Summary
Prospectus
May 1, 2014
Columbia Acorn
Family of Funds
Managed by Columbia Wanger Asset
Management, LLC
Columbia Acorn
USA®
| Class | Ticker Symbol | |
| Class A Shares | LAUAX | |
| Class B Shares | LAUBX | |
| Class C Shares | LAUCX | |
| Class I Shares | CAUIX | |
| Class R4 Shares | CUSAX | |
| Class R5 Shares | CYSRX | |
| Class Y Shares | CUSYX | |
| Class Z Shares | AUSAX |
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s Prospectus, which
contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information and other information about the Fund online at
https://www.columbiamanagement.com/web/columbia/forms-literature/fund-literature. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800.345.6611 or by sending an email to serviceinquiries@columbiamanagement.com. This Summary Prospectus
incorporates by reference the Fund’s Prospectus, dated May 1, 2014, and current Statement of Additional Information.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange
Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Investment Objective
Columbia Acorn USA® (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you
may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and members of your immediate family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain classes of shares of eligible funds
distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary, and can be found in the Choosing a
Share Class section beginning on page 16 of the Fund’s prospectus and in Appendix S to the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) under Sales Charge Waivers beginning on page S-1.
| Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | ||||
| Class A | Class B | Class C | Classes
I, R4, R5, Y and Z | |
| Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a % of offering price) | 5.75% | None | None | None |
| Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions (as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or current net asset value) | 1.00% (a) | 5.00% (b) | 1.00% (c) | None |
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||||||
| Class A | Class B | Class C | Class I | Class R4 | Class R5 | Class Y | Class Z | |
| Management fees | 0.86% | 0.86% | 0.86% | 0.86% | 0.86% | 0.86% | 0.86% | 0.86% |
| Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% | 0.75% | 1.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other expenses(d) | 0.22% | 0.55% | 0.14% | 0.07% | 0.15% | 0.12% | 0.07% | 0.21% |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses | 1.33% | 2.16% | 2.00% | 0.93% | 1.01% | 0.98% | 0.93% | 1.07% |
| (a) | This charge is imposed on certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million redeemed within 18 months of purchase, as follows: 1.00% if redeemed within 12 months of purchase, and 0.50% if redeemed more than 12, but less than 18, months after purchase, with certain limited exceptions. |
| (b) | This charge decreases over time. |
| (c) | This charge applies to redemptions within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. |
| (d) | Other expenses for Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R4, Class R5 and Class Z shares have been restated to reflect contractual changes to certain fees paid by the Fund. |
Example
The following 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 illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
| ■ | you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated, |
| ■ | your investment has a 5% return each year, and |
| ■ | the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above. |
Although your actual costs
may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
| 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |
| Class A (whether or not shares are redeemed) | $703 | $972 | $1,262 | $2,084 |
| Class B (assuming redemption of all shares at the end of the period) | $719 | $976 | $1,359 | $2,282 |
| Class B (assuming no redemption of shares) | $219 | $676 | $1,159 | $2,282 |
| Class C (assuming redemption of all shares at the end of the period) | $303 | $627 | $1,078 | $2,327 |
| Class C (assuming no redemption of shares) | $203 | $627 | $1,078 | $2,327 |
| Class I (whether or not shares are redeemed) | $ 95 | $296 | $ 515 | $1,143 |
| Class R4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) | $103 | $322 | $ 558 | $1,236 |
| Class R5 (whether or not shares are redeemed) | $100 | $312 | $ 542 | $1,201 |
| Class Y (whether or not shares are redeemed) | $ 95 | $296 | $ 515 | $1,143 |
| Class Z (whether or not shares are redeemed) | $109 | $340 | $ 590 | $1,306 |
| 1 | Columbia Acorn USA® |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay 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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at
least 80% of its net assets (including the amount any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. companies.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests a
majority of its net assets in the common stock of small- and mid-sized companies with market capitalizations under $5 billion at the time of initial investment. However, if the Fund's investments in such companies represent less than a majority of
its net assets, the Fund may continue to hold and to make additional investments in an existing company in its portfolio even if that company's capitalization has grown to exceed $5 billion. Under normal circumstances, the Fund may invest in
companies with market capitalizations above $5 billion at the time of initial investment, provided that immediately after that investment a majority of its net assets would be invested in companies whose market capitalizations were under $5 billion
at the time of initial investment.
Columbia
Wanger Asset Management, LLC, the Fund's investment adviser (the Investment Manager), believes that stocks of companies with market capitalizations under $5 billion, which generally are not as well known by financial analysts as larger companies,
may offer higher return potential than stocks of larger companies.
The Investment Manager typically seeks companies
with:
| ■ | A strong business franchise that offers growth potential. |
| ■ | Products and services in which the company has a competitive advantage. |
| ■ | A stock price the Investment Manager believes is reasonable relative to the assets and earning power of the company. |
The Investment Manager may sell a portfolio holding
if the security reaches the Investment Manager's price target, if the company has a deterioration of fundamentals, such as failing to meet key operating benchmarks, or if the Investment Manager believes other securities are more attractive. The
Investment Manager also may sell a portfolio holding to fund redemptions.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risk, including
those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value
(NAV) and share price may go down.
Active
Management Risk. The Investment Manager’s active management of the Fund could cause the Fund to underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives. The Fund may fail to
achieve its investment objective and you may lose money.
Market Risk. Market
risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.
Although equity securities generally tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities, under certain market conditions debt securities may have comparable or greater price volatility.
Small- and Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap
companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and
more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Issuer Risk. An
issuer in which the Fund invests may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive
pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.
Sector Risk. At
times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within an economic sector. Companies in the same economic sector may be similarly
affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that economic sector than funds that invest more broadly. The more a fund diversifies its
investments, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
| Columbia Acorn USA® | 2 |
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the
Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class Z share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares
the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with the Russell 2000 Index. This index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of the
Russell 3000 Index.
The performance of one or
more share classes shown in the Average Annual Total Returns table below includes the Fund’s Class Z share returns (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where
applicable) for periods prior to the indicated inception date of such share classes. Except for differences in fees and expenses, all share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund
invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The after-tax returns shown in the Average Annual Total Returns table below are calculated using the highest historical individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual
after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or Individual
Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
The after-tax returns are shown
only for Class Z shares and will vary for other share classes.
The Fund’s past performance (before and after
taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiamanagement.com.
| Year
by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year* |
Best
and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart | ||
|
Best | 3rd Quarter 2009 | 23.55% |
| Worst | 4th Quarter 2008 | -27.96% | |
| * | Year to Date return as of March 31, 2014: 0.64% |
| 3 | Columbia Acorn USA® |
Average Annual Total Returns After
Applicable Sales Charges (for periods ended December 31, 2013)
| Share
Class Inception Date |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
| Class Z | 09/04/1996 | |||
| returns before taxes | 32.72% | 21.20% | 9.27% | |
| returns after taxes on distributions | 30.14% | 20.40% | 8.63% | |
| returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | 20.44% | 17.44% | 7.66% | |
| Class A returns before taxes | 10/16/2000 | 24.74% | 19.44% | 8.31% |
| Class B returns before taxes | 10/16/2000 | 26.28% | 19.86% | 8.23% |
| Class C returns before taxes | 10/16/2000 | 30.47% | 19.97% | 8.13% |
| Class I returns before taxes | 09/27/2010 | 32.93% | 21.28% | 9.31% |
| Class R4 returns before taxes | 11/08/2012 | 32.80% | 21.21% | 9.28% |
| Class R5 returns before taxes | 11/08/2012 | 32.83% | 21.22% | 9.28% |
| Class Y returns before taxes | 11/08/2012 | 32.89% | 21.23% | 9.28% |
| Russell 2000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) | 38.82% | 20.08% | 9.07% |
Fund Management
Investment Manager:
Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC
| Portfolio Manager | Title | Role with Fund | Service with the Fund Since | |||
| Robert A. Mohn, CFA | Portfolio Manager, Analyst and Domestic Chief Investment Officer of the Investment Manager | Lead manager since inception in 1996 | 1996 | |||
| William J. Doyle, CFA | Portfolio Manager and Analyst | Co-manager since 2014 | 2006 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund
Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of
the Fund on any business day by contacting the Fund in the ways described below:
| Online | Regular Mail | Express Mail | By Telephone | |||
| columbiamanagement.com | Columbia
Funds, c/o Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081 |
Columbia
Funds, c/o Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. 30 Dan Road, Suite 8081 Canton, MA 02021-2809 |
800.422.3737 |
You may purchase shares
and receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. If you maintain your account with a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, you must contact that financial intermediary to buy, sell or exchange shares of the
Fund through your account with the intermediary.
| Columbia Acorn USA® | 4 |
The minimum initial investment amounts for the share
classes offered by the Fund are shown below:
Minimum
Initial Investment
| Class | Category of eligible account | For
accounts other than systematic investment plan accounts |
For
systematic investment plan accounts |
| Classes A, B* & C | All accounts other than IRAs | $2,000 | $100 |
| IRAs | $1,000 | $100 | |
| Classes I & R4 | All eligible accounts | None | None |
| Class R5 | Combined underlying accounts of eligible registered investment advisers | $100,000 | N/A |
| Omnibus retirement plans | None | N/A | |
| Class Y | Omnibus retirement plans with at least $10 million in plan assets | None | N/A |
| All other eligible omnibus retirement plans | $500,000 | N/A | |
| Class Z | All eligible accounts | $0,
$1,000 or $2,000 depending upon the category of eligible investor |
$100 |
| * | Class B shares are generally closed to new and existing shareholders. |
There is no minimum additional investment for any
share class.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes net investment income
and net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders. These distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. If you are
investing through a tax-advantaged account, you may be taxed upon withdrawals from that 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 – including the Investment Manager, the Distributor and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) – 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 financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment.
These potential conflicts of interest may be heightened with respect to broker-dealers owned by Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates. In addition, the Fund reimburses the Transfer Agent for the costs of shareholder services that vary across
financial intermediaries. The Fund seeks to provide such reimbursements to the Transfer Agent at levels it believes to be reasonable, but because of the variety of type and cost of services provided by different intermediaries, there can be no
assurance that the Fund is able to identify to which specific services the reimbursements relate. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
| 5 | Columbia Acorn USA® |
Columbia Acorn Family of
Funds
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611 columbiamanagement.com
| © 2014 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. | SUM115_12_D01_(05/14) |