Centennial Tax Exempt Trust --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Prospectus dated November 1, 2001 Centennial Tax Exempt Trust is a money market mutual fund. It seeks the maximum short-term interest income exempt from federal income taxes that is consistent with low capital risk and the maintenance of liquidity. The Trust invests in short-term, high quality "money market" securities. This Prospectus contains important information about the Trust's objective, its investment policies, strategies and risks. It also contains important information about how to buy and sell shares of the As with all mutual funds, the Trust and other account features. Securities and Exchange Commission has Please read this Prospectus carefully not approved or disapproved the Trust's before you invest and keep it for securities nor has it determined that future reference about your account. this Prospectus is accurate or complete. It is a criminal offense to represent otherwise. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Centennial Tax Exempt Trust2 CONTENTS A B O U T T H E T R U S T The Trust's Investment Objective and Strategies Main Risks of Investing in the Trust The Trust's Past Performance Fees and Expenses of the Trust About the Trust's Investments I N V E S T I N G I N T H E T R U S T S This section applies to the prospectuses of Centennial Money Market Trust, Centennial Tax Exempt Trust and Centennial Government Trust How the Trusts are Managed How to Buy Shares Automatic Purchase and Redemption Programs Direct Shareholders How to Sell Shares Automatic Purchase and Redemption Programs Direct Shareholders How to Exchange Shares Shareholder Account Rules and Policies Dividends and Tax Information Financial Highlights 20 A B O U T T H E T R U S T The Trust's Investment Objective and Strategies WHAT IS THE TRUST'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE? The Trust seeks the maximum short-term interest income exempt from federal income taxes that is consistent with low capital risk and the maintenance of liquidity. WHAT DOES THE TRUST MAINLY INVEST IN? The Trust is a money market fund. It invests in a variety of high-quality money market instruments to seek income. Money market instruments are short-term, U.S. dollar denominated debt instruments issued by the U.S. government, domestic and foreign corporations and financial institutions and other entities. They include, for example, bank obligations, repurchase agreements, commercial paper, other corporate debt obligations and government debt obligations. To be considered "high-quality," generally they must be rated in one of the two highest credit-quality categories for short-term securities by nationally recognized rating services. If unrated, a security must be determined by the Trust's investment manager to be of comparable quality to rated securities. The Trust normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal securities. It will not make any investment that will reduce the portion of its total assets that are invested in municipal securities to less than 80%. The balance of the Trust's assets can be invested in investments the income from which may be taxable. The Trust will not invest more than 20% of its net assets in municipal securities the income on which may be a tax preference item that would increase an individual investor's alternative minimum tax. WHO IS THE TRUST DESIGNED FOR? The Trust is designed for investors who are seeking income at current money market rates while preserving the value of their investment, because the Trust tries to keep its share price stable at $1.00. Income on money market instruments tends to be lower than income on longer-term debt securities, so the Trust's yield will likely be lower than the yield on longer-term fixed income funds. The Trust does not invest for the purpose of seeking capital appreciation or gains and is not a complete investment program. Main Risks of Investing in the Trust All investments carry risks to some degree. Funds that invest in debt obligations for income may be subject to credit risks and interest rate risks. There are risks that any of the Trust's holdings could have its credit rating downgraded, or the issuer could default, or that interest rates could rise sharply, causing the value of the Trust's securities (and its share price) to fall. As a result, there is a risk that the Trust's shares could fall below $1.00 per share. If there is a high redemption demand for the Trust's shares that was not anticipated, portfolio securities might have to be sold prior to their maturity at a loss. Also, there is the risk that the value of your investment could be eroded over time by the effects of inflation, and that poor security selection could cause the Trust to underperform other funds with similar objectives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An investment in the Trust is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although the Trust seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Trust. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Trust's Past Performance The bar chart and table below show how the Trust's returns may vary over time, by showing changes in the Trust's performance from year to year for the last ten calendar years and average annual total returns for the 1-, 5- and 10- year periods. Variability of returns is one measure of the risks of investing in a money market fund. The Trust's past investment performance does not predict how the Trust will perform in the future. Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31 each year) [See appendix to prospectus for annual total return data for bar chart.] For the period from 1/1/01 through 9/30/01 the cumulative total return (not annualized) was 1.90%. During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return (not annualized) for a calendar quarter was 1.11% (1st Q '91) and the lowest return for a calendar quarter (not annualized) was 0.44% (1st Q '94). Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years 2000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Centennial Tax Exempt Trust 3.42% 3.01% 2.97% (inception 9/8/81) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The returns in the table measure the performance of a hypothetical account and assume that all dividends have been reinvested in additional shares. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The total returns are not the Trust's current yield. The Trust's yield more closely reflects the Trust's current earnings. To obtain the Trust's current 7-day yield, please call the Transfer Agent toll-free at 1.800.525.9310. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fees and Expenses of the Trust The Trust pays a variety of expenses directly for management of its assets, administration and other services. Those expenses are subtracted from the Trust's assets to calculate the Trust's net asset value per share. All shareholders therefore pay those expenses indirectly. The following tables are meant to help you understand the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Trust. The numbers below are based upon the Trust's expenses during its fiscal year ended June 30, 2001. SHAREHOLDER FEES. The Trust does not charge any initial sales charge to buy shares or to reinvest dividends. There are no exchange fees or redemption fees and no contingent deferred sales charges (unless you buy Trust shares by exchanging Class A shares of other eligible funds that were purchased subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, as described in "How to Sell Shares"). Annual Trust Operating Expenses (deducted from Trust assets): (% of average daily net assets) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Management Fees 0.42% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.20% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Expenses 0.08% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total Annual Operating Expenses 0.70% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Other expenses" in the table include transfer agent fees, custodial fees, and accounting and legal expenses the Trust pays. EXAMPLE. The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Trust with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in shares of the Trust for the time periods indicated and reinvest your dividends and distributions. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Trust's operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower, because expenses will vary over time. Based on these assumptions your expenses would be as follows, whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of each period: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- $72 $224 $390 $871 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Trust's Investments THE TRUST'S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES. The Trust invests in money market instruments meeting quality, maturity and diversification standards established by its Board of Trustees as well as rules that apply to money market funds under the Investment Company Act. The Statement of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the Trust's investment policies and risks. The Trust's investment manager, Centennial Asset Management Corporation, (referred to in this Prospectus as the Manager) tries to reduce risks by diversifying investments and by carefully researching securities before they are purchased. The rate of the Trust's income will vary from day to day, generally reflecting changes in overall short-term interest rates. There is no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective. What Does the Trust Invest In? Money market instruments are high-quality, short-term debt instruments. They may have fixed, variable or floating interest rates. All of the Trust's money market instruments must meet the special diversification, quality and maturity requirements set under the Investment Company Act and the special procedures set by the Board described briefly below. The following is a brief description of the types of money market instruments the Trust can invest in. o Municipal Securities. The Trust buys municipal bonds and notes, tax-exempt commercial paper, certificates of participation in municipal leases and other debt obligations. These are debt obligations issued by the governments of states, their political subdivisions (such as cities, towns and counties), or the District of Columbia, or by their agencies, instrumentalities and authorities, if the interest paid on the security is not subject to federal individual income tax in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer. All of these types of debt obligations are referred to as "municipal securities" in this Prospectus. o Other Money Market Instruments. Additionally, the Trust can buy other money market instruments that the Manager approves under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees from time to time. They must be U.S. dollar-denominated short-term investments that the Manager must determine to have minimal credit risks. What Standards Apply to the Trust's Investments? Money market instruments are subject to credit risk, the risk that the issuer might not make timely payments of interest on the security or repay principal when it is due. The Trust can buy only those instruments that meet standards set by the Investment Company Act for money market funds and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trust's Board of Trustees has adopted procedures to evaluate securities for the Trust's portfolio and the Manager has the responsibility to implement those procedures when selecting investments for the Trust. In general, the Trust buys only high-quality investments that the Manager believes present minimal credit risk at the time of purchase. "High-quality" investments are: o rated in one of the two highest short-term rating categories of two national rating organizations, or o rated by one rating organization in one of its two highest rating categories (if only one rating organization has rated the investment), or o unrated investments that the Manager determines are comparable in quality to the two highest rating categories. The procedures also limit the amount of the Trust's assets that can be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities), to spread the Trust's investment risks. The Trust must also maintain an average portfolio maturity of not more than 90 days, to reduce interest rate risks. Additionally, the remaining maturity of any single portfolio investment may not exceed the maximum time permitted under Rule 2a-7 (currently 397 days). Can the Trust's Investment Objective and Policies Change? The Trust's Board of Trustees can change non-fundamental policies without shareholder approval, although significant changes will be described in amendments to this Prospectus. Fundamental policies cannot be changed without the approval of a majority of the Trust's outstanding voting shares. The Trust's investment objective is a fundamental policy. Some investment restrictions that are fundamental policies are listed in the Statement of Additional Information. An investment policy is not fundamental unless this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information says that it is. OTHER INVESTMENT STRATEGIES. To seek its objective, the Trust can use the investment techniques and strategies described below. The Trust might not always use all of them. These techniques have risks. The Statement of Additional Information contains more information about some of these practices, including limitations on their use that are designed to reduce the overall risks. Floating Rate/Variable Rate Notes. The Trust can purchase investments with floating or variable interest rates. Variable rates are adjustable at stated periodic intervals. Floating rates are adjusted automatically according to a specified market rate or benchmark for such investment, such as the prime rate of a bank. If the maturity of an investment is greater than the maximum time permitted under Rule 2a-7 (currently 397 days), it can be purchased if it has a demand feature. That feature must permit the Trust to recover the principal amount of the investment on not more than 30 days' notice at any time, or at specified times not exceeding the maximum time permitted under Rule 2a-7 (currently 397 days) from the date of purchase. "When-Issued" and "Delayed-Delivery" Transactions. The Trust can purchase municipal securities on a "when-issued" basis and can purchase or sell such securities on a "delayed-delivery" basis. These terms refer to securities that have been created and for which a market exists, but which are not available for immediate delivery. The Trust does not intend to make such purchases for speculative purposes. During the period between the purchase and settlement, no payment is made for the security and no interest accrues to the buyer from the investment. There is a risk of loss to the Trust if the value of the security declines prior to the settlement date. Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal leases are used by state and local governments to obtain funds to acquire land, equipment or facilities. The Trust can invest in certificates of participation that represent a proportionate interest in payments made under municipal lease obligations. If the government stops making payments or transfers its payment obligations to a private entity, the obligation could lose value or become taxable. Some of these obligations might not have an active trading market and would be subject to the Trust's limits on "illiquid" securities described below. From time to time the Trust can invest more than 5% of its net assets in municipal lease obligations that the Manager has determined to be liquid under guidelines set by the Trust's Board of Trustees. Repurchase Agreements. The Trust can enter into repurchase agreements. In a repurchase transaction, the Trust buys a security and simultaneously sells it to the vendor for delivery at a future date. Repurchase agreements must be fully collateralized. However, if the vendor fails to pay the resale price on the delivery date, the Trust may incur costs in disposing of the collateral and may experience losses if there is any delay in its ability to do so. The Trust ordinarily will not enter into repurchase transactions that will cause more than 10% of the Trust's net assets to be subject to repurchase agreements having a maturity beyond seven days. However, when the Trust assumes a temporary defensive position, there is no limit on the amount of the Trust's assets that may be subject to repurchase agreements having a maturity of seven days or less. Income earned on repurchase transactions is not tax-exempt. The Trust normally will limit its investments in repurchase transactions to 20% of its total assets. Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Investments may be illiquid because they do not have an active trading market, making it difficult to value them or dispose of them promptly at an acceptable price. A restricted security is one that has a contractual limit on resale or which cannot be sold publicly until it is registered under federal securities laws. The Trust will not invest more than 10% of its net assets in illiquid or restricted securities. That limit does not apply to certain restricted securities that are eligible for resale to qualified institutional purchasers or purchases of commercial paper that may be sold without registration under the federal securities laws. The Manager monitors holdings of illiquid securities on an ongoing basis to determine whether to sell any holdings to maintain adequate liquidity. Difficulty in selling a security may result in a loss to the Trust or additional costs. Demand Features and Guarantees. The Trust can invest a significant percentage of its assets in municipal securities that have demand features, guarantees or similar credit and liquidity enhancements. A demand feature permits the holder of the security to sell the security within a specified period of time at a stated price and entitles the holder of the security to receive an amount equal to the approximate amortized cost of the security plus accrued interest. A guarantee permits the holder of the security to receive, upon presentment to the guarantor, the principal amount of the underlying security plus accrued interest when due or upon default. A guarantee is the unconditional obligation of an entity other than the issuer of the security. These securities are described in the Statement of Additional Information. Temporary Defensive and Interim Investments. In times of unstable adverse market or economic conditions, the Trust can invest up to 100% of its assets in temporary defensive or interim investments that are inconsistent with the Trust's principal investment strategies. These temporary investments can include: o obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, o bankers' acceptances; taxable commercial paper rated in the highest category by a rating organization, o short-term taxable debt obligations rated in one of the two highest rating categories of a rating organization, o certificates of deposit of domestic banks, and o repurchase agreements. To the extent the Trust assumes a temporary defensive position, a significant portion of the Trust's distributions may be taxable. I N V E S T I N G I N T H E T R U S T S The information below applies to Centennial Money Market Trust, Centennial Tax Exempt Trust and Centennial Government Trust. Each is referred to as a "Trust" and they are collectively referred to as the "Trusts." Unless otherwise indicated, this information applies to each Trust. How the Trusts are Managed THE MANAGER. The investment advisor for the Trusts is the Manager, Centennial Asset Management Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. The Manager chooses each of the Trust's investments and handles its day-to-day business. The Manager carries out its duties subject to the policies established by the Trust's Board of Trustees, under an investment advisory agreement with each Trust that states the Manager's responsibilities. The agreement sets the fees the Trust pays to the Manager and describes the expenses that the Trust is responsible to pay to conduct its business. The Manager has been an investment advisor since 1978. The Manager and its affiliates managed assets of more than $115 billion as of September 30, 2001, including more than 65 funds having more than 5 million shareholder accounts. The Manager is located at 6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112. Portfolio Managers. The portfolio managers of the Trusts are the persons principally responsible for the day-to-day management of the Trusts' portfolios. The portfolio managers of Centennial Money Market Trust and Centennial Government Trust are Carol E. Wolf and Barry D. Weiss. Ms. Wolf has had this responsibility since November 1988 and Mr. Weiss, since August 2001. Ms. Wolf is a Senior Vice President of the Manager and Mr. Weiss is a Vice President, and each is an officer and portfolio manager of other funds for which the Manager or an affiliate serves as investment advisor. The portfolio manager of Centennial Tax Exempt Trust is Michael Carbuto (since October 1987). Mr. Carbuto is a Vice President of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and is an officer and portfolio manager of other funds for which the Manager or an affiliate serves as investment advisor. Advisory Fees. Under each investment advisory agreement, a Trust pays the Manager an advisory fee at an annual rate that declines on additional assets as the Trust grows. That fee is computed on the average annual net assets of the respective Trust as of the close of each business day. o Centennial Money Market Trust. The annual management fee rates are: 0.500% of the first $250 million of the Trust's net assets; 0.475% of the next $250 million; 0.450% of the next $250 million; 0.425% of the next $250 million; 0.400% of the next $250 million; 0.375% of the next $250 million; 0.350% of the next $500 million; and 0.325% of net assets in excess of $2 billion. In the agreement, the Manager guarantees that the Trust's total expenses in any fiscal year, exclusive of taxes, interest and brokerage commissions, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation costs, shall not exceed the lesser of (1) 1.5% of the average annual net assets of the Trust up to $30 million and 1% of its average annual net assets in excess of $30 million; or (2) 25% of the total annual investment income of the Trust. Centennial Money Market Trust's management fee for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2001 was 0.33% of the Trust's average annual net assets. o Centennial Government Trust. The annual management fee rates are: 0.500% of the first $250 million of the Trust's net assets; 0.475% of the next $250 million; 0.450% of the next $250 million; 0.425% of the next $250 million; 0.400% of the next $250 million; 0.375% of the next $250 million; and 0.350% of net assets in excess of $1.5 billion. The Manager has made the same guarantee to Centennial Government Trust regarding expenses as described above for Centennial Money Market Trust. The Trust's management fee for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2001 was 0.44% of the Trust's average annual net assets. o Centennial Tax Exempt Trust. The annual management fee rates applicable to the Trust are as follows: 0.500% of the first $250 million of the Trust's net assets; 0.475% of the next $250 million; 0.450% of the next $250 million; 0.425% of the next $250 million; 0.400% of the next $250 million; 0.375% of the next $250 million; 0.350% of the next $500 million; and 0.325% of net assets in excess of $2 billion. Under the agreement, when the value of the Trust's net assets is less than $1.5 billion, the annual fee payable to the Manager shall be reduced by $100,000 based on average net assets computed daily and paid monthly at the annual rates. However, the annual fee cannot be less than $0. The Trust's management fee for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2001 was 0.42% of the Trust's average annual net assets. How to Buy Shares AT WHAT PRICE ARE SHARES SOLD? Shares of each Trust are sold at their offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any sales charge. The net asset value per share will normally remain fixed at $1.00 per share. However, there is no guarantee that a Trust will maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share. The offering price that applies to a purchase order is based on the next calculation of the net asset value per share that is made after the Distributor or the Sub-Distributor (OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.) receives the purchase order at its offices in Colorado, or after any agent appointed by the Sub-Distributor receives the order and sends it to the Sub-Distributor as described below. How is a Trust's Net Asset Value Determined? The net asset value of shares of each Trust is determined twice each day, at 12:00 Noon and at 4:00 P.M., on each day The New York Stock Exchange is open for trading (referred to in this Prospectus as a "regular business day"). All references to time in this Prospectus mean "New York time." The net asset value per share is determined by dividing the value of a Trust's net assets by the number of shares that are outstanding. Under a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trusts, each Trust uses the amortized cost method to value its securities to determine net asset value. The shares of each Trust offered by this Prospectus are considered to be Class A shares for the purposes of exchanging them or reinvesting distributions among other eligible funds that offer more than one class of shares. HOW MUCH MUST YOU INVEST? You can open an account with a minimum initial investment described below, depending on how you buy and pay for your shares. You can make additional purchases at any time with as little as $25. The minimum investment requirements do not apply to reinvesting distributions from the Trust or other eligible funds (a list of them appears in the Statement of Additional Information, or you can ask your broker-dealer or call the Transfer Agent) or reinvesting distributions from unit investment trusts that have made arrangements with the Distributor. HOW ARE SHARES PURCHASED? You can buy shares in one of several ways: Buying Shares Through a Broker-Dealer's Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program. You can buy shares of a Trust through a broker-dealer that has a sales agreement with the Trust's Distributor or Sub-Distributor that allows shares to be purchased through the broker-dealer's Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program. Shares of each Trust are sold mainly to customers of participating broker-dealers that offer the Trusts' shares under these special purchase programs. If you participate in an Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program established by your broker-dealer, your broker-dealer buys shares of the Trust for your account with the broker-dealer. Program participants should also read the description of the program provided by their broker-dealer. Buying Shares Through Your Broker-Dealer. If you do not participate in an Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program, you can buy shares of a Trust through any broker-dealer that has a sales agreement with the Distributor or Sub-Distributor. Your broker-dealer will place your order with the Distributor on your behalf. Buying Shares Directly Through the Sub-Distributor. You can also purchase shares directly through the Trust's Sub-Distributor. Shareholders who make purchases directly and hold shares in their own names are referred to as "direct shareholders" in this Prospectus. The Sub-Distributor may appoint certain servicing agents to accept purchase (and redemption) orders, including broker-dealers that have established Automatic Purchase and Redemption Programs. The Distributor or Sub-Distributor, in their sole discretion, may reject any purchase order for shares of a Trust. AUTOMATIC PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION PROGRAM. If you buy shares of a Trust through your broker-dealer's Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program, your broker-dealer will buy your shares for your Program Account and will hold your shares in your broker-dealer's name. These purchases will be made under the procedures described in "Guaranteed Payment Procedures" below. Your Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program Account may have minimum investment requirements established by your broker-dealer. You should direct all questions about your Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program to your broker-dealer, because the Trusts' Transfer Agent does not have access to information about your account under that Program. Guaranteed Payment Procedures. Some broker-dealers may have arrangements with the Distributor to enable them to place purchase orders for shares of a Trust and to guarantee that the Trust's custodian bank will receive Federal Funds to pay for the shares prior to specified times. Broker-dealers whose clients participate in Automatic Purchase and Redemption Programs may use these guaranteed payment procedures to pay for purchases of shares of a Trust. o If the Distributor receives a purchase order before 12:00 Noon on a regular business day with the broker-dealer's guarantee that the Trust's custodian bank will receive payment for those shares in Federal Funds by 2:00 P.M. on that same day, the order will be effected at the net asset value determined at 12:00 Noon that day. Distributions will begin to accrue on the shares on that day if the Federal Funds are received by the required time. o If the Distributor receives a purchase order after 12:00 Noon on a regular business day with the broker-dealer's guarantee that the Trust's custodian bank will receive payment for those shares in Federal Funds by 2:00 P.M. on that same day, the order will be effected at the net asset value determined at 4:00 P.M. that day. Distributions will begin to accrue on the shares on that day if the Federal Funds are received by the required time. o If the Distributor receives a purchase order between 12:00 Noon and 4:00 P.M. on a regular business day with the broker-dealer's guarantee that the Trust's custodian bank will receive payment for those shares in Federal Funds by 4:00 P.M. the next regular business day, the order will be effected at the net asset value determined at 4:00 P.M. on the day the order is received and distributions will begin to accrue on the shares purchased on the next regular business day if the Federal Funds are received by the required time. HOW CAN DIRECT SHAREHOLDERS BUY SHARES? Direct shareholders can buy shares of a Trust by completing a Centennial Funds New Account Application and sending it to the Sub-Distributor, OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc., P.O. Box 5143, Denver, Colorado 80217. Payment must be made by check or by Federal Funds wire as described below. If you don't list a broker-dealer on the application, the Sub-Distributor, will act as your agent in buying the shares. However, we recommend that you discuss your investment with a financial advisor before you make a purchase to be sure that the Trust is appropriate for you. Each Trust intends to be as fully invested as possible to maximize its yield. Therefore, newly purchased shares normally will begin to accrue distributions after the Sub-Distributor or its agent accepts your purchase order, starting on the business day after the Trust receives Federal Funds from the purchase payment. Payment by Check. Direct shareholders may pay for purchases of shares of a Trust by check. Send your check, payable to "OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.," along with your application and other documents to the address listed above. For initial purchases, your check should be payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank so that distributions will begin to accrue on the next regular business day after the Sub-Distributor accepts your purchase order. If your check is not drawn on a U.S. bank and is not payable in U.S. dollars, the shares will not be purchased until the Sub-Distributor is able to convert the purchase payment to Federal Funds. In that case distributions will begin to accrue on the purchased shares on the next regular business day after the purchase is made. The minimum initial investment for direct shareholders by check is $500. Payment by Federal Funds Wire. Direct shareholders may pay for purchases of shares of a Trust by Federal Funds wire. You must also forward your application and other documents to the address listed above. Before sending a wire, call the Sub-Distributor's Wire Department at 1.800.525.9310 (toll-free from within the U.S.) or 303.768.3200 (from outside the U.S.) to notify the Sub-Distributor of the wire, and to receive further instructions. Distributions will begin to accrue on the purchased shares on the purchase date that is a regular business day if the Federal Funds from your wire and the application are received by the Sub-Distributor and accepted by 12:00 Noon. If the Sub-Distributor receives the Federal Funds from your wire and accepts the purchase order between 12:00 Noon and 4:00 P.M. on the purchase date, distributions will begin to accrue on the shares on the next regular business day. The minimum investment by Federal Funds Wire is $2,500. Buying Shares Through Automatic Investment Plans. Direct shareholders can purchase shares of a Trust automatically each month by authorizing the Trust's Transfer Agent to debit your account at a U.S. domestic bank or other financial institution. Details are in the Automatic Investment Plan Application and the Statement of Additional Information. The minimum monthly purchase is $25. Service (12b-1) Plans. Each Trust has adopted a service plan. It reimburses the Distributor for a portion of its costs incurred for services provided to accounts that hold shares of the Trust. Reimbursement is made quarterly, or monthly depending on asset size, at an annual rate of up to 0.20% of the average annual net assets of the Trust. The Distributor currently uses all of those fees (together with significant amounts from the Manager's own resources) to pay dealers, brokers, banks and other financial institutions quarterly for providing personal services and maintenance of accounts of their customers that hold shares of the Trust. Retirement Plans. Direct shareholders may buy shares of Centennial Money Market Fund or Centennial Government Fund for a retirement plan account. If you participate in a plan sponsored by your employer, the plan trustee or administrator must buy the shares for your plan account. The Sub-Distributor also offers a number of different retirement plans that individuals and employers can use: o Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). These include regular IRAs, Roth IRAs, rollover IRAs and Education IRAs. o SEP-IRAs. These are Simplified Employee Pensions Plan IRAs for small business owners or self-employed individuals. o 403(b)(7) Custodial Plans. These are tax deferred plans for employees of eligible tax-exempt organizations, such as schools, hospitals and charitable organizations. o 401(k) Plans. These are special retirement plans for businesses. o Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans. These plans are designed for businesses and self-employed individuals. Please call the Sub-Distributor for retirement plan documents, which include applications and important plan information. How to Sell Shares You can sell (redeem) some or all of your shares on any regular business day. Your shares will be sold at the next net asset value calculated after your order is received in proper form (which means that it must comply with the procedures described below) and is accepted by the Transfer Agent. HOW CAN PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS SELL SHARES? If you participate in an Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program sponsored by your broker-dealer, you must redeem shares held in your Program Account by contacting your broker-dealer firm, or you can redeem shares by writing checks as described below. You should not contact the Trust or its Transfer Agent directly to redeem shares held in your Program Account. You may also arrange (but only through your broker-dealer) to have the proceeds of redeemed Trust shares sent by Federal Funds wire, as described below in "Sending Redemption Proceeds by Wire." HOW CAN DIRECT SHAREHOLDERS REDEEM SHARES? Direct shareholders can redeem their shares by writing a letter to the Transfer Agent, by using a Trust's checkwriting privilege, or by telephone. You can also set up Automatic Withdrawal Plans to redeem shares on a regular basis. If you have questions about any of these procedures, and especially if you are redeeming shares in a special situation, such as due to the death of the owner or from a retirement plan account, please call the Transfer Agent for assistance first, at 1.800.525.9310. Certain Requests Require a Signature Guarantee. To protect you and the Trust from fraud, the following redemption requests for accounts of direct shareholders must be in writing and must include a signature guarantee (although there may be other situations that also require a signature guarantee): o You wish to redeem $100,000 or more and receive a check o The redemption check is not payable to all shareholders listed on the account statement o The redemption check is not sent to the address of record on your account statement o Shares are being transferred to an account with a different owner or name o Shares are being redeemed by someone (such as an Executor) other than the owners listed in the account registration. Where Can Direct Shareholders Have Their Signatures Guaranteed? The Transfer Agent will accept a guarantee of your signature by a number of financial institutions, including: o a U.S. bank, trust company, credit union or savings association, o a foreign bank that has a U.S. correspondent bank, o a U.S. registered dealer or broker in securities, municipal securities or government securities, or o a U.S. national securities exchange, a registered securities association or a clearing agency. If you are signing on behalf of a corporation, partnership or other business or as a fiduciary, you must also include your title in the signature. How Can Direct Shareholders Sell Shares by Mail? Write a letter to the Transfer Agent that includes: o Your name o The Trust's name o Your account number (from your account statement) o The dollar amount or number of shares to be redeemed o Any special payment instructions o Any share certificates for the shares you are selling o The signatures of all registered owners exactly as the account is registered, and o Any special documents requested by the Transfer Agent to assure proper authorization of the person asking to sell the shares (such as Letters Testamentary of an Executor). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Use the following address for Send courier or express mail ---------------------------------------- requests to: requests by mail: Shareholder Services, Inc. Shareholder Services, Inc. 10200 E. Girard Avenue, Building D P.O. Box 5143 Denver, Colorado 80231 Denver, Colorado 80217-5270 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How Can Direct Shareholders Sell Shares by Telephone? Direct shareholders and their broker-dealer representative of record may also sell shares by telephone. To receive the redemption price calculated on a particular regular business day, the Transfer Agent or its designated agent must receive the request by 4:00 P.M. on that day. You may not redeem shares held under a share certificate or in a retirement account by telephone. To redeem shares through a service representative, call 1.800.525.9310. Proceeds of telephone redemptions will be paid by check payable to the shareholder(s) of record and will be sent to the address of record for the account. Up to $100,000 may be redeemed by telephone in any 7-day period. Telephone redemptions are not available within 30 days of changing the address on an account. Retirement Plan Accounts. There are special procedures to sell shares held in a retirement plan account. Call the Transfer Agent for a distribution request form. Special income tax withholding requirements apply to distributions from retirement plans. You must submit a withholding form with your redemption request to avoid delay in getting your money and if you do not want tax withheld. If your employer holds your retirement plan account for you in the name of the plan, you must ask the plan trustee or administrator to request the sale of the Trust shares in your plan account. Sending Redemption Proceeds By Wire. While the Transfer Agent normally sends direct shareholders their money by check, you can arrange to have the proceeds of the shares you sell sent by Federal Funds wire to a bank account you designate. It must be a commercial bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve wire system. The minimum redemption you can have sent by wire is $2,500. There is a $10 fee for each wire. To find out how to set up this feature on an account or to arrange a wire, direct shareholders should call the Transfer Agent at 1.800.525.9310. If you hold your shares through your broker-dealer's Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program, you must contact your broker-dealer to arrange a Federal Funds wire. Can Direct Shareholders Submit Requests by Fax? Direct shareholders may send requests for certain types of account transactions to the Transfer Agent by fax (telecopier). Please call 1.800.525.9310 for information about which transactions may be handled this way. Transaction requests submitted by fax are subject to the same rules and restrictions as written and telephone requests described in this Prospectus. HOW DO I WRITE CHECKS AGAINST MY ACCOUNT? Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program participants may write checks against an account held under their Program, but must arrange for checkwriting privileges through their broker-dealers. Direct shareholders may write checks against their account by requesting that privilege on the account application or by contacting the Transfer Agent for signature cards. They must be signed (with a signature guarantee) by all owners of the account and returned to the Transfer Agent so that checks can be sent to you to use. Shareholders with joint accounts can elect in writing to have checks paid over the signature of one owner. If checkwriting is established after November 1, 2000, only one signature is required for shareholders with joint accounts, unless you elect otherwise. o Checks can be written to the order of whomever you wish, but may not be cashed at the bank the checks are payable through or the Trust's custodian bank. o Checkwriting privileges are not available for accounts holding shares that are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. o Checks must be written for at least $250. o Checks cannot be paid if they are written for more than your account value. o You may not write a check that would require the redemption of shares that were purchased by check or Automatic Investment Plan payments within the prior 10 days. o Don't use your checks if you changed your account number, until you receive new checks. WILL I PAY A SALES CHARGE WHEN I SELL MY SHARES? The Trust does not charge a fee to redeem shares of a Trust that were bought directly or by reinvesting distributions from that Trust or another Centennial Trust or eligible fund. Generally, there is no fee to redeem shares of a Trust bought by exchange of shares of another Centennial Trust or eligible fund. However, o if you acquired shares of a Trust by exchanging Class A shares of another eligible fund that you bought subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge, and o those shares are still subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge when you exchange them into the Trust, then o you will pay the contingent deferred sales charge if you redeem those shares from the Trust within 18 months of the purchase date of the shares of the fund you exchanged. How to Exchange Shares Shares of a Trust can be exchanged for shares of certain other Centennial Trusts or other eligible funds, depending on whether you own your shares through your broker-dealer's Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program or as a direct shareholder. HOW CAN PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS EXCHANGE SHARES? If you participate in an Automatic Purchase and Redemption Program sponsored by your broker-dealer, you may exchange shares held in your Program Account for shares of Centennial Money Market Trust, Centennial Government Trust, Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust and Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust (referred to in this Prospectus as the "Centennial Trusts"), if available for sale in your state of residence, by contacting your broker or dealer and obtaining a Prospectus of the selected Centennial Trust. HOW CAN DIRECT SHAREHOLDERS EXCHANGE SHARES? Direct shareholders can exchange shares of a Trust for Class A shares of certain eligible funds listed in the Statement of Additional Information. To exchange shares, you must meet several conditions: o Shares of the fund selected for exchange must be available for sale in your state of residence. o The prospectuses of the Trust and the fund whose shares you want to buy must offer the exchange privilege. o You must hold the shares you buy when you establish your account for at least 7 days before you can exchange them. After the account is open 7 days, you can exchange shares every regular business day. o You must meet the minimum purchase requirements for the fund whose shares you purchase by exchange. o Before exchanging into a fund, you must obtain and read its prospectus. Shares of a particular class of an eligible fund may be exchanged only for shares of the same class in other eligible funds. For example, you can exchange shares of a Trust only for Class A shares of another fund, and you can exchange only Class A shares of another eligible fund for shares of a Trust. You may pay a sales charge when you exchange shares of a Trust. Because shares of the Trusts are sold without sales charge, in some cases you may pay a sales charge when you exchange shares of a Trust for shares of other eligible funds that are sold subject to a sales charge. You will not pay a sales charge when you exchange shares of a Trust purchased by reinvesting distributions from that Trust or other eligible funds (except Oppenheimer Cash Reserves), or when you exchange shares of a Trust purchased by exchange of shares of an eligible fund on which you paid a sales charge. For tax purposes, exchanges of shares involve a sale of the shares of the fund you own and a purchase of the shares of the other fund, which may result in a capital gain or loss. Since shares of a Trust normally maintain a $1.00 net asset value, in most cases you should not realize a capital gain or loss when you sell or exchange your shares. Direct shareholders can find a list of eligible funds currently available for exchanges in the Statement of Additional Information or you can obtain one by calling a service representative at 1.800.525.9310. The list of eligible funds can change from time to time. How Do Direct Shareholders Submit Exchange Requests? Direct shareholders may request exchanges in writing or by telephone: o Written Exchange Requests. Complete an Exchange Authorization Form, signed by all owners of the account. Send it to the Transfer Agent at the address on the back cover. o Telephone Exchange Requests. Telephone exchange requests may be made by calling a service representative at 1.800.525.9310. Telephone exchanges may be made only between accounts that are registered with the same name(s) and address. Shares held under certificates may not be exchanged by telephone. ARE THERE LIMITATIONS ON EXCHANGES? There are certain exchange policies you should be aware of: o Shares are normally redeemed from one fund and purchased from the other fund in the exchange transaction on the same regular business day on which the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request that conforms to the policies described above. Requests for exchanges to any of the Centennial Trusts must be received by the Transfer Agent by 4:00 P.M. on a regular business day to be effected that day. The Transfer Agent must receive requests to exchange shares of a Trust to funds other than the Centennial Trusts on a regular business day by the close of The New York Stock Exchange that day. The close is normally 4:00 P.M. but may be earlier on some days. o The interests of the Trusts' long-term shareholders and its ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when its shares are repeatedly bought and sold in response to short-term market fluctuations--also known as "market timing." When large dollar amounts are involved, the Trusts may have difficulty implementing long-term investment strategies, because it cannot predict how much cash it will have to invest. Market timing also may force the Trusts to sell portfolio securities at disadvantageous times to raise the cash needed to buy a market timer's Fund shares. These factors may hurt the Trusts' performance and its shareholders. When the Manager believes frequent trading would have a disruptive effect on the Trusts' ability to manage its investments, the Manager and the Trusts may reject purchase orders and exchanges into the Trusts by any person, group or account that the Manager believes to be a market timer. o Either fund may delay the purchase of shares of the fund you are exchanging into up to seven days if it determines it would be disadvantaged by a same-day exchange. For example, the receipt of the multiple exchange requests from a "market timer" might require a fund to sell securities at a disadvantageous time and/or price. o Because excessive trading can hurt fund performance and harm shareholders, the Trusts reserve the right to refuse any exchange request that may, in the opinion of the Trusts, be disadvantageous, or to refuse multiple exchange requests submitted by a shareholder or dealer. o The Trusts may amend, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. The Trusts will provide you notice whenever they are required to do so by applicable law, but they may impose these changes at any time for emergency purposes. o If the Transfer Agent cannot exchange all the shares you request because of a restriction cited above, only the shares eligible for exchange will be exchanged. Shareholder Account Rules and Policies More information about the Trusts' policies and procedures for buying, selling and exchanging shares is contained in the Statement of Additional Information. The offering of shares of a Trust may be suspended during any period in which the Trust's determination of net asset value is suspended, and the offering may be suspended by the Board of Trustees at any time it believes it is in a Trust's best interest to do so. Telephone transaction privileges for purchases, redemptions or exchanges may be modified, suspended or terminated by a Trust at any time. If an account has more than one owner, a Trust and the Transfer Agent may rely on the instructions of any one owner. Telephone privileges apply to each owner of the account and the broker-dealer representative of record for the account unless the Transfer Agent receives cancellation instructions from an owner of the account. The Transfer Agent will record any telephone calls to verify data concerning transactions. It has adopted other procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine, by requiring callers to provide tax identification numbers and other account data and by confirming such transactions in writing. The Transfer Agent and the Trusts will not be liable for losses or expenses arising out of telephone instructions reasonably believed to be genuine. Redemption or transfer requests will not be honored until the Transfer Agent receives all required documents in proper form. From time to time, the Transfer Agent in its discretion may waive certain of the requirements for redemptions stated in this Prospectus. Payment for redeemed shares ordinarily is made in cash. It is forwarded by check or by Federal Funds wire (as elected by the shareholder) within seven days after the Transfer Agent receives redemption instructions in proper form. However, under unusual circumstances determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, payment may be delayed or suspended. For accounts registered in the name of a broker-dealer, payment will normally be forwarded within three business days after redemption. The Transfer Agent may delay forwarding a check or making a payment via Federal Funds wire for the redemption of recently purchased shares, but only until the purchase payment has cleared. That delay may be as much as 10 days from the date the shares were purchased. That delay may be avoided if you purchase shares by Federal Funds wire or certified check, or arrange with your bank to provide telephone or written assurance to the Transfer Agent that your purchase payment has cleared. Involuntary redemptions of small accounts may be made by the Trusts if the account value has fallen below $250 for reasons other than the fact that the market value of shares has dropped. In some cases involuntary redemptions may be made to repay the Distributor or Sub-Distributor for losses from the cancellation of share purchase orders. "Backup Withholding" of federal income tax may be applied against taxable dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds (including exchanges) if you fail to furnish the Trust your correct, certified Social Security or Employer Identification Number when you sign your application, or if you under-report your income to the Internal Revenue Service. To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to households, the Trusts will mail only one copy of each prospectus, annual and semi-annual reports and annual notice of the Trusts' privacy policy to shareholders having the same last name and address on the Trusts' records. The consolidation of these mailings, called householding, benefits the Trusts through reduced mailing expense. If you want to receive multiple copies of these materials, you may call the Transfer Agent at 1.800.525.9310. You may also notify the Transfer Agent in writing. Individual copies of prospectuses, reports and privacy notices will be sent to you commencing 30 days after the Transfer Agent receives your request to stop householding. Dividends and Tax Information DIVIDENDS. Each Trust intends to declare dividends from net investment income each regular business day and to pay those dividends to shareholders monthly on a date selected by the Board of Trustees. To maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share, a Trust might withhold dividends or make distributions from capital or capital gains. Daily dividends will not be declared or paid on newly purchased shares until Federal Funds are available to a Trust from the purchase payment for such shares. CAPITAL GAINS. Each Trust normally holds its securities to maturity and therefore will not usually pay capital gains. Although the Trusts do not seek capital gains, a Trust could realize capital gains on the sale of its portfolio securities. If it does, it may make distributions out of any net short-term or long-term capital gains in December of each year. A Trust may make supplemental distributions of dividends and capital gains following the end of its fiscal year. What Choices Do I Have for Receiving Distributions? For Automatic Purchase and Redemption Programs, dividends and distributions are automatically reinvested in additional shares of the selected Trust. For direct shareholders, when you open your account, you should specify on your application how you want to receive your dividends and distributions. You have four options: o Reinvest All Distributions in the Trust. You can elect to reinvest some distributions (dividends, short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains distributions) in the selected Trust. o Reinvest Capital Gains Only. You can elect to reinvest some capital gains distributions (short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains distributions) in the selected Trust while receiving dividends by check or having them sent to your bank account. o Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive a check for all distributions or have them sent to your bank. o Reinvest Your Distributions in Another Account. You can reinvest all distributions (dividends, short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains distributions) in the same class of shares of another eligible fund account you have established. Under the terms of Automatic Purchase and Redemption Programs, your broker-dealer can redeem shares to satisfy debit balances arising in your Program Account. If that occurs, you will be entitled to dividends on those shares as described in your Program Agreements. TAXES. Centennial Money Market Trust and Centennial Government Trust. If your shares are not held in a tax-deferred retirement account, you should be aware of the following tax implications of investing in Centennial Money Market Trust and Centennial Government Trust. Dividends paid from net investment income and short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income. Long-term capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gains when distributed to shareholders. It does not matter how long you have held your shares. Whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or take them in cash, the tax treatment is the same. Every year the Trust will send you and the IRS a statement showing the amount of each taxable distribution you received in the previous year. Any long-term capital gains distributions will be separately identified in the tax information the Trust sends you after the end of the calendar year. Centennial Tax Exempt Trust. Exempt interest dividends paid from net investment income earned by the Trust on municipal securities will be excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. A portion of a dividend that is derived from interest paid on certain "private activity bonds" may be an item of tax preference if you are subject to the alternative minimum tax. If the Trust earns interest on taxable investments, any dividends derived from those earnings will be taxable as ordinary income to shareholders. Dividends and capital gains distributions may be subject to state or local taxes. Long-term capital gains are taxable as long-term capital gains when distributed to shareholders. It does not matter how long you have held your shares. Dividends paid from short-term capital gains and non-tax exempt net investment income are taxable as ordinary income. Whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or take them in cash, the tax treatment is the same. Every year the Trust will send you and the IRS a statement showing the amount of any taxable distribution you received in the previous year as well as the amount of your tax-exempt income. Remember, There May be Taxes on Transactions. Because each Trust seeks to maintain a stable $1.00 per share net asset value, it is unlikely that you will have a capital gain or loss when you sell or exchange your shares. A capital gain or loss is the difference between the price you paid for the shares and the price you received when you sold them. Any capital gain is subject to capital gains tax. Returns of Capital Can Occur. In certain cases, distributions made by a Trust may be considered a non-taxable return of capital to shareholders. If that occurs, it will be identified in notices to shareholders. This information is only a summary of certain federal income tax information about your investment. You should consult with your tax advisor about the effect of an investment in a Trust on your particular tax situation. Financial Highlights The Financial Highlights Tables are presented to help you understand each Trust's financial performance for the past five fiscal years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Trust share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Trusts (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information for the past five fiscal years ended June 30, 2001, has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Trusts' independent auditors, whose report, along with the Trusts' financial statements, are included in the Statements of Additional Information, which are available on request.
YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, -------------------------------------------------------- 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- PER SHARE OPERATING DATA Net asset value, beginning of period $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 Income from investment operations-- net investment income and net realized gain .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders (.03) (.03) (.03) (.03) (.03) -------- -------- ------- ------- ------- Net asset value, end of period $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 ======== ======== ======= ======= ======= TOTAL RETURN(1) 3.26% 3.01% 2.61% 3.12% 3.01% RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Net assets, end of period (in millions) $ 1,822 $ 1,692 $ 1,749 $ 1,829 $ 1,649 Average net assets (in millions) $ 1,779 $ 1,737 $ 1,896 $ 1,832 $ 1,591 Ratios to average net assets:(2) Net investment income 3.21% 2.94% 2.58% 3.07% 2.95% Expenses 0.70% 0.72% 0.69% 0.69%(3) 0.72%(3) Expenses, net of reduction to custodian expenses 0.69% N/A N/A N/A N/A(1) Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period, with all dividends reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Total returns reflect changes in net investment income only. Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year. (2) Annualized for periods of less than one full year. (3) Expense ratio reflects the reduction to custodian expenses.
45 INFORMATION AND SERVICES For More Information on Centennial Tax Exempt Trust: The following additional information about the Trust is available without charge upon request: STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This document includes additional information about the Trust's investment policies, risks, and operations. It is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus (which means it is legally part of this Prospectus). ANNUAL AND SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS Additional information about the Trust's investments and performance is available in the Trust's Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders. The Annual Report includes a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Trust's performance during its last fiscal year. How to Get More Information: You can request the Statement of Additional Information, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, the notice explaining the Trust's privacy policy and other information about the Trusts or your account: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Telephone: Call Shareholder Services, Inc. toll-free: 1.800.525.9310 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mail: Write to: Shareholder Services, Inc. P.O. Box 5143 Denver, Colorado 80217 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Information about the Trust including the Statement of Additional Information can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1.202.942.8090. Reports and other information about the Trust are available on the EDGAR database on the SEC's Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may be obtained after payment of a ------------------ duplicating fee by electronic request at the SEC's e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102. No one has been authorized to provide any information about the Trust or to make any representations about the Trust other than what is contained in this Prospectus. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell shares of the Trust, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of the Trust, to any person in any state or other jurisdiction where it is unlawful to make such an offer. The Trust's shares are distributed by: The Fund's SEC File No. 811-03104 Centennial Asset Management Corporation PR0160.001.1101 Printed on recycled paperAPPENDIX TO THE PROSPECTUS OF CENTENNIAL TAX EXEMPT TRUST Graphic material included in Prospectus of Centennial Tax Exempt Trust (the "Trust") under the heading: "Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31 each year)." Bar chart will be included in the Prospectus of the Trust depicting the annual total returns of a hypothetical investment in shares of the Trust for the full calendar year since the Trust's inception as a money market fund. Set forth below are the relevant data points that will appear on the bar chart. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Calendar Year Ended: Annual Total Returns -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/91 4.32% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/92 2.64% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/93 1.91% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/94 2.30% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/95 3.47% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/96 3.00% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/97 3.11% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/98 2.91% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/99 2.60% -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/00 3.42% --------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aggregate Total Compensation ---------------------------- Compensation from all Denver-Based Trustee's Name from Trust 1 Oppenheimer Funds2 and Other Positions (41 Funds) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- William L. Armstrong $2,079 $49,270 Review Committee Member ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert G. Avis $2,427 $72,000 Review Committee Member ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- George C. Bowen $2,098 $55,948 Review Committee Member ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edward L. Cameron $1,597 $26,709 Audit Committee Chairman ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon S. Fossel $2,632 $77,880 Review Committee Chairman ------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Freedman $2,753 $80,100 Review Committee Member ------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard F. Grabish $80 $0 ------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Howard Kast $2,919 $86,150 Audit Committee Member ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ Robert M. Kirchner $2,648 $76,950 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. William Marshall, Jr. $1,077 $3,768 Audit Committee Member ------------------------------------------------ * Effective July 1, 2000, William A. Baker and Ned M. Steel resigned as Trustees of the Trust and subsequently became Trustees Emeritus of the Trust. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001, Messrs. Baker and Steel each received $1,916 aggregate compensation from the Trust and for the calendar year ended December 31, 2000, they each received $63,999 total compensation from all Denver-based Oppenheimer funds. Effective April 5, 2001, Raymond J. Kalinowski resigned as Trustee of the Trust. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001, Mr. Kalinowski received $1,881 aggregate compensation from the Trust and for the calendar year ended December 31, 2000, he received $73,500 total compensation from all Denver-based Oppenheimer funds. 1. For the Trust's fiscal year end June 30, 2001. 2. For the 2000 calendar year. o Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees. The Trustees have adopted a Deferred Compensation Plan for disinterested Trustees that enables them to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of the annual fees they are entitled to receive from the Trust. Under the plan, the compensation deferred by a Trustee is periodically adjusted as though an equivalent amount had been invested in shares of one or more Oppenheimer funds selected by the Trustee. The amount paid to the Trustee under this plan will be determined based upon the performance of the selected funds. Deferral of fees of the Trustees under this plan will not materially affect the Trust's assets, liabilities or net income per share. This plan will not obligate the Trust to retain the services of any Trustee or to pay any particular level of compensation to any Trustee. Pursuant to an Order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Trust may invest in the funds selected by any Trustee under this plan without shareholder approval for the limited purpose of determining the value of the Trustees' deferred fee accounts. |X| Major Shareholders. As of October 9, 2001 the only person who owned of record or was known by the Trust to own beneficially 5% or more of the Trust's outstanding retail shares was A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., 1 North Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, which owned 1,893,428,434.615 shares of the Trust which was 98.84% of the outstanding shares of the Trust on that date, for accounts of its customers none of whom individually owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares. The Manager. The Manager, Centennial Asset Management Corporation, is wholly-owned by OppenheimerFunds, Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., a holding company controlled by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. The portfolio managers of the Trust are principally responsible for the day-to-day management of the Trust's investment portfolio. Other members of the Manager's fixed-income portfolio department, particularly security analysts, traders and other portfolio managers, have broad experience with fixed-income securities. They provide the Trust's portfolio managers with research and support in managing the Trust's investments. |X| The Investment Advisory Agreement. The Manager provides investment advisory and management services to the Trust under an investment advisory agreement between the Manager and the Trust. The Manager selects securities for the Trust's portfolio and handles its day-to-day business. The agreement requires the Manager, at its expense, to provide the Trust with adequate office space, facilities and equipment. It also requires the Manager to provide and supervise the activities of all administrative and clerical personnel required to provide effective administration for the Trust. Those responsibilities include the compilation and maintenance of records with respect to its operations, the preparation and filing of specified reports, and composition of proxy materials and registration statements for continuous public sale of shares of the Trust. Expenses not expressly assumed by the Manager under the investment advisory agreement are paid by the Trust. The investment advisory agreement lists examples of expenses paid by the Trust. The major categories relate to interest, taxes, fees to unaffiliated Trustees, legal and audit expenses, custodian and transfer agent expenses, share issuance costs, certain printing and registration costs and non-recurring expenses, including litigation costs. The management fees paid by the Trust to the Manager are calculated at the rates described in the Prospectus. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiscal Year Management Fee Paid to Centennial Asset Management Corporation ending 6/30 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1999 $7,950,188 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2000 $7,404,944 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001 $7,527,359 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Under its agreement with the Trust, when the value of the Trust's net assets is less than $1.5 billion, the annual fee payable to the Manager is reduced by $100,000 based on the average net assets computed daily and paid monthly at the annual rates, but in no event shall the annual fee be less than $0. This contractual provision did not result in a reduction of the fee which would otherwise have been payable to the Manager during the fiscal years ended June 30, 1999, June 30, 2000 and June 31, 2001. In addition, under its agreement with the Trust, the Manager has agreed to assume that Trust's expenses to the extent that the total expenses (as described above) of the Trust exceed the most stringent limits prescribed by any state in which the Trust's shares are offered for sale. The payment of the management fee at the end of any month will be reduced so that at no time will there be any accrued but unpaid liabilities under any of these expense assumptions. As a result of changes in federal securities laws which have effectively pre-empted state expense limitations, the contractual commitment relating to such reimbursements is no longer relevant. The agreement provides that the Manager assumes no responsibility under the agreement other than that which is imposed by law, and shall not be responsible for any action of the Board of Trustees of the Trust in following or declining to follow any advice or recommendations of the Manager. The agreement provides that the Manager shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with matters to which the agreement relates, except a loss resulting by reason of the Manager's willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the agreement. |X| The Distributor. Under its General Distributor's Agreement with the Trust, Centennial Asset Management Corporation acts as the Trust's principal underwriter and Distributor in the continuous public offering of the Trust's shares. The Distributor is not obligated to sell a specific number of shares. The Distributor bears the expenses normally attributable to sales, including advertising and the cost of printing and mailing prospectuses, other than those furnished to existing shareholders. For other distribution expenses paid by the Trust, see the section entitled "Service Plan" below. The Trust's Sub-Distributor is OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. Portfolio Transactions. Portfolio decisions are based upon recommendations and judgment of the Manager subject to the overall authority of the Board of Trustees. Most purchases made by the Trust are principal transactions at net prices, so the Trust incurs little or no brokerage costs. The Trust deals directly with the selling or purchasing principal or market maker without incurring charges for the services of a broker on its behalf unless the Manager determines that a better price or execution may be obtained by using the services of a broker. Purchases of portfolio securities from underwriters include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers include a spread between the bid and asked prices. The Trust seeks to obtain prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price. If broker/dealers are used for portfolio transactions, transactions may be directed to broker/dealers for their execution and research services. The research services provided by a particular broker may be useful only to one or more of the advisory accounts of the Manager and its affiliates. Investment research received for the commissions of those other accounts may be useful both to the Trust and one or more of such other accounts. Investment research services may be supplied to the Manager by a third party at the instance of a broker through which trades are placed. It may include information and analyses on particular companies and industries as well as market or economic trends and portfolio strategy, receipt of market quotations for portfolio evaluations, information systems, computer hardware and similar products and services. If a research service also assists the Manager in a non-research capacity (such as bookkeeping or other administrative functions), then only the percentage or component that provides assistance to the Manager in the investment decision-making process may be paid in commission dollars. The research services provided by brokers broaden the scope and supplement the research activities of the Manager. That research provides additional views and comparisons for consideration, and helps the Manager obtain market information for the valuation of securities held in the Trust's portfolio or being considered for purchase. Subject to applicable rules covering the Manager's activities in this area, sales of shares of the Trust and/or the other investment companies managed by the Manager or distributed by the Distributor may also be considered as a factor in the direction of transactions to dealers. That must be done in conformity with the price, execution and other considerations and practices discussed above. Those other investment companies may also give similar consideration relating to the sale of the Trust's shares. No portfolio transactions will be handled by any securities dealer affiliated with the Manager. The Trust may experience high portfolio turnover that may increase the Trust's transaction costs. However, since brokerage commissions, if any, are small, high turnover does not have an appreciable adverse effect upon the income of the Trust. Service Plan The Trust has adopted a Service Plan for the shares. The plan has been approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees2, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on that plan. Under the plan, the Manager and the Distributor may make payments to affiliates and, in their sole discretion, from time to time, may use their own resources (at no direct cost to the Trust) to make payments to brokers, dealers or other financial institutions for distribution and administrative services they perform. The Manager may use its profits from the advisory fee it receives from the Trust. In their sole discretion, the Distributor and the Manager may increase or decrease the amount of payments they make from their own resources to plan recipients. Unless a plan is terminated as described below, the plan continues in effect from year to year but only if the Trust's Board of Trustees and its Independent Trustees specifically vote annually to approve its continuance. Approval must be by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on continuing the plan. A plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the outstanding shares of the Trust. The Board of Trustees and the Independent Trustees must approve all material amendments to a plan. An amendment to increase materially the amount of payments to be made under a plan must be approved by shareholders of the class affected by the amendment. The approval must be by a "majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the shares. While the plan is in effect, the Treasurer of the Trust shall provide separate written reports on the plan to the Board of Trustees at least quarterly for its review. The Reports shall detail the amount of all payments made under the plan and the purpose for which the payments were made. Those reports are subject to the review and approval of the Independent Trustees. The plan states that while it is in effect, the selection and nomination of those Trustees of the Trust who are not "interested persons" of the Trust is committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees. This does not prevent the involvement of others in the selection and nomination process as long as the final decision as to selection or nomination is approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees. Under the plan, no payment will be made to any recipient in any quarter in which the aggregate net asset value of all Trust shares held by the recipient for itself and its customers does not exceed a minimum amount, if any, that may be set from time to time by a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Board of Trustees has set no minimum amount of assets to qualify for payments under the plan. |X| Service Plan Fees. Under the service plan, the Distributor currently uses the fees it receives from the Trust to pay brokers, dealers and other financial institutions (they are referred to as "recipients") for personal services and account maintenance services they provide for their customers who hold shares. The services include, among others, answering customer inquiries about the Trust, assisting in establishing and maintaining accounts in the Trust, making the Trust's investment plans available and providing other services at the request of the Trust or the Distributor. The service plan permits reimbursements to the Distributor at a rate of up to 0.20% of average annual net assets of the shares. The Distributor makes payments to plan recipients quarterly at an annual rate not to exceed 0.20% of the average annual net assets consisting of shares held in the accounts of the recipients or their customers. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001 payments under the plan totaled $3,538,029, all of which was paid by the Distributor to recipients. That included $10,068 paid to an affiliate of the Distributor's parent company. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001, the Manager paid, in the aggregate, $5,254,626 in fees out of its own resources for distribution assistance. Any unreimbursed expenses the Distributor incurs with respect to the shares in any fiscal quarter cannot be recovered in subsequent quarters. The Distributor may not use payments received under the plan to pay any of its interest expenses, carrying charges, or other financial costs, or allocation of overhead. Performance of the Trust Explanation of Performance Terminology. The Trust uses a variety of terms to illustrate its performance. These terms include "yield," "compounded effective yield," "tax-equivalent yield" and "average annual total return." An explanation of how yields and total returns are calculated is set forth below. The charts below show the Trust's performance as of the Trust's most recent fiscal year end. You can obtain current performance information by calling the Trust's Transfer Agent at 1.800.525.9310. The Trust's illustrations of its performance data in advertisements must comply with rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those rules describe the types of performance data that may be used and how it is to be calculated. If the Trust shows total returns in addition to its yields, the returns must be for the 1-, 5- and 10-year periods ending as of the most recent calendar quarter prior to the publication of the advertisement (or its submission for publication). Use of standardized performance calculations enables an investor to compare the Trust's performance to the performance of other funds for the same periods. However, a number of factors should be considered before using the Trust's performance information as a basis for comparisons with other investments: Yields and total returns measure the performance of a hypothetical account in the Trust over various periods and do not show the performance of each shareholder's account. Your account's performance will vary from the model performance data if your dividends are received in cash, or you buy or sell shares during the period, or you bought your shares at a different time than the shares used in the model. An investment in the Trust is not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency. The Trust's yield is not fixed or guaranteed and will fluctuate. Yields and total returns for any given past period represent historical performance information and are not, and should not be considered, a prediction of future yields or returns. |_| Yields. The Trust's current yield is calculated for a seven-day period of time as follows. First, a base period return is calculated for the seven-day period by determining the net change in the value of a hypothetical pre-existing account having one share at the beginning of the seven-day period. The change includes dividends declared on the original share and dividends declared on any shares purchased with dividends on that share, but such dividends are adjusted to exclude any realized or unrealized capital gains or losses affecting the dividends declared. Next, the base period return is multiplied by 365/7 to obtain the current yield to the nearest hundredth of one percent. The compounded effective yield for a seven-day period is calculated by (1) adding 1 to the base period return (obtained as described above), (2) raising the sum to a power equal to 365 divided by 7, and (3) subtracting 1 from the result. The yield as calculated above may vary for accounts less than approximately $100 in value due to the effect of rounding off each daily dividend to the nearest full cent. The calculation of yield under either procedure described above does not take into consideration any realized or unrealized gains or losses on the Trust's portfolio securities which may affect dividends. Therefore, the return on dividends declared during a period may not be the same on an annualized basis as the yield for that period. |_| Tax-Equivalent Yield. The Trust's "tax equivalent yield" adjusts the Trust's current yield, as calculated above, by a stated federal tax rate. The tax equivalent yield is computed by dividing the tax-exempt portion of the Trust's current yield by one minus a stated income tax rate and adding the result to the portion (if any) of the Trust's current yield that is not tax-exempt. The tax equivalent yield may be compounded as described above to provide a compounded effective tax equivalent yield. The Trust's tax equivalent yield may be used to compare the tax effects of income derived from the Trust with income from taxable investments at the tax rates stated. Your tax bracket is determined by your federal taxable income (the net amount subject to federal income tax after deductions and exemptions). The tax equivalent yield table assumes that the investor is taxed at the highest bracket, regardless of whether a switch to non-taxable investments would cause a lower bracket to apply and that state income tax payments are fully deductible for income tax purposes. For taxpayers with income above certain levels, otherwise allowable itemized deductions are limited. o Total Return Information. There are different types of "total returns" to measure the Trust's performance. Total return is the change in value of a hypothetical investment in the Trust over a given period, assuming that all dividends and capital gains distributions are reinvested in additional shares and that the investment is redeemed at the end of the period. The cumulative total return measures the change in value over the entire period (for example, ten years). An average annual total return shows the average rate of return for each year in a period that would produce the cumulative total return over the entire period. However, average annual total returns do not show actual year-by-year performance. The Trust uses standardized calculations for its total returns as prescribed by the SEC. The methodology is discussed below. |_| Average Annual Total Return. The "average annual total return" of each class is an average annual compounded rate of return for each year in a specified number of years. It is the rate of return based on the change in value of a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ("P" in the formula below) held for a number of years ("n") to achieve an Ending Redeemable Value ("ERV" in the formula) of that investment, according to the following formula: 1/n (ERV) (---) -1 = Average Annual Total Return ( P ) |_| Cumulative Total Return. The "cumulative total return" calculation measures the change in value of a hypothetical investment of $1,000 over an entire period of years. Its calculation uses some of the same factors as average annual total return, but it does not average the rate of return on an annual basis. Cumulative total return is determined as follows: ERV - P ------- = Total Return P ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tax-Equivalent Yield Compounded (39.6% Combined State and Average Annual Total Yield Effective Federal Tax Brackets) Returns (7 days Yield (at 6/30/01) ended (7 days 6/30/01) ended 6/30/01) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yield Compounded (7 days Effective ended Yield 1-Year 5 Years 10 Years 6/30/01) (7 days ended 6/30/01) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.32% 2.34% 3.84% 3.87% 3.26% 3.00% 2.89% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |X| Other Performance Comparisons. Yield information may be useful to investors in reviewing the Trust's performance. The Trust may make comparisons between its yield and that of other investments, by citing various indices such as The Bank Rate Monitor National Index (provided by Bank Rate Monitor) which measures the average rate paid on bank money market accounts, NOW accounts and certificates of deposits by the 100 largest banks and thrifts in the top ten metro areas. When comparing the Trust's yield with that of other investments, investors should understand that certain other investment alternatives such as certificates of deposit, U.S. government securities, money market instruments or bank accounts may provide fixed yields and may be insured or guaranteed. From time to time, the Trust may include in its advertisements and sales literature performance information about the Trust cited in other newspapers and periodicals, such as The New York Times, which may include performance quotations from other sources. From time to time the Trust may include in its advertisements and sales literature the total return performance of a hypothetical investment account that includes shares of the Trust and other Oppenheimer funds. The combined account may be part of an illustration of an asset allocation model or similar presentation. The account performance may combine total return performance of the Trust and the total return performance of other Oppenheimer funds included in the account. Additionally, from time to time, the Trust's advertisements and sales literature may include, for illustrative or comparative purposes, statistical data or other information about general or specific market and economic conditions. That may include, for example, o information about the performance of certain securities or commodities markets or segments of those markets, o information about the performance of the economies of particular countries or regions, o the earnings of companies included in segments of particular industries, sectors, securities markets, countries or regions, o the availability of different types of securities or offerings of securities, o information relating to the gross national or gross domestic product of the United States or other countries or regions, o comparisons of various market sectors or indices to demonstrate performance, risk, or other characteristics of the Trust. A B O U T Y O U R A C C O U N T How to Buy Shares Determination of Net Asset Value Per Share. The net asset value per share of the Trust is determined twice each day that the New York Stock Exchange ("Exchange") is open, at 12:00 Noon and at 4:00 P.M., on each day that the Exchange is open, by dividing the value of the Trust's net assets by the total number of shares outstanding. All references to time in this Statement of Additional Information mean New York time. The Exchange's most recent annual announcement (which is subject to change) states that it will close on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It may also close on other days. The Trust's Board of Trustees has adopted the amortized cost method to value the Trust's portfolio securities. Under the amortized cost method, a security is valued initially at its cost and its valuation assumes a constant amortization of any premium or accretion of any discount, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the security. This method does not take into consideration any unrealized capital gains or losses on securities. While this method provides certainty in valuing securities, in certain periods the value of a security determined by amortized cost may be higher or lower than the price the Trust would receive if it sold the security. The Trust's Board of Trustees has established procedures reasonably designed to stabilize the Trust's net asset value at $1.00 per share. Those procedures include a review of the valuations of the Trust's portfolio holdings by the Board of Trustees, at intervals it deems appropriate, to determine whether the Trust's net asset value calculated by using available market quotations deviates from $1.00 per share based on amortized cost. The Board of Trustees will examine the extent of any deviation between the Trust's net asset value based upon available market quotations and amortized cost. If the Trust's net asset value were to deviate from $1.00 by more than 0.5%, Rule 2a-7 requires the Board of Trustees to consider what action, if any, should be taken. If they find that the extent of the deviation may cause a material dilution or other unfair effects on shareholders, the Board of Trustees will take whatever steps it considers appropriate to eliminate or reduce the dilution, including, among others, withholding or reducing dividends, paying dividends from capital or capital gains, selling portfolio instruments prior to maturity to realize capital gains or losses or to shorten the average maturity of the portfolio, or calculating net asset value per share by using available market quotations. During periods of declining interest rates, the daily yield on shares of the Trust may tend to be lower (and net investment income and dividends higher) than those of a fund holding the identical investments as the Trust but which used a method of portfolio valuation based on market prices or estimates of market prices. During periods of rising interest rates, the daily yield of the Trust would tend to be higher and its aggregate value lower than that of an identical portfolio using market price valuation. How to Sell Shares The information below supplements the terms and conditions for redeeming shares set forth in the Prospectus. Checkwriting. When a check is presented to the Bank for clearance, the Bank will ask the Trust to redeem a sufficient number of full and fractional shares in the shareholder's account to cover the amount of the check. This enables the shareholder to continue receiving dividends on those shares until the check is presented to the Trust. Checks may not be presented for payment at the offices of the Bank or the Trust's Custodian. This limitation does not affect the use of checks for the payment of bills or to obtain cash at other banks. The Trust reserves the right to amend, suspend or discontinue offering checkwriting privileges at any time without prior notice. In choosing to take advantage of the Checkwriting privilege, by signing the Account Application or by completing a Checkwriting card, each individual who signs: (1) for individual accounts, represents that they are the registered owner(s) of the shares of the Trust in that account; (2) for accounts for corporations, partnerships, trusts and other entities, represents that they are an officer, general partner, trustee or other fiduciary or agent, as applicable, duly authorized to act on behalf of the registered owner(s); (3) authorizes the Trust, its Transfer Agent and any bank through which the Trust's drafts (checks) are payable to pay all checks drawn on the Trust account of such person(s) and to redeem a sufficient amount of shares from that account to cover payment of each check; (4) specifically acknowledges that if they choose to permit checks to be honored if there is a single signature on checks drawn against joint accounts, or accounts for corporations, partnerships, trusts or other entities, the signature of any one signatory on a check will be sufficient to authorize payment of that check and redemption from the account, even if that account is registered in the names of more than one person or more than one authorized signature appears on the Checkwriting card or the Application, as applicable; (5) understands that the Checkwriting privilege may be terminated or amended at any time by the Trust and/or the Trust's bank; and (6) acknowledges and agrees that neither the Trust nor its bank shall incur any liability for that amendment or termination of checkwriting privileges or for redeeming shares to pay checks reasonably believed by them to be genuine, or for returning or not paying checks that have not been accepted for any reason. Sending Redemption Proceeds by Federal Funds Wire. The Federal Funds wire of redemptions proceeds may be delayed if the Trust's custodian bank is not open for business on a day when the Trust would normally authorize the wire to be made, which is usually the Trust's next regular business day following the redemption. In those circumstances, the wire will not be transmitted until the next bank business day on which the Trust is open for business. No distributions will be paid on the proceeds of redeemed shares awaiting transfer by Federal Funds wire Distributions From Retirement Plans. Requests for distributions from OppenheimerFunds-sponsored IRAs, 403(b)(7) custodial plans, 401(k) plans or pension or profit-sharing plans should be addressed to "Trustee, OppenheimerFunds Retirement Plans," c/o the Transfer Agent at its address listed in "How To Sell Shares" in the Prospectus or on the back cover of this Statement of Additional Information. The request must (1) state the reason for the distribution; (2) state the owner's awareness of tax penalties if the distribution is premature; and (3) conform to the requirements of the plan and the Trust's other redemption requirements. Participants (other than self-employed persons) in OppenheimerFunds-sponsored pension or profit-sharing plans with shares of the Trust held in the name of the plan or its fiduciary may not directly request redemption of their accounts. The plan administrator or fiduciary must sign the request. Distributions from pension and profit sharing plans are subject to special requirements under the Internal Revenue Code and certain documents (available from the Transfer Agent) must be completed and submitted to the Transfer Agent before the distribution may be made. Distributions from retirement plans are subject to withholding requirements under the Internal Revenue Code, and IRS Form W-4P (available from the Transfer Agent) must be submitted to the Transfer Agent with the distribution request, or the distribution may be delayed. Unless the shareholder has provided the Transfer Agent with a certified tax identification number, the Internal Revenue Code requires that tax be withheld from any distribution even if the shareholder elects not to have tax withheld. The Trust, the Manager, the Distributor the Sub-Distributor, and the Transfer Agent assume no responsibility to determine whether a distribution satisfies the conditions of applicable tax laws and will not be responsible for any tax penalties assessed in connection with a distribution. How to Exchange Shares As stated in the Prospectus, direct shareholders can exchange shares of the Trust for Class A shares of any of the following eligible funds: Oppenheimer Bond Fund Oppenheimer Main Street Growth & Income Fund Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Main Street Opportunity Fund Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund Oppenheimer Main Street Small Cap Fund Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund Oppenheimer MidCap Fund Oppenheimer Capital Income Fund Oppenheimer Special Value Fund Oppenheimer Champion Income Fund Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund Oppenheimer Concentrated Growth Fund Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund OSM1 - Mercury Advisors S&P 500 Index OSM1 - Mercury Advisors Focus Growth Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund Fund Oppenheimer Disciplined Allocation Fund Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Value Fund Oppenheimer New Jersey Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Discovery Fund Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Emerging Growth Fund OSM1 - QM Active Balanced Fund Oppenheimer Emerging Technologies Fund Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value Fund Oppenheimer Quest Capital Value Fund, Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund Inc. Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund, Oppenheimer Europe Fund Inc. Oppenheimer Rochester National Municipals Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value Fund OSM1- Gartmore Millennium Growth Fund II Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc. Oppenheimer Global Fund Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund OSM1 - Salomon Brothers Capital Fund Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund Oppenheimer Growth Fund Oppenheimer Small Cap Value Fund Oppenheimer High Yield Fund Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund Oppenheimer Intermediate Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc. Oppenheimer International Bond Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Core Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Large Cap Growth Oppenheimer International Growth Fund Fund Oppenheimer International Small Company Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Value Fund OSM1 -Jennison Growth Fund Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund Limited-Term New York Municipal Fund Rochester Fund Municipals and the following money market funds: Centennial America Fund, L. P. Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust Centennial Tax Exempt Trust Centennial Government Trust Oppenheimer Cash Reserves Centennial Money Market Trust Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. 1 - "OSM" is Oppenheimer Select Managers Shares of the Trust purchased without a sales charge may be exchanged for shares of an eligible fund offered with a sales charge upon payment of the sales charge. Shares of the Trust acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions from the Trust or any of the other eligible funds (other than Oppenheimer Cash Reserves) or from any unit investment trust for which reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor may be exchanged at net asset value for shares of any of the eligible funds. |_| Limits on Multiple Exchange Orders. The Trust reserves the right to reject telephone or written exchange requests submitted in bulk by anyone on behalf of more than one account. The Trust may accept requests for exchanges of up to 50 accounts per day from representatives of authorized dealers that qualify for this privilege. |_| Telephone Exchange Requests. When exchanging shares by telephone, a direct shareholder must have an existing account in the fund to which the exchange is to be made. Otherwise, the investor must obtain a prospectus of that fund before the exchange request may be submitted. If all telephone lines are busy (which might occur, for example, during periods of substantial market fluctuations), shareholders might not be able to request exchanges by telephone and would have to submit written exchange requests. |_| Processing Exchange Requests. Shares to be exchanged are redeemed on the regular business day the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request in proper form (the "Redemption Date"). Normally, shares of the fund to be acquired are purchased on the Redemption Date, but such purchases may be delayed by either fund up to five business days if it determines that it would be disadvantaged by an immediate transfer of the redemption proceeds. The Trust reserves the right, in its discretion, to refuse any exchange request that may disadvantage it (for example, if the receipt of multiple exchange requests from a dealer might require the disposition of portfolio securities at a time or at a price that might be disadvantageous to the Trust). In connection with any exchange request, the number of shares exchanged may be less than the number requested if the exchange or the number requested would include shares subject to a restriction cited in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information or would include shares covered by a share certificate that is not tendered with the request. In those cases, only the shares available for exchange without restriction will be exchanged. The different eligible funds available for exchange have different investment objectives, policies and risks. A shareholder should assure that the fund selected is appropriate for his or her investment and should be aware of the tax consequences of an exchange. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange transaction is treated as a redemption of shares of one fund and a purchase of shares of another. The Trust, the Distributor, the Sub-Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are unable to provide investment, tax or legal advice to a shareholder in connection with an exchange request or any other investment transaction. The Trust may amend, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. Although, the Trust may impose these changes at any time, it will provide you with notice of those changes whenever it is required to do so by applicable law. It may be required to provide 60 days notice prior to materially amending or terminating the exchange privilege. That 60-day notice is not required in extraordinary circumstances. Dividends and Taxes Tax Status of the Trust's Dividends and Distributions. The federal tax treatment of the Trust's dividends and capital gains distributions is explained in the Prospectus under the caption "Distributions and Taxes." Under the Internal Revenue Code, by December 31 each year, the Trust must distribute 98% of its taxable investment income earned from January 1 through December 31 of that year and 98% of its capital gains realized in the period from November 1 of the prior year through October 31 of the current year. It if does not, the Trust must pay an excise tax on the amounts not distributed. It is presently anticipated that the Trust will meet those requirements. However, the Board of Trustees and the Manager might determine in a particular year that it would be in the best interest of shareholders for the Trust not to make distributions at the required levels and to pay the excise tax on the undistributed amounts. That would reduce the amount of income or capital gains available for distribution to shareholders. The Trust's dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations. If the Trust qualifies as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code, it will not be liable for federal income taxes on amounts paid by it as distributions. That qualification enables the Trust to "pass through" its income and realized capital gains to shareholders without having to pay tax on them. The Trust qualified as a regulated investment company in its last fiscal year and intends to qualify in future years, but reserves the right not to qualify. The Internal Revenue Code contains a number of complex tests to determine whether the Trust qualifies. The Trust might not meet those tests in a particular year. If it does not qualify, the Trust will be treated for tax purposes as an ordinary corporation and will receive no tax deduction for payments of distributions made to shareholders. Dividends, distributions and the proceeds of the redemption of Trust shares represented by checks returned to the Transfer Agent by the Postal Service as undeliverable will be invested in shares of the Trust as promptly as possible after the return of such checks to the Transfer Agent, in order to enable the investor to earn a return on otherwise idle funds. Dividend Reinvestment in Another Trust. Direct shareholders of the Trust may elect to reinvest all dividends and/or capital gains distributions in Class A shares of any eligible fund listed above. To elect this option, the shareholder must notify the Transfer Agent in writing and must have an existing account in the fund selected for reinvestment. Otherwise, the shareholder first must obtain a prospectus for that fund and an application from the Distributor to establish an account. The investment will be made at the close of business on the payable date of the dividend or distribution. Additional Information About the Trust The Distributor. The Trust's shares are sold through dealers, brokers and other financial institutions that have a sales agreement with the Sub-Distributor. The Distributor and the Sub-Distributor also distribute shares of the other funds managed by the Manager or an affiliate. The Transfer Agent. Shareholder Services, Inc. the Trust's Transfer Agent, is responsible for maintaining the Trust's shareholder registry and shareholder accounting records, and for paying dividends and distributions to shareholders of the Trust. It also handles shareholder servicing and administrative functions. The Custodian. Citibank, N.A. is the Custodian of the Trust's assets. The Custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Trust's portfolio securities and handling the delivery of such securities to and from the Trust. It will be the practice of the Trust to deal with the Custodian in a manner uninfluenced by any banking relationship the Custodian may have with the Manager and its affiliates. The Trust's cash balances with the Custodian in excess of $100,000 are not protected by federal deposit insurance. Those uninsured balances at times may be substantial. Independent Auditors. Deloitte & Touche LLP are the independent auditors of the Trust. They audit the Trust's financial statements and perform other related audit services. They also act as auditors for the Manager and OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and for certain other funds advised by the Manager and its affiliates.INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT Centennial Tax Exempt Trust To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of Centennial Tax Exempt Trust: We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, including the statement of investments, as of June 30, 2001, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of June 30, 2001, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; where replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Centennial Tax Exempt Trust as of June 30, 2001, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP Denver, Colorado July 23, 2001 20 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ----------------- ------------- SHORT-TERM TAX-EXEMPT OBLIGATIONS--99.4% ALABAMA--0.3% Hoover, AL BOE Capital Outlay TAN, MBIA Insured, 2.79%(1) $ 4,950,000 $ 4,950,000 ------------- ALASKA--1.2% AK HCF RB, State Capital Project, Series B-1, 4.35%, 12/1/01 4,445,000 4,445,874 AK IDV & Export Authority RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 3,210,000 3,210,000 AK International Airports RB, AMBAC Insured, 4%, 10/1/01 1,000,000 1,001,592 North Slope Borough, AK GOB, Series B, FSA Insured, 2.75%(1) 13,400,000 13,400,000 ------------- 22,057,466 ------------- ARIZONA--4.2% AZ Educational Loan Marketing Corp. RB, 2.80%(1) 10,000,000 10,000,000 Phoenix, AZ Civic Improvement Corp. WS RB, Series B, 3.10%, 7/12/01 9,700,000 9,700,000 Phoenix, AZ Civic Improvement Corp. WS RB, Series B, 3.10%, 8/2/01 25,000,000 25,000,000 Phoenix, AZ IDAU MH RRB, Paradise Lakes Apts. Project, Series 1995, 2.90%(1) 22,500,000 22,500,000 Pima Cnty., AZ IDV RB, Tucson Electric Power Project, 2.625%(1) 10,000,000 10,000,000 ------------- 77,200,000 ------------- CALIFORNIA--4.9% CA Dept. of Water Resource Revenue Trust Receipts, 3.10%(1) 32,500,000 32,500,000 CA HFA RB, Series CMC2, AMBAC Insured, 2.85%(1) 4,395,000 4,395,000 CA M-S-R PPA RRB, San Juan Project, Sub. Lien, Series E, MBIA Insured, 2.40%(1) 1,400,000 1,400,000 CA PCFAU SWD RR RB, Shell Martinez Refining, Series A, 3%(1) 5,000,000 5,000,000 Fremont, CA MH RB, Treetops Apts., Series A, 2.60%(1) 3,000,000 3,000,000 Huntington Park, CA RA MH RB, Casa Rita Apts., Series A, 2.60%(1) 1,100,000 1,100,000 Irvine Ranch, CA Water District COP, CAP Improvement Project, 3.10%(1) 2,000,000 2,000,000 Los Angeles Cnty., CA MTAU Sales Tax RB, AMBAC Insured, Series SG54, 2.53%(1) 1,000,000 1,000,000 Los Angeles, CA Airport RB, Series SG61, 2.60%(1) 3,000,000 3,000,000 Los Angeles, CA Power & Waterworks RRB, Subseries B-1, 2.55%(1) 4,400,000 4,400,000 Los Angeles, CA USD ABN AMRO Munitops Certificates, Trust 1999-7, MBIA Insured, 2.60%(1)(3) 2,000,000 2,000,000 Oceanside, CA MH RRB, Lakeridge Apts. Project, 3%(1) 10,000,000 10,000,000 Paramount City, CA HAU MH RRB, Century Place Apts. Project, Series A, 2.60%(1) 6,300,000 6,300,000 Rancho Mirage, CA Joint Powers FA COP, Eisenhower Medical Center, Series B, MBIA Insured, 2.40%(1) 3,500,000 3,500,0003 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- -------------- CALIFORNIA (CONTINUED) Sacramento, CA MH RB, Smoketree, Series A, 2.40%(1) $ 5,145,000 $ 5,145,000 Southeast RR FA, CA Lease RRB, Series A, 2.60%(1) 4,000,000 4,000,000 Southern CA Metropolitan Water District RB, Series B, 2.45%(1) 500,000 500,000 -------------- 89,240,000 -------------- COLORADO--2.0% Denver City & Cnty., CO Housing RB, Kentucky Circle Village Project, 2.80%(1) 4,300,000 4,300,000 E-470 Public Highway, CO RRB, Vehicle Registration Fee, 2.625%(1) 24,300,000 24,300,000 Englewood, CO IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 1,050,000 1,050,000 Fraser, CO IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 760,000 760,000 Holland Creek Metropolitan District, CO RB, 3.10%(1) 4,000,000 4,000,000 Idaho Springs, CO IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 1,480,000 1,480,000 -------------- 35,890,000 -------------- FLORIDA--6.3% Collier Cnty., FL IDAU Education Facilities RB, Community School of Naples Project, 2.70%(1) 8,400,000 8,400,000 Collier Cnty., FL IDAU RB, Gulf Coast American Blind, Series A, 2.92%(1) 3,000,000 3,000,000 Dade Cnty., FL WSS RB, FGIC Insured, 2.78%(1) 9,900,000 9,900,000 FL BOE Capital Outlay GOUN, Series 286, 2.76%(1) 2,600,000 2,600,000 FL HFA MH RRB, Monterey Lake Project, 2.70%(1) 18,665,000 18,665,000 FL MPA RB, 2.80%, 7/18/01 17,727,000 17,727,000 FL TUAU RB, Series A, FGIC Insured, 2.78%(1) 14,850,000 14,850,000 Hillsborough Cnty., FL IDAU PC COP, Tampa Electric Co. Project, MBIA Insured, 2.78%(1) 17,795,000 17,795,000 Hillsborough Cnty., FL IDAU PC RB, Tampa Electric Co. Project, 2.78%(1) 17,795,000 17,795,000 Lee Cnty., FL Airport & Marina ABN Amro Munitops Certificates, Trust 2000-3, FSA Insured, 2.82%(1) 4,890,000 4,890,000 -------------- 115,622,000 --------------4 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- ------------- GEORGIA--6.5% Burke Cnty., GA DAU PC RB, Oglethorpe Power Corp., AMBAC Insured, 2.65%, 7/23/01(2) $ 15,000,000 $ 15,000,000 Burke Cnty., GA DAU PC RB, Oglethorpe Power Corp., AMBAC Insured, 2.75%, 7/17/01(2) 9,600,000 9,600,000 Burke Cnty., GA DAU PC RB, Oglethorpe Power Corp., AMBAC Insured, 3.05%, 7/23/01(2) 18,000,000 18,000,000 Burke Cnty., GA DAU PC RB, Oglethorpe Power Corp., AMBAC Insured, 3.10%, 7/17/01 20,000,000 20,000,000 Cobb Cnty., GA HAU MH RRB, Terrell Mill Project, 2.90%(1)(3) 11,200,000 11,200,000 Fulton Cnty., GA DAU RB, Georgia Tech Athletic Assn., Inc., 2.70%(1) 2,900,000 2,900,000 Fulton Cnty., GA DAU RB, Lovett School Project, 2.70%(1) 3,000,000 3,000,000 Fulton Cnty., GA Facilities Corp. COP, Public Purpose Project, 5%, 11/1/01 4,060,000 4,085,624 GA GOB, Series 1995B, 2.78%(1) 11,880,000 11,880,000 Roswell, GA HAU MH RRB, Oxford Project, 3.80%(1) 23,610,000 23,610,000 ------------- 119,275,624 ------------- IDAHO--0.7% Custer Cnty., ID PC RB, Amoco Standard Oil of Indiana, 3.10%, 10/1/01(2) 12,500,000 12,500,000 ------------- ILLINOIS--6.2% Chicago, IL ABN AMRO Munitops Certificates, Trust 1998-3, 2.79%(1)(3) 8,735,000 8,735,000 Chicago, IL Gas Supply RRB, Peoples Gas Light & Coke Co., Series C, 2.82%(1) 8,000,000 8,000,000 Chicago, IL RB, Lakefront Millennium Parking Facility, 2.78%(1) 22,495,000 22,495,000 Elk Grove Village, IL IDV RB, La Quinta Motor Inns, Inc., 3.20%(1) 1,000,000 1,000,000 IL Development FAU RB, 2.85%(1) 8,500,000 8,500,000 IL Development FAU RB, Local Government Financing Program, Series A, AMBAC Insured, 2.85%, 7/23/01 5,700,000 5,700,000 IL EDFAU RB, Chicago YMCA, 3.30%(1) 20,000,000 20,000,000 IL Educational FA RB, 3.05%, 7/23/01 8,385,000 8,385,000 IL Educational FA RB, 3.10%, 8/1/01 20,000,000 20,000,000 Regional Transportation Authority, IL Municipal Trust Certificates ZTC-19, Cl. A, 2.78%(1)(3) 10,725,000 10,725,000 ------------- 113,540,000 -------------5 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- ------------- INDIANA--3.7% Dyer, IN HCF RRB, Regency Place, Series A-1, 2.91%(1) $ 3,055,000 $ 3,055,000 Fort Wayne, IN HCF RRB, Health Quest, Series X-A, 2.91%(1) 2,625,000 2,625,000 IN Environmental Development FAU RRB, USX Corp. Project, 2.60%, 8/9/01(2) 7,000,000 7,000,000 IN HFFAU RB, Capital Access Designated Pool, 2.90%(1) 15,900,000 15,900,000 IN MPA RB, PPS, MBIA Insured, 2.78%(1) 13,600,000 13,600,000 Indianapolis, IN HCF RRB, Health Quest, Series A, 2.91%(1) 3,615,000 3,615,000 Indianapolis, IN Local Public Improvement Board Bank RRB, Series E, 4.75%, 7/9/01 5,100,000 5,100,544 Kokomo, IN ED RB, Village Community Partner IV, 2.83%(1) 2,640,000 2,640,000 Lawrence/Fort Harrison, IN Reuse Authority Tax Increment RB, Harrison Military Base, 2.82%(1) 3,115,000 3,115,000 Marion Cnty., IN HA Hospital Facility RB, Indianapolis Osteopathic, 2.83%(1) 1,320,000 1,320,000 Merrillville, IN HCF RRB, Southlake, Series A-1, 2.91%(1) 3,485,000 3,485,000 Monroe Cnty., IN HA RRB, MBIA Insured, 2.65%(1) 3,500,000 3,500,000 South Bend, IN HCF RRB, Fountainview, Series A-1, 2.91%(1) 2,905,000 2,905,000 ------------ 67,860,544 ------------ IOWA--0.3% IA FAU Hospital Facilities RRB, Iowa Health Systems, Series B, AMBAC Insured, 2.70%(1) 4,605,000 4,605,000 ------------ KANSAS--0.3% Manhattan, KS Industrial RRB, Parker Hannifin, Inc. Project, 2.75%(1) 6,000,000 6,000,000 ------------ KENTUCKY--1.3% KY EDFAU RRB, Baptist Convalescent Center, 2.90%(1) 4,870,000 4,870,000 KY Rural Water Financial Corp. RB, Flexible Term Program, 3.07%(1) 18,580,000 18,580,000 ------------ 23,450,000 ------------ LOUISIANA--2.8% LA GOUN, Series A, FGIC Insured, 5.50%, 11/15/01 10,030,000 10,072,859 LA PFFAU RB, Willis-Knighton Medical Center Project, 2.70%(1) 10,000,000 10,000,000 New Orleans, LA IDV Board MH RB, Orleans LLC Project, Series 3700, 2.88%(1) 9,000,000 9,000,000 St. James Parish, LA PC RRB, Texaco Project, Series A, 2.95%, 11/9/01(2) 22,530,000 22,530,000 ------------ 51,602,859 ------------6 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- ------------- MARYLAND--1.4% Anne Arundel Cnty., MD ED RB, West Capital, Series A, 2.80%(1) $ 6,000,000 $ 6,000,000 Hyattsville, MD IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 1,580,000 1,580,000 MD Health & HEFAU Pooled Loan Program RB, John Hopkins Hospital, 2.65%, 8/1/01 17,000,000 17,000,000 MD Health & HEFAU RB, University of Maryland Pooled Loan Program, Series B, 3.60%(1) 810,000 810,000 ------------- 25,390,000 ------------- MASSACHUSETTS--3.2% MA REF GOUN, Series B, 2.45%(1) 30,000,000 30,000,000 MA REF GOB, Prerefunded, Series B, 6.50%, 8/1/01(2) 2,260,000 2,309,531 MA Water Resources Authority RRB, Series B, 2.50%(1) 25,000,000 25,000,000 Worcester, MA GOB, MBIA Insured, 5.25%, 8/1/01 1,250,000 1,251,028 ------------- 58,560,559 ------------- MICHIGAN--1.3% MI Job DAU RB, East Lansing Residence Associates Project, 3.20%(1) 1,900,000 1,900,000 MI School Loan GOB, 3.20%, 10/3/01 4,000,000 4,000,000 MI Strategic Fund Ltd. Obligation RB, Village at Brighton LLC Project, 2.70%(1) 5,570,000 5,570,000 Rochester, MI Community SDI GOUN, Series 289, 2.76%(1) 3,745,000 3,745,000 St. Clair Cnty., MI ED RRB, Series 282, AMBAC Insured, 2.78%(1) 8,000,000 8,000,000 ------------- 23,215,000 ------------- MINNESOTA--1.8% Minneapolis, MN CD RRB, Minnehaha/Lake Partners Project, 2.80%(1) 2,750,000 2,750,000 MN GOB, 2.78%(1) 16,010,000 16,010,000 MN GOUN, 5%, 8/1/01 1,000,000 1,000,720 New Ulm, MN Hospital Facilities RB, Health Center Systems, 2.40%(1) 2,200,000 2,200,000 North Suburban Hospital District, MN RB, Anoka & Ramsey Cntys Hospital Health Center, 2.40%(1) 3,200,000 3,200,000 St. Paul, MN POAU Tax Increment RB, Westgate Office & Industrial Center Project, 2.80%(1) 7,660,000 7,660,000 ------------- 32,820,720 -------------7 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- -------------- MISSOURI--0.7% MO HEAU Student Loan RB, Series A, 2.75%(1) $ 12,300,000 $ 12,300,000 -------------- MONTANA--0.2% Great Falls, MT IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 1,445,000 1,445,000 Havre, MT IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 1,345,000 1,345,000 -------------- 2,790,000 -------------- NEVADA--2.6% Clark Cnty., NV SDI GOLB, Series A, FSA Insured, 3.15%(1) 10,000,000 10,000,000 NV Municipal Securities Trust Receipts, Series SG 114, 2.76%(1) 20,350,000 20,350,000 Washoe Cnty., NV ABN AMRO Munitops Certificates, Single Asset Trust Certificates, Trust 2001-24, FGIC Insured, 2.79%(1) 16,090,000 16,090,000 -------------- 46,440,000 -------------- NEW YORK--5.9% Jay Street Development Corp. NYC Facilities Lease RB, Jay Street Project, Series A-3, 2.40%(1) 1,500,000 1,500,000 NYC HDC MH RB, Monterey Project, Series A, 2.45%(1) 9,000,000 9,000,000 NYC MWFAU WSS RB, Series C, FGIC Insured, 3.15%(1) 2,200,000 2,200,000 NYC MWFAU WSS RRB, Series F-1, 3.15%(1) 13,400,000 13,400,000 NYS DA RB, MBIA/IBC Insured, 2.53%(1) 2,600,000 2,600,000 NYS ERDAUEF RB, Consolidated Edison, Subseries A3, 2.50%(1) 3,000,000 3,000,000 NYS HFA RB, East 39 Street Housing, Series A, 2.50%(1) 3,500,000 3,500,000 NYS HFA RB, Victory Housing, Series A, 2.55%(1) 1,500,000 1,500,000 NYS LGAC RB, Series 1040, 2.51%(1) 1,500,000 1,500,000 NYS LGAC RB, Series SG100, MBIA Insured, 2.51%, 10/1/01(2) 10,420,000 10,420,000 NYS LGAC RB, Series SG99, MBIA Insured, 2.51%, 10/1/01(2) 27,595,000 27,595,000 NYS MAG RB, Series CMC1, 2.80%(1) 4,045,000 4,045,000 NYS TBTAU RB, Series SG-41, MBIA Insured, 2.51%(1) 1,730,000 1,730,000 NYS TBTAU RB, Series T, 3.25%, 7/31/01(2)(3) 11,400,000 11,400,000 NYS TBTAU SPO RRB, Series A, FSA Insured, 2.50%(1) 10,630,000 10,630,000 PAUNYNJ SPO RRB, Versatile Structure-4, 3.30%(1) 3,290,000 3,290,000 -------------- 107,310,000 --------------8 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- -------------- NORTH CAROLINA--0.3% NC Capital Facilities FA Student RB, Housing Facilities NCA & T University Foundation, 2.70%(1) $ 5,700,000 $ 5,700,000 -------------- OHIO--2.3% Clinton Cnty., OH Hospital RB, Ohio Hospital Capital, Inc., 2.85%(1) 24,000,000 24,000,000 Gallia Cnty., OH IDV Mtg. RRB, Jackson Pike Assn., 2.95%, 12/15/01(2) 3,175,000 3,175,000 Scioto Cnty., OH HCF RB, Hill View Retirement Center, 3.10%, 12/1/01(2) 4,115,000 4,115,000 University of Cincinnati, OH COP, Series 232, MBIA Insured, 2.76%(1) 10,575,000 10,575,000 -------------- 41,865,000 -------------- PENNSYLVANIA--6.0% Cumberland Cnty., PA Municipal Authority College RRB, Dickinson College, Series B, AMBAC Insured, 5%, 11/1/01(2) 2,700,000 2,705,723 Delaware Cnty., PA IDA PC RB, Philadelphia Electric, Series B, FGIC Insured, 2.45%, 7/23/01(2) 16,000,000 16,000,000 Delaware Cnty., PA IDAU PC RB, Philadelphia Electric, FGIC Insured, 2.65%, 8/1/01(2) 11,200,000 11,200,000 Delaware Cnty., PA PC RB, Philadelphia Electric, Series B, FGIC Insured, 3.05%, 7/23/01(2) 12,600,000 12,600,000 Monroe Cnty., PA HA RB, Pocono Medical Center, Series C, 2.80%(1) 2,835,000 2,835,000 PA GOUN, 2.78%(1) 17,800,000 17,800,000 PA HEFAU RB, Assn. of Independent Colleges & Universities, Series G1, 5%, 11/1/01(2) 3,500,000 3,507,361 PA HEFAU RB, Assn. of Independent Colleges & Universities, Series G3, 5%, 11/1/01(2) 1,300,000 1,302,628 PA HEFAU RB, Assn. of Independent Colleges & Universities, Series G4, 5%, 11/1/01(2) 1,000,000 1,002,022 PA HEFAU RB, CICU Financing Program, Series B6, 4.40%, 11/1/01(2) 4,600,000 4,600,000 PA MBIA Capital Corp. Grantor Lease Back RB, MBIA Insured, 2.88%(1) 30,000,000 30,000,000 Philadelphia, PA Municipal Authority RB, Justice Lease, Prerefunded, Series B, FGIC Insured, 7.125%, 11/15/01(2) 5,400,000 5,586,692 -------------- 109,139,426 --------------9 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- ------------- SOUTH CAROLINA--1.8% SC Education FA for Private Nonprofit Institutions RB, Columbia College Project, 2.70%(1) $ 10,000,000 $ 10,000,000 SC POAU ABN AMRO Munitops Certificates, Trust 1998-7, 2.82%(1) 7,325,000 7,325,000 SC Public Service Authority RB, Series 182, MBIA Insured, 2.78%(1) 14,850,000 14,850,000 ------------- 32,175,000 ------------- TENNESSEE--3.0% Shelby Cnty., TN Educational, Housing & HF RB, Baptist Memorial Hospital, 2.65%, 8/16/01(2) 5,700,000 5,700,000 TN GOB, 2.80%, 7/18/01 25,000,000 25,000,000 TN GOB, 3.15%, 7/13/01 24,600,000 24,600,000 ------------- 55,300,000 ------------- TEXAS--17.8% Austin, TX Travis & Williamson Cntys. Utility System RB, 2.60%, 8/1/01 10,000,000 10,000,000 Bexar Metropolitan Water District, TX RB, 3.10%, 7/25/01 9,000,000 9,000,000 Brownsville, TX Utility System RB, MBIA Insured, 2.65%(1) 6,000,000 6,000,000 De Soto, TX IDAU RRB, National Service Industries, Inc. Project, 2.75%(1) 7,150,000 7,150,000 Gulf Coast, TX IDAU Marine Terminal RB, Amoco Oil Project, 2.75%, 12/1/01(2) 4,000,000 4,000,000 Harris Cnty., TX Criminal Justice Center RB, Series SG96, FGIC Insured, 2.76%(1) 7,475,000 7,475,000 Harris Cnty., TX Toll Road COP, 2.78%(1) 9,900,000 9,900,000 Hockley Cnty., TX IDV Corp. PC RB, Amoco Project, 3.05%, 11/1/01(2) 5,000,000 5,000,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series A, 2.65%, 10/11/01 8,000,000 8,000,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series A, 3.05%, 7/23/01 13,900,000 13,900,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series A, 3.10%, 8/1/01 25,000,000 25,000,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series B, 2.60%, 7/26/01 27,600,000 27,600,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series B, 2.65%, 10/11/01 4,000,000 4,000,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series C, 2.65%, 10/11/01 3,000,000 3,000,000 Houston, TX GOB, Series C, 3.10%, 8/1/01 5,000,000 5,000,000 Houston, TX ISD Municipal Trust Certificates ZTC-21, Cl. A, FSA Insured, 2.83%(1) 12,700,000 12,700,000 Houston, TX WSS RB, Series SG120, 2.76%(1) 37,600,000 37,600,000 North Central, TX HFDC RB, Dallas Methodist Hospital, AMBAC Insured, 2.75%, 9/10/01(2) 22,900,000 22,900,000 North TX HEAU, Inc. Student Loan RB, Series A, 2.75%(1) 10,840,000 10,840,000 San Antonio, TX Electric & Gas RRB, Series G-101, 2.76%(1) 20,200,000 20,200,00010 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- -------------- TEXAS (CONTINUED) San Antonio, TX Electric & Gas RRB, Series SG105, 2.80%(1) $ 20,000,000 $ 20,000,000 San Antonio, TX Water RB, 2.78%(1) 4,000,000 4,000,000 TX TAN & RAN, 5.25%, 8/31/01 36,000,000 36,056,406 TX TUAU RB, Dallas Northtollway, Series SG70, 2.76%(1) 15,325,000 15,325,000 -------------- 324,646,406 -------------- UTAH--2.7% Eagle Mountain, UT Gas & Electric RRB, 2.65%(1) 17,625,000 17,625,000 Intermountain Power Agency, UT Power Supply RB, AMBAC Insured, 2.65%, 7/30/01(2) 5,800,000 5,800,000 Intermountain Power Agency, UT Power Supply RB, AMBAC Insured, 3.15%, 8/20/01 14,600,000 14,600,000 Salt Lake City, UT TAN & RAN, 3.50%, 12/28/01 10,000,000 10,041,213 Tremonton City, UT IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 445,000 445,000 -------------- 48,511,213 -------------- VIRGINIA--1.4% Peninsula Ports Authority, VA Coal Terminal RRB, Dominion Terminal Project-A, 2.75%, 7/23/01(2)(4) 15,835,000 15,835,000 Pulaski Cnty., VA IDAU RRB, Pulaski Furniture Project, 2.85%(1) 8,900,000 8,900,000 Stafford, VA IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 715,000 715,000 -------------- 25,450,000 -------------- WASHINGTON--2.8% King Cnty., WA ABN AMRO Munitops Certificates, Trust 2001-1, MBIA Insured, 2.79%(1) 7,770,000 7,770,000 Kitsap Cnty., WA SDI No. 401 GOUN, Series 252, MBIA Insured, 2.76%(1) 3,460,000 3,460,000 WA GORB, Series 1995C, 2.78%(1) 13,710,000 13,710,000 WA Municipal Trust Certificates ZTC-10, Cl. A, 2.78%(1)(3) 12,935,000 12,935,000 WA Municipal Trust Certificates ZTC-11, Cl. A, 2.78%(1)(3) 13,570,000 13,570,000 -------------- 51,445,000 --------------11 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
PRINCIPAL VALUE AMOUNT SEE NOTE 1 ---------------- ---------------- WEST VIRGINIA--1.1% Marion Cnty., WV Commission SWD Facilities RB, Granttown Project-D, 2.75%(1) $ 14,100,000 $ 14,100,000 WV Road GOB ABN AMRO Munitops Certificates, Series 1999-4, 3%, 11/28/01(2) 6,000,000 6,000,000 ---------------- 20,100,000 ---------------- WISCONSIN--0.6% WI Center District Tax RB, 2.75%(1) 10,000,000 10,000,000 ---------------- WYOMING--0.3% Evanston, WY IDV RRB, Safeway, Inc. Project, 2.80%, 12/1/01(2) 3,700,000 3,700,000 Lincoln Cnty., WY PC RRB, Amoco Oil Co. of Indiana Project, 3.30%, 10/1/01(2) 2,000,000 2,000,981 ---------------- 5,700,981 ---------------- OTHER TERRITORIES--1.5% Greystone Tax Exempt Certificates RB, Trust 1998-1, Sr. Certificate Beneficial Ownership, 2.88%(1) 27,800,000 27,800,000 ---------------- Total Investments, at Value (Cost $1,810,452,798) 99.4% 1,810,452,798 ---------------- Other Assets Net of Liabilities 0.6 11,281,973 ---------------- ---------------- Net Assets 100.0% $ 1,821,734,771 ================ ================12 STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS June 30, 2001 (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust To simplify the listings of securities, abbreviations are used per the table below:
BOE--Board of Education MAG--Mtg. Agency CAP--Capital Appreciation MH--Multifamily Housing CD--Commercial Development MPA--Municipal Power Agency COP--Certificates of Participation MTAU--Metropolitan DA--Dormitory Authority Transportation Authority DAU--Development Authority MWFAU--Municipal Water Finance Authority ED--Economic Development NYC--New York City EDFAU--Economic Development Finance Authority NYS--New York State ERDAUEF--Energy Research & Development Authority PAUNYNJ--Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Electric Facilities PC--Pollution Control FA--Facilities Authority PCFAU--Pollution Control Finance Authority FAU--Finance Authority PFFAU--Public Facilities Finance Authority GOB--General Obligation Bonds POAU--Port Authority GOLB--General Obligation Limited Bonds PPA--Public Power Agency GORB--General Obligation Refunding Bonds PPS--Public Power System GOUN--General Obligation Unlimited Nts. RA--Redevelopment Agency HA--Hospital Authority RAN--Revenue Anticipation Nts. HAU--Housing Authority RB--Revenue Bonds HCF--Healthcare Facilities REF--Refunding HDC--Housing Development Corp. RR--Resource Recovery HEAU--Higher Education Authority RRB--Revenue Refunding Bonds HEFAU--Higher Educational Facilities Authority SDI--School District HFA--Housing Finance Agency SPO--Special Obligations HFDC--Health Facilities Development Corp. SWD--Solid Waste Disposal HFFAU--Health Facilities Finance Authority TAN--Tax Anticipation Nts. IDV--Industrial Development TBTAU--Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority IDA--Industrial Development Agency TUAU--Turnpike Authority IDAU--Industrial Development Authority USD--Unified School District ISD--Independent School District WS--Water System LGAC--Local Government Assistance Corp. WSS--Water & Sewer System
1. Floating or variable rate obligation maturing in more than one year. The interest rate, which is based on specific, or an index of, market interest rates, is subject to change periodically and is the effective rate on June 30, 2001. This instrument may also have a demand feature which allows, on up to 30 days notice, the recovery of principal at any time, or at specified intervals not exceeding one year.
2. Put obligation redeemable at full face value on the date reported.3. Represents securities sold under Rule 144A, which are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities have been determined to be liquid under guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. These securities amount to $70,565,000 or 3.87% of the Trusts net assets as of June 30, 2001.
4. Identifies issues considered to be illiquid or restricted--See Note 4 of Notes to Financial Statements. See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements. 13 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES June 30, 2001 Centennial Tax Exempt TrustASSETS Investments, at value (Cost $1,810,452,798)--see accompanying statement $ 1,810,452,798 Cash 3,549,599 Receivables and other assets: Shares of beneficial interest sold 13,437,541 Interest 11,643,209 Other 244,212 ---------------- Total assets 1,839,327,359 ---------------- LIABILITIES Payables and other liabilities: Shares of beneficial interest redeemed 16,320,003 Dividends 1,067,427 Service plan fees 99,734 Shareholder reports 54,373 Trustees' compensation 12,683 Other 38,368 ---------------- Total liabilities 17,592,588 ---------------- NET ASSETS $ 1,821,734,771 ================ COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS Paid-in capital $ 1,822,079,970 Accumulated net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions (345,199) ---------------- NET ASSETS--applicable to 1,822,095,938 shares of beneficial interest outstanding $ 1,821,734,771 ================ NET ASSET VALUE, REDEMPTION PRICE PER SHARE AND OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE $ 1.00See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements. 14 STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS For the Year Ended June 30, 2001 Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
INVESTMENT INCOME--Interest $ 69,492,412 ---------------- EXPENSES Management fees 7,527,359 Service plan fees 3,538,029 Transfer and shareholder servicing agent fees 483,258 Custodian fees and expenses 186,291 Shareholder reports 146,733 Trustees' compensation 26,025 Legal, auditing and other professional fees 15,957 Other 597,786 ---------------- Total expenses 12,521,438 Less reduction to custodian expenses (178,392) ---------------- Net expenses 12,343,046 ---------------- NET INVESTMENT INCOME 57,149,366 ---------------- NET REALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS 294,983 ---------------- NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS $ 57,444,349 ================STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2001 2000 -------------------- --------------------- OPERATIONS Net investment income (loss) $ 57,149,366 $ 50,998,995 Net realized gain (loss) 294,983 (159,972) -------------------- -------------------- Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations 57,444,349 50,839,023 -------------------- -------------------- DIVIDENDS AND/OR DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS (57,149,366) (50,998,995) -------------------- -------------------- BENEFICIAL INTEREST TRANSACTIONS Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from beneficial interest transactions 129,890,148 (57,771,643) -------------------- -------------------- NET ASSETS Total increase (decrease) 130,185,131 (57,931,615) Beginning of period 1,691,549,640 1,749,481,255 -------------------- -------------------- End of period $ 1,821,734,771 $ 1,691,549,640 ==================== ====================See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements. 15 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, -------------------------------------------------------- 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- PER SHARE OPERATING DATA Net asset value, beginning of period $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 Income from investment operations-- net investment income and net realized gain .03 .03 .03 .03 .03 Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders (.03) (.03) (.03) (.03) (.03) -------- -------- ------- ------- ------- Net asset value, end of period $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 ======== ======== ======= ======= ======= TOTAL RETURN(1) 3.26% 3.01% 2.61% 3.12% 3.01% RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Net assets, end of period (in millions) $ 1,822 $ 1,692 $ 1,749 $ 1,829 $ 1,649 Average net assets (in millions) $ 1,779 $ 1,737 $ 1,896 $ 1,832 $ 1,591 Ratios to average net assets:(2) Net investment income 3.21% 2.94% 2.58% 3.07% 2.95% Expenses 0.70% 0.72% 0.69% 0.69%(3) 0.72%(3) Expenses, net of reduction to custodian expenses 0.69% N/A N/A N/A N/A
(1) Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period, with all dividends reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Total returns reflect changes in net investment income only. Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year.
(2) Annualized for periods of less than one full year. (3) Expense ratio reflects the reduction to custodian expenses. See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements. 16 NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Centennial Tax Exempt Trust 1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIESCentennial Tax Exempt Trust (the Trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The Trusts investment objective is to seek the maximum short-term interest income exempt from federal income taxes that is consistent with low capital risk and the maintenance of liquidity. The Trusts investment advisor is Centennial Asset Management Corporation (the Manager), a subsidiary of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (OFI). The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Trust.
Securities Valuation. Portfolio securities are valued on the basis of amortized cost, which approximates market value.Federal Taxes. The Trust intends to continue to comply with provisions of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its taxable income to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required.
As of June 30, 2001, the Trust had available for federal income tax purposes unused capital loss carryovers as follows:
EXPIRING ------------------------ 2007 $ 243,131 2008 88,401 ------------ Total $ 331,532 ============
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders. Dividends and distributions to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date.
Security Transactions. Security transactions are accounted for as of trade date. Gains and losses on securities sold are determined on the basis of identified cost.Other. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
17 NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust 2. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST The Trust has authorized an unlimited number of no par value shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in shares of beneficial interest were as follows:YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2001 YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2000 ------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Sold 5,201,579,181 $ 5,201,579,181 5,849,279,745 $ 5,849,279,745 Dividends and/or distributions reinvested 57,547,779 57,547,779 49,019,366 49,019,366 Redeemed (5,129,236,812) (5,129,236,812) (5,956,070,754) (5,956,070,754) --------------- ----------------- --------------- ----------------- Net increase (decrease) 129,890,148 $ 129,890,148 (57,771,643) $ (57,771,643) =============== ================= =============== =================3. FEES AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Management Fees. Management fees paid to the Manager were in accordance with the investment advisory agreement with the Trust which provides for a fee of 0.50% of the first $250 million of the Trusts net assets; 0.475% of the next $250 million; 0.45% of the next $250 million; 0.425% of the next $250 million; 0.40% of the next $250 million; 0.375% of the next $250 million; 0.35% of the next $500 million and 0.325% of net assets in excess of $2 billion. Under the agreement, when the value of the Trusts net assets is less than $1.5 billion, the annual fee payable to the Manager shall be reduced by $100,000 based on average net assets computed daily and paid monthly at the annual rates. However, the annual fee cannot be less than $0. The Trusts management fee for the year ended June 30, 2001, was an annualized rate of 0.42%.
Transfer Agent Fees. Shareholder Services, Inc. (SSI) acts as the transfer and shareholder servicing agent for the Trust and for other registered investment companies. The Trust pays SSI an annual maintenance fee for each Trust shareholder account.Service Plan Fees. Under an approved service plan, the Trust may expend up to 0.20% of its average annual net assets annually to reimburse the Manager, as distributor, for costs incurred in connection with the personal service and maintenance of accounts that hold shares of the Trust, including amounts paid to brokers, dealers, banks and other financial institutions. During the year ended June 30, 2001, the Trust paid $10,068 to a broker-dealer affiliated with the Manager as reimbursement for distribution-related expenses.
18 NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) Centennial Tax Exempt Trust 4. ILLIQUID OR RESTRICTED SECURITIESAs of June 30, 2001, investments in securities included issues that are illiquid or restricted. Restricted securities are often purchased in private placement transactions, are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, may have contractual restrictions on resale, and are valued under methods approved by the Board of Trustees as reflecting fair value. A security may also be considered illiquid if it lacks a readily available market or if its valuation has not changed for a certain period of time. The Trust intends to invest no more than 10% of its net assets (determined at the time of purchase and reviewed periodically) in illiquid or restricted securities. Certain restricted securities, eligible for resale to qualified institutional investors, are not subject to that limitation. The aggregate value of illiquid or restricted securities subject to this limitation as of June 30, 2001, was $15,835,000, which represents 0.87% of the Trusts net assets, all of which is considered restricted. Information concerning restricted securities is as follows:
VALUATION PER ACQUISITION COST UNIT AS OF SECURITY DATE PER UNIT JUNE 30, 2001 -------------------------- --------------- ------------- --------------- SHORT-TERM NOTES Peninsula Ports Authority, VA Coal Terminal RRB, Dominion Terminal Project-A, 2.75%, 7/23/01 6/13/01 $ 1.00 $ 1.0019
A-4 Appendix A Description of Securities Ratings Below is a description of the two highest rating categories for Short Term Debt and Long Term Debt by the "Nationally-Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations" which the Manager evaluates in purchasing securities on behalf of the Fund. The ratings descriptions are based on information supplied by the ratings organizations to subscribers. SHORT TERM DEBT RATINGS. Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") The following rating designations for commercial paper (defined by Moody's as promissory obligations not having original maturity in excess of nine months), are judged by Moody's to be investment grade, and indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers: Prime-1: Superior capacity for repayment. Capacity will normally be evidenced by the following characteristics: (a) leading market positions in well-established industries; (b) high rates of return on funds employed; (c) conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; (d) broad margins in earning coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and (e) well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity. Prime-2: Strong capacity for repayment. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained. Moody's ratings for state and municipal short-term obligations are designated "Moody's Investment Grade" ("MIG"). Short-term notes which have demand features may also be designated as "VMIG". These rating categories are as follows: MIG 1/VMIG 1: Denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. MIG 2/VMIG 2: Denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample although not as large as in the preceding group. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("Standard and Poor's") The following ratings by Standard and Poor's for commercial paper (defined by Standard and Poor's as debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days) assess the likelihood of payment: A-1: Obligation is rated in the highest category. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, a plus (+) sign designation indicates the obligor's capacity to meet its financial obligation is extremely strong. A-2: Obligation is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. Standard and Poor's ratings for Municipal Notes due in 3 years or less: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a (+) designation. SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. Standard and Poor's assigns "dual ratings" to all municipal debt issues that have a demand or double feature as part of their provisions. The first rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second rating addresses only the demand feature. With short-term demand debt, Standard and Poor's note rating symbols are used with the commercial paper symbols (for example, "SP-1+/A-1+"). Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch") Fitch assigns the following short-term ratings to debt obligations that are payable on demand or have original maturities of generally up to three years, including commercial paper, certificates of deposit, medium-term notes, and municipal and investment notes: F1: Highest credit quality. Strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. May have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. F2: Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of higher ratings. LONG TERM DEBT RATINGS. These ratings are relevant for securities purchased by the Fund with a remaining maturity of 397 days or less, or for rating issuers of short-term obligations. Moody's Bonds (including municipal bonds) are rated as follows: Aaa: Judged to be the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, the changes that can be expected are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Aa: Judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the "Aaa" group, they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as with "Aaa" securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risk appear somewhat larger than that of "Aaa" securities. Moody's applies numerical modifiers "1", "2" and "3" in its "Aa" rating classification. The modifier "1" indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier "2" indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier "3" indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Standard and Poor's Bonds (including municipal bonds maturing beyond 3 years) are rated as follows: AAA: Bonds rated "AAA" have the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. AA: Bonds rated "AA" differ from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. A strong capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. Fitch AAA: Highest Credit Quality. "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in the case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. AA: Very High Credit Quality. "AA" ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate a very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. Because bonds rated in the "AAA" and "AA" categories are not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future developments, short-term debt of these issuers is generally rated "F-1+".B-1 Appendix B Industry Classifications Adult Living Facilities Bond Anticipation Notes Education Electric Utilities Gas Utilities General Obligation Higher Education Highways/Railways Hospital/Healthcare Manufacturing, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Non Durable Goods Marine/Aviation Facilities Multi-Family Housing Municipal Leases Non Profit Organization Parking Fee Revenue Pollution Control Resource Recovery Revenue Anticipation Notes Sales Tax Revenue Sewer Utilities Single Family Housing Special Assessment Special Tax Sports Facility Revenue Student Loans Tax Anticipation Notes Tax & Revenue Anticipation Notes Telephone Utilities Water Utilities C-6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Centennial Tax Exempt Trust ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investment Advisor and Distributor Centennial Asset Management Corporation 6803 South Tucson Way Englewood, Colorado 80112 Sub-Distributor OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. P.O. Box 5254 Denver, Colorado 80217 Transfer Agent Shareholder Services, Inc. P.O. Box 5143 Denver, Colorado 80217 1.800.525.9310 Custodian of Portfolio Securities Citibank, N.A. 399 Park Avenue New York, New York 10043 Independent Auditors Deloitte & Touche LLP 555 Seventeenth Street Denver, Colorado 80202 Legal Counsel Myer, Swanson, Adams & Wolf, P.C. 1600 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80202 PX0160.001.1101 -------- 1 Messrs. Bowen, Cameron and Marshall are not Directors of Panorama Series Fund, Inc. Messrs. Armstrong, Bowen, Cameron, Fossel and Marshall are not Managing General Partners of Centennial America Fund, L.P. Mr. Grabish is only a Trustee of Centennial Money Market Trust, Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial Government Trust, Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust and Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust. 2. In accordance with Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act, the term "Independent Trustees" in this Statement of Additional Information refers to those Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Fund and who do not have any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of any agreement under the plan.