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Prospectus Supplement

April 7, 2017

 

 

  

For the following funds with prospectuses dated April 7, 2017:

 

AMCAP Fund®

American Balanced Fund®

American Funds Corporate Bond FundSM

American Funds Developing World Growth and Income FundSM

American Funds Emerging Markets Bond FundSM

American Funds Global Balanced FundSM

American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund®

American Funds Mortgage Fund®

American Funds Short-Term Tax-Exempt

Bond Fund®

American Funds Strategic Bond FundSM

American Funds Tax-Exempt Fund of New York®

American High-Income Municipal Bond Fund®

American High-Income Trust®

American Mutual Fund®

The Bond Fund of America®

Capital Income Builder®

 

Capital World Bond Fund®

EuroPacific Growth Fund®

Fundamental Investors®

The Growth Fund of America®

The Income Fund of America®

Intermediate Bond Fund of America®

International Growth and Income FundSM

The Investment Company of America®

Limited Term Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America®

The New Economy Fund®

New Perspective Fund®

New World Fund®

Short-Term Bond Fund of America®

SMALLCAP World Fund,® Inc.

The Tax-Exempt Bond Fund of America®

The Tax-Exempt Fund of California®

U.S. Government Securities Fund®

Washington Mutual Investors FundSM

 

1.The following language is added to the end of the paragraph preceding the Fee and expense table:

 

“and in the sales charge waiver appendix to this prospectus.”

 

2. The first paragraph under the heading “Sales charge reductions and waivers” in the prospectuses is amended in its entirety to read as follows:

Sales charge reductions and waivers To receive a reduction in your Class A initial sales charge, you must let your financial advisor or American Funds Service Company know at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your advisor or American Funds Service Company know that you are eligible for a reduction, you may not receive the sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled. In order to determine your eligibility to receive a sales charge discount, it may be necessary for you to provide your advisor or American Funds Service Company with information and records (including account statements) of all relevant accounts invested in the American Funds. You may need to invest directly through American Funds Service Company in order to receive the sales charge waivers described in this prospectus. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for further information. Certain financial intermediaries that distribute shares of the American Funds may impose different sales charge waivers than those described in this prospectus. Variations in sales charge waivers that have been provided to us by these intermediaries are described in an appendix to this prospectus titled “Sales charge waivers.” Note that compliance with policies regarding sales charge waivers and discounts offered through a particular intermediary, as set forth in the appendix to this prospectus, and interpretations of those policies are the sole responsibility of that intermediary.

 

3. The following information is added after the “Financial Highlights” section in the prospectuses:

Appendix

Sales charge waivers

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred (back-end) sales load (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase fund shares directly from the fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Effective April 10, 2017, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Merrill Lynch

  · Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan. Except as provided below, Class A shares are not currently available to new plans described in this waiver. Plans that invested in Class A shares of any of the funds without any sales charge before April 1, 2004, and that continue to meet the eligibility requirements in effect as of that date for purchasing Class A shares at net asset value, may continue to purchase Class A shares of the American Funds without any initial or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

  · Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan. Class A shares are not currently available to the plans described in this waiver

 

  · Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program. Class A shares are not currently available in the programs described in this waiver

 

  · Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform. Class A shares are not currently available in the accounts described in this waiver

 

  · Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)

 

  · Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to such shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply to exchanges following such shorter period. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares for load waived shares, that waiver will apply to such exchanges

 

  · Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members

 

  · Directors or Trustees of the fund, and employees of the fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus

 

  · Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as rights of reinstatement)

 

CDSC Waivers on Classes A, B and C shares available at Merrill Lynch

  · Death or disability of the shareholder

 

  · Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus

 

  · Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account

 

  · Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in the fund’s prospectus

 

  · Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch

 

  · Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

 

  · Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to Class A and C shares only)

 

Front-end load discounts available at Merrill Lynch: breakpoints, rights of accumulation and letters of intent

  · Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

 

  · Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets

 

  · Letters of Intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable)

 

 

 

Keep this supplement with your prospectus.

 

 

 

 

Lit. No. MFGEBS-218-0417P Printed in USA CGD/AFD/10039-S58818