DEFA14A 1 ddefa14a.htm QUESTION & ANSWER FOR COMBINED PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (FORM N-14) Question & Answer for Combined Proxy Statement/Prospectus (Form N-14)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

 

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Filed by the Registrant x  Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

¨  Preliminary Proxy Statement

 

¨  Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

 

¨ Definitive Proxy Statement

 

x  Definitive Additional Materials

 

¨  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-12

 

J.P. Morgan Fleming Mutual Fund Group, Inc.

J.P. Morgan Funds

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Group

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Investment Trust

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Select Group

J.P. Morgan Mutual Fund Select Trust

J.P. Morgan Series Trust

One Group Mutual Funds


(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 


(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

Payment of filing fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

x  No fee required.

 

¨  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.

 

  1)  Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

 

 
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  3)  Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

 

 
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¨  Fee paid with preliminary materials.


¨  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

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LOGO

 

November 23, 2004

 

Q&A for Combined Proxy Statement/Prospectus (Form N-14)

 

November 2004 Shareholder Mailings for Merging Mutual Funds

 

1.      Why are proxy materials being sent to shareholders?

The materials are being mailed to shareholders in preparation for the upcoming special shareholder meetings concerning the integration of the JPMorgan and One Group mutual fund complexes and the merger of certain mutual funds.

 

2.      Why is so much material being sent to shareholders?

The materials are required by securities laws in preparation for the special shareholder meetings.

 

The amount of materials being sent to each shareholder depends on the specifics of their account and their holdings. A shareholder could receive as few as one package of materials. Or, in accounts with a broader range of One Group and JPMorgan Funds investments, shareholders could be receiving several packages.

 

It is extremely important that shareholders review the materials carefully and vote the proxy card(s) included in each package. In some instances due to the benefit of householding (consolidating like materials by shareholder identification), there may be more than one proxy voting card in each package. The householding process eliminates duplicate copies of the materials where possible and permitted by law. All proxy cards should be voted. Each proxy card represents a specific portion of the shareholder’s total investments.

 

3.      What proposals are addressed in the combined proxy statement/prospectus (Form N-14)?

 

There are five separate Form N-14s being mailed. Remember the N-14s concern the merging of individual mutual funds. The following chart summarizes the each of five separate Form N-14s.

 

Material title

 

 

Funds affected

 

 

Proposal for shareholder vote

 

Form N-14 for One

Group variable NAV

funds being

merged into

JPMorgan funds

 

 

Diversified Equity Fund

Balanced Fund

Intermediate Tax-Free Bond Fund

Diversified International Fund

Health Sciences Fund

 

1 proposal to approve:

•      Agreements and Plans for Reorganization

Form N-14 for One Group money

market funds being

merged into

JPMorgan funds

 

 

Treasury Only Money Market Fund

Institutional Prime Money Market Fund

 

•      Agreements and Plans for Reorganization

Form N-14 for

JPMorgan variable

NAV funds being

merged into One

Group funds

 

Bond Fund II

U.S. Treasury Income Fund

Tax-Free Income Fund

Equity Income Fund

Equity Growth Fund

Small Cap Growth Fund

U.S. Small Company Opportunities Fund

 

 

•      Agreements and Plans for Reorganization


Form N-14 for

JPMorgan money

market funds being

merged into One

Group funds (also 1

One Group money

market fund)

 

 

Liquid Assets Money Market Fund

Treasury Plus Money Market Fund

U.S. Government Money Market Fund

 

One Group U.S. Government Securities Money Market Fund

 

 

•       Agreements and Plans for Reorganization

Form N-14 for

JPMorgan funds

merging into

another JPMorgan

fund

 

 

Strategic Income Fund

Global 50 Fund

 

•       Agreements and Plans for Reorganization

 

4.      What happens if the shareholders do not vote their proxy?

The Boards of Trustees for both the One Group and JPMorgan Funds recommend a positive vote on all proposals. If a shareholder does not vote his or her proxy (proxies), they will not have taken advantage of the opportunity to determine the outcome of the proposals.

 

5.      What happens if proposals are not approved by shareholders?

While the Boards of both Fund complexes are recommending a vote “FOR” all proposals presented in the proxy materials, the possibility of a negative shareholder vote exists. The documents included in each of the shareholder proxy mailings, address these possibilities in detail. Since it is very detailed information, please refer to those materials.

 

6.      How will a shareholder in a merging fund be affected?

If approved by a shareholder vote of a merging fund, the assets of that fund will be combined with those of a corresponding fund. Following the merger, shareholders will receive shares of the corresponding fund that in total are equal in total dollar value to the shares of the fund they owned immediately prior to the merger.

 

7.      Are One Group Funds being merged into JPMorgan Funds as well as JPMorgan Funds merged into One Group Funds?

Yes. There are 19 fund mergers affecting 40 funds.

  n Some One Group Funds are merging into a corresponding JPMorgan Fund;
  n Some JPMorgan Funds are merging into a corresponding One Group Fund; and
  n Some JPMorgan Funds are merging into other JPMorgan Funds.
  n Security Capital U.S. Real Estate Shares is merging into One Group Real Estate Fund (which will start operation at time of merger)

As part of the merger, the surviving funds, in several instances, will be renamed.

 

8.      What funds are merging?

This table shows those funds that will be merged — pending shareholder approval — in February 2005. For more detailed information, please refer to the Proxy material mailed to you in November 2004. There are 19 fund mergers affecting 40 funds.


ACQUIRED FUNDS

 

        ACQUIRING FUNDS    SURVIVING FUND NAME

Domestic Equity Funds

 

JPMorgan U.S. Small
Company Opportunities

JPMorgan Small Cap
Growth Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Small Cap Growth Fund

  

JPMorgan Small Cap

Growth Fund

One Group Diversified
Equity Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan U.S. Equity Fund

  

JPMorgan U.S. Equity

Fund

JPMorgan Equity Growth
Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Large Cap Growth Fund

  

JPMorgan Large Cap

Growth Fund

JPMorgan Equity Income
Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Equity Income Fund

  

JPMorgan Equity

Income Fund

International Equity Funds

 

JPMorgan Global 50 Fund

  

merge with

and into

  

JPMorgan Fleming International
Opportunities Fund

 

  

JPMorgan International

Opportunities Fund

One Group Diversified
International Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan Fleming International Equity
Fund

  

JPMorgan International

Equity Fund

Special Equity Funds

 

One Group Balanced Fund

  

merges with

and into

 

  

JPMorgan Diversified Fund

  

JPMorgan Diversified

Fund

Security Capital U.S. Real
Estate Shares

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Real Estate Fund

  

JPMorgan U.S. Real

Estate Fund

One Group Health
Sciences Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan Global Healthcare Fund

  

JPMorgan Global

Healthcare Fund

Taxable Fixed Income Funds

 

JPMorgan U.S. Treasury
Income Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Government Bond Fund

  

JPMorgan Government

Bond Fund

JPMorgan Bond Fund II

  

merges with

and into

 

  

One Group Bond Fund

  

JPMorgan Core Bond

Fund

JPMorgan Strategic
Income Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan Global Strategic Income
Fund

  

JPMorgan Global

Strategic Income Fund

Tax Free Fixed Income Funds

 

One Group Intermediate
Tax-Free Bond Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan Intermediate Tax Free
Income Fund

  

JPMorgan Intermediate

Tax Free Bond Fund

JPMorgan Tax Free
Income Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Tax-Free Bond Fund

  

JPMorgan Tax Free

Bond Fund

Money Market Funds

 

One Group Treasury Only
Money Market Fund

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan 100% U.S. Treasury
Securities Money Market Fund

  

JPMorgan 100% U.S.

Treasury Securities

Money Market Fund

 

JPMorgan Treasury Plus
Money Market Fund

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group U.S. Treasury Securities
Money Market Fund

  

JPMorgan U.S. Treasury

Plus Money Market

Fund

 


JPMorgan U.S.
Government Money
Market Fund

One Group U.S.
Government Securities
Money Market Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Government Money Market
Fund

  

JPMorgan U.S.

Government Money

Market Fund

JPMorgan Liquid Assets
Money Market Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

One Group Prime Money Market Fund

  

JPMorgan Liquid Assets

Money Market Fund

 

One Group Institutional
Prime Money Market
Fund

 

  

merges with

and into

  

JPMorgan Prime Money Market Fund

  

JPMorgan Prime Money

Market Fund

 

9.      What class of shares will shareholders be receiving?

Upon merger completion, shareholders of Classes A, B and C shares of One Group Mutual Funds (non money market) will receive A, B, and C shares, respectively, of the corresponding surviving JPMorgan Funds. Shareholders of Class I (to be renamed Select Class) shares of One Group Mutual Funds will receive Select Class shares of the corresponding surviving JPMorgan Funds.

 

JPMorgan Fund (non money market) shareholders will receive corresponding shares of the acquiring One Group Fund.

 

Shareholders of money market funds should refer to the proxy materials for information on the specific class of shares they receive.

 

10.    Is there any overlap of funds in the new fund complex?

A review of both fund families was undertaken to identify any overlap or duplication of product offerings from both the One Group Mutual Funds and JPMorgan Funds – proposing fund mergers where appropriate. Some criteria used in the review were to determine that the investment objectives, investment policies, investment strategies and investment restrictions of the merging funds were compatible. The Boards of Trustees approved the proposed merger of certain funds at Board of Trustee meetings held in August 2004 after determining that the merger of the funds would be in the best interests of the funds’ shareholders.

 

11.    Will portfolio management of the merging funds change?

Yes, in certain instances. In most cases, the surviving fund after the proposed merger is completed will continue to be managed by the same portfolio management professionals.

 

12.    What will shareholders receive to confirm the completion of the merger of the funds?

Upon approval of shareholders, the merger of the funds is expected to occur on February 19, 2005. A confirmation statement will be mailed on or about February 22, 2005 to shareholders who own funds that were merged on February 19, 2005.

 

13.    Will the reorganization change fees charged to shareholders?

The reorganizations themselves will not affect the contractual fees to be paid by the One Group or the JPMorgan Funds. However, other components of the integration efforts approved by the Boards of One Group Mutual Funds and the JPMorgan Funds in August 2004 will result in changes to the fees for both the JPMorgan Funds and the One Group Mutual Funds.


14.    Will shareholders have to pay any sales load, commission, redemption fee, or other transactional fee in connection with the reorganization?

No. The full value of shares will be exchanged for shares of the indicated class of the corresponding funds without any sales load, commission, redemption fee, or other transactional fee being imposed. Banc One Investment Advisors and JPMorgan Investment Management will bear all of the expenses of both funds in connection with the reorganization, except for brokerage fees and brokerage expenses associated with the reorganization.

 

15.    Will shareholders have to pay any federal income taxes as a result of the reorganization?

Each transaction is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for Federal income tax purposes. Assuming a reorganization qualifies for such treatment, shareholders will not recognize taxable gain or loss as a result of these transactions. As a condition to the closing of each transaction, each One Group Fund or JPMorgan Fund will receive an opinion of legal counsel to the effect that the reorganization will qualify as a tax-free reorganization for Federal income tax purposes.

 

Shareholders should separately consider any state, local and other tax consequences in consultation with your tax advisor. Opinions of legal counsel are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or the courts.

 

16.    Will the proposed merger of certain One Group funds impact the promised restitution payments to shareholders under the settlement with the SEC and the New York Attorney General’s office?

Absolutely not. The One Group commitments hold firm.

 

 

 

 

 

Investors should carefully read the Fund prospectus, which includes information on the Fund’s investment objectives, risk, as well as charges and expenses along with other information before investing or sending money. To receive a JPMorgan Fund prospectus please call the JPMorgan Funds Service Center at 1-800-348-4782. To receive a One Group Fund prospectus please call the One Group Fund Services Center at 1-800-480-4111. Please read carefully before investing or spending money.

 

JPMorgan Funds are distributed by JPMorgan Fund Distributors, Inc. One Group Mutual Funds and Security Capital Real Estate Mutual Funds Incorporated are distributed by One Group Dealer Services, Inc., which is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Affiliates of JPMorgan Chase & Co. receive fees for providing various services to the fund. JPMorgan Asset Management is the marketing name for the asset management businesses of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Those businesses include J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. and its affiliates, including, without limitation, Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, Banc One High Yield Partners, LLC, Security Capital Research & Management Incorporated, and J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc.