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Supplement dated 4-20-12 to the current Class A, Class B and Class C Shares Prospectus
In the Your account Sales charge reductions and waivers section, under the Waivers for certain
investors subsection, the following bulleted paragraphs modify the existing corresponding bulleted
paragraphs, as follows:
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terminating participants rolling over (directly or within 60 days after distribution) assets
held in a pension, profit sharing or other plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, or
described in Section 457(b) of the Code, that is funded by certain John Hancock group annuity
contracts, to a John Hancock custodial IRA or John Hancock custodial Roth IRA that invests in
John Hancock funds, such participants and their Immediate Family (as defined in the SAI)
subsequently establishing or rolling over assets into a new John Hancock account through the
John Hancock Personal Financial Services (PFS) Group, including subsequent investments into
such accounts and which are held directly at John Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center |
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participants rolling over (directly or within 60 days after distribution) from a terminating
pension, profit sharing or other plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, or described
in Section 457(b) of the Code (the assets of which, immediately prior to its termination, were
held in certain John Hancock group annuity contracts but are now transferred from such
contracts and held either: (i) in trust by a distribution processing organization; or (ii) in
a custodial IRA or custodial Roth IRA sponsored by an authorized third party trust company and
made available through John Hancock), to a John Hancock custodial IRA or John Hancock
custodial Roth IRA that invests in John Hancock funds, such participants and their Immediate
Family (as defined in the SAI) subsequently establishing or rolling over assets into a new
John Hancock account through the John Hancock PFS Group, including subsequent investments into
such accounts and which are held directly at John Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center |
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former employees/associates of John Hancock, its affiliates or agencies rolling over
(directly or indirectly within 60 days after distribution) to a new John Hancock custodial IRA
or John Hancock custodial Roth IRA from the John Hancock Employee Investment-Incentive Plan
(TIP), John Hancock Savings Investment Plan (SIP) or the John Hancock Pension Plan and such
participants and their Immediate Family (as defined in the SAI) subsequently establishing or
rolling over assets into a new John Hancock account through the John Hancock PFS Group,
including subsequent investments into such accounts and which are held directly at John
Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center |
The following bulleted paragraph is added to the Waivers for certain investors subsection, as
follows:
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participants actively enrolled in a John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (RPS) plan account
rolling over or transferring assets into a new John Hancock custodial IRA or John Hancock
custodial Roth IRA that invests in John Hancock funds through the John Hancock PFS Group (to
the extent such assets are otherwise prohibited from rolling over or transferring into such
participants John Hancock RPS plan account), including subsequent investments into such
accounts and which are held directly at John Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center |
You should read this Supplement in conjunction with the Prospectus and retain it for future
reference.
Supplement dated 4-20-12 to the current Statement of Additional Information dated October 1,
2012
John Hancock Bond Fund,
a series of John Hancock Sovereign Bond Fund
The following subsection entitled European Risk is added to the INVESTMENT POLICES AND RISKS
section, as follows:
European Risk
Countries in Europe may be significantly affected by fiscal and monetary controls
implemented by the European Union (EU) and European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU),
which require member countries to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits,
interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls. Decreasing imports or
exports, changes in governmental or other regulations on trade, changes in the exchange
rate of the Euro, the default or threat of default by one or more EU member countries on
its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in one or more EU member countries may
have a significant adverse effect on the economies of these and other EU member countries
and major trading partners outside Europe.
The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due
to concerns about economic downturns, rising government debt levels and the possible
default of government debt in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Portugal and Spain. Several countries, including Greece and Italy, have agreed to
multi-year bailout loans from the European Central Bank, International Monetary Fund, and
other institutions. A default or debt restructuring by any European country, such as the
recent restructuring of Greeces outstanding sovereign debt, can adversely impact holders
of that countrys debt and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that countrys
creditworthiness, which may be located in countries other than those listed above, and can
affect exposures to other EU countries and their financial companies as well. The manner in
which the EU and EMU responded to the global recession and sovereign debt issues raised
questions about their ability to react quickly to rising borrowing costs and the potential
default by Greece and other countries of their sovereign debt and revealed a lack of
cohesion in dealing with the fiscal problems of member states. To address budget deficits
and public debt concerns, a number of European countries have imposed strict austerity
measures and comprehensive financial and labor market reforms, which could increase
political or social instability. Many European countries continue to suffer from high
unemployment rates and are projected to experience similar, double-digit unemployment rates
in 2012.
Investing in the securities of Eastern European issuers is highly speculative and involves
risks not usually associated with investing in the more developed markets of Western
Europe. Securities markets of Eastern European countries typically are less efficient and
have lower trading volume, lower liquidity, and higher volatility than more developed
markets. Eastern European economies also may be particularly susceptible to the
international credit market due to their reliance on bank related inflows of capital.
The Fund may be exposed to these risks through its direct investments in European
securities, including sovereign debt, or indirectly through investments in money market
funds and financial institutions with significant investments in such securities.
In the INITIAL SALES CHARGE ON CLASS A SHARES section, the following bulleted paragraphs modify
the existing corresponding bulleted paragraphs in the subsection Without Sales Charge as follows:
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Terminating participants rolling over (directly or within 60 days after
distribution) assets held in a pension, profit sharing or other plan qualified
under Section 401(a) of the Code, or described in Section 457(b) of the Code, that
is funded by certain John Hancock group
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annuity contracts, to a John Hancock custodial IRA or John Hancock custodial Roth
IRA that invests in John Hancock funds, such participants and their Immediate Family
(as defined herein) subsequently establishing or rolling over assets into a new John
Hancock account through the John Hancock Personal Financial Services (PFS) Group,
including subsequent investments into such accounts and which are held directly at
John Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center. |
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Participants rolling over (directly or within 60 days after distribution) from a
terminating pension, profit sharing or other plan qualified under Section 401(a) of
the Code or described in Section 457(b) of the Code (the assets of which,
immediately prior to its termination, were held in certain John Hancock group
annuity contracts but are now transferred from such contracts and held either: (i)
in trust by a distribution processing organization; or (ii) in a custodial IRA or
custodial Roth IRA sponsored by an authorized third party trust company and made
available through John Hancock) to a John Hancock custodial IRA or John Hancock
custodial Roth IRA that invests in John Hancock funds, such participants and their
Immediate Family (as defined herein) subsequently establishing or rolling over
assets into a new John Hancock account through the John Hancock PFS Group,
including subsequent investments into such accounts and which are held directly at
John Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center. |
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Former employees/associates of John Hancock, its affiliates or agencies rolling
over (directly or indirectly within 60 days after distribution) to a new John
Hancock custodial IRA or John Hancock custodial Roth IRA from the John Hancock
Employee Investment-Incentive Plan (TIP), John Hancock Savings Investment Plan
(SIP) or the John Hancock Pension Plan and such participants and their Immediate
Family (as defined herein) subsequently establishing or rolling over assets into a
new John Hancock account through the John Hancock PFS Group, including
subsequent investments into such accounts and which are held directly at John
Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center. |
The following bulleted paragraph is added to the Without Sales Charge subsection, as follows:
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Participants actively enrolled in a John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (RPS)
plan account rolling over or transferring assets into a new John Hancock custodial
IRA or John Hancock custodial Roth IRA that invests in John Hancock funds through
the John Hancock PFS Group (to the extent such assets are otherwise prohibited from
rolling over or transferring into the John Hancock RPS plan account), including
subsequent investments into such accounts and which are held directly at John
Hancock funds or at the PFS Financial Center. |
You should read this Supplement in conjunction with the Statement of Additional Information and
retain it for future reference.
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Supplement dated 4-20-12 to the current Statement of Additional Information dated March 1, 2012
John Hancock Bond Fund,
a series of John Hancock Sovereign Bond Fund
The following subsection entitled European Risk is added to the INVESTMENT POLICES AND RISKS
section, as follows:
European Risk
Countries in Europe may be significantly affected by fiscal and monetary controls
implemented by the European Union (EU) and European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU),
which require member countries to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits,
interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls. Decreasing imports or
exports, changes in governmental or other regulations on trade, changes in the exchange
rate of the Euro, the default or threat of default by one or more EU member countries on
its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in one or more EU member countries may
have a significant adverse effect on the economies of these and other EU member countries
and major trading partners outside Europe.
The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due
to concerns about economic downturns, rising government debt levels and the possible
default of government debt in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Portugal and Spain. Several countries, including Greece and Italy, have agreed to
multi-year bailout loans from the European Central Bank, International Monetary Fund, and
other institutions. A default or debt restructuring by any European country, such as the
recent restructuring of Greeces outstanding sovereign debt, can adversely impact holders
of that countrys debt and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that countrys
creditworthiness, which may be located in countries other than those listed above, and can
affect exposures to other EU countries and their financial companies as well. The manner in
which the EU and EMU responded to the global recession and sovereign debt issues raised
questions about their ability to react quickly to rising borrowing costs and the potential
default by Greece and other countries of their sovereign debt and revealed a lack of
cohesion in dealing with the fiscal problems of member states. To address budget deficits
and public debt concerns, a number of European countries have imposed strict austerity
measures and comprehensive financial and labor market reforms, which could increase
political or social instability. Many European countries continue to suffer from high
unemployment rates and are projected to experience similar, double-digit unemployment rates
in 2012.
Investing in the securities of Eastern European issuers is highly speculative and involves
risks not usually associated with investing in the more developed markets of Western
Europe. Securities markets of Eastern European countries typically are less efficient and
have lower trading volume, lower liquidity, and higher volatility than more developed
markets. Eastern European economies also may be particularly susceptible to the
international credit market due to their reliance on bank related inflows of capital.
The Fund may be exposed to these risks through its direct investments in European
securities, including sovereign debt, or indirectly through investments in money market
funds and financial institutions with significant investments in such securities.
You should read this Supplement in conjunction with the Statement of Additional Information and
retain it for future reference.
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