broker or dealer, the advisor of the Fund will
seek the best execution of each transaction.

7.           HOW TO PURCHASE AND REDEEM SHARES IN THE FUND

             Minimum Initial Investment                               $250,000

             Institutional Shares in the Fund may be purchased at the relevant
net asset value without a sales charge. The minimum initial investment for
Institutional Shares of the Fund is $250,000.

             To purchase shares in the Fund, simply complete the application
form enclosed with the Prospectus. Then mail it with a check payable to "Berger
Funds" to the following address:

             Berger Funds
             P.O. Box 219958
             Kansas City, MO  64121

             Payment for shares purchased may be made by wire, electronic funds
transfer or mail. All purchase orders are effected at the relevant net asset
value per share of the Fund next determined after receipt of the purchase order,
completed application and payment. A purchase order, together with payment in
proper form, received by the Fund, its authorized agent or designee prior to the
close of the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on a day the Fund is open
for business will be effected at that day's net asset value. An order received
after that time will be effected at the net asset value determined on the next
business day.

             Additional investments may be made at any time by mail, telephone
(1-800-960-8427) or online (bergerfunds.com) at the relevant net asset value by
calling or writing the Fund and making payment by wire or electronic funds
transfer as outlined above.


                                      -27-
<PAGE>

             In addition, Fund shares may be purchased through certain
broker-dealers that have established mutual fund programs and certain other
organizations connected with pension and retirement plans. These broker-dealers
and other organizations may charge investors a transaction or other fee for
their services, may require different minimum initial and subsequent investments
than the Fund and may impose other charges or restrictions different from those
applicable to shareholders who invest in the Fund directly. Fees charged by
these organizations will have the effect of reducing a shareholder's total
return on an investment in Fund shares. No such charge will apply to an investor
who purchases Fund shares directly from the Fund as described above.

             Procedures for purchasing, selling (redeeming) and exchanging Fund
shares by telephone and online are described in the Prospectus. The Fund may
terminate or modify those procedures and related requirements at any time,
although shareholders of the Fund will be given notice of any termination or
material modification. Berger LLC may, at its own risk, waive certain of those
procedures and related requirements.

8.           HOW THE NET ASSET VALUE IS DETERMINED

             The net asset value of the Fund is determined once daily, at the
close of the regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange") (normally 4:00 p.m., New York time, Monday through Friday) each day
that the Exchange is open. The Exchange is closed and the net asset value of the
Fund is not determined on weekends and on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day each year.

             The per share net asset value of the Institutional Shares is
determined by dividing the Institutional Shares' pro rata portion of the total
value of the Fund's securities and other assets, less the Institutional Shares'
pro rata portion of the Fund's liabilities and the liabilities attributable to
the Institutional Shares, by the total number of Institutional Shares
outstanding. Since net asset value for the Fund is calculated by class, and
since the Institutional Shares and each other class of the Fund has its own
expenses, the per share net asset value of the Fund will vary by class.

             In determining net asset value, securities listed or traded
primarily on national exchanges, The Nasdaq Stock Market and foreign exchanges
are valued at the last sale price on such markets, or, if such a price is
lacking for the trading period immediately preceding the time of determination,
such securities are valued at the mean of their current bid and asked prices.
Securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the mean
between their current bid and asked prices. The market value of individual
securities held by the Fund will be determined by using prices provided by
pricing services which provide market prices to other mutual funds or, as
needed, by obtaining market quotations from independent broker/dealers.
Short-term money market securities maturing within 60 days are valued on the
amortized cost basis, which approximates market value. All assets and
liabilities initially expressed in terms of non-U.S. dollar currencies are
translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates as quoted by one or
more banks or dealers shortly before the close of the Exchange. Securities and
assets for which quotations are not readily available or are not representative
of market value may be valued at their fair value determined in good faith
pursuant to consistently applied procedures established by the trustees.
Examples would be when events occur that materially affect the value of a
security at a time when the security is not trading or when the securities are
illiquid.

             Generally, trading in foreign securities markets is substantially
completed each day at various times prior to the close of the Exchange. The
values of foreign securities used in computing the net asset value of the shares
of the Fund are determined as of the earlier of such market close or the closing
time of the Exchange. Occasionally, events affecting the value of such
securities may occur between the times at which they are determined and the
close of the


                                      -28-
<PAGE>

Exchange, or when the foreign market on which such securities trade is
closed but the Exchange is open, which will not be reflected in the computation
of net asset value. If during such periods, events occur which materially affect
the value of such securities, the securities may be valued at their fair value
as determined in good faith pursuant to consistently applied procedures
established by the trustees.

             The Fund's securities may be listed primarily on foreign exchanges
or over-the-counter dealer markets which may trade on days when the Exchange is
closed (such as a customary U.S. holiday) and on which the Fund's net asset
value is not calculated. As a result, the net asset value of the Fund may be
significantly affected by such trading on days when shareholders cannot purchase
or redeem shares of the Fund.

9.           INCOME DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS
             DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAX TREATMENT

             This discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax issues
relating to the Fund. As a summary, it is not an exhaustive discussion of all
possible tax ramifications. Accordingly, shareholders are urged to consult with
their tax advisors with respect to their particular tax consequences.

             TAX STATUS OF THE FUND. If the Fund meets certain investment and
distribution requirements, it will be treated as a "regulated investment
company" (a "RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to
federal income tax on earnings that it distributes in a timely manner to
shareholders. It also may be subject to an excise tax on undistributed income if
it does not meet certain timing requirements for distributions. The Fund intends
to qualify as a RIC annually and to make timely distributions in order to avoid
income and excise tax liabilities.

             TAX ON FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. With certain exceptions provided by law,
the Fund will report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each
shareholder information about the tax treatment of the shareholder's
distributions. Dividends paid by the Fund, whether received in cash or
reinvested in additional Fund shares, will be treated as ordinary income to the
shareholders. Distributions of net capital gain, whether received in cash or
reinvested in Fund shares, will be taxable to the shareholders, but the rate of
tax will vary depending upon the Fund's holding periods in the assets whose sale
resulted in the capital gain. Dividends and distributions that are declared in
October, November or December but not distributed until the following January
will be considered to be received by the shareholders on December 31.

             In general, net capital gains from assets held by the Fund for more
than 12 months will be subject to a maximum tax rate of 20% and net capital
gains from assets held for 12 months or less will be taxed as ordinary income.
Distributions will be subject to these capital gains rates, regardless of how
long a shareholder has held Fund shares. Assets contributed to the Fund in an
in-kind purchase of Fund shares may generate more gain upon their sale than if
the assets had been purchased by the Fund with cash contributed to the Fund in a
cash purchase of Fund shares.

             If the Fund's distributions for a taxable year exceeds its tax
earnings and profits available for distribution, all or a portion of its
distributions may be treated as a return of capital. To the extent a
distribution is treated as a return of capital, a shareholder's basis in his or
her Fund shares will be reduced by that amount.

             If a shareholder has elected to receive dividends and/or capital
gain distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service is unable to deliver
checks to the shareholder's address of record, or if a shareholder's checks
remain uncashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the
amount distributed in additional Fund shares at the then-current NAV and to
convert the shareholder's distribution option from receiving cash to having all
dividend and other distributions


                                      -29-
<PAGE>

reinvested in additional shares. In addition, no interest will accrue on amounts
represented by uncashed distribution or redemption checks.

             TAX ON REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES. Shareholders may be subject to
tax on the redemption of their Fund shares. In general, such redemptions may
give rise to a capital gain or loss, the treatment of which will depend on the
shareholder's holding period in the Fund shares. Tax laws may prevent the
deduction of a loss on the sale of Fund shares if the shareholder reinvests in
the Fund shortly before or after the sale giving rise to the loss. Any loss on
the redemption or other sale or exchange of Fund shares held for six months or
less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term
capital gain distribution received on the shares.

             INCOME FROM FOREIGN SOURCES. Dividends and interest received by the
Fund on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed
by foreign countries, although these taxes may be reduced by applicable tax
treaties. Foreign taxes will generally be treated as expenses of the Fund,
unless the Fund has more than 50% of its assets invested in foreign corporate
securities at the end of the Fund's taxable year. In that case, if the Fund
makes an election, shareholders of the Fund may be able to deduct (as an
itemized deduction) or claim a foreign tax credit for their share of foreign
taxes, subject to limitations prescribed in the tax law.

             If the Fund invests in a foreign corporation that is a passive
foreign investment company (a "PFIC"), special rules apply that may affect the
tax treatment of gains from the sale of the stock and may cause the Fund to
incur IRS tax and interest charges. However, the Fund may be eligible to elect
one of two alternative tax treatments with respect to PFIC shares which would
avoid these taxes and charges, but also may affect, among other things, the
amount and character of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of income
with respect to PFIC shares. Accordingly, the amounts, character and timing of
income distributed to shareholders of the Fund holding PFIC shares may differ
substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC shares.

             INCOME FROM CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS. Some or all of the Fund's
investments may include transactions that are subject to special tax rules.
Transactions involving foreign currencies may give rise to gain or loss that
could affect the Fund's ability to make ordinary dividend distributions.
Investment in certain financial instruments, such as options, futures contracts
and forward contracts, may require annual recognition of unrealized gains and
losses. Transactions that are treated as "straddles" may affect the character
and/or timing of other gains and losses of the Fund. If the Fund enters into a
transaction (such as a "short sale against the box") that reduces the risk of
loss on an appreciated financial position that it already holds, the entry into
the transaction may constitute a constructive sale and require immediate
recognition of gain.

             BACKUP WITHHOLDING. In general, if a shareholder is subject to
backup withholding, the Fund will be required to withhold federal income tax at
a rate of 31% from distributions to that shareholder. These payments are
creditable against the shareholder's federal income tax liability.

             FOREIGN   SHAREHOLDERS.   Foreign   shareholders   of  the   Fund
generally will be subject to a 30% U.S.  withholding  tax on dividends paid by
the Fund from ordinary income and short-term  capital gain,  although the rate
may be reduced by a tax treaty.  If a foreign  shareholder  dies while  owning
Fund shares, those shares may be subject to U.S. estate taxes.

10.          SUSPENSION OF REDEMPTION RIGHTS

             The right of redemption may be suspended for any period during
which the New York Stock Exchange is closed or the Securities and Exchange
Commission determines that trading on the Exchange is restricted, or when there
is an emergency as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a
result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of
securities owned by it or to determine the value of its net assets, or for such
other


                                      -30-
<PAGE>

period as the Securities and Exchange Commission may by order permit for the
protection of shareholders of the Fund.

             The Fund intends to redeem its shares only for cash, although it
retains the right to redeem its shares in-kind under unusual circumstances, in
order to protect the interests of the remaining shareholders, by the delivery of
securities selected from its assets at its discretion. The Fund is, however,
governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 pursuant to
which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of
$250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any 90-day period for any
one shareholder. For purposes of this threshold, each underlying account holder
whose shares are held of record in certain omnibus accounts is treated as one
shareholder. Should redemptions by any shareholder during any 90-day period
exceed such limitation, the Fund will have the option of redeeming the excess in
cash or in-kind. If shares are redeemed in-kind, the redeeming shareholder
generally will incur brokerage costs in converting the assets to cash. The
redeeming shareholder may have difficulty selling the securities and recovering
the amount of the redemption if the securities are illiquid. The method of
valuing securities used to make redemption in-kind will be the same as the
method of valuing portfolio securities described under Section 8.

11.          TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS

             The Fund offers several tax-qualified retirement plans for
individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. For information about
establishing an IRA, Roth IRA, profit-sharing or money purchase pension plan,
403(b) Custodial Account, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA account or other retirement plans,
please call 1-800-259-2820 or write to the Berger Funds c/o Berger LLC, P.O. Box
5005, Denver, CO 80217. Trustees for existing 401(k) or other plans interested
in using Fund shares as an investment or investment alternative in their plans
are invited to call the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.


             The Fund also offers an Automatic Investment Plan (minimum $50 per
month) and a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (minimum of $50 withdrawn monthly,
quarterly, semiannually or annually). Forms for these plans may be obtained by
writing to the Fund, c/o DST Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 219958, Kansas City, MO
64121, or call 1-800-960-8427.

12.          EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE

             Any shareholder may exchange any or all of the shareholder's shares
in the Fund, subject to stated minimums, for shares of any of the other
available Berger Funds, without charge, after receiving a current prospectus of
the other fund. Exchanges into or out of the Fund are made at the net asset
value per share next determined after the exchange request is received. Each
exchange represents the sale of shares from one fund and the purchase of shares
in another, which may produce a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. An
exchange of shares may be made by written request directed to DST Systems, Inc.,
by telephoning the Fund at 1-800-960-8427 or by contacting the Fund online at
bergerfunds.com. This privilege may be terminated or amended by the Fund, and is
not available in any state in which the shares of the Berger Fund being acquired
in the exchange are not eligible for sale. Shareholders automatically have
telephone and online transaction privileges to authorize exchanges unless they
specifically decline this service in the account application or in writing.

13.          PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

             From time to time in advertisements, the Fund may discuss its
performance ratings as published by recognized mutual fund statistical services,
such as Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., CDA Investment Technologies, Inc.,
Morningstar, Inc., or Value Line Investment Survey or by publications of general
interest such as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, MONEY,
BARRON'S, FINANCIAL WORLD or KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE. In addition,
the Fund may


                                      -31-
<PAGE>

compare its performance to that of recognized broad-based securities market
indices, including the Wilshire 5000 Index, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock
Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Russell 1000 Value Index, the
Russell 2000 Stock Index, the Standard & Poor's 400 Mid-Cap Index, the Standard
& Poor's 600 Small Cap Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International EAFE (Europe,
Australasia, Far East) Index, the Dow Jones World Index, the Standard &
Poor's/BARRA Value Index, the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Lehman Brothers
Intermediate Term Government/Corporate Bond Index or the InformationWeek 100
Index, or more narrowly-based or blended indices which reflect the market
sectors in which the Fund invests.

             The total return of the Fund is calculated for any specified period
of time by assuming the purchase of shares of the Fund at the net asset value at
the beginning of the period. Each dividend or other distribution paid by the
Fund is assumed to have been reinvested at the net asset value on the
reinvestment date. The total number of shares then owned as a result of this
process is valued at the net asset value at the end of the period. The
percentage increase is determined by subtracting the initial value of the
investment from the ending value and dividing the remainder by the initial
value.

             The Fund's total return reflects the Fund's performance over a
stated period of time. An average annual total return reflects the hypothetical
annually compounded return that would have produced the same total return if the
Fund's performance had been constant over the entire period. Total return
figures are based on the overall change in value of a hypothetical investment in
the Fund. Because average annual total returns for more than one year tend to
smooth out variations in the Fund's return, investors should recognize that such
figures are not the same as actual year-by-year results.

             All performance figures for the Fund are based upon historical
results and do not assure future performance. The investment return and
principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares,
when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

             Quotations of average annual total return for the Fund will be
expressed in terms of the average annual compounded rate of return of a
hypothetical investment in the Fund over periods of 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, or
for the life of the Fund, if shorter. These are the rates of return that
would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value.
These rates of return are calculated pursuant to the following formula:
P(1 + T) TO THE POWER OF n = ERV (where P = a hypothetical initial payment of
$1,000, T = the average annual total return, n = the number of years and ERV
= the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the
beginning of the period). All total return figures reflect the deduction of a
proportional share of Fund expenses on an annual basis, and assume that all
dividends and distributions are reinvested when paid.

PREDECESSOR PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS

             Shares of the Fund had no class designations until July 6, 1999,
when all of the then-existing shares were designated as Investor Shares and the
Institutional Shares class of the Fund covered in this Statement of
Additional Information was established. The Institutional Shares class of the
Fund commenced investment operations on October 16, 1999. Performance data
for the Institutional Shares include periods prior to the commencement of
investment operations of the Institutional Shares class on that date, and
therefore reflect a 0.25% per year 12b-1 fee applicable to the Investor
Shares that is not paid by the Institutional Shares. Total return of the
Institutional Shares and other classes of shares of the Fund will be
calculated separately. Because each class of shares is subject to different
expenses, the performance of each class for the same period will differ.


                                      -32-
<PAGE>

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

             The average annual total return for the Fund for various periods
ending September 30, 1999, are shown on the following table:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUND                   1-YEAR     3-YEAR   5-YEAR   10-YEAR  LIFE OF FUND
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                    <C>       <C>       <C>     <C>       <C>
Berger Small Company   62.78%     12.99%   20.10    N/A      19.15%
Growth Fund(1)                                               (since 12/30/93)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


(1) Performance data reflects a 0.25% 12b-1 fee not paid by the Institutional
Shares.

14.          ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FUND ORGANIZATION

             The Fund is a separate series of the Berger Investment Portfolio
Trust (the "Trust"), a Delaware business trust established under the Delaware
Business Trust Act. The Fund was established on August 23, 1993. The name
"Berger Small Company Growth Fund(R)" was registered as a service mark in
September 1995. The Berger Small Company Growth Fund had no class designations
until July 6, 1999, when all of the then-existing shares were designated as
Investor Shares, which are covered in a separate Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information, and the Fund commenced offering the class known as
Institutional Shares covered in this Statement of Additional Information.

             The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of
beneficial interest in series or portfolios. Currently, the Fund is one of seven
series established under the Trust, although others may be added in the future.
The Trust is also authorized to establish multiple classes of shares
representing differing interests in an existing or new series. The Fund
currently has two classes of shares, although others may be added in the future.

             Shares of the Fund are fully paid and nonassessable when issued.
Each share has a par value of $.01. All shares issued by the Fund participate
equally in dividends and other distributions by the Fund, and in the residual
assets of the Fund in the event of its liquidation.

             DELAWARE BUSINESS TRUST INFORMATION. Under Delaware law,
shareholders of the Fund will enjoy the same limitations on personal liability
as extended to stockholders of a Delaware corporation. Further, the Trust
Instrument of the Trust provides that no shareholder shall be personally liable
for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for
or otherwise existing with respect to, the Trust or any particular series (fund)
of the Trust. However, the principles of law governing the limitations of
liability of beneficiaries of a business trust have not been authoritatively
established as to business trusts organized under the laws of one jurisdiction
but operating or owning property in other jurisdictions. In states that have
adopted legislation containing provisions comparable to the Delaware Business
Trust Act, it is believed that the limitation of liability of beneficial owners
provided by Delaware law should be respected. In those jurisdictions that have
not adopted similar legislative provisions, it is possible that a court might
hold that the shareholders of the Trust are not entitled to the limitations of
liability set forth in Delaware law or the Trust Instrument and, accordingly,
that they may be personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.

             In order to protect shareholders from such potential liability, the
Trust Instrument requires that every written obligation of the Trust or any
series thereof contain a statement to the effect that such obligation may only
be enforced against the assets of the Trust or such series. The Trust Instrument
also provides for indemnification from the assets of the relevant series for all
losses


                                      -33-
<PAGE>

and expenses incurred by any shareholder by reason of being or having been a
shareholder, and that the Trust shall, upon request, assume the defense of any
such claim made against such shareholder for any act or obligation of the
relevant series and satisfy any judgment thereon from the assets of that series.

             As a result, the risk of a shareholder of the Fund incurring
financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances
in which the Fund itself would be unable to meet its obligations. The Trust
believes that the risk of personal liability to shareholders of the Fund is
therefore remote. The trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Trust and
the Fund so as to avoid, to the extent possible, liability of shareholders for
liabilities of the Trust or the Fund.

             CORPORATE GOVERNANCE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE FUND. The Fund
is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless required by the
Investment Company Act of 1940 or other applicable law or unless called by the
trustees. If shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the
Trust so request, a special shareholders' meeting of the Trust will be held for
the purpose of considering the removal of a trustee. Special meetings will be
held for other purposes if the holders of at least 25% of the outstanding shares
of the Trust so request. Subject to certain limitations, the Trust will
facilitate appropriate communications by shareholders desiring to call a special
meeting for the purpose of considering the removal of a trustee.

             Shareholders of the Fund and, where applicable, the other
series/classes of the Trust, generally vote separately on matters relating to
those respective series/classes, although they vote together and with the
holders of any other series/classes of the Trust in the election of trustees of
the Trust and on all matters relating to the Trust as a whole. Each full share
of the Fund has one vote.

             Shares of the Fund have non-cumulative voting rights, which means
that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of
trustees can elect 100% of the trustees if they choose to do so and, in such
event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting for the
election of trustees will not be able to elect any person or persons as
trustees.

             Shares of the Fund have no preemptive rights. There are no sinking
funds or arrearage provisions which may affect the rights of the Fund shares.
Fund shares have no subscription rights or conversion rights, except that
shareholders of any class of the Fund may convert their shares into shares of
any other class of the Fund in the event and only in the event the shareholder
ceases to be eligible to purchase or hold shares of the original class, or
becomes eligible to purchase shares of a different class, by reason of a change
in the shareholder's status under the conditions of eligibility in effect for
such class at that time. Shares of the Fund may be transferred by endorsement,
or other customary methods, but the Fund is not bound to recognize any transfer
until it is recorded on its books.

             Under governing corporate law, the Fund may enter into a variety of
corporate transactions, such as reorganizations, conversions, mergers and asset
transfers, or may be liquidated. Any such transaction would be subject to a
determination from the trustees that the transaction was in the best interests
of the Fund and its shareholders, and may require obtaining shareholder
approval.

MORE INFORMATION ON SPECIAL MULTI-CLASS FUND STRUCTURE

             The Fund currently has divided its shares into two classes of
shares, the Institutional Shares covered by this SAI and the Investor Shares
offered through a separate Prospectus and SAI. The Fund implemented its
multi-class structure by adopting a Rule 18f-3 Plan under the 1940 Act
permitting it to issue its shares in classes. The Fund's Rule 18f-3 Plan governs
such matters as class features, dividends, voting, allocation of income and
expenses between classes, exchange and trustee monitoring of the Plan. Each
class is subject to such investment minimums and other


                                      -34-
<PAGE>

conditions of eligibility as are set forth in the relevant prospectus
for the class, as it may be amended from time to time. Investor Shares are
available to the general public and bear a 0.25% 12b-1 fee. Information
concerning Investor Shares is available from the Fund at 1-800-333-1001.

              Subject to the Trust's Trust Instrument and any other applicable
provisions, the trustees of the Trust have the authority to create additional
classes, or change existing classes, from time to time, in accordance with Rule
18f-3 under the Act.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

             Insofar as the management of the Fund is aware, as of January 4,
2000, no person owned, beneficially or of record, more than 5% of the
outstanding Institutional Shares of the Fund, except for the following:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owner                      Fund                                  Percentage
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>                                   <C>
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.  Berger Small Company Growth Fund      49.50%
("Schwab")
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Herbert L. Wittow Tr.      Berger Small Company Growth Fund      50.44%
4600 S. Ulster Street
Denver, CO  80237
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


             In addition, as of that date, Schwab owned of record 24.80% of the
Investor Shares class of the Fund, which together with its Institutional Shares,
constitute 24.81% of the Fund's total outstanding shares. Also as of that date,
Schwab owned of record 26.08% of all the outstanding shares of the Berger
Investment Portfolio Trust, of which the Fund is one outstanding series.


             Any person owning more than 25% of the outstanding securities of
the Fund may be deemed to control it. Schwab is believed to hold its shares of
the Fund as nominee for the benefit of its clients or customers.

DISTRIBUTION

             Berger Distributors LLC, as the Fund's Distributor, is the
principal underwriter of the Fund's shares. The Distributor is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Berger LLC. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. The Distributor acts as the agent of the Fund in
connection with the sale of the Fund's shares in all states in which the shares
are eligible for sale and in which the Distributor is qualified as a
broker-dealer. David J. Schultz, Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Secretary
and Treasurer of the Distributor, is also Vice President and Treasurer of the
Fund. Janice M. Teague, Vice President and Secretary of the Distributor, is also
Vice President and Secretary of the Fund. Brian Ferrie, Vice President and Chief
Compliance Officer of the Distributor, is also Vice President of the Fund.

             The Fund and the Distributor are parties to a Distribution
Agreement that continues through April 2000, and thereafter from year to year if
such continuation is specifically approved at least annually by the trustees or
by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund and in either case
by vote of a majority of the trustees who are not "interested persons" (as that
term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the
Distributor. The Distribution Agreement is subject to termination by the Fund or
the Distributor on 60 days' prior written notice, and terminates automatically
in the event of its assignment. Under the Distribution Agreement, the


                                      -35-
<PAGE>

Distributor continuously offers shares of the Fund and solicits orders to
purchase Fund shares at net asset value. The Distributor is not compensated for
its services under the Distribution Agreement, but may be reimbursed by Berger
LLC for its costs in distributing Fund shares.

OTHER INFORMATION

             The Trust has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
Washington, D.C., a Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, with respect to the securities of the Fund of which this Statement of
Additional Information is a part. If further information is desired with respect
to the Fund or such securities, reference is made to the Registration Statement
and the exhibits filed as a part thereof.

             Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, 370 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acts as counsel to the Fund.

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

            PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 950 Seventeenth Street, Denver,
Colorado, acted as independent accountants for the Fund for the fiscal year
ended September 30, 1999. In that capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audited
the financial statements of the Fund referenced below under "Financial
Information" and assisted the Fund in connection with the preparation of its
1998 income tax returns.


            PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has been appointed to act as independent
accountants for the Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2000. In that
capacity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will audit the financial statements of the
Fund and assist the Fund in connection with the preparation of its 1999 income
tax returns.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

             The following financial statements for the Fund are incorporated
herein by reference from the Annual Report to Shareholders of the Fund dated
September 30, 1999, along with the Report of Independent Accountants thereon
dated November 4, 1999:

             Schedule of Investments as of September 30, 1999

             Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 1999

             Statement of Operations for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30,
             1999

             Statement of Changes in Net Assets for each of the Fiscal Years
             Ended September 30, 1998 and 1999

             Notes to Financial Statements, September 30, 1999





             The above-referenced Annual Report is enclosed with a copy of this
SAI. Additional copies of those Reports may be obtained upon request without
charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-259-2820.



                                      -36-
<PAGE>

                                  APPENDIX A

HIGH-YIELD/HIGH-RISK SECURITIES

      The Fund may invest in convertible securities of any quality, including
unrated securities or securities rated below investment grade (Ba or lower by
Moody's, BB or lower by S&P) (sometimes referred to as "junk bonds"). However,
the Fund will not purchase any security in default at the time of purchase. The
Fund will not invest more than 20% of the market value of its assets at the time
of purchase in convertible securities rated below investment grade.

      Securities rated below investment grade are subject to greater risk that
adverse changes in the financial condition of their issuers or in general
economic conditions, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the
ability of their issuers to make payments of interest and principal or
dividends. The market prices of lower grade securities are generally less
sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more
sensitive to economic changes or individual corporate developments. Periods of
economic uncertainty and change can be expected to result in volatility of
prices of these securities. Lower rated securities also may have less liquid
markets than higher rated securities, and their liquidity as well as their value
may be adversely affected by poor economic conditions. Adverse publicity and
investor perceptions as well as new or proposed laws may also have a negative
impact on the market for high-yield/high-risk bonds. In the event of an
unanticipated default, the Fund will experience a reduction in its income and
could expect a decline in the market value of the securities affected. The
prices of these securities may be more volatile and the markets for them may be
less liquid than those for higher-rated securities.

      Unrated securities, while not necessarily of lower quality than rated
securities, may not have as broad a market. Unrated securities will be included
in the Fund's percentage limits for investments rated below investment grade,
unless the Fund's advisor deems such securities to be the equivalent of
investment grade. If securities purchased by the Fund are downgraded following
purchase, or if other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed its percentage
limits on assets invested in securities rated below investment grade, the
trustees of the Fund, in consultation with the Fund's advisor, will determine
what action, if any, is appropriate in light of all relevant circumstances.

      Relying in part on ratings assigned by credit agencies in making
investments will not protect the Fund from the risk that the securities will
decline in value, since credit ratings represent evaluations of the safety of
principal, dividend and/or interest payments, and not the market values of such
securities. Moreover, such ratings may not be changed on a timely basis to
reflect subsequent events.

      Although the market for high-yield debt securities has been in existence
for many years and from time to time has experienced economic downturns, this
market has involved a significant increase in the use of high-yield debt
securities to fund highly leverage corporate acquisitions and restructurings.
Past experience may not, therefore, provide an accurate indication of future
performance of the high-yield debt securities market, particularly during
periods of economic recession.

      Expenses incurred in recovering an investment in a defaulted security may
adversely affect the Fund's net asset value. Moreover, the reduced liquidity of
the secondary market for such securities may adversely affect the market price
of, and the ability of the Fund to value, particular securities at certain
times, thereby making it difficult to make specific valuation determinations.


                                      -37-
<PAGE>

CORPORATE BOND RATINGS

      The ratings of fixed-income securities by Moody's and Standard & Poor's
are a generally accepted measurement of credit risk. However, they are subject
to certain limitations. Ratings are generally based upon historical events and
do not necessarily reflect the future. In addition, there is a period of time
between the issuance of a rating and the update of the rating, during which time
a published rating may be inaccurate.

KEY TO MOODY'S CORPORATE RATINGS

      Aaa-Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They
carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as
"gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally
stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are
likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair
the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

      Aa-Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all
standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as
high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of
protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective
elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present
which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

      A-Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and
are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving security
to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present
which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

      Baa-Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations,
i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments
and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective
elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great
length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in
fact have speculative characteristics as well.

      Ba-Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their
future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest
and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded
during good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes
bonds of this class.

      B-Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable
investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of
other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

      Caa-Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in
default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or
interest.

      Ca-Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in
a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked
shortcomings.

      C-Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues
so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining
any real investment standing.

      Note: Moody's applies numerical modifiers, 1, 2 and 3 in each generic
rating classification from Aa through B in its corporate bond rating system. The
modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier
3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic category.


                                      -38-
<PAGE>

KEY TO STANDARD & POOR'S CORPORATE RATINGS

      AAA-Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

      AA-Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay
principal and differs from the higher rated issues only in small degree.

      A-Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal
although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.

      BBB-Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection
parameters, adverse economic conditions, or changing circumstances are more
likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for
debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

      BB, B, CCC, CC AND C-Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded, on
balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB indicates
the lowest degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While
such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these
are out-weighed by the large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse
conditions.

      C1-The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is
being paid.

      D-Debt rated D is in default, and payment of interest and/or repayment of
principal is in arrears.

      PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-)-The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by
the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major
rating categories.


                                      -39-
<PAGE>

                       BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST

PART C.    OTHER INFORMATION

Item 23.   EXHIBITS

           The Exhibit Index following the signature pages below is
incorporated herein by reference.

Item 24.   PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT

           None.

Item 25.   INDEMNIFICATION

           Article IX, Section 2 of the Trust Instrument for Berger Investment
Portfolio Trust (the "Trust"), of which the Fund is a series, provides for
indemnification of certain persons acting on behalf of the Trust to the fullest
extent permitted by the law. In general, trustees, officers, employees and
agents will be indemnified against liability and against all expenses incurred
by them in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding (or settlement
thereof) in which they become involved by virtue of their Trust office, unless
their conduct is determined to constitute willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of their duties, or unless it has been
determined that they have not acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that
their actions were in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust. The
Trust also may advance money for these expenses, provided that the trustees,
officers, employees or agents undertake to repay the Trust if their conduct is
later determined to preclude indemnification. The Trust has the power to
purchase insurance on behalf of its trustees, officers, employees and agents,
whether or not it would be permitted or required to indemnify them for any such
liability under the Trust Instrument or applicable law, and the Trust has
purchased and maintains an insurance policy covering such persons against
certain liabilities incurred in their official capacities.

           The business of Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company ("PWM"),
sub-advisor to the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, is also described in the
Prospectus and in Section 4 of the Statement of Additional Information.
Information relating to the business and other connections of the officers and
directors of PWM (current and for the past two years) is listed in Schedule A
and D of PWM's Form ADV (File No. 801-19974), as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 30, 1999, which information from such schedules is
incorporated herein by reference.

Item 26.   BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER

           The business of Berger LLC, the investment adviser of the Fund, is
described in the Prospectus under the heading "Organization of the Berger Funds
Family -- Investment Managers" and in the Statement of Additional Information in
Section 4, which are included in this Registration Statement. Information
relating to the business and other connections of the officers and directors

                                       C-1
<PAGE>

of Berger Associates (current and for the past two years) is listed in
Schedules A and D of Berger LLC's Form ADV as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (File No. 801-9451, dated October 1, 1999), which
information from such schedules is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 27.   PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS

           (a) Investment companies for which the Fund's principal underwriter
also acts as principal underwriter, depositor or investment adviser:


Berger Growth Fund,Inc.
Berger Growth and Income Fund, Inc.
Berger Investment Portfolio Trust
- --Berger Small Company Growth Fund
- --Berger New Generation Fund
- --Berger Balanced Fund
- --Berger Select Fund
- --Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund
- --Berger Mid Cap Value Fund
- --Berger Information Technology Fund
Berger Omni Investment Trust
- --Berger Small Cap Value Fund
Berger Institutional Products Trust
- --Berger IPT - Growth Fund
- --Berger IPT - Growth and Income Fund
- --Berger IPT - Small Company Growth Fund
- --Berger/BIAM IPT - International Fund
Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust
- --Berger/BIAM International Fund
- --International Equity Fund
- --Berger/BIAM International CORE Fund


           (b) For Berger LLC:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Name                                Positions and                            Positions and
                                          Offices with                             Offices with
                                          Underwriter                              Registrant
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>                                       <C>
David G. Mertens                   President, CEO and                        None
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David J. Schultz                   Chief  Financial Officer, Assistant       Vice President and Treasurer
                                   Secretary and


                                     C-2
<PAGE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Treasurer
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Ferrie                       Vice President and Chief Compliance       Vice President
                                   Officer
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Janice M. Teague                   Vice President and Secretary              Vice President and Secretary
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sue Vreeland                       Assistant Secretary                       None
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


           The principal business address of each of the persons in the table
above is 210 University Blvd., Suite 900, Denver, CO 80206.

           (c) Not applicable.

Item 28.   LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

           The accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by
Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder are
maintained as follows:

           (a) Shareholder records are maintained by the Registrant's
               sub-transfer agent, DST Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 419958, Kansas
               City, MO 64141;

           (b) Accounting records relating to cash and other money balances;
               asset, liability, reserve, capital, income and expense accounts;
               portfolio securities; purchases and sales; and brokerage
               commissions are maintained by the Registrant's Recordkeeping and
               Pricing Agent, Investors Fiduciary Trust Company ("IFTC"), 801
               Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. Other records of the
               Registrant relating to purchases and sales; the Trust Instrument,
               minute books and other trust records; brokerage orders;
               performance information and other records are maintained at the
               offices of the Registrant at 210 University Boulevard, Suite 900,
               Denver, Colorado 80206.

           (c) Certain records relating to day-to-day portfolio management of
               the Berger Mid Cap Value Fund are kept at the offices of its
               sub-adviser, Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company, 53 West Jackson
               Boulevard, Suite 818, Chicago, Illinois 60604.


Item 29.   MANAGEMENT SERVICES

                                   C-3
<PAGE>

           The Registrant has no management-related service contract which is
not discussed in Parts A and B of this form.

Item 30.   UNDERTAKINGS

           Not applicable.


                                  C-4
<PAGE>


                              SIGNATURES


           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment to
its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City and County of Denver, and State of
Colorado, on the 28th day of January, 2000.


                                  BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST
                                  ---------------------------------
                                          (Registrant)

                                  By    /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                       Name: Jack R. Thompson
                                            -----------------------------------
                                       Title:  President
                                             ----------------------------------

           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the
following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

       Signature                        Title                      Date
       ---------                        -----                      ----
<S>                                <C>                         <C>
/s/ Jack R. Thompson
- --------------------------         President (Principal        January 28, 2000
Jack R. Thompson                   Executive Officer)
                                   and Director

/s/ David J. Schultz
- --------------------------         Vice President and          January 28, 2000
David J. Schultz                   Treasurer (Principal
                                   Financial Officer)

/s/ John Paganelli
- --------------------------         Assistant Treasurer         January 28, 2000
John Paganelli                     (Principal Accounting
                                   Officer)

Dennis E. Baldwin*                 Trustee                     January 28, 2000
- --------------------------
Dennis E. Baldwin


                                     C-5
<PAGE>


Louis R. Bindner*                  Trustee                     January 20, 2000
- --------------------------
Louis R. Bindner


Katherine A. Cattanach*            Trustee                     January 28, 2000
- --------------------------
Katherine A. Cattanach


Paul R. Knapp*                     Trustee                     January 28, 2000
- --------------------------
Paul R. Knapp


Harry T. Lewis, Jr.*               Trustee                     January 28, 2000
- --------------------------
Harry T. Lewis, Jr.


Michael Owen*                      Trustee                     January 28, 2000
- --------------------------
Michael Owen


William Sinclaire*                 Trustee                     January 28, 2000
- --------------------------
William Sinclaire


*By:/s/  Jack R. Thompson
- --------------------------
Attorney-in-fact
</TABLE>



                                      C-6
<PAGE>


                          BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

N-1A                                      EDGAR
Exhibit                                   Exhibit
No.                                       No.                       Name of Exhibit
- -------------                             ----------                --------------------------
<S>      <C>             <C>              <C>                       <C>
(1)      Exhibit         23(a)                                      Trust Instrument
(2)      Exhibit         23(b)                                      Bylaws
         Exhibit         23(c)                                      Not applicable
(3)      Exhibit         23(d)-1                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Small Company Growth Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-1a         EX-99.B23(d)-1a           Form of Amendment to Berger Small Company Growth
                                                                    Fund Investment Advisory Agreement
(4)      Exhibit         23(d)-2                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    New Generation Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-2a         EX-99.B23(d)-2a           Form of Amendment to Berger New Generation Fund
                                                                    Investment Advisory Agreement
(5)      Exhibit         23(d)-3                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Balanced Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-3a         EX-99.B23(d)-3a           Form of Amendment to Berger Balanced Fund
                                                                    Investment Advisory Agreement
(6)      Exhibit         23(d)-4                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Select Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-4a         EX-99.B23(d)-4a           Form of Amendment to Berger Select Fund Investment
                                                                    Advisory Agreement
(7)      Exhibit         23(d)-5                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Mid Cap Growth Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-5a         EX-99.B23(d)-5a           Form of Amendment to Mid Cap Growth  Fund
                                                                    Investment Advisory Agreement
(8)      Exhibit         23(d)-6                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Mid Cap Value Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-6a         EX-99.B23(d)-6a           Form of Amendment to Mid Cap Value Fund Investment
                                                                    Advisory Agreement
(9)      Exhibit         23(d)-7                                    Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement for Berger Mid Cap
                                                                    Value Fund
(29)     Exhibit         23(d)-8                                    Form of Investment Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Information Technology Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-8a         EX-99.B23(d)-8a           Form of Amendment to Berger Information Technology
                                                                    Fund Investment Advisory Agreement
<PAGE>


(29)     Exhibit         23(d)-9                                    Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement for Berger
                                                                    Information Technology Fund
*        Exhibit         23(d)-10         EX-99.B23(d)-10           Form of Assignment and Assumption Agreement for the
                                                                    Assignment and Assumption of Investment Advisory
                                                                    Agreements, Administrative Services Agreements, and Rule 12b-1
                                                                    Plans and 18f-3 Plans.
(10)     Exhibit         23(e)                                      Form of Distribution Agreement between the Trust
                                                                    and Berger LLC
         Exhibit         23(f)                                      Not applicable
(11)     Exhibit         23(g)                                      Form of Custody Agreement
(12)     Exhibit         23(h)-1                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for
                                                                    Berger Small Company Growth Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-1a         EX-99.B23(h)-1a           Form of Amendment to Berger Small Company Growth
                                                                    Fund Administrative Services Agreement
(13)     Exhibit         23(h)-2                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for
                                                                    Berger New Generation Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-2a         EX-99.B23(h)-2a           Form of Amendment to Berger New Generation Fund
                                                                    Administrative Services Agreement
(14)     Exhibit         23(h)-3                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for
                                                                    Berger Balanced Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-3a         EX-99.B23(h)-3a           Form of Amendment to Berger Balance Fund
                                                                    Administrative Services Agreement
(15)     Exhibit         23(h)-4                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for
                                                                    Berger Select Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-4a         EX-99.B23(h)-4a           Form of Amendment to Berger Select Fund
                                                                    Administrative Services Agreement
(16)     Exhibit         23(h)-5                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for
                                                                    Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-5a         EX-99.B23(h)-5a           Form of Amendment to Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund
                                                                    Administrative Services Agreement
(17)     Exhibit         23(h)-6                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for
                                                                    Berger Mid Cap Value Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-6a         EX-99.B23(h)-6a           Form of Amendment to Mid Cap Value Fund
                                                                    Administrative Services Agreement
(18)     Exhibit         23(h)-7                                    Form of Recordkeeping and Pricing Agent Agreement
(19)     Exhibit         23(h)-8                                    Form of Agency Agreement
(29)     Exhibit         23(h)-9                                    Form of Administrative Services Agreement for the
                                                                    Berger Information Technology Fund
*        Exhibit         23(h)-9a         EX-99B23(h)-9a            Form of Amendment to Berger Information Technology
                                                                    Fund Administrative Services Agreement
<PAGE>


(29)     Exhibit         23(i)-1                                    Opinion and consent of Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP
                                                                    (relating to the Berger Information Technology
                                                                    Fund)
(30)     Exhibit         23(i)-2                                    Opinion and consent of Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP
                                                                    (relating to the Berger New Generation Fund --
                                                                    Institutional Shares and the Berger Small Company
                                                                    Growth Fund -- Institutional Shares)
*        Exhibit         23(j)-1          EX-99B23(j)-1             Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
*        Exhibit         23(j)-2          EX-99B23(j)-2             Consent of McGladrey & Pullen, LLP relating to the
                                                                    Berger Information Technology Fund
         Exhibit         23(k)                                      Not applicable
(20)     Exhibit         23(l)                                      Investment Letter from Initial Stockholder
(21)     Exhibit         23(m)-1                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Small Company Growth
                                                                    Fund
(22)     Exhibit         23(m)-2                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger New Generation Fund
(23)     Exhibit         23(m)-3                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Balanced Fund
(24)     Exhibit         23(m)-4                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Select Fund
(25)     Exhibit         23(m)-5                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund
(26)     Exhibit         23(m)-6                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Mid Cap Value Fund
(29)     Exhibit         23(m)-7                                    Rule 12b-1 Plan for the Investor Shares of the
                                                                    Berger Information Technology Fund
(30)     Exhibit         23(m)-8          EX-99.B23(m)-8            Amended and Restated Rule 12b-1 Plan for the
                                                                    Investor Shares of the Berger Small Company Growth
                                                                    Fund
(30)     Exhibit         23(m)-9          EX-99.B23(m)-9            Amended and Restated Rule 12b-1 Plan for the
                                                                    Investor Shares of the Berger New Generation Fund
(28)     Exhibit         23(n)-1                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger Small Company
                                                                    Growth Fund - Investor Shares
(28)     Exhibit         23(n)-2                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger New Generation
                                                                    Fund - Investor Shares
(28)     Exhibit         23(n)-3                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger Balanced Fund
(28)     Exhibit         23(n)-4                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger Select Fund
<PAGE>


(28)     Exhibit         23(n)-5                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger Mid Cap Growth
                                                                    Fund
(28)     Exhibit         23(n)-6                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger Mid Cap Value
                                                                    Fund
(29)     Exhibit         23(n)-8                                    Financial Data Schedule for Berger Information
                                                                    Technology Fund - Institutional Shares
(29)     Exhibit         23(o)-1                                    Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Berger Information
                                                                    Technology Fund
(30)     Exhibit         23(o)-2          EX-99B.23(o)-2            Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Berger Small Company
                                                                    Growth Fund
(30)     Exhibit         23(o)-3          EX-99B.23(o)-3            Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Berger New Generation Fund
</TABLE>


- ---------------------------
*        Filed herewith.


Filed previously as indicated below and incorporated herein by reference:

(1)      Filed as Exhibit 1 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(2)      Filed as Exhibit 2 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(3)      Filed as Exhibit 5.1 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(4)      Filed as Exhibit 5.2 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed February 23,
         1996.
(5)      Filed as Exhibit 5.3 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed August 28,
         1997.
(6)      Filed as Exhibit 5.4 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed December 31,
         1997.
(7)      Filed as Exhibit 5.5 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed December 31,
         1997.
(8)      Filed as Exhibit 5.6 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 16, 1998.
<PAGE>


(9)      Filed as Exhibit 5.7 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 16, 1998.
(10)     Filed as Exhibit 6 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 16, 1998.
(11)     Filed as Exhibit 8 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed November 27,
         1995.
(12)     Filed as Exhibit 9.2.1 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(13)     Filed as Exhibit 9.2.2 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed February 23,
         1996.
(14)     Filed as Exhibit 9.2.3 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed August 28,
         1997.
(15)     Filed as Exhibit 9.2.4 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed December 31,
         1997.
(16)     Filed as Exhibit 9.2.5 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed December 31,
         1997.
(17)     Filed as Exhibit 9.2.6 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 16, 1998.
(18)     Filed as Exhibit 9.3 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(19)     Filed as Exhibit 9.4 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(20)     Filed as Exhibit 10 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 16, 1998.
(21)     Filed as Exhibit 13 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(22)     Filed as Exhibit 15.1 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 30, 1998.
(23)     Filed as Exhibit 15.2 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed February 23,
         1996.
(24)     Filed as Exhibit 15.3 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed August 28,
         1997.
(25)     Filed as Exhibit 15.4 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed December 31,
         1997.
(26)     Filed as Exhibit 15.5 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed December 31,
         1997.
(27)     Filed as Exhibit 15.6 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the
         Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 16, 1998.
(28)     Filed as Exhibit number listed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to
         the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed January 25,
         1999.
(29)     Filed as Exhibit number listed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to
         the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed April 16,
         1999.
(30)     Filed as Exhibit number listed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to
         the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed June 15,
         1999.

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                        BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER SMALL COMPANY
GROWTH FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 14, 1994 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

                   "4. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.85% of the first $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund, 0.80% of the next $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund and 0.75% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the


                                       -1-
<PAGE>


         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate
         proration of the fee payable for such month based on the number of
         calendar days of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                    By:  /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                       -----------------------
                                       Jack R. Thompson
                                       President

                                    BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                    with respect to the series known as
                                    the BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND



                                    By: /s/ Jack R. Thompson
                                       ---------------------
                                       Jack R. Thompson
                                       President


                                   -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                           BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER NEW GENERATION
FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated March 6, 1996 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

                   "4. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.85% of the first $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund, 0.80% of the next $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund and 0.75% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the
         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during


                                     -1-
<PAGE>

         which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate
         proration of the fee payable for such month based on the number of
         calendar days of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By:/s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ---------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
                                   TRUST, with respect to the
                                   series known as the BERGER
                                   NEW GENERATION FUND



                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                   -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                              BERGER BALANCED FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER BALANCED FUND
(the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 3, 1997 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 5 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "5. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.70% of the first $1 billion of average daily net
         assets of the Fund and 0.65% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the
         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during

                                         -1-
<PAGE>

         which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate proration
         of the fee payable for such month based on the number of calendar days
         of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER BALANCED FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                    -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                               BERGER SELECT FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER SELECT FUND
(the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 1997 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 5 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "5. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.75% of the first $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund, 0.70% of the next $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund and 0.65% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the


                                       -1-
<PAGE>


         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate
         proration of the fee payable for such month based on the number of
         calendar days of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER  FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                    -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                           BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER MID CAP GROWTH
FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 1997 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 5 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "5. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.75% of the first $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund, 0.70% of the next $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund and 0.65% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the


                                      -1-
<PAGE>


         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate
         proration of the fee payable for such month based on the number of
         calendar days of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                            BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER MID CAP VALUE
FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 7, 1998 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 5 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "5. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.75% of the first $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund, 0.70% of the next $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund and 0.65% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the
         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during



                                    -1-
<PAGE>

         which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate
         proration of the fee payable for such month based on the number of
         calendar days of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

                       BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT (the "Amendment")
is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between BERGER LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 1, 1999 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., as investment advisor for the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust. Accordingly, all compensation paid hereafter by the Trust for
investment advisory services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement is to be
paid to Berger LLC rather than to Berger Associates, Inc.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth herein their mutual
agreement to change the compensation paid to Berger LLC under the Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. REDUCTION IN COMPENSATION. Section 6 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "6. COMPENSATION. The Trust shall pay to Berger LLC for its
         services under this Agreement a fee, payable in United States dollars,
         at an annual rate of 0.85% of the first $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund, 0.80% of the next $500 million of average daily
         net assets of the Fund and 0.75% on any part of the average daily net
         assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion. This fee shall be computed
         and accrued daily and payable monthly as of the last day of each month
         during which or part of which this Agreement is in effect. For the
         month during which this Agreement becomes effective and the month
         during


                                    -1-
<PAGE>


         which it terminates, however, there shall be an appropriate proration
         of the fee payable for such month based on the number of calendar
         days of such month during which this Agreement is effective."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the change reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                  -2-

<PAGE>

                       ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT


         This Assignment and Assumption Agreement ("Agreement"), effective as of
September 30, 1999, by and between Berger Associates, Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Associates"), and Berger LLC, a Nevada limited liability company
("LLC").

                                    RECITALS

         WHEREAS, Associates or an affiliate of Associates provides investment
advisory and administrative services to the following investment companies: The
One Hundred Fund, Inc.; Berger One Hundred and One Fund, Inc., d/b/a Berger
Growth and Income Fund; Berger Small Cap Value Fund, a series of Berger Omni
Investment Trust; Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, Berger Small Company Growth Fund,
Berger New Generation Fund, Berger Balanced Fund, Berger Select Fund, Berger Mid
Cap Growth Fund, and Berger Information Technology Fund, each a series of Berger
Investment Portfolio Trust; Berger IPT-100 Fund, Berger IPT-Growth and Income
Fund, Berger IPT-Small Company Growth Fund, and Berger/BIAM IPT-International
Fund, each a series of Berger Institutional Products Trust; Berger/BIAM
International Portfolio, a series of Berger/BIAM Worldwide Portfolios Trust, and
Berger/BIAM International Fund, Berger/BIAM International CORE Fund and
International Equity Fund, each a series of Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust
(each a "Berger Fund" and collectively, the "Berger Funds"); and


         WHEREAS, Associates desires to transfer, convey, assign and deliver to
LLC certain agreements and plans relating to the Berger Funds to which
Associates is a party or under which Associates has rights or obligations, and
LLC desires to accept and assume such rights and obligations, on the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement; and

         NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:


                                    ARTICLE I
                          ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF
                         INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENTS

         1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, Associates
hereby assigns, transfers, conveys, delegates and delivers to LLC all of
Associates' rights, interests, duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities
and liabilities, of every kind and nature whatsoever, whenever created or
incurred, under the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements to which
Associates is a party, as set forth on EXHIBIT A attached hereto and
incorporated herein by reference (the "Assigned Advisory Agreements").

         1.2 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, LLC hereby
expressly (i) undertakes, assumes and agrees to perform and/or satisfy each and
every one of Associates' obligations, duties, burdens, responsibilities and
liabilities under the Assigned Advisory Agreements, (ii) agrees to be bound by
all of the provisions of the Assigned Advisory Agreements, to the same extent as
if LLC had initially executed and delivered such agreements, and (iii) agrees to
indemnify Associates from and against any liability, loss, or damage arising
under the Assigned Advisory Agreements.


<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE II
                          ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF
                       ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENTS

         2.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, Associates
hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and delegates to LLC its rights, interests,
duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities, of every kind
and nature whatsoever, whenever created or incurred, under the administrative
services agreements to which Associates is a party, as set forth on EXHIBIT B
attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (the "Assigned
Administrative Agreements").

         2.2 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, LLC hereby
expressly (i) undertakes, assumes and agrees to perform and/or satisfy each and
every one of Associates' obligations, duties, burdens, responsibilities and
liabilities under the Assigned Administrative Agreements, (ii) agrees to be
bound by all of the provisions of the Assigned Administrative Agreements, to the
same extent as if LLC had initially executed and delivered such agreements, and
(iii) agrees to indemnify Associates from and against any liability, loss, or
damage arising under the Assigned Administrative Agreements.

                                   ARTICLE III
                          ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF
                              FEE WAIVER AGREEMENTS

         3.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, Associates
hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and delegates to LLC its rights, interests,
duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities, of every kind
and nature whatsoever, whenever created or incurred, under the investment
advisory fee waiver agreements to which Associates is a party, as set forth on
EXHIBIT C attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (the "Assigned
Fee Waiver Agreements").

         3.2 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, LLC hereby
expressly (i) undertakes, assumes and agrees to perform and/or satisfy each and
every one of Associates' obligations, duties, burdens, responsibilities and
liabilities under the Assigned Fee Waiver Agreements, (ii) agrees to be bound by
all of the provisions of the Assigned Fee Waiver Agreements, to the same extent
as if LLC had initially executed and delivered such agreements, and (iii) agrees
to indemnify Associates from and against any liability, loss, or damage arising
under the Assigned Fee Waiver Agreements.

                                   ARTICLE IV
       ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF RULE 12B-1 PLANS AND RULE 18F-3 PLANS

         4.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, Associates
hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and delegates to LLC its rights, interests,
duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities, of every kind
and nature whatsoever, whenever created or incurred, under the separate Rule
12b-1 plans, and the separate Rule 18f-3 plans, adopted by the Berger Funds, as
set forth on EXHIBIT D attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference


                                       -2-
<PAGE>

(the "Assigned Rule 12b-1 Plans" and "Assigned Rule 18f-3 Plans,"  respectively,
and collectively, the "Assigned Plans").

         4.2 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, LLC hereby
expressly (i) undertakes, assumes and agrees to perform and/or satisfy each and
every one of Associates' obligations, duties, burdens and responsibilities under
the Assigned Plans, (ii) agrees to be bound by all of the provisions of the
Assigned Plans relating to Associates, and (iii) agrees to indemnify Associates
from and against any liability, loss, or damage arising under the Assigned
Plans.

                                    ARTICLE V
              ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS

         5.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, Associates
hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and delegates to LLC its rights, interests,
duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities, of every kind
and nature whatsoever, whenever created or incurred, under the participation
agreements to which Associates is a party, as set forth on EXHIBIT E attached
hereto and incorporated herein by reference (the "Assigned Participation
Agreements").

         5.2 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, LLC hereby
expressly (i) undertakes, assumes and agrees to perform and/or satisfy each and
every one of Associates' obligations, duties, burdens, responsibilities and
liabilities under the Assigned Participation Agreements, (ii) agrees to be bound
by all of the provisions of the Assigned Participation Agreements, to the same
extent as if LLC had initially executed and delivered such agreements, and (iii)
agrees to indemnify Associates from and against any liability, loss, or damage
arising under the Assigned Participation Agreements.

                                   ARTICLE VI
              ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF REORGANIZATION AGREEMENT

         6.1 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, Associates
hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and delegates to LLC its rights, interests,
duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities, of every kind
and nature whatsoever, whenever created or incurred, under the separate
Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated April 16, 1999, between Advisors
Series Trust with respect to its series InformationTech 100 Fund and Berger
Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to its series Berger Information
Technology Fund (the "Assigned Reorganization Agreement").

         6.2 Subject to the terms and conditions herein stated, LLC hereby
expressly (i) undertakes, assumes and agrees to perform and/or satisfy each and
every one of Associates' obligations, duties, burdens, responsibilities and
liabilities under the Assigned Reorganization Agreement, (ii) agrees to be bound
by all of the provisions of the Assigned Reorganization Agreement relating to
Associates, and (iii) agrees to indemnify Associates from and against any
liability, loss, or damage arising under the Assigned Reorganization Agreement.


                                       -3-
<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VII
                               GENERAL PROVISIONS

         7.1 CONDITIONS TO ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION. The assignment by
Associates, and the assumption by LLC, of the Assigned Advisory Agreements, the
Assigned Administrative Services Agreements, the Assigned Fee Waiver Agreements,
the Assigned Plans, the Assigned Participation Agreements and the Assigned
Reorganization Agreement are subject to obtaining such approval of the Board of
Directors or Board of Trustees, as the case may be, of the Berger Funds to which
such agreements relate, as may be required under the Investment Company Act of
1940, by order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board, or by any
other applicable law, rule, regulation or order, and to obtaining such consents
as may be required under the provisions of such assigned agreements.

         7.2 FURTHER ASSURANCES. Associates and LLC each shall take such action
and execute and deliver to the other party all such instruments and documents as
such other party may reasonably request to carry out the intent and purposes of
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. In particular,
Associates and LLC acknowledge the purpose of this Agreement is to: assign to
LLC all of the rights, interests, duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities
and liabilities under the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements to
which Associates is a party; assign to LLC all of the rights, interests, duties,
obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities under the administrative
services agreements to which Associates is a party; assign to LLC all of the
rights, interests, duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and
liabilities under the investment advisory fee waiver agreements to which
Associates is a party; assign to LLC all of Associates' rights, interests,
duties, obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities under the
Assigned Plans; assign to LLC all of the rights, interests, duties, obligations,
burdens, responsibilities and liabilities under the participation agreements to
which Associates is a party; assign to LLC all of the rights, interests, duties,
obligations, burdens, responsibilities and liabilities under the Assigned
Reorganization Agreement; and to assign to LLC, and for LLC to accept and
assume, all of Associates' rights, interests, duties, obligations, burdens,
responsibilities and liabilities as described in Sections 1.2, 2.2, 3.2, 4.2,
5.2 and 6.2 herein, so that if any such agreement, or right, interest, duty,
obligation, burden, responsibility or liability is inadvertently not included
specifically in this Agreement, Associates and LLC agree to take the appropriate
actions needed to transfer any such agreement or right, interest, duty,
obligation, burden, responsibility or liability to LLC and for LLC to assume the
same.

         7.3 GOVERNING LAW. The interpretation and construction of this
Agreement, and all matters relating thereto, shall be governed by the laws of
the State of Colorado, without regard to its principles of conflicts of law.

         7.4 ASSIGNMENT AND AMENDMENT. This Agreement may not be transferred,
assigned, pledged or hypothecated by any party without the prior written consent
of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted
assigns. This Agreement may not be changed or modified except by a written
amendment hereto signed by all parties affected by such amendment.

         7.5 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed an original and all of
which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.


                                       -4-
<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties have executed this Agreement as
of the day and year first set forth above.

BERGER ASSOCIATES, INC.                        BERGER LLC



By:                                            By:
   ---------------------------                    ------------------------------
   Jack R. Thompson                               Jack R. Thompson
   President                                      President


                                       -5-
<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT A
                          ASSIGNED ADVISORY AGREEMENTS


         The following are the Assigned Advisory Agreements being assigned by
Associates and assumed by LLC pursuant to Article I of the Agreement:

         1. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 14, 1994, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and The One Hundred Fund, Inc.;

         2. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 14, 1994, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger One Hundred and One Fund, Inc.;

         3. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated February 14, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Omni Investment Trust;

         4. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 14, 1994, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Small Company Growth Fund;

         5. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated March 6, 1996, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to Berger
New Generation Fund;

         6. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated December 31, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund;

         7. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated December 31, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Select Fund;

         8. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated September 3, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Balanced Fund;

         9. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated July 7, 1998, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to Berger
Mid Cap Value Fund;

         10. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated July 1, 1999, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to Berger
Information Technology Fund;

         11. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated April 16, 1996, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to Berger
IPT-100 Fund;

         12. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated April 16, 1996, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to Berger
IPT-Growth and Income Fund;


                                       -6-
<PAGE>

         13. Investment Advisory Agreement, dated April 16, 1996, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to Berger
IPT-Small Company Growth Fund;

         14. Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated February 14, 1997, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company

         15. Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 7, 1998, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell & Company

         16. Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated July 1, 1999, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and Bay Isle Financial Corporation


                                       -7-
<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT B
                   ASSIGNED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENTS

         The following are the Assigned Administrative Services Agreements being
assigned by Associates and assumed by LLC pursuant to Article II of the
Agreement:

         1. Administrative Services Agreement, dated October 1, 1992, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and The One Hundred Fund, Inc.;

         2. Administrative Services Agreement, dated October 1, 1992, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger One Hundred and One Fund, Inc.;

         3. Administrative Services Agreement, dated December 22, 1993, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Small Company Growth Fund;

         4. Administrative Services Agreement, dated March 6, 1996, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger New Generation Fund;

         5. Administrative Services Agreement, dated September 3, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Balanced Fund;

         6. Administrative Services Agreement, dated December 31, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Select Fund;

         7. Administrative Services Agreement, dated December 31, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund;

         8. Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 7, 1998, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Mid Cap Value Fund;

         9. Administrative Services Agreement, dated July 1, 1999, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to
Berger Information Technology Fund;

         10. Administrative Services Agreement, dated April 16, 1996, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to
Berger IPT-100 Fund;

         11. Administrative Services Agreement, dated April 16, 1996, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to
Berger IPT-Growth and Income Fund;

         12. Administrative Services Agreement, dated April 16, 1996, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to
Berger IPT-Small Company Growth Fund;


                                       -8-
<PAGE>

         13. Administrative Services Agreement, dated February 14, 1997, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and Berger Omni Investment Trust with respect to its
series, the Berger Small Cap Value Fund;

         14. Sub-Administration Agreement, dated October 11, 1996, between
Berger Associates, Inc. and BBOI Worldwide LLC with respect to the series of
Berger/BIAM Worldwide Funds Trust;

         15. Sub-Administration Agreement, dated May 1, 1997, between Berger
Associates, Inc. and BBOI Worldwide LLC with respect to the Berger/BIAM
IPT-International Fund, a series of Berger Institutional Products Trust.


                                       -9-
<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT C
                         ASSIGNED FEE WAIVER AGREEMENTS

         The following are the Assigned Fee Waiver Agreements being assigned by
Associates and assumed by LLC pursuant to Article III of the Agreement:

         1. Letter Agreement, dated April 15, 1999, from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to the Berger IPT-100 Fund,
regarding advisory fee waiver and reimbursement of fund expenses;

         2. Letter Agreement, dated April 15, 1999, from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to the Berger IPT-Growth and
Income Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver and reimbursement of fund expenses;

         3. Letter Agreement, dated April 15, 1999, from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger Institutional Products Trust with respect to the Berger IPT-Small
Company Growth Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver and reimbursement of fund
expenses;

         4. Letter Agreement, dated February 18, 1999, from Berger Associates,
Inc. to Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to the Berger Mid Cap
Growth Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver;

         5. Letter Agreement, dated February 18, 1999, from Berger Associates,
Inc. to Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to the Berger Balanced
Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver;

         6. Letter Agreement, dated April 30, 1996, from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to the Berger Small Company
Growth Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver;

         7. Letter Agreement, dated March 6, 1996, from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to the Berger New Generation
Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver;

         8. Letter Agreement, dated April 30, 1996, from Berger Associates, Inc.
to The One Hundred Fund, Inc., regarding advisory fee waiver;

         9. Letter Agreement, dated April 30, 1996 from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger One Hundred and One Fund, Inc., regarding advisory fee waiver; and

         10. Letter Agreement, dated July 1, 1999 from Berger Associates, Inc.
to Berger Investment Portfolio Trust with respect to the Berger Information
Technology Fund, regarding advisory fee waiver and reimbursement of fund
expenses.


                                       -10-
<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT D
                            ASSIGNED RULE 12B-1 PLANS

         1. Rule 12b-1 Plan for The One Hundred Fund, Inc., dated October 14,
1994.

         2. Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger One Hundred and One Fund, Inc., dated
October 14, 1994.

         3. Amended and Restated Rule 12b-1 Plan for the Investor Shares of the
Berger Small Company Growth Fund, dated July 6, 1999.

         4. Amended and Restated Rule 12b-1 Plan for the Investor Shares of the
Berger New Generation Fund, dated July 6, 1999.

         5. Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Balanced Fund, dated September 3, 1997.

         6. Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Select Fund, dated December 31, 1997.

         7. Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Mid Cap Growth Fund, dated December 31,
1997.

         8. Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger Mid Cap Value Fund, dated July 7, 1998.

         9. Rule 12b-1 Plan for the Investor Shares of the Berger Small Cap
Value Fund, dated February 14, 1997.

         10. Rule 12b-1 Plan for Berger/BIAM International Fund, dated
October 11, 1996.

         11. Rule 12b-1 Plan for the Investor Shares of Berger Information
Technology Fund, dated July 1, 1999.


                            ASSIGNED RULE 18F-3 PLANS

         1. Rule 18f-3 Plan for Multiple Classes of Shares of the Berger Small
Cap Value Fund, dated February 14, 1997.

         2. Rule 18f-3 Plan for Multiple Classes of Shares of the Berger Small
Company Growth Fund, dated July 6, 1999.

         3. Rule 18f-3 Plan for Multiple Classes of Shares of the Berger New
Generation Fund, dated July 6, 1999.

         4. Rule 18f-3 Plan for Multiple Classes of Shares of the Berger
Information Technology Fund, dated July 1, 1999.


                                       -11-
<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT E
                        ASSIGNED PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS


         1. Participation Agreement, dated April 15, 1996, between Great
American Reserve Insurance Company, Berger Institutional Products Trust and
Berger Associates, Inc.

         2. Participation Agreement, dated December 10, 1996, between Ameritas
Life Insurance Corp., Berger Institutional Products Trust and Berger Associates,
Inc.

         3. Participation Agreement, dated May 1, 1998, between Canada Life
Insurance Company of America, Berger Institutional Products Trust and Berger
Associates, Inc.

         4. Participation Agreement, dated May 1, 1998, between Canada Life
Insurance Company of New York, Berger Institutional Products Trust and Berger
Associates, Inc.

         5. Participation Agreement, dated March 4, 1997, between Prudential
Insurance Company of America, Berger Institutional Products Trust and Berger
Associates, Inc.

         6. Participation Agreement, dated May 1, 1997, between Great-West Life
& Annuity Insurance Company, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger
Associates, Inc., Berger Distributors, Inc. and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

         7. Participation Agreement, dated May 1, 1997, between First Great-West
Life & Annuity Insurance Company, Berger Institutional Products Trust, Berger
Associates, Inc., Berger Distributors, Inc. and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.


<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                        BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER SMALL
COMPANY GROWTH FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated December 22, 1993 (the "Agreement"),
setting forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed
Berger Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION. Section 2 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "2. For its services under this Agreement, Berger LLC shall not be
         compensated or paid a fee."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.


                                      -1-
<PAGE>


         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                           BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER NEW
GENERATION FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated March 6, 1996 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1. ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION. Section 2 of the Agreement is hereby
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

            "2. For its services under this Agreement, Berger LLC shall not be
         compensated or paid a fee."

         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.


                                      -1-
<PAGE>



         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER NEW GENERATION FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                              BERGER BALANCED FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER
BALANCED FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated September 3, 1997 (the "Agreement"),
setting forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed
Berger Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1.       ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION.

         (A) Section 1 of the Agreement is hereby amended to delete the phrase
"for the compensation herein provided."

         (B) Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby amended in its entirety to
read as follows:

             "4. COMPENSATION. For its services under this Agreement, Berger
         LLC shall not be compensated or paid a fee."


                                      -1-
<PAGE>


         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER BALANCED FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                               BERGER SELECT FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER
SELECT FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated December 31, 1997 (the "Agreement"),
setting forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed
Berger Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1.       ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION.

         (A) Section 1 of the Agreement is hereby amended to delete the phrase
"for the compensation herein provided."

         (B) Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby amended in its entirety to
read as follows:

             "4. COMPENSATION. For its services under this Agreement,
         Berger LLC shall not be compensated or paid a fee."


                                       -1-
<PAGE>


         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER SELECT FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                           BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER MID
CAP GROWTH FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated December 31, 1997 (the "Agreement"),
setting forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed
Berger Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1.       ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION.

         (A) Section 1 of the Agreement is hereby amended to delete the phrase
"for the compensation herein provided."

         (B) Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby amended in its entirety to
read as follows:

             "4. COMPENSATION. For its services under this Agreement,
         Berger LLC shall not be compensated or paid a fee."


                                     -1-
<PAGE>


         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER MID CAP GROWTH FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                            BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER MID
CAP VALUE FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated July 7, 1998 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1.       ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION.

         (A) Section 1 of the Agreement is hereby amended to delete the phrase
"for the compensation herein provided."

         (B) Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby amended in its entirety to
read as follows:

             "4. COMPENSATION. For its services under this Agreement, Berger LLC
         shall not be compensated or paid a fee."


                                      -1-
<PAGE>



         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER MID CAP VALUE FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>


                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                        ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT

                       BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND
                 (A SERIES OF BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST)

         This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT (the
"Amendment") is made effective as of the 1st day of October, 1999, between
BERGER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, and BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), with respect to the BERGER
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND (the "Fund"), a series of the Trust.

                                    RECITALS

         A. Berger Associates, Inc., and the Trust entered into that certain
Administrative Services Agreement dated July 1, 1999 (the "Agreement"), setting
forth the terms and conditions under which the Trust has appointed Berger
Associates, Inc., to provide certain administrative services to the Fund.

         B. Effective September 30, 1999, Berger Associates, Inc., assigned and
transferred all its rights, interests, duties and obligations, including its
rights, interests, duties and obligations under the Agreement, to its
subsidiary, Berger LLC, in an assignment and transfer approved by the Trustees
of the Trust.

         C. Berger LLC and the Trust desire to set forth in this Amendment their
mutual agreement that Berger LLC will continue to provide the services required
by the Agreement, but without compensation or payment therefor.

                                    AGREEMENT

         For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

         1.  ELIMINATION OF COMPENSATION.

         (A) Section 1 of the Agreement is hereby amended to delete the phrase
"for the compensation herein provided."

         (B) Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby amended in its entirety to
read as follows:

             "4. COMPENSATION. For its services under this Agreement,
         Berger LLC shall not be compensated or paid a fee."


                                      -1-
<PAGE>



         2. NO OTHER CHANGES. No changes to the Agreement are intended by the
parties other than the changes reflected in Section 1 of this Amendment, and all
other provisions of the Agreement are hereby confirmed.

         3. LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
Trust is a business trust organized under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to a Certificate of Trust filed in the office of the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware. All parties to this Amendment acknowledge and agree
that the Trust is a series trust and all debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a
particular series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to
such series only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against
the assets held with respect to any other series and further that no Trustee,
officer or holder of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be
personally liable for any of the foregoing.

         4. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of Colorado (without giving effect to the conflicts of
laws principles thereof) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. To
the extent that the applicable laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the
applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
latter shall control.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused their duly authorized
officers to execute this Amendment as of the date and year first above written.

                                   BERGER LLC


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President

                                   BERGER INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO TRUST,
                                   with respect to the series known as the
                                   BERGER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUND


                                   By: /s/  Jack R. Thompson
                                      ----------------------
                                      Jack R. Thompson
                                      President


                                      -2-

<PAGE>

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS


We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form N-1A of our report dated November 4, 1999, relating to the
financial statements and financial highlights which appear in the September 30,
1999 Annual Report to Shareholders of Berger Investment Portfolio Trust, which
is also incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also
consent to the references to us under the headings "Financial Highlights for the
Berger Funds Family" or "Financial Highlights for the Fund", as applicable, and
"Independent Accountants" in such Registration Statement.


/s/  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Denver, Colorado
January 27, 2000


<PAGE>

                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS





We consent to the use of our report dated March 26, 1999, on the financial
statements of The InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund, now known as
Berger Information Technology Fund (a series of Berger Investment Portfolio
Trust) included as an Exhibit in the Post-Effective Amendment to the
Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.




                                        /s/  McGladrey & Pullen, LLP


New York, New York
January 25, 2000

<PAGE>

                          INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT



THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SHAREHOLDERS
THE INFORMATIONTECH 100-Registered Trademark- FUND

We have audited the accompanying statement of changes in net assets for the
year ended February 28, 1999 and the financial highlights for the year ended
February 28, 1999 and the period from April 8, 1997 (commencement of operations)
to February 28, 1998 of The InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark- Fund.
This financial statement and the financial highlights are the responsibility
of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this
financial statement and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial
highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statement and financial highlights referred to
above present fairly, in all material respects, the changes in its net assets
and the financial highlights of The InformationTech 100-Registered Trademark-
Fund for the periods indicated, in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.

                                       /s/  McGladrey & Pullen, LLP
New York, New York
March 26, 1999


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