<PAGE>
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 28, 1994
811-
REGISTRATION NO.: 33-
==============================================================================
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
[X]
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.
[ ]
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.
[ ]
AND/OR
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY
ACT OF 1940
[X]
AMENDMENT NO.
[ ]
-------------
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
(A MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESS TRUST)
(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN CHARTER)
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE)
REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (212) 392-1600
SHELDON CURTIS, ESQ.
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
(NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)
COPIES TO:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
CHRISTINE A. EDWARDS, Esq. DAVID M. BUTOWSKY, Esq.
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER GORDON ALTMAN BUTOWSKY
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048 WEITZEN SHALOV & WEIN
114 WEST 47TH STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036
</TABLE>
----------
APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration
statement.
----------
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
PURSUANT TO RULE 24F-2 UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940,
REGISTRANT HEREBY ELECTS TO REGISTER AN INDEFINITE NUMBER OF ITS SHARES OF
BENEFICIAL INTEREST WITH $0.01 PAR VALUE. THE AMOUNT OF THE REGISTRATION FEE
IS $500.00.
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR
DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT
SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING
PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.
===============================================================================
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
CROSS-REFERENCE SHEET
FORM N-1A
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ITEM CAPTION
- ------------- -----------------------------------------------------
PART A PROSPECTUS
- ------------- -----------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
1. .... Cover Page
2. .... Summary of Fund Expenses; Prospectus Summary
3. .... Performance Information
Investment Objective and Policies; Risk
Considerations; The Fund and its Management; Cover
Page; Investment Restrictions; Prospectus Summary;
4. .... Appendix
The Fund and Its Management; Back Cover; Investment
5. .... Objective and Policies
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes; Additional
6. .... Information
Purchase of Fund Shares; Shareholder Services;
7. .... Redemptions and Repurchases
8. .... Redemptions and Repurchases; Shareholder Services
9. .... Not Applicable
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PART B STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- ---------- ----------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
10. .... Cover Page
11. .... Table of Contents
12. .... The Fund and Its Management
Investment Practices and Policies; Risk Considerations;
Investment Restrictions; Portfolio Transactions and
13. .... Brokerage
14. .... The Fund and Its Management; Trustees and Officers
15. .... Trustees and Officers
The Fund and Its Management; Purchase of Fund Shares;
16. .... Custodian and Transfer Agent; Independent Accountants
17. .... Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
18. .... Description of Shares
Repurchase of Fund Shares; Redemptions and Repurchases;
19. .... Statements of Assets and Liabilities; Shareholder Services
20. .... Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
21. .... Purchase of Fund Shares
22. .... Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
23. .... Performance Information
</TABLE>
[/TABLE]
PART C
- -------
Information required to be included in Part C is set forth under the
appropriate item, so numbered, in Part C of this Registration Statement.
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER
GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
PROSPECTUS- , 199
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND (THE "FUND") IS AN OPEN-END,
DIVERSIFIED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY WHOSE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE IS TO
SEEK LONG-TERM TOTAL RETURN ON ITS INVESTMENTS. THE FUND SEEKS TO MEET ITS
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE BY ALLOCATING ITS ASSETS AMONG U.S. AND FOREIGN
EQUITIES, FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES AND MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS.
Initial Offering--Shares are being offered in an underwriting by Dean Witter
Distributors Inc. at $10.00 per share with no underwriting commission, with
all proceeds going to the Fund. All expenses in connection with the
organization of the Fund and this offering will be paid by the Investment
Manager and Underwriter except for a maximum of $250,000 of organizational
expenses to be reimbursed by the Fund. The initial offering will run from
approximately , 1995 through , 1995.
Continuous Offering--A continuous offering will commence approximately one
week after the closing date (anticipated for , 1995) of the initial
offering. Shares of the Fund will be priced at the net asset value per share
next determined following receipt of an order.
Repurchases and/or redemptions of shares purchased in either the initial
offering or the continuous offering are subject in most cases to a contingent
deferred sales charge, which declines from 5% to 1% of the amount redeemed,
if made within six years of purchase, which charge will be paid to the Fund's
Underwriter/ Distributor, Dean Witter Distributors Inc. See "Repurchases and
Redemptions--Contingent Deferred Sales Charge." In addition, the Fund pays
the Underwriter/Distributor a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee pursuant to a Plan
of Distribution at the annual rate of 1.0% of the lesser of the (i) average
daily aggregate net sales or (ii) average daily net assets of the Fund. See
"Purchase of Fund Shares--Continuous Offering--Plan of Distribution."
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Summary .................................................... 2
Summary of Fund Expenses .............................................. 3
The Fund and its Management ........................................... 4
Investment Objective and Policies ..................................... 5
Risk Considerations ................................................... 6
Investment Restrictions ............................................... 13
Underwriting .......................................................... 13
Purchase of Fund Shares--Continuous Offering .......................... 14
Shareholder Services .................................................. 16
Redemptions and Repurchases ........................................... 18
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes .................................... 20
Performance Information ............................................... 20
Additional Information ................................................ 21
Appendix .............................................................. 22
This Prospectus sets forth concisely the information you should know before
investing in the Fund. It should be read and retained for future reference.
Additional information about the Fund is contained in the Statement of
Additional Information, dated , 199 , which has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and which is available at no charge upon
request of the Fund at the address or telephone numbers listed below. The
Statement of Additional Information is incorporated herein by reference.
SHARES OF THE FUND ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED OR
ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK, AND THE SHARES ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY
OTHER AGENCY.
DEAN WITTER
GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
(212) 392-2550 OR (800) 526-3143
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY
IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Dean Witter Distributors Inc., Distributor Underwriter/Distributor
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
The Fund The Fund is organized as a Trust, commonly known as a Massachusetts business trust, and is an
open-end, diversified management investment company. The Fund allocates its assets among U.S. and
foreign equities, fixed-income securities and money market instruments.
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shares Offered Shares of beneficial interest with $.01 par value (see page 21).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Offering Shares are being offered in an Underwriting by Dean Witter Distributors Inc. at $10.00 per share with
no underwriting discount or commission. The minimum purchase is 100 shares ($1,000). Shares redeemed
within six years of purchase are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge under most
circumstances. The initial offering will run approximately from , 1995 through , 1995.
The closing will take place on , 1995 or such other date as may be agreed upon by Dean Witter
Distributors Inc. and the Fund (the "Closing Date"). Shares will not be issued and dividends will not
be declared by the Fund until after the Closing Date. If any orders received during the initial
offering period are accompanied by payment, such payment will be returned unless an accompanying
request for investment in a Dean Witter money market fund is received at the time the payment is made.
Any purchase order may be cancelled at any time prior to the Closing Date (see page 14).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuous A continuous offering will commence within approximately one week after completion of the initial
Offering offering. During the continuous offering, the minimum initial investment will be $1,000 and the
minimum subsequent investment will be $100 (see page 14).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investment The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term total return on its investments.
Objective
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investment Manager Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. ("InterCapital"), the Investment Manager of the Fund, and its
and Sub-Advisers wholly-owned subsidiary, Dean Witter Services Company Inc., serve in various investment management,
advisory, management and administrative capacities to investment companies and other portfolios
with net assets under management of approximately $ billion at , 1995. InterCapital has
retained TCW Funds Management, Inc. ("TCW") and Morgan Grenfell Investment Services Ltd. ("MGIS") as
Sub-Advisers to provide investment advice and manage the Fund's non-U.S. portfolio. TCW, which is
responsible for Canadian and Latin American investments, serves as investment adviser to TCW/DW
Funds and had at , 1994, together with its affiliates, approximately $ billion under
management or committed to management in various fiduciary or advisory capacities, primarily to
institutional investors. MGIS, which is responsible for the Fund's investments outside of the Western
Hemisphere, currently serves as investment adviser for U.S. corporate and public employee benefit
plans, investment companies, endowments and foundations with assets of approximately $ billion at
, 1994 (see page 4).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management Fee The Investment Manager receives a monthly fee at the annual rate of 1.0% of the Fund's average daily
net assets. The Sub-Advisers each receive a monthly fee from InterCapital equal to 30% of
InterCapital's investment management fee (see page 4).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and Dividends from net investment income are paid at least annually. Capital gains, if any, are
Distributions distributed at least annually or retained for reinvestment by the Fund. Dividends and capital gains
distributions are automatically reinvested in additional shares at net asset value unless the
shareholder elects to receive cash (see page 20).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Underwriter and Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Underwriter" or "Distributor"). The Distributor receives from the
Distributor Fund a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee accrued daily and payable monthly at the rate of 1.0% per annum of
the lesser of (i) the Fund's average daily aggregate net sales or (ii) the Fund's average daily net
assets. This fee compensates the Distributor for the services provided in distributing shares of the
Fund and for sales related expenses. The Distributor also receives the proceeds of any contingent
deferred sales charges (see page 13).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redemption-- Shares are redeemable by the shareholder at net asset value. An account may be involuntarily redeemed
Contingent if the total value of the account is less than $100. Although no commission or sales load is imposed
Deferred Sales upon the purchase of shares, a contingent deferred sales charge (which declines from 5% to 1%) is
Charge imposed on any redemption of shares if after such redemption the aggregate current value of an account
with the Fund falls below the aggregate amount of the investor's purchase payments made during the
first six years preceding the redemption. However, there is no charge imposed on redemption of shares
purchased through reinvestment of dividends or distributions (see page 18).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risk The net asset value of the Fund's shares will fluctuate with changes in market value of portfolio
Considerations securities. It should be recognized that the foreign securities and markets in which the Fund may
invest pose different and greater risks than those customarily associated with domestic securities and
their markets. The Fund may engage in various investment practices which present special risks,
including investments in forward foreign currency exchange contracts, lower-rated fixed-income
securities, convertible securities, adjustable rate mortgages, collateralized mortgage obligations,
options and futures, investment companies, rights and warrants, repurchase agreements, when-issued and
delayed delivery securities and forward commitments, when, as and if issued securities, reverse
repurchase agreements and dollar rolls and private placements (see page 6).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholder Automatic Investment of Dividends and Distributions; Investment of Distributions Received in Cash;
Services Systematic Withdrawal Plan; Exchange Privilege; EasyInvest(sm), Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans (see
pages 16 through 18).
- ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
The above is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information appearing
elsewhere in this Prospectus
and in the Statement of Additional Information.
2
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
SUMMARY OF FUND EXPENSES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table illustrates all expenses and fees that a shareholder of
the Fund will incur.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases ........................................... None
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends ................................ None
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of the lesser of original purchase
price or redemption proceeds) ...................................................... 5.0%
</TABLE>
A contingent deferred sales charge is imposed at the following declining
rates:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR SINCE PURCHASE
PAYMENT MADE PERCENTAGE
- -------------------------- --------------
<S> <C>
First ..................... 5.0%
Second .................... 4.0%
Third ..................... 3.0%
Fourth .................... 2.0%
Fifth ..................... 2.0%
Sixth ..................... 1.0%
Seventh and thereafter ... None
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Redemption Fees .......................................................... None
Exchange Fee ............................................................. None
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)
Management Fees+ ......................................................... 1.00%
12b-1 Fees*+ ............................................................. 1.00%
Other Expenses+ .......................................................... %
Total Fund Operating Expenses**+ ......................................... %
</TABLE>
"Fund Operating Expenses," as shown above, are based upon expected amounts
of expenses of the Fund for the fiscal period ending , 1995.
* The 12b-1 fee is accrued daily and payable monthly, at an annual rate of
1.00% of the lesser of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of
the Fund's shares since the inception of the Fund (not including
reinvestments of dividends or distributions), less the average daily
aggregate net asset value of the Fund's shares redeemed since the Fund's
inception upon which a contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed
or waived, or (b) the Fund's average daily net assets. A portion of the
12b-1 fee equal to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is
characterized as a service fee within the meaning of National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") guidelines.
** "Total Fund Operating Expenses," as shown above, is based upon the sum
of the 12b-1 Fees, Management Fees and estimated "Other Expenses," which
may be incurred by the Fund.
+ The Investment Manager has undertaken to assume all operating expenses
(except for any 12b-1 and/or brokerage fees) and to waive the
compensation provided for in its Management Agreement until such time as
the Fund has $50 million of net assets or until six months from the date
of commencement of the Fund's operations, whichever occurs first. The
fees and expenses disclosed above do not reflect the assumption of any
expenses or the waiver of any compensation by the Investment Manager.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXAMPLE 1 YEAR 3 YEARS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming (1) 5% annual
return and (2) redemption at the end of each time period: .............................. $ $
You would pay the following expenses on the same investment, assuming no redemption: .. $ $
</TABLE>
THE ABOVE EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REPRESENTATION OF PAST OR
FUTURE EXPENSES OR PERFORMANCE. ACTUAL EXPENSES OF THE FUND MAY BE GREATER OR
LESS THAN THOSE SHOWN.
The purpose of this table is to assist the investor in understanding the
various costs and expenses that an investor in the Fund will bear directly or
indirectly. For a more complete description of these costs and expenses, see
"The Fund and its Management," "Plan of Distribution" and "Redemption and
Repurchases."
Long-term shareholders of the Fund may pay more in sales charges and
distribution fees than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales
charges permitted by the NASD.
3
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
THE FUND AND ITS MANAGEMENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund (the "Fund") is an open-end
diversified management investment company. The Fund is a trust of the type
commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust" and was organized under
the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts on October 18, 1994.
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. ("InterCapital" or the "Investment
Manager"), whose address is Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048,
is the Fund's Investment Manager. The Investment Manager, which was
incorporated in July, 1992, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dean Witter,
Discover & Co. ("DWDC"), a balanced financial services organization providing
a broad range of nationally marketed credit and investment products.
InterCapital and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dean Witter Services Company
Inc., serve in various investment management, advisory, management and
administrative capacities to investment companies (the "Dean Witter
Funds"), of which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with combined
assets of approximately $ billion at . The Investment Manager also
manages portfolios of pension plans, other institutions and individuals which
aggregated approximately $ billion at such date.
The Fund has retained the Investment Manager to manage its business
affairs and manage the investment of the Fund's U.S. assets, including the
placing of orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, and to
supervise the investment of all the Fund's assets. In addition, the Fund has
retained InterCapital to provide it with administrative services and
InterCapital has, in turn, retained Dean Witter Services Company to perform
these administrative services.
Under Sub-Advisory Agreements between InterCapital and TCW Funds
Management, Inc. ("TCW") and Morgan Grenfell Investment Services Ltd.
("MGIS"), TCW and MGIS provide the Fund with investment advice and portfolio
management relating to the Fund's investments in securities issued by issuers
located in Canada and Latin America (TCW) and outside the Western Hemisphere
(MGIS), subject to the overall supervision of the Investment Manager.
TCW is located at 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles,
California 90017. TCW was organized in 1987 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of
The TCW Group, Inc., whose direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Trust
Company of the West and TCW Asset Management Company, provide a variety of
trust, investment management and investment advisory services. Robert A. Day,
who is Chairman of the Board of Directors of TCW, may be deemed to be a
control person of TCW by virtue of the aggregate ownership by Mr. Day and his
family of more than 25% of the outstanding voting stock of The TCW Group,
Inc. As of , 1994, TCW and its affiliated companies had approximately
$ billion under management or committed to management, primarily from
institutional investors.
MGIS, whose address is 20 Finsbury Circus, London, England, currently
manages assets in excess of $ billion for U.S. corporate and public
employee benefit plans, investment companies, endowments and foundations.
MGIS is an indirect subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG, the largest commercial
bank in Germany.
The Fund's Trustees review the various services provided by the Investment
Manager and the Sub-Advisers to ensure that the Fund's general investment
policies and programs are being properly carried out and that administrative
services are being provided to the Fund in a satisfactory manner.
As full compensation for the services and facilities furnished to the Fund
and for expenses of the Fund assumed by the Investment Manager, the Fund pays
the Investment Manager monthly compensation calculated daily by applying the
annual rate of 1.0% to the Fund's net assets. As compensation for their
services provided pursuant to their Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Investment
Manager pays each Sub-Adviser monthly compensation equal to 30% of its
monthly compensation.
The Fund's expenses include: the fee of the Investment Manager; the fee
pursuant to the Plan of Distribution (see "Purchase of Fund Shares"); taxes;
certain legal, transfer agent, custodian and auditing fees; and printing and
other expenses relating to the Fund's operations which are not expressly
assumed by the Investment Manager under its Investment Management Agreement
with the Fund. The Investment Manager has undertaken to assume all operating
expenses (except for the Plan of
4
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
Distribution Fee and any brokerage fees) and waive the compensation provided
for in its Investment Management Agreement until such time as the Fund has
$50 million of net assets or until six months from the date of commencement
of the Fund's operations, whichever occurs first.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term total return on
its investments. This objective is a fundamental policy of the Fund and may
not be changed without shareholder approval. There is no assurance that the
objective will be achieved.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through a managed
investment policy utilizing a portfolio of U.S. and foreign equity, debt and
money market securities. The Investment Manager, with the assistance of the
Fund's Sub-Advisers, will initially allocate, and periodically reallocate,
the composition of the Fund's assets based upon an overall evaluation of
global monetary, economic and financial market trends and the anticipated
relative total return on securities available in different capital markets
around the world. In allocating among equity, fixed-income and money market
securities within a given capital market, the Investment Manager, with the
assistance of the Sub-Advisers, will consider the relative opportunity for
price appreciation of equity and fixed-income securities, dividend yields and
the level of interest rates paid on fixed-income securities of various
maturities. Therefore, at any given time, the Fund's assets may be primarily
invested in either U.S. or foreign equity or fixed-income (including money
market) securities, or in any combination thereof. Under normal
circumstances, the Fund will have at least 65% of its total assets invested
in securities invested in at least three separate countries (including the
U.S.).
The Investment Manager will meet with the Fund's Sub-Advisers, at least
quarterly, to discuss the Fund's overall strategy of asset allocation
described above. Once determinations of the equity, fixed-income and money
market sector allocation and geographic distribution of the Fund's assets
have been made, the Investment Manager and each Sub-Adviser will be
responsible for the individual security selection within its geographic area
of responsibility. The final determinations of the sector and geographic
asset allocations of the Fund will be made by the Investment Manager.
Within the equity sector, the Fund seeks to invest in those economic
sectors expected to benefit from major trends and in individual stocks which
are deemed to have superior investment potential. The Fund may purchase
equity securities (including convertible debt obligations and, except for
certain foreign jurisdictions, convertible preferred stock) sold on the New
York, American and other domestic and foreign stock exchanges and in the
over-the-counter market.
Within the fixed-income sector, the Fund seeks to maximize the return on
its investments by adjusting maturities and coupon rates to prevailing
interest rate trends around the world, and by taking cognizance of various
conditions and trends in the foreign currency exchange markets. The
fixed-income securities in which the Fund may invest include debt securities
and preferred stocks with maturities of greater than one year, which are
issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies or
instrumentalities, by foreign governments (including foreign states,
provinces and municipalities) and agencies or instrumentalities thereof and
fixed-income securities issued by U.S. and foreign corporations and other
similar business entities. The Fund may also invest in fixed-income
securities issued or guaranteed by international organizations designed or
supported by multiple governmental entities (which are not obligations of the
U.S. Government or foreign governments) to promote economic reconstruction or
development such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(the "World Bank").
Generally, the fixed-income securities in which the Fund will invest will
be rated at the time of their purchase BBB or better by Standard & Poor's
Corporation ("S&P") or Baa or better by Moody's Investor Service, Inc.
("Moody's"), or investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical
rating organization ("NRSRO"), or which, if unrated, are deemed to be of
comparable quality by the Fund's Investment Manager and/or Sub-Adviser.
However, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in fixed-income
securities
5
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
which are rated below investment grade by a NRSRO or which are unrated (see
below for a discussion of the risks of investing in lower-rated and unrated
fixed-income securities and the Appendix for a description of the Moody's and
S&P's ratings).
Within its money market sector, the Fund seeks to maximize returns by
exploiting spreads among short-term instruments. The money market portion of
the Fund's portfolio will contain short-term (maturities of up to thirteen
months) fixed-income securities, issued by private and governmental
institutions. Such securities may include: U.S. and foreign government
securities; domestic and foreign bank obligations; certificates of deposit
issued by foreign and domestic banks; obligations of savings institutions;
fully insured certificates of deposit; and commercial paper rated within the
two highest grades by S&P or the highest grade by Moody's or, if not rated,
issued by a company having an outstanding debt issue rated at least AA by S&P
or Aa by Moody's.
The principal currencies in which securities held in the Fund's portfolio
will be denominated are: the U.S. dollar; Australian dollar; Deutsche mark;
Japanese yen; French franc; British pound; Canadian dollar; Mexican peso;
Swiss franc; Dutch guilder; Hong Kong dollar; New Zealand dollar; Spanish
peseta; Swedish krona; and European Currency Unit.
RISK CONSIDERATIONS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOREIGN SECURITIES
Foreign securities investments may be affected by changes in currency
rates or exchange control regulations, changes in governmental administration
or economic or monetary policy (in the United States and abroad) or changed
circumstances in dealings between nations. Fluctuations in the relative rates
of exchange between the currencies of different nations will affect the value
of the Fund's investments denominated in foreign currency. Changes in foreign
currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S.
dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated in that currency and thereby
impact upon the Fund's total return on such assets.
Foreign currency exchange rates are determined by forces of supply and
demand on the foreign exchange markets. These forces are themselves affected
by the international balance of payments and other economic and financial
conditions, government intervention, speculation and other factors. Moreover,
foreign currency exchange rates may be affected by the regulatory control of
the exchanges on which the currencies trade. The foreign currency
transactions of the Fund will be conducted on a spot basis or through forward
foreign currency exchange contracts (described below). The Fund will incur
certain costs in connection with these currency transactions.
Investments in foreign securities will also occasion risks relating to
political and economic developments abroad, including the possibility of
expropriations or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the use or transfer
of Fund assets and any effects of foreign social, economic or political
instability. Foreign companies are not subject to the regulatory requirements
of U.S. companies and, as such, there may be less publicly available
information about such companies. Moreover, foreign companies are not subject
to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and
requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies.
Securities of foreign issuers may be less liquid than comparable
securities of U.S. issuers and, as such, their price changes may be more
volatile. Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers are generally
subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their
American counterparts. Brokerage commissions, dealer concessions and other
transaction costs may be higher on foreign markets than in the U.S. In
addition, differences in clearance and settlement procedures on foreign
markets may occasion delays in settlements of the Fund's trades effected in
such markets. As such, the inability to dispose of portfolio securities due
to settlement delays could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent
declines in value of such securities and the inability of the Fund to make
intended security purchases due to settlement problems could result in a
failure of the Fund to make potentially advantageous investments.
Certain of the foreign markets in which the Fund may invest will be
emerging markets. These new and
6
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
incompletely formed markets will have increased risk levels above those
occasioned by investing in foreign markets generally. The types of these
risks are set forth above. The Fund's management will take cognizance of
these risks in allocating any of the Fund's investments in either
fixed-income or equity securities issued by issuers in emerging market
countries.
FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS. The Fund may enter into forward
foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward contracts") in connection with
its foreign securities investments.
A forward contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a currency
at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the
contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the
contract. The Fund may enter into forward contracts as a hedge against
fluctuations in future foreign exchange rates.
The Fund will enter into forward contracts under various circumstances.
When the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security
denominated in a foreign currency, it may, for example, desire to "lock in"
the price of the security in U.S. dollars or some other foreign currency
which the Fund is temporarily holding in its portfolio. By entering into a
forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars or
other currency, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying
security transactions, the Fund will be able to protect itself against a
possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between
the U.S. dollar or other currency which is being used for the security
purchase (by the Fund or the counterparty) and the foreign currency in which
the security is denominated during the period between the date on which the
security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or
received.
At other times, when, for example, the Fund's Investment Manager or one of
its Sub-Adviser's believes that the currency of a particular foreign country
may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar or some other
foreign currency, the Fund may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a
fixed amount of dollars or other currency, the amount of foreign currency
approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's securities holdings (or
securities which the fund has purchased for its portfolio) denominated in
such foreign currency. Under identical circumstances, the Fund may enter into
a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or other
currency, an amount of foreign currency other than the currency in which the
securities to be hedged are denominated approximating the value of some or
all of the portfolio securities to be hedged. This method of hedging, called
"cross-hedging," will be selected when it is determined that the foreign
currency in which the portfolio securities are denominated has insufficient
liquidity or is trading at a discount as compared with some other foreign
currency with which it tends to move in tandem.
In addition, when the Fund anticipates purchasing securities at some time
in the future, and wishes to lock in the current exchange rate of the
currency in which those securities are denominated against the U.S. dollar or
some other foreign currency, the Fund may enter into a forward contract to
purchase an amount of currency equal to some or all of the value of the
anticipated purchase, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or other currency.
In all of the above circumstances, if the currency in which the Fund
securities holdings (or anticipated portfolio securities) are denominated
rises in value with respect to the currency which is being purchased (or
sold), then the Fund will have realized fewer gains than had the Fund not
entered into the forward contracts. Moreover, the precise matching of the
forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not
generally be possible, since the future value of such securities in foreign
currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of
those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and
the date it matures. The Fund is not required to enter into such transactions
with regard to its foreign currency-denominated securities and will not do so
unless deemed appropriate. The Fund generally will not enter into a forward
contract with a term of greater than one year, although it may enter into
forward contracts for periods of up to five years. The Fund may be limited in
its ability to enter into hedging transactions involving forward contracts by
the Internal Revenue Code requirements relating to qualification as a
regulated investment company (see "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes").
AMERICAN DEPOSITORY RECEIPTS: The Fund may also invest in securities of
foreign issuers in the form of American Depository Receipts (ADRs), European
Depository Receipts (EDRs) or other similar securities
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convertible into securities of foreign issuers. These securities may not
necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which
they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a United States
bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs
are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs, in
registered form, are designed for use in the United States securities markets
and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities
markets.
FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES
LOWER-RATED SECURITIES. There is no limitation other than the overall 10%
limitation described above on the percentage of the Fund's total assets which
may be invested in convertible securities (see below) and debt securities
below investment grade. Securities below investment grade are the equivalent
of high yield, high risk bonds, commonly known as "junk bonds." Investment
grade is generally considered to be debt securities rated BBB or higher by
S&P or Baa or higher by Moody's. However, the Fund will not invest in debt
securities that are in default in payment of principal or interest.
Because of the special nature of the Fund's permitted investments in lower
rated debt securities, it must take account of certain special considerations
in assessing the risks associated with such investments. The prices of lower
rated securities have been found to be less sensitive to changes in
prevailing interest rates than higher rated investments, but are likely to be
more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate
developments. During an economic downturn or substantial period of rising
interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress
which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and
interest payment obligations, to meet their projected business goals or to
obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed-income security owned
by the Fund defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek
recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and change can be
expected to result in an increased volatility of market prices of lower rated
securities and a corresponding volatility in the net asset value of a share
of the Fund.
CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. Among the fixed-income securities in which the Fund
may invest are "convertible" securities. A convertible security is a bond,
debenture, note, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into
or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a
different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or
formula. Convertible securities rank senior to common stocks in a
corporation's capital structure and, therefore, entail less risk than the
corporation's common stock. The value of a convertible security is a function
of its "investment value" (its value as if it did not have a conversion
privilege), and its "conversion value" (the security's worth if it were to be
exchanged for the underlying security, at market value, pursuant to its
conversion privilege).
ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE SECURITIES. The 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
eligible for inclusion in a mortgage pool generally provide for a fixed
initial mortgage interest rate for either the first three, six, twelve or
thirteen scheduled monthly payments. Thereafter, the interest rates are
subject to periodic adjustment based on changes to a designated benchmark
index.
ARMs contain maximum and minimum rates beyond which the mortgage interest
rate may not vary over the lifetime of the security. In addition, certain
ARMs provide for additional limitations on the maximum amount by which the
mortgage interest rate may adjust for any single adjustment period.
Alternatively, certain ARMs contain limitations on changes in the required
monthly payment. In the event that a monthly payment is not sufficient to pay
the interest accruing on an ARM, any such excess interest is added to the
principal balance of the mortgage loan, which is repaid through future
monthly payments. If the monthly payment for such an instrument exceeds the
sum of the interest accrued at the applicable mortgage interest rate and the
principal payment required at such point to amortize the outstanding
principal balance over the remaining term of the loan, the excess is utilized
to reduce the then outstanding principal balance of the ARM.
COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS AND MULTICLASS PASS-THROUGH
SECURITIES. The U.S. Government Securities Series may also invest in
collateralized mortgage obligations or "CMOs", which are debt obligations
collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities.
Typically, CMOs are collateralized by Certificates of various U.S.
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Government agencies or instrumentalities, but also may be collateralized by
whole loans or private mortgage pass-through securities (such collateral
collectively hereinafter referred to 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 United
States 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 issuer of a series of CMOs may elect to be treated as a Real Estate
Mortgage Investment Conduit ("REMIC"). REMICs include governmental and/or
private entities that issue a fixed pool of mortgages secured by an interest
in real property. REMICs are similar to CMOs in that they issue multiple
classes of securities but, unlike CMOs, which are required to be structured
as debt securities, REMICs may be structured as indirect ownership interests
in the underlying assets of the REMICs themselves. The Fund may invest
without limitation in CMOs.
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. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Assets may cause the CMOs to be
retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final
distribution dates. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on
a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Certain CMOs may have variable or
floating interest rates and others may be stripped (securities which provide
only the principal or interest feature of the underlying security).
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 the tranche at that 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 are generally 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, among other things, 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.
ZERO COUPON SECURITIES. A portion of the fixed-income securities purchased by
the Fund may be zero coupon securities. Such securities are purchased at a
discount from their face amount, giving the purchaser the right to receive
their full value at maturity. The interest earned on such securities is,
implicitly, automatically compounded and paid out at maturity. While such
compounding at a constant rate eliminates the risk of receiving lower yields
upon reinvestment of interest if prevailing interest rates decline, the owner
of a zero coupon security will be unable to participate in higher yields upon
reinvestment of interest received on interest-paying securities if prevailing
interest rates rise. For this reason, zero coupon securities are subject to
substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing
prevailing interest rates than are comparable securities which pay interest
currently. The Fund may have to sell a portion of its holdings of zero coupon
securities to enable it to meet a certain level of distributions.
OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
The Fund may purchase and sell (write) call and put options on portfolio
securities which are
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denominated in either U.S. dollars or foreign currencies and on the U.S.
dollar and foreign currencies, which are or may in the future be listed on
several U.S. and foreign securities exchanges or are written in
over-the-counter transactions ("OTC options"). OTC options are purchased from
or sold (written) to dealers or financial institutions which have entered
into direct agreements with the Fund.
The Fund is permitted to write covered call options on portfolio
securities and the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies, without limit, in
order to hedge against the decline in the value of a security or currency in
which such security is denominated and to close out long call option
positions. The Fund may write covered put options, under which the Fund
incurs an obligation to buy the security (or currency) underlying the option
from the purchaser of the put at the option's exercise price at any time
during the option period, at the purchaser's election.
The Fund may purchase listed and OTC call and put options in amounts
equalling up to 5% of its total assets. The Fund may purchase call options to
close out a covered call position or to protect against an increase in the
price of a security it anticipates purchasing or, in the case of call options
on a foreign currency, to hedge against an adverse exchange rate change of
the currency in which the security it anticipates purchasing is denominated
vis-a-vis the currency in which the exercise price is denominated. The Fund
may purchase put options on securities which it holds in its portfolio to
protect itself against a decline in the value of the security and to close
out written put positions in a manner similar to call option closing purchase
transactions. There are no other limits on the Fund's ability to purchase
call and put options.
The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts that are currently
traded, or may in the future be traded, on U.S. and foreign commodity
exchanges on underlying portfolio securities, on any currency ("currency"
futures), on U.S. and foreign fixed-income securities ("interest rate"
futures) and on such indexes of U.S. or foreign equity or fixed-income
securities as may exist or come into being ("index" futures). The Fund may
purchase or sell interest rate futures contracts for the purpose of hedging
some or all of the value of its portfolio securities (or anticipated
portfolio securities) against changes in prevailing interest rates. The Fund
may purchase or sell index futures contracts for the purpose of hedging some
or all of its portfolio (or anticipated portfolio) securities against changes
in their prices (or the currency in which they are denominated). As a futures
contract purchaser, the Fund incurs an obligation to take delivery of a
specified amount of the obligation underlying the contract at a specified
time in the future for a specified price. As a seller of a futures contract,
the Fund incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of the
underlying obligation at a specified time in return for an agreed upon price.
The Fund also may purchase and write call and put options on futures
contracts which are traded on an exchange and enter into closing transactions
with respect to such options to terminate an existing position.
New futures contracts, options and other financial products and various
combinations thereof continue to be developed. The Fund may invest in any
such futures, options or products as may be developed, to the extent
consistent with its investment objective and applicable regulatory
requirements.
RISKS OF OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may close out its
position as writer of an option, or as a buyer or seller of a futures
contract, only if a liquid secondary market exists for options or futures
contracts of that series. There is no assurance that such a market will
exist, particularly in the case of OTC options, as such options may generally
only be closed out by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the
purchasing dealer. Also, exchanges may limit the amount by which the price of
many futures contracts may move on any day. If the price moves equal the
daily limit on successive days, then it may prove impossible to liquidate a
futures position until the daily limit moves have ceased.
While the futures contracts and options transactions to be engaged in by
the Fund for the purpose of hedging the Fund's portfolio securities are not
speculative in nature, there are risks inherent in the use of such
instruments. One such risk is that the Investment Manager or Sub-Adviser
could be incorrect in its expectations as to the direction or extent of
various interest rate or price movements or the time span within which the
movements take place. For example, if the Fund sold futures contracts for the
sale of securities in anticipation of an increase in interest rates, and then
interest rates went down instead, causing bond prices to rise, the Fund would
lose
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money on the sale. Another risk which will arise in employing futures
contracts to protect against the price volatility of portfolio securities is
that the prices of securities, currencies and indexes subject to futures
contracts (and thereby the futures contract prices) may correlate imperfectly
with the behavior of the U.S. dollar cash prices of the Fund's portfolio
securities and their denominated currencies. See the Statement of Additional
Information for a further discussion of risks.
INVESTMENT IN OTHER INVESTMENT VEHICLES. Under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "Act"), the Fund generally may invest up to 10% of its
total assets in the aggregate in shares of other investment companies and up
to 3% of its total assets in any one investment company, as long as that
investment does not represent more than 5% of the voting stock of the
acquired investment company at the time such shares are purchased. Investment
in other investment companies or vehicles may be the sole or most practical
means by which the Fund can participate in certain foreign markets. Such
investment may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of
such issuers' portfolio securities, and is subject to limitations under the
Act and market availability. In addition, special tax considerations may
apply. The Fund does not intend to invest in such vehicles or funds unless,
in the judgment of the Investment Manager or Sub-Adviser, the potential
benefits of such investment justify the payment of any applicable premium or
sales charge. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear
its ratable share of that investment company's expenses, including its
advisory and administration fees. At the same time the Fund would continue to
pay its own management fees and other expenses, as a result of which the Fund
and its shareholders in effect will be absorbing duplicate levels of advisory
fees with respect to investments in such other investment companies.
RIGHTS AND WARRANTS. The Fund may acquire rights and/or warrants which are
attached to other securities in its portfolio, or which are issued as a
distribution by the issuer of a security held in its portfolio. Rights and/or
warrants are, in effect, options to purchase equity securities at a specific
price, generally valid for a specific period of time, and have no voting
rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the corporation
issuing them.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements, which
may be viewed as a type of secured lending by the Fund, and which typically
involve the acquisition by the Fund of government securities or other
securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and
loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund will
sell back to the institution, and that the institution will repurchase, the
underlying security at a specified price and at a fixed time in the future,
usually not more than seven days from the date of purchase. While repurchase
agreements involve certain risks not associated with direct investments in
debt securities, including the risks of default or bankruptcy of the selling
financial institution, the Fund follows procedures to minimize such risks.
These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with large,
well-capitalized and well-established financial institutions and maintaining
adequate collateralization.
WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS. From
time to time, in the ordinary course of business, the Fund may purchase
securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell
securities on a forward commitment basis. When such transactions are
negotiated, the price is fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery
and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the commitment.
There is no overall limit on the percentage of the Fund's assets which may be
committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
forward commitment basis. An increase in the percentage of the Fund's assets
committed to the purchase of securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or
forward commitment basis may increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset
value. An increase in the percentage of the Fund's assets committed to the
purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis may
increase the volatility of the Fund's net asset value.
WHEN, AS AND IF ISSUED SECURITIES. The Fund may purchase securities on a
"when, as and if issued" basis under which the issuance of the security
depends upon the occurrence of a subsequent event, such as approval of a
merger, corporate reorganization, leveraged buyout or debt restructuring. If
the anticipated event does not occur and the securities are not issued, the
Fund will have lost an investment opportunity. There is no overall limit on
the percentage of the Fund's assets which may be committed to the purchase of
securities on a "when, as and if issued" basis. An increase in the percentage
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of the Fund's assets committed to the purchase of securities on a "when, as
and if issued" basis may increase the volatility of its net asset value.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND DOLLAR ROLLS. The Fund may also use reverse
repurchase agreements and dollar rolls as part of its investment strategy.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve sales by the Fund of portfolio assets
concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase the same assets at a
later date at a fixed price. The Fund may enter into dollar rolls in which the
Fund sells securities and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially
similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date. Reverse
repurchase agreements and dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value
of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may
decline below the repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities
under a reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll files for bankruptcy or
becomes insolvent, the Fund's use of proceeds of the agreement may be
restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or
receiver, whether to enforce the Fund's obligation to repurchase the
securities.
PRIVATE PLACEMENTS. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in
securities which are subject to restrictions on resale because they have not
been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), or which are otherwise not readily marketable. (Securities eligible
for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and determined to
be liquid pursuant to the procedures discussed in the following paragraph,
are not subject to the foregoing restriction.) These securities are generally
referred to as private placements or restricted securities. Limitations on
the resale of such securities may have an adverse effect on their
marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at
reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering such
securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting such
registration.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted Rule 144A under the
Securities Act, which permits the Fund to sell restricted securities to
qualifed institutional buyers without limitation. The Investment Manager,
pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trustees of the Fund, will make a
determination as to the liquidity of each restricted security purchased by
the Fund. If a restricted security is determined to be "liquid," such
security will not be included within the category "illiquid securities,"
which under current policy may not exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
The Fund's portfolio is actively managed by its Investment Manager and its
Sub-Advisers with a view to achieving the Fund's investment objective. In
determining which securities to purchase for the Fund or hold in the Fund's
portfolios, the Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers will rely on
information from various sources, including research, analysis and appraisals
of brokers and dealers, the views of Trustees of the Fund and others
regarding economic developments and interest rate trends, and the Investment
Manager's and Sub-Adviser's own analysis of factors they deem relevant. The
individuals who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of
the Fund's portfolio are , of InterCapital,
, of TCW, and of MGIS .
Personnel of the Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers have substantial
experience in the use of the investment techniques described above under the
heading "Options and Futures Transactions," which techniques require skills
different from those needed to select the portfolio securities underlying
various options and futures contracts.
Orders for transactions in portfolio securities and commodities may be
placed for the Fund with a number of brokers and dealers, including Dean
Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), a broker-dealer affiliate of InterCapital, and
affiliated broker-dealers of MGIS (Morgan Grenfell Asia and Partners
Securities Pte. Limited, Morgan Grenfell Asia Securities, Deutsche Bank
Capital Markets Ltd., C.J. Lawrence, Morgan Grenfell and Deutsche Bank AG).
Pursuant to an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund may
effect principal transactions in certain money market instruments with DWR, a
broker-dealer affiliate of the Investment Manager. In addition, the Fund may
incur brokerage commissions on transactions conducted through DWR and the
four above-mentioned affiliated broker-dealers of the MGIS.
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Although the Fund does not intend to engage in short-term trading, it may
sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been
held when such sale will, in the opinion of the Investment Manager or
Sub-Adviser, contribute to the Fund's investment objective. It is not
anticipated that the Fund's portfolio turnover rate will exceed % in any one
year.
The expenses of the Fund relating to its portfolio management are likely
to be greater than those incurred by other investment companies investing
primarily in securities issued by domestic issuers as custodial costs,
brokerage commissions and other transaction charges related to investing on
foreign markets are generally higher than in the United States.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
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The investment restrictions listed below are among the restrictions which
have been adopted by the Fund as fundamental policies. Under the Act, a
fundamental policy may not be changed without the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the Act. For
purposes of the following limitations: (i) all percentage limitations apply
immediately after a purchase or initial investment, and (ii) any subsequent
change in any applicable percentage resulting from market fluctuations or
other changes in total or net assets does not require elimination of any
security from the portfolio.
The Fund may not:
1. As to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of the value of its
total assets in the securities of any one issuer (other than obligations
issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, its agencies or
instrumentalities).
2. Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in securities of
issuers in any one industry. This restriction does not apply to obligations
issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, its agencies or
instrumentalities.
3. Invest more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of
issuers having a record, together with predecessors, of less than three years
of continuous operation. This restriction shall not apply to any obligation
issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, its agencies or
instrumentalities.
4. As to 75% of its total assets, purchase more than 10% of the voting
securities, or more than 10% of any class of securities, of any issuer.
UNDERWRITING
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Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Underwriter") has agreed to purchase
up to 10,000,000 shares from the Fund, which number may be increased or
decreased in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement. The initial offering
will run approximately from , 1995 through , 1995. The Underwriting
Agreement provides that the obligation of the Underwriter is subject to
certain conditions precedent and that the Underwriter will be obligated to
purchase the shares on , 1995, or such other date as may be agreed upon
by the Underwriter and the Fund (the "Closing Date"). Shares will not be
issued and dividends will not be declared by the Fund until after the Closing
Date. For this reason, payment is not required to be made prior to the
Closing Date. If any orders received during the initial offering period are
accompanied by payment, such payment will be returned unless an accompanying
request for investment in a Dean Witter money market fund is received at the
time the payment is made. Prospective investors in money market funds should
request and read the money market fund prospectus prior to investing. All
such funds received and invested in a Dean Witter money market fund will be
automatically invested in the Fund on the Closing Date without any further
action by the investor. Any investor may cancel his or her purchase of Fund
shares without penalty at any time prior to the Closing Date.
The Underwriter will purchase shares from the Fund at $10.00 per share. No
underwriting discounts or selling commissions will be deducted from the
initial public offering price. The Underwriter may, however, receive
contingent deferred sales charges from future redemptions of such shares (see
"Repurchases and Redemptions--Contingent Deferred Sales Charge").
The Underwriter shall, regardless of its expected underwriting commitment,
be entitled and obligated to
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purchase only the number of shares for which purchase orders have been
received by the Underwriter prior to 2:00 p.m., New York time, on the third
business day preceding the Closing Date, or such other date as may be agreed
to between the parties.
The minimum number of Fund shares which may be purchased by any
shareholder pursuant to this offering is 100 shares. Certificates for shares
purchased will not be issued unless requested by the shareholder in writing.
PURCHASE OF FUND SHARES--CONTINUOUS OFFERING
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Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor") will act as the
Distributor of the Fund's shares during the continuous offering. Pursuant to
a Distribution Agreement between the Fund and the Distributor, shares of the
Fund are distributed by the Distributor and offered by DWR and other dealers
which have entered into agreements with the Distributor ("Selected
Broker-Dealers"). The principal executive office of the Distributor, an
affiliate of InterCapital, is located at Two World Trade Center, New York,
New York 10048.
The offering price will be the net asset value per share next determined
following receipt of an order by the Transfer Agent (see "Determination of
Net Asset Value"). While no sales charge is imposed at the time shares are
purchased, a contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed at the time of
redemption (see "Repurchases and Redemptions"). Sales personnel are
compensated for selling shares of the Fund at the time of their sale by the
Distributor and/or Selected Broker-Dealer. In addition, some sales personnel
of the Selected Broker-Dealer will receive various types of non-cash
compensation as special sales incentives, including trips, educational and/or
business seminars and merchandise. The Fund and the Distributor reserve the
right to reject any purchase orders.
The minimum initial purchase is $1,000. Minimum subsequent purchases of
$100 or more may be made by sending a check, payable to Dean Witter Global
Asset Allocation Fund directly to Dean Witter Trust Company (the "Transfer
Agent") at P.O. Box 1040, Jersey City, NJ 07303 or by contacting an account
executive of DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer. In the case of investments
pursuant to Systematic Payroll Deduction Plans (including Individual
Retirement Plans), the Fund, in its discretion, may accept investments
without regard to any minimum amounts which would otherwise be required if
the Fund has reason to believe that additional investments will increase the
investment in all accounts under such Plans to at least $1,000. Certificates
for shares purchased will not be issued unless a request is made by the
shareholder in writing to the Transfer Agent. The offering price will be the
net asset value per share next determined following receipt of an order (see
"Determination of Net Asset Value").
Shares of the Fund are sold through the Distributor on a normal five
business day settlement basis; that is, payment is due on the fifth business
day (settlement date) after the order is placed with the Distributor. Shares
of the Fund purchased through the Distributor are entitled to any dividends
declared beginning on the next business day following settlement date. Since
DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers forward investors' funds on settlement
date, they will benefit from the temporary use of the funds if payment is
made prior thereto. Shares purchased through the Transfer Agent are entitled
to any dividends declared beginning on the next business day following
receipt of an order. As noted above, orders placed directly with the Transfer
Agent must be accompanied by payment.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the
Act (the "Plan"), under which the Fund pays the Distributor a fee, which is
accrued daily and payable monthly, at an annual rate of 1.0% of the lesser
of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's shares since
the inception of the Fund (not including reinvestments of dividends or
capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate net asset
value of the Fund's shares redeemed since the Fund's inception upon which a
contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed or waived; or (b) the
Fund's average daily net assets. This fee is treated by the Fund as an
expense in the year it is accrued. A portion of the fee payable pursuant to
the Plan, equal to 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets, is
characterized as a service fee within the meaning of NASD guidelines.
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Amounts paid under the Plan are paid to the Distributor for services
provided and the expenses borne by the Distributor and others in the
distribution of the Fund's shares, including the payment of commissions for
sales of the Fund's shares and incentive compensation to and expenses of
DWR's account executives and others who engage in or support distribution of
shares or who service shareholder accounts, including overhead and telephone
expenses; printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in
connection with the offering of the Fund's shares to other than current
shareholders; and preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature
and advertising materials. In addition, the Distributor may utilize fees paid
pursuant to the Plan to compensate DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers for
their opportunity costs in advancing such amounts, which compensation would
be in the form of a carrying charge on any unreimbursed expenses.
At any given time, the expenses in distributing shares of the Fund may be
in excess of the total of (i) the payments made by the Fund pursuant to the
Plan, and (ii) the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by
investors upon the redemption of shares (see "Redemption and
Repurchases--Contingent Deferred Sales Charge"). For example, if $1 million
in expenses in distributing shares of the Fund had been incurred and $750,000
had been received as described in (i) and (ii) above, the excess expense
would amount to $250,000.
Because there is no requirement under the Plan that the Distributor be
reimbursed for all distribution expenses or any requirement that the Plan be
continued from year to year, such excess amount, if any, does not constitute
a liability of the Fund. Although there is no legal obligation for the Fund
to pay expenses incurred in excess of payments made to the Distributor under
the Plan, and the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by
investors upon redemption of shares, if for any reason the Plan is terminated
the Trustees will consider at that time the manner in which to treat such
expenses. Any cumulative expenses incurred, but not yet recovered through
distribution fees or contingent deferred sales charges, may or may not be
recovered through future distribution fees or contingent deferred sales
charges.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value per share of the Fund is determined once daily at 4:00
p.m., New York time by taking the value of all assets of the Fund,
subtracting all its liabilities, dividing by the number of shares outstanding
and adjusting to the nearest cent. The net asset value per share will not be
determined on Good Friday and on such other federal and non-federal holidays
as are observed by the New York Stock Exchange.
In the calculation of the Fund's net asset value: (1) an equity portfolio
security listed or traded on the New York or American Stock Exchange or other
domestic or foreign stock exchange is valued at its latest sale price on that
exchange prior to the time assets are valued; if there were no sales that
day, the security is valued at the latest bid price (in cases where a
security is traded on more than one exchange, the security is valued on the
exchange designated as the primary market by the Trustees); (2) an option is
valued at the mean between the latest bid and asked prices); (3) a futures
contract is valued at the latest sales price on the commodities exchange on
which it trades unless the Board determines that such price does not reflect
its market value, in which case it will be valued at its fair value as
determined by the Board of Trustees; (4) all other portfolio securities for
which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available are valued at
the latest bid price; (5) when market quotations are not readily available,
including circumstances under which it is determined by the Investment
Manager or Sub-Adviser that sale or bid prices are not reflective of a
security's market value, portfolio securities are valued at their fair value
as determined in good faith under procedures established by and under the
general supervision of the Fund's Trustees (valuation of debt securities for
which market quotations are not readily available may be based upon current
market prices of securities which are comparable in coupon, rating and
maturity or an appropriate matrix utilizing similar factors); (6) the value
of short-term debt securities which mature at a date less than sixty days
subsequent to valuation date will be determined on an amortized cost or
amortized value basis; and (7) the value of other assets will be determined
in good faith at fair value under procedures established by and under the
general supervision of the Fund's Trustees. For valuation purposes,
quotations of foreign portfolio securities, other assets and liabilities and
forward contracts stated in foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollar
equivalents at the prevailing market rates as of the morning of valuation.
Dividends receivable are accrued as of the ex-dividend date or as of the time
that the relevant ex-dividend date and amounts become known.
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Certain securities in the Fund's portfolio may be valued by an outside
pricing service approved by
the Fund's Trustees. The pricing service utilizes a matrix system
incorporating security quality, maturity
and coupon as the evaluation model parameters, and/or research evaluations by
its staff, including review of broker-dealer market price quotations, in
determining what it believes is the fair valuation of the portfolio
securities valued by such pricing service.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
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AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
All income dividends and capital gains distributions are automatically paid
in full and fractional shares of the Fund (or, if specified by the
shareholder, any other open-end investment company for which InterCapital
serves as investment manager (collectively, with the Fund, the "Dean Witter
Funds")), unless the shareholder requests that they be paid in cash. Shares
so acquired are not subject to the imposition of a contingent deferred sales
charge upon their redemption (see "Redemptions and Repurchases").
INVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS OR DISTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED IN CASH. Any shareholder
who receives a cash payment representing a dividend or capital gains
distribution may invest such dividend or distribution at the net asset value
next determined after receipt by the Transfer Agent, by returning the check
or the proceeds to the Transfer Agent within thirty days after the payment
date. Shares so acquired are not subject to the imposition of a contingent
deferred sales charge upon their redemption (see "Redemptions and
Repurchases").
EASYINVEST.(SM) Shareholders may subscribe to EasyInvest, an automatic
purchase plan which provides for any amount from $100 to $5,000 to be
transferred automatically from a checking or savings account, on a
semi-monthly, monthly or quarterly basis, to the Transfer Agent for
investment in shares of the Fund.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. A systematic withdrawal plan (the "Withdrawal
Plan") is available for shareholders who own or purchase shares of the Fund
having a minimum value of $10,000 based upon the then current net asset
value. The Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly or quarterly (March, June,
September and December) checks in any amount, not less than $25, or in any
whole percentage of the account balance, on an annualized basis. Any
applicable contingent deferred sales charge will be imposed on shares
redeemed under the Withdrawal Plan (See "Redemptions and
Repurchases--Contingent Deferred Sales Charge"). Therefore, any shareholder
participating in the Withdrawal Plan will have sufficient shares redeemed
from his or her account so that the proceeds (net of any applicable
contingent deferred sales charge) to the shareholder will be the designated
monthly or quarterly amount.
TAX-SHELTERED RETIREMENT PLANS. Retirement plans are available for use by
corporations, the self-employed, Individual Retirement Accounts and Custodial
Accounts under Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code. Adoption of
such plans should be on advice of legal counsel or tax adviser.
Shareholders should contact their DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer
account executive or the Transfer Agent for further information about any of
the above services.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
The Fund makes available to its shareholders an "Exchange Privilege"
allowing the exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of other Dean Witter
Funds sold with a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC funds"), and for
shares of Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, Dean Witter Limited
Term Municipal Trust, Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund and five Dean Witter
Funds which are money market funds (the foregoing eight non-CDSC funds are
hereinafter collectively referred to in this section as the "Exchange
Funds.") Exchanges may be made after the shares of the Fund acquired by
purchase (not by exchange or dividend reinvestment) have been held for thirty
days. There is no waiting period for exchanges of shares acquired by exchange
or dividend reinvestment.
An exchange to another CDSC fund or any Exchange Fund that is not a money
market fund is on the basis of the next calculated net asset value per share
of each fund after the exchange order is received. When exchanging into a
money market fund from the Fund, shares of the Fund are redeemed out of the
Fund at their next calculated net asset value and the proceeds of the
redemption are used to purchase
16
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CAPITAL PRINTING SYSTEMS]
<PAGE>
shares of the money market fund at their net asset value determined the
following day. Subsequent exchanges between any of the money market funds and
any of the CDSC funds can be effected on the same basis. No contingent
deferred sales charge ("CDSC") is imposed at the time of any exchange,
although any applicable CDSC will be imposed upon ultimate redemption. Shares
of the Fund acquired in exchange for shares of another CDSC fund having a
different CDSC schedule than that of this Fund will be subject to the CDSC
schedule of this Fund, even if such shares are subsequently re-exchanged for
shares of the CDSC fund originally purchased. During the period of time the
shareholder remains invested in shares of an Exchange Fund (calculated from
the last day of the month in which the shares were acquired) the holding
period (for the purpose of determining the rate of the contingent deferred
sales charge) is frozen. If those shares are subsequently reexchanged for
shares of a CDSC fund, the holding period previously frozen when the first
exchange was made resumes on the last day of the month in which shares of a
CDSC fund are reacquired. Thus, the CDSC is based upon the time (calculated
as described above) the shareholder was invested in shares of a CDSC fund
(see "Redemptions and Repurchases--Contingent Deferred Sales Charge").
However, in the case of shares exchanged for shares of an Exchange Fund, upon
a redemption of shares which results in a CDSC being imposed, a credit (not
to exceed the amount of the CDSC) will be given in an amount equal to the
Exchange Fund 12b-1 distribution fees, if any, incurred on or after that date
which are attributable to those shares. (Exchange Fund 12b-1 distribution
fees are described in the prospectuses for those funds.)
In addition, shares of the Fund may be acquired in exchange for shares of
Dean Witter Funds sold with a front-end sales charge ("front-end sales charge
funds"), but shares of the Fund, however acquired, may not be exchanged for
shares of front-end sales charge funds. Shares of a CDSC fund acquired in
exchange for shares of a front-end sales charge fund (or in exchange for
shares of other Dean Witter Funds for which shares of a front-end sales
charge fund have been exchanged) are not subject to any CDSC upon their
redemption.
Purchases and exchanges should be made for investment purposes only. A
pattern of frequent exchanges may be deemed by the Investment Manager to be
abusive and contrary to the best interests of the Fund's other shareholders
and, at the Investment Manager's discretion, may be limited by the Fund's
refusal to accept additional purchases and/or exchanges from the investor.
Although the Fund does not have any specific definition of what constitutes a
pattern of frequent exchanges, and will consider all relevant factors in
determining whether a particular situation is abusive and contrary to the
best interests of the Fund and its other shareholders, investors should be
aware that the Fund and each of the other Dean Witter Funds may in their
discretion limit or otherwise restrict the number of times this Exchange
Privilege may be exercised by any investor. Any such restriction will be made
by the Fund on a prospective basis only, upon notice to the shareholder not
later than ten days following such shareholder's most recent exchange.
The Exchange Privilege may be terminated or revised at any time by the
Fund and/or any of such Dean Witter Funds for which shares of the Fund have
been exchanged, upon such notice as may be required by applicable regulatory
agencies (presently sixty days' prior written notice for termination or
material revision), provided that six months' prior written notice of
termination will be given to shareholders who hold shares of an Exchange Fund
pursuant to the Exchange Privilege, and provided further that the Exchange
Privilege may be terminated or materially revised without notice under
certain unusual circumstances. Shareholders maintaining margin accounts with
DWR or another Selected Dealer are referred to their account executive
regarding restrictions on exchange of shares of the Fund pledged in the
margin account.
The current prospectus for each fund describes its investment objective(s)
and policies, and shareholders should obtain a copy and examine it carefully
before investing. Exchanges are subject to the minimum investment requirement
and any other conditions imposed by each fund. An exchange will be treated
for federal income tax purposes the same as a repurchase or redemption of
shares, on which the shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss. However,
the ability to deduct capital losses on an exchange may be limited in
situations where there is an exchange of shares within ninety days after the
shares are purchased. The Exchange Privilege is only available in states
where an exchange may legally be made.
If DWR or another Selected Broker-Dealer is the current dealer of record
and its account numbers are part of the account information, shareholders may
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initiate an exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of any of the Dean
Witter Funds (for which the Exchange Privilege is available) pursuant to this
Exchange Privilege by contacting their DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer
account executive (no Exchange Privilege Authorization Form is required).
Other shareholders (and those shareholders who are clients of DWR or another
Selected Broker-Dealer but who wish to make exchanges directly by telephoning
the Transfer Agent) must complete and forward to the Transfer Agent an
Exchange Privilege Authorization Form, copies of which may be obtained from
the Transfer Agent, to initiate an exchange. If the Authorization Form is
used, exchanges may be made in writing or by contacting the Transfer Agent at
(800) 526-3143 (toll free). The Fund will employ reasonable procedures to
confirm that exchange instructions communicated over the telephone are
genuine. Such procedures may include requiring various forms of personal
identification such as name, mailing address, social security or other tax
identification number and DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer account number
(if any). Telephone instructions may also be recorded. If such procedures are
not employed, the Fund may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or
fraudulent instructions.
Telephone exchange instructions will be accepted if received by the
Transfer Agent between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. New York time, on any day the
New York Stock Exchange is open. Any shareholder wishing to make an exchange
who has previously filed an Exchange Privilege Authorization Form and who is
unable to reach the Fund by telephone should contact his or her DWR or other
Selected Broker-Dealer account executive, if appropriate, or make a written
exchange request. Shareholders are advised that during periods of drastic
economic or market changes, it is possible that the telephone exchange
procedures may be difficult to implement, although this has not been the case
with the Dean Witter Funds in the past.
For further information regarding the Exchange Privilege, shareholders
should contact their DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer account executive or
the Transfer Agent.
REDEMPTIONS AND REPURCHASES
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REDEMPTION. Shares of the Fund can be redeemed for cash at any time at the
net asset value per share next determined; however, such redemption proceeds
may be reduced by the amount of any applicable contingent deferred sales
charges (see below). If shares are held in a shareholder's account without a
share certificate, a written request for redemption to the Fund's Transfer
Agent at P.O. Box 983, Jersey City, NJ 07303 is required. If certificates are
held by the shareholder, the shares may be redeemed by surrendering the
certificates with a written request for redemption, along with any additional
documentation required by the Transfer Agent.
CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE. Shares of the Fund which are held for six
years or more after purchase (calculated from the last day of the month in
which the shares were purchased) will not be subject to any charge upon
redemption. Shares redeemed sooner than six years after purchase may,
however, be subject to a charge upon redemption. This charge is called a
"contingent deferred sales charge" ("CDSC"), and it will be a percentage of
the dollar amount of shares redeemed and will be assessed on an amount equal
to the lesser of the current market value or the cost of the shares being
redeemed. The size of this percentage will depend upon how long the shares
have been held, as set forth in the table below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONTINGENT DEFERRED
SALES CHARGE AS A
YEAR SINCE PURCHASE PERCENTAGE OF AMOUNT
PAYMENT MADE REDEEMED
- -------------------------- -----------------------
<S> <C>
First ..................... 5.0%
Second .................... 4.0%
Third ..................... 3.0%
Fourth .................... 2.0%
Fifth ..................... 2.0%
Sixth ..................... 1.0%
Seventh and thereafter ... None
</TABLE>
A CDSC will not be imposed on: (i) any amount which represents an increase
in value of shares purchased within the six years preceding the redemption;
(ii) the current net asset value of shares purchased more than six years
prior to the redemption; and (iii) the current net asset asset value of
shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends or distributions and/or
shares acquired in exchange for shares of Dean Witter Funds sold with a
front-end sales charge or of other Dean Witter Funds acquired in exchange for
such shares. Moreover, in determining whether a CDSC is applicable it will be
assumed that
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amounts described in (i), (ii) and (iii) above (in that order) are redeemed
first. In addition, no CDSC will be imposed on redemptions of shares which
were purchased by the employee benefit plans established by DWR and SPS
Transaction Services, Inc. (an affiliate of DWR) for their employees as
qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.
In addition, the CDSC, if otherwise applicable, will be waived in the case
of (i) redemptions of shares held at the time a shareholder dies or becomes
disabled, only if the shares are (a) registered either in the name of an
individual shareholder (not a trust), or in the names of such shareholder and
his or her spouse as joint tenants with right of survivorship, or (b) held in
a qualified corporate or self-employed retirement plan, Individual Retirement
Account or Custodial Account under Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue
Code, provided in either case that the redemption is requested within one
year of the death or initial determination of disability, and (ii)
redemptions in connection with the following retirement plan distributions:
(a) lump-sum or other distributions from a qualified corporate or
self-employed retirement plan following retirement (or in the case of a "key
employee" of a "top heavy" plan, following attainment of age 59 1/2 ); (b)
distributions from an Individual Retirement Account or Custodial Account
under Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code following attainment of
age 59 1/2 ; and (c) a tax-free return of an excess contribution to an IRA.
For the purpose of determining disability, the Distributor utilizes the
definition of disability contained in Section 72(m)(7) of the Internal
Revenue Code, which relates to the inability to engage in gainful employment.
All waivers will be granted only following receipt by the Distributor of
confirmation of the shareholder's entitlement.
REPURCHASE. DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers are authorized to
repurchase shares represented by a share certificate which is delivered to
any of their offices. Shares held in a shareholder's account without a share
certificate may also be repurchased by DWR and other Selected Broker-Dealers
upon the telephonic request of the shareholder. The repurchase price is the
net asset value per share next determined (see "Purchase of Fund Shares")
after such purchase order is received by DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer,
reduced by any applicable CDSC.
The CDSC, if any, will be the only fee imposed upon repurchase by the
Fund, the Distributor, DWR or other Selected Broker-Dealer. The offer by DWR
and other Selected Broker-Dealers to repurchase shares may be suspended
without notice by them at any time. In that event, shareholders may redeem
their shares through the Fund's Transfer Agent as set forth above under
"Redemption."
PAYMENT FOR SHARES REDEEMED OR REPURCHASED.
Payment for shares presented for repurchase or redemption will be made by
check within seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of the
certificate and/or written request in good order. Such payment may be
postponed or the right of redemption suspended under unusual circumstances.
If the shares to be redeemed have recently been purchased by check, payment
of the redemption proceeds may be delayed for the minimum time needed to
verify that the check used for investment has been honored (not more than
fifteen days from the time of receipt of the check by the Transfer Agent).
Shareholders maintaining margin accounts with DWR or another Selected Dealer
are referred to their account executive regarding restrictions on redemption
of shares of the Fund pledged in the margin account.
REINSTATEMENT PRIVILEGE. A shareholder who has had his or her shares redeemed
or repurchased and has not previously exercised this reinstatement privilege
may, within thirty days after the date of the redemption or repurchase,
reinstate any portion or all of the proceeds of such redemption or repurchase
in shares of the Fund at the net asset value next determined after a
reinstatement request, together with the proceeds, is received by the
Transfer Agent and receive a pro rata credit for any CDSC paid in connection
with such redemption or repurchase.
INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTION. The Fund reserves the right to redeem, upon sixty
days' notice and at net asset value, the shares of any shareholder whose
shares have a value of less than $100 as a result of redemptions or
repurchases, or such lesser amount as may be fixed by the Board of Trustees.
However, before the Fund redeems such shares and sends the proceeds to the
shareholder, it will notify the shareholder that the value of the shares is
less than $100 and allow the shareholder to make an additional investment in
an amount which will increase the value of the account to $100 or more before
the redemption is processed. No CDSC will be imposed on any involuntary
redemption.
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DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS. The Fund intends to pay at least annually
dividends and to distribute substantially all of the Fund's net investment
income and net short-term capital gains, if there are any. The Fund intends
to distribute dividends from net long-term capital gains, if any, at least
once each year. The Fund may, however, determine either to distribute or to
retain all or part of any long-term capital gains in any year for
reinvestment.
All dividends and any capital gains distributions will be paid in
additional Fund shares and automatically credited to the shareholder's
account without issuance of a share certificate unless the shareholder
requests in writing that all dividends be paid in cash. (See "Shareholder
Services--Automatic Investment of Dividends and Distributions".)
TAXES. Because the Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment
income and net short-term capital gains to shareholders and otherwise remain
qualified as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the
Internal Revenue Code, it is not expected that the Fund will be required to
pay any federal income tax. Shareholders who are required to pay taxes on
their income will normally have to pay federal income taxes, and any state
income taxes, on the dividends and distributions they receive from the Fund.
Such dividends and distributions, to the extent that they are derived from
net investment income or short-term capital gains, are taxable to the
shareholder as ordinary dividend income regardless of whether the shareholder
receives such distributions in additional shares or in cash.
One of the requirements for the Fund to remain qualified as a regulated
investment company is that less than 30% of the Fund's gross income be
derived from gains from the sale or other disposition of securities held for
less than three months. Accordingly, the Fund may be restricted in the
writing of options on securities held for less than three months, in the
writing of options which expire in less than three months, and in effecting
closing transactions with respect to call or put options which have been
written or purchased less than three months prior to such transactions. The
Fund may also be restricted in its ability to engage in transactions
involving futures contracts.
Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to
shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of how long a shareholder
has held the Fund's shares and regardless of whether the distribution is
received in additional shares or in cash. Capital gains distributions are not
eligible for the dividends received deduction.
At the end of the calendar year, shareholders will be sent full
information on their dividends and capital gains distributions for tax
purposes, including information as to the portion taxable as ordinary income,
the portion taxable as long-term capital gains, and the amount of dividends
eligible for the Federal dividends received deduction available to
corporations. To avoid being subject to a 31% federal backup withholding tax
on taxable dividends, capital gains distributions and the proceeds of
redemptions and repurchases, shareholders' taxpayer identification numbers
must be furnished and certified as to their accuracy.
Dividends, interest and gains received by the Fund may give rise to
withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. If it qualifies for
and makes the appropriate election with the Internal Revenue Service, the
Fund will report annually to its shareholders the amount per share of such
taxes to enable shareholders to claim United States foreign tax credits or
deductions with respect to such taxes. In the absence of such an election,
the Fund would deduct foreign tax in computing the amount of its
distributable income.
Shareholders should consult their tax advisers as to the applicability of
the foregoing to their current situation.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
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From time to time the Fund may quote its "total return" in advertisements
and sales literature. The total return of the Fund is based on historical
earnings and is not intended to indicate future performance. The "average
annual total return" of the Fund refers to a figure reflecting the average
annualized percentage increase (or decrease) in the value of an initial
investment in the Fund of $1,000 over periods of one, five and ten years, or
for the life of the Fund, if less than any of the foregoing. Average annual
total return
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reflects all income earned by the Fund, any appreciation or depreciation of
the Fund's assets, all expenses incurred by the Fund and all sales charges
which would be incurred by redeeming shareholders, for the stated periods. It
also assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions paid by the
Fund.
In addition to the foregoing, the Fund may advertise its total return over
different periods of time by means of aggregate, average, year-by-year or
other types of total return figures. The Fund may also advertise the growth
of hypothetical investments of $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000 in shares of the
Fund. Such calculations may or may not reflect the deduction of the
contingent deferred sales charge which, if reflected, would reduce the
performance quoted. The Fund from time to time may also advertise its
performance relative to certain performance rankings and indexes compiled by
independent organizations (such as mutual fund performance rankings of Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc. and ).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOTING RIGHTS. All shares of beneficial interest of the Fund are of $0.01
par value and are equal as to earnings, assets and voting privileges.
The Fund is not required to hold Annual Meetings of Shareholders and in
ordinary circumstances the Fund does not intend to hold such meetings. The
Trustees may call Special Meetings of Shareholders for action by shareholder
vote as may be required by the Act or the Declaration of Trust. Under certain
circumstances, the Trustees may be removed by action of the Trustees or by
the Shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may, under
certain limited circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for the
obligations of the Fund. However, the Declaration of Trust contains an
express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the
Fund, requires that notice of such Fund obligations include such disclaimer,
and provides for indemnification out of the Fund's property for any
shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund. Thus, the
risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder
liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund itself would be
unable to meet its obligations. Given the above limitations on shareholder
personal liability, and the nature of the Fund's assets and operations, in
the opinion of Massachusetts counsel to the Fund, the risk to Fund
shareholders of personal liability is remote.
SHAREHOLDER INQUIRIES. All inquiries regarding the Fund should be directed to
the Fund at the telephone
number or address set forth on the front cover of those Prospectus.
The Investment Manager provided the initial capital for the Fund by
purchasing 10,000 shares of the Fund for $100,000 on , 1994. As of the
date of this Prospectus, the Investment Manager owned 100% of the outstanding
shares of the Fund. The Investment Manager may be deemed to control the Fund
until such time as it owns less than 25% of the outstanding shares of the
Fund.
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APPENDIX
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RATINGS OF CORPORATE DEBT INSTRUMENTS
MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE INC. ("MOODY'S")
BOND RATINGS
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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.
Bonds rated Aaa, Aa, A and Baa are considered investment grade bonds.
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 therefore not well
safeguarded during both good and bad times in the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in 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 present 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.
</TABLE>
Rating Refinements: Moody's may apply numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 in
each generic rating classification from Aa through B in its municipal 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 a modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end if
its generic rating category.
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
Moody's Commercial Paper ratings are opinions of the ability to repay
punctually promissory obligations not having an original maturity in excess
of nine months. The ratings apply to Municipal Commercial Paper as well as
taxable Commercial Paper. Moody's employs the following three designations,
all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment
capacity of rated issuers: Prime-1, Prime-2, Prime-3.
22
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<PAGE>
Issuers rated Prime-1 have a superior capacity for repayment of short-term
promissory obligations. Issuers rated Prime-2 have a strong capacity for
repayment of short-term promissory obligations; and Issuers rated Prime-3
have an acceptable capacity for repayment of short-term promissory
obligations. Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime
rating categories.
STANDARD & POOR'S CORPORATION ("STANDARD & POOR'S")
BOND RATINGS
A Standard & Poor's bond rating is a current assessment of the
creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific obligation. This
assessment may take into consideration obligors such as guarantors, insurers,
or lessees.
The ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or
obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. The
ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations: (1)
likelihood of default-capacity and willingness of the obligor as to the
timely payment of interest and repayment of principal in accordance with the
terms of the obligation; (2) nature of and provisions of the obligation; and
(3) protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the
event of bankruptcy, reorganization or other arrangement under the laws of
bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating
and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings
may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or
unavailability of, such information, or for other reasons.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
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 highest-rated
issues only in small degree.
A Debt rated "A" has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although they are 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 for debt
in higher-rated categories.
Bonds rated AAA, AA, A and BBB are considered investment grade bonds.
BB Debt rated "BB" has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative grade debt. However, it faces
major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions which could lead to
inadequate capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal.
B Debt rated "B" has a greater vulnerability to default but presently has the capacity to meet interest payments
and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions would likely impair capacity or
willingness to pay interest and repay principal.
CCC Debt rated "CCC" has a current identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business,
financial and economic conditions to meet timely payments of interest and repayments of principal. In the event
of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and
repay principal.
CC The rating "CC" is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied
"CCC" rating.
C The rating "C" is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied
"CCC-" debt rating.
Cl The rating "Cl" is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
23
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<PAGE>
D Debt rated "D" is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when interest payments or principal
payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes
that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a
bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.
NR Indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating or
that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
Bonds rated "BB", "B", "CCC", "CC" and "C" are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with
respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. "BB" indicates the least 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 large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.
Plus (+) or minus (-): The rating from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to
show relative standing with the major ratings categories.
</TABLE>
COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS
Standard and Poor's commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the
likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more
than 365 days. The commercial paper rating is not a recommendation to
purchase or sell a security. The ratings are based upon current information
furnished by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers
reliable. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of
changes in or unavailability of such information. Ratings are graded into
group categories, ranging from "A" for the highest quality obligations to "D"
for the lowest. Ratings are applicable to both taxable and tax-exempt
commercial paper. The categories are as follows:
Issues assigned A ratings are regarded as having the greatest capacity for
timely payment. Issues in this category are further refined with the
designation 1, 2, and 3 to indicate the relative degree of safety.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
A-1 indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is very strong.
A-2 indicates capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is strong. However, the relative degree of
safety is not as overwhelming as for issues designated "A-1".
A-3 indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment. Obligations carrying this designation are, however,
somewhat more vulnerable to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances than obligations carrying the higher
designations.
</TABLE>
24
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<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER
GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048
TRUSTEES
OFFICERS
Charles A. Fiumefreddo
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Sheldon Curtis
Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel
Vice President
Thomas F. Caloia
Treasurer
CUSTODIAN
TRANSFER AGENT AND
DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT
Dean Witter Trust Company
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza Two
Jersey City, New Jersey 07311
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
INVESTMENT MANAGER
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.
SUBADVISERS
TCW Funds Management, Inc.
Morgan Grenfell Investment Services Limited
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
, 199
DEAN WITTER
GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION
FUND
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund (the "Fund") is an open-end
diversified management investment company whose investment objective is to
seek long-term total return on its investments. The Fund seeks to meet its
investment objective by allocating its assets among U.S. and foreign
equities, fixed-income securities and money market instruments. (See
"Investment Practices and Policies.")
A Prospectus for the Fund dated , which provides the basic
information you should know before investing in the Fund, may be obtained
without charge from the Fund at its address or telephone number listed below
or from the Fund's Distributor, Dean Witter Distributors Inc., or from Dean
Witter Reynolds Inc., at any of its branch offices. This Statement of
Additional Information is not a Prospectus. It contains information in
addition to and more detailed than that set forth in the Prospectus. It is
intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and
operations of the Fund, and should be read in conjunction with the
Prospectus.
Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048
(212) 392-2550
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
The Fund and its Management ..........................3
Trustees and Officers ................................ 7
Investment Practices and Policies .................... 8
Investment Restrictions .............................. 23
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage ................. 24
The Underwriter ...................................... 26
The Distributor ...................................... 26
Shareholder Services ................................. 29
Redemptions and Repurchases .......................... 33
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes ................... 35
Performance Information .............................. 37
Shares of the Fund ................................... 38
Custodian and Transfer Agent ......................... 38
Independent Accountants .............................. 39
Reports to Shareholders .............................. 39
Legal Counsel ........................................ 39
Experts .............................................. 39
Registration Statement ............................... 39
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at ... 40
Report of Independent Accountants .................... 41
</TABLE>
2
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
THE FUND AND ITS MANAGEMENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE FUND
The Fund is a trust of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts
business trust" and was organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts on , 1994.
THE INVESTMENT MANAGER
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. (the "Investment Manager" or
"InterCapital"), a Delaware corporation, whose address is Two World Trade
Center, New York, New York 10048, is the Fund's Investment Manager.
InterCapital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dean Witter, Discover & Co.
("DWDC"), a Delaware corporation. In an internal reorganization which took
place in January, 1993, InterCapital assumed the investment advisory,
administrative and management activities previously performed by the
InterCapital Division of Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"), a broker-dealer
affiliate of InterCapital. (As hereinafter used in this Statement of
Additional Information, the terms "InterCapital" and "Investment Manager"
refer to DWR's InterCapital Division prior to the internal reorganization and
to Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. thereafter.) The daily management of the
Fund and research relating to the portfolio of of the Fund is conducted by or
under the direction of officers of the Fund and of the Investment Manager and
Sub-Advisers, subject to review of investments by the Fund's Board of
Trustees. In addition, Trustees of the Fund provide guidance on economic
factors and interest rate trends. Information as to these Trustees and
Officers is contained under the caption "Trustees and Officers."
InterCapital is also the investment manager (or investment adviser and
administrator) of the following investment companies: Dean Witter Liquid
Asset Fund, Inc., InterCapital Income Securities Inc., Dean Witter High Yield
Securities Inc., Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust, Dean Witter
Developing Growth Securities Trust, Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust,
Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc., Dean Witter Natural Resource
Development Securities Inc., Dean Witter American Value Fund, Dean Witter
U.S. Government Money Market Trust, Dean Witter Variable Investment Series,
Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust, Dean Witter Select Municipal
Reinvestment Fund, Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust, Dean Witter
California Tax-Free Income Fund, Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund,
Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust, Dean Witter Federal Securities
Trust, Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series, High Income Advantage Trust,
Dean Witter Government Income Trust, InterCapital Insured Municipal Bond
Trust, Dean Witter Utilities Fund, Dean Witter Managed Assets Trust, High
Income Advantage Trust II, Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income
Trust, Dean Witter Strategist Fund, High Income Advantage Trust III, Dean
Witter World Wide Income Trust, Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities,
Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust, Dean Witter Capital Growth
Securities, Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc., Dean Witter Pacific Growth
Fund Inc., Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust, Dean Witter Global
Short-Term Income Fund Inc., Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust,
Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, Dean Witter Premier Income Trust,
InterCapital Quality Municipal Investment Trust, InterCapital Insured
Municipal Trust, Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust, Dean Witter Health
Sciences Trust, Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities, Dean Witter
Limited Term Municipal Trust, InterCapital Insured Municipal Securities,
InterCapital Insured California Municipal Securities, InterCapital Insured
Municipal Income Trust, InterCapital California Insured Municipal Income
Trust, InterCapital Quality Municipal Income Trust, InterCapital Quality
Municipal Securities, InterCapital California Quality Municipal Securities,
InterCapital New York Quality Municipal Securities, Active Assets Money
Trust, Active Assets Tax-Free Trust, Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust,
Active Assets Government Securities Trust, Municipal Income Trust, Municipal
Income Trust II, Municipal Income Trust III, Municipal Income Opportunities
Trust, Municipal Income Opportunities Trust II, Municipal Income
Opportunities Trust III, Prime Income Trust, Municipal Premium Income Trust,
Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund, Dean Witter High Income Securities, Dean
Witter Global Utilities Fund, Dean Witter National Municipal Trust, Dean
Witter International SmallCap Fund, Dean Witter Retirement Series and Dean
Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund. The foregoing investment companies, together with
the Fund, are collectively referred to as the Dean Witter Funds. In addition,
Dean Witter Services Company Inc. ("DWSC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of
InterCapital, serves as manager for the following investment
3
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<PAGE>
companies for which TCW Funds Management, Inc. is the investment adviser:
TCW/DW Core Equity Trust, TCW/DW North American Government Income Trust,
TCW/DW Latin American Growth Fund, TCW/DW Income and Growth Fund, TCW/DW
Small Cap Growth Fund, TCW/DW Balanced Fund, TCW/DW Term Trust 2000, TCW/DW
Term Trust 2002, TCW/DW Term Trust 2003, TCW/DW North American Intermediate
Fund, TCW/DW Total Return Trust, TCW/DW Global Convertible Trust and TCW/DW
Emerging Markets Opportunities Trust (the "TCW/DW Funds"). InterCapital also
serves as: (i) sub-adviser to Templeton Global Opportunities Trust, an
open-end investment company; (ii) administrator of The BlackRock Strategic
Term Trust Inc., a closed-end investment company; and (iii) sub-administrator
of MassMutual Participation Investors and Templeton Global Governments Income
Trust, closed-end investment companies.
The Investment Manager also serves as an investment adviser for Dean
Witter World Wide Investment Fund, an investment company organized under the
laws of Luxembourg, shares of which are not available for purchase in the
United States or by American citizens outside the United States.
Pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement (the "Management
Agreement") with the Investment Manager, the Fund has retained the Investment
Manager to manage the investment of the Fund's U.S. assets, including the
placing of orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and
supervise the investment of all of the Fund's assets. The Investment Manager
in conjunction with TCW Funds Management, Inc. ("TCW") and Morgan Grenfell
Investment Services Ltd. ("MGIS") (the "Sub-Advisers") obtains and evaluates
such information and advice relating to the economy, securities markets and
specific securities as it considers necessary or useful to continuously
manage the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its investment
objective.
The Management Agreement provides that in the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its
obligations thereunder, the Investment Manager is not liable to the Fund or
any of its investors for any act or omission by the Investment Manager or for
any losses sustained by the Fund or its investors. The Management Agreement
in no way restricts the Investment Manager from acting as investment manager
or adviser to others.
Under the terms of the Management Agreement, in addition to managing the
Fund's investments, the Investment Manager maintains certain of the Fund's
books and records and furnishes, at its own expense, such office space,
facilities, equipment, clerical help and bookkeeping and legal services as
the Fund may reasonably require in the conduct of its business, including the
preparation of prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy
statements and reports required to be filed with federal and state securities
commissions (except insofar as the participation or assistance of independent
accountants and attorneys is, in the opinion of the Investment Manager,
necessary or desirable). In addition, the Investment Manager pays the
salaries of all personnel, including officers of the Fund, who are employees
of the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager also bears the cost of
telephone service, heat, light, power and other utilities provided to the
Fund.
Expenses not expressly assumed by the Investment Manager under the
Management Agreement, the Sub-Advisers pursuant to the Sub-Advisory
Agreements (see below), or by Dean Witter Distributors Inc., the Distributor
of the Fund's shares ("Distributors" or "the Distributor") will be paid by
the Fund. The expenses borne by the Fund include, but are not limited to:
expenses of the Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (see "The
Distributor"); charges and expenses of any registrar; custodian, stock
transfer and dividend disbursing agent; brokerage commissions; taxes;
engraving and printing of share certificates; registration costs of the Fund
and its shares under federal and state securities laws; the cost and expense
of printing, including typesetting, and distributing Prospectuses and
Statements of Additional Information of the Fund and supplements thereto to
the Fund's shareholders; all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings
and of preparing, printing and mailing of proxy statements and reports to
shareholders; fees and travel expenses of Trustees or members of any advisory
board or committee who are not employees of the Investment Manager or
Sub-Adviser or any corporate affiliate of the Investment Manager or
Sub-Adviser; all expenses incident to any dividend, withdrawal or redemption
options; charges and expenses of any outside service used for pricing of the
Fund's shares; fees and expenses of legal counsel, including counsel to the
Trustees who are not interested persons of
4
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<PAGE>
the Fund or of the Investment Manager or Sub-Adviser (not including
compensation or expenses of attorneys who are employees of the Investment
Manager) and independent accountants; membership dues of industry
associations; interest on Fund borrowings; postage; insurance premiums on
property or personnel (including officers and Trustees) of the Fund which
inure to its benefit; extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited to,
legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs and any indemnification
relating thereto); and all other costs of the Fund's operation.
As full compensation for the services and facilities furnished to the Fund
and expenses of the Fund assumed by the Investment Manager, the Fund pays the
Investment Manager monthly compensation calculated daily by applying the
annual rate of 1.0% to the Fund's daily net assets.
Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Investment Manager and
TCW, TCW has been retained, subject to the overall supervision of the
Investment Manager and the Trustees of the Fund, to assist the Investment
Manager in determining the asset allocations of the Fund, and to manage the
portion of the Fund's portfolio invested in securities issued by issuers
located in Canada and Latin America.
TCW is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The TCW Group, Inc., whose direct and
indirect subsidiaries, including Trust Company of the West and TCW Asset
Management Company, provide a variety of trust, investment management and
investment advisory services. As of , , TCW and its affiliates
had approximately $ billion under management or committed to management.
Trust Company of the West and its affiliates have managed equity securities
portfolios for institutional investors since 1971. TCW is headquartered at
865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, California 90017 and is
registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940.
Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Investment Manager and
MGIS, MGIS has been retained, subject to the overall supervision of the
Investment Manager and the Trustees of the Fund, to assist the Investment
Manager in determining the asset allocations of the Fund, and to manage the
portion of the Fund's portfolio invested in securities issued by issuers
located outside of the Western Hemisphere.
MGIS was organized as a British corporation in 1972 and currently manages
assets of approximately $ billion for U.S. corporate and public employee
benefit plans, investment companies, endowments and foundations. MGIS'
principal office is located at 20 Finsbury Circus, London, England. MGIS is a
subsidiary of London based Morgan Grenfell Asset Management Limited, which is
itself a subsidiary of London-based Morgan Grenfell Group plc (which is owned
by Deutsche Bank AG, an international commercial and investment banking
group) and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940. In 1838, Morgan Grenfell was founded to provide
merchant banking services, primarily trade financing between Great Britain
and the United States. In 1958, its investment management arm began
operations. In recent years, Morgan Grenfell Group plc has achieved a
prominent position in the securities industry by providing investment and
commercial banking services, financial services, and discretionary management
and advisory services covering all of the world's leading securities markets.
Morgan Grenfell Asset Management Limited, through its various investment
management subsidiaries, which have extensive experience in global investment
management, is currently managing in excess of $ billion worldwide.
Both the Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers have authorized any of
their directors, officers and employees who have been elected as Trustees or
officers of the Fund to serve in the capacities in which they have been
elected. Services furnished by the Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers
may be furnished by directors, officers and employees of the Investment
Manager and the Sub-Advisers. In connection with the services rendered by the
Sub-Advisers, the Sub-Advisers bear the following expenses: (a) the salaries
and expenses of their personnel; and (b) all expenses incurred by them in
connection with performing the services provided by it as Sub-Advisers, as
described above.
As full compensation for the services and facilities furnished to the Fund
and the Investment Manager and expenses of the Fund and the Investment
Manager assumed by the Sub-Advisers, the Investment Manager pays each
Sub-Adviser monthly compensation equal to 30% of the Investment Manager's
monthly compensation payable under the Management Agreement.
5
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Pursuant to the Management Agreement, total operating expenses of the Fund
are subject to applicable limitations under rules and regulations of states
where the Fund is authorized to sell its shares. Therefore, operating
expenses are effectively subject to the most restrictive of such limitations
as the same may be amended from time to time. Presently, the most restrictive
limitation is as follows. If, in any fiscal year, the Fund's total operating
expenses, exclusive of taxes, interest, brokerage fees, distribution fees and
extraordinary expenses (to the extent permitted by applicable state
securities laws and regulations), exceed 2 1/2 % of the first $30,000,000 of
average daily net assets, 2% of the next $70,000,000 and 1 1/2 % of any
excess over $100,000,000, the Investment Manager will reimburse the Fund for
the amount of such excess. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreements, if any
such reimbursement is made by the Investment Manager, the Investment Manager
will, in turn, be reimbursed for % of such payments by each Sub-Adviser.
The reimbursement, if any, will be calculated daily and credited on a monthly
basis.
The Investment Manager will pay the organizational expenses of the Fund
incurred prior to the offering of the Fund's shares. The Fund agreed to bear
and reimburse the Investment Manager for such expenses, in an amount of up to
a maximum of $250,000. The Fund will defer and will amortize the reimbursed
expenses on the straight line method over a period not to exceed five years
from the date of commencement of the Fund's operations.
The Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement were initially
approved by the Trustees on , 1994 and by InterCapital as the sole
shareholder on , 1994. The agreements may be terminated at any time,
without penalty, on thirty days' notice by the Trustees of the Fund, by the
holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, as defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), or by the
Investment Manager and/or Sub-Adviser. The agreements will automatically
terminate in the event of their assignment (as defined in the Act).
Under their terms, the Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement
will continue in effect until April 30, 1996, and from year to year
thereafter, provided their continuance is approved at least annually by the
vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, as
defined in the Act, or by the Trustees of the Fund; provided that in either
event such continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of the
Trustees of the Fund who are not parties to the Agreement or "interested
persons" (as defined in the Act) of any such party (the "Independent
Trustees"), which vote must be cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval.
The Fund has acknowledged that the name "Dean Witter" is a property right
of DWR. The Fund has agreed that DWR or its parent company may use, or at any
time permit others to use, the name "Dean Witter". The Fund has also agreed
that in the event the Management Agreement is terminated, or if the
affiliation between InterCapital and its parent company is terminated, the
Fund will eliminate the name "Dean Witter" from its name if DWR or its parent
company shall so request.
6
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TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Trustees and Executive Officers of the Fund, their principal business
occupations during the last five years and their affiliations, if any, with
InterCapital, and with the Dean Witter Funds and the TCW/DW Funds are shown
below:
7
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME, POSITION WITH FUND AND ADDRESS PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS DURING LAST FIVE YEARS
- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
Charles A. Fiumefreddo*................... Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director of InterCapital,
Chairman, President, Distributors and DWSC; Executive Vice President and Director
Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of DWR; Chairman, Director or Trustee, President and Chief
Two World Trade Center Executive Officer of the Dean Witter Funds; Chairman, Chief
New York, New York Executive Officer and Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Chairman
and Director of Dean Witter Trust Company; Director and/or
officer of various DWDC subsidiaries; formerly Executive Vice
President and Director of DWDC (until February, 1993).
Sheldon Curtis Senior Vice President and General Counsel of InterCapital
Vice President, and DWSC; Senior Vice President and Secretary of DWTC; Senior
Secretary and General Counsel Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant General
Two World Trade Center Counsel of Distributors; Assistant Secretary of DWDC and DWR;
New York, New York Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Dean
Witter Funds and the TCW/DW Funds.
Thomas F. Caloia First Vice President (since May, 1991) and Assistant Treasurer
Treasurer Two World Trade Center New (since April, 1988) of InterCapital; First Vice President
York, New York and Assistant Treasurer of DWSC; Treasurer of the Dean Witter
Funds and the TCW/DW Funds.
<FN>
* Denotes Trustees who are "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined in
the Act.
</TABLE>
In addition, Robert M. Scanlan, President and Chief Operating Officer of
InterCapital and DWSC, Executive Vice President of Distributors and DWTC and
Director of DWTC, David A. Hughey, Executive Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer of InterCapital, DWSC and Distributors and Executive
Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Director of DWTC, Edmund C.
Puckhaber, Executive Vice President of InterCapital, and
The Fund pays each Trustee who is not an employee or retired employee of
the Investment Manager or an affiliated company an annual fee of $ plus
$ for each meeting of the Trustees, the Audit Committee, or the Committee
of the Independent Trustees attended by the Trustee in person (the Fund pays
the Chairman of the Audit Committee an additional annual fee of $ and
pays the Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees an additional
annual fee of $ , in each case inclusive of the Committee meeting fees).
The Fund also reimburses such Trustees for travel and other out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by them in connection with attending such meetings.
Trustees and officers of the Fund who are or have been employed by the
Investment Manager or an affiliated company receive no compensation or
expense reimbursement from the Fund.
INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND POLICIES
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Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. As discussed in the
Prospectus, the Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange
contracts ("forward contracts") as a hedge against fluctuations in future
foreign exchange rates. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange
transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing
in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward
contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. A forward
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contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a
future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the
contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the
contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted
directly between currency traders (usually large, commercial and investment
banks) and their customers. Such forward contracts will only be entered into
with United States banks and their foreign branches or foreign banks whose
assets total $1 billion or more. A forward contract generally has no deposit
requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.
When management of the Fund believes that the currency of a particular
foreign country may suffer a substantial movement against the U.S. dollar, it
may enter into a forward contract to purchase or sell, for a fixed amount of
dollars or other currency, the amount of foreign currency approximating the
value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities denominated in such
foreign currency. The Fund will not enter into such forward contracts or
maintain a net exposure to such contracts where the consummation of the
contracts would obligate the Fund to deliver an amount of foreign currency in
excess of the value of the Fund's portfolio securities or other assets
denominated in that currency. Under normal circumstances, consideration of
the prospect for currency parities will be incorporated into the longer term
investment decisions made with regard to overall diversification strategies.
However, the management of the Fund believes that it is important to have the
flexibility to enter into such forward contracts when it determines that the
best interests of the Fund will be served. The Fund's custodian bank will
place cash, U.S. Government securities or other appropriate liquid high grade
debt securities in a segregated account of the Fund in an amount equal to the
value of the Fund's total assets committed to the consummation of forward
contracts entered into under the circumstances set forth above. If the value
of the securities placed in the segregated account declines, additional cash
or securities will be placed in the account on a daily basis so that the
value of the account will equal the amount of the Fund's commitments with
respect to such contracts.
Where, for example, the Fund is hedging a portfolio position consisting of
foreign securities denominated in a foreign currency against adverse exchange
rate moves vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar, at the maturity of the forward contract
for delivery by the Fund of a foreign currency, the Fund may either sell the
portfolio security and make delivery of the foreign currency, or it may
retain the security and terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the
foreign currency by purchasing an "offsetting" contract with the same
currency trader obligating it to purchase, on the same maturity date, the
same amount of the foreign currency (however, the ability of the Fund to
terminate a contract is contingent upon the willingness of the currency
trader with whom the contract has been entered into to permit an offsetting
transaction). It is impossible to forecast the market value of portfolio
securities at the expiration of the contract. Accordingly, it may be
necessary for the Fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot
market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the
security is less than the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to
deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of
the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot
market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio
securities if its market value exceeds the amount of foreign currency the
Fund is obligated to deliver.
If the Fund retains the portfolio securities and engages in an offsetting
transaction, the Fund will incur a gain or loss to the extent that there has
been movement in spot or forward contract prices. If the Fund engages in an
offsetting transaction, it may subsequently enter into a new forward contract
to sell the foreign currency. Should forward prices decline during the period
between the Fund's entering into a forward contract for the sale of a foreign
currency and the date it enters into an offsetting contract for the purchase
of the foreign currency, the Fund will realize a gain to the extent the price
of the currency it has agreed to sell exceeds the price of the currency it
has agreed to purchase. Should forward prices increase, the Fund will suffer
a loss to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase
exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to sell.
If the Fund purchases a fixed-income security which is denominated in U.S.
dollars but which will pay out its principal based upon a formula tied to the
exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency, it may hedge
against a decline in the principal value of the security by entering into a
forward contract to sell an amount of the relevant foreign currency equal to
some or all of the principal value of the security.
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At times when the Fund has written a call option on a security or the
currency in which it is denominated, it may wish to enter into a forward
contract to purchase or sell the foreign currency in which the security is
denominated. A forward contract would, for example, hedge the risk of the
security on which a call option has been written declining in value to a
greater extent than the value of the premium received for the option. The
Fund will maintain with its Custodian at all times, cash, U.S. Government
securities, or other appropriate high grade debt obligations in a segregated
account equal in value to all forward contract obligations and option
contract obligations entered into in hedge situations such as this.
Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it
does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S.
dollars on a daily basis. It will, however, do so from time to time, and
investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion. Although
foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize
a profit based on the spread between the prices at which they are buying and
selling various currencies. Thus a dealer may offer to sell a foreign
currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange
should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer.
OPTIONS AND FUTURES TRANSACTIONS
As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund may write covered call options
against securities held in its portfolio and covered put options on eligible
portfolio securities and stock indexes and purchase options of the same
series to effect closing transactions, and may hedge against potential
changes in the market value of investments (or anticipated investments) and
facilitate the reallocation of the Fund's assets into and out of equities and
fixed-income securities by purchasing put and call options on portfolio (or
eligible portfolio) securities and engaging in transactions involving futures
contracts and options on such contracts. The Fund may also hedge against
potential changes in the market value of the currencies in which its
investments (or anticipated investments) are denominated by purchasing put
and call options on currencies and engage in transactions involving currency
futures contracts and options on such contracts.
Call and put options on U.S. Treasury notes, bonds and bills and equity
securities are listed on exchanges and are written in over-the-counter
transactions ("OTC options"). Listed options are issued by the Options
Clearing Corporation ("OCC") and other clearing entities including foreign
exchanges. Ownership of a listed call option gives the Fund the right to buy
from the OCC the underlying security covered by the option at the stated
exercise price (the price per unit of the underlying security) by filing an
exercise notice prior to the expiration date of the option. The writer
(seller) of the option would then have the obligation to sell to the OCC the
underlying security at that exercise price prior to the expiration date of
the option, regardless of its then current market price. Ownership of a
listed put option would give the Fund the right to sell the underlying
security to the OCC at the stated exercise price. Upon notice of exercise of
the put option, the writer of the put would have the obligation to purchase
the underlying security from the OCC at the exercise price.
Options on Treasury Bonds and Notes. Because trading in options written on
Treasury bonds and notes tends to center on the most recently auctioned
issues, the exchanges on which such securities trade will not continue
indefinitely to introduce options with new expirations to replace expiring
options on particular issues. Instead, the expirations introduced at the
commencement of options trading on a particular issue will be allowed to run
their course, with the possible addition of a limited number of new
expirations as the original ones expire. Options trading on each issue of
bonds or notes will thus be phased out as new options are listed on more
recent issues, and options representing a full range of expirations will not
ordinarily be available for every issue on which options are traded.
Options on Treasury Bills. Because a deliverable Treasury bill changes
from week to week, writers of Treasury bill calls cannot provide in advance
for their potential exercise settlement obligations by acquiring and holding
the underlying security. However, if the Fund holds a long position in
Treasury bills with a principal amount of the securities deliverable upon
exercise of the option, the position may be hedged from a risk standpoint by
the writing of a call option. For so long as the call option is outstanding,
the Fund will hold the Treasury bills in a segregated account with its
Custodian, so that they will be treated as being covered.
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Options on Foreign Currencies. The Fund may purchase and write options on
foreign currencies for purposes similar to those involved with investing in
forward foreign currency exchange contracts. For example, in order to protect
against declines in the dollar value of portfolio securities which are
denominated in a foreign currency, the Fund may purchase put options on an
amount of such foreign currency equivalent to the current value of the
portfolio securities involved. As a result, the Fund would be enabled to sell
the foreign currency for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars, thereby "locking in"
the dollar value of the portfolio securities (less the amount of the premiums
paid for the options). Conversely, the Fund may purchase call options on
foreign currencies in which securities it anticipates purchasing are
denominated to secure a set U.S. dollar price for such securities and protect
against a decline in the value of the U.S. dollar against such foreign
currency. The Fund may also purchase call and put options to close out
written option positions.
The Fund may also write call options on foreign currency to protect
against potential declines in its portfolio securities which are denominated
in foreign currencies. If the U.S. dollar value of the portfolio securities
falls as a result of a decline in the exchange rate between the foreign
currency in which a security is denominated and the U.S. dollar, then a loss
to the Fund occasioned by such value decline would be ameliorated by receipt
of the premium on the option sold. At the same time, however, the Fund gives
up the benefit of any rise in value of the relevant portfolio securities
above the exercise price of the option and, in fact, only receives a benefit
from the writing of the option to the extent that the value of the portfolio
securities falls below the price of the premium received. The Fund may also
write options to close out long call option positions.
The markets in foreign currency options are relatively new and the Fund's
ability to establish and close out positions on such options is subject to
the maintenance of a liquid secondary market. Although the Fund will not
purchase or write such options unless and until, in the opinion of the
management of the Fund, the market for them has developed sufficiently to
ensure that the risks in connection with such options are not greater than
the risks in connection with the underlying currency, there can be no
assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option
at any specific time. In addition, options on foreign currencies are affected
by all of those factors which influence foreign exchange rates and
investments generally.
The value of a foreign currency option depends upon the value of the
underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar. As a result, the price of
the option position may vary with changes in the value of either or both
currencies and have no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign
security, including foreign securities held in a "hedged" investment
portfolio. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank
market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved
in the use of foreign currency options, investors may be disadvantaged by
having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of
less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that
are less favorable than for round lots.
There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign
currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations available through
dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis.
Quotation information available is generally representative of very large
transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect relatively
smaller transactions (i.e., less than $1 million) where rates may be less
favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global,
around-the-clock market. To the extent that the U.S. options markets are
closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open,
significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets
that are not reflected in the options market.
OTC Options. Exchange-listed options are issued by the OCC which assures
that all transactions in such options are properly executed. OTC options are
purchased from or sold (written) to dealers or financial institutions which
have entered into direct agreements with the Fund. With OTC options, such
variables as expiration date, exercise price and premium will be agreed upon
between the Fund and the transacting dealer, without the intermediation of a
third party such as the OCC. If the transacting dealer fails to make or take
delivery of the securities underlying an option it has written, in accordance
with the
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terms of that option, the Fund would lose the premium paid for the option as
well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. The Fund will engage in
OTC option transactions only with primary U.S. Government securities dealers
recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Covered Call Writing. The Fund is permitted to write covered call options
on portfolio securities and the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies, without
limit, in order to aid in achieving its investment objective. Generally, a
call option is "covered" if the Fund owns, or has the right to acquire,
without additional cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration
held for the Fund by its Custodian in a segregated account) the underlying
security (currency) subject to the option except that in the case of call
options on U.S. Treasury Bills, the Fund might own U.S. Treasury Bills of a
different series from those underlying the call option, but with a principal
amount and value corresponding to the exercise price and a maturity date no
later than that of the securities (currency) deliverable under the call
option. A call option is also covered if the Fund holds a call on the same
security (currency) as the underlying security (currency) of the written
option, where the exercise price of the call used for coverage is equal to or
less than the exercise price of the call written or greater than the exercise
price of the call written if the mark to market difference is maintained by
the Fund in cash, U.S. Government securities or other high grade debt
obligations which the Fund holds in a segregated account maintained with its
Custodian.
The Fund will receive from the purchaser, in return for a call it has
written, a "premium"; i.e., the price of the option. Receipt of these
premiums may better enable the Fund to achieve a greater total return than
would be realized from holding the underlying securities (currency) alone.
Moreover, the income received from the premium will offset a portion of the
potential loss incurred by the Fund if the securities (currency) underlying
the option are ultimately sold (exchanged) by the Fund at a loss. The premium
received will fluctuate with varying economic market conditions. If the
market value of the portfolio securities (or the currencies in which they are
denominated) upon which call options have been written increases, the Fund
may receive less total return from the portion of its portfolio upon which
calls have been written than it would have had such calls not been written.
As regards listed options and certain OTC options, during the option
period, the Fund may be required, at any time, to deliver the underlying
security (currency) against payment of the exercise price on any calls it has
written (exercise of certain listed and OTC options may be limited to
specific expiration dates). This obligation is terminated upon the expiration
of the option period or at such earlier time when the writer effects a
closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction is accomplished
by purchasing an option of the same series as the option previously written.
However, once the Fund has been assigned an exercise notice, the Fund will be
unable to effect a closing purchase transaction.
Closing purchase transactions are ordinarily effected to realize a profit
on an outstanding call option to prevent an underlying security (currency)
from being called, to permit the sale of an underlying security (or the
exchange of the underlying currency) or to enable the Fund to write another
call option on the underlying security (currency) with either a different
exercise price or expiration date or both. Also, effecting a closing purchase
transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent sale of any
securities subject to the option to be used for other investments by the
Fund. The Fund may realize a net gain or loss from a closing purchase
transaction depending upon whether the amount of the premium received on the
call option is more or less than the cost of effecting the closing purchase
transaction. Any loss incurred in a closing purchase transaction may be
wholly or partially offset by unrealized value of the underlying security
(currency) were to fall below the exercise price of the put purchased in an
amount greater than the premium paid for the option, the Fund would incur no
additional loss. The Fund may also purchase put options to close out written
put positions in a manner similar to call options closing purchase
transactions. In addition, the Fund may sell a put option which it has
previously purchased prior to the sale of the securities (currency)
underlying such option. Such a sale would result in a net gain or loss
depending on whether the amount received on the sale is more or less than the
premium and other transaction costs paid on the put option which is sold. Any
such gain or loss could be offset in whole or in part by a change in the
market value of the underlying security (currency). If a put option purchased
by the Fund expired without being sold or exercised, the premium would be
lost.
Covered Put Writing. As a writer of a covered put option, the Fund incurs
an obligation to buy the security underlying the option from the purchaser of
the put, at the option's exercise price at any time
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during the option period, at the purchaser's election (certain listed and OTC
put options written by the Fund will be exercisable by the purchaser only on
a specific date). A put is "covered" if, at all times, the Fund maintains, in
a segregated account maintained on its behalf at the Fund's Custodian, cash,
U.S. Government securities or other high grade obligations in an amount equal
to at least the exercise price of the option, at all times during the option
period. Similarly, a short put position could be covered by the Fund by its
purchase of a put option on the same security as the underlying security of
the written option, where the exercise price of the purchased option is equal
to or more than the exercise price of the put written or less than the
exercise price of the put written if the mark to market difference is
maintained by the Fund in cash, U.S. Government securities or other high
grade debt obligations which the Fund holds in a segregated account
maintained at its Custodian. In writing puts, the Fund assumes the risk of
loss should the market value of the underlying security decline below the
exercise price of the option (any loss being decreased by the receipt of the
premium on the option written). In the case of listed options, during the
option period, the Fund may be required, at any time, to make payment of the
exercise price against delivery of the underlying security. The operation of
and limitations on covered put options in other respects are substantially
identical to those of call options.
The Fund will write put options for two purposes: (1) to receive the
income derived from the premiums paid by purchasers; and (2) when the
Investment Manager wishes to purchase the security underlying the option at a
price lower than its current market price, in which case it will write the
covered put at an exercise price reflecting the lower purchase price sought.
The potential gain on a covered put option is limited to the premium received
on the option (less the commissions paid on the transaction) while the
potential loss equals the difference between the exercise price of the option
and the current market price of the underlying securities when the put is
exercised, offset by the premium received (less the commissions paid on the
transaction).
Purchasing Call and Put Options. The Fund may purchase listed and OTC call
and put options in amounts equalling up to 5% of its total assets. The Fund
may purchase call options in order to close out a covered call position (see
"Covered Call Writing" above) or purchase call options on securities they
intend to purchase. The Fund may also purchase a call option on foreign
currency to hedge against an adverse exchange rate move of the currency in
which the security it anticipates purchasing is denominated vis-a-vis the
currency in which the exercise price is denominated. The purchase of the call
option to effect a closing transaction or a call written over-the-counter may
be a listed or an OTC option. In either case, the call purchased is likely to
be on the same securities (currencies) and have the same terms as the written
option. If purchased over-the-counter, the option would generally be acquired
from the dealer or financial institution which purchased the call written by
the Fund.
The Fund may purchase put options on securities (currency) which it holds
(or has the right to acquire) in its portfolio only to protect itself against
a decline in the value of the security (currency), if the value of the
underlying security (currency) were to fall below the exercise price of the
put purchased in an amount greater than the premium paid for the option, the
Fund would incur no additional loss. The Fund may also purchase put options
to close out written put positions in a manner similar to call options
closing purchase transactions. In addition, the Fund may sell a put option
which it has previously purchased prior to the sale of the securities
(currency) underlying such option. Such a sale would result in a net gain or
loss depending on whether the amount received on the sale is more or less
than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put option which is
sold. Any such gain or loss could be offset in whole or in part by a change
in the market value of the underlying security (currency). If a put option
purchased by the Fund expired without being sold or exercised, the premium
would be lost.
Risks of Options Transactions. During the option period, the covered call
writer has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity
for capital appreciation above the exercise price should the market price of
the underlying security (or the currency in which it is denominated)
increase, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the
underlying security (currency) decline. The covered put writer also retains
the risk of loss should the market value of the underlying security
(currency) decline below the exercise price of the option less the premium
received on the sale of the option. In both cases, the writer has no control
over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation
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as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise
notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate
its obligation under the option and must deliver or receive the underlying
securities (currency) at the exercise price.
Prior to exercise or expiration, an option position can only be terminated
by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. If a covered call
option writer is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction or to
purchase an offsetting over-the-counter option, it cannot sell the underlying
security until the option expires or the option is exercised. Accordingly, a
covered call option writer may not be able to sell (exchange) an underlying
security (currency) at a time when it might otherwise be advantageous to do
so. A covered put option writer who is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction or to purchase an offsetting over-the-counter option would
continue to bear the risk of decline in the market price of the underlying
security (currency) until the option expires or is exercised. In addition, a
covered put writer would be unable to utilize the amount held in cash or U.S.
Government or other high grade short-term debt obligations as security for
the put option for other investment purposes until the exercise or expiration
of the option.
The Fund's ability to close out its position as a writer of an option is
dependent upon the existence of a liquid secondary market on option
exchanges. There is no assurance that such a market will exist, particularly
in the case of OTC options, as such options will generally only be closed out
by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the purchasing dealer.
However, the Fund may be able to purchase an offsetting option which does not
close out its position as a writer but constitutes an asset of equal value to
the obligation under the option written. If the Fund is not able to either
enter into a closing purchase transaction or purchase an offsetting position,
it will be required to maintain the securities subject to the call, or the
collateral underlying the put, even though it might not be advantageous to do
so, until a closing transaction can be entered into (or the option is
exercised or expires).
Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on
an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii)
restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts,
suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes
or series of options or underlying securities; (iv) interruption of the
normal operations on an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an
exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC") to handle current
trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges 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
generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
Exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a futures contract may
move on any day. If the price moves equal the daily limit on successive days,
then it may prove impossible to liquidate a futures position until the daily
limit moves have ceased. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund
would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin
on open futures positions. In such situations, if the Fund has insufficient
cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin
requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition,
the Fund may be required to take or make delivery of the instruments
underlying interest rate futures contracts it holds at a time when it is
disadvantageous to do so. The inability to close out options and futures
positions could also have an adverse impact on the Fund's ability to
effectively hedge its portfolio.
In the event of the bankruptcy of a broker through which the Fund engages
in transactions in options, futures or options thereon, the Fund could
experience delays and/or losses in liquidating open positions purchased or
sold through the broker and/or incur a loss of all or part of its margin
deposits with the broker. Similarly, in the event of the bankruptcy of the
writer of an OTC option purchased by the Fund, the Fund could experience a
loss of all or part of the value of the option. Transactions are entered into
by the Fund only with brokers or financial institutions deemed creditworthy
by the Investment Manager.
Each of the exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum
number of call or put options on the same underlying security or futures
contract (whether or not covered) which may be written by a single investor,
whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such
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options are written on the same or different exchanges or are held or written
on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). An exchange may
order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits
and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These position limits may
restrict the number of listed options which the Fund may write.
While the futures contracts and options transactions to be engaged in by
the Fund for the purpose of hedging the Fund's portfolio securities are not
speculative in nature, there are risks inherent in the use of such
instruments. One such risk which may arise in employing futures contracts to
protect against the price volatility of portfolio securities is that the
prices of securities and indexes subject to futures contracts (and thereby
the futures contract prices) may correlate imperfectly with the behavior of
the cash prices of the Fund's portfolio securities. Another such risk is that
prices of interest rate futures contracts may not move in tandem with the
changes in prevailing interest rates against which the Fund seeks a hedge. A
correlation may also be distorted by the fact that the futures market is
dominated by short-term traders seeking to profit from the difference between
a contract or security price objective and their cost of borrowed funds. Such
distortions are generally minor and would diminish as the contract approached
maturity.
The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which
the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets
close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and
rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be
reflected in the option markets.
Stock Index Options. Options on stock indexes are similar to options on
stock except that, rather than the right to take or make delivery of stock at
a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to
receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level
of the stock index upon 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. This amount of cash is equal to such difference between the closing
price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars
times a specified multiple (the "multiplier"). The multiplier for an index
option performs a function similar to the unit of trading for a stock option.
It determines the total dollar value per contract of each point in the
difference between the exercise price of an option and the current level of
the underlying index. A multiplier of 100 means that a one-point difference
will yield $100. Options on different indexes may have different multipliers.
The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to
make delivery of this amount. Unlike stock options, all settlements are in
cash and a gain or loss depends on price movements in the stock market
generally (or in a particular segment of the market) rather than the price
movements in individual stocks. Currently, options are traded on the S&P 100
Index and the S&P 500 Index on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Major
Market Index and the Computer Technology Index, Oil Index and Institutional
Index on the American Stock Exchange and the NYSE Index and NYSE Beta Index
on the New York Stock Exchange, The Financial News Composite Index on the
Pacific Stock Exchange and the Value Line Index, National O-T-C Index and
Utilities Index on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, each of which and any
similar index on which options are traded in the future which include stocks
that are not limited to any particular industry or segment of the market is
referred to as a "broadly based stock market index." Options on stock indexes
provide the Fund with a means of protecting the Fund against the risk of
market wide price movements. If the Investment Manager anticipates a market
decline, the Fund could purchase a stock index put option. If the expected
market decline materialized, the resulting decrease in the value of the
Fund's portfolio would be offset to the extent of the increase in the value
of the put option. If the Investment Manager anticipates a market rise, the
Fund may purchase a stock index call option to enable the Fund to participate
in such rise until completion of anticipated common stock purchases by the
Fund. Purchases and sales of stock index options also enable the Investment
Manager to more speedily achieve changes in the Fund's equity positions.
The Fund will write put options on stock indexes only if such positions
are covered by cash, U.S. Government securities or other high grade debt
obligations equal to the aggregate exercise price of the puts, which cover is
held for the Fund in a segregated account maintained for it by the Fund's
Custodian. All call options on stock indexes written by the Fund will be
covered either by a portfolio of stocks substantially replicating the
movement of the index underlying the call option or by holding a separate
call option on the same stock index with a strike price no higher than the
strike price of the call option sold by the Fund.
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Risks of Options on Indexes. Because exercises of stock index options are
settled in cash, call writers such as the Fund cannot provide in advance for
their potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the
underlying securities. A call writer can offset some of the risk of its
writing position by holding a diversified portfolio of stocks similar to
those on which the underlying index is based. However, most investors cannot,
as a practical matter, acquire and hold a portfolio containing exactly the
same stocks as the underlying index, and, as a result, bear a risk that the
value of the securities held will vary from the value of the index. Even if
an index call writer could assemble a stock portfolio that exactly reproduced
the composition of the underlying index, the writer still would not be fully
covered from a risk standpoint because of the "timing risk" inherent in
writing index options. When an index option is exercised, the amount of cash
that the holder is entitled to receive is determined by the difference
between the exercise price and the closing index level on the date when the
option is exercised. As with other kinds of options, the writer will not
learn that it has been assigned until the next business day, at the earliest.
The time lag between exercise and notice of assignment poses no risk for the
writer or a covered call on a specific underlying security, such as a common
stock, because there the writer's obligation is to deliver the underlying
security, not to pay its value as of a fixed time in the past. So long as the
writer already owns the underlying security, it can satisfy its settlement
obligations by simply delivering it, and the risk that its value may have
declined since the exercise date is borne by the exercising holder. In
contrast, even if the writer of an index call holds stocks that exactly match
the composition of the underlying index, it will not be able to satisfy its
assignment obligations by delivering those stocks against payment of the
exercise price. Instead, it will be required to pay cash in an amount based
on the closing index value on the exercise date; and by the time it learns
that it has been assigned, the index may have declined, with a corresponding
decrease in the value of its stock portfolio. This "timing risk" is an
inherent limitation on the ability of index call writers to cover their risk
exposure by holding stock positions.
A holder of an index option who exercises it before the closing index
value for that day is available runs the risk that the level of the
underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the
exercised option to fall out-of-the-money, the exercising holder will be
required to pay the difference between the closing index value and the
exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the
assigned writer.
If dissemination of the current level of an underlying index is
interrupted, or if trading is interrupted in stocks accounting for a
substantial portion of the value of an index, the trading of options on that
index will ordinarily be halted. If the trading of options on an underlying
index is halted, an exchange may impose restrictions prohibiting the exercise
of such options.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and sell interest rate and stock
index futures contracts ("futures contracts") that are traded on U.S. and
foreign commodity exchanges on such underlying securities as U.S. Treasury
bonds, notes and bills ("interest rate" futures), on the U.S. dollar and
foreign currencies, and such indexes as the S&P 500 Index, the Moody's
Investment-Grade Corporate Bond Index and the New York Stock Exchange
Composite Index ("index" futures).
As a futures contract purchaser, the Fund incurs an obligation to take
delivery of a specified amount of the obligation underlying the contract at a
specified time in the future for a specified price. As a seller of a futures
contract, the Fund incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of
the underlying obligation at a specified time in return for an agreed upon
price.
The Fund will purchase or sell interest rate futures contracts and bond
index futures contracts for the purpose of hedging its fixed-income portfolio
(or anticipated portfolio) securities against changes in prevailing interest
rates. If the Investment Manager or a Sub-Adviser anticipates that interest
rates may rise and, concomitantly, the price of fixed-income securities fall,
the Fund may sell an interest rate futures contract or a bond index futures
contract. If declining interest rates are anticipated, the Fund may purchase
an interest rate futures contract to protect against a potential increase in
the price of U.S. Government securities the Fund intends to purchase.
Subsequently, appropriate fixed-income securities may be purchased by the
Fund in an orderly fashion; as securities are purchased, corresponding
futures positions would be terminated by offsetting sales of contracts.
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The Fund will purchase or sell futures contracts on the U.S. dollar and on
foreign currencies to hedge against an anticipated rise or decline in the
value of the U.S. dollar or foreign currency in which a portfolio security of
the Fund is denominated vis-a-vis another currency.
The Fund will purchase or sell stock index futures contracts for the
purpose of hedging its equity portfolio (or anticipated portfolio) securities
against changes in their prices. If the Investment Manager or a Sub-Adviser
anticipates that the prices of stock held by the Fund may fall, the Fund may
sell a stock index futures contract. Conversely, if the Investment Manager or
a Sub-Adviser wishes to hedge against anticipated price rises in those stocks
which the Fund intends to purchase, the Fund may purchase stock index futures
contracts. In addition, interest rate and stock index futures contracts will
be bought or sold in order to close out a short or long position in a
corresponding futures contract.
Although most interest rate futures contracts call for actual delivery or
acceptance of securities, the contracts usually are closed out before the
settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. Index futures
contracts provide for the delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified
dollar amount times the difference between the stock index value at the open
or close of the last trading day of the contract and the futures contract
price. A futures contract sale is closed out by effecting a futures contract
and the futures contract price. A futures contract sale is closed out by
effecting a futures contract purchase for the same aggregate amount of the
specific type of equity security and the same delivery date. If the sale
price exceeds the offsetting purchase price, the seller would be paid the
difference and would realize a gain. If the offsetting purchase price exceeds
the sale price, the seller would pay the difference and would realize a loss.
Similarly, a futures contract purchase is closed out by effecting a futures
contract sale for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of equity
security and the same delivery date. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the
purchase price, the purchaser would realize a gain, whereas if the purchase
price exceeds the offsetting sale price, the purchaser would realize a loss.
There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to enter into a closing
transaction.
Interest Rate Futures Contracts. When the Fund enters into an interest
rate futures contract, it is initially required to deposit with the Fund's
Custodian, in a segregated account in the name of the broker performing the
transaction, an "initial margin" of cash or U.S. Government securities or
other high grade short-term debt obligations equal to approximately 2% of the
contract amount. Initial margin requirements are established by the exchanges
on which futures contracts trade and may, from time to time, change. In
addition, brokers may establish margin deposit requirements in excess of
those required by the exchanges.
Initial margin in futures transactions is different from margin in
securities transactions in that initial margin does not involve the borrowing
of funds by a broker's client but is, rather, a good faith deposit on the
futures contract which will be returned to the Fund upon the proper
termination of the futures contract. The margin deposits made are marked to
market daily and the Fund may be required to make subsequent deposits called
"variation margin", with the Fund's Custodian, in the account in the name of
the broker, which are reflective of price fluctuations in the futures
contract. Currently, interest rates futures contracts can be purchased on
debt securities such as U.S. Treasury Bills and Bonds, U.S. Treasury Notes
with maturities between 6 1/2 and 10 years, GNMA Certificates and Bank
Certificates of Deposit.
Index Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest in index futures contracts.
An index futures contract sale creates an obligation by the Fund, as seller,
to deliver cash at a specified future time. An index futures contract
purchase would create an obligation by the Fund, as purchaser, to take
delivery of cash at a specified future time. Futures contracts on indexes do
not require the physical delivery of securities, but provide for a final cash
settlement on the expiration date which reflects accumulated profits and
losses credited or debited to each party's account.
The Fund is required to maintain margin deposits with brokerage firms
through which it effects index futures contracts in a manner similar to that
described above for interest rate futures contracts. Currently, the initial
margin requirement is approximately 5% of the contract amount for index
futures. In addition, due to current industry practice, daily variations in
gains and losses on open contracts are required to be reflected in cash in
the form of variation margin payments. The Fund may be required to make
additional margin payments during the term of the contract.
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At any time prior to expiration of the futures contract, the Fund may
elect to close the position by taking an opposite position which will operate
to terminate the Fund's position in the futures contract. A final
determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required
to be paid by or released to the Fund and the Fund realizes a loss or a gain.
Currently, index futures contracts can be purchased or sold with respect
to, among others, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Price Index and the
Standard & Poor's 100 Stock Price Index on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange,
the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index on the New York Futures Exchange,
the Major Market Index on the American Stock Exchange, the Moody's
Investment-Grade Corporate Bond Index on the Chicago Board of Trade and the
Value Line Stock Index on the Kansas City Board of Trade.
Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and write call and put
options on futures contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect
to such options to terminate an existing position. An option on a futures
contract gives the purchaser the right (in return for the premium paid), and
the writer the obligation, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long
position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put)
at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. Upon
exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of
the option to the holder of the option is accompanied by delivery of the
accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account, which represents
the amount by which the market price of the futures contract at the time of
exercise exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a
put, the exercise price of the option on the futures contract.
The Fund will purchase and write options on futures contracts for
identical purposes to those set forth above for the purchase of a futures
contract (purchase of a call option or sale of a put option) and the sale of
a futures contract (purchase of a put option or sale of a call option), or to
close out a long or short position in futures contracts. If, for example, the
Investment Manager or a Sub-Adviser wished to protect against an increase in
interest rates and the resulting negative impact on the value of a portion of
its fixed-income portfolio, it might write a call option on an interest rate
futures contract, the underlying security of which correlates with the
portion of the portfolio the Investment Manager or Sub-Adviser seeks to
hedge. Any premiums received in the writing of options on futures contracts
may, of course, augment the total return of the Fund and thereby provide a
further hedge against losses resulting from price declines in portions of the
Fund's portfolio.
The writer of an option on a futures contract is required to deposit
initial and variation margin pursuant to requirements similar to those
applicable to futures contracts. Premiums received from the writing of an
option on a futures contract are included in initial margin deposits.
Limitations on Futures Contracts and Options on Futures. The Fund may not
enter into futures contracts or purchase related options thereon if,
immediately thereafter, the amount committed to margin plus the amount paid
for premiums for unexpired options on futures contracts exceeds 5% of the
value of the Fund's total assets, after taking into account unrealized gains
and unrealized losses on such contracts it has entered into, provided,
however, that in the case of an option that is in-the-money (the exercise
price of the call (put), option is less (more) than the market price of the
underlying security) at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be
excluded in calculating the 5%. However, there is no overall limitation on
the percentage of the Fund's assets which may be subject to a hedge position.
In addition, in accordance with the regulations of the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission ("CFTC") under which the Fund is exempted from
registration as a commodity pool operator, the Fund may only enter into
futures contracts and options on futures contracts transactions for purposes
of hedging a part or all of its portfolio. If the CFTC changes its
regulations so that the Fund would be permitted to write options on futures
contracts for purposes other than hedging the Fund's investments without CFTC
registration, the Fund may engage in such transactions for those purposes.
Except as described above, there are no other limitations on the use of
futures and options thereon by the Fund.
Risks of Transactions in Futures Contracts and Related Options. The Fund
may sell a futures contract to protect against the decline in the value of
securities held by the Fund. However, it is possible that the futures market
may advance and the value of securities held in the portfolio of the Fund may
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decline. If this occurred, the Fund would lose money on the futures contract
and also experience a decline in value of its portfolio securities. However,
while this could occur for a very brief period or to a very small degree,
over time the value of a diversified portfolio will tend to move in the same
direction as the futures contracts.
If the Fund purchases a futures contract to hedge against the increase in
value of securities it intends to buy, and the value of such securities
decreases, then the Fund may determine not to invest in the securities as
planned and will realize a loss on the futures contract that is not offset by
a reduction in the price of the securities.
In addition, if the Fund holds a long position in a futures contract or
has sold a put option on a futures contract, it will hold cash, U.S.
Government securities or other high grade debt obligations equal to the
purchase price of the contract or the exercise price of the put option (less
the amount of initial or variation margin on deposit) in a segregated account
maintained for the Fund by its Custodian. Alternatively, the Fund could cover
its long position by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract
with an exercise price as high or higher than the price of the contract held
by the Fund.
If the Fund maintains a short position in a futures contract or has sold a
call option on a futures contract, it will cover this position by holding, in
a segregated account maintained at its Custodian, cash, U.S. Government
securities or other high grade debt obligations equal in value (when added to
any initial or variation margin on deposit) to the market value of the
securities underlying the futures contract or the exercise price of the
option. Such a position may also be covered by owning the securities
underlying the futures contract (in the case of a stock index futures
contract a portfolio of securities substantially replicating the relevant
index), or by holding a call option permitting the Fund to purchase the same
contract at a price no higher than the price at which the short position was
established.
Exchanges may limit the amount by which the price of futures contracts may
move on any day. If the price moves equal the daily limit on successive days,
then it may prove impossible to liquidate a futures position until the daily
limit moves have ceased.
The extent to which the Fund may enter into transactions involving options
and futures contracts may be limited by the Internal Revenue Code's
requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company and the
Fund's intention to qualify as such. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes"
in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information.
There may exist an imperfect correlation between the price movements of
futures contracts purchased by the Fund and the movements in the prices of
the securities whcih are the subject of the hedge. If participants in the
futures market elect to close out their contracts through offsetting
transactions rather than meet margin deposit requirements, distortions in the
normal relationship between the debt securities and futures markets could
result. Price distortions could also result if investors in futures contracts
opt to make or take delivery of underlying securities rather than engage in
closing transactions due to the resultant reduction in the liquidity of the
futures market. In addition, due to the fact that, from the point of view of
speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures markets are less onerous
than margin requirements in the cash market, increased participation by
speculators in the futures market could cause temporary price distortions.
Due to the possibility of price distortions in the futures market and because
of the imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of securities
and movements in the prices of futures contracts, a correct forecast of
interest rate trends by the Investment Manager may still not result in a
successful hedging transaction.
There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for
futures contracts and related options in which the Fund may invest. In the
event a liquid market does not exist, it may not be possible to close out a
futures position, and in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would
continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. In
addition, limitations imposed by an exchange or board of trade on which
futures contracts are traded may compel or prevent the Fund from closing out
a contract which may result in reduced gain or increased loss to the Fund.
The absence of a liquid market in futures contracts might cause the Fund to
make or take delivery of the underlying securities at a time when it may be
disadvantageous to do so.
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Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, the purchase of
call or put options on futures contracts involves less potential risk to the
Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options
(plus transaction costs). However, there may be circumstances when the
purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract would result in a loss
to the Fund notwithstanding that the purchase or sale of a futures contract
would not result in a loss, as in the instance where there is no movement in
the prices of the futures contract or underlying securities.
Zero Coupon Securities. As discussed in the Prospectus, a portion of the
U.S. Government securities purchased by the Fund may be "zero coupon"
Treasury securities. These are U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds which
have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons and receipts or which
are certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations and
coupons. In addition, a portion of the fixed-income securities purchased by
the Fund may be "zero coupon" securities. "Zero coupon" securities are
purchased at a discount from their face amount, giving the purchaser the
right to receive their full value at maturity. A zero coupon security pays no
interest to its holder during its life. Its value to an investor consists of
the difference between its face value at the time of maturity and the price
for which it was acquired, which is generally an amount significantly less
than its face value (sometimes referred to as a "deep discount" price).
The interest earned on such securities is, implicitly, automatically
compounded and paid out at maturity. While such compounding at a constant
rate eliminates the risk of receiving lower yields upon reinvestment of
interest if prevailing interest rates decline, the owner of a zero coupon
security will be unable to participate in higher yields upon reinvestment of
interest received if prevailing interest rates rise. For this reason, zero
coupon securities are subject to substantially greater market price
fluctuations during periods of changing prevailing interest rates than are
comparable debt securities which make current distributions of interest.
Current federal tax law requires that a holder (such as the Fund) of a zero
coupon security accrue a portion of the discount at which the security was
purchased as income each year even though the Fund receives no interest
payments in cash on the security during the year.
Currently, the only U.S. Treasury security issued without coupons is the
Treasury bill. However, in the last few years a number of banks and brokerage
firms have separated ("stripped") the principal portions from the coupon
portions of the U.S. Treasury bonds and notes and sold them separately in the
form of receipts or certificates representing undivided interests in these
instruments (which instruments are generally held by a bank in a custodial or
trust account).
Warrants and Rights. The Fund may invest up to 5% of the value of its net
assets in warrants, including not more than 2% in warrants not listed on
either the New York or American Stock Exchange. Warrants are, in effect, an
option to purchase equity securities at a specific price, generally valid for
a specific period of time, and have no voting rights, pay no dividends and
have no rights with respect to the corporations issuing them. The Fund may
acquire warrants attached to other securities without reference to the
foregoing limitations.
The Fund may also invest up to 5% of the value of its net assets in stock
rights.
Repurchase Agreements. As discussed in the Prospectus, when cash may be
available for only a few days, it may be invested by the Fund in repurchase
agreements until such time as it may otherwise be invested or used for
payments of obligations of the Fund. These agreements, which may be viewed as
a type of secured lending by the Fund, typically involve the acquisition by
the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a
bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides
that the Fund will sell back to the institution, and that the institution
will repurchase, the underlying security ("collateral") at a specified price
and at a fixed time in the future, usually not more than seven days from the
date of purchase. The collateral will be maintained in a segregated account
and will be marked to market daily to determine that the value of the
collateral, as specified in the agreement, does not decrease below the
purchase price plus accrued interest. If such decrease occurs, additional
collateral will be requested and, when received, added to the account to
maintain full collateralization. The Fund will accrue interest from the
institution until the time when the repurchase is to occur. Although such
date is deemed by the Fund to be the maturity date of a repurchase agreement,
the maturities of securities subject ot repurchase agreements are not subject
to any limits.
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While repurchase agreements involve certain risks not associated with
direct investments in debt securities, the Fund follows procedures designed
to minimize such risks. These procedures include effecting repurchase
transactions only with large, well-capitalized and well-established financial
institutions whose financial condition will be continually monitored by the
Investment Manager and Sub-Advisers subject to procedures established by the
Board of Trustees of the Fund. In addition, as described above, the value of
the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to
the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase
agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial
institution, the Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the
exercising of the Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could involve
certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a
default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price,
the Fund could suffer a loss. It is the current policy of the Fund not to
invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any
such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by the Fund,
amounts to more than 15% of its net assets. The Fund's investments in
repurchase agreements may at times be substantial when, in the view of the
Investment Manager, liquidity, tax or other considerations warrant.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls. As discussed in the
Prospectus, the Fund may also use reverse repurchase agreements and dollar
rolls as part of its investment strategy. Reverse repurchase agreements
involve sales by the Fund of portfolio assets concurrently with an agreement
by the Fund to repurchase the same assets at a later date at a fixed price.
Generally, the effect of such a transaction is that the Fund can recover all
or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the
term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while it will be able to keep the
interest income associated with those portfolio securities. Such transactions
are only advantageous if the interest cost to the Fund of the reverse
repurchase transaction is less than the cost of obtaining the cash otherwise.
The Fund may enter into dollar rolls in which the Fund sells securities
for delivery in the current months and simultaneously contracts to repurchase
substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future
date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on
the securities. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current
sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often
referred to as the "drop") as well as by the interest earned on the cash
proceeds of the initial sale.
The Fund will establish a segregated account with its custodian bank in
which it will maintain cash, U.S. Government Securities or other liquid high
grade debt obligations equal in value to its obligations in respect of
reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls. Reverse repurchase agreements
and dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the
Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the
repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse
repurchase agreement or dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes
insolvent, the Fund's use of proceeds of the agreement may be restricted
pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver,
whether to enforce the Fund's obligation to repurchase the securities.
Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls are speculative techniques
involving leverage, and are considered borrowings by the Fund.
Lending of Portfolio Securities. Consistent with applicable regulatory
requirements, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers
and other financial institutions, provided that such loans are callable at
any time by the Fund (subject to notice provisions described below), and are
at all times secured by cash or cash equivalents, which are maintained in a
segregated account pursuant to applicable regulations and that are equal to
at least the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. The
advantage of such loans is that the Fund continues to receive the income on
the loaned securities while at the same time earning interest on the cash
amounts deposited as collateral, which will be invested in short-term
obligations. The Fund will not lend its portfolio securities if such loans
are not permitted by the laws or regulations of any state in which its shares
are qualified for sale and will not lend more than 25% of the value of its
total assets. A loan may be terminated by the borrower on one business day's
notice, or by the Fund on four business days' notice. If the borrower fails
to deliver the loaned securities within four days after recepit of notice,
the Fund could use the collateral to replace the securities while holding the
borrower liable for any excess of replacement cost over collateral. As with
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any extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery and in some
cases even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the
securities fail financially. However, these loans of portfolio securities
will only be made to firms deemed by the Fund's management to be creditworthy
and when the income which can be earned from such loans justifies the
attendant risks. Upon termination of the loan, the borrower is required to
return the securities to the Fund. Any gain or loss in the market price
during the loan period would inure to the Fund. The creditworthiness of firms
to which the Fund lends its portfolio securities will be monitored on an
ongoing basis by the Investment Manager and Sub-Advisers pursuant to
procedures adopted and reviewed, on an ongoing basis, by the Board of
Trustees of the Fund.
When voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to
the borrower, the Fund will follow the policy of calling the loaned
securities, to be delivered within one day after notice, to permit the
exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect
on the Fund's investment in such loaned securities. The Fund will pay
reasonable finder's, administrative and custodial fees in connection with a
loan of its securities. However, the Fund has no intention of lending any of
its portfolio securities during its fiscal year ending , 1995.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments. As
discussed in the Prospectus, from time to time the Fund may purchase
securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis or may purchase or sell
securities on a forward commitment basis. When such transactions are
negotiated, the price is fixed at the time of the commitment, but delivery
and payment can take place a month or more after the date of commitment.
While the Fund will only purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed
delivery or forward commitment basis with the intention of acquiring the
securities, the Fund may sell the securities before the settlement date, if
it is deemed advisable. The securities so purchased or sold are subject to
market fluctuation and no interest or dividends accrue to the purchaser prior
to the settlement date. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase
or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment
basis, it will record the transaction and thereafter reflect the value, each
day, of such security purchased, or if a sale, the proceeds to be received,
in determining its net asset value. At the time of delivery of the
securities, the value may be more or less than the purchase or sale price.
The Fund will also establish a segregated account with its custodian bank in
which it will continually maintain cash or cash equivalents or other high
grade debt portfolio securities equal in value to commitments to purchase
securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis.
Subject to the foregoing restrictions, the Fund may purchase securities on
such basis without limit. The Investment Manager and the Board of Trustees do
not believe that the Fund's net asset value will be adversely affected by the
purchase of securities on such basis.
When, As and If Issued Securities. As discussed in the Prospectus, the
Fund may purchase securities on a "when, as and if issued" basis under which
the issuance of the security depends upon the occurrence of a subsequent
event, such as approval of a merger, corporate reorganization, leveraged
buyout or debt restructuring. The commitment for the purchase of any such
security will not be recognized in the portfolio of the Fund until the
Investment Manager or Sub-Adviser determines that issuance of the security is
probable. At such time, the Fund will record the transaction and, in
determining its net asset value, will reflect the value of the security
daily. At such time, the Fund will also establish a segregated account with
its custodian bank in which it will maintain cash or cash equivalents or
other high grade debt portfolio securities equal in value to recognized
commitments for such securities. Once a segregated account has been
established, if the anticipated event does not occur and the securities are
not issued, the Fund will have lost an investment opportunity. The value of
the Fund's commitments to purchase the securities of any one issuer, together
with the value of all securities of such issuer owned by the Fund, may not
exceed 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time the initial
commitment to purchase such securities is made (see "Investment
Restrictions"). Subject to the foregoing restrictions, the Fund may purchase
securities on such basis without limit. An increase in the percentage of the
Fund's assets committed to the purchase of securities on a "when, as and if
issued" basis may increase the volatility of its net asset value. The
Investment Manager and the Trustees do not believe that the net asset value
of the Fund will be adversely affected by its purchase of securities on such
basis. The Fund may also sell securities on a "when, as and if issued" basis
provided that the issuance of the security will result automatically from the
exchange or conversion of a security owned by the Fund at the time of the
sale.
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Private Placements. As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest up
to 5% of its total assets in securities which are subject to restrictions on
resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or which are otherwise not readily
marketable. (Securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A of the
Securities Act, and determined to be liquid pursuant to the procedures
discussed in the following paragraph, are not subject to the foregoing
restriction.) Limitations on the resale of such securities may have an
adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from
disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices. The Fund may have to bear
the expense of registering such securities for resale and the risk of
substantial delays in effecting such registration.
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has adopted Rule 144A under
the Securities Act, which permits the Fund to sell restricted securities to
qualified institutional buyers without limitation. The Investment Manager,
pursuant to procedures adopted by the Trustees of the Fund, will make a
determination as to the liquidity of each restricted security purchased by
the Fund. The procedures require that the following factors be taken into
account in making a liquidity determination: (1) the frequency of trades and
price quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers and other potential
purchasers who have issued quotes on the security; (3) any dealer
undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the
security and the nature of the marketplace trades (the time needed to dispose
of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of
transfer). If a restricted security is determined to be "liquid", such
security will not be included within the category "illiquid securities",
which under the SEC's current policies may not exceed 15% of the Fund's net
assets, and will not be subject to the 5% limitation set out in the preceding
paragraph.
The Rule 144A marketplace of sellers and qualified institutional buyers is
new and still developing and may take a period of time to develop into a
mature liquid market. As such, the market for certain private placements
purchased pursuant to Rule 144A may be initially small or may, subsequent to
purchase, become illiquid. Furthermore, the Investment Manager may not posses
all the information concerning an issue of securities that it wishes to
purchase in a private placement to which it would normally have had access,
had the registration statement necessitated by a public offering been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
It is anticipated that the Fund's portfolio turnover rate will not exceed
%. A % turnover rate would occur, for example, if % of the
securities held in the Fund's portfolio (excluding all securities whose
maturities at acquisition were one year or less) were sold and replaced
within one year.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
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In addition to the investment restrictions enumerated in the Prospectus,
the investment restrictions listed below have been adopted by the Fund as
fundamental policies, except as otherwise indicated. Under the Act, a
fundamental policy may not be changed without the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined in the Act. Such a
majority is defined as the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares present at
a meeting of Shareholders, if the holders of 50% of the outstanding shares of
the Fund are present or represented by proxy or (b) more than 50% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund. For purposes of the following restrictions:
(i) all percentage limitations apply immediately after a purchase or initial
investment; and (ii) any subsequent change in any applicable percentage
resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in total or net assets
does not require elimination of any security from the portfolio.
The Fund may not:
1. Purchase or sell real estate or interests therein, although the
Fund may purchase securities of issuers which engage in real estate
operations and securities secured by real estate or interests therein.
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2. Purchase oil, gas or other mineral leases, rights or royalty
contracts or exploration or development programs, except that the Fund may
invest in the securities of companies which operate, invest in, or sponsor
such programs.
3. Borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow from a bank for
temporary or emergency purposes in amounts not exceeding 5% (taken at the
lower of cost or current value) of its total assets (not including the
amount borrowed).
4. Pledge its assets or assign or otherwise encumber them except to
secure borrowings effected within the limitations set forth in restriction
(3). For the purpose of this restriction, collateral arrangements with
respect to the writing of options and collateral arrangements with respect
to initial or variation margin for futures are not deemed to be pledges of
assets.
5. Issue senior securities as defined in the Act, except insofar as
the Fund may be deemed to have issued a senior security by reason of (a)
entering into any repurchase or reverse repurchase agreement; (b)
purchasing any securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis; (c)
purchasing or selling futures contracts, forward foreign exchange
contracts or options; (d) borrowing money in accordance with restrictions
described above; or (e) lending portfolio securities.
6. Make loans of money or securities, except: (a) by the purchase of
publicly distributed debt obligations in which the Fund may invest
consistent with its investment objective and policies; (b) by investment
in repurchase agreements; or (c) by lending its portfolio securities.
7. Make short sales of securities.
8. Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term loans as
are necessary for the clearance of portfolio securities. The deposit or
payment by the Fund of initial or variation margin in connection with
futures contracts or related options thereon is not considered the
purchase of a security on margin.
9. Engage in the underwriting of securities, except insofar as the
Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933 in
disposing of a portfolio security.
10. Purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts except that
the Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts or option on futures.
In addition, as a nonfundamental policy, the Fund may not invest in
securities of any issuer if, to the knowledge of the Fund, any officer or
trustee of the Fund or any officer or director of the Investment Manager owns
more than 1/2 of 1% of the outstanding securities of such issuer, and such
officers, trustees and directors who own more than 1/2 of 1% own in the
aggregate more than 5% of the outstanding securities of such issuers.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
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Subject to the general supervision of the Board of Trustees, the
Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers are responsible for decisions to buy
and sell securities for the Fund, the selection of brokers and dealers to
effect the transactions, and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if
any. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange are effected
through brokers who charge a commission for their services. In the
over-the-counter market, securities are generally traded on a "net" basis
with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated
commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to
the dealer. The Fund also expects that securities will be purchased at times
in underwritten offerings where the price includes a fixed amount of
compensation, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or
discount. Options and futures transactions will usually be effected through a
broker and a commission will be charged. On occasion, the Fund may also
purchase certain money market instruments directly from an issuer, in which
case no commissions or discounts are paid.
The Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers currently serve as investment
manager to a number of clients, including other investment companies, and may
in the future act as investment adviser to
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others. It is the practice of the Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisers to
cause purchase and sale transactions to be allocated among the Fund and
others whose assets it manages in such manner as it deems equitable. In
making such allocations among the Fund and other client accounts, the main
factors considered are the respective investment objectives, the relative
size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the
availability of cash for investment, the size of investment commitments
generally held and the opinions of the persons responsible for managing the
portfolios of the Fund and other client accounts.
The policy of the Fund regarding purchases and sales of securities for its
portfolio is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most
favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with
this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange,
the Fund's policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and
reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible
commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Fund believes that a
requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede
effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Investment
Manager and Sub-Advisers from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and
research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage
commissions paid in any transaction, the Investment Manager and Sub-Advisers
rely upon their experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally
charged by various brokers and on their judgment in evaluating the brokerage
and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction.
Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most
cases an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable.
The Fund anticipates that certain of its transactions involving foreign
securities will be effected on foreign securities exchanges. Fixed
commissions on such transactions are generally higher than negotiated
commissions on domestic transactions. There is also generally less government
supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges and brokers than
in the United States.
In seeking to implement the Fund's policies, the Investment Manager and
Sub-Advisers effect transactions with those brokers and dealers who the
Investment Manager and Sub-Advisers believe provide the most favorable prices
and are capable of providing efficient executions. If the Investment Manager
and/or Sub-Advisers believe such prices and executions are obtainable from
more than one broker or dealer, they may give consideration to placing
portfolio transactions with those brokers and dealers who also furnish
research and other services to the Fund or the Investment Manager and/or
Sub-Advisers. Such services may include, but are not limited to, any one or
more of the following: information as to the availability of securities for
purchase or sale; statistical or factual information or opinions pertaining
to investment; wire services; and appraisals or evaluations of portfolio
securities.
The information and services received by the Investment Manager and
Sub-Advisers from brokers and dealers may be of benefit to them in the
management of accounts of some of their other clients and may not in all
cases benefit the Fund directly. While the receipt of such information and
services is useful in varying degrees and would generally reduce the amount
of research or services otherwise performed by the Investment Manager and/or
Sub-Advisers and thereby reduce their expenses, it is of indeterminable value
and the management fee paid to the Investment Manager is not reduced by any
amount that may be attributable to the value of such services.
Pursuant to an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund
may effect principal transactions in certain money market instruments with
DWR. The Fund will limit its transactions with DWR to U.S. Government and
Government Agency Securities, Bank Money Instruments (i.e., Certificates of
Deposit and Bankers' Acceptances) and Commercial Paper. Such transactions
will be effected with DWR only when the price available from DWR is better
than that available from other dealers.
Consistent with the policy described above, brokerage transactions in
securities listed on exchanges or admitted to the unlisted trading privileges
may be effected through DWR and/or affiliated broker-dealers of a
Sub-Adviser. In order for these broker-dealers to effect any portfolio
transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration
received by them must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions,
fees or other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection with
comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold
on an exchange during a
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comparable period of time. This standard would allow DWR to receive no more
than the remuneration which would be expected to be received by an
unaffiliated broker in a commensurate arm's-length transaction. Furthermore,
the Board of Trustees of the Fund, including a majority of the Trustees who
are not "interested" persons of the Fund, as defined in the Act, have adopted
procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions,
fees or other remuneration paid to DWR and affiliates of the Sub-Adviser are
consistent with the foregoing standard. The Fund does not reduce the
management fee it pays to the Investment Manager by any amount of the
brokerage commissions it may pay to DWR.
THE UNDERWRITER
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Dean Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Underwriter") has agreed to purchase
up to 10,000,000 shares from the Fund, which number may be increased or
decreased in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement. The Underwriting
Agreement provides that the obligation of the Underwriter is subject to
certain conditions precedent (such as the filing of certain forms and
documents required by various federal and state agencies and the rendering of
certain opinions of counsel) and that the Underwriter will be obligated to
purchase the shares on , 1995, or such other date as may be agreed upon
between the Underwriter and the Fund (the "Closing Date"). Shares will not be
issued and dividends will not be declared by the Fund until after the Closing
Date.
The Underwriter will purchase shares from the Fund at $10.00 per share. No
underwriting discounts or selling commissions will be deducted from the
initial public offering price. The Underwriter will, however, receive
contingent deferred sales charges from future redemptions of such shares.
The Underwriter shall, regardless of its expected underwriting commitment,
be entitled and obligated to purchase only the number of shares for which
purchase orders have been received by the Underwriter prior to 2:00 p.m., New
York time, on the third business day preceding the Closing Date, or such
other date as may be agreed to between the parties.
The minimum number of Fund shares which may be purchased pursuant to this
offering is 100 shares. Certificates for shares purchased will not be issued
unless requested by the shareholder in writing.
The Underwriter has agreed to pay certain expenses of the initial offering
and the subsequent Continuous Offering of the Fund's shares. The Fund has
agreed to pay certain compensation to the Underwriter pursuant to a Plan of
Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act, to compensate the
Underwriter for services it renders and the expenses it bears under the
Underwriting Agreement (see "The Distributor"). The Fund will bear the cost
of initial typesetting, printing and distribution of Prospectuses and
Statements of Additional Information and supplements thereto to shareholders.
The Fund has agreed to indemnify the Underwriter against certain liabilities,
including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus, shares of the Fund are distributed by Dean
Witter Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor"). The Distributor has entered
into a selected dealer agreement with DWR, which through its own sales
organization sells shares of the Fund. In addition, the Distributor may enter
into selected dealer agreements with other selected broker-dealers. The
Distributor, a Delaware corporation, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DWDC.
The Board of Trustees of the Fund including a majority of the Trustees who
are not, and were not at the time they voted, interested persons of the Fund,
as defined in the Act (the "Independent Trustees"), approved, at their
meeting held on , 1994, a Distribution Agreement appointing the
Distributor as exclusive distributor of the Fund's shares and providing for
the Distributor to bear distribution expenses not borne by the Fund. By its
terms, the Distribution Agreement has an initial term ending April 30, 1995,
and provides that it will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if
approved by the Board.
The Distributor bears all expenses it may incur in providing services
under the Distribution Agreement. Such expenses include the payment of
commissions for sales of the Fund's shares and
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incentive compensation to account executives. The Distributor also pays
certain expenses in connection with the distribution of the Fund's shares,
including the costs of preparing, printing and distributing advertising or
promotional materials, and the costs of printing and distributing
prospectuses and supplements thereto used in connection with the offering and
sale of the Fund's shares. The Fund bears the costs of initial typesetting,
printing and distribution of prospectuses and supplements thereto to
shareholders. The Fund also bears the costs of registering the Fund and its
shares under federal and state securities laws. The Fund and the Distributor
have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Under the
Distribution Agreement, the Distributor uses its best efforts in rendering
services to the Fund, but in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations, the Distributor is
not liable to the Fund or any of its shareholders for any error of judgment
or mistake of law or for any act or omission or for any losses sustained by
the Fund or its shareholders.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
To compensate the Distributor for the services it or any selected dealer
provides and for the expenses it bears under the Distribution Agreement, the
Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act
(the "Plan") pursuant to which the Fund pays the Distributor compensation
accrued daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 1.0% of the lesser
of: (a) the average daily aggregate gross sales of the Fund's shares since
the inception of the Fund (not including reinvestments of dividends or
capital gains distributions), less the average daily aggregate net asset
value of the Fund's shares redeemed since the Fund's inception upon which a
contingent deferred sales charge has been imposed or upon which such charge
has been waived; or (b) the Fund's average daily net assets. The Distributor
receives the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges imposed on certain
redemptions of shares, which are separate and apart from payments made
pursuant to the Plan.
The Distributor has informed the Fund that an amount of the fees payable
by the Fund each year pursuant to the Plan of Distribution equal to 0.25% of
the Fund's average daily net assets is characterized as a "service fee" under
the Rules of Fair Practice of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc. (of which the Distributor is a member). Such fee is a payment made for
personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. The
remaining portion of the Plan of Distribution fee payments made by the Fund
is characterized as an "asset-based sales charge" as such is defined by the
aforementioned Rules of Fair Practice.
The Plan was adopted by a vote of the Trustees of the Fund on , 1994,
at a meeting of the Trustees called for the purpose of voting on such Plan.
The vote included the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Fund who are
not "interested persons" of the Fund (as defined in the Act) and who have no
direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan (the
"Independent 12b-1 Trustees"). In making their decision to adopt the Plan,
the Trustees requested from the Distributor and received such information as
they deemed necessary to make an informed determination as to whether or not
adoption of the Plan was in the best interests of the shareholders of the
Fund. After due consideration of the information received, the Trustees,
including the Independent 12b-1 Trustees, determined that adoption of the
Plan would benefit the shareholders of the Fund. InterCapital, as sole
shareholder of the Fund, approved the Plan on , 1994, whereupon the Plan
went into effect.
Under its terms, the Plan will continue until April 30, 1995 and will
remain in effect from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is
approved annually by a vote of the Trustees in the manner described above.
Under the Plan and as required by Rule 12b-1, the Trustees will receive and
review promptly after the end of each fiscal quarter a written report
provided by the Distributor of the amounts expended by the Distributor under
the Plan and the purpose for which such expenditures were made.
The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of the Fund's
method of distribution. Under this distribution method shares of the Fund are
sold without a sales load being deducted at the time of purchase, so that the
full amount of an investor's purchase payment will be invested in shares
without any deduction for sales charges. Shares of the Fund may be subject to
a contingent deferred sales charge, payable to the Distributor, if redeemed
during the six years after their purchase. DWR compensates its account
executives by paying them, from its own funds, commissions for the sale of
the
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Fund's shares, currently a gross sales credit of up to 5% of the amount sold
and an annual residual commission of up to 0.25 of 1% of the current value
(not including reinvested dividends or distributions) of the amount sold. The
gross sales credit is a charge which reflects commissions paid by DWR to its
account executives and Fund associated distribution-related expenses,
including sales compensation and overhead. The distribution fee that the
Distributor receives from the Fund under the Plan, in effect, offsets
distribution expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund and opportunity costs,
such as the gross sales credit and an assumed interest charge thereon
("carrying charge"). In the Distributor's reporting of the distribution
expenses to the Fund, such assumed interest (computed at the "broker's call
rate") has been calculated on the gross sales credit as it is reduced by
amounts received by the Distributor under the Plan and any contingent
deferred sales charges received by the Distributor upon redemption of shares
of the Fund. No other interest charge is included as a distribution expense
in the Distributor's calculation of its distribution costs for this purpose.
The broker's call rate is the interest rate charged to securities brokers on
loans secured by exchange-listed securities.
At any given time, the expenses in distributing shares of the Fund may be
more or less than the total of (i) the payments made by the Fund pursuant to
the Plan and (ii) the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges paid by
investors upon redemption of shares. Because there is no requirement under
the Plan that the Distributor be reimbursed for all expenses or any
requirement that the Plan be continued from year to year, this excess amount
does not constitute a liability of the Fund. Although there is no legal
obligation for the Fund to pay distribution expenses in excess of payments
made under the Plan and the proceeds of contingent deferred sales charges
paid by investors upon redemption of shares, if for any reason the Plan is
terminated, the Trustees will consider at that time the manner in which to
treat such expenses. Any cumulative expenses incurred, but not yet recovered
through distribution fees or contingent deferred sales charges, may or may
not be recovered through future distribution fees or contingent deferred
sales charges.
No interested person of the Fund nor any Trustee of the Fund who is not an
interested person of the Fund, as defined in the Act, has any direct or
indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan except to the extent
that the Distributor, InterCapital, DWR or certain of their employees may be
deemed to have such an interest as a result of benefits derived from the
successful operation of the Plan or as a result of receiving a portion of the
amounts expended thereunder by the Fund.
The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount to be spent
for the services described therein without approval of the shareholders of
the Fund, and all material amendments of the Plan must also be approved by
the Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan may be terminated at any
time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the
Independent 12b-1 Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the Act) on not more than thirty
days' written notice to any other party to the Plan. So long as the Plan is
in effect, the election and nomination of Independent Trustees shall be
committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
As stated in the Prospectus, short-term securities with remaining
maturities of sixty days or less at the time of purchase are valued at
amortized cost, unless the Trustees determine such does not reflect the
securities' market value, in which case these securities will be valued at
their fair value as determined by the Trustees. Other short-term debt
securities will be valued on a mark-to-market basis until such time as they
reach a remaining maturity of sixty days, whereupon they will be valued at
amortized cost using their value on the 61st day unless the Trustees
determine such does not reflect the securities' market value, in which case
these securities will be valued at their fair value as determined by the
Trustees. Listed options on debt securities are valued at the latest sale
price on the exchange on which they are listed unless no sales of such
options have taken place that day, in which case they will be valued at the
mean between their latest bid and asked prices. Unlisted options on debt
securities and all options on equity securities are valued at the mean
between their latest bid and asked prices. Futures are valued at the latest
sale price on the commodities exchange on which they trade unless the
Trustees determine such price does not reflect their market value, in which
case they will be valued at their fair value as
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determined by the Trustees. All other securities and other assets are valued
at their fair value as determined in good faith under procedures established
by and under the supervision of the Trustees.
The net asset value per share of the Fund is determined once daily at 4:00
p.m. New York time on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open by
taking the value of all assets of the Fund, subtracting its liabilities,
dividing by the number of shares outstanding and adjusting to the nearest
cent. The New York Stock Exchange currently observes the following holidays:
New Year's Day; Presidents Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day;
Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day.
Generally, trading in foreign securities, as well as corporate bonds,
United States government securities and money market instruments, is
substantially completed each day at various times prior to 4:00 p.m., New
York time. The values of such securities used in computing the net asset
value of the Fund's shares are determined as of such times. Foreign currency
exchange rates are also generally determined prior to 4:00 p.m., New York
time. Occasionally, events which affect the values of such securities and
such exchange rates may occur between the times at which they are determined
and 4:00 p.m., New York time, and will therefore not be reflected in the
computation of the Fund's net asset value. If events materially affecting the
value of such securities occur during such period, then these securities will
be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith under procedures
established by and under the supervision of the Trustees.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
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Upon the purchase of shares of the Fund, a Shareholder Investment Account
is opened for the investor on the books of the Fund and maintained by Dean
Witter Trust Company (the "Transfer Agent"). This is an open account in which
shares owned by the investor are credited by the Transfer Agent in lieu of
issuance of a share certificate. If a share certificate is desired, it must
be requested in writing for each transaction. Certificates are issued only
for full shares and may be redeposited in the account at any time. There is
no charge to the investor for issuance of a certificate. Whenever a
shareholder instituted transaction takes place in the Shareholder Investment
Account, the shareholder will be mailed a confirmation of the transaction
from the Fund or from DWR or other selected broker-dealer.
Automatic Investment of Dividends and Distributions. As stated in the
Prospectus, all income dividends and capital gains distributions are
automatically paid in full and fractional shares of the Fund, unless the
shareholder requests that they be paid in cash. Each purchase of shares of
the Fund is made upon the condition that the Transfer Agent is thereby
automatically appointed as agent of the investor to receive all dividends and
capital gains distributions on shares owned by the investor. Such dividends
and distributions will be paid, at the net asset value per share, in shares
of the Fund (or in cash if the shareholder so requests) as of the close of
business on the record date. At any time an investor may request the Transfer
Agent, in writing, to have subsequent dividends and/or capital gains
distributions paid to him or her in cash rather than shares. To assure
sufficient time to process the change, such request should be received by the
Transfer Agent at least five business days prior to the record date of the
dividend or distribution. In the case of recently purchased shares for which
registration instructions have not been received on the record date, cash
payments will be made to DWR or other selected broker-dealer, and will be
forwarded to the shareholder, upon the receipt of proper instructions.
Targeted Dividends.(SM) In states where it is legally permissible,
shareholders may also have all income dividends and capital gains
distributions automatically invested in shares of an open-end Dean Witter
Fund other than Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund. Such investment
will be made as described above for automatic investment in shares of the
Fund, at the net asset value per share of the selected Dean Witter Fund as of
the close of business on the payment date of the dividend or distribution and
will begin to earn dividends, if any, in the selected Dean Witter Fund the
next business day. To participate in the Targeted Dividends program,
shareholders should contact their DWR or other selected broker-dealer account
executive or the Transfer Agent. Shareholders of the Fund must be
shareholders of the Dean Witter Fund targeted to receive investments from
dividends at the time they enter the Targeted Dividends program. Investors
should review the prospectus of the targeted Dean Witter Fund before entering
the program.
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EasyInvest.(SM) Shareholders may subscribe to EasyInvest, an automatic
purchase plan which provides for any amount from $100 to $5,000 to be
transferred automatically from a checking or savings account, on a
semi-monthly, monthly or quarterly basis, to the Transfer Agent for
investment in shares of the Fund. Shares purchased through EasyInvest will be
added to the shareholder's existing account at the net asset value calculated
the same business day the transfer of funds is effected. For further
information or to subscribe to EasyInvest, shareholders should contact their
DWR or other selected broker-dealer account executive or the Transfer Agent.
Investment of Dividends or Distributions Received in Cash. As discussed in
the Prospectus, any shareholder who receives a cash payment representing a
dividend or distribution may invest such dividend or distribution at net
asset value, without the imposition of a contingent deferred sales charge
upon redemption, by returning the check or the proceeds to the Transfer Agent
within 30 days after the payment date. If the shareholder returns the
proceeds of a dividend or distribution, such funds must be accompanied by a
signed statement indicating that the proceeds constitute a dividend or
distribution to be invested. Such investment will be made at the net asset
value per share next determined after receipt of the check or proceeds by the
Transfer Agent.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. As discussed in the Prospectus, a systematic
withdrawal plan (the "Withdrawal Plan") is available for shareholders who own
or purchase shares of the Fund having a minimum value of $10,000 based upon
the then current net asset value. The Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly or
quarterly (March, June, September and December) checks in any dollar amount,
not less then $25, or in any whole percentage of the account balance, on an
annualized basis.
The Transfer Agent acts as agent for the shareholder in tendering to the
Fund for redemption sufficient full and fractional shares to provide the
amount of the periodic withdrawal payment designated in the application. The
shares will be redeemed at their net asset value determined, at the
shareholder's option, on the tenth or twenty-fifth day (or next following
business day) of the relevant month or quarter and normally a check for the
proceeds will be mailed by the Transfer Agent, or amounts credited to a
shareholder's brokerage account, within five business days after the date of
redemption. The Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund.
Withdrawal Plan payments should not be considered as dividends, yields or
income. If periodic withdrawal plan payments continuously exceed net
investment income and net capital gains, the share-holder's original
investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately exhausted.
Each withdrawal constitutes a redemption of shares and any gain or loss
realized must be recognized for federal income tax purposes. Although the
shareholder may make additional investments of $2,500 or more under the
Withdrawal Plan, withdrawals made concurrently with purchases of additional
shares may be inadvisable because of the contingent deferred sales charge
applicable to the redemption of shares purchased during the preceding six
years (see "Redemptions and Repurchases --Contingent Deferred Sales Charge").
Any shareholder who wishes to have payments under the Withdrawal Plan made
to a third party or sent to an address other than the one listed on the
account must send complete written instructions to the Transfer Agent to
enroll in the Withdrawal Plan. The shareholder's signature on such
instructions must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor acceptable to the
Transfer Agent (shareholders should contact the Transfer Agent for a
determination as to whether a particular institution is such an eligible
guarantor). A shareholder may, at any time, change the amount and interval of
withdrawal payments through his or her Account Executive or by written
notification to the Transfer Agent. In addition, the party and/or the address
to which checks are mailed may be changed by written notification to the
Transfer Agent, with signature guarantees required in the manner described
above. The shareholder may also terminate the Withdrawal Plan at any time by
written notice to the Transfer Agent. In the event of such termination, the
account will be continued as a regular shareholder investment account. The
shareholder may also redeem all or part of the shares held in the Withdrawal
Plan account (see "Redemptions and Repurchases" in the Prospectus) at any
time.
Direct Investments through Transfer Agent. As discussed in the Prospectus,
a shareholder may make additional investments in Fund shares at any time by
sending a check in any amount, not less than
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$100, payable to Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund, directly to the
Fund's Transfer Agent. Such amounts will be applied to the purchase of Fund
shares at the net asset value per share next computed after receipt of the
check or purchase payment by the Transfer Agent. The shares so purchased will
be credited to the investor's account.
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund makes available to its
shareholders an Exchange Privilege whereby shareholders of the Fund may
exchange their shares for shares of other Dean Witter Funds sold with a
contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC funds") and for shares of Dean Witter
Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust,
Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund and five Dean Witter Funds which are money
market funds (the foregoing eight non-CDSC Funds are hereinafter referred to
as "Exchange Funds"). Exchanges may be made after the shares of the Fund
acquired by purchase (not by exchange or dividend reinvestment) have been
held for thirty days. There is no waiting period for exchanges of shares
acquired by exchange or dividend reinvestment. An exchange will be treated
for federal income tax purposes the same as a repurchase or redemption of
shares, on which the shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss.
Any new account established through the Exchange Privilege will have the
same registration and cash dividend or dividend reinvestment plan as the
present account, unless the Transfer Agent receives written notification to
the contrary. For telephone exchanges, the exact registration of the existing
account and the account number must be provided.
Any shares held in certificate form cannot be exchanged but must be
forwarded to the Transfer Agent and deposited into the shareholder's account
before being eligible for exchange. (Certificates mailed in for deposit
should not be endorsed.)
As described below, and in the Prospectus under the captions "Exchange
Privilege" and "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge", a contingent deferred
sales charge ("CDSC") may be imposed upon a redemption, depending on a number
of factors, including the number of years from the time of purchase until the
time of redemption or exchange ("holding period"). When shares of the Fund or
any other CDSC fund are exchanged for shares of an Exchange Fund, the
Exchange Fund is executed at no charge to the shareholder, without the
imposition of the CDSC at the time of the exchange. During the period of time
the shareholder remains in the Exchange Fund (calculated from the last day of
the month in which the Exchange Fund shares were acquired), the investment
period or "year since purchase payment made" is frozen. When shares are
redeemed out of the Exchange Fund, they will be subject to a CDSC which would
be based upon the period of time the shareholder held shares in a CDSC fund.
However, in the case of shares of the Fund exchanged into the Exchange Fund,
upon a redemption of shares which results in a CDSC being imposed, a credit
(not to exceed the amount of the CDSC) will be given in an amount equal to
the Exchange Fund 12b-1 distribution fees, if any, incurred on or after that
date which are attributable to those shares. Shareholders acquiring shares of
an Exchange Fund pursuant to this exchange privilege may exchange those
shares back into a CDSC fund from the Exchange Fund, with no CDSC being
imposed on such exchange. The investment period previously frozen when shares
were first exchanged for shares of the Exchange Fund resumes on the last day
of the month in which shares of a CDSC fund are reacquired. A CDSC is imposed
only upon an ultimate redemption, based upon the time (calculated as
described above) the shareholder was invested in a CDSC fund.
In addition, shares of the Fund may be acquired in exchange for shares of
Dean Witter Funds sold with a front-end sales charge ("front-end sales charge
funds"), but shares of the Fund, however acquired, may not be exchanged for
shares of front-end sales charge funds. Shares of a CDSC fund acquired in
exchange for shares of a front-end sales charge fund (or in exchange for
shares of other Dean Witter Funds for which shares of a front-end sales
charge fund have been exchanged) are not subject to any CDSC upon their
redemption.
When shares initially purchased in a CDSC fund are exchanged for shares of
another CDSC fund, or for shares of an Exchange Fund, the date of purchase of
the shares of the fund exchanged into, for purposes of the CDSC upon
redemption, will be the last day of the month in which the shares being
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exchanged were originally purchased. In allocating the purchase payments
between funds for purposes of the CSDC, the amount which represents the
current net asset value of shares at the time of the exchange which were (i)
purchased more than three or six years (depending on the CDSC schedule
applicable to the shares) prior to the exchange, (ii) originally acquired
through reinvestment of dividends or distributions and (iii) acquired in
exchange for shares of front-end sales charge funds, or for shares of other
Dean Witter Funds for which shares of front-end sales charge funds have been
exchanged (all such shares called "Free Shares"), will be exchanged first.
Shares of Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc. and Dean Witter Natural
Resource Development Securities Inc. acquired prior to July 2, 1984, and
shares of Dean Witter Strategist Fund acquired prior to November 8, 1989, are
also considered Free Shares and will be the first Free Shares to be
exchanged. After an exchange, all dividends earned on shares in an Exchange
Fund will be considered Free Shares. If the exchanged amount exceeds the
value of such Free Shares, an exchange is made, on a block-by-block basis, of
non-Free Shares held for the longest period of time (except that if shares
held for identical periods of time but subject to different CDSC schedules
are held in the same Exchange Privilege account, the shares of that block
that are subject to a lower CDSC rate will be exchanged prior to the shares
of that block that are subject to a higher CDSC rate). Shares equal to any
appreciation in the value of non-Free Shares exchanged will be treated as
Free Shares, and the amount of the purchase payments for the non-Free Shares
of the fund exchanged into will be equal to the lesser of (a) the purchase
payments for, or (b) the current net asset value of, the exchanged non-Free
Shares. If an exchange between funds would result in exchange of only part of
a particular block of non-Free Shares, then shares equal to any appreciation
in the value of the block (up to the amount of the exchange) will be treated
as Free Shares and exchanged first, and the purchase payment for that block
will be allocated on a pro rata basis between the non-Free Shares of that
block to be retained and the non-Free Shares to be exchanged. The prorated
amount of such purchase payment attributable to the retained non-Free Shares
will remain as the purchase payment for such shares, and the amount of
purchase payment for the exchanged non-Free Shares will be equal to the
lesser of (a) the prorated amount of the purchaser payment for, or (b) the
current net asset value of, those exchanged in non-Free Shares. Based upon
the procedures described in the Prospectus under the caption "Contingent
Deferred Sales Charge", any applicable CDSC will be imposed upon the ultimate
redemption of shares of any fund, regardless of the number of exchanges since
those shares were originally purchased.
The Transfer Agent acts as agent for shareholders of the Fund in effecting
redemptions of Fund shares and in applying the proceeds to the purchase of
other fund shares. In the absence of negligence on its part, neither the
Transfer Agent nor the Fund shall be liable for any redemption of Fund shares
caused by unauthorized telephone instructions. Accordingly, in such event the
investor shall bear the risk of loss. The staff of the Securities and
Exchange Commission is currently considering the propriety of such a policy.
With respect to the redemption or repurchase of shares of the Fund, the
application of proceeds to the purchase of new shares in the Fund or any
other of the funds and the general administration of the Exchange Privilege,
the Transfer Agent acts as agent for the Distributor and for the
shareholder's selected broker-dealer, if any, in the performance of such
functions.
With respect to exchanges, redemptions or repurchases, the Transfer Agent
shall be liable for its own negligence and not for the default or negligence
of its correspondents or for losses in transit. The Fund shall not be liable
for any default or negligence of the Transfer Agent, the Distributor or any
selected broker-dealer.
The Distributor and any selected broker-dealer have authorized and
appointed the Transfer Agent to act as their agent in connection with the
application of proceeds of any redemption of Fund shares to the purchase of
shares of any other fund and the general administration of the Exchange
Privilege. No commission or discounts will be paid to the Distributor or any
selected broker-dealer for any transactions pursuant to this Exchange
Privilege.
Exchanges are subject to the minimum investment requirement and any other
conditions imposed by each fund. (The minimum initial investment is $5,000
for Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc., Dean
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Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust, Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily
Income Trust and Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust although
those funds may, at their discretion, accept initial investments of as low as
$1,000. The minimum initial investment is $10,000 for Dean Witter Short-Term
U.S. Treasury Trust, although that fund, in its discretion, may accept
initial purchases of as low as $5,000. The minimum initial investment for all
other Dean Witter Funds for which the Exchange Privilege is available is
$1,000.) Upon exchange into an Exchange Fund, the shares of that fund will be
held in a special Exchange Privilege Account separately from accounts of
those shareholders who have acquired their shares directly from that fund. As
a result, certain services normally available to shareholders of money market
funds, including the check writing feature, will not be available for funds
held in that account.
The Fund and each of the other Dean Witter Funds may limit the number of
times this Exchange Privilege may be exercised by any investor within a
specified period of time. Also, the Exchange Privilege may be terminated or
revised at any time by the Fund and/or any of the Dean Witter funds for which
shares of the Fund have been exchanged, upon such notice as may be required
by applicable regulatory agencies (presently sixty days for termination or
material revision), provided that six months' prior written notice of
termination will be given to the shareholders who hold shares of Exchange
Funds, pursuant to the Exchange Privilege, and provided further that the
Exchange Privilege may be terminated or materially revised without notice at
times (a) when the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than customary
weekends and holidays, (b) when trading on that Exchange is restricted, (c)
when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of
securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably
practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, (d)
during any other period when the Securities and Exchange Commission by order
so permits (provided that applicable rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed
in (b) or (c) exist) or (e) if the Fund would be unable to invest amounts
effectively in accordance with its investment objective, policies and
restrictions.
For further information regarding the Exchange Privilege, shareholders
should contact their DWR or other selected broker-dealer account executive or
the Transfer Agent.
REDEMPTIONS AND REPURCHASES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redemption. As stated in the Prospectus, shares of the Fund can be
redeemed for cash at any time at the net asset value per share next
determined; however, such redemption proceeds may be reduced by the amount of
any applicable contingent deferred sales charges (see below). If shares are
held in a shareholder's account without a share certificate, a written
request for redemption to the Fund's Transfer Agent at P.O. Box 983, Jersey
City, NJ 07303 is required. If certificates are held by the shareholder, the
shares may be redeemed by surrendering the certificates with a written
request for redemption. The share certificate, or an accompanying stock
power, and the request for redemption, must be signed by the shareholder or
shareholders exactly as the shares are registered. Each request for
redemption, whether or not accompanied by a share certificate, must be sent
to the Fund's Transfer Agent, which will redeem the shares at their net asset
value next computed (see "Purchase of Fund Shares") after it receives the
request, and certificate, if any, in good order. Any redemption request
received after such computation will be redeemed at the next determined net
asset value. The term "good order" means that the share certificate, if any,
and request for redemption are properly signed, accompanied by any
documentation required by the Transfer Agent, and bear signature guarantees
when required by the Fund or the Transfer Agent. If redemption is requested
by a corporation, partnership, trust or fiduciary, the Transfer Agent may
require that written evidence of authority acceptable to the Transfer Agent
be submitted before such request is accepted.
Whether certificates are held by the shareholder or shares are held in a
shareholder's account, if the proceeds are to be paid to any person other
than the record owner, or if the proceeds are to be paid to a corporation
(other than the Distributor or a selected broker-dealer for the account of
the shareholder), partnership, trust or fiduciary, or sent to the shareholder
at an address other than the registered address, signatures must be
guaranteed by an eligible guarantor acceptable to the Transfer Agent
(shareholders should contact the Transfer Agent for a determination as to
whether a particular institution is such an
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eligible guarantor). A stock power may be obtained from any dealer or
commercial bank. The Fund may change the signature guarantee requirements
from time to time upon notice to shareholders, which may be by means of a new
prospectus.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. As stated in the Prospectus, a
contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") will be imposed on any redemption
by an investor if after such redemption the current value of the investor's
shares of the Fund is less than the dollar amount of all payments by the
shareholder for the purchase of Fund shares during the preceding six years.
However, no CDSC will be imposed to the extent that the net asset value of
the shares redeemed does not exceed: (a) the current net asset value of
shares purchased more than six years prior to the redemption, plus (b) the
current net asset value of shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends
or distributions of the Fund or another Dean Witter Fund (see "Shareholder
Services--Targeted Dividends"), plus (c) the current net asset value of
shares acquired in exchange for (i) shares of Dean Witter front-end sales
charge funds, or (ii) shares of other Dean Witter Funds for which shares of
front-end sales charge funds have been exchanged (see "Shareholder
Services--Exchange Privilege"), plus (d) increases in the net asset value of
the investor's shares above the total amount of payments for the purchase of
Fund shares made during the preceding six years. The CDSC will be paid to the
Distributor. In addition, no CDSC will be imposed on redemptions of shares
which were purchased by the employee benefit plans established by DWR and SPS
Transaction Services, Inc. (an affiliate of DWR) for their employees as
qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.
In determining the applicability of a CDSC to each redemption, the amount
which represents an increase in the net asset value of the investor's shares
above the amount of the total payments for the purchase of shares within the
last six years will be redeemed first. In the event the redemption amount
exceeds such increase in value, the next portion of the amount redeemed will
be the amount which represents the net asset value of the Investor's shares
purchased more than six years prior to the redemption and/or shares purchased
through reinvestment of dividends or distributions and/or shares acquired in
exchange for shares of Dean Witter front-end sales charge funds, or for
shares of other Dean Witter funds for which shares of front-end sales charge
funds have been exchanged. A portion of the amount redeemed which exceeds an
amount which represents both such increase in value and the value of shares
purchased more than six years prior to the redemption and/or shares purchased
through reinvestment of dividends or distributions and/or shares acquired in
the above-described exchanges will be subject to a CDSC.
The amount of CDSC, if any, will vary depending on the number of years
from the time of payment for the purchase of Fund shares until the time of
redemption of such shares. For purposes of determining the number of years
from the time of any payments for the purchase of shares, all payments made
during a month will be aggregated and deemed to have been made on the last
day of the month. The following table sets forth the rates of the CDSC:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONTINGENT DEFERRED
SALES CHARGE AS A
YEAR SINCE PURCHASE PAYMENT PERCENTAGE OF AMOUNT
MADE REDEEMED
- --------------------------- -----------------------
<S> <C>
First ...................... 5.0%
Second ..................... 4.0%
Third ...................... 3.0%
Fourth ..................... 2.0%
Fifth ...................... 2.0%
Sixth ...................... 1.0%
Seventh and thereafter .... None
</TABLE>
In determining the rate of the CDSC, it will be assumed that a redemption
is made of shares held by the investor for the longest period of time within
the applicable six-year period. This will result in any such CDSC being
imposed at the lowest possible rate. Accordingly, shareholders may redeem,
without incurring any CDSC, amounts equal to any net increase in the value of
their shares above the amount of their purchase payments made within the past
six years and amounts equal to the current value of
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shares purchased more than six years prior to the redemption and shares
purchased through reinvestment of dividends or distributions or acquired in
exchange for shares of Dean Witter front-end sales charge funds, or for
shares of other Dean Witter Funds for which shares of front-end sales charge
funds have been exchanged. The CDSC will be imposed, in accordance with the
table shown above, on any redemptions within six years of purchase which are
in excess of these amounts and which redemptions are not (a) requested within
one year of death or initial determination of disability of a shareholder, or
(b) made pursuant to certain taxable distributions from retirement plans or
retirement accounts, as described in the Prospectus.
Payment for Shares Redeemed or Repurchased. As discussed in the
Prospectus, payment for shares presented for repurchase or redemption will be
made by check within seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of the
certificate and/or written request in good order. The term good order means
that the share certificate, if any, and request for redemption are properly
signed, accompanied by any documentation required by the Transfer Agent, and
bear signature guarantees when required by the Fund or Transfer Agent. Such
payment may be postponed or the right of redemption suspended at times (a)
when the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than customary weekends
and holidays, (b) when trading on that Exchange is restricted, (c) when an
emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities
owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable
for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (d) during
any other period when the Securities and Exchange Commission by order so
permits; provided that applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in
(b) or (c) exist. If the shares to be redeemed have recently been purchased
by check, payment of the redemption proceeds may be delayed for the minimum
time needed to verify that the check used for investment has been honored
(not more than fifteen days from the time of receipt of the check by the
Transfer Agent). Shareholders maintaining margin accounts with DWR or another
selected broker-dealer are referred to their account executive regarding
restrictions on redemption of shares of the Fund pledged in the margin
account.
Transfers of Shares. In the event a shareholder requests a transfer of any
shares to a new registration, such shares will be transferred without sales
charge at the time of transfer. With regard to the status of shares which are
either subject to the contingent deferred sales charge or free of such charge
(and with regard to the length of time shares subject to the charge have been
held), any transfer involving less than all of the shares in an account will
be made on a pro-rata basis (that is, by transferring shares in the same
proportion that the transferred shares bear to the total shares in the
account immediately prior to the transfer). The transferred shares will
continue to be subject to any applicable contingent deferred sales charge as
if they had not been so transferred.
Reinstatement Privilege. As discussed in the Prospectus, a shareholder who
has had his or her shares redeemed or repurchased and has not previously
exercised this reinstatement privilege may, within thirty days after the date
of redemption or repurchase, reinstate any portion or all of the proceeds of
such redemption or repurchase in shares of the Fund at the net asset value
next determined after a reinstatement request, together with the proceeds, is
received by the Transfer Agent.
Exercise of the reinstatement privilege will not affect the federal income
tax treatment of any gain or loss realized upon the redemption or repurchase,
except that if the redemption or repurchase resulted in a loss and
reinstatement is made in shares of the Fund, some or all of the loss,
depending on the amount reinstated, will not be allowed as a deduction for
federal income tax purposes but will be applied to adjust the cost basis of
the shares acquired upon reinstatement.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund will determine either to
distribute or to retain all or part of any net long-term capital gains in any
year for reinvestment. If any such gains are retained, the Fund will pay
federal income tax thereon, and, if the Fund makes an election, the
shareholders would include such undistributed gains in their income and
shareholders will be able to claim their share of the tax paid by the Fund as
a credit against their individual federal income tax.
35
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Any dividends declared in the last quarter of any calendar year which are
paid in the following year prior to February 1 will be deemed received by the
shareholder in the prior year.
Gains or losses on sales of securities by the Fund will generally be
long-term capital gains or losses if the securities have been held by the
Fund for more than twelve months. Gains or losses on the sale of securities
held for twelve months or less will be generally short-term capital gains or
losses.
The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under
Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code"). If so
qualified, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on its net
investment income and capital gains, if any, realized during any fiscal year
in which it distributes such income and capital gains to its shareholders. In
addition, the Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders each calendar
year a sufficient amount of ordinary income and capital gains to avoid the
imposition of a 4% excise tax.
After the end of the calendar year, shareholders will be sent full
information on their dividends and capital gains distributions for tax
purposes, including information as to the portion taxable as ordinary income,
the portion taxable as long-term capital gains, and the amount of dividends
eligible for the Federal dividends received deduction available to
corporations. To avoid being subject to a 31% Federal backup withholding tax
on taxable dividends, capital gains distributions and the proceeds of
redemptions and repurchases, shareholders' taxpayer identification numbers
must be furnished and certified as to their accuracy.
Any dividend or capital gains distribution received by a shareholder from
any investment company will have the effect of reducing the net asset value
of the shareholder's stock in that company by the exact amount of the
dividend or capital gains distribution. Furthermore, capital gains
distributions and dividends are subject to federal income taxes. If the net
asset value of the shares should be reduced below a shareholder's cost as a
result of the payment of dividends or the distribution of realized net
long-term capital gains, such payment or distribution would be in part a
return of the shareholder's investment to the extent of such reduction below
the shareholder's cost, but nonetheless would be fully taxable. Therefore, an
investor should consider the tax implications of purchasing Fund shares
immediately prior to a distribution record date.
The Fund may elect to retain net capital gains and pay corporate income
tax thereon. In such event, each shareholder of record on the last day of the
Fund's taxable year would be required to include in income for tax purposes
such shareholder's proportionate share of the Fund's undistributed net
capital gain. In addition, each shareholder would be entitled to credit such
shareholder's proportionate share of the tax paid by the Fund against federal
income tax liabilities, to claim refunds to the extent that the credit
exceeds such liabilities, and to increase the basis of his shares held for
federal income tax purposes by an amount equal to 65% of such shareholder's
proportionate share of the undistributed net capital gain.
Any loss realized by shareholders upon a redemption of shares within six
months of the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital
loss to the extent of any distributions of net long-term capital gains during
the six-month period.
Dividends, interest and capital gains received by the Fund may give rise
to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions
between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such
taxes. Investors may be entitled to claim United States foreign tax credits
or deductions with respect to such taxes, subject to certain provisions and
limitations contained in the Code. If more than 50% of the Fund's total
assets at the close of its fiscal year consist of securities of foreign
corporations, the Fund would be eligible and would determine whether or not
to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to which
shareholders of the Fund will be required to include their respective pro
rata portions of such withholding taxes in their United States income tax
returns as gross income, treat such respective pro rata portions as taxes
paid by them, and deduct such respective pro rata portions in computing their
taxable income or, alternatively, use them as foreign tax credits against
their United States income taxes. If the Fund does elect to file the election
with the Internal Revenue Service, the Fund will report annually to its
shareholders the amount per share of such withholding.
36
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Special Rules for Certain Foreign Currency Transactions. In general, gains
from foreign currencies and from foreign currency options, foreign currency
futures and forward foreign exchange contracts relating to investments in
stock, securities or foreign currencies are currently considered to be
qualifying income for purposes of determining whether the Fund qualifies as a
regulated investment company. It is currently unclear, however, who will be
treated as the issuer of certain foreign currency instruments or how foreign
currency options, futures, or forward foreign currency contracts will be
valued for purposes of the regulated investment company diversification
requirements applicable to the Fund. The Fund may request a private letter
ruling from the Internal Revenue Service on some or all of these issues.
Under Code Section 988, special rules are provided for certain
transactions in a foreign currency other than the taxpayer's function
currency (i.e., unless certain special rules apply, currencies other than the
U.S. dollar). In general, foreign currency gains or losses from forward
contracts, from futures contracts that are not "regulated futures contracts",
and from unlisted options will be treated as ordinary income or loss under
Code Section 988. Also, certain foreign exchange gains or losses derived with
respect to foreign fixed-income securities are also subject to Section 988
treatment. In general, therefore, Code Section 988 gains or losses will
increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment company taxable
income available to be distributed to shareholders as ordinary income, rather
than increasing or decreasing the amount of the Fund's net capital gain.
Additionally, if Code Section 988 losses exceed other investment company
taxable income during a taxable year, the Fund would not be able to make any
ordinary dividend distributions.
If the Fund invests in an entity which is classified as a "passive foreign
investment company" ("PFIC") for U.S. tax purposes, the application of
certain technical tax provisions applying to such companies could result in
the imposition of federal income tax with respect to such investments at the
Fund level which could not be eliminated by distributions to shareholders.
The U.S. Treasury issued proposed regulation section 1.1291-8 which
establishes a mark-to-market regime which allows invesmtent companies
investing in PFIC's to avoid most, if not all, of the difficulties posed by
the PFIC rules. In any event, it is not anticipated that any taxes on the
Fund wilth respect to investments in PFIC's would be significant.
Shareholders are urged to consult their attorneys or tax adivsers
regarding specific questions as to federal, state or local taxes.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in the Prospectus, from time to time the Fund may quote its
"total return" in advertisements and sales literature. The Fund's "average
annual total return" represents an annualization of the Fund's total return
over a particular period and is computed by finding the annual percentage
rate which will result in the ending redeemable value of a hypothetical
$1,000 investment made at the beginning of a one, five or ten year period, or
for the period from the date of commencement of operations, if shorter than
any of the foregoing. The ending redeemable value is reduced by any
contingent deferred sales charge at the end of the one, five or ten year or
other period. For the purpose of this calculation, it is assumed that all
dividends and distributions are reinvested. The formula for computing the
average annual total return involves a percentage obtained by dividing the
ending redeemable value by the amount of the initial investment, taking a
root of the quotient (where the root is equivalent to the number of years in
the period) and subtracting 1 from the result.
In addition to the foregoing, the Fund may advertise its total return over
different periods of time by means of aggregate, average, year-by-year or
other types to total return figures. Such calculations may or may not reflect
the deduction of the contingent deferred sales charge which, if reflected,
would reduce the performance quoted. For example, the average annual total
return of the Fund may be calculated in the manner described above, but
without deduction for any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.
In addition, the Fund may compute its aggregate total return for specified
periods by determining the aggregate percentage rate which will result in the
ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the
period. For the purpose of this calculation, it is assumed that all dividends
and distributions are reinvested. The formula for computing aggregate total
return involves a percentage
37
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
obtained by dividing the ending value (without reduction for any contingent
deferred sales charge) by the initial $1,000 investment and subtracting 1
from the result.
The Fund may also advertise the growth of hypothetical investments of
$10,000, $50,000 and $100,000 in shares of the Fund by adding 1 to the Fund's
aggregate total return to date (expressed as a decimal and without taking
into account the effect of any applicable CDSC) and multiplying by $10,000,
$50,000 or $100,000, as the case may be.
The Fund from time to time may also advertise its performance relative to
certain performance rankings and indexes compiled by independent
organizations.
SHARES OF THE FUND
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The shareholders of the Fund are entitled to a full vote for each full
share of beneficial interest held. The Fund is authorized to issue an
unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. The Trustees themselves
have the power to alter the number and the terms of office of the Trustees
(as provided for in the Declaration of Trust), and they may at any time
lengthen or shorten their own terms or make their terms of unlimited duration
and appoint their own successors, provided that always at least a majority of
the Trustees has been elected by the shareholders of the Fund. Under certain
circumstances the Trustees may be removed by action of the Trustees. The
shareholders also have the right under certain circumstances to remove the
Trustees. The voting rights of shareholders are not cumulative, so that
holders of more than 50 percent of the shares voting can, if they choose,
elect all Trustees being selected, while the holders of the remaining shares
would be unable to elect any Trustees.
The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to authorize the creation of
additional series of shares (the proceeds of which would be invested in
separate, independently managed portfolios) and additional classes of shares
within any series (which would be used to distinguish among the rights of
different categories of shareholders, as might be required by future
regulations or other unforeseen circumstances). However, the Trustees have
not authorized any such additional series or classes of shares and the Fund
has no present intention to add additional series or classes of shares.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that no Trustee, officer,
employee or agent of the Fund is liable to the Fund or to a shareholder, nor
is any Trustee, officer, employee or agent liable to any third persons in
connection with the affairs of the Fund, except as such liability may arise
from his/her or its own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of his/her or its duties. It also provides that all third
persons shall look solely to the Fund property for satisfaction of claims
arising in connection with the affairs of the Fund. With the exceptions
stated, the Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee, officer, employee
or agent is entitled to be indemnified against all liability in connection
with the affairs of the Fund.
The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of
beneficial interest.
The Fund shall be of unlimited duration subject to the provisions in the
Declaration of Trust concerning termination by action of the shareholders or
the Trustees.
CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
is the Custodian of the
Fund's assets. Any of the Fund's cash balances with the Custodian in excess
of $100,000 are unprotected by federal deposit insurance. Such balances may,
at times, be substantial.
Dean Witter Trust Company, Harborside Financial Center, Plaza Two, Jersey
City, New Jersey 07311 is the Transfer Agent of the Fund's shares and
Dividend Disbursing Agent for payment of dividends and distributions on Fund
shares and Agent for shareholders under various investment plans described
herein. Dean Witter Trust Company is an affiliate of Dean Witter InterCapital
Inc., the Fund's Investment Manager and Dean Witter Distributors Inc., the
Fund's Distributor. As Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent, Dean
Witter Trust Company's responsibilities include maintaining shareholder
accounts; disbursing cash dividends and reinvesting dividends; processing
account registration
38
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
changes; handling purchase and redemption transactions; mailing prospectuses
and reports; mailing and tabulating proxies; processing share certificate
transactions; and maintaining shareholder records and lists. For these
services Dean Witter Trust Company receives a per shareholder account fee
from the Fund.
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
serves as the independent accountants of the Fund. The independent
accountants are responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the
Fund.
REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund will send to shareholders, at least semi-annually, reports
showing the Fund's portfolio and other information. An annual report,
containing financial statements audited by independent accountants, will be
sent to shareholders each year.
The Fund's fiscal year is . The financial statements of the Fund must
be audited at least once a year by independent accountants whose selection is
made annually by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
LEGAL COUNSEL
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Curtis, Esq., who is an officer and the General Counsel of the
Investment Manager, is an officer and the General Counsel of the Fund.
EXPERTS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Statement of Assets and Liabilities of the Fund included in this
Statement of Additional Information and incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus has been so included and incorporated in reliance on the report of
Price Waterhouse, independent accountants, given on the authority of said
firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Statement of Additional Information and the Prospectus do not contain
all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement the Fund has
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The complete Registration
Statement may be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission upon
payment of the fee prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Commission.
39
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at , 1994
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
40
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
41
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
PART C OTHER INFORMATION
Item 24. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(a) Financial Statements
None
(b) Exhibits:
1. -- Declaration of Trust of Registrant
2. -- By-Laws of Registrant*
3. -- None
4. -- Not Applicable
5.(a) -- Form of Investment Management Agreement between
Registrant and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.*
(b) -- Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and Morgan Grenfell Investment
Services Limited*
(c) -- Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and TCW Funds Management, Inc.*
6.(a) -- Form of Distribution Agreement between Registrant and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.*
(b) -- Forms of Selected Dealer Agreement between Dean
Witter Distributors Inc. and Selected Dealers*
(c)-- Form of Underwriting Agreement between Registrant and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.*
7. -- None
8.(a)-- Form of Custodian Agreement*
(b)-- Form of Transfer Agency and Services Agreement
between Registrant and Dean Witter Trust Company*
9. -- Form of Services Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and Dean Witter Services Company
Inc.*
1
<PAGE>
10. -- Opinion of Sheldon Curtis, Esq.*
11. -- Consent of Independent Accountants*
12. -- None
13. -- Investment Letter of Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.*
14. -- None
15. -- Form of Plan of Distribution between Registrant and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.*
16 -- Schedule for Computation of Performance Quotations -
to be filed with first post-effective amendment
Other-- Powers of Attorney*
________________________
* To be filed by amendment.
Item 25. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With
Registrant.
Prior to the effectiveness of this Registration Statement, the
Registrant will sell 10,000 of its shares of beneficial interest to
Dean Witter InterCapital Inc., a Delaware corporation. Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dean Witter
Reynolds Inc., a Delaware corporation, which in turn is a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Dean Witter, Discover & Co., a Delaware
corporation, that is a balanced financial services organization
providing a broad range of nationally marketed credit and investment
products.
Item 26. Number of Holders of Securities.
(1) (2)
Number of Record Holders
Title of Class at , 1994
Shares of Beneficial Interest
Item 27. Indemnification.
Pursuant to Section 5.3 of the Registrant's Declaration of
Trust and under Section 4.8 of the Registrant's By-Laws, the
indemnification of the Registrant's trustees, officers, employees and
agents is permitted if it is determined that they acted under the
belief that their actions were in or not opposed to the best interest
of the Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, they
2
<PAGE>
had reasonable cause to believe their conduct was not unlawful. In
addition, indemnification is permitted only if it is determined that
the actions in question did not render them liable by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance
of their duties or by reason of reckless disregard of their
obligations and duties to the Registrant. Trustees, officers,
employees and agents will be indemnified for the expense of
litigation if it is determined that they are entitled to
indemnification against any liability established in such litigation.
The Registrant may also advance money for these expenses provided
that they give their undertakings to repay the Registrant unless
their conduct is later determined to permit indemnification.
Pursuant to Section 5.2 of the Registrant's Declaration of Trust
and paragraph 8 of the Registrant's Investment Management Agreement,
neither the Investment Manager nor any trustee, officer, employee or
agent of the Registrant shall be liable for any action or failure to
act, except in the case of bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of duties to the Registrant.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") may be permitted to trustees,
officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the
foregoing provisions or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised
that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer, or
controlling person of the Registrant in connection with the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted
against the Registrant by such trustee, officer or controlling person
in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by
controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act, and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the
indemnification provision of its by-laws in a manner consistent with
Release 11330 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, so long as the interpretation of
Sections 17(h) and 17(i) of such Act remains in effect.
Registrant, in conjunction with the Investment Manager,
Registrant's Trustees, and other registered investment management
companies managed by the Investment Manager, maintains insurance on
behalf of any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee, or
agent of Registrant, or who is or was serving at the request of
Registrant as a trustee, director, officer, employee or agent of
another trust or corporation, against any liability asserted against
3
<PAGE>
him and incurred by him or arising out of his position. However, in
no event will Registrant maintain insurance to indemnify any such
person for any act for which Registrant itself is not permitted to
indemnify him.
Item 28. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser.
See "The Fund and Its Management" in the Prospectus regarding
the business of the investment adviser. The following information is
given regarding officers of Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. The term
"Dean Witter Funds" used below refers to the following Funds: (1)
InterCapital Income Securities Inc., (2) High Income Advantage Trust,
(3) High Income Advantage Trust II, (4) High Income Advantage Trust
III, (5) Municipal Income Trust, (6) Municipal Income Trust II, (7)
Municipal Income Trust III, (8) Dean Witter Government Income Trust,
(9) Municipal Premium Income Trust, (10) Municipal Income
Opportunities Trust, (11) Municipal Income Opportunities Trust II,
(12) Municipal Income Opportunities Trust III, (13) Prime Income
Trust, (14) InterCapital Insured Municipal Bond Trust, (15)
InterCapital Quality Municipal Income Trust, (16) InterCapital
Quality Municipal Investment Trust, (17) InterCapital Insured
Municipal Income Trust, (18) InterCapital California Insured
Municipal Income Trust, (19) InterCapital Insured Municipal Trust,
(20) InterCapital Quality Municipal Securities, (21) InterCapital New
York Quality Municipal Securities, (22) InterCapital California
Quality Municipal Securities, (23) InterCapital Insured California
Municipal Securities and (24) InterCapital Insured Municipal
Securities, registered closed-end investment companies, and (1) Dean
Witter Short-Term Bond Fund, (2) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities
Trust, (3) Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust, (4) Dean Witter
Dividend Growth Securities Inc., (5) Dean Witter Convertible
Securities Trust, (6) Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc., (7) Dean
Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust, (8) Dean Witter Retirement
Series, (9) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust, (10) Dean Witter
World Wide Investment Trust, (11) Dean Witter U.S. Government
Securities Trust, (12) Dean Witter Select Municipal Reinvestment
Fund, (13) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc., (14) Dean Witter
Intermediate Income Securities, (15) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free
Income Fund, (16) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund, (17)
Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust, (18) Dean Witter California Tax-
Free Daily Income Trust, (19) Dean Witter Managed Assets Trust, (20)
Dean Witter American Value Fund, (21) Dean Witter Strategist Fund,
(22) Dean Witter Utilities Fund, (23) Dean Witter World Wide Income
Trust, (24) Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust, (25)
Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities, (26) Dean Witter Precious
Metals and Minerals Trust, (27) Dean Witter European Growth Fund
Inc., (28) Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc., (29) Dean
Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc., (30) Dean Witter Multi-State
Municipal Series Trust, (31) Dean Witter Premier Income Trust, (32)
Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust, (33) Dean Witter
Diversified Income Trust, (34) Dean Witter U.S. Government Money
Market Trust, (35) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities,
4
<PAGE>
(36) Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust, (37) Dean Witter
Natural Resource Development Securities Inc., (38) Active Assets
Government Securities Trust, (39) Active Assets Money Trust, (40)
Active Assets Tax-Free Trust, (41) Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal
Trust, (42) Dean Witter Variable Investment Series, (43) Dean Witter
Value-Added Market Series, (44) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund,
(45) Dean Witter High Income Securities, (46) Dean Witter National
Municipal Trust, (47) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund, (48)
Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund and (49) Dean Witter Select
Dimensions Investment Series, registered open-end investment
companies. InterCapital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dean Witter,
Discover & Co. The principal address of the Dean Witter Funds is Two
World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048. The term "TCW/DW
Funds" refers to the following Funds: (1) TCW/DW Core Equity Trust,
(2) TCW/DW North American Government Income Trust, (3) TCW/DW Latin
American Growth Fund, (4) TCW/DW Income and Growth Fund, (5) TCW/DW
Small Cap Growth Fund, (6) TCW/DW Balanced Fund, (7) TCW/DW North
American Intermediate Income Trust and (8) TCW/DW Global Convertible
Trust, registered open-end investment companies and (9) TCW/DW Term
Trust 2002, (10) TCW/DW Term Trust 2003, (11) TCW/DW Term Trust 2000,
(12) TCW/DW Emerging Markets Opportunities Trust and (13) TCW/DW
Total Return Trust, registered closed-end investment companies.
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- ---------------------------
Charles A. Chairman, Chief Executive Vice President
Fiumefreddo Executive Officer and Director of Dean Witter
and Director Reynolds Inc. ("DWR");
Chairman, Director or
Trustee, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the
Dean Witter Funds; Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and
Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds;
Chairman and Director of
Dean Witter Trust Company
("DWTC"); Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and
Director of Dean Witter
Distributors Inc.
("Distributors") and Dean
Witter Services Company Inc.
("DWSC"); Formerly Executive
Vice President and Director
of Dean Witter, Discover &
Co. ("DWDC"); Director
and/or officer of various
DWDC subsidiaries.
5
<PAGE>
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- ---------------------------
Philip J. Director Chairman, Chief Executive
Purcell Officer and Director of DWDC
and DWR; Director of DWSC
and Distributors; Director
or Trustee of the Dean
Witter Funds; Director
and/or officer of various
DWDC subsidiaries.
Richard M. Director President and Chief
DeMartini Operating Officer of Dean
Witter Capital and Director
of DWR, DWSC, DWTC and
Distributors; Trustee of
the TCW/DW Funds.
James F. Director President and Chief
Higgins Operating Officer of Dean
Witter Financial; Executive
Vice President of DWDC and
Director of DWR, DWSC, DWTC
and Distributors.
Thomas C. Executive Vice Executive Vice President,
Schneider President, Chief Chief Financial Officer
Financial Officer and Director of DWSC,
and Director DWR and Distributors;
Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial
Officer of DWDC.
Christine A. Director Executive Vice President,
Edwards Secretary, General Counsel
and Director of DWR;
Executive Vice President,
Secretary and General
Counsel of DWDC; Executive
Vice President, Secretary,
Chief Legal Officer and
Director of Distributors;
Director of DWSC.
Robert M. Scanlan President and Vice President of
Chief Operating the Dean Witter Funds
Officer and the TCW/DW Funds;
President and Chief
Operating Officer
of DWSC; Executive
Vice President of
6
<PAGE>
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- ---------------------------
Scanlan (cont.) Distributors;
Executive Vice
President and
Director of DWTC.
David A. Hughey Executive Vice Vice President of the
President and Dean Witter Funds and
Chief Administrative the TCW/DW Funds;
Officer Executive Vice
President, Chief
Administrative Officer
and Director of DWTC;
Executive Vice
President and Chief
Administrative Officer
of DWSC and
Distributors.
Edmund C. Executive Vice Vice President of the
Puckhaber President Dean Witter Funds and
DIrector of DWTC.
John Van Heuvelen Executive Vice President, Chief
President Operating Officer and
Director of DWTC.
Sheldon Curtis Senior Vice Vice President,
President, Secretary and
General Counsel General Counsel of the
and Secretary Dean Witter Funds and
the TCW/DW Funds; Senior
Vice President and
Secretary of DWTC;
Assistant Secretary
of DWR; Senior Vice
President, General
Counsel and Secretary
Secretary of DWSC; Senior
Vice President, Assistant
General Counsel and
Assistant Secretary
of Distributors.
Peter M. Avelar Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Mark Bavoso Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
7
<PAGE>
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- ---------------------------
Thomas H. Connelly Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Edward F. Gaylor Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Rajesh K. Gupta Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Kenton J. Senior Vice Vice President of
Hinchliffe President various Dean Witter
Funds.
John B. Kemp, III Senior Vice Director of the
President Provident Savings
Bank, Jersey City,
New Jersey.
Anita H. Kolleeny Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Jonathan R. Page Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Ira Ross Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Rochelle G. Siegel Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Paul D. Vance Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Elizabeth A. Senior Vice
Vetell President
James F. Willison Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
Ronald J. Worobel Senior Vice Vice President of
President various Dean Witter
Funds.
8
<PAGE>
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- ---------------------------
Thomas F. Caloia First Vice Treasurer of the
President and Dean Witter Funds
Assistant and the TCW/DW Funds;
Treasurer First Vice President
and Assistant
Treasurer of DWSC;
Assistant Treasurer
of Distributors.
Marilyn K. Cranney First Vice Assistant Secretary
President and of the Dean Witter
Assistant Funds and the TCW/DW
Secretary Funds; First Vice
President and
Assistant Secretary
of DWSC; Assistant
Secretary of DWR
and DWDC.
Barry Fink First Vice Assistant Secretary
President of the Dean Witter
and Assistant Funds and the TCW/DW
Secretary Funds; First Vice
President and
Assistant Secretary
of DWSC.
Michael First Vice First Vice President
Interrante President and and Controller of
Controller DWSC; Assistant
Treasurer of
Distributors.
Robert Zimmerman First Vice
President
Joan G. Allman Vice President
Joseph Arcieri Vice President
Stephen Brophy Vice President
Terence P. Brennan,II Vice President
Douglas Brown Vice President
Thomas Chronert Vice President
Rosalie Clough Vice President
B. Catherine Vice President
Connelly
9
<PAGE>
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- ---------------------------
Salvatore DeSteno Vice President Vice President of
DWSC.
Frank J. DeVito Vice President Vice President of
DWSC.
Dwight Doolan Vice President
Bruce Dunn Vice President
Jeffrey D. Geffen Vice President
Deborah Genovese Vice President
Peter W. Gurman Vice President
Shant Harootunian Vice President
Russell Harper Vice President
John Hechtlinger Vice President
David T. Hoffman Vice President
David Johnson Vice President
Christopher Jones Vice President
Stanley Kapica Vice President
Konrad J. Krill Vice President
Paula LaCosta Vice President Vice President of
various Dean Witter
Funds.
Lawrence S. Lafer Vice President Assistant Secretary
and Assistant of the Dean Witter
Secretary Funds and the TCW/DW
Funds; Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary of DWSC.
Thomas Lawlor Vice President
Lou Anne D. McInnis Vice President Assistant Secretary
and Assistant of the Dean Witter
Secretary Funds and the TCW/DW
Funds; Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary of DWSC.
10
<PAGE>
Other Substantial
Business, Profession,
Position with Vocation or Employment,
Dean Witter including Name, Prin-
InterCapital cipal Address and
Name Inc. Nature of Connection
---- --------------- --------------------------
Sharon K. Milligan Vice President
James Mulcahy Vice President
James Nash Vice President
Richard Norris Vice President
Hugh Rose Vice President
Ruth Rossi Vice President Assistant Secretary
and Assistant of the Dean Witter
Secretary Funds and the TCW/DW
Funds; Vice President
and Assistant
Secretary of DWSC.
Carl F. Sadler Vice President
Rafael Scolari Vice President
Diane Lisa Sobin Vice President Vice President of
various Dean Witter
Funds.
Kathleen Stromberg Vice President Vice President of
various Dean Witter
Funds.
Vinh Q. Tran Vice President Vice President of
various Dean Witter
Funds.
Alice Weiss Vice President Vice President
of various Dean
Witter Funds.
Jayne M. Wolff Vice President
Marianne Zalys Vice President
Item 29. Principal Underwriters
(a) Dean Witter Distributors Inc. ("Distributors"), a Delaware
corporation, is the principal underwriter of the Registrant.
Distributors is also the principal underwriter of the following
investment companies:
(1) Dean Witter Liquid Asset Fund Inc.
(2) Dean Witter Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
(3) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Daily Income Trust
11
<PAGE>
(4) Dean Witter Retirement Series
(5) Dean Witter Dividend Growth Securities Inc.
(6) Dean Witter Natural Resource Development Securities Inc.
(7) Dean Witter World Wide Investment Trust
(8) Dean Witter Capital Growth Securities
(9) Dean Witter Convertible Securities Trust
(10) Active Assets Tax-Free Trust
(11) Active Assets Money Trust
(12) Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
(13) Active Assets Government Securities Trust
(14) Dean Witter Short-Term Bond Fund
(15) Dean Witter Federal Securities Trust
(16) Dean Witter U.S. Government Securities Trust
(17) Dean Witter High Yield Securities Inc.
(18) Dean Witter New York Tax-Free Income Fund
(19) Dean Witter Tax-Exempt Securities Trust
(20) Dean Witter California Tax-Free Income Fund
(21) Dean Witter Managed Assets Trust
(22) Dean Witter Limited Term Municipal Trust
(23) Dean Witter World Wide Income Trust
(24) Dean Witter Utilities Fund
(25) Dean Witter Strategist Fund
(26) Dean Witter New York Municipal Money Market Trust
(27) Dean Witter Intermediate Income Securities
(28) Prime Income Trust
(29) Dean Witter European Growth Fund Inc.
(30) Dean Witter Developing Growth Securities Trust
(31) Dean Witter Precious Metals and Minerals Trust
(32) Dean Witter Pacific Growth Fund Inc.
(33) Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust
(34) Dean Witter Premier Income Trust
(35) Dean Witter Short-Term U.S. Treasury Trust
(36) Dean Witter Diversified Income Trust
(37) Dean Witter Health Sciences Trust
(38) Dean Witter Global Dividend Growth Securities
(39) Dean Witter American Value Fund
(40) Dean Witter U.S. Government Money Market Trust
(41) Dean Witter Global Short-Term Income Fund Inc.
(42) Dean Witter Variable Investment Series
(43) Dean Witter Value-Added Market Series
(44) Dean Witter Global Utilities Fund
(45) Dean Witter High Income Securities
(46) Dean Witter National Municipal Trust
(47) Dean Witter International SmallCap Fund
(48) Dean Witter Mid-Cap Growth Fund
(49) Dean Witter Select Dimensions Investment Series
(1) TCW/DW Core Equity Trust
(2) TCW/DW North American Government Income Trust
(3) TCW/DW Latin American Growth Fund
(4) TCW/DW Income and Growth Fund
(5) TCW/DW Small Cap Growth Fund
(6) TCW/DW Balanced Fund
(7) TCW/DW North American Intermediate Income Trust
(8) TCW/DW Global Convertible Trust
(b) The following information is given regarding directors and officers
of Distributors not listed in Item 28 above. The principal address of
Distributors is Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048. None of
the following persons has any position or office with the Registrant.
12
<PAGE>
Positions and
Office with
Name Distributors
---- -------------
Fredrick K. Kubler Senior Vice President, Assistant
Secretary and Chief Compliance
Officer.
Michael T. Gregg Vice President and Assistant
Secretary.
Item 30. Location of Accounts and Records
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained
by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules
thereunder are maintained by the Investment Manager at its offices,
except records relating to holders of shares issued by the Registrant,
which are maintained by the Registrant's Transfer Agent, at its place
of business as shown in the prospectus.
Item 31. Management Services
Registrant is not a party to any such management-related service
contract.
Item 32. Undertakings.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file a post-
effective amendment, using financial statements which need not be
audited, within four to six months from the effective date of the
Registrant's Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to comply with the
provisions of Section 16(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 with
regard to facilitating shareholder communications in the event the
requisite percentage of shareholders so requests, to the same extent as
if Registrant were subject to the provisions of that Section.
13
<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
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and the State of New York
on the 27th day of October, 1994.
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
By: /s/ Sheldon Curtis
Sheldon Curtis
Trustee, Vice President and Secretary
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signatures Title Date
---------- ------- ------
Chairman, President,
By:/s/ Charles A. Fiumefreddo Trustee and 10/27/94
Charles A. Fiumefreddo Chief Executive Officer
Trustee
By:/s/ David A. Hughey 10/27/94
David A. Hughey
Trustee, Vice President
By:/s/ Sheldon Curtis and Secretary 10/27/94
Sheldon Curtis
Treasurer, Chief Financial
By:/s/ Thomas F. Caloia Officer and Chief Accounting 10/27/94
Thomas F. Caloia Officer
<PAGE>
EXHIBITS
1. -- Declaration of Trust of Registrant
2. -- By-Laws of Registrant*
3. -- None
4. -- Not Applicable
5.(a) -- Form of Investment Management Agreement between
Registrant and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.*
(b) -- Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and Morgan Grenfell Investment
Services Limited*
(c) -- Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and TCW Funds Management, Inc.*
6.(a) -- Form of Distribution Agreement between Registrant and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.*
(b) -- Forms of Selected Dealer Agreement between Dean Witter
Distributors Inc. and Selected Dealers*
(c)-- Form of Underwriting Agreement between Registrant and
Dean Witter Distributors Inc.*
7. -- None
8.(a)-- Form of Custodian Agreement*
(b)-- Form of Transfer Agency and Services Agreement between
Registrant and Dean Witter Trust Company*
9. -- Form of Services Agreement between Dean Witter
InterCapital Inc. and Dean Witter Services Company Inc.*
10. -- Opinion of Sheldon Curtis, Esq.*
11. -- Consent of Independent Accountants*
12. -- None
13. -- Investment Letter of Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.*
14. -- None
15. -- Form of Plan of Distribution between Registrant and Dean
Witter Distributors Inc.*
16 -- Schedule for Computation of Performance Quotations -
to be filed with first post-effective amendment
Other-- Powers of Attorney*
________________________
* To be filed by amendment.
<PAGE>
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET
ALLOCATION FUND
TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
NEW YORK, NY 10048
DECLARATION OF TRUST
DATED: OCTOBER 18, 1994
C65754
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I -- Name and Definitons ......................................... 2
Section 1.1 Name ......................................................... 2
Section 1.2 Definitions .................................................. 2
ARTICLE II -- Trustees ..................................................... 3
Section 2.1 Number of Trustees ........................................... 3
Section 2.2 Election and Term ............................................ 3
Section 2.3 Resignation and Removal ...................................... 3
Section 2.4 Vacancies .................................................... 3
Section 2.5 Delegation of Power to Other Trustees ........................ 4
ARTICLE III -- Powers of Trustees .......................................... 4
Section 3.1 General ...................................................... 4
Section 3.2 Investments .................................................. 4
Section 3.3 Legal Title .................................................. 5
Section 3.4 Issuance and Repurchase of Securities ........................ 5
Section 3.5 Borrowing Money; Lending Trust Assets ........................ 5
Section 3.6 Delegation; Committees ....................................... 5
Section 3.7 Collection and Payment ....................................... 5
Section 3.8 Expenses ..................................................... 5
Section 3.9 Manner of Acting; By-Laws .................................... 5
Section 3.10 Miscellaneous Powers ......................................... 6
Section 3.11 Principal Transactions ....................................... 6
Section 3.12 Litigation ................................................... 6
ARTICLE IV -- Investment Adviser, Distributor, Custodian and Transfer Agent. 6
Section 4.1 Investment Adviser ........................................... 6
Section 4.2 Administrative Services ...................................... 7
Section 4.3 Distributor .................................................. 7
Section 4.4 Transfer Agent ............................................... 7
Section 4.5 Custodian .................................................... 7
Section 4.6 Parties to Contract .......................................... 7
ARTICLE V -- Limitations of Liability of Shareholders, Trustees and Others. 8
Section 5.1 No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, etc ........ 8
Section 5.2 Non-Liability of Trustees, etc ............................... 8
Section 5.3 Indemnification .............................................. 8
Section 5.4 No Bond Required of Trustees ................................. 8
Section 5.5 No Duty of Investigation; Notice in Trust Instruments, etc .. 8
Section 5.6 Reliance on Experts, etc. .................................... 9
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ARTICLE VI -- Shares of Beneficial Interest .............................. 9
Section 6.1 Beneficial Interest ......................................... 9
Section 6.2 Rights of Shareholders ...................................... 9
Section 6.3 Trust Only .................................................. 9
Section 6.4 Issuance of Shares .......................................... 10
Section 6.5 Register of Shares .......................................... 10
Section 6.6 Transfer of Shares .......................................... 10
Section 6.7 Notices ..................................................... 10
Section 6.8 Voting Powers ............................................... 10
Section 6.9 Series or Classes of Shares ................................. 11
ARTICLE VII -- Redemptions ................................................. 13
Section 7.1 Redemptions ................................................. 13
Section 7.2 Redemption at the Option of the Trust ....................... 13
Section 7.3 Effect of Suspension of Determination of Net Asset Value ... 13
Section 7.4 Suspension of Right of Redemption ........................... 13
ARTICLE VIII -- Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and Distributions 14
Section 8.1 Net Asset Value ............................................. 14
Section 8.2 Distributions to Shareholders ............................... 14
Section 8.3 Determination of Net Income ................................. 14
Section 8.4 Power to Modify Foregoing Procedures ........................ 15
ARTICLE IX -- Duration; Termination of Trust; Amendment; Mergers, etc ..... 15
Section 9.1 Duration .................................................... 15
Section 9.2 Termination of Trust or a Series ............................ 15
Section 9.3 Amendment Procedure ......................................... 15
Section 9.4 Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets .................... 16
Section 9.5 Incorporation ............................................... 16
ARTICLE X -- Reports to Shareholders ..................................... 17
ARTICLE XI -- Miscellaneous ............................................... 17
Section 11.1 Filing ...................................................... 17
Section 11.2 Resident Agent .............................................. 17
Section 11.3 Governing Law ............................................... 17
Section 11.4 Counterparts ................................................ 17
Section 11.5 Reliance by Third Parties ................................... 17
Section 11.6 Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations .............. 17
Section 11.7 Use of the Name "Dean Witter" ............................... 17
Section 11.8 Principal Place of Business ................................. 18
SIGNATURE PAGE ................................................................ 19
</TABLE>
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<PAGE>
DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
DEAN WITTER GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
DATED: OCTOBER 18, 1994
THE DECLARATION OF TRUST of Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund is
made the 18th day of October, 1994 by the parties signatory hereto, as
trustees (such persons, so long as they shall continue in office in
accordance with the terms of this Declaration of Trust, and all other persons
who at the time in question have been duly elected or appointed as trustees
in accordance with the provisions of this Declaration of Trust and are then
in office, being hereinafter called the "Trustees").
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, the Trustees desire to form a trust fund under the laws of
Massachusetts for the investment and reinvestment of funds contributed
thereto; and
WHEREAS, it is provided that the beneficial interest in the trust assets
be divided into transferable shares of beneficial interest as hereinafter
provided;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that they will hold in trust,
all money and property contributed to the trust fund to manage and dispose of
the same for the benefit of the holders from time to time of the shares of
beneficial interest issued hereunder and subject to the provisions hereof, to
wit:
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ARTICLE I
NAME AND DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1. Name. The name of the trust created hereby is the "Dean
Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund," and so far as may be practicable the
Trustees shall conduct the Trust's activities, execute all documents and sue
or be sued under that name, which name (and the word "Trust" wherever herein
used) shall refer to the Trustees as Trustees, and not as individuals, or
personally, and shall not refer to the officers, agents, employees or
Shareholders of the Trust. Should the Trustees determine that the use of such
name is not advisable, they may use such other name for the Trust as they
deem proper and the Trust may hold its property and conduct its activities
under such other name.
Section 1.2. Definitions. Wherever they are used herein, the following
terms have the following respective meanings:
(a) "By-Laws" means the By-Laws referred to in Section 3.9 hereof, as
from time to time amended.
(b) the terms "Commission," "Affiliated Person" and "Interested
Person," have the meanings given them in the 1940 Act.
(c) "Declaration" means this Declaration of Trust as amended from time
to time. Reference in this Declaration of Trust to "Declaration,"
"hereof," "herein" and "hereunder" shall be deemed to refer to this
Declaration rather than the article or section in which such words appear.
(d) "Distributor" means the party, other than the Trust, to a contract
described in Section 4.3 hereof.
(e) "Fundamental Policies" shall mean the investment policies and
restrictions set forth in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information and designated as fundamental policies therein.
(f) "Investment Adviser" means any party, other than the Trust, to a
contract described in Section 4.1 hereof.
(g) "Majority Shareholder Vote" means the vote of the holders of a
majority of Shares, which shall consist of: (i) a majority of Shares
represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at a meeting of
Shareholders at which a quorum, as determined in accordance with the
By-Laws, is present; (ii) a majority of Shares issued and outstanding and
entitled to vote when action is taken by written consent of Shareholders;
and (iii) a "majority of the outstanding voting securities," as the phrase
is defined in the 1940 Act, when any action is required by the 1940 Act by
such majority as so defined.
(h) "1940 Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules
and regulations thereunder as amended from time to time.
(i) "Person" means and includes individuals, corporations,
partnerships, trusts, associations, joint ventures and other entities,
whether or not legal entities, and governments and agencies and political
subdivisions thereof.
(j) "Prospectus" means the Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information constituting parts of the Registration Statement of the Trust
under the Securities Act of 1933 as such Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information may be amended or supplemented and filed with the
Commission from time to time.
(k) "Series" means one of the separately managed components of the
Trust (or, if the Trust shall have only one such component, then that one)
as set forth in Section 6.1 hereof or as may be established and designated
from time to time by the Trustees pursuant to that section.
(l) "Shareholder" means a record owner of outstanding Shares.
(m) "Shares" means the units of interest into which the beneficial
interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, including the
shares of any and all series or classes which may be established by the
Trustees, and includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares.
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(n) "Transfer Agent" means the party, other than the Trust, to the
contract described in Section 4.4 hereof.
(o) "Trust" means the Dean Witter Global Asset Allocation Fund.
(p) "Trust Property" means any and all property, real or personal,
tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of
the Trust or the Trustees.
(q)"Trustees" means the persons who have signed the Declaration, so
long as they shall continue in office in accordance with the terms hereof,
and all other persons who may from time to time be duly elected or
appointed, qualified and serving as Trustees in accordance with the
provisions hereof, and reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall
refer to such person or persons in their capacity as trustees hereunder.
ARTICLE II
TRUSTEES
Section 2.1. Number of Trustees. The number of Trustees shall be such
number as shall be fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed by
a majority of the Trustees, provided, however, that the number of Trustees
shall in no event be less than three (3) nor more than fifteen (15).
Section 2.2. Election and Term. The Trustees shall be elected by a vote of
a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as defined by the 1940 Act,
held by the initial shareholder(s) (i.e., the person(s) that supplied the
seed capital required under Section 14(a) of the 1940 Act). The Trustees
shall have the power to set and alter the terms of office of the Trustees,
and they may at any time lengthen or lessen their own terms or make their
terms of unlimited duration, subject to the resignation and removal
provisions of Section 2.3 hereof. Subject to Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act,
the Trustees may elect their own successors and may, pursuant to Section 2.4
hereof, appoint Trustees to fill vacancies. The Trustees shall adopt By-Laws
not inconsistent with this Declaration or any provision of law to provide for
election of Trustees by Shareholders at such time or times as the Trustees
shall determine to be necessary or advisable.
Section 2.3. Resignation and Removal. Any Trustee may resign his trust
(without need for prior or subsequent accounting) by an instrument in writing
signed by him and delivered to the other Trustees and such resignation shall
be effective upon such delivery, or at a later date according to the terms of
the instrument. Any of the Trustees may be removed (provided the aggregrate
number of Trustees after such removal shall not be less than the number
required by Section 2.1 hereof) by the action of two-thirds of the remaining
Trustees or by the action of the Shareholders of record of not less than
two-thirds of the Shares outstanding (for purposes of determining the
circumstances and procedures under which such removal by the Shareholders may
take place, the provisions of Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act or of the
corporate or business statute of any state in which Shares of the Trust are
sold, shall be applicable to the same extent as if the Trust were subject to
the provisions of that Section). Upon the resignation or removal of a
Trustee, or his otherwise ceasing to be a Trustee, he shall execute and
deliver such documents as the remaining Trustees shall require for the
purpose of conveying to the Trust or the remaining Trustees any Trust
Property held in the name of the resigning or removed Trustee. Upon the
incapacity or death of any Trustee, his legal representative shall execute
and deliver on his behalf such documents as the remaining Trustees shall
require as provided in the preceding sentence.
Section 2.4. Vacancies. The term of office of a Trustee shall terminate
and a vacancy shall occur in the event of the death, resignation, removal,
bankruptcy, adjudicated incompetence or other incapacity to perform the
duties of the office of a Trustee. No such vacancy shall operate to annul the
Declaration or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of
the Declaration. In the case of an existing vacancy existing by reason of an
increase in the number of Trustees, subject to the provisions of Section
16(a) of the 1940 Act, the remaining Trustees shall fill such vacancy by the
appointment of such other person as they or he, in their or his discretion,
shall see fit, made by a written instrument signed by a majority of the
remaining Trustees. Any such appointment shall not become effective, however,
until the person named in the written instrument of appointment shall have
accepted in writing
3
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such appointment and agreed in writing to be bound by the terms of the
Declaration. An appointment of a Trustee may be made in anticipation of a
vacancy to occur at a later date by reason of retirement, resignation or
increase in the number of Trustees, provided that such appointment shall not
become effective prior to such retirement, resignation or increase in the
number of Trustees. Whenever a vacancy in the number of Trustees shall occur,
until such vacancy is filled as provided in this Section 2.4, the Trustees in
office, regardless of their number, shall have all the powers granted to the
Trustees and shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Trustees by the
Declaration. A written instrument certifying the existence of such vacancy
signed by a majority of the Trustees shall be conclusive evidence of the
existence of such vacancy.
Section 2.5. Delegation of Power to Other Trustees. Any Trustee may, by
power of attorney, delegate his power for a period not exceeding six (6)
months at any one time to any other Trustee or Trustees; provided that in no
case shall less than two (2) Trustees personally exercise the powers granted
to the Trustees under the Declaration except as herein otherwise expressly
provided.
ARTICLE III
POWERS OF TRUSTEES
Section 3.1. General. The Trustees shall have exclusive and absolute
control over the Trust Property and over the business of the Trust to the
same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the Trust Property and
business in their own right, but with such powers of delegation as may be
permitted by the Declaration. The Trustees shall have power to conduct the
business of the Trust and carry on its operations in any and all of its
branches and maintain offices both within and without the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, in any and all states of the United States of America, in the
District of Columbia, and in any and all commonwealths, territories,
dependencies, colonies, possessions, agencies or instrumentalities
wheresoever in the world they may be located as they deem necessary, proper
or desirable in order to promote the interests of the Trust although such
things are not herein specifically mentioned. Any determination as to what is
in the interests of the Trust made by the Trustees in good faith shall be
conclusive. In construing the provisions of the Declaration, the presumption
shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees.
The enumeration of any specific power herein shall not be construed as
limiting the aforesaid power. Such powers of the Trustees may be exercised
without order of or resort to any court.
Section 3.2. Investments. The Trustees shall have the power to:
(a) conduct, operate and carry on the business of an investment company;
(b) subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise
acquire, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer, exchange, distribute, lend or
otherwise deal in or dispose of negotiable or nonnegotiable instruments,
obligations, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit or
indebtedness, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase
agreements, options, commodities, commodity futures contracts and related
options, currencies, currency futures and forward contracts, and other
securities, investment contracts and other instruments of any kind,
including, without limitation, those issued, guaranteed or sponsored by any
and all Persons including, without limitation, states, territories and
possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia and any of the
political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities thereof, and by the
United States Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, foreign or
international instrumentalities, or by any bank or savings institution, or by
any corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United States
or of any state, territory or possession thereof, and of corporations or
organizations organized under foreign laws, or in "when issued" contracts for
any such securities, or retain Trust assets in cash and from time to time
change the investments of the assets of the Trust; and to exercise any and
all rights, powers and privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any
and all such investments of every kind and description, including, without
limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with
power to designate one
4
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or more persons, firms, associations or corporations to exercise any of said
rights, powers and privileges in respect of any of said instruments; and the
Trustees shall be deemed to have the foregoing powers with respect to any
additional securities in which the Trust may invest should the Fundamental
Policies be amended.
The Trustees shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before
the possible termination of the Trust, nor shall the Trustees be limited by
any law limiting the investments which may be made by fiduciaries.
Section 3.3. Legal Title. Legal title to all the Trust Property shall be
vested in the Trustees as joint tenants except that the Trustees shall have
power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name
of one or more of the Trustees, or in the name of the Trust, or in the name
of any other Person as nominee, on such terms as the Trustees may determine,
provided that the interest of the Trust therein is appropriately protected.
The right, title and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property shall
vest automatically in each Person who may hereafter become a Trustee. Upon
the resignation, removal or death of a Trustee he shall automatically cease
to have any right, title or interest in any of the Trust Property, and the
right, title and interest of such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest
automatically in the remaining Trustees. Such vesting and cessation of title
shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed
and delivered.
Section 3.4. Issuance and Repurchase of Securities. The Trustees shall
have the power to issue, sell, repurchase, redeem, retire, cancel, acquire,
hold, resell, reissue, dispose of, transfer, and otherwise deal in Shares
and, subject to the provisions set forth in Articles VII, VIII and IX and
Section 6.9 hereof, to apply to any such repurchase, redemption, retirement,
cancellation or acquisition of Shares any funds or property of the Trust,
whether capital or surplus or otherwise, to the full extent now or hereafter
permitted by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts governing business
corporations.
Section 3.5. Borrowing Money; Lending Trust Assets. Subject to the
Fundamental Policies, the Trustee shall have power to borrow money or
otherwise obtain credit and to secure the same by mortgaging, pledging or
otherwise subjecting as security the assets of the Trust, to endorse,
guarantee, or undertake the performance of any obligation, contract or
engagement of any other Person and to lend Trust assets.
Section 3.6. Delegation; Committees. The Trustees shall have power,
consistent with their continuing exclusive authority over the management of
the Trust and the Trust Property, to delegate from time to time to such of
their number or to officers, employees or agents of the Trust the doing of
such things and the execution of such instruments either in the name of the
Trust or the names of the Trustees or otherwise as the Trustees may deem
expedient.
Section 3.7. Collection and Payment. Subject to Section 6.9 hereof, the
Trustees shall have power to collect all property due to the Trust; to pay
all claims, including taxes, against the Trust Property; to prosecute,
defend, compromise or abandon any claims relating to the Trust Property; to
foreclose any security interest securing any obligations, by virtue of which
any property is owed to the Trust; and to enter into releases, agreements and
other instruments.
Section 3.8. Expenses. Subject to Section 6.9 hereof, the Trustees shall
have the power to incur and pay any expenses which in the opinion of the
Trustees are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the purposes of the
Declaration, and to pay reasonable compensation from the funds of the Trust
to themselves as Trustees. The Trustees shall fix the compensation of all
officers, employees and Trustees.
Section 3.9. Manner of Acting; By-Laws. Except as otherwise provided
herein or in the By-Laws or by any provision of law, any action to be taken
by the Trustees may be taken by a majority of the Trustees present at a
meeting of Trustees (a quorum being present), including any meeting held by
means of a conference telephone circuit or similar communications equipment
by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each
other, or by written consents of all the Trustees. The Trustees may adopt
By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration to provide for the conduct of
the business of the Trust and may amend or repeal such By-Laws to the extent
such power is not reserved to the Shareholders.
5
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Section 3.10. Miscellaneous Powers. The Trustees shall have the power to:
(a) employ or contract with such Persons as the Trustees may deem desirable
for the transaction of the business of the Trust or any Series thereof; (b)
enter into joint ventures, partnerships and any other combinations or
associations; (c) remove Trustees or fill vacancies in or add to their
number, elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents
or employees as they consider appropriate, and appoint from their own number,
and terminate, any one or more committees which may exercise some or all of
the power and authority of the Trustees as the Trustees may determine; (d)
purchase, and pay for out of Trust Property or the property of the
appropriate Series of the Trust, insurance policies insuring the
Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, investment advisers,
distributors, selected dealers or independent contractors of the Trust
against all claims arising by reason of holding any such position or by
reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken by any such Person in such
capacity, whether or not constituting negligence, or whether or not the Trust
would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability; (e)
establish pension, profit-sharing, Share purchase, and other retirement,
incentive and benefit plans for any Trustees, officers, employees and agents
of the Trust; (f) to the extent permitted by law, indemnify any person with
whom the Trust or any Series thereof has dealings, including any Investment
Adviser, Distributor, Transfer Agent and selected dealers, to such extent as
the Trustees shall determine; (g) guarantee indebtedness or contractual
obligations of others; (h) determine and change the fiscal year of the Trust
or any Series thereof and the method by which its accounts shall be kept; and
(i) adopt a seal for the Trust but the absence of such seal shall not impair
the validity of any instrument executed on behalf of the Trust.
Section 3.11. Principal Transactions. Except in transactions permitted by
the 1940 Act or any rule or regulation thereunder, or any order of exemption
issued by the Commission, or effected to implement the provisions of any
agreement to which the Trust is a party, the Trustees shall not, on behalf of
the Trust, buy any securities (other than Shares) from or sell any securities
(other than Shares) to, or lend any assets of the Trust or any Series thereof
to, any Trustee or officer of the Trust or any firm of which any such Trustee
or officer is a member acting as principal, or have any such dealings with
any Investment Adviser, Distributor or Transfer Agent or with any Affiliated
Person of such Person; but the Trust or any Series thereof may employ any
such Person, or firm or company in which such Person is an Interested Person,
as broker, legal counsel, registrar, transfer agent, dividend disbursing
agent or custodian upon customary terms.
Section 3.12. Litigation. The Trustees shall have the power to engage in
and to prosecute, defend, compromise, abandon, or adjust, by arbitration, or
otherwise, any actions, suits, proceedings, disputes, claims, and demands
relating to the Trust, and out of the assets of the Trust or any Series
thereof to pay or to satisfy any debts, claims or expenses incurred in
connection therewith, including those of litigation, and such power shall
include without limitation the power of the Trustees or any appropriate
committee thereof, in the exercise of their or its good faith business
judgment, to dismiss any action, suit, proceeding, dispute, claim, or demand,
derivative or otherwise, brought by any person, including a Shareholder in
its own name or the name of the Trust, whether or not the Trust or any of the
Trustees may be named individually therein or the subject matter arises by
reason of business for or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE IV
INVESTMENT ADVISER, DISTRIBUTOR, CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT
Section 4.1. Investment Adviser. Subject to approval by a Majority
Shareholder Vote, the Trustees may in their discretion from time to time
enter into one or more investment advisory or management contracts or, if the
Trustees establish multiple Series, separate investment advisory or
management contracts with respect to one or more Series whereby the other
party or parties to any such contracts shall undertake to furnish the Trust
or such Series such management, investment advisory, administration,
accounting, legal, statistical and research facilities and services,
promotional or marketing activities, and such other facilities and services,
if any, as the Trustees shall from time to time consider desirable and all
upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion
determine. The vote of the initial shareholder(s) shall constitute "Majority
Shareholder Vote" if such
6
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agreements are entered into prior to a public offering of Shares of the
Trust. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Declaration, the Trustees may
authorize the Investment Advisers, or any of them, under any such contracts
(subject to such general or specific instructions as the Trustees may from
time to time adopt) to effect purchases, sales, loans or exchanges of
portfolio securities and other investments of the Trust on behalf of the
Trustees or may authorize any officer, employee or Trustee to effect such
purchases, sales, loans or exchanges pursuant to recommendations of such
Investment Advisers, or any of them (and all without further action by the
Trustees). Any such purchases, sales, loans and exchanges shall be deemed to
have been authorized by all of the Trustees. The Trustees may, in their sole
discretion, call a meeting of Shareholders in order to submit to a vote of
Shareholders at such meeting the approval or continuance of any such
investment advisory or management contract. If the Shareholders of any one or
more of the Series of the Trust should fail to approve any such investment
advisory or management contract, the Investment Adviser may nonetheless serve
as Investment Adviser with respect to any Series whose Shareholders approve
such contract.
Section 4.2. Administrative Services. The Trustees may in their discretion
from time to time contract for administrative personnel and services whereby
the other party shall agree to provide the Trustees or the Trust
administrative personnel and services to operate the Trust on a daily or
other basis, on such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their
discretion determine. Such services may be provided by one or more persons or
entities.
Section 4.3. Distributor. The Trustees may in their discretion from time
to time enter into one or more contracts, providing for the sale of Shares to
net the Trust or the applicable Series of the Trust not less than the net
asset value per Share (as described in Article VIII hereof) and pursuant to
which the Trust may either agree to sell the Shares to the other parties to
the contracts, or any of them, or appoint any such other party its sales
agent for such Shares. In either case, any such contract shall be on such
terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Article IV, including, without
limitation, the provision for the repurchase or sale of shares of the Trust
by such other party as principal or as agent of the Trust.
Section 4.4. Transfer Agent. The Trustees may in their discretion from
time to time enter into a transfer agency and shareholder service contract
whereby the other party to such contract shall undertake to furnish transfer
agency and shareholder services to the Trust. The contract shall have such
terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine not
inconsistent with the Declaration. Such services may be provided by one or
more Persons.
Section 4.5. Custodian. The Trustees may appoint or otherwise engage one
or more banks or trust companies, each having an aggregate capital, surplus
and undivided profits (as shown in its last published report) of at least
five million dollars ($5,000,000) to serve as Custodian with authority as its
agent, but subject to such restrictions, limitations and other requirements,
if any, as may be contained in the By-Laws of the Trust.
Section 4.6. Parties to Contract. Any contract of the character described
in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 or 4.5 of this Article IV and any other
contract may be entered into with any Person, although one or more of the
Trustees or officers of the Trust may be an officer, director, trustee,
shareholder, or member of such other party to the contract, and no such
contract shall be invalidated or rendered voidable by reason of the existence
of any such relationship; nor shall any Person holding such relationship be
liable merely by reason of such relationship for any loss or expense to the
Trust under or by reason of said contract or accountable for any profit
realized directly or indirectly therefrom, provided that the contract when
entered into was not inconsistent with the provisions of this Article IV. The
same Person may be the other party to any contracts entered into pursuant to
Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 or 4.5 above or otherwise, and any individual may
be financially interested or otherwise affiliated with Persons who are
parties to any or all of the contracts mentioned in this Section 4.6.
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ARTICLE V
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY OF SHAREHOLDERS,
TRUSTEES AND OTHERS
Section 5.1. No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, etc. No
Shareholder shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any
Person in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs
of the Trust. No Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be
subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person, other than the
Trust or its Shareholders, in connection with the Trust Property or the
affairs of the Trust, save only that arising from bad faith, willful
misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard for his duty to such
Person; and all such Persons shall look solely to the Trust Property, or to
the Property of one or more specific Series of the Trust if the claim arises
from the conduct of such Trustee, officer, employee or agent with respect to
only such Series, for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in
connection with the affairs of the Trust. If any Shareholder, Trustee,
officer, employee or agent, as such, of the Trust is made a party to any suit
or proceeding to enforce any such liability, he shall not, on account
thereof, be held to any personal liability. The Trust shall indemnify out of
the property of the Trust and hold each Shareholder harmless from and against
all claims and liabilities, to which such Shareholder may become subject by
reason of his being or having been a Shareholder, and shall reimburse such
Shareholder for all legal and other expenses reasonably incurred by him in
connection with any such claim or liability; provided that, in the event the
Trust shall consist of more than one Series, Shareholders of a particular
Series who are faced with claims or liabilities solely by reason of their
status as Shareholders of that Series shall be limited to the assets of that
Series for recovery of such loss and related expenses. The rights accruing to
a Shareholder under this Section 5.1 shall not exclude any other right to
which such Shareholder may be lawfully entitled, nor shall anything herein
contained restrict the right of the Trust to indemnify or reimburse a
Shareholder in any appropriate situation even though not specifically
provided herein.
Section 5.2. Non-Liability of Trustees, etc. No Trustee, officer, employee
or agent of the Trust shall be liable to the Trust, its Shareholders, or to
any Shareholder, Trustee, officer, employee, or agent thereof for any action
or failure to act (including without limitation the failure to compel in any
way any former or acting Trustee to redress any breach of trust) except for
this own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of his duties.
Section 5.3. Indemnification. (a) The Trustees shall provide for
indemnification by the Trust, or by one or more Series thereof if the claim
arises from his or her conduct with respect to only such Series, of any
person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the
Trust against all liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or
paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which
he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having
been a Trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or
incurred by him in the settlement thereof, in such manner as the Trustees may
provide from time to time in the By-Laws.
(b) The words "claim," "action," "suit," or "proceeding" shall apply to
all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal, or other,
including appeals), actual or threatened; and the words "liability" and
"expenses" shall include, without limitation, attorneys' fees, costs,
judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other
liabilities.
Section 5.4. No Bond Required of Trustees. No Trustee shall be obligated
to give any bond or other security for the performance of any of his duties
hereunder.
Section 5.5. No Duty of Investigation; Notice in Trust Instruments,
etc. No purchaser, lender, transfer agent or other Person dealing with the
Trustees or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust or a Series thereof
shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction
purporting to be made by the Trustees or by said officer, employee or agent
or be liable for the application of money or property paid, loaned or
delivered to or on the order of the Trustees or of said officer, employee or
agent. Every obligation, contract, instrument, certificate, Share, other
security of the Trust or a Series thereof or undertaking, and every other act
or thing whatsoever executed in connection with the Trust shall be
conclusively presumed to have been executed or done by the executors thereof
only
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in their capacity as officers, employees or agents of the Trust or a Series
thereof. Every written obligation, contract, instrument, certificate, Share,
other security of the Trust or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees
shall recite that the same is executed or made by them not individually, but
as Trustees under the Declaration, and that the obligations of the Trust or a
Series thereof under any such instrument are not binding upon any of the
Trustees or Shareholders, individually, but bind only the Trust Estate (or,
in the event the Trust shall consist of more than one Series, in the case of
any such obligation which relates to a specific Series, only the Series which
is a party thereto), and may contain any further recital which they or he may
deem appropriate, but the omission of such recital shall not affect the
validity of such obligation, contract instrument, certificate, Share,
security or undertaking and shall not operate to bind the Trustees or
Shareholders individually. The Trustees shall at all times maintain insurance
for the protection of the Trust Property, its Shareholders, Trustees,
officers, employees and agents in such amount as the Trustees shall deem
adequate to cover possible tort liability, and such other insurance as the
Trustees in their sole judgment shall deem advisable.
Section 5.6. Reliance on Experts, etc. Each Trustee and officer or
employee of the Trust shall, in the performance of his duties, be fully and
completely justified and protected with regard to any act or any failure to
act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other
records of the Trust, upon an opinion of counsel, or upon reports made to the
Trust by any of its officers or employees or by any Investment Adviser,
Distributor, Transfer Agent, selected dealers, accountants, appraisers or
other experts or consultants selected with reasonable care by the Trustees,
officers or employees of the Trust, regardless of whether such counsel or
expert may also be a Trustee.
ARTICLE VI
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
Section 6.1. Beneficial Interest. The interest of the beneficiaries
hereunder shall be divided into transferable shares of beneficial interest of
$.01 par value. The number of such shares of beneficial interest authorized
hereunder is unlimited. The Trustees shall have the authority to establish
and designate one or more Series or classes of shares. Each share of any
Series shall represent an equal proportionate share in the assets of that
Series with each other Share in that Series. The Trustees may divide or
combine the shares of any Series into a greater or lesser number of shares in
that Series without thereby changing the proportionate interests in the
assets of that Series. Subject to the provisions of Section 6.9 hereof, the
Trustees may also authorize the creation of additional series of shares (the
proceeds of which may be invested in separate, independently managed
portfolios) and additional classes of shares within any series. All Shares
issued hereunder including, without limitation, Shares issued in connection
with a dividend in Shares or a split in Shares, shall be fully paid and
nonassessable.
Section 6.2. Rights of Shareholders. The ownership of the Trust Property
of every description and the right to conduct any business hereinbefore
described are vested exclusively in the Trustees, and the Shareholders shall
have no interest therein other than the beneficial interest conferred by
their Shares, and they shall have no right to call for any partition of
division of any property, profits, rights or interests of the Trust nor can
they be called upon to assume any losses of the Trust or suffer an assessment
of any kind by virtue of their ownership of Shares. The Shares shall be
personal property giving only the rights in the Declaration specifically set
forth. The Shares shall not entitle the holder to preference, preemptive,
appraisal, conversion or exchange rights, except as the Trustees may
determine with respect to any series of Shares.
Section 6.3. Trust Only. It is the intention of the Trustees to create
only the relationship of Trustee and beneficiary between the Trustees and
each Shareholder from time to time. It is not the intention of the Trustees
to create a general partnership, limited partnership, joint stock
association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other
than a trust. Nothing in the Declaration shall be construed to make the
Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members
of a joint stock association.
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Section 6.4. Issuance of Shares. The Trustees, in their discretion may,
from time to time without vote of the Shareholders, issue Shares of any
Series, in addition to the then issued and outstanding Shares and Shares held
in the treasury, to such party or parties and for such amount and type of
consideration, including cash or property, at such time or times and on such
terms as the Trustees may deem best, and may in such manner acquire other
assets (including the acquisition of assets subject to, and in connection
with the assumption of liabilities) and businesses. In connection with any
issuance of Shares, the Trustees may issue fractional Shares. The Trustees
may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any Series into a
greater or lesser number without thereby changing the proportionate
beneficial interests in that Series. Contributions to the Trust may be
accepted for, and Shares shall be redeemed as, whole Shares and/or fractions
of a Share as described in the Prospectus.
Section 6.5. Register of Shares. A register shall be kept in respect of
each Series at the principal office of the Trust or at an office of the
Transfer Agent which shall contain the names and addresses of the
Shareholders and the number of Shares of each Series held by them
respectively and a record of all transfers thereof. Such register may be in
written form or any other form capable of being converted into written form
within a reasonable time for visual inspection. Such register shall be
conclusive as to who are the holders of the Shares and who shall be entitled
to receive dividends or distributions or otherwise to exercise or enjoy the
rights of Shareholders. No Shareholder shall be entitled to receive payment
of any dividend or distribution, nor to have notice given to him as herein or
in the By-Laws provided, until he has given his address to the Transfer Agent
or such other officer or agent of the Trustees as shall keep the said
register for entry thereon. It is not contemplated that certificates will be
issued for the Shares; however, the Trustees, in their discretion, may
authorize the issuance of Share certificates and promulgate appropriate rules
and regulations as to their use.
Section 6.6. Transfer of Shares. Shares shall be transferable on the
records of the Trust only by the record holder or by his agent thereunto duly
authorized in writing, upon delivery to the Trustees or the Transfer Agent of
a duly executed instrument of transfer, together with such evidence of the
genuineness of each such execution and authorization and of other matters as
may reasonably be required. Upon such delivery the transfer shall be recorded
on the register of the Trust. Until such record is made, the Shareholder of
record shall be deemed to be the holder of such Shares for all purposes
hereunder and neither the Trustees nor any Transfer Agent or registrar nor
any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be affected by any notice
of the proposed transfer.
Any person becoming entitled to any Shares in consequence of the death,
bankruptcy, or incompetence of any Shareholder, or otherwise by operation of
law, shall be recorded on the register of Shares as the holder of such Shares
upon production of the proper evidence thereof to the Trustees or the
Transfer Agent, but until such record is made, the Shareholder of record
shall be deemed to be the holder of such Shares for all purposes hereunder
and neither the Trustees nor any Transfer Agent or registrar nor any officer
or agent of the Trust shall be affected by any notice of such death,
bankruptcy or incompetence, or other operation of law, except as may
otherwise be provided by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Section 6.7. Notices. Any and all notices to which any Shareholder may be
entitled and any and all communications shall be deemed duly served or given
if mailed, postage prepaid, addressed to any Shareholder of record at his
last known address as recorded on the register of the Trust. Annual reports
and proxy statements need not be sent to a shareholder if: (i) an annual
report and proxy statement for two consecutive annual meetings, or (ii) all,
and at least two, checks (if sent by first class mail) in payment of
dividends or interest and shares during a twelve month period have been
mailed to such shareholder's address and have been returned undelivered.
However, delivery of such annual reports and proxy statements shall resume
once a Shareholder's current address is determined.
Section 6.8. Voting Powers. The Shareholders shall have power to vote only
(i) for the election of Trustees as provided in Section 2.2 hereof, (ii) for
the removal of Trustees as provided in Section 2.3 hereof, (iii) with respect
to any investment advisory or management contract as provided in Section 4.1,
(iv) with respect to termination of the Trust as provided in Section 9.2, (v)
with respect to any amendment of the Declaration to the extent and as
provided in Section 9.3, (vi) with respect to any merger,
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consolidation or sale of assets as provided in Section 9.4, (vii) with
respect to incorporation of the Trust to the extent and as provided in
Section 9.5, (viii) to the same extent as the stockholders of a Massachusetts
business corporation as to whether or not a court action, proceeding or claim
should or should not be brought or maintained derivatively or as a class
action on behalf of the Trust or the Shareholders (provided that Shareholders
of a Series are not entitled to vote in connection with the bringing of a
derivative or class action with respect to any matter which only affects
another Series or its Shareholders), (ix) with respect to any plan adopted
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (or any successor rule) under the 1940 Act and (x)
with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be
required by law, the Declaration, the By-Laws or any registration of the
Trust with the Commission (or any successor agency) or any state, or as and
when the Trustees may consider necessary or desirable. Each whole Share shall
be entitled to one vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote and
each fractional Share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote,
except that Shares held in the treasury of the Trust as of the record date,
as determined in accordance with the By-Laws, shall not be voted. On any
matter submitted to a vote of Shareholders, all Shares shall be voted by
individual Series except (1) when required by the 1940 Act, Shares shall be
voted in the aggregate and not by individual Series; and (2) when the
Trustees have determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or
more Series, then only the Shareholders of such Series shall be entitled to
vote thereon. The Trustees may, in conjunction with the establishment of any
further Series or any classes of Shares, establish conditions under which the
several series or classes of Shares shall have separate voting rights or no
voting rights. There shall be no cumulative voting in the election of
Trustees. Until Shares are issued, the Trustees may exercise all rights of
Shareholders and may take any action required by law, the Declaration or the
By-Laws to be taken by Shareholders. The By-Laws may include further
provisions for Shareholders' votes and meetings and related matters.
Section 6.9. Series or Classes of Shares. The following provisions are
applicable regarding the Series of Shares of the Trust established in Section
6.1 hereof and shall be applicable if the Trustees shall establish additional
Series or shall divide the shares of any Series into two or more classes,
also as provided in Section 6.1 hereof, and all provisions relating to the
Trust shall apply equally to each Series thereof except as the context
requires:
(a) The number of authorized shares and the number of shares of each
Series or of each class that may be issued shall be unlimited. The
Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued shares or any shares
previously issued and reacquired of any Series or class into one or more
Series or one or more classes that may be established and designated from
time to time. The Trustees may hold as treasury shares (of the same or
some other Series or class), reissue for such consideration and on such
terms as they may determine, or cancel any shares of any Series or any
class reacquired by the Trust at their discretion from time to time.
(b) The power of the Trustees to invest and reinvest the Trust
Property shall be governed by Section 3.2 of this Declaration with respect
to any one or more Series which represents the interests in the assets of
the Trust immediately prior to the establishment of any additional Series
and the power of the Trustees to invest and reinvest assets applicable to
any other Series shall be as set forth in the instrument of the Trustees
establishing such series which is hereinafter described.
(c) All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of
shares of a particular Series or class together with all assets in which
such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings,
profits, and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the
sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments
derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same
may be, shall irrevocably belong to that Series or class for all purposes,
subject only to the rights of creditors, and shall be so recorded upon the
books of account of the Trust. In the event that there are any assets,
income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, funds, or payments which
are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Series or
class, the Trustees shall allocate them among any one or more of the
Series or classes established and designated from time to time in such
manner and on such basis as they, in their sole discretion, deem fair and
equitable. Each such allocation by the Trustees shall be conclusive and
binding upon the shareholders of all Series or classes for all purposes.
No holder of Shares of any Series shall have any claim on or right to any
assets allocated or belonging to any other Series.
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(d) The assets belonging to each particular Series shall be charged
with the liabilities of the Trust in respect of that Series and all
expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series. All
expenses and liabilities incurred or arising in connection with a
particular Series, or in connection with the management thereof, shall be
payable solely out of the assets of that Series and creditors of a
particular Series shall be entitled to look solely to the property of such
Series for satisfaction of their claims. Any general liabilities,
expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust which are not readily
identifiable as belonging to any particular Series shall be allocated and
charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more of the series
established and designated from time to time in such manner and on such
basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable.
Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by
the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the holders of all
Series for all purposes. The Trustees shall have full discretion, to the
extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall
be treated as income and which items as capital; and each such
determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the
shareholders.
(e) The power of the Trustees to pay dividends and make distributions
shall be governed by Section 8.2 of this Declaration with respect to any
one or more Series or classes which represents the interests in the assets
of the Trust immediately prior to the establishment of any additional
Series or classes. With respect to any other Series or class, dividends
and distributions on shares of a particular Series or class may be paid
with such frequency as the Trustees may determine, which may be daily or
otherwise, pursuant to a standing resolution or resolutions adopted only
once or with such frequency as the Trustees may determine, to the holders
of shares of that Series or class, from such of the income and capital
gains, accrued or realized, from the assets belonging to that Series or
class, as the Trustees may determine, after providing for actual and
accrued liabilities belonging to that Series or class. All dividends and
distributions on shares of a particular Series or class shall be
distributed pro rata to the holders of that Series or class in proportion
to the number of shares of that Series or class held by such holders at
the date and time of record established for the payment of such dividends
or distributions.
(f) The Trustees shall have the power to determine the designations,
preferences, privileges, limitations and rights, including voting and
dividend rights, of each class and Series of Shares.
(g) Subject to compliance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, the
Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the holders of Shares of
any Series or class shall have the right to convert or exchange said
Shares into Shares of one or more Series of Shares in accordance with such
requirements and procedures as may be established by the Trustees.
(h) The establishment and designation of any Series or class of shares
in addition to those established in Section 6.1 hereof shall be effective
upon the execution by a majority of the then Trustees of an instrument
setting forth such establishment and designation and the relative rights,
preferences, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends,
qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption of such Series or
class, or as otherwise provided in such instrument. At any time that there
are no shares outstanding of any particular Series or class previously
established and designated, the Trustees may by an instrument executed by
a majority of their number abolish that Series or class and the
establishment and designation thereof. Each instrument referred to in this
paragraph shall have the status of an amendment to this Declaration.
(i) Shareholders of a Series shall not be entitled to participate in a
derivative or class action with respect to any matter which only affects
another Series or its Shareholders.
(j) Each Share of a Series of the Trust shall represent a beneficial
interest in the net assets of such Series. Each holder of Shares of a
Series shall be entitled to receive his pro rata share of distributions of
income and capital gains made with respect to such Series. In the event of
the liquidation of a particular Series, the Shareholders of that Series
which has been established and designated and which is being liquidated
shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Trustees, the
excess of the assets belonging to that Series over the liabilities
belonging to that Series. The holders of Shares of any Series shall not be
entitled hereby to any distribution upon
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liquidation of any other Series. The assets so distributable to the
Shareholders of any Series shall be distributed among such Shareholders in
proportion to the number of Shares of that Series held by them and
recorded on the books of the Trust. The liquidation of any particular
Series in which there are Shares then outstanding may be authorized by an
instrument in writing, without a meeting, signed by a majority of the
Trustees then in office, subject to the approval of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of that Series, as that phrase is defined in
the 1940 Act.
ARTICLE VII
REDEMPTIONS
Section 7.1. Redemptions. Each Shareholder of a particular Series shall
have the right at such times as may be permitted by the Trust to require the
Trust to redeem all or any part of his Shares of that Series, upon and
subject to the terms and conditions provided in this Article VII. The Trust
shall, upon application of any Shareholder or pursuant to authorization from
any Shareholder, redeem or repurchase from such Shareholder outstanding
shares for an amount per share determined by the Trustees in accordance with
any applicable laws and regulations; provided that (a) such amount per share
shall not exceed the cash equivalent of the proportionate interest of each
share or of any class or Series of shares in the assets of the Trust at the
time of the redemption or repurchase and (b) if so authorized by the
Trustees, the Trust may, at any time and from time to time charge fees for
effecting such redemption or repurchase, at such rates as the Trustees may
establish, as and to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act and the rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder, and may, at any time and from time to
time, pursuant to such Act and such rules and regulations, suspend such right
of redemption. The procedures for effecting and suspending redemption shall
be as set forth in the Prospectus from time to time. Payment will be made in
such manner as described in the Prospectus.
Section 7.2. Redemption at the Option of the Trust. Each Share of the
Trust or any Series of the Trust shall be subject to redemption at the option
of the Trust at the redemption price which would be applicable if such Share
were then being redeemed by the Shareholder pursuant to Section 7.1: (i) at
any time, if the Trustees determine in their sole discretion that failure to
so redeem may have materially adverse consequences to the holders of the
Shares of the Trust or of any Series, or (ii) upon such other conditions with
respect to maintenance of Shareholder accounts of a minimum amount as may
from time to time be determined by the Trustees and set forth in the then
current Prospectus of the Trust. Upon such redemption the holders of the
Shares so redeemed shall have no further right with respect thereto other
than to receive payment of such redemption price.
Section 7.3. Effect of Suspension of Determination of Net Asset Value. If,
pursuant to Section 7.4 hereof, the Trustees shall declare a suspension of
the determination of net asset value with respect to Shares of the Trust or
of any Series thereof, the rights of Shareholders (including those who shall
have applied for redemption pursuant to Section 7.1 hereof but who shall not
yet have received payment) to have Shares redeemed and paid for by the Trust
or a Series thereof shall be suspended until the termination of such
suspension is declared. Any record holder who shall have his redemption right
so suspended may, during the period of such suspension, by appropriate
written notice of revocation at the office or agency where application was
made, revoke any application for redemption not honored and withdraw any
certificates on deposit. The redemption price of Shares for which redemption
applications have not been revoked shall be the net asset value of such
Shares next determined as set forth in Section 8.1 after the termination of
such suspension, and payment shall be made within seven (7) days after the
date upon which the application was made plus the period after such
application during which the determination of net asset value was suspended.
Section 7.4. Suspension of Right of Redemption. The Trust may declare a
suspension of the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment or
redemption for the whole or any part of any period (i) during which the New
York Stock Exchange is closed other than customary weekend and holiday
closings, (ii) during which trading on the New York Stock Exchange is
restricted, (iii) during which an emergency exists as a result of which
disposal by the Trust or a Series thereof of securities owned by it is not
reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Trust or a
Series thereof fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (iv)
during any other period when the Commission may for the
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protection of security holders of the Trust by order permit suspension of the
rights of redemption or postponement of the date of payment or redemption;
provided that applicable rules and regulations of the Commission shall govern
as to whether the conditions prescribed in (ii), (iii) or (iv) exist. Such
suspension shall take effect at such time as the Trust shall specify but not
later than the close of business on the business day next following the
declaration of suspension, and thereafter there shall be no right of
redemption or payment on redemption until the Trust shall declare the
suspension at an end, except that the suspension shall terminate in any event
on the first day on which said stock exchange shall have reopened or the
period specified in (ii) or (iii) shall have expired (as to which in the
absence of an official ruling by the Commission, the determination of the
Trust shall be conclusive). In the case of a suspension of the right of
redemption, a Shareholder may either withdraw his request for redemption or
receive payment based on the net asset value existing after the termination
of the suspension.
ARTICLE VIII
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE,
NET INCOME AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 8.1. Net Asset Value. The net asset value of each outstanding
Share of each Series of the Trust shall be determined on such days and at
such time or times as the Trustees may determine. The method of determination
of net asset value shall be determined by the Trustees and shall be as set
forth in the Prospectus. The power and duty to make the daily calculations
may be delegated by the Trustees to any Investment Adviser, the Custodian,
the Transfer Agent or such other person as the Trustees by resolution may
determine. The Trustees may suspend the daily determination of net asset
value to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
Section 8.2. Distributions to Shareholders. The Trustees shall from time
to time distribute ratably among the Shareholders of the Trust or of any
Series such proportion of the net income, earnings, profits, gains, surplus
(including paid-in surplus), capital, or assets of the Trust or of such
Series held by the Trustees as they may deem proper. Such distribution may be
made in cash or property (including without limitation any type of
obligations of the Trust or of such Series or any assets thereof), and the
Trustees may distribute ratably among the Shareholders of the Trust or of
that Series additional Shares issuable hereunder in such manner, at such
times, and on such terms as the Trustees may deem proper. Such distributions
may be among the Shareholders of record (determined in accordance with the
Prospectus) of the Trust or of such Series at the time of declaring a
distribution or among the Shareholders of record of the Trust or of such
Series at such later date as the Trustees shall determine. The Trustees may
always retain from the net income, earnings, profits or gains of the Trust or
of such Series such amount as they may deem necessary to pay the debts or
expenses of the Trust or of such Series or to meet obligations of the Trust
or of such Series, or as they may deem desirable to use in the conduct of its
affairs or to retain for future requirements or extensions of the business.
The Trustees may adopt and offer to Shareholders of the Trust or of any
Series such dividend reinvestment plans, cash dividend payout plans or
related plans as the Trustees deem appropriate.
Inasmuch as the computation of net income and gains for Federal income tax
purposes may vary from the computation thereof on the books, the above
provisions shall be interpreted to give the Trustees the power in their
discretion to distribute for any fiscal year as ordinary dividends and as
capital gains distributions, respectively, additional amounts sufficient to
enable the Trust to avoid or reduce liability for taxes.
Section 8.3. Determination of Net Income. The Trustees shall have the
power to determine the net income of any Series of the Trust and from time to
time to distribute such net income ratably among the Shareholders as
dividends in cash or additional Shares of such Series issuable hereunder. The
determination of net income and the resultant declaration of dividends shall
be as set forth in the Prospectus. The Trustees shall have full discretion to
determine whether any cash or property received by any Series of the Trust
shall be treated as income or as principal and whether any item of expense
shall be charged to the income or the principal account, and their
determination made in good faith shall
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be conclusive upon the Shareholders. In the case of stock dividends received,
the Trustees shall have full discretion to determine, in the light of the
particular circumstances, how much, if any, of the value thereof shall be
treated as income, the balance, if any, to be treated as principal.
Section 8.4. Power to Modify Foregoing Procedures. Notwithstanding any of
the foregoing provisions of this Article VIII, the Trustees may prescribe, in
their absolute discretion, such other bases and times for determining the per
Share net asset value of the Shares or net income, or the declaration and
payment of dividends and distributions, as they may deem necessary or
desirable to enable the Trust to comply with any provision of the 1940 Act,
or any rule or regulation thereunder, including any rule or regulation
adopted pursuant to Section 22 of the 1940 Act by the Commission or any
securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
or any order of exemption issued by said Commission, all as in effect now or
hereafter amended or modified. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the Trustees may establish classes or additional Series of Shares
in accordance with Section 6.9.
ARTICLE IX
DURATION; TERMINATION OF TRUST; AMENDMENT; MERGERS, ETC.
Section 9.1. Duration. The Trust shall continue without limitation of time
but subject to the provisions of this Article IX.
Section 9.2. Termination of Trust. (a) The Trust or any Series may be
terminated (i) by a Majority Shareholder Vote at any meeting of Shareholders
of the Trust or the appropriate Series thereof, (ii) by an instrument in
writing, without a meeting, signed by a majority of the Trustees and
consented to by a Majority Shareholder Vote of the Trust or the appropriate
Series thereof, or by such other vote as may be established by the Trustees
with respect to any class or Series of Shares, or (iii) with respect to a
Series as provided in Section 6.9(h). Upon the termination of the Trust or
the Series:
(i) The Trust or the Series shall carry on no business except for the
purpose of winding up its affairs.
(ii) The Trustees shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the Trust or
the Series and all of the powers of the Trustees under this Declaration
shall continue until the affairs of the Trust shall have been wound up,
including the power to fulfill or discharge the contracts of the Trust or
the Series, collect its assets, sell, convey, assign, exchange, transfer
or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the remaining Trust Property or
Trust Property allocated or belonging to such Series to one or more
persons at public or private sale for consideration which may consist in
whole or in part of cash, securities or other property of any kind,
discharge or pay its liabilities, and to do all other acts appropriate to
liquidate its business; provided that any sale, conveyance, assignment,
exchange, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all the
Trust Property or Trust Property allocated or belonging to such Series
shall require Shareholder approval in accordance with Section 9.4 hereof.
(iii) After paying or adequately providing for the payment of all
liabilities, and upon receipt of such releases, indemnities and refunding
agreements, as they deem necessary for their protection, the Trustees may
distribute the remaining Trust Property or Trust Property allocated or
belonging to such Series, in cash or in kind or partly each, among the
Shareholders of the Trust according to their respective rights.
Section 9.3. Amendment Procedure. (a) This Declaration may be amended by a
Majority Shareholder Vote, at a meeting of Shareholders, or by written
consent without a meeting. The Trustees may also amend this Declaration
without the vote or consent of Shareholders (i) to change the name of the
Trust or any Series or classes of Shares, (ii) to supply any omission, or
cure, correct or supplement any ambiguous, defective or inconsistent
provision hereof, (iii) if they deem it necessary to conform this Declaration
to the requirements of applicable federal or state laws or regulations or the
requirements of
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the Internal Revenue Code, or to eliminate or reduce any federal, state or
local taxes which are or may by the Trust or the Shareholders, but the
Trustees shall not be liable for failing to do so, or (iv) for any other
purpose which does not adversely affect the rights of any Shareholder with
respect to which the amendment is or purports to be applicable.
(b) No amendment may be made under this Section 9.3 which would change any
rights with respect to any Shares of the Trust or of any Series of the Trust
by reducing the amount payable thereon upon liquidation of the Trust or of
such Series of the Trust or by diminishing or eliminating any voting rights
pertaining thereto, except with the vote or consent of the holders of
two-thirds of the Shares of the Trust or of such Series outstanding and
entitled to vote, or by such other vote as may be established by the Trustees
with respect to any Series or class of Shares. Nothing contained in this
Declaration shall permit the amendment of this Declaration to impair the
exemption from personal liability of the Shareholders, Trustees, officers,
employees and agents of the Trust or to permit assessments upon Shareholders.
(c) A certificate signed by a majority of the Trustees or by the Secretary
or any Assistant Secretary of the Trust, setting forth an amendment and
reciting that it was duly adopted by the Shareholders or by the Trustees as
aforesaid or a copy of the Declaration, as amended, and executed by a
majority of the Trustees or certified by the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Trust, shall be conclusive evidence of such amendment when
lodged among the records of the Trust. Unless such amendment or such
certificate sets forth some later time for the effectiveness of such
amendment, such amendment shall be effective when lodged among the records of
the Trust.
Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, until such time as a
Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, covering
the first public offering of securities of the Trust shall have become
effective, this Declaration may be terminated or amended in any respect by
the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trustees or by an instrument signed
by a majority of the Trustees.
Section 9.4. Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets. The Trust or any
Series thereof may merge or consolidate with any other corporation,
association, trust or other organization or may sell, lease or exchange all
or substantially all of the Trust Property or Trust Property allocated or
belonging to such Series, including its good will, upon such terms and
conditions and for such consideration when and as authorized, at any meeting
of Shareholders called for the purpose, by the affirmative vote of the
holders of not less than two-thirds of the Shares of the Trust or such Series
outstanding and entitled to vote, or by an instrument or instruments in
writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of not less than
two-thirds of such Shares, or by such other vote as may be established by the
Trustees with respect to any series or class of Shares; provided, however,
that, if such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange is recommended
by the Trustees, a Majority Shareholder Vote shall be sufficient
authorization; and any such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange
shall be deemed for all purposes to have been accomplished under and pursuant
to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Section 9.5. Incorporation. With approval of a Majority Shareholder Vote,
or by such other vote as may be established by the Trustees with respect to
any Series or class of Shares, the Trustees may cause to be organized or
assist in organizing a corporation or corporations under the laws of any
jurisdiction or any other trust, partnership, association or other
organization to take over all of the Trust Property or the Trust Property
allocated or belonging to such Series or to carry on any business in which
the Trust shall directly or indirectly have any interest, and to sell, convey
and transfer the Trust Property or the Trust Property allocated or belonging
to such Series to any such corporation, trust, partnership, association or
organization in exchange for the shares or securities thereof or otherwise,
and to lend money to, subscribe for the shares or securities of, and enter
into any contracts with any such corporation, trust, partnership, association
or organization in which the Trust or such Series holds or is about to
acquire shares or any other interest. The Trustees may also cause a merger or
consolidation between the Trust or any successor thereto and any such
corporation, trust, partnership, association or other organization if and to
the extent permitted by law, as provided under the law then in effect.
Nothing contained herein shall be construed as requiring approval of
Shareholders for the Trustees to organize or assist in organizing one or more
corporations, trusts, partnerships, associations or other organizations and
selling, conveying or transferring a portion of the Trust Property to such
organization or entities.
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ARTICLE X
REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
The Trustees shall at least semi-annually submit or cause the officers of
the Trust to submit to the Shareholders a written financial report of each
Series of the Trust, including financial statements which shall at least
annually be certified by independent public accountants.
ARTICLE XI
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 11.1. Filing. This Declaration and any amendment hereto shall be
filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
in such other places as may be required under the laws of Massachusetts and
may also be filed or recorded in such other places as the Trustees deem
appropriate. Each amendment so filed shall be accompanied by a certificate
signed and acknowledged by a Trustee or by the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Trust stating that such action was duly taken in a manner
provided herein. A restated Declaration, integrating into a single instrument
all of the provisions of the Declaration which are then in effect and
operative, may be executed from time to time by a majority of the Trustees
and shall, upon filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, be conclusive evidence of all amendments contained therein and
may thereafter be referred to in lieu of the original Declaration and the
various amendments thereto.
Section 11.2. Resident Agent. The Prentice-Hall Corporation System, Inc.,
84 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 is the resident agent of the
Trust in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Section 11.3. Governing Law. This Declaration is executed by the Trustees
and delivered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and with reference to the
laws thereof and the rights of all parties and the validity and construction
of every provision hereof shall be subject to and construed according to the
laws of said State.
Section 11.4. Counterparts. The Declaration may be simultaneously executed
in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and
such counterparts, together, shall constitute one and the same instrument,
which shall be sufficiently evidenced by any such original counterpart.
Section 11.5. Reliance by Third Parties. Any certificate executed by an
individual who, according to the records of the Trust, appears to be a
Trustee hereunder, or Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Trust,
certifying to: (a) the number or identity of Trustees or Shareholders, (b)
the due authorization of the execution of any instrument or writing, (c) the
form of any vote passed at a meeting of Trustees or Shareholders, (d) the
fact that the number of Trustees or Shareholders present at any meeting or
executing any written instrument satisfies the requirements of this
Declaration, (e) the form of any By-Laws adopted by or the identity of any
officers elected by the Trustees, or (f) the existence of any fact or facts
which in any manner relate to the affairs of the Trust, shall be conclusive
evidence as to the matters so certified in favor of any Person dealing with
the Trustees and their successors.
Section 11.6. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations. (a) The
provisions of the Declaration are severable, and if the Trustees shall
determine, with the advice of counsel, that any of such provisions is in
conflict with the 1940 Act, the regulated investment company provisions of
the Internal Revenue Code or with other applicable laws and regulations, the
conflicting provisions shall be deemed superseded by such law or regulation
to the extent necessary to eliminate such conflict; provided, however, that
such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of the
Declaration or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior
to such determination.
(b) If any provision of the Declaration shall be held invalid or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall
pertain only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any
manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision
of the Declaration in any jurisdiction.
Section 11.7. Use of the name "Dean Witter." Dean Witter Reynolds Inc.
("DWR") has consented to the use by the Trust of the identifying name "Dean
Witter," which is a property right of DWR. The Trust
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will only use the name "Dean Witter" as a component of its name and for no
other purpose, and will not purport to grant to any third party the right to
use the name "Dean Witter" for any purpose. DWR, or any corporate affiliate
of the parent of DWR, may use or grant to others the right to use the name
"Dean Witter", or any combination or abbreviation thereof, as all or a
portion of a corporate or business name or for any commercial purpose,
including a grant of such right to any other investment company. At the
request of DWR or its parent, the Trust will take such action as may be
required to provide its consent to the use by DWR or its parent, or any
corporate affiliate of DWR's parent, or by any person to whom DWR or its
parent or an affiliate of DWR's parent shall have granted the right to the
use, of the name "Dean Witter," or any combination or abbreviation thereof.
Upon the termination of any investment advisory or investment management
agreement into which DWR, or any corporate affiliate of DWR or its parent and
the Trust may enter, the Trust shall, upon request by DWR, or any corporate
affiliate of DWR or its parent, cease to use the name "Dean Witter" as a
component of its name, and shall not use the name, or any combination or
abbreviation thereof, as a part of its name or for any other commercial
purpose, and shall cause its officers, trustees and shareholders to take any
and all actions which DWR or its parent may request to effect the foregoing
and to reconvey to DWR or its parent any and all rights to such name.
Section 11.8. Principal Place of Business. The principal place of business
of the Trust shall be Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048, or
such other location as the Trustees may designate from time to time.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Declaration of Trust
this 18th day of October, 1994.
/s/ Charles A. Fiumefreddo /s/ David A. Hughey
--------------------------- ---------------------
Charles A. Fiumefreddo, as David A. Hughey, as
Trustee and not individually Trustee and not individually
Two World Trade Center Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048 New York, New York 10048
/s/ Sheldon Curtis
------------------
Sheldon Curtis, as Trustee
and not individually
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK } ss.:
On this 18th day of October, 1994, DAVID A. HUGHEY, CHARLES A. FIUMEFREDDO
and SHELDON CURTIS, known to me and known to be the individuals described in
and who executed the foregoing instrument, personally appeared before me and
they severally acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be their free act and
deed.
Janet A. Herbert
--------------------
Notary Public
My commission expires: 11/30/95.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this instrument this 20th
day of October, 1994.
/s/ Joseph F. Mazzella
----------------------
Joseph F. Mazzella, as Trustee
and not individually
101 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Suffolk, SS. Boston, MA
October 20, 1994
Then personally appeared before me the above-named JOSEPH F. MAZZELLA who
acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be his free act and deed.
Sheila M. McCarty
---------------------
Notary Public
My commission expires: 5/31/96
C65754
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