December 19, 2011
The SEC has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Class A	Class C	Class R	Advisor Class
Pending	Pending	Pending	Pending

Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series

PROSPECTUS

Franklin Templeton
Multi-Asset Real Return Fund

		Contents

		FUND SUMMARY
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE INVESTING		Investment Goal Fees and Expenses of the Fund Portfolio Turnover Principal Investment Strategies Principal Risks Performance Investment Manager Sub-Advisors Portfolio Managers Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares Taxes Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

		FUND DETAILS
MORE INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT POLICIES, PRACTICES AND RISKS/FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS		Investment Goal Principal Investment Policies and Practices Principal Risks Information about the Underlying Franklin Templeton Funds Risks of Investing in the Underlying Franklin Templeton Funds Management Distributions and Taxes

		YOUR ACCOUNT
INFORMATION ABOUT SALES CHARGES, QUALIFIED INVESTORS, ACCOUNT TRANSACTIONS AND SERVICES		Choosing a Share Class Buying Shares Investor Services Selling Shares Exchanging Shares Account Policies Questions

		FOR MORE INFORMATION
WHERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FUND		Back Cover

FUND SUMMARY

Investment Goal

Real return.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Franklin Templeton funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under “Your Account” on page 58 in the Fund's Prospectus and under “Buying and Selling Shares” on page 75 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)

	Class A	Class C	Class R	Advisor Class
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price)	5.75%	None	None	None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds)	None	1.00%	None	None

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

	Class A	Class C	Class R	Advisor Class
Management fees	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%	0.25%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees	0.30%	1.00%	0.50%	None
Other expenses¹	1.91%	1.91%	1.91%	1.91%
Acquired fund fees and expenses²	0.55%	0.55%	0.55%	0.55%
Total annual Fund operating expenses	3.01%	3.71%	3.21%	2.71%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement³	-1.71%	-1.71%	-1.71%	-1.71%
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement	1.30%	2.00%	1.50%	1.00%

1. Other expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

2. Acquired fund fees and expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

3. The investment manager has contractually agreed to waive fees or assume certain expenses so that common expenses (excluding Rule 12b-1 fees and acquired fund fees and expenses) for each class of the Fund do not exceed 0.45% (other than certain non-routine expenses), until December 31, 2012. The investment manager also has contractually agreed in advance to reduce its fee as a result of the Fund's investment in a Franklin Templeton money fund (acquired fund) for at least the next 12 months. Contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated during the period set forth above, but may or may not be renewed at the discretion of the investment manager thereafter.

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement by the investment manager and/or administrator for the 1 Year numbers only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

	1 Year	3 Years
Class A	$ 700	$ 1,300
Class C	$ 303	$ 977
Class R	$ 153	$ 829
Advisor Class	$ 102	$ 679
If you do not sell your shares:
Class C	$ 203	$ 977

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund is structured as a limited "fund-of-funds" meaning that it seeks to achieve its investment goal by investing its assets primarily in other mutual funds, predominantly other Franklin Templeton mutual funds (underlying funds). The Fund also invests a portion of its assets in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS).

With respect to the portion of the Fund's portfolio invested in underlying funds, under normal market conditions, the investment manager allocates the Fund’s assets among the broad asset classes representing exposure to global equities, global fixed income and commodities markets by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds, based on each underlying fund's predominant asset class. These underlying funds, in turn, invest in a variety of U.S. and foreign equity, fixed-income and money market securities, and commodity linked instruments. The investment manager will vary the underlying funds’ allocation percentages based on the current inflationary and economic environment and the investment manager’s tactical views. Generally, no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in any one underlying fund.

With respect to the portion of the Fund's portfolio invested in TIPS, the investment manager sub-contracts with Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC to manage the Fund’s assets invested in TIPS, which are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors.

When selecting equity funds, the investment manager considers the underlying funds’ foreign and domestic exposure, market capitalization ranges, and investment style (growth vs. value). When selecting fixed-income funds, the investment manager focuses primarily on maximizing income. The investment manager invests in commodities funds and TIPS in an effort to hedge the Fund's portfolio against inflation.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Asset Allocation The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment goal depends upon the investment manager’s skill in determining the Fund’s broad asset allocation mix and selecting underlying funds. There is the possibility that the investment manager’s evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes and underlying funds will not successfully achieve the Fund's investment goal in view of actual market trends.

Investing in Underlying Funds Because the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the underlying funds, and the Fund’s performance is directly related to the performance of the underlying funds held by it, the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal is directly related to the ability of the underlying funds to meet their investment goal. In addition, shareholders of the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses of the underlying funds. The risks described below are the principal risks of the Fund and the underlying funds. For purposes of the discussion below, “Fund” means the Fund and/or one or more of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests.

Market The market values of securities owned by the Fund will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. A security’s market value may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all securities. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

Generally, stocks have historically outperformed certain other types of investments over the long term. Individual stock prices, however, tend to go up and down more dramatically. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the price of the various stocks held by the Fund, and could result in underperformance compared to other investments.

Foreign Securities Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, and includes risks associated with: political and economic developments - the political, economic and social structures of some foreign countries may be less stable and more volatile than those in the U.S.; trading practices - government supervision and regulation of foreign securities and currency markets, trading systems and brokers may be less than in the U.S.; availability of information - foreign issuers may not be subject to the same disclosure, accounting and financial reporting standards and practices as U.S. issuers; limited markets - the securities of certain foreign issuers may be less liquid (harder to sell) and more volatile; and currency exchange rate fluctuations and policies. The risks of foreign investments typically are greater in less developed countries or emerging market countries.

Inflation-Indexed Securities Inflation-indexed securities have a tendency to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates represent nominal (stated) interest rates lowered by the anticipated effect of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-indexed security can decrease when real interest rates increase, and can increase when real interest rates decrease. Interest payments on inflation-indexed securities will fluctuate as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and can be unpredictable.

Interest Rate When interest rates rise, debt security prices generally fall. The opposite is also generally true: debt security prices rise when interest rates fall. In general, securities with longer maturities are more sensitive to these interest rate changes.

Income Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.

Credit An issuer of debt securities may fail to make interest payments and repay principal when due, in whole or in part. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating may affect a security's value.

Commodities If the Fund invests in an underlying commodities fund, its returns will be subject to the unique risks of exposure to commodities. Investing in physical commodities, including trading in futures contracts thereon, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Market prices of commodities may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; agriculture; trade; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; diseases; pestilence; technological developments; and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. The current or “spot” prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity.

Derivative Instruments The performance of derivative instruments (including currency related derivatives) depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security or index and such instruments often have risks similar to their underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in the portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as enable gains) on an amount that exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity in the Fund, mispricing or improper valuation, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. When used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security or other risk being hedged. With over-the-counter derivatives, there is the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform.

Growth Style Investing Growth stock prices reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and can, therefore, fall dramatically if the company fails to meet those projections. Prices of these companies’ securities may be more volatile than other securities, particularly over the short term.

Value Style Investing A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur.

Smaller and Midsize Companies Securities issued by smaller and midsize companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies, involve substantial risks and should be considered speculative. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, smaller companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

Prepayment Prepayment risk occurs when a debt security can be repaid in whole or in part prior to the security's maturity and the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives, during periods of declining interest rates, in securities that pay a lower rate of interest.

Management The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Because the Fund seeks returns that exceed the rate of inflation over time, if the investment manager's inflation forecasts are incorrect (e.g., in unanticipated high inflationary or deflationary periods), the Fund's performance may be impacted more than other funds.

Tax Risk If an underlying fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code, such fund would be liable for federal, and possibly state, corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains. Such failure by an underlying fund is not expected to impact the ability of the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company, however, the total return of the Fund may be decreased by the amount of any taxes due by the underlying fund as a result of such failure.

Performance

Because the Fund is new, it has no performance history.

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

Sub-Advisors

Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC (FT Institutional)

Portfolio Managers

THOMAS A. NELSON, CFA Portfolio Manager of Advisers and a lead portfolio manager of the Fund since inception (2011).

T. ANTHONY COFFEY, CFA Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception (2011).

WARREN KEYSER Portfolio Manager of FT Institutional and portfolio manager of the TIPS portion of the Fund since inception (2011).

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. The minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $50 under an automatic investment plan).

Taxes

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and
Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

FUND DETAILS

Investment Goal

The Fund's investment goal is real return.

Principal Investment Policies and Practices

Under normal market conditions, the Fund uses a flexible allocation strategy that is diversified across broad asset classes, including global equities, global fixed income and commodities, and seeks real return which is total return that exceeds U.S. inflation over a full inflation cycle, typically 5 years. The investment manager will adjust the Fund’s allocations in both broad asset classes and certain select asset classes based on its assessment of the current inflationary and economic environment. In periods shorter than a full inflation cycle, the Fund's returns may be volatile as compared to the CPI or lag behind inflation.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment goal by investing primarily in underlying funds and a portion of its assets in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS).

The Fund is structured as a limited fund-of-funds, with the investment manager being responsible for the asset allocation strategy of the Fund as well as monitoring the overall investment performance of the Fund and providing oversight of the subadvisor.

The Fund will seek to achieve its investment goal by investing its assets primarily in other mutual funds, predominantly other Franklin Templeton mutual funds (underlying funds). Under normal market conditions, the investment manager will allocate the Fund’s assets among the broad asset classes of equity, fixed-income, commodities and short-term (money market) investments by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds, based on each underlying fund's predominant asset class. These underlying funds, in turn, invest in a variety of U.S. and foreign equity, fixed-income and money market securities, and commodity linked instruments. The investment policies of the various underlying funds are described in the section called "Information about the Underlying Franklin Templeton Funds."

When selecting equity funds, the investment manager will consider the underlying funds’ foreign and domestic exposure, market capitalization ranges, and investment style (growth vs. value). When selecting fixed-income funds, the investment manager will focus primarily on maximizing income. In evaluating the risk level of the underlying funds, the investment manager will analyze such factors as: (a) relative and absolute performance, including correlations with other underlying funds as well as corresponding benchmarks, and (b) their volatility (the variability of returns from one period to the next). The investment manager will vary the underlying funds’ allocation percentages based upon the current inflationary environment and the investment manager’s tactical views. Generally, no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in any one underlying fund.

The investment manager has engaged Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC to manage the Fund’s assets invested in TIPS. TIPS are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are debt securities, the value of which is periodically adjusted to reflect a measure of inflation. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment.

Temporary Investments

When the investment manager believes market or economic conditions are unfavorable for investors, the investment manager may invest up to 100% of the Fund's assets in a temporary defensive manner by holding all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash, cash equivalents or other high quality short-term investments. Temporary defensive investments generally may include short-term U.S. government securities, high-grade commercial paper, bank obligations, repurchase agreements, money market fund shares (including shares of an affiliated money market fund) and other money market instruments. The investment manager also may invest in these types of securities or hold cash while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment goal.

Principal Risks

Asset Allocation

The Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal depends upon the investment manager's skill in determining the Fund's broad asset allocation mix and selecting underlying funds. There is the possibility that the investment manager's evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes and underlying funds will not successfully achieve the Fund's investment goal in view of actual market trends.

Equity Funds

If the Fund invests in an underlying stock fund, its returns will fluctuate with changes in the stock market. Generally, stocks have historically outperformed other types of investments over the long term. Individual stock prices, however, tend to go up and down more dramatically. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the price of the various stocks held by an underlying fund.

Fixed-Income Funds

If the Fund invests in an underlying bond fund, its returns will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Debt securities generally tend to lose market value when interest rates rise and increase in value when interest rates fall. Securities with longer maturities or lower coupons or that make little (or no) interest payments before maturity tend to be are more sensitive to these price changes. Other factors may also affect the market price and yield of debt securities, including investor demand, changes in the financial condition of issuers of debt securities, and domestic and worldwide economic conditions.

Commodities

If the Fund invests in an underlying commodities fund, its returns will be subject to the unique risks of exposure to commodities. Investing in physical commodities, including trading in futures contracts thereon, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Market prices of commodities may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; agriculture; trade; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; diseases; pestilence; technological developments; and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. The current or “spot” prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity.

Derivative Instruments

If the Fund invests in underlying funds that have exposure to derivative instruments, or invests directly in derivatives itself, its returns will be subject to the unique risks associated with investing in such instruments. The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying instrument or index and such derivative instruments often have risks similar to their underlying instrument in addition to other risks. Derivative instruments involve costs, may be volatile, and may involve a small initial investment relative to the risk assumed. Their successful use will usually depend on the investment manager’s ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the investment manager is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund’s performance may be worse than if the investment manager did not use such derivative instruments at all. To the extent that the Fund uses such instruments for hedging purposes, there is the risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the value of the derivative instrument and the value of the underlying investment or other asset being hedged. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that an instrument, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.

Inflation-Indexed Securities

Inflation-indexed securities have a tendency to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates represent nominal (stated) interest rates lowered by the anticipated effect of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-indexed security can decrease when real interest rates increase, and can increase when real interest rates decrease. Interest payments on inflation-indexed securities will fluctuate as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and can be unpredictable. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-protected debt security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors, such as the Fund, do not receive their principal until maturity.

Market

The market values of securities owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting individual issuers, securities markets generally or particular industries or sectors within the securities markets. The value of a security may go up or down due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for revenues or corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also go up or down due to factors that affect an individual issuer or a particular industry or sector, such as changes in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that the Fund's securities will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance.

Credit

The Fund could lose money on a debt security if an issuer or borrower is unable or fails to meet its obligations, including failing to make interest payments and/or to repay principal when due. Changes in an issuer's financial strength, the market's perception of the issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating, which reflects a third party's assessment of the credit risk presented by a particular issuer, may affect debt securities' value. The Fund may incur substantial losses on debt securities that are inaccurately perceived to present a different amount of credit risk by the market, the investment manager or the rating agencies than such securities actually do.

Interest Rate

Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable. Debt securities generally tend to lose market value when interest rates rise and increase in value when interest rates fall. Securities with longer maturities or lower coupons or that make little (or no) interest payments before maturity tend to be more sensitive to these interest rate changes. The longer the Fund's average weighted portfolio maturity, the greater the impact a change in interest rates will have on its share price.

Income

Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The Fund's income generally declines during periods of falling interest rates because the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives from existing investments (upon their maturity, prepayment, amortization, call, or buy-back) at a lower rate of interest or return.

Smaller and Midsize Companies

While smaller and midsize companies may offer substantial opportunities for capital growth, they also involve substantial risks and should be considered speculative. Historically, smaller and midsize company securities have been more volatile in price than larger company securities, especially over the short term. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility are the less certain growth prospects of smaller and midsize companies, the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities, and the greater sensitivity of smaller and midsize companies to changing economic conditions.

Management

The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses if the investment manager's judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that these techniques or the investment manager's investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the investment manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.

Tax Risk

The Fund intends to invest in underlying funds that meet certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code for favorable tax treatment as a regulated investment company, including asset diversification and income requirements. If an underlying fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code, such underlying fund would be liable for federal, and possibly state, corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains. Such failure by an underlying fund is not expected to impact the ability of the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company, however, the total return of the Fund may be decreased by the amount of any taxes due by the underlying fund as a result of such failure. In lieu of disqualification, the underlying funds are permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the asset diversification or income requirements, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

Information about the Underlying
Franklin Templeton Funds

The following briefly describes the investment goals and strategies of the underlying Franklin Templeton funds. The investment manager may select additional underlying funds for investment (without the approval of shareholders).

Underlying Equity Funds

Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund The fund seeks high total return of which capital appreciation and income are components. The fund invests most of its assets in equity securities of companies the fund's investment manager believes are undervalued at the time of purchase but that have the potential for capital appreciation. In choosing investments, the investment manager conducts an in-depth analysis of a company’s balance sheet, as well as applying other elements of securities analysis. The fund may invest in companies of any size, across the entire market capitalization spectrum. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

Franklin DynaTech Fund The fund seeks capital appreciation. The fund seeks investments primarily in equity securities of companies that management believes are leaders in innovation, take advantage of new technologies, have superior management, and benefit from new industry conditions in the dynamically changing global economy. In pursuing these objectives, the fund's investment managers may invest in any economic sector, market capitalization and may invest in companies both inside and outside of the United States. Although the investment manager will search for investments across a large number of sectors, it expects to have significant positions in particular sectors including, for example, technology, telecommunications and healthcare.

Franklin Flex Cap Growth Fund The fund seeks capital appreciation by investing predominantly in equity securities of companies that the investment manager believes have the potential for capital appreciation. The fund has the flexibility to invest in companies located, headquartered, or operating inside and outside the United States, across the entire market capitalization spectrum from small, emerging growth companies to well-established, large cap companies. The fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors such as technology (including electronic technology, technology services, biotechnology and healthcare technology) and industrials.

Franklin Global Real Estate Fund The fund seeks high total return by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in securities of companies located anywhere in the world that operate in the real estate sector. For purposes of the fund's investments, companies operating in the real estate sector include: real estate investment trusts (REITs) and similar REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.; companies qualifying under U.S. federal tax law as REITs; and companies that derive at least half of their assets or revenues from ownership, management, development or sale of residential or commercial real estate (such as real estate operating or service companies). Under normal market conditions, the fund expects to be invested predominantly in equity securities. The Fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts to help manage currency risks and local currency exposure. The fund is a "non-diversified" fund.

Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund The fund principally seeks capital appreciation; secondarily, it seeks to provide current income through dividends or interest received from its investments. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of gold and precious metals operation companies. Gold and precious metals operation companies include companies that mine, process, or deal in gold or other precious metals, such as silver, platinum and palladium, including mining finance and exploration companies as well as operating companies with long- or medium- life mines. The fund primarily invests in equity securities of gold and precious metals operation companies located anywhere in the world and in general invests predominantly in companies located outside the U.S. The fund may invest in companies without regard to market capitalization, including small and mid-capitalization companies.

Franklin Growth Fund The fund seeks capital appreciation by investing substantially in the equity securities of companies that are leaders in their industries. In selecting securities, the investment manager considers many factors, including historical and potential growth in revenues and earnings, assessment of strength and quality of management, and determination of a company's strategic positioning in its industry. Although the fund normally invests substantially in equity securities of U.S.-based large and medium market capitalization companies, it may invest in companies in new and emerging industries where growth is expected to be above average and may invest up to 40% of its assets in smaller companies. The fund also may invest up to 40% of its assets in foreign securities. From time to time, based on economic conditions, the fund may have significant positions in particular sectors.

Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund The fund seeks capital appreciation by investing substantially in equity securities of companies demonstrating accelerating growth, increasing profitability, or above-average growth or growth potential as compared with the overall economy. The fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors such as technology. A significant to substantial portion of the fund's investments may be in smaller and midsize companies.

Franklin International Small Cap Growth Fund The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in a diversified portfolio of marketable equity and equity-related securities of smaller international companies. For purposes of the fund's investments, smaller international companies are companies with market capitalizations not exceeding (i) $5 billion or the equivalent in local currencies or (ii) the highest market capitalization in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) EAFE Small Cap Index, whichever is greater, at the time of purchase. The investment manager aims to produce a portfolio of small cap securities of exceptional companies operating in sectors that offer attractive growth potential. The fund, from time to time, may have significant investments in a particular sector or country.

Franklin MicroCap Value Fund The fund seeks high total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components, by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in investments of microcap companies. For purposes of this investment strategy, microcap companies are those with market capitalizations under $400 million at the time of purchase. The fund generally invests in equity securities of companies that the fund's investment manager believes are currently undervalued and have the potential for capital appreciation. A stock price is undervalued, or is a “value,” when it trades at less than the price at which the investment manager believes it would trade if the market reflected all factors relating to the company’s worth. The types of companies in which the fund may invest include those that may be considered out of favor, such as companies attempting to recover from bankruptcy, business set backs or adverse events (turnarounds) or cyclical downturns, or that may be considered potential takeover targets. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

Franklin Natural Resources Fund The fund seeks to provide high total return (capital appreciation and current dividend and interest income) by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in the equity and debt securities of companies in the natural resources sector. For the fund's investment purposes, the natural resources sector includes companies that own, produce, refine, process, transport and market natural resources and companies that provide related services. The sector includes, for example, the following industries: integrated oil, oil and gas exploration and production, gold and other precious metals, steel and iron ore production, energy services and technology, base metal production, forest products, farming products, paper products, chemicals, building materials, coal, alternative energy sources and environmental services. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in smaller capitalization companies and may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in equity or debt securities of any type of foreign or U.S. issuer. Under normal conditions, the fund anticipates that it will invest more of its assets in U.S. securities than in securities of any other single country.

Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund The fund seeks to maximize total return by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of companies operating in the real estate industry. For purposes of the fund's investments, companies operating in the real estate industry include: those qualifying under federal tax laws as REITs; and those that derive at least half of their assets or revenues from the ownership, construction, management, development or sale of residential or commercial real estate (such as real estate operating or service companies, homebuilders, lodging providers and developers).

Franklin Rising Dividends Fund The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in investments of companies that have paid consistently rising dividends. The fund invests predominantly in equity securities. Companies that have paid consistently rising dividends include those companies that currently pay dividends on their common stocks and have increased their dividend rate during the last four consecutive years. From time to time, the fund may invest a significant to substantial amount of its assets in the securities of smaller and midsize companies. In addition, the fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund The fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of small cap companies. For purposes of the fund's investments, small cap companies are those companies with market capitalizations not exceeding (i) $1.5 billion or (ii) the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index, whichever is greater, at the time of purchase. The fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors such as technology, industrials and healthcare.

Franklin Small Cap Value Fund The fund seeks long-term total return by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in investments of small capitalization companies. For purposes of this fund's investments, small capitalization companies are companies with market capitalizations under $3.5 billion at the time of purchase. The fund generally invests in equity securities that the fund's investment manager believes are undervalued and have the potential for capital appreciation. A stock price is undervalued, or is a “value,” when it trades at less than the price at which the investment manager believes it would trade if the market reflected all factors relating to the company’s worth. The types of companies in which the fund may invest include those that may be considered out of favor, such as companies attempting to recover from bankruptcy, business set backs or adverse events (turnarounds) or cyclical downturns, or that may be considered potential takeover targets. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund The fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of small cap and mid cap companies. For purposes of the fund's investments, small cap companies are companies within the market capitalization range of companies in the Russell 2500™ Index, at the time of purchase, and mid cap companies are companies within the market capitalization range of companies in the Russell Midcap^® Index, at the time of purchase. The fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors such as technology (including healthcare technology, technology services and electronic technology) industrials and healthcare.

Franklin Utilities Fund The fund seeks capital appreciation and current income by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in the securities of public utilities companies. These are companies that provide electricity, natural gas, water, and communications services to the public and companies that provide services to public utilities companies. The fund searches for the best return opportunities available in the global utilities arena with a specific focus on the U.S. electricity and gas sector. Generally, the fund seeks to invest in companies producing a high percentage of earnings from regulated utility franchise operations. The fund invests primarily in equity securities.

Mutual European Fund The fund principally seeks capital appreciation, which may occasionally be short-term; its secondary goal is income. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of European companies that the investment manager believes are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (intrinsic value). Following this value-oriented strategy, the fund invests primarily in undervalued equity securities (securities trading at a discount to intrinsic value), and, to a lesser extent, in merger arbitrage securities and distressed companies. The fund may invest in companies of any size, but currently invests the equity portion of its portfolio primarily to predominantly in mid and large cap companies, with the remaining portion in smaller companies. The fund normally invests in securities from at least five different countries, although, it may invest all of its assets in a single country and up to 20% of its total assets in securities of U.S. issuers, and securities of issuers from the Levant, the Middle East and the remaining regions of the world. The fund may use forward foreign currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts (including currency index futures contracts) and other derivatives to hedge against currency or market risks.

Mutual Financial Services Fund The fund principally seeks capital appreciation, which may occasionally be short-term; its secondary goal is income. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of financial services companies that the investment manager believes are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (intrinsic value). Following this value-oriented strategy, the fund invests primarily in undervalued equity securities (securities trading at a discount to intrinsic value), and, to a lesser extent, in merger arbitrage securities and distressed companies. The fund may invest in companies of any size, but currently invests the equity portion of its portfolio substantially in mid- and large cap companies and may invest a significant portion of its equity portfolio in small-cap companies. The fund may invest in foreign securities without limit. The fund may use forward foreign currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts (including currency index futures contracts) and other derivatives to hedge against currency or market risks.

Mutual Global Discovery Fund The fund seeks capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities (including securities convertible into, or that the investment manager expects to be exchanged for, common or preferred stock) of U.S. and foreign companies that the investment manager believes are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (intrinsic value). Following this value-oriented strategy, the fund invests primarily in undervalued securities (securities trading at a discount to intrinsic value), and, to a lesser extent, in merger arbitrage securities and distressed companies. The fund may invest in companies of any size, but currently invests the equity portion of its portfolio primarily to predominately in mid and large cap companies, with the remaining portion of its equity portfolio in smaller companies. The fund expects to invest substantially and may invest up to 100% of its assets in foreign securities. The fund presently does not intend to invest more than a portion of its assets in securities of issuers located in emerging market countries. The fund may use forward foreign currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts (including currency index futures contracts) and other derivatives to hedge against currency or market risks.

Mutual Shares Fund The fund principally seeks capital appreciation, which may occasionally be short-term; its secondary goal is income. The fund invests primarily in equity securities (including securities convertible into, or that the investment manager expects to be exchanged for, common or preferred stock) of U.S. and foreign companies that the investment manager believes are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (intrinsic value). Following this value-oriented strategy, the fund invests primarily in undervalued securities (securities trading at a discount to intrinsic value), and, to a lesser extent, in merger arbitrage securities and distressed companies. The fund may invest in companies of any size, but currently invests the equity portion of the fund's portfolio primarily to predominantly in companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion, with a portion or significant amount in smaller companies. The fund expects to invest a significant portion (up to 35%) of its assets in foreign securities. The fund may use forward foreign currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts (including currency index futures contracts) and other derivatives to hedge against currency or market risks.

Templeton China World Fund The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in securities of "China companies." For purposes of the fund's investments, China companies are those:

that are organized under the laws of, or with a principal office in, the People's Republic of China (China), Hong Kong or Taiwan; or
for which the principal trading market is in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan; or
that derive at least 50% of their revenues from goods or services sold or produced, or have at least 50% of their assets, in China.

China companies may be any size, and may include smaller capitalization companies. The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that do not qualify as China company securities, but whose issuers, in the judgment of the investment manager, are expected to benefit from developments in the economy of China.

Templeton Developing Markets Trust The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in securities of developing market countries. For purposes of the fund's investments, developing market countries include those considered to be developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations, the countries' authorities, or countries with a stock market capitalization of less than 3% of the Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index. These countries typically are located in the Asia-Pacific region, Eastern Europe, Central and South America, and Africa. The fund invests primarily in the equity securities of developing market companies, which may include investments in the securities of smaller and midsize companies. From time to time, based on economic conditions, the fund may have significant investments in one or more countries or in particular industries or sectors. In addition to the fund's main investments, the fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in the securities of issuers in developed market countries.

Templeton Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in securities of small-cap companies located in emerging market countries. These include small-cap companies whose principal securities trading markets are in emerging market countries or that derive significant revenue or profits from emerging market countries. For purposes of the fund's investments, developing market countries include those considered to be developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations, or the countries' authorities, or countries with a stock market capitalization of less than 3% of the Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index. The fund is a "non-diversified" fund.

Templeton Foreign Fund The fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in foreign securities, which may include emerging markets. The fund invests primarily in the equity securities of foreign companies located outside the U.S. From time to time, based on economic conditions, the fund may have significant positions in particular countries or sectors.

Templeton Foreign Smaller Companies Fund The fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in investments of smaller companies located outside the U.S., including emerging markets. For purposes of this fund's investments, smaller companies are those with a market capitalization of not more than $2 billion at the time of initial purchase. For purposes of monitoring the fund’s compliance with the requirement that it invest mainly in the equity securities of smaller companies, smaller companies are defined as those with market capitalizations that do not exceed $4 billion. The fund may also invest a portion of its assets in the equity securities of larger foreign companies. The fund may also invest more than 25% of its assets in the securities of issuers located in any one country.

Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund The fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing mainly in the equity securities of smaller companies located anywhere in the world, including emerging markets. The fund will invest its assets in issuers located in at least three different countries (including the U.S.) and will invest at least 40% of its net assets in foreign securities. Also, under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of such smaller companies. For purposes of this fund's investments, smaller companies are those with a market capitalization of not more than $2 billion at the time of initial purchase. For purposes of monitoring the fund’s compliance with the requirement that it invest mainly in the equity securities of smaller companies, smaller companies are defined as those with market capitalizations that do not exceed $4 billion.

Underlying Fixed-Income Funds

Franklin High Income Fund The fund principally seeks to earn a high level of current income; its secondary goal is to seek capital appreciation to the extent it is possible and consistent with the fund's principal goal. The fund invests primarily in high yield, lower-rated debt securities. The fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade, sometimes called "junk bonds." Investment grade debt securities are rated in one of the top four rating categories by independent rating agencies such as Standard & Poor's (S&P^®) or Moody's Investors Service (Moody's). The fund may also invest in defaulted debt securities and in securities issued by companies and governments in any foreign country, developed or developing.

Franklin Limited Maturity U.S. Government Securities Fund The fund seeks to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent with prudent investing, while seeking preservation of shareholders' capital. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities with a dollar-weighted average maturity of less than 10 years and issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities. The fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in mortgage-backed securities including adjustable rate mortgage securities, but the fund also invests in direct obligations of the U.S. government (such as Treasury bonds, bills and notes) and of its agencies and instrumentalities. The fund currently maintains the average dollar-weighted maturity of its fixed-rate portfolio in a range of one to five years; however, the average dollar-weighted maturity of the fund will vary with market conditions and the outlook for interest rates.

Franklin Strategic Income Fund The fund principally seeks to earn a high level of current income; secondarily it seeks capital appreciation over the long term. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 65% of its assets in U.S. and foreign debt securities, including those in emerging markets. The fund shifts its investments among various classes of debt securities and at any given time may have a substantial amount of its assets invested in any one of such classes. The fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in high yield, lower-quality debt securities. The fund may also invest in many different securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or by non-U.S. governments or their respective agencies or instrumentalities, including mortgage securities and inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. For purposes of pursuing its investment goals, the fund may enter into interest rate and credit related transactions involving derivative instruments, including interest rate and credit default swaps and bond/interest rate futures contracts in order to allow the fund to obtain net long or net short exposures to selected interest rates, durations or credit risks. The fund may also enter into various currency related transactions involving derivative instruments, including currency and cross currency forwards and currency and currency index futures contracts in order to allow the fund to obtain net long or net short exposure to selected currencies. All of the above instruments may be used for hedging purposes, to enhance fund returns, or to obtain exposure to various market sectors. In addition, the fund may invest in credit-linked securities as a means of investing more rapidly and efficiently in permitted segments of the debt securities markets.

Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio The fund seeks high total return (a combination of high current income and capital appreciation) relative to the performance of the general mortgage securities market. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in mortgage securities. Most of the mortgage securities in which the fund invests are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. The fund normally focuses its investments in mortgage pass-through securities, which are securities representing interests in "pools" of mortgage loans issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These securities may be fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage securities (ARMS). The fund also will invest in other types of mortgage securities including, but not limited to, certain ARMS, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), home equity loan asset-backed securities (HELs), manufactured housing asset-backed securities (MHs), and collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), as well as in other mortgage-related asset-backed securities. The fund also may invest in U.S. Treasury securities, up to 20% of its assets in foreign securities and up to 33% of its gross assets in mortgage dollar rolls. For hedging purposes, the fund may invest in interest rate and credit default swaps and U.S. Treasury futures. The fund may buy securities on a “when-issued” or “delayed delivery” basis.

Franklin Templeton Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund The fund seeks high total return. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in debt securities of "emerging market countries." Emerging market countries include those considered to be developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations, or the countries' authorities, or countries with a stock market capitalization of less than 3% of the Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index. These countries typically are located in the Asia-Pacific region, Eastern Europe, Central and South America, and Africa. In addition, countries that have restructured their external or local debt during the past 10 years or currently have restructured external or local debt outstanding also will be considered to be emerging market countries. The fund generally invests in debt securities issued by sovereign and sub-sovereign government entities. The fund also may invest in securities issued by corporate entities that are controlled (i.e., more than 50% owned) by a sovereign entity, as well as corporate emerging markets debt. The fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade, including up to 15% of its net assets in defaulted debt securities. For purposes of pursuing its investment goal, the fund may enter into various currency related transactions involving derivative instruments, including currency and cross currency forwards. The use of these derivative transactions may allow the fund to obtain net long or net short exposure to selected currencies.

Franklin Templeton Hard Currency Fund The fund seeks to protect against depreciation of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in investments denominated in "hard currencies." Hard currencies are currencies in which investors have confidence and are typically currencies of economically and politically stable industrialized nations. The fund tries to expose 100% of its net assets to foreign currencies, but may do so by investing substantially in a combination of U.S. dollar denominated securities and forward currency contracts or currency futures contracts (including currency index futures). The fund normally invests mainly in high-quality, short-term money market instruments and forward currency contracts denominated in foreign hard currencies. In making investments in foreign hard currencies and in instruments denominated in foreign hard currencies, the fund focuses on countries and markets that historically have experienced low inflation rates and, in the investment manager's opinion, follow economic policies favorable to continued low inflation rates and currency appreciation versus the U.S. dollar over the long term. The fund may invest, from time to time, in currency contracts (including cross-currency forwards) to try to hedge (protect) against currency exchange rate fluctuations, or to generate income for the fund, for example, by cross-hedging. The fund does not, however, attempt to actively hedge its portfolio. Other derivative investments may also be used to help manage interest rate exposure, protect fund assets, implement a cash or tax management strategy, enhance fund returns or to obtain net long or net short exposures to selected interest rates, duration or credit risks. Such derivatives may include the purchase and sale of financial futures contracts (such as interest rate or bond futures) and swap agreements (such as interest rate swaps).

Franklin Total Return Fund The fund principally seeks to provide high current income, consistent with the preservation of capital; secondarily, it seeks capital appreciation over the long term. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in investment grade debt securities and investments, including government and corporate debt securities, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, investment grade corporate loans and futures with reference securities that are investment grade. The fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-investment grade debt securities. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, including up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities and up to 10% of its total assets in emerging markets securities. To pursue its investment goals, the fund regularly enters into various derivative transactions, including currency and cross-currency forwards, currency, currency index, bond and interest rate futures contracts and options on such contracts and swap agreements and options on swap agreements (including interest rate and credit default swaps). The use of these derivative transactions may allow the fund to obtain net long or short exposure to select currencies, interest rates, countries, duration or credit risks. These derivatives may be used to enhance fund returns, increase liquidity, gain exposure to certain instruments or markets in a more efficient or less expensive way and/or hedge risks associated with its other portfolio investments.

Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund The fund seeks income by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in U.S. government securities. The fund presently invests substantially all of its assets in Ginnie Mae obligations. The fund may also invest in other U.S. government securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as U.S. Treasury STRIPS, bills, bonds and notes.

Templeton Global Bond Fund The fund seeks current income with capital appreciation and growth of income by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in "bonds." For purposes of the fund's investments, "bonds" include debt securities of any maturity, such as bonds, notes, bills and debentures. The fund invests predominantly in bonds issued by governments and government agencies located anywhere in the world. The fund may also invest without limit in developing markets. Although the fund may buy bonds rated in any category, it focuses on "investment grade" bonds. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in bonds that are rated below investment grade. For purposes of pursuing its investment goals, the Fund regularly uses various currency-related transactions involving derivative instruments, principally currency and cross currency forwards, but also may use currency and currency index futures contracts. The Fund maintains significant positions in currency related derivative instruments as a hedging technique or to implement a currency investment strategy, which could expose a large amount of the Fund’s assets to obligations under the instruments. The use of these derivative transactions may allow the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies. The Fund may also enter into interest rate and credit related transactions involving derivative instruments, including interest rate and credit default swaps, bond/interest rate futures contracts and options thereon. The use of these derivative transactions may allow the Fund to obtain net long or net short exposures to selected interest rates, durations or credit risks. These derivative instruments may also be used for hedging purposes, to enhance Fund returns or to obtain exposure to various market sectors.

Templeton Global Total Return Fund The fund seeks total investment return consisting of a combination of interest income, capital appreciation, and currency gains by investing, under normal market conditions, primarily in fixed and floating rate debt securities and debt obligations (including convertible bonds) of governments, government-related or corporate issuers worldwide. Bonds include debt securities of any credit quality or maturity, such as bonds, notes, bills and debentures. The fund may also invest in securities or structured products that are linked to or derive their value from another security, asset or currency of any nation and in various currency related transactions involving derivative instruments. The fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in developing markets. The fund is a "non-diversified" fund.

Underlying Floating Rate Interest Fund

Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund The fund principally seeks to provide a high level of current income; secondarily, it seeks preservation of capital. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in income-producing floating interest rate corporate loans and corporate debt securities made to or issued by U.S. companies, non-U.S. entities and U.S. subsidiaries of non-U.S. entities. Floating interest rates vary with and are periodically adjusted to a generally recognized base interest rate such as LIBOR or the Prime Rate. The fund may invest in companies whose financial condition is troubled or uncertain and that may be involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings. The fund invests at least 75% of its total assets in corporate loans and corporate debt securities that are rated B or higher by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the fund’s investment manager. The fund may invest a portion of its total assets in corporate loans and corporate debt securities that are rated below B by an NRSRO or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the investment manager. The fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in certain other types of debt obligations or securities, including secured or unsecured corporate loans and corporate debt securities, and fixed rate obligations of U.S. companies.

Underlying Commodities Funds

Franklin Pelagos Commodities Strategy Fund The fund seeks to provide long-term total return by utilizing an actively managed fundamental and quantitative investment process to provide exposure to the commodities markets by (i) investing in commodity-linked derivative investments and (ii) investing in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities and other fixed income securities. The fund seeks exposure to the commodities markets by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments including commodity-linked notes, commodity-linked total return swaps, commodity futures, commodity index futures and options on commodities and commodity index futures. By investing in these derivative instruments, the fund seeks to gain exposure to the returns of real assets that trade in the commodities markets without direct investment in physical commodities. The fund may also invest in other commodity-linked derivative instruments, directly or through a Cayman Islands based company that is wholly owned by the fund, including commodity and commodity index futures and forwards, commodity index swaps. . The fund intends to limit the investments in this Cayman Islands based company to no more than 25% of the value of its total assets in order to satisfy the tax asset diversification requirement.

Franklin Pelagos Managed Futures Strategy Fund The fund seeks to provide long-term total return by utilizing an actively managed quantitative investment process to provide exposure to futures contracts and futures-related instruments by (i) employing a managed futures strategy, and by (ii) investment in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities and other fixed income securities. The fund's managed futures strategy involves going long or short in futures contracts and futures-related instruments. In selecting the futures instruments for the fund, the investment manager utilizes a proprietary quantitative investment process that seeks to identify trends in commodity, currency, fixed income and equity index futures. Once a trend or reversal is determined, the fund will take either a long or short position in the given futures instrument. The fund may also invest in commodity-linked total return swaps and commodity-linked derivatives, directly or through a Cayman Islands based company that is wholly owned by the fund, including structured notes, options, futures and options on futures. The fund intends to limit the investments in this Cayman Islands based company to no more than 25% of the value of its total assets in order to satisfy the tax asset diversification requirement.

Risks of Investing in the Underlying
Franklin Templeton Funds

The following sections describe some of the risks associated with certain of the underlying Franklin Templeton funds (hereafter the "Fund" or "Funds").

Management

Growth Style Investing

Growth stock prices reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and can, therefore, fall dramatically if the company fails to meet those projections. Growth stocks may be more expensive relative to their current earnings or assets compared to value or other stocks, and if earnings growth expectations moderate, their valuations may return to more typical norms, causing their stock prices to fall. Prices of these companies’ securities may be more volatile than other securities, particularly over the short term.

Value Style Investing

Value stock prices are considered "cheap" relative to the company's perceived value and are often out of favor with other investors. The investment manager may invest in such stocks if it believes the market may have overreacted to adverse developments or failed to appreciate positive changes. However, if other investors fail to recognize the company's value (and do not become buyers, or if they become sellers or favor investing in faster growing companies), value stocks may not increase in value as anticipated by the investment manager and may even decline in value.

Commodities

Investing in physical commodities, either directly or through complex securities such as ETNs, presents unique risks. Investing in physical commodities, including trading in futures contracts thereon, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Market prices of commodities may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships (whether actual, perceived, anticipated, unanticipated or unrealized); weather; agriculture; trade; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; diseases; pestilence; technological developments; and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. The current or “spot” prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity. Certain commodities are used primarily in one industry, and fluctuations in levels of activity in (or the availability of alternative resources to) one industry may have a disproportionate effect on global demand for a particular commodity. Moreover, recent growth in industrial production and gross domestic product has made China and other developing nations oversized users of commodities and has increased the extent to which certain commodities prices are influenced by those markets.

Market

Smaller and Midsize Companies

In addition, smaller and midsize companies may lack depth of management, be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or development, have limited product lines or be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established. Smaller companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans which are floating rate.

Interest Rate

Income

Credit

High-Yield Debt Securities

High-yield debt securities (including loans) and unrated securities of similar credit quality ("high-yield debt instruments") involve greater risk of a complete loss of an underlying fund's investment, or delays of interest and principal payments than higher-quality debt securities. Issuers of high-yield debt instruments are not as strong financially as those issuing securities of higher credit quality. High-yield debt instruments are generally considered predominately speculative by the applicable rating agencies as these issuers are more likely to encounter financial difficulties and are more vulnerable to changes in the relevant economy, such as a recession or a sustained period of rising interest rates, that could affect their ability to make interest and principal payments when due. If an issuer stops making interest and/or principal payments, payments on the securities may never resume. These instruments may be worthless and the underlying fund could lose its entire investment.

The prices of high-yield debt instruments fluctuate more than higher-quality securities. Prices are especially sensitive to developments affecting the issuer's business or operations and to changes in the ratings assigned by rating agencies. In addition, the entire high-yield debt market can experience sudden and sharp price swings due to changes in economic conditions, stock market activity, large sustained sales by major investors, a high-profile default, or other factors. Prices of corporate high-yield debt instruments often are closely linked with the company's stock prices and typically rise and fall in response to factors that affect stock prices.

High-yield debt instruments are generally less liquid than higher-quality securities. Many of these securities are not registered for sale under the federal securities laws and/or do not trade frequently. When they do trade, their prices may be significantly higher or lower than expected. At times, it may be difficult to sell these securities promptly at an acceptable price, which may limit an underlying fund's ability to sell securities in response to specific economic events or to meet redemption requests. As a result, high-yield debt instruments generally pose greater illiquidity and valuation risks.

Substantial declines in the prices of high-yield debt instruments can dramatically increase the yield of such bonds or loans. The decline in market prices generally reflects an expectation that the issuer(s) may be at greater risk of defaulting on the obligation to pay interest and principal when due. Therefore, substantial increases in yield may reflect a greater risk by the Fund of losing some or part of its investment rather than any increase in income that the debt security or loan may pay to the Fund on its investment.

Mortgage Securities and Asset-Backed Securities

Mortgage securities differ from conventional debt securities because principal is paid back over the life of the security rather than at maturity. The underlying fund may receive unscheduled prepayments of principal due to voluntary prepayments, refinancing or foreclosure on the underlying mortgage loans. To the underlying fund this means a loss of anticipated interest, and a portion of its principal investment represented by any premium the fund may have paid. Mortgage prepayments generally increase when interest rates fall.

Mortgage securities also are subject to extension risk. An unexpected rise in interest rates could reduce the rate of prepayments on mortgage securities and extend their life. This could cause the price of the mortgage securities and the underlying fund's share price to fall and would make the mortgage securities more sensitive to interest rate changes.

In September 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an agency of the U.S. government, placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations. FHFA acts as the conservator to operate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac until they are stabilized. It is unclear how long the conservatorship will last or what effect this conservatorship will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac for the long-term.

Issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements provided to support the securities, if any, may be inadequate to protect investors in the event of default. Like mortgage securities, asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risks.

Mortgage-backed securities also are subject to extension risk. An unexpected rise in interest rates could reduce the rate of prepayments on mortgage-backed securities and extend their life. This could cause the price of the mortgage-backed securities and the Fund's share price to fall and would make the mortgage-backed securities more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Foreign Securities

Investing in foreign securities, including securities of foreign governments and depositary receipts, typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations.

Currency exchange rates. Foreign securities may be issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their market values in U.S. dollars may be affected by changes in exchange rates between such foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar, as well as between currencies of countries other than the U.S. For example, if the value of the U.S. dollar goes up compared to a foreign currency, an investment traded in that foreign currency will go down in value because it will be worth fewer U.S. dollars. The Fund accrues additional expenses when engaging in currency exchange transactions, and valuation of the Fund's foreign securities may be subject to greater risk because both the currency (relative to the U.S. dollar) and the security must be considered.

Currency management strategies. Currency management strategies may substantially change the Fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the investment manager expects. In addition, currency management strategies, to the extent that they reduce the Fund's exposure to currency risks, may also reduce the Fund's ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates. There is no assurance that the investment manager's use of currency management strategies will benefit the Fund or that they will be, or can be, used at appropriate times. Furthermore, there may not be perfect correlation between the amount of exposure to a particular currency and the amount of securities in the portfolio denominated in that currency. Investing in foreign currencies for purposes of gaining from projected changes in exchange rates, as opposed to hedging currency risks applicable to the Fund's holdings, further increases the Fund's exposure to foreign investment losses.

Political and economic developments. The political, economic and social structures of some foreign countries may be less stable and more volatile than those in the U.S. Investments in these countries may be subject to greater risks of internal and external conflicts, expropriation, nationalization of assets, foreign exchange controls (such as suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a given country), restrictions on removal of assets, political or social instability, military action or unrest, diplomatic developments, currency devaluations, foreign ownership limitations, and punitive or confiscatory tax increases. It is possible that a government may take over the assets or operations of a company or impose restrictions on the exchange or export of currency or other assets. Some countries also may have different legal systems that may make it difficult for the Fund to vote proxies, exercise shareholder rights, and pursue legal remedies with respect to its foreign investments. Diplomatic and political developments, including rapid and adverse political changes, social instability, regional conflicts, terrorism and war, could affect the economies, industries and securities and currency markets, and the value of the Fund's investments, in non-U.S. countries. These factors are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to predict and take into account with respect to the Fund's investments.

Trading practices. Brokerage commissions, withholding taxes, custodial fees, and other fees generally are higher in foreign markets. The policies and procedures followed by foreign stock exchanges, currency markets, trading systems and brokers may differ from those applicable in the U.S. with possibly negative consequences to the Fund. The procedures and rules governing foreign trading, settlement and custody (holding of the Fund's assets) also may result in losses or delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or other property. Foreign government supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets and trading systems may be less than or different from government supervision in the U.S. and may increase the Fund's regulatory and compliance burden and/or decrease the Fund's investor rights and protections.

Availability of information. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same disclosure, accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as U.S. issuers. Thus, there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers than about most U.S. issuers.

Limited markets. Certain foreign securities may be less liquid (harder to sell) and their prices may be more volatile than many U.S. securities. Illiquidity tends to be greater, and valuation of the Fund's foreign securities may be more difficult, due to the infrequent trading and/or delayed reporting of quotes and sales.

Regional. Adverse conditions in a certain region can adversely affect securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region, the Fund will generally have more exposure to regional economic risks. In the event of economic or political turmoil or a deterioration of diplomatic relations in a region or country where a substantial portion of the Fund's assets are invested, the Fund may experience substantial illiquidity.

Concentration

If an underlying fund has a policy to concentrate (invests 25% or more of its assets) in a particular industry, group of industries or geographic region, the underlying fund may experience greater losses due to any single economic, business, political, regulatory or other occurrence. As a result, there may be more fluctuation in the price of the underlying fund's shares.

Non-Diversification

Some of the underlying funds are classified as non-diversified funds (that means they may generally invest a greater portion of their assets in the securities of one or more issuers and invest overall in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund), and as such they may be more sensitive to economic, business, political, regulatory or other occurrence than a more diversified portfolio may be. This may result in greater fluctuation in the value of the underlying fund's shares and to a greater risk of loss.

Focus

The greater the Fund's exposure to any single type of investment – including investment in a given industry, sector, region, country, issuer, or type of security – the greater the losses the Fund may experience upon any single economic, business, political, regulatory, or other occurrence. As a result, there may be more fluctuation in the price of the Fund's shares.

Technology companies. Technology company stocks have been subject to abrupt or erratic price movements, especially over the short term, due to the rapid pace of product change and development affecting such companies. Technology companies are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as new market entrants, aggressive pricing and tight profit margins. Prices of technology company stocks often change collectively without regard to the merits of individual companies.

Healthcare technology companies. These companies will be affected by government regulatory requirements, regulatory approval for new drugs and medical products, patent considerations, product liability, and similar matters. In addition, this industry is characterized by competition and rapid technological developments that may make a company’s products or services obsolete in a short period of time.

Electronic technology and technology services companies. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. These factors can affect the profitability of technology companies and, as a result, the value of their securities.

Financial services companies. To the extent that the Fund has significant investments in financial services companies, it is particularly sensitive to the risks of that industry. These risks include the effects of: (1) changes in interest rates on the profitability of financial services companies; (2) governmental limitations on a company’s loans and other financial commitments; and (3) recent ongoing changes in the financial services industry (including consolidations, development of new products and changes to the industry’s regulatory framework). Some financial services companies have recently experienced significant losses in value and the possible recapitalization of such companies may present greater risks of loss. Insurance companies have additional risks, such as heavy price competition, claims activity and marketing competition, and can be particularly sensitive to specific events such as weather catastrophes, terrorism, mortality risks and morbidity rates.

Utilities industry Utility company equity securities, which are generally purchased for their dividend yield, historically have been sensitive to interest rate movements: when interest rates have risen, the stock prices of these companies have tended to fall. In some states, utility companies and their rates are regulated; other states have moved to deregulate such companies thereby causing non-regulated companies’ returns to generally be more volatile and more sensitive to changes in revenue and earnings. In general, all utility companies may face additional regulation and litigation regarding emissions from their power plants; increased costs from new or greater regulation of greenhouse gas emissions; and the need to purchase expensive emissions control equipment due to regulations, all of which may lower their earnings.

Natural resources sector. The securities of companies in the natural resources sector may experience more price volatility than securities of companies in other industries. Some of the commodities used as raw materials or produced by these companies are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of industry wide supply and demand factors. In addition, companies in the natural resources sector may be subject to special risks associated with natural or man-made disasters.

Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund The price of gold and precious metals operation companies is strongly affected by the price of gold or other precious metals such as platinum, palladium and silver. These prices may be volatile, fluctuating substantially over short periods of time. In times of stable economic growth, traditional equity and debt investments could offer greater appreciation potential and the value of gold and other precious metals may be adversely affected.

Derivative Instruments

The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying instrument or index and such derivative instruments often have risks similar to their underlying instrument in addition to other risks. Derivative instruments involve costs, may be volatile, and may involve a small initial investment relative to the risk assumed. Their successful use will usually depend on the investment manager’s ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the investment manager is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund’s performance may be worse than if the investment manager did not use such derivative instruments at all. To the extent that the Fund uses such instruments for hedging purposes, there is the risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the value of the derivative instrument and the value of the underlying investment or other asset being hedged. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that an instrument, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.

Use of these instruments could also result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction (particularly with respect to OTC instruments, such as swap agreements and forward currency contracts) does not perform as promised, including because of such counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. This risk may be heightened during volatile market conditions. Other risks include the inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid (particularly in the OTC markets) or the availability of counterparties becomes limited for a period of time. In addition, the presence of speculators in a particular market could lead to price distortions. To the extent that the Fund is unable to close out a position because of market illiquidity, the Fund may not be able to prevent further losses of value in its derivatives holdings and the Fund’s liquidity may be impaired to the extent that it has a substantial portion of its otherwise liquid assets marked as segregated to cover its obligations under such derivative instruments. The Fund may also be required to take or make delivery of an underlying instrument that the investment manager would otherwise have attempted to avoid. Some derivatives can be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates or other market prices. Investors should bear in mind that, while the Fund intends to use derivative strategies on a regular basis, it is not obligated to actively engage in these transactions, generally or in any particular kind of derivative, if the investment manager elects not to do so due to availability, cost or other factors.

The use of derivative strategies may also have a tax impact on the underlying fund. The timing and character of income, gains or losses from these strategies could impair the ability of the investment manager to utilize derivatives when it wishes to do so.

Merger Arbitrage Securities and Distressed Companies

Certain underlying funds may invest in merger arbitrage securities and distressed companies. A merger or other restructuring, or a tender or exchange offer, proposed or pending at the time an underlying fund invests in merger arbitrage securities may not be completed on the terms or within the time frame contemplated, resulting in losses to the underlying fund. Debt obligations of distressed companies typically are unrated, lower-rated, in default or close to default and are generally more likely to become worthless than the securities of more financially stable companies.

Geographic Focus

Certain underlying funds may have significant investments in certain regions of the world. There maybe a high correlation among the countries within these markets. Accordingly, because an underlying fund invests its assets primarily in these markets, it is subject to much greater risks of adverse events that occur in that region and may experience greater volatility than a fund that is more broadly diversified geographically. Political, social or economic disruptions in the region, including conflicts and currency devaluations, even in countries in which the fund is not invested, may adversely affect security values in other countries in the region and thus the fund's holdings.

Real Estate Securities

Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates, tax and insurance considerations, changes in zoning laws, environmental regulations or hazards, or overbuilding, increases in property taxes and operating expenses or value decline in a neighborhood. When economic growth is slow, demand for property decreases and prices may decline.

U.S. Government Securities

Although many U.S. government-sponsored entities, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. The Fund’s investments in securities which are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government depend upon the ability of the issuing agency or instrumentality to make interest or principal payments, and may not permit recourse against the U.S. Treasury. Accordingly, the issuers of some securities considered to be U.S. government securities may be unable to make principal and interest payments when due.

Floating Rate Corporate Loans

The senior secured corporate loans and corporate debt securities in which the Fund generally invests are subject to less credit risk than lower-rated "high-yield debt securities or junk bonds." They have features high-yield bonds generally do not have. They are senior obligations of the borrower or issuer, are secured by collateral, and generally are subject to certain restrictive covenants in favor of the lenders or security holders that invest in them. Loan investments are often issued in connection with highly leveraged transactions. Such transactions include leveraged buyout loans, leveraged recapitalization loans, and other types of acquisition financing. Leveraged buyout loans are subject to greater credit risks than other investments including a greater possibility that the borrower may default or enter bankruptcy. Some of these loans may be “covenant lite” loans which do not include terms which allow the lender to control and track the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached.

Liquidity

Liquidity risk exists when the market for particular securities or types of securities are or become relatively illiquid so that the Fund is unable, or it becomes more difficult for the Fund, to sell the security at the price at which the Fund has valued the security. Illiquidity may result from political, economic or issuer specific events or overall market disruptions. Securities with reduced liquidity or that become illiquid involve greater risk than securities with more liquid markets. Market quotations for such securities may be volatile and/or subject to large spreads between bid and ask prices. Reduced liquidity may have an adverse impact on market price and the Fund's ability to sell particular securities when necessary to meet the Fund's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event.

Impairment of Collateral

The terms of the senior secured corporate loans and corporate debt securities in which a certain underlying fund typically invests require that collateral be maintained to support payment of the obligation. However, the value of the collateral may decline after the underlying fund invests and there is a risk that the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed to the fund. In addition, collateral securing a loan may be found invalid, may be used to pay other outstanding obligations of the borrower under applicable law or may be difficult to sell.

In the event that a borrower defaults, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited by bankruptcy and other insolvency laws. There is also the risk that the collateral may be difficult to liquidate, or that a majority of the collateral may be illiquid. As a result, the Fund might not receive payments to which it is entitled.

Prepayment

Debt securities are subject to prepayment risk when the issuer can "call" the security, or repay principal, in whole or in part, prior to the security's maturity. When the Fund reinvests the prepayments of principal it receives, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the existing security, potentially lowering the Fund's income, yield and its distributions to shareholders. Securities subject to prepayment may offer less potential for gains during a declining interest rate environment and have greater price volatility. Prepayment risk is greater in periods of falling interest rates.

Variable Rate Securities

Variable rate securities (which include floating rate debt securities) generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes than fixed rate debt securities. However, the market value of variable rate debt securities may decline when prevailing interest rates rise if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, variable rate securities will not generally increase in market value if interest rates decline. However, when interest rates fall, there will be a reduction in the payments of interest received by the Fund from its variable rate securities. Limits on the aggregate amount by which a variable rate security's interest rate may increase over its lifetime or during any one adjustment period can prevent the interest rate from ever adjusting to prevailing market rates.

The net asset value of the Fund may decline during periods of rising interest rates until the interest rates on these securities reset to market rates. You could lose money if you sell your shares of the Fund before these rates reset.

Tax Risk

The Fund intends to invest in underlying funds that meet certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code for favorable tax treatment as a regulated investment company, including asset diversification and income requirements. As regulated investment companies, the underlying funds must derive at least 90% of their gross income each year from sources treated as qualifying income under the Internal Revenue Code.The underlying funds that seek to gain exposure to commodities and commodity-linked derivatives through investment in a Cayman Islands based company and certain commodity-linked notes intend to treat the income they derive from such investments as “qualifying income” based on a request for a private letter ruling presently pending at the IRS and on the holdings contained in similar private letter rulings previously issued by the IRS but on which the underlying funds can't rely. As of the date of this prospectus, the IRS has reportedly suspended the issuance of further such private letter rulings, including those requested by the underlying funds, but has taken no action to revoke any such previously issued rulings. There can be no assurance that the IRS will resume issuing such private letter rulings. In the event the IRS were to change its position with respect to the conclusions reached in such private letter rulings issued to date, or there were other adverse changes in the tax law which could occur at any time, the income and gains realized by an underlying fund from such commodity-linked investments might be non-qualifying income, in which case the underlying fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company.

More detailed information about the Fund, its policies and risks can be found in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

A description of the Fund's policies and procedures regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is also available in the Fund's SAI. Portfolio holdings information can be viewed online at franklintempleton.com.

Management

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers), One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906, is the Fund's investment manager. Together, Advisers and its affiliates, including the sub-advisors listed below, manage, as of November 30, 2011, over $675 billion in assets, and have been in the investment management business since 1947.

Under an agreement with Advisers, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC (FT Institutional), 600 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10020, is the Fund's sub-advisor. FT Institutional provides Advisers with investment management advice and assistance. FT Institutional is an indirect subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources) and Advisers is a wholly owned subsidiary of Resources. For purposes of the Fund's investment strategies, techniques and risks, the term "investment manager" includes any sub-advisor.

THOMAS A. NELSON, CFA Portfolio Manager of Advisers

Mr. Nelson has been a co-lead portfolio manager of the Fund since inception. He joined Franklin Templeton Investments in 2007. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton Investments, he worked for Bloomberg LP where he was most recently manager of the market specialist sales team overseeing 80 people.

T. ANTHONY COFFEY, CFA Vice President of Advisers

Mr. Coffey has been the co-lead portfolio manager of the Fund since inception. Mr. Coffey joined Franklin Templeton Investments in 1989.

WARREN KEYSER Portfolio Manager of FT Institutional

Mr. Keyser has been a portfolio manager for the TIPS portion of the Fund since inception, providing research and advice on the purchases and sales of individual securities, and portfolio risk assessment. He joined Franklin Templeton Investments in 1986.

Messrs Nelson and Coffey have equal authority over all aspects of the Fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to the allocation of the Fund's assets among the strategies that comprise the Fund's core portfolio, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash balances in accordance with anticipated management requirements. Mr. Keyser is a portfolio manager of the Fund, providing research and advice on the purchases and sales of individual securities, and portfolio risk management. The degree to which each portfolio manager may perform these functions, and the nature of these functions, may change from time to time.

CFA^® and Chartered Financial Analyst^® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about portfolio manager compensation and other accounts that they manage.

Investment Management Agreement

Under the investment management agreement, the investment manager provides general investment management services including allocating, reallocating and monitoring the underlying investment companies, including the Franklin Templeton funds, and managing the investment and reinvestment of that portion of the Fund not invested in underlying funds. The Fund pays Adviser a monthly fee equivalent to an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The investment manager compensates the Sub-Advisor for providing investment advice and analysis and for managing that portion of the Fund's assets allocated to it from time to time by the investment manager. The separate portions of the Fund's assets managed by the investment manager are allocated fees that are retained from, and not in addition to, the overall investment management fee paid to the investment manager by the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the board of trustees' approving the investment management contract of the Fund will be available in the Fund's annual report to shareholders for the period ended May 31.

Asset allocation fees. The Fund, as a shareholder in the underlying Franklin Templeton funds, will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by the underlying funds. The investment manager and the management fee of each of the underlying Franklin Templeton funds (as an annual percentage rate of the underlying fund’s net assets) are set forth below:

Underlying Franklin Templeton Funds	Investment Manager	Annual Fee Rate
Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund	Franklin Advisory Services, LLC(Advisory Services)	0.625%¹
Franklin DynaTech Fund	Advisers	0.625%²
Franklin Flex Cap Growth Fund	Advisers	0.625%¹
Franklin Global Real Estate Fund	FT Institutional	0.80%³
Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund	Advisers	0.625%¹
Franklin Growth Fund	Advisers; Franklin Investment AdvisoryServices, LLC (FIAS) (sub-advisor)	0.625%⁴
Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund	Advisers	0.500%⁵
Franklin International Small Cap Growth Fund	Advisers; FT Institutional(sub-advisor)	0.75%⁶
Franklin MicroCap Value Fund	Advisory Services	0.75%
Franklin Natural Resources Fund	Advisers	0.625%¹
Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund	FT Institutional	0.625%¹
Franklin Rising Dividends Fund	Advisory Services	0.75%⁷
Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund	Advisers	0.550%⁸
Franklin Small Cap Value Fund	Advisory Services	0.75%⁷
Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund	Advisers	0.625%¹
Franklin Utilities Fund	Advisers	0.625%⁹
Mutual European Fund	Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC(Franklin Mutual)	0.80%¹⁰
Mutual Financial Services Fund	Franklin Mutual	0.80%¹⁰
Mutual Global Discovery Fund	Franklin Mutual	0.80%¹¹
Mutual Shares Fund	Franklin Mutual	0.60%¹²
Templeton China World Fund	Asset Management	1.10%¹³
Templeton Developing Markets Trust	Asset Management	1.10%¹³
Templeton Emerging MarketsSmall Cap Fund	Asset Management	1.25%¹⁴
Templeton Foreign Fund	Templeton Global AdvisorLimited (TGAL)	0.63%¹⁵
Templeton Foreign SmallerCompanies Fund	Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. (FTIC);InvestmentCounsel, LLC (TICL) (sub-advisor)	1.00%¹⁶
Templeton Global SmallerCompanies Fund	FTIC; TICL (sub-advisor)	0.75%¹⁷
Templeton Global Total Return Fund	Advisers	0.50%¹⁸
Franklin High Income Fund	Advisers	0.625%²
Franklin Limited Maturity U.S. GovernmentSecurities Fund	Advisers	0.625%¹⁹
Franklin Strategic Income Fund	Advisers	0.625%²
Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio	Advisers	0.40%²⁰
Franklin Templeton Emerging MarketDebt Opportunities Fund	FTIML; FT Institutional (sub-advisor)	0.80%²¹
Franklin Templeton Hard Currency Fund	Advisers	0.65%
Franklin Total Return Fund	Advisers; FT Institutional (sub-advisor)	0.425%²²
Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund	Advisers	0.625%²
Templeton Global Bond Fund	Advisers	0.50%²³
Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund	Advisers	0.450%²⁴
Franklin Pelagos Commodities Strategy Fund	Adviser; Pelagos Capital Management, LLC (Pelagos) (sub-advisor)	0.65%²⁵
Franklin Pelagos Managed Futures Strategy Fund	Advisers; Pelagos (sub-advisor)	0.65%²⁵

1. 0.625% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.500% of the value of net assets over $100 million and not over $250 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $250 million and not over $7.5 billion; 0.440% of the value of net assets over $7.5 billion and not over $10 billion; 0.430% of the value of net assets over $10 billion and not over $12.5 billion; 0.420% of the value of net assets over $12.5 billion and not over $15 billion; and 0.400% of the value of net assets in excess of $15 billion.

2. 0.625% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.500% of the value of net assets over $100 million and not over $250 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $250 million and not over $7.5 billion; 0.440% of the value of net assets over $7.5 billion and not over $10 billion; 0.430% of the value of net assets over $10 billion and not over $12.5 billion; 0.420% of the value of net assets over $12.5 billion and not over $15 billion; 0.400% of the value of net assets over $15 billion and not over $17.5 billion; 0.380% of the value of net assets over $17.5 billion and not over $20 billion; 0.360% of the value of net assets over $20 billion and not over $35 billion; 0.355% of the value of net assets over $35 billion and not over $50 billion; and 0.350% of the value of net assets in excess of $50 billion.

3. 0.80% of the value of average daily net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.70% of the value of average daily net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion; 0.65% of the value of average daily net assets over $1 billion up to and including $1.5 billion; 0.60% of the value of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion up to and including $6.5 billion; 0.58% of the value of average daily net assets over $6.5 billion up to and including $11.5 billion; 0.56% of the value of average daily net assets over $11.5 billion up to and including $16.5 billion; 0.54% of the value of average daily net assets over $16.5 billion up to and including $19 billion; 0.53% of the value of average daily net assets over $19 billion up to and including $21.5 billion; and 0.52% of the value of average daily net assets over $21.5 billion.

4. 0.625% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.500% of the value of net assets over $100 million and not over $250 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $250 million and not over $7.5 billion; 0.440% of the value of net assets over $7.5 billion and not over $10 billion; 0.430% of the value of net assets over $10 billion and not over $12.5 billion; 0.420% of the value of net assets over $12.5 billion and not over $15 billion; 0.400% of the value of net assets over $15 billion and not over $17.5 billion; 0.380% of the value of net assets over $17.5 billion and not over $20 billion; 0.360% of the value of net assets over $20 billion and not over $35 billion; 0.355% of the value of net assets over $35 billion and not over $50 billion; and 0.350% of the value of net assets in excess of $50 billion. FIAS is entitled to receive from Advisers a sub-advisory fee; the sub-advisory fee payable by Advisers has no effect on the fees payable by the underlying Franklin Templeton fund to Advisers. FIAS receives from Advisers a fee equal to a monthly rate of 70% of the management fee received by Advisers.

5. 0.500% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.400% of the value of net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion; 0.350% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $1.5 billion; 0.300% of the value of net assets over $1.5 billion up to and including $6.5 billion; 0.275% of the value of net assets over $6.5 billion up to and including $11.5 billion; 0.250% of the value of net assets over $11.5 billion up to and including $16.5 billion; 0.240% of the value of net assets over $16.5 billion up to and including $19 billion; 0.230% of the value of net assets over $19 billion up to and including $21.5 billion; and 0.220% of the value of net assets in excess of $21.5 billion.

6. FT Institutional is entitled to receive from Advisers a sub-advisory fee; the sub-advisory fee payable by Advisers has no effect on the fees payable by the underlying Franklin Templeton fund to Advisers. FT Institutional receives a fee which equals 0.5625% of the management fee paid to Advisors.

7. 0.75% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.625% of the value of net assets over $500 million and not over $1 billion; and 0.50% of the value of net assets in excess of $1 billion.

8. 0.550% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion; 0.400% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $1.5 billion; 0.350% of the value of net assets over $1.5 billion up to and including $6.5 billion; 0.325% of the value of net assets over $6.5 billion up to and including $11.5 billion; 0.300% of the value of net assets over $11.5 billion up to and including $16.5 billion; 0.290% of the value of net assets over $16.5 billion up to and including $19 billion; 0.280% of the value of net assets over $19 billion up to and including $21.5 billion; and 0.270% of the value of net assets in excess of $21.5 billion.

9. 0.625% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.500% of the value of net assets over $100 million and not over $250 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $250 million and not over $7.5 billion; 0.440% of the value of net assets over $7.5 billion and not over $10 billion; 0.430% of the value of net assets over $10 billion and not over $12.5 billion; 0.420% of the value of net assets over $12.5 billion and not over $15 billion; 0.400% of the value of net assets over $15 billion and not over $17.5 billion; 0.380% of the value of net assets over $17.5 billion and not over $20 billion; 0.360% of the value of net assets over $20 billion and not over $35 billion; 0.355% of the value of net assets over $35 billion and not over $50 billion; 0.350% of the value of net assets over $50 billion and not over $65 billion; 0.345% of the value of net assets over $65 billion and not over $80 billion; and 0.340% of the value of net assets in excess of $80 billion.

10. 0.80% of the value of net assets up to and including $1 billion; 0.77% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $2 billion; 0.75% of the value of net assets over $2 billion up to and including $5 billion; and 0.73% of the value of net assets over $5 billion.

11. 0.80% of the value of net assets up to and including $4 billion; 0.77% of the value of net assets over $4 billion up to and including $7 billion; 0.75% of the value of net assets over $7 billion up to and including $10 billion; 0.73% of the value of net assets over $10 billion up to and including $13 billion; 0.71% of the value of net assets over $13 billion up to and including $16 billion; 0.69% of the value of net assets over $16 billion up to and including $19 billion; and 0.67% of the value of net assets over $19 billion.

12. 0.60% of the value of net assets up to and including $5 billion; 0.57% of the value of net assets over $5 billion up to and including $10 billion; 0.55% of the value of net assets over $10 billion up to and including $15 billion; 0.53% of the value of net assets over $15 billion up to and including $20 billion; 0.51% of the value of net assets over $20 billion up to and including $25 billion; 0.49% of the value of net assets over $25 billion up to and including $30 billion; 0.48% of the value of net assets over $30 billion up to and including $35 billion; and 0.47% of the value of net assets over $35 billion.

13. 1.10% of the value of net assets up to and including $1 billion; 1.05% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $5 billion; 1.00% of the value of net assets over $5 billion up to and including $10 billion; 0.95% of the value of net assets over $10 billion up to and including $15 billion; 0.90% of the value of net assets over $15 billion up to and including $20 billion; 0.85% of the value of net assets over $20 billion.

14. 1.25% of the value of net assets up to and including $1 billion; 1.20% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $5 billion; 1.15% of the value of net assets over $5 billion up to and including $10 billion; 1.10% of the value of net assets over $10 billion up to and including $15 billion; 1.05% of the value of net assets over $15 billion up to and including $20 billion; 1.00% of the value of net assets over $20 billion.

15. 0.630% up to and including $1 billion; 0.615% over $1 billion, up to and including $5 billion; 0.600% over $5 billion, up to and including $10 billion; 0.580% over $10 billion, up to and including $15 billion; 0.560% over $15 billion, up to and including $20 billion; 0.540% over $20 billion, up to and including $25 billion; 0.530% over $25 billion, up to and including $30 billion; 0.520% over $30 billion, up to and including $35 billion; and 0.510% over $35 billion.

16. 1% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.90% of the value of net assets over $100 million and not over $250 million; 0.80% of the value of net assets over $250 million and not over $500 million; and 0.75% of the value of net assets in excess of $500 million. TICL is entitled to receive from FTIC a sub-advisory fee; the sub-advisory fee payable by FTIC has no effect on the fees payable by the underlying Franklin Templeton fund to FTIC. TICL receives from FTIC a fee equal to an annual rate of 0.50% of the value of the fund's average daily net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.40% of the value of the fund's average daily net assets over $100 million up to and including $250 million; 0.30% of the value of the fund's average daily net assets over $250 million up to and including $500 million; and 0.25% of the value of the fund's average daily net assets over $500 million.

17. 0.75% up to and including $1 billion; 0.73% over $1 billion up to and including $5 billion; 0.71% over $5 billion up to and including $10 billion; 0.69% over $10 billion up to and including $15 billion; 0.67% over $15 billion up to and including $20 billion; and 0.65% over $20 billion. TICL is entitled to receive from FTIC a sub-advisory fee; the sub-advisory fee payable by FTIC has no effect on the fees payable by the underlying Franklin Templeton fund to FTIC. TICL receives a fee equal to 45% of the management fee received by FTIC.

18. 0.500% of the value of net assets up to and including $200 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $200 million up to and including $1.3 billion; and 0.400% of the value of net assets over $1.3 billion.

19. 0.625% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million; 0.500% of the value of net assets over $100 million and not over $250 million; and 0.450% of the value of net assets in excess of $250 million.

20. 0.40% of the value of net assets up to and including $250 million; 0.38% of the value of net assets over $250 million up to and including $500 million; and 0.36% of the value of net assets in excess of $500 million.

21. 0.80% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.70% of the value of net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion; and 0.65% of the value of net assets over $1 billion. FT Institutional is entitled to receive from FTIML a sub-advisory fee; the sub-advisory fee payable by FTIML has no effect on the fees payable by the underlying Franklin Templeton fund to FTIML. FT Institutional receives a fee equal to 30% of the management fee paid to FTIML.

22. 0.425% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.325% of the value of net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion; 0.280% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $1.5 billion; 0.235% of the value of net assets over $1.5 billion up to and including $6.5 billion; 0.215% of the value of net assets over $6.5 billion up to and including $11.5 billion; 0.200% of the value of net assets over $11.5 billion up to and including $16.5 billion; 0.190% of the value of net assets over $16.5 billion up to and including $19 billion; 0.180% of the value of net assets over $19 billion up to and including $21.5 billion; and 0.170% of the value of net assets over $21.5 billion. FT Institutional is entitled to receive from Advisers a sub-advisory fee; the sub-advisory fee payable by Advisers has no effect on the fees payable by the underlying Franklin Templeton fund to Advisers. FT Institutional receives from Advisers a fee equal to 10% of the advisory fee received by Advisers.

23. 0.500% of the value of net assets up to and including $200 million; 0.450% of the value of net assets over $200 million up to and including $1.3 billion; 0.400% of the value of net assets over $1.3 billion up to and including $35 billion; 0.395% of the value of net assets over $35 billion up to and including $50 billion; 0.390% of the value of net assets over $50 billion up to and including $65 billion; 0.385% of the value of net assets over $65 billion up to and including $80 billion; and 0.380% of the value of net assets over $80 billion.

24. 0.450% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million; 0.350% of the value of net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion; 0.300% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $1.5 billion; 0.250% of the value of net assets over $1.5 billion up to and including $6.5 billion; 0.225% of the value of net assets over $6.5 billion up to and including $11.5 billion; 0.200% of the value of net assets over $11.5 billion up to and including $16.5 billion; 0.190% of the value of net assets over $16.5 billion up to and including $19 billion; 0.180% of the value of net assets over $19 billion up to and including $21.5 billion; and 0.170% of the value of net assets over $21.5 billion.

25. Pelagos receives an annual rate 0.50% of the value of the Fund's net assets.

Manager of Managers Structure

The Fund’s Board has approved a “manager of managers” structure that would permit Advisers, as the Fund’s investment manager, to appoint and replace sub-advisors from within Franklin Templeton Investments and enter into, amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements with other Franklin Templeton investment managers with respect to the Fund, subject to Board approval but without shareholder approval (the “Manager of Managers Structure”).

The ability to implement the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund is contingent upon the receipt of an exemptive order from the SEC. The use of the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund may be subject to certain conditions set forth in the SEC exemptive order. There can be no assurance that the SEC will grant the Fund’s application for an exemptive order. Unless and until any such exemptive order is obtained, any appointment or replacement of sub-advisors would require shareholder approval.

The Manager of Managers Structure would enable the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of such sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure would not permit investment management fees paid by the Fund to be increased without shareholder approval or change Advisers' responsibilities to the Fund including Asset Management's responsibility for all advisory services furnished by a sub-adviser.

Legal Proceedings

Franklin Resources, Inc. previously disclosed these private lawsuits in its regulatory filings and on its public website. Any material updates regarding these matters will be disclosed in Franklin Resources, Inc.’s Form 10-Q or Form 10-K filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In 2003 and 2004, multiple lawsuits were filed against Franklin Resources, Inc., and certain of its investment advisor subsidiaries, among other defendants, alleging violations of federal securities and state laws and seeking, among other relief, monetary damages, restitution, removal of fund trustees, directors, investment managers, administrators and distributors, rescission of management contracts and 12b-1 plans, and/or attorneys’ fees and costs. Specifically, the lawsuits claim breach of duty with respect to alleged arrangements to permit market timing and/or late trading activity, or breach of duty with respect to the valuation of the portfolio securities of certain Templeton funds managed by Franklin Resources, Inc. subsidiaries, allegedly resulting in market timing activity. The lawsuits are styled as class actions, or derivative actions on behalf of either the named funds or Franklin Resources, Inc., and have been consolidated for pretrial purposes, along with hundreds of other similar lawsuits against other mutual fund companies. All of the Franklin Templeton Investments mutual funds and the independent trustees to those funds that were named in the litigation have since been dismissed as defendants.

Distributions and Taxes

References to the Fund's income and gains include the Fund's pro rata share of the income and gains earned by the underlying funds.

Income and Capital Gain Distributions

The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund intends to pay income dividends at least annually from its net investment income. Capital gains, if any, may be paid at least annually. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either income dividends or capital gain distributions. Your income dividends and capital gain distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares at net asset value (NAV) unless you elect to receive them in cash.

Annual statements. After the close of each calendar year, you will receive tax information from the Fund with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the Fund’s distributions and any taxable sales or exchanges of covered Fund shares occurring during the prior calendar year. If the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify income or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax information, the Fund will send you revised tax information. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month and paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December. Additional tax information about the Fund’s distributions is available at franklintempleton.com.

Tax Considerations

If you are a taxable investor, Fund distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains or some combination of both. This is the case whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

Dividend income. Income dividends are generally subject to tax at ordinary rates. Income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as qualified dividend income may be subject to tax by individuals at reduced long-term capital gains tax rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. These reduced rates of taxation are presently scheduled to sunset and, unless extended, will no longer apply to qualified dividends paid with respect to taxable years of the Fund beginning after December 31, 2012. A return-of-capital distribution is generally not taxable but will reduce the cost basis of your shares, and will result in a higher capital gain or a lower capital loss when you later sell your shares.

Capital gains. Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are also subject to tax at ordinary rates. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable at the reduced long-term capital gains rates no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. For individuals in the 10% and 15% tax brackets, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%. For individuals in higher tax brackets, the long-term capital gains rate is 15%. These reduced rates are presently scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2012.

Sales of Fund shares. When you sell your shares in the Fund, or exchange them for shares of a different Franklin Templeton fund, you will generally realize a taxable capital gain or loss. If you have owned your Fund shares for more than one year, any net long-term capital gains will qualify for the reduced rates of taxation on long-term capital gains. An exchange of your shares in one class of the Fund for shares of another class of the same Fund is not taxable and no gain or loss will be reported on the transaction.

Cost basis reporting. If you acquire shares in the Fund on or after January 1, 2012, generally referred to as “covered shares," and sell or exchange them after that date, the Fund is generally required to report cost basis information to you and the IRS annually. The Fund will compute the cost basis of your covered shares using the average cost method, the Fund’s “default method,” unless you contact the Fund to select a different method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your financial advisor or other broker-dealer, that firm may select a different default method. In these cases, please contact the firm to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal and state income tax returns. Additional information about cost basis reporting is available at franklintempleton.com/costbasis.

Backup withholding. If you do not provide the Fund your taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications you may be subject to federal backup withholding at 28% on any taxable Fund distributions and proceeds from the sale of your Fund shares. State backup withholding may also apply.

State, local and foreign taxes. Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains, and gains from the sale of your Fund shares, are generally subject to state and local taxes. If the Fund qualifies, it may elect to pass through to you as a foreign tax credit or deduction any foreign taxes that it pays on its investments.

Investment for underlying funds. The Fund is a limited “fund of funds” that intends to achieve its investment strategy by investing in the underlying funds that are taxable under the Internal Revenue Code as regulated investment companies. The structure of the Fund as a limited fund of funds may accelerate the recognition of income and gains by the Fund and, in turn, by shareholders. The underlying funds that invest in derivatives and financially-linked instruments whose performance is expected to correspond to the fixed income, equity and commodity markets may cause such underlying funds to recognize more ordinary income and short-term capital gains taxable as ordinary income than would be the case if the funds invested directly in debt instruments, stocks and commodities. The underlying funds must also meet certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code for favorable tax treatment as a regulated investment company, including asset diversification and income requirements. As regulated investment companies, these underlying funds must derive at least 90% of their gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code. If an underlying fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company, such failure is not expected to impact the ability of the Fund, in turn, to qualify as a regulated investment company; however, the total return of the Fund may be decreased as a result of any taxes due by the underlying fund attributable to such failure. In lieu of disqualification, the underlying funds are permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the asset diversification or income requirements, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. The underlying funds that seek to gain exposure to commodities and commodity-linked derivatives through investment in a Cayman Islands based company and certain commodity-linked notes intend to treat the income they derive from such investments as “qualifying income.” If, contrary to a number of private letter rulings previously issued by the IRS but on which the underlying funds can't rely, the IRS were to determine such income is non-qualifying, such underlying funds might fail to satisfy the income requirement.

Investment in TIPS. Adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-protected U.S. Treasury bond held by the Fund may be included for tax purposes in the Fund’s gross income, even though no cash attributable to such gross income has been received by the Fund. In such event, the Fund may be required to make annual distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash it has otherwise received. In order to pay such distributions, the Fund may be required to raise cash by selling portfolio investments. The sale of such investments could result in capital gains to the Fund and additional capital gain distributions to Fund shareholders. In addition, adjustments during the taxable year for deflation to an inflation-indexed bond held by the Fund may cause amounts previously distributed in the taxable year as income to be characterized as a return of capital.

Non-U.S. investors. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at 30% or a lower treaty rate on Fund dividends of ordinary income. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. estate tax on the value of their shares. They are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding, claim any exemptions from withholding and claim any treaty benefits. Exemptions from U.S. withholding tax are provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from long-term capital gains and, with respect to taxable years of the Fund ending on or before December 31, 2011 (sunset date), interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources and short-term capital gain dividends.

Other tax information. This discussion of "Distributions and Taxes" is for general information only and is not tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding your particular circumstances, and about any federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund. Additional information about the tax consequences of investing in the Fund may be found in the Statement of Additional Information.

YOUR ACCOUNT

Choosing a Share Class

Each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the class that best meets your situation. Your investment representative can help you decide. Investors may purchase Class C or Class R shares only for Fund accounts on which they have appointed an investment representative (financial advisor) of record. Investors who have not appointed an investment representative (financial advisor) to existing Class C or Class R share Fund accounts, may not make additional purchases to those accounts but may exchange their shares to a Franklin Templeton fund that offers Class C or Class R shares. Dividend and capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in existing Class C or Class R share Fund accounts. These provisions do not apply to Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

Class A	Class C	Class R	Advisor Class
Initial sales charge of 5.75% or less	No initial sales charge	No initial sales charge	See "Qualified Investors - Advisor Class" below
Deferred sales charge of 1% on purchases of $1 million or more sold within 18 months	Deferred sales charge of 1% on shares you sell within 12 months	Deferred sales charge is not applicable
Lower annual expenses than Class C or R due to lower distribution fees	Higher annual expenses than Class A due to higher distribution fees	Higher annual expenses than Class A due to higher distribution fees (lower than Class C)

Class A, C & R

SALES CHARGES - Class A
when you invest this amount	the sales charge makes up this % of the offering price¹	which equals this % of your net investment¹
Under $50,000	5.75	6.10
$50,000 but under $100,000	4.50	4.71
$100,000 but under $250,000	3.50	3.63
$250,000 but under $500,000	2.50	2.56
$500,000 but under $1 million	2.00	2.04

1. The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares purchased (which factors in the applicable sales charge in this table) and the net asset value of those shares. Since the offering price is calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria, the number of shares purchased and the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and of your net investment may be higher or lower depending on whether there was a downward or upward rounding.

Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers

Quantity discounts. We offer two ways for you to combine your current purchase of Class A Fund shares with other existing Franklin Templeton fund share holdings that might enable you to qualify for a lower sales charge with your current purchase. You can qualify for a lower sales charge when you reach certain "sales charge breakpoints." This quantity discount information is also available free of charge at franklintempleton.com/retail/jsp_cm/fund_perf/pub/quantity_discount.jsp. This web page can also be reached at franklintempleton.com by clicking the "Funds" tab and then choosing "Quantity Discounts."

1. Cumulative quantity discount - lets you combine certain existing holdings of Franklin Templeton fund shares - referred to as "cumulative quantity discount eligible shares" - with your current purchase of Class A shares to determine if you qualify for a sales charge breakpoint.

Cumulative quantity discount eligible shares are Franklin Templeton fund shares registered to (or held by a financial intermediary for):

You, individually;
Your spouse or domestic partner, as recognized by applicable state law, and your children under the age of 21 (each a "Family Member");
You jointly with one or more Family Members;
You jointly with another person(s) who is (are) not Family Members if that other person has not included the value of the shares as cumulative quantity discount eligible shares for purposes of that person’s separate investments in Franklin Templeton fund shares;
A Coverdell Education Savings account for which you or a Family Member is the identified responsible person;
A trustee/custodian of an IRA (which includes a Roth IRA and an employer sponsored IRA such as a SIMPLE IRA) or your non-ERISA covered 403(b), if the shares are registered/recorded under your or a Family Member's Social Security number;
A 529 college savings plan over which you or a Family Member has investment discretion and control;
Any entity over which you or a Family Member has (have) individual or shared authority, as principal, has investment discretion and control (for example, an UGMA/UTMA account for a child on which you or a Family Member is the custodian, a trust on which you or a Family Member is the trustee, a business account [not to include retirement plans] for your solely owned business [or the solely owned business of a Family Member] on which you or a Family Member is the authorized signer);
A trust established by you or a Family Member as grantor.

Franklin Templeton fund shares held through an administrator or trustee/custodian of an Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan such as a 401(k) plan (see definition below) do not qualify for a cumulative quantity discount.

Franklin Templeton fund assets held in multiple Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans may be combined in order to qualify for sales charge breakpoints at the plan level if the plans are sponsored by the same employer.

If you believe there are cumulative quantity discount eligible shares that can be combined with your current purchase to achieve a sales charge breakpoint (for example, shares held in a different broker-dealer’s brokerage account or with a bank or an investment advisor), it is your responsibility to specifically identify those shares to your financial advisor at the time of your purchase (including at the time of any future purchase). It may be necessary for you to provide your financial advisor with information and records (including account statements) of all relevant accounts invested in the Franklin Templeton Funds. If you have not designated a financial advisor associated with your Franklin Templeton fund shares, it is your responsibility to specifically identify any cumulative quantity discount eligible shares to the Fund’s transfer agent at the time of any purchase.

If there are cumulative quantity discount eligible shares that would qualify for combining with your current purchase and you do not tell your financial advisor or the Franklin Templeton funds’ transfer agent at the time of any purchase, you may not receive the benefit of a reduced sales charge that might otherwise be available since your financial advisor and the Fund generally will not have that information.

The value of cumulative quantity discount eligible shares equals the cost or current value of those shares, whichever is higher. The current value of shares is determined by multiplying the number of shares by their highest current public offering price. It is your responsibility to retain any records necessary to substantiate historical share costs because neither your current financial advisor nor the Franklin Templeton funds may have or maintain this information.

An "Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan" is a Qualified Retirement Plan, ERISA covered 403(b) and certain non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a Qualified Retirement Plan, such as 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements, but not including employer sponsored IRAs. A "Qualified Retirement Plan" is an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, including 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans.

2. Letter of intent (LOI) - expresses your intent to buy a stated dollar amount of "cumulative quantity discount eligible shares" (as defined in the "Cumulative quantity discount" section above) over a 13-month period and lets you receive the same sales charge as if all shares had been purchased at one time. We will reserve 5% of your total intended purchase in Class A shares registered in your name until you fulfill your LOI to cover any additional sales charge that may apply if you do not buy the amount stated in your LOI. It is your responsibility to tell your financial advisor when you believe you have fulfilled your LOI with sufficient cumulative quantity discount eligible shares. If you have not designated a financial advisor associated with your Franklin Templeton fund shares, it is your responsibility to tell the Fund’s transfer agent when you believe you have fulfilled your LOI with sufficient cumulative quantity discount eligible shares. Please refer to the SAI for more LOI details.

To sign up for these programs, complete the appropriate section of your account application.

Franklin Templeton funds include all of the U.S. registered mutual funds of Franklin Templeton Investments and the Franklin Mutual Recovery Fund. They do not include the funds in the Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust.

Sales charge waivers. Class A shares may be purchased without an initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) by certain investors or for certain payments. If you would like information about available sales charge waivers, call your investment representative or call Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301. A list of available sales charge waivers also may be found in the SAI.

Investments of $1 Million or More

If you invest $1 million or more, either as a lump sum or through our cumulative quantity discount or letter of intent programs, you can buy Class A shares without an initial sales charge. However, there is a 1% CDSC on any shares you sell within 18 months of purchase. The way we calculate the CDSC is the same for each class (please see "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) - Class A & C").

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

Class A has a distribution plan, sometimes known as a Rule 12b-1 plan, that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees of up to 0.30% per year to those who sell and distribute Class A shares and provide other services to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of Class A's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

SALES CHARGES - Class C

With Class C shares, there is no initial sales charge.

We place any investment of $1 million or more in Class A shares, since Class A's annual expenses are lower.

CDSC

There is a 1% CDSC on any Class C shares you sell within 12 months of purchase. The way we calculate the CDSC is the same for each class (please see "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) - Class A & C").

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

Class C has a distribution plan, sometimes known as a Rule 12b-1 plan, that allows the Fund to pay distribution and other fees of up to 1% per year for the sale of Class C shares and for services provided to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of Class C's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

SALES CHARGES - Class R

With Class R shares, there is no initial sales charge.

Retirement Plans

Class R shares are available to the following investors:

Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans
Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code
Health Reimbursement Accounts and Health Savings Accounts, either as a direct investment or as a separate or managed account.

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

Class R has a distribution plan, sometimes known as a Rule 12b-1 plan, that allows the Fund to pay distribution and other fees of up to 0.50% per year for the sale of Class R shares and for services provided to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of Class R's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) - Class A & C

The CDSC for each class is based on the current value of the shares being sold or their net asset value when purchased, whichever is less. There is no CDSC on shares you acquire by reinvesting your dividends or capital gain distributions.

To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares we will first sell any shares in your account that are not subject to a CDSC. If there are not enough of these to meet your request, we will sell the shares in the order they were purchased. We will use this same method if you exchange your shares into another Franklin Templeton fund (please see “Exchanging Shares”).

The holding period for the CDSC begins on the day you buy your shares. Your shares will age one month on that same date the next month and each following month. For example, if you buy shares on the 18th of the month, they will age one month on the 18th day of the next month and each following month.

Reinstatement Privilege

If you sell shares of a Franklin Templeton fund that were held indirectly for your benefit in an account with your investment representative’s firm or your bank’s trust department or that were registered to you directly by the Fund's transfer agent (or, to an affiliated custodian or trustee of the Fund’s transfer agent), you may reinvest all or a portion of the proceeds from that sale within 90 days of the sale without an initial sales charge. This Reinstatement Privilege does not apply to: (i) a purchase of Fund shares made through a regularly scheduled automatic investment plan such as a purchase by a regularly scheduled payroll deduction or transfer from a bank account, or (ii) a purchase of Fund shares with proceeds from the sale of Franklin Templeton fund shares that were held indirectly through a non-Franklin Templeton individual or employer sponsored IRA.

In order to take advantage of this Reinstatement Privilege, you must inform your investment representative or the Fund's transfer agent of this privilege at the time of your investment.

The proceeds from the earlier sale must also be invested within the same share class as that of the sold shares, with the following exceptions:

Class C or Class R shares will be reinvested in Class A shares if at the time of investment you have not appointed an investment representative (financial advisor) of record for the Fund account(s) in which the purchased shares will be held

Proceeds from the earlier sale of Class Z shares from another fund may also be invested in Class A shares under this Reinstatement Privilege.

Generally, if you paid a CDSC when you sold your shares, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors) will credit back to you the CDSC paid on the amount you are reinvesting within 90 days of the sale by adding it to the amount of your reinvestment. The new shares issued with your reinvestment WILL BE subject to any otherwise applicable CDSC. If, however, you (except Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans) paid a CDSC when you sold the following shares and you invest the proceeds from that sale in Class A shares within 90 days, you will not receive a credit for the CDSC and new Class A shares issued with your reinvestment WILL NOT BE subject to any otherwise applicable CDSC:

Class C shares held at the time of sale in a Franklin Templeton fund account without an investment representative (financial advisor) appointed by you

Proceeds immediately placed in a Franklin Templeton Bank Certificate of Deposit (CD) also may be reinvested without an initial sales charge if you reinvest them within 90 days from the date the CD matures, including any rollover.

This privilege does not apply to shares you buy and sell under our exchange program. Shares purchased with the proceeds from a money fund may be subject to a sales charge.

Qualified Investors - Advisor Class

The following investors or investments qualify to buy Advisor Class shares of the Fund:

Shares acquired by a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares, in connection with its mutual fund trading platform, that the intermediary holds, directly or indirectly, on behalf of a beneficial owner who has entered into a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement with any broker-dealer, trust company, registered investment advisor (RIA), or investment advisor with assets under management in excess of $100 million that is exempt from federal registration, that is not an affiliate or associated person of the financial intermediary. Minimum initial investment: $50,000 for individual or multiple clients.
Shares acquired by a financial intermediary that the intermediary holds on behalf of a beneficial owner who has entered into a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement with the financial intermediary or an affiliate or associated person of the financial intermediary, provided the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares. No minimum initial investment.
Governments, municipalities, and tax-exempt entities that meet the requirements for qualification under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code when purchasing direct from the Fund. Minimum initial investment: $1 million in Advisor Class or Class Z shares of any Franklin Templeton fund.
Current and former officers, trustees, directors, full-time employees (and, in each case, their family members) of both Franklin Templeton Investments and Franklin Templeton Funds, consistent with our then-current policies. Minimum initial investment: $100 ($50 for accounts with an automatic investment plan).
Assets held in accounts managed by a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc.: (1) under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory agreements); and/or (2) as trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust.
Assets held in accounts managed by a state or federally regulated trust company or bank (Trust Company) either as discretionary trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust or as investment manager under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory) or other agreement that grants the Trust Company investment discretion over those assets (Trust Company Managed Assets) if (i) the aggregate value of Trust Company Managed Assets invested in Franklin Templeton funds at the time of purchase equals at least $1 million; and (ii) the purchased shares are registered directly to the Trust Company in its corporate capacity (not as trustee of an individual trust) and held solely as Trust Company Managed Assets.
An Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (Plan) if the employer sponsors one or more Plans with aggregate Plan assets of $1 million or more. An "Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan" includes (a) an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies (Qualified Plan) under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, including section 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans; (b) an ERISA covered 403(b); and (c) certain non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a Qualified Plan, such as 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements, but not including employer sponsored IRAs.
Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans that invest indirectly in Fund shares through Fund omnibus accounts registered to a financial intermediary.
Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, provided that Distributors or an affiliate of Distributors has entered into a contract with the state sponsor of the program or one of its service providers to provide certain services relating to the operation of the program or to provide Fund shares for purchase in connection with the program. No initial minimum investment.
An individual or entity associated with a current customer of Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC (FTI, LLC) if approved by FTI, LLC in consultation with its customer.
Unaffiliated U.S. registered mutual funds, including those that operate as "fund of funds." Minimum initial investment: $1 million in Advisor Class or Class Z shares of any Franklin Templeton fund.
Assets held in accounts under the recommendation of an investment consultant provided that (1) assets are held with a firm unaffiliated with the investment consultant’s firm; (2) the investment consultant is under a retainer or other similar fee arrangement with its clients; (3) the client is not an individual; and (4) a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. approves the investment.

Buying Shares

MINIMUM INVESTMENTS - CLASS A, C & R

	Initial
Regular accounts	$ 1,000
Automatic investment plans	$ 50
UGMA/UTMA accounts	$ 100
Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, SIMPLE-IRAs, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs or 403(b) plan accounts	no minimum
IRAs, IRA rollovers, Coverdell Education Savings Plans or Roth IRAs	$ 250
Broker-dealer sponsored wrap account programs	no minimum
Current and former full-time employees, officers, trustees and directors of Franklin Templeton entities, and their family members	$ 100

Please note that you may only buy shares of a fund eligible for sale in your state or jurisdiction.

Account Application

If you are opening a new account, please complete and sign the enclosed account application. Make sure you indicate the share class you have chosen. If you do not indicate a class, we will place your purchase in Class A shares. To save time, you can sign up now for services you may want on your account by completing the appropriate sections of the application (see "Investor Services"). For example, if you would like to link one of your bank accounts to your Fund account so that you may use electronic funds transfer to and from your bank account to buy and sell shares, please complete the bank information section of the application. We will keep your bank information on file for future purchases and redemptions. We do not accept cash, credit card convenience checks, non-bank money orders or travelers checks as forms of payment to purchase shares.

Buying Shares

	Opening an account	Adding to an account
Through your investment representative	Contact your investment representative	Contact your investment representative
By Phone/Online (Up to $100,000 per shareholder per day) (800) 632-2301 franklintempleton.com Note: (1) certain account types are not available for online account access and (2) the amount may be higher for members of Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®. Please see “Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®” under “Investor Services” for more information regarding eligibility.	If you have another Franklin Templeton fund account with your bank account information on file, you may open a new identically registered account by phone. At this time, a new account may not be opened online. To make a same day investment, your phone order must be received and accepted by us by 1:00 p.m. Pacific time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier.	Before requesting a telephone or online purchase into an existing account, please make sure we have your bank account information on file. If we do not have this information, you will need to send written instructions with your bank's name and address and a voided check or savings account deposit slip. If the bank and Fund accounts do not have at least one common owner, your written request must be signed by all fund and bank account owners, and each individual must have his or her signature guaranteed. To make a same day investment, your phone or online order must be received and accepted by us by 1:00 p.m. Pacific time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier.
By Mail	Make your check payable to the Fund. Mail the check and your signed application to Investor Services.	Make your check payable to the Fund. Include your account number on the check. Fill out the deposit slip from your account statement. If you do not have a slip, include a note with your name, the Fund name, and your account number. Mail the check and deposit slip or note to Investor Services.
By Wire (800) 632-2301 or (650) 312-2000 collect	Call to receive a wire control number and wire instructions. Wire the funds and mail your signed application to Investor Services. Please include the wire control number or your new account number on the application. To make a same day wire investment, the wired funds must be received and accepted by us by 1:00 p.m. Pacific time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier.	Call to receive a wire control number and wire instructions. To make a same day wire investment, the wired funds must be received and accepted by us by 1:00 p.m. Pacific time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier.
By Exchange franklintempleton.com	Call Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301, or send signed written instructions. You also may place an online exchange order. The automated telephone system cannot be used to open a new account. (Please see “Exchanging Shares” for more information on exchanges.)	Call Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301, or send signed written instructions. You also may place an online exchange order. (Please see “Exchanging Shares” for more information on exchanges.)

Franklin Templeton Investor Services
P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151
Call toll-free: (800) 632-2301
(Monday through Friday
5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific time)
or visit us online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
at franklintempleton.com

Investor Services

Automatic Investment Plan

This plan offers a convenient way for you to invest in the Fund by automatically transferring money from your checking or savings account each month to buy shares. To sign up, visit us online at franklintempleton.com or complete the appropriate section of your account application and mail it to Investor Services. If you are opening a new account, please include your minimum initial investment with your application.

Automated Telephone System

Our automated system offers around-the-clock access to information about your account or any Franklin Templeton fund. This service is available by dialing any of the following numbers from a touch-tone phone:

Shareholder Services

(800) 632-2301

Advisor Services

(800) 524-4040

Retirement Services

(800) 527-2020

Distribution Options

You may reinvest distributions you receive from the Fund in an existing account in the same share class* of the Fund or another Franklin Templeton fund. Initial sales charges and CDSCs will not apply to reinvested distributions. You also can have your distributions deposited in a bank account, or mailed by check. Deposits to a bank account may be made by electronic funds transfer.

* Class C shareholders may reinvest their distributions in Class A shares of any Franklin Templeton money fund. Advisor Class shareholders may reinvest in Advisor Class or Class A shares of another Franklin Templeton fund. To reinvest your distributions in Advisor Class shares of another Franklin Templeton fund, you must be a current shareholder in Advisor Class or otherwise qualify to buy that fund's Advisor Class shares.

If you received a distribution and chose to return it to purchase additional shares in Class A shares of another Franklin Templeton fund, you will not be charged an initial sales charge if you invest the distribution within 90 days of the distribution date.

Please indicate on your application the distribution option you have chosen, otherwise we will reinvest your distributions in the same share class of the Fund.

Retirement Plans

Franklin Templeton Investments offers a variety of retirement plans for individuals and businesses. These plans require separate applications, may require special forms for redemptions, and their policies and procedures may be different than those described in this prospectus. For more information, including a free retirement plan brochure or application, please call Retirement Services at (800) 527-2020.

Telephone/Online Privileges

You will automatically receive telephone/online privileges when you open your account, allowing you to obtain or view your account information, and conduct a number of transactions by phone or online, including: buy, sell, or exchange shares of most funds; use electronic funds transfer to buy or sell shares of most funds; change your address; and, add or change account services (including distribution options, systematic withdrawal plans and automatic investment plans).

To view your account information or request online transactions, you will first need to register for these services at the shareholder section of our website at franklintempleton.com. You will be asked to accept the terms of an online agreement(s) and establish a password for online services. If you are registered for online services, you may enroll online in Franklin Templeton’s electronic delivery program for your shareholder documents. This will allow you to receive electronic delivery (through our website) of most funds’ prospectuses, annual/semiannual reports to shareholders, and proxy statements, as well as your account(s) statements and trade confirmations, and discontinue receiving your paper copies through the U.S. mail. Using our shareholder website means you are consenting to sending and receiving personal financial information over the Internet, so you should be sure you are comfortable with the risks.

As long as we follow reasonable security procedures and act on instructions we reasonably believe are genuine, we will not be responsible for any losses that may occur from unauthorized requests. We will request passwords or other information, and also may record calls. To help safeguard your account, keep your password confidential, and verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them. Contact us immediately if you believe someone has obtained unauthorized access to your account or password. For transactions done over the Internet, we recommend the use of an Internet browser with 128-bit encryption. Certain methods of contacting us (such as by phone or by Internet) may be unavailable or delayed during periods of unusual market activity. Of course, you can decline telephone buy, sell, or exchange privileges on your account application, or choose not to register for online privileges. If you have telephone/online privileges on your account and want to discontinue them, please contact us for instructions. You may reinstate these privileges at any time in writing, including online registration with respect to online privileges.

Note: We discourage you from including confidential or sensitive information in any Internet communication to us. If you do choose to send email (encrypted or not) to us over the Internet, you are accepting the associated risks of lack of confidentiality.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

This plan allows you to automatically sell your shares and receive regular payments from your account. A CDSC may apply to withdrawals that exceed certain amounts. Certain terms and minimums apply. To sign up, visit us online at franklintempleton.com or complete the appropriate section of your application.

Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®

You may be eligible for Franklin Templeton VIP Services^® if you are currently eligible for the $250,000 sales charge breakpoint based solely on shares registered directly with the Franklin Templeton funds' transfer agent and excluding shares held indirectly through brokerage accounts. Franklin Templeton VIP Services^® shareholders enjoy enhanced service and transaction capabilities. Please contact Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301 for additional information on this program.

Selling Shares

You can sell your shares at any time. Please keep in mind that a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) may apply.

Selling Shares in Writing

Generally, requests to sell $100,000 or less can be made over the phone, online, or with a simple letter. Sometimes, however, to protect you and the Fund we will need written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a signature guarantee for each owner, if:

you are selling more than $100,000 worth of shares
you want your proceeds paid to someone who is not a registered owner
you want to send your proceeds somewhere other than the address of record, or preauthorized bank or brokerage firm account

We also may require a signature guarantee when we receive instructions from an agent, not the registered owners; when you want to send your proceeds to a bank account that was added or changed on your account within the last 15 days and the bank and fund accounts have at least one common owner; or when we believe it would protect the Fund against potential claims based on the instructions received.

The amount may be higher for members of Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®. Please see “Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®” above for more information regarding eligibility.

A signature guarantee helps protect your account against fraud. You can obtain a signature guarantee at most banks and securities dealers.

A notary public CANNOT provide a signature guarantee.

Selling Recently Purchased Shares

If you sell shares recently purchased, we may delay sending you the proceeds until your check, draft or wire/electronic funds transfer has cleared, which may take seven business days.

Redemption Proceeds

Your redemption check will be sent within seven days after we receive your request in proper form. We are not able to receive or pay out cash in the form of currency.

Retirement Plans

You may need to complete additional forms to sell shares in a Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust retirement plan. For participants under the age of 59 1/2, tax penalties may apply. Call Retirement Services at (800) 527-2020 for details.

Selling Shares

To sell some or all of your shares

Through your investment representative

Contact your investment representative

By Mail

Send written instructions and endorsed share certificates (if you hold share certificates) to Investor Services. Corporate, partnership or trust accounts may need to send additional documents.

Specify the Fund, the account number and the dollar value or number of shares you wish to sell. Be sure to include all necessary signatures and any additional documents, as well as signature guarantees if required.

A check will be mailed to the name(s) and address on the account, or otherwise according to your written instructions.

By Phone/Online(800) 632-2301
franklintempleton.com

As long as your transaction is for $100,000 or less, you do not hold share certificates and you have not changed your address by phone or online within the last 15 days, you can sell your shares by phone or online. The amount may be higher for members of Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®. Please see “Franklin Templeton VIP Services^®” above for more information regarding eligibility.

A check will be mailed to the name(s) and address on the account, or a pre-authorized secondary address. Written instructions, with a signature guarantee, are required to send the check to another address or to make it payable to another person.

By Electronic Funds Transfer (ACH)

You can call, write, or visit us online to have redemption proceeds sent to a bank account. See the policies at left for selling shares by mail, phone, or online.

Before requesting to have redemption proceeds sent to a bank account, please make sure we have your bank account information on file. If we do not have this information, you will need to send written instructions with your bank's name and a voided check or savings account deposit slip. If the bank and Fund accounts do not have at least one common owner, you must provide written instructions signed by all fund and bank account owners, and each individual must have his or her signature guaranteed.

If the bank and Fund accounts have at least one common owner and the bank account was added or changed within the last 15 days, you may be required to provide written instructions signed by all fund account owners, with a signature guarantee for each fund account owner.

If we receive your request in proper form by 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, proceeds sent by ACH generally will be available within two to three business days.

By Exchange

Obtain a current prospectus for the fund you are considering. Prospectuses are available online at franklintempleton.com.

Call Shareholder Services at the number below or send signed written instructions. You also may place an exchange order online. See the policies at left for selling shares by mail, phone, or online.

If you hold share certificates, you will need to return them to the Fund before your exchange can be processed.

Franklin Templeton Investor Services
P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151
Call toll-free: (800) 632-2301
(Monday through Friday 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific time)
or visit us online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at franklintempleton.com

Exchanging Shares

Exchange Privilege

Class A, C & R

You can exchange shares between most Franklin Templeton funds within the same class,* generally without paying any additional sales charges. If you exchange shares from a money fund and those shares were not charged a sales charge previously, however, a sales charge may apply.

* Class Z shareholders of Franklin Mutual Series Funds may exchange into Class A without any sales charge. Advisor Class shareholders of another Franklin Templeton fund also may exchange into Class A without any sales charge. Advisor Class shareholders who exchange their shares for Class A shares and later decide they would like to exchange into another fund that offers Advisor Class may do so.

Any CDSC will continue to be calculated from the date of your initial investment and will not be charged at the time of the exchange. The purchase price for determining a CDSC on exchanged shares will be the price you paid for the original shares. If you exchange shares subject to a CDSC into a Class A money fund, the time your shares are held in the money fund will not count towards the CDSC holding period.

Advisor Class

You can exchange your Advisor Class shares for Advisor Class shares of other Franklin Templeton funds. You also may exchange your Advisor Class shares for Class A shares of a fund that does not currently offer an Advisor Class (without any sales charge)* or for Class Z shares of Franklin Mutual Series Funds.

* If you exchange into Class A shares and you later decide you would like to exchange into a fund that offers an Advisor Class, you may exchange your Class A shares for Advisor Class shares if you are a current shareholder in Advisor Class or you otherwise qualify to buy the fund's Advisor Class shares.

All Classes

The remainder of the “Exchanging Shares” section applies to all classes.

Generally exchanges may only be made between identically registered accounts, unless you send written instructions with a signature guarantee.

An exchange is really two transactions: a sale of one fund and the purchase of another. In general, the same policies that apply to purchases and sales also apply to exchanges, including minimum investment amounts (except exchanges of an entire account balance). Exchanges also generally have the same tax consequences as ordinary sales and purchases.

Rejected exchanges. If the Fund rejects an exchange request involving the sale of Fund shares, the rejected exchange request will also mean rejection of the request to purchase shares of another fund with the proceeds of the sale. Of course, you may generally redeem shares of the Fund at any time.

Exchanges through financial intermediaries. If you are investing indirectly in the Fund through a financial intermediary such as a broker-dealer, a bank, an insurance company separate account, an investment advisor, an administrator or trustee of an IRS-recognized tax-deferred savings plan such as a 401(k) retirement plan and a 529 college savings plan that maintains a master account (an Omnibus Account) with the Fund for trading on behalf of its customers, different exchange and/or transfer limit guidelines and restrictions may apply. The financial intermediary through whom you are investing may choose to adopt different trading restrictions designed to discourage short-term or excessive trading. Consult with your financial intermediary (or, in the case of a 401(k) retirement plan, your plan sponsor) to determine what trading restrictions, including exchange/transfer limitations, may be applicable to you.

Fund exchange privilege changes/waiver. The Fund may terminate or modify (temporarily or permanently) this exchange privilege in the future. You will receive 60 days' notice of any material changes, unless otherwise provided by law.

Other funds' exchange privileges. If there is a conflict between the exchange privileges of two funds involved in an exchange transaction, the stricter policy will apply to the transaction. Other Franklin Templeton funds may have different exchange restrictions. Check each fund's prospectus for details.

Frequent Trading Policy

The Fund's board of trustees has adopted the following policies and procedures with respect to frequent trading in Fund shares (Frequent Trading Policy).

The Fund does not intend to accommodate short-term or frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares that may be detrimental to the Fund. For example, this type of trading activity could interfere with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or materially increase the Fund's transaction costs, administrative costs or taxes.

In addition, since the Fund may invest in foreign securities, it may be vulnerable to a form of short-term trading that is sometimes referred to as “time-zone arbitrage.” Time-zone arbitrage occurs when an investor seeks to take advantage of delays between changes in the value of a mutual fund’s portfolio holdings and the reflection of those changes in the fund’s net asset value per share. These delays are more likely to occur in the case of foreign investments, due to differences between the times during which the Fund’s international portfolio securities trade on foreign markets and the time as of which the Fund’s NAV is calculated (generally as of the close of the NYSE - please see “Calculating Share Price”). Time-zone arbitrage traders seek to purchase or redeem shares of a fund based on events occurring after foreign market closing prices are established, but before calculation of the fund’s NAV. This can result in the value of the Fund’s shares being diluted. One of the objectives of the Fund’s fair value pricing procedures is to minimize the possibility of this type of arbitrage (please see "Valuation - Foreign Securities - Potential Impact of Time Zones and Market Holidays"); however, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s valuation procedures will be successful in eliminating it.

Since the Fund may invest in securities that are, or may be, restricted, unlisted, traded infrequently, thinly traded, or relatively illiquid ("relatively illiquid securities"), it may be particularly vulnerable to arbitrage short-term trading. Such arbitrage traders may seek to take advantage of a possible differential between the last available market prices for one or more of those relatively illiquid securities that are used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the latest indications of market values for those securities. One of the objectives of the Fund’s fair value pricing procedures is to minimize the possibilities of this type of arbitrage (please see "Fair Valuation - Individual Securities"); however, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s valuation procedures will be successful in eliminating it.

Through its transfer agent, the Fund performs ongoing monitoring of shareholder trading in shares of the Fund and other Franklin Templeton funds in order to try and identify shareholder trading patterns that suggest an ongoing short-term trading strategy. If shareholder trading patterns identified by the transfer agent through monitoring or from other information regarding the shareholder’s trading activity in non-Franklin Templeton funds leads the transfer agent to reasonably conclude that such trading may be detrimental to the Fund as described in this Frequent Trading Policy, the transfer agent, on behalf of the Fund, may temporarily or permanently bar future purchases into the Fund or, alternatively, may limit the amount, number or frequency of any future purchases and/or the method by which you may request future purchases and redemptions (including purchases and/or redemptions by an exchange or transfer between the Fund and any other mutual fund).

In considering an investor’s trading patterns, the Fund may consider, among other factors, the investor’s trading history both directly and, if known, through financial intermediaries, in the Fund, in other Franklin Templeton funds, in non-Franklin Templeton mutual funds, or in accounts under common control or ownership (see, for example, “Investment by asset allocators” of the "Buying and Selling Shares" section in the SAI). The transfer agent may also reject any purchase or redemption request, whether or not it represents part of any ongoing trading pattern, if the Fund's investment manager or transfer agent reasonably concludes that the amount of the requested transaction may disrupt or otherwise interfere with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio. In determining what actions should be taken, the Fund's transfer agent may consider a variety of factors, including the potential impact of such remedial actions on the Fund and its shareholders. If the Fund is a "fund of funds," the Fund's transfer agent may take into account the impact of the trading activity and of any proposed remedial action on both the Fund and the underlying funds in which the Fund invests.

Frequent trading through financial intermediaries. You are an investor subject to this Frequent Trading Policy whether you are a direct shareholder of the Fund or you are investing indirectly in the Fund through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer, bank, trust company, insurance company product such as an annuity contract, investment advisor, or an administrator or trustee of an IRS-recognized tax-deferred savings plan such as a 401(k) retirement plan and a 529 college savings plan.

Some financial intermediaries maintain master accounts with the Fund on behalf of their customers (“omnibus accounts”). The Fund has entered into “information sharing agreements” with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the intermediary’s customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund’s transfer agent identifies omnibus account level trading patterns that have the potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the transfer agent may, in its sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information concerning the trading activity of its customers. Based upon its review of the information, if the transfer agent determines that the trading activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, it may, in its sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit further trading in the Fund by that customer. There can be no assurance that the transfer agent’s monitoring of omnibus account level trading patterns will enable it to identify all short-term trading by a financial intermediary’s customers.

Revocation of trades. While the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order for any reason, the Fund may also revoke executed purchase orders that the transfer agent reasonably concludes in its sole discretion may have been contrary to the objectives of the Fund's Frequent Trading Policy.

Account Policies

Calculating Share Price

Class A & C

When you buy shares, you pay the "offering price" for the shares. The "offering price" is determined by dividing the NAV per share by an amount equal to 1 minus the sales charge applicable to the purchase (expressed in decimals), calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria. The number of Fund shares you will be issued will equal the amount invested divided by the applicable offering price for those shares, calculated to three decimal places using standard rounding criteria. For example, if the NAV per share is $10.25 and the applicable sales charge for the purchase is 5.75%, the offering price would be calculated as follows: 10.25 divided by 1.00 minus 0.0575 [10.25/0.9425] equals 10.87533, which, when rounded to two decimal points, equals 10.88. The offering price per share would be $10.88.

When you sell shares, you receive the NAV minus any applicable CDSC.

All Classes

The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting the fund’s liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The NAV per share is determined by dividing the total net asset value of each fund’s share class by the applicable number of shares outstanding per share class.

The Fund calculates the NAV per share each business day normally as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (normally 1:00 p.m. Pacific time) or earlier when the NYSE closes early because trading has been halted for the day. The Fund does not calculate the NAV on days the NYSE is closed for trading, which include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

When determining its NAV, the Fund values cash and receivables at their realizable amounts, and records interest as accrued and dividends on the ex-dividend date. The Fund generally utilizes two independent pricing services to assist in determining a current market value for each security. If market quotations are readily available for portfolio securities listed on a securities exchange, the Fund values those securities at the last quoted sale price or the official closing price of the day, respectively, or, if there is no reported sale, within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. The Fund values over-the-counter portfolio securities within the range of the most recent bid and ask prices. If portfolio securities trade both in the over-the-counter market and on a stock exchange, the Fund values them according to the broadest and most representative market.

Requests to buy and sell shares are processed at the NAV next calculated after we or an approved financial intermediary receive your request in proper form.

Generally, trading in corporate bonds, U.S. government securities and money market instruments is substantially completed each day at various times before the close of the NYSE. The value of these securities used in computing the NAV is determined as of such times. Occasionally, events affecting the values of these securities may occur between the times at which they are determined and the close of the NYSE that will not be reflected in the computation of the NAV. The Fund relies on third-party pricing vendors to monitor for events materially affecting the value of these securities during this period. If an event occurs, the third-party pricing vendors will provide revised values to the Fund.

Fair Valuation – Individual Securities

Since the Fund may invest in securities that are restricted, unlisted, traded infrequently, thinly traded, or relatively illiquid, there is the possibility of a differential between the last available market prices for one or more of those securities and the latest indications of market values for those securities. The Fund has procedures, approved by the board of trustees, to determine the fair value of individual securities and other assets for which market prices are not readily available (such as certain restricted or unlisted securities and private placements) or which may not be reliably priced (such as in the case of trade suspensions or halts, price movement limits set by certain foreign markets, and thinly traded or illiquid securities). Some methods for valuing these securities may include: fundamental analysis (earnings multiple, etc.), matrix pricing, discounts from market prices of similar securities, or discounts applied due to the nature and duration of restrictions on the disposition of the securities. The board of trustees oversees the application of fair value pricing procedures.

The application of fair value pricing procedures represents a good faith determination based upon specifically applied procedures. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it were able to sell the security at approximately the time at which the Fund determines its NAV per share.

Security Valuation – Foreign Securities – Computation of U.S. Equivalent Value

The Fund generally determines the value of a foreign security as of the close of trading on the foreign stock exchange on which the security is primarily traded, or as of the close of trading on the NYSE, if earlier. The value is then converted into its U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at the close of the NYSE (generally 1:00 p.m. Pacific time) on the day that the value of the foreign security is determined. If no sale is reported at that time, the foreign security will be valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Occasionally events (such as repatriation limits or restrictions) may impact the availability or reliability of foreign exchange rates used to convert the U.S. dollar equivalent value. If such an event occurs, the foreign exchange rate will be valued at fair value using procedures established and approved by the board of trustees.

Valuation – Foreign Securities – Potential Impact of Time Zones and Market Holidays

Trading in securities on foreign securities stock exchanges and over-the-counter markets, such as those in Europe and Asia, may be completed well before the close of business on the NYSE on each day that the NYSE is open. Occasionally, events occur between the time at which trading in a foreign security is completed and the close of the NYSE that might call into question the availability (including the reliability) of the value of a foreign portfolio security held by the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be susceptible to what is referred to as “time-zone arbitrage.” Certain investors in the Fund may seek to take advantage of discrepancies in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities as determined by the foreign market at its close and the latest indications of value attributable to the portfolio securities at the time the Fund’s NAV is computed. Trading by these investors, often referred to as “arbitrage market timers,” may dilute the value of the Fund’s shares, if such discrepancies in security values actually exist. To attempt to minimize the possibilities for time-zone arbitrage, and in accordance with procedures established and approved by the Fund’s board of trustees, the investment manager monitors price movements following the close of trading in foreign stock markets through a series of country specific market proxies (such as baskets of American Depositary Receipts, futures contracts and exchange traded funds).

These price movements are measured against established trigger thresholds for each specific market proxy to assist in determining if an event has occurred that might call into question the availability (including the reliability) of the values of foreign securities between the times at which they are determined and the close of the NYSE. If such an event occurs, the foreign securities may be valued using fair value procedures established and approved by the board of trustees. In certain circumstances these procedures include the use of independent pricing services. The intended effect of applying fair value pricing is to compute an NAV that accurately reflects the value of the Fund’s portfolio at the time that the NAV is calculated, to discourage potential arbitrage market timing in Fund shares, to mitigate the dilutive impact of such attempted arbitrage market timing and to be fair to purchasing, redeeming and existing shareholders. However, the application of fair value pricing procedures may, on occasion, worsen rather than mitigate the potential dilutive impact of shareholder trading.

In addition, trading in foreign portfolio securities generally, or in securities markets in a particular country or countries, may not take place on every NYSE business day. Furthermore, trading takes place in various foreign markets on days that are not business days for the NYSE, and on which the Fund's NAV is not calculated. Thus, the calculation of the Fund's NAV does not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of many of the foreign portfolio securities used in the calculation. If events affecting the last determined values of these foreign securities occur (determined through the monitoring process described above), the securities will be valued at fair value determined in good faith in accordance with the Fund’s fair value procedures established and approved by the board of trustees.

Accounts with Low Balances

If your account has been open for more than one year and its value falls below $500 ($50 for employee and UGMA/UTMA accounts), we will mail you a notice asking you to bring the account back up to its applicable minimum investment amount. If you choose not to do so within 30 days, we will close your account and mail the proceeds to the address of record. You will not be charged a CDSC if your account is closed for this reason. This policy does not apply to: (1) certain broker-controlled accounts established through the National Securities Clearing Corporation’s Networking system; (2) accounts in Class B and Class A accounts established pursuant to a conversion from Class B; (3) tax-deferred retirement plan accounts; (4) active automatic investment plan accounts; (5) broker-dealer sponsored separately managed accounts (wrap accounts); (6) accounts held through a 529 college savings program; and, (7) Coverdell Education Savings Plan accounts.

Statements, Reports and Prospectuses

You will receive quarterly account statements that show all your account transactions during the quarter. You also will receive written notification after each transaction affecting your account (except for distributions and transactions made through automatic investment or withdrawal programs, which will be reported on your quarterly statement).

You also will receive the Fund's financial reports every six months as well as an annual updated prospectus. To reduce Fund expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of the financial reports and prospectus. This process, called "householding," will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you prefer not to have these documents householded, please call us at (800) 632-2301. At any time you may view current prospectuses and financial reports on our website.

If you choose, you may receive your statements, financial reports and prospectuses through electronic delivery (please see "Investor Services - Telephone/Online Privileges").

Investment Representative Account Access

If there is a dealer or other investment representative of record on your account, he or she will be able to obtain your account information, conduct transactions for your account, and also will receive copies of all notifications and statements and other information about your account directly from the Fund.

Street or Nominee Accounts

You may transfer your shares from the street or nominee name account of one dealer to another, as long as both dealers have an agreement with Distributors. We will process the transfer after we receive authorization in proper form from your delivering securities dealer.

Joint Accounts

Unless you specify a different registration, shares issued to two or more owners are registered as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship" (shown as "Jt Ten" on your account statement). To make any ownership changes to jointly owned shares, or to sever a joint tenancy in jointly owned shares, all owners must agree in writing.

Joint Account Risk with Telephone/Online Privileges

You will automatically receive telephone/online privileges when you open your account. If your account has more than one registered owner, telephone/online privileges allow the Fund to accept online registration for online services (including electronic delivery of shareholder documents) and transaction instructions online or by telephone from only one registered owner. This means that any one registered owner on your account, acting alone and without the consent of any other registered owner, may give the Fund instructions by telephone, online or in writing (subject to any limitations in telephone or online privileges) to:

Exchange shares from a jointly registered Fund account requiring all registered owner signatures into an identically registered money fund account that only requires one registered owner’s signature to redeem shares;
Redeem Fund shares and direct the redemption proceeds to a bank account that may or may not be owned by you and, if owned by you jointly with someone else, only requires one person to withdraw funds by check or otherwise;
Add/Change the bank account to which Fund share redemption proceeds may be sent, which bank account may not be owned by you;
Purchase Fund shares by debiting a bank account that may be owned by you; and
Add/Change the bank account that may be debited for Fund share purchases, which new account may be owned by you.

If you do NOT want another registered owner on your account to be able to issue these kinds of instructions to the Fund without your consent, you must instruct the Fund to deny/terminate online privileges and the ability to issue such instructions by telephone so that these types of instructions will only be accepted in writing signed by all account owners. This decision will apply to any other fund into which you may exchange your jointly owned Fund shares. Any later decision to permit these types of instructions by telephone and/or online will need to be given to the Fund in a written instruction signed by all registered owners.

Additional Policies

Please note that the Fund maintains additional policies and reserves certain rights, including:

The Fund may restrict, reject or cancel any purchase orders, including an exchange request.
The Fund may modify, suspend, or terminate telephone/online privileges at any time.
The Fund may make material changes to or discontinue the exchange privilege on 60 days' notice or as otherwise provided by law.
The Fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.
Normally, redemptions are processed by the next business day, but may take up to seven days to be processed if making immediate payment would adversely affect the Fund.
In unusual circumstances, we may temporarily suspend redemptions or postpone the payment of proceeds, as allowed by federal securities laws.
For redemptions over a certain amount, the Fund may pay redemption proceeds in securities or other assets rather than cash if the investment manager determines it is in the best interest of the Fund, consistent with applicable law.
You may only buy shares of a fund (including the purchase side of an exchange) eligible for sale in your state or jurisdiction.
To permit investors to obtain the current price, dealers are responsible for transmitting all orders to the Fund promptly.

Dealer Compensation

Class A, C & R

Qualifying dealers who sell Fund shares may receive sales commissions and other payments. These are paid by Distributors from sales charges received from purchasing or redeeming shareholders, from distribution and service (12b-1) fees from the Fund and from Distributors' other financial resources. Dealers may also receive shareholder servicing fees for servicing investors who indirectly hold Franklin Templeton fund shares through dealer-maintained brokerage accounts as more fully described under "Shareholder servicing and transfer agent" of the "Management and Other Services" section in the SAI. These fees are paid by the Fund's transfer agent from payments it receives under its agreement with the Fund.

No dealer commission will be paid on Class A NAV purchases by Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

If any dealer commissions are paid in connection with a purchase which is subsequently rejected or results in any trading restriction placed on the purchaser as a result of a determination by the Fund's investment manager or transfer agent that the purchase may be connected with trading activity that may be detrimental to the Fund as described in the Fund's "Frequent Trading Policy," the dealer shall, upon demand, refund such commissions to Distributors.

	Class A	Class C	Class R
Commission (%)	—	1.00¹	—
Investment under $50,000	5.00	—	—
$50,000 but under $100,000	3.75	—	—
$100,000 but under $250,000	2.80	—	—
$250,000 but under $500,000	2.00	—	—
$500,000 but under $1 million	1.60	—	—
$1 million or more	up to 1.00²	—	—
12b-1 fee to dealer	0.25^2,³	1.00⁴	0.50

1. Commission includes advance of the first year's 0.25% 12b-1 service fee. Distributors may pay a prepaid commission. However, Distributors does not pay a prepaid commission on any purchases by Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

2. For purchases at NAV where Distributors paid a prepaid commission, dealers may start to receive the 12b-1 fee in the 13th month after purchase. For purchases at NAV where Distributors did not pay a prepaid commission, dealers may start to receive the 12b-1 fee at the time of purchase.

3. Under the Distribution Plan for Class A, the Fund may pay up to 0.35% to Distributors or others, out of which 0.10% generally will be retained by Distributors for its distribution expenses. The board of trustees has currently determined to set such fees under the Plan at 0.30% (until further notice), thus reducing the amount that will be retained by Distributors.

4. Dealers may be eligible to receive up to 0.25% at the time of purchase and may be eligible to receive 1% starting in the 13th month. During the first 12 months, the full 12b-1 fee will be paid to Distributors to partially offset the commission and the prepaid service fee paid at the time of purchase. For purchases at NAV where Distributors did not pay a prepaid commission, dealers may start to receive the 12b-1 fee at the time of purchase.

Other dealer and financial intermediary compensation. Distributors may make payments (a portion of which may be reimbursable under the terms of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 distribution plans) to certain dealers who have sold shares of the Franklin Templeton mutual funds. In the case of any one dealer, marketing support payments will not exceed the sum of 0.08% of that dealer's current year's total sales of Franklin Templeton mutual funds, and 0.05% (or 0.03%) of the total assets of equity (or fixed income) funds attributable to that dealer, on an annual basis. Marketing support payments made to organizations located outside the U.S., with respect to investments in the Fund by non-U.S. persons, may exceed this limitation. Distributors makes these payments in connection with the qualifying dealers' efforts to educate financial advisors about the Franklin Templeton funds. Any current year sales to, or assets held on behalf of, Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans for which payment is made to a financial intermediary pursuant to the following paragraph will be excluded from the calculation of marketing support payments pursuant to this paragraph.

Distributors and/or its affiliates may also make payments (a portion of which may be reimbursable under the terms of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 distribution plans) to certain financial intermediaries in connection with their activities that are intended to assist in the sale of shares of the Franklin Templeton mutual funds, directly or indirectly, to certain Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans. In the case of any one financial intermediary, such payments will not exceed 0.10% of the total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds held, directly or indirectly, by such Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, on an annual basis.

A number of factors will be considered in determining these payments, including the qualifying dealer or financial intermediary's sales, assets and redemption rates, the nature and quality of any servicing provided by the financial intermediary, and the quality of the dealer or financial intermediary's relationship with Distributors. Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine the advisability of continuing these payments. These payments may be in addition to any shareholder servicing fees paid by the Fund's transfer agent from payments it receives under its agreement with the Fund.

To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules and other applicable laws and regulations, Distributors may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to dealers.

Sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of other funds in Franklin Templeton Investments, is not considered a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions. Accordingly, the allocation of portfolio transactions for execution by broker-dealers that sell Fund shares is not considered marketing support payments to such broker-dealers.

You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by Distributors and the services provided by your financial advisor. Your financial advisor may charge you additional fees or commissions other than those disclosed in this prospectus. You should ask your financial advisor for information about any payments it receives from Distributors and any services it provides, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges.

Questions

If you have any questions about the Fund or your account, you can write to us at P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151. You also can call us at one of the following numbers. For your protection and to help ensure we provide you with quality service, all calls may be monitored or recorded.

Department Name	Telephone Number	Hours (Pacific time, Monday through Friday)
Shareholder Services	(800) 632-2301	5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fund Information	(800) DIAL BEN (800) 342-5236	5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Retirement Services	(800) 527-2020	5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Advisor Services	(800) 524-4040	5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TDD (hearing impaired)	(800) 851-0637	5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Automated Telephone System	(800) 632-2301 (800) 524-4040 (800) 527-2020	(around-the-clock access)

FOR MORE INFORMATION

You can learn more about the Fund in the following document:

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

Contains more information about the Fund, its investments and policies. It is incorporated by reference (is legally a part of this prospectus).

For a free copy of the current SAI, please contact your investment representative or call us at the number below. You also can view the current SAI online through franklintempleton.com.

You also can obtain information about the Fund by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (phone (202) 551-8090) or the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-0102 or by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

	One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 (800) DIAL BEN^®/342-5236 TDD/Hearing Impaired (800) 851-0637 franklintempleton.com

	Investment Company Act file #811-07851
	© 2011 Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.
00081559	056 P 12/11

Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund

Franklin Templeton
Fund Allocator
Series

P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151
(800) DIAL BEN^®/342-5236

Class A	Class C	Class R	Advisor Class
Pending	Pending	Pending	Pending

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

December 19, 2011

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It contains information in addition to the information in the Fund's prospectus. The Fund's prospectus, dated December 19, 2011, which we may amend from time to time, contains the basic information you should know before investing in the Fund. You should read this SAI together with the Fund's prospectus.

For a free copy of the current prospectus, contact your investment representative or call (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

CONTENTS
Goal, Strategies and Risks
Information about the Fund and the Underlying Franklin Templeton Funds
Officers and Trustees
Fair Valuation and Liquidity
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
Management, Asset Allocation and Other Services
Portfolio Transactions
Distributions and Taxes
Organization, Voting Rights and Principal Holders
Buying and Selling Shares
The Underwriter
Performance
Miscellaneous Information
Description of Ratings

are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government;
are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank; and
are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of principal.

056 SAI 12/11

Goal, Strategies and Risks

The following information provided with respect to the Fund is in addition to that included in the Fund’s prospectus.

In addition to the main types of investments and strategies undertaken by the Fund as described in the prospectus, the Fund also may invest in other types of securities and engage in and pursue other investment strategies, which are described in this SAI. Investments and investment strategies with respect to the Fund are discussed in greater detail in the section below entitled "Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks.”

Generally, the policies and restrictions discussed in this SAI and in the prospectus apply when the Fund makes an investment. In most cases, the Fund is not required to sell a security because circumstances change and the security no longer meets one or more of the Fund's policies or restrictions. If a percentage restriction or limitation is met at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage due to a change in the value or liquidity of portfolio securities will not be considered a violation of the restriction or limitation.

If a bankruptcy or other extraordinary event occurs concerning a particular security the Fund owns, the Fund may receive stock, real estate or other investments that the Fund would not, or could not, buy. If this happens, the Fund intends to sell such investments as soon as practicable while trying to maximize the return to shareholders.

The Fund has adopted certain investment restrictions as fundamental and non-fundamental policies. A fundamental policy may only be changed if the change is approved by (i) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares or (ii) 67% or more of the Fund's shares present at a shareholder meeting if more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy, whichever is less. A non-fundamental policy may be changed without the approval of shareholders.

Fundamental Investment Policies

The Fund's investment goal is real return.

In addition to its investment goal, the Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment policies.

The Fund may not:

1. Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act), or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

2. Act as an underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter when disposing of securities it owns or when selling its own shares.

3. Make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other persons, including other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC. This limitation does not apply to (i) the lending of portfolio securities, (ii) the purchase of debt securities, other debt instruments, loan participations and/or engaging in direct corporate loans in accordance with its investment goals and policies, and (iii) repurchase agreements to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan.

4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) purchasing or selling securities or instruments secured by real estate or interests therein, securities or instruments representing interests in real estate or securities or instruments of issuers that invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, and (ii) making, purchasing or selling real estate mortgage loans.

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) purchasing or selling commodity-linked derivative instruments, including, but not limited to, swap agreements; commodity-linked notes; options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts with respect to indices or individual commodities or otherwise; and foreign currency transactions, including, forward currency contracts, or (ii) investing in securities or other instruments that are linked to or secured by physical commodities or related indices.

6. Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

7. Invest more than 25% of the Fund's net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies).

8. Purchase the securities of any one issuer (other than the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies, whether registered or excluded from registration under Section 3(c) of the 1940 Act) if immediately after such investment (i) more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in such issuer or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such 5% and 10% limitations.

Notwithstanding these investment restrictions, as described below under "Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks," the Fund invests primarily in a combination of underlying Franklin Templeton funds (the underlying funds). These underlying funds have adopted their own investment restrictions, which may be more or less restrictive than those listed above. The investment restrictions of the underlying funds may thereby permit the Fund to engage in investment strategies indirectly that would otherwise be prohibited under the investment restrictions listed above. The investment restrictions of the underlying funds are located in their respective SAIs.

Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks

Certain words or phrases may be used in descriptions of Fund investment policies and strategies to give investors a general sense of the Fund's levels of investment. They are broadly identified with, but not limited to, the following percentages of Fund total assets:

"small portion"	less than 10%
"portion"	10% to 25%
"significant"	25% to 50%
"substantial"	50% to 66%
"primary"	66% to 80%
"predominant"	80% or more

If the Fund intends to limit particular investments or strategies to no more than specific percentages of Fund assets, the prospectus or SAI will clearly identify such limitations. The percentages above are not limitations unless specifically stated as such in the Fund's prospectus or elsewhere in this SAI.

The Fund pursues its investment goal by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds, predominantly other Franklin Templeton funds (underlying funds), and a portion of its assets directly in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPs). In investing in underlying Franklin Templeton mutual funds, the Fund relies on Rule 12d1-2 under the 1940 Act, which permits the Fund to invest in such underlying funds without limit. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds.

The Fund may invest in securities that are rated by various rating services such as Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) and Standard & Poor's (S&P^®).

The value of your shares will increase as the value of the investments owned by the Fund increases and will decrease as the value of the Fund's investments decreases. In this way, you participate in any change in the value of the investments owned by the Fund. In addition to the factors that affect the value of any particular investment that the Fund owns, the value of the Fund's shares may also change with movements in the stock and bond markets as a whole.

The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements and securities issued or backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government include those issued by the Government National Mortgage Association.

The Fund invests in Class Z shares of Mutual Global Discovery Fund, Mutual European Fund, Mutual Financial Services Fund and Mutual Shares Fund, Class A shares of Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio (the only class of shares available for this fund) and Advisor Class shares of other underlying funds. The Fund will not pay any sales load or 12b-1 service or distribution fees in connection with their investments in any of the underlying funds.

In trying to achieve its investment goal, the Fund and/or the underlying funds may invest in the following types of securities or engage in the following types of transactions. These securities and transactions, and their associated risks, are described below. The Fund's investment manager and sub-advisor are under no obligation to invest in any or all of these securities or engage in any or all of these types of transactions. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this SAI to the investment manager also applies to the sub-advisor.

Information about the Fund and the Underlying Franklin Templeton Funds

The following gives more detailed information about the Fund's and the underlying funds' investment policies and the types of securities that they may buy along with their associated risks. An underlying fund is also referred to as "the Fund" in this section.

Asset-backed securities Asset-backed securities represent interests in a pool of loans, leases or other receivables. The assets underlying asset-backed securities may include receivables on home equity loans, credit card loans, and automobile, mobile home and recreational vehicle loans and leases and other assets. Asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties and may have adjustable interest rates that reset at periodic intervals.

The credit quality of most asset-backed securities depends primarily on the credit quality of the underlying assets, how well the issuers of the securities are insulated from the credit risk of the originator or affiliated entities, and the amount of credit support (if any) provided to the securities. Credit support for asset-backed securities is intended to lessen the effect of failures by obligors (such as individual borrowers or leasers) on the underlying assets to make payments. Credit support generally falls into two categories: (i) liquidity protection; and (ii) protection against losses from the default by an obligor on the underlying assets.

Liquidity protection refers to advances, generally provided by the entity administering the pool of assets, intended to ensure that the receipt of payments due on the underlying pool is timely. Protection against losses from the default by an obligor can enhance the likelihood of payments of the obligations on at least some of the assets in the pool. Protection against losses from default may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties. Alternatively, this protection may be provided through various means of structuring the transaction, or through a combination of these approaches.

Examples of credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include "senior subordinated securities" (securities with one or more classes that are subordinate to the other classes with respect to the payment of principal and interest, with the result that defaults on the underlying assets should be borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of "reserve funds" (where cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the payments on the underlying assets, are held in reserve against future losses), and "over-collateralization" (where the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying assets exceeds that required to make payments on the securities and pay any servicing or other fees).

The degree of credit support provided is generally based on historical information about the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Historical information may not adequately reflect present or future credit risk. Delinquencies or losses in excess of those anticipated could occur and could adversely affect the return on an investment in the securities. There is no guarantee that the type of credit support selected will be effective at reducing the illiquidity or losses to investors in the event of certain defaults. Where credit support is provided by a third party, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of that third party in addition to the credit risk of the issuer or sponsor of the asset-backed security and the underlying obligors.

Asset-backed securities also have risk due to a characteristic known as early amortization, or early payout, risk. Built into the structure of certain asset-backed securities are triggers for early payout, designed to protect investors from losses. These triggers are unique to each transaction and can include, among other things: a significant rise in defaults on the underlying loans, a sharp drop in the credit enhancement level, or the bankruptcy of the issuer or sponsor. Once early amortization begins, all incoming loan payments are used to pay investors as quickly as possible. Prepayment risk also arises when the underlying obligations may be satisfied or "prepaid" before due. Certain asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables may be affected by such early prepayment of principal on the underlying vehicle sales contract. When amortization or prepayment occurs, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the existing asset-backed security. In addition, the Fund may suffer a loss if it paid a premium for the asset-backed security as cash flows from the early amortization reduce the value of the premium paid.

Alternatively, if prepayments occur at a slower rate than the investment manager expected, or if payment on the underlying assets is delayed or defaulted upon, the Fund will experience extension risk.

The income received by the Fund on an asset-backed security generally fluctuates more than the income on fixed income debt securities. This is because asset-backed securities are usually structured as pass-through or pay-through securities (similar to mortgage securities and collateralized mortgage obligations). Cash flow generated by payments on the underlying obligations in these structures is shared with the investor as it is received. The rate of payment on asset-backed securities generally depends on the rate of principal and interest payments received on the underlying assets. Payments on underlying assets will be affected by various economic and other factors that shape the market for those underlying assets. Therefore, the income on asset-backed securities will be difficult to predict, and actual yield to maturity will be more or less than the anticipated yield to maturity.

Asset-backed securities have certain risks that stem from the characteristics of the underlying assets. For example, asset-backed securities do not have the benefit of the same type of security interests in the underlying collateral that mortgage securities have, and there may be a limited ability to enforce any security interests that exist. Credit enhancements provided to support asset-backed securities, if any, may be inadequate to protect investors in the event of default. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured and a number of state and federal consumer credit laws give debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the outstanding balance, which can negatively affect the yield and/or value of related asset-backed securities. Issuers of asset-backed securities for which automobile receivables are the underlying assets may be prevented from realizing the full amount due on an automobile sales contract because of state law requirements and restrictions relating to sales of vehicles following their repossession and the obtaining of deficiency judgments following such sales or because of depreciation, damage or loss of a vehicle, the application of bankruptcy and insolvency laws, or other factors. The absence of, or difficulty enforcing, such security interests in the underlying assets will result in additional expenses, delays and losses to the Fund. The Fund's exposure to the credit risk of the credit support provider will also be greater if recourse is limited to the credit support provider in the event of widespread defaults on the underlying obligations.

Bank obligations Bank obligations include fixed, floating or variable rate certificates of deposit (CDs), letters of credit, time and savings deposits, bank notes and bankers' acceptances. CDs are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits that are held in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a stated interest rate. Savings deposits are deposits that do not have a specified maturity and may be withdrawn by the depositor at any time. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise. When a bank "accepts" a bankers' acceptance, the bank, in effect, unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument upon maturity. The full amount of the Fund's investment in time and savings deposits or CDs may not be guaranteed against losses resulting from the default of the commercial or savings bank or other institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Bank obligations are exempt from registration with the SEC if issued by U.S. banks or foreign branches of U.S. banks. As a result, the Fund will not receive the same investor protections when investing in bank obligations as opposed to registered securities. Bank notes and other unsecured bank obligations are not guaranteed by the FDIC, so the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of the bank or institution. In the event of liquidation, bank notes and unsecured bank obligations generally rank behind time deposits, savings deposits and CDs, resulting in a greater potential for losses to the Fund.

Biotechnology companies The biotechnology industry is subject to extensive government regulation. The industry will be affected by government regulatory requirements, regulatory approval for new drugs and medical products, patent considerations, product liability, and similar matters. For example, in the past several years, the U.S. Congress has considered legislation concerning healthcare reform and changes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process. If such legislation is passed it may affect the biotechnology industry. As these factors impact the biotechnology industry, the value of the Fund may fluctuate significantly over relatively short periods of time.

Because the biotechnology industry is relatively new, investors may be quick to react to developments that affect the industry. In the past, biotechnology securities have exhibited considerable volatility in reaction to research and other developments. In comparison to more developed industries, there may be a thin trading market in biotechnology securities, and adverse developments in the biotechnology industry may be more likely to result in decreases in the value of biotechnology stocks.

Biotechnology companies are often small, start-up ventures whose products are only in the research stage. Only a limited number of biotechnology companies have reached the point of approval of products by the FDA and subsequent commercial production and distribution of such products. Therefore, the success of investments in the biotechnology industry is often based upon speculation and expectations about future products, research progress, and new product filings with regulatory authorities. Such investments are speculative and may drop sharply in value in response to regulatory or research setbacks.

Borrowing The 1940 Act and the SEC's current rules, exemptions and interpretations thereunder, permit the Fund to borrow up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed, but less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities) from banks. The Fund is required to maintain continuous asset coverage of at least 300% with respect to such borrowings and to reduce the amount of its borrowings (within three days) to restore such coverage if it should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or otherwise. In the event that the Fund is required to reduce its borrowings, it may have to sell portfolio holdings, even if such sale of the Fund's holdings would be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint.

If the Fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage. Leveraging by means of borrowing may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of portfolio securities on the Fund's net asset value, and money borrowed will be subject to interest and other costs (which may include commitment fees and/or the cost of maintaining minimum average balances), which may or may not exceed the income or gains received from the securities purchased with borrowed funds.

In addition to borrowings that are subject to 300% asset coverage and are considered by the SEC to be permitted "senior securities," the Fund is also permitted under the 1940 Act to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets at the time when the loan is made. A loan will be presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed.

Segregation of assets. Consistent with SEC staff guidance, financial instruments that involve obligations to make future payments to third parties will not be viewed as creating any senior security provided that the Fund covers its obligations as described below. Those financial instruments can include, among others, (i) securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed delivery, and to be announced basis, (ii) futures contracts, (iii) forward currency contracts, (iv) swaps, (v) written options, (vi) unfunded commitments, (vii) securities sold short, and (viii) reverse repurchase agreements.

Consistent with SEC staff guidance, the Fund will consider its obligations involving such a financial instrument as “covered” when the Fund (1) maintains an offsetting financial position, or (2) segregates liquid assets (constituting cash, cash equivalents or other liquid portfolio securities) equal to the Fund’s exposures relating to the financial instrument, as determined on a daily basis. Dedicated Fund compliance policies and procedures, which the board has approved, govern the kinds of transactions that can be deemed to be offsetting transactions for purposes of (1) above, and the amounts of assets that need to be segregated for purposes of (2) above (Asset Segregation Policies).

In the case of forward currency contracts, the Fund may offset the contracts for purposes of (1) above when the counterparties, terms and amounts match, otherwise an appropriate amount of assets will be segregated consistent with (2) above. Segregated assets for purposes of (2) above are not required to be physically segregated from other Fund assets, but are segregated through appropriate notation on the books of the Fund or the Fund’s custodian.

The Fund’s Asset Segregation Policies may require the Fund to sell a portfolio security or exit a transaction, including a transaction in a financial instrument, at a disadvantageous time or price in order for the Fund to be able to segregate the required amount of assets. If segregated assets decline in value, the Fund will need to segregate additional assets or reduce its position in the financial instruments. In addition, segregated assets may not be available to satisfy redemptions or for other purposes, until the Fund’s obligations under the financial instruments have been satisfied. In addition, the Fund’s ability to use the financial instruments identified above may under some circumstances depend on the nature of the instrument and amount of assets that the Asset Segregation Policies require the Fund to segregate. The Asset Segregation Policies provide, consistent with current SEC staff positions, that for futures and forward contracts that require only cash settlement, and swap agreements that call for periodic netting between the Fund and its counterparty, the segregated amount is the net amount due under the contract, as determined daily on a mark-to-market basis. For other kinds of futures, forwards and swaps, the Fund must segregate a larger amount of assets to cover its obligations, which essentially limits the Fund’s ability to use these instruments. If the SEC staff changes its positions concerning the segregation of the net amount due under certain forwards, futures and swap contracts, the ability of the Fund to use the financial instruments could be negatively affected.

Callable securities Callable securities give the issuer the right to redeem the security on a given date or dates (known as the call dates) prior to maturity. In return, the call feature is factored into the price of the debt security, and callable debt securities typically offer a higher yield than comparable non-callable securities. Certain securities may be called only in whole (the entire security is redeemed), while others may be called in part (a portion of the total face value is redeemed) and possibly from time to time as determined by the issuer. There is no guarantee that the Fund will receive higher yields or a call premium on an investment in callable securities.

The period of time between the time of issue and the first call date, known as call protection, varies from security to security. Call protection provides the investor holding the security with assurance that the security will not be called before a specified date. As a result, securities with call protection generally cost more than similar securities without call protection. Call protection will make a callable security more similar to a long-term debt security, resulting in an associated increase in the callable security's interest rate sensitivity.

Documentation for callable securities usually requires that investors be notified of a call within a prescribed period of time. If a security is called, the Fund will receive the principal amount and accrued interest, and may receive a small additional payment as a call premium. Issuers are more likely to exercise call options in periods when interest rates are below the rate at which the original security was issued, because the issuer can issue new securities with lower interest payments. Callable securities are subject to the risks of other debt securities in general, including prepayment risk, especially in falling interest rate environments.

Collateralized loan obligations Collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) are interests in a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans made to domestic and foreign borrowers, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.

In CLOs, the interests in the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches (or classes), that vary in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults on the bonds or loans in the trust and is intended to protect the other, more senior tranches from severe, and potentially unforeseen, defaults or delinquent collateral payments. Because they may be partially protected from defaults, senior tranches from a CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than the underlying collateral securities held by the trust, and may be rated investment grade. Despite protection from the equity tranche, more senior tranches can experience, and may have recently experienced, substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as a market aversion to CLO securities as a class. The Fund only will invest in one of the top two tranches of a CLO that is rated "A" or higher by an appropriate rating agency.

The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the type of collateral held by the trust and the tranche of the CLO in which the Fund invests. Investment risk may also be affected by the performance of a CLO's collateral manager (the entity responsible for selecting and managing the pool of collateral securities held by the CLO trust), especially during a period of market volatility like that recently experienced. Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws and traded in a public market. As a result, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. However, an active dealer market may exist for CLOs allowing the Fund to trade CLOs with other qualified institutional investors under Rule 144A. To the extent such investments are characterized as illiquid, they will be subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. The Fund's investment is unregistered securities such as CLOs will not receive the same investor protection as an investment in registered securities.

All tranches of CLOs, including senior tranches with high credit ratings, can experience, and many have recently experienced, substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to future defaults due to the disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as market aversion to CLO securities as a class. Recently, prices of CLO tranches have declined considerably. The drop in prices was initially triggered by the subprime mortgage crisis. Subprime mortgages make up a significant portion of the mortgage securities that collateralize many CLOs. As floating interest rates and mortgage default rates increased, the rating agencies that had rated the mortgage securities and CLO transactions backed by such mortgages realized their default assumptions were too low and began to downgrade the credit rating of these transactions. There can be no assurance that additional losses of equal or greater magnitude will not occur in the future.

In addition to the normal risks associated with debt securities (e.g., interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk), CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or quality or go into default; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of a CLO that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer, difficulty in valuing the security or unexpected investment results.

Certain issuers of CLOs may be deemed to be "investment companies" as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund's investment in these structured investments from these issuers may be limited by the restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. CLOs generally charge management fees and administrative expenses that the shareholders of the Fund would pay indirectly.

Commodity-linked instruments Commodity-linked derivative instruments are designed to provide exposure to the investment returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in physical commodities. Real assets are assets such as oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties, as compared to stocks or bonds, which are financial instruments. The investment manager generally intends to invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments whose returns are linked to broad-based commodity indexes (such as the S&P GSCI Commodity Index (S&P GSCI)).

Investing in physical commodities presents unique risks, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Market prices of commodities may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships (whether actual, perceived, anticipated, unanticipated or unrealized); weather; agriculture; trade; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; diseases; pestilence; technological developments; and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. The current or “spot” prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity. Certain commodities are used primarily in one industry, and fluctuations in levels of activity in (or the availability of alternative resources to) one industry may have a disproportionate effect on global demand for a particular commodity. Moreover, recent growth in industrial production and gross domestic product has made China and other developing nations oversized users of commodities and has increased the extent to which certain commodities prices are influenced by those markets.

The Fund does not consider currencies or other financial commodities or contracts and financial instruments to be physical commodities (which include, for example, oil, precious metals and grains). Accordingly, the Fund interprets the fundamental restriction to permit the Fund (subject to the Fund’s investment goal and general investment policies as stated in the Fund’s offering circular and this SAI) to invest directly in foreign currencies and other financial commodities and to purchase, sell or enter into commodity futures contracts and options thereon, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency options, currency, commodity and financial instrument-related swap agreements, hybrid instruments, interest rate, securities-related or foreign currency-related hedging instruments or other currency-, commodity- or financial instrument-related derivatives, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities or commodities laws. The Fund also interprets its fundamental restriction regarding purchasing and selling physical commodities to permit the Fund to invest in exchange-traded funds or other entities that invest in physical and/or financial commodities, subject to the limits described in the Fund’s offering circular and SAI.

Commodity-Linked Notes. The value of a commodity-linked note is primarily linked to the price movements of physical commodity (such as heating oil, livestock, or agricultural products), a commodity futures or option contract, a commodity index (such as the S&P GSCI), or some other readily measurable variable that reflects changes in the value of particular commodities or the commodities markets The notes in which the Fund invests are typically issued by a bank or other financial institution or a commodity producer, and the Fund negotiates with the issuer to obtain specific terms and features that are tailored to the Fund’s investment needs. A typical note may have the following characteristics:

Issuer: A bank, other financial institution or commodity producer with respect to commodity-linked notes.
Maturity: Commodity-Linked Notes (12-18 months)
Purchase Price: The Fund purchases a note at a specified face value, for example $100 or $1,000.
Payment Characteristics: The Fund receives an interest payment at a fixed coupon rate determined at the time of purchase. With respect to commodity-linked notes, the Fund also receives a payment at maturity that is based on the price movement of the underlying commodity, for example heating oil, or a commodity index, (e.g., the S&P GSCI). This payment will typically be an amount that is a multiple of the price increase or decrease of the underlying commodity or commodity index. The investment manager currently anticipates that most notes purchased by the Fund will be leveraged at a 3 to 1 factor (i.e., the return of the index is multiplied 3x for purposes of the Fund’s returns).
Put” and Automatic Redemption Features: The Fund typically has the right to “put” (or sell) a commodity-linked note to the issuer at any time, at a price based on the commodity-linked note’s face value as adjusted to reflect the price movement of the underlying commodity, commodity futures or option contract, commodity index, or other economic variable. A typical note also provides that the issuer will automatically repurchase the note from the Fund if the value of the note decreases to a specified level, which would occur if the price of the underlying commodity, commodity futures or option contract, or commodity index, which ever the case may be, reached a level specified under the terms of the note. The Fund can negotiate with the issuer to modify any of the typical characteristics described above. For example, the Fund can negotiate to extend or shorten the maturity of a note, or to receive interest payments at a variable interest rate instead of at a fixed interest rate.

Use of Commodities and establishment of Cayman Islands-Based Subsidiary. In connection with the use of commodity-linked derivatives, including swaps, certain commodity linked notes, options, futures and options on futures to gain commodities exposure, the Fund has established a Cayman Islands-based company (the “Subsidiary”) so that the income and gains derived from an investment in commodity-linked derivatives, will qualify as “good income” for the Fund under the Internal Revenue Code. Under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance, no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in the blocker company. The Fund has sought a private letter ruling from the IRS regarding the Fund’s proposed treatment of income derived from the Subsidiary as a result of its investment in certain commodity linked derivative instruments. However, the IRS recently suspended the issuance of further private letter rulings to investment companies, including the Fund, seeking commodities exposure.

Convertible securities A convertible security is generally a debt obligation, preferred stock or other security that may be converted within a specified period of time into a certain amount of common stock of the same or of a different issuer. The conversion may occur at the option of the investor in or issuer of the security, or upon a predetermined event. A convertible security typically provides a fixed-income stream and the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation resulting from a market price advance in its underlying common stock. As with a straight fixed-income security, a convertible security tends to increase in market value when interest rates decline and decrease in value when interest rates rise. Like a common stock, the value of a convertible security also tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, and it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying stock declines. Because both interest rate and market movements can influence its value, a convertible security is usually not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar fixed-income security, nor is it as sensitive to changes in share price as its underlying stock. Convertible securities are also subject to risks that affect debt securities in general.

Although less than an investment in the underlying stock, the potential for gain on an investment in a convertible security is greater than for similar non-convertible securities. As a result, a lower yield is generally offered on convertible securities than on otherwise equivalent non-convertible securities. There is no guarantee that the Fund will realize gains on a convertible security in excess of the foregone yield it accepts to invest in such convertible security.

A convertible security is usually issued either by an operating company or by an investment bank. When issued by an operating company, a convertible security tends to be senior to the company's common stock, but may be subordinate to other types of fixed-income securities issued by that company. When a convertible security issued by an operating company is "converted," the operating company often issues new stock to the holder of the convertible security. However, if the convertible security is redeemable and the parity price of the convertible security is less than the call price, the operating company may pay out cash instead of common stock.

If the convertible security is issued by an investment bank or other sponsor, the security is an obligation of and is convertible through, the issuing investment bank. However, the common stock received upon conversion is of a company other than the investment bank or sponsor. The issuer of a convertible security may be important in determining the security's true value. This is because the holder of a convertible security will have recourse only to the issuer.

Convertible preferred stock. A convertible preferred stock is usually treated like a preferred stock for the Fund's financial reporting, credit rating and investment policies and limitations purposes. A preferred stock is subordinated to all debt obligations in the event of insolvency, and an issuer's failure to make a dividend payment is generally not an event of default entitling the preferred shareholder to take action. A preferred stock generally has no maturity date, so that its market value is dependent on the issuer's business prospects for an indefinite period of time. Distributions from preferred stock are dividends, rather than interest payments, and are usually treated as such for corporate tax purposes. Investments in convertible preferred stock, as compared to the debt obligations of an issuer, generally increase the Fund's exposure to the credit risk of the issuer and market risk generally, because convertible preferred stock will fare more poorly if the issuer defaults or markets suffer.

Enhanced convertible securities. In addition to "plain vanilla" convertible securities, a number of different structures have been created to fit the characteristics of specific investors and issuers. Examples of these features include yield enhancement, increased equity exposure or enhanced downside protection. From an issuer's perspective, enhanced structures are designed to meet balance sheet criteria, maximize interest/dividend payment deductibility and reduce equity dilution. Examples of enhanced convertible securities include mandatory convertible securities, convertible trust preferred securities, exchangeable securities, and zero coupon and deep discount convertible bonds.

Risks. An investment in a convertible security may involve risks. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of such securities because there may be a thin trading market for a particular security at any given time. Reduced liquidity may have an adverse impact on market price and the Fund's ability to dispose of a security when necessary to meet the Fund's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as the deterioration in the creditworthiness of an issuer. Reduced liquidity in the secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain market quotations based on actual trades for purposes of valuing the Fund's portfolio. Although the Fund intends to acquire convertible securities that the investment manager considers to be liquid (i.e., those securities that the investment manager determines may be sold on an exchange, or an institutional or other substantial market), there can be no assurances that this will be achieved. Certain securities and markets can become illiquid quickly, resulting in liquidity risk for the Fund. The Fund will also encounter difficulty valuing convertible securities due to illiquidity or other circumstances that make it difficult for the Fund to obtain timely market quotations based on actual trades for convertible securities. Convertible securities may have low credit ratings, which generally correspond with higher credit risk to an investor like the Fund.

Synthetic convertible securities. A synthetic convertible is created by combining distinct securities that together possess the two principal characteristics of a true convertible security, i.e., fixed income payments in the form of interest or dividends and the right to acquire the underlying equity security. This combination is achieved by investing in nonconvertible debt securities and in warrants or stock or stock index call options which grant the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of securities within a specified period of time at a specified price (or to receive cash, in the case of stock index options). Synthetic convertibles are typically offered by financial institutions and investment banks in private placement transactions. Upon conversion, the Fund generally receives an amount in cash equal to the difference between the conversion price and the then-current value of the underlying security.

In addition to the general risks of convertible securities and the special risks of enhanced convertible securities, there are risks unique to synthetic convertible securities. Synthetic convertible securities differ from true convertible securities in several respects. The value of a synthetic convertible security is the sum of the values of its debt security component and its convertibility component. Thus, the values of a synthetic convertible and a true convertible security will respond differently to market fluctuations. Although the investment manager expects normally to create synthetic convertible securities whose two components provide exposure to the same issuer, the character of a synthetic convertible allows the Fund to combine components representing distinct issuers, or to combine a debt security with a call option on a stock index. In addition, the component parts of a synthetic convertible security may be purchased simultaneously or separately; and the holder of a synthetic convertible faces the risk that the price of the stock, or the level of the market index underlying the convertibility component will decline. Exposure to more than one issuer or participant will increase the number of parties upon which the investment depends and the complexity of that investment and, as a result, increase the Fund's credit risk and valuation risk.

Corporate Loans, Assignments and Participations

Corporate loans. Corporate loans typically are structured and negotiated by a group of financial institutions, including in some cases, the Fund, each of which is referred to as a lender, that provide the monies loaned to the borrowers. In return, the borrowers pay interest and repay loan's principal to the lenders. Such corporate loans often pay interest rates that are reset periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus a premium. The Fund may acquire corporate loans directly at the time of the loan's closing or by buying an assignment of all or a portion of the corporate loan from a lender. The Fund may also acquire indirect ownership of the corporate loan by buying a loan participation from a lender or other purchaser of a participation. Corporate loans may include term loans and, to the extent permissible for the Fund, revolving credit facilities, prefunded letters of credit term loans, delayed draw term loans and receivables purchase facilities.

The Fund limits the amount of total assets that it will invest in any one issuer. For purposes of these limitations, the Fund generally will treat the borrower as the "issuer" of indebtedness held by the Fund. In loan participations, a bank or other lending institution serves as financial intermediary between the Fund and the borrower, the participation may not shift to the Fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower. In this case, SEC interpretations require the Fund, in appropriate circumstances, to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as "issuers" for these purposes. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a Fund's ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent different companies and industries.

Negotiation and administration of loans. Each type of corporate loan in which the Fund may invest typically is structured by a group of lenders. This means that the lenders participate in the negotiations with the corporate borrower and in the drafting of the terms of the corporate loan. The group of lenders often consists of commercial banks, thrift institutions, insurance companies, finance companies, other financial institutions, or in some cases investment companies such as the Fund. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will not act as the sole negotiator or sole originator for a corporate loan. One or more of the lenders usually administers the corporate loan on behalf of all the lenders; this lender is referred to as the Agent Bank.

Three ways to invest in corporate loans. The Fund may invest in corporate loans in any of three ways. The Fund may: (i) make a direct investment in a corporate loan by participating as one of the initial lenders; (ii) make a direct investment by purchasing an assignment of part or all of a corporate loan; or (iii) make an indirect investment by purchasing a participation interest in a corporate loan. Participation interests are interests sold by a lender or other holders of participation interests, which usually represent a fractional interest in a corporate loan. An assignment represents a direct interest in a corporate loan or portion of a corporate loan previously owned by a different lender. Unlike where the Fund purchases a participation interest, the Fund will generally become a lender for the purposes of the relevant corporate loan agreement by purchasing an assignment.

1. Direct investments in corporate loans. When the Fund invests as an initial lender in a new corporate loan, the investment may be made at a discount to par. This means that the Fund receives a return at the full interest rate for the corporate loan, which incorporates the discount.

2. Assignments of corporate loans. If the Fund purchases an assignment of a corporate loan from a lender, the Fund will assume the position of the original lender. The Fund will have the right to receive payments directly from the corporate borrower and to enforce its contractual rights as a lender directly against the corporate borrower.

3. Participation interests in corporate loans. In contrast to the purchase of an assignment, if the Fund purchases a participation interest either from a lender or a participant, the Fund typically will have established a direct contractual relationship with the seller of the participation interest, but not with the corporate borrower. Consequently, the Fund is subject to the credit risk of the lender or participant who sold the participation interest to the Fund, in addition to the usual credit risk of the corporate borrower. Therefore, when the Fund considers an investment in corporate loans through the purchase of participation interests, its investment manager will take into account the creditworthiness of the Agent Bank and any lenders and participants interposed between the Fund and the corporate borrower. These parties are referred to as Intermediate Participants. Additionally, the Fund will consider that there may be limitations on the Fund's ability to vote on amendments to the borrower's underlying loan agreement.

Because secondary purchases of loans may be made at par, at a premium from par or at a discount from par, the Fund's return on such an investment may be lower than it would have been if the Fund had made a direct initial investment. While loan participations generally trade at a discount, the Fund may buy participations trading at par or at a premium. At certain times when reduced opportunities for direct initial investment in corporate loans may exist, however, the Fund may be able to invest in corporate loans only through participation interests or assignments.

Loan participations. Loan participations may enable the Fund to acquire an interest in a corporate loan from a borrower, which it could not do directly. Because the Fund establishes a direct contractual relationship with the lender or Participant, the Fund is subject to the credit risk of the lender or Participant in addition to the usual credit risk of the corporate borrower and any Agent Bank. The Participants and Agent Bank are referred to as Intermediate Participants (Intermediate Participant). Under normal market conditions, loan participations that sell at a significant discount to the secondary loan price may indicate the borrower has credit problems or other issues associated with the credit risk of the loan. To the extent the credit problems are resolved, loan participations may appreciate in value.

In the event the corporate borrower fails to pay principal and interest when due, the Fund may have to assert rights against the borrower through an Intermediate Participant. This may subject the Fund to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that would be involved if the Fund could enforce its rights directly against the corporate borrower. Also, in the event of the insolvency of the lender or Intermediate Participant who sold the participation interest to the Fund, the Fund may not have any exclusive or senior claim with respect to the lender's interest in the corporate loan, or in the collateral securing the corporate loan. Consequently, the Fund might not benefit directly from the collateral supporting the underlying corporate loan. If the Intermediate Participant becomes insolvent, payments of principal and/or interest may be held up or not paid by such Participant or such Participant may not have the resources to assert its and the Fund's rights against the corporate borrower. Similar risks may arise with respect to the Agent Bank.

Obligations to make future advances. Certain revolving credit facility corporate loans (revolvers) and some types of delayed draw loans require that the lenders, including the Fund, and Intermediate Participants make future advances to the corporate borrower at the demand of the borrower. Other continuing obligations may also exist pursuant to the terms of these types of corporate loans. If the Fund's future obligations are not met for any reason, including the failure of an Intermediate Participant to fulfill its obligations, the Fund's interests may be harmed.

Delayed draw term loans. Delayed draw term loans have characteristics of both revolvers and term loans, in that, before they are drawn upon by the borrower, they are similar to a revolver; however when they are drawn upon, they become fully and permanently drawn and are in essence term loans. Upon funding, when a loan is drawn upon, the loan becomes permanently funded, repaid principal amounts may not be reborrowed and interest accrues on the amount outstanding. The borrower pays a fee during the commitment period. Because these loans involve forward obligations, they are subject to the Fund's asset segregation policies.

Prefunded L/C term loan. A prefunded L/C term loan (Pre L/C Loan) is sometimes referred to as a funded letter of credit facility. For these loans, the Agent Bank (or another bank) issues letters of credit (each letter, an L/C) to guarantee the repayment of the borrowings by the borrower, as the ultimate debtor under these loans. Each lender, such as the Fund, transfers to the Agent Bank the amount of money the lender has committed to lend under the Pre L/C Loan agreement. The Agent Bank holds the monies solely to satisfy the lenders' obligations under the loan agreement.

Whenever the borrower needs funds, it draws against the Pre L/C Loan. Consequently, the lenders do not have to advance any additional monies at the time the borrower draws against the Pre L/C Loan. To the extent that the borrower does not draw down these monies as borrowings during the term of the Pre L/C Loan, the Agent Bank invests these monies as deposits that pay interest, usually approximating a benchmark rate, such as LIBOR. This interest is paid to the borrower. Generally, the borrower, via the Agent Bank, pays the lenders interest at a rate equivalent to the fully drawn spread plus a benchmark rate, usually LIBOR. The borrower pays this interest during the term of the loan whether or not the borrower borrows monies from the amounts held and invested by the Agent Bank. The principal and any unpaid accrued interest will be returned to the lenders upon termination of the Pre L/C loan (and upon satisfaction of all obligations).

The risks of investing in corporate loans include all the general risks of investing in debt securities. For example, investments in corporate loans are exposed to the credit risk of the borrowing corporation and any Intermediate Participants, the valuation risk of pricing corporate loans and collateral, and the illiquidity risk associated with holding unregistered, non-exchange traded securities. There are also additional risks associated with an investment in corporate loans, including those described below.

Additional credit risks. Corporate loans may be issued in leveraged or highly leveraged transactions (such as mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, liquidations, spinoffs, reorganizations or financial restructurings), or involving distressed companies or those in bankruptcy. This means that the borrower is assuming large amounts of debt in order to have large amounts of financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives; there is no guarantee, however, that the borrower will achieve its business objectives. Loans issued in leveraged or highly leveraged transactions are subject to greater credit risks than other loans, including an increased possibility that the borrower might default or go into bankruptcy.

Insufficient collateral. The terms of most senior secured corporate loans and corporate debt securities in which the Fund invests require that the collateral provided by the corporate borrower have a fair market value at least equal to 100% of the amount of such corporate loan at the time of the loan. The investment manager generally will determine the value of the collateral by customary valuation techniques that it considers appropriate. The collateral may consist of various types of assets or interests including working capital assets, such as accounts receivable or inventory, tangible fixed assets, such as real property, buildings and equipment, tangible or intangible assets, such as trademarks, copyrights and patent rights, or security interests in securities of subsidiaries or affiliates. The borrower's owners or other parties may provide additional security.

The Fund may encounter difficulty valuing the collateral, especially less tangible assets. The value of the collateral may decline following investment by the Fund in the corporate loan. Also, collateral may be difficult to sell or liquidate and insufficient in the event of a default. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral securing a corporate loan would satisfy the borrower's obligation in the event of nonpayment of scheduled interest or principal payments, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing a corporate loan. Collateral securing a corporate loan may lose all or substantially all of its value in the event of bankruptcy of a borrower. Some corporate loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could order currently existing or future indebtedness of the corporate borrower to be paid ahead of the corporate loans. This order could make repayment of the corporate loans in part or in full less likely. The court could take other action detrimental to the holders of the corporate loans including, in certain circumstances, invalidating such corporate loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower.

Publicly available information and ratings. Many corporate loans in which the Fund may invest may not be rated by a rating agency, will not be registered with the SEC or any state securities commission and will not be listed on any national securities exchange. The amount of public information available with respect to corporate loans will generally be less than that available for registered or exchange listed securities. The Fund will not receive the same investor protections that it would with a similar investment in registered or exchange listed securities. In evaluating the creditworthiness of borrowers, the investment manager may consider, and may rely in part, on analyses performed by others. Corporate loans held by the Fund directly or as a participation interest or assignment of the loan may be assigned ratings below investment grade by a rating agency, or be unrated but judged by the investment manager to be of comparable quality.

Liquidity of corporate loans. The investment manager generally considers corporate loans, loan participations and assignments of corporate loans to be liquid. To the extent such investments are deemed to be liquid by the investment manager, they will not be subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. Generally, a liquid market with institutional buyers exists for such interests. The investment manager monitors each type of loan and/or loan interest in which the Fund is invested to determine whether it is liquid consistent with the liquidity procedures adopted by the Fund.

No active trading market may exist for some corporate loans and some corporate loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. A secondary market in corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the ability to accurately value existing and prospective investments and to realize full value on sale of a corporate loan. In addition, the Fund may not be able to readily sell its corporate loans at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such loans if they were more widely traded. As a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations.

Risks based on Agent Banks and/or Intermediate Participants. The Agent Bank is a lender that administers the corporate loan. The Agent Bank typically is responsible for collecting principal, interest and fee payments from the corporate borrower. The Agent Bank then distributes these payments to all lenders that are parties to the corporate loan or own participation interests therein. The Fund will not act as an Agent Bank under normal circumstances. The Fund generally will rely on the Agent Bank or an Intermediate Participant to collect its portion of the payments. The Fund will also rely on the Agent Bank to take appropriate actions against a corporate borrower that is not making payments as scheduled. Typically, the Agent Bank is given broad discretion in enforcing the terms of the corporate loan, and is required to use only the same care it would use in the management of its own property. The corporate borrower compensates the Agent Bank for these services and this could create an incentive for the Agent Bank to exercise its discretion to the advantage of the corporate borrower to a greater extent than might otherwise be the case. Such compensation may include special fees paid at the start of corporate loans and other fees paid on a continuing basis.

In the event that a corporate borrower becomes bankrupt or insolvent, the borrower may attempt to assert certain legal defenses as a result of improper conduct by the Agent Bank or Intermediate Participant. Asserting the Fund's legal rights against the Agent Bank or Intermediate Participant could be expensive and result in the delay or loss to the Fund of principal and/or interest payments.

There is a risk that an Agent Bank may have financial difficulty. An Agent Bank could even declare bankruptcy, or have a receiver, conservator, or similar official appointed for it by a regulatory authority. If this happens, assets held by the Agent Bank under the corporate loan should remain available to holders of corporate loans, including the Fund. However, a regulatory authority or court may determine that assets held by the Agent Bank for the benefit of the Fund are subject to the claims of the Agent Bank's general or secured creditors. The Fund might incur costs and delays in realizing payment on a corporate loan or might suffer a loss of principal or interest. Similar risks arise in situations involving Intermediate Participants, as described above.

Covenants. The borrower under a corporate loan generally must comply with various restrictive covenants contained in any corporate loan agreement between the borrower and the lending syndicate or in any trust indenture or comparable document in connection with a corporate debt security. A restrictive covenant is a promise by the borrower to take certain actions that protect, or not to take certain action that may impair, the rights of lenders. These covenants, in addition to requiring the scheduled payment of interest and principal, may include restrictions on dividend payments and other distributions to shareholders, provisions requiring the borrower to maintain specific financial ratios or relationships regarding, and/or limits on, total debt. In addition, a covenant may require the borrower to prepay the corporate loan or corporate debt security with any excess cash flow. Excess cash flow generally includes net cash flow (after scheduled debt service payments and permitted capital expenditures) as well as the proceeds from asset dispositions or sales of securities. A breach of a covenant (after giving effect to any cure period) in a corporate loan agreement which is not waived by the Agent Bank and the lending syndicate normally is an event of acceleration. This means that the Agent Bank has the right to demand immediate repayment in full of the outstanding corporate loan. Acceleration may also occur in the case of the breach of a covenant in a corporate debt security document. If acceleration occurs and the Fund receives repayment before expected, the Fund will experience prepayment risk.

Some of the loans available in the market are known as "covenant lite." These loans contain fewer or no maintenance covenants. A covenant lite loan does not include the legal clauses which allow a lender to control and track the performance of a company. Covenant lite loans also generally do not permit a lender to declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience losses or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant lite loans.

Credit-linked notes Credit-linked notes (CLNs) are typically set-up as a "pass-through" note structure created by a broker or bank as an alternative investment for funds or other purchasers to directly buying a bond or group of bonds. CLNs are typically issued at par, with a one to one relationship with the notional value to the underlying bond(s). The performance of the CLN, however, including maturity value, is linked to the performance of the specified underlying bond(s) as well as that of the issuing entity.

In addition to the risk of loss of its principal investment, the Fund bears the risk that the issuer of the CLN will default or become bankrupt. In such an event, the Fund may have difficulty being repaid, or fail to be repaid, the principal amount of its investment. A downgrade or impairment to the credit rating of the issuer will also likely impact negatively the price of the CLN, regardless of the price of the bond(s) underlying the CLNs. A CLN is typically structured as a limited recourse, unsecured obligation of the issuer of such security such that the security will usually be the obligation solely of the issuer and will not be an obligation or responsibility of any other person, including the issuer of the underlying bond(s).

Most CLNs are structured as Rule 144A securities so that they may be freely traded among institutional buyers. However, the market for CLNs may be, or suddenly can become, illiquid. The other parties to the transaction may be the only investors with sufficient understanding of the CLN to be interested in bidding for it. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices of CLNs. In certain cases, a market price for a CLN may not be available or may not be reliable, and the Fund could experience difficulty in selling such security at a price the investment manager believes is fair.

Credit-linked securities Credit-linked securities, which may be considered to be a type of structured investment, are debt securities that represent an interest in a pool of, or are otherwise collateralized by, one or more corporate debt obligations or credit default swaps on corporate debt or bank loan obligations. Such debt obligations may represent the obligations of one or more corporate issuers. The Fund has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the credit-linked security (usually the seller of the underlying credit default swap(s)) at an agreed-upon interest rate, and a return of principal at the maturity date. The Fund bears the risk of loss of its principal investment, and the periodic interest payments expected to be received for the duration of its investment in the credit-linked security, in the event that one or more of the debt obligations underlying bonds or debt obligations underlying the credit default swaps go in to default or otherwise become non-performing. Upon the occurrence of such a credit event (including bankruptcy, failure to timely pay interest or principal, or a restructuring) with respect to an underlying debt obligation (which may represent a credit event of one or more underlying obligors), the Fund will generally reduce the principal balance of the related credit-linked security by the Fund's pro rata interest in the par amount of the defaulted underlying debt obligation in exchange for the actual value of the defaulted underlying obligation or the defaulted underlying obligation itself, thereby causing the Fund to lose a portion of its investment. As a result, on an ongoing basis, interest on the credit-linked security will accrue on a smaller principal balance and a smaller principal balance will be returned at maturity. To the extent a credit-linked security represents an interest in underlying obligations of a single corporate issuer, a credit event with respect to such issuer presents greater risk of loss to the Fund than if the credit-linked security represented an interest in underlying obligations of multiple corporate issuers.

In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the issuer of the credit-linked security will default or become bankrupt. In such an event, the Fund may have difficulty being repaid, or fail to be repaid, the principal amount of its investment and the remaining periodic interest payments thereon.

An investment in credit-linked securities also involves reliance on the counterparty to the swap entered into with the issuer to make periodic payments to the issuer under the terms of the credit default swap. Any delay or cessation in the making of such payments may be expected in certain instances to result in delays or reductions in payments to the Fund as an investor in such credit-linked securities. Additionally, credit-linked securities are typically structured as limited recourse obligations of the issuer of such securities such that the securities issued will usually be obligations solely of the issuer and will not be obligations or responsibilities of any other person.

Most credit-linked securities are structured as Rule 144A securities so that they may be freely traded among institutional buyers. The Fund will generally only purchase credit-linked securities which are determined to be liquid in accordance with the Fund's liquidity guidelines. However, the market for credit-linked securities may be, or suddenly can become, illiquid. The other parties to the transaction may be the only investors with sufficient understanding of the securities to be interested in bidding for them. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for credit-linked securities. In certain cases, a market price for a credit-linked security may not be available or may not be reliable, and the Fund could experience difficulty in selling such security at a price the investment manager believes is fair. In the event a credit-linked security is deemed to be illiquid, the Fund will include such security in calculating its limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

The value of a credit-linked security will typically increase or decrease with any change in value of the underlying debt obligations, if any, held by the issuer and the credit default swap. Further, in cases where the credit-linked security is structured such that the payments to the Fund are based on amounts received in respect of, or the value of performance of, any underlying debt obligations specified in the terms of the relevant credit default swap, fluctuations in the value of such obligation may affect the value of the credit-linked security.

The collateral of a credit-linked security may be one or more credit default swaps, which are subject to additional risks.

Debt securities - general description In general, a debt security represents a loan of money to the issuer by the purchaser of the security. A debt security typically has a fixed payment schedule that obligates the issuer to pay interest to the lender and to return the lender's money over a certain time period. A company typically meets its payment obligations associated with its outstanding debt securities before it declares and pays any dividend to holders of its equity securities. Bonds, notes and commercial paper are examples of debt securities and differ in the length of the issuer's principal repayment schedule, with bonds carrying the longest repayment schedule and commercial paper the shortest:

Bonds. A bond is a debt security in which investors loan money to an entity that borrows for a defined period of time, usually a period of more than five years, at a specified interest rate.

Commercial paper. Commercial paper is an unsecured, short-term loan to a corporation, typically for financing accounts receivable and inventory with maturities of up to 270 days.

Debentures. A debenture is an unsecured debt security backed only by the creditworthiness of the borrower, not by collateral.

Bills. A bill is a short-term debt instrument, usually with a maturity of two years or less.

Notes. A note is a debt security usually with a maturity of up to ten years.

For purposes of the discussion in this SAI of the risks of investing in debt securities generally, loans or other short-term instruments, which otherwise may not technically be considered securities, are included.

Debt securities are all generally subject to interest rate, credit, income and prepayment risks and, like all investments, are subject to liquidity and market risks to varying degrees depending upon the specific terms and type of security. The Fund's investment manager attempts to reduce credit and market risk through diversification of the portfolio and ongoing credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring economic developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful at doing so.

Defaulted debt securities If the issuer of a debt security in the Fund's portfolio defaults, the Fund may have unrealized losses on the security, which may lower the Fund's net asset value. Defaulted securities tend to lose much of their value before they default. Thus, the Fund's net asset value may be adversely affected before an issuer defaults. The Fund will incur additional expenses if it tries to recover principal or interest payments on a defaulted security. Defaulted debt securities often are illiquid. An investment in defaulted debt securities will be considered speculative and expose the Fund to similar risks as an investment in high-yield debt.

The Fund may buy defaulted debt securities if, in the opinion of the investment manager, they present an opportunity for later price recovery, the issuer may resume interest payments, or other advantageous developments appear likely in the near future. The Fund is not required to sell a debt security that has defaulted if the investment manager believes it is advantageous to continue holding the security.

Depositary receipts Many securities of foreign issuers are represented by American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) (collectively, depositary receipts). Generally, depositary receipts in registered form are designed for use in the U.S. securities market and depositary receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S.

ADRs evidence ownership of, and represent the right to receive, securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or trust company or a foreign correspondent bank. Prices of ADRs are quoted in U.S. dollars, and ADRs are traded in the U.S. on exchanges or over-the-counter. While ADRs do not eliminate all the risks associated with foreign investments, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in the stock of foreign issuers, the Fund will avoid currency and certain foreign market trading risks during the settlement period for either purchases or sales. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the U.S. for ADRs quoted on a national securities exchange or on NASDAQ. The information available for ADRs is subject to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards of the U.S. market or exchange on which they are traded, which standards are generally more uniform and more exacting than those to which many foreign issuers may be subject.

EDRs and GDRs are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or a U.S. corporation. EDRs and GDRs may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. If the issuer's home country does not have developed financial markets, the Fund could be exposed to the credit risk of the custodian or financial institution and greater market risk. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. The Fund would be expected to pay a share of the additional fees, which it would not pay if investing directly in the foreign securities. The Fund may experience delays in receiving its dividend and interest payments or exercising rights as a shareholder.

Depositary receipts may reduce some but not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. Depositary receipts are still subject to the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country and are still subject to foreign currency exchange risk. Depositary receipts will be issued under sponsored or unsponsored programs. In sponsored programs, an issuer has made arrangements to have its securities traded in the form of depositary receipts. In unsponsored programs, the issuer may not be directly involved in the creation of the program. Although regulatory requirements with respect to sponsored and unsponsored programs are generally similar, in some cases it may be easier to obtain financial information about an issuer that has participated in the creation of a sponsored program. There may be an increased possibility of untimely responses to certain corporate actions of the issuer, such as stock splits and rights offerings, in an unsponsored program. Accordingly, there may be less information available regarding issuers of securities underlying unsponsored programs and there may not be a correlation between this information and the market value of the depositary receipts. If the Fund's investment depends on obligations being met by the arranger as well as the issuer of an unsponsored program, the Fund will be exposed to additional credit risk.

Derivative instruments The Fund expects to use derivative instruments for risk management purposes and as part of its investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying assets, reference rates, or indices (a "reference instrument") and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities or related indices. Derivative instruments allow the Fund to gain or reduce exposure to the value of a reference instrument without actually owning or selling the instrument.

Derivative instruments may be used for “hedging,” which means that they may be used when the investment manager seeks to protect the Fund's investments from a decline in value resulting from changes to interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations or other market factors. Derivative instruments may also be used for other purposes, including to seek to increase liquidity, provide efficient portfolio management, broaden investment opportunities (including taking short or negative positions), implement a tax or cash management strategy, gain exposure to a particular security or segment of the market, modify the effective duration of the Fund's portfolio investments and/or enhance total return. However derivative instruments are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon the investment manager's ability to gauge relevant market movements.

Generally, the Fund may use derivative instruments for purposes of direct hedging. Direct hedging means that the transaction must be intended to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency and must also be directly related to such security or currency. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments for purposes other than direct hedging may be limited from time to time by policies adopted by the board of trustees or the Fund’s investment manager. Because some derivative instruments used by the Fund may oblige the Fund to make payments or incur additional obligations in the future, the SEC requires mutual funds to “cover” or segregate liquid assets equal to the potential exposure created by such derivatives. The obligation to cover or segregate such assets is described more fully under "Borrowing" in this SAI.

The Fund may purchase and sell derivative instruments only to the extent that such activities are consistent with the requirements of the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (CEA), under which the Fund is excluded from the definition of a "commodity pool operator." Although the Fund is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has recently proposed amendments to this exclusion. Whether the proposed amendments will be adopted in their current form and the full impact of such amendments on the Fund are not yet known.

Currency forward contracts. A currency forward contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific non-U.S. currency at an agreed exchange rate (price) at a future date, which is individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers in the interbank market. A cross currency forward is a forward contract to sell a specific non-U.S. currency in exchange for another non-U.S. currency and may be used when the price of one of those non-U.S. currencies is expected to experience a substantial movement against the other non-U.S. currency. A currency forward contract will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, similar to when the Fund sells a security denominated in one currency and purchases a security denominated in another currency. The Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of a forward contract or, prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. The Fund may enter into forward contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the two currencies but instead are settled by a single cash payment calculated as the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at settlement based upon an agreed upon notional amount. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original forward contract.

For example, the Fund may enter into a forward contract when it owns a security that is denominated in a non-U.S. currency and desires to “lock in” the U.S. dollar value of the security. In addition, when the Fund's investment manager believes that a specific foreign currency may experience a substantial movement against another foreign currency, the Fund may enter into a cross currency forward contract to buy or sell, as appropriate, an amount of the foreign currency either: (a) approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such currency (this investment practice generally is referred to as “cross-hedging”); (b) necessary to derive a level of additional income or return that the Fund’s investment manager seeks to achieve for the Fund; (c) to increase liquidity; or (d) to gain exposure to a currency in a more efficient or less expensive way. The Fund may also engage in “proxy hedging.” Proxy hedging entails entering into a forward contract to buy or sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to perform similarly linked closely to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Fund’s portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund’s portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar and therefore another currency is used as a “proxy” for such currency.

Risks of currency forward contracts. The successful use of these transactions will usually depend on the investment manager's ability to accurately forecast currency exchange rate movements. Should exchange rates move in an unexpected manner, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, or it may realize losses. In addition, these techniques could result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. While the Fund uses only counterparties that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty’s creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Moreover, investors should bear in mind that the Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging or other currency transactions. For example, the Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular foreign currency at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.

Although the CFTC does not currently regulate these contracts, it may in the future assert such regulatory authority. In such event, the Fund’s ability to utilize currency forward contracts in the manner set forth above may be restricted. Currency forward contracts may limit potential gain from a positive change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in such contracts. Moreover, there may be an imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and the currencies bought or sold in the forward contracts entered into by the Fund. This imperfect correlation may cause the Fund to sustain losses that will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge or expose the Fund to risk of foreign exchange loss.

Futures contracts. Generally, a futures contract is a standard binding agreement between two parties to buy or sell a specified quantity of an underlying reference instrument, such as a specific security, currency or commodity, at a specified price at a specified later date. A “sale” of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A “purchase” of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase or sale of a futures contract will allow the Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying reference instrument without having to buy the actual instrument.

The underlying reference instruments to which futures contracts may relate include non-U.S. currencies, interest rates, stock and bond indices and debt securities, including U.S. government debt obligations. In most cases the contractual obligation under a futures contract may be offset, or “closed out,” before the settlement date so that the parties do not have to make or take delivery. The closing out of a contractual obligation is usually accomplished by buying or selling, as the case may be, an identical, offsetting futures contract. This transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or asset. Although some futures contracts by their terms require the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying instrument or asset, some require cash settlement.

Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. have been designed by exchanges that have been designated “contract markets” by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (FCM), which is a brokerage firm, that is a member of the relevant contract market. Each exchange guarantees performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Futures contracts may also be entered into on certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, available to certain market participants. Because all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled by an FCM through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts.

The Fund generally buys and sells futures contracts only on contract markets (including exchanges or boards of trade) where there appears to be an active market for the futures contracts, but there is no assurance that an active market will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. An active market makes it more likely that futures contracts will be liquid and bought and sold at competitive market prices. In addition, many of the futures contracts available may be relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active market will develop or continue to exist.

When the Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM (that has been selected by the Fund), an amount referred to as “initial margin” that currently ranges from 1.5% to 5.0% of the contract amount. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a “variation margin” amount may be required to be paid by the Fund or received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the price of the underlying reference instrument subject to the futures contract. The account is marked-to-market daily and the variation margin is monitored by the Fund’s investment manager and custodian on a daily basis. When the futures contract is closed out, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any amount in excess of the margin amount, if the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the difference is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the margin amount and the amount of the gain that exceeds the margin amount is returned to the Fund.

Some futures contracts provide for the delivery of securities that are different than those that are specified in the contract. For a futures contract for delivery of debt securities, on the settlement date of the contract, adjustments to the contract can be made to recognize differences in value arising from the delivery of debt securities with a different interest rate from that of the particular debt securities that were specified in the contract. In some cases, securities called for by a futures contract may not have been issued when the contract was written.

Risks of futures contracts. The Fund’s use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the amount that the Fund delivered as initial margin. Because of the low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the Fund. There is also the risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. In addition, if the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements or close out a futures position, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Adverse market movements could cause the Fund to experience substantial losses on an investment in a futures contract.

The Fund may not be able to properly hedge or effect its strategy when a liquid market is unavailable for the futures contract the Fund wishes to close, which may at times occur. In addition, when futures contracts are used for hedging, there may be an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the underlying reference instrument on which the futures contract is based and movements in the prices of the assets sought to be hedged.

If the investment manager’s investment judgment about the general direction of market prices or interest or currency exchange rates is incorrect, the Fund’s overall performance will be poorer than if it had not entered into a futures contract. For example, if the Fund has purchased futures to hedge against the possibility of an increase in interest rates that would adversely affect the price of bonds held in its portfolio and interest rates instead decrease, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the bonds which it has hedged. This is because its losses in its futures positions will offset some or all of its gains from the increased value of the bonds.

The difference (called the “spread”) between prices in the cash market for the purchase and sale of the underlying reference instrument and the prices in the futures market are subject to fluctuations and distortions due to differences in the nature of those two markets. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal pricing spread between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery of the underlying instrument. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, resulting in pricing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements that apply in the futures market are less onerous than similar margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. When such distortions occur, a correct forecast of general trends in the price of an underlying reference instrument by the investment manager may still not necessarily result in a profitable transaction.

Futures contracts that are traded on non-U.S. exchanges may not be as liquid as those purchased on CFTC-designated contract markets. In addition, non-U.S. futures contracts may be subject to varied regulatory oversight. The price of any non-U.S. futures contract and, therefore, the potential profit and loss thereon, may be affected by any change in the non-U.S. exchange rate between the time a particular order is placed and the time it is liquidated, offset or exercised.

The CFTC and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as the Fund, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. The investment manager does not believe that these trading and positions limits will have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investment strategies.

Futures exchanges may also limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. This daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

Options on futures contracts. Options on futures contracts trade on the same contract markets as the underlying futures contract. When the Fund buys an option, it pays a premium for the right, but does not have the obligation to, purchase (call) or sell (put) a futures contract at a set price (called the exercise price). The purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract, whereby the Fund has the right to purchase or sell, respectively, a particular futures contract, is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call or put option on an individual security or currency. Depending on the premium paid for the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon which it is based or the price of the underlying reference instrument, the option may be less risky than direct ownership of the futures contract or the underlying reference instrument. For example, the Fund could purchase a call option on a long futures contract when seeking to hedge against an increase in the market value of the underlying reference instrument, such as appreciation in the value of a non-U.S. currency against the U.S. dollar.

The seller (writer) of an option becomes contractually obligated to take the opposite futures position if the buyer of the option exercises its rights to the futures position specified in the option. In return for the premium paid by the buyer, the seller assumes the risk of taking a possibly adverse futures position. In addition, the seller will be required to post and maintain initial and variation margin with the FCM. One goal of selling (writing) options on futures may be to receive the premium paid by the option buyer.

For more general information about the mechanics of purchasing and writing options, see "Options" below.

Risks of options on futures contracts. The Fund’s use of options on futures contracts is subject to the risks related to derivative instruments generally. In addition, the amount of risk the Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. The purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased. The seller (writer) of an option on a futures contract is subject to the risk of having to take a possibly adverse futures position if the purchaser of the option exercises its rights. If the seller were required to take such a position, it could bear substantial losses. An option writer has potentially unlimited economic risk because its potential loss, except to the extent offset by the premium received, is equal to the amount the option is “in-the-money” at the expiration date. A call option is in-the-money if the value of the underlying futures contract exceeds the exercise price of the option. A put option is in-the-money if the exercise price of the option exceeds the value of the underlying futures contract.

Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the over-the counter (OTC) market.

Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market, potentially permitting the Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of the Fund’s orders to close out open options positions.

Purchasing call and put options. As the buyer of a call option, the Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument (e.g., a currency or security) at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, the Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by the Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.

As the buyer of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, the Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when the Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instrument’s market price. The Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the investment manager deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.

If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

Writing call and put options. Writing options may permit the writer to generate additional income in the form of the premium received for writing the option. The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying reference instruments must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the writer may be notified of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). In general, though, options are infrequently exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. Writing “covered” call options means that the writer owns the underlying reference instrument that is subject to the call option. Call options may also be written on reference instruments that the writer does not own.

If the Fund writes a covered call option, any underlying reference instruments that are held by the Fund and are subject to the call option will be earmarked on the books of the Fund as segregated to satisfy its obligations under the option. The Fund will be unable to sell the underlying reference instruments that are subject to the written call option until it either effects a closing transaction with respect to the written call, or otherwise satisfies the conditions for release of the underlying reference instruments from segregation. As the writer of a covered call option, the Fund gives up the potential for capital appreciation above the exercise price of the option should the underlying reference instrument rise in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument rises above the exercise price of the call option, the reference instrument will likely be “called away,” requiring the Fund to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price. In that case, the Fund will sell the underlying reference instrument to the option buyer for less than its market value, and the Fund will experience a loss (which will be offset by the premium received by the Fund as the writer of such option). If a call option expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received. If the market price of the underlying reference instrument decreases, the call option will not be exercised and the Fund will be able to use the amount of the premium received to hedge against the loss in value of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option will be chosen based upon the expected price movement of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to (at-the-money), or above the current value of the underlying reference instrument at the time the option is written.

As the writer of a put option, the Fund has a risk of loss should the underlying reference instrument decline in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument declines below the exercise price of the put option and the put option is exercised, the Fund, as the writer of the put option, will be required to buy the instrument at the exercise price, which will exceed the market value of the underlying reference instrument at that time. The Fund will incur a loss to the extent that the current market value of the underlying reference instrument is less than the exercise price of the put option. However, the loss will be offset in part by the premium received from the buyer of the put. If a put option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received.

Closing out options (exchange traded options). As the writer of an option, if the Fund wants to terminate its obligation, the Fund may effect a “closing purchase transaction” by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the Fund’s position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a “closing sale transaction” by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by the Fund. Closing transactions allow the Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by a Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.

Over-the-counter (OTC) options. Like exchange traded options, OTC options give the holder the right to buy from the writer, in the case of OTC call options, or sell to the writer, in the case of OTC put options, an underlying reference instrument at a stated exercise price. OTC options, however, differ from exchange traded options in certain material respects.

OTC options are arranged directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation or exchange. Consequently, there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer, including because of the dealer’s bankruptcy or insolvency. While the Fund uses only counterparties, such as dealers, that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty’s creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Because there is no exchange, pricing is typically done based on information from market makers or other dealers. OTC options are available for a greater variety of underlying reference instruments and in a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange traded options.

There can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular OTC option at any specific time. The Fund may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. When the Fund writes an OTC option, it generally can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer with which the Fund originally wrote the option. The Fund may suffer a loss if it is not able to exercise (in the case of a purchased option) or enter into a closing sale transaction on a timely basis.

The Fund understands that the staff of the SEC currently takes the position that purchased OTC options are considered illiquid securities and that the assets segregated to cover the Fund's obligation under an OTC option it has written are considered illiquid. Pending a change in the staff’s position, the Fund will treat OTC options and “covering” assets as illiquid and subject to the Fund’s limitation on illiquid securities.

Risks of options. The Fund’s options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, the Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. Similarly, when the Fund cannot effect a closing transaction with respect to a put option it wrote, and the buyer exercises, the Fund would be required to take delivery and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments purchased. If the Fund, as a covered call option writer, is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying reference instrument until the option expires, it delivers the underlying instrument upon exercise, or it segregates enough liquid assets to purchase the underlying reference instrument at the marked-to-market price during the term of the option. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.

The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of the Fund’s portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the investment manager is not successful in using options in managing the Fund’s investments, the Fund’s performance will be worse than if the investment manager did not employ such strategies.

Swap agreements. Generally, swap agreements are contracts between the Fund and, typically, a brokerage firm, bank or other institutional buyer (the swap counterparty) for periods ranging from a few days to multiple years. In a basic swap transaction, the Fund agrees with the swap counterparty to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) and/or cash flows earned or realized on a particular “notional amount” or value of predetermined underlying reference instruments. The notional amount is the set dollar or other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given interest rates. Examples of returns that may be exchanged in a swap agreement are those of a particular security, a particular fixed or variable interest rate, a particular non-U.S. currency, or a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. The Fund customarily enters into swap agreements that are based on the standard terms and conditions of an International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement. ISDA is a voluntary industry association of participants in the over-the-counter derivatives markets that has developed standardized contracts used by such participants that have agreed to be bound by such standardized contracts.

The Fund will generally enter into swap agreements on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams that are to be made by the Fund and its counterparty are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net difference in the two payments. The Fund’s obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement that is entered into on a net basis will generally be the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the obligations of each party upon termination of the agreement or at set valuation dates. The Fund will accrue its obligations under a swap agreement daily (offset by any amounts the counterparty owes the Fund). If the swap agreement does not provide for that type of netting, the full amount of the Fund's obligations will be accrued on a daily basis.

During the term of a swap agreement, the Fund is usually required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if the swap were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments. Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty may be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to the Fund. However, the amount pledged may not always be equal to or more than the amount due to the other party. Therefore, if a counterparty defaults in its obligations to the Fund, the amount pledged by the counterparty and available to the Fund may not be sufficient to cover all the amounts due to the Fund and the Fund may sustain a loss.

Credit default swaps. The "buyer" of protection in a credit default swap agreement is obligated to pay the "seller" a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement in return for a payment by the "seller" that is contingent upon the occurrence of a credit event with respect to a specific underlying reference debt obligation (whether as a single debt instrument or as part of an index of debt instruments). The contingent payment by the seller generally is the face amount of the debt obligation, in return for the buyer's obligation to make periodic cash payments and deliver in physical form the reference debt obligation or a cash payment equal to the then-current market value of that debt obligation at the time of the credit event. If no credit event occurs, the seller would receive a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, while the buyer would lose the amount of its payments and recover nothing. The buyer is also subject to the risk that the seller will not satisfy its contingent payment obligation, if and when due.

Purchasing protection through a credit default swap may be used to attempt to hedge against a decline in the value of debt security or securities due to a credit event. The seller of protection under a credit default swap, receives periodic payments from the buyer but is exposed to the risk that the value of the reference debt obligation declines due to a credit event and that it will have to pay the face amount of the reference obligation to the buyer. Selling protection under a credit default swap may also permit the seller to gain exposure that is similar to owning the reference debt obligation directly. As the seller of protection, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Fund would be subject to the risk that there would be a credit event and the Fund would have to make a substantial payment in the future.

Interest rate swaps. An interest rate swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange interest rate payment obligations. Typically, one is based on an interest rate fixed to maturity while the other is based on interest rate that changes in accordance with changes in a designated benchmark (for example, the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), prime rate, commercial paper rate, or other benchmarks). Each party’s payment obligation under an interest rate swap is determined by reference to a specified “notional” amount of money. Therefore, interest rate swaps generally do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts; rather they entail the exchange of cash payments based on the application of the designated interest rates to the notional amount. Accordingly, barring swap counterparty default, the risk of loss in an interest rate swap is limited to the net amount of interest payments that the Fund is obligated to make or receive (as applicable), as well as any early termination payment payable by or to the Fund upon early termination of the swap.

By swapping fixed interest rate payments for floating payments, an interest rate swap can be used to increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps are generally used to permit the party seeking a floating rate obligation the opportunity to acquire such obligation at a rate lower than is directly available in the credit markets, while permitting the party desiring a fixed-rate obligation the opportunity to acquire such a fixed-rate obligation, also frequently at a rate lower than is directly available in the credit markets. The success of such a transaction depends in large part on the availability of fixed-rate obligations at interest (or coupon) rates low enough to cover the costs involved. An interest rate swap transaction is affected by changes in interest rates, which, in turn, may affect the prepayment rate of any underlying debt obligations upon which the interest rate swap is based.

Total return swaps. A total return swap (also sometimes referred to as a synthetic equity swap or “contract for difference”) is an agreement between two parties under which the parties agree to make payments to each other so as to replicate the economic consequences that would apply had a purchase or short sale of the underlying reference instrument taken place. For example, one party agrees to pay the other party the total return earned or realized on the notional amount of an underlying equity security and any dividends declared with respect to that equity security. In return the other party makes payments, typically at a floating rate, calculated based on the notional amount.

Options on swap agreements. An option on a swap agreement generally is an OTC option (see the discussion above on OTC options) that gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, in return for payment of a premium to the seller, to enter into a previously negotiated swap agreement, or to extend, terminate or otherwise modify the terms of an existing swap agreement. The writer (seller) of an option on a swap agreement receives premium payments from the buyer and, in exchange, becomes obligated to enter into or modify an underlying swap agreement upon the exercise of the option by the buyer. When the Fund purchases an option on a swap agreement, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised, plus any related transaction costs.

There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option on a swap agreement, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty affecting closing transactions in particular options on swap agreements. Therefore, the Fund may have to exercise the options that it purchases in order to realize any profit and take delivery of the underlying swap agreement. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale or closing out of the underlying swap agreement. In the event that the options on a swap is exercised, the counterparty for such option would be the same counterparty with whom the Fund entered into the underlying swap.

However, if the Fund writes (sells) an option on a swap agreement, the Fund is bound by the terms of the underlying swap agreement upon exercise of the option by the buyer, which may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the premium it received. Options on swap agreements involve the risks associated with derivative instruments generally, as described above, as well as the additional risks associated with both OTC options and swaps generally.

An option on an interest rate swap (also sometimes referred to as a “swaption”) is a contract that gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new interest rate swap. A pay fixed option on an interest rate swap gives the buyer the right to establish a position in an interest rate swap where the buyer will pay (and the writer will receive) the fixed-rate cash flows and receive (and the writer will pay) the floating-rate cash flows. In general, most options on interest rate swaps are “European” exercise, which means that they can only be exercised at the end of the option term. Depending on the movement of interest rates between the time of purchase and expiration, the value of the underlying interest rate swap and therefore also the value of the option on the interest rate swap will change.

An option on a credit default swap is a contract that gives the buyer the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium to the option seller, to enter into a new credit default swap on a reference entity at a predetermined spread on a future date. This spread is the price at which the contract is executed (the option strike price). Similar to a put option, in a payer option on a credit default swap, the option buyer pays a premium to the option seller for the right, but not the obligation, to buy credit protection on a reference entity (e.g., a particular portfolio security) at a predetermined spread on a future date. Similar to a call option, in a receiver option on a credit default swap the option buyer pays a premium for the right, but not the obligation to sell credit default swap protection on a reference entity or index. Depending on the movement of market spreads with respect to the particular referenced debt securities between the time of purchase and expiration of the option, the value of the underlying credit default swap and therefore the value of the option will change. Similar to a credit default swap, options on a credit default swap are traded OTC and the specific terms of each option on a credit default swap are negotiated directly with the counterparty.

Commodity-indexed linked swaps. A commodity index swap is an agreement between two parties under which the parties agree to exchange a fixed return or interest rate on the notional amount of the swap for the return of a particular commodities index as if such notional amount had been invested in such index. For example, one party agrees to pay the other party the return on a particular index multiplied by the notional amount of the swap. In return, the other party makes periodic payments, such as at a floating interest rate, calculated based on such notional amount. If the commodity swap is for one period, the Fund may pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, the Fund may pay an adjustable or floating fee. With a “floating” rate, the fee may be pegged to a base rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, a Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.

Risks of swaps. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Whether the Fund will be successful in using swap agreements to achieve its investment goal depends on the ability of the investment manager correctly to predict which types of investments are likely to produce greater returns. If the investment manager, in using swap agreements, is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates, currency exchange rates or other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be less than its performance would have been if it had not used the swap agreements.

The risk of loss to the Fund for swap transactions that are entered into on a net basis depends on which party is obligated to pay the net amount to the other party. If the counterparty is obligated to pay the net amount to the Fund, the risk of loss to the Fund is loss of the entire amount that the Fund is entitled to receive. If the Fund is obligated to pay the net amount, the Fund's risk of loss is limited to that net amount. If the swap agreement involves the exchange of the entire principal value of a security, the entire principal value of that security is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

Because swap agreements are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, they may be illiquid and, therefore, subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to establish or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Participants in the swap markets are not required to make continuous markets in the swap contracts they trade. Participants could refuse to quote prices for swap contracts or quote prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and the price at which they are prepared to sell. However, the swap markets have grown substantially in recent years, with a large number of financial institutions acting both as principals and agents, utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap markets have become increasingly liquid. Some swap agreements entail complex terms and may require a greater degree of subjectivity in their valuation.

Swap agreements currently are not automatically traded on exchanges and are not subject to government regulation. As a result, swap participants are not as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of a swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. No limitations on daily price movements or speculative position limits apply to swap transactions. Counterparties may, however, limit the size or duration of a swap agreement with the Fund as a consequence of credit considerations. The Fund risks the loss of the accrued but unpaid amounts under a swap agreement, which could be substantial, in the event of a default, insolvency or bankruptcy by a swap counterparty. In such an event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreements, but bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor. If the counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses. The Fund’s investment manager will only approve a swap agreement counterparty for the Fund if the investment manager deems the counterparty to be creditworthy under the Fund’s Counterparty Credit Review Standards, adopted and reviewed annually by the Fund’s board. However, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty’s creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited.

As a result of the recent turmoil in the financial markets, legislation has been enacted that will likely result in numerous proposals by various entities to regulate the OTC derivatives markets, including, specifically, credit default swaps. The Fund cannot predict the outcome or final form of any of these proposals or if or when any of them would become effective. However, any additional regulation or limitation on the OTC markets for derivatives could materially and adversely impact the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives, including credit default swaps.

Certain Internal Revenue Service positions may limit the Fund’s ability to use swap agreements in a desired tax strategy. It is possible that developments in the swap markets and/or the laws relating to swap agreements, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to benefit from using swap agreements, or could have adverse tax consequences.

Combined transactions. The Fund may enter into multiple derivative instruments, and any combination of derivative instruments as part of a single or combined strategy (a "Combined Transaction") when, in the opinion of the investment manager, it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A Combined Transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions.

Although Combined Transactions are normally entered into based on the investment manager’s judgment that the combined strategies will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal, it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective.

Equipment related instruments Equipment related instruments are used to finance the acquisition of new equipment. The instrument gives the bondholder the first right to the equipment in the event that interest and principal are not paid when due. Title to the equipment is held in the name of the trustee, usually a bank, until the instrument is paid off. Equipment related instruments usually mature over a period of 10 to 15 years. In practical effect, equipment trust certificates, equipment lease certificates and conditional sales contracts are substantially identical; they differ mainly in legal structure. These fixed-income securities may involve equity features, such as conversion or exchange rights or warrants for the acquisition of stock of the same or a different issuer; participation based on revenues, sales or profits; or the purchase of common stock in a unit transaction (where an issuer's debt securities and common stock are offered as a unit).

Equity securities Equity securities represent a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; their value is based on the success of the company's business and the value of its assets, as well as general market conditions. The purchaser of an equity security typically receives an ownership interest in the company as well as certain voting rights. The owner of an equity security may participate in a company's success through the receipt of dividends, which are distributions of earnings by the company to its owners. Equity security owners may also participate in a company's success or lack of success through increases or decreases in the value of the company's shares as traded in the public trading market for such shares. Equity securities generally take the form of common stock or preferred stock, as well as securities convertible into common stock. Preferred stockholders typically receive greater dividends but may receive less appreciation than common stockholders and may have different voting rights as well. Equity securities may also include convertible securities, warrants, or rights. Warrants or rights give the holder the right to buy a common stock at a given time for a specified price.

Small and mid cap companies. Market capitalization is defined as the total market value of a company's outstanding stock. Small cap companies are often overlooked by investors or undervalued in relation to their earnings power. Because small cap companies generally are not as well known to the investing public and have less of an investor following than larger companies, they may provide greater opportunities for long-term capital growth as a result of inefficiencies in the marketplace. These companies may be undervalued because they are part of an industry that is out of favor with investors, although the individual companies may have high rates of earnings growth and be financially sound.

Mid cap companies may offer greater potential for capital appreciation than larger companies, because mid cap companies are often growing more rapidly than larger companies, but tend to be more stable and established than small cap or emerging companies.

Initial public offerings (IPOs) of securities issued by unseasoned companies with little or no operating history are risky and their prices are highly volatile, but they can result in very large gains in their initial trading. Attractive IPOs are often oversubscribed and may not be available to the Fund, or only in very limited quantities. Thus, when the Fund’s size is smaller, any gains from IPOs will have an exaggerated impact on the Fund’s reported performance than when the Fund is larger.

To the extent that the Fund may invest in smaller capitalization companies or other companies, it may have significant investments in relatively new or unseasoned companies that are in their early stages of development, or in new and emerging industries where the opportunity for rapid growth is expected to be above average. Securities of unseasoned companies present greater risks than securities of larger, more established companies.

Direct equity investments. The Fund may invest in direct equity investments that the investment manager expects will become listed or otherwise publicly traded securities. Direct equity investments consist of (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. Direct equity investments are generally considered to be illiquid. To the degree that the Fund invests in direct equity investments that it considers to be illiquid, it will limit such investments so that they, together with the Fund's other illiquid investments, comply with the Fund's investment restriction on illiquid securities.

In most cases, the Fund will, at the time of making a direct equity investment, enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. The investment manager anticipates that these agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the Fund with the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise, and eventually to dispose of the Fund's investment in the enterprise through, for example, the listing of the securities or the sale of the securities to the issuer or another investor. In cases where the Fund appoints a representative, the representative would be expected to provide the Fund with the ability to monitor its investment and protect its rights in the investment and will not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. In addition, the Fund intends to make its direct equity investments in such a manner as to avoid subjecting the Fund to unlimited liability with respect to the investments. There can be no assurance that the Fund's direct equity investments will become listed, or that it will be able to sell any direct equity investment to the issuer or another investor. The extent to which the Fund may make direct equity investments may be limited by considerations relating to its status as a regulated investment company under U.S. tax law.

Direct equity investments may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses. Because of the absence of a public trading market for these investments, the Fund may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities and the prices on these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Further, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of the Fund’s direct equity investments may include investments in smaller, less-seasoned companies, which may involve greater risks. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or they may be dependent on a limited management group.

Participatory notes. A participatory note, as used by the Fund, is an instrument used by investors to obtain exposure to an equity investment, including common stocks and warrants, in a local market where direct ownership is not permitted. In countries where direct ownership by a foreign investor, such as the Fund, is not allowed by local law, such as Saudi Arabia, an investor may gain exposure to the market through a participatory note, which derives its value from a group of underlying equity securities. A participatory note is intended (disregarding the effect of any fees and expenses) to reflect the performance of the underlying equity securities on a one-to-one basis so that investors will not normally gain more in absolute terms than they would have made had they invested in the underlying securities directly, and will not normally lose more than they would have lost had they invested in the underlying securities directly.

Participatory notes are generally structured and sold by a local branch of a bank or broker-dealer that is permitted to purchase equity securities in the local market. Pursuant to the terms of the instrument, the Fund may tender a participatory note for cash payment in an amount that reflects the current market value of the underlying investments, less program expenses, such as trading costs, taxes and duties. The participatory notes represent unsecured, unsubordinated contractual rights of the issuer of the participatory notes. They do not confer any right, title or interest in respect to the underlying equity securities or provide rights against the issuer of the underlying securities.

In addition to providing access to otherwise closed markets, participatory notes can also provide a less expensive option to direct investment (where ownership by foreign investors is permitted) by reducing registration and transaction costs in acquiring and selling local registered shares. The Fund’s investment manager also believes that participatory notes can offer greater liquidity in markets that restrict the ability of the Fund to dispose of an investment by either restricting transactions by size or requiring registration and/or regulatory approvals.

The purchase of participatory notes involves risks that are in addition to the risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying securities. The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer of the participatory note (i.e., the issuing bank or broker-dealer), which is the only responsible party under the note, is unable or refuses to perform under the terms of the participatory note, also known as counterparty risk. While the holder of a participatory note is entitled to receive from the bank or broker-dealer any dividends or other distributions paid on the underlying securities, the holder is not entitled to the same rights as an owner of the underlying securities, such as voting rights. Participatory notes are also not traded on exchanges, are privately issued, and may be illiquid. To the extent a participatory note is determined to be illiquid, it would be subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. There can be no assurance that the trading price or value of participatory notes will equal the value of the underlying value of the equity securities they seek to replicate.

Equity-linked notes Equity-linked notes (ELNs) are hybrid derivative-type instruments that are specially designed to combine the characteristics of one or more reference securities (usually a single stock, a stock index or a basket of stocks (underlying securities)) and a related equity derivative, such as a put or call option, in a single note form. Generally, when purchasing an ELN, the Fund pays the counterparty (usually a bank or brokerage firm) the current value of the underlying securities plus a commission. Upon the maturity of the note, the Fund generally receives the par value of the note plus a return based on the appreciation of the underlying securities. If the underlying securities have depreciated in value or if their price fluctuates outside of a preset range, depending on the type of ELN in which the Fund invested, the Fund may receive only the principal amount of the note, or may lose the principal invested in the ELN entirely. The Fund only invests in ELNs for which the underlying securities are permissible investments pursuant to the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions.

ELNs are available with an assortment of features, such as periodic coupon payments (e.g., monthly, quarterly or semi-annually); varied participation rates (the rate at which the Fund participates in the appreciation of the underlying securities); limitations on the appreciation potential of the underlying securities by a maximum payment or call right; and different protection levels on the Fund’s principal investment. In addition, when the underlying securities are foreign securities or indices, an ELN may be priced with or without currency exposure. The Fund may engage in all types of ELNs, including those that: (1) provide for protection of the Fund’s principal in exchange for limited participation in the appreciation of the underlying securities, and (2) do not provide for such protection and subject the Fund to the risk of loss of the Fund’s principal investment.

ELNs can provide the Fund with an efficient investment tool that may be less expensive than investing directly in the underlying securities and the related equity derivative. ELNs also may enable the Fund to obtain a return (the coupon payment) without risk to principal (in principal-protected ELNs) if the general price movement of the underlying securities is correctly anticipated.

The Fund’s successful use of ELNs will usually depend on the investment manager’s ability to accurately forecast movements in the underlying securities. Should the prices of the underlying securities move in an unexpected manner, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the investment in the ELN, and it may realize losses, which could be significant and could include the Fund’s entire principal investment. If the investment manager is not successful in anticipating such price movements, the Fund’s performance may be worse than if the investment manager did not use an ELN at all.

In addition, an investment in an ELN possesses the risks associated with the underlying securities, such as management risk, market risk and, as applicable, foreign securities and currency risks. In addition, since ELNs are in note form, ELNs are also subject to certain debt securities risks, such as interest rate and credit risk. An investment in an ELN also bears the risk that the issuer of the ELN will default or become bankrupt. In such an event, the Fund may have difficulty being repaid, or fail to be repaid, the principal amount of, or income from, its investment. A downgrade or impairment to the credit rating of the issuer may also negatively impact the price of the ELN, regardless of the price of the underlying securities.

The Fund may also experience liquidity issues when investing in ELNs, as ELNs are generally designed for the over-the-counter institutional investment market. The secondary market for ELNs may be limited, and the lack of liquidity in the secondary market may make ELNs difficult to sell and value. However, as the market for ELNs has grown, there are a growing number of exchange-traded ELNs available, although these products may be thinly traded.

ELNs may exhibit price behavior that does not correlate with the underlying securities or a fixed-income investment. In addition, performance of an ELN is the responsibility only of the issuer of the ELN and not the issuer of the underlying securities. As the holder of an ELN, the Fund generally has no rights to the underlying securities, including no voting rights or rights to receive dividends, although the amount of expected dividends to be paid during the term of the instrument are factored into the pricing and valuation of the underlying securities at inception.

Exchange-traded notes The Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes (ETNs). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a bank or other financial institution. ETNs have a maturity date and are backed only by the credit of the issuer. The returns of ETNs are linked to the performance of a market benchmark or strategy, less investor fees. ETNs can be traded on an exchange at market price or held until maturity. The issuer of an ETN typically makes interest payments and a principal payment at maturity that is linked to the price movement of an underlying market benchmark or strategy.

An investment in an ETN involves risks, such as market risk, liquidity risk and counterparty risk. For example, the value of an ETN will change as the value of the underlying market benchmark or strategy fluctuates. The prices of underlying market benchmarks are determined based on a variety of market and economic factors and may change unpredictably, affecting the value of the benchmarks and, consequently, the value of an ETN. In addition, if the value of an underlying market benchmark decreases, or does not increase by an amount greater than the aggregate investor fee applicable to an ETN, then an investor in the ETN will receive less than its original investment in the ETN upon maturity or early redemption and could lose up to 100% of the original principal amount.

The issuer of an ETN may restrict the ETN’s redemption amount or its redemption date. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

Because ETNs are unsecured debt securities, they are also subject to risk of default by the issuing bank or other financial institution (i.e., counterparty risk). In addition, the value of an ETN may decline due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating despite no change in the underlying market benchmark.

Foreign securities There are substantial risks associated with investing in the securities of governments and companies located in, or having substantial operations in, foreign countries, which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments. The value of foreign securities (like U.S. securities) is affected by general economic conditions and individual issuer and industry earnings prospects. Investments in depositary receipts also involve some or all of the risks described below.

There is the possibility of cessation of trading on foreign exchanges, expropriation, nationalization of assets, confiscatory or punitive taxation, withholding and other foreign taxes on income or other amounts, foreign exchange controls (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a given country), restrictions on removal of assets, political or social instability, military action or unrest, or diplomatic developments that could affect investments in securities of issuers in foreign nations. There is no assurance that the investment manager will be able to anticipate these potential events. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.

There may be less publicly available information about foreign issuers comparable to the reports and ratings published about issuers in the U.S. Foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting or financial reporting standards. Auditing practices and requirements may not be comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Certain countries' legal institutions, financial markets and services are less developed than those in the U.S. or other major economies. The Fund may have greater difficulty voting proxies, exercising shareholder rights, securing dividends and obtaining information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis, pursuing legal remedies, and obtaining judgments with respect to foreign investments in foreign courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts. The costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.

Certain countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company. Some countries limit the investment of foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals. Although securities subject to such restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions. In some countries the repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for repatriation.

From time to time, trading in a foreign market may be interrupted. Foreign markets also have substantially less volume than the U.S. markets and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. The Fund, therefore, may encounter difficulty in obtaining market quotations for purposes of valuing its portfolio and calculating its net asset value.

In many foreign countries there is less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the U.S., which may result in greater potential for fraud or market manipulation. Foreign over-the-counter markets tend to be less regulated than foreign stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Brokerage commission rates in foreign countries, which generally are fixed rather than subject to negotiation as in the U.S., are likely to be higher. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, may be cumbersome and may result in increased risk or substantial delays. This could occur in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian.

To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region or country, the Fund will have more exposure to economic risks related to such region or country than a fund whose investments are more geographically diversified. Adverse conditions in a certain region can affect securities of other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated. In the event of economic or political turmoil or a deterioration of diplomatic relations in a region or country where a substantial portion of the Fund's assets are invested, the Fund may have difficulty meeting a large number of shareholder redemption requests.

The holding of foreign securities may be limited by the Fund to avoid investment in certain Passive Foreign Investment Companies (PFICs) and the imposition of a PFIC tax on the Fund resulting from such investments.

Developing markets or emerging markets. Investments in companies domiciled or with significant operations in developing market or emerging market countries may be subject to potentially higher risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include, among others (i) less social, political and economic stability; (ii) smaller securities markets with low or nonexistent trading volume, which result in greater illiquidity and greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund's investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation, including less transparent and established taxation policies; (v) less developed regulatory or legal structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (vi) the absence, until recently in many developing market countries, of a capital market structure or market-oriented economy; (vii) more widespread corruption and fraud; (viii) the financial institutions with which the Fund may trade may not possess the same degree of financial sophistication, creditworthiness or resources as those in developed markets; and (ix) the possibility that recent favorable economic developments in some developing market countries may be slowed or reversed by unanticipated economic, political or social events in such countries.

In addition, many developing market countries have experienced substantial, and during some periods, extremely high rates of inflation, for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Moreover, the economies of some developing market countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, debt burden, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The economies of some developing market countries may be based on only a few industries, and may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions.

Settlement systems in developing market countries may be less organized than in developed countries. Supervisory authorities may also be unable to apply standards which are comparable with those in more developed countries. There may be risks that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities belonging to the Fund may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the settlement systems. Market practice may require that payment be made prior to receipt of the security which is being purchased or that delivery of a security must be made before payment is received. In such cases, default by a broker or bank (the "counterparty") through whom the relevant transaction is effected might result in a loss being suffered by the Fund. The Fund seeks, where possible, to use counterparties whose financial status reduces this risk. However, there can be no certainty that the Fund will be successful in eliminating or reducing this risk, particularly as counterparties operating in developing market countries frequently lack the substance, capitalization and/or financial resources of those in developed countries. Uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets may increase the risk of competing claims to securities held by or to be transferred to the Fund. Legal compensation schemes may be non-existent, limited or inadequate to meet the Fund's claims in any of these events.

Securities trading in developing markets presents additional credit and financial risks. The Fund may have limited access to, or there may be a limited number of, potential counterparties that trade in the securities of developing market issuers. Governmental regulations may restrict potential counterparties to certain financial institutions located or operating in the particular developing market. Potential counterparties may not possess, adopt or implement creditworthiness standards, financial reporting standards or legal and contractual protections similar to those in developed markets. Currency and other hedging techniques may not be available or may be limited.

The local taxation of income and capital gains accruing to non-residents varies among developing market countries and may be comparatively high. Developing market countries typically have less well-defined tax laws and procedures and such laws may permit retroactive taxation so that the Fund could in the future become subject to local tax liabilities that had not been anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.

Many developing market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Investments in developing market countries may involve risks of nationalization, expropriation and confiscatory taxation. For example, the Communist governments of a number of Eastern European countries expropriated large amounts of private property in the past, in many cases without adequate compensation, and there can be no assurance that such expropriation will not occur in the future. In the event of expropriation, the Fund could lose all or a substantial portion of any investments it has made in the affected countries. Accounting, auditing and reporting standards in certain countries in which the Fund may invest may not provide the same degree of investor protection or information to investors as would generally apply in major securities markets. In addition, it is possible that purported securities in which the Fund invested may subsequently be found to be fraudulent and as a consequence the Fund could suffer losses.

Finally, currencies of developing market countries are subject to significantly greater risks than currencies of developed countries. Some developing market currencies may not be internationally traded or may be subject to strict controls by local governments, resulting in undervalued or overvalued currencies and associated difficulties with the valuation of assets, including the Fund's securities, denominated in that currency. Some developing market countries have experienced balance of payment deficits and shortages in foreign exchange reserves. Governments have responded by restricting currency conversions. Future restrictive exchange controls could prevent or restrict a company's ability to make dividend or interest payments in the original currency of the obligation (usually U.S. dollars). In addition, even though the currencies of some developing market countries, such as certain Eastern European countries, may be convertible into U.S. dollars, the conversion rates may be artificial to the actual market values and may be adverse to the Fund's shareholders.

Foreign corporate debt securities. Foreign corporate debt securities, including Samurai bonds, Yankee bonds, Eurobonds and Global Bonds, may be purchased to gain exposure to investment opportunities in other countries in a certain currency. A Samurai bond is a yen-denominated bond issued in Japan by a non-Japanese company. Eurobonds are foreign bonds issued and traded in countries other than the country and currency in which the bond was denominated. Eurobonds generally trade on a number of exchanges and are issued in bearer form, carry a fixed or floating rate of interest, and typically amortize principal through a single payment for the entire principal at maturity with semiannual interest payments. Yankee bonds are bonds denominated in U.S. dollars issued by foreign banks and corporations, and registered with the SEC for sale in the U.S. A Global Bond is a certificate representing the total debt of an issue. Such bonds are created to control the primary market distribution of an issue in compliance with selling restrictions in certain jurisdictions or because definitive bond certificates are not available. A Global Bond is also known as a Global Certificate.

Foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the U.S. dollar market value of securities denominated in such foreign currencies and any income received or expenses paid by the Fund in that foreign currency. This may affect the Fund's share price, income and distributions to shareholders. Some countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. It will be more difficult for the investment manager to value securities denominated in currencies that are fixed or managed. Certain currencies may not be internationally traded, which could cause illiquidity with respect to the Fund's investments in that currency and any securities denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets. The Fund endeavors to buy and sell foreign currencies on as favorable a basis as practicable. Some price spread in currency exchanges (to cover service charges) may be incurred, particularly when the Fund changes investments from one country to another or when proceeds of the sale of securities in U.S. dollars are used for the purchase of securities in foreign countries. Some countries may adopt policies that would prevent the Fund from transferring cash out of the country or withhold portions of interest and dividends at the source.

Certain currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar. Any devaluations in the currencies in which the Fund's portfolio securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Fund. Where the exchange rate for a currency declines materially after the Fund's income has been accrued and translated into U.S. dollars, the Fund may need to redeem portfolio securities to make required distributions. Similarly, if an exchange rate declines between the time the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Fund will have to convert a greater amount of the currency into U.S. dollars in order to pay the expenses.

Investing in foreign currencies for purposes of gaining from projected changes in exchange rates further increases the Fund's exposure to foreign securities losses.

Foreign governmental and supranational debt securities. The Fund's investments in debt securities may include debt securities of sovereign, governmental or supranational issuers. Such investments are subject to all the risks associated with investment in U.S. and foreign securities and certain additional risks.

Foreign government and sovereign debt securities include debt securities issued, sponsored or guaranteed by: governments or governmental agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions located in emerging or developed market countries; government owned, controlled or sponsored entities located in emerging or developed market countries; entities organized and operated for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of instruments issued by any of the above issuers.

A supranational entity is a bank, commission or company established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote reconstruction, trade, harmonization of standards or laws, economic development, and humanitarian, political or environmental initiatives. Supranational debt obligations include: Brady Bonds (which are debt securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan as a means for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external indebtedness); participations in loans between emerging market governments and financial institutions; and debt securities issued by supranational entities such as the World Bank, Asia Development Bank, European Investment Bank and the European Economic Community.

Foreign government and sovereign debt securities are subject to risks in addition to those relating to debt securities generally. Governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal, or otherwise meet obligations, when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. As a sovereign entity, the issuing government may be immune from lawsuits in the event of its failure or refusal to pay the obligations when due. The debtor's willingness or ability to repay in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the issuing country's economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which the sovereign debtor may be subject. Governmental debtors also will be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments or multinational agencies and the country's access to, or balance of, trade. Some governmental debtors have in the past been able to reschedule or restructure their debt payments without the approval of debt holders or declare moratoria on payments, and similar occurrences may happen in the future. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which the Fund may collect in whole or in part on debt subject to default by a government.

Gold and precious metals operation companies Like all investments, there are risks associated with an investment in the Fund and its policies of investing in securities of companies engaged in mining, processing, or dealing in gold or other precious metals.

The price of gold has been subject to substantial price fluctuation over short periods of time. It may be affected by unpredictable international monetary and political policies, such as currency devaluations or reevaluations, economic conditions within an individual country, trade imbalances or trade or currency restrictions between countries, and world inflation rates and interest rates. The price of gold, in turn, is likely to affect the market prices of securities of companies mining, processing, or dealing in gold and, accordingly, the value of the Fund's investments in these securities.

The following provides more detail about some of the factors that may affect the price of gold and precious metals operation companies:

1. Tax and currency laws. Changes in the tax or currency laws of the U.S. and foreign countries may inhibit the Fund's ability to pursue, or may increase the cost of pursuing, its investment policies.

2. Unpredictable monetary policies, economic and political conditions. The Fund's assets may be less liquid or the change in the value of its assets may be more volatile (and less related to general price movements in the U.S. markets) than investments in the securities of U.S. companies, particularly because the price of gold and other precious metals may be affected by unpredictable international monetary policies, economic and political considerations, governmental controls, and conditions of scarcity, surplus, or speculation.

In addition, the use of gold or Special Drawing Rights (which are also used by members of the International Monetary Fund for international settlements) to settle net deficits and surpluses in trade and capital movements between nations subjects the supply and demand, and therefore the price, of gold to a variety of economic factors that normally would not affect other types of commodities.

3. New and developing markets for private gold ownership. Between 1933 and December 31, 1974, a market did not exist in the U.S. in which individuals could purchase gold bullion for investment purposes. Since it became legal to invest in gold, markets have developed in the U.S. Any large purchases or sales of gold bullion could have an effect on the price of gold bullion. From time to time, several central banks have sold gold bullion from their reserves. Sales by central banks and/or rumors of these sales have had a negative effect on gold prices.

The successful management of the Fund's portfolio may be more dependent upon the skills and expertise of the Fund's investment manager than is the case for most mutual funds because of the need to evaluate the factors identified above.

Some gold companies engage in hedging in order to create more stable and predictable cash flows. This hedging includes, but is not limited to forwards, options, futures contracts, and in some cases more advanced derivative structures covering gold, other metals or currency. Although the Fund's investment manager attempts to determine the impact of these financial instruments, extreme events in the gold bullion market may result in these positions becoming financial liabilities. The Fund continues to analyze hedging risks on a company-by-company basis.

4. Platinum and palladium risk considerations. Platinum and palladium are part of the same group of metals (platinum group metals) and often are found together in mining operations. Platinum has long been important for its industrial uses, serving as an essential catalyst in automotive catalytic converters and in some chemical and refining processes, as well as in demand for jewelry fabrication. Palladium's main use is serving as the primary metal in automobile catalytic converters. It is also used extensively in the electronic sector and in some dental applications.

Companies engaged in the mining of platinum group metals involve substantial economic and political risks, which can greatly affect the price of the Fund's holdings in these companies. Most of the world's known supply of platinum group metals can be found in Russia and the Republic of South Africa, with lesser amounts coming from North American mining operations. Given the concentration of supply, any disruptions may have a marked effect on the prices of platinum or palladium.

Health technology companies The value of health technology companies may be affected by a variety of government actions. For example, the activities of some health technology companies may be funded or subsidized by federal and state governments. If government subsidies are discontinued, the profitability of these companies could be adversely affected. Stocks of these companies will be affected by government policies on health technology reimbursements, regulatory approval for new drugs and medical instruments, and similar matters. Health technology companies are also subject to legislative risk, which is the risk of a reform of the health technology system through legislation. Health technology companies may face lawsuits related to product liability issues. Also, many products and services provided by health technology companies are subject to rapid obsolescence. The value of an investment in the Fund may fluctuate significantly over relatively short periods of time.

High-yield debt securities High-yield or lower-rated debt securities (also referred to as "junk bonds") are securities that have been rated by Moody's or S&P below their top four rating categories (e.g., BB or Ba and lower) and are considered below investment grade. These securities generally have greater risk with respect to the payment of interest and repayment of principal, or may be in default and are often considered to be speculative and involve greater risk of loss because they are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other debt of the issuer.

Adverse publicity, investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, or real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions may decrease the values and liquidity of lower-rated debt securities, especially in a thinly traded market. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated debt securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-rated securities. The Fund relies on the investment manager's judgment, analysis and experience in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer of lower-rated securities. In such evaluations, the investment manager takes into consideration, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters. There can be no assurance the investment manager will be successful in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer or the value of high yield debt securities generally.

The prices of lower-rated debt securities may be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated debt securities, but more sensitive to economic downturns or individual adverse corporate developments. Market anticipation of an economic downturn or of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in lower-rated debt securities prices. This is because an economic downturn could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged company to make principal and interest payments on its debt securities. Similarly, the impact of individual adverse corporate developments, or public perceptions thereof, will be greater for lower-rated securities because the issuers of such securities are more likely to enter bankruptcy. If the issuer of lower-rated debt securities defaults, the Fund may incur substantial expenses to seek recovery of all or a portion of its investments or to exercise other rights as a security holder. The Fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders.

Lower-rated debt securities frequently have call or buy-back features that allow an issuer to redeem the securities from their holders. Although these securities are typically not callable for a period of time, usually for three to five years from the date of issue, the Fund will be exposed to prepayment risk.

The markets in which lower-rated debt securities are traded are more limited than those in which higher-rated securities are traded. The existence of limited markets for particular securities may diminish the Fund's ability to sell the securities at desirable prices to meet redemption requests or to respond to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. Reduced secondary market liquidity for certain lower-rated debt securities also may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for the purposes of valuing the Fund's portfolio. Market quotations are generally available on many lower-rated securities only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices of actual sales, which may limit the Fund's ability to rely on such quotations.

Some lower-rated debt securities are sold without registration under federal securities laws and, therefore, carry restrictions on resale. While many of such lower-rated debt securities have been sold with registration rights, covenants and penalty provisions for delayed registration, if the Fund is required to sell restricted securities before the securities have been registered, it may be deemed an underwriter of the securities under the Securities Act of 1933, which entails special responsibilities and liabilities. The Fund also may incur extra costs when selling restricted securities, although the Fund will generally not incur any costs when the issuer is responsible for registering the securities.

High-yield, fixed-income securities acquired during an initial underwriting involve special credit risks because they are new issues. The investment manager will carefully review the issuer's credit and other characteristics.

The credit risk factors described above also apply to high-yield zero coupon, deferred interest and pay-in-kind securities. These securities have an additional risk, however, because unlike securities that pay interest periodically until maturity, zero coupon bonds and similar securities will not make any interest or principal payments until the cash payment date or maturity of the security. If the issuer defaults, the Fund may not obtain any return on its investment.

Illiquid securities Generally, an "illiquid security" is any security that cannot be disposed of within seven days at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the instrument. Illiquid securities generally include securities for which no market exists or which are legally restricted as to their transfer (such as those issued pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the federal securities laws). Restricted securities are generally sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act, or in a registered public offering. If registration is required, the Fund, as the holder of an unregistered security, may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it will be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. To the extent the investment manager determines there is a liquid institutional or other market for restricted securities, the Fund considers them to be liquid securities. An example is a restricted security that may be freely transferred among qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and for which a liquid institutional market has developed. Rule 144A securities may be subject, however, to a greater possibility of becoming illiquid than securities that have been registered with the SEC.

The Fund's board will review on a periodic basis any determination by the investment manager to treat a restricted security as liquid. In determining whether a restricted security is properly considered a liquid security, the investment manager takes into account the following factors: (i) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to buy or sell the security and the number of other potential buyers; (iii) any dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (iv) the nature of the security and of the marketplace trades (e.g., any demand, put or tender features, the method of soliciting offers, the mechanics and other requirements for transfer, and the ability to assign or offset the rights and obligations of the security). The nature of the security and its trading includes the time needed to sell the security, the method of soliciting offers to purchase or sell the security, and the mechanics of transferring the security including the role of parties such as foreign or U.S. custodians, subcustodians, currency exchange brokers, and depositories.

The sale of illiquid securities often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than the sale of securities eligible for trading on national securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets. Illiquid securities often sell at a price lower than similar securities that are not subject to restrictions on resale.

The risk to the Fund in holding illiquid securities is that they may be more difficult to sell if the Fund wants to dispose of the security in response to adverse developments or in order to raise money for redemptions or other investment opportunities. Illiquid trading conditions may also make it more difficult for the Fund to realize a security's fair value.

The Fund may also be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain security, issuer, or sector due to overall limitations on its ability to invest in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing such securities.

Inflation-indexed securities Inflation-indexed securities are debt securities, the value of which is periodically adjusted to reflect a measure of inflation. Two structures are common for inflation-indexed securities. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that reflects inflation as it accrues by increasing the U.S. dollar amount of the principal originally invested. Other issuers pay out the inflation as it accrues as part of a semiannual coupon. Any amount accrued on an inflation-indexed security, regardless whether paid out as a coupon or added to the principal, is generally considered taxable income. Where the accrued amount is added to the principal and no cash income is received until maturity, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make distributions to shareholders required for U.S. tax purposes.

An investor could experience a loss of principal and income on investments in inflation-indexed securities. In a deflationary environment, the value of the principal invested in an inflation-indexed security will be adjusted downward, just as it would be adjusted upward in an inflationary environment. Because the interest on an inflation-indexed security is calculated with respect to the amount of principal which is smaller following a deflationary period, interest payments will also be reduced, just as they would be increased following an inflationary period.

In the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed securities, the return of at least the original U.S. dollar amount of principal invested is guaranteed, so an investor receives the greater of its original principal or the inflation-adjusted principal. If the return of principal is not guaranteed, the investor may receive less than the amount it originally invested in an inflation-indexed security following a period of deflation. Any guarantee of principal provided by a party other than the U.S. government will increase the Fund's exposure to the credit risk of that party.

The value of inflation-indexed securities is generally expected to change in response to changes in "real" interest rates. The real interest rate is the rate of interest that would be paid in the absence of inflation. The actual rate of interest, referred to as the nominal interest rate, is equal to the real interest rate plus the rate of inflation. If inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed securities.

While inflation-indexed securities are designed to provide some protection from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in their value. For example, if interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation, investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security's inflation measure. The reasons that interest rates may rise without a corresponding increase in inflation include changes in currency exchange rates and temporary shortages of credit or liquidity. When interest rates rise without a corresponding increase in inflation, the Fund's investment in inflation-indexed securities will forego the additional return that could have been earned on a floating rate debt security.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-protected debt securities is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is an index of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-protected debt securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable consumer inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the actual rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. To the extent that the Fund invests in inflation-indexed securities as a hedge against inflation, an imperfect hedge will result if the cost of living (as represented in the CPI-U) has a different inflation rate than the Fund's interests in industries and sectors minimally affected by changes in the cost of living.

Investment company securities The Fund may invest in other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, SEC rules thereunder and exemptions thereto. With respect to unaffiliated funds in which the Fund may invest, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act requires that, as determined immediately after a purchase is made, (i) not more than 5% of the value of a Fund’s total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company, (ii) not more than 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in securities of investment companies as a group, and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund. The Fund will limit its investments in unaffiliated funds in accordance with the Section 12(d)(1)(A) limitations set forth above, except to the extent that any rules, regulations or no-action or exemptive relief under the 1940 Act permits the Fund’s investments to exceed such limits in unaffiliated underlying funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in another investment company, because other investment companies pay advisory, administrative and service fees that are borne indirectly by investors, such as the Fund, there may be duplication of investment management and other fees. The Fund may also invest its cash balances in affiliated money market funds to the extent permitted by its investment policies and rules and exemptions granted under the 1940 Act.

Closed-end funds. The shares of a closed-end fund typically are bought and sold on an exchange. The risks of investing in a closed-end investment company typically reflect the risk of the types of securities in which the closed-end fund invests. Closed-end funds often leverage returns by issuing debt securities, auction rate preferred securities or reverse-repurchase agreements. The Fund may invest in debt securities issued by closed-end funds, subject to any quality or other standards applicable to the Fund's investment in debt securities. If the Fund invests in shares issued by leveraged closed-end funds, it will face certain risks associated with leveraged investments.

However, investments in closed-end funds are subject to additional risks. For example, the price of the closed-end fund's shares quoted on an exchange may not reflect the net asset value of the securities held by the closed-end fund, and the premium or discount the share prices represent versus net asset value may change over time based on a variety of factors, including supply of and demand for the closed-end fund's shares, that are outside the closed-end fund's control or unrelated to the value of the underlying portfolio securities. If the Fund invests in the closed-end fund to gain exposure to the closed-end fund's investments, the lack of correlation between the investments' performance and the closed-end fund's share price may compromise or eliminate any such exposure.

Exchange-traded funds. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs are regulated as registered investment companies under the 1940 Act. Many ETFs acquire and hold securities of all of the companies or other issuers, or a representative sampling of companies or other issuers, that are components of a particular index. Such ETFs are intended to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the corresponding market index, and the value of their shares should, under normal circumstances, closely track the value of the index's underlying component securities. Because an ETF has operating expenses and transaction costs, while a market index does not, ETFs that track particular indices typically will be unable to match the performance of the index exactly. ETF shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary trading market on a securities exchange, in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. More recently, actively managed ETFs have been created that are managed similarly to other investment companies.

The shares of an ETF may be assembled in a block (typically 50,000 shares) known as a creation unit and redeemed in kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF's net asset value) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. Conversely, a creation unit may be purchased from the ETF by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF's underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit.

ETF shares, as opposed to creation units, are generally purchased and sold by smaller investors in a secondary market on a securities exchange. ETF shares can be traded in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. Although the Fund, like most other investors in ETFs, intends to purchase and sell ETF shares primarily in the secondary trading market, the Fund may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities and use it (and any required cash) to purchase creation units, if the investment manager believes it is in the Fund's best interest to do so.

An investment in an ETF is subject to all of the risks of investing in the securities held by the ETF and have the same risks as investing in a closed-end fund. In addition, because of the ability of large market participants to arbitrage price differences by purchasing or redeeming creation units, the difference between the market value and the net asset value of ETF shares should in most cases be small. An ETF may be terminated and need to liquidate its portfolio securities at a time when the prices for those securities are falling.

Investment grade debt securities Debt securities that are rated Baa or higher by Moody's, BBB or higher by S&P, or unrated securities deemed by the Fund's investment manager to be of comparable quality, are considered to be "investment grade." Generally, a higher rating indicates the rating agency's opinion that there is less risk of default of obligations thereunder including timely repayment of principal and payment of interest. Debt securities in the lowest investment grade category may have speculative characteristics and more closely resemble high-yield debt securities than investment-grade debt securities. Lower-rated securities may be subject to all the risks applicable to high-yield debt securities and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments than is the case with higher grade debt securities.

A number of risks associated with rating organizations apply to the purchase or sale of investment grade debt securities.

Merger securities and securities of distressed companies The Fund also seeks to invest in merger arbitrage securities and the securities of distressed companies. The Fund may from time to time participate in any such tender or exchange offers in which such companies are involved. A tender offer is an offer by the company itself or by another company or person to purchase a company's securities at a higher (or lower) price than the market value for such securities. An exchange offer is an offer by the company or by another company or person to the holders of the company's securities to exchange those securities for different securities. In addition to typical equity and debt investments, the Fund's investments in distressed companies may include indebtedness, participations and trade Claims, as further described under "Indebtedness, participations and trade claims."

Mortgage-backed securities

Overview. Mortgage-backed securities, also referred to as mortgage securities or mortgage-related securities, represent an ownership interest in a pool of mortgage loans, usually originated by mortgage bankers, commercial banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks and credit unions to finance purchases of homes, commercial buildings or other real estate. The individual mortgage loans are packaged or "pooled" together for sale to investors. These mortgage loans may have either fixed or adjustable interest rates. A guarantee or other form of credit support may be attached to a mortgage security to protect against default on obligations such as repayment of principal and payments of interest.

As the underlying mortgage loans are paid off, investors receive principal and interest payments, which "pass-through" when received from individual borrowers, net of any fees owed to the administrator, guarantor or other service providers. Some mortgage securities make payments of both principal and interest at a range of specified intervals; others make semiannual interest payments at a predetermined rate and repay principal at maturity (like a typical bond).

Mortgage securities are based on different types of mortgages, including those on commercial real estate or residential properties. The primary issuers or guarantors of mortgage securities have historically been the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA, or "Ginnie Mae"), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA, or "Fannie Mae") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC, or "Freddie Mac"). Other issuers of mortgage securities include commercial banks and other private lenders.

Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned United States Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Mae guarantees the principal and interest on securities issued by institutions approved by Ginnie Mae (such as savings and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers). Ginnie Mae also guarantees the principal and interest on securities backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (the "FHA"), or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (the "VA"). Ginnie Mae's guarantees are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of mortgage securities nor do they extend to the value of the Fund's shares which will fluctuate daily with market conditions.

Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored corporation, but its common stock is owned by private stockholders. Fannie Mae purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by Fannie Mae are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by Fannie Mae, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Freddie Mac was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks but now its common stock is owned entirely by private stockholders. Freddie Mac issues Participation Certificates (PCs), which are pass-through securities, each representing an undivided interest in a pool of residential mortgages. Freddie Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Although the mortgage securities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the Secretary of the Treasury has the authority to support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by purchasing limited amounts of their respective obligations. The yields on these mortgage securities have historically exceeded the yields on other types of U.S. government securities with comparable maturities due largely to their prepayment risk. The U.S. government has recently provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will continue to do so. Accordingly, securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may involve a risk of non-payment of principal and interest.

On September 6, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHFA selected a new chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for each of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Also, the U.S. Treasury entered into a Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement imposing various covenants that severely limit each enterprise's operations.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remains liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations associated with its mortgage-backed securities. The FHFA has the power to repudiate any contract entered into by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prior to FHFA's appointment as conservator or receiver, including the guaranty obligations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Accordingly, securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will involve a risk of non-payment of principal and interest.

Private mortgage securities. Issuers of private mortgage securities, such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers, are not U.S. government agencies and may be both the originators of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-backed securities, or they may partner with a government entity by issuing mortgage loans guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government or a U.S. government agency or sponsored enterprise. Pools of mortgage loans created by private issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or government agency guarantees of payment. The risk of loss due to default on private mortgage securities is historically higher because neither the U.S. government nor an agency or instrumentality have guaranteed them. Timely payment of interest and principal is, however, generally supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance. Government entities, private insurance companies or the private mortgage poolers issue the insurance and guarantees. The insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of their issuers will be considered when determining whether a mortgage security meets the Fund's quality standards. The Fund may buy mortgage securities without insurance or guarantees if, through an examination of the loan experience and practices of the poolers, the investment manager determines that the securities meet the Fund's quality standards. Private mortgage securities whose underlying assets are neither U.S. government securities nor U.S. government-insured mortgages, to the extent that real properties securing such assets may be located in the same geographical region, may also be subject to a greater risk of default than other comparable securities in the event of adverse economic, political or business developments that may affect such region and, ultimately, the ability of property owners to make payments of principal and interest on the underlying mortgages. Non-government mortgage securities are generally subject to greater price volatility than those issued, guaranteed or sponsored by government entities because of the greater risk of default in adverse market conditions. Where a guarantee is provided by a private guarantor, the Fund is subject to the credit risk of such guarantor, especially when the guarantor doubles as the originator.

Mortgage securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, are not subject to the Fund's industry concentration restrictions, set forth under "Fundamental Investment Policies," by virtue of the exclusion from that test available to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. In the case of privately issued mortgage-backed securities, the Fund categorizes the securities by the issuer's industry for purposes of the Fund's industry concentration restrictions.

Additional risks. In addition to the special risks described below, mortgage securities are subject to many of the same risks as other types of debt securities. The market value of mortgage securities, like other debt securities, will generally vary inversely with changes in market interest rates, declining when interest rates rise and rising when interest rates decline. Mortgage securities differ from conventional debt securities in that most mortgage securities are pass-through securities. This means that they typically provide investors with periodic payments (typically monthly) consisting of a pro rata share of both regular interest and principal payments, as well as unscheduled early prepayments, on the underlying mortgage pool (net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities and any applicable loan servicing fees). As a result, the holder of the mortgage securities (i.e., the Fund) receives scheduled payments of principal and interest and may receive unscheduled principal payments representing prepayments on the underlying mortgages. The rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages generally increases as interest rates decline, and when the Fund reinvests the payments and any unscheduled prepayments of principal it receives, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the existing mortgage-backed securities. For this reason, pass-through mortgage securities may have less potential for capital appreciation as interest rates decline and may be less effective than other types of U.S. government or other debt securities as a means of "locking in" long-term interest rates. In general, fixed rate mortgage-backed securities have greater exposure to this "prepayment risk" than variable rate securities.

An unexpected rise in interest rates could extend the average life of a mortgage security because of a lower than expected level of prepayments or higher than expected amounts of late payments or defaults. In addition, to the extent mortgage securities are purchased at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and unscheduled principal prepayments may result in some loss of the holder's principal investment to the extent of the premium paid. On the other hand, if mortgage securities are purchased at a discount, both a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income that, when distributed to shareholders, will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Regulatory or tax changes may also adversely affect the mortgage securities market as a whole.

Guarantees. The existence of a guarantee or other form of credit support on a mortgage security usually increases the price that the Fund pays for the security. There is always the risk that the guarantor will default on its obligations. When the guarantor is the U.S. government, there is minimal risk of guarantor default. However, the risk remains if the credit support or guarantee is provided by a private party or a U.S. government agency or sponsored enterprise. Even if the guarantor meets its obligations, there can be no assurance that the type of guarantee or credit support provided will be effective at reducing losses or delays to investors, given the nature of the default. A guarantee only assures timely payment of interest and principal, not a particular rate of return on the Fund's investment or protection against prepayment or other risks. The market price and yield of the mortgage security at any given time are not guaranteed and likely to fluctuate.

Adjustable rate mortgage securities (ARMS) ARMS, like traditional fixed rate mortgage securities, represent an ownership interest in a pool of mortgage loans and are issued, guaranteed or otherwise sponsored by governmental or by private entities. Unlike traditional mortgage securities, the mortgage loans underlying ARMS generally carry adjustable interest rates, and in some cases principal repayment rates, that are reset periodically. An adjustable interest rate may be passed-through or otherwise offered on certain ARMS. Investing in ARMS may permit the Fund to participate in increases in prevailing current interest rates through periodic adjustments in the interest rate payments on mortgages underlying the pool on which the ARMS are based. ARMS generally have lower price fluctuations than is the case with more traditional fixed income debt securities of comparable rating and maturity.

The interest rates paid on ARMS generally are readjusted at intervals of one year or less to a rate that is an increment over some predetermined interest rate index, although some securities may have reset intervals as long as five years. There are three main categories of indices: those based on LIBOR, those based on U.S. Treasury securities and those derived from a calculated measure such as a cost of funds index (indicating the cost of borrowing) or a moving average of mortgage rates. Commonly used indices include the one-, three-, and five-year constant-maturity Treasury rates; the three-month Treasury bill rate; the 180-day Treasury bill rate; rates on longer-term Treasury securities; the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds; the National Median Cost of Funds; the one-, three-, six-month, or one-year LIBOR; the prime rate of a specific bank; or commercial paper rates.

In a changing interest rate environment, the reset feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the ARMS' value in response to normal interest rate fluctuations. However, the time interval between each interest reset causes the yield on the ARMS to lag behind changes in the prevailing market interest rate. As interest rates are reset on the underlying mortgages, the yields of the ARMS gradually re-align themselves to reflect changes in market rates so that their market values remain relatively stable compared to fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities.

As a result, ARMS also have less risk of a decline in value during periods of rising interest rates than if the Fund invested in more traditional long-term, fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities. However, during such periods, this reset lag may result in a lower net asset value until the interest rate resets to market rates. If prepayments of principal are made on the underlying mortgages during periods of rising interest rates, the Fund generally will be able to reinvest these amounts in securities with a higher current rate of return. However, the Fund will not benefit from increases in interest rates to the extent that interest rates exceed the maximum allowable annual or lifetime reset limits (or cap rates) for a particular mortgage security. See "Caps and floors." This is because borrowers with the adjustable rate mortgage loans that are pooled into ARMS generally see an increase in their monthly mortgage payments when interest rates rise which in turn increases their rate of late payments and defaults.

Because an investor is "locked in" at a given interest rate for the duration of the interval until the reset date, whereas interest rates continue to fluctuate, the sensitivity of an ARMS' price to changes in interest rates tends to increase along with the length of the interval. To the extent the Fund invests in ARMS that reset infrequently, the Fund will be subject to similar interest rate risks as when investing in fixed-rate debt securities. For example, the Fund can expect to receive a lower interest rate than the prevailing market rates (or index rates) in a rising interest rate environment because of the lag between daily increases in interest rates and periodic readjustments.

During periods of declining interest rates, the interest rates on the underlying mortgages may reset downward with a similar lag, resulting in lower yields to the Fund. As a result, the value of ARMS is unlikely to rise during periods of declining interest rates to the same extent as the value of fixed-rate securities do. During periods of rising interest rates, ARMS will be subjected to greater extension risk than fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities. This is because borrowers with adjustable rate loans will generally see their monthly payment obligations increase along with interest rates, with the result being an increase in late payments and defaults.

Caps and floors. The underlying mortgages that collateralize ARMS will frequently have caps and floors that limit the maximum amount by which the interest rate to the residential borrower may change up or down (a) per reset or adjustment interval and (b) over the life of the loan. Fluctuations in interest rates above the applicable caps or floors on the ARMS could cause the ARMS to "cap out" and to behave more like long-term, fixed-rate debt securities.

Negative amortization. Some mortgage loans restrict periodic adjustments by limiting changes in the borrower's monthly principal and interest payments rather than limiting interest rate changes. These payment caps may result in negative amortization, where payments are less than the amount of principal and interest owed, with excess amounts added to the outstanding principal balance, which can extend the average life of the mortgage securities.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) and multi-class pass-throughs Some mortgage-backed securities known as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are divided into multiple classes. Each of the classes is allocated a different share of the principal and/or interest payments received from the pool according to a different payment schedule depending on, among other factors, the seniority of a class relative to their classes. Other mortgage-backed securities such as real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) are also divided into multiple classes with different rights to the interest and/or principal payments received on the pool of mortgages. A CMO or REMIC may designate the most junior of the securities it issues as a "residual" which will be entitled to any amounts remaining after all classes of shareholders (and any fees or expenses) have been paid in full. Some of the different rights may include different maturities, interest rates, payment schedules, and allocations of interest and/or principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. Multi-class pass-through securities are equity interests in a trust composed of mortgage loans or other mortgage securities. Payments of principal and interest on the underlying collateral provide the funds to pay the debt service on CMOs or REMICs or to make scheduled distributions on the multi-class pass-through securities. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the discussion of CMOs below also applies to REMICs and multi-class pass-through securities.

All the risks applicable to a traditional mortgage security also apply to the CMO or REMIC taken as a whole, even though certain classes of the CMO or REMIC will be protected against a particular risk by subordinated classes. The risks associated with an investment in a particular CMO or REMIC class vary substantially depending on the combination of rights associated with that class. An investment in the most subordinated classes of a CMO or REMIC bears a disproportionate share of the risks associated with mortgage-backed securities generally, be it credit risk, prepayment or extension risk, interest rate risk, income risk, market risk, illiquidity risk or any other risk associated with a debt or equity instrument with similar features to the relevant class. As a result, an investment in the most subordinated classes of a CMO or REMIC is often riskier than an investment in other types of mortgage-backed securities.

CMOs are generally required to maintain more collateral than REMICs to collateralize the CMOs being issued. Most REMICs are not subject to the same minimum collateralization requirements and may be permitted to issue the full value of their assets as securities, without reserving any amount as collateral. As a result, an investment in the subordinated classes of a REMIC may be riskier than an investment in equivalent classes of a CMO.

CMOs may be issued, guaranteed or sponsored by governmental entities or by private entities. Consequently, they involve risks similar to those of traditional mortgage securities that have been issued, guaranteed or sponsored by such government and/or private entities. For example, the Fund is generally exposed to a greater risk of loss due to default when investing in CMOs that have not been issued, guaranteed or sponsored by a government entity.

CMOs are typically issued in multiple classes. Each class, often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specified coupon rate or adjustable rate and has a stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal prepayments on collateral underlying CMOs may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates. Interest is paid or accrues on most classes of a CMO on a monthly, quarterly or semiannual basis. The principal and interest on the mortgages underlying CMOs may be allocated among the several classes in many ways. In a common structure, payments of principal on the underlying mortgages, including any principal prepayments, are applied to the classes of a series of a CMO in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal will be made on any class until all other classes having an earlier stated maturity or final distribution date have been paid in full.

One or more classes of a CMO may have interest rates that reset periodically as ARMS do. These adjustable rate classes are known as "floating-rate CMOs" and are subject to most risks associated with ARMS. Floating-rate CMOs may be backed by fixed- or adjustable-rate mortgages. To date, fixed-rate mortgages have been more commonly used for this purpose. Floating-rate CMOs are typically issued with lifetime "caps" on the interest rate. These caps, similar to the caps on ARMS, limit the Fund's potential to gain from rising interest rates and increasing the sensitivity of the CMO's price to interest rate changes while rates remain above the cap.

Timely payment of interest and principal (but not the market value and yield) of some of these pools is supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees issued by private issuers, those who pool the mortgage assets and, in some cases, by U.S. government agencies.

CMOs involve risks including the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows that results from the rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages serving as collateral, and risks resulting from the structure of the particular CMO transaction and the priority of the individual tranches. The prices of some CMOs, depending on their structure and the rate of prepayments, can be volatile. Some CMOs may be less liquid than other types of mortgage securities. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible to sell the securities at an advantageous price or time under certain circumstances. Yields on privately issued CMOs have been historically higher than the yields on CMOs issued and guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. The risk of loss due to default on privately issued CMOs, however, is historically higher since the U.S. government has not guaranteed them.

To the extent any privately issued CMOs in which the Fund invests are considered by the SEC to be an investment company, the Fund will limit its investments in such securities in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

CMO and REMIC Residuals. The residual in a CMO or REMIC structure is the interest in any excess cash flow generated by the mortgage pool that remains after first making the required payments of principal and interest to the other classes of the CMO or REMIC and, second, paying the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO or REMIC residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO or REMIC will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the interest rate of each class, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the return on CMO and REMIC residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets. If a class of a CMO or REMIC bears interest at an adjustable rate, the CMO or REMIC residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. CMO and REMIC residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers and may not have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act). CMO and REMIC residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed "illiquid" and subject to the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities.

Stripped mortgage securities and net interest margin securities Some mortgage securities referred to as stripped mortgage securities are divided into classes which receive different proportions of the principal and interest payments or, in some cases, only payments of principal or interest (but not both). Other mortgage securities referred to as net interest margin (NIM) securities give the investor the right to receive any excess interest earned on a pool of mortgage loans remaining after all classes and service providers have been paid in full. Stripped mortgage securities may be issued by government or private entities. Stripped mortgage securities issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government are typically more liquid than privately issued stripped mortgage-backed securities.

Stripped mortgage securities are usually structured with two classes, each receiving different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. In most cases, one class receives all of the interest (the interest-only or "IO" class), while the other class receives all of the principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). The return on an IO class is extremely sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage assets. A rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on any IO class held by the Fund. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to recoup its initial investment fully, even if the securities are rated in the highest rating categories, AAA or Aaa, by S&P or Moody's, respectively.

NIM securities represent a right to receive any "excess" interest computed after paying coupon costs, servicing costs and fees and any credit losses associated with the underlying pool of home equity loans. Like traditional stripped mortgage securities, the return on a NIM security is sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying home equity loans. NIM securities are highly sensitive to credit losses on the underlying collateral and the timing in which those losses are taken.

Stripped mortgage securities and NIM securities tend to exhibit greater market volatility in response to changes in interest rates than other types of mortgage securities and are purchased and sold by institutional investors, such as the Fund, through investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Some of these securities may be deemed "illiquid" and therefore subject to the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities and the risks associated with illiquidity.

Future developments. Mortgage loan and home equity loan pools offering pass-through investments in addition to those described above may be created in the future. The mortgages underlying these securities may be alternative mortgage instruments, that is, mortgage instruments whose principal or interest payments may vary or whose terms to maturity may differ from customary long-term, fixed-rate mortgages. As new types of mortgage and home equity loan securities are developed and offered to investors, the Fund may invest in them if they are consistent with the Fund's goals, policies and quality standards.

Distressed mortgage obligations and reverse mortgages A direct investment in a distressed mortgage obligation involves the purchase by the Fund of a lender's interest in a mortgage granted to a borrower, where the borrower has experienced difficulty in making its mortgage payments, or for which it appears likely that the borrower will experience difficulty in making its mortgage payments. A reverse mortgage generally refers to a mortgage loan in which the lender advances in a lump sum or in installments a sum of money based on the age of the borrower, the interest rate at closing, and the equity in the real estate. Generally no payment is due on a reverse mortgage until the borrower no longer owns or occupies the home as his or her principal residence.

As is typical with mortgage obligations, payment of the loan is secured by the real estate underlying the loan. By purchasing the distressed mortgage obligation, the Fund steps into the shoes of the lender from a risk point of view. As distinguished from mortgage securities, which generally represent an interest in a pool of loans backed by real estate, investing in direct mortgage obligations involves the risks similar to making a loan or purchasing an assignment of a loan. To the extent that the Fund's investment depends on a single borrower, the Fund will experience greater credit risk and more extreme gains or losses than when investing in a pool of loans with multiple borrowers. Other risks include the inability of a borrower to make its loan payments or other obligations, and if the real estate underlying the distressed or reverse mortgage loan is acquired by foreclosure, the Fund could become part owner of such real estate, directly or indirectly through the mortgage security in which it holds an interest. As a direct or indirect owner, the Fund would bear its share of any costs associated with owning and disposing of the real estate. There is no assurance that the real estate would be disposed of in a timely or profitable manner.

Investments in direct mortgage obligations of distressed borrowers involve substantially greater risks and are highly speculative due to the fact that the borrower's ability to make timely payments has been identified as questionable. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their loans, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed.

There is currently no active market in reverse mortgages, and the Fund accordingly considers any reverse mortgages it may hold to be illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities and the risks associated with illiquidity. The recorded value of reverse mortgage assets includes significant volatility associated with estimations, and income recognition can vary significantly from reporting period to reporting period.

Because reverse mortgages are a relatively new and uncommon product, there can be no assurances about how the courts or arbitrators may apply existing legal principles to the interpretation and enforcement of the terms and conditions of reverse mortgages, including the Fund's position as an investor.

Mortgage Dollar and U.S. Treasury Rolls

Mortgage dollar rolls. In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells or buys mortgage securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase or sell substantially similar (same type, coupon, and maturity) securities on a specified future date. During the period between the sale and repurchase (the "roll period"), the Fund forgoes principal and interest payments that it would otherwise have received on the securities sold. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price, which it receives, and the lower forward price that it will pay 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.

For each roll transaction, the Fund will segregate assets as set forth in "Segregation of assets" under "Borrowing."

The Fund is exposed to the credit risk of its counterparty in a mortgage dollar roll or U.S. Treasury roll transaction. The Fund could suffer a loss if the counterparty fails to perform the future transaction or otherwise meet its obligations and the Fund is therefore unable to repurchase at the agreed upon price the same or substantially similar mortgage securities it initially sold. The Fund also takes the risk that the mortgage securities that it repurchases at a later date will have less favorable market characteristics than the securities originally sold (e.g., greater prepayment risk).

The Fund intends to enter into mortgage dollar rolls only with high quality securities dealers and banks as determined by the investment manager under board approved counterparty review procedures. Although rolls could add leverage to the Fund's portfolio, the Fund does not consider the purchase and/or sale of a mortgage dollar roll to be a borrowing for purposes of the Fund's fundamental restrictions or other limitations on borrowing.

U.S. Treasury rolls. In U.S. Treasury rolls, the Fund sells U.S. Treasury securities and buys back "when-issued" U.S. Treasury securities of slightly longer maturity for simultaneous settlement on the settlement date of the "when-issued" U.S. Treasury security. Two potential advantages of this strategy are (1) the Fund can regularly and incrementally adjust its weighted average maturity of its portfolio securities (which otherwise would constantly diminish with the passage of time); and (2) in a normal yield curve environment (in which shorter maturities yield less than longer maturities), a gain in yield to maturity can be obtained along with the desired extension.

During the period before the settlement date, the Fund continues to earn interest on the securities it is selling. It does not earn interest on the securities that it is purchasing until after the settlement date. The Fund could suffer an opportunity loss if the counterparty to the roll failed to perform its obligations on the settlement date, and if market conditions changed adversely. Funds generally enter into U.S. Treasury rolls only with government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Board or with member banks of the Federal Reserve System.

Municipal securities Municipal securities are issued by U.S. state and local governments and their agencies instrumentalities, authorities and political subdivisions, as well as by the District of Columbia and U.S. territories and possessions. The issuer pays a fixed, floating or variable rate of interest, and must repay the amount borrowed (the "principal") at maturity. Municipal securities are issued to raise money for a variety of public or private purposes, including financing state or local government, specific projects or public facilities.

Municipal securities generally are classified as general or revenue obligations. General obligations are secured by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue obligations are debt securities payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities, or a specific excise tax or other revenue source. As a result, an investment in revenue obligations is subject to greater risk of delay or non-payment if revenue does not accrue as expected or if other conditions are not met for reasons outside the control of the Fund. Conversely, if revenue accrues more quickly than anticipated, the Fund may receive payment before expected and have difficulty re-investing the proceeds on equally favorable terms.

The value of the municipal securities may be highly sensitive to events affecting the fiscal stability of the municipalities, agencies, authorities and other instrumentalities that issue securities. In particular, economic, legislative, regulatory or political developments affecting the ability of the issuers to pay interest or repay principal may significantly affect the value of the Fund's investments. These developments can include or arise from, for example, insolvency of an issuer, uncertainties related to the tax status of municipal securities, tax base erosion, state or federal constitutional limits on tax increases or other actions, budget deficits and other financial difficulties, or changes in the credit ratings assigned to municipal issuers. There will be a limited market for certain municipal securities, and the Fund could face illiquidity risks.

Pre-refunded bonds These are outstanding debt securities that are not immediately callable (redeemable) by the issuer but have been "pre-refunded" by the issuer. The issuer "pre-refunds" the bonds by setting aside in advance all or a portion of the amount to be paid to the bondholders when the bond is called. Generally, an issuer uses the proceeds from a new bond issue to buy high grade, interest bearing debt securities, including direct obligations of the U.S. government, which are then deposited in an irrevocable escrow account held by a trustee bank to secure all future payments of principal and interest on the pre-refunded bonds. Due to the substantial "collateral" held in escrow, pre-refunded bonds often receive the same rating as the United States Treasury. Because pre-refunded bonds still bear the same interest rate as when they were originally issued and are of very high credit quality, their market value may increase. However, as the pre-refunded bond approaches its call or ultimate maturity date, the bond's market value will tend to fall to its call or par price.

Real estate The Fund may invest in real estate securities, which are subject to the risks associated with the real estate industry. Economic, regulatory, and social factors that affect the value of real estate will affect the value of real estate securities. These factors include overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, prolonged vacancies in rental properties, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, variations in rental income, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, costs of clean up and liability to third parties resulting from environment problems, costs associated with damage from natural disasters not covered by insurance, and increases in interest rates. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are subject to risks related to the skill of their management, changes in value of the properties the REITs own, the quality of any credit extended by the REITs, and general economic and other factors.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) A REIT is a pooled investment vehicle which purchases primarily income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or other real estate related interests. The pooled vehicle, typically a trust, then issues shares whose value and investment performance are dependent upon the investment experience of the underlying real estate related investments.

The Fund's investments in real estate-related securities are subject to certain risks related to the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: changes in general and local economic conditions; possible declines in the value of real estate; the possible lack of availability of money for loans to purchase real estate; overbuilding in particular areas; prolonged vacancies in rental properties; property taxes; changes in tax laws relating to dividends and laws related to the use of real estate in certain areas; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties resulting from, environmental problems; the costs associated with damage to real estate resulting from floods, earthquakes or other material disasters not covered by insurance; and limitations on, and variations in, rents and changes in interest rates. The value of securities of companies that service the real estate industry will also be affected by these risks.

In addition, equity REITs are affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs are affected by the quality of the properties to which they have extended credit. Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon the REITs management skill. REITs may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects.

Repurchase agreements Under a repurchase agreement, the Fund agrees to buy securities guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities from a qualified bank or broker-dealer and then to sell the securities back to the bank or broker-dealer on an agreed upon date (generally less than seven days) at a higher price, which reflects currently prevailing short-term interest rates. Entering into repurchase agreements allows the Fund to earn a return on cash in the Fund's portfolio that would otherwise remain un-invested. The bank or broker-dealer must transfer to the Fund's custodian, as collateral, securities with an initial market value of at least 102% of the dollar amount paid by the Fund to the counterparty. The investment manager will monitor the value of such collateral daily to determine that the value of the collateral equals or exceeds the repurchase price.

Repurchase agreements may involve risks in the event of default or insolvency of the bank or broker-dealer, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund's ability to sell the underlying securities and additional expenses in seeking to enforce the Fund's rights and recover any losses. The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with parties who meet certain creditworthiness standards, i.e., banks or broker-dealers that the investment manager has determined, based on the information available at the time, present no serious risk of becoming involved in bankruptcy proceedings within the time frame contemplated by the repurchase agreement. Although the Fund seeks to limit the credit risk under a repurchase agreement by carefully selecting counterparties and accepting only high quality collateral, some credit risk remains. The counterparty could default which may make it necessary for the Fund to incur expenses to liquidate the collateral. In addition, the collateral may decline in value before it can be liquidated by the Fund.

A repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity is considered an illiquid security and is subject to the Fund's investment restriction on illiquid securities.

Reverse repurchase agreements Reverse repurchase agreements are the opposite of repurchase agreements but involve similar mechanics and risks. The Fund sells securities to a bank or dealer and agrees to repurchase them at a mutually agreed price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements may be considered a borrowing under the federal securities laws, and therefore the Fund must have at least 300% asset coverage (total assets less liabilities, excluding the reverse repurchase agreement). Cash or liquid high-grade debt securities having an initial market value, including accrued interest, equal to at least 100% of the dollar amount sold by the Fund are segregated, i.e., set aside, as collateral and marked-to-market daily to maintain coverage of at least 100%. These transactions may increase the volatility of the Fund’s income or net asset value. The Fund carries the risk that any securities purchased with the proceeds of the transaction will depreciate or not generate enough income to cover the Fund’s obligations under the reverse repurchase transaction. These transactions also increase the interest and operating expenses of the Fund. Although reverse repurchase agreements are borrowings under the 1940 Act, the Fund does not treat these arrangements as borrowings under its investment restrictions, provided they are segregated on the books of the Fund or its custodian.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase under the agreement. A default by the purchaser might cause the Fund to experience a loss or delay in the liquidation costs. The Fund generally enters into reverse repurchase agreements with domestic or foreign banks or securities dealers. The investment manager will evaluate the creditworthiness of these entities prior to engaging in such transactions and it will conduct these activities under the general supervision of the board of trustees.

Securities of companies in the financial services industry Certain underlying funds may purchase securities of companies in the financial services industry. There are provisions of the federal securities laws that permit investment portfolios to invest in companies engaged in securities-related activities only if certain conditions are met. Purchases of securities of a company that derived 15% or less of gross revenues during its most recent fiscal year from securities-related activities (i.e., broker, dealer, underwriting, or investment advisory activities) are subject only to the same percentage limitations as would apply to any other security a fund may purchase.

An underlying fund also may purchase securities (not limited to equity or debt individually) of an issuer that derived more than 15% of its gross revenues in its most recent fiscal year from securities-related activities, if the following conditions are met: (1) immediately after the purchase of any securities issuer's equity and debt securities, the purchase cannot cause more than 5% of the fund's total assets to be invested in securities of that securities issuer; (2) immediately after a purchase of equity securities of a securities issuer, a fund may not own more than 5% of the outstanding securities of that class of the securities issuer's equity securities; and (3) immediately after a purchase of debt securities of a securities issuer, a fund may not own more than 10% of the outstanding principal amount of the securities issuer's debt securities.

In applying the gross revenue test, an issuer's gross revenues from its own securities-related activities should be combined with its ratable share of the securities-related activities of enterprises of which it owns a 20% or greater voting or equity interest. All of the above percentage limitations, including the issuer's gross revenue test, are applicable at the time of purchase. With respect to warrants, rights, and convertible securities, a determination of compliance with the above limitations must be made as though such warrant, right, or conversion privilege had been exercised.

The following transactions would not be deemed to be an acquisition of securities of a securities-related business: (i) receipt of stock dividends on securities acquired in compliance with the conditions described above; (ii) receipt of securities arising from a stock-for-stock split on securities acquired in compliance with the conditions described above; (iii) exercise of options, warrants, or rights acquired in compliance with the federal securities laws; (iv) conversion of convertible securities acquired in compliance with the conditions described above; and (v) the acquisition of demand features or guarantees (puts) under certain circumstances.

The underlying funds also are not permitted to acquire any security issued by the investment manager or any affiliated company (including Franklin Resources, Inc.) that is a securities-related business. The purchase of a general partnership interest in a securities-related business is also prohibited.

In addition, the underlying funds are generally prohibited from purchasing or otherwise acquiring any security (not limited to equity or debt individually) issued by any insurance company if such fund and any company controlled by such fund own in the aggregate or, as a result of the purchase, will own in the aggregate more than 10% of the total outstanding voting stock of the insurance company. Certain state insurance laws impose similar limitations.

Securities lending To generate additional income, the Fund may lend certain of its portfolio securities to qualified banks and broker-dealers (referred to as "borrowers"). In exchange, the Fund receives cash collateral from a borrower at least equal to the value of the security loaned by the Fund. Cash collateral typically consists of any combination of cash, securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and irrevocable letters of credit. The Fund may invest this cash collateral while the loan is outstanding and generally retains part or all of the interest earned on the cash collateral. Securities lending allows the Fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income.

For each loan, the borrower usually must maintain with the Fund's custodian collateral with an initial market value at least equal to 102% of the market value of the domestic securities loaned (or 105% of the market value of foreign securities loaned), including any accrued interest thereon. Such collateral will be marked-to-market daily, and if the coverage falls below 100%, the borrower will be required to deliver additional collateral equal to at least 102% of the market value of the domestic securities loaned (or 105% of the foreign securities loaned).

The Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. The Fund also continues to receive any distributions paid on the loaned securities. The Fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned within the normal settlement period for the security involved.

If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, the Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If the Fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. Additional transaction costs would result, and the value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. Until the replacement can be purchased, the Fund will not have the desired level of exposure to the security which the borrower failed to return. Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects the Fund to greater market risk including losses on the collateral and, should the Fund need to look to the collateral in the event of the borrower's default, losses on the loan secured by that collateral.

The Fund will loan its securities only to parties who meet creditworthiness standards approved by the Fund's board (i.e., banks or broker-dealers that the investment manager has determined are not apparently at risk of becoming involved in bankruptcy proceedings within the time frame contemplated by the loan). In addition, pursuant to the 1940 Act and SEC interpretations thereunder, the aggregate market value of securities that may be loaned by a fund is limited to 33 1/3% of the fund's total assets or such lower limit as set by the fund or its board.

Short sales In a short sale, the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete the transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at this time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund must pay the lender any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. In buying the security to replace the borrowed security, the Fund expects to acquire the security in the market for less than the amount it earned in the short sale, thereby yielding a profit.

The Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security, and the Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those same dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest the Fund is required to pay in connection with the short sale.

The Fund will segregate assets by appropriate notation on its books or the books of its custodian an amount equal to the difference between (a) the market value of the securities sold short at the time they were sold short and (b) any cash or securities required to be deposited as collateral with the broker in connection with the short sale (not including the proceeds from the short sale). The segregated amount will be marked-to-market daily (that is, recalculated at that day’s prices) and at no time will the sum of the amount segregated and the amount deposited with the broker as collateral be less than the market value of the securities at the time they sold short.

The Fund may make a short sale when the investment manager believes the price of the stock may decline and when the investment manager does not currently want to sell the stock or convertible security it owns. In this case, any decline in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities would be reduced by a gain in the short sale transaction. Conversely, any increase in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities would be reduced by a loss in the short sale transaction.

The investment manager has adopted short sale procedures to prevent the short sale of a security by the Fund where another client of the investment manager also holds that security. The procedures prohibit the execution of short sales by the Fund when there are open buy or sell orders or current long portfolio holdings in the same security or economic equivalent (e.g., a bond convertible into common stock) on the same trading desk on which the investment manager places trades or in the portfolios of other accounts managed by the investment manager. In addition, the procedures prohibit the execution of purchases and sales when there are open short sale orders in the same security on the same trading desk on which the investment manager places trades.

Short sales “against the box” are transactions in which the Fund sells a security short but it also owns an equal amount of the securities sold short or owns securities that are convertible or exchangeable, without payment of further consideration, into an equal amount of such security.

Standby commitment agreements A standby commitment agreement is an agreement committing the Fund to buy a stated amount of a security, for a stated period of time, at the option of the issuer. The price and interest rate of the security is fixed at the time of the commitment. When the Fund enters into the agreement, the Fund is paid a commitment fee, which it keeps regardless of whether the security is ultimately issued, typically equal to approximately 0.5% of the aggregate purchase price of the security that the Fund has committed to buy.

The purchase of a security subject to a standby commitment agreement and the related commitment fee will be recorded on the date on which the security can reasonably be expected to be issued. In the event the security is not issued, the commitment fee will be recorded as income on the expiration date of the standby commitment. The Fund could be required to produce the full amount of the agreed upon purchase price at any time during the commitment period. As a result, the Fund will segregate assets. Standby commitment agreements may be deemed "illiquid" and therefore subject to the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities.

There can be no assurance that the securities subject to a standby commitment will be issued, and the value of the securities, if issued, on the delivery date may be more or less than their purchase price. Because the issuance of the security underlying the commitment is at the option of the issuer, the Fund generally bears the risk of a decline in the value of the security and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period. If an issuer's financial condition deteriorates between the time of the standby commitment and the date of issuance, these commitments may have the effect of requiring the Fund to make an investment in an issuer at a time when it would not otherwise have done so. This is the case even if the issuer's condition makes it unlikely that any amounts invested by the Fund pursuant to the standby commitment will ever be repaid. The Fund will only enter into standby commitment agreements with issuers which the investment manager believes will not deteriorate in creditworthiness during the commitment period. The Fund will experience credit risk associated with the issuer.

Stripped securities Stripped securities are debt securities that have been transformed from a principal amount with periodic interest coupons into a series of zero coupon bonds, each with a different maturity date corresponding to one of the payment dates for interest coupon payments or the redemption date for the principal amount. Stripped securities are subject to all the risks applicable to zero coupon bonds as well as certain additional risks.

Like zero coupon bonds, stripped securities do not provide for periodic payments of interest prior to maturity. Rather they are offered at a discount from their face amount that will be paid at maturity. This results in the security being subject to greater fluctuations in response to changing interest rates than interest-paying securities of similar maturities. Federal income taxes generally accrue on stripped securities each year although no cash income is received until maturity, and the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make distributions to shareholders required for U.S. tax purposes.

The riskiness of an investment in stripped securities depends on the type involved. Some stripped securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Others receive an implied backing by the U.S. government as a sponsor or partner in the agency or entity issuing the stripped security. A few are secured with a guarantee from the financial institution or broker or dealer through which the stripped security is held. Others are supported only by the collateral, revenue stream or third party guarantee securing the underlying debt obligation from which zero coupon bonds were stripped. Stripped securities include: U.S. Treasury STRIPS, Stripped Government Securities, Stripped Obligations of the Financing Corporation (FICO STRIPS), Stripped Corporate Securities, and Stripped Eurodollar Obligations.

Stripped government securities are issued by the U.S. federal, state and local governments and their agencies and instrumentalities, and by "mixed-ownership government corporations." Stripped government securities vary widely in the terms, conditions and relative assurances of payment. The type of debt obligation from which the stripped government security was taken will indicate many of the risks associated with that investment. U.S. Treasury STRIPS and FICO Strips are types of stripped government securities.

U.S. Treasury STRIPS (Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities) are considered U.S. Treasury securities for purposes of the Fund's investment policies and are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Their risks are similar to those of other U.S. government securities, although their price may be more volatile. The U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero coupon securities by accounting separately for the beneficial ownership of particular interest coupon and principal payments on Treasury securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry record-keeping system.

FICO STRIPS represent interests in securities issued by the Financing Corporation (FICO). FICO was established to enable recapitalization of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) in the 1980's. FICO STRIPS are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government but are generally treated as U.S. government agency securities. The market for FICO STRIPS is substantially smaller and, therefore, less liquid and more volatile than the market for U.S. Treasury STRIPS. A higher yield is typically offered on FICO STRIPS to compensate investors for the greater illiquidity and additional risk that the U.S. government will not meet obligations on the FICO STRIPS if FICO defaults.

Structured investments Structured investments are interests in entities organized and operated solely for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of a security or securities and then issuing that restructured security. Restructuring involves the deposit with, or purchase by, an entity (such as a corporation or trust) of specified instruments and the issuance by that entity of one or more classes of securities (structured investments) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments.

Subordinated classes typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated classes. The extent of the payments made with respect to structured investments is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments.

Certain issuers of structured investments may be deemed to be "investment companies" as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund's investment in these structured investments may be limited by the restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. The risks associated with investing in a structured investment are usually tied to the risks associated with investing in the underlying instruments and securities. The risks will also depend upon the comparative subordination of the class held by the Fund, relative to the likelihood of a default on the structured investment. To the extent that the Fund is exposed to default, the Fund's structured investment may involve risks similar to those of high-yield debt securities. Structured investments typically are sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured investments. To the extent such investments are deemed to be illiquid, they will be subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.

These entities typically are organized by investment banking firms that receive fees in connection with establishing each entity and arranging for the placement of its securities. The Fund will indirectly pay its portion of these fees in addition to the fees associated with the creation and marketing of the underlying instruments and securities. If an active investment management component is combined with the underlying instruments and securities in the structured investment, there may be ongoing advisory fees which the Fund's shareholders would indirectly pay.

Subscription rights The Fund may purchase the securities of any issuer pursuant to the exercise of subscription rights distributed to the Fund by the issuer. Foreign corporations frequently issue additional capital stock by means of subscription rights offerings to existing shareholders at a price below the market price of the shares. The failure to exercise such rights would result in dilution of the Fund’s interest in the issuing company.

Temporary investments When the investment manager believes market or economic conditions are unfavorable for investors, the investment manager may invest up to 100% of the Fund's assets in temporary defensive investments, including cash, cash equivalents or other high quality short-term investments, such as short-term debt instruments, including U.S. government securities, high grade commercial paper, repurchase agreements, negotiable certificates of deposit, non-negotiable fixed time deposits, bankers acceptances, and other money market equivalents. To the extent allowed by exemptions from and rules under the 1940 Act and the Fund's other investment policies and restrictions, the investment manager also may invest the Fund's assets in shares of one or more money market funds managed by the investment manager or its affiliates. Unfavorable market or economic conditions may include excessive volatility or a prolonged general decline in the securities markets, the securities in which the Fund normally invests, or the economies of the countries where the Fund invests. Temporary defensive investments can and do experience default. The likelihood of default on a temporary defensive investment may increase in the market or economic conditions which are likely to trigger the Fund's investment therein. The investment manager also may invest in these types of securities or hold cash while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. When the Fund's assets are invested in temporary investments, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment goal.

Trade claims Trade claims are direct obligations or claims against companies that bankruptcy or other financial difficulty that are purchased from the creditors of such companies. For buyers, such as the Fund, trade claims offer the potential for profits because they are often purchased at a significantly discounted value and, consequently, may generate capital appreciation if the value of the claim increases as the debtor's financial position improves. If the debtor is able to pay the full face value of the claim as a result of a restructuring or an improvement in the debtor's financial condition, trade claims offer the potential for higher income due to the difference in the face value of the claim as compared to the discounted purchase price.

An investment in trade claims is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Trade claims are not backed by collateral or other forms of credit support. There can be no guarantee that the debtor will ever be able to satisfy the obligation on the trade claim. There is usually a substantial delay between purchasing a trade claim and receiving any return. Trade claims are not regulated by federal securities laws or the SEC, so the Fund's investment will not receive the same investor protections as with regulated securities. Currently, trade claims are regulated primarily by bankruptcy laws. Because trade claims are unsecured, holders of trade claims may have a lower priority in terms of payment than most other creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Unrated debt securities Not all debt securities or their issuers are rated by rating agencies, sometimes due to the size of or manner of the securities offering, the decision by one or more rating agencies not to rate certain securities or issuers as a matter of policy, or the unwillingness or inability of the issuer to provide the prerequisite information and fee to the rating agencies. Some debt securities markets may have a disproportionately large number of unrated issuers.

In evaluating unrated securities, the investment manager may consider, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters. Although unrated debt securities may be considered to be of investment grade quality, issuers typically pay a higher interest rate on unrated than on investment grade rated debt securities. Less information is typically available to the market on unrated securities and obligors, which may increase the potential for credit and valuation risk.

U.S. government securities U.S. government securities include obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. federal government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. Some U.S. government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. These include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). A second category of U.S. government securities are those supported by the right of the agency, instrumentality or sponsored enterprise to borrow from the U.S. government to meet its obligations. These include securities issued by Federal Home Loan Banks.

A third category of U.S. government securities are those supported by only the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality or sponsored enterprise. These include securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC). In the event of a default, an investor like the Fund would only have legal recourse to the issuer, not the U.S. government. Although the U.S. government has provided support for these securities in the past, there can be no assurance that it will do so in the future. The U.S. government has also made available additional guarantees for limited periods to stabilize or restore a market in the wake of an economic, political or natural crisis. Such guarantees, and the economic opportunities they present, are likely to be temporary and cannot be relied upon by the Fund.

Utilities Historically, electric utility companies were required by state regulators to build and maintain generation plants, transmission and distribution lines, and other equipment. State regulators set the rates that the companies could charge customers to pay for these costs, spread over as much as 30 years. As the various states move away from the traditional regulatory model toward greater competitiveness among electric utilities, customers will be able to choose different electricity suppliers.

Variable rate securities Variable rate securities are debt securities that provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate paid on the debt security. Floating rate securities, adjustable rate securities and inverse floating rate securities (referred to as "inverse floaters") are types of variable rate securities. An adjustable rate security is a debt security with an interest rate which is adjusted according to a formula that specifies the interval at which the rate will be reset and the interest rate index, benchmark or other mechanism upon which the reset rate is based. A floating rate debt security has a rate of interest which is usually established as the sum of a base lending rate (e.g., the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), The U.S. Prime Rate, the Prime Rate of a designated U.S. bank or the certificate of deposit rate) plus a specified margin, The interest rate on prime rate-based loans and securities floats periodically as the prime rate changes. The interest rate on LIBOR-based and CD-based loans and securities is reset periodically, typically at regular intervals ranging between 30 days and one year. Certain floating rate securities will permit the borrower to select an interest rate reset period of up to one year.

Some variable rate securities are structured with put features that permit holders to demand payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest from the issuers or certain financial intermediaries at or about the time the interest rate is reset. If the Fund purchases a variable rate security with a put feature and market movements make exercise of the put unattractive, the Fund will forfeit the entire amount of any premium paid plus related transaction costs.

Movements in the relevant index or benchmark on which adjustments are based will affect the interest paid on these securities and, therefore, the current income earned by the Fund and the securities' market value. The degree of volatility in the market value of the variable rate securities held by the Fund will generally increase along with the length of time between adjustments, the degree of volatility in the applicable index, benchmark or base lending rate and whether the index, benchmark or base lending rate to which it resets or floats approximates short-term or other prevailing interest rates. It will also be a function of the maximum increase or decrease of the interest rate adjustment on any one adjustment date, in any one year, and over the life of the security. These maximum increases and decreases are typically referred to as "caps" and "floors," respectively.

During periods when short-term interest rates move within the caps and floors of the security held by the Fund, the interest rate of such security will reset to prevailing rates within a short period. As a result, the fluctuation in market value of the variable rate security held by the Fund is generally expected to be limited.

In periods of substantial short-term volatility in interest rates, the market value of such debt securities will fluctuate more substantially if the caps and floors prevent the interest rates from adjusting to the full extent of the movements in the market rates during any one adjustment period or over the term of the security. In the event of dramatic increases in interest rates, any lifetime caps on these securities may prevent the securities from adjusting to prevailing rates over the term of the security. In this case, the market value of the security may be substantially reduced. If caps or floors lock-in unfavorable rates for the Fund by preventing its securities' interest rates from adjusting to market rates without substantial delay, the price of the Fund's securities will decline.

The income earned by the Fund and distributed to shareholders will generally increase or decrease along with movements in the relevant index, benchmark or base lending rate. Thus the Fund's income will be more unpredictable than the income earned on similar investments with a fixed rate of interest.

Warrants A warrant is typically a long-term option issued by a corporation which gives the holder the privilege of buying a specified number of shares of the underlying common stock at a specified exercise price at any time on or before an expiration date. Stock index warrants entitle the holder to receive, upon exercise, an amount in cash determined by reference to fluctuations in the level of a specified stock index. If a Fund does not exercise or dispose of a warrant prior to its expiration, it will expire worthless.

When-issued, delayed delivery and to-be-announced transactions When-issued, delayed delivery and to-be-announced (TBA) transactions are arrangements under which the Fund buys securities that have been authorized but not yet issued, with payment for and delivery of the security scheduled for a future time. To the extent the Fund engages in these transactions, it will do so only for the purpose of acquiring portfolio securities consistent with its investment goals and policies. Although the Fund will generally buy securities on a when-issued or TBA basis with the intention of holding the securities, the Fund may sell the securities before the settlement date if the investment manager believes it is advisable to do so.

Entering into a when-issued, delayed delivery or TBA transaction is a form of leverage and will result in associated risks for the Fund. To mitigate these risks, when the Fund enters into this type of transaction, it will segregate liquid assets to cover its obligations under these transactions in an amount determined on a daily basis to be equivalent to its obligations.

The Fund also relies on the seller to complete the transaction. The seller's failure to do so may cause the Fund to miss a price or yield considered advantageous to the Fund. Securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis do not generally earn interest until their scheduled delivery date. Purchases of debt securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis are also subject to the risk that the market value or the yield at delivery may be more or less than the market price or yield available when the transaction was entered into.

Zero coupon, deferred interest and pay-in-kind bonds Zero coupon or deferred interest bonds are debt securities that make no periodic interest payments until maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest (the "cash payment date"). Zero coupon and deferred interest bonds generally are issued and traded at a discount from their face amount or par value.

The original discount on zero coupon or deferred interest bonds approximates the total amount of interest the bonds will accumulate over the period until maturity or the first cash payment date and compounds at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or the cash payment date, as well as prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the market for the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The discount, in the absence of financial difficulties of the issuer, typically decreases as the final maturity or cash payment date approaches. The discount typically increases as interest rates rise, the market becomes less liquid or the creditworthiness of the issuer deteriorates.

Pay-in-kind bonds are debt securities that provide for interest payments to be made in a form other than cash, generally at the option of the issuer. Common forms include payment of additional bonds of the same issuer or an increase in principal underlying the pay-in-kind bonds. To the extent that no cash income will be paid for an extended period of time, pay-in-kind bonds resemble zero coupon or deferred interest bonds and are subject to similar influences and risks.

As a result, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make the distributions to shareholders required under U.S. tax law.

Because investors receive no cash prior to the maturity or cash payment date, an investment in debt securities issued at a discount generally has a greater potential for complete loss of principal and/or return than an investment in debt securities that make periodic interest payments. Such investments are more vulnerable to the creditworthiness of the issuer and any other parties upon which performance relies.

The following is a description of the general risks associated with the Fund's investing in debt securities:

Credit risk Debt securities are subject to the risk of an issuer's (or other party's) failure or inability to meet its obligations under the security. Multiple parties may have obligations under a debt security. An issuer or borrower may fail to pay principal and interest when due. A guarantor, insurer or credit support provider may fail to provide the agreed upon protection. A counterparty to a transaction may fail to perform its side of the bargain. An intermediary or agent interposed between the investor and other parties may fail to perform the terms of its service. Also, performance under a debt security may be linked to the obligations of other persons who may fail to meet their obligations. The credit risk associated with a debt security could increase to the extent that the Fund's ability to benefit fully from its investment in the security depends on the performance by multiple parties of their respective contractual or other obligations. The market value of a debt security is also affected by the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer.

The Fund may incur substantial losses on debt securities that are inaccurately perceived to present a different amount of credit risk than they actually do by the market, the investment manager or the rating agencies. Credit risk is generally greater where less information is publicly available, where fewer covenants safeguard the investors' interests, where collateral may be impaired or inadequate, where little legal redress or regulatory protection is available, or where a party's ability to meet obligations is speculative.

Obligations under debt securities held by the Fund may never be satisfied or, if satisfied, only satisfied in part.

Some securities, such as those issued by the United States Treasury or that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, have minimal credit risks. Credit risk is a greater concern for high-yield debt securities and debt securities of issuers whose ability to pay interest and principal may be considered speculative. Debt securities are typically classified as investment grade-quality (medium to highest credit quality) or below investment grade-quality (commonly referred to as high-yield or junk bonds). Many individual debt securities are rated by a third party source, such as Moody's or S&P^® to help describe the creditworthiness of the issuer.

Debt securities ratings The investment manager performs its own independent investment analysis of securities being considered for the Fund's portfolio, which includes consideration of, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters. The investment manager also considers the ratings assigned by various investment services and independent rating organizations, such as Moody's and S&P, that publish ratings based upon their assessment of the relative creditworthiness of the rated debt securities. Generally, a lower rating indicates higher credit risk. Higher yields are ordinarily available from debt securities in the lower rating categories. These ratings are described at the end of this SAI under "Description of Ratings."

Using credit ratings to evaluate debt securities can involve certain risks. For example, ratings assigned by the rating agencies are based upon an analysis completed at the time of the rating of the obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal. Rating agencies typically rely to a large extent on historical data which may not accurately represent present or future circumstances. Ratings do not purport to reflect the risk of fluctuations in market value of the debt security and are not absolute standards of quality and only express the rating agency's current opinion of an obligor's overall financial capacity to pay its financial obligations. A credit rating is not a statement of fact or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a debt obligation. Also, credit quality can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and credit ratings may not reflect the issuer's current financial condition or events since the security was last rated. Rating agencies may have a financial interest in generating business, including from the arranger or issuer of the security that normally pays for that rating, and providing a low rating might affect the rating agency's prospects for future business. While rating agencies have policies and procedures to address this potential conflict of interest, there is a risk that these policies will fail to prevent a conflict of interest from impacting the rating. Additionally, legislation has recently been enacted in an effort to reform rating agencies. Rules have also recently been adopted by the SEC to require rating agencies to provide additional disclosure and reduce conflicts of interest, and further reform has been proposed. It is uncertain how such legislation or additional regulation might impact the ratings agency business and the investment manager's use of ratings in its investment process.

Extension risk The market value of some debt securities, particularly mortgage securities and certain asset-backed securities, may be adversely affected when bond calls or prepayments on underlying mortgages or other assets are less or slower than anticipated. This risk is extension risk. Extension risk may result from, for example, rising interest rates or unexpected developments in the markets for the underlying assets or mortgages. As a consequence, the security's effective maturity will be extended, resulting in an increase in interest rate sensitivity to that of a longer-term instrument. Extension risk generally increases as interest rates rise. This is because, in a rising interest rate environment, the rate of prepayment and exercise of call or buy-back rights generally falls and the rate of default and delayed payment generally rises. When the maturity of an investment is extended in a rising interest rate environment, a below-market interest rate is usually locked-in and the value of the security reduced. This risk is greater for fixed-rate than variable-rate debt securities.

Income risk The Fund is subject to income risk, which is the risk that the Fund's income will decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The Fund's income declines when interest rates fall because, as the Fund's higher-yielding debt securities mature or are prepaid, the Fund must re-invest the proceeds in debt securities that have lower, prevailing interest rates. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund's shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.

Fluctuations in income paid to the Fund are generally greater for variable rate debt securities. The Fund will be deemed to receive taxable income on certain securities which pay no cash payments until maturity, such as zero-coupon securities. The Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make the distribution to shareholders required for U.S. tax purposes.

Inflation risk The market price of debt securities generally falls as inflation increases because the purchasing power of the future income and repaid principal is expected to be worth less when received by the Fund. Debt securities that pay a fixed rather than variable interest rate are especially vulnerable to inflation risk because variable-rate debt securities may be able to participate, over the long term, in rising interest rates which have historically corresponded with long-term inflationary trends.

Interest rate risk The market value of debt securities generally varies in response to changes in prevailing interest rates. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable. During periods of declining interest rates, the market value of debt securities generally increases. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the market value of debt securities generally declines. This occurs because new debt securities are likely to be issued with higher interest rates as interest rates increase, making the old or outstanding debt securities less attractive. In general, the market prices of long-term debt securities or securities that make little (or no) interest payments are more sensitive to interest rate fluctuations than shorter-term debt securities. The longer the Fund's average weighted portfolio maturity, the greater the impact a change in interest rates will have on its share price.

Prepayment risk Debt securities, especially bonds that are subject to "calls," such as asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities, are subject to prepayment risk if their terms allow the payment of principal and other amounts due before their stated maturity. Amounts invested in a debt security that has been "called" or "prepaid" will be returned to an investor holding that security before expected by the investor. In such circumstances, the investor, such as a fund, may be required to re-invest the proceeds it receives from the called or prepaid security in a new security which, in periods of declining interest rates, will typically have a lower interest rate. Prepayment risk is especially prevalent in periods of declining interest rates and will result for other reasons, including unexpected developments in the markets for the underlying assets or mortgages. For example, a decline in mortgage interest rates typically initiates a period of mortgage refinancings. When homeowners refinance their mortgages, the investor in the underlying pool of mortgage-backed securities (such as a fund) receives its principal back sooner than expected, and must reinvest at lower, prevailing rates.

Securities subject to prepayment risk are often called during a declining interest rate environment and generally offer less potential for gains and greater price volatility than other income-bearing securities of comparable maturity.

Call risk is similar to prepayment risk and results from the ability of an issuer to call, or prepay, a debt security early. If interest rates decline enough, the debt security's issuer can save money by repaying its callable debt securities and issuing new debt securities at lower interest rates.

The following is a description of other risks associated with the Fund's investments:

Focus The greater the Fund's exposure to (or focus on) any single type of investment – including investment in a given industry, sector, country, region, or type of security – the greater the impact the performance of that investment will have on the Fund's performance. To the extent the Fund has greater exposure to any single type of investment, the Fund's potential for loss (or gain) will be greater than if its portfolio were invested more broadly in many types of investments.

The Fund's exposure to such industries, sectors, regions and other investments may also arise indirectly through the Fund's investments in debt securities (e.g. mortgage or asset-backed securities) that are secured by such investments. Similar risks associated with focusing on a particular type of investment may result if real properties and collateral securing the Fund's investments are located in the same geographical region or subject to the same risks or concerns.

Inside information risk The investment manager (through its representatives or otherwise) may receive information that restricts the investment manager's ability to cause the Fund to buy or sell securities of an issuer for substantial periods of time when the Fund otherwise could realize profit or avoid loss. This may adversely affect the Fund's flexibility with respect to buying or selling securities.

Liquidity Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are or become difficult to purchase or sell at the price at which the Fund has valued the security, whether because of current market conditions or the specific type of investment. If the market for a particular security becomes illiquid (for example, due to changes in the issuer's financial condition), the Fund may be unable to sell such security at an advantageous time or price due to the difficulty in selling such securities. Additionally, the market for certain debt securities may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. Liquidity risk generally increases (meaning that securities become more illiquid) as the number, or relative need, of investors seeking to liquidate in a given market increases.

The Fund may also need to sell some of the Fund's more liquid securities when it otherwise would not do so in order to meet redemption requests, even if such sale of the liquid holdings would be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint. Reduced liquidity may also have an adverse impact on a security's market value and the sale of such securities often results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses. Reduced liquidity in the secondary market for certain securities will also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain market quotations based on actual trades for purposes of valuing the Fund's portfolio and thus pricing may be prone to error when market quotations are volatile, infrequent and/or subject to large spreads between bid and ask prices.

To the extent that the Fund's principal investment strategies involve foreign (non-U.S.) securities or securities with a thin trading market, the Fund will tend to have greater exposure to liquidity risk.

Management The investment manager's judgments about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values or potential appreciation of particular investment strategies or sectors or securities purchased for the Fund's portfolio may prove to be incorrect, all of which could cause the Fund to perform less favorably and may result in a decline in the Fund's share price.

The investment manager selects investments for the Fund based in part on information and data that the issuers of such securities file with various government agencies or make directly available to the investment manager or that the investment manager obtains from other sources. The investment manager is not in a position to confirm the completeness, genuineness or accuracy of such information and data, and in some cases, complete and accurate information is not readily available. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the investment manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal. Management risk is greater when less qualitative information is available to the investment manager about an investment.

Market risk The market value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a single corporate borrower or security issuer. These general market conditions include real or perceived adverse economic or regulatory conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency exchange rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. Market values may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or sector, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry, or a particular segment, such as mortgage or government securities. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that the Fund's securities will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance.

Portfolio turnover Portfolio turnover is a measure of how frequently the Fund's portfolio securities are bought and sold. High portfolio turnover rates generally increase transaction costs, which are Fund expenses. Such portfolio transactions may also result in the realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains, which are generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes for shareholders subject to income tax and who hold their shares in a taxable account. Higher transaction costs reduce the Fund's returns.

The SEC requires annual portfolio turnover to be calculated generally as the lesser of a fund's purchases or sales of portfolio securities during a given fiscal year, divided by the monthly average value of the Fund's portfolio securities owned during that year (excluding securities with a maturity or expiration date that, at the time of acquisition, was less than one year). For example, a fund reporting a 100% portfolio turnover rate would have purchased and sold securities worth as much as the monthly average value of its portfolio securities during the year. The portfolio turnover rates for the Fund are disclosed in the sections entitled "Portfolio Turnover" and "Financial Highlights" of the Fund's prospectus.

Portfolio turnover is affected by factors within and outside the control of the Fund and its investment manager. The investment manager's investment outlook for the type of securities in which the Fund invests may change as a result of unexpected developments in domestic or international securities markets, or in economic, monetary or political relationships. High market volatility may result in the investment manager using a more active trading strategy than it might have otherwise pursued. The Fund's investment manager will consider the economic effects of portfolio turnover but generally will not treat portfolio turnover as a limiting factor in making investment decisions. Investment decisions affecting turnover may include changes in investment policies or management personnel, as well as individual portfolio transactions.

Factors wholly outside the control of the investment manager that may increase portfolio turnover include increased merger and acquisition activity, or increased rates of bankruptcy or default, that may create involuntary transactions for funds that hold affected securities.

During periods of rapidly declining interest rates, the rate of mortgage prepayments on certain asset-backed and mortgage securities may increase rapidly. When this happens, "sales" of portfolio securities are increased due to the return of principal to the Fund followed by purchases of new portfolio securities to replace the "sold" ones.

The rate of bond calls by issuers of fixed-income debt securities may increase as interest rates decline. This causes "sales" of called bonds by the Fund and the subsequent purchase of replacement investments.

In addition, redemptions or exchanges by investors may require the liquidation of portfolio securities. Changes in particular portfolio holdings may also be made whenever a security is considered to be no longer the most appropriate investment for the Fund, or another security appears to have a relatively better opportunity.

Policies and Procedures Regarding the Release of Portfolio Holdings

The Fund's overall policy with respect to the release of portfolio holdings is to release such information consistent with applicable legal requirements and the fiduciary duties owed to shareholders. Subject to the limited exceptions described below, the Fund will not make available to anyone non-public information with respect to its portfolio holdings, until such time as the information is made available to all shareholders or the general public.

For purposes of this policy, portfolio holdings information does not include aggregate, composite or descriptive information that does not present risks of dilution, arbitrage, market timing, insider trading or other inappropriate trading for the Fund. Information excluded from the definition of portfolio holdings information generally includes, without limitation: (1) descriptions of allocations among asset classes, regions, countries or industries/sectors; (2) aggregated data such as average or median ratios, market capitalization, credit quality or duration; (3) performance attributions by industry, sector or country; or (4) aggregated risk statistics. Such information, if made available to anyone, will be made available to any person upon request, but, because such information is generally not material to investors, it may or may not be posted on the Fund's website. In addition, other information may also be deemed to not be portfolio holdings information if, in the reasonable belief of the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer (or his/her designee), the release of such information would not present risks of dilution, arbitrage, market timing, insider trading or other inappropriate trading for the Fund.

Consistent with current law, the Fund releases complete portfolio holdings information each fiscal quarter through regulatory filings with no more than a 60-day lag.

In addition, a complete list of the Fund's portfolio holdings is generally released no sooner than 20 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter. Commentaries and other materials that may reference specific holdings information of the Fund as of the most recent calendar quarter end are also subject to the same 20-day lag requirement. Other descriptive information, such as the Fund's top 10 holdings, may be released monthly, no sooner than five days after the end of each month. Released portfolio holdings information can be viewed on franklintempleton.com.

To the extent that this policy would permit the release of portfolio holdings information regarding a particular portfolio holding for the Fund that is the subject of ongoing purchase or sale orders/programs, or if the release of such portfolio holdings information would otherwise be sensitive or inappropriate, the portfolio manager for the Fund may request that the release of such information be withheld.

Exceptions to the portfolio holdings release policy will be made only when: (1) the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for releasing portfolio holdings information in advance of release to all shareholders or the general public; (2) the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality pursuant to a signed non-disclosure agreement; and (3) the release of such information would not otherwise violate the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws or fiduciary duties owed to Fund shareholders. The determination of whether to grant an exception, which includes the determination of whether the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for releasing portfolio holdings information in advance of release to all shareholders or the general public shall be made by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee, following a request submitted in writing.

The eligible third parties to whom portfolio holdings information may be released in advance of general release fall into the following categories: data consolidators (including rating agencies), fund rating/ranking services and other data providers, service providers to the Fund, and municipal securities brokers using the Investor Tools product which brings together buyers and sellers of municipal securities in the normal operation of the municipal securities markets. In addition, should the Fund process a shareholder’s redemption request in-kind, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, provide portfolio holdings information to such shareholder to the extent necessary to allow the shareholder to prepare for receipt of such portfolio securities.

The specific entities to whom the Fund may provide portfolio holdings in advance of their release to the general public are:

Bloomberg, Capital Access, CDA (Thomson Reuters), FactSet, Fidelity Advisors, Standard & Poor's, Vestek, and Fidelity Trust Company, all of whom may receive portfolio holdings information 15 days after the quarter end.
Service providers to the Fund that receive portfolio holdings information from time to time in advance of general release in the course of performing, or to enable them to perform, services for the Fund, including: Custodian Bank: The Bank of New York Mellon; Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Outside Fund Legal Counsel: Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP; Independent Directors'/Trustees' Counsel: Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt, LLP; Proxy Voting Services: Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC and Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.; Brokerage Analytical Services: Sanford Bernstein, Brown Brothers Harriman, Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets, JP Morgan Securities Inc.; Financial Printers: RR Donnelley & Sons Company or GCOM Solutions, Inc.

In all cases, eligible third parties are required to execute a non-disclosure agreement. Non-disclosure agreements include the following provisions:

The recipient agrees to keep confidential, and to limit the dissemination of, any portfolio holdings information received.
The recipient agrees not to trade on the non-public information received, including some or all of the following: (1) agreeing not to purchase or sell any portfolio securities based on any information received; (2) agreeing not to trade against any U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund, including the Fund; (3) agreeing not to knowingly engage in any trading practices that are adverse to any such fund; and (4) agreeing not to trade in shares of any such fund.
The recipient agrees to refresh its representation as to confidentiality and abstention from trading upon request from Franklin Templeton.

In no case does the Fund receive any compensation in connection with the arrangements to release portfolio holdings information to any of the above-described recipients of the information.

Several investment managers within Franklin Templeton Investments (F-T Managers) serve as investment managers to offshore funds that are registered or otherwise authorized for sale with foreign regulatory authorities. The release of portfolio holdings information for such offshore funds is excluded from the Fund's portfolio holdings release policy if such information is given to offshore banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies, registered investment managers and other financial institutions (offshore investment managers) with discretionary authority to select offshore funds on behalf of their clients. Because such offshore funds may from time to time invest in securities substantially similar to those of the Fund, there is the risk that such portfolio holdings information may be used to trade inappropriately against the Fund. To mitigate such risks, such information may only be disclosed for portfolio analytics, such as risk analysis/asset allocation, and the offshore investment manager will be required to execute a non-disclosure agreement, whereby such offshore investment manager: (1) agrees to maintain such information as confidential, including limiting the dissemination of such information, (2) is prohibited from trading on the information received, including (a) purchasing or selling any portfolio securities based on any information received; (b) trading against any U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund, including the Fund; (c) knowingly engaging in any trading practices that are adverse to any such fund; and (d) trading in shares of any such fund that is substantially similar to the offshore fund, and (3) agrees to refresh its representation as to confidentiality and abstention from trading upon request from Franklin Templeton. In addition, an offshore fund may release information regarding the top contributors and detractors to such fund’s portfolio performance monthly to those recipients who have executed a non-disclosure agreement containing the provisions described above, or who have confirmed electronically its agreement to such provisions. Country-specific offshore funds that are not, in the aggregate, substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund, are not subject to the restrictions imposed by the policy.

Certain F-T Managers serve as investment advisers to privately placed funds that are exempt from registration, including Canadian institutional pooled funds and commingled trusts maintained by a Franklin Templeton trust company. In certain circumstances, such unregistered private funds may have portfolio holdings that are not, in the aggregate, substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered fund, as determined by the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. Under such circumstances the release of portfolio holdings information to a client or potential client of the unregistered private fund may be permissible. In circumstances where an unregistered private fund invests in portfolio securities that, in the aggregate, are substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered fund, such private funds are subject to the restrictions imposed by the policy, except that the release of holdings information to a current investor in the private fund is permissible conditioned upon such investor’s execution of a non-disclosure agreement to mitigate the risk that portfolio holdings information may be used to trade inappropriately against a fund. Such non-disclosure agreement must provide that the investor: (1) agrees to maintain such information as confidential, including limiting the dissemination of such information (except that the investor may be permitted to disseminate such information to an agent as necessary to allow the performance of portfolio analytics with respect to the investor’s investment in the private fund), and (2) is prohibited from trading on the information received, including (a) trading against any U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund, including the Fund; (b) knowingly engaging in any trading practices that are adverse to any such fund; and (c) trading in shares of any U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund that is managed in a style substantially similar to that of the private fund.

Some F-T Managers serve as sub-advisers to other mutual funds not within the Franklin Templeton Investments fund complex ("other funds"), which may be managed in a style substantially similar to that of a U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund. Such other funds are not subject to the Fund's portfolio holdings release policy. The sponsors of such funds may disclose the portfolio holdings of such funds at different times than the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings.

In addition, some F-T Managers also serve as investment managers to separate accounts, which are subject to the Fund’s policy with respect to the release of the separate account’s holdings to consultants and potential clients. Separate accounts that are not, in the aggregate, substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund, however, are not subject to the restrictions imposed by the policy.

The Fund's portfolio holdings release policy and all subsequent amendments have been reviewed and approved by the Fund's board, and any other material amendments shall also be reviewed and approved by the board. The investment manager's compliance staff conducts periodic reviews of compliance with the policy and provides at least annually a report to the board regarding the operation of the policy and any material changes recommended as a result of such review. The investment manager's compliance staff also will supply the board yearly with a list of exceptions granted to the policy, along with an explanation of the legitimate business purpose of the Fund that is served as a result of the exception.

Officers and Trustees

The Trust has a board of trustees. Each trustee will serve until that person resigns and/or a successor is elected and qualified. The board is responsible for the overall management of the Trust, including general supervision and review of the Fund's investment activities. The board, in turn, elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the Fund's day-to-day operations. The board also monitors the Fund to ensure that no material conflicts exist among share classes. While none are expected, the board will act appropriately to resolve any material conflict that may arise.

The name, year of birth and address of the officers and board members, as well as their affiliations, positions held with the Trust, principal occupations during the past five years and number of portfolios overseen in the Franklin Templeton fund complex are shown below.

Independent Board Members
Name, Year of Birth and Address	Position	Length of Time Served	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Board Member¹	Other Directorships Held During at Least the Past 5 Years
Harris J. Ashton (1932) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 1995	132	Bar-S Foods (meat packing company) (1981-2010).
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Director of various companies; and formerly, Director, RBC Holdings, Inc. (bank holding company) (until 2002); and President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, General Host Corporation (nursery and craft centers) (until 1998).

Sam Ginn (1937) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 2007	107	ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited (satellite company) (2006-2010), Chevron Corporation (global energy company) (1989-2009), Hewlett-Packard Company (technology company) (1996-2002), Safeway, Inc. (grocery retailer) (1991-1998) and TransAmerica Corporation (insurance company) (1989-1999).
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Private investor; and formerly, Chairman of the Board, Vodafone AirTouch, PLC (wireless company); Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, AirTouch Communications (cellular communications) (1993-1998) and Pacific Telesis Group (telephone holding company) (1988-1994).

Edith E. Holiday (1952) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 1998	132	Hess Corporation (exploration and refining of oil and gas), H.J. Heinz Company (processed foods and allied products), RTI International Metals, Inc. (manufacture and distribution of titanium), Canadian National Railway (railroad) and White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (holding company).
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Director or Trustee of various companies and trusts; and formerly, Assistant to the President of the United States and Secretary of the Cabinet (1990-1993); General Counsel to the United States Treasury Department (1989-1990); and Counselor to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Public Liaison-United States Treasury Department (1988-1989).

J. Michael Luttig (1954) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 2009	132	Boeing Capital Corporation (aircraft financing).
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Executive Vice President, General Counsel and member of the Executive Council, The Boeing Company; and formerly, Federal Appeals Court Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1991-2006).

Frank A. Olson (1932) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 2007	132	Hess Corporation (exploration and refining of oil and gas).
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Chairman Emeritus, The Hertz Corporation (car rental) (since 2000) (Chairman of the Board (1980-2000) and Chief Executive Officer (1977-1999)); and formerly, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, UAL Corporation (airlines).

Larry D. Thompson (1945) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 2007	142	Cbeyond, Inc. (business communications provider), The Southern Company (energy company) and The Washington Post Company (education and media organization).
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: John A. Sibley Professor of Corporate and Business Law, University of Georgia School of Law (2011); and formerly, Senior Vice President - Government Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary, PepsiCo, Inc. (consumer products) (2004-May 2011); Senior Fellow of The Brookings Institution (2003-2004); Visiting Professor, University of Georgia School of Law (2004); and Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (2001-2003).

John B. Wilson (1959) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Lead Independent Trustee	Trustee since 2006 and Lead Independent Trustee since 2008	107	None
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: President and Founder, Hyannis Port Capital, Inc. (real estate and private equity investing); serves on private and non-profit boards; and formerly, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Gap, Inc. (retail) (1996-2000); Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President – Finance and Strategy, Staples, Inc. (office supplies) (1992-1996); Senior Vice President – Corporate Planning, Northwest Airlines, Inc. (airlines) (1990-1992); and Vice President and Partner, Bain & Company (consulting firm) (1986-1990).

Interested Board Members and Officers
Name, Year of Birth and Address	Position	Length of Time Served	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Board Member¹	Other Directorships Held During at Least the Past 5 Years
Charles B. Johnson² (1933) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee and Chairman of the Board	Since 1995	132	None
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Chairman of the Board, Member - Office of the Chairman and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 41 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Gregory E. Johnson³ (1961) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Trustee	Since 2007	92	None
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 34 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments; and Chairman, Investment Company Institute.

James M. Davis (1952) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President - AML Compliance	Chief Compliance Officer since 2004 and Vice President - AML Compliance since 2006	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Director, Global Compliance, Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Laura F. Fergerson (1962) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration	Since 2009	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC; officer of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments; and formerly, Director and member of Audit and Valuation Committees, Runkel Funds, Inc. (2003-2004); Assistant Treasurer of most of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments (1997-2003); and Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (1997-2003).

Gaston Gardey (1967) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer	Since 2009	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Director, Fund Accounting, Franklin Templeton Investments; and officer of 27 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Aliya S. Gordon (1973) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Vice President	Since 2009	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton Investments; officer of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments; and formerly, Litigation Associate, Steefel, Levitt & Weiss, LLP (2000-2004).

David P. Goss (1947) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Vice President	Since 2000	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton Investments; and officer and/or director, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Steven J. Gray (1955) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Vice President	Since 2009	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton Investments; Vice President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; and officer of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Edward B. Jamieson (1948) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	President and Chief Executive Officer - Investment Management	Since 2010	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: President, Chief Investment Officer and Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC; and officer and/or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 10 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Robert C. Rosselot (1960) 300 S.E. 2nd Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1923	Vice President	Since 2009	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton Investments; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; Vice President, Secretary and Trust Officer, Fiduciary Trust International of the South; and officer of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Karen L. Skidmore (1952) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Vice President and Secretary	Since 2006	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton Investments; and officer of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Craig S. Tyle (1960) One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906	Vice President	Since 2005	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 46 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments; and formerly, Partner, Shearman & Sterling, LLP (2004-2005); and General Counsel, Investment Company Institute (ICI) (1997-2004).

Lori A. Weber (1964) 300 S.E. 2nd Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1923	Vice President	Since May 2011	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years: Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton Investments; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; and officer of 45 of the investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Note 1: Charles B. Johnson is the father of Gregory E. Johnson. Note 2: Officer information is current as of the date of this SAI. It is possible that after this date, information about officers may change.

1. We base the number of portfolios on each separate series of the U.S. registered investment companies within the Franklin Templeton Investments fund complex. These portfolios have a common investment manager or affiliated investment managers.

2. Charles B. Johnson is considered to be an interested person of the Fund under the federal securities laws due to his position as officer and director and major shareholder of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources), which is the parent company of the Fund's investment manager and distributor.

3. Gregory E. Johnson is considered to be an interested person of the Fund under the federal securities laws due to his position as an officer and director of Resources.

The Trust's independent board members constitute the sole independent board members of 27 investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Investments complex for which each independent board member currently is paid a $247,000 annual retainer fee, together with a $7,000 per meeting fee for attendance at regularly scheduled board meetings, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust. To the extent held, compensation may also be paid for attendance at specially held board meetings. The Trust's lead independent trustee is paid an annual supplemental retainer of $25,000 for services to such investment companies, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust. Board members who serve on the Audit Committee of the Trust and such other funds receive a flat fee of $3,000 per Committee meeting attended in person and $2,000 per telephonic meeting, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust. John B. Wilson, who serves as chairman of the Audit Committee of the Trust and such other funds receives an additional fee of $50,000 per year, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust. Members of the Committee are not separately compensated for any committee meeting held on the day of a regularly scheduled board meeting. The following table provides the total fees paid to independent board members by the Trust and by other funds in Franklin Templeton Investments.

Name	Total Fees Received from the Trust ($)¹	Total Fees Received from Franklin Templeton Investments ($)²	Number of Boards in Franklin Templeton Investments on which Each Serves³
Harris J. Ashton	11,002	470,000	41
Sam Ginn	11,002	288,000	27
Edith E. Holiday	11,791	505,000	41
J. Michael Luttig	11,790	492,000	41
Frank A. Olson	11,790	492,000	41
Larry D. Thompson	11,002	589,000	44
John B. Wilson	14,979	375,000	27

1. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011.

2. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2010

3. We base the number of boards on the number of U.S. registered investment companies in Franklin Templeton Investments. This number does not include the total number of series or portfolios within each investment company for which the board members are responsible.

Independent board members are reimbursed for expenses incurred in connection with attending board meetings and are paid pro rata by each fund in Franklin Templeton Investments for which they serve as director or trustee. No officer or board member received any other compensation, including pension or retirement benefits, directly or indirectly from the Fund or other funds in Franklin Templeton Investments. Certain officers or board members who are shareholders of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources) may be deemed to receive indirect remuneration by virtue of their participation, if any, in the fees paid to its subsidiaries.

Board members historically have followed a policy of having substantial investments in one or more of the Franklin Templeton funds, as is consistent with their individual financial goals. In February 1998, this policy was formalized through the adoption of a requirement that each board member invest one-third of fees received for serving as a director or trustee of a Templeton fund (excluding committee fees) in shares of one or more Templeton funds and one-third of fees received for serving as a director or trustee of a Franklin fund (excluding committee fees) in shares of one or more Franklin funds until the value of such investments equals or exceeds five times the annual retainer and regular board meeting fees paid to such board member. Investments in the name of family members or entities controlled by a board member constitute fund holdings of such board member for purposes of this policy, and a three-year phase-in period applies to such investment requirements for newly elected board members. In implementing such policy, a board member's fund holdings existing on February 27, 1998, are valued as of such date with subsequent investments valued at cost.

The following tables provide the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the board members of the Fund on December 31, 2010.

Independent Board Members

Name of Board Member	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds Overseen by the Board Member in the Franklin Templeton Fund Complex
Harris J. Aston	Over $100,000
Sam Ginn	Over $100,000
Edith E. Holiday	Over $100,000
J. Michael Luttig	Over $100,000
Frank A. Olson	Over $100,000
Larry D. Thompson	Over $100,000
John B. Wilson	Over $100,000

Interested Board Members

Name of Board Member	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Funds Overseen by the Board Member in the Franklin Templeton Fund Complex
Charles B. Johnson	Over $100,000
Gregory E. Johnson	Over $100,000

Board committees The board maintains two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee. The Audit Committee is generally responsible for recommending the selection of the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm (auditors), including evaluating their independence and meeting with such auditors to consider and review matters relating to the Trust's financial reports and internal controls. The Audit Committee is comprised of the following independent trustees of the Trust: Edith E. Holiday, J. Michael Luttig, Frank A. Olson and John B. Wilson. The Nominating Committee is comprised of the following independent trustees of the Trust: Harris J. Ashton, Sam Ginn, Edith E. Holiday, J. Michael Luttig, Frank A. Olson, Larry D. Thompson and John B. Wilson.

The Nominating Committee is responsible for selecting candidates to serve as board members and recommending such candidates (a) for selection and nomination as independent board members by the incumbent independent board member and the full board; and (b) for selection and nomination as interested board members by the full board.

When the board has or expects to have a vacancy, the Nominating Committee receives and reviews information on individuals qualified to be recommended to the full board as nominees for election as board members, including any recommendations by “Qualifying Fund Shareholders” (as defined below). To date, the Nominating Committee has been able to identify, and expects to continue to be able to identify, from its own resources an ample number of qualified candidates. The Nominating Committee, however, will review recommendations from Qualifying Fund Shareholders to fill vacancies on the board if these recommendations are submitted in writing and addressed to the Nominating Committee at the Fund's offices at P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151 and are presented with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as a board member, including as an independent board member, of the Fund. A Qualifying Fund Shareholder is a shareholder who (i) has continuously owned of record, or beneficially through a financial intermediary, shares of the Fund having a net asset value of not less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) during the 24-month period prior to submitting the recommendation; and (ii) provides a written notice to the Nominating Committee containing the following information: (a) the name and address of the Qualifying Fund Shareholder making the recommendation; (b) the number of shares of the Fund which are owned of record and beneficially by such Qualifying Fund Shareholder and the length of time that such shares have been so owned by the Qualifying Fund Shareholder; (c) a description of all arrangements and understandings between such Qualifying Fund Shareholder and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the recommendation is being made; (d) the name, age, date of birth, business address and residence address of the person or persons being recommended; (e) such other information regarding each person recommended by such Qualifying Fund Shareholder as would be required to be included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC had the nominee been nominated by the board; (f) whether the shareholder making the recommendation believes the person recommended would or would not be an “interested person” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act; and (g) the written consent of each person recommended to serve as a board member of the Fund if so nominated and elected/appointed.

The Nominating Committee may amend these procedures from time to time, including the procedures relating to the evaluation of nominees and the process for submitting recommendations to the Nominating Committee.

During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, the Audit Committee met three times; the Nominating Committee met twice.

Board role in risk oversight The board, as a whole, considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year at regular board meetings, through regular reports that have been developed by management, in consultation with the board and its counsel. These reports address certain investment, valuation and compliance matters. The board also may receive special written reports or presentations on a variety of risk issues, either upon the board’s request or upon the investment manager’s initiative. In addition, the Audit Committee of the board meets regularly with the investment manager’s internal audit group to review reports on their examinations of functions and processes within Franklin Templeton Investments that affect the Fund.

With respect to investment risk, the board receives regular written reports describing and analyzing the investment performance of the Fund. In addition, the portfolio managers of the Fund meet regularly with the boards to discuss portfolio performance, including investment risk. To the extent that the Fund changes a particular investment strategy that could have a material impact on the Fund’s risk profile, the board generally is consulted with respect to such change. To the extent that the Fund invests in certain complex securities, including derivatives, the board receives periodic reports containing information about exposure of the Fund to such instruments. In addition, the investment manager’s investment risk personnel meet regularly with the board to discuss a variety of issues, including the impact on the Fund of the investment in particular securities or instruments, such as derivatives.

With respect to valuation, the Fund’s administrator provides regular written reports to the board that enable the board to monitor the number of fair valued securities in a particular portfolio, the reasons for the fair valuation and the methodology used to arrive at the fair value. Such reports also include information concerning illiquid securities within the Fund’s portfolio. The board also reviews dispositional analysis information on the sale of securities that require special valuation considerations such as illiquid or fair valued securities. In addition, the Fund’s Audit Committee reviews valuation procedures and results with the Fund’s auditors in connection with such Committee’s review of the results of the audit of the Fund’s year end financial statement.

With respect to compliance risks, the board receives regular compliance reports prepared by the investment manager’s compliance group and meets regularly with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) to discuss compliance issues, including compliance risks. In accordance with SEC requirements, the independent board members meet regularly in executive session with the CCO, and the Fund’s CCO prepares and presents an annual written compliance report to the board. The Fund’s board adopts compliance policies and procedures for the Fund and approves such procedures for the Fund’s service providers. The compliance policies and procedures are specifically designed to detect and prevent violations of the federal securities laws.

The investment manager periodically provides an enterprise risk management presentation to the board to describe the way in which risk is managed on a complex-wide level. Such presentation covers such areas as investment risk, reputational risk, personnel risk, and business continuity risk.

Board structure Seventy-five percent or more of board members consist of independent board members who are not deemed to be “interested persons” by reason of their relationship with the Fund’s management or otherwise as provided under the Investment Company Act of 1940. While the Chairman of the Board is an interested person, the board is also served by a lead independent board member. The lead independent board member, together with independent counsel, reviews proposed agendas for board meetings and generally acts as a liaison with management with respect to questions and issues raised by the independent board members. The lead independent board member also presides at separate meetings of independent board members held in advance of each scheduled board meeting where various matters, including those being considered at such board meeting are discussed. It is believed such structure and activities assure that proper consideration is given at board meetings to matters deemed important to the Fund and its shareholders.

Trustee qualifications Information on the Fund’s officers and trustees appears above including information on the business activities of trustees during the past five years and beyond. In addition to personal qualities, such as integrity, the role of an effective Fund trustee inherently requires the ability to comprehend, discuss and critically analyze materials and issues presented in exercising judgments and reaching informed conclusions relevant to his or her duties and fiduciary obligations. It is believed that the specific background of each trustee evidences such ability and is appropriate to his or her serving on the Fund’s board of trustees. As indicated, Harris J. Ashton, Frank A. Olson and Sam Ginn have each served as chief executive officers of New York Stock Exchange listed public corporations; Larry D. Thompson and Edith E. Holiday, have legal backgrounds, including high level legal positions with departments of the U.S. government; John Wilson has served as chief operating officer of a New York Stock Exchange listed public corporation, as well as chief financial officer of a NASDAQ listed public corporation; J. Michael Luttig has fifteen years of judicial experience as a Federal Appeals Court Judge; and Charles B. Johnson and Gregory E. Johnson are both high ranking executive officers of Franklin Templeton Investments.

Fair Valuation and Liquidity

The Fund's board of trustees has delegated to the investment manager the task of ensuring that regulatory guidelines governing the fair valuation for securities are applied to the Fund and that the required level of liquidity is maintained. The investment manager has formed a Valuation & Liquidity Oversight Committee (VLOC) to oversee these obligations. The VLOC oversees and administers the policies and procedures governing fair valuation and liquidity determination of securities. The VLOC meets monthly to review and approve fair value and liquidity reports and conduct other business, and meets whenever necessary to review potential significant market events and take appropriate steps to adjust valuations in accordance with established policies. The VLOC provides regular reports that document its activities to the board of trustees for its review and approval of pricing determinations at scheduled meetings. VLOC meeting minutes are regularly submitted to the board of trustees for their review.

The Fund's policies and procedures governing fair valuation and liquidity determination of securities have been initially reviewed and approved by the board of trustees and any material amendments will also be reviewed and approved by the board. The investment manager's compliance staff conducts periodic reviews of compliance with the policies and provides at least annually a report to the board of trustees regarding the operation of the policies and any material changes recommended as a result of such review.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The board of trustees of the Fund has delegated the authority to vote proxies related to the portfolio securities held by the Fund to the Fund's investment manager Franklin Advisers, Inc. in accordance with the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) adopted by the investment manager.

The investment manager has delegated its administrative duties with respect to the voting of proxies to the Proxy Group within Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC (Proxy Group), an affiliate and wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. All proxies received by the Proxy Group will be voted based upon the investment manager’s instructions and/or policies. The investment manager votes proxies solely in the interests of the Fund and its shareholders.

To assist it in analyzing proxies, the investment manager subscribes to Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (ISS), an unaffiliated third-party corporate governance research service that provides in-depth analyses of shareholder meeting agendas, vote recommendations, recordkeeping and vote disclosure services. In addition, the investment manager subscribes to Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (Glass Lewis), an unaffiliated third-party analytical research firm, to receive analyses and vote recommendations on the shareholder meetings of publicly held U.S. companies. Although ISS’ and/or Glass Lewis’ analyses are thoroughly reviewed and considered in making a final voting decision, the investment manager does not consider recommendations from ISS, Glass Lewis or any other third party to be determinative of the investment manager’s ultimate decision. As a matter of policy, the officers, directors/trustees and employees of the investment manager and the Proxy Group will not be influenced by outside sources whose interests conflict with the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Efforts are made to resolve all conflicts in the interests of the investment manager’s clients. Material conflicts of interest are identified by the Proxy Group based upon analyses of client, distributor, broker-dealer and vendor lists, information periodically gathered from directors and officers, and information derived from other sources, including public filings. In situations where a material conflict of interest is identified, the Proxy Group may defer to the voting recommendation of ISS, Glass Lewis or those of another independent third-party provider of proxy services; or send the proxy directly to the Fund's board or a committee of the board with the investment manager's recommendation regarding the vote for approval. If the conflict is not resolved by the Fund's board or a committee of the board, the Proxy Group may refer the matter, along with the recommended course of action by the investment manager, if any, to an interdepartmental Proxy Review Committee (which may include portfolio managers and/or research analysts employed by the investment manager), for evaluation and voting instructions. The Proxy Review Committee may defer to the voting recommendation of ISS, Glass Lewis or those of another independent third-party provider of proxy services; or send the proxy directly to the Fund's board or a committee of the board.

Where a material conflict of interest has been identified, but the items on which the investment manager’s vote recommendations differ from Glass Lewis, ISS, or another independent third-party provider of proxy services relate specifically to (1) shareholder proposals regarding social or environmental issues, (2) “Other Business” without describing the matters that might be considered, or (3) items the investment manager wishes to vote in opposition to the recommendations of an issuer’s management, the Proxy Group may defer to the vote recommendations of the investment manager rather than sending the proxy directly to the Fund's board or a board committee for approval.

To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, the investment manager will employ echo voting, if possible, in the following instances: (1) when the Fund invests in an underlying fund in reliance on any one of Sections 12(d) (1) (E), (F), or (G) of the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, or pursuant to any SEC exemptive orders thereunder; (2) when the Fund invests uninvested cash in affiliated money market funds pursuant to the rules under the 1940 Act or any exemptive orders thereunder (“cash sweep arrangement”); or (3) when required pursuant to the Fund’s governing documents or applicable law. Echo voting means that the investment manager will vote the shares in the same proportion as the vote of all of the other holders of the Fund’s shares.

The recommendation of management on any issue is a factor that the investment manager considers in determining how proxies should be voted. However, the investment manager does not consider recommendations from management to be determinative of the investment manager’s ultimate decision. As a matter of practice, the votes with respect to most issues are cast in accordance with the position of the company's management. Each issue, however, is considered on its own merits, and the investment manager will not support the position of the company's management in any situation where it deems that the ratification of management’s position would adversely affect the investment merits of owning that company’s shares.

Investment manager’s proxy voting policies and principles The investment manager has adopted general proxy voting guidelines, which are summarized below. These guidelines are not an exhaustive list of all the issues that may arise and the investment manager cannot anticipate all future situations. In all cases, each proxy will be considered based on the relevant facts and circumstances.

Board of directors. The investment manager supports an independent board of directors, and prefers that key committees such as audit, nominating, and compensation committees be comprised of independent directors. The investment manager will generally vote against management efforts to classify a board and will generally support proposals to declassify the board of directors. The investment manager will consider withholding votes from directors who have attended less than 75% of meetings without a valid reason. While generally in favor of separating Chairman and CEO positions, the investment manager will review this issue as well as proposals to restore or provide for cumulative voting on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration factors such as the company’s corporate governance guidelines or provisions and performance. The investment manager generally will support non-binding shareholder proposals to require a majority vote standard for the election of directors; however, if these proposals are binding, the investment manager will give careful review on a case-by-case basis of the potential ramifications of such implementation.

Ratification of auditors of portfolio companies. The investment manager will closely scrutinize the independence, role and performance of auditors. On a case-by-case basis, the investment manager will examine proposals relating to non-audit relationships and non-audit fees. The investment manager will also consider, on a case-by-case basis, proposals to rotate auditors, and will vote against the ratification of auditors when there is clear and compelling evidence of a lack of independence, accounting irregularities or negligence.

Management and director compensation. A company’s equity-based compensation plan should be in alignment with the shareholders’ long-term interests. The investment manager believes that executive compensation should be directly linked to the performance of the company. The investment manager evaluates plans on a case-by-case basis by considering several factors to determine whether the plan is fair and reasonable, including the ISS quantitative model utilized to assess such plans and/or the Glass Lewis evaluation of the plans. The investment manager will generally oppose plans that have the potential to be excessively dilutive, and will almost always oppose plans that are structured to allow the repricing of underwater options, or plans that have an automatic share replenishment “evergreen” feature. The investment manager will generally support employee stock option plans in which the purchase price is at least 85% of fair market value, and when potential dilution is 10% or less.

Severance compensation arrangements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, although the investment manager will generally oppose “golden parachutes” that are considered to be excessive. The investment manager will normally support proposals that require a percentage of directors’ compensation to be in the form of common stock, as it aligns their interests with those of shareholders.

The investment manager will review non-binding say-on-pay proposals on a case-by-case basis, and will generally vote in favor of such proposals unless compensation is misaligned with performance and/or shareholders’ interests, the company has not provided reasonably clear disclosure regarding its compensation practices, or there are concerns with the company’s remuneration practices.

Anti-takeover mechanisms and related issues. The investment manager generally opposes anti-takeover measures since they tend to reduce shareholder rights. However, as with all proxy issues, the investment manager conducts an independent review of each anti-takeover proposal. On occasion, the investment manager may vote with management when the research analyst has concluded that the proposal is not onerous and would not harm the Fund or its shareholders’ interests. The investment manager generally supports proposals that require shareholder rights’ plans (“poison pills”) to be subject to a shareholder vote and will closely evaluate such plans on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not they warrant support. In addition, the investment manager will generally vote against any proposal to issue stock that has unequal or subordinate voting rights. The investment manager generally opposes any supermajority voting requirements as well as the payment of “greenmail.” The investment manager generally supports “fair price” provisions and confidential voting.

Changes to capital structure. The investment manager realizes that a company's financing decisions have a significant impact on its shareholders, particularly when they involve the issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock or the assumption of additional debt. The investment manager will review, on a case-by-case basis, proposals by companies to increase authorized shares and the purpose for the increase. The investment manager will generally not vote in favor of dual-class capital structures to increase the number of authorized shares where that class of stock would have superior voting rights. The investment manager will generally vote in favor of the issuance of preferred stock in cases where the company specifies the voting, dividend, conversion and other rights of such stock and the terms of the preferred stock issuance are deemed reasonable. The investment manager will review proposals seeking preemptive rights on a case-by-case basis.

Mergers and corporate restructuring. Mergers and acquisitions will be subject to careful review by the research analyst to determine whether they would be beneficial to shareholders. The investment manager will analyze various economic and strategic factors in making the final decision on a merger or acquisition. Corporate restructuring proposals are also subject to a thorough examination on a case-by-case basis.

Environment, social and governance issues. The investment manager will generally give management discretion with regard to social, environmental and ethical issues, although the investment manager may vote in favor of those that are believed to have significant economic benefits or implications for the Fund and its shareholders. The investment manager generally supports the right of shareholders to call special meetings and act by written consent. However, the investment manager will review such shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis in an effort to ensure that such proposals do not disrupt the course of business or waste company resources for the benefit of a small minority of shareholders.

Global corporate governance. Many of the tenets discussed above are applied to the investment manager's proxy voting decisions for international investments. However, the investment manager must be flexible in these worldwide markets. Principles of good corporate governance may vary by country, given the constraints of a country’s laws and acceptable practices in the markets. As a result, it is on occasion difficult to apply a consistent set of governance practices to all issuers. As experienced money managers, the investment manager's analysts are skilled in understanding the complexities of the regions in which they specialize and are trained to analyze proxy issues germane to their regions.

The investment manager will generally attempt to process every proxy it receives for all domestic and foreign securities. However, there may be situations in which the investment manager may be unable to vote a proxy, or may chose not to vote a proxy, such as where: (i) proxy ballot was not received from the custodian; (ii) a meeting notice was received too late; (iii) there are fees imposed upon the exercise of a vote and it is determined that such fees outweigh the benefit of voting; (iv) there are legal encumbrances to voting, including blocking restrictions in certain markets that preclude the ability to dispose of a security if the investment manager votes a proxy or where the investment manager is prohibited from voting by applicable law or other regulatory or market requirements, including but not limited to, effective Powers of Attorney; (v) the investment manager held shares on the record date but has sold them prior to the meeting date; (vi) proxy voting service is not offered by the custodian in the market; (vii) the investment manager believes it is not in the best interest of the Fund or its shareholders to vote the proxy for any other reason not enumerated herein; or (viii) a security is subject to a securities lending or similar program that has transferred legal title to the security to another person. The investment manager or its affiliates may, on behalf of one or more of the proprietary registered investment companies advised by the investment manager or its affiliates, determine to use its best efforts to recall any security on loan where the investment manager or its affiliates (a) learn of a vote on a material event that may affect a security on loan and (b) determine that it is in the best interests of such proprietary registered investment companies to recall the security for voting purposes.

Shareholders may view the complete Policies online at franklintempleton.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1923, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Fund’s proxy voting records are available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The proxy voting records are updated each year by August 31 to reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.

Management, Asset Allocation and Other Services

Investment manager and services provided The Fund's investment manager is Franklin Advisers, Inc. The investment manager is a wholly owned subsidiary of Resources, a publicly owned company engaged in the financial services industry through its subsidiaries. Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. are the principal shareholders of Resources. Pursuant to the investment management and asset allocation agreement with the Fund, the investment manager will determine how the Fund's assets will be invested pursuant to the investment goal and policies of the Fund. The investment manager will determine (a) the percentage range of assets of the Fund that may be invested in U.S. and foreign equity, fixed income, and money market securities, (b) the underlying Franklin Templeton funds in which the Fund may invest, and (c) the percentage of assets that may be invested by the Fund in any one underlying Franklin Templeton fund. To the extent that the Fund invests directly in securities and engages directly in various investment practices, the manager provides investment research and portfolio management services, and selects the securities for the Fund to buy, hold or sell. The investment manager also selects the brokers who execute the Fund's portfolio transactions. The investment manager provides periodic reports to the board, which reviews and supervises the investment manager's investment activities. To protect the Fund, the investment manager, sub-adivisor and their officers, directors and employees are covered by fidelity insurance.

The investment manager and its affiliates manage numerous other investment companies and accounts. The investment manager may give advice and take action with respect to any of the other funds it manages, or for its own account, that may differ from action taken by the investment manager on behalf of the Fund. Similarly, with respect to the Fund, the investment manager is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that the investment manager and access persons, as defined by applicable federal securities laws, may buy or sell for its or their own account or for the accounts of any other fund. The investment manager is not obligated to refrain from investing in securities held by the Fund or other funds it manages. Because the investment manager is a subsidiary of a financial holding company (FHC) under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, federal regulations applicable to FHCs may limit or restrict the Fund's ability to acquire or hold a position in a given security when it might otherwise be advantageous for the Fund to acquire or hold that security.

The Fund, its investment manager, sub-advisor and principal underwriter have each adopted a code of ethics, as required by federal securities laws. Under the code of ethics, employees who are designated as access persons may engage in personal securities transactions, including transactions involving securities that are being considered for the Fund or that are currently held by the Fund, subject to certain general restrictions and procedures. The personal securities transactions of access persons of the Fund, its investment manager, sub-advisor and principal underwriter will be governed by the code of ethics. The code of ethics is on file with, and available from, the SEC.

The Fund's sub-advisor is Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC (FT Institutional). The sub-advisor has an agreement with the investment manager and provides the investment manager with investment management advice and assistance. The sub-advisor's activities are subject to the board's review and control, as well as the investment manager's instruction and supervision.

Management and asset allocation fees The Fund pays the investment manager a fee equal to an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

The fee is calculated daily and paid monthly according to the terms of the management agreement. Each class of the Fund's shares pays its proportionate share of the fee.

The investment manager compensates FT Institutional for managing the portion of the Fund's assets allocated to it from time to time by the investment manager. The fee is equal to an annual rate of 0.25% of the net assets.

Portfolio managers This section reflects information about the portfolio managers as of May 31, 2011.

The following table shows the number of other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the total assets in the accounts managed within each category:

Name	Number of Other Registered Investment Companies Managed¹	Assets of Other Registered Investment Companies Managed (x $1 million)¹	Number of Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed²	Assets of Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed (x $1 million)²	Number of Other Accounts Managed	Assets of Other Accounts Managed (x $1 million)
Tony Coffey	20	1,400.0	13	920.9	0	N/A
Warren Keyser	0	N/A	0	N/A	42	2,105.5
Thomas A. Nelson	4	18.2	0	N/A	0	N/A

1. These figures represent registered investment companies other than the Funds that are included in this SAI.

2. The various pooled investment vehicles and accounts listed are managed by a team of investment professionals. Accordingly, the portfolio manager listed would not be solely responsible for managing such listed amounts.

Portfolio managers that provide investment services to the Fund may also provide services to a variety of other investment products, including other funds, institutional accounts and private accounts. The advisory fees for some of such other products and accounts may be different than that charged to the Fund and may include performance based compensation. This may result in fees that are higher (or lower) than the advisory fees paid by the Fund. As a matter of policy, each fund or account is managed solely for the benefit of the beneficial owners thereof. As discussed below, the separation of the trading execution function from the portfolio management function and the application of objectively based trade allocation procedures help to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of the portfolio managers managing accounts with different advisory fees.

Conflicts. The management of multiple funds, including the Fund, and accounts may also give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and other accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his or her time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. The investment manager seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same investment strategies that are used in connection with the management of the Fund. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios, which may minimize the potential for conflicts of interest. As noted above, the separate management of the trade execution and valuation functions from the portfolio management process also helps to reduce potential conflicts of interest. However, securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund. Moreover, if a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of that opportunity across all eligible funds and other accounts. The investment manager seeks to manage such potential conflicts by using procedures intended to provide a fair allocation of buy and sell opportunities among funds and other accounts.

The structure of a portfolio manager’s compensation may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A portfolio manager’s base pay and bonus tend to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management. As such, there may be an indirect relationship between a portfolio manager’s marketing or sales efforts and his or her bonus.

Finally, the management of personal accounts by a portfolio manager may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. While the funds and the investment manager have adopted a code of ethics which they believe contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent a wide range of prohibited activities by portfolio managers and others with respect to their personal trading activities, there can be no assurance that the code of ethics addresses all individual conduct that could result in conflicts of interest.

The investment manager and the Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these, and other, types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation where a conflict arises.

Advisers and FT Institutional

Compensation. The investment manager seeks to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract, retain and motivate top-quality investment professionals. Portfolio managers receive a base salary, a cash incentive bonus opportunity, an equity compensation opportunity, and a benefits package. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed annually and the level of compensation is based on individual performance, the salary range for a portfolio manager’s level of responsibility and Franklin Templeton guidelines. Portfolio managers are provided no financial incentive to favor one fund or account over another. Each portfolio manager’s compensation consists of the following three elements:

Base salary Each portfolio manager is paid a base salary.

Annual bonus Annual bonuses are structured to align the interests of the portfolio manager with those of the Fund’s shareholders. Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual bonus. Bonuses generally are split between cash (50% to 65%) and restricted shares of Resources stock (17.5% to 25%) and mutual fund shares (17.5% to 25%). The deferred equity-based compensation is intended to build a vested interest of the portfolio manager in the financial performance of both Resources and mutual funds advised by the investment manager. The bonus plan is intended to provide a competitive level of annual bonus compensation that is tied to the portfolio manager achieving consistently strong investment performance, which aligns the financial incentives of the portfolio manager and Fund shareholders. The Chief Investment Officer of the investment manager and/or other officers of the investment manager, with responsibility for the Fund, have discretion in the granting of annual bonuses to portfolio managers in accordance with Franklin Templeton guidelines. The following factors are generally used in determining bonuses under the plan:

Investment performance. Primary consideration is given to the historic investment performance over the 1, 3 and 5 preceding years of all accounts managed by the portfolio manager. The pre-tax performance of each fund managed is measured relative to a relevant peer group and/or applicable benchmark as appropriate.
Non-investment performance. The more qualitative contributions of a portfolio manager to the investment manager’s business and the investment management team, including professional knowledge, productivity, responsiveness to client needs and communication, are evaluated in determining the amount of any bonus award.
Responsibilities. The characteristics and complexity of funds managed by the portfolio manager are factored in the investment manager’s appraisal.

Portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees of the investment manager.

Administrator and services provided Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (FT Services) has an agreement with the Fund to provide certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. FT Services is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Resources and is an affiliate of the Fund's investment manager, sub-advisor and principal underwriter.

The administrative services FT Services provides include preparing and maintaining books, records, and tax and financial reports, and monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Administration fees The manager pays FT Services a monthly fee equal to an annual rate of 0.20% of the Fund's average daily net assets.

Shareholder servicing and transfer agent Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC (Investor Services) is the Fund's shareholder servicing agent and acts as the Fund's transfer agent and dividend-paying agent. Investor Services is located at 3344 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-7313. Please send all correspondence to Investor Services at P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151.

Investor Services receives a fee for servicing Fund shareholder accounts. The Fund also will reimburse Investor Services for certain out-of-pocket expenses necessarily incurred in servicing the shareholder accounts in accordance with the terms of its servicing contract with the Fund.

Investor Services may also pay servicing fees, that will be reimbursed by the Fund, in varying amounts to certain financial institutions (primarily to help offset their costs associated with client account maintenance support, statement preparation and transaction processing) that (i) maintain omnibus accounts with the Fund in the institution's name on behalf of numerous beneficial owners of Fund shares who are either direct clients of the institution or are participants in an IRS-recognized tax-deferred savings plan (including Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans and Section 529 Plans) for which the institution, or its affiliate, provides participant level recordkeeping services (called "Beneficial Owners"); or (ii) provide support for Fund shareholder accounts by sharing account data with Investor Services through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) networking system. In addition to servicing fees received from the Fund, these financial institutions also may charge a fee for their services directly to their clients. Investor Services will also receive a fee from the Fund for services provided in support of Beneficial Owners and NSCC networking system accounts.

Custodian The Bank of New York Mellon, Mutual Funds Division, 100 Church Street, New York, NY 10286, acts as custodian of the Fund's securities and other assets. As foreign custody manager, the bank selects and monitors foreign sub-custodian banks, selects and evaluates non-compulsory foreign depositories, and furnishes information relevant to the selection of compulsory depositories.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Three Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111-4004, is the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. The Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm audits the financial statements included in the Fund's Annual Report to Shareholders.

Portfolio Transactions

The investment manager selects brokers and dealers to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions in accordance with criteria set forth in the management agreement and any directions that the board may give.

When placing a portfolio transaction, the trading department of the investment manager seeks to obtain "best execution" -- the best combination of high quality transaction execution services, taking into account the services and products to be provided by the broker or dealer, and low relative commission rates with the view of maximizing value for the Fund and its other clients. For most transactions in equity securities, the amount of commissions paid is negotiated between the investment manager and the broker executing the transaction. The determination and evaluation of the reasonableness of the brokerage commissions paid are based to a large degree on the professional opinions of the persons within the trading department of the investment manager responsible for placement and review of the transactions. These opinions are based on the experience of these individuals in the securities industry and information available to them about the level of commissions being paid by other institutional investors. The investment manager may also place orders to buy and sell equity securities on a principal rather than agency basis if the investment manager believes that trading on a principal basis will provide best execution. Orders for fixed-income securities are ordinarily placed with market makers on a net basis, without any brokerage commissions. Purchases of portfolio securities from underwriters will include a commission or concession paid to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid and ask price.

The investment manager may cause the Fund to pay certain brokers commissions that are higher than those another broker may charge, if the investment manager determines in good faith that the amount paid is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services it receives. This may be viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or the investment manager's overall responsibilities to client accounts over which it exercises investment discretion. The brokerage commissions that are used to acquire services other than brokerage are known as "soft dollars." Research provided can be either proprietary (created and provided by the broker-dealer, including tangible research products as well as access to analysts and traders) or third party (created by a third party but provided by the broker-dealer). To the extent permitted by applicable law, the investment manager may use soft dollars to acquire both proprietary and third-party research.

The research services that brokers may provide to the investment manager include, among others, supplying information about particular companies, markets, countries, or local, regional, national or transnational economies, statistical data, quotations and other securities pricing information, and other information that provides lawful and appropriate assistance to the investment manager in carrying out its investment advisory responsibilities. These services may not always directly benefit the Fund. They must, however, be of value to the investment manager in carrying out its overall responsibilities to its clients.

It is not possible to place an accurate dollar value on the special execution or on the research services the investment manager receives from dealers effecting transactions in portfolio securities. The allocation of transactions to obtain additional research services allows the investment manager to supplement its own research and analysis activities and to receive the views and information of individuals and research staffs from many securities firms. The receipt of these products and services does not reduce the investment manager's research activities in providing investment advice to the Fund.

As long as it is lawful and appropriate to do so, the investment manager and its affiliates may use this research and data in their investment advisory capacities with other clients.

Because Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors) is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), it may sometimes receive certain fees when the Fund tenders portfolio securities pursuant to a tender-offer solicitation. To recapture brokerage for the benefit of the Fund, any portfolio securities tendered by the Fund will be tendered through Distributors if it is legally permissible to do so. In turn, the next management fee payable to the investment manager will be reduced by the amount of any fees received by Distributors in cash, less any costs and expenses incurred in connection with the tender.

If purchases or sales of securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the investment manager are considered at or about the same time, transactions in these securities will be allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all by the investment manager, taking into account the respective sizes of the accounts and the amount of securities to be purchased or sold. In some cases this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. In other cases it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions may improve execution and reduce transaction costs to the Fund.

Because the Fund may, from time to time, invest in broker-dealers, it is possible that the Fund will own more than 5% of the voting securities of one or more broker-dealers through whom the Fund places portfolio brokerage transactions. In such circumstances, the broker-dealer would be considered an affiliated person of the Fund. To the extent the Fund places brokerage transactions through such a broker-dealer at a time when the broker-dealer is considered to be an affiliate of the Fund, the Fund will be required to adhere to certain rules relating to the payment of commissions to an affiliated broker-dealer. These rules require the Fund to adhere to procedures adopted by the board to ensure that the commissions paid to such broker-dealers do not exceed what would otherwise be the usual and customary brokerage commissions for similar transactions.

Distributions and Taxes

References to "the Code" and other references to the U.S. Federal income tax law, refer to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.

Fund of funds The Fund is a limited “fund of funds” meaning it partially achieves its investment strategy by investing in one or more underlying funds that are also taxable under the Code as regulated investment companies. Unless otherwise stated, the discussion below with respect to the Fund includes the Fund’s pro-rata share of the dividends and distributions paid by the underlying funds and refers to the federal income tax consequences of the investments that may be made at either the Fund or underlying fund level.

For investors who hold their shares in a taxable account, the structure of the Fund as a limited fund of funds could affect the amount, timing and tax character of the Fund’s income and gains distributed to you. Distributions by the underlying funds, redemptions of shares in the underlying funds and changes in the Fund’s allocation of assets to the underlying funds may result in taxable distributions to the Fund’s shareholders of ordinary income or capital gains. A fund of funds generally will not be able currently to offset gains realized by one underlying fund in which the fund of funds invests against losses realized by another underlying fund. If shares of an underlying fund are purchased within 30 days before or after redeeming at a loss other shares of that underlying fund, whether pursuant to a rebalancing of the Fund’s portfolio or otherwise, all or a part of the loss will not be deductible by the Fund and instead will increase its basis for the newly purchased shares.

Except with respect to a qualified fund of funds, a fund of funds is not eligible to pass through to shareholders as a foreign tax credit or deduction any foreign income taxes paid by the underlying fund on its investments. Effective for taxable years of the Fund beginning after December 22, 2010, a Fund which is a qualified fund of funds, meaning at least 50 percent of the value of the total assets of which, at the close of each quarter of the taxable year, is represented by interests in other regulated investment companies, is eligible to pass-through to shareholders as a foreign tax credit or deduction any foreign income taxes paid by the underlying fund on its investments. See “Investment in Foreign Securities – Pass-through of foreign tax credits” below.

For U.S. investors, a fund of funds is eligible to pass-through (a) to individual shareholders qualified dividend income earned by an underlying fund which is subject to federal income tax at reduced long-term capital gain rates and (b) to corporate shareholders income that is eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction. See “Qualified dividends” and “Dividends-received deduction for corporations” below. For non-U.S. investors, with respect to taxable years of the Fund ending on or before December 31, 2011 (sunset date), a fund of funds is eligible to pass through to shareholders interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends earned by an underlying fund. See, “Non-U.S. investors” below.

However, dividends paid to shareholders by a fund of funds from interest earned by an underlying fund on U.S. Government obligations are unlikely to be exempt from state and local income tax.

Multiclass distributions The Fund calculates income dividends and capital gain distributions the same way for each class. The amount of any income dividends per share will differ, however, generally due to any differences in the distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees applicable to the classes.

Distributions The Fund intends to declare and pay income dividends at least annually from its net investment income. Capital gains, if any, may be paid at least annually. The Fund may distribute income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary or appropriate in the board’s discretion. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either income dividends or capital gain distributions. Your income dividends and capital gain distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares at net asset value unless you elect to receive them in cash. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month and paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December.

Distributions of net investment income. The Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on its investments. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, any income dividends (other than qualified dividends) the Fund pays are taxable to you at ordinary income tax rates. A portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed at reduced rates.

Distributions of capital gains. The Fund may realize capital gains and losses on the sale of its portfolio securities.

Distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have owned your shares in the Fund. Any net capital gains realized by the Fund (in excess of any available capital loss carryovers) generally are distributed once each year, and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, to reduce or eliminate excise or income taxes on the Fund.

Capital gain dividends and any net long-term capital gains you realize from the sale of Fund shares are subject to a maximum rate of tax of 15% for individuals (0% for individuals in the 10% and 15% federal income tax brackets). These reduced rates of taxation of capital gain dividends and net long-term capital gains are scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2012, unless extended or made permanent before that date. If these rates do sunset at the end of 2012, the rates for taxation of net capital gains that were in effect prior to these changes, including provisions for the taxation of five-year gains, will again be effective for 2013 and later years.

Returns of capital. If the Fund's distributions exceed its earnings and profits (i.e., its taxable income and realized capital gains) for a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in that taxable year may be characterized as a return of capital to you. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce the cost basis in your Fund shares and will result in a higher capital gain or in a lower capital loss when you sell your shares. Any return of capital in excess of the basis in your Fund shares, however, will be taxable as a capital gain. In the case of a non-calendar year fund, earnings and profits are first allocated to distributions made on or before December 31 of its taxable year and then to distributions made thereafter, effective for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010. The effect of this provision is to “push” returns of capital into the next calendar year.

Investments in foreign securities The following paragraphs describe tax considerations that are applicable to the Fund's investments in foreign securities.

Pass-through of foreign tax credits. The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income or gains from certain foreign securities. If more than 50% of the Fund's total assets at the end of a fiscal year is invested in foreign securities, the Fund may elect to pass through to you your pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, the Fund may report more taxable income to you than it actually distributes. This is because the Fund is required to include the foreign taxes passed through to you as additional dividend income. You will then be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax (subject to limitations for certain shareholders). The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to claim this deduction or credit on your personal income tax return if it makes this election.

The use of qualified dividends may reduce the otherwise available foreign tax credits on your federal income tax return. Shareholders in these circumstances should talk with their personal tax advisors about their foreign tax credits and the procedures that they should follow to claim these credits on their personal income tax returns.

Effect of foreign debt investments on distributions. Most foreign exchange gains realized on the sale of debt securities are treated as ordinary income by the Fund. Similarly, foreign exchange losses realized on the sale of debt securities generally are treated as ordinary losses. These gains when distributed are taxable to you as ordinary income, and any losses reduce the Fund's ordinary income otherwise available for distribution to you. This treatment could increase or decrease the Fund's ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the Fund's previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital.

PFIC securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign entities that could be deemed for tax purposes to be passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). When investing in PFIC securities, the Fund intends to mark-to-market these securities and recognize any gains at the end of its fiscal and excise (described below) tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that the Fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold the securities. If the Fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC security and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the sale of the PFIC shares even if such income is distributed to you as a taxable dividend. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund on any deferred taxes arising from such income or gains.

The Fund's designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause the income dividends of any designated securities to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by the Fund.

Investments in commodities Certain underlying funds in which the Fund invests intend to hold the ETNs and certain other commodity-linked instruments, including, without limitation, commodity index swaps, in a Cayman Islands-based company that will be wholly-owned by the underlying fund (the “Subsidiary”). The underlying fund may also invest in certain commodity-linked notes and other commodity-linked instruments to gain exposure to the commodity markets. This strategy may cause the underlying fund to realize more ordinary income than would be the case if the underlying fund invested directly in commodities. Also, these commodity-linked investments and the income earned thereon must be taken into account by an underlying fund in complying with the distribution, income and asset diversification requirements for taxation as a regulated investment company, as described below.

Distribution requirement. The underlying fund intends to distribute the Subsidiary’s income each year to avoid entity-level tax and qualify for taxation as a regulated investment company. The Subsidiary will be classified for federal income tax purposes as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) with respect to the underlying fund. As such, the underlying fund will be required to include in its gross income each year amounts earned by the Subsidiary during that year (subpart F income), whether or not such earnings are distributed by the Subsidiary to the underlying fund. Subpart F income will be distributed each year by the underlying fund to its shareholders, including the Fund, as ordinary income and will not be qualified dividends eligible for taxation at long-term capital gain rates in the case of noncorporate investors or eligible for the 70% corporate dividends deduction in the case of corporate investors. The Subsidiary likely will also be classified as a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) as defined above in “Investments in foreign securities? PFIC securities” but the CFC rules supersede the PFIC rules.

Income requirement. The underlying fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from qualifying sources for the tax year to qualify as a regulated investment company. Gains from the disposition of commodities, including precious metals, are not considered qualifying income for purposes of satisfying the income requirement. Also, the IRS has issued a revenue ruling which holds that income derived from commodity-linked swaps is not qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. Although, in a subsequent revenue ruling, the IRS provides that income from certain alternative investments which create commodity exposure, such as certain commodity index-linked or structured notes or a corporate subsidiary that invests in commodities, may be considered qualifying income under the Code. As a result, the underlying fund’s ability to directly invest in swaps, futures, ETFs, ETNs and other commodity-linked derivatives to gain exposure to commodities as part of its investment strategy is limited to a maximum of 10% of its gross income. However, the underlying fund intends to treat the income it derives from the Subsidiary and commodity-linked notes as “qualifying income” based on a request for a private letter ruling the underlying fund has filed and which is presently pending before the IRS and on a number of similar rulings previously issued by the IRS but on which the underlying fund can't rely. However, the IRS recently suspended the issuance of further private letter rulings to investment companies, including the underlying fund, seeking commodities exposure. There can be no assurance that the IRS will resume issuing such private letter rulings. In the event the IRS were to change its position with respect to the conclusions reached in such private letter rulings issued to date, or there were other adverse changes in the tax law which could occur at any time, the income and gains realized by the underlying fund from such commodity-linked investments might be non-qualifying income, in which case the underlying fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company. In this event, the underlying fund's Board may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or a liquidation of the underlying fund.”

Asset diversification test. The underlying fund must satisfy an asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the underlying fund’s tax year to qualify as a regulated investment company, including a requirement, among other things, that generally no more than 25% of the value of the underlying fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer. For this purpose the underlying fund’s investment in the Subsidiary would be considered a security of one issuer. Accordingly, the underlying fund intends to limit its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of the value of the underlying fund’s total assets in order to satisfy the asset diversification test.

Taxation of the Subsidiary. On the basis of current law and practice, the Subsidiary will not be liable for income tax in the Cayman Islands. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the underlying fund will not be subject to withholding tax in the Cayman Islands. In addition, the Subsidiary’s investment in commodity-linked derivatives and other assets held as collateral are anticipated to qualify for a safe harbor under Code Section 864(b) so that the Subsidiary will not be treated as conducting a U.S. trade or business. Thus, the Subsidiary should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis. However, if certain of the Subsidiary’s activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such.

In general, a foreign corporation, such as the Subsidiary, that does not conduct a U.S. trade or business is nonetheless subject to tax at a flat rate of 30 percent (or lower tax treaty rate), generally payable through withholding, on the gross amount of certain U.S.-source income that is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, subject to certain exemptions, including among others, exemptions for capital gains, portfolio interest and income from notional principal contracts. It is not anticipated that the Subsidiary will be subject to material amounts of U.S. withholding tax on its portfolio investments. The Subsidiary intends to properly certify its status as a non-U.S. person to each custodian and withholding agent to avoid U.S. backup withholding requirements discussed below.

Investment in foreign currency options, futures and forward contracts Certain underlying funds in which the Fund invests intend to hold certain foreign currency options, futures or forwards contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date which will be subject to special tax rules. An underlying fund may use foreign currency options, futures and forward contracts primarily to gain exposure to a particular currency or for other purposes, including as a hedge against fluctuations in foreign exchange rates during the time the Fund holds foreign securities, as discussed below.

Income requirement. The underlying fund intends to treat foreign currency gains as qualifying income. You should be aware, however, that the Treasury Department has statutory authority to issue regulations excluding from the definition of “qualifying income” foreign currency gains not directly related to a regulated investment company’s principal business of investing in securities (or options and futures with respect to securities). As of the date of this SAI, no regulations have been issued pursuant to this authorization. Such regulations, if issued, might treat gains from the underlying fund’s foreign currency transactions as non-qualifying income. In the event the Treasury Department issues such regulations, the underlying fund’s Board may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or liquidation of the underlying fund.

Asset diversification test. The underlying fund’s strategy of investing in foreign currencies and instruments on foreign currencies, such as options, futures, and forward contracts, might cause the underlying fund to fail the asset diversification test, resulting in the underlying fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company. The IRS has not issued any guidance on how to apply the asset diversification test to foreign currencies or instruments on foreign currencies. Failure of the asset diversification test might result from a determination by the IRS that the foreign currency positions in which the underlying fund invests are not securities or, if securities, an IRS determination regarding the identity of the issuer or fair market value of the securities that differs from that made by the underlying fund.

Taxation of transactions in foreign currencies. Generally, transactions in foreign currencies give rise to ordinary income or loss. This treatment could increase or decrease the underlying fund’s ordinary income distributions to the Fund and, in turn, to you, and may cause some or all of the Fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. An election under Section 988(a)(1)(B) may be available to treat foreign currency gain or loss attributable to certain forward, futures and option contracts as capital, including certain foreign currency contracts. For purposes of the mark-to-market rules under the Code, a “foreign currency contract” is a contract which (1) requires delivery of, or settlement of, a foreign currency that is a currency in which positions are also traded through regulated futures contracts, (2) is traded in the interbank market, and (3) is entered into at an arm’s-length price determined by reference to the price in the interbank market. If this Section 988(a)(1)(B) election is made, foreign currency contracts are treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss under the Section 1256 mark-to-market rules. All other forward contracts under this 988(a)(1)(B) election would be characterized as capital and generally gain or loss would be recognized when the contract is closed and completed. Other rules apply to foreign currency options, futures or forward contracts that may be part of a straddle or a Section 988 hedging transaction within the meaning of Code Section 988(d).

Information on the amount and tax character of distributions The Fund will inform you of the amount of your income dividends and capital gain distributions at the time they are paid, and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. The amount of income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders, consisting of qualified dividend income (which is relevant to U.S. investors) and interest-related and short-term capital gain dividends (which are relevant to non-U.S. investors) may exceed the total amount of income dividends paid. Such characterization will not result in more income being reported to you, but rather will allow the Fund to report dividends in a manner that is more tax efficient to both U.S. and non-U.S. investors. If you have not owned your Fund shares for a full year, the Fund may report and distribute to you:

as an ordinary income, qualified dividend, or capital gain dividend (a distribution of net long-term capital gains) if you are a U.S. investor, or
as an interest-related, short-term capital gain, or capital gain dividend if you are a non-U.S. investor,

a percentage of income that may not be equal to the actual amount of each type of income earned during the period of your investment in the Fund.

The Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify income after it issues your tax reporting statement. This can result from rules in the Code that effectively prevent regulated investment companies such as the Fund from ascertaining with certainty until after the calendar year end the final amount and character of distributions the Fund has received on its investments during the prior calendar year. Prior to issuing your statement, Franklin Templeton Investments makes every effort to identify reclassifications of income to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to shareholders. However, when necessary, the Fund will send you a corrected tax reporting statement to reflect reclassified information. If you receive a corrected tax reporting statement, use the information on this statement, and not the information on your original statement, in completing your tax returns.

Avoid "buying a dividend" At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in the value of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. This tax treatment is required even if you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares. Buying shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gain distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.” For example, if you buy 500 shares in a fund on December 10th at the fund's net asset value (NAV) of $10 per share, and the fund makes a distribution on December 15th of $1 per share, your shares will then have an NAV of $9 per share (disregarding any change in the fund's market value), and you will have to pay a tax on what is essentially a return of your investment of $1 per share.

Election to be taxed as a regulated investment company The Fund intends to elect and continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the requirements described below.

Distribution requirement. The Fund must distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).

Income requirement. The Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

Asset diversification test. The Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company, subject to savings provisions for certain qualification failures, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, would thus have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. In that case, the Fund would be liable for federal, and possibly state, corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains, and distributions to you would be taxed as dividend income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

Capital loss carryovers The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. If the Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010, the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. However, for any net capital losses realized in taxable years of the Fund beginning on or before December 22, 2010, the Fund is only permitted to carry forward such capital losses for eight years as a short-term capital loss. Under a transition rule, capital losses arising in a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010 must be used before capital losses realized in a prior taxable year.

Excise tax distribution requirements

Required distributions. To avoid federal excise taxes, the Code requires the Fund to distribute to you by December 31 of each year, at a minimum, the following amounts:

98% of its taxable ordinary income earned during the calendar year;
98.2% of its capital gain net income earned during the 12-month period ending October 31; and
100% of any undistributed amounts of these categories of income or gain from the prior year.

The Fund intends to declare and pay these distributions in December (or to pay them in January, in which case you must treat them as received in December), but can give no assurances that its distributions will be sufficient to eliminate all taxes.

Tax reporting for income and excise tax years. Because the periods for measuring a regulated investment company’s income are different for income (determined on a fiscal year basis) and excise tax years (determined as noted above), special rules are required to calculate the amount of income earned in each period, and the amount of earnings and profits needed to support that income. For example, if the Fund uses the excise tax period ending on October 31 as the measuring period for calculating and paying out capital gain net income and realizes a net capital loss between November 1 and the end of the Fund’s fiscal year, it will likely have insufficient earnings and profits for its taxable year to support its required excise tax distribution. For taxable years of the Fund beginning after December 22, 2010, the Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year, which may change the timing, amount, or characterization of Fund distributions.

A "qualified late year loss" includes: (i) any net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (post-October losses), and (ii) the excess, if any, of (1) the sum of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (2) the sum of (a) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary gains incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year. The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary gains” mean other ordinary losses and gains that are not described in the preceding sentence. Special rules apply to a Fund with a fiscal year ending in November or December that elects to use its taxable year for determining its capital gain net income for excise tax purposes. For taxable years of the Fund beginning on or before December 22, 2010, the Fund may only elect to treat any post-October loss and net foreign currency loss incurred after October 31 as if it had been incurred in the succeeding year in determining its taxable income for the current year.

Because these rules are not entirely clear, the Fund may be required to interpret the "qualified late-year loss" and other rules relating to these different year-ends to determine its taxable income and capital gains. The Fund’s reporting of income and its allocation between different taxable and excise tax years may be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), possibly resulting in adjustments in the income reported by the Fund on its tax returns and/or by the Fund to you on your year-end tax statements.

Sales of Fund shares Sales and exchanges of Fund shares are generally taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you sell your Fund shares, or exchange them for shares of a different Franklin Templeton fund, you are required to report any gain or loss on your sale or exchange. If you owned your shares as a capital asset, any gain or loss that you realize is a capital gain or loss, and is long-term or short-term, depending on how long you owned your shares. Under current law, shares held one year or less are short-term and shares held more than one year are long-term.

Sales at a loss within six months of purchase. Any loss incurred on the sale or exchange of Fund shares owned for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributed to you by the Fund on those shares.

Wash sales. All or a portion of any loss that you realize on the sale of your Fund shares is disallowed to the extent that you buy other shares in the Fund within 30 days before or after your sale. Any loss disallowed under these rules is added to your tax basis in the new shares.

Deferral of basis. In reporting gain or loss on the sale of your Fund shares, you may be required to adjust your basis in the shares you sell under the following circumstances:

IF:

In your original purchase of Fund shares, you paid a sales charge and received a reinvestment right (the right to reinvest your sales proceeds at a reduced or with no sales charge), and
You sell some or all of your original shares within 90 days of their purchase, and
You reinvest the sales proceeds in the Fund or in another Franklin Templeton fund, and the sales charge that would otherwise apply is reduced or eliminated;

THEN: In reporting any gain or loss on your sale, all or a portion of the sales charge that you paid for your original shares is excluded from your tax basis in the shares sold and added to your tax basis in the new shares. For taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010, this provision will only apply if the new shares are acquired by January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the disposition of the original shares occurred.

Cost basis reporting Beginning in calendar year 2012, the Fund is required to report the cost basis of Fund shares sold or exchanged to you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annually. The cost basis of Fund shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the shares, including any front-end sales charges, and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Fund sales generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares. Capital gains and losses on the sale or exchange of Fund shares are generally taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes.

Shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012. Cost basis reporting is generally required for Fund shares that are acquired by purchase, gift, inheritance or other transfer on or after January 1, 2012 (referred to as “covered shares”), and sold or exchanged on or after that date. Cost basis reporting does not apply to sales or exchanges of shares acquired before January 1, 2012, or to shares held in money market funds and tax-deferred accounts, such as individual retirement accounts and qualified retirement plans.

Cost basis methods. Treasury regulations permit the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares. The method used will determine which specific shares are treated as sold or exchanged when there are multiple purchases at different prices and the entire position is not sold at one time.

The Fund’s default method is the average cost method. Under the average cost method, the cost basis of your Fund shares will be determined by averaging the cost basis of all outstanding shares. The holding period for determining whether gains and losses are short-term or long-term is based on the first-in-first-out method (FIFO) which treats the earliest shares acquired as those first sold or exchanged.

If you wish to select a different cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange, you must contact the Fund. However, once a shareholder has sold or exchanged covered shares from the shareholder’s account, a change by the shareholder from the average cost method to another permitted method will only apply prospectively to shares acquired after the date of the method change.

Under the specific identification method, Treasury regulations require that you adequately identify the tax lots of Fund shares to be sold, exchanged or transferred at the time of each transaction. An adequate identification is made by providing the dates that the shares were originally acquired and the number of shares to be sold, exchanged or transferred from each applicable tax lot. Alternatively, an adequate identification of shares may be made with a standing order of instruction on your account. If you do not provide an adequate identification the Fund is required to use the FIFO method with any shares with an unknown acquisition date treated as sold or exchanged first.

The Fund does not recommend any particular cost basis method and the use of other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important that you consult with your tax or financial advisor to determine which method is best for you and then notify the Fund if you intend to use a method other than average cost.

If your account is held by your financial advisor or other broker-dealer, that firm may select a different cost basis default method. In these cases, please contact the firm to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account.

Shares acquired before January 1, 2012. Cost basis reporting is not generally required for Fund shares that were acquired by purchase, gift, inheritance or other transfer prior to January 1, 2012 (referred to as “noncovered shares”), regardless of when they are sold or exchanged. As a service to shareholders, the Fund presently intends to continue to provide shareholders cost basis information for eligible accounts for shares acquired prior to January 1, 2012. Consistent with prior years, this information will not be reported to the IRS or any state taxing authority.

Shareholders that use the average cost method for shares acquired before January 1, 2012 must make the election to use the average cost method for these shares on their federal income tax returns in accordance with Treasury regulations. This election cannot be made by notifying the Fund.

Important limitations regarding cost basis information. The Fund will report the cost basis of your Fund shares by taking into account all of the applicable adjustments required by the Code for purposes of reporting cost basis information to shareholders and the IRS annually. However the Fund is not required, and in many cases the Fund does not possess the information, to take all possible basis, holding period or other adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund, whether this information is provided with respect to covered or noncovered shares, and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required by the Code when reporting these amounts on their federal and state income tax returns. Shareholders remain solely responsible for complying with all federal and state income tax laws when filing their income tax returns.

Additional information about cost basis reporting. For additional information about cost basis reporting, including the methods and elections available to you, please contact Franklin Templeton Investments at (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236. Additional information is also available on franklintempleton.com/costbasis.

Tax certification and backup withholding Tax laws require that you certify your tax information when you become an investor in the Fund. For U.S. citizens and resident aliens, this certification is made on IRS Form W-9. Under these laws, you may be subject to federal backup withholding at 28%, and state backup withholding may also apply, on a portion of your taxable distributions and sales proceeds unless you:

provide your correct Social Security or taxpayer identification number,
certify that this number is correct,
certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and
certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

The Fund must also withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any taxable distributions.

U.S. government securities The income earned on certain U.S. government securities is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to mutual fund dividends paid to you from interest earned on these securities, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. The income on Fund investments in certain securities, such as repurchase agreements, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., Ginnie Mae and Fannie Mae securities), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

Qualified dividends For individual shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at the 15% long-term capital gain rate (0% for individuals in the 10% and 15% federal rate brackets).

Dividends earned on the following income sources will qualify for this treatment:

dividends paid by domestic corporations, and
dividends paid by qualified foreign corporations, including:

corporations incorporated in a possession of the U.S.,
corporations eligible for benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States that the Treasury Department determines is satisfactory (including an exchange of information program), and
corporations whose stock is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States.

Dividends from corporations exempt from tax, passive foreign investment companies (PFICs), and dividends paid from interest earned by the Fund on debt securities generally will not qualify for this favorable tax treatment.

Both the Fund and you must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, you must hold your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. The ex-dividend date is the first date following the declaration of a dividend on which the purchaser of stock is not entitled to receive the dividend payment. When counting the number of days you held your Fund shares, include the day you sold your shares but not the day you acquired these shares.

While the income received in the form of a qualified dividend is taxed at the same rates as long-term capital gains, such income will not be considered as a long-term capital gain for other federal income tax purposes. For example, you will not be allowed to offset your long-term capital losses against qualified dividend income on your federal income tax return. Any qualified dividend income that you elect to be taxed at these reduced rates also cannot be used as investment income in determining your allowable investment interest expense. For other limitations on the amount of or use of qualified dividend income on your income tax return, please contact your personal tax advisor.

Each year the Fund will report to shareholders the portion of its ordinary dividend income that meets the definition of qualified dividend income taxable at reduced rates. If 95% or more of the Fund’s income is from qualified sources, it will be allowed to report 100% of its ordinary income distributions as qualified dividend income. This rule may have the effect of converting small amounts of ordinary income or net short-term capital gains, that otherwise would be taxable as ordinary income, into qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at reduced rates.

Sunsetting of provisions. The special provisions dealing with qualified dividend income are scheduled to sunset for taxable years of the Fund beginning after December 31, 2012, unless extended or made permanent before that date. The reduced rates of taxation of long-term capital gains are scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2012. If these reduced rates do sunset, the rules on taxation of capital gains that were in effect prior to the adoption of these reduced rates, including provisions for the taxation of five-year gains, will again be effective for 2013 and later years.

Dividends-received deduction for corporations For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the dividends-received deduction. This deduction generally is available to corporations for dividends paid by a fund out of income earned on its investments in domestic corporations. Because the income of the Fund is derived at least in part from investments in domestic securities, it is anticipated that a portion or all of the dividends paid by the Fund will qualify for this deduction. You may be allowed to deduct these qualified dividends, thereby reducing the tax that you would otherwise be required to pay. All dividends (including the deducted portion) are included in your calculation of alternative minimum taxable income. If the portion of income qualifying for this deduction is quite small, the Fund reserves the right to not report to shareholders these dividends as qualifying for the corporate dividends-received deduction.

Investment in complex securities The Fund may invest in complex securities that could require it to adjust the amount, timing or tax character (ordinary or capital) of the income, gains and losses it recognizes on these investments. This, in turn, could affect the amount, timing and tax character of the Fund’s income and gains distributed to you.

In general. Gain or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of its portfolio investments will generally be capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Portfolio investments held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment.

Derivatives. The Fund may invest in certain derivative contracts, including some or all of the following types of investments: options on securities and securities indices; financial and futures contracts; options on financial or futures contracts and stock index futures; foreign currency contracts, and forward and futures contracts on foreign currencies. If it makes any of these investments, it could be required to mark-to-market these contracts and realize any unrealized gains and losses at its fiscal year end even though it continues to hold the contracts. Under these rules, gains or losses on the contracts generally would be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses, but gains or losses on certain foreign currency contracts would be treated as ordinary income or losses. In determining its net income for excise tax purposes, the Fund also would be required to mark-to-market these contracts annually as of October 31 (for capital gain net income and ordinary income arising from certain foreign currency contracts) and to realize and distribute any resulting income and gains.

Investments in commodities - commodity - linked derivatives. The Fund may gain exposure to commodities through futures, swaps and other commodity-linked derivatives, including exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded notes (ETNs) the return on which is linked to a commodity or commodity index. Gains from the disposition of commodities, including precious metals, will neither be considered qualifying income for purposes of satisfying the income requirement nor qualifying assets for purposes of satisfying the asset diversification test for qualification as a regulated investment company. Also, the IRS has issued a revenue ruling which holds that income derived from commodity-linked swaps is not qualifying income for purposes of the income requirement. Accordingly, the extent to which the Fund invests in commodities or commodity-linked derivatives may be limited by the income requirement and the asset diversification test, which the fund must continue to satisfy to maintain its status as a regulated investment company. See, “Investments in Commodities” with respect to investment in the Subsidiary and commodity-linked notes.

Short selling and constructive sales. The Fund may enter into various options, futures and forward contracts, and is authorized to engage in short selling, including "short sales against the box." The Fund's entry into a short sale transaction or an option or other contract could be treated as the "constructive sale" of an "appreciated financial position," causing it to realize gain, but not loss, on the position.

Securities lending transactions. The Fund obtains additional income by lending its securities, typically to brokers. All amounts that are paid to the Fund in a securities lending transaction, including substitute dividend and interest payments, are treated as a "fee" for the temporary use of property. As a result, any substitute dividend payments received by the Fund are neither qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at reduced long-term capital gain rates in the case of individual shareholders nor eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Similarly, any substitute interest payments will not be qualified interest income exempt from U.S. withholding tax at source in the case of non-U.S. investors.

Tax straddles. If the Fund invests in any or all of the derivative contracts described in the paragraphs above, if it actively trades stock or otherwise acquires a position with respect to substantially similar or related property in connection with certain hedging transactions, or if it engages in spread, straddle or collar transactions, it could be deemed to hold offsetting positions in securities. If the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to specific securities in its portfolio is substantially diminished by the fact that it holds offsetting securities, including securities in a spread, collar, straddle or similar type of transaction, the Fund could be deemed to have entered into a tax "straddle" or to hold a "successor position" that would require any loss realized by it to be deferred for tax purposes.

Synthetic convertible securities. The Fund is permitted to invest in synthetic convertible securities, which are comprised of two distinct security components, for example, a nonconvertible fixed income security and warrants or stock or stock index call options. When combined, these investments achieve the same economic effect as an investment in a traditional convertible security: a desired income stream and the right to acquire shares of the underlying equity security. Even though these securities are economically equivalent to traditional convertible securities, each security forming part of such an investment is analyzed separately, and the tax consequences of an investment in the component parts of these securities could differ from those of an investment in a traditional convertible security.

Structured investments. The Fund may be permitted to invest in instruments that are designed to restructure the investment characteristics of particular groups of securities. For example, the Fund may be permitted to invest in structured notes that are designed to give the holder a specific portion of the principal or interest payments that would otherwise be payable in the case of a traditional debt security. The Fund may be permitted to invest in swap contracts that are designed to give the holder a specific return (on a net basis) than would otherwise be payable in the case of a traditional security. Swap contracts can also involve exchanges in fixed and variable interest rates, foreign currencies or baskets of securities that mimic certain other securities or indices. The Fund may also be permitted to invest in swaptions which are options, such as a put or call option to hedge against interest rates. A swaption is treated as a traditional option until the option lapses or is exercised in which later case the Fund would be treated as entering into a swap. If the Fund is permitted to invest in these securities and does so, it could be subject to tax consequences that differ from those of an investment in traditional debt or equity securities.

Credit-linked securities. The Fund may enter into credit-linked securities including debt securities represented by an interest in or collateralized by one or more corporate debt obligations, or into credit default swap agreements. The rules governing the tax aspects of credit-linked securities that provide for contingent nonperiodic payments of this type are in a developing stage and are not entirely clear in certain aspects. Accordingly, while the Fund intends to account for such transactions in a manner that it deems to be appropriate, the IRS might not accept such treatment, and may require the Fund to modify its treatment of these investments. Certain requirements that must be met under the Code in order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which the Fund will be able to engage in credit default swap agreements.

Certain fixed-income investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by the Fund with market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount that accrued during the period of time the Fund held the debt obligation, unless the Fund made an election to accrue market discount into income currently. Fund distributions of accrued market discount, including any current inclusions, are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. If the Fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the Fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount that accrues during such year. Therefore an investment in such securities may cause the Fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.

Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default. The Fund may also hold obligations that are at risk of or in default. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent the Fund should recognize market discount on such a debt obligation, when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent the Fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how the Fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion Income) Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of the Fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business income (UBTI), thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is not anticipated that these rules will apply to a fund that does not invest in any U.S. REITs.

State income taxes Some state tax codes adopt the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) through a certain date. As a result, such conforming states may not have adopted the version of the IRC that contains either the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, or other federal tax laws enacted after the applicable conformity date. Other states may have adopted an income or other basis of tax that differs from the IRC. The California Revenue and Taxation Code currently conforms, with certain modifications, to the IRC as of January 1, 2009, and to the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010.

The information furnished by the Fund to shareholders and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annually with respect to the amount and character of dividends paid, cost basis information with respect to shares redeemed or exchanged, and records maintained by the Fund with respect to the cost basis of Fund shares, will be prepared on the basis of current federal income tax law to comply with the information reporting requirements of the Code, and not on the basis of the law of any state in which a shareholder is resident or otherwise subject to tax. Under the current California Revenue and Taxation Code, certain funds are required to report federal tax information to the California Franchise Tax Board annually.

Accordingly, the amount and character of income, gain or loss realized by a shareholder with respect to his or her investment in Fund shares for state income tax purposes may differ from that for federal income tax purposes. Franklin Templeton Investments provides tax information on franklintempleton.com (under the Tax Center) regarding tax-exempt income by jurisdiction and U.S. government interest to assist shareholders with the preparation of their state income tax returns. Shareholders are solely responsible for determining the amount and character of income, gain or loss to report on their federal, state and local income tax returns each year as a result of their purchase, holding and sale of Fund shares.

Non-U.S. investors Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax, and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements.

In general. The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends. An exemption from this withholding tax is provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from its net long-term capital gains. An exemption from withholding is also provided for short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends as described below, to the extent that these gains and dividends are paid with respect to taxable years of the Fund ending on or before December 31, 2011 (sunset date). However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at source, any taxable distributions and proceeds from the sale of your Fund shares will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Capital gain distributions and short-term capital gain dividends. Dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as either (i) a distribution from net long-term capital gains (a capital gain dividend), or (ii) a distribution from net short-term capital gains (a short-term capital gain dividend) paid out of income earned within the Fund prior to the sunset date described above, other than long- or short-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year.

Interest-related dividends. Interest-related dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as paid from qualified net interest income earned prior to the sunset date described above are not subject to U.S. withholding tax. The Fund's qualified net interest income equals its qualified interest income less allocable expenses. "Qualified interest income" includes, in general, the sum of the Fund's U.S. source: i) bank deposit interest, ii) short-term original issue discount, iii) portfolio interest, and iv) any interest-related dividend passed through from another regulated investment company. On any payment date, the amount of an income dividend that is reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend may be more or less than the amount that is so qualified. This is because the amount reported is based on an estimate of the Fund's qualified interest income for its entire fiscal year, which can only be determined with exactness at fiscal year end. As a consequence, the Fund may over withhold a small amount of U.S. tax from a dividend payment. In this case, the non-U.S. investor's only recourse may be to either forgo recovery of the excess withholding, or to file a United States nonresident income tax return to recover the excess withholding.

Limitations on tax reporting for interest-related dividends and short-term capital gains dividends for non-U.S. investors. It may not be practical in every case for the Fund to report to shareholders, and the Fund reserves the right in these cases to not report, small amounts of interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends. Additionally, the Fund’s reporting of interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends may not, in turn, be passed through to shareholders by intermediaries who have assumed tax reporting responsibilities for this income in managed or omnibus accounts due to systems limitations or operational constraints. When the Fund has reported interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends, this information will be available online at franklintempleton.com, under the Fund’s Tax Information, or through a Customer Service Representative at Franklin Templeton Investments at (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236. If you are a shareholder of an institutional fund, you may obtain this information by calling Institutional Services at (800) 321-8563, or through a Customer Service Representative at Franklin Templeton Investments at (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Effectively connected income. Income dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on portfolio investments are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at 30% or a lower treaty rate. However, if you hold your Fund shares in connection with a U.S. trade or business, your income and gains may be considered effectively connected income and taxed in the U.S. on a net basis at graduated income tax rates in which case you may be required to file a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

U.S. estate tax. As of the date of this Registration Statement, the U.S. federal estate tax has been reinstated. An individual who is a non-U.S. investor will be subject to U.S. federal estate tax on all or a portion of the value of Fund shares owned at the time of death, unless a treaty exemption applies between the country of residence of the non-U.S. investor and the U.S. Even if a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nevertheless be required to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption, as well as to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund shares) on which a U.S. federal tax lien has been released, and is required before the Fund can release a nonresident alien decedent’s investment in the Fund to his or her estate. For estates with U.S. situs assets of not more than $60,000 (there is a statutory estate tax credit for this amount of property), the Fund may accept, in lieu of a federal transfer certificate, an affidavit from the executor of the estate or other authorized individual evidencing that the U.S. situs assets (excluding any exempt assets as noted below) are at or below this threshold amount. Transfers by gift of shares of the Fund by a non-U.S. investor who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. The tax consequences to a non-U.S. investor entitled to claim the benefits of a treaty between the country of residence of the non-U.S. investor and the U.S. may be different from the consequences described above. Non-U.S. investors should consult with their tax advisors on the estate tax consequences of an investment in the Fund.

For estates of decedents dying before January 1, 2012, the Code also provides for a partial exemption from U.S. estate tax for Fund shares held by an estate of a nonresident decedent. The amount treated as exempt is based on the proportion of the assets held by the Fund at the end of the quarter immediately preceding the decedent’s death that are treated as qualifying assets. In general, qualifying assets include U.S. bank deposits, U.S. debt obligations that pay portfolio interest and other property not within the United States.

Sunsetting of provisions. The provisions dealing with interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends that are discussed above are scheduled to sunset with respect to taxable years of the Fund ending on December 31, 2011 (calendar year Funds) or in 2012 (fiscal year Funds). The provisions creating a partial exemption from U.S. estate tax are scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2011. Unless these rules are extended, or made permanent, non-U.S. investors will again be subject to nonresident withholding taxes on any ordinary dividends (including short-term capital gain dividends) that they receive, and will no longer be eligible for a reduction in their U.S. estate tax.

Tax certification and backup withholding as applied to non-U.S. investors. Non-U.S. investors have special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding (at a rate of 28%), and if applicable, to obtain the benefit of any income tax treaty between the non-U.S. investor's country of residence and the United States. To claim these tax benefits, the non-U.S. investor must provide a properly completed Form W-8BEN (or other Form W-8, where applicable, or their substitute forms) to establish his or her status as a non-U.S. investor, to claim beneficial ownership over the assets in the account, and to claim, if applicable, a reduced rate of or exemption from withholding tax under the applicable treaty. A Form W-8BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number remains in effect for a period of three years beginning on the date that it is signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year. However, non-U.S. investors must advise the Fund of any changes of circumstances that would render the information given on the form incorrect, and must then provide a new W-8BEN to avoid the prospective application of backup withholding. Forms W-8BEN with U.S. taxpayer identification numbers remain valid indefinitely, or until the investor has a change of circumstances that renders the form incorrect and necessitates a new form and tax certification.

Investment in U.S. real property. The Fund may invest in equity securities of corporations that invest in U.S. real property, including U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs). The sale of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI) by the Fund or by a U.S. REIT or U.S. real property holding corporation (USRPHC) in which the Fund invests may trigger special tax consequences to the Fund’s non-U.S. shareholders. A USRPHC is a U.S. corporation that invests more than 50% of its assets in U.S. real estate.

The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a USRPI as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. A Fund’s investment in USRPI, including U.S. REITs, may trigger FIRPTA gain to the Fund’s non-U.S. investors on certain distributions from the Fund and on the sale or exchange of Fund shares.

Under a look-through rule, the Code treats distributions by a regulated investment company (RIC) received from a U.S. REIT or another RIC classified as a USRPHC or realized by the RIC on a sale of a USRPI (other than a domestically controlled U.S.-REIT or RIC that is classified as a qualified investment entity) as FIRPTA gain if all of the following requirements are met:

The RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity. A RIC is classified as a “qualified investment entity” with respect to a distribution attributable directly or indirectly to a sale or exchange of a USRPI if, in general, 50% or more of the RIC’s assets consist of interests in U.S. REITs and USRPHC, and
You are a non-U.S. shareholder that owns more than 5% of a class of Fund shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution.

If these conditions are met, such Fund distributions to you are treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing the distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35% (or, to the extent provided in future regulations, 20% in the case of taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010), and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. Even if you do not own more than 5% of a class of Fund shares, but the Fund is a qualified investment entity, such Fund distributions to you will be taxable as ordinary dividends rather than as a capital gain dividend (a distribution of long-term capital gains) or a short-term capital gain dividend subject to withholding at the 30% or lower treaty withholding rate.

These rules apply to dividends paid by a Fund before January 1, 2012 (unless such sunset date is extended or made permanent), except that after such sunset date, Fund distributions from a U.S.-REIT (whether or not domestically controlled) attributable to FIRPTA gain will continue to be subject to the withholding rules described above provided the Fund would otherwise be classified as a qualified investment entity.

Additionally, if the Fund is a USRPHC and is not domestically controlled, any gain realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares by a non-U.S. investor that owns more than 5% of a class of Fund shares would be taxed as income “effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business.” The Fund will be a USRPHC if, in general, 50% or more of the fair market value of its assets consists of USRPI. For purposes of determining whether the Fund is a USRPHC, shares of U.S. REITs controlled by U.S. persons and holdings of 5% or less in the stock of publicly traded USRPHCs are not considered USRPI. After December 31, 2011 (unless such sunset date is extended or made permanent), a more than 5% non-U.S. shareholder of the Fund may no longer rely on the fact that the Fund is domestically controlled in order to exclude gain on the sale or exchange of Fund shares if the Fund is otherwise considered a USRPHC.

Because the Fund expects to invest less than 50% of its assets at all times, directly or indirectly, in U.S. real property interests, it expects that neither gain on the sale or redemption of Fund shares nor Fund dividends and distributions should be subject to FIRPTA reporting and tax withholding.

Other Tax Information This discussion of “Distributions and Taxes” is not written to provide you with tax advice, and does not purport to deal with all of the tax consequences that may be applicable to your investment in the Fund. You should consult your tax advisor regarding your particular circumstances before making an investment in the Fund, or about the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of your investment in the Fund.

Organization, Voting Rights and Principal Holders

The Fund is a non-diversified series of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series (the Trust), an open-end management investment company, commonly called a mutual fund. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust (a form of entity formerly known as a business trust) on October 2, 1995, and is registered with the SEC.

The Fund currently offers four classes of shares, Class A, Class C, Class R and Advisor Class. The Fund began offering shares on December 19, 2011. The Fund may offer additional classes of shares in the future. The full title of each class is:

Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund - Class A
Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund - Class C
Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund - Class R
Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund - Advisor Class

Shares of each class represent proportionate interests in the Fund's assets. On matters that affect the Fund as a whole, each class has the same voting and other rights and preferences as any other class. On matters that affect only one class, only shareholders of that class may vote. Each class votes separately on matters affecting only that class, or expressly required to be voted on separately by state or federal law. Shares of each class of a series have the same voting and other rights and preferences as the other classes and series of the Trust for matters that affect the Trust as a whole. Additional series may be offered in the future.

The Fund has noncumulative voting rights. For board member elections, this gives holders of more than 50% of the shares voting the ability to elect all of the members of the board. If this happens, holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect anyone to the board.

The Trust does not intend to hold annual shareholder meetings. The Trust or a series of the Trust may hold special meetings, however, for matters requiring shareholder approval.

From time to time, the number of Fund shares held in the "street name" accounts of various securities dealers for the benefit of their clients or in centralized securities depositories may exceed 5% of the total shares outstanding.

Buying and Selling Shares

The Fund continuously offers its shares through securities dealers who have an agreement with Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors). A securities dealer includes any financial institution that, either directly or through affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not indicate a legal conclusion of capacity. Banks and financial institutions that sell shares of the Fund may be required by state law to register as securities dealers. If you buy or sell shares through your securities dealer, you may be charged a transaction processing fee by your securities dealer. Your securities dealer will provide you with specific information about any transaction processing fees you will be charged.

For investors outside the U.S., the offering of Fund shares may be limited in many jurisdictions. An investor who wishes to buy shares of the Fund should determine, or have a broker-dealer determine, the applicable laws and regulations of the relevant jurisdiction. Investors are responsible for compliance with tax, currency exchange or other regulations applicable to redemption and purchase transactions in any jurisdiction to which they may be subject. Investors should consult appropriate tax and legal advisors to obtain information on the rules applicable to these transactions.

All checks, drafts, wires and other payment mediums used to buy or sell shares of the Fund must be denominated in U.S. dollars. We may, in our sole discretion, either (a) reject any order to buy or sell shares denominated in any other currency or (b) honor the transaction or make adjustments to your account for the transaction as of a date and with a foreign currency exchange factor determined by the drawee bank. We may deduct any applicable banking charges imposed by the bank from your account.

When you buy shares, if you submit a check or a draft that is returned unpaid to the Fund we may impose a $10 charge against your account for each returned item.

If you buy shares through the reinvestment of dividends, the shares will be purchased at the net asset value determined on the business day following the dividend record date (sometimes known as the "ex-dividend date"). The processing date for the reinvestment of dividends may vary and does not affect the amount or value of the shares acquired.

Investment by asset allocators The Fund permits investment in the Fund by asset allocators (Asset Allocators) who represent underlying clients that have granted a power of attorney to the Asset Allocators to invest on their behalf. The Asset Allocators typically make asset allocation decisions across similarly situated underlying accounts that are invested in the Fund. As a result of adjustments in such asset allocation decisions, the Fund may experience relatively large purchases and redemptions when the Asset Allocators implement their asset allocation adjustment decisions. In such circumstances, the Fund may nevertheless restrict or reject trading activity by Asset Allocators in accordance with the Frequent Trading Policy of the Fund as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus. Neither the Fund, nor its investment manager nor any other affiliated party receives any compensation or other consideration in return for permitting Fund investments by Asset Allocators.

Initial sales charges The maximum initial sales charge is 5.75% for Class A. There is no initial sales charge for Class C, Class R and Advisor Class.

The initial sales charge for Class A shares may be reduced for certain large purchases, as described in the prospectus. We offer several ways for you to combine your purchases in Franklin Templeton funds to take advantage of the lower sales charges for large purchases.

Letter of intent (LOI). You may buy Class A shares at a reduced sales charge by completing the LOI section of your account application. An LOI is a commitment by you to invest a specified dollar amount during a 13-month period. The amount you agree to invest determines the sales charge you pay. By completing the LOI section of the application, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

You authorize Distributors to reserve approximately 5% of your total intended purchase in Class A shares registered in your name until you fulfill your LOI. Your periodic statements will include the reserved shares in the total shares you own, and we will pay or reinvest dividend and capital gain distributions on the reserved shares according to the distribution option you have chosen.
You give Distributors a security interest in the reserved shares and appoint Distributors as attorney-in-fact.
Distributors may sell any or all of the reserved shares to cover any additional sales charge if you do not fulfill the terms of the LOI.
Although you may exchange your shares, you may not sell reserved shares until you complete the LOI or pay the higher sales charge.

After you file your LOI with the Fund, you may buy Class A shares at the sales charge applicable to the amount specified in your LOI. Sales charge reductions based on purchases in more than one Franklin Templeton fund will be effective only after notification to Distributors that the investment qualifies for a discount. If you file your LOI with the Fund before a change in the Fund's sales charge, you may complete the LOI at the lower of the new sales charge or the sales charge in effect when the LOI was filed.

Your holdings in Franklin Templeton funds acquired before you filed your LOI will be counted towards the completion of the LOI.

If the terms of your LOI are met, the reserved shares will be deposited to an account in your name or delivered to you or as you direct.

If the amount of your total purchases is less than the amount specified in your LOI, the sales charge will be adjusted upward, depending on the actual amount purchased during the period. You will need to send Distributors an amount equal to the difference in the actual dollar amount of sales charge paid and the amount of sales charge that would have applied to the total purchases if the total of the purchases had been made at one time. Upon payment of this amount, the reserved shares held for your account will be deposited to an account in your name or delivered to you or as you direct. If within 20 days after written request the difference in sales charge is not paid, we will redeem an appropriate number of reserved shares to realize the difference. If you redeem the total amount in your account before you fulfill your LOI, we will deduct the additional sales charge due from the sale proceeds and forward the balance to you.

For LOIs filed on behalf of certain retirement plans, the level and any reduction in sales charge for these plans will be based on actual plan participation and the projected investments in Franklin Templeton funds under the LOI. These plans are not subject to the requirement to reserve 5% of the total intended purchase or to the policy on upward adjustments in sales charges described above, or to any penalty as a result of the early termination of a plan.

Waivers for investments from certain payments. Class A shares may be purchased without an initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) by investors who reinvest within 90 days:

Dividend and capital gain distributions from any Franklin Templeton fund. The distributions generally must be reinvested in the same share class. Certain exceptions apply, however, to Advisor Class or Class Z shareholders of a Franklin Templeton fund who may reinvest their distributions in the Fund's Class A shares.
Annuity payments received under either an annuity option or from death benefit proceeds, if the annuity contract offers as an investment option the Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust. You should contact your tax advisor for information on any tax consequences that may apply.
Redemption proceeds from the sale of Class A shares of any of the Franklin Templeton Investment Funds if you are a qualified investor.

If you paid a CDSC when you redeemed your Class A shares from a Franklin Templeton Investment Fund, a new CDSC will apply to your purchase of Fund shares and the CDSC holding period will begin again. We will, however, credit your Fund account with additional shares based on the CDSC you previously paid and the amount of the redemption proceeds that you reinvest.

If you immediately placed your redemption proceeds in a Franklin Templeton money fund, you may reinvest them as described above. The proceeds must be reinvested within 90 days from the date they are redeemed from the money fund.

Waivers for certain investors. The following investors or investments qualify to buy Class A shares without an initial sales charge or CDSC due to anticipated economies in sales efforts and expenses, including:

Governments, municipalities, and tax-exempt entities that meet the requirements for qualification under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code when purchasing direct from the Fund. Please consult your legal and investment advisors to determine if an investment in the Fund is permissible and suitable for you.
Registered securities dealers and their affiliates, for their investment accounts only
Current employees of securities dealers and their affiliates and their family members, as allowed by the internal policies of their employer
Current and former officers, trustees, directors, full-time employees (and, in each case, their family members) of both Franklin Templeton Investments and Franklin Templeton funds, consistent with our then-current policies
Current partners of law firms that currently provide legal counsel to the funds, Franklin Resources, Inc. or its affiliates
Assets held in accounts managed by a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc.: (1) under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory agreements); and/or (2) as trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust
Certain unit investment trusts and their holders reinvesting distributions from the trusts
Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended
Group annuity separate accounts offered to retirement plans
Chilean retirement plans that meet the requirements described under "Retirement plans" below
Assets held in accounts managed by a state or federally regulated trust company or bank (Trust Company) either as discretionary trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust or as investment manager under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory) or other agreement that grants the Trust Company investment discretion over those assets (Trust Company Managed Assets) if (i) the aggregate value of Trust Company Managed Assets invested in Franklin Templeton funds at the time of purchase equals at least $1 million; and (ii) the purchased shares are registered directly to the Trust Company in its corporate capacity (not as trustee of an individual trust) and held solely as Trust Company Managed Assets
Shares acquired by a financial intermediary that the intermediary holds, directly or indirectly, on behalf of a beneficial owner who has entered into a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement with any broker-dealer, trust company or registered investment advisor (RIA), whether or not affiliated with the financial intermediary, provided the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares

Retirement plans. Provided that Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC is notified, Class A shares at NAV are available for:

Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans that invest indirectly in Fund shares through Fund omnibus accounts registered to a financial intermediary; or
An Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan if the employer sponsors one or more Plans with aggregate Plan assets of $1 million or more; or
Investors who open an IRA with proceeds rolled over directly from an Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan if the IRA is a "Common Platform IRA." An IRA is a Common Platform IRA if (i) the IRA custodian or recordkeeper, or one of its affiliates, is the recordkeeper for the Plan at the time the IRA is opened; and (ii) current agreements with the Fund, or its agent, make Franklin Templeton fund shares available to both the Plan and the IRA investor; or
The portion of any direct rollover from a participant’s Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan account or direct transfer from a 403(b) Plan account to a Franklin Templeton IRA with FTB&T as the custodian that is funded by the sale immediately prior to the rollover/transfer of Franklin Templeton fund shares held in the Plan account, provided that documentation accompanies the rollover/transfer instruction that reasonably supports this funding source requirement; or
Investors who open an IRA as a spousal rollover or a QDRO if opened with proceeds from a "Former DCS Plan" and/or a plan for which FTB&T is trustee; or
Investors who open a Franklin Templeton IRA prior to November 1, 2012 with proceeds rolled over directly from a "Former DCS Plan."

A "Qualified Retirement Plan" is an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, including 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans.

A "Former DCS Plan" is an Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan that transferred participant level recordkeeping from the DCS Division of Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC to Great-West Retirement Services^® (GWRS) on November 2, 2007 and is a recordkeeping client of GWRS at the time of the rollover.

Sales in Taiwan. Under agreements with certain banks in Taiwan, Republic of China, the Fund's shares are available to these banks' trust accounts without a sales charge. The banks may charge service fees to their customers who participate in the trusts. A portion of these service fees may be paid to Distributors or one of its affiliates to help defray expenses of maintaining a service office in Taiwan, including expenses related to local literature fulfillment and communication facilities.

The Fund's Class A shares may be offered to investors in Taiwan through securities advisory firms known locally as Securities Investment Consulting Enterprises. In conformity with local business practices in Taiwan, Class A shares may be offered with the following schedule of sales charges:

Size of Purchase - U.S. Dollars	Sales Charge (%)
Under $30,000	3.0
$30,000 but less than $50,000	2.5
$50,000 but less than $100,000	2.0
$100,000 but less than $200,000	1.5
$200,000 but less than $400,000	1.0
$400,000 or more	0

Dealer and financial intermediary compensation Securities dealers may at times receive the entire sales charge. A securities dealer who receives 90% or more of the sales charge may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Financial institutions or their affiliated brokers may receive an agency transaction fee in the percentages indicated in the dealer compensation table in the Fund's prospectus.

Distributors may pay the following commissions to securities dealers who initiate and are responsible for purchases of Class A shares of $1 million or more: 1% (for funds with a maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%) and 0.75% (for funds with a maximum initial sales charge less than 5.75%) on sales of $1 million or more but less than $4 million, plus 0.50% on sales of $4 million or more but less than $50 million, plus 0.25% on sales of $50 million or more. Consistent with the provisions and limitations set forth in its Class A Rule 12b-1 distribution plan, the Fund may reimburse Distributors for the cost of these commission payments.

These payments may be made in the form of contingent advance payments, which may be recovered from the securities dealer or set off against other payments due to the dealer if shares are sold within 18 months of the calendar month of purchase. Other conditions may apply. Other terms and conditions may be imposed by an agreement between Distributors, or one of its affiliates, and the securities dealer.

In addition to the sales charge payments described above and the distribution and service (12b-1) fees described below under "The Underwriter - Distribution and service (12b-1) fees," Distributors and/or its non-fund affiliates may make the following additional payments to securities dealers that sell shares of Franklin Templeton funds:

Marketing support payments. Distributors may make payments to certain dealers who are holders or dealers of record for accounts in one or more of the Franklin Templeton funds. A dealer's marketing support services may include business planning assistance, advertising, educating dealer personnel about the Franklin Templeton funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the dealer's list of offered funds, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the dealer. Distributors compensates dealers differently depending upon, among other factors, sales and assets levels, redemption rates and the level and/or type of marketing and educational activities provided by the dealer. Such compensation may include financial assistance to dealers that enable Distributors to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client and investor events and other dealer-sponsored events. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine whether to continue such payments. In the case of any one dealer, marketing support payments will not exceed the sum of 0.08% of that dealer's current year's total sales of Franklin Templeton mutual funds and 0.05% (or 0.03%) of the total assets respectively, of equity or fixed income funds attributable to that dealer, on an annual basis.

Distributors and/or its non-fund affiliates may also make marketing support payments to financial intermediaries in connection with their activities that are intended to assist in the sale of shares of Franklin Templeton funds, directly or indirectly, to certain Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans that have retained such financial intermediaries as plan service providers. Payments may be made on account of activities that may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: business planning assistance for financial intermediary personnel, educating financial intermediary personnel about the Franklin Templeton funds, access to sales meetings, sales representatives, wholesalers, and management representatives of the financial intermediary, and detailed sales reporting. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services. In the case of any one financial intermediary, such payments will not exceed 0.10% of the total assets of Franklin Templeton equity or fixed income mutual funds held, directly or indirectly, by such Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, on an annual basis. Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine whether to continue such payments. Any current year sales to, or assets held on behalf of, Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans for which payment is made to a financial intermediary pursuant to this paragraph will be excluded from the calculation of marketing support payments pursuant to the preceding paragraph.

Consistent with the provisions and limitations set forth in its Rule 12b-1 distribution plans, the Fund may reimburse Distributors for the cost of a portion of these marketing support payments.

Marketing support payments may be in addition to any servicing fees paid by Investor Services and reimbursed by the Fund, as described further under “Shareholder servicing and transfer agent” above.

As noted below, Distributors may provide additional compensation to dealers and financial intermediaries, including dealers and financial intermediaries not listed below, related to transaction support and various dealer-sponsored events intended to educate financial advisers and their clients about the Franklin Templeton funds. The following is a list of FINRA member broker-dealers and financial intermediaries (including their respective affiliates) that Distributors anticipates will receive marketing support payments as of March 31, 2011. In addition to member firms of FINRA, Distributors and/or its non-fund affiliates also makes marketing support and/or administrative services payments to certain other financial intermediaries that sell fund shares or provide services to Franklin Templeton funds and shareholders, such as banks, insurance companies, and plan administrators. These firms are not included in this list. You should ask your financial intermediary if it receives such payments.

ADP Retirement Services, American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc., American United Life Insurance Company, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Ascensus, Inc., AXA Advisors, LLC, BBVA Compass Investment Solutions, Inc., Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., Cambridge Investment Research Inc., CCO Investment Services Corp., Chase Investment Services Corp., Commonwealth Financial Network, CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc., CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc., CUSO Financial Services, L.P., Daily Access Corporation, Diversified Investment Advisors, Edward Jones, ExpertPlan, Inc., Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company, Inc., Fifth Third Securities, Inc., Financial Network Investment Corporation, First Command Financial Planning, Inc., FSC Securities Corporation, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Great-West Retirement Services, Hartford Life, IFC Holdings, Inc. D/B/A INVEST Financial Corporation, ING Financial Partners, Inc., ING Institutional Plan Services, LLP, Investment Centers of America, Inc., J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc., Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC, John Hancock Distributors, LLC, Legend Equities Corporation, Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation, Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc., Lincoln Retirement Services Company, LLC, LPL Financial Corporation, M&T Securities, Inc., Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC, Multi-Financial Securities Corporation, National Planning Corporation, New York Life Retirement Plan Services, Newport Retirement Services, Inc., Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, PFS Investments, Inc., Pinellas County Schools, PNC Investments, LLC, PrimeVest Financial Services, Inc., Principal Financial Group, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Richard D. Schubert, Inc., Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc., Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., Securities America, Inc., Signator Investors, Inc., SII Investments, Inc., Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., TFS Securities, Inc., The Huntington Investment Company, The Investment Center, Inc., TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company, UBS Financial Services, Inc., UBS Global Asset Management (US) Inc., UnionBanc Investment Services, LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., USI Consulting Group, UVEST Financial Services Group, Inc. and Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC.

Marketing support payments made to organizations located outside the U.S., with respect to investments in the Fund by non-U.S. persons, may exceed the above-stated limitation.

Transaction support payments. The types of payments that Distributors may make under this category include, among others, payment of ticket charges of up to $20 per purchase or exchange order placed by a dealer or one time payments for ancillary services such as setting up funds on a dealer's mutual fund trading system.

Other payments. From time to time, Distributors, at its expense, may make additional payments to dealers that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Fund. Such compensation may include financial assistance to dealers that enable Distributors to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client and investor events, co-operative advertising, newsletters, and other dealer-sponsored events. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event, and can include travel expenses, such as lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with training and educational meetings, client prospecting and due diligence trips.

Distributors routinely sponsors due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which they receive updates on various Franklin Templeton funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Invitation to these meetings is not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares. Those who have shown an interest in Franklin Templeton funds, however, are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firm's policies and procedures, registered representatives' expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by Distributors.

Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by federal or state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Distributors makes payments for events it deems appropriate, subject to Distributors' guidelines and applicable law.

You should ask your dealer for information about any payments it receives from Distributors and any services provided.

In addition, Investor Services may make marketing support payments to financial intermediaries that provide administrative services to defined benefit plans. Such payments may be made to compensate the intermediary for making the Fund available to such plans, and Investor Services does not seek reimbursement by the Fund for such payments.

Contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) - Class A and C If you invest any amount in Class C shares or $1 million or more in Class A shares, either as a lump sum or through our cumulative quantity discount or letter of intent programs, a CDSC may apply on any Class A shares you sell within 18 months and any Class C shares you sell within 12 months of purchase. The CDSC is 1% of the value of the shares sold or the net asset value at the time of purchase, whichever is less.

CDSC waivers. The CDSC for any share class will be waived for:

Assets held in accounts managed by a state or federally regulated trust company or bank (Trust Company) either as discretionary trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust or as investment manager under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory) or other agreement that grants the Trust Company investment discretion over those assets (Trust Company Managed Assets) if (i) the aggregate value of Trust Company Managed Assets invested in Franklin Templeton funds at the time of purchase equals at least $1 million; and (ii) the purchased shares are registered directly to the Trust Company in its corporate capacity (not as trustee of an individual trust) and held solely as Trust Company Managed Assets.
Account fees
Sales of Class A shares purchased without an initial sales charge by certain retirement plan accounts if (i) the securities dealer of record received a payment from Distributors of 0.25% or less, or (ii) the securities dealer of record has entered into a supplemental agreement with Distributors
Redemptions by the Fund when an account falls below the minimum required account size
Redemptions following the death of the shareholder or beneficial owner
Redemptions through a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of your account's net asset value depending on the frequency of your plan
Redemptions by Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans
Distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) due to death or disability or upon periodic distributions based on life expectancy or returns of excess contributions and earnings
Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended

Exchange privilege If you request the exchange of the total value of your account, declared but unpaid income dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the Fund and exchanged into the new fund at net asset value when paid. Backup withholding and information reporting may apply.

If a substantial number of shareholders should, within a short period, sell their Fund shares under the exchange privilege, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities it might otherwise hold and incur the additional costs related to such transactions. On the other hand, increased use of the exchange privilege may result in periodic large inflows of money. If this occurs, it is the Fund's general policy to initially invest this money in short-term, interest-bearing money market instruments, unless it is believed that attractive investment opportunities consistent with the Fund's investment goals exist immediately. This money will then be withdrawn from the short-term, interest-bearing money market instruments and invested in portfolio securities in as orderly a manner as is possible when attractive investment opportunities arise.

The proceeds from the sale of shares of an investment company generally are not available until the seventh day following the sale. The funds you are seeking to exchange into may delay issuing shares pursuant to an exchange until that seventh day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be effected at net asset value at the close of business on the day the request for exchange is received in proper form.

In certain comprehensive fee or advisory programs that hold Class A shares, at the discretion of the financial intermediary, you may exchange to Advisor Class shares or Class Z shares (if offered by the fund).

Class C shares of a Fund may be exchanged for Advisor Class or Class Z shares of the same Fund, if offered by the Fund, provided you meet the Fund’s eligibility requirements for purchasing Advisor Class or Class Z shares. The Class C shares that you wish to exchange must not currently be subject to any CDSC.

Systematic withdrawal plan Our systematic withdrawal plan allows you to sell your shares and receive regular payments from your account on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis. The value of your account must be at least $5,000 and the minimum payment amount for each withdrawal must be at least $50. For retirement plans subject to mandatory distribution requirements, the $50 minimum will not apply. There are no service charges for establishing or maintaining a systematic withdrawal plan.

Each month in which a payment is scheduled, we will redeem an equivalent amount of shares in your account on the day of the month you have indicated on your account application or, if no day is indicated, on the 20th day of the month. If that day falls on a weekend or holiday, we will process the redemption on the next business day. For plans set up before June 1, 2000, we will continue to process redemptions on the 25th day of the month (or the next business day) unless you instruct us to change the processing date. Available processing dates currently are the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th days of the month. When you sell your shares under a systematic withdrawal plan, it is a taxable transaction.

To avoid paying sales charges on money you plan to withdraw within a short period of time, you may not want to set up a systematic withdrawal plan if you plan to buy shares on a regular basis. Shares sold under the plan also may be subject to a CDSC.

Redeeming shares through a systematic withdrawal plan may reduce or exhaust the shares in your account if payments exceed distributions received from the Fund. This is especially likely to occur if there is a market decline. If a withdrawal amount exceeds the value of your account, your account will be closed and the remaining balance in your account will be sent to you. Because the amount withdrawn under the plan may be more than your actual yield or income, part of the payment may be a return of your investment.

To discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan, change the amount and schedule of withdrawal payments, or suspend one payment, we must receive instructions from you at least three business days before a scheduled payment. The Fund may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan by notifying you in writing and will discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan automatically if all shares in your account are withdrawn, if the Fund receives notification of the shareholder's death or incapacity, or if mail is returned to the Fund marked “unable to forward” by the postal service.

Redemptions in kind The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash (by check) all requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount, however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period. This commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of redemption requests in excess of these amounts, the board reserves the right to make payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund, in case of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In these circumstances, the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the Fund's net assets and you may incur brokerage fees in converting the securities to cash. The Fund does not intend to redeem illiquid securities in kind. If this happens, however, you may not be able to recover your investment in a timely manner.

Share certificates We will credit your shares to your Fund account. We do not issue share certificates unless you specifically request them. This eliminates the costly problem of replacing lost, stolen or destroyed certificates. If a certificate is lost, stolen or destroyed, you may have to pay an insurance premium of up to 2% of the value of the certificate to replace it.

Any outstanding share certificates must be returned to the Fund if you want to sell or exchange those shares or if you would like to start a systematic withdrawal plan. The certificates should be properly endorsed. You can do this either by signing the back of the certificate or by completing a share assignment form. For your protection, you may prefer to complete a share assignment form and to send the certificate and assignment form in separate envelopes.

General information If dividend checks are returned to the Fund marked "unable to forward" by the postal service, we will consider this a request by you to change your dividend option to reinvest all distributions. The proceeds will be reinvested in additional shares at net asset value until we receive new instructions.

Distribution or redemption checks sent to you do not earn interest or any other income during the time the checks remain uncashed. Neither the Fund nor its affiliates will be liable for any loss caused by your failure to cash such checks. The Fund is not responsible for tracking down uncashed checks, unless a check is returned as undeliverable.

In most cases, if mail is returned as undeliverable we are required to take certain steps to try to find you free of charge. If these attempts are unsuccessful, however, we may deduct the costs of any additional efforts to find you from your account. These costs may include a percentage of the account when a search company charges a percentage fee in exchange for its location services.

Sending redemption proceeds by wire or electronic funds transfer (ACH) is a special service that we make available whenever possible. By offering this service to you, the Fund is not bound to meet any redemption request in less than the seven-day period prescribed by law. Neither the Fund nor its agents shall be liable to you or any other person if, for any reason, a redemption request by wire or ACH is not processed as described in the prospectus.

There are special procedures for banks and other institutions that wish to open multiple accounts. An institution may open a single master account by filing one application form with the Fund, signed by personnel authorized to act for the institution. Individual sub-accounts may be opened when the master account is opened by listing them on the application, or by providing instructions to the Fund at a later date. These sub-accounts may be registered either by name or number. The Fund's investment minimums apply to each sub-account. The Fund will send confirmation and account statements for the sub-accounts to the institution.

If you buy or sell shares through your securities dealer, we use the net asset value next calculated after your securities dealer receives your request, which is promptly transmitted to the Fund. If you sell shares through your securities dealer, it is your dealer's responsibility to transmit the order to the Fund in a timely fashion. Your redemption proceeds will not earn interest between the time we receive the order from your dealer and the time we receive any required documents. Any loss to you resulting from your dealer's failure to transmit your redemption order to the Fund in a timely fashion must be settled between you and your securities dealer.

Certain shareholder servicing agents may be authorized to accept your transaction request.

For institutional and bank trust accounts, there may be additional methods of buying or selling Fund shares than those described in this SAI or in the prospectus. Institutional and bank trust accounts include accounts opened by or in the name of a person (includes a legal entity or an individual) that has signed an Institutional Account Application or Bank Trust Account Application accepted by Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC or entered into a selling agreement and/or servicing agreement with Distributors or Investor Services. For example, the Fund permits the owner of an institutional account to make a same day wire purchase if a good order purchase request is received (a) before the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or (b) through the National Securities Clearing Corporation’s automated system for processing purchase orders (Fund/SERV), even though funds are delivered by wire after the close of the NYSE. If funds to be wired are not received as scheduled, the purchase order may be cancelled or reversed and the institutional account owner could be liable for any losses or fees the Fund, Distributors and/or Investor Services may incur.

In the event of disputes involving conflicting claims of ownership or authority to control your shares, the Fund has the right (but has no obligation) to: (i) restrict the shares and require the written agreement of all persons deemed by the Fund to have a potential interest in the shares before executing instructions regarding the shares; or (ii) interplead disputed shares or the proceeds from the court-ordered sale thereof with a court of competent jurisdiction.

Should the Fund be required to defend against joint or multiple shareholders in any action relating to an ownership dispute, you expressly grant the Fund the right to obtain reimbursement for costs and expenses including, but not limited to, attorneys’ fees and court costs, by unilaterally redeeming shares from your account.

The Fund may be required (i) pursuant to a validly issued levy, to turn your shares over to a levying officer who may, in turn, sell your shares at a public sale; or (ii) pursuant to a final order of forfeiture to sell your shares and remit the proceeds to the U.S. or state government as directed.

Using good faith efforts, the investment manager attempts to identify class action litigation settlements and regulatory or governmental recovery funds involving securities presently or formerly held by the Fund or issuers of such securities or related parties (Claims) in which the Fund may be eligible to participate. When such Claims are identified, the investment manager will cause the Fund to file proofs of claim. Currently, such Claim opportunities predominate in the U.S. and in Canada; the investment manager’s efforts are therefore focused on Claim opportunities in those jurisdictions. The investment manager may learn of such class action lawsuit or victim fund recovery opportunities in jurisdictions outside of North America (Foreign Actions), in which case the investment manager has complete discretion to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether to cause the Fund to file proofs of claim in such Foreign Actions. In addition, the investment manager may participate in bankruptcy proceedings relating to securities held by the Fund and join creditors’ committees on behalf of the Fund.

Further, the investment manager may on occasion initiate and/or recommend, and the board of trustees of the Fund may approve, pursuit of separate litigation against an issuer or related parties in connection with securities presently or formerly held by the Fund (whether by opting out of an existing class action lawsuit or otherwise).

Clients of financial advisors whose firms have a Selling Agreement with Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc., and who are eligible for the Financial Advisor Service Team (FAST) may be eligible for Franklin Templeton VIP Services^® which offers enhanced service and transaction capabilities. Please contact Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301 for additional information on this program.

The Underwriter

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors) acts as the principal underwriter in the continuous public offering of the Fund's shares. Distributors is located at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906.

Distributors does not receive compensation from the Fund for acting as underwriter of the Fund's Advisor Class shares.

Distributors may be entitled to payments from the Fund under the Rule 12b-1 plans, as discussed below. Except as noted, Distributors received no other compensation from the Fund for acting as underwriter.

Distribution and service (12b-1) fees - Class A, C and R The board has adopted a separate plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for each class. Although the plans differ in some ways for each class, each plan is designed to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The plans are expected to, among other things, increase advertising of the Fund, encourage purchases of Fund shares and service to its shareholders, and increase or maintain assets of the Fund so that certain fixed expenses may be spread over a broader asset base, with a positive impact on per share expense ratios. In addition, a positive cash flow into the Fund is useful in managing the Fund because the investment manager has more flexibility in taking advantage of new investment opportunities and handling shareholder redemptions.

Under each plan, the Fund pays Distributors or others for the expenses of activities that are primarily intended to sell shares of the class. These expenses also may include service fees paid to securities dealers or others who have executed a servicing agreement with the Fund, Distributors or its affiliates and who provide service or account maintenance to shareholders (service fees); and the expenses of printing prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, of marketing support and of preparing and distributing sales literature and advertisements. Together, these expenses, including the service fees, are "eligible expenses." The 12b-1 fees charged to each class are based only on the fees attributable to that particular class.

The Class A, C and R plans. The Fund may pay up to 0.30% per year of Class A's average daily net assets. Of this amount, the Fund may pay up to 0.30% to Distributors or others, out of which Distributors generally will retain 0.05% for distribution expenses. The Fund pays Distributors up to 1% per year of Class C's average daily net assets, out of which 0.25% may be paid for services to the shareholders (service fees). For Class R shares, the Fund pays Distributors up to 0.50% per year of the class's average daily net assets. The Class C and R plans also may be used to pay Distributors for advancing commissions to securities dealers with respect to the initial sale of Class C and R shares.

The Class A plan is a reimbursement plan. It allows the Fund to reimburse Distributors for eligible expenses that Distributors has shown it has incurred. The Fund will not reimburse more than the maximum amount allowed under the plan.

The Class C and R plans are compensation plans. They allow the Fund to pay a fee to Distributors that may be more than the eligible expenses Distributors has incurred at the time of the payment. Distributors must, however, demonstrate to the board that it has spent or has near-term plans to spend the amount received on eligible expenses. The Fund will not pay more than the maximum amount allowed under the plans.

In addition to the payments that Distributors or others are entitled to under each plan, each plan also provides that to the extent the Fund, the investment manager or Distributors or other parties on behalf of the Fund, the investment manager or Distributors make payments that are deemed to be for the financing of any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares within the context of Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, then such payments shall be deemed to have been made pursuant to the plan.

To the extent fees are for distribution or marketing functions, as distinguished from administrative servicing or agency transactions, certain banks may not participate in the plans because of applicable federal law prohibiting certain banks from engaging in the distribution of mutual fund shares. These banks, however, are allowed to receive fees under the plans for administrative servicing or for agency transactions.

Distributors must provide written reports to the board at least quarterly on the amounts and purpose of any payment made under the plans and any related agreements, and furnish the board with such other information as the board may reasonably request to enable it to make an informed determination of whether the plans should be continued.

Each plan has been approved according to the provisions of Rule 12b-1. The terms and provisions of each plan also are consistent with Rule 12b-1.

Performance

Performance quotations are subject to SEC rules. These rules require the use of standardized performance quotations or, alternatively, that every non-standardized performance quotation furnished by the Fund be accompanied by certain standardized performance information computed as required by the SEC. Average annual total return before taxes, average annual total return after taxes on distributions and average annual total return after taxes on distributions and sale of shares quotations used by the Fund are based on the standardized methods of computing performance mandated by the SEC. An explanation of these and other methods used by the Fund to compute or express performance follows. Regardless of the method used, past performance does not guarantee future results, and is an indication of the return to shareholders only for the limited historical period used.

Average annual total return before taxes Average annual total return before taxes is determined by finding the average annual rates of return over certain periods that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending redeemable value. The calculation assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, and income dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested at net asset value. The quotation assumes the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees. If a change is made to the sales charge structure, historical performance information will be restated to reflect the maximum initial sales charge currently in effect.

When considering the average annual total return before taxes quotations for Class A shares, you should keep in mind that the maximum initial sales charge reflected in each quotation is a one-time fee charged on all direct purchases, which will have its greatest impact during the early stages of your investment. This charge will affect actual performance less the longer you retain your investment in the Fund.

The following SEC formula is used to calculate these figures:

where:

P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000

T = average annual total return

n = number of years

ERV = ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of each period at the end of each period

Average annual total return after taxes on distributions Average annual total return after taxes on distributions is determined by finding the average annual rates of return over certain periods that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending redeemable value, after taxes on distributions. The calculation assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, and income dividends and capital gain distributions, less the taxes due on such distributions, are reinvested at net asset value. The quotation assumes the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees, but assumes that the redemption itself had no tax consequences. If a change is made to the sales charge structure, historical performance information will be restated to reflect the maximum initial sales charge currently in effect.

Taxes due on distributions are calculated by applying the highest individual marginal federal income tax rates in effect on the reinvestment date, using the rates that correspond to the tax character of each component of the distributions (e.g., the ordinary income rate for distributions of ordinary income and net short-term capital gains, and the long-term capital gain rate for distributions of net long-term capital gains). The taxable amount and tax character of a distribution may be adjusted to reflect any recharacterization of the distribution since its original date. Distributions are adjusted to reflect the federal tax impact the distribution would have on an individual taxpayer on the reinvestment date; for example, no taxes are assumed to be due on the portion of any distribution that would not result in federal income tax on an individual (e.g., tax-exempt interest or non-taxable returns of capital). The effect of applicable tax credits, such as the foreign tax credit, is taken into account in accordance with federal tax law. Any potential tax liabilities other than federal tax liabilities (e.g., state and local taxes) are disregarded, as are the effects of phaseouts of certain exemptions, deductions, and credits at various income levels, and the impact of the federal alternative minimum tax. Any redemptions of shares required to pay recurring fees charged to shareholder accounts are assumed to result in no additional taxes or tax credits.

The Fund’s sales literature and advertising commonly refer to this calculation as the Fund’s after-tax average annual total return (pre-liquidation). When considering the average annual total return after taxes on distributions quotations for Class A shares, you should keep in mind that the maximum initial sales charge reflected in each quotation is a one-time fee charged on all direct purchases, which will have its greatest impact during the early stages of your investment. This charge will affect actual performance less the longer you retain your investment in the Fund.

The following SEC formula is used to calculate these figures:

where:

P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000

T = average annual total return (after taxes on distributions)

n = number of years

ATV_D = ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of each period at the end of each period, after taxes on fund distributions but not after taxes on redemption

Average annual total return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares Average annual total return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares is determined by finding the average annual rates of return over certain periods that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending redeemable value, after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares. The calculation assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, and income dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested at net asset value. The quotation assumes the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees, including taxes upon sale of fund shares. If a change is made to the sales charge structure, historical performance information will be restated to reflect the maximum initial sales charge currently in effect.

The capital gain or loss upon redemption is calculated by subtracting the tax basis from the redemption proceeds, after deducting any nonrecurring charges assessed at the end of the period, subtracting capital gains taxes resulting from the redemption, or adding the tax benefit from capital losses resulting from the redemption. In determining the basis for a reinvested distribution, the distribution is included net of taxes assumed paid from the distribution, but not net of any sales loads imposed upon reinvestment. Tax basis is adjusted for any distributions representing returns of capital and any other tax basis adjustments that would apply to an individual taxpayer, as permitted by applicable federal law. The amount and character (e.g., short-term or long-term) of capital gain or loss upon redemption are separately determined for shares acquired through the initial investment and each subsequent purchase through reinvested distributions. Shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions are not assumed to have the same holding period as the initial investment. The tax character of such reinvestments is determined by the length of the period between reinvestment and the end of the measurement period in the case of reinvested distributions. Capital gains taxes (or the benefit resulting from tax losses) are calculated using the highest federal individual capital gains tax rate for gains of the appropriate character in effect on the redemption date and in accordance with federal law applicable on the redemption date. Shareholders are assumed to have sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the redemption, so that the taxpayer may deduct the capital losses in full.

The Fund’s sales literature and advertising commonly refer to this calculation as the Fund’s after-tax average annual total return (post-liquidation). When considering the average annual total return after taxes on distributions quotations for Class A shares, you should keep in mind that the maximum initial sales charge reflected in each quotation is a one-time fee charged on all direct purchases, which will have its greatest impact during the early stages of your investment. This charge will affect actual performance less the longer you retain your investment in the Fund.

The following SEC formula is used to calculate these figures:

where:

P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000

T = average annual total return (after taxes on distributions and redemptions)

n = number of years

ATV_DR = ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of each period at the end of each period, after taxes on fund distributions and redemption

Cumulative total return Like average annual total return, cumulative total return assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, income dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested at net asset value, the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees. Cumulative total return, however, is based on the actual return for a specified period rather than on the average return.

Volatility Occasionally statistics may be used to show the Fund's volatility or risk. Measures of volatility or risk are generally used to compare the Fund's net asset value or performance to a market index. One measure of volatility is beta. Beta is the volatility of a fund relative to the total market, as represented by an index considered representative of the types of securities in which the fund invests. A beta of more than 1.00 indicates volatility greater than the market and a beta of less than 1.00 indicates volatility less than the market. Another measure of volatility or risk is standard deviation. Standard deviation is used to measure variability of net asset value or total return around an average over a specified period of time. The idea is that greater volatility means greater risk undertaken in achieving performance.

Other performance quotations The Fund also may quote the performance of Class A shares without a sales charge. Sales literature and advertising may quote a cumulative total return, average annual total return and other measures of performance with the substitution of net asset value for the public offering price.

Sales literature referring to the use of the Fund as a potential investment for IRAs, business retirement plans, and other tax-advantaged retirement plans may quote a total return based upon compounding of dividends on which it is presumed no federal income tax applies.

The Fund may include in its advertising or sales material information relating to investment goals and performance results of funds belonging to Franklin Templeton Investments. Resources is the parent company of the advisors and underwriter of Franklin Templeton funds.

Miscellaneous Information

The Fund may help you achieve various investment goals such as accumulating money for retirement, saving for a down payment on a home, college costs and other long-term goals. The Franklin College Savings Planner may help you in determining how much money must be invested on a monthly basis to have a projected amount available in the future to fund a child's college education. (Projected college cost estimates are based upon current costs published by the College Board.) The Franklin Retirement Savings Planner leads you through the steps to start a retirement savings program. Of course, an investment in the Fund cannot guarantee that these goals will be met.

The Fund is a member of Franklin Templeton Investments, one of the largest mutual fund organizations in the U.S., and may be considered in a program for diversification of assets. Founded in 1947, Franklin is one of the oldest mutual fund organizations and now services more than 2 million shareholder accounts. In 1992, Franklin, a leader in managing fixed-income mutual funds and an innovator in creating domestic equity funds, joined forces with Templeton, a pioneer in international investing. The Mutual Series team, known for its value-driven approach to domestic equity investing, became part of the organization four years later. In 2001, the Fiduciary Trust team, known for providing global investment management to institutions and high net worth clients worldwide, joined the organization. Together, Franklin Templeton Investments has, as of November 30, 2011, over $675 billion in assets under management for more than 4 million U.S. based mutual fund shareholder and other accounts. Franklin Templeton Investments offers 107 U.S. based open-end investment companies to the public. The Fund may identify itself by its NASDAQ symbol or CUSIP number.

Currently, there are more mutual funds than there are stocks listed on the NYSE. While many of them have similar investment goals, no two are exactly alike. Shares of the Fund are generally sold through securities dealers, whose investment representatives are experienced professionals who can offer advice on the type of investments suitable to your unique goals and needs, as well as the risks associated with such investments.

Description of Ratings

Corporate Obligation Ratings

Moody's

INVESTMENT GRADE

Aaa: Bonds rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.

Aa: Bonds rated Aa are judged to be high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A: Bonds rated A are considered upper medium-grade obligations and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa: Bonds rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk and are considered medium-grade obligations. As such they may have certain speculative characteristics.

BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE

Ba: Bonds rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B: Bonds rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa: Bonds rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca: Bonds rated Ca are considered highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C: Bonds rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default. They have little prospects for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

S&P^®

The issue rating definitions are expressions in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.

INVESTMENT GRADE

AAA: This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt obligation. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA: Obligations rated AA differ from AAA issues only in a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A: Obligations rated A are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in the higher ratings categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

BBB: Obligations rated BBB exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE

BB, B, CCC, CC, C: Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While these obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC: An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. The C rating is also assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is still making payments.

D: Obligations rated D are in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation 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 is also used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit risks and highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected returns that are not addressed in the credit rating.

Short-Term Debt Ratings

Moody's

Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs and to individual short-term debt instruments. These obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding 13 months, unless explicitly noted. Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers:

P-1 (Prime-1): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2 (Prime-2): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3 (Prime-3): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have an acceptable ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

S&P^®

S&P's ratings are a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days -- including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating.

A-1: This designation indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

A-2: Issues carrying this designation are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations carrying the higher designations. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3: Issues carrying this designation exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B: Issues carrying this designation are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

C: Issues carrying this designation are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and are dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D: Issues carrying this designation are in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the due date 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 or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

Edward B. Jamieson* Edward B. Jamieson	Chief Executive Officer-Investment Management Dated: December 14, 2011

Laura F. Fergerson* Laura F. Fergerson	Chief Executive Officer-Finance and Administration Dated: December 14, 2011

Gaston Gardey* Gaston Gardey	Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer Dated: December 14, 2011

Harris J. Ashton* Harris J. Ashton	Trustee Dated: December 14, 2011

Sam Ginn*	Trustee
Sam Ginn	Dated: December 14, 2011

Edith E. Holiday*	Trustee
Edith E. Holiday	Dated: December 14, 2011

Charles B. Johnson* Charles B. Johnson	Trustee Dated: December 14, 2011

Gregory E. Johnson* Gregory E. Johnson	Trustee Dated: December 14, 2011

J. Michael Luttig* J. Michael Luttig	Trustee Dated: December 14, 2011

Frank A. Olson* Frank A. Olson	Trustee Dated: December 14, 2011

Larry D. Thompson*	Trustee
Larry D. Thompson	Dated: December 14, 2011

John B. Wilson* John B. Wilson	Trustee Dated: December 14, 2011

EXHIBIT NO.	DESCRIPTION	LOCATION

EX-99.(a)(i)	Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series dated May 21, 2007	*

EX-99.(b)(i)	Amended and Restated By-Laws of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series dated May 21, 2007	*

EX-99.(d)(i)	Investment Advisory and Asset Allocation Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin Advisers, Inc. dated November 19, 1996	*

EX-99.(d)(ii)	Investment Management and Asset Allocation Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Advisers, Inc. dated August 1, 2006	*

EX-99.(d)(iii)	Form of Investment Advisory and Asset Allocation Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin Advisers, Inc.	Attached

EX-99.(d)(iv)	Form of Subadvisory Agreement on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund between Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC	Attached

EX-99.(e)(i)	Distribution Agreement between dated January 1, 2011 between Registrant and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.	Attached

EX-99.(e)(ii)	Forms of Selling Agreements between Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. and Securities Dealers dated May 1, 2010	*

EX-99.(g)(i)	Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996	*

EX-99.(g)(ii)	Amendment dated May 7, 1997 to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon	*

EX-99.(g)(iii)	Amendment dated February 27, 1998 to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon	*

EX-99.(g)(iv)	Amendment dated May 16, 2001 to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and Bank of New York dated February 16, 1996	*

EX-99.(g)(v)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Exhibit A of the Master Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996	Attached

EX-99.(g)(vi)	Amendment dated November 11, 2011 to Schedule 1 of the Amendment dated May 16, 2001, to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996	Attached

EX-99.(g)(vii)	Amended and Restated Foreign Custody Manager Agreement between Registrant and the Bank of New York Mellon made as of May 16, 2001	*

EX-99.(g)(viii)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Schedule 1 of the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement	Attached

EX-99.(g)(ix)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Schedule 2 of the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement	Attached

EX-99.(g)(x)	Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and Bank of The New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996	*

EX-99.(g)(xi)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Exhibit A of the Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996	Attached

EX-99.(h)(i)	Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated January 1, 2001	*

EX-99.(h)(ii)	Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated May 1, 2011	Attached

EX-99.(h)(iii)	Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated May 1, 2011	Attached

EX-99.(h)(iv)	Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated August 1, 2006	*

EX-99.(h)(v)	Special Servicing Agreement dated December 2, 2009	*

EX-99.(h)(vi)	Amendment dated March 1, 2011 to Annex I to the Special Servicing Agreement	Attached

EX-99.(h)(vii)	Amendment dated March 1, 2011 to Annex II to the Special Servicing Agreement	Attached

EX-99.(h)(viii)	Form of Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC	Attached

EX-99.(i)(i)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated September 15, 1998	*

EX-99.(i)(ii)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel	Attached

EX-99.(l)(i)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated December 19, 1996	*

EX-99.(l)(ii)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated August 15, 2003	*

EX-99.(l)(iii)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated August 15, 2003	*

EX-99.(l)(iv)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006	*

EX-99.(l)(v)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006	*

EX-99.(l)(vi)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006	*

EX-99.(l)(vii)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006	*

EX-99.(m)(i)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(ii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(iii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(iv)	Amended and Restated Class B Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(v)	Amended and Restated Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(vi)	Amended and Restated Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(vii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1,2009	*

EX-99.(m)(viii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated May 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(ix)	Amended and Restated Class B Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(x)	Amended and Restated Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-.99.(m)(xi)	Amended and Restated Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(xii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(xiii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(xiv)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(xv)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(xvi)	Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009	*

EX-99.(m)(xvii)	Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2010	*

EX-99.(m)(xviii)	Form of Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.	Attached

EX-99.(m)(xix)	Form of Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.	Attached

EX-99.(m)(xx)	Form of Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.	Attached

EX-99.(n)(i)	Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund dated November 18, 2003	*

EX-99.(n)(ii)	Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund dated November 18, 2003	*

EX-99.(n)(iii)	Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund dated May 10, 2006	*

EX-99.(n)(iv)	Form of Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund	Attached

EX-99.(p)(i)	Code of Ethics dated May, 2010	*

EX-99.(q)(i)	Power of Attorney dated July 15, 2010	*

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

Item 34. Management Services

Sam Ginn*

Frank A. Olson*

Larry D. Thompson*

Item 28. Exhibits.

The following exhibits are incorporated by reference to the previously filed documents indicated below, except as noted:

(a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust

(i)	Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series dated May 21, 2007
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 28, 2008

(b) By-Laws

(i)	Amended and Restated By-Laws of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series dated May 21, 2007
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 28, 2008

(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders

Not Applicable

(d) Investment Advisory Contracts

(i)	Investment Advisory and Asset Allocation Agreement between Registrant, on behalf Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin Advisers, Inc. dated November 19, 1996
Filing: Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: December 27, 1996

(ii)	Investment Management and Asset Allocation Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Advisers, Inc. dated August 1, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 27, 2007

(iii)	Form of Investment Advisory and Asset Allocation Agreement between Registrant, on behalf Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund

(iv)	Form of Subadvisory Agreement on behalf Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund, between Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC

(e) Underwriting Contracts

(i)	Distribution Agreement dated January 1, 2011 between Registrant and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(ii)		Forms of Selling Agreements between Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. and Securities Dealers dated May 1, 2010
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A File No. 333-13601 Filing Date: February 15, 2011



(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts

Not Applicable

(g) Custodian Agreements

(i)	Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996
Filing: Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: December 27, 1996

(ii)	Amendment dated May 7, 1997 to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: September 21, 1998

(iii)	Amendment dated February 27, 1998 to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: September 21, 1998

(iv)	Amendment dated May 16, 2001 to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: November 29, 2001

(v)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Exhibit A of the Master Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996

(vi)	Amendment dated November 11, 2011, to Schedule 1 of the Amendment dated May 16, 2001, to Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996

(vii)	Amended and Restated Foreign Custody Manager Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon made as of May 16, 2001
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: November 29, 2001

(viii)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Schedule 1 of the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement

(ix)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Schedule 2 of the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement

(x)	Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: June 30, 1997

(xi)	Amendment dated September 1, 2011 to Exhibit A of the Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996
(h) Other Material Contracts

(i)	Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated January 1, 2001
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: November 29, 2001

(ii)	Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated May 1, 2011

(iii)	Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated May 1, 2011

(iv)	Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC dated August 1, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 27, 2007

(v)	Special Servicing Agreement dated December 2, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(vi)	Amendment dated March 1, 2011 to Annex I to the Special Servicing Agreement

(vii)	Amendment dated March 1, 2011 to Annex II to the Special Servicing Agreement

(viii)	Form of Fund Administration Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC

(i) Legal Opinion

(i)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated September 15, 1998
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to
Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: September 21, 1998

(ii)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated December 5, 2011 for Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund

(j) Other Opinions

Not Applicable

(k) Omitted Financial Statements

Not Applicable

(l) Initial Capital Agreements

(i)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated December 19, 1996
Filing: Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: December 27, 1996

(ii)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated August 15, 2003
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: May 19, 2004

(iii)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated August 15, 2003
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: May 19, 2004

(iv)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 28, 2009

(v)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 28, 2009

(vi)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 28, 2009

(vii)	Subscription Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin Resources, Inc. dated July 31, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 28, 2009

(m) Rule 12b-1 Plan

(i)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(ii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(iii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(iv)	Amended and Restated Class B Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(v)	Amended and Restated Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(vi)	Amended and Restated Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(vii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(viii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated May 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(ix)	Amended and Restated Class B Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(x)	Amended and Restated Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(xi)	Amended and Restated Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund, Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(xii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(xiii)	Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(xiv)		Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(xv)		Amended and Restated Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated February 1, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: March 2, 2010

(xvi)		Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form N-14
File No. 333-165905
Filing Date: August 13, 2010

(xvii)		Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton 2015 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund, and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. dated July 9, 2009
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form N-14
File No. 333-165905
Filing Date: August 13, 2010

(xviii)		Form of Class A Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between the Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(xix)		Form of Class C Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(xx)		Form of Class R Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund and Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan

(i)		Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton Corefolio Allocation Fund and Franklin Templeton Founding Funds Allocation Fund dated November, 18, 2003
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: May 16, 2006

(ii)		Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton Conservative Target Fund, Franklin Templeton Growth Target Fund and Franklin Templeton Moderate Target Fund dated November 18, 2003
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: May 16, 2006

(iii)		Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton 2015Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2025 Retirement Target Fund, Franklin Templeton 2035 Retirement Target Fund and Franklin Templeton 2045 Retirement Target Fund dated May 10, 2006
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A
File No. 333-13601
Filing Date: April 27, 2007

(iv)		Form of Multiple Class Plan for Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Real Return Fund

(p) Code of Ethics

(i)		Code of Ethics dated May, 2010
Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form N-14
File No. 333-165905
Filing Date: August 13, 2010

(q) Power of Attorney

(i)		Power of Attorney dated July 15, 2010 Filing: post-Effective Amendment No. 26 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A File No. 333-13601 Filing Date: September 14, 2011